Natural, Cruelty-Free and Organic Beauty Haul

Some of you may know that I've been trying to purchase beauty products that have more natural ingredients and that are organic. Also Holland and Barrett have had a lot of special offers on recently so I've taken full advantage of that! 

The Dr Organic Dead Sea Face Wash is actually a repurchase as I've nearly used my other one up! I couldn't stand the smell at first but it doesn't bother me at all now. I also picked up the Dr Organic Dead Sea Bath Salts to try out instead of using bubble bath. I've been loving the Dr Organic Aloe Vera toothpaste so I thought I would try out the mouthwash in the same range. So far I really like it! Another item from Holland and Barrett that I got was the Vegan Multivitamin. 

I also got some new skincare products to try out from Holland and Barrett and some that were sent to me! 

I picked up the Andalou Naturals Willow Bark Pure Pore Serum to replace my Superdrug serum. This is Non-GMO, paraben and sulfate free and is of course cruelty free and vegan! It's also made from certified organic ingredients. Next I got the Safa Daily Moisturiser which is again made with organic ingredients, cruelty free, vegan and alcohol free. Next I got the Laidbare Pack Your Bags Eye Cream. This again doesn't have  any nasty chemicals in it and only contains natural ingredients. The lovely people at Ooh! - Oils of Heaven sent me their new Natural Cacay Anti-Aging Face Oil which I am so excited to try out! It's made from 100% Caryodendron Orinocense seed oil and claims to contain 50% more vitamin E and twice the amount of Linoleic Acid than Argan Oil! 

 

I also received the Balm Balm Rose Geranium Face Balm and two Lip Balms (tea tree and fragrance free). These are made from 100% organic and natural ingredients which is incredible. Their products are also very reasonably priced and they offer free delivery! 

Last but not least MooGoo sent me their SPF 15 Natural Moisturiser and their Gradual Tanning Cream. I haven't used the tanner yet but I've been using the moisturiser when I go out in the sun and I love it! It's not sticky or greasy like a standard suncream and it is fragrance free. Now these are obviously not vegan as they contain milk protein which would unfortunately put me off of buying any of their other products. 

e.l.f. Endless Eyes Eyeshadow Palette | Swatches

I was sorting out my make up collection the other day and came across this e.l.f palette! I haven't used it in quite some time and I was so happy that I had rediscovered it. I believe that it's still available to buy on the e.l.f website and I would really recommend it if you can find it! 

It's cruelty free AND vegan which is something that I've struggled to find with drugstore eyeshadows. The eyeshadows themselves are actually really pigmented and good quality. Some of the darker shades applied quite patchy and also had a fair bit of fallout, but that's not uncommon with really dark shades. I absolutely love the shades in the first and second rows, especially the beautiful coppery colours as seen below! 

Natural Deodorants | Do They Work?

If you didn't already know, your standard drugstore deodorant contains ingredients that are linked to breast cancer and can also disrupt the hormonal balance. Not ideal right? Now I'm definitely not an expert on the whole dangerous ingredients fiasco, but I wanted to share my experience with natural deodorants and hopefully encourage awareness. Aluminum chlorohydrate and parabens in particular, both have links to breast cancer. Now check your deodorant, does it contain any of those ingredients? If they do, you should probably ditch it and try one of these out instead! 

Crystal Spring Salt of the Earth Spray Deodorant - £3.99

To begin with, I've tested all three of these deodorants out when I've been on walks and when I've been at work all day. It's also been quite humid here recently so I'm really glad these have all worked!!

So, this Salt of the Earth spray deodorant claims to give long lasting protection, leave no white marks and have no fragrance.  It also doesn't contain aluminum chlorohydrate, parabens, triclosan, alcohol or CFCs. Oh and it's cruelty free and vegan. Sounds perfect right?! Well, it pretty much is! 

This honestly really does work! Even after a long day out or at work it's still effective. It's also a spray rather than an aerosol, so it's a lot better for you AND the environment! You essentially still 'sweat' but it's odourless and a better alternative compared to an anti-perspirant, which stops you perspiring altogether. 

Faith in Nature Green Tea & Aloe Vera Deodorant - £3.99

Another cruelty free, vegan and natural deodorant, except this one is a roll on alternative. I personally prefer a spray but putting that aside, this works just as well as the other one. It contains no aluminum chlorohydrate, parabens, SLS or alcohol. It's also made from organic ingredients and has an eco conscious refill available. 

Unlike the others, this deodorant is not fragrance free. However it smells very fresh and subtle which I really like. If you're not comfortable with a fragrance free deodorant then I would definitely recommend this one! 

Faith in Nature Crystal Stick Deodorant - £3.85

Finally we have another Faith in Nature deodorant, but this one is a crystal stick, rather than a roll on or spray. It's very similar to a roll on, it just doesn't roll, lol. 

I know a lot of people don't like crystal deodorants but honestly this one is worth trying out. Again I didn't smell at all after being out all day, even though it's fragrance free! It doesn't block your pores and allows you to perspire naturally without the body odour. It of course doesn't contain any of the horrible ingredients, in fact the only ingredient is a mineral salt! 

