Little treat

I got myself this eye make up remover and cleanser over the weekend, they arrived in the post today. Looking forward to trying them out :)

Bulldog Eye Roll-On - Natural, Cruelty free

I got this BullDog (skincare for men...) eye roll-on a few weeks ago, and I have been loving it!

 It's cruelty free, as are all their products - it says it gets rid of puffiness, dark circles and lines.  

 I roll it under my eyes every morning (excuse my wet hair) and it really makes me feel more awake! I tend to look tired if I haven't had any sleep and it does seem to make my eyes look more awake.

The roll on is nice and cooling, and I can feel a difference on the days I don't use it. I'd recommend it above eye creams, as you don't have to pat and tug at the sensitive skin under your eyes, it just glides nicely on! :) Thumbs up again for bull dog!

Webcam!

Hello! I'm afraid I've been neglecting you. My camera charger has been M.I.A for a while but I've managed to locate it, and while I put it on charge I had the urge to blog. Turns out my webcam isn't actually bad.

Today's just a quick post to show how easy it is to be cruelty-free. I accidentally went cruelty-free long before I did it on purpose, it seems! I got these in Home Bargains on a whim (is there any other way to shop there?) and it turns out both these products are cruelty-free.

 

Inecto Pure Coconut body lotion, and Carmex lip balm! You probably own at least the lip balm already, right? :) It's so good. It smells a bit like menthol and tingles your lips a bit so you know it's really working. I put it over lipstick to make it glossy, and it seems to make it last longer while also preventing my lipstick from caking on to the dry parts of my lips as the day goes on.

  

 I've most likely owned this for an unhygienic amount of time, and yet there's loads left. The key with lip balm is to only use it when needed. It may seem obvious, but some people use it out of habit several times a day, and your lips can actually get addicted to it and become dryer as a result! 

  

The body lotion doesn't smell of coconuts a lot, disappointingly. It's a bit more like cocoa butter, in my opinion. It's a very good moisturiser though. The amount above on each leg after shaving will rub in nicely and won't leave you feeling all greasy or slippery. They actually have a lot in their range, including shampoo, so since home bargains seem to have stopped stocking them in my area I'll let you know if I come across some. 

There we have it, buying cruelty-free products is so easy you can do it by mistake!

Incidentally, I've just had my hair done and am a bit obsessed with it! Cruelty-free Directions and Crazy Colour hair dyes were used by my hairdresser, although the bleach was not cruelty-free. It's about 3 shades of purple. I feel like a teenager! But without the heightened emotions and with a mortgage... ;)

 

What cruelty-free products have you discovered you've purchased? :)

AEOS - Organic, natural, cruelty-free

Sam at AEOS was kind enough to send me a sample of their Active Energised Organic Skincare. Their skincare range is organic, with much of the ingredients grown themselves, and uses enzymes and crystals and a special colour-formula so that your skincare routine looks after you in a much more meaningful way. They're also cruelty-free!

I tried the products for a month, but found that they were not having a good effect on my skin. However...I had pretty good skin at the time, so I though to myself, maybe they're a little too effective? With this in mind, I gave them to my mother to test. Here are the results.

The boxes all have numbers so you know which step in the routine they are

There were little dried petals in the boxes! Sweet.

The Cleansing Oil De-Maq is for dry skin, and a drop or two should be placed on a wet cotton wool before using it to remove your makeup. It does so really well, and feels nice and soothing.

Refreshing Hydrating Mist - spray once on face and neck, feels very cool and soothing! Takes hardly any time compared to other toners.

Enriching moisture and Energizing conditioner - Use a small amount and pat over face and neck. I was surprised that one or two pumps was more than enough to thoroughly cover face and neck. The scent on these (and in fact all the products) is therapeutic and feels like you're using something really special.

 Dew facial wash - spray once or twice in to a sink of warm water, place flannel in and then place it over your face, repeat up to three times.

 Gentle exfoliant - use twice a week, or more if you have oily skin, after cleansing. Was very gentle but at the same time you could actually feel it exfoliating.

What I enjoyed about the products was how little time everything took, what with the spraying and spritzing. The scents made you feel like you were really pampering yourself, and using them was no hassle at all. Since they didn't work for me though, which I was really disappointed about since I wanted to keep using them, I shall now review them from my 53 year old mum's point of view.

