On January 6th I had the honour of attending my big little brother's wedding in Whareama (where? you ask. So did I. I can tell you it's a long way South of Tauranga, especially when you're driving there with a car sick 8 year old and a grumpy 4 year old). 
​It was a perfect day, filled with so much love and laughter and now I have a new sister who is absolutely precious. The ceremony took place in a tiny, old country church presided over by the same priest who married both my sister and I. The bridesmaids looked amazing (make-up care of Beso of course) and my brother and his boys scrubbed up spiffingly. My brother sang his bride-to-be up the aisle with an original tune written just for her, while I quietly said a wee thank you prayer for waterproof mascara and my new makeup setting powder. (Tears - you shall not pass!) And of course we danced until the wee hours while the wine flowed freely.

I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

​I would, however, have happily left the pre-trip packing to some other poor fool. 
​Getting all the necessary gear required for two weeks away from home for our family of four into impossibly small cases to fit into what suddenly seemed the impossibly small boot of a car was nothing short of a nightmare. We Muries clearly do not travel lightly.
​However, when it came to packing my toiletries it was a case of, thank Beso for small blessings!

​It turns out that I have not only created a pretty cool range of natural products but that many of them are multi-functional, making it much easier to pack at least this part of my luggage! It seems that my selfish desire to avoid having 6 billion single-purpose beauty products has been reflected in my creations.
​So here are my favourite Beso multi-purpose treats:

• ​Beso Hair and Body Oil:​ the name says it all, but while this oil is great at taming and protecting your precious locks, and provides an easy to apply option for an all over moisturiser, it turns out it has a few other functions:
  • It smells great so no need for synthetic perfumes
  • It can be used as a cleanser to remove stubborn makeup, especially anything waterproof - simply massage onto your face, then remove with a hot cloth. Your skin will feel amazing!
  • It has potential as an insect repellent - the jury is still out on this one, depends how hungry the little critters are, but this product contains a lot of the essential oils that bugs hate. I'd love to hear from any of my customers out there if they're willing to guinea pig themselves for the sake of research!
• Beso deodorants - ​now, I know it's amazing enough that Beso provides you two natural, effective options in deodorant, but these little gems can also be used to:
  • clear up acne - this applies mainly to the roll on, which contains witch hazel, baking soda and essential oils that make it ideal for use as a topical spot treatment too
  • take the sting and itch out of insect bites. And it's safe to use on children too
  • deodorise hands after a day of fishing - really, it works! I've only tried this with the stick variety, by rubbing it onto my smelly hands, leaving a few minutes then washing off with hot water. It was an act of desperation after trying everything else, and I was pleasantly suprised to find it worked
• Beso Makeup Remover - ​Obviously this will take your makeup off - just splash onto a cotton pad and use on your whole face or use with a cotton bud to tidy up little messes and sharpen eyeliner wings. However, I've recently discovered that it also makes an excellent facial cleanser, massaged onto the face and washed off with a hot cloth. And it tones and moisturises at the same time! Whoop! ​
• Besoline​ - ​ well, it is a multi purpose balm so no surprises that this one is on the list, but taking it on a trip, especially with kids, gave this product a chance to prove its worth. The little silver tin had to be produced more often than I'd expected during our trip. Here are some of the minor medical crises averted thanks to Besoline:
  • ​Sunburn on my lily white Irish aunt's face - cleared up overnight, thank Beso!
  • Healing several nasty scrapes and scratches (why do kids always seem to run in the opposite direction to their eyes??) and a few burns (it seems trays straight out of the oven are very hot)
  • an excema flare up - no doubt stress induced, probably owing to the afore mentioned packing nightmare​
  • And no need for a night cream or chapstick - Besoline does this too. What a product!
• ​Beso cosmetics:​ here are a few wee multi-purpose gems for my fellow makeup lovers (warning - this section discusses contouring and highlighting. I know this sounds terrifying for some of you. Give me a bell if you fancy learning more about this unknown territory)
  • ​​Earthquake Eye Powder - ​its beautiful deep cocoa colour is a staple for every girl's makeup kit but the versatile shade also allows you to cancel out the need for a separate contour powder. It does the job perfectly
  • ​Moonbeam Eye Powder - ​I run out of this shade all the time because I use to so much in my makeovers. It was originally created to provide a perfect ivory base for the eyes, but I have since discovered that it is also a fantastic highlighter, giving a gorgeous translucent glow to skin in all the right places. And it helps to set lipstick too, soaking up the extra oils that make it bleed and fade with just a quick dab​

​So much multi-functionality means less bottles and tubs in your travel case. Here are Beso's top-ten travel toiletries with everything you will need on your holiday, be it camping, glamping, motelling or hotelling! (many of these are available in travel size at request too):

1. Beso deodorant (stick or roll on)​
2. Beso Makeup Remover 
3. Beso Hair and Body Oil
4. Besoline
5. Beso Posh Body Wash (still multi-purpose - it cleans and moisturises)
6. Beso Customised Mineral Foundation (no need to bring your liquid foundation too - just apply with a sponge blender on a well moisturised face for a heavier coverage)
7. Beso eye powders - Moonbeam, Earthquake, and something shimmery like Sun Shower, Peach Sunset, Ember Glow or Comet. With these shades you'll have a multi purpose palette with highlighter and contour powders too!
8. Wild Orchid or Berry Bronze for lips - put on lightly for daytime wear, or darker, set with moonbeam for an evening out
9. Beso Peach Blush (to be launched very soon) - This goes well with all skin tones, giving your face a natural, sun-kissed glow, making it the perfect travel companion
10. Mascara - Beso can't help you here, but I'm loving my BYS waterproof mascara. It's only $8, lasts all day and it's animal cruelty free. 

