Body Care and Hair Care Reviews. Links Galore

Hi Lovelies,



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

Natural Body Care And Hair Care Reviews

So, that is the last round up of links, I promise you! Just like I've done with make up and skincare, I am rounding up the links to reviews of body and hair care, but because I am very minimal with both, I am lumping them together. And I feel this is going to be a very modest post. You see, while I would happily splurge on skincare (or selected make up), body care takes a second seat for me, as long as I have decent wash and some coconut oil, I am good. Thanks God I no longer have dermatitis, so no specific products are needed, all I need to focus on is to keep my body clean and well moisturised. For hair care it's the same - good quality natural shampoo, and some hair oil is all I need! Obviously I like my hair to look good, but I find if I have good shampoo, I can skip conditioner (this has never been my fave as most of them weigh my hair down and make it look limp), and all I do to it post-shampoo is apply some hair oil (both as a pre-wash treatment) and post wash, always from the middle of my hair down to the ends. The same hair oil serves as a flyaway treatment and that's about it, I am afraid. I don't use heat on my hair, nor I colour it, so I don't need much products to undo the damage, and as a true Sagittarius I don't style it much either. Hence minus the arsenal of (natural) styling products on my shelves. If it looks good, I wear it down, if it doesn't, it goes into a bun.
You would know that if you follow me, but if You want to re-read any of the reviews, or have missed them altogether, here they are:

Bodycare

(in no particular order)

✅ Greenfrog Botanic Review

✅ Dudu Osun Black Soap Review

✅ Organii Review

✅ 2016 Best Products

✅ Flying Wild Balms Review

✅ Flying Wild Honey Body Butter Review

✅ Weleda Review

✅ Lotus Wei Review

✅ My Morning Routine featured on No More Dirty Looks 2016

✅ Neal's Yard Remedies Stash & Experience

✅ DIY Whipped Nourishing Body Butter

✅ Natural After Sun Care and a few DIYs

Haircare:

 

✅ Living Libations True Blue Spirulina Shampoo 
    & Fortifying Frankincense Dry Shampoo Review

✅ Dermorganics Shampoo Review

✅ How To Have Healthy Hair Again (the natural way)

✅ Scalp Tonic Spray DIY

many more are to come :)


Want to see all my make up reviews? Click here.

Interested in skincare? Click here. 

DIY inclined? You might enjoy this post.

Please like and share my posts on social media, it really helps to get the green beauty word out - and you will forever have my gratitude! Follow me on Bloglovin, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube. (someday I will start making YouTube videos, promise!)


That is all for now, see you here again shortly.

Lots of Love,
Renata.

100%Pure Organic Matcha Moisturiser Review

Hi Lovelies,

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

100%Pure Organic Matcha Moisturiser

This is another way overdue review, as I got this moisturiser as soon as 100%Pure came out with their collection of certified organic products. That was I don't know, early fall last year? Late fall? You can tell it was fall even by my styling in the photo, all leaves and chestnuts, haha! I remember them having a good deal back then and to get to the limit you need to get the gift, I decided to pick this moisturiser up. It costs 45€ for a standard 2oz or 59ml of product, and as their regular moisturisers cost 40€, I figured extra fiver for a certified organic product is a no brainer. I chose matcha one over the one they recommend for sensitive skin, purely because I am obsessed with all things matcha for the last year or so - drinking it, masking with it anyone? And I assumed all 100%Pure moisturisers should be gentle enough for me, right? Wrong! Now, let me tell you, I have used plenty of their samples of different moisturisers, and they all suited me fine - for a little while I was debating with myself which one to choose to invest in a full size of, and when they came out with their organic range, I brushed all these other ones off in a favour of a new one. Oh boy, what a mistake! Now, if you are with me for any length of time, you know I test new skincare product for at least four to six weeks before I post a review, but in this case I didn't need to test this product for that long to tell it is not for me - upon my first application my skin was red and tingled in a slightly painful or should I say irritated way, but I couldn't admit this to myself, so the next day I tried again, and the same thing happened. My hubby even asked if my face dermatitis came back in a very concerned way, so I immediately went to wash it off. My skin reacted in a red irritated bumps kind of way, and these were hard to heal. When I finally healed my skin five days later, I tried again, only to experience the same familiar irritation. And I did try once more two weeks later. And one more time another week later. See, I never learn!

