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Dear Compassionate Consumer,
It is the end of February, which means spring is right around the corner! We understand that it can be difficult to beat the wintertime blues and heighten your everyday personal care routine, so we have assembled some of our favorite ways to stay chic during these dark and cold months. Best of all, these suggestions are easily incorporated into your everyday schedule; no primping required!
Next, we take you on an exotic skincare journey by introducing you to the Hawaiian company MAHALO. These products have definitely impressed us and we are super excited to share our experience!
In case you do not follow us on social media, Kim and Caitlin were guests on the well-known cruelty-free beauty podcast Natch Beaut when they were in LA for Indie Beauty Expo last month. We give you a little rundown of the episode and provide a link so you can have a listen yourself.
We wrap up things up by interviewing Silke Bayer from SilbaBathandSkinCare. Her passion for making high quality unisex skin care is very evident and she also provides an exclusive code for you to check out her products!
For the animals,
Caitlin McGrother
Leaping Bunny Program Administrator
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Getting Fancy in February Once February approaches, the winter humdrums officially kick in. It is a time of year when we aren’t particularly inspired to enhance our beauty routine and try new products. Is it really worth it during these cold months to take a little bit of extra time to look and feel our best? The answer is yes and it is a surefire way to help you rid yourself of the wintertime blues! Check out our cruelty-free recommendations below for some of our favorite ways to treat ourselves kindly and maybe a little fancy, too, during the heart of winter.
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by/ Rosie Jane Leila Lou Perfume
It was love at first smell for me when I first caught a whiff of by/Rosie Jane’s Leila Lou perfume. Crisp, clean, and refreshing are three words that immediately come to mind when I experience this scent. The notes of pear, jasmine, and freshly cut grass (three scents I love!) work so well together. This is a perfume you can wear every day and make this your signature scent. -Kim
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Madame Lemy All-Natural Deodorant
Deodorant is one of those everyday necessities that doesn’t ever feel like a treat. However, Madame Lemy has elevated this product to an elegant experience. The plastic-free packaging is absolutely gorgeous with romantic imagery reminiscent of the 1920s. Additionally, the product is refillable, making it a wonderful way to remain environmentally friendly while staying clean and fresh. This product comes in several scents including lavender, lime, and lemon. However, I love the rose for its traditional and classic scent. Made with actual rose petals and essential oils, applying this deodorant after showering feels luxurious. -Caitlin
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TON Cosmetics
Picking out your perfect shade of lip color can be tricky in person, let alone via an online retailer! Luckily, TON (pronounced “tone”) Cosmetics has taken the guesswork out of the equation and created a TON Test to help you find your perfect color. The test is right on their homepage and, afterwards, you are given your skin tone variation (currently there are nine variations on the website). Each specific tone has a lipstick in the nude, pink, and red collections. I can attest to how well this quiz works! All of TON Cosmetics lipsticks are gluten-free, vegan, and are super creamy to apply, very pigmented, and smell like buttercream. -Caitlin
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Mahalo Skin Care Product Corner
The lush Hawaiian Islands are resplendent with botanicals and superfoods, so it’s no wonder that Hawaiian based skincare products have become all the rage. We are currently completely obsessed with the Kauai-based company, MAHALO Skin Care. Their plant-based formulas use ingredients that are harvested sustainably and processed carefully so as to maximize the potency of plants’ extracts. The result is a super concentrated product that not only feels luxurious, but also results in improved complexion and texture. Side note: their packaging is fabulous. Read on for more information on some of their bestsellers we recently got a chance to try.
