Need or Want?

For a while now I've been struggling to figure out how I got into this whole "flawless face" obsession. I never used to wear any kind of face base till last year when I had my daughter. Hormones caused havoc in my skin and I had unsightly blemishes/scars left behind and was unsure what to do.

I tried countless number of tinted moisturisers and foundations over this past year only to find they messed up my skin more by either drying it out or causing breakouts, not only that, I've wasted a lot of money in search for something that works for me. Today I was thinking how I got into this obsession of trying to make my skin as flawless as possible? What happened to being happy in my own skin or just using whatever 'did the job'?

I don't know but I'm happy to have realised that this has got to stop! Foundation for me, is just making my skin worse over time and I'm going to wear it occasionally now and if I need anything on my face then I'll just a bit of concealer where needed and set lightly.

I am DONE! I think, for the most part, we magnify our flaws 10x more than they are and really, we do look great without all that slap!

Some accessible cruelty-free options

For today's recessionista, money can be an issue and sometimes you may have to compromise your ethics in order to save money. I'm constantly on the lookout for cruelty free that are affordable and here are some that may help you look beautiful without any compromise :)

MAKE-UP

*Barry M (also free from animal by products)
*Revlon
*Prestige Cosmetics
*Boots' own No7 / 17/ Natural Collection
*E.L.F (eyeslipsface)
*Soap & Glory
*NYX cosmetics
*Bourjois

SKINCARE

*Boots Botanics & Botanics Organic (free from animal by products also)
*Superdrug's own brand skincare
*Original Source
*Naked
*Jergens Naturals
*Soap & Glory
*The Sanctuary

These brands can be found at Boots and Superdrug except for NYX which is only available for us in the UK through EBay.

Other brands that can be found mainly online and are affordable (or cheaper than other all-natural brands at least) 100 % natural are;

*Weleda
*Lavera
*Avalon Organics
*Faith in Nature
*Bentley Organics

These can be found at various e-tailers such as: http://www.yourhealthfoodstore.co.uk / http://www.naturisimo.com

REVIEW: Korres Lightweight Watermelon Tinted Moisturiser SPF30

I generally go for tinted moisturisers because they (supposedly) offer hydration with light coverage and usually look more natural than foundation. I've used various products by Korres and having tried their Wild Rose foundation and Ginger & Vitamins foundation, I decided to try this one aswell.

Now onto the positive things; I love that it has a high SPF, it's great not to have to wear extra layers when your base has extra 'features'. Secondly, I like that it has a bit more coverage than most tinted moisturisers (I'm looking at you Stila!) and I also like that it has a dewy finish and lasts all day. Also, a huge plus is that it does not contain silicone like the other two bases by Korres so great for those of us with sensitive skin!

However, it is not without its cons! My main issue with this TM is that it does not blend well, you sometimes feel as though you are tugging your skin and I hate that. I have resolved that by mixing in a tiny drop of the Korres Wild Rose Serum, this makes it a lot more blendable and also sheers it out a little. My other issue with this is the shade I'm using, I've got it in Dark Tan 03 which is the darkest one in the range. The problem is that Medium Honey 02 has got a good amount of yellow but this shade is right in terms of darkness but wrong in terms of tone, it is slightly pink/orange. I don't know why cosmetic companies tend to make darker shades more orange, shouldn't they still be the same tone but the depth should be lighter/darker?? Strange.

Despite the cons, it is a good tinted moisturiser, it does the job I want it to but I get nervous about the fact that it contains talc and therefore will cause dryness over time. I would recommend this more for normal/combination skinned people as it may dry out those with dry skins.

I would give this a rating of 7/10, it retails for £17.50 for 30ml from http://www.beautyexpert.co.uk

My make-up loves

Here are some make-up products that I've been relying on often and have never caused any problems and are cruelty-free (yay!):



FACE

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium/Dark
Clinique Even Better Foundation SPF15 - Honey 06

EYES

Bobbi Brown Corrector - Dark Peach
Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil - FBI
Laura Mercier Brightening Powder
Prestige Biggest Lashes Mascara - Black
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner Pencil - Zero / Bourbon / Yeyo (Depends!)

