John Masters Organics Bearberry Oily Skin Balancing Face Serum Giveaway Contest

When my shampoo and conditioner order arrived from Beautorium last week, I found a full-sized gift with purchase in my box. Unfortunately, for me, an oily skin treatment is useless. Fortunately, after reading your comments on yesterday's NARS tinted moisturizer feature, I'll bet I have a few readers who could use John Masters Organics Bearberry Oily Skin Balancing Face Serum ($20). Thus, a new giveaway is born.

I have never used it, but I love every John Masters product I have ever used - and continue to use. Billed as a targeted toning mist, it "acts as an ultra-astringent to balance pH, tighten pores, and leave skin glowing and refreshed." Green tea leaf extract infuses skin with antioxidants, while bearberry extract helps to reduce sebum production. You can read the other ingredients if you click on the link above.

Let's do a quick contest, which will end on Saturday - the same time my other weekly contest ends. How can you enter to win this contest (technically a sweepstakes)? Just leave a comment on this feature (not in another BTiB post). After you comment here, feel free to send me an e-mail at bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com (the contest address, not my "personal" e-mail) and identify your comment. You can never be too careful about sharing an e-mail address you care about on a blog, so feel free to follow this step (an alternative is to code your e-mail, e.g., myname at gmail dot com, in your comment). Please make sure I have your e-mail. If I can't notify you, you can't win - even if your number is drawn.

You can earn extra entries. Follow this blog (through an e-mail subscription, GFC, or though one of the many Google readers - see sidebar at right) to earn a second entry. If you are a follower, it would help me tally entries if you tell me in your comment how you follow. You don't have to follow to enter. I want everyone to have a chance, but I also want to reward my followers. I must be able to track this entry.

You can earn a third entry by tweeting this contest. You must include "@BTiBeauty" (without the quotes) and the contest title in your tweet. Remember, tweet the contest title - if you don't, that entry won't count. I will tweet the contest soon, and you can simply retweet it to earn that second entry - if that's easier.

The deadline for entries will be Saturday, March 24, at midnight. The next morning, I will use a random number generator (random.org) to select the winner. I will e-mail the winner on Sunday morning. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to my message and provide a shipping address. After 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected. Make sure to check your e-mail - and look in your spam folder - when the contest ends.

This contest is open to anyone anywhere. Here are the terms. I will carefully pack and ship the prize (as I always do). I cannot insure the prize for overseas shipment - it's amazingly expensive to do so because of the way I have to send insured mail. If it's lost or stolen in transit, I may not be able to replace it with another prize just like it. I'll do my best on this end; let's see if your mail service does right by you on the other end if we have an overseas winner.

For all the legalese related to this contest, please see the Contests/Sweepstakes page at the top of the blog. Good luck!

Photo courtesy of John Masters Organics

John Masters Organics Linden Blossom Face Crème Cleanser

I've been meaning to tell you about John Masters Organics Linden Blossom Face Creme Cleanser ($22) for a long time. I'm on my second bottle - a clear indication that it's a keeper.

John Masters Organics calls this non-foaming face wash the gentlest cleanser available. The softening properties of rose and linden blossom essential oils are mixed with a light facial crème to gently clean away dirt and make-up. Foraha oil helps to repair the skin and promote cell growth - perfect for aging skin. Ylang ylang nourishes the skin, while radish root extract defends against environmental pollutants.

This cleanser, designed for dry and mature skin, is made with 13 certified-organic ingredients that include the key ingredients and their benefits below.

• Rose flower oil - treats dry and sensitive skin
• Linden blossom - softens and soothes skin
• Ginseng - toning, revitalizing
• Ylang ylang - antiseptic, nourishing
• Radish root - new all-natural preservative that protects against harmful bacteria
• Aloe vera leaf juice
• Sunflower seed oil
  

Why do I love this cleanser so much?

• It works.
• It's extremely mind and perfect for sensitive skin. You can even leave it on your face for up to five minutes while you are showering for extra moisturizing effects.
  
• I love the convenient pump-dispenser. I hate fumbling with container caps in the shower and much prefer pumps.
  
• It has a divine, natural, very light floral fragrance.
• It's organic, so naturally it contains no parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances, artificial colors, or other bad actors.
• No animals suffered to test it.

I use it during my morning shower each day. Since I often use John Masters Organics shampoos and conditioners, I'm starting to associate morning with John Masters. You can purchase John Masters Organics skin care, hair care, and body care collections at his Web site and at Beautorium. I highly recommend them.

Photo courtesy of John Masters Organics

John Masters Organics Sweet Orange & Silk Protein Styling Gel

When I find a styling gel that doesn't weigh down my fine hair, but does add body and helps me hold my hair style, I get excited. I'm excited about the John Masters Organics Sweet Orange & Silk Protein Styling Gel ($17.50)!

This alcohol-free, lightweight gel formula adds shine, volume, and texture to my hair. My hair never feels dry or brittle after I apply it because it has none of the synthetic plastic ingredients found in most "commercial" brands. On top of that, it's made with certified organic ingredients!

