How To Do Your Own Henna Tattoo
Like most mischievous little children, we used to love to draw--on everything. If we were left alone for more than an hour, there would be shapes and patterns made in marker all over our walls,...
View ArticleThe All-Natural Tinted Balm That Wakes Up Your Face (And Fights Herpes!)
I’ve been been a sucker for all-natural products since my first dalliance into crystal deodorant at 14. (No need to try that one. Tried it for you.) There is something about a product that is actually...
View ArticleA Pastel And Neon Interview With The Fabulous Audrey Kitching
Welcome to the world of Audrey Kitching. A world where cotton candy hair reigns supreme, Lisa Frank is unapologetically worshipped and unicorns are the only mode of transportation. A world where...
View ArticleNatural Deodorant: For When You're Worried That Antiperspirant Is Trying To...
Have you guys ever seen A Fish Called Wanda? I watched it for the first time in years the other day, and I was dying. Kevin Kline’s character, Otto, is such a trip. In addition to performing one of the...
View ArticleBeing Round And Cute Is A Totally Legit Reason To Love A Lip Balm
I don’t know what it is, but I freaking love little smooth round things I can hold in my hand. (Insert whatever joke you wish.) When I was little, this meant that I would tote around especially...
View ArticleThe (Mostly) Natural Treatments That Helped Me Grow Longer, Stronger Hair
Much like my skin, my hair has had a complete overhaul on my journey to get healthy. Though I’ve worn it long most of my life, I’ve never been particularly kind to my hair. Most of the time, I would...
View ArticleIrish Moss Red Algae: Your New Favorite DIY Mask Ingredient
I discovered Irish moss last Thanksgiving when I was searching for a way to make raw vegan pumpkin pie. (By the way, I make really good raw vegan pumpkin pie). Irish moss is a form of red algae that,...
View ArticleDilo Oil: The Next Big Natural Oil To Get Obsessed With
The last few years have seen a surge in the popularity of natural oils as beauty aids, am I right? I definitely embraced argan oil, and a lot of you worship at the church of coconut oil. There's also...
View ArticleQuick Question: What's Your Shaving Substance Of Choice?
Having a wide range of options has its pros and cons. It's nice to have choices, but it can be overwhelming. Remember when you got acceptance letters from every college you applied to? Yeah, me...
View ArticleMy 'No Makeup' Look Requires 8 Products
If you were to have asked me two months ago what my routine to look like I was wearing nada was, it would have been boring as hell. Moisturization (always, no matter what), a half a candy dot of Dior...
View ArticleMy Faith In All-Natural Skincare Has Been Restored!
Last week, I went down to Washington DC with my mother to attend a sexual freedom conference because my family likes to bond through activism. This little trip coincided with me reaching my breaking...
View ArticleDIY Whipped Body Butter: An Intoxicating Chemistry Project That Won't Land...
Hold on to your porkpie hats, ladies, because I'm about to go all Walter White on ya'll. Only this kitchen chemistry is like one part domestic (I'm using a hand beater), one part beauty, and zero parts...
View ArticleA Hippie-Turned-Model-Turned-Esthetician's Take On Natural Skincare
Last week, I went way, way uptown to visit Bree Neumann. She’s my... well, I’m never quite sure what to call her. When I was a kid, I called her my “godsister” because her mother, Joan, is my...
View ArticleFatty Acids: The Key To Figuring Out The Right Facial Oil For Your Skin
So you’re probably aware that oils are totally having a moment right now, and for good reason: pure oils and oil blends provide excellent emollient and occlusive action with minimal ingredients. This...
View ArticleAura Glow: You Need To Know About This Body Oil
Good ol' '80s Eddie Murphy. I watched Coming To America censored on TNT and USA networks, and man, it got 1000 times funnier when I rewatched as a lady with all the curse words and sexual innuendo. His...
View ArticleI Slept With My Face Covered In Bee Venom Like An Idiot
What’s the dumbest thing you did this week? Unless you smeared your face in bee venom, you’re officially smarter than me. Who guided me to such a stupid decision? The Duchess of Cambridge, obvi. The...
View ArticleKombucha: Does It Work As A Hair Rinse?
Weird is in the eye of the beholder, but kombucha is something that still exists outside of the radar for some. I've been drinking it for about six months as a boost to my liver while I continue to...
