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.

Tata Harper's Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tint

Last month, I sprung for a special Valentine's edition trial set (Be Mine Again: Limited Edition Natural Skincare Try-Me Kit) from Tata Harper, an upscale brand out of Vermont. Samples of her Oil Cleanser, Purifying Cleanser, Beautifying Facial Oil, Concentrated Brightening Serum, Moisturizing Mask, Fortifying Body Lotion, Love Potion Perfume and five samples of her Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tint came tucked inside a red velvet pouch. Oh, and a square of Lake Champlain dark chocolate that was really good. 

The Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tints were what motivated the purchase, I was wooed by the chance to play with generously sized samples of all the shades. Very Popular is quite sheer and shimmery, but the other shades are quite opaque. On lips, they have a vaguely fruit flavor and don't last for ages, but the brighter ones impart a bit of a stain. They blend comfortably over the apples of cheeks and look quite natural.

 My favorite of the shades, Very Vivacious, is a wildly flattering pinked coral. It's a Spring wake up for my pallid winter complexion and I'd recommend it for anyone. Especially for those who balk at experimenting with coral and want a color that would compliment virtually any outfit.  

From left: Very Nice, Very Vivacious, Very Sweet,  Very Charming, Very Naughty.

Tata Harper, herself, is a Columbian born mother of three who's original vocation was as an industrial engineer. After a close family member was diagnosed with cancer, her family sat down with a doctor who advised caution with not only what they ate, and how they cleaned their homes, but with what personal care products they used. When she discovered the lack of non-toxic alternatives for her high-end skincare, she built her own green skincare line from the ground up. When possible, plants are grown and harvested on her 12,000 acre Vermont farm (all organic!) to make her products. Everything else is imported from far flung locales like the Amazon, Israel and Europe. And the production isn't outsourced, the formulas and manufacturing all take place in her onsite lab, where one would imagine her industrial engineering expertise has come in helpful. Besides the Lip and Cheek Tints, the star products for me out of this kit were her Love Potion fragrance – at once a very mature floral and weighty aromatherapy cocktail – and her Rejuvenating Cleanser, which felt fabulous and non-drying.

Tata Harper  / $25 (No longer available)