DIY Make Up Cleaner Spray

Hello Lovelies,



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

Today I have a super simply DIY for you - a brushes cleansing spray for those in-between-washes days! Really really easy too - anyone who knows me knows I am all about simple DIYs, with ingredients you already own in your home what could be easier? Just two ingredients (three if you count the spray bottle) - all you need is rose water and tea tree oil! I love Alteya Organics one as it is really pure, and you can tell the difference just by smelling it. If you are on a tight budget, I got you too - just go to your local Asian shop and get food grade rosewater - that will cost you just a bit over two euro, and that's exactly what I used for so many years. If you don't want to or can't use rosewater, you can use any other floral water (try this Alteya Organics Chamomile water perhaps?) that is suitable for your skin. Or distilled water. Plain tap water is not suitable because it will go bad in a few days.
How to do it? Well, it is pretty self explanatory, but if you want me to be specific, here's how - fill 200ml bottle with rose water, add 10-20 drops of tea tree (also known as melaleuca) oil and voila, you are done! Tea tree oil is an antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral and many other good things that I won't go into details of, but in this instance it makes it perfect for a purpose of cleaning and disinfecting your make up brushes in between proper washes. I use this spray after every use and clean the brush on the paper towel, and properly wash all the brushes every week. After getting dermatitis (on my face, no less!) I am anal about not getting any bacteria on my brushes or make up for that matter. Why risk infections, right?

One word of caution before you start, please do a patch test to make sure you are not allergic to the tea tree oil, and obviously do not use it if you are indeed allergic! If you find the smell too offensive for your sensitive nose, reduce the quantity to 5 drops. I does smell rather strong. Or add lemon or orange essential oils to it, also the same quantity.
Remember to shake this very very well before each use - oils and water will separate. 

P.s. this doubles up as a refreshing room spray and a deodorant in a pinch (I know I used rose water all over in a sweltering heat in Greece in summer many  moons ago and found myself not needing a deodorant). This would not work for everyday life though. Just wanted to throw the thought out there to make your products work overtime for you :)
And there you have it, your own DIY make up rush cleanser spray! It only costs a few bucks to make and it works great. Now you can ditch those shop bought sprays and save yourself so much money! And spend it where it matters more, for example to buy more make up. Or skincare. Or a scarf. You get the idea :)

Related - see more super easy DIYs here

Related - see all of my posts in this FB album

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. 

Lots of Love,
Renata.

Enjoy my content? I would appreciate any  tip into my PayPal Tip Jar - any donation will get You my eternal gratitude and more awesome green beauty reviews Your way. I weed out all the greenwashing products so You won't have to.

Love Lula Beauty Box July 2018

Hi Lovelies,


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

Love Lula Beauty Box July 2018

How are all of you, I hope you are well?
Today I wanted to share the contents of the latest Love Lula beauty box - and it is exciting one! I really wanted to try Chobs sheet mask and the Infuse My Colour range, and I already know I love Balm Balm and Ooh! products - the latter released their new Hemp face oil in this beauty box, so I am super stoked to try it. But let's not get ahead of the game and let's talk about the products individually, shall we?


My Haircare Infuse My Colour Treat Conditioner (Silicone Free) 18£

I must confess at first I thought this is one of their shampoos - I am eyeing them for a little while now. I am not big on conditioners, but of course I will try this and will get back to you. I really hope this won't weigh down my fine hair like most conditioners tend to do. The ingredients sound good, apart from the phenoxyethanol and parfum, so I am excited!
What's more, it is cruelty free (like all products from Love Lula) and gluten free - can we get a hallelujah??
This is a first of three four full sized products in this box.

Ingredients:
AQUA/WATER/EAU, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS (SAFFLOWER) OLEOSOMES, GLYCERIN, HYDROXYPROPYL STARCH PHOSPHATE, BEHENTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, PHENOXYETHANOL, PARFUM, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS SEED EXTRACT, CITRUS AURANTIUM (NEROLI) OIL, PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) OIL,CITRUS TANGERINA (TANGERINE) PEEL OIL, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL, SODIUM PHYTATE, LINALOOL, LIMONENE, ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE


Balm Balm Organic Tea Tree Face Balm £8.95 for 30ml 

Second full sized product in this box, and I was quite happy to see this is tea tree oil version instead of a plain one for a change - I seem to have accumulated quite a collection of balms and I am quite slow at going through them - insert shy face emoji here! I am a big fan of tea tree essential oil - I talk about it as one of my Top Three Natural Products in one of my old posts here, and i still stand by it - so any product containing it is welcome by me! I currently am experiencing an unwelcome perioral dermatitis outbreak due to accidentally glutenining myself - so my neck and the top of my back are itching like crazy. I tried this balm immediately and it did seem to offer relief. Fingers crossed!