In those weeks in between I tried to use it as a (very expensive) hand cream, but I often found myself scratching my hands absentmindedly, until it dawned on me my hands must be irritated by it too. At the same time my girlfriend called looking for moisturiser (my friends say they are not interested in my green skincare, and yet they are always happy to take my cast offs) so I happily gifted it to her. She has normal non reactive skin, and she had zero problems with it, and recently has asked for more! Nice try love, you will have to get your own :)

Now, because it didn't suit my uber sensitive skin, it does not make it a bad product, I am very well aware I am in a tiny minority of people with my skin like that. I feel everyone else should be fine? I don't know what caused the irritation in the product, the ingredient list seemed fine to me, and I don't have any problems with the matcha itself, I happily mask with it every single week.

And before any of my US readers tell me I should have returned it, well, the same rules does not apply to us EU folks, we can't return anything here in EU. 100%Pure ship all the products from US, even if you buy from their Canadian, European or UK website, until very recently they weren't clear about this, but now they updated their website to include this information - you will see this only after you will pay for your order, otherwise this info is nowhere to be seen. So make no mistake - if you buy from their German, EU or UK leg of the website, it does not mean your products will be shipped from within EU - they are always shipped from US, and it explains why some of us get those hefty custom charges if we place bigger orders. (I was told they have a warehouse in the UK where they hold a limited amount of stock, but I am not sure how much of that is true).

So having that in mind I probably could have argued with them about the return of the product, but as we all know, postage over the pond would have cost me as much as the product itself (I tried to send something back to them once, and they told me they require registered shipping, which costs 40€. I sent is by non registered mail at 7.50€, which naturally got lost) so there were no point of doing it anyway, and I had to write it as a loss of money. Not total loss in general, because I got another valuable lesson of what not to buy in the future, plus I was able to bring this review for you guys.

 

Organic Matcha Moisturiser by 100%Pure

Ingredients:

Glacial Water infused with Camellia Sinensis (Organic Green Tea)*, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Xanthan Gum, Persea Gratissima (Organic Avocado) Oil*, Cetyl Palmitate (Plant Fatty Acid), Hippophae Rhamnoides (Organic Sea Buckthorn) Oil*, Vegetable Glycerin, Coconut Stearic Acid, Hypericum Perforatum (Organic St. John’s Wort) Oil*, Rosa Moschata (Organic Rosehip) Seed Oil*, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Calendula Officinalis (Organic Calendula) Oil*, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder (Matcha Green Tea), Berberis Aquifolium (Organic Oregon Grape) Root Extract*, Borago Officinalis (Organic Borage) Oil*, Oenothera Biennis (Organic Primrose) Oil*, Daucus Carota (Organic Carrot) Seed Oil*, Lentinus Edodes (Organic Shiitake) Extract*, Ganoderma Lucidum (Organic Reishi) Extract*, Fucus Vesiculosus (Organic Seaweed) Extract*, Usnea Barbata (Organic Lichen) Extract*, Centella Asiatica (Organic Gotu Kola) Extract*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Organic Shea Butter)*, Theobroma Cacao (Organic Cocoa) Seed Butter*, Camellia Sinensis (Organic Green Tea) Leaf Extract*, Aspalathus Linearis (Organic Rooibos) Extract*, Euterpe Oleracea (Organic Acai) Fruit Oil*, Lycium Barbarum (Organic Goji) Fruit Extract*, Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10), Alpha-Lipoic Acid (Antioxidant), Olive Squalane, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Natural Flavor, Glucose Oxidase (Sugar Enzyme) & Lactoperoxidase (Milk Enzyme) *Certified Organic 

Have you tried this cream? I hope your experience was better than mine? Please share with me, I would love to know!

P.s. Although this cream didn't suit me, I happily use many products from them, I will list more posts on this brand down below. Recently I counted no less than 16 posts of 100%Pure products alone on my IG page, it surely must be love? (sometimes hate when the products expires on me sooner than I want it to, not going to lie). And I nearly fell off my chair when my "Princess Fiona" aka Green Tea mask selfie made it into 2016 Most Liked Instagram post (see it here if you're interested).

 

Green Life in Dublin loves 100%Pure

I am forever forgetting to ask you to like and share my posts (if you like them of course) - as I don't pay anything to Google, Instagram and the like, my posts are invisible to the people who don't follow me already, and I would like to reach bigger audience. Pretty please?? You will have my forever gratitude.

That is all for today,

Lots of Love,

Renata.

Related posts you might enjoy:

100%Pure Pretty Naked II Review

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100% Pure Caffeine Mask review and one tip on how to make them last three times longer!

