Organii Everyday Organics Review

Hi Lovelies,




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

Organii Everyday Organics products

Today I am coming at you with a review of a very affordable organic brand that is Organii Everyday Organics. This is a relatively new brand, founded in 2014 - it caught my eye in Love Lula and I went on to purchase nearly everything they do via LLABP. I was really intrigued by affordability of them first and foremost, as I got so used to pay a pretty penny for my natural and organic bath and shower products, and wanted to see how do these goodies compare. 
I couldn't find too many reviews on this brand, and quick perusion of their website and the social media revealed very little about the company's background, and no mention of founder's name, and being naturally curious I sent them quick email inquiring about this, and the reply I got was this:

About the brand: Organii was launched as a personal care brand by Pravera, one of the UK's leading distributors in the natural and organic skincare & cosmetics sector. The brand has a collection of 28 products now including cream soaps, liquid soaps, shower gels, plasters, mouthwash, sun care, hand care, skin care and health care! Each product within the range is certified natural and organic; all the soaps and shower gels are ECOCERT1 certified, whilst the plasters carry the ICEA² logo. All products other than the plasters are also Certified Vegan.
About our founder (and a little more info on the brand!): Graeme Hume, Founder and MD of Pravera Ltd, developed the ORGANii brand when he spotted a gap in the market for stylish looking, high quality natural and organic products that offer value for money. He says: “I’ve always been passionate about bringing ethical, natural and organic brands to the UK and Irish market and it’s very exciting I’ve been able to use this experience to develop my own brand. ORGANii is a stylish range of everyday organic products at an affordable price point. My experience tells me that both retailers and customers appreciate certified natural and organic products that have a competitive price point, so I wanted ORGANii to tick those boxes.”

The soap and shower products come in a variety of fruity and floral fragrances, ranging from calming Lavender and energising Citrus to the more quirky bittersweet Liquorice and summery Strawberry. In addition, there is also a fragrance-free Soap Bar and Liquid Soap available in the range. The ORGANii plasters are completely unique and made from organic cotton and contain a natural adhesive, making it perfect for people with hypersensitive skin. Graeme Hume, Founder and MD of Pravera Ltd, explains: “There are currently no other brands on the market that offer certified organic cotton plasters, so our ORGANii plasters are truly different and unique. When you know that traditional plasters can contain synthetic plastics and glue, polyurethane (a synthetic resin) and even latex, which can irritate the skin, it is worth considering a more gentle and organic option." 

I got their shower gels, mouthwashes, hand soaps - two of each, as well as a bar of soap and post sun cream. Everything you see in the picture above came under 50£, which is extremely affordable when it comes to organic products if you ask me. Almost all of their product come at under 6£ with the exception of their SPF products. And by the look of things they are coming out with two new products too. I was trying everything for the last couple of weeks and I am ready to come out with my two cents on the products - thankfully it is not skincare which takes at least six weeks testing daily - you know if you are into shower gel or mouthwash straight away.

Company's mission is to offer the consumer good value products with high integrity. Our products are sourced from similarly minded, ethical manufacturers who share our passion for all things natural and organic. Organii products must meet selected criteria including; effective formulas, value for money, products suitable for the whole family while looking good in any bathroom. They also need to be certified natural and organic with conscientious packaging. They do not claim to invent or innovate but they do promise to provide high quality, fairly priced products with integrity to the consumer.And I really appreciate it! Everything is EcoCert certified. They seem to be collecting many awards, like Green Parent, Natural Health and Beauty Shortlist ones, and to me it only confirms I am onto a good thing! They say many if not all of their products are from 100% plant based origin, meaning they are vegan, and their parfum sources are also 100% natural. As I already mentioned, and I am sure you find the same too, everything or almost everything in the green beauty world is costing a pretty penny, and that is one thing people just switching up from mainstream products point out - EVERYTHING IS SOOO EXPENSIVE! And at the beginning I found it too as well. Once you get used to it, it becomes the norm and you don't object to it anymore, but as I got so used to the higher prices so much, I wanted to test these cheaper options and compare. By the way, none of these products can be found in EWG Skin Deep Database, so I did the hard work for you and ran all the reports myself. It is a bit of time consuming process, but worth it for the peace of your mind. So let's dig in into the individual categories, shall we?

