My Everyday Make Up Look, or Five Minutes Face

Hi Lovelies,


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

I thought I'd share my everyday 5 minutes face with you? In a way it features all my favourite products of the moment, because you don't reach for new unfamiliar products to test out on busy mornings, you go straight to your trusty favourites that you know won't fail you. I will also link the products to the reviews I posted already in the case you missed that, so you can check them out in more detail. One favourite that quickly earned my trust but is yet to be reviewed is foundation by Pure Anada, stay tuned for the review - I purchased loads of goodies from this brand, but somehow it fell under the radar, and I've never featured it here nor on my Instagram page. Big whoops! But spoiler alert - the mineral foundation is amazeballs and it quickly took over as my favourite mineral foundation.

So, let's begin!

Natural and Organic 5 Minutes Face, option one

First I moisturise my face, at the moment I am using NYR Palmarosa moisturiser, it is meant for oily skin, it works perfectly for my dry and very sensitive skin. It is very good if you ask me, and it is one of the two good moisturisers I found in the last year that really suits my skin. The other one is Rose day cream by DrHauschka, and I am definitely going to purchase it once I am out of this one. I let it sink in for a couple of moments, while I do my brows or something. If my skin is really dry and/or irritated (it happens if I accidentally gluten myself or test too many products) I use Mahalo Indigo balm, I only have a sample of it acquired via green beauty swap with gorgeous Sasha from Balanced Beauty Bristol - it is definitely something I am purchasing sometime.
So, with one or two of those products on my skin, I proceed to put on mineral foundation by Pure Anada, it is so pigmented that I only need one or maximum two layers if my skin is bad, and that's it! Get it, people? One layer of mineral foundation?! No standing around and buffing seven layers in like I used to do with my other mineral foundations! I never use any finishing powders of any kind (I do own a couple of them, but I never noticed a "wow" difference at all) and it makes my skin look amazing, I always receive compliments on my skin when I wear it. As in most cases, I fall in between two shades, so I use a mix of Atlantic Bisque and Sunkissed Canadian from their neutral range. What can I say, I love it! And love is not a word I throw around  a lot when it comes to the beauty products, they truly have to earn it, as in be amazing products. I need to purchase a multiple back ups pronto, as I would not want to be without it!

Ok, after I applied the mineral foundation powder (I am still on the hunt for perfect liquid foundation, I plan to try Gressa and Sappho next) I apply black pencil eye liner to my eyes (just a little bit at the corner of the eyes, nothing crazy) and two layers of my favourite ever 100%Pure Maracuja Oil mascara (review). If I am pressed for time I skip eye shadows, but if I have minute to spare I used the one from 100%Pure Pretty Naked II palette (review) called Beam, which is your perfect everyday nude.

Natural and Organic 5 Minutes Face, option two, that's if I have an extra minute to put eye shadow on!

With my eyes done I quickly do my brows with Silk Naturals brow cream in medium ash, I only have a sample of it, and currently debating with myself (what? I need to talk with an intelligent person!) whether to purchase a full size of it or not? It is slightly too dark for me and it smudges easily, but it is just the right sort of ashiness for me. All the other brow products I've tried to date are way too warm, even if they say "ash" on the label, they are all too warm on me and it looks odd with my naturally dark grey eyebrows. If you have suggestions for a good natural medium ash toned brow product, be it in a gel/cream/pencil form, please let me know! Please don't say Ecobrow, because it contains both lanoline and dimethicone, and I tend to react badly to the dimethicone.

Ok, skin and eyes done, all that is left to do is to sweep some Nars-Orgasm-like blush on my cheeks, one of my all the time favourites are Mimosa by 100%Pure and Peachy Keen by Inika - even more gorgeous natural dupe for Nars Orgasm, you will definitely smile when you will put it on. Finishing touch is a swipe of gemmed lip gloss by 100%Pure (review)(again! Someone really likes 100%Pure stuff!) in Peacock Ore or Rainbow Aura and I am good to go.