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Natural Juicy Tubes Peach Dupe - 100%Pure Gemmed Lip Gloss in Peacock Ore (review)

💕

100% Pure Collection and Review 

💕

100% Pure Mascaras Round Up and Review 

💕

100%Pure Luminous Primer Review

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Disclaimer: i bought the product with my own moolah and opinions are my own. Clearly.

Zao Organic Make Up Review

Hi Lovelies,


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

Zao Organic Make Up - all photos copyrighted to Green Life In Dublin

What do you say when offered a chance to try organic make up that you had your eye on for ages?? You say: “Yes Please! Come This Way!” Right? Right??

Well, joking aside, I am very grateful for a chance to review Zao make up, and what's even better, there might be a chance that they are coming to Dublin soon! How exciting would that be?! Now we would have a chance to buy certified organic make up right here in our own city, no trying to match yourself to the right shade online, and no more unwanted custom charges! Do we want that? Yes we do, very much so! And can we just take a moment to appreciate gorgeous bamboo packaging? Totally adorable! And did I mention that it is certified organic and has fabulous refill system? Or that they are gluten free, cruelty fee and mostly vegan products? I think I just heard angels singing!

Here's what Zao have to say:

Many women tell us that they would like to use organic cosmetics, but texture and performance are often issues for them. zao Organic Makeup represents the breakthrough women have been waiting for luxury, quality and performance, which are only enhanced by the zao approach to using the most perfectly natural and organic ingredients. We don’t provide just a color cover-up. Our makeup is good for your skin, as it is full of antioxidants and essential fatty acids that nourish, renew and regenerate your skin. You can read their story on how it all started and how it all started here.


Zao first contacted me to see if I could help them conquer Dublin, I had a few ideas for them, but sadly I couldn't put them through with the right people as I’ve no connections in the biz, I am just a regular consumer like you and I. So we ended up collaborating for a blog review instead. So if you want to read what I think about the products, please keep on reading! And maybe grab a snack and tea or coffee, whichever one you prefer :)

Compact Foundation (cream)
 

There were a lot of testing around to find my correct shade in this foundation. At first I was sent 728, 729 and 730. All of them ended up being too light for me, 728 had too much yellow, 729 too much pink of the undertone, and while 730 looked just about right in undertone, but it was waaay too light for me. When I emailed them this with photos to boot, they sent the next foundation sample in the hopes to find the right shade for me, 733, because I am a neutral gal and 731 and 732 wouldn't have worked for me in terms of undertones. Well, I know what you are thinking, and I do understand that it looks scary dark in the pan, but the truth is that this shade ended up working for me! Crazy, I know, I haven't come across anything like it before, but it is like this foundation is almost un-oxidising when it hits your skin, so my advice would be go at least a shade darker than you think you are, or try to secure a sample before investing in a full size to avoid disappointment. 100%Pure Healthy Skin Foundation is similar in terms that it also goes lighter when it's on the skin, but not that much lighter.

Now, about the foundation itself. It goes on smoothly and it is very easy to blend. A bit less coverage than Kjear Weis, but it is very buildable. And I find it easier to work with than Kjaer Weis. It does not cling to any dry patches on the skin, nor it does highlight fine lines or anything like that. Once on, it holds pretty well in its own, the very first day I wore it I didn't set it on purpose, to see how well it would last on its own, and it didn't disappoint! My skin is dry and sensitive though, so if you are oily, setting it is a must, otherwise it would move on the face I am afraid. I am really impressed with it I have to say.
It comes in the gorgeous bamboo case that you only buy once, and from then on you can purchase refills, I just love that! No throwing away a plastic case when you are done, and then getting another one. As I try to reduce waste in our household, this refill system is just a music to my ears!
Below you can see the swatches of the shades as well as their concealer.

Ingredients:
728-741: Oleyl Oleate, Squalane, Silica, Polyglyceryl-10 Apricot Kernelate, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Rhizome Extract*, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil (Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Seed Oil)*, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters, Lauryl Olivate, Copernicia Cerifera Cera (Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax)*, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil)*, Tocopherol, Fragance( Natural Vanilla Extract), Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder,Ci 77820(Silver). May Contain +/-: Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77491 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77742 (Manganese Violet). *Ingredients From Organic Farming ** Made Using Organic Ingredients.

100%​ Natural ingredients. 20% Minimum of organic ingredient.