What was your old routine like, mum?
I would use Simple cleanser, toner and moisturiser every morning.  Nothing in the evening, I only wear eye makeup and took it off in the bath by just rubbing my face.
Do you have any issues with your skin?

Not really. I don't bother wearing foundation or anything so I don't think I have any problems.

What did you think when I gave you all these products and said I wanted you to try them out? 

Because I don't really use things on my face, I thought it would all be complicated. It looked like a lot of things, and I assumed it would just irritate my face.  I did what you asked and used the proper ones morning and night.  I found that they felt very, very mild and gentle! They were easy for me to use, and a little bit really goes a long, long way.  I particularly like the mist (Refreshing Hydrating Mist) - it wakes my skin up and makes it feel nice and fresh. The moisturiser too, it makes my skin feel soft and only a little bit is needed.

And did you notice any improvements? (My mum is the least vain person ever, and hardly looks at herself in the mirror.) 

I noticed my skin looks fresher, and my wrinkles are a lot less noticeable. Especially around the eyes, even your father noticed.  I'm not vain, I don't like to make a fuss, so it must be a change if I noticed it.  They all smell nice, last long, and make a difference.

 

 

As you can see, there's not a lot of "crows-feet" around my mum's eyes, and she actually used to have a lot (sorry mum!).

All products were sent to me free of charge, but all opinions stated here are 100% me and my mum's.  I would like to thank AEOS for the products, because my mum hardly ever treats herself, and I think she's really pleased to have these special treats for herself. She's actually purchased some more of the cleansing oil after she left it open in her makeup bag and it all tipped out - although it all seemed to evaporate or absorb in to the bag so there was no mess, and has got some body moisturizer too.

What do you guys think? The products are pretty expensive, but a little actually does go a long way and my mum's look barely used even though she's had them two months or more! Have you tried them?  Do you think you'd give them a go?

PHB ethical beauty - organic, cruelty free, natural, vegan

Sorry I've neglected the blog! I am all moved in to my new house now and have a few things I'm eager to share with you! :)

These products are from PHB Ethical Beauty. I urge you to check out their website.  I e-mailed them in desperation just over a month ago asking for help for the eczema I'd suddenly developed all over my face. Here's some pictures:

I'm not sure how clearly you can see this, but all around my mouth was extremely dry and almost like a rash, and around one of my eyes was red and had these little dots that you can see. It's been there since February and was a bit itchy as well as making me incredibly self-conscious to the point of tears. PHB coming up as a recommendation on twitter felt like a sign, and so I literally wrote 3 paragraphs about the woes of my skin to them!

Sally replied within an hour, recommending Skin Repair Gel which is good for eczema, and Gentle Moisturiser with Coconut and Vit.E.  They have another gentle moisturiser but she recommended the best one for newly sensitive and irritated skin. She really sounded like she knew what she was talking about, which was reassuring, so I got them right away.

The packaging was so vintage. I put the gel on first, of which I only needed a very small amount! After a couple of minutes it had absorbed completely in to my skin, allowing me to cover my whole face in this soothing moisturiser. Both products sink in so well, and you need only a small amount! I was a bit worried I'd hate the gel as I can't stand lavender, but it barely smelt of it and I really liked it. The moisturiser smells a little coconutty and soothing. 

By this point I was checking the mirror every minute or so expecting immediate results.  I WASN'T DISAPPOINTED!!! By the next morning for the first time in about 3 months it had begun to fade!! I have used this product every day since and the difference is amazing. It also didn't cause any negative ractions to my skin, both products leave my skin feeling smooth and soft, and the moisturiser makes a great primer!

My eye hasn't itched for a month, and even though I have about 5 hormonal spots on my chin (I'm sorry! I didn't want to edit the photo or wear concealer so you can get the full effect) there's barely any trace left of eczema!

I would urge you to try these products out if you suffer from skin problems, or even if you don't! And make the most of the contact info on the website too - these people know what they're talking about! :)

Oh! Organics - Organic, Natural, Cruelty-free, Vegan

I was given this lip balm by Michele to try, although initially they were all sold out from the Vitality Show - a popular product then! It’s Blackcurrant flavour, which I was excited about since I love blackcurrants.

