FlatTummyTea: Does it live up to the hype?

I'm a big tea connoisseur. While my favourite tea is Earl Grey and Oolong, I love stepping out and trying different brands, flavours...etc.  I used to dislike herbal tea, but as I've aged, it's something that I've really developed a liking for.

How it arrived: Activate and Cleanse teas in a little satchel bag

If you've scrolled through your Instagram, chances are you've seen tons of friends, bloggers, and celebrities advertising different types of "skinny" or "fit" teas. I'm sure if you've been following me for a while, you'll have seen me try a few brands. I've tried Skinny Coffee, (loved it at first, but it started making me nauseated) Your Tea's Tiny Tea, (I love this. It's more marketed for "losing weight" which it didn't do, but I loved the flavour) and now, FlatTummyTea.

I'm a skeptic.  I like to try things for myself.  If someone with amazing skin swears about a product, I'll try it. I like trying these "instagram trends" to see if it is BS or not.
When it comes to FlatTummyTea, I was a little relieved that it wasn't marketed as a "drink this and it'll make you lose weight instantly" tea.  If we're being real here, that's obviously not going to work unless you're overweight and have a terrible diet that you miraculously give up to drink tea and water every day.

Flat Tummy Tea does claim to be a "detox" tea, but from what I've seen, they don't advertise being a weight loss tea. Their marketing is all about reducing bloating with the "Bloat's a Bitch" campaign and hashtag. Their website says " Flat Tummy Tea is a 2 step tea detox packed with ingredients traditionally know to help cleanse your system, support metabolism, reduce bloating and boost energy." The site also says that their products are "Hand packed with 100% natural herbal ingredients. This tea detox shouldn't have you running to the bathroom." 
That's a plus.  I'm not about those colon cleanse teas. I tried an Acai detox pill when I was younger, and that wasn't a pleasant experience. 

On to the product breakdown!

They have two options for purchase. The FT Four (four week pack) and the FT Two (two week pack). 

FT Four is $49.99 and FT Two is $36.99.  I have the FT Four, so I'm going to get into pricing and oz..etc for that one. 
The FT Four comes with Activate AM and Cleanse PM. Activate is 1.46oz of loose tea leaves.  Cleanse is .55oz of loose tea leaves.  Activate is supposed to be consumed right when you get up. You only need 1tsp of tea for a serving. The Cleanse says to drink it every other evening for the first week and from the second week and on, drink every third evening before bed. 
While it is a cleansing tea, it doesn't make it to where you're scared to leave the house.  It says on the package that "This tea has a natural, gentle, cleaning effect which may make you go to the bathroom. So, start with a shorter infusion time and work out what's best for your body."
I didn't really follow instructions for this tea.  I drank it every third evening for the first week and then for the following weeks, I drank it once a week.  I do have some product left, so I will continue using it until it runs out. 

Activate has 10 ingredients: 
Peppermint leaf, Lemon balm leaf, Liquorice root, Dandelion leaf and root, Cleavers, Fennel, Green Tea leaf, Caraway, and Cardamom. 
Cleanse has 7 ingredients: 
Senna leaf, Peppermint leaf, Cassia Chamaecrista (pods), Liquorice root, Caraway seed, Dandelion root, and Rhubarb root.
The ingredients are 100% natural and there aren't any weird additives in it. 

Activate Loose Tea

Cleanse Loose Tea

Flavouring:
I was worried this would be too herbal.  I like herbal teas, but I don't like "tastes like dirt and leaves" herbal tea. When I first brewed this, it had an overwhelming smell of peppermint.  I did not like how strong the mint was, and I was afraid it would only taste of peppermint.  Thankfully, the taste of mint was no where near as strong.  It was a very refreshing taste.  A little minty, but not christmas-y minty.  I liked the flavour.

Cost breakdown:
While $50 dollars seems a lot for tea, before you say "HELL NO" you have to think about how much you're getting, what it does, and how long it lasts.
In total you're getting 2.01oz of loose tea. You're paying $24.87 per oz of tea. You get 28 servings in Activate and 11 servings in Cleanse---39 servings of tea at $1.28 per serving.
There are a few teas at Starbucks that I enjoy and those average about $4 a drink.  If I were to drink that every day for 28 days, my cost would be $112--not including tip and tax.  
You can get basic tea bags for less than $5, but they only have one or two ingredients in them. The teabags I purchase from Safeway cost me about $10 dollars. Organic loose tea, on the other hand can run from $8 to $30 (if not more...depends on brand)
There are a few teavana teas that I like that cost approx $25 for 2 oz and that gives you 20 servings. 
Price-wise, I believe it's a little bit steeper than it could be. But, you are getting 39 servings of tea at 1.28 per serving. Could you buy cheaper tea? Yes. Is it a gimmick product? Eh, It does exactly what it says it does. But, they are taking advantage of the Instagram tea trend. 
Would I try this again? Yes.  
It definitely helped with bloating.  I didn't see a huge difference the first few days, but I started to see it afterwards.  The biggest difference was with menstrual bloat.  That, alone was worth it for me.  Maybe it was in my head, but my menstruation wasn't as painful and my bloat was almost nonexistent (and it's normally pretty bad during that time.)

