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!!