LoveLula October 2017 Beauty Box

This month's LoveLula Beauty Box was definitely the best (in my opinion)! The total value is £44 and you get some really great products for that price. You can sign up here. I've been using all of these products over the past week and genuinely love all of them!

PHB Ethical Beauty Eye Shadow Brush - £7.95

PHB Ethical Beauty is one of my favourite brands, so I was SO happy to see two of their items in this months box. This brush is 100% vegan and is very soft. I've been using it to blend my lower lash line as it's too small to blend in the crease properly. It would also be a great brush to highlight the brow bone! 

PHB Ethical Beauty Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow - Almond - £9.95

I already own a few of their eyeshadows so I knew that I was going to love this. It's perfect for highlighting the brow bone, inner corner of the eye and as a face highlighter! 

Glossworks Nail & Cuticle Oil 9ml - £12

I've been using this every night and have definitely noticed a difference in my nails and cuticles. It uses only natural ingredients and is rich in vitamin A, D and E. 

Ooh! - Oils of Heaven Natural Tamanu Rejuvenating Face Oil Travel Size 15ml - £9.50

Tamanu oil is rich in Omega 6 and Omega 9, making it ideal for enhancing healthy skin. It is an outstanding moisturiser. Tamanu oil has a nutty smell and is absorbed easily into the skin without clogging up pores. It's also suitable for scars and stretch marks, so I've been massaging it onto the scar on my leg. 

Greenfrog Botanic Body wash - mini - Geranium & Peppermint 100ml - £3.90

This smells incredible and I love the travel size bottle. I'll be taking it away with me over the coming weeks even though I've already started to use it! It contains no nasty chemicals, 0% SLS, 0% Parabens, is vegan certified and cruelty free certified and contains no palm oil. 

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Trying Out Natural Products

Today's post is all about five natural beauty products that I've been trying out over the past month. They're kind of random, and range from dental, to bath oil to lip balm. They're all made from natural and organic ingredients, and can be found at LoveLula. 

Organii Aloe Mouthwash Eucalyptus - 500ml - £5.95

First of all we have this organic and natural mouthwash. It's suitable for vegans and is free from artificial preservatives. It's more expensive than say a mouthwash that you'd get on offer from Tesco, but it is organic and contains no nasty ingredients. You get what you pay for basically. I did like this, but for me I couldn't get on with the flavour. I normally like a minty mouthwash, and the whole aloe eucalyptus combination just didn't do it for me. It did make my teeth feel very clean though and wasn't harsh at all! 

Green People Peppermint Toothpaste 50ml - £3.95

Another dental product is this fluoride free, organic and vegan friendly toothpaste. Again it's more expensive than 'normal' toothpaste, but I personally think it's worth spending extra on natural products, especially when they're going in your mouth. I loved the peppermint flavour of this and my teeth feel so clean and fresh after using it. It will take some getting used to if you're switching over from Colgate for example, as the consistency, colour and flavour are quite different. It is worth changing over to and investing in a natural dental routine!

The Rose Tree Calming Bath & Shower Oil with Rose & Ylang Ylang - Heart Bottle 40ml - £18

This is definitely a luxury item (in my opinion) and is perfect for pamper/self care evenings. The bottle is super cute and can be re-used for something (yay for no plastic), and is of course vegan friendly. It's also free from the usual SLS and other chemicals. The scent is quite strong so you definitely don't need to put much in the bath and this bottle will last you a long time. I also love combining it with bath salts for full relaxation. 

Lucky Cloud Skincare Coconut Lip Butter 10ml - £4.50

I LOVE everything about this product. It's completely plastic free, vegan friendly and only contains natural oils. It's also keeping my dry lips hydrated and soft, which is something I struggle with as the seasons change. I believe it's definitely worth investing in natural lip products.

Seascape Island Apothecary Awake Oil / Sleep Oil Duo Gift Set - £18

These both smell incredible and I love the idea of them. I can't really be certain that these helped me to fall asleep/wake up, but they would make a lovely gift and of course they're lovely to smell. They're vegan friendly and contain 100% natural oils. 

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LoveLula September 2017 Beauty Box

My LoveLula beauty box arrived the other day which is always super exciting! This months box is worth £50 and contains a gift set, 2 full sized products, 1 travel sized product and a sample set. It costs £13.95 a month and you can sign up here. 

