Cruelty Free Skincare, Deodorant and Toothpaste Haul

Hey All

I've mentioned before on the blog that I've gone cruelty free. I've been cruelty free for the past few months across all beauty products and will be switching across our household one's too. I don't know why I haven't done it sooner as I don't agree with testing for cosmetic purposes. I thought I'd share with you a haul and some bits I've been loving. I'll still feature products on the blog from time to time that aren't cruelty free as I'm not getting rid of make up if I already own it I just won't be repurchasing it. 

One shop I've been going to more if Superdrug, I was always a Boots girl but Superdrug do amazing skincare that's all leaping bunny approved so it makes it easy to grab.

Beauty Rehab

Hi there!

I'm slowly and painfully working my way through my stash, it has been a long process and if you'd like to catch up on my series you can do so by following this link (lots of empties!)

I thought I was getting somewhere recently but an influx of shopping, weak moments, presents etc has meant that actually, I'm barely better off. I really do need to grow some balls and just get over the fact that i have no space and no money for any more!

Batiste Dry Shampoo - always the best, always repurchase. Especially now I need to preserve my hair colour as long as possible!

Aussie Shampoo - loved Aussie but having heard that they animal test I'm rethinking all of my products and its unlikely that i will be repurchasing.

Anatomicals Shower Gel - this has fun packaging and a citrusy awakening scent but i wouldn't repurchase as it came in a set.

Antipodes Juliet cleanser - liked this, think my skin needs more from a cleanser though so will have to try another of theirs!

S&G Clean Girls body wash - had this in my gym bag for ages, lasts forever!

Evian moisturiser - do they still even produce this?? Who knows! Wouldn't repurchase.

Dr Organic coconut oil night cream - Far too thick and heavy for my skin, wouldn't repurchase but loved the smell
Argan oil day cream - too greasy for my skin, wouldn't repurchase this either but love most things from Dr Organic

Origins Eye Doctor - already repurchased! Sadly have found out they also test on animals so am on the look out for a replacement.

Next Spa scrub - lovely texture and it really glitters, part of their seasonal range so cannot repurchase

Pores No More - not a fan, not quite sure what this was for really!

EOS Sphere - love these and always have a spare, didn't really like the yellow one though it was very hard and dried quickly

Collection concealer - always repurchase for the price

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara - loved this, will wait for the Christmas sets to possibly repurchase as they are very good for the money.

Murad Skin Perfecting Primer - wouldn't repurchase currently as i have a stash to get through, may do in future tho as it lasts a while.

Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder - gutted I dropped my handbag! Lucky it didn't spill everywhere though. I had a back up already...

I'm halfway through another bag of empties already and I'm hoping next time I write a Beauty Rehab post I will be really checking myself into rehab and will be downsizing as opposed to replacing, one in one out is not going to work for me!

How are you working your way through your stash? I find bath products a lot easier than make up, project 10 pan or something similar would just take me forever and it doesn't take up the bulk of my collection.

What have you been using recently?

L xxx

Beauty Rehab

Hi all!

I've got another installment to the Beauty Rehab series I've been writing for the last two years now. I can't believe it's that long!
It was my aim to have downsized my stash by now and i never thought I'd still be writing them as I assumed I would have worked my way through the majority by now. I obviously need to up my game and get a move on using stuff up. I haven't actually bought many products for a long time, but i do think Christmas/Birthday sets contribute greatly and also I do seem to acquire products that some people no longer want so that doesn't help!

I'm hoping to move out as soon as I've got myself back on my feet financially which is probably at least a year away, I'm giving myself the rather large target of getting rid of as much as possible....i.e. almost all of it by Christmas. I need to get a move on!

La Roche Posay - Toleriane cleanser is a gel cleanser and I absolutely loved it. So easy to use when you come home from a night out and want more than a face wipe but cant be bothered with a muslin cloth. It's ideal and I'd repurchase.

Label M - Honey and Oat conditioner. This goes with the shampoo i finished in a previous post; probably the first time I've finished a shampoo before it's conditioner! This smelt warm and comforting and did a god job of being a daily conditioner.

No7 Protect and Perfect Body Serum - This was donated to me and I did enjoy using it until the top starting to come apart and it started to dry out so I can't really give this a review as it was still full! Pooooooooor packaging.

Origins Zero Oil Toner - Surprisingly loved this, really good at absorbing oil for the day and although I'm not a toner fan I would consider buying this again to keep my oil at bay.

