Happy Haloween!

Hi Lovelies,

Just wanted to wish You all a very happy Halloween  👻👻👻

Happy Halloween! pic via Pinterest

Lots of Love,
Renata. 

 

How To Make Any Sheet Mask Last Longer!

Hi Lovelies,



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

How To Make Sheet Mask Last Longer

How is everybody doing? I hope you are all well!

Enjoy masking? Using one of those 100% Pure or any other sheet masks? Today I wanted to share one little trick with you - you all know I am am all about saving and making things last where I can, and I like sharing it all with you of course :) Why? Because I love my followers, that's why! And if this post helps some of you, or at least one person, to make your hard earned cash last longer, I would be a happy girl!

2017 was the year I really upped my masking game, after only discovering them last year - I know, I can't believe it myself! I am like two thousand years late to the game. Up until then I saw masking as an unnecessary step that nobody has time for - oh boy, how wrong I was! Now that I am well into the "wrong" side of thirties (ahem ahem!), I finally am starting to take care of myself too, and schedule "me time" at least once a week.  I have a decade or so of masking to catch up on :) I have tried a good few of them (let me know if you want a masking post on the ones I have, and I will happily do it for you) and one of my favourite types are sheet masks. Unfortunately they can be quite pricey, so I can't treat myself to them much, so whenever I get my paws on one, I try to make it last as long as possible. I know what are you thinking, and no, I won't be suggesting re-using the same mask three times, no! Some of them can be reused, for example my beloved 100%Pure Caffeine sheet masks (as I love to say, these make your skin red carpet ready, a link to the review can be found at the bottom of this post), but most of them are one time use ones. So, what's my trick you ask? Well, the secret is to save the essence or the clear liquid in the pouch, and that is exactly the secret for making it last! You see, whatever material your actual mask is, be it cotton sheet, algae or plant cellulose (I do hope you are using natural ones!), the actives are found in the essence the mask is submerged in, and that is why I suggest you do not waste it! The amount of this "liquid gold" - not literally, it's what I like to call it - will depend, but 100%Pure ones definitely contain enough essence for three more uses I find! So have small glass bottle at the ready when you are about to mask and you will thank me later :)

 

Make your 100%Pure Caffeine mask (or any sheet mask) last longer!

What I like to do is to take a rice paper wrapper (yes, the same edible one you make your vegetable rolls with!), cut it in the way you see in the photo below and apply the masking essence after wetting the rice sheets with cooled green tea or a toner/mist and use it as a mask. Rice paper is actually good for your skin on it's own and has multiple benefits to the skin. I talk about it more in "100%Pure Caffeine Sheet Mask Review" post, so I would suggest you check it out after reading this post :) The photo is pretty much self explanatory, the top part goes on the forehead, the bottom on the chin, and those parts in the the middle left and right are for your cheeks, while the last one in the center goes on your nose. I like this cutting method so much more than applying the whole round with cut outs for the eyes and mouth.

Rice paper masking

Don't have or don't want to use rice paper? No problem! You can use those "tablet" sheet masks made out of cotton, you can get a hundred of them pressed into a tablet shape, hence the name, for very cheap on amazon, and they will last you for a very long time. You can use them with different activating ingredients, not necessary essences all time, you can use manuka honey, mix in spirulina, mix in baobab for vitamin C, add your favourite toner or rose water to thin it out - the list is endless!

Don't have those either? Again, no worries! Just pour the essence liquid into a small glass bottle or a spray bottle and use it on it's own! I have started decanting mine into spray bottle, and I find I can make it last for a week or so, after the mask itself is long gone. I apply mine in the mornings after cleansing my face but before moisturiser, and I give it ten or fifteen minutes to soak in, while I drink coffee or green tea and check emails first thing in the morning. Just make sure to keep it in the fridge after decanting. You don't want it to spoil.


So, that is my tip for today for you, I hope you found this post interesting or useful - let me know if it was?
I am all about making things last and saving a few pennies while doing so :) I will be a happy girl if you will too!