The ingredients read like a botanical garden. Mandarin orange detoxifies the scalp and treats and strengthens dry hair. Silk protein improves the manageability, gloss, and texture of hair. Sclerotium gum, a mushroom-derived thickening agent, is a natural alternative to plastics often used to give your hair hold. Arabic gum, derived from the acacia tree, is a thickening agent that adds volume. Aloe vera gel helps provides a soft hold. It also has cedarwood oil and honeysuckle extract in it. I don't usually like hair products that are scented, but the all-natural scent of this styling gel is pure pleasure - a quick trip through the garden.

Sweet Orange & Silk Protein Styling Gel is amazingly good. I had it for months without using it, a failure I can't really explain. I think I feared a hair emergency. So, my first experience with it was on a weekend when I had time to recover. There was absolutely no need for my anxiety. I was delighted with it! I can give it an unqualified recommendation. It's "there," but you will barely notice it in your hair. What you will notice is added volume and hold. As a nice extra-added benefit, it's safe for color-treated hair.

You can purchase Sweet Orange & Silk Protein Styling Gel from John Masters Organics, where shipping is currently free.

John Masters Organics Lavender Hydrating Mist for Skin & Hair

I'll admit, I'm on a spritz spree. I really like the convenience - spray and go. The John Masters Organics Lavender Hydrating Mist for Skin & Hair ($16.00) has a lot going for it. Lavender is known for its therapeutic, relaxing, and rejuvenating properties. Spray your skin or hair with this mist before bed, and you may forget all about the cares of the day.

The fragrance is fleeting - by the time I fall asleep, it's gone. How do I know? There are many daytime occasions when I need the calming influence of lavender. I'm reminded of an old, comfy sweatshirt that says, "Saint Dogbert casts out the demons of stupidity." Makes me laugh. Lavender makes me calm.

Is there anything hydrating about this product? Yes, but not in any long-term sense. It's basically certified organic lavender flower water. Spritzing your face, body, or hair with this will result in a temporary moisture boost and a mood-altering treat.

John Masters Organics products are made with highest quality, fair-trade, organic ingredients. None of the products are tested on animals, and the only animal products used by John Masters are honey and beeswax. John Masters' products are free of petrochemicals, genetically modified organisms, artificial fragrances, colorants, and sulfates. They won't arouse your allergies.

You can find John Masters Organics at Beautorium and John Masters Organics. There are always great gifts with purchase at Beautorium. See the current promotions at this link.

Photo courtesy of Beautorium

John Masters Organic Lip Calm

Can you adore multiple lip balms? My answer is an emphatic yes! Last week, when I was ordering my John Masters Organic Hair Care products from Beautorium.com - naturally using our BTIB 15% discount - I saw Lip Calm ($6). Any lip balm addict would try one, right?

This little balm, currently parked next to my bed, is delightful. Its long ingredient list is chock-a-block with botanical ingredients. Reading down the list, from most to least concentrated, the ingredients include olive oil, castor bean oil, sunflower oil, beeswax, carnuba wax, jojoba oil, shea butter, calendula extract, wheatgerm oil, flax seed oil, borage oil, kukui nut oil, rosehip oil, vitamin E...and much more. How cool is that?

The texture is much softer than ChapStick - Lip Calm glides on - and it stay around for awhile to keep your lips soft, hydrated, and feeling good. I love it!

You can purchase Lip Calm from Beautorium.com. On my next order, I'm buying one for every balm port - my office, purse, bathroom, bedside, and car. A lip balm addict has to have it nearby at all times!

Photo courtesy of Beautorium

Juice Beauty Giveaway Contest

The generous folks at Beautorium.com, the go-to site for natural and organic beauty products, are sponsoring our giveaway contest this week. Not only that, they are offering Best Things in Beauty readers a 15% discount on all purchases between now and December 31!

If you have been reading Best Things in Beauty, you will know that I am smitten with Beautorium. The range of brands and products available is stunning. They have carefully edited the world's natural and organic offerings, selecting the best, and they provide so much good information that I find myself browsing all the time.

Our giveaway contest is for a Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer ($28). To quoteBeautorium..."Juice Beauty’s lightweight organic oil-free moisturizer blends certified organic white grape and pomegranate juice with soothing aloe vera, vitamin antioxidants, and nutrient-rich sea algae to hydrate and quench skin's natural moisture balance for a beautiful matte finish." Use this moisturizer morning and night on your face, neck, and décolletage to stay moist and gorgeous. This is a great product for oily, combination, and normal skin.

What sets Beautorium apart from its competitors is the wealth of information they provide. I learned on the site that Juice Beauty was voted the #1 organic brand by Style.com and Most Wanted Cosmetic Product by Instyle.com. Juice Beauty counts Kate Hudson, Cameron Diaz, and Marsha Cross amongst its celebrity clientele.

Juice Beauty meets the strict USDA and the COPA (California Organic Products Act) organic guidelines for all of their certified organic ingredients. Juice Beauty contains no parabens, pesticides, petroleum, propylene or butylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfates, artificial dyes or synthetic fragrances. and no phthalates. Not only that, their products have not been tested on animals.

