Natural Beauty Gift Ideas

As the festive season approaches I wanted to spotlight a couple of really beautiful natural beauty brands!

First up is Lilith Natural Beauty - this brand creates ethical and vegan skincare handmade with natural ingredients. I am increasingly aware that what we put onto our skin is absorbed into our body, so appreciate that there are no harmful chemicals in this range.

Possibly my favourite item is the Cocoa and Peppermint Hand and Foot Cream which is possibly the best thing l've ever smelled! I also bought a Rose Geranium candle, Peppermint Lip Roller, and Eye Lash and Brow Serum. All of these would make gorgeous gifts.

Secondly we have The Edinburgh Natural Skincare Company who make natural products that are never tested on animals, free of petrochemicals, phthalates and SLS, that are sold in eco friendly packaging. I'm a big fan of this Symmetry Anti Ageing Serum for the face. Rich in all kinds of beneficial oils and a high Jasmine content; this anti-ageing face serum is deeply moisturising and suitable for even the most sensitive of skin types. This would be perfect for someone who really deserves a treat, who loves luxury skincare products.

If you know someone you want to treat to an amazing gift that's ethical, vegan, natural and kind to your body and the planet, why not pick up something from these wonderful brands for a holiday gift? Let me know your favourite natural beauty brands in the comments!

Sleepgoddess Shower Mists + Luxury Scrunchies

*This post contains PR samples.

I'll be honest - at 37 weeks pregnant, sleep is a sensitive subject for me right now. I'm uncomfortable with all the extra weight of pregnancy and sleeping in certain positions, I'm still regularly co-sleeping with our toddler (don't ask how it's going to work when baby arrives), and our household has just been struck down with colds (yes, in July.) I need all the help I can get when it comes to sleep because I'm exhausted now, and with an imminent newborn arrival I'm not sure it's going to get better anytime soon!

Enter Sleepgoddess: their products are vegan, cruelty-free and British-made, making them a go-to for ethical beauty sleep purchases. I was immediately intrigued by their faux-silk pillow case covers (SUCH a smart design, not to mention that it's so hard to find hair-friendly pillowcases that are vegan!) from a beauty perspective but they have so much else to offer...

Lyonsleaf Giveaway + Discount Code!

*This post contains PR samples/affiliate links

It's Plastic Free July, so what better way to celebrate than hosting a giveaway with one of my favourite low-waste brands, the wonderful Lyonsleaf?

The lovely folk over at Lyonsleaf and I are giving away a Mum & Baby Skincare Survival kit, perfectly timed as my little one is due a month today! The kit contains Beauty Balm, and two types of natural nappy cream (I've reviewed both of these on my blog previously, see links.) It also contains a cleansing cloth which Mama can use with the Beauty Balm (this product contains essential oils to give it its delicious fragrance, so not one to share with baby.) But none of these products are a one-trick pony: the Calendula and Marshmallow Balm has received many accolades when used as a nipple cream which I wish I'd known about last time, whilst the Beauty Balm can double up as cleanser, moisturiser and even primer. Knowing that I can trust these products for their versatility and reliability, this kit has gone straight into my birth bag. If that all sounds good and you'd like to win a set yourself, details on how to enter the giveaway are at the bottom of this post!

Zero Zen Greener Lifestyle eco store

[Paid partnership with Zero Zen - all opinions my own]

Recently, Zero Zen put together an eco care package for me from their greener lifestyle store, so for the past couple of weeks I've been diligently testing out the products. Whilst I'm a big believer in plastic free, eco-friendly swaps, I'm also conscious that when it comes to eco living it's ALWAYS better for the environment to use what you already have than to buy new items (even when they're eco!) So I am quite thorough when testing products to see whether they are truly worth purchasing. I'm happy to say I'm very impressed with the items I've trialled from Zero Zen, so here's what I've been checking out to share here..

Lyonsleaf Unscented Marshmallow Facial Oil review + discount code!

