In our go-go society, don’t you miss the days of personal connections with … well … everyone! A large basis behind the sustainable agriculture movement is going to farmer’s markets and being able to meet those that grow your food face-to-face. What if we could start doing that in other areas too?

Enter: Skin - a new all natural beauty brand made by-hand in Kansas by founder Stephanie Simkins. “Skin is the culmination of my passion for all things real, natural, organic and living. Nothing fake. No chemicals. No additives,” Stephanie says.

“As a nutrition consultant, organic cook, and herbalist, I combine my love of holistic healing, whole foods, and nutrition, along with the use of organic oils and botanicals to create products I believe will nourish your mind, body, and spirit. Everything in the Skin brand line is made in small batches, by hand, with love. Real and Simple. The way it was then, the way it should be now.” Ah, made with love - what a novel concept, no?

When I received a delightful email from Stephanie offering to let me sample her new line, I couldn’t say no. My collection of samples and full-size products arrived swiftly in my mailbox; the package (with recycled bubble wrap inside) was I promptly ripped open and shared with my mother, who was then visiting from Connecticut.

For a Caucasian woman of Swedish, German and British origin, my mother has quite dry skin and is always looking for more moisture. Still being in my early 20s, my skin hasn’t gotten to that point yet, but it is considerably drier then when I was a teenager (an oily nightmare).

The first two products to get tested were the sample-sized Lemon Mousse Extra Dry Skin Cream and Apricot Orange Body Lotion. The Lemon Cream is noticeably “fluffy” and perfect as a hand cream. We both used it a number of times on our knuckles, which stayed throughly soft for hours. The lemon smell is refreshing yet not overwhelming at all. We both used the Apricot Orange Lotion on our hands as well, which helped to keep the moisturized also. Being a body lotion, I used it on my legs after a few showers and was impressed with how little I had to use to keep my “gams” soft for 2 days. In the smell department, both lemon and the apricot-orange blend have an invigorating effect, but I found the apricot-orange blend to be a but more soothing at the same time while the lemon kept me more alert.

After using the full-size Apricot Mango Eye Cream for just two evenings, I found my under-eye circles (they’re genetic - hooray) had faded somewhat. For me, this is a near miracle and I openly hail any product that can do so! The fragrance of apricot-mango isn’t too strong, so you don’t risk aggravating your eyes at all. While I did (and still do) enjoy the eye cream, I must note that you need very little to put under each eye - this stuff is moisture rich and will take awhile to absorb if you put too much on at once; of course, if your eyes need that, go for it!

Lip balm, how I love thee. I’ve never been one for lipstick and even colored lip gloss is a rarity, so I’m always on the hunt for a lip balm that makes me lip, well, “perfect.” Skin’s Claramint Lip Balm easily earns a place in my purse for being rich yet not goopy, long-lasting and an energizing mint oil that delivers a pleasant tingle. I usually shy away from pot lip balms simply because of the mess factor when applying them, but this is one pot I’ll be using until the very last drop!