Wear Flowers On Your Face - My Zuii Organic haul

Hi Lovelies,

So a little while ago I pledged to wear flowers on my face, and I got a chance to do it by winning 25$ gift card on their Instagram page. I knew instantly I wanted a full size blush as blush is my happy place when it comes to the cosmetics, and I've been wanting to try theirs for a while. And I got two samples to go with it as they do sell them for 2$ a pop, so why not? The reason my haul is so small is that I was really cautious to get it under 22€ mark to avoid extra custom taxes (anything more that 22€ and you pay 35% extra of the whole order, stock and shipping together if I order from outside of EU. Yep, it totally sucks! I mean I wouldn't mind if I knew that the products would be working perfectly for me, but ordering for the first time, how can you know?)

Zui Organic First impressions review

 So let's see what did I get and my first impressions of it, shall we?
The first thing that drew me in was Peach blush as it looked gorgeous in the pictures, and that was what I was going to get full size of initially, but after poking around online I changed my mind and went for Melon as the couple reviews promised it to be Nars Orgasm dupe - and it totally is, I am so glad I got it in full size! Obviously it's early days, but I want to announce I am totally in love with it and want to marry it :) I included it in my Natural Dupes for Nars Orgasm blog post, make sure to check it out, I came up with more than 10 20+ options and really surprised myself!

Zuii Melon Blush

 Although it looked much darker on their website, it turned out really light in shade, with that oh-so-gorgeous golden sheen. (the cons of buying and matching yourself online, I got the foundation shade oh-so-wrong despite countless hours of looking at the Zuii Organic social media pages, but more of that later). Peach is very similar in colour, but it does not have that golden shine. It is gorgeous too, and some day I will get a full size of it too.

Zuii Organic Melon blush - your natural Nars Orgasm dupe!

Zuii Organic Blushes: Peach on the left, Melon on the right

 I am always interested in natural and organic foundations, so of course I had to pick up a sample of it too (isn't that a most generous sized sample ever?) but despite of hours of hovering over the pictures in their website/facebook page/Instagram I got the shade oh-so-wrong, so if I will ever be picking the full size of it, I need to go down at least two shades! It has a wonderful ingredients, is suitable for even most sensitive skins (hello, me!) - it does not feels like anything on the skin, it lasts and it looks beautiful in person. The only things I can fault with it is that it does not have enough coverage (at least for me, with my dermatitis scars I am looking for full coverage, but if you are ok with medium coverage, be my guest!) It also does not photograph well, and by that I mean all your flaws are showing - zits, hyperpigmentation spots and all that..
Obviously it's early days as I've only tried it a few times, so maybe I will find a way for it to work for me, but if i didn't fall in love with it straight away, it looks like I won't get in full size, but you never know. We will see.

Zuii Organic Products

Zuii Organic Liquid Foundation in Medium Neutral

Zuii Organic is a wonderful company, they are doing makeup using pure natural ingredients and flower extracts, they are certified organic by several accreditation bodies and I really respect that! They are Australian brand, not that easy to get outside AU unfortunately, but they have a list of international stockists on their website, so if you are interested please go and check it out. I got my stuff straight from their website (I emailed them to ask if my gift voucher could be loaded to any EU distributor, and they said no) and the shipping will set you back 25$ AU, but it is a registered shipping, tracked and signed, and you will get a couple of emails to let you know once it has been shipped etc.. I really recommend this shipping option, as you are guaranteed to get what you bought, and the other postage option is only five dollars cheaper but it is not tracked and they told me upfront they won't be responsible if it does get lost in the post. (it is a problem of mine, I have had a few parcels not reaching me at all, even though I know for a fact they have been shipped from the companies, for example, I won something from Neals Yard Remedies last year and I never got it, even though they sent it twice, first time round it was returned back to them because of "incorrect address" (weirdest thing ever, I live in the same place for 13+ years) and they were kind enough to send it to me for the second time, but when I didn't get it again and let them know about it, they went silent on me, and I can't say I blame them..)
Long story short I am really happy about this haul, even though I paid more than my winnings, I feel like I hit the jackpot with Melon blush as it is a perfect Nars Orgasm dupe and in my own good time i will try more products from the brand, because you know what - it feels really good to wear flowers on your face! 