​Multi-purpose products help us to de-clutter not only our luggage, but our lives and our homes too, meaning less spending and less waste, reducing our footprint on an already fragile planet. ​When it comes to minimalising your beauty routine, Beso is glad to be able to provide you with natural and effective options.
​And that makes me pretty proud!
​X
​Camella @ Beso

In a bid to be a good blogger I have recently been reading a lot of other awesome blogs, and it's been opening my mind to a whole lot of new ideas around the beauty industry. What I want to discuss today is what my blog research has told me about synthetic perfumes and how much harm they can cause us. I recently completed a course in essential oils and have been working to create beautiful scent combinations with my collection of oils and so this struck a chord with me and I wanted to know more. So giving my recently purchased bottle of perfume a wary sideways glance, I decided to delve deeper and find out more.

I’m not sure you’re going to be very happy with what I’ve found out, but I need to share. I’ll do you all a favour and summarise my new lightning bolts of knowledge - in easy to read numbered points, because a lovely friend of mine told me she likes blogs written that way!

1.  You can find synthetic fragrances in so many places you wouldn’t think to look for them. Of course, there’s the obvious – air fresheners, eau de parfum, skincare products, deodorant, but the list continues: washing powder, cleaners, candles, hair care products and even sunscreen
2.  95% of chemicals found in synthetic fragrances are derived from petroleum (yuck)
3. 4 common chemicals found in perfumes are classified as hazardous waste in the US!!!
4. Synthetic fragrances contain substances which have some pretty negative effects on our bodies. I can sympathise here - I avoid most perfumes because of common side effects like headaches, dizziness, asthma, contact dermititis, nausea, fatigue...etc
5. ​​Then there’s the adverse side effects (and this is not cool, not cool at all. Ask the rats used to discover all this): reproductive abnormalities, carcinogenic effects, palpitations, convulsions, gastrointestinal issues, effects on the central nervous systems, gene mutations, and more...yikes
6. Companies do not list the chemicals used in their fragrances because they don’t have to. Manufacturers have been granted ‘trade secret status’. So when you see the word “fragrance” or “parfum” on a label, this could be disguising up to and above 100 ingredients. Guess they’re protected but we aren’t…
7. The safety of many of the components used in fragrances has never been tested
8. And don’t forget – we are affecting the delicate balance of our ecosystem when the chemicals in our fragranced products trickle into our waterways

I think I may have just terrified myself.

I can’t say my family and I are living in a fragrance-free home either. Far from it. In fact, despite choosing what seem to be the most natural options when I purchase the products that I can’t make myself, that sneaky wee word “fragrance” is still found lurking in the list of ingredients. That’s what makes the decision to go chemical free even more frustrating. A conscientious effort to do better is often thwarted by very good “natural” marketing.
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​Some companies seem to try to distract us from their use of fragrances by bandying around popular terms like "organic",  “vegan" and “animal cruelty free” to make us feel reassured about our choices.  And yes, these aspects are important to consumers.  But look closer and you’ll find that these products often contain toxic chemicals under the simple term “fragrance”. Don’t let yourself be fooled.

The process of having a “toxic fragrance free” household isn’t something that can happen all at once, but little changes make all the difference. Here are some helpful hints to get started:

1.  When you go shopping, play a little game of “spot the nasties”. Check labels for hidden toxins under the term “perfumes”, “parfum” and “fragrance”. And that includes "fragrance free" and "unfragranced" products. You may be surprised.
2. Replace your commercial cleaning products with something homemade and natural.  Stock up on these items, well known for their cleaning properties: vinegar, baking soda, washing soda, castile soap (a gentle base to many products including hand and body washes), lemon oil (the greatest essential oil when it comes to cleaning your home), salt (a perfect replacement for abrasive products)
3. Check out this website for some great recipes with common ingredients https://wellnessmama.com/361/natural-cleaning-recipes/. Or just look it up on Pinterest. You’ll find loads of ideas there, and it won’t cost you a fortune to get started.
4. When it comes to skincare, seek out companies that only use essential oils. Beso can guarantee this one. Check out our online store for alternatives to your fragranced products.
5. Use this rule for scented candles too. You might not be able to get exciting flavours like crème brulée or apple spice but your lungs will love you for it
6. Make your own natural perfume balms. Choose some of your favourite essential oils, hold them to your nose together to check they combine well, then add them to this simple base:

• a.       1 part beeswax
• b.       1 part refined coconut oil
• c.       1 part sweet almond oil

You’ll need to melt the waxes and oils together, then add your essential oil blend. Test it on your skin before it sets to check the scent is strong enough, and adjust to suit. Pour your balm into a fancy little tin and apply to pulse points (or anywhere you like – it’s great for your skin too).
If you don’t fancy making your own, check out Beso’s perfumed lotion bar. Quite delicious, if I do say so myself. In fact, try swapping out your synthetic perfumes for many of Beso's naturally fragranced products - body mousses, hair and body oil, face lotion - all gorgeously scented with essential oils. So much better for you!!

Beso is here to help you with your transition to fragrance free – that’s one of my wee company’s key points of difference. If I can’t come up with a scent using essential oils given to us by nature, then it simply doesn’t happen. Rest assured though that Beso products still smell amazing so you don’t have to look far for some great options!
Thanks for reading my rant. I hope it’s been helpful. Let me know what you think in the comments section and feel free to ask me any questions about achieving a fragrance free lifestyle.

Me, 2nd from right with my gorgeous family, who have inspired, supported and encouraged me every step of the way.