To enter the giveaway contest, just e-mail bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com and tell us what you like best about the Beautorium Web site. There's a lot to like, so have fun out there. The deadline for entries is midnight September 27.

While you are browsing, I'm sure you will find something you have to try. Just use the code BTIB during checkout any time through 12/31/2009, and you will receive a 15% discount. I'll be ordering a huge supply of John Masters Organics hair products (read my review here) - more than enough to get the free Lavender Hydrating Mist, a gift with purchase.

Good Luck!

I will be posting this giveaway contest on Free!Grechen, my favorite site for giveaways.

Photo courtesy of Beautorium.

John Masters Organic Hair Care

The nice folks at Beautorium sent me some samples of John Masters organic hair products with my order last week. On Sunday, I used the first two and was thrilled with the results. Monday, the second two. After blow drying, my hair was bouncy, full, soft, and shiny. I hope Beautorium will indulge me as I liberally quote their Web site here. Their product descriptions are fabulous.

The brand was created in 1991. John Masters is a pioneer of prestige natural haircare and skincare in America and internationally. His products use Eco-Cert and Quality Assurance International-certified organic ingredients where possible and are free from parabens, petrochemcials, and other nasty chemical ingredients. In 2004, the United Kingdom Soil Association selected John Master's Organics as Product of the Year at London's leading European organic trade show. I knew about John Masters - he is famous, after all, but I had never tried his products.

I started with John Masters Evening Primrose Shampoo for Dry Hair ($16). This shampoo is made from the gentlest corn and coconut cleansers and infused with conditioning plant extracts and essential oils. It washes away oil and the environment's dirt and grime without stripping the hair shaft. It's safe for color-treated hair like mine. When I pushed the shampoo out of its sample packet, I was amazed, for some reason, that it was brown. That seemed to me to be an unusual color for shampoo. No worries, though - as I worked it into my hair, it turned into the "normal" white lather I expected and left no traces of brown in my blond hair.

The ingredients include:

• evening primrose – anti-inflammatory, adds moisture, strengthens hair;
• rose geranium – strengthens hair shaft, a cellular regenerative;
• meadowfoamate – a conditioning agent derived from the meadowsweet plant;
• avocado oil – moisturizing, assists in cell regeneration, high in amino acids;
• ylang ylang – controls and reduces oiliness of the scalp; and
  
• cedarwood – treats oiliness, eczema, psoriasis, and dandruff and is anti-inflammatory.

For my conditioner, I used John Masters Lavender & Avocado Intensive Conditioner ($22). Even the name was enticing, so while I had other samples to try, I choose this one. The conditioner contains lavender and avocado oils plus vitamin B5, all of which bring moisture and vitality to dry hair. It contains over a dozen plant extracts and essential oils to moisturize and strengthen the hair shaft. Lavender is said to slow hair loss and treat eczema and dermatitis of the scalp. Avocado oil moisturizes and conditions hair. Have you read some of the natural avocado conditioner recipes in the mags? This is a lot easier. Vitamin B5, or panthenol, strengthens hair follicles, makes hair look thicker and fuller, adds shine, and repairs hair damaged by over-processing. The fragrance from the lavender was heavenly, and, it made its exit as I was blow drying my hair - perfect.

What's really amazing is that the bounce lasted overnight. When I get up in the morning, my hair is usually "plastered" to my scalp (the zero-volume look) and stick straight, with only a misplaced wave or two. All of the styling work from the day before is gone. Not so with the John Masters products I used! I awakened the next morning, looked at my hair, and thought, "I could leave the house this way." Now, that's a miracle!

Next up, I tried John Masters’ newest treatment item, John Masters Honey & Hibiscus Hair Reconstructor. In addition to honey and hibiscus, the conditioning formula features soy protein, kelp extract, cupuaçu butter, and linoleic and hyaluronic acids (the same acids found in young hair) to help reconstruct and smooth hair. According to WWD, Masters said, “When hair is smoother, it is reflecting more light.” It will also improve hair volume and reduce static electricity.” Retailing for $28, Honey & Hibiscus Hair Reconstructor can be used as a once-weekly treatment for normal to dry hair or after every shampoo for more damaged hair. I will use it after every shampoo. I found it to be a perfect conditioner. You should have seen me squeezing every last bit out of that packet!

Another try? John Masters Zinc & Sage Shampoo with Conditioner ($20). Also brown in color, it contains zinc, sage, wheat protein, and yucca root (which gives it its foaming property). Zinc and sage are natural scalp regulators that maintain the equilibrium of oils, ending any itch and flakes caused by over-drying products, the accidental sunburn, or cold weather. Wheat protein conditioner leaves your hair shiny and manageable and your scalp healthy and balanced. It's safe for color-treated hair. After I shampooed, I felt some volume in my hair (even with wet hair you could tell), and it felt good.

The John Masters products I tried were uniformly wonderful in meeting their promises. You can purchase them at Beautorium.com. I love Beautorium, my new "Web shopping site," and hope you will too. They sent two more John Masters Organic samples. I can't wait to try them. In the meantime, the order I plan to place is growing. May have to wait for the next paycheck.

Photo courtesy of Beautorium.