LoveLula December 2016 Beauty Box

The December beauty box from LoveLula arrived literally a couple of hours ago and I couldn't wait to share what's inside! 

There are 5 products inside, including an exclusive new organic tea range. The overall value of this months box is over £60 which is incredible when it's only £12.50 a month!

You can sign up for January's box here.

 Balm Balm Mandarin Natural Perfume - £22

I have the lavender scent from this brand and love how natural is. At first I didn't really like this scent, but it's really growing on me now. I feel it's more of a summer appropriate scent with all the citrus vibes going on! If you love orange and fruity scents then you definitely need this in your life.

PHB Ethical Beauty Peppermint Handmade Sugar Scrub - £4.95

PHB are one of my favourite organic brands, so I was really happy to see this sugar scrub in this months box! I'm also slightly obsessed with peppermint, so a double win!! 

John Masters Organics 100% Argan Oil - travel size 

If you read my blog then you probably already know that argan oil is one of my favourite oils for my face and hair. This 3ml bottle will be perfect to take with me when I go travelling next year!

Madara Time Miracle Total Renewal Night Cream - £20

I'm always on the look out for a decent night cream. I have to be careful as the ones I've used previously cause me to break out, so I'm really hoping that this one won't do that. It also claims to have 'cell repair bio-complex', so I'm very intrigued to try this and see if my skin changes at all! 

Beauty Brews Poise - Strawberry & Ginger Organic Tea - £11.50

The Beauty Brews teas are actually new to LoveLula which is really exciting! First of all, this tea smells amazing even though it has ginger in it (not a fan ordinarily). It claims to stimulate and refresh, without the need for caffeine. Looking forward to trying this over Christmas! 

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Pacifica Solar Colour Mineral Palette | Review & Swatches

I've been so tempted by this palette for months now, and I finally caved in and got it! It retails at £33.99 and you can get it from LoveLula if you're in the UK. 

So this palette contains 3 cream highlight shades, 1 blush and bronzer and 6 eyeshadows. One of the many things I love about this palette is that it doesn't contain any 'animal ingredients (including carmine, beeswax and lanolin), animal testing, FD&C colors, mineral oil, parabens, phthalates, petroleum, propylene glycol and SLS'. 

Not only is this a great palette, it contains everything you need in one place so it would be great to travel with. As you can see from the swatches below, the pigmentation is incredible, especially for a natural ingredient palette. There's also very little fall out and the shades aren't chalky at all. 

The only thing I don't like is that there are no matte shades, so it's not 100% practical for every day use. But putting that aside, if you love your shimmer shades then this palette is definitely for you! 

 

You can buy this palette here!


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Current Beauty Favourites

Long time no talk! It feels kinda weird sitting down and blogging again, and I of course apologise for the lack of posts. Honestly, I've had so much uni work (I don't get a christmas break) and I've been working extra hours, so I just haven't had the time to blog. Anyway, to get back into it, I thought I would share my current beauty favourites! 

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer

I'm not entirely sure why there's a little hole in it, but anyway, this is an old favourite of mine! I've been using it nearly every day for the past couple of months and I even prefer it to champagne pop. 

Barry M Flawless Matte Foundation 

As you can probably see, I've recently repurchased this foundation and I absolutely love it! When all else fails, this is my ride or die foundation. And it's only like £5!

NYX Contour Kit

I've hit pan on 2 shades (cry!!!) and again I use it everyday. The shades work perfectly for me and it's an overall great palette. 

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Fun fact, I originally wanted to use up this palette because my ex got it for me... but in all fairness it's a great every day palette and I do really like it now after using it non stop for the past couple of months! 

Physicians Formula Concealer 

I got this concealer when I was in NYC in August and I've been using it ever since. It's great coverage and matches my skin tone perfectly. 

NARS Deep Throat 

Too Faced Justify My Love 

I know both of these companies have parent companies that aren't cruelty free, but there's no denying that these blushers are stunning. I always saved these for special occasions, but I've been using them more recently as they were just sitting in my drawer! 

LoveLula November 2016 Beauty Box

November's beauty box from LoveLula arrived the other day so it's time for another post about what's inside! 

I'm really impressed with this months box and will definitely make use of everything inside. The total value of this box is £50, which includes a face mask, hand cream and more! For just £12.50 a month, this box is a great way to try out new products.

You can sign up here for December's box. 