TL;DR You're paying $1.28 per serving.  You get 39 servings for 49.99. The tea is 100% natural--no funny business. Tastes good and does exactly what they advertise.  If you would like to try it for yourself, you can get it at flattummytea.com

 

***To maintain transparency, I want to let you know that this blog post is not sponsored. My opinions are my own and are truthful. However, I was given this FT Four by Flat Tummy Tea for free to try and post about if I liked it.  I am not being paid, nor was I asked to write a post about this.  I like to give you guys my opinion and go into as much detail as I can so you can decide what you think.

Muddy Body Detox Face Mask

Let's talk about face masks! 

I've been on a face mask kick lately. First it was the Ayesha mask from Lush and now it's the Detox mask from Muddy Body.
I absolutely love the Ayesha mask from Lush, but the downside of it is the expiration date and only being able to purchase it in store. (Ordering online is what I love to do)
I have never finished a jar of my mask before it expired--as it expires very quickly due to it being fresh. I was looking for a face mask that made my face feel similar and had much a longer shelf life.
Here's comes the Muddy Body Detox mask. It is a dry mask that can be activated with a few drops of water (and it has a shelf life of a year)
I'm going to break down the ingredient list, how much is in it, benefits..etc.
If you just want to try it and don't care about this long-winded review, I have a coupon code for you at the very end. (:

The Detox mask has 9 ingredients. 4 of them being in the main ingredient, Dead Sea Clay.
The list is:

• Dead Sea Clay
  • Calcium
  • Sodium
  • Magnesium
  • Sulfur
• Activated Charcoal
• Organic Witch Hazel
• Organic Raw Cacao Powder
• Coconut Milk Powder

What do these do? Well, Dead Sea Clay is packed with rich minerals from the Dead Sea.  These help to balance, moisturize, and restore skin. The minerals in the clay promote cell renewal, help restore youthful and healthy skin, it detoxifies skin of impurities, soothes damaged skin and protects from allergic rashes.
Activated Charcoal is a natural magnet to draw out bacteria, chemical, dirt..etc to the surface of your skin. It also is said to tighten pores, smooth the skin, and reduce inflammation.
Organic Witch Hazel possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and astringent properties which is beneficial in the treatment of acne, porous facial skin, wrinkles, and many other problems. Due to it's astringent properties, it may also prevent black heads from occurring. 
Organic Raw Cacao Powder is packed with antioxidants that help repair skin and flavonoids that reduce inflammation. It also has minerals that may promote healthy cell growth.
Coconut Milk Powder is right in Vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, and proteins. These contribute to smooth and radiant skin.  It also acts as a moisturizer for dehydrated skin. 
 

Now that the long and detailed part about this mask is over, let me tell you why I like it.
It's super easy to use.  I use a big scoop of powder and about a tsp of water, mix my mask up, and apply with their 100% vegan and cruelty free applicator brush.
Once I apply the mask to my face, I just let it dry for 10-15 min. I love how tight it makes me skin feel when I have the mask on. Once it is dry, I remove it using circular motions with a soft cloth and warm water.  
After, I apply moisturizer and continue about my day! (or night)
I really liked this mask when I first tried it. It made my skin feel amazing and smooth, my pores seemed smaller, and I just felt like my skin was a little more lifted.  I don't really have problem skin, so I can't attest to the other benefits of it.
What really made me love this mask was when I tried a face mask from Fresh and woke the next morning with a horrible rash all over my face. I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything because I had this red and bumpy allergic reaction going on. Foundation hid the redness, but it was no match for the texture of the rash. Nothing was helping it go away and I decided to try my Detox mask and see if it helped at all. Not only did the redness subside after one mask, but the rash cleared up within three days (and two masks).

To the amount you get: each bottle is 60 g (2 oz) and costs $23.99.
A typical 2 oz lush mask ranges from $8-11. While it may seem like a hefty price difference, I try to think about how much I'm getting out of it, how many uses, will it expire before I can finish the product?
With my Ayesha mask from Lush, it was $8 dollars for 2 oz of product.  I maybe got three uses out of each mask I purchased, four uses at max.  I've used my Detox mask 6 times, and I still have over half of the bottle left, so while 2 oz may not seem like a lot, it definitely goes a long way.  It also won't expire on you in 6 days. 
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Ayesha mask from Lush, but for someone that uses masks frequently, that price does build up. I like to put weird things on my face for photos, so I like to treat my skin with a mask often. I can't buy the Ayesha mask in bulk because it'll definitely expire before I can finish it. So, I like that this is a dry mask. 

tl;dr: I recommend the Detox mask from Muddy Body.  It does my skin good, you get a large amount for you dollar, and (like LUSH) it's all natural, organic, and cruelty free. 