CHEEKS

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks Powder Pink

LIPS

Korres Cherry Lipgloss in Light Pink

I tend to like a natural everyday look and I do usually change the gloss/blush for everyday but for some reason, I've been reaching for these in particular quite a bit lately :)

Natural Foundations & Tinted Moisturisers

Since I break out from almost every foundation especially ones that contain high amounts of silicone ingredients, I decided to try the all-natural route to see if either of these work for me. I've given brief reviews of the ones I have tried. :)

Suki Color Tinted Active Moisturiser SPF15

OK, so this is a liquid cream mineral tinted moisturiser/foundation. I generally find mineral foundations very drying for my skin, I find they are generally suited for more oilier skin types as they are more oil-absorbing. This one is 100% natural, cruelty free and has some really wonderful ingredients in it. I bought the shade Natural and this is for Medium skintones. I found the shade more neutral than yellow/pink but it was slightly dark even for me (I'm around a MAC NC35 for reference) but somehow it blended in and didn't look strange. It smells like lavender and feels really soothing on the skin, I found the coverage light and natural. I loved that it was very hydrating and had a slightly dewy finish. My skin just looked healthy and natural which I loved. I like that it comes in a pump bottle too as its hygienic and easy to dispense the product. My only gripe is that it only comes in two shades - Natural & Bronze and that it doesn't last longer than about 4 hours on my skin. I would recommend this for normal-dry skins & also sensitive skins. My rating 8/10. RRP for 35ml £24.99, available at http://www.naturisimo.com

Nvey Eco Organic Creme Deluxe Foundation

I tried a sample of this from Naturisimo and intially loved it. The texture is like a cream foundation and would need to be applied with a foundation brush or sponge. It doesn't have any scent to it and is not overly creamy. I would say it is kind of a hardish cream foundation that you need to warm up a bit with your brush or fingers before applying, once applied it covers well and looks pretty natural. Nvey Eco says this is a full coverage foundation but I feel its versatile and can be sheer if applied with a damp sponge and is buildable. The shade I used was number 870 which had a good amount of yellow tones but was a bit light for me. I would recommend this more for normal/combination skin types as its not very moisturising for those on the drier side. I personally don't see it as a must have but it can be worth trying if you're on the market for a 100% natural cream foundation. My rating 6/10. It retails for £27.36 for 15ml at http://www.naturisimo.com and £30 at http://www.lovelula.com

Madara Sun Flower Tinted Moisture Fluid

This is the cheapest of all three I've talked about but my least favourite. The lighter Moon Flower version of this won awards on Lovelula.com but this shade - which is more suited to olive/medium tones is not that amazing in my opinion. This is a very lightweight tinted moisturiser and isn't very moisturising, it has a barely there type coverage and is actually quite shimmery. I tend to like bases with light reflecting particles but this had too much for daytime and ended up highlighting my flaws. I'm not sure if the Moon Flower one (for fair/light skintones) is better since its had some good reviews. I'd recommend getting a sample first before trying. My rating: 4/10 RRP £21.50 for 50ml at http://www.naturisimo.com

Overall, my experience with these natural bases has been enlightening in that even though they have some ingredients and are free from irritants, I think they are quite expensive for the fact that they do not perform exceptionally. They are a great choice for those that are on the look out for products that are vegan, 100% natural and cruelty free but there are other cruelty free products that perform better even though they may not be 100% natural.

REVIEW: REN Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask

Over time, I've tried various masks that promised different things 'a brighter complexion' 'glowing complexion' 'even complexion' etc. etc. I hardly found any that lived up to those claims..until now!

REN is quickly becoming a favourite line to me and its not hard to see why. Made without any chemicals and harmful toxins, this is a line that true to its word. Everything I have tried has lived up to my expecations - ones that are not fulfilled easily.


REN describes this mask as: "A potent bio active peel mask designed to renew the complexion, reduce fine lines and dramatically improve skin tone, firmness and radiance. It has been formulated with a fruit acid complex (lactic, glycolic, tartaric and citric) and papain enzyme to give a gentle but potent exfoliating peel that will leave skin glowing and in optimum health. This mask is particularly recommended for congested and mature skin, and works well on post acne scarring, blemishes and blackheads plus sun damaged skin. It is not suitable for sensitive skin types."

Now, I can't say that I have tried all the peel masks there are but I have tried a few and this one beats them all.