Organii Everyday Organics shower gel

Shower gel

I got two scents in fruity and refreshing Strawberry and Shea Butter scent. The packaging is really adorable, like a mini milk bottle, and you get 300ml of product. This is a vegan product. These were an instant hit in the house, and the strawberry one is almost gone by the time I am reviewing these products. The scents are very mild, not overpowering at all, so if you are really sensitive to scents, you might chance trying these products, or get their unscented versions of it, if they have it. PH of these products is 6 (please note I test with a ph strips and not the device). EWG report gave it a toxicity score of 4 (out of 10)


Ingredients:
INCI - aqua, pseudotsuga menziesii water*, ammonium lauryl sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, glycerin, caprylyl/capryl glucoside, lauryl glucoside, sodium chloride, parfum, sodium benzoate, lactic acid, potassium sorbate, benzoic acid
*ingredients from organic farming
99.5% of the total ingredients are from natural origin. 10.2% of the total ingredients are from organic farming.

Organii Everyday Organics liquid soap

Liquid soap

I got it in neutral and in citrus scents - and I have to say these are my second favourite products from everything that I got, these beauties are hard at work, one in the bathroom, one at the kitchen sink. I must admit they leave a bit of a film on the hands when I wash my hands with cold water, which is most times. I guess it is to be expected there's natural oils in the formula? I wanted to point this out so you would be in the known before buying this product, not after. Description says it is suitable for vegans. PH of this product is 9, so just like DrBronner's soap. And because of the alkaline ph and alcohol in it, I find them ever so slightly drying, but that is quickly remedied by a hand cream and Madara balm at night. But while DrBronner's is really drying my skin out, this liquid soap does that just so-so. EWG report came at 3, but it didn't recognize two of the ingredients, potassium Sunflowerseedate and strangely enough, alcohol denaturate.

Ingredients:
Aqua, potassium Sunflowerseedate*, Potassium Olivate*, Alcohol denat., Glycerin*, Potassium Citrate, Parfum, Limonene**, Citral**, Linalool**, Geraniol**, Citronellol**
*Made using organic ingredients
100% of the total ingredients are from natural origin. 17% of the total ingredients are from organic farming.

Organii Everyday Organics aloe mouthwash

Mouthwash

Again, I got it in pair, citrus one and eucalyptus one (at the moment that is all the variety they are offering) and I must admit I wasn't a big fan of eucalyptus one, which I opened first, but when I tried the citrus one, I found it much more palatable. The flavour starts out very mellow, and it intensifies as you swish, so I guess that eucalyptus in my mouth I found a bit too much, as it is not normally something I'd go for. In any product in fact, with the exception of essential oil to be used in winter for bronchitis and cough treatments. Citrus was much more my style. You get a whooping 500ml of product, so I see this lasting a really long time for us. PH of this product is 5. And EWG report came at 4.


Ingredients:
aqua (water), aloe barbadensis gel*, alcohol*, citrus medica limonum oil*, citrus aurantium dulcis oil*, citrus grandis oil* limonene, citral, geraniol, linalool, coumarin, sorbic acid, sodium benzoate, sodium dehydroacetate.
The website does not state the percentage of organic ingredients in this product.

Organii Everyday Organics Cream Soap and After Sun Cream

Almond Cream Soap with organic shea butter

I must admit I haven't used it yet, as I've plenty of shower gel, and I am thinking taking it on my upcoming trip, as not to have too many liquids on me, so I will have to come back and update you aftewards. PH of it came at 9 too, so I expect it to be slightly (or a lot) drying, but we have to wait and see. EWG report came at 3.

