UPDATE **REVIEW** Monoi Tiki Tahiti Tiare & Vanille

UPDATE to the update: I figured out that this reacts very well to warm skin. The first time I used it, I had been out of the shower for long enough that my skin was cool. When I used this on my warmer skin (warm day, warm home), the scent was much more noticeable and pleasant. So... yeah. 

UPDATE: I received the Vanille and... The positive: it feels and works just like the Tiare scent. The not-so-positive: the vanilla is so faint that I had to hold the bottles side by side and sniff to notice a difference. I was really disappointed by that because I love most things vanilla-scented. Because my skin is "mature", it does not hold or project fragrances as well as when I was younger. Now, if you are younger, your body chemistry will probably enhance the scents better - as with perfume. 

Also, I noticed that the bottle from Piping Rock has a nicer cap. 

Look for this ❤❤❤❤ if you want to bypass my chatter & skip straight to the review.

When I lived in Anchorage, there was a sizeable and growing population of Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. A lot of my immediate neighbors in the 5 years or so before I moved away were Pacific Islanders. We had a lot in common with our love of family, food, and cooking. Unlike some of our former neighbors, they knew that a large gathering of people at our house didn't necessarily mean we were having a riot or a party. It might just be a night where my sister made collard greens or a night when half our family decided to visit the "main home".

Another thing I loved about my P.I. neighbors was that they shared with us their recipes and cultural life hacks. My sister told them how we fix greens by adding smoked meats (neckbones or turkey pieces) and one of them told her about Monoi oil.

Well.

I have since learned that Monoi (which just means "scented oil") was traditionally used in ways I would never use it for (various religious rites and ceremonies). When I started using what the neighbors gave us, I was just amazed at how much better it worked for me than straight coconut oil. And Monoi is basically just coconut oil with a specific floral added. The Tiare (a type of gardenia) is steeped in the oil to infuse it with whatever properties that make Monoi better than coconut oil by itself.

Here's the thing: I had forgotten about the oil. It's been about 8 years since the neighbor began bringing it to my sister on a regular basis. I was into oils but not obsessive like I have become since then. The other week, I was perusing blogs and forums for something new to use on my skin. It's my opinion that one can never have too many oils and natural butters! 

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This is when its not warmed up:

It's warmed in a 75 degree room:

That's Monoi oil from an approved seller. There are lots of fakes out there. And because I didn't want to deal with fakes, this is one time I bypassed Amazon and went elsewhere. It seems that Amazon is becoming a home for fake products. This one is from Piping Rock (where I rarely shop anymore because...) but I have now ordered some for a friend from the actual  U.S. importers of the 'original' Monoi (according to their site).

How is this different from plain coconut oil? 

In my opinion, this has a totally different feel on the skin. I'm not sure why. I did check around online and found some interesting information:

• Wikipedia mentions the strict process for manufacturing Monoi. That involves hand-picking the flowers. Hmmm...
• Also according to Wikipedia, the Tiare is sometimes used in perfumery but is costly.
• According to Eminence Organics Skincare (which is where I learned about the religious uses for Monoi & that there is an actual Monoi Institute) the blossoms have anti-inflammatory properties and are used to cure earaches, some eczema, and to prevent insect bites. That last part made me remember how we used to use Avon's Skin So Soft to repel mosquitos! Going to the (possibly untended) Monoi Institute site, you can even download documentation and technical information about Monoi (I did not).
• When my brain woke up from its nap, I thought to check the importer's site for some information. Hah! I learned more about the flower; more than I ever thought to know about the coconut tree; why the rules of processing are so (thankfully) strict; more about Tahiti (since I am horrible at geography and details); and lots and lots of technical data. Lots.

I was a little alarmed until I realized that this "floatee" thing is the flower. The flower should always be in the bottle you purchase.

Is my bottle authentic?

Because I have had issues in the past with a couple of purchases from Piping Rock, I immediately checked my bottle carefully. The shelf life is shown to be 12 months but I noticed there are no manufacturing or expirations dates on the bottle. Hmmm... 

