One of the things I love most about being a blogger is the connections I make with people all over the world. Shortly after I launched Beauty Chaos, a woman named Holly Brown contacted me.  Holly is an Arbonne representative, and also has a lovely website, Living Like Lotus. Holly sent a message asking if I would like to try some Arbonne stuff out for Beauty Chaos. Ummmm, hello, freebies? Of course!

So here’s the awesome thing: Holly is from Peterborough, U.K. So after just launching my website, a new friend from across the globe reached out and got in touch.  This Internet thing, I tell ya, it’s simply amazing.

About a week later, my package arrived.

Not only was it addressed to my new business, it was packed to the gills with stuff.  And it had a customs declaration.  How cool is that?

Now, onto the good stuff.

Included in my Arbonne Grab Bag was: A sampler pack of the Calm Skincare line; a sampler pack of RE9 Advanced Anti-Aging Skincare line; “It’s a Long Story” Mascara; FC5 Ultra Hydrating Hand Cream; an “It’s All in the Eyes” eye shadow sampler in a neutral palette; Perfecting Liquid Foundation & Makeup Primer; Smoothed Over Lipstick; and Glossed Over Lip Gloss. It was like I had died and gone to beauty heaven.

Arbonne has been around for almost 40 years.

Although I had a friend who was a rep when I was in my early 20s, that was the first I had ever heard of the company.  As I understand it, they function kind of like Avon, R+F, Mary Kay, etc., in that you have to get the products directly from their Independent Consultants.

Best of all Arbonne is vegan, gluten-free, and doesn’t test on animals.

Huge plus. Huge.  The company formulates without a whole mess of chemicals and contains no animal byproducts as well. The company is focused on sustainability, leaving a small carbon footprint, and has led the way in the green movement in the U.S., with their commitment to sustainability beginning all the way back in 1980.

So, are their products any good?

In a word, yes, they are. I began my sampling with the Calm skincare line, which included the Gentle Daily Cleanser, Soothing Facial Serum, Gentle Daily Moisturizer, and Soothing Eye Gel.  Arbonne’s Calm line is designed for those with sensitive skin, as the name alludes to.  The key ingredients are aloe vera, cucumber, licorice, and chamomile, to name a few.

To be honest, this isn’t the line for me.  As I’ve stated in other posts, my skin is incredibly oily and can withstand a lot – I used rubbing alcohol for a time as a toner when I was in high school – so I need something with a little more kick. But I think this line would work well for someone with sensitive skin, as it did not make me break out.  Most products do.  And what struck me was how little of the product I needed with each use.  As Holly quipped when I told her this, “A dot does a lot!”  So my little sample bottles lasted about a week with twice a day use.

Next, I moved onto the RE9 Advanced Anti-Aging Skincare Line.  I’m at that weird point in my skincare life where I’m still breaking out, but having to fight wrinkles at the same time.  It’s magical, folks.  The RE9 line had so much stuff.  There were seven little bottles for me to try!  These included Smoothing Facial Cleanser, Regenerating Toner, Intensive Renewal Serum, Corrective Eye Cream, Night Repair Cream, Restorative Cream SPF20, and Extra Moisture Restorative Cream SPF 20.

I love this line, especially the Intensive Renewal Serum.  Whatever the magic ingredient is, it worked immediately.  My skin felt more supple, smooth and firm.  I have rarely found products that work this quickly.  The Restorative Creams with SPF were very light, and break my skin out.  And the Night Repair Cream left my skin feeling well hydrated.  All in all, this is a line I will likely use again.

My name is Amy, and I am a hand lotion hoarder.

Not all hand lotion, mind you.  But whenever I stay in a hotel, I take the little bottles of lotion and put them in the cosmetic pocket of my purse.  Last time I cleaned it out, I believe there were five in there.  And I wonder why my purse weighs 10 pounds.

The Arbonne Ultra-Hydrating Hand Creme has been added to my pouch, and this is a great one.  It is very lightly perfumed and doesn’t feel greasy after application, both of which are pet peeves of mine when it comes to lotion.  I will definitely carry around a bottle of this with me in my purse from now on.

Onto the makeup portion of today’s show.

When it comes to mascara, I am of the more is better mentality.  If I were only allowed one cosmetic item, mascara would be it.  There’s something about how it transforms my face that wakes everything up.  I feel like I can leave the house wearing only mascara (and concealer.  and a little lip tint.  and maybe some blush.  Oh, who am I kidding?)

That said, I tend to go for the formulas that promise big, bold, voluminous lashes, like Diorshow or, one of my personal favorites, Too Faced Better-Than-Sex Mascara. So I was surprised by how much I liked Arbonne’s “It’s a Long Story” mascara.  Having been blessed with long lashes to begin with, I don’t usually look for lengthening formulas.  This mascara lengthens, but does so without looking like you’re wearing mascara.  It’s pretty cool.  I found myself putting it on every time I would run out of the house and needed a little pick me up, but didn’t want to put on a full face of makeup.

All the colors of the rainbow.

The cool thing about the samples Holly sent is that each one contains all the colors of the collection.  With the foundation, I got to try a couple of colors before finding my perfect shade (Fair/Pale for when I’ve been staying out of the sun diligently, Buff/Chamois when I’ve overindulged in my pool time a bit).  The Arbonne Perfecting Liquid Foundation offers nice, light coverage, perfect for everyday use.  Also included in the sampler pack was their makeup primer, which prepped my skin perfectly.

S.W.A.K.

I’m not a huge lipstick wearer,  so given the choice between the lipstick and gloss, I would choose the gloss.  But the lipstick offers a large variety of shades for all skin tones, and does have a hydrating feel.  As I’ve said before, when I get nervous I bite my lip, so lipstick never lasts long on me.  But for a night out, I would definitely carry this one in my clutch.

The Glossed Over gloss is great, leaving shine without being sticky, and layering easily over the lipstick.  With the sampler pack I was able to try quite a few combos, with some great results.

Overall, Arbonne’s selection impressed me.  There are a few other products in the catalog Holly enclosed that I’m planning to try, including The Real Conceal concealer and Sheer Glow Highlighter.  They even have a line of nutritional products ranging from green powder to protein bars to vitamins.  And with their commitment to being cruelty free, vegan, and green, Arbonne stands out as a company that cares.

Got a line of products you’d like me to try? Thoughts on Arbonne?  Leave me a comment or message me here!