Credo's Clean Beauty Discovery Kit

Getting the Clean Beauty Discovery Kit is akin to walking into Credo, mecca for clean beauty products, and asking one of their knowledgable staff if there are any must-haves. Buying beauty products online can be a bit of a gamble when dealing with variables like color. But this well curated kit bypasses all this by delivering essentials tailored to anyone who wants clean, shiny hair, glowing, smooth skin and the absence of body odor.  And who doesn't want that?

Those who don't wear makeup will find this invaluable, and any beauty junkie will find at least one new favorite in this stash. I'd wholly recommend the kit as a gift to any gym rats, frequent travelers or anyone new to clean beauty. Break it up into stocking stuffers or treat yourself with these seven "holy grail" items. Plus, the charming bag is generously sized for stashing more travel ready essentials. 

Tata Harper's Resurfacing Mask is highly lauded for it's instant benefits. It's a gentle exfoliator, and the immediate results are remarkable. Skin feels smoother and fresher and any excess oiliness is mopped up. It's a translucent pink, florally scented gel, and dries within 5-10 mins, but you're advised to keep it on to 20 mins. I'll mist my face with water to prolong the dewy stage before rinsing it off.

Pai Chamomile & Rosehip Calming Day Cream is a lovely lightweight lotion that locks in moisture and delivers long lasting hydration. 

The Lovefresh Grapefruit Deodorant has a bright, cheerfully citrus scent in very portable stick. And anyone who's been disappointed by natural deodorants will be glad to know that yes, it does work!

De Mamiel Restorative Cleansing Balm and Skin Owl Eye+ are both beloved staples I hear about time and time again. I was thrilled to try these both out and happy to report they both live up to the hype. I treat the cleansing balm like a moisturizing mask, and my fussy skin responds really well to it. The Eye treatment is a cool, milky-clear gel that performs like a decadent eye cream, but doesn't slide around my eye make up.

Evolvh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner were surprisingly my favorites from this kit, and I'm not the sort of person to get too giddy over haircare. They work, really really well, and impart a powder scent that reminds me of Donna Karen's Cashmere Mist. Bonus, I found that I didn't need any shine boosting finishing spray or volumizers when using this duo.

(Kirsten) Kjaer Weis

The most luxe, on point, line with a range of shades where you cannot possibly go wrong would be Kjaer Weis. One of my personal heroes, Kirsten Kjaer Weis is a Danish makeup artist, who (true to Scandinavian sensibilities and priorities) enlisted a designer to create her silver, reusable packaging. Her eyeshadows, swatches of which are below, are ahead of the curve.

Long before Urban Decay blew everyone's mind with their Nude eye shadow palettes, Kjaer Weis was producing singular, interesting neutrals that look good on everyone. Her 2015 fall line up is 70's luxe, coppery shadows, poppy cheeks and golden brown lip tints. And my money is that this time, next year, Sephora junkies are going to be swaying towards that 70's Yves Saint Laurent/Halston aesthetic. 

Oh, and I was in the bay area last week and just missed meeting Kirsten in person during a Credo Beauty event. Then I received this picture in my inbox of her and Credo Beauty's lovely Sitarani and my heart swelled. This industry is made up of activists, forward thinking artists, folks passionate about environmental, health and social consciousness, and even people who will come this close to blows on a comment thread over whether phenoxyethanol is actually a carcinogen, but it's also full of the kindest people you'll ever know.