PHB Ethical Beauty Skin Brighten Gel with Neroli & Immortelle - £13.75

I'm really excited to try this product out! This can be used on the face and body, and claims to brighten and even your skin tone. With the cold and harsh weather, it's important to take extra care of your skin, and this sounds like the perfect product for the job! 

MOA - Magic Organic Apothecary Single Shot Fortifying Green Bath Potion - £2.75

I haven't used this yet but it did leak slightly in the box, so I know it smells amazing! It claims to 'De-stress the mind and relieve aches and pains with this concentrated, revitalising, magical bath potion. An invigorating herbal blend, sure to put the spring back in your step after a long, tiring day.' The perfect product to use after a long day at work I think! 

Humble Natural Beauty Rose & Frankincense Hand Cream - £8.00

First of all, this hand cream smells amazing and I definitely noticed my hands felt softer after just one use. It also contains no parabens or SLS which is very important to me personally. I will definitely be using this hand cream through out the winter months!

Ooh! - Oils of Heaven Organic Argan Moisture Retention Face Oil Travel Size - £9.50

I absolutely love argan oil, so I was very excited to see this in November's box. Again, another product that is great to keep your skin moisturised through out the colder months. I personally don't think you can go wrong with argan oil! 

Madara Hydra Mask - £15

This mask claims to deliver instant and long-lasting hydration, so I'm really excited to try this out! I've only just used up my other Madara Peel Mask, so this came just in time. 

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5 Products to Swap | Environmentally Friendly Lifestyle

Switching over to a zero waste lifestyle can be incredibly daunting, so today's post is all about the products you can easily swap that will put you on the right track to a more environmentally friendly lifestyle (without the scary thought of menstrual cups).

I also did a Zero Waste Starter Kit  post if you're interested in other environmentally friendly products on the market! 

Organyc - Applicator Tampons

I think the majority of my readers are female so it's safe to talk about periods (!!!). Anyway, a menstrual cup is of course the ultimate zero waste thing you can use for your period, but they can take some time to get used to. I'm still struggling with mine so I've found these organically made and biodegradable tampons. They're also not tested on animals (yes, some tampons such as Tampax are tested on animals). These tampons are no more expensive than the Tampax ones, so it's a super easy thing to switch over to.

Organyc - 100% Organic Cotton Buds

I use cotton buds nearly every day to fix my make up, but unfortunately most cotton buds are made with a plastic stick. These are however made with cardboard and are 100% biodegradable and compostable. You get 200 cotton buds for £2.49 which may be slightly more expensive than say Superdrug, but it's worth it to reduce the amount of plastic thrown away.

Preserve Recycled Plastic Eco Friendly Triple Razor

This looks like an ordinary shaver, but actually it's made from recycled yoghurt cups and can then be recycled once you've finished with it. Most shavers just end up in landfill, so this is a great way to start limiting what gets thrown out. 

GK Natural Creations Silky Avocado Shampoo Bar with Rhasoul Clay and Silk 

Ah the controversial shampoo bar. Some swear by it and some hate it. Either way, there's no denying that it's a lot more environmentally friendly than bottled shampoo. There's no plastic in the packaging and one bar will last a lot longer than a bottle of shampoo. I've recently switched over to a shampoo bar and my hair is definitely going through some changes, but I'm hoping it'll soon get used to it. 

PHB Ethical Beauty Ethical Palm Oil Free Lavender Soap

Last but not least, switching over from shower gel to a bar of soap is not only going to reduce the amount of plastic you throw away, but it's also going to save you money. Choose a bar of soap that contains no plastic in it's packaging and you're good to go!! 

All of these products are available at LoveLula AND you can get 15% off the entire site with the code 'FRIDAY'. Win win!!

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My Fitness Journey | Week 3

It's been about 3 weeks since I started working out regularly. Now It probably doesn't look like I've made much progress but I definitely feel better on the inside. My biggest challenge is trying to stay motivated, and some days I just can't be bothered. But whenever I do force myself to workout, I'm always so glad that I did! 

I'm starting to notice some muscle definition (i think?!) on my legs, bum and stomach, which is great because that's one of my longer term goals! Ultimately I just want to be healthy and happy, which I'm hopefully on the right track to. 

Argan Oil vs Cacay Oil

MORA Pure Argan Oil 

You probably already know by now the benefits of argan oil, for both your hair and face. When I went to Morocco three years ago, I picked up quite a large bottle of pure argan oil and used it every week on my hair. At this time I had bleach blonde hair, and I honestly believe using argan oil saved it from any permanent damage. Fast forward to now and argan oil is a staple in my skincare routine as well. It's an amazing night time moisturiser and I've also found it helps with any annoying spots on my face! I've had a lot of bumps on my forehead recently, and the only thing that's helped reduce them is this oil!

