Now that the election is over it is time to reflect on a campaign that has lasted almost 2 years and a la Hillary Clinton, fractured many a glass ceiling. We wish President-elect Barack Obama the very best on his victory and now we can look forward to hopefully a much brighter 2009.

Are you a beauty Junkie? I couldn’t think of a better addiction. Why is there just something about lotions and potions in pretty jars that make us go crazy! Personally, I love the textures and scents and of course the best part is the benefits. No matter how pretty something is and great it smells, if it does not get the job done then alas it is just another pretty face without substance. When beauty becomes beneficial I need to run to the nearest 12-step meeting. Maybe I should create the first Beauty Addicts Anonymous in Palm Springs, hey it would  be the Betty Ford for Beauty. Beauty Junkie in SF,  a fabulous fellow beauty addict had some great things to say about a couple of our products, here is her review.

Cosmetic Chef

David Parker.

The Body Deli – Skincare products so natural you could almost eat them

Like to eat fresh? Organic? Raw, whole foods? Well, why not use them on your body too? The Body Deli has created a line of skincare and body care products made of fresh, organic, raw ingredients. They are so fresh, each product actually has an expiration on it! I’ve had the chance to try a couple of their products and so far I really like them. It is very cool to read the list of ingredients and actually know what all of them are!

Inspired by the concept of natural living and driven by the science of “living foods,” The Body Deli’s products are designed to provide nutrition for the skin. All of the products are handmade in small batches and incorporate raw, fresh, natural and organic ingredients, including organic yogurt, amino acids, fresh fruit and vegetables, and all-natural plant oils. Yum! The result is nutrient-rich products for the body, face and hair that deliver fresh vitamins, enzymes and minerals at their peak potency. Hence the expiration date!

When my skin was freaking because it was so dry, I reached for the Creme de la Rose. Normally, this luxurious cream would have been too heavy for me but my skin was extra thirsty from the dry heat. I used it only at night and it kept the tightness I was feeling at bay. So, if you want a heavy cream with tons of anti-aging benefits, from the oils of pure organic steam distilled bulgarian rose, moroccan rose geranium and sandalwood from India, try this out. You’ll feel like you are using a cream meant for a queen.

Another lotion I tried was the Solar Defense Day Cream. We all know what a big fan I am of moisturizers that include a sunscreen. Who wants to put two products on when one can do the job just fine?! My typically slightly oily skin likes the lightness of this lotion and the fact that is blends in fast. No to mention it includes anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Superoxide Dimutase, which work to neutralize free radical damage and improve the health and vitality of the complexion. Yeah, that’s right! Nature does good work!

Lotion Lovely!

THEBODYDELI.COM

We love fine cuisine of all types. Raw, vegan and even at times ultra indulgent gourmet fair hits the spot. In this tivo and digital age food content is everywhere, come on who has not TIVOd Paula Dean and watched her in the middle of the night with a pint of Haagan Daz or Ben and Jerry’s. Once in a while it is good for the soul to indulge your sweet tooth. Jessie from the Hungry Mouse is an epicurious blogger that has a passion for great food and food inspired beauty products. We loved Jessie’s blog post about a few products that we shipped for her consideration. We are delighted that she loved everything and went as far to say that our Creme de la Rose in her opinion blows Creme de la Mer out of the water, funny that has been my opinion too. If you are into food you will love her blog, it has been nominated for countless best of the web in the food category. Enjoy!

Cosmetic Chef
David A. Parker.

THE HUNGRY MOUSE

Order up! Get fresh with The Body Deli

The Body Deli is one of these companies I’ve been talking about that definitely believes in the power of feeding your face. Based in Palm Desert, California, The Body Deli is owned by duo David Parker and Margaret Skarin, who bill themselves as “cosmetic chefs.”

They were kind enough to send me some of their products to review. Man, am I glad they did. I think I’m hooked.

(I’m actually kind of boggled by how impressed I am. Let me be clear before I start raving: They didn’t pay me one red cent to be nice.)