Want to see what it looks like? Here you go! I was also wearing the same look when I met up with gorgeous BVGan, see photo here - and the photo is not retouched in any kind of way too. And before you ask, yes, she is as gorgeous in person as she is in her YouTube videos!

My everyday 5 Minutes Make Up. Sans filters.

Phew, my Five Minutes Face post took a good hour of work, and that's without any photos! Maybe it is really the time to start my Yotube channel? It is something I am thinking about lately, but I do one step forward and two backwards about it. We will see?

What is your five minutes face? Please share with me!


That is all for now!
Lots of love,
Renata.
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See all of my favourite products here.
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P.s. I stopped buying my favourite mascara for the reasons listed here.
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Disclaimer: All items were purchased with my own money. No affiliate links here.

Living Nature Soft Lights Illuminating Foundation Review

Hi Lovelies,


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

Living Nature Soft Lights Illuminating Foundation

Living Nature is a brand from New Zealand that is on my radar for a few years now, and I kept seeing it everywhere ever since. Founded in 1987 they're committed to using only natural ingredients and if there are doubts about the safety of any ingredient, they don't use it. They also seem to collect natural beauty awards one after another year in year out, and that's how you know you are onto a good product! In their range they have several lines of face products (not to mention other beautiful products like cleansers, masks, serums, etc, they make all sorts of natural goodies) Needless to say I want to try everything they make, so when I was offered a chance to try something from the line, my response was YES PLEASE! I got Soft Lights Illuminating Foundation * (30ml RRP £29.50) in the shade Dawn Glow.  And does it glow? Yes, it does. Look at that shimmer! Remember when I wanted to steal my daughter's Lily Lolo BB cream? Well, she can breathe a sigh of relief, because I like this so much better, it is more sophisticated version of a BB creams - and my new love.

In my humble opinion I would not call it a foundation as it has very little coverage, to me it is more than BB cream or a tinted moisturizer, but even so, I have to declare my love for it, I like it very much! We all know I like a dewy finish, and if you are like me, this might be your perfect product - the skin looks luminous, you know, lit-from-the-within kind of glow, truly gorgeous!  The shade that I got is ever so slightly too dark for me (just a touch, I can wear it on it's own, as long as I remember to blend it down my neck too). It is so luminous that you can use it as a shimmering bronzing liquid if you get it in the darker shade, or try mixing it with other foundations. I have tried mixing it with my 100%Pure in White Peach, which on it's own is too light for me, and the result is truly magical. Coverage from one and luminosity from another. Perfection. So here's a little tip for you - don't be afraid of playing mixologist if the products on their own are not quite right for you - you can create something that might work perfectly for you!

Living Nature Soft Lights Illuminating Foundation review

Zero retouching on the photo, and you can still see the gorgeous dewy shimmer 

Now, back to the Living Nature foundation. It wears beautifully throughout the day, never clings to any dry patches, nor it accentuates large pores (and I would know) and it does not settle into weird patches on the skin like some other foundations tend to do for me. It is also very moisturising and it doesn't need a primer at all, this beauty is perfectly holding up on it's own. Yay or what?

One of my only problems is that the top of the bottle is as pictured - there is no lid and although it can be locked to prevent spills the opening stores the last bit of product used which then turns hard and comes out the next time you use it. It's not a major issue but just one that irritates me ever so slightly.

Let's look at the ingredients, shall we?
INGREDIENTS/INCI: Aqua (water), Jojoba esters, Macadamia ternifolia seed oil (macadamia oil), Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil**, Mica (Cl 77019), Titanium dioxide (CI 77891), Persea gratissima oil (avocado oil), Glycerin (vegetable glycerin)**, Cetearyl wheatstraw glycosides (&) cetearyl alcohol (wheat straw extract), Zinc oxide (CI 77947), Butyrospermum parkii butter (shea butter)**, Mel (manuka honey), Iron oxides (Cl 77491, Cl 77492, Cl 77499), Citrus grandis seed extract (grapefruit seed extract), Sclerotium gum, Stearic acid, Cetyl alcohol, Talc (CI 77718), Pelargonium graveolens oil (geranium oil)*, Leptospermum scoparium oil (manuka oil), Melaleuca alternifolia oil (tea tree oil), Tocopherol (vitamin E). *From natural essential oils: Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool. **Certified organic.