P.s. Please make my day and subscribe & share this or any of my blog posts on social media - it helps to get the green beauty word out and for that I Thank You!

Follow me on my new blog Greenlifeindublin.com, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube. 



That is all for today, Ta Ta for now! 



Lots of Love,
Renata.

Enjoy my content? Any contribution to my PayPal Tip Jar -  will get You my eternal gratitude and more awesome green beauty reviews Your way! I weed out all the greenwashing products so You won't have to :)

Want to check out my skincare reviews? Click here. Interested in make up reviews? Click here. All my body care and hair care reviews live in this post. Diy inclined? Even if not, you might enjoy my super-simple-minimal-ingredients-DIYs here. You are welcome. 

DIY Deodorant Recipe

Hello Lovelies,



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

DIY deodorant recipe - super simple and easy

Hmm, where do I start? Long story short is that after growing tired of wasting money on natural deodorants that just don't work, I started DIYing it. That was a good few years ago and I haven't looked back since! What's more, I've successfully converted my non-natural friends to it too - and although it is super simple and cheap to make, they are coming back to me every time they run out :) I don't mind. You too can make a batch that will cost you less than a fiver if you were to buy all the ingredients, and even less if you have them at home already! And I can pretty much guarantee that you do, because all you need is only three common household ingredients. I actually feel kind of like a fraud posting such a simple recipe, but there have been countless questions about what I use for deodorant on my social media, followed by the requests for a recipe. So after few years of repeating myself over and over on Instagram, I realized I never actually blogged about it, hence for this post right here. As you probably know, I am big on DIYs and one of my favourite pastimes is perusing ingredients of popular green beauty products and then trying to recreating them at home. (see my DIY Manuka Honey Masks post here for another super-easy DIYs example. Over 14 recipes, you will love it!) Pretty much, if I can make it and it’s effective, I’d rather DIY it. But it has to be fairly easy. If there are too many ingredients or too many steps, I’m not likely to try it out. I know you can make pretty much anything you want or need, including make up, but at the same time I only want to have what I am actually using (see my minimizing and downsizing post if you want to), so I haven't slid down much further down the DIY rabbit hole, and I don't want to purchase & have too many ingredients either if they aren't going to be used much and will sit there slowly collecting dust and expiring. 

This DIY deodorant is used much, every day in fact, so I'd like to pat myself on the back for saving environment and a few bucks by doing so too :) I don't claim to be original creator of the recipe as it was found somewhere on Pinterest more than six years ago - if you are the one who did invent this, please come forward so I could pay my respect for you.
One little warning or disclaimer if you will before we start - this recipe contains baking soda or sodium bicarbonate in it, so if you know you are allergic or in any way sensitive to it, DO NOT make this! The rest of us, I recommend doing a patch test for 24hrs too - apply this mixture somewhere else on the body, like a crook of your arm or the back of you knee - and watch for any changes for 24hrs. If any redness or anything at all appears, do not use this recipe either. If not, be my guest!
The reason I am putting this disclaimer out there before the actual recipe is because a lot of people are sensitive to baking soda, including my own daughter - she actually got an alkaline rash when she tried this concoction of mine, and that put her off green beauty for a few years altogether.  Can't say I blame her. For those of you who are sensitive or allergic I am sorry in advance, I do not have a baking soda free DIY recipe, but I believe there should be some out there. Look into magnesium as a baking soda replacement - at least that's what I would do.

So, after long and boring disclaimer, shall we crack on? As I said the recipe is really simple both in terms of ingredients and time-wise too - you will only need three simple ingredients and two minutes of your time!

Diy deodorant

What you will need:

✅ Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate (aluminium free)

✅ Arrowroot powder
(you can sub it for cornflour if you don't have it, but arrowroot powder has natural deodorising properties to it,which is why is used in DIY dry shampoo recipes too)

✅ Coconut oil 

✅ Spatula, bowl and pretty glass jar. Or some other container to store it in.


