If you have been a fellow reader of my blog for a while then you will probably know how much of a shower gel addict I am. So when I spotted Original Source’s new scents on the shelves in Boots, I just couldn’t help myself. Original Source are a lovely brand and definitely suited for those on a budget. All of their products are cruelty free and most are suitable for vegans too. They have four new scents but I managed to restrain my addiction and only bought two: Green Banana And Bamboo Milk and Lime And Coconut Milk. They both smell incredible however my favourite is definitely the green banana scent. It smells like those foam banana sweets that you also find in the pick ‘n’ mix bags. They are shower milks rather than a gel, so in comparison to the usual formulation I find that they are really softening and moisturising on the skin which is brilliant during the colder months. I’ll definitely be adding these to my list of favourites!
Have you managed to try the new scents by Original Source? What’s your favourite?
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This blog post is coming to you rather late, I’m sorry but I do work full time and therefore I miss packages and can’t take photos when I get home because it’s dark but hopefully I will sort something out that will work for the both of us.
Anyway, moving on to the topic of today: YOU Beauty Box ft. Soil Association. To celebrate Organic Beauty Week, which was actually 19-25 September, YOU Beauty collaborated with Soil Association who is the UK’s leading membership charity that campaigns for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use. They are also the UK’s leading certification body of food, farming, beauty and textiles. Any financial returns are put back into the charity and its wider work to increase awareness of organic and bring real change. It’s been a long time since I have received a beauty box through the door, however, this one exceeded my expectations with seven new brands to try such as Neal’s Yard Remedies, Skin & Tonic and many more.
NatraCare Cleansing Make-up Removal Wipes– After a rather tiring day at work, I was rather excited to see these as I first opened the box. I received 5 wipes so I thought I might as well try one to take my makeup off and they didn’t disappoint. They are infused with almond, apricot and chamomile oils which is brilliant when you are needing something to take your makeup off late at night. The wipes themselves were extremely soft on my skin and took all of my makeup off. I know most people double cleanse when using a wipe but you could get away with just using one of these wipes as it managed to remove everything. This was including waterproof mascara and eyeliner!
Botanicals Radiance Facial Serum (30ml)– This was the next product that I came across when having a sneak peak within the box whilst watching Eastenders. When I opened the product, I was a bit anxious about using it because of the application but after dotting two or three drops on the back of my hand and massaging it into my skin it worked lovely. The serum is not greasy at all which is something I have found has put me off using serums in the past. The potassium promotes healthier and younger looking skin whilst the avocado helps to reduce the signs of premature ageing. I feel like this product was designed for the older women however it did make my skin look a lot healthier and nourished the following couple of days after using it.
Terre Verdi GoodOils Cleansing Oil (30ml)– I have been on a look out for a cruelty free and vegan friendly cleansing oil ever since I ran out of my DHC Deep Cleansing Oil so you can only imagine how happy I was to see this one appearing out of the black tissue paper like a glistening star. In the past, cleansing oils are extremely good at removing every speck of dirt and makeup that is left on your skin and I have my fingers and toes crossed that this one is going to be just the same.
Skin & Tonic Rose Mist (20ml)– I have never really been the one to research into mists but when I spritzed this one onto my face, it immediately hydrated my skin. The rose scented goodness also made me feel calm and cool when I was anxious the other night. You can even use it over your make-up as a setting spray but I haven’t tried that yet.
Neal’s Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm (15g) – Neal’s Yard Remedies is a brand that I have heard many times within the beauty blogosphere but never had the chance to try until now. A product that has multi-purposes is one that is right up my street so I am rather excited to try this one. You can use it as an exfoliating cleanser, an intense moisture boost, a facial mask (highly recommend if your planning a pamper night with your favourite girls), a lip balm to prevent dryness and chapping and a nourishing nail balm. The scent compared to the Botanicals Serum is a lot stronger but also smells quite refreshing and relaxing. I have used the product as a lip balm as the mornings have been a lot colder and I can honestly say that this product has kept dry lips obey. I have also tried the product as an overnight moisturiser and it works wonders. My skin felt really nourished and moisturised the following morning.
Odylique Organic Eye Liner (full size) – I have tried mineral foundations, blushers, bronzers and powders before but never a mineral eye-liner. Not going to lie but the sharpness of the pencil scared me slightly however the pencil glides on the eye effortlessly. It’s made with organic jojoba and shea butter for a smooth texture which is why it feels so light on the eye. The eye liner is extremely pigmented which I am definitely excited about, however, you can easily smudge it out to create a smokey eye. When using the eye liner, I found that you can build it up to how you want your make up to look which is something I haven’t experienced from similar products before.
