Tag Archives: beauty

Vegan Friendly Morning Skincare Routine.

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My morning skincare routine is brief. I’m not a morning person at all, between getting ready for work and trying to chase down the small boy to get him ready too, there are about 5 minutes left just for me. 

I love using bar soap to wash my face in the morning, obviously one specifically for my face and not just any old bar of soap. Currently, I’m using the Gallinée Prebiotic Cleansing Bar (£10) It smells mild, fresh and a little sweet and really freshens up my complexion in the morning with a gentle creamy lather. The bar is actually soap-free and “is made from gentle cleansing actives in a solid form, called a Syndet.” Whatever that is, I’m digging it and so is my face.

Next up is a crucial step, and possibly my favourite. Toning! Spritzing! A good ol’ mist! I’m obsessed with the Tropic Vitamin Toner (£14) lately. The scent, the airy light mist, the cooling effect, all dreamy. Packed full of nourishing, soothing and hydrating liquid ingredients, it’s the best wake up call in the morning.


Next, we have the serum stage. My skin is super fussy and problematic with the colder weather (and perhaps my sugary filled diet as of late) so I’ve been trialling the Tropic Pure Lagoon Blemish Prevention Serum (£42) This water-based blue serum smells like watermelon and contains clever vitamins and minerals, hyaluronic acid and salicylic acid to keep skin in tip-top condition. I’ve only been using the serum for about 2 weeks now, but I really rate it for healing blemishes. I also like to mix it in the morning with my final layer – moisturiser, to save time!

My moisturiser of choice lately has been the Trilogy Very Gentle Moisturising Cream (£25.50). A purchase for dry winter-worn skin and serious sensitivity. I was looking for a cream that was free from jojoba and coconut, with pretty simple ingredients and this fit the bill nicely. The cream itself is thick, really thick, like butter! I only need to use a dab or else my skin ends up smeared in a thick cream that takes an age to sink in. It’s great to slather on any sore bits or if my dermatitis flares up, though! 

I really like how this makes my skin look really nourished and plump with makeup, a huge win especially as I prefer to use powder foundation. My only negative is the jar packaging, which is a shame as I know it used to come packaged in a tube!

What do you think of my speedy skincare routine?


xo

P.S. Lovelula currently have a Galinee gift with purchase! Spend £30 on the range & get the cleansing bar for free! Well worth a look.





P.P.S. This post contains gifted product but does not affect my as always honest opinion.

Smelling Like Heaven.

 
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When showering, there are some people who jump in, scrub until clean and jump straight back out again. I am not one of those people. I’m probably the exact opposite, I guess you could say I dawdle, but I just like to take my time.

I discovered the Dr. Hauschka Lavender & Sandalwood Body Wash in a beauty discovery kit quite some time ago. One sniff and I was hooked! I think maybe I’ve typed the words ‘I love Lavender’ about 20,000 times on the blog in the past, and it’s still just as true today. I really, really adore Lavender, guys. I could quite literally bathe in the stuff, and luckily for me, this body wash comes close.


The formula is rich and creamy, as you would expect from a high-end product and the scent is very strong. I like to rub a 50p sized blob between my hands and hold to my face to breathe in deep before use. Those few seconds of steamy shower dreamy scent are something I really look forward too. Instantly calming, relaxing, soothing, and every other word for ‘brain melts into a happy puddle’ you can think of. It’s lavender, and so much more, woodsy, warm, inviting, it smells luxurious and even a little bit fancy. I’m sure you understand how hard it is to describe a scent with words, but just know I tried 😉

Skin stays soft after use, there’s no dry or itchy limbs once rinsed away.

This scent also comes in a body cream (I picked up a little sample from Love Lula) which is lush, the cream is really light but the scent is just not as potent as the body wash so for me it’s a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have sort of product.

Pick up the body wash (go on, it’s nearly christmas! Treat Yo Self) from LoveLula, here. £14 for 200ml.

xo

*This post contains a gifted product as part of my collaboration with LoveLula. All words and opinions are my own.*

Benefit Cosmetics Kit Power!

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Happy New Year Makeup Junkies! Benefit Cosmetics is starting 2013 just right with these absolutely gorgeous kits exclusively available at Sephora! From sultry eyes to glowing skin, there’s definitely something for all your beauty needs.

Tried & Tested: Alteya Mists.

 
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I don’t want to sound like a broken record but I really love toners and facial mists. Uplifting, refreshing, cooling, hydrating – there’s nothing they can’t do. I’ve tried so many, from homemade to high-end luxury and everything in between.

The Alteya brand was unknown to me before discovering them on LoveLula. I was particularly interested to learn that they have their own rose and lavender fields, distillery and skin care manufacturing facility in the heart of The Rose Valley in Bulgaria. Nearly everything is grown and made in-house by the brand, ensuring freshness and quality, and best of all, the prices are really affordable for products that are organic!

I have been using two mists; the Organic Bulgarian Rose Water Spray, £7.20 for 100ml, and the Organic Melissa Water Spray, £7.20 for 100ml.