 Now, a bit more info about their ingredients, taken from their page:

Bambusa arundinacea stem powder (micronised bamboo stem powder) : Regenerates epidermis
A white substance extracted from the nodes of the bamboo. It is mainly composed of pure silica and has been widely used in oriental medicine. Organic silica, which is a component of connective tissue, is present throughout the human body and regenerates the epidermis as it is involved in the synthesis of collagen and elastin. Over time, our capital silica diminishes causing demineralisation and loss of skin elasticity. It is therefore necessary to regularly replenish the skin with transcutaneous supplies.

Phyllostachis Bambusoides Rhizome Extract* (organic bamboo rhizome oil): Regenerates epidermis
As bamboo powder or bamboo leaves hydrosol, this material is extremely rich in organic silica which external input is needed to maintain the elasticity of our tissues and our skin. In the case of this oil, the advantage over powder or hydrosol is its ability to further penetrate the superficial part of the epidermis.

Silver (CI77820 micronised silver powder) : Natural preservative
These micro-particles of pure silver are antiseptic (especially on skin and mucous membranes) and Antibacterial as well, thereby preserving the product and protecting the skin. Microsilver is often used in creams to treat burns. Almost all products in the ZAO range (except the two lipbalms) contain micro-particles of pure silver (a natural preservative).

Silica (organic silica) : Toning and moisturising
The human body contains about seven grams of silica, far more than any other mineral including iron (and silica is the second component of the earth's crust with a 28% share after oxygen with 47%). An essential quality of silica is that it allows the body to efficiently absorb and assimilate minerals and vitamins. The connective tissue of the human body (cell wall) is composed of collagen and elastin. These molecules need silica, which, however, is no longer synthesised from an age of about twenty. An external supply is needed especially for the skin. For this reason, most of the products in the ZAO range contain organic silica.

Orbignya oleifera (babassu) seed oil* (organic babassu seed oil) : Antioxidant and anti-aging
Very rich in lauric acid, this oil has exceptional penetrating properties and is noted as non-comedogenic. It is sweet, very moisturising and Suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive. Its high concentration oftocotrienols provides antioxidant and anti-aging values.

Zao Correcting Concealer, in a tube above testers. That's how your refill looks like.

 Correcting Concealer

I got it in the shade 492 which is correct shade for me, as I like my undereye concealers in a lighter shade to create that brightening effect. Now, let me start off with the good news, it Does Not Crease!! Amazing! I couldn't wait to tell you all about it. Concealer is a very important tool in my green beauty arsenal, because my hereditary dark circles are so bad, that you would immediately would ask me if I am tired or sick if you ever saw me without make up, they are that bad, and no amount of sleep/green smoothies/ relaxation/products help, so I might just as well make my peace with it and make concealer my best friend. Even on my no make up days (which is most days to be honest) I will put some concealer, mascara and eyebrows. I don't want to scare people, okay?

So, let's get back to the concealer, shall we? The ingredients are just as impressive as their foundation, and I am impressed at how this works, I mean I've never met a green and clean concealer that would not crease, even my beloved Hynt Beauty concealer creases if I put on a little more than a pinprick dot. This holds up beautifully on it's own, and I don't even have to set it! I have to admit that my daily make up looks very natural, and I use very little concealer too, nothing like you see some of the Youtubers use in their videos. So if you are that girl who puts on those "triangles" of concealer under your eyes, I would recommend setting it just in case, but for me it does not crease, and I am very impressed, definitely an unexpected star!

Ingredients (INCI/CTFA): Ingredients (INCI/CTFA): Oleyl Oleate, Olive Oil Decyl Esters, Persea Gratissima Oil [Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil]*, Silica, Copernicia Cerifera Cera [Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax]*, Cera Alba [Beeswax]*, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil [Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Seed Oil]*, Squalene,Tocopherol, Natural Vanilla Extract As Fragrance ,Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Ci 77820 [Silver], Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil [Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil]*, Aqua [Water], Aloe Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Alcohol. May Contain +/-: Ci 77891 [Titanium Dioxide], Ci 77491 [Iron Oxides], Ci 77492 [Iron Oxides], Ci 77499 [Iron Oxides], Ci 77288 [Chromium Oxide Green] *. May Contain +/-: Ci 77891 [Titanium Dioxide], Ci 77491 [Iron Oxides], Ci 77492 [Iron Oxides], Ci 77499 [Iron Oxides], Ci 77288 [Chromium Oxide Green] *: Ingredients From Organic Farming

Percentage of natural ingredients: 100%. Percentage of organic ingredients: 20% minimum.

 Organic Mineral Silk Foundation (loose powder)

It comes in a gorgeous bamboo pot with a magnetic lid. All of their make up comes in cotton pouches too, which is a cute touch.