Walden Natural Perfume Gift Set 5 x 5ml - £30

First of all I just wanted to comment on how much I LOVE the packaging. It's so minimal and clean looking, which is something I personally find very aesthetically pleasing. These perfumes are a great natural alternative, and whilst they may take some getting used to, it's definitely worth reducing the amount of chemicals that you spray on your skin. The only thing is that these do not come with a spray, so the only option is to dab a little bit on the wrists and hope that the whole bottle doesn't come out in the process. 

Esse Gel Cleanser 10ml 

This facial wash claims to deep cleanse without drying the skin out, and also contains peppermint and spearmint oils which are two of my favourites. I've only just started to clear my skin up, so I'm slightly concerned about trying this out, although it does say it's suitable for acne prone skin. 

Balm Balm Beauty Balm - £16.50

This balm can be used as a cleanser, exfoliator and moisturiser, and is suitable for all skin types. It smells amazing and is 100% organic. I'll probably use this as a make up remover and see how I get on with it. 

Kimberly Sayer Sample Set 

This is a great way to try out products before you commit to buying them. They're also great for travelling with!

Joik Bath Truffle 

I've never used anything like this before so I'm really excited to try it out. It contains very few ingredients and smells delicious!

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Avocado Oil | Review

Today's post is all about this organic Avocado Oil. I personally love avocados, so I was really intrigued to use it as a beauty product. I actually took this picture way back in May, so I've had quite a few months of using this product. 

You get 50ml for £11.50 which I personally think is pretty good value. It contains one ingredient (avocado oil) and the bottle is made from glass, which is great if you're trying to reduce your plastic waste. 

The oil itself kind of smells like olive oil, but looks darker. It soaks into the skin very quickly and doesn't leave a horrible oily feel for hours after. I personally use it on the tops of my legs as the skin there is very dry.  I have keratosis pilaris on my legs as well, and I've definitely noticed an improvement with this. 

Overall this is a great oil to use if you have dry/very dry skin.

LoveLula August 2017 Beauty Box

Long time no talk! As you've probably noticed, I haven't been blogging for a few months due to personal reasons aka I've been going through a really difficult time. But, on a more positive note, I'm going to try and get back to posting regularly. 

To start off the whole blogging thing again, I thought it'd be great to share the contents of the latest LoveLula beauty box. I actually received this whilst I was away in America, so it's technically last months box but the new one isn't out yet so that's okay.

Anyway, the total value of the August box was £55, which as always is very good value when the box itself costs £13.95 a month. There are 5 products in total, 4 of which are full size and the other one is a handy 30ml. You can sign up here.

PHB Ethical Beauty Natural Organic Pencil Eyeliner in Brown - £10.95

I was super happy to see this eyeliner in this box as PHB Ethical Beauty's one of my favourite brands! I wear the black version everyday so I know I'll get a lot of use out of this one and it works well.

Balm Balm Chamomile Floral Water Hydrosol 30ml - £8.50

I'm really excited to try this out as I love so many other products by Balm Balm and all of the ingredients are organic. I think I'll try spraying this on my bed linen to help me sleep better (yay jet lag!!!). 

Glossworks Nail Polish and 3-in-1 Coat - £12 each

This nail polish brand is new to LoveLula, which explains why I haven't heard of it before! It contains no 'Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Toluene, DBP, Camphor, Paraben, Xylene, Ethyl Tosylamide or Lead and is 100% Vegan.' The pink colour isn't really my cup of tea to be completely honest, but I will get use out of the 3-in-1 coat. 

Beauty Brews Bloom - Apple & Aniseed Organic Tea 50g - £9.50

This tea smells incredible, and whilst I usually just stick to my peppermint tea, I really did like the taste of this! It was also kind of fun making my tea without a tea bag (idk why). It contains orange peel, aniseed, cloves and cinnamon, as well as blackberry and peppermint leaves. If you're looking to experiment more with different teas then I would definitely recommend this brand!

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Inika Organic Make Up First Impressions | Face Products

The third and final post about the organic make up brand Inika, is all about my first impressions on some of their face products. In case you didn't already know, Inika is an Australian owned 100% natural and certified organic make up brand. They're also a cruelty free brand and all of their products are vegan friendly. 

Certified Organic Makeup Remover - £19

I'd just like to start off by saying how amazing the packaging is! The matte black and gold lettering is a graphic designers dream. Anyway, as you can probably tell, these face products are not cheap and they are definitely higher end.  £19 for a make up remover is a lot of money and the bottle's fairly small (70ml). Therefore I've been using this as a eye make up remover rather than all over, as I'll just use it up too quickly otherwise. It works a dream though and gets rid of even waterproof mascara. 