Ingredients (the list is short and sweet):
Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), Helianthus annuus (sunflower oil), Cera alba (beeswax), Calendula officinalis (calendula oil), Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba oil), Tea tree essential oil. Limonene* (naturally occurring component of tea tree oil)


Ooh Organic Balancing Hemp Oil

I love love love hemp oil, and I have been known to buy food grade hemp oil to use as my face and body moisturiser in my (broke) past - and getting this oil triggered those memories immediately. The oil is very good for your skin, mind you! I am not sure if I want to open this immediately and test or leave it unopened for when the autumn rolls around? You see, I have been die hard oil lover and user - that was all I used for my facial moisturizer for the last five years prior to getting my dermatitis, and I soon learned that facial dermatitis hates oils - I didn't want to listen or admit this fact to myself, but it is true my dears, and I had to give them up as a sole thing to take care of my face - with a very heavy heart, mind you! Now all I use are Bella Aura products (review with 15% discount code here) and I will allow only selected face oils in winter, when my face needs that extra step to face the elements. I might give this to someone who would appreciate it more than I do or add this to the body lotions, not sure yet. I love pampering routines, but I also love sharing the green beauty love with people around me, you know?
This is a third full sized product in the box, and theres no need to list the ingredients - there's only one, organic Cannabis Sativa oil.


Chobs Aloe Sheet Face mask

When Chobs appeared in Love Lula, they captured my attention immediately! I have purchased a few of their sheet masks and Healing Hello Barumi Soothing Essence roll on thingy (I talk about it in "Products For My Five Year Old Princess// And Yours" post here) and although I am yet to try the Aloe mask, I have tried their Collagen mask, which I really loved, so I am excited to try more of them. Company's customer service deserves another top notch mention - when I got my sheet masks I was kind of confused at the stamped date on them, one said December 2017, and the rest January 2018. Not too sure whether that's the date they have been made or use-by date, I contacted the brand via DM on Instagram and they have responded within two minutes, despite it being midnight in their country!! How's that for an excellent customer service?  (they are from South Korea, and I didn't even think of the time difference, sorry! Now I begin to understand my own DMs at 2am asking for a cleanser or whatnot recommendations).
Chobs is a brand I will review in a few coming weeks, I have been lucky enough to get generous PR package from them, so needless to say I am hard at work testing everything behind the scenes. By the way, if you want to know what new products I get/buy, I always do Instastories on what's coming through my door, so make sure to follow me to see them. Let's look at the ingredients, shall we? Oh, by the way, they claim to put generous 25ml of essence in every packet of sheet masks, so I think you might benefit from reading my post "How To Make Any Sheet Mask Last Longer" here - in it I reveal my tricks on how I make the masks work harder, and no, I am not suggesting you use the same mask over and over again :)

Ingredients:
Aqua, *Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, **Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Propanediol, Limonene, *Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, *Citrus Limon Peel Oil, *Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, *Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Angelica Gigas Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Seed Extract, Linalool, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, *Chamomilla Recutita Flower Water, *Rose Extract, Citronellol, *Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Geraniol, Lilium Tigrinum Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Citral * : Organic Ingredients / ** : Made using organic ingredients, 100% natural origin of total (by COSMOS-standard)

And now for a few sample sizes the box contains:

🗹 Apples & Bears Bergamot & Green Tea Hair & Body Wash (deluxe sample)
Apples & Bears are on my list to try, and I was thinking of purchasing a few minis, so this is appreciated and I will be trying it in the shower later tonight. What's a bit funny, the package says "hair & body wash" but when I looked on the website I could only find body washes, so not too sure if they are rebranding existing products or is this a preview of some new products to come?

🗹 D’Alchemy Age-Cancellation Booster
Not too sure if I want to try this sachet on my very sensitive skin - I find they are never enough to get the real feel of the product, and my skin really rebels if I try too many things. This looks like it is aimed for oily skin anyway, so I might pass this on, especially as the product was never on my radar anyway. Sorry Love Lula! As much as I love discovering new things, I want to keep my skin happy too. Especially now, with active dermatitis outbreak :/

🗹 John Masters Organics Rosemary & Arnica Body Wash
I have to be honest, I stopped supporting this brand when they sold out and changed the formulations for the worse without telling their customers soon after - they lost all my respect then and I have to say it is very hard to go back from that. I am not a big fan of paying big bucks for a body wash, so I am not getting a full size of it. Skincare with active ingredients suitable for my skin, yes, I am happy to part with my hard earned cash. Body wash? No, I am happy to go budget here - and we all know there are budget brands who do fabulous products with clean ingredients for way less. Sorry, if you think otherwise - it's just my honest thoughts and we can agree to disagree.  