Also, to save you guys some money, Muddy Body gave me a coupon code for you! If you use "AYCARTER" at checkout, it'll take some $$$ off your total. 

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***To maintain transparency, I want to let you know that this blog post is not sponsored. My opinions are my own and are truthful. However, I do receive a very small percentage from the usage of my coupon code "AYCARTER" on Muddy Body, which helps me purchase supplies for my makeup art/everyday life/blogging..etc.  But, I generally try to put that towards creating art. If you would like to support me, thank you so much! I try to post any coupon codes I get from companies, whether I get any percentage from them or not. I'm all about saving money, so I like helping those that like to do so as well! 

MUST HAVES: Skin Care

I get loads of questions across the interweb about what products I use for a multitude of things.  Today, I'll be sharing with you my favourite products for my skin care. 

Note: I have VERY dry skin.  Some of these products are skin specific, so if you want any recommendations for a different skin type, just let me know.

Item Number 1: Nutrilite Complex for Hair, Skin, & Nails.

I've gone through bottles of this stuff.  I love it.  It works miracles for my nails, and it keeps my hair healthy.  I notice significantly less hair shedding and breakage when I'm taking these vitamins.  My nails are hard and don't break once they get to a long length.  I've even stopped taking this stuff to see if I saw a difference, and I definitely did. 

This is a vegetarian product.  Most hair, skin, & nail vitamins use fish oil or other animal products, so I purchased this one because it is safe for my diet! **The packaging has changed since I purchased my most recent bottle.

Get it here from Amway: Nutrilite
*It's cheaper on amazon, but I read that it's not safe to buy there because you might be getting old pills..etc  If you want to take the gamble, here is the link: Nutrilute

Item Number 2: Indigo Wild Zum Bar Soap

I LOVE this soap.  I found this soap back when I was in high school at a local health store.  I bought a sample pack and fell in love.  Since then, I've tested a bunch of bars and found the ones that work the best with my skin type.  
My two favourites are their LAVENDER-ROSEMARY ZUM BAR and DRAGON'S BLOOD ZUM BAR. 
I use the Lavender-Rosemary bar for my face in the mornings when I shower and I use the Dragons Blood bar in the evening after I remove my makeup.  
They both smell so amazing and the aroma permeates my entire house.  These are very moisturizing and my skin always feels so refreshed.

If you're curious "why goat's milk?"...here is a really good explanation:.
Here is a link to their website: Indigo Wild
*if you sign up for their newsletter, you get a free bar with purchase

 

 

Item Number 3: Clinique Clarifying Lotion 1

Most of the women in my family use Clinique. So, I of course, hopped on that train.  I've never been a huge fan of their makeup, but their skin care line is amazing. 
I used to use their 3 Step skin care line, but I found better options that they carried.  However, I did stick with their Clarifying Lotion.  I use this as soon as I get out of the shower in the morning and I use it immediately after I wash my face in the evening.  This is a non-drying exfoliator, it refines pores, and helps skin accept moisture.  It's basically witch hazel, but an improved version. I apply my moisturizer immediately after I use this liquid. 

Get it here: Clarifying Lotion
*I typically purchase mine from Nordstrom just because it's more convenient to walk into the store, but I order online when I don't want to leave the house haha.

Item Number 4: Clinique Superdefense

My grandmother got me on this product.  This is the most moisturizing moisturizer I've ever used.  I used Clinique's "Dramatically Different" moisturizing lotion, but I never felt like it was "enough."  It was great, but it was almost a little too watery for my skin.  My skin soaked it up and needed more. I switched from that to the "Superdefense daily defense moisturizer broad spectrum SPF 20" (what a name!)  This is an oil free moisturizer, it keeps my skin hydrated all day, and has UVA/UAB protecton (keep those wrinkles at bay...stay out of the sun)  It is more than double the price of the other lotion I was using, but I don't need much to cover my face.  It probably takes me 6 months to use the entire 50ml container. It's worth the price 100%. 

Get it here: Superdefense Moisturizer

Item Number 5: Muddy Boddy Detox Mask

I saw Muddy Body floating around on Instagram and HAD to try.  I have the Detox and the Refresh mask.  While I like the Refresh mask, I feel like the Detox works the BEST for my skin.  It made my skin feel so tight and refreshed after using it.  The formula helps balance skin, prevents wrinkles, reduces pore size, and acts as a moisturizer.  
It's really easy to use and the best part of it being a powder is you don't have a certain period you have to use it in. It has a shelf life of 12 months, and I know I'll use it all before then. (Lush's Ayesha mask is amazing, but I don't use it all in the few days it needs to be used.  I end up throwing a lot away)

They've given me a discount code for you guys! Use "AYCARTER" at checkout for 10% off! 