Have you tried any of Zuii products? What are your favourites? Please let me know either in the comments or on my Instagram page - come and say hello, I love chatting with you guys :)

*UPDATE A FEW YEARS LATER, ZUII ORGANICS ARE NOW AVAIL IN LOVE LULA!

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That is all for now, see you next week!
Lots of love,
Renata.

Natural Nars Orgasm Dupes - Updated! Over Twenty Natural Alternatives!

Hello my lovelies,


Welcome back! And if you are new here, welcome 💕💕💕

Natural dupes for Nars Orgasm

Nars Orgasm swatch

So today I am coming at you with some totally natural and safe dupes for Nars Orgasm - a product I found it hardest to let go of once I switched to natural products. I was searching high and low for natural alternatives and nothing was working for the first few years of my natural journey (that was waaay pre-Instagram, mind you!) and that was upsetting.  I don't know, there's something about that shade that works so well on a lot of different skin types, looks fabulous and makes you feel fabulous! I was happy to ditch all of my blushes apart from this one - in fact I clung to it for dear life! I very rarely used it knowing full well it's full of toxic chemicals, but I every time I looked at it, I sighed. Addicted, moi?  If you find yourself in the same situation I was back then, don't worry, I got you, I've got you covered not with one, not with two, but with NEARLY TWENTY natural alternatives. Yes, you read that right, nearly twenty!

So let's get started, shall we?

Inika Peachy Keen

Inika Peachy Keen on the left, Pure Anada Mango Ice on the right

The first suggestion I have is Inika's Peachy Keen -gorgeous blush from organic natural mineral make up line. It is a bit more orange than Nars Orgasm, but is it pretty close, and it has that pretty golden glow to it. It comes in a loose powder format and it has 3 grams of products. As this line uses no fillers whatsoever, you have to use a very light hand when applying, or else you can easily end up with a clown cheeks. For a while I found it too pigmented and used to use over other blushes as a final layer to dilute it a bit. I still have it and I love it, but I don't reach for it for that same reason. Available on LoveLula. See it here. Retails for around 21£. Full brand review on my new blog here.

Ingredients: Mica (CI 77019); Zinc Oxide (CI 77947); May contain (+/-) Tin Oxide (CI 778161); Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891); Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499); Ultramarines (CI 77007).

PurMinerals Polynesian Pink

Zuii Organic Melon on the left, PurMinerals Polynesian Pink on the right.

PurMinerals Polynesian Pink - this was a love at first sight until I discovered it has both carmine and phenoxyethanol, both ingredients I would prefer not to see in my products! But oh well, I have made exception for this product, because IT IS EXACT DUPE FOR NARS ORGASM!! Please excuse the shouty capitals, I just wanted you to feel how excited I am! It looks the same, feels the same, wears the same, like two peas in the pod, one toxic, one not-so-much depending on your standards. If you can't find this exact shade, fear not, their Kinky blush is almost exactly the same but with a bit more golden sparkle to it. I got my first one in TKMaxx for very cheap but can't find it there ever since, and looking for this exact shade online produced no results at the time I looked, so I was worried until I swatched Kinky in M&S and was overjoyed to find them almost identical. I don't have Kinky yet, but knowing it is available for when I need it, makes me feel good. It's retails for around 27€ for 4 grams of product. I am not sure if I recommend this blush and brand, in the recent few years they changed their name at least twice, and reformulated products too, now they include lots more chemicals than minerals. And that makes me sad when companies do that. I guess it comes down to the level on how natural you want your products to be. I am not repurchasing myself, but it is included as an option here - if you are new to the green beauty, don't know where to start, what to look for and you want your products to be available in the shops, rather than buying (and guessing your shade) online, then it is for you.
Ingredients: (not so clean as Inika's) Mica, Boron Nitride, Zinc Stearate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Octyldodecyl Stearate, Silica, Propanediol, Argania Spinosa Kernel (Argan) Oil, Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Aqua, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Vine Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Root Extract, Ceramide 2, Sorbic Acid. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 (CI 15850), Red 27 (CI 45410), Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Yellow 6 (CI 15985), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Tin Oxide, Carmine (CI 75470). Contains carmine as a color additive.