           

The packaging is simple, just a paper label with the title and ingredients! As you can see, this item is Vegan :) It is also cruelty-free! I like the fact that it comes in a tube instead of a pot, as it means no one else will jab their fingers in it when I use it in company, like often happens with pots of lip balm!

          

I was expecting it to be purple for some reason, but of course since it’s all natural ingredients it’s white. It seemed a little hard when I first put it on, and I was worried I was going to be disappointing as I couldn’t actually feel any on my lips.  However, upon looking in the mirror I realized my lips were lovely and glossy and did feel really smooth:

                          

It looks like I have lip gloss on for a good hour after just one coat of this! There is absolutely no weird residue on your lips, making me feel like this is actually softening them rather than just coating them in moisture until they become dryer than ever. The down side for me was that the blackcurrant flavour wasn’t very strong, but then it’s not been artificially put in so it’s not going to be as potent.

Oh! Organics are made in Wales, and I’d urge you to check out their lip balms (which cost less than £3!!) as well as their other products. They also do moisturisers, and soap! :)

Gwdi hw Balms - 100% natural, cruelty-free

I have tried gwdihw (pronounced goody hoo) lip balm in Vanilla in the past, and loved it, so was very happy when I got their Gardener’s Balm, First Aid Balm, and Smoochy Lips balm in Pineapple to try!  Since gwdihw is Welsh for Owl, and I have a mild Owl obsession, I love the pots they come in with cute little owls on the front.

Twit-toohoo! If my owl obsession is "mild" I would hate to see an extreme case...

The Gardener’s Balm (Eli’r Garddwr in Welsh) contains Maigold, Coconut oils, and Rosemary. The smell is a bit like being in a garden, I really liked it. I used it on my hands while doing the house work, as they tend to get dry really easily in winter. I found it rubbed in easily, and left a faint but delicious smell on my now not-dry hands :)

The First Aid Balm (Eli Cymorth Cyntaf) came to my aid on a patch of irritated skin I developed after using a foundation I appear to be allergic to! It contains tea tree and witch hazel, so I figured it would be ideal for a skin problem. I love the smell of tea tree, and in this little balm it smelled amazing. It also helped take the redness from my irritated skin!

My favourite, though, has to be the Smoochy Lips (Gwefys Mefys) in Pineapple flavour. It smells like really sweet pineapple, but isn’t sickly at all.  A tiny amount makes my lips feel soft and have a slight shine, without feeling the least bit sticky. I only need to apply it twice a day at most, even though my urge is to wear it constantly. It’s amazing!

Gwdihw can be purchased online and in many shops.  I suggest you give their website a visit, as they have a list of ingredients and what their uses are, which I found really interesting! For example, Chickweed is a healing herb useful for conditions such as eczema. I love that their products are made using ingredients grown in Wales, and they are 100% natural.  Which is your favourite gwdihw balm?

Bulldog Products - Natural, Cruelty-free!

Reviewing Bulldog products 

Angela from meetthebulldog.com was kind enough to send me some Bulldog products, for me to test out on my boyfriend. Bulldog’s male grooming products only use natural ingredients and a small number of low risk synthetics, their packaging is recyclable and best of all they don’t test on animals!

And by “some”, I think she’s sent me one of everything! There was Shave Gel, After Shave Balm, Moisturiser, Face Scrub, Face Wash, and Shower Gel.  I loved the little Bulldogs on the wrapping paper! So let’s dive in.

Luke, what did you think about the products at first glance? “Nicely presented, quite plain, I think that gave them credibility. They didn’t try and use gimmicks to make them seem manly and patronise me.”

You tried the shaving things first. What did you think of them? “It’s good that it’s not in an aerosol can, better for the environment. Smelled delicious and clean. Worked as good as the usual shaving products I use, and the after balm was lovely and smooth.”

You used the face wash every day, and the scrub twice a week. Did you like them and feel a difference to your skin? “Yeah! Both were nice and gentle on the skin, and again had that nice clean scent. They seemed to improve the appearance of my skin.”