[Features press samples and affliate links - see disclaimer]

Over the past few months I've really started to take better care of my skin and be more conscious of what products I use and when. Incorporating a facial oil or serum is a step widely known to be an important step in a skincare routine, but until recently I've largely stuck to creams and moisturisers. I've mentioned many times here how much a fan I am of Lyonsleaf products so when I decided to up my skincare game I knew I wanted to try the Lyonsleaf Unscented Marshmallow Facial Oil, which has already made a huge difference to my skin.

The Marshmallow Facial Oil is unscented, hypoallergenic, and 100% natural. It is also cruelty free and vegan. It contains rosehip oil, which is meant to be amazing for skintone and scarring, but the star ingredient is Marshmallow extract (the oil makes up 50% of the product!) which is known for it's anti-aging and rejuvenating properties. It helps to plump the skin and reduce fine lines, while also being incredibly restorative for tired or damaged skin (I know this as I love the Lyonsleaf Calendula & Marshmallow Balm for my incredibly dry hands!) As always, the formula is completely water-free leaving room for 100% active ingredients.

As always, Lyonsleaf products always look fantastic on paper, but how does it actually perform? Well - unsurprisingly, I think this is brilliant. It feels very gentle and not too heavy - though incredibly moisturising, this doesn't feel uncomfortably slick on the skin once massaged in. Just one pump is necessary as a little goes a long way, as with all facial oils and Lyonsleaf products. The formula is designed to be used at night so I use this after toning, either on it's own or layered underneath a moisturiser. It's rich enough that I feel I can use it on its own at night although I do really like to lock this in underneath a night mask too for super plumped, hydrated skin. Using this regularly really has made a difference at helping reduce marks, keep my skin plump and moisturised, and heal the hormonal pregnancy breakouts I've been experiencing much faster. This time of year the chill in the air can really dry out my skin, but since using this I've had no problems with dry or tight areas.

Fragrance wise, the scent of this oil reminds me of seeds (think pumpkin, sunflower) - not in an unpleasant way, but given that I adore the fragrance of the Lyonsleaf Beauty Balm I think next time I'll try the scented version of the facial oil. I'd tried unscented to err on the safe side in case my skin had trouble getting on with a facial oil in the first place, but I needn't have worried as introducing an oil has only done good things for my skin. The scented version would be particular lovely when used with my facial roller or rose quartz gua sha stone, for a truly relaxing and sensory experience.

From an eco perspective, I really appreciate Lyonsleaf's ethos when it comes to packaging. As the products are water-free, this means products are concentrated meaning smaller pots and therefore less packaging. Bottles and jars are all 100% recyclable and their postal packaging is also biodegradable. I really appreciate that Lyonsleaf are conscious of their environmental impact and are open about their aims as a small business to reduce carbon emissions. Plus, I love that Lyonsleaf herbs are grown organically on their farm in Somerset.

So that summarises the experience I've had so far with this facial oil - I think it's safe to say I'm a convert! So, with Mother's Day approaching, Lyonsleaf have kindly given me a code for you to get 20% off your own purchase! If you fancy treating yourself or a loved one to some beautiful skincare, just pop in my code VEGANMAMA at checkout to get your 20% off. Are you a fan of facial oils - will you be trying this one?

Jolie Beauty Second Skin Powder Highlighter review + swatches

[Features press samples - see disclaimer]

The secret is out about my pregnancy, but I'm yet to find that idealised "pregnancy glow"... I've really struggled with exhaustion and nausea this first trimester, and as a result my skin has taken a toll. It's been more dull, more tired, more dry and there's been some inevitable hormonal breakouts too. Between this, and spending the first trimester in lockdown and therefore not getting myself ready as usual as there's nowhere to go and no one to see, I've been feeling a bit down about my appearance. For me I think there's some truth behind "look good, feel better" (looking good of course being totally subjective) and I wanted to get comfortable in my own skin again. So I bought the Caroline Hirons Skincare book, started paying more attention to what I use on my skin, and refreshed some of my cosmetics collection too... including what I use to fake a pregnancy "glow!"