I picked up the rosewater first as I really like the soothing one ingredient wonder that is Rose. I use this morning and night as a toner, after mineral makeup application to stop it looking powdery and I also mix it with powdered masks. Fun fact: Alteya rose water is food grade and you can add it to any recipes that use rose! It does all that it’s supposed to and smells beautiful, a true soft rose scent that isn’t overpowering or artificial. The 100ml bottle has also lasted me several months with regular use, winning!

Rose has so many wonderful benefits for our skin and also our overall wellbeing. It’s:

  • Therapeutic 
  • Anti-inflammatory and acne-preventing 
  • Balancing 
  • Anti-ageing and moisturising  
  • Rejuvenating, stimulating and harmonizing
  • Digestion-stimulating and antiseptic.

Now for the Melissa water (AKA Lemon Balm), according to Alteya this mist helps awaken and tone up dull skin. It is also useful for troublesome skin and helps against skin irritation and inflammation. Perfect! My skin is oily, troublesome and always irritated in some way or another, I blame my hormones and a lack of sleep. 

This mist smells very strong, to me it smells like tomato juice, slightly acidic and, well, like tomatoes, not lemons. But does it work? 

… Maybe? I use this on days when I think my skin is acting up a little more than usual, and by the end of a long day I have no idea if my skin is less oily than it would have been without the mist, I just cleanse my skin, mist again and slap on some moisturiser then fall into bed. 

I actually got a compliment on how much my skin is improving from my boyfriend the other day, so I must be doing something right! 

xo

The Ultimate Guide to Natural + Vegan Deodorant.

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Need some new deodorant in this heatwave??

Vegan deodorant is not that difficult to find and neither is deodorant that uses clean natural ingredients. But when you combine the two you narrow your search pool even further as a lot of natural deo’s are balms that use beeswax. I was worried there wouldn’t be too many options on the market, but to my surprise there are loads! So many in fact that I struggled to narrow this guide down to just 6. I easily could have bought 10 more to try and include, but with 6 deodorants on the go this past couple of months things were getting out of hand!


The Roll-On’s 

Neal’s Yard Peppermint & Lime Roll-On Deodorant / £8


One of my most used simply because of the ease! It’s a roll on! No melting a solid stick or sticking your fingers into a pot. The scent I chose isn’t my favourite, the lime & mint combination smells a little like citronella. I would choose the rose & geranium if I could go back in time.


In terms of doing its job? It promises 24hr protection but I think it begins to falter before a full morning to evening’s wear time is up. And obviously, it’s not an antiperspirant so you will sweat (which is healthy and normal!), but it does contain some moisture absorbing ingredients, not that I’ve ever noted them working.. 6/10

Benecos Apricot & Elderflower Roll-On Deodorant / £5.95


The least expensive and my least favourite, unfortunately. The scent is delicious and so fruity and fresh, it’s a real shame that the scent doesn’t linger and the deodorant really doesn’t work that well, especially in this summer heat. Reapplication is needed, but even then, you just sort of feel tacky and body odor lingers. Lovely. 2/10

The Unusual One & The Plastic Free One

Pacifica Deodorant Wipes / £7.99


I bought these oh so many moons ago to take with me to the hospital when I had Oliver. My thoughts were if I ended up stuck in bed for some time, these could freshen me up! And I actually did use them, just once, but still. I’ve used them a couple of times since then, they’re just handy for sweaty moments that catch you off guard, but they’re not essential, and you can’t really keep them in your bag or anything because the pack is pretty large! 5/10

Ben & Anna Natural Soda Deodorant – Vanilla Orchid / £9.95


Deodorant in a card tube! I love that it means there’s no waste at all, the packaging does get grubby and greasy over time but it’s deodorant, it’s not a fancy bottle of perfume you keep on display. This is the most expensive but does work quite well to keep you dry for awhile thanks to the arrowroot and starch combo. My one dislike is that the stick isn’t the easiest to use – it doesn’t really melt into the skin, you have to rub it under your arms to deposit some of the cream and then rub it into the skin yourself as it’s so thick (winter application would be a pain I imagine!). I do love the vanilla scent and it lingers for quite a while, but there’s a whole host of other scents if you’re interested. 7/10


The Charcoal Ones

Native Unearthed Activated Charcoal Natural Deodorant Balm / £6.99


My new favourite! The balm is really creamy and easy to use, it melts between your fingers and under your arms really easily and I love the scent – it’s fresh and a little lavender-y. Like every other, it doesn’t really stop you sweating, but after walking to and from work, a day in the office and then cooking tea in a kitchen that gets the evening sun and quickly turns into a furnace in this mega heatwave, I was hot and bothered, sure, but not a hint of any stink could be detected. (Also worth noting that mine is a smaller size pot!). I don’t like deo’s in pots, but this is a good ‘un! Does charcoal make it better, though? I really couldn’t say… 8/10

Kaia Naturals The Takesumi Detox Charcoal Deodorant  / $10


I really wanted to like this deodorant, and I tried really hard as I’ve used it for aaaaaages (this is a sample size that just won’t quit) but the scent is meh and it doesn’t last very long in terms of B.O. and sweat suppression. Luckily you can’t get this in the UK as there are better out there. It’s one redeeming quality? The solid stick melts quite easily into the skin so you don’t have to wait around holding it under your arms. Oh and, it’s baking soda free. 3/10

Got any recommendations for me once I finish all of these? 


xo