Ireland's first Natural & Organic Subscription Box Review

Hello Lovelies,



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

Natural Skincare Emporium Beauty Box

How are you today? I can't believe it is the middle of November already! I know everyone keep saying that, but the Autumn seems to be gone in a blur. 

Today I am coming at you with a review of Ireland's first natural and organic subscription box. It is about time, isn't it? It is from Natural Skincare Emporium, Irish owned online shop for all things natural and organic - they carry loads of brands and you can get everything you want from skincare to supplements, baby care, cosmetics, you name it! Let's just say I perused their website and my wishlist is well over four figures 😉

A few months back they started doing their own subscription box, with all products natural and organic of course, and that's exactly what we will be looking into today. It retails for less than twenty euro a month, and that includes registered post delivery, which is music to my ears, as I am always afraid of losing my packages in the mail. Each box includes four or five items (some full size) not including sachet samples. I received November's box for the review purposes, so let's look into it, shall we?


Benecos Body Peel, Apricot and Elderflower

Ingredients INCI:
Aqua, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Prunus Armeniaca Seed Powder, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Shell Powder, Xanthan Gum, Tiliayphyllos Flower Water*, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Parfum**, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol°, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin*, Arctium Lappa Fruit Extract*, Tilia Cordata Flower Extract*, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract*, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract*, Hypericum Perforatum Flower Extract*, Urtica Dioica Root Extract*, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract*, Tocopherol, Sodium Phytate, Dehydroacetic Acid°, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil*, Potassium Sorbate°, Sodium Benzoate°
° preserved with * certified organic ** natural fragrance

This is a full size item. It uses apricot kernels to remove the build up of dead skin cells. Darker in colour and smells amazing, but for me personally it lacks scrubby bits, I am one of those people who like to scrub their body skin raw. If you like gentle body scrubs, this might be a perfect product for you? Bargain too!


Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Cream

Ingredients: glycerin, olea europaea (olive fruit oil), avena sativa (oat kernel flour), lanolin, parfum (fragrance), cocos nucifera (coconut oil), quillaja saponaria (quillaja bark extract), avena sativa (oat kernel oil), rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary leaf extract), canola oil, tocopherol, glycine soja (soybean) oil, butylphenyl methylpropional, coumarin, limonene, linalool. 

I was pleasantly surprised by it, it left my feet soft and nourished, but not slippy. Some foot creams use too much oils or butters, and while that is good for the skin, they can make your feet slip around in your shoes. This does not do that. My hubs loves and uses the shampoo and hand cream from this brand and likes them a lot. You get generous 20g deluxe sample size in this box.


Dr. Hauschka Facial Toner

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Anthyllis Vulneraria Extract, Alcohol, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Bark/Leaf Extract, Fragrance (Parfum), Linalool*, Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Limonene* *Component of natural essential oils

I love love love Dr.Hauschka Rose Day Cream (look for review in the search box if you want to) and I repurchased it multiple times. So after having such success with it I am keen to expand my horizons with this brand, aka try more products! This facial toner is a second sample size I own, I got one just a couple of days prior this box arrived, so I can only give you first impressions on it, but I can say so far, so good! It has witch hazel and alcohol in it, two ingredients I am always afraid to use because of my sensitive skin, but in this combo they don't give me any hassle, my skin isn't tight or reacting in any way. Which is good, so I will continue to use what I have. If you aren't using a toner, please look into it, as it regulates your skin's ph after washing it.


Ren Evercalm Rescue Mask

Ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Olus Oil, Lactobacillus Ferment, Butyrospermum, Parkii (Shea) Butter, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Wax, Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Algae Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Lactobacillus, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Parfum* (Fragrance), Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Panthenol, Carbomer, Vaccinium Vitas-Idaea (Lingonberry) Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Cocus Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Magnesium Carboxymethyl Beta- Glucan, Malachite Extract, Albatrellus Ovinus Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Glucose, Phenoxyethanol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leat Extract, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool).
*100% Natural Fragrance 

What can I say, I want a full size of this, like asap! From small sachet I can already tell it is amazing for your skin - and I wish I have taken before and after photos, the difference is dramatic. I was sporting a dermatitis patch on my face due to accidentally glutening myself and it took care of it like no one's business - the redness was down and my skin soothed. This mask is specially developed to combat over sensitivity, which it does beautifully. Beta glucan will strengthen the protective barrier, and arnica will soothe any inflammation. Ren is definitely the brand I will dive into in the few upcoming months, starting with this mask. Calming serum is next on my radar.