Certified Organic BB Cream - £27.50

I was sent the shade 'cream' which luckily suits my skin tone. It has yellow undertones so it's great if you're like me and are quite pale, but struggle finding something on the warmer side. I'm not usually a BB cream fan but I have to say that I really like this. It works great with the mineral foundation if you want a fuller coverage. Even on it's own it does have fairly good coverage and looks very natural. 

Baked Mineral Foundation - £29.50

Again I was really lucky to have been sent a shade that actually matches my skin colour! This is in the shade Strength and like I said before, it goes great with the BB cream. I'm not sure I'd want to wear it on it's own, but it does have a great build-able coverage. 

Mineral Mattifying Powder - £21

Everyone love a good loose powder and this product definitely fits the bill! It's great for setting the concealer under my eyes and overall it has a very lightweight feel to it.

Mineral Blush Loose Powder - £21

I was sent the shade Red Apple which can be seen below. It's VERY pigmented and a little goes a long way (I found out the hard way). It blends beautifully into the skin and if you get it right, it can look very natural and pretty. 

Swatches in the order above. 

Inika Organic Make Up First Impressions | Eye Products

The second part of my Inika Organic make up first impression series is all about eye products. In case you didn't already know, Inika is an Australian owned 100% natural and certified organic make up brand. They're also a cruelty free brand and all of their products are vegan friendly. 

Certified Organic Eyeliner on Gold Khaki - £14.50

This has to be one of the prettiest eyeliners that I own, and it goes perfectly with the eyeshadow duo as well. It's soft and applies lovely without irritating the eyes. I've been putting this on the lower lash line for a pop of colour and I've been loving it! They also sent me a sharpener which is SO useful!!  

Pressed Mineral Eye Shadow Duos in Khaki Desert - £22

First of all I absolutely love khaki and it's one of my favourite colours, so this eyeshadow duo is perfect. As you can see from the swatches below, these shadows are very pigmented and they also blend so well. You'd need a darker matte brown to be able to do a full eye look, but the light matte shade is the perfect transition colour! 

Inika Organic Make Up First Impressions | Lip Products

I was sent a HUGE box of make up from the amazing organic make up brand Inika and wanted to share my thoughts on them. There's so much to talk about that I thought I'd split the blog posts into 3 parts to make it easier. The first post is all about lip products! 

In case you didn't already know, Inika is an Australian owned 100% natural and certified organic make up brand. They're also a cruelty free brand and all of their products are vegan friendly. 

Certified Organic Lip Glaze in Mocha - £17 

I'm not normally a big lip gloss/glaze kinda person but I have to say that I love this! It looks beautiful on the lips, isn't sticky and is moisturising as well. It also smells incredible and there's the added bonus of knowing that you're not putting anything with nasty ingredients so close to your mouth.

Certified Organic Vegan Lipstick in Dark Cherry - £18 

Now this lipstick is right up my alley! I love a dark lip even in the summer, so I know I'll get a lot of use out of this. It's a metallic shades but it's not too ott which I love. It also lasted surprisingly well for a lipstick and was moisturising. 

Certified Organic Lip Liner Pencil in Buff - £14.50

Being honest, I'm not sure when I'll actually use such a light lip liner which is a shame as it applies beautifully. I guess I could mix it with a darker shade to create a custom colour or to highlight the lips! 

Swatches as mentioned above

LoveLula May 2017 Beauty Box

The May LoveLula Beauty Box has to be one of their best ones yet!! I've never tried any of these products before and I know I'll get use out of all of them. The total value is £45 and all of this could be yours for £13.95 a month! You can sign up here. 

Ogario London Styling Mist for Natural Hold and Volume 60ml - £16

I'm so excited to try this out! I've been on the hunt for a natural hair volume spray for a while now, so I'm hoping this will work for me. It's also the perfect size for taking on holiday or away for the weekend! 

Laidbare DIY! Two In One Cleanser & Toner 125ml - £6.99

Laidbare do some great skincare products so this is another item that I'm really excited to try out! My skin has been awful recently so I'm hoping changing my skincare routine will help. I also love that LoveLula include full sized products in their monthly boxes. 