Veganuary: Five Cruelty Free, Vegan Beauty Favourites

[Features press sample - see disclaimer]

Somehow, we're halfway through January - usually I find this month drags its heels, but somewhat mercifully it's passing quite quickly! However, before the month is through I want to chat more about Veganuary - but NOT about food. There's more to veganism than what we consume in our diet, it's about our consumer and lifestyle choices as a whole, and something I learned early on in my vegan journey was the importance of cruelty free beauty. Even a few years ago, finding products that were both cruelty free and vegan could be quite difficult as labelling wasn't always clear. Fortunately for us this market has expanded widely and now boasts some INCREDIBLE products which make you question why you'd ever choose something that uses animal testing when you can instead opt for beautiful, conscientious, plant based products. And today I'll be sharing five of my favourites (new and old!) to inspire you this Veganuary. Sound good? Let's get started...

MooGoo Natural Fresh Cream (Vegan!) Deodorant review

Despite it's unlikely branding and packaging, I can assure you this MooGoo Fresh Cream Deodorant IS vegan and cruelty free! The brand name comes from Head of the Herd (Craig Jones) noticing that his mother was using a white paste intended for use on cows to help with her psoriasis. The cream was intended to keep cow's udders soft and supple, in good condition for milking, but the paste was thick and hard to apply. Craig reformulated the cream, creating a lighter and non-greasy version, and that's how the term MooGoo (as in, goo for cows) came around. The product became popular and that's how this skincare business was born...

Lyonsleaf Beauty Balm Review + Discount Code!

If you read the Green Parent magazine, you may have seen that Lyonsleaf Beauty Balm won a gold award for Best Buy in their Natural Beauty Bible. I've been testing this balm thoroughly for several months now, using it to double cleanse at night as well as exploring its other uses, and I feel able to give an honest and thorough review of this wonderful product (I wholeheartedly believe skincare needs time to review, as first impressions can be so deceiving.)

Jolie Beauty "Sorceress" Gothic Eyeshadow Palette Review

Since becoming vegan nearly four years ago, it's become apparent to me that some of my makeup is not! I've bought cruelty free for many years now but there's a catch - cruelty free doesn't necessarily mean vegan, and a product being labelled as vegan only refers to its ingredients and not whether it's been tested on animals.

This can be confusing and doesn't make a lot of sense, so there are definitely some products I own, mainly eyeshadow palettes, that could contain nasty ingredients like carmine. Personally I feel it's wasteful to throw these products out, especially as many of them were high end purchases, so I'm using them up but it has left me hunting high and low for cruelty free beauty brands that are clear about whether their products are vegan.

Enter Jolie Beauty. With their vast range of vegan  products, they've been a very welcome new find. There's so much I'd love to try from their range, but as somebody drawn to witchy vibes, crystals and intentions all year (not just Halloween!) their new Sorceress eyeshadow palette couldn't be more up my street.

The packaging is beautiful - the deep purple palette and it's protective sleeve are decorated with the most beautiful illustration by Em Eato. The palette itself has a good sized mirror and is surrounded by gold detailing including the words "you look simply bewitching" for a really magical  finish.

Designed to make you feel empowered and beautiful, the Sorceress palette is aptly named. It has a few neutrals which are useful for transitions but really the 28 shade colour palette is designed to create a fully transformative experience (that's half the fun of makeup, for me!) Unlike their other warm toned palettes (and let's be honest, the market has become saturated with those) this Gothic palette is predominantly cool toned - including some beautiful smoky greys, purples and greens. There are also some really unique transformer shades including Transform and Shapeshifter (both of which have a 3 way colour shift which is truly magical) Luna Eclipse, a duochrome, and Dreamcatcher which is an amazing pure black shimmer. There are also several pressed glitters which are perfect for finishing a look. There's a great selection of mattes, shimmers, glitters and duochromes creating a really versatile colour story.

