I came across Okoko Cosmetiques while I was on my Instagram. They had liked and commented on a few of my beauty posts and I thought I'd check them out. I was absolutely delighted to see that the products were made here in Vancouver, were 100% natural and the packaging was just BEAUTIFUL. I had to get my hands on it especially after reading more about the products and the ingredients it contained. I reached out to Oyeta, the owner of Okoko and was very eager to collaborate. Upon meeting Oyeta I realized that we had had very similar stories as to why we chose to have a clean lifestyle including our beauty routines. We both decided to go clean because of our past personal health issues and growing awareness as to the impact our purchases have in the global eco systems. I immediately connected to her story and was very excited to try the products. The name Okoko is a combination of her first name and last name Kokoroko,which has origins in Western Africa. It means physical, mental and spiritual strength which I believe Oyeta imbibes naturally through the products she creates. She is incredibly knowledgeable which I quickly learned while talking to her about her formulations and the meticulous process of choosing the right combination of ingredients for her natural products. Okoko Cosmetiques consists of two facial masks and two serums, which keeps it very simple and suitable for everyone to use. The pristine quality of the packaging made me almost not want to open it at all, it's just so gorgeous! I really like that it was all in dark glass because it helps to preserve the integrity of the highly active botanical ingredients. Okoko Cosmetiques also have and elegant hand made bowl and a brush to use for the facial masks. It really makes for a luxurious experience. Les 16 Precieux Ultimate Oil Serum This is Okoko Cosmetiques Ultimate Facial Oil. It carries a combination of 16 precious ingredients from all around the world to provide you with an exceptionally high performing product. I absolutely love the deep orange colour and smell of this oil which is soft yet I have noticed it become deeper as time goes by! This tells me right away that it is rich in active nutrients. I had previously been using Pure Marula Oil for my skin, so I was really happy to know that this oil also has Marula in it. Les 16 Precieux also contains Argan oil, Sea buckthorn, Rosehip and Prickly Pear Seed-which just so happens to be the most precious oil in the beauty world! All of these oils are extraordinarily rich in anti-oxidants like Vitamin C, E, and Coenzyme Q10. This oil is basically FACE FOOD for the skin that protects against further free radical damage. The abundance of nutrients in this oil is almost unparalleled. It deeply hydrates and nourishes the deeper layers of the skin, boosts collagen production, is anti inflammatory and cell repairing. The small molecules of this facial oil penetrate deeply and quickly into the skin. This is a must for me as I have oily/combination skin that doesn't like oily or greasy finishes. It's truly like a dry oil that provides the glow we all strive to have and overtime helps to diminish fine lines and wrinkles. I've been using it both morning and night and I am absolutely thrilled with it! I am very picky about results and I can see that this oil really works. My skin feels nourished and supple. I had been using the Pure Marula Oil as mentioned before but I feel that this oil absorbs even more efficiently for use prior to make-up application. It leaves a soft satin finish. This facial oil can be used by almost any skin type and would benefit anyone looking for deep hydration, nourishment, ant-aging results and collagen boosting properties. Everyone I have used this on including myself has absolutely loved the look and feeling obtained upon using this exquisite oil. Le Elixir de Clarte-Brightening Skin Concentrate Le Elixir De Clarte is a concentrate made with 5% Alpha Hydroxyl Acid to gently exfoliate and tone your skin leaving a brightened and smooth complexion. This vanilla scented serum contains aloe vera which soothes, heals, hydrates and exfoliates the skin gently. The key ingredient is AHA which in this formula come from all natural acids derived from fruits like citrus orange and lemon. AHA helps cell turnover by exfoliating dead skin cells, smoothes fine lines and wrinkles and overall brightens dull skin conditions and reduces age spots and scarring. Along with the exfoliating benefits there's also an abundance of plant extracts such as Green Tea, Seaweed, Licorice, Hyaluronic Acid and BearBerry. It's a perfect blend that contains antioxidants and properties that deeply repair, nourish and protect the skin from free radicals. I like to use it directly after cleansing my skin and using Okoko Brightnening Mask or Purifying Mask. It works as a toner too because my pores feel refined and removes any remaining residues left behind. This is the perfect product to prepare the skin for Le 16 Preciuex Facial Oil. La Boue De Beaute Brightening Facial
I know we have probably all tried quite a few masks to try and help achieve that long lasting GLOW, but let's be real most masks fall short of that promise. It can be quite disappointing considering high quality facial masks don't come at a low price these days. Finding this brightening facial treatment is like hitting the facial jackpot! From the first time I used this mask I felt the active ingredients working on my skin. I blended it with Aloe Vera Gel and a spoon of raw organic honey as I really like using these two ingredients in almost all of my home made DIY masks already. The wonderful thing to start off is that Okoko provides a beautiful bowl, bamboo spoon and soft brush to apply the masks with to reduce mess and simply have a truly luxurious home treatment fit for a queen! Le Boue de Beaute has a base of White Clay and Rhassoul clay from Morocco which are very gentle and suitable for even the most sensitive skin types. These clays are rich in minerals and have an incredible ability to detoxify and resurface skin texture. What makes this mask quite unique is that its boasts an abundance of super foods like spirulina, chlorella and tumeric. This combination of specific ingredients are not very commonly found in most clay masks I've bought. The spirulina and chlorella are very rich in antioxidants and minerals that help to nourish and detoxify and basically provide a feast for your skin cells to feed on. More FACE FOOD! This mask also contains