Harvey Prince Organics: Fragrances

From a young age I was always very particular about fragrances, perhaps this is because my aunt and grandmother collected them when I was a child and each of them always wore amazing scents (for instance my grandmother was always a fan of Dior's J'adore). Due to this, I now have a great appreciation for quite the variety of fragrances, however I have also learned that scents are extremely personal and can even help sooth the person who is wearing them during stressful situations. (Aromatherapy, anyone?) So in my own perfume cabinet, I have many fragrances that I find soothing, each of which I generally reserve for particular situations (e.g. weekends, date night, work, photo shoots, and runway shows). And recently, I had the pleasure of working with Harvey Prince Organics, who sent me all kinds of goodies including a bunch of their awesome beauty products, and three full sized bottles of their most popular perfumes! Which all three I have come to love and wear quite often.  

Harvey Prince Organics

For those of you that may have missed my post last week about Harvey Prince Organics, you can read it in full here after this article, but let me give you the highlights about this company first before diving into the review:

• Harvey Prince was founded by two brother whom were determined to make the perfect fragrance for their mother as a Mother's Day gift. 
• The name of the company is the combination of the boy's alta maters, Harvard and Princeton.
• The brand launched in 2007, but rebranded in 2015, changing their name to "Harvey Prince Organics" and is now committed to making and supplying the best cruelty free beauty and fragrance products on the market. Yep! That means none of our furry friends are harmed in the production of Harvey Prince's products!

Perumista

The first fragrance that I tried by Harvey Prince Organics was their Perfumista. The reason I decided to try it first was due to the fact it was the most potent scent of the three. This fragrance has hints of jasmine, lily of the valley, sandalwood, and amber, giving it a very daring feel. I would say that this is the type of perfume I would wear for a night out with my girl friends or to a party because this perfume will undoubtedly make you stand out (in a good way of course!)  and make you the star of the show due to its bold scent.

Hello

This next perfume, Hello, is a light, happy, and subtle scent. This perfume is absolutely perfect for everyday wear to the office, a business meeting, or to class. This fragrance consists of light hints of lemon, white grapefruit, mandarin, forsythia, and vanilla making it incredibly welcoming and greets people with a smile. I loved this perfume because it is incredibly welcoming and in my opinion is quite the conversation starter! (Perhaps it just lets the world around you know that you are as sweet as your perfume!)

Sincerely

The last fragrance that I got to try, Sincerely, is honestly my favorite of the three (though it was a close second to "Hello"). The reason this is, is because I love its exotic scent. Much like how this perfume is described on Harvey Prince's site, this scent let's the people around you know that you are invigorating, mystical, and often unpredictable. With notes of clove bud, sandalwood, and French bergamot, this scent is perfect for the boho babe who has soul consumed with wanderlust and a deep love of nature.

Final Thoughts

Much like Harvey Prince Organics beauty products, I also loved their perfumes and will be purchasing these fragrances again after I run out. I would recommend any of Harvey Prince Organics fragrances to my friends, family, and of course to you, my readers! So remember if you would like to try any of these three scents, or a different fragrance from Harvey Prince's vast selection, you can use my promo code "starkravingchic40" to get 40% off your order.

What are some of your favorite fragrances and some scents that you connect with? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic!  Later, babes!

Xx, Bree

Harvey Prince Organics: Hair & Skin Care

One thing I am always on the hunt for is new and different beauty regimens. Whether they are new skin care products, body washes, or hair care products, I am always on board to give it a whirl! The reason this is, is because I am a firm believer in making small changes to your beauty routine throughout the seasons so it remains effective. And I'm sure if you've had a look at my beauty routine, you know how I have an abundance of goodies ranging from Beautycounter facial scrubs to lush bath bombs and bubble bars. For this post,  I am sharing some of the newest hair and skin care products I have tried recently, and am thrilled to announce that these products came from my newest collaborator and sponsor, Harvey Prince Organics! Also, my readers will be thrilled to know, that I'm not the only one who will be getting a little treat out of this post, since Harvey Prince Organics is now one of my sponsors, after you read this article and decide if you want to try a product or not, I now have a promo code with Harvey Prince that will save you cash! (If you follow me on Instagram, you may already have this promo code from my post last Wednesday!) 