If you want to see many other posts on Love Lula beauty boxes as well as product reviews, they all live in this Green Life In Dublin Facebook page album here. I used to list them down at the end of each post, but I soon found the list is nearly as long as the post itself, so this is way easier. Nearing forty posts people :) And have you seen my Natural Beauty interview with Love Lula CEO Sonia White? I still can't believed she said yes to it :)

So, all in all I am happy with this month's box - this provided us with four full size products, so you are more than tripling your money here - this box is worth whopping 53£ and it is often more than that, up to 70£ value! Even if I can't use one of the products myself here and there, I'll take that - it is so fun discovering new green beauty products I would have missed otherwise. Let's not forget there is always 20% off coupon for the brands featured that month, so that gives you substantial additional savings too. 

I think this is a great way to switch your products to clean products without spending a fortune if you are only starting out your green beauty journey. I know I still love getting new products, nearly ten years in into my green beauty journey I still get excited getting boxes in the mail. What about you?   

Love Lula Beauty Box

                                            You can subscribe to Love Lula box here. 

 
                                    Or shop LoveLula website here.

  
Are You subscribed to Love Lula Beauty Box too? What is your favourite product from Love Lula? Please share with me, I would love to know! 

(you can see mine here by the way 😊)

See all Love Lula related posts in this Facebook album

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

Follow me on

my new blog Greenlifeindublin.com

Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube.


That is all for today. Prepare for the onslaught of posts and reviews in the near future - the blogger in me is bursting at the seams, the only issue is finding the time to do it. Am I the only one finding it a bit difficult juggling all these life/work/kids/balance balls with kids at home in summer?


Lots of Love,
Renata.

Enjoy my content? I would appreciate any  tip into my PayPal Tip Jar - any donation will get You my eternal gratitude and more awesome green beauty reviews Your way. I weed out all the greenwashing products so You won't have to.

*the box is part of LLABP - I am very thankful to be a part of their blogger family xo

The Best Of Skincare Tag

Hi Lovelies,


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

Earthwise Beauty, Nyr, Neal's Yard Remedies, Mahalo - my Holy Grail items of the moment

(The pic borrowed from my IG. It is my AM routine. I have my skincare listed in a separate blog post if you are interested.)

So, today is the day when I feel like giving birth to a blog post, as it doesn't happen easily and organically like other times. Maybe it is that I am back on the school run after two weeks of sickness (flu first, eye infections second, don't ask!) and feeling very disorganised, I don't know? I am not short of ideas or blogging material, so I don't know what it is - I write and delete and write and delete stuff all day, it is like I have aquarium for a head today, haha! So when I watched Jenna Catherine video on Youtube where she did a tag about the best of skincare, then the penny dropped and I shamelessly self tagged in it! Yes, that is how I roll :) I will tag a few people on Instagram, this looks like fun!

The Questions:

What's your skin type?
Dry and uber sensitive. Also prone to dermatitis and I have hyperpigmentation or should I say dermatitis scars. My under eye area is like a real estate, with permanent darkness there, that no amount of green smoothies, sleep, fresh air or sport can cure. I am a lucky gal, I know :)

How do you store your skincare products?
I try to store as little of it in the bathroom as I possibly can, and the rest of my stash is stored on a shelf where I can easily see what I have and I can make sure I am using all my products. It is categorised in frequently used products, products that I need to test and unopened products in a separate basket.

Favorite ingredient?
There's two at the moment, blue tansy and turmeric, both have done wonders for my dermatitis prone and inflamed skin!

Most indulgent product?
At the moment those would be Mahalo products. I won those in a giveaway, and I am sure I will wince when it will be the time to repurchase the products. What can I say? My play budget is so small it's practically invisible.

Best budget buy?
Hands down coconut oil! Can replace so many things at once. At this point I feel everyone knows fifty uses for coconut oil :)

Do you use any tools (Clarisonic, Foreo, etc.)?
No, never had them and no plans to buy them either. Even with their sensitive heads they are way too harsh for sensitive skin and gentle is the way to do it for me - I am all about kognac sponges and organic face cloths. I believe we are not meant to scrub away a layer of our skin even if your skin is not sensitive.

Best mask?
Any DIY mask that involves manuka honey! I am working on a blog post about it. Expensive shop bought masks are nice too, but I am all about DIY if I can help it, and manuka (or plain raw honey) is amazing for the skin!

Best multi-use?
Again, coconut oil! I will also use my make up in many ways too, blush as a lip colour, bronzer on the eyes, luminous eye shadows as a blush toppers/luminisers, etc. Have fun and play around!