Get it here: Muddy Body

Item Number 6: Pond's Cold Cream

I've been using Pond's Cold Cream since before I can remember.  My mother and grandmother used it, so it was the first remover I ever tried...and it's been my go-to makeup remover since. I've tried so many removers, and this is by far the best.  (I do LOVE Cinique's Oil Free Liquid cleanser, but I use way too much for it to be worth the price haha)
This is a moisturizing cleanser.  It removes any of the crazy stuff I put on my face while adding back much needed moisture. I buy the largest size and refill my travel size with it. 

Get it here: Pond's Cold Cream

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I hope this was helpful for you! I'm going to be posting another Must Haves: Makeup edition soon.  I get tons of questions about my foundation, powder, and concealer, so I'll be answering those soon!

**Note: None of these products are sponsored.  This is my honest opinion and these products are what I use daily on my skin. 

Rituel De Fille Product Review

Rituel de Fille is a new makeup brand that I happened upon on instagram. (@ritueldefille)  Their branding feeds my aesthetic and I was super excited to get to try some of their products.  The company is founded by three very talented sisters and "inspired by the magical side of natural ingrediant, and the ritualistic, ceremonial power of pigment."  
All of their products are 99% natural, do not test on animals, and are completely cruelty free. 

Let's get started with their Forbidden Lipsticks-- I have Chrysalis, Fortune Teller, Night Wanderer, Shadow Self.

My first impression of these is how interesting their packaging is-- Sleek, long tubes that remind me of the lipsticks I used to try on in my mothers makeup drawer as a child. When you remove the top of any of the lipsticks, a lovely aroma of jojoba and lavender welcomes you. 

Left to Right: Chrysalis, Fortune Teller, Night Wanderer, Shadow Self

Before I tried them on my lips, I swatched them on my arm.  The swatches are without primer and are one generous application. They are very pigmented and super buttery. 
Fortune Teller is a deep berry with a nice shine, Chrysalis is a matte green with a bit of a shimmer to it, Night Wanderer is a pale, blackened purple with shimmer, and Shadow Self is close to a dark indigo and has a muted shimmer to it.

I love these lippies.  They are moisturizing, they smell lovely, and they stay on all day.

Left to Right: Fortune Teller, Chrysalis, Night Wanderer, Shadow Self

On to their Cream Blush! 

I've never used a cream blush before with the exception of a vibrant orange MAC cream blush I used for one of my clown looks haha. I don't wear a ton of blush normally, because I find most usually give me a "just ran 4 miles and can't breathe" look. 
However, these tones were very captivating and I had to try them. (And, they are safe to use for cheek, eyes, and lips, so there's that!)

I have Lovesick and Desire inner glow cream blush. Lovesick is said to be the shade of rose, however on my skin it was a wee bit warmer than I expected.  It's a dewy matte and blends beautifully on my cheeks. Desire is my favourite of the two, It's a mauvey colour that works well for blush and I love to use it on my eyelids. 
My swatches below are applied with a brush for an even layer, and have no primer underneath. 

Left to Right: Lovesick, Desire

The Ash & Ember Eye Soot is the perfect blend of powder and cream. I have four of their shades: Obsidian (metallic black), Serpent de Mer (dark violet-taupe with golden shimmer), Viscera (warm red), and Half Light (shimmering pale-taupe)

I've played around with these a lot.  I've only gotten around to photographing one look with them, and I'll post it at the end.  These are great for just about everything from using a powder brush and blending in your crease, an angle brush for the perfect winged liner, or just your finger or flat brush to cover your lid. The texture is pretty much like a wet powder in a solid form.  It's easy to apply, easy to blend, and isn't sticky like a cream shadow would be.  

Left to Right: Obsidian, Serpent de Mer, Viscera, & Half Light Ash and Ember Eye Soot

The swatches were applied with a flat brush and were applied on bare skin (no primer.)
 

Left to Right:  Half Light, Serpent de Mer, Obsidian, & Viscera Ash and Ember Eye Soot

Look created with Rituel de Fille Ash and Ember eye soot "Serpent De Mer" with Sugarpill "Poison plum." Wearing Unicorn Lashes "Vespertine"

All in all, I would definitely recommend these products! I need to get some more looks photographed for view.  I've worn everything in phone selfies, but that's a whole other ballgame haha. 
I have their newest collection on the way to me, so as soon as I play around with those, I'll let you know what I think!