Cacay Naturals Face Oil 

I've been using this oil for a couple of weeks now and it's definitely up there with my trusty argan oil. Cacay oil claims to contain 50% more vitamin E and twice the amount of linoleic acid than argan oil, which is pretty amazing. Having used both of them, I'd say there's not much in it. This oil makes my skin look very healthy and again it also helps with pesky spots. You also only need a tiny amount so this bottle will last me forever! 

I think overall it's down to personal preference. Cacay oil is also apparently a very good anti-aging oil as well, although that's not something I'm necessarily concerned about at the moment. 

I've added some further information if you're interested below! 

Winter Beauty Essentials

It's coming up to that time of the year again where the days are shorter, duller and colder, everyone's ill and your skin starts drying out. But do not fear, it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom! With my winter beauty essentials, they're nearly guaranteed to brighten up any miserable day!

PHB Ethical Beauty Lemongrass & Lavender 100% Natural Soy Wax Candle 

Everyone loves a cosy, winter candle, especially when it's made with 100% natural & ethical ingredients! I got the lemongrass and lavender candle, and it definitely smells more lemony rather than lavender, which is slightly disappointing but I still really like it. I'm not that keen on the artificial smelling candles that you can get in most shops, so this is a great natural alternative!

Kimberly Sayer Gentle Almond and Lavender Organic Face Scrub

 

Even though your skin may be drying out, it's still really important to exfoliate your skin at least once a week. I particularly like using this one as it's very gentle and not too harsh on the skin. This also contains jojoba beads, which unlike micro-beads, are biodegradable and are a more sustainable option. It's also packaged in a glass jar, which can be re-used afterwards!

Lyonsleaf Hot Cloth Cleansing Gift Set

 

Christmas may be looming around the corner but it's never too early to start treating yourself! I'll be doing a full review on this gift set soon, and I can't wait to see how this works. I feel this will be the perfect product to include in a Sunday pamper evening!



I've noticed that my hands are starting to dry out and look absolutely horrible, so it's time to whip out the hand cream. Most drugstore hand creams probably feel great but they contain a whole variety of nasty ingredients that could do more harm than good. That's why I've opted for an organic and natural alternative.

Organic Surge Lavender Meadow Hand and Nail Cream

This hand cream contains 99% natural ingredients and is actually no more expensive than say your usual hand cream from Boots and Superdrug. I put this on at night before I go to bed and let it sink in. By the morning my hands feel like new! 

NATorigin Nail Enamel Peony

You've probably already ditched the summery nail polish shades and replaced them with berry tones and darker colours. Unfortunately the majority of todays nail polishes contain a whole list of harmful chemicals. See the image below for more information. 

Luckily this nail polish is lanolin-free, sodium laureth sulfate-free, phtalate-free, no mineral oils or silicon, paraben-free, phenoxyethanol-free, toluene-free, formaline-free, formaldehyde resin-free, camphor-free, nickel-free, rosin-free, chrome-free, carmine-free, fragrance-free, preservative-free and contain no ingredients of animal origin. Oh and the deep red shade is absolutely stunning. What's not to love?! 

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Random Empties

I feel like I haven't done an empties post in quite some time! This is probably down to the decrease in the amount of products I'm using and my journey towards a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. 

The above products are all from Dr Organic, and as you probably know, they are one of my favourite organic brands. I would definitely re-purchase all of the products seen above, and have actually already got the Toothpaste and Bath Salts again! 

The Laidbare Pack Your Bags Eye Cream is actually not empty but I've sadly had to get rid of it as it reacted badly to my skin. The area around my eyes came out in a rash and went very dry after using it.

The B. Primer and Concealer will definitely be purchased again if I can just find them in stock somewhere!!

The Granola Goat facial oil made my skin feel and look lovely so another product I definitely would repurchase. 

Unfortunately both the AloeDent Toothpaste and Faith In Nature Conditioner just didn't work for me. I much prefer my Dr Organic toothpaste and good old fashioned coconut oil to condition my hair with!!  

Dr Organic Lavender Range - Review

I own nearly the entire lavender Dr. Organic range, minus the lavender essential oil and their moisturising socks/gloves. I've purchased some of these products and others have been sent to me as PR samples or gifts. As you can see, 4 of the products are empty and the other 3 I'm in the process of using. 