Ingredients:
(INCI) - Sodium Palmate***, Sodium Palm Kernelate***, Aqua, Glycerin***, Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter*, Perfum, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Linalool**, Benzyl Salicylate** Benzyl Alcohol**
*Ingredients from organic farming, **as component of essential oils, ***made using organic ingredients
99.9% of the total ingredients are from natural origin. 82.6% of the total ingredients are from organic farming.


After Sun Cream

I haven't had a chance to try this either, as after three lovely days of European heat wave was well and truly over in Ireland, and we are back to seemingly permanent rain and jackets. So it is fair to say I haven't had a chance to get my legs out or anything like it, aka no chance of testing this product yet. I am taking this product on my upcoming product too, so I will get back to you on this as well. I'll include the PH of the product then too, as for now it is sealed and I don't want to open it before I need it. EWG report says it is 4.

Ingredients:
INCI - aqua (water), aloe barbadensis gel*, cetearyl alcohol, butyrospermum parkii butter*, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, parfum**, argania spinosa kernel oil*, glycerin, calendula officinalis flower extract*, tocopherol, lactic acid, benzyl alcohol, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate.

The description does not state the percentage of organic ingredients either.

(by the way, I have a very old blog post with delightfully bad pictures on all natural after sun care and DIY sunburn remedies, and I will link it here).

Organii Everyday Organics Organic Cotton Patches

Organic Cotton Patches

Umm, I have to be real here, half of the kiddies ones were used up for DrMcstuffins games before I could even taken a picture of it, so needless to say, these are a big hit in the house. And what's not to love? Organic cotton instead of that dreaded plastic bandage? Affordable price too, you get 50 of the "normal" adult ones or 20 colourful ones for the kids. Just take a leaf out of my book, check on the kids as soon as the house is quiet, not after 10 minutes of "nice and quiet time" - by then you might not have any of the patches left, lol. These hold up as any patch would, and I much rather will have organic cotton than plastic ones, thank you very much.

Shop Organii at Love Lula here

So that is all for today. Have you tried any of these product and what do you think?

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 my new blog Greenlifeindublin.com, Bloglovin, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube. (someday I will start making YouTube videos, promise!)

 
Lots of Love,
Renata.

Disclaimer. Because I have to. For me it goes without saying, but you can't use my photos without my permission. I used to think it is obvious to everyone that blogger's photos are blogger's asset and belongs to the blogger, but after some recent events I will include this in my posts. I am happy to lend brands and websites to use them as long as I am credited for them. Not asking my permission before and not giving me photo credit after = not cool.




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May 2017 Natural And Organic Eco Empties

Hi Lovelies,




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

Natural, organic and eco empties

Lemon Essential Oil

I use this in my diffuser, cleaning, to remove sticky labels - that's the little tip for you if you didn't know that already - lemon essential oil is excellent at removing those pesky labels off shoes, jars, etc. I actually used half of it to purify/deodorise house following the fire story in one go, otherwise one bottle lasts me for months.

A repurchase? Not this brand, but I will repurchase lemon EO as long as I will live.

TerraNova multivitamin

Really good multivitamin formula, and I will surely will repurchase come fall and winter. For summer I tend not to take vitamins, only superfoods like baobab powder. With all the fresh fruit & veg available, you kind of don't need to? I know I take breaks in summer from the supplements, but we each are different. I find this brand great, really natural ingredients, and it is one of the very few supplement brands I take. Find it in LoveLula.com I am certainly going th review this in the near future.

Nap In The Meadow

Really gorgeous anti inflammatory serum, containing both turmeric and blue tansy, my two favourite ingredients. Not repurchasing for now, because I have two other serum waiting, Blissoma one and Isun Sapphire and Emerald Sun Hydrosol. But this is on my “to repurchase” list. See review of this and other Earthwise Beauty products here.