Do I like it?
I really like this product.  Although I can't use it alone anymore, not really appropriate for Autumn day time (and I am getting paler by the day!) but it is just such a handy little bottle for adding a bit of glow to your everyday look and I think it would be gorgeous as a highlighting bronzer on paler skins. Will make sure to get it come next summer, in a shade lighter of course. I also like the ingredients - the manuka honey, manuka oil and tea tree all help me to feel confident that I'm not adding to any blemishes - and I definitely haven't noticed it causing any breakouts. It is also seems to be preserved with grapefruit seed extract, and I like it so much more than japanese honeysuckle, because japanese honeysuckle behaves like paraben in our bodies, and I worry that it would disrupt endocrine system. No such problems here. I've also still got about 2/3 of the bottle left after a few months use. Excellent. It also gave my super sensitive skin no issues whatsoever, no irritation, nuffink, and that's how you know you are onto a winner, it is tried and tested by super sensitive human bunny - me!

Do I recommend it?
I would definitely recommend this item and I'm looking for what to try next.  If you're all about the glow without the sparkle, then this is one to check out.  The mica used to create the shimmer looks like it's the same one used in the RMS Living Luminzer, so if you like it you might like this too! :) If you prefer matte finish on your skin, this is not the product for you I am afraid.

You can find Living Nature on Amazon - one of my fave online stores. Also be sure to check their stockist list on their website - or ask them on their social media. 


Have you tried anything from Living Nature before?  What else would you recommend?
Let me know down below :)



That is all for now,
Lots of Love,
Renata.
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This product was sent to me for a review. This does not affect my thoughts on it, you guys know I don't hold back, so if I really like the product, that means I really like the product, simple as that. Thanks for being eagle eyed and reading the small print.

Natural Beauties - Sasha from Balanced Beauty Bristol

Hi Lovelies!


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

I am introducing new chapter to my blog called "Natural Beauties" where I will interview some most amazing and inspiring Natural Beauties! I hope you will enjoy these series and it will lead you to discover more natural blogs and Youtube channels if you are not familiar with them already?
This weeks guest is wonderful and oh-so-funny Sasha from Balanced Beauty Bristol, she is about to become a mum for the second time, but she is not letting that to slow her down -  she has a wonderful blog where she talks about all thing natural and vegan, from beauty, skincare, pregnancy and everything in between! She also recently started making Youtube videos, so make sure to check her our, I will have the links at the end of this post.
So let's get cracking with it, shall we?

#Tell us a bit more about yourself? Why did you start your website and Youtube channel?
I’m Sasha! I’m a beauty therapist from Bristol in the UK. I started up my blog purely to keep my website updating and ranking higher on google for my beauty business - then I suddenly realised that I really enjoyed it and started blogging more frequently! I seem to “fall into things” quite a lot! I'm just dabbling with YouTube at the moment.... But I'm having fun doing it!

# What scents excite you?
I love the smell of mint choc chip ice-cream and patchouli (NOT TOGETHER!!!) as they both transports me back to my childhood!

# What is your mantra in life?
I use mantras quite a lot in my work - but they are secrets!!

# Favourite affirmation if you have one?
My piano teacher always used to tell me “practice makes BETTER”. No ones perfect, and that’s ok!

# What's your favourite beauty trend at the moment?
I love a deep, dark, vampy lip. Not even sure if thats a current trend- but it usually is as the weather starts getting more Autumnal!

# Once an week for my health…
I look at some vegetables. …No, just kidding. I try to do something outside! I live in the city so I fell like time spent in the country is extremely beneficial.
*Didn't I tell you she's super funny? - Renata*

# What do you do to de-stress?
My favourite thing is to make a frozen smoothie, run a super hot bath, apply a mask, and then soak whilst reading a good book. I cannot WAIT to do this again! I haven’t been able to have a bath for a good while now as they aren’t comfortable for my silly pregnancy pelvis.