Kiki Health Samples– The final couple of samples that I received were Super Food supplements which sound so lovely. On each card, it includes a suggested recipe and a little information about the benefits of that Super Food. I can imagine these would be rather useful when I am wanting a bit of a health kick.
The box itself is worth £75+ and considering that you are receiving mostly full size items I think it’s definitely worth the money. You can buy the box here however they are limited edition. If you are interested, you can sign up to YOU Beauty Box from £6.95 with free postage and packaging for members which I think is extremely affordable. The best thing is that you get to pick the products that you receive instead of receiving a group of products that you may just stash in your ‘to blog’ drawer.
Have you managed to get your hands on the limited edition Soil Association box? Have you tried any of these products? I would love to know!
♥
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Hands up if you have oily skin! I do and to be honest I am sick of searching around for pressing powders that claim they matte your face when really they don’t. I was on the search again when my beloved Body Shop’s Bronzing Powder ran out the other day. I wanted something that was light and that I could apply without foundation but will still give me some kind of coverage. Of course, I jumped at the chance when an email landed in my inbox asking if I wanted to review Living Nature’s Luminous Pressed Powder.
Living Nature is a natural skincare and cosmetics brand based in New Zealand. They have a lovely range of products that use the nourishing, purifying and skin-healing benefits from New Zealand’s native plants. They even conduct ongoing independent testing so there is no cruelty to animals involved when using their products which is brilliant in itself. They are cruelty free certified because they use only natural ingredients, preservatives and fragrances with no harmful chemicals or toxins. Another positive that Living Nature has against other brands is that all their packaging is 100% recyclable and free from dioxin and elemental chlorine which is found in most makeup products.
So firstly, the packaging looks elegant and classy. As you open the pressed powder, you are greeted with a sponge and a compact mirror which is super handy for travelling and throwing in your handbag last minute. I usually apply my powder with a brush therefore I would probably have no use for the sponge, however, it is really handy to have for those nights out where you don’t want to take loads of makeup with you or to touch up on the go.
The powder itself is a really light consistency that gives my skin a lovely glow with or without foundation. I’ve mostly been using it as a setting powder over my foundation and concealer and I have found that it keeps it all in place even after being out the house for 10+ hours on work days. I have also used it by itself and although it is only subtle, it does brighten my skin tone but the coverage isn’t enough on it’s own for me personally. If you prefer products that are rather light on the skin then I highly recommend you trying this one out.
Overall, I really like it. I have obviously used The Body Shop’s Bronzing Powder but this is completely different. It’s a lovely addition to my collection for the new season. The powder comes in three shades: Light, Medium and Deep. I chose the colour Medium which was a perfect match for my olive skin.
Have you tried anything from Living Nature before? Have you tried the Luminous Pressed Powder before? Let me know your favourite setting powders.
♥
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After tuning into the ‘A Moment On The Lips‘ Live Stream last week, I just couldn’t wait any longer to try one of their lipsticks. I haven’t really ventured into the world of Lush makeup before, however, I am keen to pick up a lot more after wearing this for the past week.
The one thing that I learnt from the live stream was to have fun with makeup and experiment with new colours. With this in mind, I picked up Powerfrom Lush Lincoln whilst I was down there for a long weekend and after trying a couple of different shades on, I am glad that I went for this one. I don’t usually go for reds because I feel as though they wash me out but this shade makes me feel so confident.
Power is a gorgeous coral-red shade that shimmers in the light. The lipstick itself is long lasting but I did find that I had to re-apply if I was doing anything in the evening. All the lipsticks are made from jojoba oil, candelilla wax and rose wax then the pigment is added to give the lipsticks their colour. I have found Power to be extremely moisturising on the lips, quite similar to a lip balm but obviously with the added colour. This is down to the jojoba oil and rose wax that soothes and naturally moisturise the skin. Candelilla Wax is an alternative to beeswax, which is found in other brands, to add texture or help make barrier products such as a lipstick.
Overall, I would happily repurchase another shade from Lush. In fact, I am planning on picking up Confident and Perspective in the near future. The price of the lipstick is similar to that of a high end brand which I am more than happy to pay because the product is suitable for vegans and don’t test on animals. The lipstick was really easy to apply because it comes with an easy to use applicator that doesn’t make a mess everywhere.
Have you ever tried one of Lush’s lipsticks before? What’s your thoughts? Let me know which colour you like the shade of too.