Instructions:

It couldn't be simpler - mix equal parts of baking soda and arrowroot powder in a bowl and add just enough coconut oil to make it into a paste. Mix well and pour into a glass jar.
This is the bare bones of the recipe, and if it is your first time making it, I would suggest you go small, like a teaspoon of each of the dry ingredients, and half a teaspoon of coconut oil. Even this amount will last you a week if not more, and in that time you will definitely know if you like it or not. Experiment with the quantities of each ingredients, because what is right for me, might be not quite right for the next person. Although it is a fine line to thread -add too much of the baking soda and you will get a alkaline rash, add too little and it won't work. I find this 50/50 proportion is what works for me. This was pretty much confirmed when I gave it to one of my friends who happened to be moving furniture on that day, and she rang me in the evening gushing about my deodorant - she said after full day of renovations and moving heavy objects she didn't stink at all at the end of the day - and given that she only used non natural deodorants to date, this was a music to my ears! I can confirm this too - I used to cycle six kilometres for my daily commute, day in and day out, and I didn't stink either. 

The beauty of this DIY is that you can customise it by adding your favourite essential oils to it, how much depends on your sensitivity level and the amount you are making. As a general rule, I would recommend 5 drops of pure essential oil (not fragrance oil for the love of God) per 30ml of deodorant. I use less, because I am very sensitive and can't handle much essential oils - my favourite ones are lemon or orange, but you can add anything you like, tea tree would add deodorising properties for sure, but I am not sure I want my armpits to smell like it, so I skip it. Vanilla and rose is a nice combination, and I would suggest you look up popular natural deodorants for smell inspiration? 

Gift idea, anyone?

Oh, and a little tip before we part - if you feel the deodorant is drying out after some time, fear not - just add some more coconut oil and mix well. Problem solved. You are welcome :)


So that is it for now, see you here again shortly. Have you tried DIY deodorant? Would you? Please share your thoughts with me, I would love to know!

P.s. Please make my day and subscribe & share this or any of my blog posts on social media - it helps to get the green beauty word out and for that I Thank You!

Follow me on my new blog Greenlifedublin.com, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube. 




Lots of Love,
Renata.

Diy inclined? Even if not, you might enjoy my super-simple-minimal-ingredients-DIYs here. Want to check out my skincare reviews? Click here. Interested in make up reviews? Click here. All my body care and hair care reviews live in this post. You are welcome. 

Enjoy my content? Any contribution to my PayPal Tip Jar -  will get You my eternal gratitude and more awesome green beauty reviews Your way! I weed out all the greenwashing products so You won't have to :)

 

Paris Is Always Good Idea

Paris Is Always Good Idea by green-life-in-dublin featuring Hudson Jeans

DIY Manuka Honey Masks - over 12 Recipes

Hi Lovelies,



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

DIY Manuka Honey masks

What if I told you that you can get completely natural mask for your skin, face and hair if you will with multiple benefits for the skin for much less than 30euros/dollars for whopping 250gr? Would you believe me? Well that exactly what manuka honey is! Manuka honey is very different from other honeys and I would highly suggest using this instead of your regular honey, one jar used for masking will last you up to a year used once or twice weekly, so that justifies the price for me. I do have the second jar for eating, but I never put it into the tea (don't put it into hot beverages, ever, because heat destroys those precious enzymes we are after, and with them destroyed it becomes not that different from sugar. So, that's your lesson for the day).

If you don't want to shell out for manuka honey, please feel free to use raw local honey (preferably organic) as your next best bet. Just please do your research on different types of honeys first and then decide. Honey in the teddy shaped plastic jar? Not the best thing for your skin, as it is not only heat treated, it is mixed honey too. Meaning it is only slightly better than sugar, and it is not what you want at all.