# Three things that make you happy?
Dancing like a lunatic, hearing my son giggle, and the feeling of achieving something… whether thats mastering a new skill, or even just ticking something off my to do list!

# What people inspire you?
So, so many people inspire me daily! As I am currently pregnant with my second child, basically anyone that has children and are getting through the day… well… huge respect to them. And the ones that make it OUTSIDE… blooming hats off to them. It is NOT easy being a parent.

# Are you into DIY? Your best DIY recipe?
I dabble with DIY beauty. Generally I stick to masks as they are super easy. I just make them up as I go along… an example might be something like, bentonite clay, aloe vera juice, a floral water, and some oils.

# What do you like and dislike about yourself?
I like that I’m a giving person... I dislike that I generally expect just as much back in return.

# What are you currently reading?
A hypnobirthing book! Next up is Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari.

# What food do you like to cook/eat?
My sweet tooth is INSANE. I love cooking and eating anything that’s remotely naughty. I did manage to give up sweet treats for 6 months once, I need to do this again!!!

# Your guilty pleasure?
Singing along to garage classics - even though I don’t know half the words.

# Tell us a secret 😊
Well if I did it wouldn’t be a secret would it!! 😉

# Your top tips for being healthy and happy?
- Look after yourself - balance is key - accept who you are.


Hope you guys will enjoy these series!
Here are some links to Sasha's social media: Instagram, website,  and YouTube. Go check her out and say hello from me while you are there :)


That is all for now.

Lots of Love,
Renata.

Amazing 100%Pure Deal Not To Be Missed!

Hi Lovelies,

I was waiting for this deal like a hawk and I just need to share all the amazing news with you all! From tomorrow 22 September till 28 September (or until the stock runs out) 100%Pure will be having an amazing Gift With Purchase on all orders over €47 or 36£ or 69$ (yes, the deal is available to US, EU, UK and Canada too) and it will include - are you ready for this?

Lip Carmel: Truffle

Blackest Pencil Eyeliner

Black Tea Regular Mascara

BB Cream – your choice shade of 10, 20 or 30

Adorable 100% Pure makeup bag!

The deal is live now! Get clicking and you can thank me later :) 100%Pure - to EU, where the deal is not avail yet

Coming from the US? Please click here. Many thanks!

Lots of Love,

Renata.

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This post contains affiliate links. If you will choose to purchase via my link it would be at no additional cost to you while being great support for the running costs of my blog. So far I've made €4 via links. Thanks to whoever the person is. 

Organic Beauty Week 2016

Hi Lovelies,

The Soil Association’s annual Organic Beauty Week (19 – 25 September) is happening, and I am so excited for it! Even though green beauty is coming mainstream, but it is not fast enough if you ask me, all of the beauty products should be natural and organic in my humble opinion. There are loads of things happening in the UK for the Organic Week and the Organic September, but sadly that does not translate to Ireland, a quick Google search coughed up the last organic beauty event happened here in 2013. How sad! Hopefully that will change real soon. Thankfully there are loads of discounts happening at various online shops to make up for it, so make sure to look around and take advantage of the deals while they are happening.

Organic beauty is booming with a lot of companies jumping on the bandwagon without necessarily being up to scratch. Unlike with organic food, there is no legislation governing organic beauty. A product can contain a teeny drop of just one organic ingredient and claim to be organic and get away with it! Urgh! Confusing? Yes, and the very reason the Soil Association has deemed this year's beauty week a call for clarity on ingredients. For us consumers there is an easy way to ensure you are getting an organic product and that is by checking the label. Look for a third party accreditation, a certification stamp from the Soil Association or one of the COSMOS partners. With this stamp you can be sure that an independent body has looked at the ingredients, their source and the manufacturing processes to preserve the values of what it means to be organic. When you see the Soil Association logo on a beauty product it means that you can trust that you’re buying a top notch  organic product that has undergone stringent testing to ensure it is what it claims to be. They have your back!