Red Apple Lipstick lipstick in Twist ‘N’ Pout

Really sad to let this go, because I really love this colour on me, my perfect nude, not too pale, not too brown. Not repurchasing due to extremely high shipping and custom costs, but if RAL will ever get EU distributor, I will be one of the first to buy it. As for now, their postage costs to EU are 50$ (?!) and if I were to get just this lipstick and one eye shadow, that would set me back 130€. Is it worth it? And I am not even kidding you or making stuff up, see it all listed in screen shots in my review here.

Btw, if you know a natural dupe of this colour that would be available from within EU, please let me know and you will forever have my gratitude!

Nyr Bee Lovely Hand Cream

Even though I am technically a Nyr consultant, I tend to get these hand creams as freebies with magazines. What? It is way cheaper this way, and that is pretty much the only times I buy glossy magazines, so I don't feel bad about it at all! As hand cream it is good, sinks in quickly, so I tend to use it in the daytime and leave my more rich creams like Flying Wild ones for the night time.

Will repurchase for sure. At the moment I have Wild Rose one, but I like the scent of this better, so will come back to it once Wild Rose runs out.

Child Farm Shampoo

One of the very few natural products you can get in Boots, gone way before I could photograph it or write a review. Err, thanks fam? Just joking, as it is a constant purchase in our house, I will get to the review eventually!

Mayan Magic Balm by Lavigneorganics

If you have eczema, or dermatitis, you need this! Truly magical stuff for soothing irritated skin and calming down that insane itching! Really natural ingredients and I am way overdue to review it. It was one of the very few products that helped me when I was battling dermatitis. See post here. I am way overdue for update.

Lotus Wei Inner Peace serum

I am proud of myself for finishing this up,  as I had to be conscious to use this up! I found this wasn't really working for me, I mean serum format, but I do really enjoy Lotus Wei products in other forms, I currently have Infinite Love in anointing oil and mist and Joy Juice in elixir. Find review post here.

ISUN Ormus Myst

It was a sad day in the house when I ran out of this, I even did Insta Story about it. See the review here. And what can I say? Love affair with ISUN continues, I am currently testing more products as we speak. Psst, there might be a giveaway coming up soon! 

Pacifica Coconut Nectar Colour Quench lip tint

This I really enjoyed for a really long time, and I am decluttering it because it is over two years old. No changes in the formula though, it didn't go bad or anything, it is just I am over brown color on my lips. This is nice as a product, it is a tinted lip balm that can be layered to your desired intensity, and I find it stays on. Will get it in the different colour for sure. If you are not a lipstick person but want some colour on your lips, this might be your perfect product? Available from LoveLula.com That's where I got mine from. You can also find some Pacifica products in your local health stores, but I don't think you'd find those, as they tend to focus on sets or more expensive items from the brand. 

Coconut body and face oil by Ann-Marie Gianni

Smells gorgeous, sinks in quickly, gorgeous organic and fair trade ingredients! I am currently testing more products from the line and will review them shortly, so stay tuned!

Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash

I didn't use it, so sadly I can't give you my two cents on it. I gave it to my daughter, as I've too many facial cleansers I am willing to admit to, and higher end too. My teen wasn't super happy with it, and asked to get her another cleanser, so I gave her Laidback Skincare Diy one that just came in May Love Lula Beauty box. Perfect timing.

Living Libations Seabuckthorn Shampoo

This 30ml bottle cost me 8€ and I don't even care, because it is one of the best shampoos I have ever used! I wish it weren't so damn expensive for full size, I would get it on a constant basis. I am currently testing other shampoos including Rahua, but this will stay at the back of my mind for sure.

Living Libations Spirulina Shampoo

Another outrageously expensive sample and another gorgeous shampoo! If I ever will come into money, this is what I will be getting for sure.