Antipodes Divine Oil - already repurchased as 3 days without it made me cry. So much love for this oil!

Lacura Aqua Complete Serum - Enjoyed this especially for the bargain of £3.50. Would repurchase.

Murad Pore and Line Minimising Hydrator - This was really nice and was so light it felt like a serum, can't say that I'd repurchase though for the £49.50 price tag as I just cannot afford that on a regular basis!

Skin Revivals Facial Cleansing Oil - this took a bit of getting into as I'd never used an oil cleanser before, but it was GREAT at removing eye make up especially mascara so I persevered and used this every day to remove it before cleansing with my normal one. Wouldn't repurchase at this time.

Benefit They're Real mini mascara - LOVE. I save my minis like a kid saves sweets.

Dr Organic Manuka Honey Lip Balm - so battered you can barely read it, the sign of a well used product! Would definitely repurchase!

Rimmel's Scandaleyes - I liked this initially but i think other Rimmel mascaras work better on my lashes, sometimes this clumped together for me.

Collection Lasting Perfection Powder - I know there's some left in this....it's done that funny thing where its got a coating on it from usage and I just can't be bothered to try and salvage it. I personally prefer Stay Matte to this.

Origins Starting Over moisturiser sample - Enjoyed using this in the nights but not sure my skin needs this much just yet...save it for when I'm older!

Origins Andrew Weil Mega Bright serum -  I've never met a serum from Origins that i haven't liked and this was no exception. If only it was cheaper I'd snap it up regularly!

Revlon Nearly Naked - Took me a while to get into this, think it was probably because my skin wasn't good enough at the time but I soon loved it. I would repurchase in future after I've worked my way through some of the others in my stash

Eysilix eye cream - This was a funny one. Didn't love it and i wouldn't repurchase because my eyes seem to be sensitive to it on random occasions, but it did hydrate my eye area and my under eye bags did lessen somewhat.




So that's what I've been using up recently, are any of these your favourites? Have you loved or loathed any of them? Are you working your way through your own stash?

I need some serious focus over the next few months!

L xxx

Best of 2013

Hi all :)

I hope you all had a great Christmas. I was unfortunately working, struck down by the flu and had a million things to do so my blogging got left by the way side for the week so apologies for my lack of posts last week.

Today's post is a summary of my favourite product discoveries of 2013. I've trawled through all of my posts from the past year and picked out my favourite products for one reason or another. I tried to pick an even number to satisfy my OCD but I came out at 17 so I hope you enjoy!


1) China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

Love this pastel neon colour, it was one I'd seen many times on Pinterest so had to snap it up in the end. It was a good buy and I can see myself having to buy it again if its going to decrease at this rate!

2) Vichy Dermablend

Many bloggers have bought this and in the end I had to try it....and obviously fell in love just the same! Perfect for good and bad skin days this covers all types of blemishes, scars and uneven skin tone.

3) OPI Liquid Sand Bond Girls in Jinx

This was one of my first Liquid Sand polishes and the coral and gold glittery combination made it a perfect one for me. Look at it glimmer! I wore this all summer and upgraded to a full size after initially buying the miniature set.

4) MAC All That Glitters Eyeshadow

I picked up a palette from MAc so that I could depot all of my previously owned eye shadows into one easy to carry palette. All That Glitters is a beautiful shimmery nude, described as a beige with a gold pearl. It's nude enough to be worn every day without being too glittery yet shimmery enough for a night out also, a very versatile shadow.

5) Clarins HydraQuench

The Hydra Quench range was something I'd never tried before but having tried the cream and masque this year I can safely say I'm a fan. I'd like to repurchase this in future but I think the price will put me off. There are others that I have used that are just as good for less so I will probably stick to those whilst I'm saving!

6) Dr Organic Eye Serum

This was an unexpected love for me; I love Dr Organic products but had never tried an eye serum before. I have really sensitive and dry eyes so try to moisturise them as much as possible to help. This product has been a nice little saviour for me and I can see me buying it again and again; great product, great price and its organic.

7) Lacura AQUA Complete Serum

The Lacura Aqua Complete Skin Serum was an absolute bargain from Aldi. I was looking for a cheaper one to save my from spending cash I don't have, and this was less than £4 and contains hyaluronic acid, glacier water and aloe vera. Its an amazing bargain buy and I will be getting it as soon as I get to Aldi next!

8) Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream

This eye cream was in one of their Christmas sets this year called Love Me B.right and after treating myself to it, it was great to find that the eye cream really worked even on my sensitive eyes. It's so hydrating and the pot is actually pretty big for an eye cream so it's worth the pennies.