The pressed glitters are particularly unusual to me - in the past I've had next to no luck with glitter in this form but these are very pigmented and striking when applied using a finger (glitter and brushes never seem to mix well in my experience!) I'll be using these on the lash line from now until January when I need a pick me up - tis the season, after all! For more tips with these I'd recommend checking out the Jolie Beauty pressed glitter tips video. The other shades are lovely to work with - they feel pigmented, blend well, and I haven't had issued with fallout (although I don't listen to my own advice, I would generally still recommend applying foundation AFTER a smoky eye to avoid potential fallout ruining base application. But I didn't, and it was ok!) I'm obsessed with the transformer shades too, being a bit of a magpie, I love pressing these into the centre of the eye for a really interesting shift. The shadows don't seem prone to staining either, which is always a welcome relief.

My favourite thing so far to do with this palette has been to create a deep green smoky eye, à la Yennefer from The Witcher. The beauty of this being it can be quick and a little imperfect (after all I have a 17 month old!) but is still striking. Pressing Shapeshifter into the middle of the eye adds a little bit of magic to my everyday. To be honest, that's why I love makeup - it's not just about the way it looks, it can really transform the way you feel and for me the Sorceress palette is a perfect example of that.

For you, would this palette be for Halloween or for every day?

*ad - Sorceress palette gifted for review, all opinions my own.

Lyonsleaf Balms for Nappy Rash + discount code!

If you read the Green Parent magazine, you may have seen that Lyonsleaf won a gold award in the Natural Beauty Bible for their Calendula and Marshmallow Balm. I've been testing this out for a couple of months now, along with their Zinc and Calendula nappy cream (a different variety also perfect to be used as a nappy cream) so I could give them a thorough performance review. I've struggled to find it hard an ethical, natural baby balm that we get along with so I was very excited to have the opportunity to test these products out!

Lyonsleaf Skincare

Recently I received the most beautiful skincare package from Lyonsleaf - a brand I'm incredibly excited to be showcasing here as I have so much genuine admiration for their ethos.

Lyonsleaf use waterless formulas which means no emulsifiers or preservatives are required to stabilise them. They grow their own herbs on their farm in Somerset, soon to be certified organic, and infuse them with natural plant oils in small batches. The parcel was totally recyclable and biodegradable with minimal plastic used in product packaging - in fact, their manifesto is "Our mission in life is to provide 100% natural, safe, effective, cruelty free skincare, suitable for the whole family and all skin types (even very sensitive skin), at a price affordable to ordinary people, with the least environmental impact as possible." They've won multiple Green Parent beauty awards this year, including for their Zinc and Calendula Cream and Marshmallow Facial Oil, and with such good values and fantastic customer reviews it's clear as to why.

Homemade bath salts

 

For J's birthday, I wanted to make a gift that Eden could help with. I settled on some homemade bath salts - Epsom salts are a fantastic traditional remedy for relieving aches in muscles, aiding sleep, reducing pain and swelling, and various other purposes. J has a physically demanding job involving lifting and walking in all weathers for long hours so I thought these would be perfect for him. Eden and I had great fun mixing different blends together using food grade colouring, essential oils, and using various blends and ingredients to create different properties, in the hope that they'd help his muscles at the end of a long day.

I'm considering selling some of these (without Eden's help, haha) as they make such cute gifts - let me know if you'd be interested in this kind of thing.

Have you tried Epsom salts before?

Skinsence Coconut Milk Shampoo Bar

Ad - gifted|Perfect for #plasticfreeJuly, I was recently sent a shampoo bar to try from Skinsence. This is a coconut milk shampoo bar designed to restore the pH of the hair. Skinsence are a new discovery for me but I'm so glad to have found them - the shampoos are handmade in small batches and free of SLS, synthetic fragrances, animal fats, detergents, harsh chemicals and plastic packaging (I love when a delivery doesn't come in plastic so this had me at hello!)