Weleda Skin Food

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Lanolin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Alcohol, Beeswax (Cera Flava), Glyceryl Linoleate, Hydrolyzed Beeswax, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Viola Tricolor Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cholesterol, Limonene*, Linalool*, Geraniol*, Citral*, Coumarin*. * from natural essential oils.

Another sachet sample of great product, I have used it before, and have a review on my blog too, so all I can say is that you need this product in your life. Multi-use, but I mostly used it on my hands to protect them from harsh winter, and this product did that beautifully. A favourite with stars like Victoria Beckham. Apparently it sells out so much it even has a waiting list! Not for my vegan friends, sorry - it has lanolin in it.



Neal's Yard Remedies Frankincense Hydrating Cream

Ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil*, Glycerin, Cetearyl alcohol, Glyceryl stearate, Polysorbate 60, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) oil*, Triticum vulgare (Wheat) germ oil, Prunus amygdalus dulcis (Almond) oil*+, Prunus armeniaca (Apricot) kernel oil*+, Boswelia carterii (Frankincense) oil, Commiphora myrrha (Myrrh) oil, Sorbitan stearate, Tocopheryl acetate, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene.
*Organically produced ingredient. +Nut/seed based ingredient. Natural constituent of essential oils listed. Made with 41% organic ingredients. This is a vegan product. 

Deluxe sample of a product I am well familiar with - I had a full size of it a couple of years ago. NYR get much of my respect as a brand, and they do such a wide range of products, which I appreciate and keep coming back to. Despite saying this, I am sad to report this particular cream didn't suit me uber sensitive skin, probably due to too much of essential oils for my skin to handle. If you don't react to every single ingredient like I do, be my guest, the ingredient list is fabulous, and I certainly wish I could use it. This will be either used as a hand cream or passed down to someone who will be able to enjoy it.



Caudalie Cleansing Oil

Ingredients:
Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate*, Caprylic/Capric Tryglyceride*, Ricinus Communis (Castor) seed oil*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) oil*, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) seed oil*, Tocopherol*, Parfum (Fragrance)*.
* Plant origin. 

You get very generous 30ml of product in this box, and that will certainly allow you to get the proper feel of the product, and you will be able to decide whether it is for you or not. It has a very faint natural smell to it. I have to be honest I haven't tried this product yet as I haven't worn any make up last week, and I am very conscious of not testing too many products at once. I will let you know once I will. Ingredients list is nice and minimal, it is suitable for sensitive skin, which gives me confidence I will get on with this product. Fingers crossed. 


So all in all, I enjoyed being test bunny and reviewing this Natural Skincare Emporium beauty box! It has a good mix of products, you can use them all to get your skin party season ready. And if you love natural and organic skincare and love testing new products like I do, this is definitely the box for you. I love the fact that it all comes in the recycled packaging, I am all about reusing things too, and quite frankly, who needs all these fancy boxes when no one tends to keep them anyway? 

As I mentioned, this box ships free in Ireland, and if you are outside Ireland but want to order it, you can contact them at info@naturalskincare.ie and they will do your best to accommodate you.


That is all for now, see you here shortly!

Lots of Love,
Renata.

 

What Natural Products Does Mr. Green Life In Dublin Use?

Hi Lovelies,


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

What Mr Green Life In Dublin uses

Today I wanted to share with you what Mr. Anti Social Media Green Life In Dublin uses in his daily life. A little preview: he is such a macho man that wouldn't use ANY product at all, and when I transitioned to the "green side" many years ago, I was met with a strong resistance for many years. After a few disagreements we resorted to having "his" and "hers" products of every kind, but now I am doing happy dance, because I see that vast majority of the toxic products have vanished from the house.  I gave up arguing and trying to prove my point many years ago and just let him to come to his own conclusions, and he finally saw that "mine" natural products work just as good as their toxic counterparts, and in many cases even better! In the last two years he even started showing interest into natural products, much to my surprise, because up until that point all he used was soap, shampoo and a toothpaste. Yes, not even a moisturiser or shaving cream, nuffing! Even to this day he still does not have the two, and if I want to employ him as a (very unwilling) human test bunny, I have to chase him down to the ground and slap a cream or any other product on some body part. After some grunting and puffing he finally admits that the product was "fine", so I quietly add it to his slowly growing stash. "Fine" is usually what I get for a feedback, and if some product gets "nice", that means I can safely get a product five stars out of five! As you can guess, he is a man of a few words. Heck, he even started reading ingredients on products in the shops, and sourced one rather impressive natural medical cream on his own, so I am rather impressed! I always tell people that they don't have to get chemist degree and try to decripter every single ingredient in products - switching to natural products does not have to be super confusing and daunting task it seems at the beginning, nor you have to carry a list of bad ingredients to avoid - make it simple for yourself and look for ingredients you CAN understand (and pronounce!) and you are on the right track! And the less ingredients the product has, the better in my opinion. So I guess all that has rubbed onto him somehow. And when I once glanced at his chest of drawers and saw a nice little collection growing, I thought to myself it's probably the time to post about it. 

