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The Queen of all Butters
Anastasia's Ideas
By Tonie Minsal
Lest you think I wax too effusive, let me preface my review of
Anastasia's Ideas by saying that I am A) not related to
her, and B) do not own stock in her company! That said, there
is just one word to describe this babe's products: AWE-SOME!
I've been using her Body Butters throughout my
pregnancy, and I don't have one single stretch mark! Woo-Hoo!
This chick and her products are definitely funk-doobious;
there's a kind of a Stevie Nicks, gypsy-like vibe to
everything she does. Ana's products are not of the assembly
line variety- I love that!
You may buy a butter one month and
have it arrive in a blue jar, and the next month it comes in a
white one! Or she might use cocoa butter in a recipe one time,
and babassu oil the next. Ana follows her creative vibe when
making her products, and I love the way her spontaneity keeps
me hopping!
I've tried a lot of her butters, and all I can say is "Ana,
where have you been all my life?!" Here's just one of
the reasons I love her: all of the other companies, God bless 'em,
send out such sweet little pretty stuff, like Mommy this and
Belly that and angels and birdies. What does Anastasia send
out? Gnarly B*tch Body Butter! (Can I say that? This is
a family site!) I love this girl!
Anyway - here's a rundown on Ana's butters: the Gnarly B*tch
has a cocoa butter base with vanilla absolute, patchouli,
white rose, and bergamot (oil expressed from the rind of the
Seville orange) essential oils (my favorite tea, Earl Grey,
is flavored with oil of bergamot!).
It smells just warm
and yummy, like a dessert. The texture is fabu, really
moisturizing and soothing, but not all greasy and gross. You
can use this, and all of Ana's Butters, not only on your
belly, but on your hands, feet, legs, face, and hair. At
$10.00 for a 2oz. jar, it's worth every penny.
Next comes Ana's Pure Organic Body Butter ($10.00 for a
2oz jar). Due to the neroli extra essential oil it contains,
I love the fragrance of this butter, and so does my husband.
Neroli is the blossom of the bitter orange, and it's just
heavenly - very floral, sweet, and deep. It also contains
essential oils of sweet orange and geranium, so it's very
fresh, and patchouli, so it has a base with staying power. Patchouli is that dirty hippie Indian scarf smell - one of my
personal faves - but the floral and citrus are what comes
through in this blend - me likee!
You can totally use this on
your hands before you run out the door, and there's no yucky,
sticky, greasy residue to get in your way. Only a lovely scent
that you can keep sniffing as you drive (or run, or walk!),
and nice, smooth, moisturized skin.
Ana makes a pretty sinful Patchouli Linden Blossom Butter
($12.99 for a 4oz jar). This butter is whipped, so it has a
different texture. Because this is a heavier butter with more
of a buttery residue, I like to use it apres' bain and before
bed.
It leaves a wicked smell that lasts, and it leaves your
skin all velvety. The fragrance is to die for- patchouli
topped with linden may be my all time personal fave - linden is
the delicate fragrance of the lime blossom (NOT lime - please
don't confuse the two!), and it is so light and beautiful and floaty and lasting.
This butter has all the right patchouli
undertones with a wonderful linden top note - a heavy base
with wonderful staying power and linden that floats above… be-yoo-ti-ful!!!
Anastasia's Ideas also has some radical soft Ugandan
Shea Butters with rose wax, patchouli, and orange blossom
wax ($12.99 for a 2oz jar). I tried the rose one, and let me
tell you, it is absolutely addicting!
It has such a nice
consistency - it just glides on and melts right into your skin.
Great for bellies, hands, cuticles, feet, ouchies - you name
it! By the way, shea butter is great for the prevention of
scars.
As much as I liked all the products from all the different
companies, I have to tell you dear bathers - it's Ana's jars
that are always the empty ones by my bed. Her stuff is just so
great - the ones I always reach for.
I've been around the
natural beauty block a time or three in my day, and I've used
a plethora of products; nobody does it better than Anastasia
Crabtree. I humbly bow to the Queen of all Butters.
Ana also makes radical soaps, candles, incense and other cool
stuff. She even offers a workshop. Sign up for her newsletter -
it's always full of interesting musings from Ana and sometimes
her husband.
So now you know where to get some of the
coolest all natural handmade products on the planet.
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