I should also mention that Soil Association has partnered with You magazine to create special organic beauty box featuring lots of goodies from leading organic beauty brands such as Neal’s Yard Remedies, Skin+Tonic, Botanicals, Terre Verdi and more, so make sure to check it out! I will include the link here. And did I mention that the box is only 20£? The Botanicals face serum alone would cost you 30£, and they included full size of it! Fab or what?

more info also here.

So, what that means to me? Well, for a start I just realised I need to up my organic game myself! Even though I have a vast array or natural products, I need to choose more organic products, and that is what I will focus on in the future. Botanicals and Terra Verdi, I am looking at you!
Here's a helpful link for you (and for me) to truly know what brands are certified organic by Soil Association:
https://www.soilassociation.org/organic-living/health-beauty-textiles/health-beauty/our-certified-brands/

Hope you find this post helpful and please check out my fave organic products posts:

Neal's Yard Remedies overview - my favourite organic company!
Neal's Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm
Dermorganic Shampoo (70% organic)
Zuii Organic Melon blush

This is my latest haul from Neals Yard Remedies, and of course I will review everything too.

Neals Yard Remedies goodies

I will be coming at you with Inika products review, and those beauties are certified organic! I also have loads of products reviews who have a high percentage of organic ingredients, so please feel free to peruse my blog, thanks!


*Update a couple of weeks later:
This is what I acquired in the short space of time after posting this blog post, I wanted to share my improved organic game with all of you!
And my stash of organic teas can bee seen here, although it might be in various stages of depletion :)

Stay tuned for lots of exciting reviews to come!

Boody, organic bamboo activewear, how exciting is that?

So that is all for now,
Lots of Love,
Renata.

Test Kitchen or The Edit or Products New To Me

Hi Lovelies,

OMG! Everybody sit down please! OMG, soooo much stuff? I must be cray cray? Who gets this much new stuff while not even finished with the old ones I have? Gosh, Renata, you probably must think you need to keep the economy alive all by yourself, don't you?
Ok, let's calm down and break it down so it wouldn't look so bad, shall we? I realise it is obscene amount of new things by anyone's standard, but I thought you might be interested in what goes behind the scenes here at Green Life In Dublin HQ, aka my house :) This insane amount of products is a mix of my annual Neals Yard Remedies order I had to do before leaving for my holidays (and I've just realised I forgot to share it with all of you), two little was-feeling-sorry-for-myself online orders form Love Lula and Naturisimo, also from last month; then it is my holiday haul from Lithuania, where you get every single natural item which sparks your interest (duh!) and the rest are recent PR samples which I plan to review real soon, All this, and I have 35 or so drafts in my dashboard. Boy, it looks like I have some serious work to do!!
So I have gathered all these new products I am testing, and I nearly had a heart attack seeing How Many Things I've accumulated in such a short space of time, but as I explained it already, this is the mix of a few orders coming together at the same time (plus a few PR products here and there, but even those didn't arrive at my doorstep all at once, some of them have been sitting on my desk for a couple of months waiting for their turn). Proper testing of the products takes weeks, and while I would love to dish out reviews like a pancakes, I also take responsibility upon myself to test drive stuff for at least a few weeks, so my opinion would not be based on first impressions only. I have nothing against first impressions reviews, but knowing myself I want to use product for longer and see if it stands the test of time. Some of them will end up reviewed separately, some not. (Have you seen my latest "Disappointing Products" post? It is huge).

Also, make sure to enter my Instagram giveaway here! Good luck :)

Mayan Magic Balm - I got this along with Pure Anada order (something I also haven't shared with you, even though I have it for a few months now) and I am really pleased with this. Super awesome at healing dermatitis and sunburn, truly magical stuff! Definitely reviewing it!

Weleda Ratanhia Mouthwash concentrate - not sure how I feel about this yet, so far I am not amazed, I don't think it is doing anything? Hopefully my opinion will change?