PHB Ethical Beauty Gentle Moisturiser with Shea Butter & Apricot 50ml - £16.95

PHB are one of my favourite brands ever so I know that I'll love this product. I'm really excited to incorporate this into my new skincare routine! It's made with a hypoallergenic formula that is perfect for soothing sensitive skin. It's also vegan friendly! 

John Masters Organics Travel Size Lavender Rosemary Shampoo for Normal Hair 60ml - £5.50

I'm going to keep this for my holiday or when I go on weekends away as it's perfect for travelling with! This shampoo contains no sulphates or parabens, and is suitable for normal hair. 

John Masters Organics Travel Size Citrus & Neroli Detangler 60ml - £5.50

Last but not least we have this travel sized detangler. I am so excited to try this out and really hope it works! It apparently detangles and conditions without weighing the hair down, and also works as a leave-in conditioner. 

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The Body Shop | Vegan Make Up | First Impressions

The Body Shop have seriously upped their make up game recently and I was lucky enough to be sent these to try out! In case the bag doesn't give it away, all of these items are 100% vegan and are of course cruelty free (parent company isn't). 

Eye Colour Stick in Nevada Gold and Cyprus Bronze - £8

I love using these to add colour to the lower lash line when I'm in a rush or doing a fairly natural eye look. I've also been using them as a base for my eyeshadow and they work better than some eye primers. They don't crease or fade throughout the day, and they're actually easy to blend, so a big thumbs up. 

Face Contouring Palette - £15 

This contour palette is perfect for my fair skin and all of the shades blend beautifully. It'll be great to travel with in the summer and could even double up as eyeshadows. 

All-In-One Instablur Primer - £15

I have combination skin and this primer is perfect for my skin! It keeps me matte throughout the day but it doesn't dry my skin out either. My make up looks almost flawless when using this and it definitely blurs my pores. 

Instaglow CC Cream SPF 20 Peachy Glow - £15

I'm not 100% sure about this product being honest. It definitely makes my make up look lovely and glowing, but I personally prefer a matte finish. This will be great for the days when my skin is dry and needs an extra pick me up! 

Matte Lip Liquid in Crete Carnation - £6

This colour is absolutely gorgeous and is perfect for spring and summer! It did take quite a while to dry and it didn't stay on all day, but I do really like the fact that it's not drying and has a matte finish. 

Fan Brush - £11

I was so happy to have received this brush! It's perfect for applying highlighter and is 100% vegan which for me is so perfect. Also, all of these brushes survived being cleaned so another big thumbs up! 

Eyeshadow Blending Brush - £9

This brush is perfect for blending eyeshadow into the crease and feels so soft and luxurious. 

Flat Shader Brush - £8

This brush is great for packing eyeshadow onto the lid, however you can't get it very precise as it's quite a wide brush. 

Face Contouring Palette swatches

Eye Colour Sticks and Lip swatch 

Earth Conscious Deodorant | Review

I've been on the lookout for a natural deodorant that's also ethical and has packaging free from plastic for a while now. I stumbled upon Earth Conscious on Instagram and couldn't believe my luck. I just also want to point out that these weren't sent to me for free, I genuinely love this deodorant.

So the packaging is completely free from plastic and the tins can either be recycled or re-used. I also noticed that they don't use palm oil in their products and the ones I purchased are vegan friendly as well. 

Each deodorant is £5 each, and at the time I believe it was free delivery over £15 so I purchased 3 (2 lavender, 1 citrus). Now the deodorant itself is unlike anything I've ever used before. I'm used to the normal roll on deodorants, so it took some time to get used to the whole balm idea. To put this on, you basically swirl your finger around in the deodorant and then rub it under your arm. So pretty straight forward!

I've personally found natural deodorants to be a bit hit and miss. But this one actually works and lasts all day! It doesn't stop you sweating (which is actually bad for you), it instead eliminates any odour, so you don't smell basically. 

I'm so impressed with this product and have been using it for a month now and can't imagine ever going back to a roll on deodorant! 

Organii Cream Soap | Review

I love trying new organic bars of soap out, which probably sounds crazy to a lot of people. They are a great plastic free alternative to shower gel and liquid soap, plus they last longer and are normally cheaper as well. 

I usually stick with the PHB Ethical Beauty bars of soap and have actually done a blog post on them, which you can read here. 

So I was browsing LoveLula one day and stumbled upon the Organii bars of soaps. They are made from certified organic ingredients so I decided to go for it and try one of them out. I of course went for lavender! 