Natura Siberica We Love Lithuania Shampoo

Natura Siberica is only half-natural brand in my opinion, but they keep getting one green beauty award after another, and that's why they are intriguing me. If you want my opinion on it, it would be one of my fave shampoos if it didn't had dreaded SLS in it!! It makes your hair look and feel nice, but I am not repurchasing it due to SLS. I planned to do a separate review on it, but I lost the picture along with other pictures when my phone died. Kids, don't repeat my mistakes and back up your photos regularly!

Duru Osun Black African Soap (not pictured)

This is my third bar of it, and I think I am due a review on it, but for some reason it is still in my 70 drafts on my blogger’s dashboard. Yes, really! I am impressed and I think everyone should try it.

Iswari Certified Organic Matcha

I'll have some organic matcha, yes please! Whether in the morning instead of coffee or in the skincare regime as a mask, I love me some matcha. If I were loaded I'd have this on a daily basis, but at this moment in time it is too pricy habit for me to keep, so I rotate this with regular green tea, esp as I find I go through a packet really quickly. But it's a love affair with me and matcha. Don't tell me hubby!

A.Vogel Echinacea Toothpaste

In my search of carageenan and glycerine free toothpaste I tried this, and I hated it with passion. It is rarely I throw things away half used, but this is one of those cases. Tastes like swamp with very strong aftertaste (is that echinacea?) and I didn't find it did a good job of cleaning my teeth either, after one hour or so, my teeth had that nasty coating on them again, so this was a fail on all counts. Not a repurchase. I do understand that "coating" on the teeth has a lot to do with my gut flora but I feel as far as products go, they have to be natural AND work too, and this wasn't working for me at all.

Organic Surge Daily Care Hand And Body Wash

This is EcoCert certified product, price point is brilliant and I enjoyed it indeed. Used primarily as a hand wash, this is something I used time and time again. Not sure if I want to review a hand wash, but I suggest you try this brand if you are looking for natural replacement. Easily accessible and you can get it from LoveLula too.

A few make up brushes

Part of the attempt of decluttering my stash is waving goodbye to the brushes I don't use. These are all used very little if at all, so I will pass them onto my friends. These include Bare Minerals Flawless face brush (I hate the feeling of natural bristles on my face. I was agast to learn these are the real hair bristles after I bought a BM set a good few years ago. I hung onto it in the hopes of using it in some way after all, maybe for dry shampoo or something. Never happened. BM didn't work out for me either, I am passing on it all together). Next is toothbrush looking foundation brush I'd gotten from Penneys, really soft and works nice too, the trouble with this was it was the odd one out, all my other brushes are all Ecotools or Real Techniques, and this one didn't fit in, so despite it working well, I am saying goodbye to it. RT Expert Face Brush works the same, and I've two of those, that is enough for one person. And speaking of RT, I am giving away two of their brushes, despite them being my fave brand, and I never thought I'll say this, or declutter their brushes, but the stippling brush does the total oposite of what I want, as in it gives sheer coverage and I am looking for full coverage if I wear make up. Lots of people use it for cream blushes, but I don't have any, and if I use it for powder blushes, I find it scratches off too much of a product and messes it up. Next is their flat foundation brush - way too small to do a decent job, it feels like I am painting canvas or something, and it leaves streaky finish no matter how much I try to work it in, I have to finish blending with my fingers each and every time. Goodbye then. I was about to declutter flat Ecottols foundation brush too, but I decided to keep it for masking, as it is a bit bigger.

Nude By Nature Mascara

This was an unexpected favourite product from the collaboration I did with Debenhams (see the review here) - I didn't expect much from it as I was looking forward to trying other products, but this blew me away for one simple reason - IT DOES NOT flake! I feel like we should take a moment to let this sink in - IT DOES NOT FLAKE!! I think I will repurchase it and do a separate review on it, I am that impressed. A first for me.

Jack N Jill Toothpaste

This is what my 4yr old uses, and we are on the 10th tube or something. It works great, is flouride free and I plan to use it continuosly in the future. Already repurchased.