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The Rare Indigo Beauty Balm
Upon first review of this violet blue balm, the texture is silky smooth, but firm, and it has a subtly floral and aromatic scent. The ingredient list is full of beneficial oils including cannabis sativa oil, babassu butter, virgin marula oil, kukai oil, and acai oil, as well as essential oils including ylang ylang, bergamot, lavender, frankincense, and rose oils. The result is an intensely hydrating and repairing balm that calms the skin and provides a super radiant, youthful complexion. I love using this balm at night after cleansing my skin. A little goes a long way and, although very concentrated, this product spreads lightly and penetrates deeply into the skin. The next day, my skin is absolutely radiant, smooth, and hydrated. -Caitlin
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Vitality Elixir
This rich golden serum is loaded with Polynesian Tamanu super-oil and organic extracts of chia seed, black cumin seed, sea buckthorn, carrot seed & turmeric along with the potent anti-aging antioxidant astaxanthin. It is the one-stop shop for serums as its anti-inflammatory ingredients not only help prevent breakouts and calm existing ones, it hydrates skin to give it a more youthful appearance. It’s also great for both super dry skin and oily skin, so if you have combo skin (like I do!), it works for both! My skin tone has evened out since I started using it, and despite the oil base, the serum quickly absorbs leaving no residue. This serum has become my number one go-to morning boost! -Kim
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Hawaiian Hydration
MAHALO dubs this concentrate a “fairy godmother” for problematic skin that needs moisture but doesn’t work well with oil-based products. It combats dryness, irritation, premature wrinkles, and acne and is 100% oil-free. This serum contains gold, which is considered an antioxidant and collagen booster coupled with a supercharged botanical potion of hibiscus, goji berry, green tea, and more to help skin absorb maximize its absorption of moisture. It feels incredibly moisturizing all by itself but I love to pair it with the Vitality Elixir. -Kim
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Leaping Bunny on Natch Beaut
While Leaping Bunny was in Los Angeles last month for Indie Beauty Expo, we had the opportunity to be guests on the well-known podcast, Natch Beaut! We were so excited to share a bit more about our program and certification process, and discuss issues like China, animal testing alternatives, and why it may be more difficult for bigger companies to go cruelty-free. We also spread the love and shout-out to some of our most favorite Leaping Bunny certified products, ranging from household products to nail polish! Be sure to check it out on iTunes or on your preferred podcast player.
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SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW:
SilbaBodyAndSkinCareThis month, we are super excited to interview Silke Bayer, the founder of SilbaBodyAndSkinCare. Silke’s passion for creating skincare is very personal and important to her. Read below to learn more about Silke’s background in how she creates her products, her favorite products, and some little-known facts about the company, including its name!
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What was the inspiration behind the creation of SilbaBodyAndSkinCare?
When I was a little girl, I would play outside with plants not knowing that what I was holding in my hands are also good for my skin and my soul. I loved to plant herbs in our garden and wanted to learn as much as possible about them. In my teens, I had to manage my acne skin and it was really hard to find good skincare. Even in my early adulthood, I continued to deal with acne-prone skin, no matter what I used. Having problems with my skin, and not being able to find good natural skincare products, as well as working with ingredients that Mother Nature is able to give us, is what inspired me to create SilbaBodyAndSkincare. After going back to school and being a Certified Aromatherapist, I want to provide skincare products that are natural, simple, effective, affordable, and products for pampering the body and soul.
What is Silba’s mission?
Our mission is to create natural, simple and effective skincare that offers your skin optimal health, radiance and wellness by using safe, high quality and non-toxic ingredients given to us by Mother Nature. We believe in natural ingredients that work with each other, complement each other and together make your skin healthy and glowing.
What is your favorite product and why?
Since we launched our new skincare line, I am obsessed with the PASSION Facial Oil. It’s a Facial Oil made with fruits like passionfruit, plum, pineapple, elderberry and has amazing anti-aging properties. I love the orange color that comes from the CoEnzyme Q10. Packed with Omega Fatty Acids as well as Vitamin A, C, and E this moisturizer changed the appearance of my skin and smooths fine lines and wrinkles. It is special!
What is your most popular product?
Our most popular products are our Vanilla Sea Buckthorn Facial Oil and our Aloe Green Tea Face Wash, followed by our Body Butter Soufflés.
What has been the most rewarding part of creating SilbaBodyAndSkinCare?
What is really rewarding to me is when I hear customer feedback about how much our products changed their lives. This makes me immensely happy. I am really grateful for being able to have such a wonderful and creative job that allows me to help people with their skincare issues and educate them about what natural skincare products can do for their skin.
What is Silba’s target market?
Our target market is women and men from age of 25 up to any age. It is never too early or too late to start with natural skincare. The body’s production of collagen slows in our mid-to-late 20’s and continues to decrease dramatically after age 30. With our skincare line, we want to give young and mature skin natural products to either keep or return to a healthy and glowing skin.
Why is being Leaping Bunny certified important to Silba?
First of all, we LOVE pets and never ever test on animals. I grew up with many different pets and loved each of them. This was actually one of the first things I had on my mind when I created and launched SilbaBodyAndSkinCare.
What is something unique about Silba that others may not know?
Our products contain no more than 10 ingredients which is much less than other natural skincare companies. Our recipes are formulated by combining ingredients that have a synergistic effect and complement each other, which enhances the results of our products.
Can you share the story behind the company name?
I wanted to have my name somehow included in the company name. What I came up with was SIL from my first name Silke and BA from my last name Bayer. I liked it right away as it sounded like me, and like a body- and skincare company. When I googled SILBA, the only thing that came up was an island in Croatia. My dad’s parents came from Yugoslavia, which is now Croatia! So then, I knew why I chose those letters of my name and put them together to end up with SILBA.
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