friday favorites.

here are my favorites for this week:

• buttercream body bon bon by splash bath & body. oh my god. this stuff is amazing. remember how i recently broke out in some kind of rash/eczema thing? it cleared up through the use of tea tree oil, but i think it was caused because my skin was so darned dry. this cream is completely dreamy and leaves my hands silky smooth. it has 20% cocoa butter which makes it super-moisturizing. i sort of want to eat it. it smells that good. this is a smallish local (to me) shop that produces all-natural (almost no animal ingredients or byproducts except for milk and honey in some of them), handmade bath and body stuff. i talked with the owner at length and she has a great "start-up" story. she initally began making soaps for her friends, traveled to england and found a similar shop that she wanted to bring to america. they declined so she went out on her own. it's been 10 years and she's going strong (see earthlights?). she mentioned that sales are a little slow this holiday, so why don't you give her a try? order something and your loved one will not be disappointed. the bon bon cream is just $8.95.


• kiehl's leave-in conditioner. my hair seems to be stuck on frizz this holiday season. i know i need to just bite the bullet and deep-condition once a week, but i'm too lazy, so i did the next best thing. i bought this leave-in that i use everyday. a bonus of this product is that it gives my hair a little definition, too. it makes my hair soft, but not lifeless and most definitely, not greasy. it's a bit on the pricey side, but if you're into a splurge, this one is worth it. 8 ounces for $25.


• avalon organics lavender bar soap. i can never remember their brand name. there's avalan, but there is also aubrey, aveda and abba and i purchase from all of them frequently. i get too confused. do you have to have a name that begins with "a" to be in organic beauty? anyway, i love this soap. since i'm trying to use only animal-ingredient free products and support those that do not test on animals, i 86'd my oil of olay soap and was on a quest to find one that gave me the same smooth sensation. i came across avalon's soap at trader joe's and love its fresh scent and the way it moisturizes my skin. it's a "win win" as they say. about $4 at your natural food store or online.


• la natura's mango lip balm. my all-time favorite. it's elusive though, unfortunately. this stuff does the trick for dry, cracked winter-beaten puckers. i'm not a fan of anything minty and i've run into the mint over and over in lip stuff. this mango balm leaves my lips kissable (except if your husband hates any lip balm no matter what you do). again, no animal ingredients or testing here. i'm glad to see that shoppers are now able to order small quantities. $8.


• thai lemongrass candles. i received one as a gift this year. i'm kind of picky (surprised?) about the color of my candles. i like the pineapple cilantro illume candles, but the green color just doesn't cut it in my house. why can't they make it in plain white or ivory? this color matches though! it's quite a warm color which goes well in my loo. the company describes the scent much better than i could: "a grassy, lemon scent, with slightly spicy and earthy undertones, make this an exotic, warm, and fresh fragrance. intense but not overbearing... ." if i were buying it, i'd go for the soy version. $4.95 for a small glass votive.

photo credits: splash bath & body; kiehl's; la natura; avalon natural products: pacifica candles.