Shall we begin?



Burt's Bees Almond & Milk Hand Cream

This was acquired in a Holland & Barret post Christmas sale, where he took initiative to buy us a few discounted sets of Burt's Bees and DrOrganic products. Nothing of them worked apart this hand cream, so it remains to this day, although I would like him to move on from Burt's Bees - after the company sold to Clorox, it is no longer cruelty free in my mind. (no company is cruelty free if their parent isn't if you ask me). But one thing at a time, and patience is the key here.

Burt's Bees Baby Bee Shampoo

Burt's Bees Baby Bee Shampoo and Wash

This product was the tipping point in him switching to the green side, because this was an exact product that erased his "backne" in a matter of week, whereas it was a persistent problem for years! He wouldn't listed to me when I was telling him the root cause is SLS in his "regular" shampoo, and he was on forever search for the next pill, cream or liquid that would help. Problem sorted itself out when he found himself with no shampoo and had to use whatever was on hand, aka this Burt's Bees one, and lo behold his backne was reduced in half after using it once, and totally gone after second or third use! That quickly made him a convert, and I quietly congratulated myself on winning first battle while doing a happy dance :)



Nyr Men Purifying Face Wash

A newest addition in my husband's arsenal, I got this in my last Nyr order, and hopefully he will like enough to ask for a full size. 



Flying Wild Organic Foot Balm

A product by my favourite Irish company, I have a full review on the products here, but it seems to be discontinued now. I sent an email to the company to ask about it, about a week later still no reply. I will keep you posted on this. My husband and I enjoyed their wonderful hand balm as well (note to myself, get more soon!)



Om Botanical Eczema Relief

This is great for eczema or any kind of skin inflammation - my husband is breaking out in weird places like a back of his head, so he asked if I would have any products that would help with this. One of the things I gave him was this, and he liked it the most. He said it is great in a way that it helps the breakouts heal by reducing inflammation in the area. We are sad to see it coming to an end and he even asked how much the product costs and was sad to learn it came from US, meaning he would get those damned custom charges if he went on to re-purchase it. Wish those pesky charges went away, they drive me crazy! (they more than double the price of the product for the consumer, and the money don't go to the maker of the products either, so the only "winner" in this situation is the middlemen, not brands or people. I talk (rant) more about it here.)



Theraneem Naturals Neem Leaf & Aloe Gel 


This was bought with the intention to replace the product above, but it is no match, nor it helped much with the breakouts. Despite this, I want to try a few more products from the brand. I have my eye on the shampoo and the tooth powder I spied with my little eye. My husband stopped using this product for a while, but now that I see it can be used post shaving, I will move this product to the bathroom to be used up.




Manuka Doctor Manuka & Tea Tree Antiseptic Gel with Propolis


I first discovered the beauty of manuka and tea tree oil gel when I got a sample of it from Living Nature, it worked like magic on blemishes. That product is really wonderful and natural, but also hella expensive, so we compromised on Manuka Doctor, which is only half natural, but also costs a fraction of the price. (Me, I tend to treat those kind of products like they are worth their weight of gold and administer only when needed; my hubby can go through a tube at a blink-and-you-will miss it rate, so it makes sense to go cheaper)




Human & Kind Hand + Elbow + Foot Cream


I received this and a couple of more H&K products for a review and found them too strongly scented for me, so this product found home in my husband's stash. If he decided to repurchase it, it is easily available here, it is by Irish brand after all. 