What about the moisturiser? You love moisturisers usually, did this one meet your expectations? “Yes! That was probably the best of all the products. It wasn’t too sticky or greasy, and wasn’t strongly perfumed on the skin. It was really nice, my skin was really soft.”

And finally the shower gel? “This was good. Lathered up nicely, and again smelled really good!”

Anything else to add? “I think I would like to buy these again, they had nice little quotes on the back like ‘How can your face your problem if your problem is your face?’ which I found amusing, and the main thing is they worked well!”

Even though they are marketed for men, I think these products can be used by everyone, as the smell wasn’t the typical “manly” smell that all male products seem to share. I tried the face scrub, and my skin is really sensitive but didn’t freak out at all! The scent is quite sweet, but as I say it’s pretty gender neutral, so I think this a product you can share, which is ideal for smaller bathrooms and people who don’t like clutter. I really liked these products, and Luke really liked them, so it’s a win-win! The prices are very decent too! They can be purchased online, or in the toiletries isle of larger supermarkets.

Faith in Nature- cruelty free, vegan, natural!

Reviewing Faith in Nature

Heather at Faith in Nature was kind enough to send me their rejuvenating facial wash, revitalising body lotion, and restorative hand cream to review! Phew, that’s a lot of goodies!
All three are vegan, and none of Faith in Nature’s products are tested on animals. The ingredients are naturally sourced, and they’re paraben and SLES free! Parabens are widely used as a preservative, but have been linked to skin sensitivities, and SLES is a commonly used foaming agent that has been linked to skin irritation. I think the less chemicals, the better, so the lack of these two ingredients is a thumbs up!

All the products have a similar undertone to the scent (although they are perfume free), which is a sort of fruity and lemony kind of scent. It’s not very strong at all, and is pleasant. Ingredients include aloe vera, Shea butter, hemp oil, and rosemary. I love being able to understand the ingredients listed! 

The Body Lotion was the first thing I tried, and it’s lovely! The handy pump-action means lazy people like myself will bother moisturising! A little goes a long way, and there’s no weird residue left like with many body lotions I have tried. As I’ve mentioned, there’s also no added perfume, so you don’t feel like your body lotion is over powering you! I recommend you try this one out! 

The Facial Wash was also a nice surprise. My face gets really dry and is sensitive, as previous readers will know by now! After working up the courage, I tried this wash morning and night for a few days. It didn’t foam up as much as I expected, but then it has no SLES so it wouldn’t. It still made my face feel fresh and clean, with no tightness, and no drying at all! My skin felt really soft afterwards! The only down side for me was it gave me a couple of spots on my cheeks, but since there’s only about 3 products in the world that don’t, this was actually quite a mild reaction for me! It won’t stop me from using the product.



The Hand Cream has to be my favourite product. My hands get a bit dry in winter, as most people’s seem to, and this winter has been particularly bad. The back of my hands were itchy with dry skin, and red from me scratching them. After one use of this hand cream, the itching was almost gone and my hands looked better. 3 uses later and they were back to normal! That’s what you want from a hand cream! I also find when using hand creams, that your skin tends to become even drying once the cream has worn off. The opposite was true here, and I actually haven’t had to use any for almost a week now! Everyone in my house has tried this, and they all love it!


I haven’t cleaned the lid so you can see how much use I’ve got out of this. You can also see not much has gone from the pot, meaning it’s going to last a while!
I will definitely be purchasing this hand cream once mine runs out! Check out the website, and let me know which ones you’ve ordered! 

Working "9 to 5" - cruelty free, chemical free, vegan

Reviewing Lush's 9 to 5 cleansing lotion

As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before - I have really sensitive skin on my face. It’s like someone in a bad mood; you know some things will just set them off, and have literally no way of knowing what that will be.

I’m therefore a bit anxious each time I use a new face product that I’m going to wake up all blotchy.  Still, I needed something to remove my makeup in the evenings without making a big faff, and Lush’s 9 to 5 cleansing lotion seemed to be up for the job.  I got it of Lush’s website for £4.75.  I hadn’t purchased anything from Lush until last year, but I really like the few products I’ve tried, because they’re hand made from natural ingredients and never, ever tested on animals.

The downside is, you will sing "working 9 to 5" every time you use it!