About Harvey Prince Organics

 Before I dive headfirst into my reviews of Harvey Prince's wonderful products (Which I totally want to do because they worked so perfectly!), I'm sure all of you would like a little more background on this company, assuming you are like me and hadn't heard about them until recently.

How Harvey Prince started was with a simple and sweet idea: two brothers wanted to create a perfect perfume as a Mother's Day gift, and as a result their first fragrance "Ageless" was created. However, that's not the only unique thing about Harvey Prince, they're name holds an interesting story as well. You see, the younger of the duo graduated from Harvard University and the older from Princeton University, so they combined the names of their alma maters and came up with Harvey Prince, and their brand was born in 2007. 

However in 2015, Harvey Prince was reborn as Harvey Prince Organics, and was then recommitted to creating the best vegan and cruelty free fragrance, skin, and hair care products. That's right my friends, Harvey Prince Organics, is a Beauty Without Bunnies company and is one hundred percent cruelty free! All of Harvey Prince Organics products include all three Leaping Bunny, PETA, and Choose Cruelty Free stamps on their products. Meaning none of our furry friends were harmed during the testing of Harvey Prince's perfume, skin, or hair products. And now that you have some background on this deeply committed cruelty free company, let me tell you about the awesome hair and skin care products their representative, Michael, sent me complimentary to try and review. 

Keravegan Hair Masque

The first product I tried from Harvey Prince Organics is the Keravegan Hair Masque. The reason I chose to try this product first is due to the fact the winter weather really wreaks havoc on my normally luscious locks, and this Keravegan Hair Masque is made too smooth and soothe your tresses. This product left my hair feeling very soft and rejuvenated, so much so my little, five year old  cousin (who enjoys playing with my hair when I see her at family dinners) even commented on how soft and smooth my hair was after using it! This hair masque also made my hair look more alive, bringing out its pretty, natural, shine.

Sea Salt Texturizing Mist 

As many of you know, normally I always wear my hair pin straight, simply because, that's just how it is naturally and will only stay curled or styled with a ton of hairspray (as you can see here). With that being said, I absolutely loved this Sea Salt Texturizing Mist. The reason is, is because this mist added depth and texture to my hair and made it look naturally wavy. Though you won't get to see this product in action until my post for Ritani on February first, this mist really does give your hair the look of beautiful wind swept locks that you normally would obtain after a day at the beach. 

The Original Fango Mud Therapy

This product is honestly probably the product I was the most excited to try! Though I loved my charcoal mask from Beautycounter, I had finally ran out of it and was ready to try something new, and I have to say I honestly preferred the Harvey Prince Organics Fango Mud Therapy Mask! (Don't worry, Beautycounter, I still love your Nourishing Cream Cleanser and Nourishing Night Cream.) The reason why I preferred this mask is because I felt it wasn't as harsh on my skin, while still leaving my face feeling deeply cleansed and rejuvenated. This mask worked wonders on my face and left it feeling smooth and clean, and even made my skin look more vibrant!

Hello Body Butter

Lastly, I had the opportunity to try Harvey Prince Organics Hello Body Butter. This lotion has become my new favorite body lotion due to the fact that it has restored my rough, dry, winter skin back to its normal, soft and smooth state. (Which made John really happy, because if we are being honest crocodile skin doesn't exactly scream "let's cuddle!") This body lotion is not only ultra moisturizing, but also smells amazing too! And that's because it is infused with Harvey Prince's best-selling "Hello" perfume, which has hints of citrus layered with summer forsythia and notes of white grapefruit, wild verbena, and Tahitian vanilla. Giving this lotion a refreshing and welcoming scent. 

