The Nirvana sampler has been quite popular! I never wrote a blog post on it, but since it is only going to be on the website until October 7th, I decided I had better post about it! 🙂 Though the sampler will only be available for a few more days, all of the products are available on the website in the same sizes as what’s in the sampler (with the exception of the petite/sample vial of Swan Luna Elixir) so I hope that this post will be informative after the sampler is gone. Nirvana sampler is 10% off of regular prices and comes with a FREE petite (sample) vial of Swan Luna Elixir.
I love this sampler. This great little sampler contains a combination of older products and newer products: a xiao (small, 0.6 oz size) of Nirvana Facial Creme, a petite (sample) vial of Tuzi Chinese Astrology Year of the Rabbit perfume, a petite (sample, 7.5 ml) size of Warrior Aromatherapy Liquid Cleanser, and a FREE bonus petite (sample, 1.7 ml) size of Swan Luna Elixir.
Nirvana facial creme is a relatively new product. I created a facial creme (aka ‘waterless’ facial balm) for myself many years ago. My skin is usually balanced, but at the time my skin was going through a period of dehydration. Back then, my skin didn’t love using oils or elixirs daily like it does now, and it loved water rich creams (since the creams provided a bit more of an effective barrier against moisture loss because of the waxes, and also provided moisture and oils too). But I wanted to create a waterless product, one with a pretty long shelf life (at that time, eco cert preservatives like leucidal and geogard weren’t available and I didn’t want to use alcohol or a synthetic preservative), so I thought it would be great to make a balm for the facial area. My skin was very picky at the time since it did not tolerate heavy formulations and heavy oils back then. It needed the right amount of wax to provide an effective barrier for the skin, but not too much, and it could not be too thick or heavy (since that would clog my pores; my skin used to reject heavy formulations). I tried to make some facial cremes/balms with beeswax but those formulations came out too heavy. So I created a vegan plant wax based facial waterless creme/balm for the skin that was light, very fast absorbing, did not clog pores, left the skin soft and emollient, and when applied to damp skin it was an effective moisturizer. The recipe was also one of my first forays with using floral waxes too. Nirvana facial creme is based upon that recipe. I originally designed Nirvana as a natural ‘anti-aging’ facial creme for dehydrated skin, but I love using it all over my body (I like using it on my hands, knees, elbows, and feet, and some customers like using it on their necks too).
Nirvana has gotten a lot of great feedback! I crafted it with oils and butters that are good for very dehydrated skin (like meadowfoam oil) but many people have said it is great on blemished skin too (I think it works more by balancing the skin, which indirectly helps blemishes. Or maybe by its vitamin/antioxidant content). It has many ‘anti-aging’ ingredients like marula and blueberry seed oils. It has a very light but gorgeous scent from the three floral waxes I used: jasmine, tuberose, and ethically wild harvested champaca. Some of the carrier oils also contribute to its scent too. For more information on this delectable creme, please read my previous blog entry on Nirvana.
Tuzi perfume is my perfume based on Chinese Astrology, the Year of the Rabbit (this year). When I was crafting this perfume, I wanted to create something that I thought truly captured the essence of a Rabbit’s personality. Those born in the Year of the Rabbit are strong, intelligent, and ambitious, but they are gentle, sensitive, and anxious too. I wanted to create something calming for those born under this sign, but also wanted to create something that everyone (no matter their astrology sign) would like too 🙂 Just like Hu (my Year of the Tiger perfume) I only used plants associated with the Year of the Rabbit or its associated Chinese elements, so every ingredient (except the base/carrier oil) comes from a plant that is link to the Rabbit or the elements of metal and wood (wood is the Rabbit’s fixed element, while those born this year are metal Rabbits). Tuzi is a lovely perfume that has heart notes of roman chamomile and lavender (very calming), a bit of spice, green forest and balsam/vanilla like notes, and just enough organic damask rose to add a touch of extra sweetness. And like all of my products, it is 100% natural–no synthetic fragrances added! 🙂 I also wrote a prior blog entry on Tuzi and perfume crafting.
Warrior Aromatherapy Liquid Cleanser is one tough but gentle cleanser! When I started formulating it last year, I wanted to create a cleanser for blemished, oily skin, that did not over strip or irritate the skin. In this cleanser I combined my knowledge of herbalism and aromatherapy to create a super gentle cleanser for sensitive skin, yet effective for blemished skin. Warrior contains many herbs that are some of my favorite herbs for use on blemished skin, such as certified organic aloe, milk thistle, and dandelion, which help balance the skin and improve skin clarity. It is scented with a delicious smelling blend of essential oils that are also great for blemished skin, such as citrusy litsea, crisp bergamot, fresh rosemary, floral lavender, exotic ylang ylang, and spicy gingergrass. I like using this cleanser during my moon days to keep my skin looking healthy and clear.
Swan Luna Elixir is my newest elixir (it is now available in the xiao/small and grande/full sizes on the website). Nirvana sampler comes with a FREE vial of a special petite (sample) size of Swan Luna Elixir (about 1.7 ml, which is just the right amount to try it for a few days). I will be writing a longer entry on Swan in a few days, but just wanted to briefly mention that Swan is the elixir that I created for a customer, Hamsa (who won a drawing for a free custom product a while back). I designed Swan for her skin which was very dehydrated, rosacea, sensitive, mature skin with clogged pores and fine lines. Swan has also gotten a lot of great feedback–I think it would be great for all skin types especially dehydrated, clogged skin (several people with oily/dehydrated skin tried it too and love it!). Swan is loaded with many skin loving ingredients including some of Hamsa’s favorite ingredients like neroli essential oil and cranberry oil, as well as ingredients great for her skin issues, like passionfruit oil (this is an oil I have really been loving the last several months!). I hope my other customers love Swan as much as Hamsa and I do! 🙂