Zuii Organic Peach on the left, Melon on the right.

Zuii Organic Melon blush

Pure Anada Mango Ice on the left, Zuii Organic Peach on the right

Zuii Organic Melon (and Peach) - these beauties are certified organic (yay or what?) and they are made using crushed flowers and other fabulous ingredients, so you literally are wearing flowers on your face! These little beauties are the latest addition to my beauty collection and I couldn't be happier about it! Depending on how they wear, I think they will replace my PurMineral ones as I like the ingredients better, and I do like the fact that they are organic! Love Lula stocks them - and they ship free worldwide!
Ingredients: rosa damascena (rose) buds*, jasminum officinale (jasmine) buds*, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower*, aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) powder*, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, chamomilla recutita (chamomile) flower extract*, equisetum arvense, (horsetail) extract*, urtica dioica (nettle) leaf extract*, magnesium stearate, d alpha tocopherol, ascorbyl palmitate, caprylic/capric triglycerides
may contain (+/-) mica ci 77891 (titanium dioxide), ci 77007, ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499 (iron oxides), ci 77510, ferric ferrocyanide ci 77947 (zinc oxide), ci 77742 (manganese violet), ci 75470 (carmine). *certified organic ingredients.

100%Pure Luminizer on the left, Mimosa blush on the right

100%Pure Mimosa blush on the left, Luminizer in the middle, and both mixed together on the right.

100%Pure Mimosa blush and Luminizer - mixed together they form the most beautiful shade, that is close dupe to Nars Orgasm, but on the cooler side, as you can see illustrated in the picture above! I love and use these products equally, but never thought of mixing them together until I prepared pictures for this post, and the result made me fall in love with these products even more!

Ingredients: Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado Butter), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Pigments of Carica Papaya Fruit (Papaya) Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract and Prunus Serotina (Cherry) Fruit Extract, Mica (natural shimmery mineral)

Find 100%Pure on Amazon, Detox Market, Safe & Chic. Let me know if You know more retailers.

One more option that is "close enough":
Pure Anada Mango Ice blush - I just wanted to throw this option out there for you, Pure Anada is Canadian brand that I fell in love hard! On their website they also have pressed blushes Sweet Pea and Tender Twig that look closer in colour to Nars Orgasm.
Ingredients: Mica (CI 77019), Iron Oxides (CI 77492, CI 77499) Calcium Carbonate, Caprylic Triglyceride *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba seed oil) Ultramarines (CI 77007), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891) * Certified Organic Ingredient.

So that is all for the blushes I've got, but we are not finished just yet, i have two more suggestion for you, just bear in mind I haven't tried them yet myself, so i can't comment on the feel and wear, but the good thing is they are sooo much cheaper that any of the blushes I suggested to you, and they are Silk Naturals Climax and Afterglow powder blushes! I will get those too even if it kills me (and by that I mean I'll get extra customs tax) and their shipping to EU is not the cheapest either at around 14$, so I am going back and forth about it, as there's so much stuff I want to get from them, so it's like, do I get one full size product and a bunch of samples, or just samples to avoid tipping 22€ limit (any more than that and I get charged extra custom tax at around 35% of the value plus shipping together. Yep, living in IRE sucks when it comes to this!) Whoops, got sidetracked here for a minute!
The full size blush is 6.50$ for 7grams jar, but they also sell samples if you want to try first. Oh, and they are gluten free! Available from Silk Naturals website.
 Ingredients:  Mica, Silica, Iron Oxide.