It claimed to be for sensitive skin, but nearly everything says that these days and they aren’t always so!  Anyway, I went ahead and put a small amount on my hands, rubbed it all over my face, and gently wiped it away with a warm flannel.  I could see it removed all my makeup really easily, and it smelled lovely. Dove orchid and ylang ylang, according to the label.  This worried me, as strong scents usually means my skin will have a hissy fit.

Handy squeezy top, less spillage and can be re-used afterwards as it's easy to clean!  

Still, my skin felt incredibly soft afterwards, so I risked not moisturising  because 

a) someone on Lush’s reviews page said they didn’t have to and

 b) I wanted to give it a thorough testing!

I am super impressed with this! I really didn’t have to moisturise, which is like saying I really didn’t have to breather for two hours! Sometimes I have to moisturise after moisturising; I always have to moisturise after any sort of water goes on my face! But nope, not with this!  I would really recommend it, it takes about two minutes at the end of the day now for me to remove my makeup and have lovely, clean, soft skin!

The down side it, after a couple of weeks, my skin did get a bit irritated, so I can't use it every single day. It's a nice treat though.

Guest Review - Earthbound LipBalm

(Guest) Review of Earthbound lip balm

This review is by Kayley.  She's my twin sister. Click here to check out her blog.

“I have always had a problem with getting dry, cracked patches in the corners of my lips. Recently I had severe case of cracked lips - even the skin around my lips was very red and sore too.

Putting lipsalves on them made the skin burn/itch and I was hunting for a mild balm with Emily. When we looked at the ingredients list it was impossible to tell if cetyl dimethicone or phynoxyethenol had mild, soothing properties! Emily suggested I review the Earthbound Organics lip balm she’d been sent, and when I looked at the list of ingredients it was reassuring to know exactly what was in it:

Organic sunflower oil

Organic calendula [this is marigold, and the pot has a photo of a marigold on the front as a clue!]

Organic chamomile

Organic cocoa butter

Beeswax

Vitamin E

All very natural and healthy-sounding! Because balms go on your lips, obviously you’re going to end up ingesting a lot of the ingredients, and I’m reassured to know I’m only swallowing harmless bits of wax and plant extract. And now, the review -

The balm is quite solid, but the simple solution is to carry it in the front-pocket of your jeans! I still carry my pot around, transferring it from jeans to jeans, as even after my lips healed I am very fond of this balm and will continue using it.

I have to admit that it did make the skin around my lips a little tingly at first, but it was very mild compared to the other balms I’d tried. Another admission is that I had to eventually buy Cymex from the chemist for the corner of my mouth, as it wouldn’t heal and I thought I’d better get medical on that bad boy! However, after less than a week my lips had healed - I ditched the Cymex and am still using the Earthbound lip balm.

Pros:    It tastes neutral! No horrible chemical taste! I no longer pick the dry skin on my lips, as they’re soft and dry-skin-less!! No residue is left on your lips, and it’s neither sticky nor runny! 

Cons:  It’s too solid at first to get a good thick layer. It’s not medicated  (I recommend Cymex over any other medicated lip balm) - however, compared to other non-medicated lip balms it’s the best one I’ve tried!

In conclusion - No weird tingly sensation, no unpleasent taste, no dry residue, yes soft lips! And the best part is that I feel good about buying it, because it’s made locally (for me - being as I live in Wales!) and with all natural, all organic ingredients - sticking it to the man! 9/10 (one point deducted for solidity, however to address this problem without simply keeping it somewhere warm, the company would have to introduce nasty chemicals!)."

Earthbound - cruelty free, hand made!

Review of Earthbound eye gel and night cream

Jo over at earthbound skin care was kind enough to send me a sample of night cream and eye gel to review!   Over at http://www.earthbound.co.uk/you can find organic skincare, hand made in Wales.

Is it just me, or does the picture of an avocado look like Totoro?

Let’s start with the eye gel. As you know, I’m a firm believer in natural ingredients, and it’s nice to understand all the ingredients listed on the label! The eye gel has blueberries in it, which give it a nice fruity smell, and also contains carrageen, which is seaweed! It adds a salty, sea-air type of scent to the mixture. It looks orange, and a little gunky. 