If you had to stick to only one skincare brand, what would it be?
Impossible to answer! I enjoy many great products from different brands, but if pressed to choose one, I would say Mahalo (even if they don't have face cream and are pricy) - purely on the grounds that I am yet to come across another line of product where EVERY SINGLE PRODUCT suited my skin and I had zero irritations or reactions whatsoever! Maryna knows my skin.

Best spot treatment?
Tea tree oil. I have used this and only this for years and years. Recently I acquired manuka honey gel with tea tree oil, which is also nice.

Favorite step of your skincare routine?
Moisturisers and oils.

What's on your skincare wishlist? 
Ha, how much time have you got? It is two miles long! But if you really want to know, all of the Mahalo, lots of Living Libations, Josh Rosebrook - yes, really! Plus May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon and Honey Mud just to name a few. Looks like I need more faces or time, ha? Not sure which.


So, there you go, that is my post for the day, and I will tag a few people on Instagram, purely because of convenience reasons. And if I haven't tagged you, but you want to do this tag, I tag you too!


Lot's of love,
Renata.

DIY make up brush sanitizer cleanser spray

Hello Lovelies,



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

Today I have a super simply DIY for you, and really, what could be easier? Just two ingredients (three if you count the spray bottle) - all you need is rose water and tea tree oil! (Mine happens to be organic, but it does not have to be). If you don't want to or can't use rosewater, you can use any other floral water that is suitable for your skin. Or distilled water. Plain tap water is not suitable because it will go bad in a few days.
How to do it? Well, it is pretty self explanatory, but if you want me to be specific, here's how - fill 200ml bottle with rose water, add 10-20 drops of tea tree (also known as melaleuca) oil and voila, you are done! Tea tree oil is an antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral and many other good things that I won't go into details of, but in this instance it makes it perfect for a purpose of cleaning and disinfecting your make up brushes in between proper washes. I use this spray after every use and clean the brush on the paper towel, and properly wash all the brushes every week. After getting dermatitis on my face I am anal about not getting any bacteria on my brushes or make up for that matter. Why risk infections, right?
One word of caution before you start, please do a patch test to make sure you are not allergic to the tea tree oil, and obviously not use it if you are indeed allergic! If you find the smell too offensive for your sensitive nose, reduce the quantity to 5 drops. I does smell rather strong.
P.s. this doubles up as a refreshing room spray and a deodorant in a pinch (I know I used rose water all over in a sweltering heat in Greece last summer and found myself not needing a deodorant) This would not work for everyday life though. Just wanted to throw the thought out there to make your products work overtime for you :)
And there you have it, your own DIY make up rush cleanser spray! It only costs less than a euro to make and it works great, and now you can ditch those shop bought sprays and save yourself so much money! And spend it where it matters more, for example to buy more make up :)


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.

  

How To Remove Skin Tags Naturally

Hello my lovely ladies and gentlemen,

Today i am coming at you with yet more natural discovery, or DIY if you will, I discovered that my beloved Tea Tree Oil can remove skin tags naturally! Yay or what? 
So I've developed a skin tag on my neck and it started to bother me because it was catching on collars and bag straps and it was quite painful/uncomfortable at a times. I poked around the internet and google told me that l can get it freezed/cut off at my doctors office or can get special kits from chemists which retails for about 15-20euros a pop. So I was like, no thank you, and poked around the internet some more, and what did l find? that l can use tea tree oil for the very same purpose! And it is something l always have in my house (you can use it for so many things!) so I grabbed a bottle and started applying tea tree oil on the skin tag in the morning and night, and lo behold, on the day five it fell off! I used the oil straight up with no diluting because l knew that my skin can tolerate it, but for many people it can cause sensitivities/irritation, so proceed with caution! And before you ask, you can use any brand tea tree oil, it does not have to be the same as mine. Mine happens to be organic, but you don't have to go for organic if you don't want to either, just make sure it's 100% pure with no additives to it.
I would suggest you apply small bandage on top to speed things up, at first i wasn't doing that and not much was happening but it fell off after the very first time I used a plaster on it, so you might not even have to wait for five days. Just one little tip, make sure that the tea tree oil touches skin tag only and not the skin around it, as not to get any irritations.
So there you go, hope this post helps someone and saves you money too :)


*And disclaimer, because you absolutely have to these days : I will not be held responsible for what you will do with this information. I am not telling you to do it, l am simply sharing what worked for me. Consult with your doctor before proceeding and always do a patch test before trying new product on your skin first.*

*Update a few years later - I no longer use the brand pictured, I moved onto Neals Yard Remedies & Living Libations - the cleanest and the most transparent brands in my humble opinion.

More posts in this FB album

FOLLOW ME ON:

BLOGLOVIN

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

YOUTUBE

PINTEREST

and my new blog Greenlifeindublin.com

So that is all for now.
Much love,
Renata.