9) Benefit Erase Paste Concealer

Another Benefit love! As a general fan of Benefit it can be hard to pick out specific products but the Erase Paste concealer is perfect for undereyes, blemishes, scars and just about anything you can think of. I would not be without it!

10) MAC Desert Camouflage Full Face Kit

This was a buy from Cosmetics Company Outlet, the Desert Camouflage Full Face kit has 4 eyeshadows and a compartment underneath containing a creme blush which is more like a creme bronzer due to the colour. I wear these colours every day as my go to palette for work as its so easy to blend and isn't too over the top. If I ever go somewhere straight from work its just a case of reapplication and a heavier hand with the darker colours!

11) Real Techniques Brushes

Having finally cottoned onto the hype, I snapped up every set in the range over the year in different deals from different shops. My make up wouldn't be the perfectly applied masterpiece it is today without them. They're pretty, easy to use, fairly priced and can be washed back to whiteness....winner.

12) Label M Protein Spray*

We may have mentioned this a few times over the past few months...this Protein Spray from Label.M is unbelievably lightweight, conditions hair without leaving it greasy and lasts a very long time. My long hair wouldn't be without it!

13) MAC's Insanely It

One of my best all time buys from CCO; this Sheen Supreme lipstick is a beautiful pink that makes my teeth look whiter, my complexion brighter and it can be worn for any occasion. 

14) Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

I was extremely excited to try out Silk Creme after hearing lots of hype about it. Initially i was disappointed, my skin was really bad at that point and nothing seemed to cover it enough. As my skin has slowly improved (thanks to the skincare products in this post I hope) this has been amazing. It covers without looking like its caked on, matches my skin very closely and definitely makes me look a whole lot better whilst giving me that 'is she wearing make up?' look. Love. The only downside is the price at £33. but I'm almost certain I'd pick it up again during a weak moment on pay day.

15) Antipodes Divine Oil

This has been a revolutionary product for me. I had never used an oil before this and it completely changed my perception of them and my skin has thanked me for it. At £18.50 for an organic product I'd recommend everyone try this! It hasn't overloaded my oily skin at all but has rehydrated my dry skin and helped scars fade dramatically.

16) Murad Cleanser

This cleanser is one I use 2/3 times a week to polish off the dull bits of skin. It's not abrasive at all yet leaves my skin with a glow. It's comparable in results to Origin's Modern Friction which is another favourite of mine and although the tube costs £34 it has lasted me such a long time that it's worth every penny.

17) Origins Make A Difference Rejuvenating Treatment

The smell, the texture, the results = LOVE

I picked up the Origins skincare set for Christmas just so I could own this lovely product again (and the others obviously!) 

Totally changed my skin and I wouldn't be without it now. Plus it smells like heaven in a pot.

So there we have it, my favourites of 2013. A hell of a lot of skincare, what a junkie I am!

However as at the beginning of the year I had acne and was stressed to the max I think it have played a massive part in getting my skin to what it is today. I still get spots (obviously!) especially those annoying under the skin bumps which just don't seem to go (RAGE) but it's still 10 times better than it was.

I hope 2014 brings me even more product joy (after a considerable 3 month ban though...its feeling necessary after my Christmas indulgences).

What were your favourite products of 2013?

We're you a skincare junkie? Lipstick lover? Nail addict? Or a Palette Queen?

I'd love to see what your favourites were, maybe they could be mine for next year!

L xxx

Dr Organic Facial and Eye Serum

Goooooooooooood morning!

Hope the weather is treating you well today....i love the cold but I'm not a fan of the rain. Fingers crossed it will behave itself today!

Skincare is one of those things that I seem to have tonnes of, the amount of moisturiser and eye cream I have is quite ridiculous, but serums are something I'm always running out of. It's the same with cleansers, I obviously haven't overloaded my stash with these and sometimes find it hard to keep up with purchasing them.

Serums can be expensive so I'm always on the look out for an offer or products that are at a lower price without a compromise on effects.

Dr Organic are a company we have bought from many times before and having seen their products on offer in Holland and Barrett I thought I'd pick up some products and see how they fared.

First up is the Rose Otto Restoring Oil Facial Serum. It contains oil of rose damascena and is rich in polypeptides, phospholipids, antioxidants and omegas 3,6,and 9.