Final Thoughts 

As I'm sure you've already assumed, I loved my Harvey Prince Organics experience which is why I have decided to share it with all of you! In closing I just have to say I will be using this company's products for years to come and these products have definitely become a staple in my beauty routine. And lastly, if you already love Harvey Prince Organics or want to try Harvey Prince for the first time, you can use my special promo code "starkravingchic40" to get 40% off your next order!! 

Have you ever tried Harvey Prince Organics? If so what's your favorite product?! Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic. Later, babes!

Xx, Bree

P.S. Wanna know more about Harvey Prince Organics perfumes? Stay tuned for next week's post where I will be featuring three of the fragrances that Michael sent me! These include Hello, Sincerely, and Perfumista. (Along with some of their accompanying lotions!)

Winter Beauty Survival Guide (My Top Winter Beauty Products)

Well folks, it is that time of year again when the city turns into a frozen tundra and wind is whipping through the streets. After a seemingly endless fall, winter is finally (sadly) upon us here in the 'Burgh. And of course with dreadful weather comes the potential for a vast amount of beauty disasters. From dry brittle hair, rosacea on our faces (not the kind of rosy cheeks we asked for, Mother Nature), to crocodile skin on our hands and feet, cold weather really wreaks havoc on all of our appearances. However, since class is back in session, and being back in school at Point Park University and interning as a Style Guru for CollegeFashionista means I will be spending a good time outside in this frigid weather. So, I decided to take some action and find the best remedies to fight Old Man Winter and am going to share my findings here with you!

Maintain Your Luscious Locks (And Avoid Hat Hair)

I don't know about all of you, but I for one know my hair gets extremely brittle in the winter time and unfortunately that means a whole lot of split ends. However this first product which I found via Vogue is an absolute God sent! This my friends, is the Nexxus Pro-Mend Split End Biding Leave In Crème. All you need to do to set this product into action is simply rake it through damp hair and let it work it's magic. The reason I feel this crème is so effective is because it contains nourishing coconut oil which is known to have ultra healing benefits, and smells amazing too! This product honestly did a great job at rejuvenating my damaged hair and preventing split ends.

So since we now have our split end problem under control, we should probably talk about ensuring a healthy scalp too. Once again, I am featuring one of my favorite hair care brands, and that brand is Amika! As we all know I love Amika's "Spoil My Hair" Kit, but I also have recently become a fan of their "Triple RX Mask" as well. The reason this mask is perfect for scalp health is because it is designed to nourish and repaired dried out, over stressed hair. After using the Triple RX Mask I noticed significant changes in my scalp, the main one being it that no longer feels dry or irritated. The other perk of this product is, is that it also leaves your entire head of hair feeling silky smooth, and adds a touch of shine.

Lastly, I'm going to cover one of my personal biggest winter beauty pet peeves and that is having to deal with hat hair. Ugh, we all go through it at one point of another when it's too damn cold to simply stick with a hooded coat or go hatless, but hat hair is generally just a part of winter. However, one of the stylists from La Pomponnee  gave me a little trick that has worked gloriously to keep my hair from looking squished and that simple tip is hairspray! All you need to do is lift the sections of your hair that tend to be a problem and give them a spray starting from the base (or root) of your hair to about half the length of the section. This just adds a little bounce so your hair won't squish as easily! And for the record my favorite hairspray is Bed Head's "Hard Head" Hairspray.

 

 

 

 

Keep Your Face Radiant & Your Lips Kissable

One main issue I come across every winter is how to avoid getting windburn while walking to and from class of those cold and blustery days. However recently, I decided to purchase Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion because I had read so many rave reviews about it and thought maybe I should give it a try to help repair my poor weathered cheeks. Well I have to say this product really did live up to all of the hype! Within a matter of just days I noticed my skin was rejuvenated and softer. Needless to say I would 100% recommend this product.