What I was looking for:

A mask that exfoliates gently and actually gets rid of the blackheads on my nose and the dry patches I have across different areas of my face and leaves me face looking fresh and healthy and reduces the marks I have from pimples together with evening out my complexion.

What this mask does:

I left this on for 10 minutes as directed and intially felt a slight tingling sensation that went away after a few seconds. I found the texture to be like a gel-cream and it slightly tacky to the touch but not sticky. It smells like oranges to me. After washing my face, I looked in the mirror and I was astounded to find that all my blackheads were gone, my whole face looked fresh, radiant and just very clean.

What I think:

I absolutely love this mask, it is one that I will keep buying because it actually works! When used weekly, this will reduce scarring and marks on the face because it is gently taking off dead skin cells and as a result the skins surface will look brighter and more even with time. I have never found any exfoliater that has taken off all my blackheads in 10 minutes so this is a keeper. I highly recommend this to anyone that is looking for a more rejuvenated complexion and has areas on their skin that they would like to see more even and decongested. I use this once a week followed up with REN's Detox Mineral Mask the next day if my skin is going through a rough time. For me, this using this mask is no different than having a facial in a salon except with the convenience of doing it in your own home and getting quite a few facials for the price of one. My rating: 9/10

Price and where to buy from:

This retails for £27.50 for 50ml bottle. Can be purchased at: http://www.renskincare.com / http://www.beautyexpert.co.uk

REVIEW: A'kin Rose & Geranium Pure Creamy Cleanser & Toner in One

I've been using this cleanser for a few months now and I really like it. It's recommended for Normal, Dry & Sensitive skin and considering that my skintype is normal-dry prone to eczema flare ups, I wanted to see if it delivered results.

What I was looking for:

A cleanser that takes off all the dirt and make-up off my face and eyes without irritating my skin and drying my skin out.

What A'kin's cleanser did:

It did all that I wanted it to do, I didn't have to use a separate cleanser for mascara etc., just using a small face cloth I took everything off and my skin felt clean and hydrated. The texture is like a creamy moisturiser and it smells like roses, the smell is not at all artificial or overpowering. I find that it feels soothing to the skin.

What I think;

I think this is great for anyone without sensitive skin or skin that is prone to drying out with most cleansers, I also love that it contains a toner within it so it saves you some extra money plus all the ingredients are 100% natural. I would buy it again but my only gripe is that you end up getting more than you want from the squeezy bottle so I feel it gets used up quicker than it would otherwise. My rating 8/10

The ingredients, price and where to buy from:

aqua (purified Australian water*) *BP 2007 standard, glycerin (botanical source), glyceryl laurate (botanical source), sodium gluconate (from GMO free corn), simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil (cold pressed Australian grown), persia gratissima (avocado) oil (certified organic cold pressed Australian grown), panthenol (pro Vit B5), lecithin (and) tocopherol (and) ascorbyl palmitate (and) hydrogenated palm glycerides citrate, fusanus spicatus wood (West Australian sandalwood) oil, cetearyl alcohol (botanical source), sorbitol (from GMO free maize), pelargonium graveolens (geranium) flower oil, squalane (from olives), soy lecithin (GMO free), macadamia ternifolia seed oil (cold pressed Australian grown), butyrospermum parkii (certified organic shea butter), sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, caprylic/capric triglyceride (from palm) ethylhexylglycerin, glyceryl stearate (botanical source) hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) water, phenoxyethanol, rosa centifolia flower water, sesamum indicum (sesame) seed oil, sodium isostearoyl lactylate (botanical source), sodium stearoyl lactylate (botanical source), stearic acid (botanical source), xanthan gum

The price is £12.99 for 225ml and can be purchased at: http://www.mypure.co.uk

Introduction to the blog

Hi everyone, I just wanted to give a brief introduction to the blog. I created this blog to talk mainly about beauty products but not just your everyday ones, ones that are cruelty free. I feel strongly about animal testing and tend to find pretty much everything that you find is tested on animals. It really is a sad sight to see, which is why I'm always on the lookout for cruelty free products.

I'm also trying to use cosmetics with no animal by products (apart from beeswax, milk, honey) so favour companies that do this.

I will be puttingup reviews, tips, information as often as possible, please feel free to comment / question. :) Take care!