If you haven’t heard of it, Manuka Honey is the most unique and powerful form of honey on the planet.  It’s exclusive to New Zealand, created by bees who pollinate the Manuka Bush. But what makes Manuka that much better than your average honey?  It’s all in the nutrient composition.
Manuka honey is known as ‘active’ honey; it has natural antibacterial qualities and proven health benefits. It’s made by bees foraging from the New Zealand Manuka (tea tree) bush. Look for the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) rating on the jar – the higher the rating, the greater the antibacterial activity. Scientists say it can help ease ulcers and an upset stomach, prevent gum disease, boost your immunity by fighting bacterial infections, and ease skin conditions.
 Raw honey has a multitude of beneficial nutrients: Amino acids, B-Vitamins, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, and Zinc to be exact.  But in Manuka honey, the density of these nutrients is over four times greater than your average honey, so your body is getting a powerful dose of enzymes that fight inflammation and bacteria and boost your immune system. 
For the skin, a good UMF rating means your skin will receive incredible benefits - the anti-inflammatory quality of Manuka honey is proven to improve skin texture and tone.

Let's leave the health benefits when consumed orally for another post, today it is all about the skin and it's benefits for the skin. Due to it's high anti inflammatory properties this wonderful honey heals and repairs the skin, hydrates, reduces redness and inflammation, plus it oxygenates the pores to draw out bacteria, thus drastically improves acne areas. But wait, there's more to it, manuka honey promotes skin regeneration, repairs cellular damage, and lessens scarring. Because of it's hydrating properties, it is anti-aging - it retains moisture in the skin, which can only be a good thing! It also re-balances the healthy bacteria on your skin. Gives glow. And that is not all, are you ready for it? It helps the skin build collagen and inhibits the bad guys (a group of enzymes called MMP) that destroy the bacteria - isn't that the music to our ears?

So, let's get into my recipes, shall we?

DIY manuka honey and raw cacao mask

Manuka honey and raw cacao

Do you see all those brands coming out with some kind of chocolate masks? Me too! I will let you know into one secret of mine, I love perusing ingredients of well known green beauty products and then trying to recreate pared down version of it at home. Well, if you have the ingredients at home already, why go and spend 60+ euros for a jar of it? Am I right or am I right? Coming back to the chocolate mask, you can easily DIY it with just honey and raw cacao powder! Of course you can add more ingredients to it and make it as complicated as you want, I am giving you “bare bones” of a mask, but it is no less effective! Go ahead and eat the leftovers in the spoon! And make yourself some hot chocolate while you have the mask on. Chocolate day anyone? Cacao benefits for the skin: it is excellent for the skin, it boosts blood circulation in the skin when applied topically (so use it in the hair masks too, it reduces hair loss too), thus giving it glow and health; it prevents us from premature aging. Because it contains Omega 6 fatty acids, it heals on a cellular level and provides us with much needed hydration. Cacao has a raw enzyme, which helps in repairing the cell and its rejuvenation. I could go on and on.
Preparation: mix half a teaspoon of manuka honey with the same amount of raw cacao and apply on your face. Keep on for 20-40mins and then rinse with warm water.

Manuka honey and matcha (organic)

Matcha benefits for the skin: with brilliant topical properties, green tea has long been touted as a potent yet gentle antioxidant that's suitable for all skin types. Matcha boasts these benefits and then some - think of the vitamin-packed powerhouse as a highly concentrated mega-dose of goodness for your face Rich in antioxidants, matcha reduces inflammation and works to repair sun damage while calming the skin.

Preparation:

It can't be simpler to do - take 0,5 teaspoon of honey, add a small pinch of matcha, mix and apply on the face for 20mins. 

Manuka honey and activated coconut charcoal

As we all know activated charcoal is great at drawing out impurities from the skin. You can use it on its own of course, but I mix it with manuka honey for double whammy! Again, this couldn't be simpler - just mix half a teaspoon of honey with one (or half) capsule of activated charcoal and apply on the face for 20-30 mins.