 *Update four weeks later - I found some more goodness for you and can't wait to share! Not one, not two, but four more dupes, bringing the total to fourteen - how exciting is that?!
So the first of the updates is Lavera's Columbine Pink, which I got in my first ever green beauty swap via Instagram, but then discovered Love Lula carries it, woo hoo! It is not so much pigmented like Inika or 100% Pure, which is why I sort of dismissed at first, but after I picked it up and built up a few layers of it, I could finally see a beauty of it!
Ingredients (INCI): Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Magnesium Stearate, Silica, Tricaprylin, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter*, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract*, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract*, Tilia Cordata Flower Extract*, Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Flower Extract*,
Hydrogenated Lecithin, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Vegetable Oil (Olus Oil), Alcohol*, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Ascorbyl
Palmitate, Fragrance (Parfum)**, Limonene**, Geraniol**, Linalool**, Citronellol**, Citral**, Benzyl Benzoate**, [+/- Mica (CI 77019), Titanium
Dioxide (CI 77891), Carmine (CI 75470), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Iron Oxide (CI 77492)]

Lavera Columbine Pink

Lavera Columbine Pink - Nars Orgasm Dupe

 

Lavera Columbine Pink swatch

Another option is golden/rose gold/dusky pink pigment or even eye shadow (that's right, don't be afraid of mixing and matching your mineral make up) - here I have Bellapierre Peony which is technically an illuminating bronzer but is way too shimmery for me to take it seriously as a bronzer, seriously it is like pure shimmer pigment, it can't be a bronzer in any shape or form in my opinion. You can use anything that is shimmery but i would suggest looking for warm undertones, because cool undertones won't give you the same effect.

Bellapierre Peony

100%Pure Mimosa on the left, BellaPierre Peony in the middle, both of them mixed together on the right

One more option is Faerie Organic Bondi Beach blush which is a recent addition in my collection, but I fell in love with it straight away! I will post a review of this and the other things that I got in the near future, but for now let's just focus on this blush, shall we?
Ingredients:Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Boron Nitride and iron oxides.

Faerie Organic Bondi Beach blush on the left, Poetic eyeshadow on the righ

And last but not least, l am super happy and proud to present you my own DIY multiple which I called Cotton Candy (after the mica used in the recipe) that I will do a whole blog post next week and will link it here once it is finished. The finish is more glowy than I could capture here. See it here.

My DIY blush. I called it Cotton Candy.

 So there you have it, I told you I got you girl! *Waits for a round of applause* You are more than welcome!


So that is all for now,
Lots of love,
Renata.
.
Update many weeks later:
I always have my eyes peeled for those kind of blushes, and I have a couple more options for you. I haven't tried any of those myself (It will be a million years until I will finish some of my blushes) yet, so I can't comment on the longevity or how they look on the skin, but I wanted to give you yet more options for you guys. Come forward Alima Pure Leigh or Freja, Au Naturale Pink Champagne or Palermo, Ere Perez Bondi blush, Han Coral Candy and Idun Minerals (see swatch below)

Update many more weeks later:
Here is another natural dupe for you, Ere Perez Bondi blush. Review of this brand can be found here and a little video of it can be seen on my IG page here.

Ere Perez Bondi Blush swatches

One more option for you if you want a matte version of peachy blush is Peach by Couleur Caramel. Full review can be seen here.

Couleur Caramel Peach blush

One more option was submitted by a reader (thanks Annika) to my Facebook page - she didn't specify the name of it, but I believe it to be Hallon? Please correct me if I am wrong! The blush is by Swedish Idun Minerals brand, so here you go, another option for you to discover!

Idun Minerals blush

So there you go, I work hard on my posts and I like it that way! Hope you will appreciate that :)

Don't forget to check out my Green Beauty Swatch Gallery on my Facebook Page here and Pinterest here. Make my day and subscribe while you are there, thanking you!

Related - Natural Make up posts album on FB

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Disclaimer: Because I have to. After some recent events I now have to state that you can't use my photos and my blog text without my permission first. Blogger's photos (and text) belongs to the blogger and can't be shared without asking prior and giving photo credit after. I work hard on my content and stealing it ain't cool.

Disclaimer II: this post includes a mix of items bought with my own money, PR samples and items that came via LLABP. I am very clear about it in my reviews. 

