I’ve always been kind of weird about scents. I hate the smell of baby powder for example. Traumatized at an early age by others’ artificially smelly lotions, perfumes and poorly done makeup, I steered way clear of skin products for a long time. Oh – I’m also a guy too which probably has something to do with it. But that’s the past. Preservative and artificial, fragrance free products from cruelty-free companies like Bambola Beauty are like a good therapist.

Bambola’s Volcanic Mineral Scrub uses mineral exfoliants to take care of any haphazard dead yuckies. The first thing I do with anything that’s going on my skin is take a big ole whiff. The only thing my nose picked up was LA’s world famous clean air. Excellent start. The charcoal grey scrub’s texture is very smooth, and the mineral exfoliants are tiny, but it was still able to schluff off any unwanted residue. I found it to be gentle, and it didn’t leave my skin feeling overly dry or stripped. Still, you should follow use with an appropriate moisturizer and toner for your skin type. Using this scrub on a regular basis left my face feeling refreshed, toned and noticeably brighter. Bambola recommends this product for all skin types except those with nut allergies or extremely sensitive skin.

The main ingredients are:

• Green Tea –Rich in antioxidants, reduces inflammation and promotes healthy skin
• Kukui Nut – Deeply moisturizing and contains Vitamins A, E, and F
• Organic Shea Butter – Absorbs quickly and penetrates deep to moisturize and restore resiliency
• Pineapple Enzymes – Gently exfoliates and conditions
• Spinach Powder – Contains vitamin K

Bambola’s Luxury Lip Smoother is like a breath mint for your lips. Powered by beeswax, shea butter, apricot oil and wheat germ oil, it goes on smooth and does not make your lips overly greasy. Once applied, and this is where it gets really fun for me, a mild, cooling tingle peppers your lips with what feels like minty snowflakes. It’s like a breath mint for your lips with a splash of lemon, only your lips probably didn’t stink in the first place (hopefully). It made me feel like I should blow my breath over humanity like Aeolus. But don’t because this is a lip product remember? My lips felt noticeably softer and less scaly after the first application, and I found that I got by with needing fewer applications as compared to my previous lip balm.

Bambola Beauty products use earth derived ingredients and of course are cruelty free. They are a big believer in the benefits of using products from the earth, and a portion of their proceeds are contributed to the Save the Earth Foundation.

Guest Blogger Kevin Sandness is an Accutane-surviving web developer. He likes connection, culture, calm, chaos and of course animals and all things cruelty free.

Press samples were provided for the purpose of review. Opinions are the author’s own.