Puressentiel Articulations & Muscles Massage Gel

This was the product my husband sourced on his own, and I have to say I am proud of him for doing so! I should mention that his is physical job involving a lot of heavy lifting, so his joints are suffering as a result. He has tried almost anything there is to try when it comes to joint products, and his verdict was that this helps far better than any conventional gel on the market. This consists of 14 essential oils in a base of turpentine, which is derived from tree resin. We are onto a second or third jar of it - I feel it will be a repurchase for life here in Casa Green Life In Dublin :)


and one more product that didn't make the cut to the main picture purely because it didn't pass the "aesthetically pleasing" test, but it is a very good product nonetheless, is:


100%Pure Organic Neem Oil

 

Organic neem oil

I am so so glad this really natural oil is available locally via some health shops - it works wonders on all kinds of skin "boo boos" - it was the only thing that helped with my daughter's diaper rash when she was little (sorry for TMI) and now it is very helpful for Mr. Green Life In Dublin breakouts, so we also constantly have it in the house. This is great for hair too, but one thing to warn you, this smells horrible! Like marinated man's socks or something. Not for everyone. We don't mind the smell because we know how good this stuff is, but if it's your first time using, you might think it is gone off - don't worry, it is supposed to be that way. Give it some time to work it's magic and you will be a convert too.

I guess I should also mention a couple more products that I notice my man steals from me, aka he likes the products, but they are technically mine - that would be Mahalo Balm or Mahalo Rare Indigo Balm, Walden Perfume in A Different Drummer and he uses whatever toothpaste or shower gel I leave in the bathroom, although the only positive comment I got from him was about Dudu-Osun Black Soap - he said he liked the versatility of it and the fact it lathers well. 
 


So that is all the news I have to report from the dark side! Let me know if you found this post interesting and if you would like to see posts like this in the future?

What is the situation in your house? Do your husbands / boyfriends like using natural products? And if you a man reading this, how natural are you with your routine? Please share with me, I would love to know.


That is all for now,
Lots of Love 💕
Renata.
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Disclaimer: this post features a mix of items bought with our own money, as well as PR products. I am very clear about it in my reviews. No affiliate links here.
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Disclaimer II: You can't use my photos or my blog text without my permission. 
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Disclaimer III: I hope  the background does not offend anyone. Decided to do something different than pretty picture with flowers in it :)

Last Winter 2016 Empties

 

Hi guys and gals, l am coming at you with my trash again, oh, sorry, empties post ☺ I don't know what about you, but l feel if I finished the product to the last bit of it, it means I can give proper review of it, you know what I mean? For years I used not to finish anything at all, it rather expired on me, because I liked to “have” lots of beautiful things on my shelves, rather than “use” stuff. Now I changed my way of thinking and applied “one in one out” rule, in order to minimize the amount of things I own. It is nowhere near as minimalistic as I aspire to be, but I am trying to hone things to my perfect capsule collection.

So without further ado, let’s jump right in, shall we?

100%Pure Pink Grapefruit body lotion, samples x3

This came with my recent order from the company, I used all three packs at once and was short for full body application. What can l say? Nice smell, great ingredients apart Japanese Honeysuckle, sinks in really fast. I probably won't be repurchasing this or any other body creams for one reason- it ships from US (yes, all the orders from 100% Pure ship from US no matter if you order from EU, UK or other sites) so not only I risk getting charged extra because of the customs (it really sucks!) but also l don't want my products clocking up so many air miles. We as consumers should be thinking about things like these. But if 100% Pure were local to me and had a store in Dublin, I would totally get all their products. In fact, I would move in there ☺

100% Pure French Lavender Hand Buttercream - sample x1

See above, nice ingredients, not buying for the reasons l just listed.

100% Pure Coconut Nourishing body cream - sample x1

Not buying, same reason, see above, plus I don't like the smell, sickly sweet! I have a huge tub of scrub in this scent, not going as fast as l would like to, purely because of the smell again.

100% Pure Coffee Bean Eye Cream 

I had three samples of it, used up just one, and even halfway and binning the rest - this did zero things to my undereyes, zilch. Nada. Did not do anything to my dark undereye circles, nothing for the fine lines, it might have moisturised the skin, but not to the point that I would noticed. What it did give me was milia (I forgot about that problem since I switched to oils) and now it's back, and that is exactly the reason I am binning it. I had two more packets of it and gave it away to other blogger in a swap, hopefully she will get more benefits from it? From what I have read about it, people seem to be 50/50 about it, many love it, but many don't see any benefits from it, including me. One thing I have to give it - it lasts for absolutely ages! My 2ml sample lasted for more than 2 months and there's still plenty of it left, so if you will get it in full size, go for travel size, because the full size will expire on you before you will be able to finish it. 