Living Nature Soft Lights Illuminating Foundation - I really love this, and expect a review really soon. It is not a foundation if you ask me, more like a BB cream or tinted moisturiser, as it has minimal coverage, but it gives amazing luminous finish, and we all know I like dewy skin!

Cacay oils by Lepleu (forgot to include it in this photo, whoops! You can find it on my IG page).
 No opinion on face oil yet as I haven't tried it yet, but the nail and cuticles oil is nice, healed my badly looking cuticles in just a few uses.

Jane Iredale Pommisst Hydration Spray and Setting Powder - these are PR samples that were recommended to me, so far I only used them once or twice, I really like the hydration mist, but I need to test the setting powder a bit more. Gives matte finish.

Bio Mud Shampoo - this is my first ever mud/clay shampoo, so I didn't know what to expect from it, so far I only used it once and I think I like it, cleans hair really well, the only thing is it has sort of gummy or rubbery texture to it, so it will take a bit to get used to it. It also didn't pass my 4 day test, my hair looked oily and in need of a wash on day two.

Lavera Shaving Foam - It is my first shaving foam, so I've nothing to compare it to, but it has a thin foam and it works well, my legs were not irritated after using this. Errr, whoops, this is meant to go on men's faces, but every wife has to test her man's shaving foam, right? right?

Lipliner by PHB (natural and organic) - again, this is my first lip liner, not a huge lip person if I am honest with you, never felt the need for the lip liner, and this is bought on a whim. I think this is a wrong color for me, it says peach, but it is definitely more orange than peach! The organic label was what drew me to this product, but I am not sure I will use it much. Probably will end up giving it away. Let me know if you want a full review on this product?

Rose Quartz coloured chapstick by Naked Lips - again, wrong shade for me, although it looked gorgeous on Love Lula website. Great ingredients, I am not familiar with this brand, my train of thoughts was that I was looking for replacement for my beloved Pacifica lip butter in Coconut Nectar I believe, but this is not it, not even close. Oh well, I will use it up anyway, layering it with other lip products, as used alone it makes me sort of dead looking. Next!

Lash Fibers - I was instantly asked to do a review once I posted it on Instagram, and I will, just bear with me. Having sort of invisible lashes I need all the help I can get in this department (apart from lash extensions, thanks very much), so this seemed like a good idea until I realised how messy it is! Those fibers go everywhere and are a devil to clean form the cheeks/clothes/etc! Let me know if you use this product and how do you like it?

And now the part I didn't get round to yet:

Jason GF Shampoo & Conditioner, plus Apricot Shine Shampoo & Conditioner.

Urban Veda Soothing Sandalwood Facial Polish and Face Toner, plus Brightening Facial Wash and Toner

Natura Siberica Shampoo "We Love Lithuania" - now, how can I NOT buy this shampoo? No opinion yet as I am yet to open it.

Mango Butter

Shea Butter

Tamanu Oil

Babuska Agafia toothpaste x4 of them

Babuska Agafia shampoo

Karelia Organics Shampoo

Colloidal Silver spray

Skin & Tonic Gentle Scrub

Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash

NYR Create shampoo/wash and whole lotta of other NYR goodies. Roundup post to come, and if you want to know what I think about other NYR products I've tried to date, click here.


One more thing I forgot to include is Botanicals Radiance Serum oil, photo here. It is 100% organic, certified by Soil Association, so I am excited to try it.


So this is it my dear friends! You would guess I would be done with the shopping for at least a few months? Not so much! I just got an insider mail that 100%Pure are doing an awesome Gift With Purchase deal very very soon, the one I was waiting for for nearly a whole year, so I will make sure to take advantage of and I suggest you do too! Want to know more? Stay glued to my IG and blog :)



Hope this didn't make your heads spinning?

