I have never been so excited to try out and do a review like Organic Island’s Shell Lip Balm – when the lovely ladies approached me to submit a sample for review, all I thought was, “Oh, I don’t know, is the sky blue?!” I love all things beach-related and as I shared last year, all I want to do is go to the Maldives, so it was a big yes from me! This Australian company, Organic Island and it’s Shell Lip Balm perfectly captures my love for the beach and of course, makeup.
And get this – the shells are 100% real and are not in any way man made (!!). The shells are filled with 100% natural, Australian made lip balm consisting of the finest ingredients including natural oils, Vitamin E, fruit and plant extracts and fruit butters. The lip balm boasts ingredients such as Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil, Mango Shea Butter and Macadamia Oil for ultra soft and smooth lips.
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When The Body Shop gave me a goodie bag full of their latest organic skincare range, Nutriganics, from their recent media event, I was beaming. First, how generous, and second; I adore organic makeup and really loving this whole green movement. I even wrote about green skincare recently, so I am especially happy I can finally add a review on the site about an organic skincare range.
(Oh yes, and this should not have to be said but as with everything on the site, this is my 100% honest review.)
Foaming Facial Wash
A blend of essentials oils and natural fragrances, the first product in the set is the Foaming Facial Wash. Ingredients include babassu oil, and organic sugar, mixed in with natural fragrances like Italian lemon, jasmine and red fruits. Said to remove impurities and makeup, the cleanser promises to reveal smooth, soft and freshly cleansed skin.
Here’s the thing about cleansers. I love organic makeup because it means less junk on my face, but I’m still at that age of fearing zits, blemishes and oil. That being said, I was very concerned about that when trying this wash – after all, from what I know, how can natural products give my skin and potential zits a kick in the butt? I need chemicals for that, no? Still, I braved two days – morning and night – of this cleanser. What I like about it is that it really does cleanse your face – it feels so smooth, and it’s amazing how gentle it feels on the skin. It really feels like you’re putting nothing on your face, which is wonderful. The only thing is, like I said; I need my chemicals. I obsessively checked my face and sure enough, about 3 tiny whitehead zits were forming, and that was it for me. Back to my old cleanser!
So for this cleanser, I’d recommend it for those who do not have any problems or concerns with zits. If you’re blessed with good, (or just normal) skin and have concerns about aging and want to use organic products, I would definitely recommend it. Perhaps in the future I will use it when that stage of pimples go away (God willing…).
(Side note: I passed this on to my mother and she is raving about how wonderful it is and claims she will use it forever. So like I said, perhaps this is more suited for those that do not have acne prone and oily skin.)
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Once upon a time (3.5 weeks ago), in a land far, far, away (tiny island of Singapore), there was …. Alright, ignore my dramatic introduction. Basically, the very lovely The Body Shop (TBS) hosted a private media launch for the online beauty media in Singapore. The Body Shop is launching their very first organic skincare range and TBS kindly invited some of us along to meet, try out, and chat about the new range. We even got a tour of TBS offices and it’s pretty darn cool!
First, we were greeted with a goody bag full of the range, (I’ve been trying them out and will have a full review up pretty soon!). Next, we chatted and ate some snacks while watching TBS’ promo video for the new skincare range. A TBS employee volunteered to be the model for the presentation, while the heads at TBS spoke about the TBS brand, the new skincare range, and showed us how to apply each product, while telling us what they do.
After that, we took a tour of the office, and here we all are in front of an in-house shop, where they test out store display concepts.
Left to right: Diana from Adore Beauty, YouTube Makeup Guru Wiwit Anggun, Myself, Christy from Beaute Runway and Sesame from Viva Woman. It was really great to meet them all, and I can confidently say we had a good afternoon, right ladies? ;) And thanks Wiwit for this awesome group pic!
Overall, I had a great time – it’s nice that TBS took the time to make a whole event for the online world … blogs are finally getting recognized as ‘media’, which I’m ecstatic about! Thank you TBS for the invite, was really honored to be noticed as one of Singapore’s beauty “go-to” online. :) Review coming very soon!
So you’ve been hearing non-stop about products being ‘green’ and earth friendly, yet you don’t know what the heck that means. I didn’t either – all I knew was that ‘green’ products are good for the earth and ourselves. It was not until my best friend sent over a book on natural/organic skincare that I learned how great green products really are, so I thought I’d share what I know today!
What is green skincare?
Green products are any beauty products that are made from natural, organic or biodynamic farmed ingredients. This means that common skin irritants like sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrances and parabens are not present, so the products will be kinder to your skin. Furthermore, green products are considered earth friendly due to their biodegradable packaging.
What ingredients are never found in green products?
Like I wrote in an older post, How to Spot Natural Products, any ingredient that can cause allergies or irritant the skin are normally banned from green products. Some common ones that are banned are parabens, sulfates, silicone, synthetic dyes, fragrances, animal-by products and preservatives.
What’s with all the new vocab?
Green products claim a lot, from being “vegan”, to “natural”, to “organic” and uses terms such as “biodynamic” and “biodegradable”. Say what? I was always sleeping-awake in Science class, so if there was one thing that confused me about green products, it was all the big words! Here are some of the popular terms and what they mean:
- Green - Anything considered environmentally friendly.
- Natural - Considered natural if no man-made or manufactured ingredients are in it.
- Organic - Certified to not be genetically modified, and have been grown without fertilizes and pesticides.