My first thought was that this bar of soap is pretty cheap for an organic and natural product. It's only £2.65 for 100g which is pretty cheap! I get the feeling that these products are aimed at families, so if you have young children then this would be great. It's free from the usual SLS and parabens and is vegan friendly which is a massive bonus. One thing I did notice is that it contains palm oil, which I usually try and avoid. It does say that it's made from sustainable sources so I guess you have to trust these companies! 

The soap itself lathers really well and smells lovely of lavender. It hasn't irritated my skin and I get the feeling that it will last for a while!

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Testing Out Natural Shampoos | Part 2

A few months ago I wrote a post about trying out natural shampoos, which you can read here. I thought I'd do a second part and share my opinions on the shampoos I've been using recently! Also I just want to apologise for the lack of blog posts, university has been taking over my life but hopefully that will settle down soon. 

Sukin Purifying Shampoo 250ml - £7.95

So this shampoo is 100% vegan, 100% carbon neutral and is of course cruelty free. It also contains no parabens, sulphates and mineral oils. 

It 'contains a delicate infusion of aloe vera, nettle, horsetail and burdock' and is suitable for normal hair and those with sensitive scalps. I really liked this shampoo and found that it washed my hair well. I have quite thick hair and I did have to really lather it in, but that wasn't an issue at all. I also really liked the smell which is always a bonus! This is great if you have normal hair that isn't prone to tangling or getting too oily.

Madara Nourish and Repair Shampoo 250ml - £13.50

Out of the two shampoos, I personally preferred this one and found it wasn't as thick as the Sukin shampoo. Again it smells great and washed my hair really well. 

This is 'Enriched with Baltic botanicals - sweet flag, plantain, burdock, nettle, and quince', so there are some similarities with the ingredients. However this shampoo is for dry and damaged hair, so will naturally be more moisturising. Overall my hair felt softer and looked healthier when using this shampoo, but really there's not much in it at all apart from the price. 

Have you tried any of these shampoos? Let me know what you think!

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Organic and Natural Hand Sanitiser | Review

So if you know me personally then you'll already know that I'm a bit of a germaphobe and I carry hand gel with me literally everywhere. The hand gel that I've been using is from Superdrugs own brand, which is cruelty free but is most likely packed with unnecessary and nasty ingredients. When I was offered the chance to try out a natural alternative, obviously I said yes. Using products with minimal and natural ingredients is just as important to me as fighting off germs!! 

Now first of all this product is 100% cruelty free and vegan, and is certified by the Soil Association, so you know that you can trust the ingredients in this product. It contains no parabens or sulphates and all the ingredients included are organic. 

The product itself comes in either a handbag friendly 50ml bottle (£5.95) or a 100ml bottle for £9 (better value option). Unlike conventional hand gels, it comes in a spray bottle and the product has a liquid consistency rather than a gel. This is really handy because you're less likely to squeeze half the bottle out and only spray what you need! It also smells very natural and of essential oils, rather than of that horrible chemical smell. It dried quickly and didn't leave my hands feeling sticky afterwards. 

I use hand gel nearly every day or whenever I'm out, so I find that my hands usually get very dry.When using this sanitiser, I noticed that my hands felt less dry and it also didn't sting when I got it in a cut!

Overall I'm really impressed with this natural alternative to an every day hand sanitiser, and would definitely recommend if you're looking for something that's cruelty free, vegan and natural.

You can purchase it here. 

Natural Make Up | Honest Review and First Impressions

For todays post I have a natural finishing powder and mascara to talk about. I've been using both of these products for two weeks now, so I've given them a fair go and will always be honest when reviewing products. 

Ere Perez Translucent Corn Perfecting Powder One For All - £22.50

I'll start with the positives of course, and the main one for me is the minimal and natural ingredient list of this product. Secondly, this definitely kept my skin matte and shine free all day which was really impressive. It also didn't cling too much to any dry areas, although I found if I put too much on it did look slightly cakey. 

I was slightly disappointed with the colour of this product. It claims to be translucent but in reality it's more suitable for light to medium skin tones, not really pale like myself. I can just about get away with it if I use another lighter powder and mix the two together.

Another issue is I've been using this for only two weeks and I've already hit pan. I only wear make up 3 or 4 times a week, so I'm not even using it everyday. At £22.50 I would expect it to last a lot longer and to have not hit pan already, which is disappointing. 

Overall I liked this powder but I wasn't blown away by it and expected more if I'm being honest. 