Again, because this is from Piping Rock, (they are either really good or not) I wanted to ask some questions. The Piping Rock customer service rep I chatted with couldn't tell me any more than that the bottle was from a "recent batch". Not good enough. Not from Piping Rock. I contacted the U.S. importer sending photos of the bottle and its labels and markings. I got a response directly from the "Regulation Advisor" who verified that the product was authentic. The bottle I received was from the official distributor. I was assured that:

"As this product is registered in Europe, it is conformed to the European regulation which requires the batch number and the time after opening (12 months) for any cosmetic which shelf life is longer than 36 months. This is the case of Monoi oil. To be clear, Monoi can be maintained unopened 36 months, then 12 other months after opening without hygiene risk." (my emphasis)

Good enough. So if you wonder if your bottle is authentic, I suggest you contact Boutique Monoi Tiki at info@boutique-monoitiki.com.

Shelf life & mark of the origin process

Nothing I could find explained more about why Monoi seems to work better than plain coconut oil. Of course, I have not read all of the technical data I've linked to.

I have been using coconut oil on my hair (for pre-poo) but not so much on my skin. It seemed to quit being as soothing and moisturizing as it was a couple of years back. 

How does it smell?

Monoi comes in a variety of scents. I did not know this until recently. The neighbor always gave my sister some in a plain glass bottle with a dropper. I think she was just sharing from her bottle. This must have been the "original" or the Monoi Tiki Tahiti Tiare scent because, as far as my nose remembers, it smells like what I currently have. 

The scent is, again in my opinion, very, very faint out of the bottle. On my skin, the body heats brings up a stronger (but still faint) tropical scent. Not really floral and not very coconut-like. Hard to describe. It is really pleasant. I cannot wait to try the Vanille. 

 

I have ordered my friend and myself a bottle each of the "Vanille". I counted 9 scents (including the original. You can see the various scents here with descriptions.

What else?

In addition to the oils, there are also soaps and perfumes. You know how I love perfumes! I will put the perfumes on my Christmas Wish List. I probably won't try the soaps because I'm not a fan of bar soaps.

Top Benefits, IMO?

On my skin, Monoi has a silkier feel than plain coconut oil. It makes the skin feel almost velvety and the softness lasts longer than from coconut oil alone. I can apply some after an evening shower and my skin still feels good the next morning. Also, there is no oily shine. This stuff absorbs really well. My hands tend to be very dry and this leaves them feeling really supple and smooth.

I am using it daily on my skin and I hope that it will help keep my psoriasis at bay.

On my hair, I notice it more when I use after washing - but not as a sealer. I apply it before I apply something heavier and more coating (usually Blue Magic grease). I apply a little bit every day to my hair and every now and then to my scalp.

(It's just my opinion, but I would not use this as the sole sealant to washed hair. This seems better applied before sealing so that it can soak into he hair for overall moisture.)

After I use it on my hair and body, I rub the excess into my cuticles and over my lips.

By the way, even though this is fragranced, I tested it on my face and had no problems. I like to spritz my face with water, then massage in just a couple of drops of the oil. Like velvet, baby!

And on a personal note:

Monoi has been really trendy and popular for a while now. I was looking at some of the many, many products that have "Monoi" included in the names or on the labels. Then I looked at the prices. Crazy, stupid, high prices. High as giraffe's noses. 

I'm too broke for nonsense. Even if I wasn't...You guys know that I would rather get base products from suppliers like Making Cosmetics to add to less expensive OTC hair and skin products. Why on earth would I pay 15 to 30 bucks or more for a product that probably only has a few drops of Monoi included? And how do I know the Monoi they use is authentic and not just any kind of "scented oil"?

What I have done is taken some of this Monoi (about $13 for 4 ounces from the importer site and about $9 for a 2oz bottle from Piping Rock) and added some to my current conditioners and curl creams and puddings. People, there is a reason that somebody and her daughter and somebody's auntie are making all that money hyping their over-priced products. 

I'd rather buy something cheaper than those "name-known" brands and add the Monoi, argan, hemp, or whatever else there is. DIY, people. DIY and SYM (save your money). I'm just saying...

Peace

--Free

**QUICK POST** Empty Gloss Tubes (for work or travel)

This is for anyone who likes keeping beauty products on hand - in your purse or car or carryon luggage - without carrying around the whole container.

Try these inexpensive empty tubes:

They are super cheap and you can use them to hold so many products. I personally just like having a little bit of my facial moisturizer and foundation in my purse. I happen to use sunscreen and 3 different products on my face. You know us ladies with our moisturizers and serums. And don't get me started on my DIY cosmetics again.