100% Pure Caffeine Sheet Mask
All I can say is AMAZING!! Working on a review on it! All natural ingredients, and this mask truly does amazing things to the skin. This is something I will always want to have, 2015 was the year I got into masks, and not one compares to this, to me it is the best!

My own DIY whipped body butter

This lasted me about a year, totally making more of it, because not only I know what went into it to the last ingredient, but I saved a ton of money by DIY-ing it. You can find the recipe here.

Cold Pressed Oils pure shea butter 

This is hands down the best quality shea butter I have used, it helped me so much with my dermatitis! I am really due a review about it and the small family owned business, but at the moment I am testing another product of theirs, so l want to give myself some time to properly use the second oil I got from them and then put together a blog post.

Repurchase? Already have!

Jason 84% aloe vera conditioner

This is more than a year old and I am tossing it as it didn't work for me in the slightest and also has ingredients in it I no longer use. I left it in the most visible/accessible place in the bathroom hoping that my family members might use it, but those little devils keep using my good stuff instead and do not touch it either.

Repurchase? No.

Burts Bees shampoo x3

It is a staple in my house, l talked a million times about it before, so if you want, please feel free to peruse my older posts. This is what my hubby and princesses use, I don't, so that's why it's three empties in one post and none in the next - it's because we have several half empty bottles at any given moment. It drives me nuts, but that's how my hubby rolls. #familylife

Repurchase? Yes.

Madara Micellar Water - samples x3

I collected three samples via Naturisimo orders, and as l was excited to try it (heard many bloggers rave about it) I wasn't impressed, it is not that good at removing make up plus it dried out my skin! my trusty old rose water or orange flower water does way better job, not to mention it is many times more cheaper.

A purchase? No. I’ll stick to my rosewater, thank you very much!

Neal's Yard Remedies Thyme and Honey Cough Syrup

This is a miracle product and I am stocking up like a mad woman next time I am doing NYR order! Let me explain - not only it is the gentlest and pleasant tasting syrup ever, but it also works like a charm too, completely eliminating any type of a coughs in just a couple of days! I hope they never discontinue this, l promise to be a faithful buyer! and did l mention it's organic? It is a smidge more expensive than your regular cough syrup at the drugstore, but it pays over a million times, as cheap as l am, l am prepared to pay up where it pays to do so, esp when it comes to organic products! Whereas the regular cough syrups never work, you are bombarded with a million options, they have side effects and ingredients l don't want to use, last time l bought children's Sootha cough syrup in a rush (aren’t we always in a rush when your child is sick) without checking the ingredients (mainly because l used different product from that brand before) and was horrified to see parabens in the ingredient list!! I mean are you kidding me, parabens in babies medicine? Ugh!

Anyways, let’s get back to NYR one - it has good ingredients, reminds me of the cough syrup that l used when l myself was a child, it is organic AND it works brilliantly! Guess where l am going with this?

A repurchase? Yes a million times over!

Melvita argan oil samples x2

Has good ingredients, worked fine to tame my frizz. One little tip, always double check the ingredients list and if you find a long list of ingredients, put it back and back away! This usually happens with cheaper stuff, so don't be fooled by “argan oil” on the front of the bottle - you want pure oil, not all those fillers and silicones.

Am l purchasing full size of it? Not sure, l still have more than a half bottle of raw argan oil from other brand, and by the time l will be finished with it, l may be swayed by something else? Us bloggers are finicky bunch, haha!

Himalayan salt (not pictured here) but you can see it in my IG post here.

This is food grade salt that l used for a detox bath along with some essential oils (lavender, roman camomile and carrot seed if you want to know). This cost me less than a euro, and l don't think l will ever splash out on a fancy jar of detox salts, l am yet to be convinced they work any better. If you want to drop a pretty penny please be my guest and by all means treat yourself, but this is one area where l tend to save and DIY instead and spend my hard earned cash elsewhere.

A repurchase? Yes.

