I'm always on the look-out for all-natural, eco and animal-friendly cosmetics. It's not easy to find them because they are almost never carried in your standard department stores. So, if you want green beauty products, you might have to rely on the Internet. Over the years I've tried tons of different brands and have had some successes here and there, but there's one company I've been particularly impressed with lately: Gourmet Body Treats. They are a small company based out of Selma, Texas offering a wide variety of beauty products from cosmetics and skincare to shampoos and soaps.
All images courtesy of www.gourmetbodytreats.com. WMXJFD7Z2S2K

 
Their company ethics fit the bill in every way:

• Organic ingredients
• 100% Vegan / No Animal Testing
• Certified Fair trade ingredients
• Local ingredient sourcing
• 100% Non-toxic
  
• Green business practices
• Recyclable packaging and paper from sustainable forests
• No nano-particles
  

Now that we feel all warm and fuzzy about Gourmet Body Treats as a company, let's talk about the products. They are all hand-made in small batches, so occasionally you'll see a product that is only offered in the colder months to prevent melting during shipping. One of these products is the Gourmet Color Palette. It's four cream colors you can use for whatever you like. I use the pink for blush, the beige for quick touch-ups or concealer, and the light and darker browns for eye shadow. They all go on smooth and look great! At $12.75, this product is a great deal and it's just generally super-convenient to have all these things in one compact. All I need to do is bring my Ecotools blush and eye shadow brushes and I'm ready to go!

The next product I used was the Gourmet Cream Concealer. At $12.75, the price is comparable to other similar natural concealer products. It comes in an easy-to-use metal case and either a light or medium color. I'm fairly pale, so light worked for me, but I don't think the medium would be a good match for people with darker skin tones. If you are interested in a darker shade, let them know and perhaps they can offer you different options.

The product shown to the right is a life-saver. Well, actually a nose-saver. Let me explain: I started off this winter season with a nasty sinus infection. With already dry skin, the constant nose-blowing caused my nasal area to be extremely chapped. (Not attractive at all--I know!) I tried all kinds of moisturizers and balms, but nothing helped until I used their Soothing Hydrating Serum twice a day. Originally I purchased this because my skin is so sensitive that I wanted to use it in place of a moisturizer. While it works well for that, an extra-thick layer was perfect for my sad, sore little nose. It may seem like $21.00 is a lot for such a tiny bottle, but a little goes a long way and it does wonders for dry, sensitive skin.

I've been using eye creams for pretty-much my whole adult life. Fighting off those dark circles from all those late nights and preventing wrinkles that start to come as we age is never easy. I purchased their Agrimony Eye Cream to do just that. For $19.75, it's more expensive than drug store brands, but again, comparable to other similar natural or high-end products. This eye cream is meant to reduce dark circles, fine lines and uneven skin tones. It goes on smooth--more like an ointment than a cream, meaning it's a little more oily, but not in a bad way. It didn't clog my pores or cause any irritation and it helps me from looking like I just pulled an all-nighter.

These are just a select few products from the Gourmet Body Treats collection. Browse their site for tons of other options from hair care to baby care and more. One other fantastic thing about this company is that I've contacted them twice with questions and they were extremely quick to get back to me and very helpful as well. They are also very active on Facebook, so that is another way to communicate with them and keep up on their promotions. I don't get paid for these reviews, but when I find a company that really just does amazing work, I like to share it, so check out Gourmet Body Treats today! :-)

Gourmet Body Treats was kind enough to offer our readers a special discount of 11% off any purchase with coupon code GoingGreen11. The coupon won't expire till February 14th, 2011, so treat yourself or a loved one for Valentine's Day! In addition, anyone who uses the coupon for a purchase of $30 or more gets a free soap at random! Visit their site today to get your discount!