All of these products are vegan, contain organic ingredients and are free from SLS and parabens.

Dr Organic Lavender Handwash - £5.59

My whole family loved this handwash and we all agreed that while it is expensive, it's worth the money. It cleans the hands thoroughly without drying them out, leaving them feeling lovely and soft! It of course smells amazing as well. I feel that it is worth investing in a more natural and chemical free handwash because of the amount of times it's used throughout the day. The £1.00 handwashes in Tescos are probably tempting, but they may do more harm than good. 

Dr Organic Lavender Deodorant - £5.79

This is probably one of the best natural deodorants that I've ever used. Again it's definitely worth spending the extra money on. It's gentle on the skin and smells really nice, but more importantly, it doesn't contain any nasty chemicals. This deodorant dries quickly and as it's a roll on, it'll last a lot longer than an aerosol for example. 

Dr Organic Lavender Soap - £2.99

I'm currently using this soap instead of a liquid soap and I love it! It smells absolutely wonderful and unlike other bars of soap, it doesn't leave your hands feeling dry. For an organic product it actually lathers up really nicely and is very good value for money. 

Dr Organic Lavender Skin Lotion - £6.59

If the colder weather is making your skin dry out, then I would definitely recommend investing in this body lotion. Not only does it smell amazing, it leaves the skin feeling so soft and smooth. I use this after I've had a bath and I always feel very relaxed and calm afterwards. 

Dr Organic Lavender Body Wash - £5.59

This is actually my second bottle of this body wash and I really like it. It is quite expensive and using the bar of soap to wash with is definitely more efficient. However it lathers up really well and is quite thick so you don't need to use much. The lavender smell isn't as strong as the other products which is slightly disappointing.

Dr Organic Lavender Shampoo - £5.59

Both me and my mum have used this shampoo and we agree that whilst it does smell nice and lathers well, it really dried our hair out. 

Dr Organic Lavender Conditioner - £5.59

I definitely prefer the conditioner to the shampoo! This left my hair feeling soft and conditioned but not too soft... if you get what I mean! 

LoveLula October 2016 Beauty Box

The October LoveLula Beauty Box arrived yesterday and I have to say that this months box has been the best so far! 

This box is a fantastic way to try out new products that are cruelty free and natural. At just £12.50 a month, it's extremely good value, especially as the overall value of this box is over £40! There are 5 products included this month and I know I will use and love every product in this box. 

You can sign up here for November's box. 

Barefoot Botanicals SOS Repair & Renew Nourishing Cleansing Cream - £20

I'm really excited to try this cleansing cream out! It claims to target fine lines and wrinkles, as well as blemishes and uneven skin tone. It's also vegan and the ingredients are 98% natural. The packaging also feels very luxurious which is a bonus! 

John Masters Organics Lip Calm - £6

This best selling lip balm will be perfect to use as the days get colder and inevitably ours lips get dryer! 

BON Natural Pure Tissue Oil - sample

This is a face and body oil which apparently improves the appearance of scars, stretch marks, wrinkles, ageing and dehydrated skin. I actually have a scar I can test this on so I will of course report back and see if it actually works! 

PHB Ethical Beauty Ethical Palm Oil Free Lavender Soap - £3.95

If you read my blog or follow me on social media then you will know that I'm obsessed with anything that has lavender in it! I'm so happy that this soap was in this months box. It's vegan, free from palm oil and other chemicals, and it's 100% natural! 

REN Flash Hydro-Boost Instant Plumping Emulsion - 10ml Sample

Another skincare product aimed to prevent ageing and dehydration. It's also just come out so it'll be interesting to see how what it's like. The 40ml version retails at £34, so I have very high hopes for this product! 

Head over to LoveLula to sign up! 

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My Fitness Journey | Week 1

I'm kinda scared to actually post this, but I thought I would bite the bullet and start a blog series documenting my fitness journey. I also figured that this would be great for me to look back on. 

I've only been working out for a week and I'm not really noticing any drastic physical changes, but I feel a lot more positive, healthier and happier in general. 

A lot of people say how good exercising is for depression and anxiety, and as I've just come off my medication completely, I thought now would be a great time to test out this theory! So far so good.

I've been exercising for half an hour everyday during the week, and then at the weekend I go to work and have a break. I'm also doing yoga which of course is proven to help with depression and anxiety. I don't have the confidence or the money to go to the gym, so all this is happening within the comfort of my own home, which is totally fine. 