Deep steep hand wash in Sugar Plum

I got it in TKMaxx for a fiver, which is a good deal considering you get almost half a litre of product. Ingredients are pretty clean and Deep Steep is a good and affordable natural brand. This lasted me two months, and the only thing l didn't like about it is the pump, it dispenses way too much product and you spend ages rinsing it off. I think it's done on purpose so you would run out and be back for more pretty soon? But it is miles better than your regular liquid soap in the stores, and l will be picking it up once l will come across it in TKMaxx again. I haven't seen it in any other stored in Dublin, if you happen to know where these are sold, let me know! Oh, did l mention that the Sugar Plum scent is amazing?

A repurchase? Yes.

Dermalex

This is by all means not a natural product (but leaning toward it, the marking is blue, which is miles better than black) and it contains natural extract!!!!

Anyways, this l used to treat my dermatitis, it is sort of new treatment that does not contain any steroids. I personally can vouch for it’s effectiveness, it truly works at healing and calming the inflamed skin and it somewhat soothes the itchiness too. I recommended this along with other products in my dermatitis post, you can check it out here.

A repurchase? Already have.

English Mineral Makeup Company foundation in light neutral & warm light, samples x2

This l own in full size and have reviewed already (check it out here). Truly clean and effective make up that l really enjoy using and will be sad when it's finished. Pricy though, so l hope Santa will see this and will take hints ☺

A repurchase? Not sure or should l say not straight away! I am working my way though the samples of other brands, so l might find a cheaper alternative, and l really am dying to try Alima Pure foundation.

100% Pure Maracuja mascara (Not pictured as I forgot to include it, doh!)

By now this become my favourite mascara, even to the point of me moving it to Holy Grail category! At first l wasn't sure about the steep price point, but now I justify it by getting good deals or by going without something else I want but not necessarily need. This mascara has amazing ingredients and it doubles up as a lash treatment conditioning your lashes, so it's money well spent l would say. It gives you length and volume and you can really build it up, which you can't do with their original Black Tea mascara (that one did nothing for my lashes) and did l mention it is gluten free? It also made my lashes grow, and l know it's this, because l am not using any lash serums or castor oil, nuffink! Oh gosh, l sound like a sales person, don't I? Well, at least you will know how much l love it ☺

A repurchase? Already have. Btw, follow me on Instagram, l will alert you about their deals, because otherwise their prices are steep!

Avalon Organics Baby Shampoo & Body Wash 

Despite good ingredients I am not repurchasing, purely because it didn't work for us, as a shampoo it is too drying and not that good that I would want to go out and repurchase, there are way better products at that price point, and to use it as a body wash it is simply not economical, there are better products at the cheaper price point too. But it might be your perfect product, you never know?

Solgar Liquid Vitamin D3 2500iu 

This played a crucial role in my healing from dermatitis, as l was (and most of us are) deficient in this vitamin - please do your own research and test yourself if you think you are deficient, but l highly suggest that do you so, it is not just babies who need to supplement with it - we don't make nowhere near enough from the sun as we are lead to believe.

So that is it for now, I know this is rather plain stuff that I used up, I promise my next empties post will be way more exciting with plenty of make up 😊

What did you guys used up? See any favourites here? Please let me know.

That is all, ta ta for now!

Lots of Love,

Renata.

Natural Empties & Stuff I Am Throwing Away - Autumn 2015

Hi My Loves :)

Today I am coming at you with my trash, aka empties. I must admit I do enjoy watching these videos on YouTube, as it sorts the good products from the bad in my mind! I mean, the product has to be good if you finish the whole bottle and go on to repurchase it, right?

So let's start from the top left:

Aromatherapy Herbal Soap by Plantlife - this is vegan gluten free GMO free paraben free natural soap that I got in TK Maxx for six bucks in orange and vanilla scent and I really liked it, although my family didn't enjoy it, so I was left to finish it on my own, which was fine with me. The thing is I am trying to wean my family off the shower gels - they are made to run out quickly (meaning you come back to purchase it frequently = you bring more money to manufacturer) and make tons of plastic waste, something I am against, but I kinda have a hard time getting my point across, as  my hubs and elder princess are too used to shower gels, aka easy life :) Now let's get back to the soap, shall we? The label (which is printed in recyclable soy ink, no less!) says that they hand craft the soaps the old fashioned way - no heating, meaning the ingredients retain their beneficial properties. The soap is non drying and not irritating, something I can testify. The ingredients include organic herbs, aromatherapy grade essential oils, and plant oils such as olive oil and coconut oil. Truly natural stuff.

Repurchase? Without a doubt, yes.

