Remember when I went to Alt Summit and met some fabulously creative people?  Well, one of  those amazing persons happens to be Courtney Beth, founder of Fig & Honey.  Right off the bat, I was VERY INTERESTED mainly because I thought it involved food, but then it became apparent that it involved apothecary-style natural made goods for the face, body, and home.  Right up my alley!

When Courtney contacted me about trying some products, it was whole-hearted YES!  {HELL YEAH in my head!}  I chose the Signature Balancing Tonic and Serum for my sensitive and combination skin, THE ONE for the severe eczema on my fingertips, and the Peony mineral blush.  Courtney does one-one consultations and asked me about my skin and concerns.  She sent the almond butter & honey scrub and said that it would be gentle enough to use on my face, even where there was an eczema patch.

After using these products for 2 weeks, I am in LOVE.

SIGNATURE BALANCING TONIC & SERUM // After the first night of using this, I noticed a difference.  My T-zone, and specifically my nose, was NOT oily when I woke up.  Normally, it’s pretty shiny.  Both have a wonderful scent with the tonic being slightly sweet and the serum having an undertone of something citrus.  The tonic spray creates a fabulous mist.  One of my pet peeves about toners is spraying a jet stream onto your face!  With ingredients like hops oil {very cool when you read about her background}, it’s calming for my eczema and promotes sleep {which is perfect because I use it at night}.

THE ONE // This is more like a melt-away balm that can be used a moisturizer for hands or spot treatment for problem areas.  I use it on my forehead for that stubborn eczema patch.  I also use it at night on my fingertips and then cover them with cotton gloves.  Courtney said it would take awhile to heal the fingertips, and she’s probably correct.  However, I’ve seen an improvement after using for 2 weeks!  It boasts ingredients like orange, tulsi, bergamot, and ylang-ylang essential oil.

ALMOND BUTTER & HONEY SCRUB // Now this is SO YUMMY!  I used it on my face the first night and could barely resist eating it OFF MY FACE!  Courtney was right, it was gentle enough for my face and that eczema area.  I used the rest of the pot all over my body and it was fantastic.  Because of the fresh ingredients, it’s only good for a week so I had to use them right away.

PEONY MINERAL BLUSH // So I’m pretty happy with products that I currently use for makeup, but I couldn’t resist trying this gorgeous blush.  Who am I kidding?  I’m a product junkie!  Its has such a LOVELY smell of jasmine and vanilla.  Lately, I’ve been wearing too much blush just because I love the scent!  The color is a perfect pinkish/mauve color that can be used as an eyeshadow too.  It makes me want to try the nectarine mineral blush, eyeshadows, and the signature BB mineral makeup!

Besides wonderful products, you have to MEET Courtney.  I love the process of HOW she founded Fig & Honey.  BTW, she is one of the finalist for MARTHA STEWART AMERICAN MADE.  Isn’t that awesome!!  Without further ado, please say hello to Courtney…

What inspired you to start Fig & Honey?

I HAVE SENSITIVE SKIN AND I STARTED MAKING SOME PRODUCTS AT HOME FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I ALSO LOVE TO MAKE THINGS AND ALWAYS HAVE SO I SET A GOAL TO MAKE EVERYTHING I PUT ON MY FACE AND BODY. AS OF RIGHT NOW I JUST HAVE TO MASTER DEODORANT AND MASCARA TO MEET THAT GOAL.

What is your background?

I HAVE A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN HEALTH SCIENCE, EDUCATION, PSYCHOLOGY AND ART, AND BEFORE COLLEGE I ALSO WORKED IN SPORTS MEDICINE. I HAVE A MASSAGE THERAPY DEGREE AND NATIONAL CERTIFICATION, WITH A FOCUS ON AROMATHERAPY AND FOOD AS MEDICINE. I SPENT THE FIRST 10 YEARS OF MY CAREER WORKING IN CORPORATE MARKETING, THEN WORKING FOR ADVERTISING AGENCIES, AND SELLING WINE/WORKING IN FOOD & BEVERAGE. MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A HALF ACRE AND RUN A SMALL URBAN FARM. FIG & HONEY IS A MERGE OF MY WORK IN BRANDING, MARKETING, POSITIONING, CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT, AND MY DEVOTION TO NATURAL GOODS, THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE, AND UPCYCLED INGREDIENTS. IT’S ALL VERY INTERCONNECTED.

Which is your favorite product?

THAT’S LIKE ASKING ME TO CHOOSE MY FAVORITE CHILD. I USE AS MANY OF THEM AS I CAN AND FAVOR DIFFERENT ONES SEASONALLY. IT’S GETTING DRY AND COLD OUTSIDE, SO I AM USING A LOT OF THE ONE ON MY HANDS AND FEET. I LOVE THE MAKE UP THOUGH – SO MUCH FUN TO PLAY WITH.

How do you come up with the recipes for your products?

I RESEARCH INDIVIDUAL RAW INGREDIENTS AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF SKIN AND CONDITIONS THEN WORK TO DEVELOP SOMETHING THAT’S GENTLE ENOUGH FOR ALMOST ANYONE.

Do you have a new product in the works that you’d like to share with us?

I FOCUS ON SEASONAL LIVING SO I EDIT THE RECIPES WITH THE CHANGE OF SEASONS. GRAPEFRUIT KOMBUCHA FACE TONIC BECAME APPLE CIDER KOMBUCHA FACE TONIC DURING THE FALL SEASON. I AM WORKING ON THE WINTER COLLECTION, INCLUDING A CHOCOLATE BROWN EYELINER AND A MIDNIGHT BLUE EYELINER, AND A ROOM SPRAY WITH PINE, VANILLA, CLOVE AND CEDAR. I LIKE TO DRAW FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCES TO CREATE A SCENT MEMORY.

Please share a little something about yourself that no one knows!

I LOVE A GOOD LETTER AND SENDING ME ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING THINGS ANYONE COULD DO FOR ME. THE POSTAL SERVICE HAS SHAPED MY LIFE EXPERIENCES AND WRITING A REALLY GREAT LETTER IS A LOST ART.

Hope you liked discovering Fig & Honey!  It’s so refreshing to find a product with ingredients that are natural and easy to understand.  SIMPLE and GOOD!  Can’t wait to try one of the room sprays.  You’re welcome!!

Rxoxo, sam