Manuka honey & Hibiscus

Natural botox plant anyone? Step forward hibiscus! With most powerful anti-ageing plant actives, it’s no wonder Hibiscus is called the ‘Botox plant’. Hibiscus has a magical reputation for increasing skin elasticity to give a stunning natural youth-boost. With the incredible ability to inhibit the activity of the enzyme elastase, which is responsible for breaking down our skin’s precious elastin, Hibiscus actively combats the ageing process by firming and lifting your skin. It also evens out the skintone, helps to speed up the cell turnover and some studies claim it reduces large pores. I don't know about this, as I didn't use this mask consistently enough to see it. But I know for sure that hibiscus contains gentle acids that has slight exfoliating properties. 
Preparation: choose organic dried hibiscus petals from your local health shop (edible ones, meant to drink as a tea) and then blitz them into powder with your coffee grinder. Mix with honey and apply. Admire the pink colour and leave on for at least 20 mins.

Manuka honey and Ceylon cinnamon (organic)

Be careful with this one if your skin is super sensitive like mine, use just a tiny bit of the cinnamon and do a patch test first. Cinnamon is a great addition to the face masks because it increases the blood flow to the skin and that can only be a good thing. Add a bit of sugar for that exfoliation goodness and you’ve got yourself a poor man’s version of Leahlani Honey Mask!

P.s. honey and cinnamon mixture is also very good for spot treating! Leave it for as long as you can, overnight is ideal.


Manuka honey and organic neem powder

I wouldn't suggest eating this of the spoon, haha! Neem is a amazing herb with many benefits to it, today we will look into its benefits to the skin only, but it has many and many uses. Neem leaves have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties and hence they are quite effective on skin infections. They also soothe irritation and reduce inflammation without drying the skin. Neem is also antiseptic, antibacterial and antiviral, as well as antifungal, and that lends to myriad of health properties, which is too wide to get into here. Let's just say it is good for acne, skin inflammation and redness and so much more.

Prepare and use in the same way, just use 0.25 of teaspoon of neem to start with, it is very powerful stuff.

Manuka honey and vitamin C (or baobab powder)

Vitamin C is amazing for the skin! Not only it does promote the collagen production (this fact alone makes me want to use it straight away), protects skin from sun damage, speeds up healing and reduces skin discoloration; but it also improves skin's moisture and hydration levels and thus keeping the skin looking younger, all while being brighter and healthier looking. It also speeds up healing and reduces inflammation, and all that is a music to my ears! Music to my ears!! And what's more, it stays on your skin for up to 48 hours still doing it's goodness. It goes without saying you want to use pure form of it, without added sugar and sweeteners! Mixing it with honey makes sense if you want your mask to do multiple things at once, and your skin will be left happy! Note - this combo is fabulous for fading hyperpigmentation and scars over time. Another note, don't overdo it if you have sensitive skin like me, I just add a little bit to half of teaspoon of honey.

Prepare and use in the same way. Crush the vitamin C if it comes in tablet form like mine does. Or use some sort of natural berries superfood powder rich in vitamin C - like camu camu or baobab, acai powder, etc?

Manuka honey and clay

Clays are amazing for the skin, and each type of clay will have it's own benefits, so please choose according to your skin type. I find pure clay masks much too drying on my skin, so mixing it with manuka honey is like pure heaven to me, not only my skin detoxes but it hydrates at the same time, fabulous or what? Choose clay according to your skin type and mix with honey for pampering mask. With honey's hydrating abilities you won't have to constantly spritz your face to keep it moist. (if you are a clay mask lover and you let them dry on your face, keep in mind you are not fully benefiting from the mask as the active ingredients work only when the mask is wet)

DIY manuka honey and spirulina/chlorella mask

Manuka honey and spirulina/chorella/greens

Want poor man’s version of Leahlani Mermaid mask? Mix manuka honey with spirulina and/or chlorella or mixed greens and ta-dah! I call it Shrek mask not a mermaid mask though. Spirulina benefits to the skin: it reduces dark circles. Anti-aging. Tones and cleanses the skin. Brightens the skin. Helps with acne. I could go on.

Chlorella benefits to the skin: similar to the spirulina benefits. You can always do your own research if you are dissatisfied with my answer? Both of them are amazing for the skin in short. Use in the same way.