Pur Minerals Bling Mascara - this is my natural Holy Grail mascara without a doubt! I am so glad to have found it, you guys have no idea! It lengthens, gives loads of volume, everything that a regular mascara does! Before it i was trying loads of other natural brands including Lavera, Benecos and DrHauschka, and they were so poor in performing, they made me sad as I was imagining to myself all natural mascaras would be this way - i.e. not doing anything - and I basically spent many months with crappy lashes (and not-so-great overall look too) because I don't do fake lashes. I got my first PurMinerals mascara in TK Maxx for 4 or 6 euros, and since then went on to repurchase it at full price in M&S a couple of times too. 

Repurchase? Absolutely! (Although I want to try many different mascaras, including Lash Dominator by Bare Minerals, Lily Lolo, and multiple others, I still want to have this on me at all times).

Declare Skinatura Restructure and Lift Elixir Serum - this is Swiss product that truly works and I was in awe when it helped to heal my dry patch on the face that wouldn't budge for weeks! (result of trying out a tanning product once, yes, my skin is THAT sensitive) and in some time I noticed my complexion getting smoother and firmer, brighter too, in fact my skin looked really good when I was using this and vitamin C serum at night. The ingredients feature organic oils and natural hyaliuronic acid. The problem was, it went rancid on me very soon, even though I kept it in the fridge, so I am not sure if I got an old product or it has extremely short shelf life? i got mine in TK Maxx (where else?) for about 13€ but it retails for 48€ and I didn't see it in the actual shops in Dublin anywhere, nor I was able to find it in TK Maxx ever since.
Repurchase? maybe! I know this is a good product and I do keep it at the back of my mind, but I am having too much fun with other products :)

Bee Lovely Shower Gel by NYR (or Neal's Yard Remedies in other words) - this was a pleasant surprise, and something I really enjoyed using. It came in a Bee Lovely set that I got a little while back, and so far so good! Smells lovely (although all the line of Bee Lovely products smell of orange essential oil, you do not get a scent of honey, but it is definitely on the list of ingredients). You only need a little of it to get a great lather, the very first time I tried it, I used the regular amount i would use with other shower gels, and let's just say I was practically having a bubble bath, lol! This is not drying and not irritating too.

Repurchase? Yes, if on sale. What? I am a thrifty person :)

Lavera Kids Toothgel - this I am throwing away because it got rancid on me. My little princess definitely enjoyed it's strawberry-raspberry flavor, and I enjoyed the fact that it has minimal good ingredients, the only thing I didn't like was the glycerine in it, it is said to coat the teeth and prevent them from re-mineralising themselves, so i will try to look for glycerine free version of toothpaste next. If you will decide to go for it, look for it in health food stores.

Repurchase? No.

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara - this came in a gift set that the brand was giving away with a purchase a while back, and it was my first order from 100% Pure! I mean who can resist a make up freebie, esp this natural, right? At first I really hated this mascara, as it reminded me of DrHauschka one, i.e. I thought it does nothing for my lashes, as it gives zero volume, something I desperately need! But as the weeks went by and it dried up a bit, I warmed up to it as I was able to layer it more, and coupled with Pur Minerals mascara on top of this, it definitely was a good combo. And I appreciate the fabulous ingredients in this! 

Repurchase? Not sure - I ordered their Maracuja mascara, so yes, it is a repurchase in a way, but I have to see which one I like better. Plus I am not sure if |I want to pay custom duties every time I order from this brand. So we will see.

Pur Minerals pressed foundation in Porcelain - this I also got in TK Maxx for €6 about a year ago and I could not find it there at that price ever since. Porcelain is their lightest shade and it is too light on me, so eventually I will purchase the product, but I need to match my shade correctly, but every time I visit M&S store who carry this line, the tester I am looking for is never there, I can't remember the name of the next shade up - that is the one I am looking for. The thing is, on pictures it looks almost identical to Porcelain and the next next shade is way too dark for me, so I need to eventually find a tester and colour match myself to the right shade. So you can see, it is a repurchase. The reason I am buying this again is that it coverage is very good - full coverage if we speak in beauty terms. It also didn't irritate my dermatitis at it's worst, so that's when you know it is a good product.

Repurchase? Yes Yes Yes.

Meswak toohpaste - a staple in my house that I get in Asian shops for 1.5€, so you can see it is much cheaper than any brand from health store (the last time I paid 10€ for one with manuka honey in it, and that is ridiculous price point for a toothpaste if you ask me). The ingredients are really good (and the marking is green!) in it apart SLS which irritates the crap out of me, but there's nothing I can do about it. In order not to have too much SLS I alternate it with neem paste.