Ingredients (Inci/Ctfa):(Ref 500) : Mica, Zea Mays Starch (Zea Mays (Corn) Starch)*, Silica, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Rhizome Extract*, Glyceryl Caprylate, Squalane, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Tocopherol, Natural Vanilla Extract (Fragrance), Ci 77820 (Silver).*: Ingredients From Organic Farming

Percentage of natural ingredients: 100% Percentage of organic ingredients: 22% minimum

Ingredients (Inci/Ctfa) (Ref 501-506): Mica, Oryza Sativa Powder (Oryza Sativa (Rice) Powder)*, Zea Mays Starch (Zea Mays (Corn) Starch)*, Silica, Zinc Stearate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract (Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract), Tocopherol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil)*, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil*, Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract (Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil)*, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Natural Vanilla Extract (Fragrance), Lauroyl Lysine, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Ci 77820 (Silver), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Theobroma Cacao Extract (Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract). May Contain +/-: Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77491 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77947 (Zinc Oxide), Ci 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), Ci 77007 (Ultramarines), Ci 77288 (Chromium Oxide Green), Ci 77289 (Chromium Hydroxide Green), Ci 77742 (Manganese Violet).*: ingredients from organic farming

Percentage of natural ingredients: 100% Percentage of organic ingredients: 32% minimum

I like this a lot too, it can be used on it's own as a light coverage foundation, or to set their cream foundation, like I did, in both cases it works very well. Nothing bad to say about this product (or any of them for that matter), great ingredients, great performance, very cute packaging!

Zao Matte Lipstick in 464

 Lipstick

Comes in two varieties, matte and pearly. The one you see here is matte in the 464 which is described as red orange on the website, but it definitely pulls more brown on me. See it swatched here and in the very last photo below. It looks the same way on the lips. I have to say I like the formula, very easy to apply, creamy but not slippery, not drying at all, lasts a decent time too, and what I really like, no weird taste on the lips either like from Red Apple Lipstick. Would I purchase more of them? Totally! I would like to see the shade selection in person though, so hurry up to Dublin, Zao!! We want/ need you here.

Ingredients (INCI/CTFA) 461-468,470: Ricinus Communis Seed Oil (Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil)*, C10-18 Triglycerides, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract (Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Extract), Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters**, Glycine Soja Oil (Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil)*, Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides, Fragance (Natural Vanilla Extract), Tocopherol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter)*, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil)*, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter (Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter)*, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Rhizome Extract*, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil)*, Elaeis Guineensis Butter (Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Butter)*, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract (Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Extract)*, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Ci 77820 (Silver). May Contain +/-: Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77491 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), Ci 77007 (Ultramarines), Ci 77742 (Manganese Violet), Mica. * Ingredients From Organic Farming

Percentage Of Natural Ingredients: 100%. Percentage Of Organic Ingredients: 50%

Ingredients (INCI/CTFA) 469: Ricinus Communis Seed Oil (Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil)*, C10-18 Triglycerides, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract (Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Extract), Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters**, Fragance (Natural Vanilla Extract), Glycine Soja Oil (Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil)*, Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides, Tocopherol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter)*, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter (Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter)*, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil)*, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Rhizome Extract*, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil)*, Elaeis Guineensis Butter (Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Butter)*, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract (Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Extract)*, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Ci 77820 (Silver). May Contain +/-: Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci77019 (Mica), Ci 77491 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), Ci 77007 (Ultramarines), Ci 77742 (Manganese Violet). *Ingredients From Organic Farming

Percentage Of Natural Ingredients: 100%. Percentage Of Organic Ingredients: 45% minimum



So, what is my verdict? Did the products get Green Life In Dublin stamp of approval? Yes! They passed with flying colors!

Zao is stocked in 43 countries worldwide, including UK and one place in Ireland (which makes me to organize a trip to Sligo just for that purpose!) - you can find the list here.


My wishlist from the brand:

Blush in Golden Coral

All of the eye brushes and eyebrow brush

Eye shadows (pearly) in 102, 103, 105, 106 and 119 which I would also try to use as a blush

Cream eye shadow in 251

Volume mascara in black

Pearly lipstick in 402 and 403

A pencil or two (they have a lot of multipurpose ones)

Eyebrow powder (not sure of my shade, would need to get a sample or see the products in person, as from looking online, the "ash blonde" looks way warmer than "blonde", which confuses me a bit)

And I really wanted a bamboo palette as I find them gorgeous, but watching Crueltyfrecutie video opened my eyes that the palette isn't held together by hinges, but acording to her "a sticker", so again, this is something I need to see in person to decide whether to get it or not.