Not a LUSH "haul"

Back in 2012 I started a blog that was kind of the opposite of this one. I had no concept of the impact of fast fashion, thought more was more, and posting "hauls" from going shopping was an in thing. Now "hauls" are NOT a thing because being wasteful and accumulating loads of stuff, often for the sake of having something to post online, is rightly no longer perceived as good content. However I received this LUSH Cosmetics delivery this morning and it took me back to those early blogging days (this would be called a "mini-haul") except luckily there's nothing wasteful in here - everything can be reused or recycled, down to the paper tape on the packaging. I placed a LUSH order because I wanted to try one of their shampoo bars but I got a few other treats as well that I thought I'd share.

DIY Rosemary Hair Rinse

Our new house came with two huge rosemary plants in the garden, and whilst it's commonly used for cooking it's also amazing for all kinds of herbal remedies including hair rinses. Rosemary is really good for scalp health and can stimulate hair growth.

Green People Skincare Review

Having always had skin that is very reactive to the subtlest changes in hormones, it was always unforeseen territory as to how my skin would react to pregnancy. For the first couple of months, as I expected, my skin was quite unpredictable - from clear one day to a hormonal breakout the next, from oily to dry. Since I'm now into my second trimester, my skin is (touch wood!) calming down a little bit but I have had to mix up my skincare regime to continue to look after my skin as it changes.

Over the years I've become increasingly conscious that the products I use on my skin are as natural and gentle as possible as I hate the thought of my skin absorbing unwelcome ingredients or toxins. This feeling has become even stronger for me during pregnancy due to a natural inclination to nourish the baby as much as possible rather than exposing them to any chemicals that may be even potentially dangerous. That's why I'm really keen on Green People - their products never contain SLS, parabens, lanolin, phthalates, alcohol, harsh foaming agents, synthetic fragrances, colourants or petrochemicals to name even some of the long list. Their ingredients are mostly organic, and of course they are cruelty free. I was fortunate enough to receive a few items to try from their anti-blemish range for all skin types, recommended to me as they all contain willow bark which helps to balance sebum production but is anti-inflammatory: perfect for my sensitive skin. But of course the big question for a lot of people is: does natural skincare actually work?

Winter Beauty Favourites

As I'm writing this it is a beautiful day outside and I'm optimistic that the seasons are changing, but realistically there's still a real chill in the air and we've had a week of rain, sleet and hail. At this time of year I start itching for new growth - encouraged by the fact that it is now just about light when I leave the house in the morning, I'm so incredibly ready for spring.

It's been too long since I've written a favourites post (well, any blog post, really - I'll get into that a little later on) and today I particularly wanted to share a few beauty products that I've loved using recently. During this transitional period I always feel a little in limbo, a little stagnant, and am usually on the lookout for fresh items to inject new life into my routines that are suitable to use now rather than in anticipation of seasons ahead. These are products which have passed muster and made me excited and I wanted to give them some deserved recognition here today.

Fair Squared Coconut Body Scrub & Almond Hand Cream Review

Today happens to be Black Friday, a tradition mostly associated with America and Thanksgiving that has become more prominent in the UK over the last few years. Whilst in the UK shops don't (yet) have such dramatic reductions that it causes hysteria, it is often used as a good day to tick some holiday gift shopping off the list. Whilst I (like anybody) am always keen to save money where I can, when it comes to Christmas shopping I tend to try and support smaller, independent brands or companies who are ethical. I love to find companies who share the same values I do and for this reason I wanted to share a little about Fair Squared, a brand that has only been on my radar for a couple of months.

Organic Young by Green People Skincare & Deodorant Review

At the end of August I was lucky enough to win a giveaway from Green People hosted by Amie from The Curvaceous Vegan. I won lots of products from the Organic Young range, and I've been testing them for a while now with the intention to share my thoughts about them with others who might look for the same things in cosmetics as I do: natural and organic ingredients, and of course cruelty free and vegan credentials*. I'm always incredibly dubious to write beauty reviews without giving products a really good road test as I've been burnt a few times when purchasing products after reading a hastily written rave review and ended up thoroughly disappointed and out of pocket - however, I feel I've been trialling these for long enough to have an informed opinion on my first ever Green People products.

*Please note the Clear Skin Blemish Concealer is not vegan: see review below for further details.