My journey with organic and natural skincare by Utama Spice originally began with their line of essential oils and with it a discovery of the vast world of applications and uses. And seeing how impressed and enamoured I become with their essential oils, it was only natural for me to delve deeper into their all natural skincare offerings and ranges. So I opted to begin with their range of body mists. And with the weather down in Australia is shifting from warmer temperatures to cooler, I also elected a selection of organic lip balms, as my lips are the first to detect and suffer with dryness from such extremes in weather that come with living in Melbourne.
BLISS ESSENTIAL OIL ROLLER BY UTAMA SPICE
I think what I enjoyed most from the Bliss essential oil roller was how easily and effortlessly portable this is. My journey with essential oils is merely in the beginning stages, and one thing I adore most is simply being enveloped in scent. I love the tranquillising and calming effects that some scents bring. It just never occurred to me that I could securely transport some of my favourite essential oils with me during the day! Truthfully the only time the Bliss essential oil roller leaves my handbag is when I’m transferring it to my work crossbody bag. I take this everywhere with me and use it both on the pulse points of my wrists and or to inhale this straight from the roller. The mix of lavender and hints of citrus and rose have helped me centre my mind. Bliss has quite a commanding presence, so a little goes a long way.
BODY MIST BY UTAMA SPICE
Currently there are a number of affordable body mists on offer by Utama Spice. And all are handmade with natural and organic ingredients and enriched with essential oils. I selected two for review; the Citrus Delight and Lavender Fields. Starting with the latter, as the name suggests a spritz of this body spray truly transports you to a wondrous field of lavender. The aroma of this body mist is well impregnated with the natural scent of lavender, yet also has a slight hint of pepper which spices up what one would traditionally expect from a lavender based fragrance. Originally when I chose the Lavender Fields body spray I wanted to utilise this fragrance on both skin and on my silk pillowcase at night. Seeing as how studies have shown lavender to aid in insomnia and anxiety for some, I felt like this would be perfect to also assist with a more restful sleep. However I personally find this fragrance to be slightly too dominant in strength to calm me for sleep and leaves me with the opposite effect. That said, I also give this to my mother to try for herself (she also has insomnia issues) and she found the scent to be relaxing on her pillow. Personally for me, the Lavender Fields body mist leaves me feeling really rejuvenated; which makes this more suitable for use during the daylight hours. And with all the stress and uncertainty of the novel coronavirus, the Lavender Fields body mist has been exceptional for the days I am at work traveling from one store to another. Not just for when I find myself in dire need for a moment of calm and clarity but also yearning for some refreshment during long and trying days. So I’ve taken to keeping this spray in my car for moments when I need a quick spritz on my wrists and some deep breaths to calm an anxious mind.
As someone who adores anything citrus related, the Citrus Delight body spray was one I simply could not pass. And unsurprisingly this 100% natural body mist did not disappoint either. This is yet another hearty and zesty fragrance handmade with organic and natural ingredients. Every spritz is whimsical and reminiscent of cutting into the flesh of a fresh citrus fruit. Or what I imagine it would feel like to be amongst the famed lemon trees along the Italian Amalfi Coast. It is so delightfully lively and fruity, I’ve had countless people stop and ask me what perfume I was wearing. Even now when people should be adhering to social distancing measures. I do find this scent sadly wanes slightly throughout the day, but that is nothing a keen spritz can’t fix. If you are someone who favours anything citrus related or are looking for a scent to help awaken or revive your senses, then the Citrus Delight body mist is one I highly recommend.
Overall both of these body mists have been such a joy to wear; especially when it comes to the Citrus Delight. These body mists are enriched with natural seaweed which is meant to soothe and hydrate skin. However as I’ve predominantly been using these on my pulse points, I can’t honestly speculate. That said having a natural fragrance enhanced with essential oils feels like such a luxury. And best of all, and like all of the handmade and natural skincare by Utama Spice, these body mists are also cruelty free and vegan.
LIP BALMS BY UTAMA SPICE
Another line of organic and natural skincare by Utama Spice that I was sent is their lip balms. Made from a blend of organic virgin coconut oil and beeswax, these lip balms are guaranteed to be nourishing on your lips. And at an affordable price point below US$2 each (from time of publishing), these reasonably priced lip balms are very much a quality product. Especially given that they contain no parabens, synthetic oils or artificial ingredients. Please note that these lip balms aren’t vegan as they contain beeswax. Overall having tried three of their lip balms, the Cocoa, Wellkiss and Tangerine, I found all three all to be consistent in terms of moisturising and longevity. Upon application they leave you feeling soothed and protected, like an invisible film guarding against the elements. While these have helped keep dryness at bay, I do find that I needed to reapply this a few times throughout the day; more so seemingly after food or drink. But for me the one and only downside was I felt like some seemed to glide over my lips more creamily than others. But as these lip balms are handmade, it is only natural to expect such characteristics. And for most, this wouldn’t necessarily be any issue to begin with.
The Cocoa lip balm is yet another whimsical and nostalgic product by Utama Spice, with every swipe evocative of all your favourite chocolate based desserts. One moment it reminds you of that fine dusting of cocoa powder you get atop an Italian tiramisu, the next, memories of your favourite decadent chocolate mousse. It’s not an overly sweet, cocoa scent but one that is uncannily realistic. That said being made from 100% natural and organic ingredients it really shouldn’t come as any surprise. And I think any chocoholics or sweet-tooth lovers would truly delight in the Cocoa lip balm. While I am undeniably transfixed with the distinct and natural aroma of cocoa, I unfortunately found this lip balm to be slightly grainy and therefore a little more coarser to apply. This didn’t impact the quality of the lip balm and as I previously mentioned, all three were equally consistent in terms of being highly hydrating and protective against the elements.
The second lip balm I tried was the Wellkiss. And yet another hydrating and quality lip balm by Utama Spice. This lip balm glides onto the lips leaving a protective barrier and also has quite the distinct aroma. One which may be slightly polarising for some as it contains fennel seed oil. I personally have never been a fan of anise types of fragrance (especially when it comes to food) so because of this, I find myself slightly on the fence over this. While the scent is not one I find overly offensive or forceable, that hint of liquorice can linger a little too long for my liking.
Personally out of the organic and natural skincare by Utama Spice I tested, the Tangerine lip balm has been my favorite. With an exotic aroma of citrus and cinnamon, this lip balm always leaves me with such comfort and homely feelings upon every application. This lip balm melts into your lips like a dream and feels like a big, fat warm hug. The scent overall is not overpowering and the hints of citrus and cinnamon are lightly prominent. I find it’s a great balance between the two, leaving you with a slight bite in aroma, but one that is less dominant when compared to the Wellkiss lip balm.
Overall I can not fault the Tangerine lip balm. Nor can I with any of the other natural skincare by Utama Spice I sampled. If there is one thing that has been consistent, even taking into consideration the essential oils I previously reviewed, it has to be the impressive quality of their products. Especially given the reasonable and affordable price point. It’s also rare to find a company so dedicated to traditional practices and organic and natural ingredients.
Let alone being handmade and cruelty free.
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This has been a collaborative post for Utama Spice. All opinions expressed in the above post are of my own
metaphoric love child of debbie harry and stevie nicks. weaver of words. infatuated with shoes.