Repurchase? Yes, it is a staple.

Korres Hand Cream with organic almond oil and shea butter - this is one fabulous hand cream, that I would repurchase for the smell alone! The marking is black and it has loads of ingredients and some of them I can't pronounce or understand, meaning it is not all natural product. Korres in fact isn't all natural brand, but they are trying.

Repurchase? Not right away as currently I have NYR hand cream, but yes, I would go back to this product.

Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil I got a sample of it from Naturisimo to see if my skin will tolerate it (it is super finicky lately due to dermatitis and seems to react to EVERYTHING, even to the products it loved before, like rosehip oil from another brand. Yes I have it that bad at the moment!) This brand it is a cult product in the green beauty community and it has been recommended to me numerous times, hence me finally trying it out! It is different from other oils in a way that is has rosehip seed and fruits oil blended together.
Repurchase? Yes, very soon I will go for this product.

Bottom row from the left:

Sukin Facial Moisturiser - I found this on Holland and Barrett website and I immediately went on to purchase it as I knew Sukin as this clean Aussie brand, and the ingredients in this sound fabulous - aloe vera, nettle, horsetail, burdock, rosehip, jojoba oil, avocado oil and a bunch of other ingredients, it all sounded fabulous and I was keeping fingers crossed it would work for me, as I needed a good facial moisturiser - who doesn't? I perused the ingredients and I knew it has a couple of alcohols in it, which don't suit my skin in general, but as they were way down on the ingredient list, I thought I might get away with it? Plus, it is 125ml instead of your regular 50ml for your average face cream for 13€, so the price point is fabulous. And I really like the fact that it has a pump, much more sanitary than dipping your germy fingers in a pot, right? Did it agree with me? No, I got breakouts from it even though I tried it multiple times. I did finish it as a body cream but it did not blow me away either.
Repurchase? No, purely because it made me breakout.

Earth Friendly Baby Organic Mandarin Bubble Bath - this you can get in Boots or numerous other shops, and I would highly recommend it as this brand does fabulous products with very clean ingredients, it does not get cleaner than that! this particular product has over 70% of organic ingredients, and what's more, it truly works! I have tried Burt's Bees bubble bath before this, and that was a real flop producing practically no bubbles. Plus Earth Friendly Baby one is 2 or 3 times cheaper, depending on where you buy it. I also really enjoy their Baby Hair and Body wash, I use it as a body wash and the ingredients in that product are also fabulous, you can understand every single ingredients without needing the chemist's degree! This company truly gets Green Life In Dublin seal of approval, and their products cost about a fiver each, which is like music to my ears! Let's hope Boots doesn't discontinue this product like they did with Child's Farm (more on it later)
Repurchase? not for this product, as it turned out my little princess does not like bubble baths and everybody else in the familia are shower users.

Child's Farm Shampoo (over 98% natural ingredients, suitable for eczema prone skin from newborn upwards) - I got this in Boots, or should I say I used to get this in Boots, as they discontinued this fabulous clean brand and replaced it with chemical laden one which also costs twice as much! Boo Boots, and the pun is intended, you really put BOO in Boots this time! Yes I do understand you need to make money, but as you have only a little handful of natural brands/products, so why pull the plug on one of them and introduce yet more chemicals, especially for newborns and young children?! And what is more infuriating to me, Child's Farm is only discontinued in Boots Ireland, it is still available in Boots UK! Why for God's sake? Boo you, and did I mention boo?!
Now, little rant aside, all is not lost as this brand is available in selected Supervalu stores, so look out for that :) it costs a bit more, but I will continue to buy it nonetheless. All my family uses it, as a shampoo and a body wash, it is almost as good as Burt's Bees one, although it won't give you as much shine.
Repurchase? Yes!

Dr Bronners, Burt's Bees Child Shampoo and Bodywash, and Rosewater from Asian shop (edible kind) Please excuse me if I roll these all into one, these are all repurchases and staples in my house and I constantly sing praises to them in my blog and Instagram posts. So I won't repeat myself for the millionth time here, and you can always browse my blog if you want to know more, right? :)
Repurchase? YES YES YES!

So that is all for now :) What are you loving and finishing off lately?


Lots of Love,
Renata.