One of the vials I've been carrying around in my purse for weeks now has some of the Manuka honey I use to treat cuts, cold sores, scrapes, etc. I think I told you guys that I have not bought a tube of Abreva since I discovered how fast Manuka works on cold sores even before they break all the way out.

The next time I travel (if that ever happens), I plan to tote along a bunch of these in my carryon baggage. I love having different lotions, creams, and sunscreens with me to use even if I can't get into my bagged luggage.

By the way, I got these in a bag of 30 pieces for around 10 bucks. There are other types - push-up cylindrical tubes, powder jars, and compacts - that you can find with a quick search. With these squeeze-type tubes, I can even use them for liquidized coconut oil and such without leaks. Just be careful to hold them upright when you open them.

Making Cosmetics has items similar to these tubes and various other types of empties for spraying, aerosols, etc. Amazon has tubes that are smaller (and cheaper). Making Cosmetics empty containers tend to be higher priced than what is on Amazon though and I didn't think the plain ones were any better quality. However, I would get any aerosol or special kind of dispensing tubes from Making Cosmetics.

Anyway, now you know.

Peace
--Free

Reading (Labels) Is Frugal-izing

So. A while back, I wrote a post on using MSG in food. I also wrote a post on the various ways I use citric acid. I don't know if those hit home with you all the way I intended so...

If you have ever used these 2 products -

$3.77 for 4.5oz at Walmart

Look at the only ingredient

$3.63/ for 12oz at Walmart

Again, look at the ingredients













- you should know how much cheaper it is to just buy the main ingredients for yourself. I actually forgot I had noticed this about the Booster. You are paying for not reading the labels!

Same thing with makeup. I've told you guys how I've been doctoring the shades of foundations that weren't right for my color. Recently I have been struggling to come up with a moisturizing sunscreen that a) doesn't turn me ashy-looking and, b) that moisturizes without leaving a shine. Once again, I will be going to the source to save money.  They have the info, recipe, and most of the ingredients I want. (They have lots of recipes and formulas. Here are some.)

Just in the past few weeks, I've stopped buying the ready-made vape juices and started buying the base and adding flavor concentrates.

When I was having trouble finding hand sanitizer, I mixed 70% alcohol into some generic aloe vera gel that I added a touch of glycerin into. This is stuff I already had in my bathroom pantry. And, AND, I was just guessing and didn't realize I was using the same recipe shown here and other places!

You let me figure out a way to make my own toilet tissue...

Seriously, I just think it's important that we realize what we are paying for when we buy the more expensive branded products. Right now, I have been refilling my Booster jar with the cheap(er) citric acid I van get in bulk. By the way, citric acid is also known, for some reason, as "sour salt" so you might see it labeled that way when you are looking to buy some.

 By the way, before I sign off, I did find this video about, uh, making your own toilet paper. Folks, I was just joshing!

Peace
--Free

Is DIY Beauty Going to Trend?

Um... my shade's not here

Have you ever thought about what all you're paying for when you buy beauty products?

When I do product reviews, I like to list ingredients. For myself, I tend to look at what's contained in anything that I am going to put on my skin or hair, but I haven't always paid as much attention to the proportion of ingredients.
I always have known that the reason some products are so expensive is that I'm paying more for packaging, advertising, and marketing than I am for the highlighted ingredient. For instance, when I purchase a moisturizing product for my hair, I'm getting a lot of water and other fillers along with a bit of whatever ingredient was listed in bold letters on the front of the jar.

The same thing applies to makeup and other beauty items. After all, the industry is about making a profit. Making a profit is one thing, greed is another. And, if greed is not a factor, then some brands need to look at cutting down on expenses so they can offer more reasonable prices. In the meantime, people will find ways around those prices...

Some time back, I quit buying the expensive "blur" cosmetics that were getting so popular. I tried a couple of the over-the-counter ones and loved everything about them. Except for the price.

Closer, closer, but... nope

What's nice about these blurring products is that they can be used with or without foundation makeup (unless you are dark like I am, then you have to tint it). I liked the way they just kind of evened out the look of my skin, took away the shine, and provided a sort of lightly Photo-shopped look to my face. All without having to coat my face with a ton of other products. If my favorite one of these products came in shades, I would love it even more. Except for the price...

