Where to buy: Honeypot website, Target, Walmart and several other grocery and retail stores Price: 7.99-11.99 for pads & tampons One of my goals as a consumer is to focus my spending on products from black-owned brands/companies. This does not mean that I will never buy from other brands, but I want to ensure that I focus a majority of my money in a way that benefits and supports people who look like me. I was pleased to find that there were many everyday items that had lines from black-owned companies including Feminine Pads! The Honeypot brand was first featured exclusively with Target as a way to promote black and women owned businesses. You may have heard about the slight controversy in which a non-person of color took offense to the wording/message of Target's commercial for the brand which showed a little black girl being inspired by the Honeypot founder/CEO. I'm sure you can Google it if you want all the details! Needless to say, the general public did not agree and cleared the shelves of Honeypot products (they were out of stock for a bit!). After I was final able to get my hands on these hot items, I can say I'm hooked! Taking care of my body inside and out continues to be a priority for me. That’s why I have been exploring more natural and organic products to use for self-care including feminine hygiene. There is a lot of recent research coming to light about the impacts of long term exposure to certain chemicals that are commonly found in a lot of beauty and feminine products that we use in our daily lives. In moderation, exposure to these chemicals are ok, but prolonged exposure (think of how often a woman will wear a tampon/pad in her lifetime) can cause us harm. The Honey Pot Company is the first complete system for feminine care that is powered by herbs. These products do not contain the toxic chemicals that many feminine products have and are completely natural. The line has a range of items to include pads, tampons, wipes, washes, menstrual cups and continues to expand. They even have pads and products that can be used postpartum as well. Their motto is to "make peace with your period" which is something I'm sure a lot of us would love to do. First impressions/thoughts: I knew that these products were herb based which were also supposed to help provide relief from cramps and other menstrual related symptoms. The pads are made with an organic cotton top sheet and contain essential oils that help provide comfort during your period. The essential oils, which are mint and lavender, usually provide a "cooling" sensation. When I first tried them, it was definitely a different experience for sure. My initial reaction to the "cooling" sensation was shock but in a good way! The best way I can describe it is like having a mint peppermint patty or a Listerine strip on your yoni! It will probably take a moment to get used to but after a few minutes it mellows out. I do want to note Honeypot now makes non-herbal versions of their pads so if the cooling sensation is not your thing, you have an alternative option. If you are highly sensitive in your lady parts area, you may want to use these instead. I have been an Always brand girl since I got my first period, and only deviated every once in a while to try a different brand. The Honeypot pads are great with protection from leakage. The pads come with wings which helps them stay in place. Personally, I only use pads with wings (with the exception of liners) to make sure I'm secure. Like most brands, they also offer a variety of coverage options for your range of days (light to overnight). I have used all the varieties of pads and the liners in the herbal line. with no issues. The pads leave me feeling and smelling fresh. I'm not a tampon person so I can't speak to those. The only con with this product could be the price point. There are definitely more affordable, natural pads on the market, however, none of them (to the best of my knowledge), are herb infused and plant based. You can also view my Youtube video review of the Honeypot pads here.
0 Comments
Where to find: The London Grant Company website, Select in-store locations in the Atlanta area (see website), Nordstrom website & select Nordstrom stores If you are looking for great natural skincare products that will give you beautiful, soft skin without all the harsh chemicals or super strong fragrances, then this is a product line for you! London Grant products are 100% pure and natural with many also being vegan. Everything also comes in glass jars or bottles so they are very eco-friendly as well! These products can be used by anyone in your household and are even safe for the expectant mother. Some products are offered seasonally due to the nature of the ingredients, but most of the products are available year round in both travel and full size options. Take a peek at my video review for more detailed information about the products in this line! The founder is also a NC A&T classmate of mine and alum so make sure you show her some Aggie love! Products featured in the video:
*Black-owned small business ~ Woman entrepreneur ~ 100% natural ingredients ~Eco-friendly Where to find: Beauty Bakerie Website, select Ulta stores, Ulta website Beauty Bakerie is a black, woman-owned brand founded by Cashmere Nicole in 2011. She was motivated to start the brand after a battle with breast cancer, which inspired her focus on creating products with high quality and healthy ingredients. All products are cruelty free and most are vegan and gluten free as well. They offer a full range of makeup and skincare for people from a variety of complexions. Below are some of the products that I've tried since discovering this brand and my thoughts. Lip Whips - $20 each I thought that I had found my go-to lipsticks when I tried the lip kits from Kylie Cosmetics, but Beauty Bakerie's lip whips brought some fierce competition! The lip whips claimed that they were also smear proof, transfer proof and long lasting like the Kylie lip kits. I thought it was too good to be true but the lip whips proved me wrong! They produce a bold matte color that goes on smooth and can last through typical eating and drinking. As a teacher, I love that I can eat a quick lunch and then dash out to a meeting or next class knowing my lipstick is still in tact. The applicator brush's design makes it possible to do an outline first and then fill in the lips with the lip color. I would say these lip whips tie with my Kylie lip kits in being a go-to item in my makeup collection. The only thing that Kylie has on the Beauty Bakerie lip whips is that Kylie's products are available in kits that come with a lip liner pencil and the lip whips do not have this option. All in all I highly recommend for a long-lasting, smear and transfer proof product! My only regret is that I didn't order more colors! This palette has a versatile selection of colors that you can use for an everyday look or spice it up for a special occasion. There are 12 colors in the palette with some matte and some shimmer colors. There are also 3 colors (blue, green and a mixed purplish color) that are duo-chrome which look very cool on. I have used the brown as a background color for several of the other colors (my favorite being the shimmer bronzes and gold). The colors go on smooth and are nicely pigmented. They also blend nicely and do not have a lot of fallout. I have oily eyelids so I always wear primer (usually Urban Decay's Primer Potion in the original color) no matter what brand of shadow I use. I can depend on the shadows in this palette to last through a day of work (roughly 8 hrs) and beyond. This palette has become one of my go-to staples and I use it on a regular basis because again the colors are SO versatile and allow for a variety of look creations. I'd highly recommend this palette if you want a palette that can be used on a daily basis or even on the go if you want to switch it up with a touch of color or even a dramatic look. The only negative I have for this product is the price of $38, however, this price is in line with other high-end/prestige brands such as Urban Decay, Tarte, Too-faced etc. so you are definitely getting what you pay for. The price just may not work for people who are trying to stay within a certain makeup budget, but the good thing about this palette is that you can and probably will use it on a regular basis so it's worth the splurge and will last for a while. Pros: blendable, great color story, long-lasting, smooth/creamy application, little to no fallout Cons: price Lip Whip Remover and Sugar Scrub Price: Lip Whip Remover ($14) Sugar Scrub ($12) Sugar Scrub (in peach) - The sugar scrub is a nice exfoliator for your lips. It comes in a variety of flavors but I chose peach because I love all things peach flavored. The scrub is pretty basic and you could probably make it yourself with some sugar, coconut oil and flavoring, but if you are not into do it yourself beauty, this is a great product. I use it after wearing the lip whips or Kylie lipsticks to moisturize my lips and remove any of the remnants of the lipstick color. It also works well to use before applying the lip whips to make sure your lips are smooth for a flawless application. **This scrub is also vegan, cruelty-free and paraben-free.** Lip Whip Remover - These are pre-moistened lip whips that have oils on them such as (jojoba) that easily remove the lip whips and Kylie lipsticks. They leave your lips moisturized as well. The one thing to be aware of is they do smear the lipstick a little around your mouth when you use them so you may want to have a wet cloth available to clean that up. ** This product is vegan** |