The Body Deli’s products are all handmade in small batches with fresh, raw, natural, and organic ingredients. Parker and Skarin believe that your skin benefits most from vitamins and enzymes at the peak of their potency—which means that the “living foods” you get from them are fresh, fresh, fresh.

So fresh, in fact, that my products arrived by courier in a refrigerated lunch bag, complete with ice packs. (Imagine The Angry Chef’s confusion when he saw this sitting in the fridge.)

Inside, there was an exfoliating blueberry scrub, a mud mask, and a sea cucumber gel moisturizer—all three of which needed to be kept cold.

Embarrassingly, I was tempted more than once to take a little nibble of each of them, except maybe the mud mask.

A little background
All these products worked really well for me as a small, gray mouse (a.k.a. a gal in her 30’s with fair, combination skin).

Below, I’ve included product shots from The Body Deli’s website (professionally shot), as well as pics I took myself (shot in my kitchen). That probably accounts for any discrepancies in color you might notice.
Blueberry Fusion Scrub—$36

You know that St. Ives Apricot Scrub you might have kicking around in the back of your medicine cabinet? Toss it and buy some Blueberry Fusion Scrub. Trust me.

First off, if you like blueberries, this stuff smells a-ma-zing. I can’t think of a smoothie I’ve had that smells better. This is an exfoliating scrub that smooths your skin with a combination of fruit acids and natural earth particles. You massage a little blob of it onto moist skin in a circular motion. It was slightly gritty without being harsh. It also turns your face a really entertaining shade of pink before you rinse it off.

It left my skin smooth, really soft, and kind of glow-y. Two thumbs up.

Ingredients: Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Colloidal Oatmeal, Guar Gum, Organic Blueberries, Xanthan Gum, Diatomaceous Earth, Vitamin E, Organic Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Carrot Seed Oil, Organic Rose Hip Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Rosemary Oil Extract, Fresh Cells of Pomegranate and Kiwi, Organic Fruit Acid Enzymes, Potassium Sorbate.

Glacial Mineral Mud Masque—$24

I used the Glacial Mineral Mud Masque next. It was a really cooling contrast to the blueberry scrub.

Instructions state to use it as a whole face mask or a spot treatment. Not one to skimp at this point, I slathered it all over my face. It had the consistency of almost-melted chocolate ice cream.

This mask is chock full of clay and other ingredients that are supposed to draw out toxins and oil and shrink pores. The smell was a brisk mix of herbal and something bordering on menthol. I left it on for about 20 minutes, until it dried completely and lightened in color.

I rinsed it off, and my skin felt really clean, fresh, and tight (but not at all dry or irritated). Again, two thumbs up.

Ingredients: Glacial Mineral Mud, Bentonite Clay, Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Micro Clustered Ionized Water, Colloidal Silver, Allantoin, Squalane, Evening Primrose, Rose-Hips, Calendula, Carrot Seed, Chamomile, Japanese Honeysuckle, Rosemary oil, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Benzoin, Lecithin, Honey, Lavender, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Lime, Geranium.

Sea Cucumber Gelee—$45

If this was a three-course meal, then the Sea Cucumber Gelee was definitely the dessert. It was cool, refreshing, and moisturizing—without being the least bit greasy or oily.

I was interested in this in particular, since it includes Hyaluronic acid, an ingredient in some injectable wrinkle fillers and nicer skin creams, that works by attracting water and then holding it in like a sponge.

The gelee went on smoothly and sunk in after just about a minute, leaving my skin remarkably smooth. The Body Deli says that it “imparts a dewy glow.” And honestly? It does.

(I admit to sashaying around and asking The Angry Chef if I was glowing. He agreed that I was, and then threatened to smoosh me if I didn’t stop prancing about.) Two thumbs up.

Ingredients: Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Kombucha Tea, Sunflower Seed Oil, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Fresh Cells of Cucumber, Pomegrante, & Kiwi, Green Tea Extract, Castor Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Organic Olive Leaf Extract, Chamomile Extract*, Rosehip Seed Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Calendual Extract, Organic Comfery Extract, Organic Golden Flax, Evening Primrose, Guar Gum, Xanthun Gum, Chorella, Blue Green Algae, Spirulina, Chorophyll & Potassium Sorbate.