Manuka honey and coconut milk powder

Of course you can use regular milk powder too, it will have slightly different benefits, but since I am dairy free, coconut it is for me! If you know me for any length of time, you know that I love anything coconut! Coconut milk powder benefits for the skin: as it is packed with vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5, and B6 as well as iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, it can only be good for your skin! It is incredibly nourishing and conditioning (again, try it as a hair mask too), it prevents acne, treats sunburns, prevents premature aging, moisturises and aids in many skin conditions, including rosacea, dermatitis and eczema. It can help treat the skin by removing the harmful bacteria. Once again, take 1 teaspoon of manuka honey and half a teaspoon of powdered coconut milk.


Manuka Honey & probiotics
I am not kidding you! Just go into your favourite green beauty online store and type in "probiotics" and it will cough up a whole range of probiotic skin care products, so why not DIY it? We all know probiotics are all the rage right now, we are finally discovering we have billions & trillions of good bacteria not only inside us, but also on the skin, so why not support those good guys? Just open a capsule of probiotics You are regularly using, mix with some manuka and voila!


Manuka & maca
Again, not kidding! Mask products with maca do exist (some with such a simplistic formulations that you wouldn't believe) so why not make it on your own, especially if you already have maca in your home?
Maca helps to reduce the effects of ageing, and gives new strength to the skin and stimulated collagen production in the skin. I am sold, don't need to hear any more :)


Manuka honey and Blackstrap Molasses (organic and unsulfured only)

Blackstrap molasses is the thick, dark syrup produced when the sugar cane plant is processed to make refined sugar. This type of molasses contains all the vitamins and minerals which were absorbed by the plant from the soil, but which didn’t quite make it into the end product of nutritionally devoid white sugar!With a robust flavor, and loaded with nutrients, blackstrap molasses boasts a wealth of powerful health benefits. In tests comparing the antioxidant content of several sweeteners including refined sugar, corn syrup, agave nectar, raw cane sugar, maple syrup, brown sugar, honey and molasses, it was found that dark and blackstrap molasses had the highest markers for antioxidant activity. Antioxidant and antiinflamatory benefits? Yes please! Blackstrap Molasses can be used as a mask on it's own, so if you want to, you can skip the honey in this recipe, but bear in mind it is very thick and gooey (and a bit difficult to apply) so you will need to add aloe vera gel, or rosewater or something to thin it out. Benefits for the skin include acne treatment, toning and firming the skin, feeding the skin with nutrients and preventing wrinkles. Sounds good, no?
I mix equal amounts of both molasses and honey and leave on the skin for about an hour. You can do 10 minutes of you are short on time, it still will give you benefits!

DIY manuka honey and turmeric mask

Manuka honey and turmeric

Whaaat? This staining spice, I hear you cry!? Yes, and yes! Please hear me out. Turmeric is actually a very good thing for your skin, and I have come to love skincare products with turmeric in it, so why not to boost it a bit further and use turmeric in a face mask? As we all know, turmeric is a powerhouse when it comes to your health, and that extends to the skin, benefits include: antibacterial and anti-aging action, brightening of the skin and lightening of pigmentation, improving skin's elasticity, healing acne and scars just to name a few.

Again, use the same way as described previously, half a teaspoon of honey and a pinch of turmeric, either grate fresh or use dried. Keep for 20mins and then rinse off. If you fear about stained skin, I have just the tip for you - you can easily remove it with yogurt! If you are dairy free like me, fear not too, use toner or rosewater. I haven't had any issues with staining using those. If you are still worried, I suggest trying this mask on your day off when you don't plan to leave the house, but you will be fine, trust me!

Side note - let's not forget that you can also wash your face with honey, so if you want, you can also try that. I personally found it too messy, and as I have some fabulous face cleansers at the moment, I kind of left it off. However, never the one to give up on the good stuff, I shall try again, once I will finish all those products I currently own.

