May Lindstrom Skin The Blue Cocoon

May Lindstrom, model turned self-proclaimed "beauty chef" is arguable the darling of the green beauty world. Her concoctions are elegantly packaged and smell divine. Each product is a daily sensory experience; incorporate two or more and you've got yourself a serious ritual.  

Her Jasmine Garden Mist (not pictured) is a light floral and chocolate-ly  scented mist that revives complexions midday. I keep a bottle on my desk at work and I get a lot of zen out of the 3 seconds I take to close my eyes and spray it over my face -- no matter what my officemates must be thinking. 

And her Blue Cocoon balm, blue with blue tansy, is a mystical looking solid oil that melts instantly upon hitting the skin. It's soothing and hydrating, and great at quelling inflammation. It heals angry breakouts, and works as a great lip balm and eye cream in the parched winter months. Just be careful if you open a tub of this in July, I sloshed a good bit of it all over my bathroom counter. Yet another reason to break this one open in the winter. 

Tata Harper: Limited Edition Night Out Essentials Collection

I rarely find a set available featuring the products I'd cherry pick myself, if I could create my own set. Happily, I struck gold with this one!

Tata Harper's Beautifying Face Oil is one of the more reasonably priced products from her line, as well as the most versatile one. I mix a few drops in with my Gressa foundation and blend it in only where needed -- as a concealer. Or I use it underneath/in lieu of a moisturizer or pat a few drops over my makeup to freshen up mid-day. It's fragranced, but not overtly so. It absorbs in about 10 minutes and feels wonderful onwards.

The Resurfacing Mask is highly lauded for it's instant benefits. It's a gentle exfoliator, and the immediate results are remarkable. Skin feels smoother and fresher and any excess oiliness is mopped up. It's a translucent pink, florally scented gel, and dries within 5-10 mins, but you're advised to keep it on to 20 mins. I'll mist my face with water to prolong the dewy stage before rinsing it off. Before I had a jar of my own, I used to save my sample packs of this for hotel rooms, to offset the effects of dry cabin air. Be warned though, people advise storing this away from bathroom humidity which can compromise the preservation of the product.

The Love Potion is a heavenly, mood-boosting, lady-like scent. Both the initial top notes and dry down stay powdery, (thanks to the ylang ylang), very romantic (jasmine), yet not too girly (sandalwood). While there's no violet in the concoction, that's what my mind instantly conjures on first whiff. A heady, complex posy of violets. 

Very Vivacious Lip and Cheek is one I reviewed earlier. It's a wearable, flattering coral that can be blended out to a muted peach or applied in thin layers for a bright coral statement.