You can read the blurb on the back of the box below but essentially this serum contains a lot of different oils to create a super serum. I like that Dr Organic list their ingredients in their products and this is also on the back of the box:

Not sure I need to mention this but just in case, all Dr organic products are free from parabens, SLS, fragrances, harsh preservatives and artifical colours, this brand is definitely one to watch!

The Rose Otto serum has a list of regenerating and anti aging properties including optimising skin hydration, protecting with anti oxidants, reduces appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and improves elasticity and firmness.

The bottle itself is very simple and just like a lot of their other products, in a frosted glass and with sturdy white plastic tops.
This serum is dispensed through the lid, there's a dropper in the lid and you press the button on top to collect and dispense the serum as you please. This took me a little while to figure out as I'd never seen anything like it before....maybe it was a blonde moment? But hopefully this will stop anyone else being confused...!

A lot of Dr Organic products (if not all) are BioActiv and formulated using organically certified and natural extracts. This is great as you know you're getting what you're paying for.

This serum is definitely more of an oil than other products that you'd typically call a serum. for this reason it's harder to 'layer up' products which is what I normally do. My normal routine is to apply a serum and then moisturiser, which I find is more difficult as this is more an oil.

However this serum applies really nicely to the skin. I find i need a few drops for my entire face and neck and this sinks in pretty easily. I prefer to use this in the evenings because using an oil in the morning normally spells trouble for my make up!

This serum is really hydrating and it has helped a lot with my dehydration issues.

This costs £12.29 for the 30ml bottle and is currently still on offer on the H&B website. It's also listed as a customer favourite and has been given 5 stars, obviously everyone agrees that its a great serum!

The Moroccan Argan Oil Instant Tightening Eye Serum was something I'd wanted to buy for a while and the offer gave me the perfect excuse.
I use a lot of eye creams and a serum was something I'd been considering because a serum adds more moisture before a moisturiser and shouldn't cause any problems with overloading my skin. 

My eyes are somewhere that I'd like to keep an eye on so to speak....I have a feeling that my genes will cause my eyes to wrinkle and go 'baggy' before anywhere else so I'm constantly trying to find products to freeze/prevent this.

Again the list of ingredients on the side of the box is reassuring as they're all chemicals that are natural.

The eye serum is a white lotion that dispenses out of a pump, one pump is enough for a generous application for one eye, if you're eye area is small then one pump is enough for both eyes, depends how much you want to slap on really!

I love that it has the anti aging printed in gold, such a sucker for a bit of sparkle ;)

I really love applying this, my eyes are so sensitive especially on weekends which is when I wear my contacts more often and for longer periods and this helps to keep my eyes more hydrated. Especially after lots of eye make up and false lashes!

The skin around my eye area is a lot more hydrated now and at £11.99 from H&B for 30ml I think this is great value and will last a really long time. I've been using mine for 2 months now and only 1/2cm has gone from the top of the bottle.

Another great couple of products from Dr Organic, I cannot wait to try more of theirs especially odd ones like the Snail Gel, can it really be as amazing?! I'm dying to find out!

What do you think of Dr Organic? Have you tried any of their products and have a few favourites?

Let me know!

L xxx

Current Favourite Five

Hello!

I thought I'd go for a different tactic for today's post. I love lists and am constantly writing them.

Today's post is therefore a reflection of that and so I'd like to share with you my top 5 products that I'm currently loving. We always write about new products to us and don't mention enough the ones that we actually do use, repurchase and love to bits!

So here's my current top 5 favourites:



1: Murad's AHA/BHA Exfoliating cleanser.

This cleanser is something that I've been using for a while now. I regularly use this a couple of times a week as part of my skin regime. I normally cleanse my make up off my face and then use this afterwards as an exfoliator. I try to use this in the shower so that I can massage it in and leave it on my skin so that the acids can work their magic on my dull complexion.

The tiny beads in this help to buff my skin away with no irritation and leaves it feeling super soft.

This tube costs around £34 i think, but has lasted me over a year and I still have around half left, so it's worth every penny.

2: Label M's Protein Spray

We've mentioned this in a number of posts previously and its a god send for my long hair. I don't tend to heat treat it very often (only blasting it with a dryer normally) and only style it every few weeks for an occasion.

But even so as my hair is so long now it's taking a bit more care to keep it in a good condition.

This spray is just such a simple way to add extra nutrients and protection to my hair. It's lightweight, obviously easy to use and can be applied to wet and dry hair. It smells great, not too heavy in fragrance which I prefer and I find it really refreshing to spray on.

This has also lasted me a long time and it still feels heavy, I'd actually be gutted if this ran out any time soon!