Oil of Oregano in capsule form

This is a last minute replacement for liquid Oreganol P73 I always get, I got this because Nourish health food shop were having trouble getting what I want, and because they took 6 weeks, and I was already ill be then, I got what I could find without waiting much further. Oregano extract (of the wild variety) is my not so secret weapon natural antibiotic, and I talk more about it in my Top Three Natural Products post (see it here) where you can see more info on it. Already repurchased. Not this, my regular beloved liquid one. They work the same, but I find I get more bang for my buck with liquid, plus I can also use it externally if needed. 

My own balm DIY
See the recipe for it here. As well as recipe for RMS Master Mixer dupe DIY too.


Phew, this makes me tired! I planned to do this post at 7am before the kids woke up, but guess what? One of them got sick and stayed home, so I was trying to work all day in the contant "mama mama maaamaaaaa" background! At three pm and 2300 words later I am almost finished. The sun isn't cooperating with me either, and it shows in the picture. Sorry about that. It is one of those days, but as I am good at keeping my word, here is my blog post. On Monday, as it should be :) 

Thanks for reading in advance! If you have any questions about any products, please feel free to ask and I'll be happy to answer. 

What have you finished these days?


Lots of Love,
Renata.

Related posts:

Natural, organic and eco empties Spring 2017

Natural, organic and eco empties Winter 2017

Natural, organic and eco empties Autumn 2016

Natural, organic and eco empties Summer 2016

Natural, organic and eco empties Spring 2016

Shop my Neal's Remedies page

(if you want to)

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Celebrate The Soil Association Organic Beauty Week and enjoy 15%off organic brands

Hi Lovelies,



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


So there is that wonderful time of the year where The Soil Association Organic Beauty and Wellbeing Week is happening on 15 - 21st May and I am so excited because it is happening!
If you happen to be in London, you can attend fabulous events and pop up shops in at Protein Studios, New Yard Inn, Shoreditch, London and meet the makers and movers and shakers or the organic beauty week, as well as panel discussions, workshops and talks from some of the very best in the organic beauty & wellbeing businesses. click here for more info. I must say I envy you if you can make it there. I want and must attend some myself some day! So curious and interested, you have no idea! While lots and lots of things are happening in the UK, here in Ireland I feel like a lone soldier in a field.

If you also happen to be not in London, fear not, we can also join in the fun in a way, I suggest signing a Soil Association petition to #comecleanaboutbeauty to stop greenwashing from happening, and also enjoy the discounts some brands or webshops will be offering. You can also follow SoilAssociationBeauty Instagram page here. Let's talk about these things separately and then I'll give you my two cents on how to spot truly natural product in between of misleading ones, ok?

photo credit @soilassociation

First of all I wanted to ask you to sign the Soil Association petition to stop greenwashing here (if you haven't already) - I feel it is about time things changed, because as we all know greenwashing is rife and unfortunately there is currently no legal check that products which say they are organic  or contain organic ingredients. This means that products can claim to be organic when they may only contain one or two organic ingredients. A product may claim to be natural with only a few natural ingredients in it, or even just a drop of essential oil. Worse still, they may contain ingredients which wouldn’t be permitted in a genuinely certified natural or organic product. Packaging can trick us by using words like “organic”, “eco”, “botanic”, “pure” and “natural”, whilst containing near to no ingredients to back up that claim. -loophole allows companies use anything under the sun, add less than 1% of organic ingredient and make big claims on the bottle. And the way the system works, these harmful ingredients have to be proven to be unsafe to be take off, and even then it is not the end off the story. The companies are not told but rather suggested to take harmful ingredients off, and even if they decide to do so, they have two year window to do so (can you believe this?!) so that is why you still see harmful and proven carcinogenic ingredients around. So I always say that before you even read the big claims on the front of the bottle, flip it and read the ingredients list. Soon you will be able to tell the difference. Look for ingredients you can understand (and pronounce) and whether they are first ingredients in the list (meaning they make the bulk or the base of the product) or are they waaay down the list, and the base is actually bunch of chemicals you can't recognize? Guess what? If you can't understand the ingredient, your body won't either.
We have all been mislead at one point or another, I know I've been there too - at the start of my green beauty journey I though TimoteiNaturals and Johnsons&Johnsons Natural were the real deal and those big chains finally started taking care about people's health. Oh boy how wrong I was! That was 8 or 10yrs ago, before I discovered The Soil Association and EWG, way way before ThinkDirty or any of those apps happened. So I had to educate myself the hard way, researching all the chemicals one by one, and let me tell you my head was spinning - you almost need doctor's degree to understand all this and my friends started joking that it is like a full time job for me. In a way it was, but thankfully we have come a long way since, and there's no need to go head first, there are plenty resources for you to choose from. Don't forget my blog among them - insert blushing emoji here!