NATorigin Organic Lengthening Mascara Black - £15.95

Again I've been using this mascara for two weeks after my Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara finally was too dry to deal with. The natural and organic ingredients originally drew me to this product and I also love the sleek packaging. At £15.95 it's quite expensive and is similar to high end make up prices. 

I found that it did lengthen my lashes as the title suggests and it stays on all day without smudging or flaking. I normally put on two coats as anything more will make my lashes look spidery and clumpy, but that's the case with most mascaras. 

As I mentioned earlier, this has been open for 2 weeks and I've noticed that it's already starting to become quite thick and potentially drying out. I think the packaging says that it can be open for 9 months, but I honestly can't see it lasting that long. It's quite an expensive mascara so I would expect it to not be drying out already, but maybe that's down to the natural ingredients. 

Let me know if you've tried any of these out and what you think!

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LoveLula April 2017 Beauty Box

Today's post is all about the April LoveLula box, which is as always, very impressive. There are 2 full sized products, 2 travel/smaller sized and 1 sample. The total value is £44 and all of this could be yours for £12.50 a month! You can sign up here. 

Madara AHA Peel Mask - £20 

I've used this before and liked the product, so I'm excited to have the full sized version! Madara do some fantastic skincare products and you can't really go wrong with them.

Greenfrog Botanic Handwash

I personally prefer bars of soap but I know this will definitely be popular in my house! We're always on the lookout for paraben free hand soaps and this one has the added bonus of organic ingredients. 

Apple & Bears Body Wash 

I actually used this last night and it smells incredible! It's very thick and has a luxurious feel to it which I absolutely love. I think this travel sized bottle will get used up very quickly, so I may just have to get the full sized one! 

FOM London Hydra Plum and Firm Cream 

I also tried this out last night and it felt lovely on my skin. It claims to protect against environmental skin ageing which sounds amazing. If I do notice any changes then I'll do a full blog post on it.

Marlenha Skincare Sample

Last but not least, this months box also featured a skincare sample from the Italian brand Marlenha. These are always handy to have and is great to try before you buy! 

Don't forget you can sign up here. 

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What's In My Shower

 I LOVE reading these types of posts as I'm so nosy and am always intrigued about what products people use. All of the products I use in my shower are of course cruelty free and contain natural ingredients. 

Seascape Island Apothecary Body Wash 

This body wash smells great and the large bottle means it'll last a long time. I don't normally use or even buy shower gel and prefer bars of soap, but if you are looking for a shower gel then this one is brilliant. 

DIY Facial Wash 

I use this morning and evening and will never go back to a 'normal' facial wash. I've linked the blog post about this facial wash if you're interested in making your own as well! 

Balm Balm Rose Geranium Organic Face Balm

This is technically a face balm but I've been using it as a full body balm after I shower. It works totally fine so why not! 

Laidbare For Richer For Porer 'Miracle' Mask

I've only used this a couple of times and so far it's not doing much for my skin, but I'll continue to use it of course. 

PHB Ethical Beauty Balancing Exfoliator

I use this once a week and love it! I feel it really cleans my face well and my skin feels and looks great afterwards. 

Skin Blossom Shampoo 

I've literally just used this up which is a shame but I would definitely repurchase it! I've actually made my own shampoo so I'll be trying that out and will put up a blog post if it's successful.

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Ditch The Plastic | Soap Bars

This is the first post in my 'ditch the plastic' series and basically I'll be sharing plastic free alternatives to every day beauty products/items. 

To start this all off, I'll be talking about bars of soap that come in cardboard packaging. These are a great alternative to shower gels that come in plastic packaging, as well as soap bars that come in plastic wrapping. 

I stopped purchasing shower gels quite a while ago now and so I've gone through a lot of different soaps over the past year. They've all been natural and cruelty free, but the one brand that really stood out for me was PHB Ethical Beauty's soaps. The packaging is made from recyclable cardboard (so no plastic involved at all) and the soaps themselves are free from palm oil, perfumes, parabens and any other nasties. They're also vegan friendly and are of course cruelty free. 

With all of that aside, these soaps lather so well to the point that you wouldn't even know that they were any different from 'normal soap'. They also smell great without being overpowering and are suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin. 

These are a great way to start your transition to plastic free products, whilst supporting an ethical and cruelty free brand. Win win!

You can buy these soaps from here. 