Clove Oil - Your First Help When You Have A Toothache

Hi my loves,

Got a toothache and don't want to take painkillers for it or they don't help much? Do not worry, I've got you, I have just the tip for you - put a tiny drop of clove oil on it! Even the biggest throbbing pain subsides in minutes and lasts for hours. Trust me on this. You can put it on the tooth itself and on the gums too. I discovered this little beauty two years ago and never went without it since! I especially like the fact that it is simple natural solution and I can shun the drugs, since I don't like popping pills for everything, and if the pain is really bad, they never helped me much and you can't take your next dose for the next four hours. Whereas this is 100% natural product, no side effects and it works so well that you won't need it more than once or twice a day.

This is no long term solution though, book that appointment with your dentist now :)

You can rub the oil on it's own directly onto the affected tooth and the gums too, it is safe to use, but be careful not to spread it around too much or get onto your lips, because it will numb it. Use a cotton swab.

So what is clove oil, and what can it be used for?
Clove is an evergreen tree, which produces a flower bud that has numerous medicinal properties. It is often referred to as clove bud. Clove bud has a shaft and a head and hence it has the Latin name clavus, meaning nail. Clove was extensively used in ancient Indian and Chinese civilizations and it spread to other parts of the world, including Europe, during the seventh and eight centuries. Even now, clove is used in several Indian and Chinese dishes.Clove is rich in minerals such as calcium, hydrochloric acid, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and vitamin A and vitamin C.
The health benefits of clove oil can be attributed to its antimicrobial, antifungal, antiseptic, antiviral, aphrodisiac and stimulating properties. The oil is used for treating a variety of health disorders, but the most important and common use of clove oil is in dental care. Can also be used for infections, skin care, DIY mouthwash, boosting the immune system, reducing stress and headaches, and so much more, although I have to admit I only used it for taking away the tooth pain and sometimes in the DIY mouthwash, so please do your own research and decide on the ways you will want to use it. Or not. I cannot be held responsible for what you will do with this information. Bear in mind that I am all-things-natural enthusiast and not a professional.(Disclaimer, because you simply have to these days, full stop.)

Clove oil can be found in your regular pharmacy or health shop for around 6€ or your local asian shop for 2€. One bottle will last you years. Be sure to do research how natural the brand is and how they are making/ extracting their essential oils. The only two brands I use now are Living Libations & Neals Yard Remedies - *update a few years later.
I hope this little tip will help any of you! Let me know your thoughts on it, have you used it before? Or plan to use it? Please share in the comments below.

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That is all for now :)
Lots of love,
Renata.

Blogger's Swap Bag

Hi my Green Friends,

The idea of natural goodies swaps came from Instagram fellow blogger KeepCalmAndThinkGreen - I saw this on her IG page and I thought it is a fabulous idea to swap your items that you don't use for whatever reason with fellow bloggers or anyone interested in green beauty. So this is my little pile of goodies that in one way or another didn't work for me, all are gently pre-loved, and by that I mean used very little. Let's keep the swaps EU based to keep the postage costs down (sorry US folks!) - as a girl Living La Vida Broka I am all about keeping the cost low :) Please bear in mind that due to stupid postal regulations I can't post (or receive) liquids outside Ireland, so all the liquids posted here are in hopes to find a swapping buddy within Ireland :)

Any questions or suggestions for swapping - please email me @green.life.in.dublin@gmai.com or find me on my Instagram page here .

 

100% Pure Pretty Naked palette. Used very little. To be honest with you I am on the fence whether to swap it or not as I kinda think of it as my prized possesion, but then again I just don't reach for it, so I thought I would just throw it out there to see what happens :)

Hynt Beauty (mine is the old version still called Chrisptopher Drummond) in light. Full. Fabulous stuff, find my review on it in earlier posts.

 Lily Lolo eyeshaddows in Cream Soda and soft brown. Photos in natural daylight with no filters. Sorry for exagerrated size of photo, just wanted you to see the real colours in swatches.

Mineral eyeshaddows that came from Etsy Beauty section, all are swatched only. From left to right : Champagne, Latte, Tea Rose and Cocoa Bean. Again, sorry for crazy disproportional photo of swatches!

Any questions, just ask :)

Lots of love,
Renata.