So here are my two cents to avoid greenwashing:

💕 Look for the logo
Soil Association Organic is my most trusted body, as they have the most strictest criteria of them all, but there are many different ones, familiarize yourself with them. You may see "made with certified organic ingredients" written on a lot of products, but this is exactly the grey or greenwashing area i was talking about. Yes, the product may have certified organic ingredients indeed, but how much of it? That is why I love companies like Neals Yard Remedies, who clearly state a percentage of organic ingredients, and majority of them tend to be 75% and up, and yes, I will take that! 100%organic? Happy days, even better!

💕 Check ingredients, look for natural ingredients you can understand

💕 Get Think Dirty or similar app

💕 Check your products on EWG Skin Deep Database
But do take it with a grain of salt, the website is outdated by a couple of years at least, it does not have ratings for any of the new products, plus it tends to tar synthetic and natural ingredients with the same brush (fragrance for example, there's a huge difference in conventional "fragrance" which is up to 200 of synthetic chemicals and fragrance coming from natural essential oil, and yet EWG treats it the same. You can also make your own report by registering as a user and putting in the ingredients of the products you want to check - your search won't be visible to the masses, but you will get a peace of mind.

💕 And don't fret too much if you are just starting out, replace products one by one
(I remember being super stressed and overwhelmed and plain confused at the time of my own switch, and the way I did it, I went minimal with my body care, basically just DrBronner's soap and coconut oil for moisturising, and stopped using make up for a few years (partly because I was still in my twenties and sort of got away with it, partly because it was super hard to find and non appealing, try fifty shades of beige with terracotta mixed in. Thankfully now we have abundance of clean products to choose from, check out my post on where I shop and where I am on the green beauty spectrum here. Also, one more suggestion which you might find useful if you are just starting out (and surely will know about this if you are more or less advanced in the green beauty) - go to Instagram and search #greenbeauty and #greenbeautycommunity - I promise you, you will be in for a treat and might fall in into a rabbit hole of a green beauty everything for hours on end).

photo credit @LoveLula

And now the good news - let's talk about some discounts, shall we? I know I love discounts, and who doesn't, right? To celebrate the Organic Beauty week, Love Lula offers 15% off Soil Association certified organic products from 15th to 21st of May - you can find the list here - enter the code SA15. Enjoy!
If I will happen to know more fabulous discounts, I will make sure to to let you know, and for now, happy shopping!

Organic products I own - Neal's Yard Remedies, Skin & Tonic, Inika, DrAlkaitis, Zatik and more

Whoops, it looks like I might have enjoyed shopping a bit too much, huh? Here you can see the current selection of organic products I have, and that is not all of it, I forgot to include Organic Defence essential oil from NYR and I am sure a couple of more. Expect reviews of everything in the future, and if you have any questions on specific products you see here, feel free to ask away :) Thanks for reading and take care!

*Update: I'll list a few more awesome discounts and giveaways I know of, I found out about them following them on social media, since you know I am not there in person. So go on and enter the giveaways and browse the discounts!