 

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Why You Should Switch To a Natural Perfume

Like most people, I have grown up using a whole range of body sprays, perfumes and air fresheners. Unfortunately, I had no idea what toxic chemicals I was spraying onto my body as a result. I find that now if I'm exposed to synthetic fragrances at work or a family member sprays something, I'll get a headache or have a sneezing fit. 

Researchers have found links to hormone disruption, cancers, thyroid problems and allergies to name a few when testing popular perfumes. These can be caused by toxic ingredients found in some perfumes and sprays, and often listed as 'fragrance' or 'parfum'. The worrying thing is, companies don't actually have to disclose what chemicals are in their 'fragrances', so many people are still buying these products oblivious to the potential health risks.

Obviously I'm not an expert, so I will link  further information on the dangers of perfumes below if you want to read more. 

It may all seem doom and gloom but it doesn't have to be that way! There are natural alternatives to synthetic fragrances which smell just as good and are longer lasting. It does take some getting used to, but in my opinion it's worth it!

You probably all know by now that I work closely with an online natural beauty shop called LoveLula. Luckily they sell natural perfume alternatives that are made from essential oils and 100% organic and natural grain alcohol. And that's it. No hidden chemicals disguised as fragrance! 

Let's have a look at the three natural perfumes that I own. All of the ingredients are 100% organic, 100% natural and approved by the Soil Association. The scents are pretty self explanatory!

Balm Balm Spearmint Natural Perfume £22

Contains Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, 100% Organic & Natural Grain Alcohol

Smells of mint!

Balm Balm Lavender Natural Perfume £22

Contains Lavendula Angustifolia, 100% Organic & Natural Grain Alcohol

Smells of lavender!

Balm Balm Mandarin Natural Perfume £22

Contains Citrus Nobilis, 100% Organic & Natural Grain Alcohol

And guess what, it smells of mandarins!! 

Now lets have a look at the ingredients of a Chanel perfume that I got a couple of years ago before I knew what was in it. 

Alcohol, parfum (fragrance), aqua (water), alpha-isomethyl ionone, linalool, citronellol, butylphenyl methylpropional, hydroxycitronellal, hexyl cinnamal, limonene, feraniol, benzyl benzoate, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, ethylhexyl salicytate, ci 15985 (yellow 6), ci 17200 (red 33), ci 60730 (violet 2)

I know which one I'd rather be putting on my body...

Further information:

http://mamavation.com/2015/03/toxic-perfume-chemicals.html

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/toxic-perfumes-and-colognes/

http://www.rodalewellness.com/health/perfume-ingredients

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-rodale/five-mustknows-on-the-dan_b_4737654.html

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Mineral Primer and Foundation | First Impressions

If you didn't already know, PHB Ethical Beauty is one of my favourite natural and ethical brands for beauty products. If you're looking for cruelty free, natural, vegan and ethical products, then you've come to the right place! Also, 20% of their net profit goes to charity and they use eco friendly packaging which is all recyclable. For more information, head over to their website. 

'PHB Ethical Beauty is a pioneering British family business with a revolutionary range of award winning ethical beauty products. We're home to the world's largest range of Natural, Vegan, Cruelty Free & Halal Certified beauty products. Our skin, hair & body care products are handmade in the UK and we do not test on animals.'

Now, onto the make up first impressions... 

I've never tried mineral products before so I was slightly cautious and concerned about how they'd actually look on my skin. 

I wanted to switch my foundation routine over to completely natural and paraben free products as the Barry M foundation that I was using contains parabens. I also got fed up with my make up looking too heavy and unnatural, so it was a good time to make a change. 

PHB Ethical Beauty Pressed Mineral Primer - £16.50

So, first of all I'll list some information about this product copied from the LoveLula page.

'Key Benefits: • Free from nano particles, parabens, bismuth oxychloride, talc, formaldehyde, mineral oils, fillers, gluten, fragrance, preservatives & GM ingredients. • Natural SPF 15 • Long lasting colour • Water resistant • Nourishes and protects skin • Natural looking finish • Never clogs pores- great for spot prone skin • Naturally radiant: with light reflecting properties that minimise imperfections, pores and fine lines • 100% natural- great for sensitive skin • Vegan, Cruelty Free and Halal Size: 9g'

It also says to use the PHB Powder Brush to apply this, but I used the Kabuki brush (which is seen below) as this is also suitable to apply mineral products. 