So that is it, my two cents aka the review on this wonderful brand and their products, which hopefully will come to Dublin sooner rather than later! I know they already have a loyal customer in me.



That is all for now,

Lots of Love,

Renata.

  

Flying Wild Balms Review - Irish Series

Hello Lovelies,

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

I am starting a new series in the blog, solely dedicated to Irish brands, and what better way to start than with my new favourite balms from Flying Wild? Flying Wild is a company started by lovely Arno, the brand owner and formulator. He moved back to his birthplace a few years looking for simpler life, more outdoors life and it resulted in this business. Arno keeps 60 bee hives of very happy bees and is using fresh honey to make his products. Other (certified organic, no less) ingredients in products are hemp, coconut, olive, soya and castor oils, shea butter, vitamin E, essential oils of frankincense and may chang. Super simple and minimal list of ingredients, exactly what I like, and all of them are good for you and nourishing to the skin. (Sorry vegan friends, this post is not for you, please feel free to check out my other posts). I am really loving the company's ethos too, they say if the ingredient does not add anything to the product, it is not included. Every product is made by hand in small batches, fresh from scratch every time, no fillers or pre-made bases – every ingredient is natural, has a specific purpose and delivers results. Quality of the products speak for themselves. How can you not love this?

There are four products in the line, three balms for the body, hands and feet, and a lip balm. I got a chance to test them all and I can't choose my favourite, they are all that good!

The Lip Balm

Is second to only Hurraw lip balms, and it is way better than anything l used in the last few years, way better than Burt’s Bees, Crazy Rumours, Eos and multiple other balms. It is super nourishing, lasts for hours and smells of honey and rosemary. I am stocking up on these babies come autumn! I am the sort of person who has to have multiple lip balms everywhere, next to the computer, bed, in the handbag, bathroom, car, you name it. The only tiny thing l dislike about it is the packaging, it is forest green tube, and the colour reminds me of a school uniform, aka my least favourite colour (and not so good memories perhaps) but the balm is so good that l am willing to put up with it. Here’s hoping the brand will come out with more variations in the flavours and packaging?

Certified Organic Ingredients: grapeseed oil, beeswax, honey, rosemary oil, vitamin E.

The Body Balm

It comes in a pump tube, which l like very much, very sanitary, no diping germy fingers into a pot and contaminating product with bacteria. All balms come in the same packaging. It has great ingredients (duh, obviously!) and is a joy to use, plus l have to mention the smell, your bathroom will smell amazing for hours!! It is also amazingly softening, your skin will feel like a baby’s skin for a couple of days. You can mix it with other body lotion if you don’t want to run out too soon, and that is exactly what I am doing and savouring every moment of it! It has runny honey consistency, it is not a hard balm, and it leaves a bit of a film in your skin if you don't rub it in well, so make sure to do that. (But if you like thin consistency lotions that rub in quickly and leave no trace of any product on the skin, this might be not a product for you). As l am more of a body oil or butter type of girl, l am loving it! Formulated for normal to dry skin.

Certified Organic Ingredients: Soya oil, vegetable glycerine, castor oil, olive oil, hemp seed oil, shea butter, beeswax, coconut oil, honey, vitamin E, may chang oil, olive oil peg-7 esters*, frankincense oil. * non-organic plant based emulsifyer.

The Hand Balm

Same amount of product, same packaging, same gorgeous smell! I keep reaching for this hand balm non stop, and after a little while l noticed l didn't touch any of my hand creams for a week! So it quickly took over as my favourite hand product too. Definitely repurchasing once I am out, l don't want to be without this product ever again! Just like a  body balm, it leaves a film on the hands, so l use it at night. I only use the hand creams at night anyways. If you are someone who uses hand creams multiple times daily, maybe try it on the backs of the hands?

Certified Organic Ingredients: Flaxseed oil, vegetable glycerine, castor oil, olive oil, hemp seed oil, calendula oil, beeswax, coconut oil, honey, vitamin E, may chang oil, olive oil peg-7 esters*, frankincense oil. * non-organic plant based emulsifyer.