Lots of love,
Renata.
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Lily Lolo Mascara Review

Hello Lovelies,


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

Lily Lolo mascara

Now that my kid is settled into preschool well I can finally relax and start blogging more, something I intended to do for a while now, but was never able to do. Roll on the blog posts I say :)


Ok, Lily Lolo! Even though I already have my all the time favourite mascara (which is 100%Pure Maracuja oil mascara, click here to see my review), I simply had to try this mascara for review purposes and to compare the two, and of course I was curious to try it as it is making waves in the green beauty world, so naturally I had to see what the fuss is all about. The fuss about this mascara gathered speed after it was included in some green beauty box or another (well played, Lily Lolo, well played) and after that it appeared in many monthly favourites blog posts and YouTube videos. It was the best mascara ever the bloggers said! The only one I use and recommend the organic bunnies shouted! It performs so well I never want to be without it, and the ingredients are all totally natural, Youtubers gushed. Well, yes, the ingredients are totally natural, I have to give them that, and yes, it does gives great volume for a natural mascara, so that are the great things about this mascara, but with a heavy heart I have to say I won't be repurchasing this mascara, and let me explain myself why.  I gave it a fair shot testing it for around 4 months, so I think that is sufficient time to test the product and form my final opinion on it.

As you can see, I expected big things from this mascara when I purchased it, I wanted it to be my holy grail mascara, because I wanted volume, great ingredients and good performance. Plus, this mascara is cheaper than my beloved 100%Pure one and as it is made in the UK, it is closer to home, (At that time UK was still in the EU, so I could escape those dreaded custom charges, not so much now, but the problem sorted itself out = no future purchases, no extra taxes).
Let's get back to the mascara. I was so excited to try it once I got it, one swipe, it was good, two layers, it was real good! It gave me lots of volume and some length, something I look for in the mascara. The formula is on the dry side, and you can pick up good amount of product to build the lashes up to your desired effect. It also layers well, either on it's own or with other mascaras, so you can do two or three layers and get that dramatic look if you want to.With my short and invisible lashes that is exactly what I need, if the mascara is described s "natural looking" "everyday mascara" that is how I instantly know it is not for me. And what's wrong with a volume for everyday? It does get a bit clumpy on the lashes for me and I need to comb them out though. So I was really happy with the mascara for a about a week, until it started flaking. Flaking just after a week is not a good sign for me, but I continued with it, because this is such a good mascara, with a cult following in the green beauty community, surely I can put up with a bit of flaking, no big deal I told myself. But as the days went by, the flaking was worse and worse (as you would expect) and started irritating my eyes, as when I looked in the mirror I could see the bits of mascara on the eyeball, and if I tried to remove it, it would make my eye go bloodshot red. Not a good look if you can guess. Even with this, I stuck through for the next few weeks, but I was beginning to wonder why is everyone raving about it? Maybe I got one from a bad batch I wondered, and I raised my question on Instagram. I got a ton of response, but the majority of people who came forward said that they had no such problems whatsoever and they are really happy with it. By then I was approaching week five, and the straw that broke camel's back was the mascara going foul on me in the sixth week. It wasn't your average mascara-getting-old a bit sour smell, it was full blown foul you-instantly-want-to-turn-your-nose-away smell. A bit puzzled by all this I emailed the brand, because if you pay full price (plus shipping) you would expect your mascara be good for at least standard three months, no?  The brand was extremely understanding and sent me a replacement immediately, so brownie points for awesome customer service, Lily Lolo!
I told myself I will start anew with my second tube of mascara, I won't hold anything against it and will treat it as a completely new unfamiliar-to-me mascara. What do you think? The exact same stuff happened, from flaking in the first couple of weeks, to irritating bits in my eyes, and I was constantly told I have mascara bits on my cheeks. I persevered until week six to see if it will go bad on me around that time mark, and it didn't, but instead it dried out on me on week eight.
Hmm, that is not a very positive experience, isn't it? Now that I look back on it, I can't believe I bothered that long, because any other sane woman would toss that second tube aside and get herself a decent mascara, right? (Esp as I have a tube of 100%Pure waiting to be opened). But as I am must-test-products-thoroughly-blogger, aka not-so-sane woman, I persevered for four months to give you my honest opinion on it. Sorry, Lily Lolo, I wanted to love your product, but I just can't. It would cost me too much to repurchase it every four weeks or so, and my stance is that a decent mascara should last me three months before it changes. Flaking on the first week and the irritated eyes are a deal breaker for me. I am sure Lily Lolo has many great products, but this mascara and I part ways here and now. My beloved 100%Pure one is initially more expensive but it lasts me at least six months without any crumbling or irritation whatsoever. I toss mine after it hits 6 months period for hygienic reasons, but I know a few Youtubers and green beauty bloggers have used it for 9 months to a year without a bother. And instead of irritating my eyes it makes my eyelashes grow! So I will stick to it, thank you very much!