Like I said, though, the price is ridiculous. I got my favorite OTC blur product free - courtesy of a L'Oreal gift box. Because I liked it so much, I bought some for my sister and myself. It's probably not a biggie for most people, but each 1-oz tube  ran close to $18. So...

What do you do when you like something that's too pricey? You try to find it at a more affordable price - or learn to live without it just like you lived before you ever heard of it!

I lucked out and found an alternative. This:

That's Wrinkle Blur. LOL Even the name is straight and to the point. The actual name/description is more involved: Dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer (and) silica. But I paid under $11 for something that is going to last for months and months and months.

It works as well as the ITC products, but by a different process. Because it's a powder, I had to learn to apply it with a sponge. Best thing: I've already had this first one for 3 months and it looks as if I never used it.

The Wrinkle Blur product is one I found being sold by Making Cosmetics on Amazon. They also have their full site here with a bunch of products, information and formulation recipes.

When my niece and nephew gifted me with some Amazon gift cards, I wanted to check out some more "base" ingredients for hair and skin care. So far, I have ordered a couple of things that I will have to review once I try them out.

Not one of these match my complexion...

Of course, DIY beauty products take some time and effort. I think that it's worth it because it gives the consumer more control over ingredients and packaging. My specific DIY cosmetic goals:

• Creating things that compliment my skin tone (since I can't find them OTC), such as...
• lipsticks and glosses and
• BB and CC creams.
• Coming up with leave-in and rinse-out conditioners for my hair, and
• Creating a moisturizer for my hair

I'm tired of spending money on foundations and lipsticks that I have to "tweak" before they compliment my skin tone. If the store brands can't help me, well I plan to help myself.

If anyone out there is already into making their own beauty products, I'd love to hear about your "recipes" and processes.

Peace
--Free

**DIY** Lipstick ******UPDATED******

****A helpful clerk at my local health food store gave me a money-saving tip: darken your lipstick with a touch of activated charcoal. Make sure it is pure & not from petroleum. I got a bottle of 90 caps for under $8. Even better, you can,  apparently,  use it for whitening your teeth! This will do for me until I can gather ingredients for the whole recipe.****

I am a woman on a mission. The mission I have chosen to accept is to find the perfect lipstick. Seriously.

Lipstick is the one cosmetic I wear consistently. I'm not too much into foundation and eye-shadow. I've entertained you all before with the story of almost putting out my eye with mascara and eyeliner. Some things are just not meant to be. But I am a woman. I feel a need to be in on that thing called "girling it up." Lipstick is my thing. I like it dark red and glossy. That's what I like. What I usually get is something sort-of-dark, almost-dark or just-a-bit-not-dark-enough.

I have become so frustrated that I've resorted to mixing lipsticks like a mad cosmetologist, turning my bathroom counters into a sort of psychedelic lab. It's crazy. I have finally decided that since I have to work so hard to get a shade of lipstick I'm happy with, why not just start my own from scratch?

If you've had the same thought, but didn't know where to start, I'm going to share my cheat notes with you. By the way, a big huge thanks to all the sources offered up by the internet.

The Recipes

• Wellness Mama is a great site all around. Her lipstick recipe is the first one (and best) I found.
• This one looks fairly basic.
• Not crazy about this one with crayons for myself, but looks like a fun mother-daughter project.
• This is one for those into organics.

Wellness Mama's is the recipe I will be using, but there are a quite a few more out there. 

The Supplies/Suppliers

• Mountain Rose Herbs is favored (and linked to) by Wellness Mama. The only thing that bothered me is that the "search" service is clunky...
• Making Cosmetics is pretty fully stocked with anything you could want to make any product. The link here is for the lipstick molds.
• OCC has vegan choices in something called "lip tar." I understand this can be used to deepen the color of an existing shade. Or - I'm thinking - add to your homemade batch. They also carry color pigments & I love the colors. Their color "concentrates" look nice. Also in the "Face" section.
• You can find clays and such here. 
• There is a stunning array of items at this wholesaler. The problem is that I'm not sure where they are shipping from. At the very least, you can get an idea of colors and items to be on the lookout for at a more familiar supplier.

You can also shop at local places. I am going to try to throw any of my business to our local health food spot, the Natural Pantry. To save shipping costs and waiting times, you could check out places like Michael's and other craft spots.

Good luck.

Peace

--Free