I’ve been using it for nearly two weeks now, and I have to say, I like it! Some eye gels or creams tend to make the area around my eyes quite dry! This one keeps them feeling soft, and I’ve noticed they don’t look as worn-out by the end of the day.

The night cream is made of avocado, sunflower oil, rosewater, beeswax and geranium.  The smell is quite hard to describe, kind of sweet and a little green! If that makes sense! It’s very creamy, although the oil does tend to rise to the surface a bit so sometimes you have to mix it before use.

My skin is really dry, and sensitive, so I do have to use night cream (it’s usually a moisturiser that lasts a bit longer on your skin than day moisturisers).  This one is really good! It hasn’t made my skin red, or given me any spots, and sometimes if I’m not putting makeup on the next day I can skip moisturising!! I would really recommend trying this if you have dry skin and find moisturising to be an issue for you.

Overall, I would say I am very impressed with these products. The scent isn’t too strong, the ingredients are organic and natural, and they actually work. Head on over to the website and take a look, and check back here soon for a review of their lip balm! 

Have you tried earthbound products?

Apicare "nourishing" hand creme

As promised, here is a review of the second hand creme Apicare kindly sent me.

Note to self: deffo not a food! Smells delicious, but must not eat!!

This one has mango and papaya, and of course, manuka honey. I wish I could photograph the smell for you. Seriously, it is amazing! Sometimes I open the bottle just to have a sniff. Really sweet and fruity, and summery.  Makes the mouth water.

It’s also a really good moisturiser. I use it on my feet as well as my hands, and it absorbs really well in to the skin. The delicious smell lingers for a while, and my skin feels soft for ages afterwards.

Delicious antioxidants!

Apicare promise to use natural ingredients, and I think that’s why this product is better than other hand creams I’ve used. Loads of harsh chemicals can’t be good for your skin, and are probably the reason my hands end up dryer then ever afterwards. With Apicare, they remain soft for ages! I really am impressed with there handcremes, and would recommend them! 

Purchase online at http://www.simplymanuka.co.uk, or http://www.apicare.co.nz

MuLondon - Vegan, Cruelty Free, Handmade, Organic!!

Reviewing MuLondon - Organic Rose face wash and moisturiser

Let me begin by telling you a little bit about MuLondon. MuLondon products are hand-made in London. They use organic, food-grade ingredients (absolutely no chemicals), are registered with The Vegan Society and PETA, and are one of only 250 fully compliant members of the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics! 

Of course, all this means nothing if they don’t work! So, Boris kindly gave me a discount, and I purchased the Rose face wash. He threw in the Rose moisturiser as a treat! I’ve been using them now for about three weeks, once or twice a day. 

They are quite small, so the fact that they look barely used means they’ll last me a while!! I use about this much of the face wash: 

which is one press of the pump, and rub it into my slightly-damp face. It makes a nice thick foam, and smells really nice. Slightly rosy, and not chemically at all! Then I rinse my face, leave it a little damp but dry my hands, and get this much moisturiser:

The moisturisers are really concentrated, so this much is enough to warm between your hands a put on your face. I like to spend a little while massaging it in, as it’s easier to rub the warmer it gets. It’s not just for the face - it’s for a lot of dry skin conditions. I had a small patch of eczema on my elbow, and after using this once I checked the next morning to find it all gone!! 

My skin is dry, and tends to be uneven, with red patches. After only a week, I noticed a real difference in the condition of my skin. It didn’t feel tight after washing with this, and after moisturising it felt really clean and fresh. I am really, really impressed with this. Yesterday my sister complimented my skin, and I’ve started to go without foundation sometimes because I feel like my skin looks OK without it! Having said that, the moisturiser is a good base for makeup, in my experience.  This is what my face looks like about a minute after moisturising:

(Hey, I thought you were 24?! yeah... I look young, it's a gift and a curse.)

Even though I can still feel the moisturiser on my skin, it doesn’t look greasy. And, if you can see, there’s only a little redness to my cheeks, which before I would have been too self-conscious to show you.

I thoroughly recommend these products, not only because of their lack of chemicals and the company’s ethics, but because they actually work! The prices are fair as well, and because they’re concentrated, they last for ages.http://www.mulondon.com/ Have you tried MuLondon yet?