Beauty Huile Review!
Uncovering a new apothecary is kind of like uncovering a new secret. You’re dying to share it with someone, but then don’t want that someone to get in on the fantastic fun you just found. You want to keep it all to yourself. The hushed furtive sniffs of your new favourite scent, the slip of silk you want no one else to wear, the permissibly sentimental fondness you’ve now developed for some one product. That’s how I first felt when I came across the Los Angeles based brand of handmade artisanal skin and body care –
.
Seemingly an odd to love, right? But, then when you click around the minimalist site, you get a sense that this is going to be one of those cult brands that you’ll see online today and offline at Fred Segal or even Barneys New York next. Founded by Christian Toscano (an avid cultivator, wildcrafter and herbalist), the company uses the keen view of herbal medicine as the foundation to serious skincare with essences grown and sourced by organic means all in the city of Angels. Quality control is strictly maintained by Christian. She handles all of the manufacturing and packaging in-house. Her background to such a stringent oversee is her training from Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Folk and Western Herbalism. Having trained under the Director of the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine and Director of Holistic Medicine at the
, Christian infuses her freshly blended batches of wholesome goodness with rhapsodic essences and oils that produce an endless stream of calm on skin. Her brand is a good illustration of when the attention is given more to the purity of the product and less to the marketing clichés of copy. For example, you won’t even need to decode a fancy shmancy chemical sounding label, wherever is in the jar is also printed on the sachet. Nothing gimmicky in the non-toxic, synthetic-free products.
Where to start:
Honey Pecan Rose Face Cleanser
($30): A legendary botanical cleanser as nothing beats the decadence of rose petals to gently buff dry skin away. Micro-sized pecans soften the scrub’s grit as Honey serves to moisturize your newly revealed glow, while Glycerin prevents any overdrying. The scent is an interesting medley of Lavender and the cool wafts of Peppermint drenched in the sweetness of Honey. Skin, even oily types, will see suppleness after rinsing. And, yes, it’s gentle enough for daily use.
($60): Oily skins shouldn’t fear this product, as quite frankly, it’s not a cream in form, but far more of a lightweight lotion. And, what a slip of silk, it is. Unrefined Avocado oil (to keep the freshest doses of Vitamins A, B1, B2, D & E, and amino acids, sterols, pantothenic acid, lecithin) forms the base of this moisturizer. Jojoba, Shea Butter, Carrot Seed, and Aloe Vera Gel help relieve dryness on the spot. And, that even over my extra dry, Retin-A treated skin. An elegant, near grassy Blue Chamomile leaves no scent on skin, but in the jar, imparts a semi-sweet scent as it’s also paired with Lavender. Both seemed to appear fully focused on skin’s well-being without any greasiness. Easy enough to use during the day with SPF layered atop or at night when layered twice.
($10): Shea Butter and Grapeseed Oil make up this delectably luscious balm coloured all naturally with Alkanet Root. Rosehip is added to help promote renewal of skin, which makes it a win for chappy lips, who need regular sloughing without the added shine. Rosewood oil adds just the hint of woodsy sweetness, though not enough to offend the senses right above. Apply two to three times for that right amount of flushed colour.
I’m rather taken with Roots Rose Radish as the products seem to bring an olfactory comfort through the unmistakable simplicity of their blends. Declared skeptics will see how simply the well-thought out elements work on skin without the need for added wild fluff that you end up wading through products from those hideously tacky but bankable brands. Clearly, Christian’s philosophy isn’t so much of an oddity and
Enjoy what you try, but remember…
shhh
….
Don’t tell anyone I told you about them.
Price:
$$$
Scent Classification:
Floral
Viscosity:
Ultralight viscosity