Vitamin C which is important for any anti ageing regimen for brightening the complexion and boosting collagen production. Tumeric is well known for its powerful ant-inflammatory properties and is fantastic for antibacterial purposes too. To hydrate and soften the skin this mask contains rich cacao and macadamia oil. I've always loved how richly nurturing cacao is, its like butter. To top it off it also has Licorice and Himalayan Salt which detoxify are antimicrobial, purify, calm irritated skin and gently exfoliate. This mask is wonderful when combined with the raw organic honey as it provides an additional 5000 active enzymes to treat your skin. I love that there's so many wonderful brightening ingredients in one tiny amount of powder. It's definitely a five star mask that provides instant glowing skin! La D'Tox Noire I have always had oily/combination skin that is prone to acne every month. Purifying masks that draw out excess dirt and oil is a staple in my skin care regimen. I'd highly recommend this mask for anyone who has oily/combination skin conditions or is just needing a good pore cleaning. I usually just use DIY clay masks and mix my own ingredients in there but to find one that is already made with the perfect blend of powerful purifying and anti-aging ingredients is a bonus I like treating myself to. La D'tox Noire has one of my favourite clays for skin care which is Canadian Glacial Marine Clay. It's very detoxifying and has an incredible ability to deep cleanse all those pesky pores I have on my oily t-zone that cause my breakouts. It leaves them squeaky clean and refined as well. It doesn't just have one kind of clay, it also contains Bentonite and Rhassoul clay for helping resurface the skin texture and gently cleanse. It feels really nice and warm on the skin because is has cayenne, ginger and cinnamon which is great for stimulating circulation and deeply purifying. Similar to La Boue De Beaute mask it has Vitamin C, Spirulina, Chlorella and cacao to soothe, hydrate and deliver superfood algae based nutrition to the skin cells. The next few ingredients like activated charcoal and extracts of willow bark, cucumber and MSM are what make this mask stand out entirely on it's own. These ingredients are amazing to balance oily skin conditions, clear skin of existing acne and deeply penetrate to kill acne causing bacteria. It really does such a superb job of taking care of an annoying breakout or clogged pores without overly drying the skin with harsh chemicals which is really important in order to avoid exacerbating the existing core issue. There's no need for toxic ingredients to rebalance oily skin. Products like this mask allows for one to create and experience a high end purifying spa facial in the comfort of your own home with immediate and cumulative results. I am so incredibly grateful to have come across this local Vancouver based Organic Luxury skincare brand! I know I will be using these serums and masks to help maintain my skin's health and glow for a long time. Thank you Oyeta!! If you would like more information you can go to the website at www.okokocosmetiques.com. and at Okoko Cosmetiques on Instagram.
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As a green beauty lover for almost a decade, I have to say that I have seen such a drastic improvement in just the last 5 years in the selection of high quality, luxury organic beauty products, especially in the area of skincare. In the last year I have discovered one of my new favourites which is Marula Pure Oil. This oil is still relatively new on the market. Marula Oil comes from the African Marula Fruit. What drew me to this particular brand of Marula Oil initially was it that it's ethically sourced, manufactured and 100% natural which are all very important factors for me when choosing new products. The Marula nut from the fruit is all hand selected by women who are part of a women's co-op. Unlike other Marula Oil's on the market that process the entire fruit and nut together, with Marula Pure Oil only the blondest kernels are extracted to ensure the purest quality. It is then cold pressed by hand using no heat or chemicals which again provides a very pure and rich oil. Learning all of this got me very excited because I believe we can enjoy the benefits of exotic natural products without exploiting people or the planet. There has been a lot of research done on Marula Pure Oil that reveals outstanding properties. The initial study was spearheaded by Dr. Kaidi, a California based plastic surgeon after seeing drastic results in his post operative patients. The studies from a 3rd party lab revealed that it has a 60% higher antioxidant level than Argan Oil! This makes it the only Doctor endorsed and scientifically validated facial oil. Marula Oil is also comprised of a high concentration of Oleic, Palmetic and Stearic fatty acids, otherwise known as Omega 6 &9, making it an incredible anti-aging, cell repairing oil that quickly absorbs into the skin without leaving an oily residue. The first thing I liked was the subtle delicate essential oil scent, a big factor for me is smell so I was very pleased that it wasn't overwhelming. My skin quickly drank the oil up and felt dewy and hydrated but not greasy. A little bit goes a long way! I only use about 3-4 drops for my entire face and neck. I was happy to see that my makeup didn't slip off and I didn't break out after the first week of use. After several weeks of using it consistently both morning and night in my regimen, I could see the long term positive effects. My skin felt smooth and supple and waking up to a gradually more even complexion was fantastic! Marula Pure Oil is definitely versatile as well and can be used in several ways. I add a couple drops to my weekly facial mask and add a drop to my foundation for extra hydration. My husband also started using it as a shaving oil as I encouraged him to try it out instead of the foams he was used to, needless to say he also loves it now too! It is an ideal product to use for post microdermabrasion and chemical peels as it also has antimicrobial and anti inflammatory properties. This is what allows it to be a universal oil that all people can use and benefit from even if you have sensitive skin, eczema, rosacea or even acne prone skin. I'm a huge fan now and I'm so glad I found something that works really well for me on a day to day basis! You can watch my YouTube video review below and visit www.marula.com for more information. |