- Vegan – Cruelty free, does not test on animals, and does not use animal-by products.
- Biodegradable – A material that is capable of creaking down and decaying due to microorganisms.
- Biodynamic - A system where someone harvests crops at their peak, according to cycles of the sun, moon or soil.
How Do I Start Going Green?
Last year I wrote a general post on some simple steps you can take in being a green beauty. This time we’re talking skincare, so if you’d like to give it a try, here’s how to start using green skincare products.
First, source out products that claim to be organic and natural (remember, sometimes they can claim something but not be it!). Next, check out the ingredients list. It shouldn’t have any of the ingredients I listed above. If it does, it’s probably just partially organic. (But as I wrote in my older post, anything that is at least 95% organic is considered organic.)
Here are some natural and organic products that can give you a head start. Some I’ve tried, some are recommended by my organic-obsessed best friend, and some are well-known natural brands that you could check out.
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W3ll people first impressed me with their Narcissist concealer/foundation stick, and they’ve done it once again with Nudist Lip Shine, their very own organic lip balm that not only does the job, but does it w3ll. (Sorry, that pun was just too easy.) The product includes tons of benefits, too:
- Hydrates and softens with EFA rich organic rosehip oil and soothes with calendula
- Shines and softens with a castor oil base and beeswax
- Powerful antioxidant boost with green tea and pomegranate
- Brightens lips with supernatural color pigments
- SPF +/- 10
An organic lip balm with amazing color payoff, it not only moisturizes your lips but gives it some a great hue – the color pigment is very impressive – it really looks like a lipstick. Not to mention, I spy with my little eye some great bright colors, such as hot pink, coral, and a deep purple color that I was fortunate to try out. I even had to take a picture to show you just how grand the color payoff is!
(Apologies for the PhotoBooth picture though, I don’t know where I put my camera. The color is the same but about 10% deeper in real life.)
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If you’re looking for a foundation that not only does it’s job (properly, that is) and is good for your skin, well… (pun intended) I think I may have found an option for you: W3LL People’s Narcissist Concealer and Foundation stick. In fact, I will go so much as to say I think I may have just found a gem of a product, ladies!
W3ll People is a supernatural mineral, organic makeup line created by Cosmetic Dermatologist Renee Synder, Makeup-artist and former NARS Corporate Leader Shirley Pinkson and Treehugger James Walker. What a team! With that being said, I like what I hear. (Plus … I have to support my fellow Renee. ;))
The Narcissist Concealer and Foundation Stick has plenty of benefits: first, it’s 100% toxic free and 100% natural. This means natural ingredients that don’t harm the skin, and you won’t find any nasty petrochemical, parabens, preservatives or phthalates. The stick also contains a mix of anti-oxidants such as organic green tea, reishi mushroom and pomegranate. And just to be even more ridiculous (in a good way), it also has oil absorbing silica to control shine, has an SPF 10 and nourishes the skin with organic sunflower oil and organic wild harvested bayberry….
I told you I found a gem.
Before I get to the review – can we please talk about the name ‘Narcissist’? Genius! I always said if I ever had a makeup line (that will never happen) I’d call it Narcissist or something along the lines. Love the name! Also, I love the fact that it’s organic – I mentioned that I’m using an organic loose power and really love it, and hoped to find an organic foundation as well, so I am really loving organic products – I know I’ll never get breakouts from them.
Though I’m not so much a fan of foundation so much right now, let’s be honest – I’d need all the help I can get when I’m older. Narcissist is a great alternative for those days when I may need a heavier coverage. It’s in a cream stick formula, so you know that the product is quite thick – no way will I be applying this straight to my face, unless I want a real ‘mask’ look. The best method I found to apply this as a foundation or concealer was to either use my fingers and ‘pat’ the product on, or a concealer or foundation brush. Also, a damp foundation wedge sponge would work really well. It is easy to apply and goes on smoothly.
Like I said above, a real gem of a product. The only ‘con’ I see is that it is US$38, but I’ll look past that as foundations these days cost the same, yet aren’t as good for your skin as this. Also, it’s a fairly big product and you don’t use a lot at one go, so I could see this lasting for years.
What do you think about organic and natural foundations? Do you use them? Do you find them to be better than ‘regular’ foundations? I sure do! :)
Victoria’s Secret has launched a new organic, 100% vegan, eco-friendly body care collection called PINK Body.
The packaging is made from Post Consumer Recycled materials, with limited inks and dyes that go directly on the packaging and created removable labels. (Great news for those who read my last post and are becoming a green beauty).
The line consists of 4 collections:
1. The Energizing line is like a wake up call for your skin, packed with organic citrus and mint, and includes body wash, body lotion, and scrub.
2. The Nourishing line leaves skin feeling super soft and moisturized with organic Shea butter with its body wash, body lotion, and shave cream.
3. The Soothing line is Hypoallergenic and infused with organic soy milk and oat extract, so it’s great for extra sensitive skin. items include body wash, body lotion and hand cream.
4. Essentials are the everyday skin items you may need such as foot cream, lip butter, hand sanitizer and a refresher spray.
I am so excited for this. How cute do these items look? For some reason I feel it’s perfect for college students! It’s just so young, fresh and cute. I’ll try to get my hands on some and maybe get some reviews up, we don’t get the VS brand here though. :(
Has anyone tried this line yet? What do you think of Victoria’s Secrets products in general? I’ve never tried their products (except an eyeshadow) before so I’d love to hear if you think it’s a good brand. :)
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