View ArticleFor The First Time Ever, I'm Exfoliating And Using A Mask
I kept my beauty routine to the bare minimum before I started writing for xoVain. My hair was always changing, but my face stayed the exact same. Although I lusted over many a good-smelling skin care...
View ArticleHow To Use Henna To Upgrade Your Nails
There really isn’t a whole lot of information out there on how to use henna on your nails. However, with much research and trial, I have come up with a basic method for using henna to have translucent,...
View ArticleI'm Using Castor Oil As Eye Cream, Mascara And Brow-Grooming Gel
Castor oil was never initially on my radar when I began to experiment with straight natural oils in my beauty routine. It was thick, goopy, and in the laxative aisle. But you know a remedy is worth...
View ArticlePMS Poultices: 3 Natural Ways To Get Un-Bloated And Un-Crampy
Those of us blessed with female reproductive organs are also blessed with awesome mood- and appearance-altering hormones that make us feel extra-special once every 28 days. I can't say for sure if I am...
View ArticleHydrosols: One Of The Most Beneficial And Versatile DIY Beauty Projects You...
My love affair with rosewater started out as a strictly culinary relationship. I was using it to flavor sweets and drinks, and I became a little obsessed with the smell. I would even say I much prefer...
View Article4 Popular DIY Ingredients You Need To Stop Putting On Your Face, Like, Now
I’ve seen a lot of awful skincare advice on the internet, but some of the most cringeworthy and, unfortunately, most persistent are DIY treatments that use common household items. I understand why...
View ArticleI've Been Using Coconut Oil As Deodorant And I Smell Downright Amazing
Let's be clear: I don't typically run around my kitchen wiping random products from my cupboard on my underarms in hopes of something magical happening. I have no problem mashing some avocado and...
View ArticleThe Caffeinated, Cruelty-Free Eye Cream That Makes It Easier To Pretend I...
My idea of beauty is simple: be healthy, and beauty is pretty much taken care of. That starts with lots of water, a good diet, exercise, laughing a bunch, avoiding things that I know mess up my face,...
View ArticleIndie Product Of The Week: Meow Meow Tweet Beer Shampoo Bar Soap
One of the first comments that ever stood out to me here on xoVain was on one of our very first articles. A reader who wasn't really feeling the set where we shot Snooki's makeunder snark-ily said,...
View ArticleIndie Product Of The Week: Indie Lee Swiss Apple Facial Serum
This is the second time in as many weeks that I've picked an indie product made by a company that considers itself a cheerleader for Team Natural. Personally, I don't care if a product is made of...
View ArticleDoes It Really Matter If Beauty Products Are Natural? A Cosmetic Chemist...
In my time spent as a chemist one of the most frequent questions I get asked is: What’s the deal with natural cosmetics? Are they safer? Are they better? Are they worth the cost? Consumers are becoming...
View ArticleIndie Product Of The Week: Minka Miracle Hand Salve
I've been to paradise, but I've never been to Maine. (Wow, that reference may be too old for even me.) I've spent most of my life about a seven-hour drive from Vacationland (that's an actual nickname...
View ArticleMud-Poo: My Dirty Little Way Of Celebrating Earth Day
Obviously, Earth Day is all about celebrating our tiny blue and green planet. Some people plant trees, some people push away the meat dishes, some people appreciate the flora with a more spirited sense...
View ArticleCan This Natural Deodorant Keep Me Literally Smelling Like A Rose?
Though I used to be super-athletic, I’ve been finding it harder and harder to get myself to workout as I get older. In an effort to snap myself out of my lazy winter rut, I used most of my tax return...
View ArticleDIY Mouthwash Is Helping Give Me My Healthiest Pie Hole Ever
Earlier this year, I achieved something that has always been a big deal to me: getting good teeth. Notice I didn’t say "pretty teeth." They still look like I’ve been opening cans with them, but I got a...
View ArticleFinally—A Truly Vegan Line Of Lipsticks!
To be totally honest with you guys, I’m not really a diehard vegan. Though I’d love to be 100% cruelty-free and animal-product free in every area of my life, I try to be realistic when it comes to my...
View ArticleFinally, A Natural Deodorant That Isn't Just Empty, Stinky Promises
For a long time I was quite adamantly against natural deodorant. I had tried my fair share of the market's options, and always found them to be irritating or the most temporary of solutions when it...
