Boy have I ever got something special for you today. A week or two ago I was flipping through Instagram when I stumbled on an particularly gorgeous feed: @poeticblend. It seamlessly combined two of my favourite things, skincare and beautiful photography.
I DM'd the company right away to tell them what a bang-up job they were doing with their brand and the lovely founder, Mikayla, wrote back immediately. We got to chatting about our mutual love of quality skincare, and the more I learned about her company, the more I wanted to share it with you.
So dear readers, meet Poetic Blend!
Founded in August 2015, Poetic Blend is a luxury skincare line that's handcrafted in Toronto in small batches. It's made with 100% plant-based oils making it vegan and cruelty-free, and it's only tested on humans since that's who's going to be using it anyway. Though the line is small - just three products - these beautiful face oils (also known as beauty oils) are hardworking and very multipurpose, so you'll find yourself using them for everything. Mikayla very graciously sent me all three to try, and I discovered I could use them to:
moisturize and hydrate my skin (and get a great glow!)
replace my makeup primer
smooth and repair split ends
sooth dry or irritated patches of skin
nourish and soften cuticles
cleanse my skin
remove all sorts of makeup (even mascara and liquid liner!)
Now this may surprise you, but whether your complextion is oily, acne-prone, mature, combination, sensitive, or dry, you can use face oils. I worked in skincare for years (shout out to Lush Cosmetics!) and I loved educating clients and busting myths about the relationship between oil and their skin.
For oily, combination, or acne-prone skin, we tend to use soapy cleansers, oodles of water, alcohol-based toners, and mattifying products to strip away the oil. The skin then thinks it's been depleted of moisture and the sebacious glands go into overdrive to create more oil. See where this is headed? The effect is even worse for those who skip moisturizer.
For dry, delicate, or mature skin, some products don't provide enough moisture, while others are too heavy and cause congestion and dullness. By using the right oils for your skin, eventually the sebaceous glands will regulate and you'll see a more balanced complextion when you look in the mirror. So which Poetic Blend beauty oil is right for your skin? Let's take a look!
THE GHOST OIL (reg. $49.99/flash sale $37.50 per 30ml)
Ghost is the lightest of the bunch: fast absorbing and not the least bit greasy. It's perfect if you're a bit nervous about trying beauty oils for the first time, and is a dream on oilier skins since it's so light. It has almost no scent to speak of, which will be helpful for sensitive folks. Personally, my skin's a bit dry and I loved using this one in the morning before applying my makeup: it absorbed instantly and I could apply my foundation right over top. I also loved this one on my cuticles after a DIY mani. Ghost is silkly smooth and vanishes into the skin.
THE HERO OIL (reg. $49.99/flash sale $37.50 per 30ml)
Hero is a smidge richer than Ghost and felt just. so. nourishing. On days when my skin was acting out (redness, irritation), this oil was soothing, calming, and healing. Kinda like first aid for the skin. Any tightness or discomfort vanished instantly, so I bet Hero will be a godsend for those with skin that reacts to absolutely everything. It absorbed very quickly and left me glowy (but not shiny), and just like Ghost, Hero was a dream under makeup. And the scent! It's a delicate herbal/floral blend that's both subtle and comforting.
THE TIMELESS OIL (reg. $49.99/flash sale $37.50 per 30ml)
Oh Timeless Oil. You're my new BFF. If I could take you out for milkshakes I would. I have dry skin which means it shows fatigue and patchiness easily, and it's more prone to fine lines than oilier skins. But a few drops of this beautiful oil before bed and my skin feels like it's had a 30-second facial: restored, hydrated, and happy. Sometimes I applie a thin layer all over and other times I mixed a few drops with my night cream; both methods felt great. This one has a very mild scent of sea buckthorn blended with a touch of jasmine. It will be part of my beauty arsenal forever.
After using all three oils for over a week, my skin feels incredible and yesterday a kind stranger asked me if I was in my early twenties (I'm turning 34 in two weeks). I wrote back to Mikayla to gush about how much I loved her creations, and to ask her how she first got started in skincare.