Anyway, I first applied it with my PHB Kabuki brush and straight away noticed that my skin appeared almost blurred and it felt very smooth. As the brush is quite large, I couldn't get the primer right in the corners, so I applied it with my finger which actually worked better than the brush. I was able to pat the primer into my skin more, which created a better base for the foundation. 

My skin actually looked better than it did with a standard liquid primer that contains silicone. Overall I was very impressed with how this primer worked!

PHB Ethical Beauty Loose Mineral Foundation +SPF30 - Cream £15.95

First of all, the shade 'Cream' is slightly too light for me but I can get around this by simply warming up the skin with bronzer. 

To apply this mineral foundation, I used the PHB Kabuki brush and it applied very smoothly and flawlessly. At first the coverage is quite light but it is definitely build-able. This foundation is not going to cover blemishes completely as it's more of a 'your skin but better' product. 

It does however work with a cream concealer over the top, so you can still cover spots and any other marks. To set the concealer I just put a little bit of the foundation over it. I didn't put concealer underneath my eyes like normal as it gives such a natural look on its own, so doing this would potentially spoil it.

My skin overall looked very flawless, yet still looked like my skin (if that makes sense) as you could still see some of the imperfections underneath. If you're used to a full coverage liquid foundation that covers literally everything, then this probably wouldn't be for you. But if you wanted something very natural and light weight that lets your skin breathe, then I would definitely recommend this.

 PHB Ethical Beauty Retractable Kabuki Brush - £11.95

This brush is incredibly soft and has the bonus of being made from vegan and sustainable materials. It's also perfect for travelling with as it retracts! It works perfectly with the mineral foundation and is very gentle on the skin.

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Natural Make Up Removers | Do They Work?

Before I start, I just wanted to say that I take all of my blog photography in bulk for the upcoming months and plan/schedule my posts. I actually took this photo on the 17th February, so I've been using these products for a month now.  

Anyway, I decided I wanted to stop using make up wipes some time ago now. So I used up the ones I had and went on the hunt for a natural, less wasteful alternative. 

Indemne MISS ELLA LOTION Cleansing water, make-up remove 260ml for £12.50

So first of all, this claims that 'MISS ELLA LOTION Cleansing lotion is perfect to remove make-up and to clean all the skin's types. It's a natural lotion with a gently composition of essential oils like New Caledonia sandalwood and Lavendin grosso and organic floral waters 100% natural'. You also get 260ml of product for £12.50, which I personally think is very reasonably priced. 

To remove a full face of make up I would first of all dampen my Balm Balm Organic Muslin Face Cloth and then pour a small amount on to it. I found that it removed my make up really well, including mascara and eyeliner. It left hardly an smudges of black across my face and there was no pesky foundation left. It also didn't sting my eyes. 

The only negative is the smell which I can't really describe but I'm definitely not keen. Apart from that it worked really well and is great value for money

Madara Micellar Water 100ml for £14 

This claims to be an 'All-in-one, no-rinse cleansing - ideal for daily use and perfect for travel. Removes make-up and impurities, balances and hydrates even sensitive skin in one single step. Based on moisturising aloe vera, skinquenching hyaluronic acid and calming Northern peony. Apply onto a cotton pad, wipe over face, eyes and lips. VEGAN Nut Free Natural & Organic ECOCERT Cruelty Free'.  I feel it's quite expensive for the amount you get but Madara is a very high quality brand, so that's to be expected. 

So to remove a full face of make up I would pour a fairly small amount onto a dry muslin cloth. It didn't say to specifically dampen your cloth before so I didn't. This removed my foundation really well but unfortunately it didn't do the same with my eye make up. It instead smudged it across my face and I had to use coconut oil to get it off. 

Overall I think this would work better after you've removed your make up with something else and wanted an extra cleanse. 

Lyonsleaf, Beauty Balm 55ml for £12.95

'Moisturise, cleanse, exfoliate, nourish, repair and protect from one revolutionary little pot.' This is probably my favourite natural make up remover, although it can get messy! This also will last you a lot longer than your conventional make up remover, so I personally feel it is good value for money.

To remove a full face of make up I would scoop a bit out and rub it over my make up. The make up then kind of breaks down and basically goes everywhere! Next I would wipe my face with a damp muslin cloth until all of my make up was off. 

This worked so well and is definitely worth persevering with. Yes it takes longer than using a wipe but I found it got off every single bit of make up. You can also use this balm as a moisturiser and is suitable for all skin types. 

Also coconut oil is a great way of removing make up and is completely natural! 

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