Thursday 2 October 2014

Fall diaries: it's all about Pumpkin



As I grow older I realise that I am not a big fan of seasons, I like summer and the others are just a long period of waiting until I get reunited with summer. Don't get me wrong Autumn in theory is amazing, beautiful soft colours of fallen leaves, slight crisp to the air yet sun still has warmth. It is a reminder that nothing stays the same, time of contemplation and reflection. However the reality of fall is that it is unpredictable, one day it feels like summer and the next day you are met with grey skies and arctic winds, your priority becomes running from one building to another in order not to get wet (and let's face it umbrellas are not much help 90% of the time), and the quiet beauty of autumn seems like a distant memory. One of the redeeming qualities of the season for me are the late berries that are still growing at the beginning of autumn, mushrooms and squashes that come in to their own during fall. In particular I associate autumn with Pumpkins.

Pumpkin is the true belle of the ball, it's flesh is incredibly nutritious, a great source of fibre and vitamin A. Seeds are a fantastic source of zinc, and I personally think that pumpkins are delicious. Eating pumpkins is not the only way to reap the beauty benefits, there are a few products that incorporate oil from the seeds and even pumpkin flesh to make your skin extra soft and beautiful.

While trying to make a list of everything pumpkin out there, I realised that most of of the products are from over the Pond, in the end I decided to feature a small selection of the products that I found to be most exciting.

Osmia Zucca Spice: This is a seasonal soap and as well as the beautiful pumpkin it contains rosehip powder that gently exfoliates your skin. This is the only product on the list that I actually tried and love. Clearly I am not the only one as the first batch of this wonder soap has already sold out (despite becoming available only about a week ago), but don't worry the second batch should become available soon. I did a mini review on this soap as part of my Spotlight on Osmia if you fancy having a read.

Gaia creams Veggie Cocktail: I am a big fan of Gaia, the raw creams have a delightful buttery texture and are super concentrated, so despite the size, a 30ml jar could last you a long time. It can be used both as a face or a body cream. While I have not tried this particular version I have very high hopes for it based on the ingredients. In addition to the Pumpkin seed oil, this blend has unrefined and not macerated carrot tissue oil, cold pressed from the whole carrot. This cream doesn't have any essential oils and a list of just five ingredients, it is full of antioxidants and omegas making it a good choice for your skin before and after the exposure to the elements.

Wild honey apothecary pumpkin cocoa mask: I have yet to try anything from the brand but I am drawn to their ethos and interesting labels. The product selection changes with seasons and everything is made by hand in small batches. This mask has both organic pumpkin and pumpkin seed oil, as well as raw organic cocoa and raw honey. The mask is supposed to help with repairing and protecting from free radical damage, boost collagen, combat inflammation, hydration. Sounds like a perfect concoction for post summer skin, but it looks like something I should be spreading on toast...

Ambre botanical pumpkin seed and kokum face cream: I have tried a few things from Ambre but yet to get my hands on this cream. This cream has no water so expect it to be more like balm rather than an actual cream texture. It contains not only pumpkin seed oil, but also pumpkin seed butter, out of all the other wonderful oils and butters sea buckthorn oil catches my eye, I find the products that I have tried so far with sea buckthorn have always made my skin look its best. I expect this cream to be quiet rich, and I think it would be fantastic once the autumn turns from the mild weather to the other, less pleasant side of the season.

So where do you guys stand on the pumpkins? Please share any of your pumpkin faves in the comments.

8 comments:

  1. I love all things Pumpkin in skincare and to eat, wish it was more popular over here like it appears to be in the US. Great choice of products :)

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    1. Thank you! And I completely agree with you, when I was looking at what was available they have so many pumpkin products, both food and beauty! Not sure why it is not more popular here, personally I think pumpkins are amazing, and so delicious. :) xx

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  2. oooh Tamara, i love your intro.. you describe right "time of contemplation and reflexion" i love it! I couldn't find a better description. Like i said on instagram, you have a very beautiful drawing style, honestly! Xx

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    1. Thank you so much! Yay so happy you liked the intro, it got re-written a few times ;) xx

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  3. I love Osmia Organics! And pumpkin is just the epitome of what fall is to me.

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    1. Yes I honestly could not imagine one without the other, pumpkins rule!

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  4. Love the painting! The only product I've tried with pumpkin is the OSKIA cleanser...need to get in on the action by the sounds of it haha! I like the sound of the Ambre Botanicals one...as long as its a balm..gotta love balms ha! xx

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    1. Thank you :) you need to get on this bandwagon pronto! From what I remember in the store ambre botanicals was very much a balm, think Sarah (sugarpuffish ) tried it xx

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