♥
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I have never told you this but I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with blusher. It’s always either too light to the point you can’t see it with my olive skin tone or it’s far too bright and leaves me looking as though I have just walked out of a circus. Recently, I have learnt that the blusher and bronzer combo helps to bring some kind of definition to your face and we always love a bit of colour. I love the Sleek Blush palettes and use them on a daily basis but I want to branch out my collection and explore other brands. Anyway back to the point; I wanted to share with you this palette from Makeup Revolution which has changed my life for the better…
The Ultra Blush Palette in Hot Spice includes eight lovely shades that are spot on for darker skin tones. The palette has a range of matte and slightly shimmered blushers, a baked highlighter and a baked blusher. It is super thin which makes it suitable for throwing in your travel makeup bag and has a lovely sized mirror too. My favourites have been the orange/peachy shade on the top row next to the highlighter and the shimmery bronze shade on the bottom corner. All of the shades really pigmented and complement each other extremely well. I have even been layering them up with each other when I am wanting something a bit extra. Another added extra is that they blend really nicely, you don’t need to rub the brush into your cheek to get a lot of colour which has partially been why I haven’t really enjoyed wearing blusher. It’s really affordably priced and I think the colours are quite versatile with the seasons of the year too.
Have you tried any of the Makeup Revolution blushers before? What others would you recommend? Let me know what your favourite cruelty free blusher is.
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I don’t know about you but I have some really bad beauty habits that I can’t seem to break. I’m hoping that some of you will be able to relate to some of the things that I am going to mention. I wanted to confess some of mine that along with a couple of ways in which I am trying to change those habits.
Who is guilty of coming in from a long day at work or straggling in from a night out with your mates and turning to the dreaded packet of your favourite makeup wipes to take off your makeup. Of course, most brands claim that they ‘rehydrate the skin‘ or ‘remove all your makeup‘ or even ‘give your skin a fresh, clean look‘ but we all know this isn’t entirely true. I am guilty of using a makeup wipe almost every night to take of the makeup that I caked on in the morning but they really aren’t as good as having a proper skincare routine. So I’ve decided to take a new approach that surprisingly takes the same amount of time. The classic Vitamin E Cream Cleanser from The Body Shop and a reusable makeup wipe that can be washed and reused over and over again is simple yet effective! Not only does it make me feel better that I have properly removed all my makeup but it makes my skin feel and look good the following morning too. I’ve also re-found my love for the Angels On Bare Skin Cleanser too.
Hands up if you forget to moisturise daily! *slowly raises hand* Aren’t we all guilty of it? I’ve got myself into a routine of religiously moisturising my face morning and night however that can’t be said for the rest of my body. Don’t get me wrong, my Alex drawers is full of moisturisers from various brands but I just never remember to use them. It’s a chore that I always forget about doing. Who wants to stand with your legs wide apart, waving your arms around waiting for your moisturiser to dry? I would much prefer the extra ten minutes in bed, thank you! Although I have found some quick drying saviours that have come in handy recently. Firstly, are The Body Shop yogurts. I don’t know what it is about the formulation but I love it! It’s lightweight and dries quick which is what everyone is after. I’ve been using them after a hot bubble bath too and they are so cooling. By the time I have finished deciding what to wear, the moisturiser has sinked into my skin and I can get on with enjoying my day.
Confession: I’ve never washed any of my brushes. This is mostly because I really can’t be bothered. It takes ages, I’m too lazy and the feel of new brushes excites me far too much. On the other side, new brushes are so expensive and this girl would rather spend money on Too Faced releases or Lush goodies than a new set of makeup brushes every month. It wasn’t until I have realised that many of my skin breakouts was because of how clogged up my brushes were that I have got out of this habit and try to wash them at least every two weeks. For those of you wondering, a fellow blogger recommend Superdrug’s Baby Shampoo to cleanse those bristles and I second that. It works an absolute treat! Not only is it cruelty free but it leaves my brushes feeling super soft and clean. Goodbye horrible dirty brushes!
Finally, there’s nothing better than keeping your skin looking fresh and clean by drinking your recommended amount of water everyday. I feel like many can relate to this one too. Drinking more water really does have a lasting effect on my skin. It just looks so much brighter and glowing. I should really drink it more often. This is something that I vow to do over the summer months starting from today. I am making a promise to myself that coke is for special occasions and from now on I will only be drinking water with or without sugar free juice.
Are you guilty of any of these beauty habits? Let me know in the comments if you have taught yourself any bad beauty habits.
♥
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