P.s. I am testing Alverde Maximize Volume Lashes mascara at the moment that I got form Germany in a green beauty swap, and it is very comparable in terms of finish and wear, and it costs €3.75! Just letting you know in the case you are looking for cheap natural mascara. It does flake too, so just letting you know in advance.

Ingredients of the Lily Lolo mascara:
AQUA (WATER), MYRICA PUBESCENS FRUIT CERA (MYRICA PUBESCENS FRUIT WAX), PROPANEDIOL, COPERNICIA CERIFERA CERA (COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX), POLYGLYCERYL-6 DISTEARATE, SUCROSE STEARATE, ACACIA SENEGAL GUM, GLYCERYL DIBEHENATE, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS SEED CERA (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED WAX), LACTOBACILLUS FERMENT BIS-OCTYLDODECYL DIMER DILINOLEATE/PROPANEDIOL COPOLYMER, POLYGLYCERYL-10 MYRISTATE, ORYZA SATIVA BRAN CERA (ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) BRAN WAX), GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, ROSA CANINA FRUIT OIL, ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL, XANTHAN GUM, POTASSIUM SORBATE, GLYCERYL UNDECYLENATE, [MAY CONTAIN CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES)]



So there it is, my two cents, aka review of this cult mascara. Have you tried it? Loved it? Hated it? Please share with me :)


Lots of love,
Renata.


Disclaimer, aka the Boring Bit I Have To Say:
This blog post features items bought with my own money and the replacement sent by brand. It may contain affiliate links. If you decide to purchase via my link, it will be at no additional cost to you and I would highly appreciate the support for my blog. So far I am yet to make any money, but here's hoping :) Thanks for being eagle eyed and reading the boring bits too :) Take care.

Giveaway!

Hi Lovelies,


A giveaway is happening on my Instagram page, come join! Open to residents of Ireland and Northern Ireland this time as per brand's wishes, from today till Monday 26 September. Good Luck!

To enter click here.

Lots of luck everyone!


Lots of love,
Renata.

Snippets From My Holidays And My Shopping

Hi Lovelies,

Here are a few snippets from my recent holidays in Lithuania, and some shopping shots at the end, I hope you enjoy the photos :)

Those clouds! I can't even! I could lay on the ground and watch them all day. Just kidding. 

That is how your fingers should look after eating REAL blueberries. The ones in the shops are picked unripe. 

One of the many manor houses visited

oh, hi there!

Happy Memories

My new fave bag. Thrifted.

Country tourism

 

In the case you missed it's a tree, there's a tree sign :)

We attended the wedding

 And there's my shopping, I think I did quite alright and didn't go overboard, if you don't count my thrift haul that's it :) I bought a few pieces of amber jewellery, and I am not even sure why, I ignored it so far? The biggest piece is gifted by my mom, and I need to fix those rings as they are way too short for me.

 

I thought I found original make up bag made from linen, until I saw it in almost every shop!

Eco shop purchases, three pots of shea butter, mango butter, tamanu oil, zinc oxide and beeswax 

Some natural goodies from Russia. Will update you soon.

So there you have it, my memories from my holidays and some shopping. On the side note, there's a giveaway happening on my Instagram page, so come and join :) I also wrote a piece on balms as a guess blogger, so I will reveal that very soon.

Lots of love,

Renata.