View ArticleForget Bubble Tea—Tapioca Belongs on Your Face!
I was first introduced to tapioca when I moved to downtown Toronto as a teen. My roommate introduced me to bubble tea, a cheap, sugary treat unlike anything I’d ever had before. Shops entirely...
View ArticleThese 4 Humble Bar Soaps Have Won My Heart and Saved My Skin
This summer has been the ultimate experiment in going back to basics; we moved out of our cabin into a bell tent for the summer. We didn’t have plumbing before, so there’s no real big change there, but...
View ArticleA Natural DIY Insect Repellent That Smells Like a Fancy Perfume
In Alaska, we’re outside a lot; whether it’s berry picking, hiking, or just running to the outhouse, we’re in the elements a lot. We are also oddly proud of the absolute mass of mosquitoes that are...
View ArticleThere Really is a Highlighter for Everyone, and These 5 Options are Proof
If I could only use one kind of makeup for the rest of my life, I would most definitely go with highlighter. Also known as luminizer or illuminator (or many other made up words), at its base, it’s some...
View ArticleThe 5 Products That Have Made Belif My Favorite All-Natural Korean Beauty Brand
There are loads (seriously, LOADS) of Korean skincare brands out there, lots of which offer similar products, but each one often has a star product of its own. After all, in a particularly rabid beauty...
View ArticleThe Products that Made Me Fall in Love with 4 Cruelty-Free, Natural Beauty...
I don't usually buy into the "all-natural is always good and CHEMICALS ARE BAD" narrative because I feel it's oversimplified and can be misleading. However, I will say that I appreciate it when a...
View Article5 Farm-to-Table Beauty Products That Will Treat Your Skin
Just like farm-to-table restaurants, farm-to-face has also experienced a surge in popularity. While the options are a bit pricier, you can feel good about the all-natural ingredients seeping into your...
View ArticleI'm Unboxing Love Goodly, the Subscription Box for Tree Huggers
It's been a while since I covered a subscription box, but I recently discovered a relatively new one called Love Goodly and wanted to do a good old fashioned unboxing. Also — and this is very important...
View ArticleI Know This Looks Like Rabbit Pellets, But It's Actually an Awesome Natural Gum
I'm always searching for really awesome natural products to incorporate in my daily life, and I've recently come across some pretty cool natural gum. Simply Gum is the only gum in the United States...
View Article3 Unnaturally Cool Makeup Looks You Can Do Using Only Natural Beauty Brands
Ah, natural beauty. The likes of Robin Wright Penn in The Princess Bride, Nathalie Emmanuelle on Game of Thrones, or maybe Brooke Shields in Blue Lagoon come to mind. Obviously, they are gorgeous,...
View ArticleI'm Inordinately Excited About How Well This Aluminum-Free Deodorant Works
Ever since there's been talk about aluminum in antiperspirant possibly being a contributing factor to developing breast cancer, I've been extra-cautious with what I use as a deodorant. It may not be...
View ArticleWhy Derms Say You Should Drink Your Wine and Wear it, Too
Before I commence, I think it's important that you know that the research for this post involved equal parts gif searches and equal parts talking to in-the-know derms. And it might even be fair to say...
View ArticleDIY Lip and Cheek Tints: A Lesson in Using Natural Pigments
There's nothing like an adorable cheek flush on any human. Whether soft pink, Benetar red, violet, bronzer or anything in-between, throwing on a little rouge can brighten your day and your look, no...
View ArticleI’m Tempted to Take These Indie Powder Masks with Me Everywhere I Go
I've found myself traveling quite a bit more than usual over the last six months. With that comes the need to get a little creative with my makeup and skincare totes, especially when I'm flying and...
View ArticleAfter Years of Black, Brights and Platinum, I Accidentally Dyed My Hair Its...
Over the past few years, my hair has been many colors. Starting in 2011, I dyed my naturally dark-brown hair black, to match my mood. Back then I was known as either Maura or The Goth Girl From The...
View ArticleThese Beauty Products Make Great Gifts for Breast Cancer Patients
When someone close to me was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, it didn't take long for them to come to me for recommendations for natural deodorant and heavy moisturizers. This made me think about...
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