AMYIN613: How did you first get interested in skincare? What led you to it?
MIKAYLA: In November 2012, my better half and I started a small business called Mikayla Beauty making all-natural lip balms. We only used ingredients that were ethically sourced and ecologically sound. Leveraging my knowledge and experience in the way each ingredient interacted with one another, I started blending oils until I was satisfied with the way it harmonized with my skin. Having really oily skin that is prone to hormonal acne made it incredibly difficult to find the right skin care product for my needs. So instead of purchasing (yet another) skin care product, I decided to combat oil with oil and after consistent use, the result was wonderfully balanced skin.
AMYIN613: I love that. Oil balances oil, yet so few people are aware of that. Was it an uphill battle getting the formulas right or did things come together quickly? MIKAYLA: It's trial and error, always. I am chronically picky with ingredients that I put on my skin, and I used the same unrelenting prudence to select the right ingredients for each and every one of my beauty oils.
AMYIN613: What’s next for Poetic Blend? Any new products in the works?
MIKAYLA: I love nourishing a brand and watching it grow, but only if it adds value to people’s lives. I won’t add products just for the sake of sales, and in fact, sales has never ever been a priority for me. As my better half will tell you, I am an artist, not an entrepreneur. In fact, I suck at entrepreneuring, lol! As my fans can tell with Mikayla Beauty and Poetic Blend, my lines are neither vast nor expansive. They are small and intimate; a pure reflection of the time and dedication I put into making them. What few products I do make, I make insanely well.
AMYIN613: I have to agree. I've been using your line for a week and I'm hooked! So what’s your own skincare routine? Have any tips that you absolutely swear by?
No matter how long my days or how late my nights, I will *always* cleanse my face before bed. Makeup or no, every day your skin is exposed to bacteria and environmental pollutants, so be sure to wash all that icky stuff off! As for tips, use a few drops of oil to help remove tough makeup products likewaterproof mascara. Or, add a few drops of beauty oil to your foundation to give the skin a luminous glow! Makeup artists have used that trick on runway models for ages, and it works like a charm.
GIVEAWAY
Alright folks, this is what you've been waiting for. I've got a Poetic Blend Beauty Oil to give away! One lucky winner will receive the beauty oil of their choice (that's right, the perfect one for you!) so here's what to do:
3. Post a comment below saying which Poetic Blend beauty oil would be best for your skin.
Not sure which one would be best for you? Post a comment below telling us a bit about your skin concerns and Mikayla and I will help you out (it'll still count as your entry).
Contest closes this Thursday November 12, 2015 at 12:00 noon and I'll announce the winner shortly after.
FLASH SALE: 25% OFF POETIC BLEND
Turns out Mikayla and I share the same birthday month (yay for November babies!) and she's decided to have a flash sale to celebrate. From now through November 30, 2015, all Poetic Blend beauty oils are 25% off! So instead of $49.99 per bottle they're priced at $37.50 each, or you can snatch up all three oils for $109.50. You don't even need a promo code, just plop them into your cart!
Get your entries in and if you simply can't wait, go take advantage of the flash sale. Here's to healthy, happy skin, naturally.
Editor's note: A huge thank you to Mikayla of Poetic Blend for allowing me to re-post so many of her beautiful photos. Because there ain't no way I'm this skilled with a camera.
Go follow Poetic Blend on Instagram, you won't be sorry. :)
UPDATE
We have a winner! Camila Bousquet wins her choice of Poetic Blend's beauty oils, and she's picked Hero. Camila, please shoot a quick note to info@poeticblend.com to claim your prize and I hope you enjoy your handcrafted beauty oil.
Thank you so very much to all of you who entered; I loved that so many of you shared your stories about your skin, your complexion frustrations, and your enthusiasm for great skincare.
And remember, the big 25% sale is continuing on www.poeticblend.com from now through November 30, so go grab yourself a deal on some phenomenal skincare.