#Better Food are running are running a competition to win a hamper full of organic goodies worth more than £200 on their FB page

#Content Beauty Wellbeing are running a competition too, sadly for UK only, enter via their Instagram page. If you can get to their store in person, you can also book their Pai 60min facial at a discount and also receive Instant Calm Beauty Heroes set. Sight, wish I could do that!

#Botanicals are giving away free "Try Me" pot on all orders placed on their website during this week.

#Nourish London are running a giveaway of 3 full size goodies on their Instagram page


Lots of Love,
Renata.
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Live In The Light Online Store Review

Hi Lovelies,


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

LiveInTheLight.co.uk products

I must be on the roll, third blog post in three days, well done Renata! Umm, what? I needed an intelligent conversation, if only with a mirror. All that joking aside, I wanted to draw your attention to a fabulous online shop based in the UK that I am sure all my fellow green beauty sisters will love. The shop is called Live In The Light and they have the same name on all social media, I will be linking their Instagram page down below, and don't worry, that's not affiliate link nor I am paid to talk about this. Nor I was asked to do a review on them, this is entirely my own doing. Just sharing good stuff. And good stuff it is indeed. When I was asked if I want to try Pure Anada or something else from their store, I checked the website immediately and I was really satisfied with what I saw, they carry my beloved Pure Anada, which I've reviewed before (link here), AnnMarie Gianni line, which I've been dying to try for absolutely ages, Orgaid organic sheet masks, and a few more brands, like Carina Organic and Live In The Light, as well as Vonbros for men in our lives. An that's it - there's something really refreshing not having a ton of brands to choose from, so you are not overwhelmed, and whatever you will choose from this website, it is guaranteed to be truly natural, be cruelty free and more often than not, organic. (The products might even be all organic, I didn't check every single one of them). We all know there's a lot of greenwashing going on, when brands claiming to be natural are still packed with toxic chemicals. Guess what? Not here! The brands were hand selected by the owner Sue, who has a holistic approach and firmly believe that what we do and use in our daily regime has a huge impact on everyone and everything around us. There appears to be many like minded people out there who don’t want to carry on using harmful products but want to use exceptional, beautiful and effective ones while at the same time are helping to preserve and respect our environment. I am so so happy about it, it is time people woke up to what's really in their products! And I applaud Sue for contributing to the better world by bringing all those amazing products to us. As the webshop is based in the UK, it is good news for my fellow European green beauty sisters - it means we can skip those pesky custom charges and pay less in shipping too. Hopefully this won't change post Brexit. I must add that they ship worldwide.
 

Orgaid organic sheet mask

Anyhow, let's get back to the products, shall we? You can choose from make up, skincare, haircare, bodycare, nails, baby products, men's products, candles - they have everything! As you can see in the picture, I got a chance to try a few gorgeous goodies that were new to me, and I got way more than I asked for thanks to generosity of Sue - thank you again, it is very much appreciated! For the last couple of week I've been testing everything and I am almost ready to give my two cents on the products - let's just say they are all amazing. I will publish separate reviews on AnnMarie Gianni products and on Pure Anada ones as well, I simply don't want this post to be too long, but I promise to link those reviews back to this post once they will be live. If I could recommend you some products, my top choices would be AnnMarie Gianni Neroli mist, Grounded perfume and mineral foundation; Cinder brow powder, Marine Minerals hydrating toner and hand cream from Pure Anada - all amazing products, and I want all of them in full sizes.

Pure Anada products

AnnMarie Gianni skincare and perfume samples

AnnMarie Gianni Earth Minerals sample pack

  I think that's it for today, I reserve a bit more time before I will post a reviews on all these items, I mean the make up and the hand cream are easy to test, but I like taking my time with skincare, from 4- 6 weeks, as that time frame is the only way to tell if skincare makes a difference. So please bear with me and I will see you here again shortly with reviews. If you have any pressing questions about any product, you can always ask, either here or on Instagram.

I hope I helped you to discover new fabulous online store with really clean products! Have you tried anything from Live In The Light already? Please share with me :)

Lots of Love,
Renata.

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.