My idea for all of these DIY masks came when I started perusing the ingredients of all these wonderful masks in the green beauty world, they all tend to be either honey based or clay based (with some fabulous add-in ingredients) and after a while you start wondering whether those fabulous results they promise come from those add in ingredients or from base of honey? Add my uber sensitivity to the mix, and if I get a reaction to the 95€ mask and I have had zero irritations from my own DIYs, it kind of makes it a no brainer to DIY, isn't it? And I promise you, the results rival the shop bought masks. And you can feel good about it, because you know exactly what you are putting on your skin AND saving yourself big bucks!

So there you go, ten twelve fourteen honey mask ideas for you. And I've got one more - you can also mix coconut oil with honey for face masking providing it does not break out your skin! That is a mask from one well know truly natural skincare brand, I am not making this up! You can use any other facial oil too, my favourite is rosehip. You probably have at least some of these ingredients in your kitchen cupboards already, so why not give it a go? on your marks, ready, set, go!

Happy masking my lovelies.

Don't forget to leave your thoughts about the recipes and masking experience in the comments below.

P.s. Please make my day and subscribe & share this or any of my blog posts on social media - it helps to get the green beauty word out and for that I Thank You!

Follow me on my new blog Greenlifeindublin.com, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube.

Lots of Love,
Renata.

Want to check out my skincare reviews? Click here. Interested in make up reviews? Click here. All my body care and hair care reviews live in this post. Diy inclined? Even if not, you might enjoy my super-simple-minimal-ingredients-DIYs here. You are welcome. 

*sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3158815/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%81nuka_honey#Research
and my independent research from various other sources.

Love Lula Beauty Box October 2017

Hello Lovelies,



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

Love Lula beauty box October 217

How are all of you? Are you enjoying this Indian summer, aka this warm and sunny Autumn? I know I am! Not a fan of Autumn at all, but with the weather this nice and the leaves all red and golden, I must admit this is rather lovely. Until today, when hurricane Ophelia is supposed to hit Dublin, yikes!


Back to the Love Lula Beauty Box! This month a miracle happened, I received my box early, and that never happens bearing in mind I am outside UK. So I did a happy dance, and when I opened a box, I did a happy dance once more - it is amazing!
I now have had the box for about a week, so I am able to give my first impressions of the items as well, as I have had a chance to try everything already. 

Shall we start?

 swatch of Phb eye shadow in Almond

PHB eye shadow in Almond & eye shadow brush

PHB Eye Shadow In Almond
& Eye Shadow Brush

Any box containing make up is my instant favourite, and in this box you get two make up items - an eye shadow and a brush! I got Almond, and the brush doesn't have a number, it just says "PHB eye shadow brush" on it. I am grateful for a chance to try more from PHB, as this brand is calling my name - I have had a couple of items here and there, and I will round them up for a review sometime. I am not sure if everyone is getting the same shade, but I am well pleased with mine - it doubles as a highlight as well! And it lasted well, the few times I wore it, and bear in mind I use no primers. You can use it dry or wet. It's 100% natural, vegan, halal, gluten and cruelty free. Can we get yay? PHB is a family owned business that gives 20% of the profits to charity. Can we get double yay?

Ingredients of the eye shadow:
Mica, Iron Oxides, Calcium Carbonate, Caprylic Triglyceride, *Simmondsia Chinensis (Organic Jojoba), Ultramarines, Titanium Dioxide.


The brush is synthetic bristles yet very soft. It's cut at a slight angle, and I find it good for both patting the colour on and blending - which is rare for me to like a eye brush. I am very picky about them! So if it gets my seal of approval, it's good.

The eye shadow retails for £9.95 and the brush for £7.95, so with these two items alone you are getting value for money, way more than you pay for, and everything else is an added bonus!


Balm Balm Frankincense Hydrosol

I am very pleased to get this, as it was on my wishlist, I intended to buy this anyway! It is a by-product from steam distillation of Frankincense essential oil, which is one of my favourite essential oils. The description says it keeps your skin feeling happy, healthy and is soothing and cooling. We will see about it! As I already mentioned in Shop My Stash post, I am upping my misting game now that the temperatures are dropping, and as I am going through my mists at double the speed, I well appreciate this Hydrosol being included in this month's box. The only thing is I am not keen on the smell, so I actually mixed it with Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator, which I found too sweet smelling on it's s own, so the result is something very decent and I enjoy using it. I have used it every day for about a week and I can say that it definitely calms my inflamed skin and it is also moisturising.