The Foot Balm

The Foot Balm has a much stronger scent than the hand and body balms. The reason for this is that the foot balm also includes neem oil (very good and powerfully anti-bacterial and anti-fungal - but has the downside of being pretty smelly) and lemon eucalyptus and tea tree. It is what makes it very powerful in healing feet. For this I will include the official blurb:

"Repair, heal and protect your feet with this nutrient rich Foot Balm. Pure natural oils of organically grown Soya, Flaxseed, Neem, Olive, Hemp, and Castor deeply nourish and moisturise your dry and damaged skin. Essential oils of Frankincense, May Chang, Tea Tree and Lemon Eucalyptus leave your feet feeling refreshed, renewed and protected under a layer of organic Beeswax. This balm has been specially formulated to help your skin fight bacterial and fungal invasion and to soothe, cool and enliven your tired, aching feet and heels."

I have to agree on all counts! My feet are definitely softer and more smooth after just a few uses! It is really nice to treat your feet with such a fabulous balm as most of us are neglecting them, let's be honest. Yes I take care of them and they look fine, not rough, but l rarely if ever buy specific product for feet, but that is about to change. I planned to use my hubby as a test bunny for this balm, as his feet could do with some healing (standing up all day with steel toe boots, anyone?) but pinning him down for some testing proved more difficult than l thought, so let's just say this is a work in progress and I will get back to you with the results shortly. My own feet are very grateful for this product however, and the smell of this and the hand balm are wonderful to lull yourself into sleep. I really enjoy them.

Certified Organic Ingredients

Flaxseed oil, soya oil, castor oil, neem oil, vegetable glycerine, beeswax, coconut oil, olive oil, honey, vitamin E, may chang oil, tea tree oil, lemon eucalyptus oil, olive oil peg-7 esters*, frankincense oil.

All of these body balms come in a pump packaging and house 75ml of the product. The lip balm is 5gr of product, slightly bigger than your average lip balm. It retails for 5.99€ whereas the body balms retail for 14.99€ with a free shipping to Ireland. I think this is very good and fair price point, and you all know I am a big fan of a free shipping, haha! Speaking of shipping, Flying Wild ships worlwide via their website and Etsy and Ebay shops. You can also find these products in selected shops and pharmacies in Ireland.

Do I love and recommend these products? Yes and yes! Even though I wasn't expecting much when I first received them, I would repurchase every single product from them, and there are very few brands that I can say that about. Take it as a very high praise and Green Life In Dublin stamp of approval!

Want to try these products? Hint hint, there might be a giveaway in the works! So stay tuned and follow my and Flying Wild Instagram pages.

That is all for now, see you again next Monday!

Lots of Love,

Renata.

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*Disclaimer, these products were sent to me. All opinions are my own and I am not paid to review this in a nice fashion. I am also not the girl who likes everything, far from it, just wait till you see my disappointing products post! Meow!

What I am Using Right Now or The Edit

Hi Lovelies,


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

I just realized that working thoroughly on reviews is taking a lot of time (at least for me, I post a review after testing an item for a few weeks) and while I am not short of ideas or stuff to review, I wanted to share with you what I am currently using/testing right now. All these items are new(ish) to me, and if you follow me on Instagram, you have seen majority of them, but not all. I am on the hunt for my perfect foundation, so I am testing out a few, mineral powders and liquids. I finally got my skincare where I want it to be, so I am putting a lid on the new stuff for the moment, as my super sensitive and dermatitis prone skin wouldn't go too cray cray on me. These are not all, but I didn't want to overwhelm you with a sheer amount of stuff. All these items are clean when it comes to the ingredients, I won't be listing the ingredients here, or it will be two mile long blog post, and who wants that? I listed fifteen items here, in reality I could've carried on to fifty three (the current amount of drafts in my blogger's dashboard) and would still not be done! Oh dear, I am definitely not a minimalist, am I?

1. Vintner's Daughter facial oil
I got it in a green beauty swap with Cleanshelf from Instagram. I jumped at a chance to try 200$ facial oil as it is something I wouldn't be able to try otherwise, it is way out of my price range. I m on a fence about it, good at brightening my skin, but too potent for me for everyday use, so l use it twice a week now.

2. Josh Rosebrook Balance shampoo and conditioner.
Again, acquired from the same swap, and the same story with these products, too pricy for me, so was so glad to receive in a swap. First impressions not that good, after three attempts I moved on to 100%Pure shampoo and conditioner, which are so much better in my opinion. I should finish up these as I plan a blog review.

3. 100%Pure Neem and Burdock shampoo and conditioner
I was so excited about these, and they are good! I have a blog post review on them coming soon, but l guarantee you, if you will get them, you won't be disappointed! What can I say? Since I tried this brand, I have fallen in love and will continue to buy the products till I cease to exist. Not everything suited me, but I am impressed with 99% of the stuff I have tried from this company. Does not happen very often. (Reviews can be found here, here, here, here, here and here.)