To make this work, I would wet the stick first and then apply it straight after coming out the bath. It works so well that I didn't have to reapply in the morning! It's also incredible value for money as I can't see myself running out of it anytime soon! 

How to Get a Better Nights Sleep!

As a former insomniac, I know how utterly horrible it is to have countless sleepless nights. If you do feel you're suffering from insomnia, then I would really recommend going to your doctor.

 Putting that aside, today's post is all about my tips on getting a better nights sleep generally. It is so important to get enough sleep every night; for both your mental and physical health.

1) Sleep in a dark room
For me this is so important, especially with the lighter mornings this time of year. I can't sleep at all without my night mask. Any hint of light is a no no for me! Mine is from Eco Tools, but there are so many out there or have a look online. If you don't like sleeping with a mask on, then invest in some black out curtains and hide any electronic items that contribute to the light in your room.

2)Write any worries down
I used to find that I'd lay awake at night going over all of my worries for the next day. My therapist told me to write down all of these thoughts and tackle them in the morning.

3)Meditate
Another way to reduce stress and to clear the mind is to meditate. I like to meditate for 10-15 minutes before I go to bed everyday. I find this really improves the quality of my sleep.

4)Yoga
I also like to do a couple of evening yoga sequences before I go to bed as well as meditate. This again helps to reduce stress and aid digestion, therefore making you sleep better.

5) Turn off and read
I used to have a bad habit of texting and using my phone just before I went to sleep. I would find that the light from the screen would make me feel really awake, rather than feeling sleepy. If you don't feel ready to go to sleep, instead of playing on your phone, read a book or magazine to help wind down.

6) Have a warm bath or shower
Having a warm bath before bed really helps to make me feel relaxed. Adding lavender oil or bubble bath also adds to the whole relaxation vibes!

7) Lavender
Another tip of mine is to invest in a lavender sleep mist. I got this one from Holland and Barrett and I like to spray it around my pillow. This creates a really calming and soothing atmosphere.

8) Limit caffeine and eating too late
I'm actually quite sensitive to caffeine and always have caffeine-free green tea or peppermint tea. I also try and not eat after 8 so that my body isn't trying to digest everything when I'm asleep! Try switching over to de-caff coffee or herbal teas if you feel it's caffeine keeping you awake at night.

I think I've covered pretty much all of my tips for a better nights sleep! If you're a light sleeper then maybe invest in some ear plugs to cut out any noises. I'm quite a heavy sleeper so noise doesn't bother me. My hamster doesn't keep me up so that's saying something!

5 Summer Lip Products

Today's post is all about my 5 favourite lip products for the summer months! I typically go for pinky nudes and glosses for this time of the year, rather than darker, matte lip products. I will definitely be taking a couple of these on holiday with me!

Left to right: Barry M Lipstick Just Peachy, NYX Butter Gloss Peaches and Cream, Saturated Colour Lipstick Naked Pink, Soap and Glory Gloss Stick Pink Punch and Too Faced Melted Metallic Peony

Barry M Lipstick in the shade Just Peachy

This is a creamy, peachy nude lipstick that looks very pretty yet subtle on the lips. At £4.49 it's very affordable and is available at both Boots and Superdrug. It also doesn't dry my lips out! Unfortunately it's not vegan.

NYX Butter Gloss in Peaches and Cream 

Another pretty peachy nude shade! Saying that, it does have more of a coral vibe to it, and is of course a gloss. At £5.00 it's again very affordable and surprisingly for a gloss, is long lasting. It contains bees wax so isn't vegan.

Saturated Colour Lipstick in the shade Naked Pink

Now personally, this lipstick would be more of an all year round product. It's a beautiful berry toned mauve shade that's still light enough to use in the summer months. At £7 it's still of course affordable and is longer lasting than the Barry M lipstick. It has a semi-matte finish but isn't drying and applies beautifully. It's also vegan friendly!

Soap and Glory Gloss Stick in the shade Pink Punch 

At £3.50 this gloss stick is the cheapest lip product featured (woop). When swatched it appears quite bright but it's definitely more subtle on the lips. It applies very smoothly and is actually quite moisturising! It's not vegan unfortunately. 

Too Faced Melted Metallic Lipstick in the shade Peony

This is possibly my favourite summer shade ever! It's an absolutely stunning metallic light pink shade with a hint of gold maybe?! Whatever it is I am in love. At £19 it is quite expensive but it's definitely worth it in my opinion. This is going to be my go to lip product for when I'm in New York! Oh and it's vegan friendly! 

Left to right: Barry M Lipstick Just Peachy, NYX Butter Gloss in Peaches and Cream, Saturated Colour Lipstick in Naked Pink, Soap and Glory Gloss Stick in Pink Punch and Too Faced Melted Metallic Peony

A quick disclaimer: whilst I now only buy vegan beauty products, I'm still going to use the products in my collection that are not vegan. I just wouldn't repurchase them.