Greenfrog Botanic Soapberry Bodywash

Greenfrog Botanic Bodywash in Geranium & Peppermint

I am familiar with this brand, I used and reviewed their products about a year or so ago (post here if you want to check it out?). The company use soap berries and organic aloe vera to create shower gels and hand soaps, with a few different scents using different essential oils. As this deluxe sample is scented with geranium and peppermint, I will pass this to my family members to use, I am not a fan of anything peppermint when it comes to my skincare/body care. But I enjoyed other scents from them, like Neroli & Lime, and as it is really pure, I feel comfortable using it on my kids.
 
Ingredients:
Aqua (water), Potassium Cocoate, Lauryl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Sapindus Mukorossi Fruit Extract*, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Powder*, Parfum (Fragrance) : Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Oil, Mentha Arvensis (Peppermint) oil, Levulinic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid. Citronellol**, Geraniol**, Hexyl Cinnamal**, Linalool**. *Certified Organic Ingredient **Naturally occurring within essential oils. 0% Paraben 0% SLS, ALS 0% Phenoxyethanol 



Ooh! Oils of Heaven Tamanu Oil

Ooh! Oils are debuting their new addition to their line of single pure oils, tamanu oil. This is one of my favourite oils, as I am well familiar with it's soothing and healing properties. It is green in colour, meaning it is pure and unadulterated and it has a nutty smell to it, which I like. Tamanu oil is rich in Omegas 6 and 9, and it makes a great facial oil as it's easily absorbed into the skin without clogging pores. I just have to make sure to make sure to use it constantly, as I have more facial oils than I am willing to admit to, and I want to use all of them!


The total value of this box is £40, so it is well worth the price you pay if you ask me. And let's not forget you also get 20% off the brands featured in this box until the end of this month too!

Also, one tip if you don't want to commit to subscribing - keep an eye out for previous month's boxes, as Love Lula started selling the remaining ones at a very good price.

Love Lula Beauty Box 2017

     
           You can subscribe to Love Lula box here.

              Or shop LoveLula website here.


They ship worldwide, and at the price is 13.95£ is is one of the best value boxes around! I mean you constantly get two or more full size products each month, and the sample sizes are always deluxe samples, allowing you to get a good feel of the product. And let's not forget, you get 20% off of the brands featured each month too! 13.95£ is a monthly recurring price for UK and for us international gals there are two options of three months (52.50£) or a year (210£) including post and packaging. Green beauty boxes are a great way to discover new items you might have missed otherwise, and I love that anything coming from LoveLula is cruelty free and guaranteed not to have any toxic ingredients - they have very strict criteria for any product (and brands) they accept, and that is taking the guesswork off your shoulders.Great or what? You don't have to do endless hours of research all by yourself and get more time to do what you actually enjoy, be it spending time with your family, running in the park or shopping, whatever it might be.

 What beauty boxes are you guys subscribed to? What is your favourite products discovered this way? Please share, I really want to know. Have a great weekend everybody!


P.s. Please make my day and like and share this or any of my blog posts on social media. Thank You!

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That is it for today, see you here again very shortly. 

Lots of Love,
Renata.

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Love Lula Beauty Box September 2017

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Love Lula Beauty Box August 2017
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Love Lula Beauty Box June 2017

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Love Lula Beauty Box May 2017

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Living Nature Thickening Mascara Review 

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DrHauschka Rose Day Cream Review 
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Organii Everyday Organics Review 

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Greenfrog Botanic Review 

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Ere Perez Natural Cosmetics Review 

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Walden Natural Perfumes Review

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 Dudu Osun Black Soap Review 

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Shopping My Green Beauty Stash #1

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Shopping My Green Beauty Stash #2 

   

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