Review: Monave Skincare and Brushes

In addition to the foundation and other makeup, I was able to test several Monave skincare products as well as some of their makeup brushes. It took me a while to do this review so I could give each product a fair trial and make sure it didn't cause any breakouts.

To start, I'll first review the skincare items. Monave have a range of natural products from cleansers to moisturizers. All the ingredients are naturally derived. There are absolutely no harsh chemicals. Also, there products are only exposed to heat if necessary. If heat is needed, products will be exposed at the lowest temperatures and in small batches. This process makes for fresh and high quality products.

Honey-Clay Cleanser
This cleanser is intended for those with the most sensitive skin as it contains no soap. As implied by the name, it is made with honey and clay. The cleanser itself has a syrup like consistency. It has a slight honey scent along with another familiar scent that I can't quite name. It's not a bad scent, but I could do without it. After using this cleanser, my face felt clean and wasn't left dry. My only issue with this was that it doesn't soap up (but remember, it doesn't contain any soap to begin with). It kind of feels like your just rubbing syrup on your face. Perhaps it's just something I'm not used to. Even though, it didn't turn soapy, it still removed my makeup and left my face feeling clean. However, this product is actually a dual-product because you can also use it as mask. I think I prefer this as a mask. Once it slightly dries and you remove it, I feel like it's pulling out all the impurities out of my skin. Being made with honey & clay, I was reminded of a day in the spa and expensive facials. I think this is pretty good product for those who want spa days in the comfort of your own home. A full-size 2 oz jar is only $15 and comes with plenty of uses.

Green Clay Facial Cleansing Bar
Unlike the Honey-Clay Cleanser, this little bar will lather and turn soapy for you! To me, the soapiness makes me feel like the cleanser is doing its job. This bar is meant for those with a oilier skin and acne. I have a bit of combination skin, and after using this, I feel like the oils in my t-zone have lessened. Although I prefer liquid cleansers, I find this bar to be a nice basic, gentle cleanser. Now, I've also given this bar for my sister to try and she has a more oily complexion than I do and more prone to acne. She's commented that she feels like her face has noticeably less oil and helped with her acne. I think it's safe to say that this bar is great and effective with oily complexions. And if you're in the market for a plain, no frills cleanser, I'd recommend you give this a try for $5 a bar.

Rose Facial Toner
I've heard so many great things about rose water for skincare. But rose water is a hard to come by! I've searched high and low for rose water products and it's definitely not in drugstores. I finally came across Ruben Remedies Rose Water Toner that I purchased at Marshalls and I like it, but they don't keep it in stock and I'm running low. So, I was excited to try this Rose Facial Toner. Let me say how good this smells! If you don't like floral scents, you may want to stray away, but I love the scent of rose. It just smells clean and fresh. The Rose Facial Toner comes in a glass spray bottle and you just mist some on your face. You can use it like a regular toner and grab a cotton pad, orr you can use it a hydrating moisturizer. It's so refreshing and light! I've been using a little squirt before I apply my foundation and I love it for keeping my face hydrated (which has been a little dry lately). If you're interested in rose water, I say try this for $13.50 a bottle. You might consider it pricey, but realize making rose water is a time consuming distillation process and to me, well worth it.

Rose Daily Moisture Cream
Again, I'm just a fan of rose water so I really like this cream! It has that floral rose scent and it made with all natural ingredients. It contains shea butter, vitamin E, jojoba oil, and several other moisturizing ingredients. I've been using this in place of my morning moisturizer and so far, so good! Keeps my skin hydrated and doesn't break me out. The only flaw I see is that I don't believe it contains any SPF. But since I wear SPF 45 sunscreen anyway, I don't see it as huge issue. You could use this as a nighttime moisturizer instead, but I'm partial to my Nivea Creme. My previous morning moisturizer (Olay) is more of a liquid lotion and I prefer this type of cream. It just feels like it's sinking better. This was definitely one of my favorite products of the bunch. A full-size 1 oz jar is only $10.

Gentle Honey Bamboo Facial Polish
This reminds of the Honey-Clay cleanser as they share the same scent. The scrub does have a much thicker consistency though. It contains crushed bamboo to slough off dead skin and increase cell turnover. So, I kind of used this as a mask and let it set for 5-10 minutes. Then, I exfoliated as I washed it off. My face did feel softer and refreshed, but I think the scrub would have been more effective had the bamboo been more fine and grainy. I had rather large visible chunks of bamboo and made it difficult to exfoliate with. I've been doing aspirin masks for a while and in comparison, it just doesn't exfoliate as well. However, the aspirin mask does tend to dry out my face, while this doesn't. The polish is much more gentle and does not over strip my face like the aspirin mask can. If your skin is extremely sensitive, this might be a better option for you for $15 per 2 oz jar.

Organic Rosemary Hair Tonic
This spray is for dry, brittle strands and perfect for the summer. It instantly hydrates and conditions your hair. Heat styling obviously damages and dries your locks. So, I sprayed it after I blow dried my hair and seemed like my hair feels a little softer and silkier. It has a light scent and essentially rosemary infused water. Just being infused water, it's very lightweight and not a heavy serum. It might have even brought out a little shine in my hair too. If your hair is constantly in the sun and feeling dry, give it a quick mist for a moisture boost. Personally, I don't like the feeling of serums or heavy leave-in conditioners and this makes for a great alternative. Slightly pricey at $15 a bottle, but much cheaper than professional salon care products like Ojon.

I've also tried a couple Monave makeup brushes. They're currently transitioning to synthetic brushes. This is really great for those who are vegan and I prefer synthetic sometimes because they can be so much softer! These brushes are all short-handled and convenient for travel.

Mini Bronzer Brush
I have the new synthetic brush, as well as their previous natural one. The natural one is not super soft, but soft enough to still use (some natural brushes can be scratchy). The synthetic one is much more dense and softer feeling. They both have pretty good pick up, but since the synthetic one is denser, it grabs a little more. I prefer the vegan one just because it's softer and does a better job of blending. They remind me more of flat-top brushes for foundation, but can still be used for bronzer. I think they're great for contouring around the jawline or dusting a little highlighter on your forehead and nose. The natural one sheds a bit, but the synthetic hasn't at all. Since they are changing to vegan brushes, the natural one is no longer available. The synthetic brush is only $12.

Flat-top Foundation Brush
This is similar to the Everyday Mineral Flat-top brush in size. It's super soft and bit denser than the EDM, which is great for heavier MMU coverage. Being quite dense, it does an awesome job of buffing and blending mineral foundation. It also makes for applying mineral foundation wet much easier and allows for even application. The bristle are so incredibly soft! It has not shed at all despite being washed a few times already. The handle seems sturdy and bristles tightly bound. In my opinion, I think this brush is maybe slightly softer than the EDM. They are smiliar, but not exactly the same. I'd use them for different purposes, one heavier coverage and the other for lighter. For $18, it's a little more than I'd like to spend but a good brush otherwise.

Blush Brush
Like the other brushes, the bristles are extremely soft and non-shed. It's a not angled and a bit smaller in diameter than my other blush brushes. It has good pick up, applies blush evenly, and blends well. Since it is slightly smaller, it excellent for contouring right under the apples of your cheeks and around your nose. Plus, the small size is convenient to take in your purse for touch ups. It quickly became one of my favorite brushes, especially since I love face colors. I use it for blush, contouring, and highlighting. For $15, it's much more affordable than a MAC brush.