Obviously I'm already slim, so my main reason for working out is to improve my health and fitness, and build muscle/tone up.

Taylor Momsen Inspired Make Up

The Pretty Reckless are one of my favourite bands, and to celebrate the release of their new album on the 21st, I thought I would share my Taylor Momsen inspired make up look! 

For this look I used Living Nature's eyeshadows in the shades Pebble and Slate, along with their Midnight eyeliner. On my lips is NYX's liquid lipstick in the shade Copenhagen and Cherry Skies. Below are some pictures of the gorgeous Taylor Momsen and my make up inspired by her!

The eyeshadows and eyeliner I used were lovely to work with and have incredible pigmentation. Surprisingly there was also very little fall out with the black eyeshadow. All of these products are vegan and cruelty free of course. Now who said natural and organic make up is boring?! 

Green People Special Edition Gift Sets

I actually received these goodies from Green People on my birthday a couple of weeks ago which was really nice! They sent me two of their special edition gift sets in partnership with the Butterfly Conservation to try out. They are organic, vegan and most importantly, support a very worthy cause (more info below).  

So I was sent the Joyful Body Wash and Lotion set and their Indulge Night Treat stocking filler. These would be great presents to buy your loved ones at christmas and I know I'll be purchasing some for my family!  Prices vary from £19.95 down to £5.50, so there are sets that would suit lots of different budgets! 

INDULGE – NIGHT TREAT £8.50

 

I've been using this night cream for the past couple of weeks and so far I love it! My skin has been looking very bright and almost glowing ever since I started using this. It's not too thick like some night creams and feels very luxurious when applying it to the skin. Also how pretty is the packaging?!


JOYFUL – BODY WASH & BODY LOTION £19.95

These smell absolutely amazing! If you're into a citrus scent then I would definitely recommend getting this gift set. They're quite expensive for a body wash and lotion but they are very luxurious which makes them perfect for a pamper evening! 

 

Autumn Inspired Make Up & First Impressions

Today's post is all about my first impressions of the products above! I'm slowly switching my make up over to organic and natural products, and of course will be sharing my journey on my blog. 

All of these products are available at LoveLula, my favourite website for all things natural and good! 

PHB Ethical Beauty Pure Skin Organic Liquid Foundation +SPF 30 - Cream - £19.95

So I got this foundation in the lightest shade, which is suitable for neutral undertones and is very fair. It's actually slightly too light for me but that's easily fixed with either adding a darker foundation or simply warming up the skin with bronzer. 

The foundation itself is very high coverage and thick, but amazingly it doesn't cake and blends beautifully into the skin. It clung to some of my dry patches but that only happened when I used a brush rather than a sponge. Which brings me onto my next point. 

I used the eco tools foundation brush below to apply it but I found this just didn't work with blending it in evenly. However, using a damp beauty sponge made it look flawless and natural, so I would recommend using a sponge. Also a little goes a long way!

The ingredients are natural, organic and vegan, with the added bonus of SPF 30.

Overall I absolutely love this foundation so far, and it may just be my new holy grail foundation! 

PHB Ethical Beauty 100% Pure Liquid Eyeliner - £12.95

Another amazing product from PHB Ethical Beauty. This eyeliner can be seen in the autumn make up look I created below and it's honestly a dream to work with. The applicator is small enough to really get a precise and clean line. The colour also doesn't fade throughout the day or transfer off. 

This eyeliner is free from parabens, palm oil, mineral oils and GM ingredients, which is great as no one wants to be putting a load of nasty ingredients so close to their eye! 

EcoTools Brushes

EcoTools Eye Enhancing Duo Brush Set - £5.99

I did like this duo, although the brushes are quite dense and I prefer something that's slightly more fluffy. The one brush that I particularly liked was the define side, it's perfect using a cream eyeliner and it creates a really precise line. 

EcoTools Bamboo Airbrush Concealer Brush - £4.99

I actually used this as an eyeshadow blending brush! Surprisingly it did actually work really well for blending out eyeshadow in the crease. 

EcoTools Bamboo Flat Foundation Brush - £6.99

Honestly, this brush didn't work for me or it might have just not worked with the above foundation. I think I'll always prefer a damp beauty sponge!

Here's an autumn inspired make up look I created whilst testing out these products for the first time! I also used all of the brushes in this post when creating this look. 

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