New In from The Detox Market - Autumnal Oils

Just a quick (oil-centric) haul today! Expect reviews of these puppies in about four weeks.

Olìe 005 Huile Radicale / Odacité An Autumn On The World / Olìe 006 Huile Claire

Tammy Fender Capillary Strengthening Blend - Review

Today I'll be chatting about the Tammy Fender Capillary Strengthening Blend. As an avid reader of No More Dirty Looks, Siobhan and Alexandra's reviews of the Intensive Repair Balm along with this hilarious post had me thirsting for a piece of the "Tammy Fender effect".  As someone whose ancestors were likely transparent, I'm always on the hunt for things that can deal with broken/visible capillaries or just general redness. Us pale folk have it pretty tough when it comes to redness and veins, with much less pigment in the skin, we have less natural camouflage for these problems. Anecdotal illustration: We had a very long winter in Saskatchewan last year during which I reached new personal levels of paleness; by March I could pretty much see my heart beating.

On to the review! The first thing that struck me about this oil was its colour. Or rather, its lack thereof; it's almost completely clear. I'm someone who believes that you can usually judge an oil by its hue, I tend to gravitate toward the bright gold, red, green, and even blue blends far more than their unassumingly light counterparts. However, perhaps it's fitting that this oil that is tailored so perfectly to the problems the fair complected tend to face be pale in colour. While I've stressed how perfect this oil is for those with light complexions, I feel the need to also say that anyone (regardless of skin tone) who suffers from general redness and/or broken capillaries will likely benefit from this oil.

Using this oil is an absolute joy. Scented with earthy carrot seed, bright neroli, calming rose and chamomile, and musky bois de rose, massaging this beautiful treatment into the skin is truly an aromatherapeutic experience. I find the viscosity to be perfectly balanced, I can feel it deeply penetrating my skin, yet it leaves a delicate protective layer on the surface (for this reason it may not be suitable for the oilier among us). Over the summer it was perfect with just a layer of sunscreen on top (no additional moisturizer needed), though I suspect this winter I may need a little something more to keep my dry skin at bay. 

So how did it perform? I've gone through about a third of the bottle (approximately 5 weeks, used at least once a day), and feel pretty confident reporting that, over time, it does work. I notice the redness around the sides of my nose has gone down significantly and my skin tone from forehead to chin is more united and even. There's also a gorgeous calming sensation as soon as the oil is applied to skin that makes it a perfect soothing treat after intense skincare treatments or over-zealous exfoliation (we've all gone a bit over the top with a scrub at least once, haven't we?)

Conclusion: The Tammy Fender effect is real. This oil feels like it's been prayed over by priestesses on a harvest moon; it's positively humming with Tammy's positive energy, and, best of all, it does what it says on the bottle!

 *Sunflower Seed (Helianthus Annuus) Oil, Grapeseed (Vitis Vinifera) Oil, Apricot Kemal (Prunis Ameniaca), *Rose Hip Seed (Rosa Mosqueta) Oil, *Black Currant (Anthemios Nobilis), Pure essential oils of Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis), Bois De Rose (Aniba Roseodora), Neroli (Citrus Aurantium), Rose (Rosa Damascena), Carrot (Daucus Carota) Seed. 

*Certified Organic

Tammy Fender can be purchased in Canada through Clementine Fields

GRAYDON The Serum - Review

Photo via

It's time for my first review, folks! On the docket today is The Serum by GRAYDON Clinical Luxury by Nature. This product is a face oil composed of cold pressed blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, and strawberry seed oils; according to GRAYDON's site, it takes 100 pounds of fresh berries to make one 30ml bottle of this stuff! Can you say precious? 

The first thing I noticed about this oil is the remarkably viscous texture; I use a lot of face oils, and even the ones that have avocado oil bases or are enriched with shea butter or coconut oil (both solid at room temperature) can't compare in thickness. As such, this is definitely not an oil for those afraid to look a bit "glowy". Because of The Serum's incredible viscosity, I've had great success using it to treat the eczema that crops up on my eyelids, directly under my nose, and in my eyebrows (does anyone else get this? It makes me feel like a mutant flake monster) when I'm over-stressed and under-rested. The fact that The Serum is a blend of cold pressed oils makes it even more perfect for this purpose as, I've found, essential oils can sometimes cause irritation when the skin's health has already been compromised.

Holy-grail level eczema clearing properties aside, this oil is supercharged with antioxidants (I'll say it again, 100 pounds of fresh berries), and is an absolute delight to apply. It's a gorgeous dark yellow-green and instantly makes my skin feel more supple, protected, and nourished. There's also been a lot of talk recently about raspberry seed oil possibly containing UV filters (some folks are saying it has an SPF between 28-50); while I'm not convinced about this just yet (sunblock is something I will never EVER go without during a prairie summer) it's definitely something to consider.

The only gripes I have with this product are complaints about packaging. First of all, the small plastic cap that covers the nozzle of the bottle cracked the first time I took it off (this isn't an isolated problem either; I had the same issue with the cap on a GRAYDON toner) making travel with this product very difficult. Secondly, the ink(?) with which the label is printed rubs off like the wax used on scratch off lottery cards. I'm serious. It's weird. 

All in all, this in an excellent oil, with some unfortunate packaging problems.

The Serum (30 ml) costs 45$ and is available online from Clementine Fields 

INCI (as printed on label): cold pressed blueberry seed oil (vaccinum myrtillus), cold pressed cranberry seed oil (vaccinium macrocarpon), cold pressed red raspberry seed oil (rubus idaeus), cold pressed strawberry seed oil (fragaria vesca), grapefruit seed extract (citrus grandis) and nothing else!