.The Hungry Mouse verdict
I love this stuff. When I woke up the next day, my face looked—and felt—like I just spent a day at the spa.

I’ve used some super swanky products in the past, and The Body Deli blows a lot of them (including Creme de la Mer’s epic moisturizer) out of the water for me.

I know I’ll be a repeat customer. Definitely check them out. I’d be shocked if you were disappointed.

Jessie, The Hungry Mouse

THEBODYDELI.COM

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We love beauty bloggers! They’re up all night furiously typing away, sharing with the world all their favorite beauty secrets. We love Periwinkle_Sky’s Blog. Here is her very recent post about some of Body Deli’s best products.

Here are some more yummy products from one of my favorite organic bath and body care companies – The Body Deli. (Trivia: Do you know that Kate Hudson has named The Body Deli as one of her favorite eco-friendly beauty companies?) I honestly, truly (madly, deeply) love their products. I have been using their Sage and Grapefruit Facial Cleanser and their Creme de la Rose for months now, and they have worked wonderfully, and have never broken me out. I got to try two more of their products, and let me say that I have fallen in love with these as well. The company touts their products as being as wholesome, fresh, and organic as possible, resulting in the most nourishing food for your skin. I realized how “fresh” their products were when they arrived at my doorstep packed in ice! I am impressed that the company has taken extra steps to ensure that the products arrive on my door as fresh and as unadulterated as possible.

Naturally protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. This unique nourishing facial moisturizer is infused with micronized Titanium and Zinc oxides that are naturally occurring minerals that reflect the suns harmful rays away from the face. Also, powerful chirall correct anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Superoxide Dimutase, works to neutralize free radical damage and improve the health and vitality of the complexion. Bio-active Fresh Cells of Fruits and Vegetables deeply nourish and feed the skin. Defend your skin first thing in the morning with this fine all natural daily skin treatment.

Net WT 2 oz.

My take: I’ll start with the Solar Defense Day Cream. I love the fact that it is very light on the skin and non-greasy, which is different from most of the products I have tried with substantial spf. Many women apply eye cream in the morning to moisturize the eye area, but many eye creams do not have spf. Do you know that one of the first signs of aging is having crow’s feet at the corners of your eyes? Protect your very thin, sensitive eye area by applying a moisturizing cream with spf properties. I use this cream around my eye area on top of my eye gel, ensuring that my eyes get protected from the harsh rays of the sun. I love the very light feel of this day cream on my face, so people who live in hot, humid climates would love this product.

This spa quality mud masque now makes it possible to give yourself a facial at home. This imported Canadian Mineral Mud Masque is designed to deeply cleanse the pores. This mask draws out excess oil, debris and toxins from the skin, while it helps to shrink and minimize the appearance of the pores.

Net WT 2 oz.

My Take: Wanna have skin that looks poreless, even, smooth? If you do, I highly recommend this product. I just love how poreless my skin (especially my nose!) looks after I use this masque. I apply this once or twice a week after I cleanse my face. Since I store it in the fridge, the cool sensation is absolutely soothing on the skin. I immediately feel the tightening all over my face; in fact, I could actually see the masque literally tightening the skin! I leave it on for 20 minutes, and when I look in the mirror before I wash it off with warm water, I could see dark dots on the masque – that means the masque has drawn out impurities, blackheads, and oil! Yuck! Yes, you could actually see the masque working. After rinsing, get ready to be amazed. You will actually see that your pores have shrunk in size and your skin tone looks more even and smooth. I highly recommend this for those with normal to oily skin, especially those who are prone to blackheads, whiteheads, and large pores.

I guess the only thing that I don’t like about the products is that they have a shorter shelf life compared to other beauty products. But what can you say – these products are as fresh as fresh can be. There has to be a trade-off somewhere, right?

Despite this, I still enjoy using the products. Best of all, my skin loves them.