4. 100%Pure Pretty Naked II palette.
I can't put it down since getting it! Enough said. I have a review on it coming shortly as well, and make sure you get your paws on it once it will becomes available to the public, I have a feeling it's going to sell out pretty fast. Oh, and you can enter 100%Pure giveaway to win one (plus three other palettes for your friends) on their Instagram page.

5. Jo Browne natural perfumes
I received a lovely present in the post, and these little beauties made me so happy! Handmade in Ireland with organic beeswax and the fragrance is 98% natural too. These last for 6-7 hours, which is incredible for a natural perfume.

6.. Inika goodies
Expect a review on their powder and liquid foundations, luminizer and blushes. One word? Love.

7. Living Nature Illuminating foundation
Don't have formed opinion on it yet as I only have it for a couple of days. Stay tuned.

8. Pai facial oil.
All I can say is - what took me so long??

9. Fushi Eczemaid
I'm due a review on this chickweed ointment which helped (or not) to heal my recent dermatitis outbreak.

10. 100%Pure spray SPF30 and Everywhere SPF30 stick.
With our "wonderful" summer I didn't even get a chance to wear those yet as it is raining every day and I am back into my leather jackets and the scarf. (When EU and US are having a heatwave. Not fair if you ask me). Anyways, these have great ingredients, the spray rubs in clear (yay!) and the stick leaves a white cast, but it is so portable to take with you anywhere. That is all I have to say for now.

11. Honest Everything palette and luminizer
I was reduced to tears when I got this package from the lovely (and funny) lady that is Natasha or nici_evans from Instagram! She is too good to be true! She knew I wanted to try Honest Beauty products (since I can't get them here in EU) so she sent me this wonderful package not asking for anything in return!! How amazing is that? Please go to her Instagram page and send her some love.
Anyways, back to the Honest products - they are amazing! Really live up to the hype. The palette is gorgeous, but it is the luminizer that surprised me big time, I keep reaching for it every single day, and it comes from a person who wasn't into luminizers at all.

12. Zatik Moisturiser
I bought this USDA certified organic moisturiser in TKMaxx recently as it was a bargain at 10€ only and has really good ingredients, sea buckthorn oil, apricot kernel oil and much more, but I think it''s better suited to oily skin people, not me, the dry skin gal, even though it says on the box it's for normal to dry skin? It is very thin in consistency and my skin feels still dry and tight after application, which is not ideal situation, so I mix it with Pai oil. I'll use it up, but I won't repurchase.

13.. Lotus Wei
Omg, love! Flower remedies never worked for me until now, so I was really apprehensive when I got these babies, but a few spritzes later I knew it was something I want to have with me forever! Just one little word of warning, have a sniff in the actual brick and mortar shop if you have a chance to do so, I highly recommend that or ordering sample kit before investing in a full size products, because I ended up loving completely different products than were recommended to me after I took Lotus Wei flower quiz. But Infinite Love is a love from a first spritz and for forever. Yes, it is rather expensive, but for me it is worth it, because it totally dissolves my anxiousness and fears. I would rather go without something else. 

13. Red Apple Lipstick
 I jumped at a chance when I discovered RAL's blogger's program, because I was dying to see if the lipsticks will live up to the hype, and oh my goodness they are good! Super loving Twist 'N Pout I got, it is getting so much love this summer. Stay tuned for a review.

14. Kimberly Sayer facial SPF30 sunscreen
Another item I got from a lovely Cleanshelf in a green beauty swap. I knew it is aimed at oily skin gals but i jumped at a chance anyway as I wanted to properly try it (I had a sample) and oh my goodness I love it, first facial sunnscreen that is not breaking me out and it is not ghost white! It is not enough moisturising for me, but i mix it with cold pressed raspberry seed oil, which naturally has SPF of 30-50. I will review it too.

15. Pure Anada goodies
Let me do a little more testing, but I think I found my perfect mineral foundation! It has so much pigment, I get nearly full coverage from ONE LAYER!! No need to sit and buff seven layers of it like with some other mineral foundations. I am excited about this review, stay tuned!



So that is all for now my dear friends! I hope you are not exhausted just by reading it :) This post made me realize that I am not a minimalist I though I am, far from it! And I am excited to bring you reviews of everything in the near future, so make sure to come back every Monday :) why I am posting on Mondays? Why, to brighten up your start of the week just a little :)

What are you using slash editing at the moment? Please share with me, I would love to know.



Ta ta for now,
Lots of Love,
Renata.









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