Next up, though we all know the importance of taking of vitamins, how many of us really do? Well upon so research as well as actually listening to the advice my mother gave me (See mum, I do listen!) I decided to try some hair, skin, and nail vitamins to help with my dry winter skin. Well these gummy vitamins by Nature's Bounty actually have seemed to have helped quite a bit! No only is my skin less irritated due to using my Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, it now is even beginning to feel healthier! Not to mention my nails seem to be stronger now too. And to boot these gummy vitamins from Nature's Bounty are actually delicious!

 

 

 

 

And of course, your cheeks aren't the only thing that takes abuse from the frightful winter weather, but so do your lips! Let's be honest, everybody that lives in a cold climate end up with sore chapped lips at one point or another. However, to heal and prevent anymore chapping this season I swear by Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. This stuff has helped heal my chapped lips for years! I've been using Burt's Bees since high school and honestly there isn't a flavor I don't like. Each one smells great, applies easily, and definitely sooths and nourishes damaged lips, leaving them smooth and extra kissable.

Happy Hands Are For Holding

As a kid, I always had itchy, dry, and cracked hands in the winter time. Of course this was from playing out in the cold without caring for them properly. However, during my adolescent and adult life, I've since learned the importance of pampering and protecting my hands from brutal winter weather, and the first step to doing this is finding a great hand lotion. After years of seeking for the right one, I finally found that Gold Bond Healing Hand Cream is the best product to use on weather damaged hands! The reason I say this is because this product is approved for sensitive skin, and also is fragrance free which is great because sometimes that can cause discomfort with cracked hands and even irritate them more.

So though this one may be a bit obvious, I figured I should mention it anyways. Along with properly moisturizing your hands with a cream, it is also very important to be sure that you are using a moisturizing hand soap as well! Everyone knows that chapped and irritated hands are due to dryness, so though washing your hands is important, avoiding harsh antibacterial soap can be a key way to keep your hands smooth and healthy, hence where moisturizing hand soap comes in. My pick of moisturizing hand soaps has to be Deep Seep's Coconut Oil Hand Wash. This hand wash leaves your hands feeling squeaky clean as well as refreshed and smooth after each use. This hand wash also is 100% natural and smells great too!

Don't Forget To Treat Your Feet

Yes! I know this sounds crazy but it is in deed true: though your feet are tucked away inside boots and slippers during the winter season, they too suffer the harsh side effects of the cold weather! So, to remedy that and to shoe your toes you haven't forgotten them, the first thing I suggest doing is investing in a pumice stone and a good foot scrub! First, the reason you need a good pumice stone is to help exfoliate your feet. Exfoliating your feet is important because it rids them of all the dead and dry skin that has built up over the season, there for making moisturizers more effective.

Of course if you're going to treat and exfoliate your feet you need a good and reliable foot scrub. So my suggestion is to check out Pure Body Naturals' Himalayan Salt Foot Scrub. With light, sweet aromas of grape and almond you'll give yourself and you feet a nice and relaxing break after a long day. This scrub also helps ease tension in the arches of your feet due to its natural healing attributes and also leaves your skin feeling soft and rejuvenated.  

After a nice hot bath and home foot exfoliating treatment, the next best thing aside from curling up with a cup of tea and a good book is adding the finishing touches to your foot treatment. And just like with your hands and face one of the key things you can do to keep your feet healthy in the winter is moisturize them. With that being said, Gold Bond has made this list for the second time due to the fact their Softening Foot Cream works absolute wonders! This foot cream kept my feet feeling nice, soft and smooth all winter long thus far.

Last but not least, the final step to to treating your feet is to snag a pair of aloe socks! The reason aloe socks are an important part of this routine is they help lock in the moisturizing affects of the Softening Foot Cream, as well as giving you something fuzzy and cozy to slip on your feet. Not to mention, these socks will also help keep your feet warm, because if we are all being honest here, having popsicle toes doesn't exactly scream "let's cuddle!". (John knows all too well about this little issue.)

What are some of your favorite winter weather remedies? Tell me about them in the comments below or tweet me at @StarkRavingChic!

Xx, Bree