This costs £13.25 for a 250ml bottle, but is also available in 50ml and 500ml bottles.

3: Benefit's It's Potent! Eye Cream

This product is a relatively new addition to my stash and I have only been using it a short time.

This means that when concerning long term effects I can't comment too much....

But it feels luxurious on application, has not irritated my sensitive eyes one little bit and they feel so hydrated that I'm annoyed I haven't tried it out before!

This costs £24.50 for 14.2g and from how much I've used so far, it seems it will last me a long time.

4: Aesop Parsley Seed Serum

This serum has been recommended to me many times and after picking it up for some reason it got lost in my stash.

Having rediscovered it after using up all the other serums I own it was such a relief. I started applying it morning and night and my skin drank it straight up! It feels a lot more hydrated than it was feeling when my serums 'ran out' and it hasn't been irritated by it at all, and trust me, I plaster this on.

It sinks in so fast sometimes i apply another layer, probably not ideal as it's a rather expensive product but my skin feels so much better. As the small bottle I have doesn't come with a pipette attachment it's a little wasteful as I have to pour it out, but the larger bottle seems to come with one which is much more economical.

The 100ml bottle comes in at a £45 price tag.....which is a tad on the expensive side.

It would be amazing if this was cheaper as I'd definitely pick it up again. But Aesop needs no help from me for sales as it's extremely popular; the truth is you get what you pay for.

5: Dr Organic's Coconut Hand Cream

Dr Organic is a great brand with a massive range of product in a variety of scents.
I'm a hand cream novice and am constantly having M and my mum going on at me to use them, hands can age you as everyone seems to forget about them and only concentrate on the face.

The coconut hand cream is a great product, it sinks in fast which is a must for me as I really can't deal with waiting for it to sink in. The smell is natural but not overpowering and it leaves my hands feeling smooth.
It's everything that a hand cream novice could ask for!
This comes in at £5.99 for 100ml and is an absolute bargain!

I hope you've enjoyed my top 5, I plan on doing more over the next couple of months to show you what I really am loving.
Next time I will be writing about my make up favourites if you'd like to check back for that!

What are your current favourite products?


L xxx

Dr Organic Day and Night Creams

Good evening!

This post has been a long time coming as we were given these at the Bristol Blogger meet a fair few months ago....but working through our stashes it has taken a while to get to them.

Dr Organic is a great brand, they have an amazing versatile range and cover every possible scent you could ever wish for from a brand. They include pomegranate, lavender, tea tree, coconut and manuka honey, they even have a product containing snail gel!

Today we're reviewing their Virgin Coconut Oil Night Cream and Moroccan Argan Oil Day Cream.

The Coconut Oil Night cream has a list of claims detailed on the side of the box which sounds very promising! These invlude overnight hydration even down to the trans dermal level, improving firmness and tone of skin and protecting against free radicals.

I love that Dr Organic list all of the bioactive, natural and organic ingredients in their products, some of which I've never heard of but I love the honesty.
As we've mentioned in previous posts on products from Dr Organic, all of them are free from parabens, SLS, artificial colours, fragrances and any harsh preservatives.

The packaging is really simple and the pots are made of glass which is a really nice touch. The screw top lids are really good too, it might be a random thing to notice but they're really easy to unscrew but there's no chance of them coming off and spilling product everywhere.

And as always, i love simplistic styles and this ticks all my boxes.



For me, the Coconut Oil night cream was really thick in consistency and is initially hard to absorb into the skin. I found applying it as a face mask before bed was a better way for the product to provide it's maximum hydration.
I loved the feeling of my skin the next day, but as it's so thick I did use a lot more product than i would normally but I think it was still worth it!
Plus it smells gorgeous!





The Argan Oil Day cream is lighter and has the same claims as the night cream, with an added one of increasing Vitamin C production.

The Argan Oil Day cream absorbed more easily into my skin than the night cream, which is obviously better as I'm always in a rush in the morning and haven't got time to sit and wait for it to absorb before applying my make up.

This day cream smells pretty good too, and I love that the pots have the three main features of the product on the sides: Firming, toning and cell protecting. all three of these sound pretty good to me!

I have really enjoyed using both of these moisturisers and look forward to purchasing more from their range. I am a big fan of the lip balms and their coconut hand cream is amazing!
There are plenty more products I'd love to try including their Virgin Coconut Oil Moisture Melt Body Oil, Rose Otto Facial Serum and Snail Gel.

Which are your favourite products from Dr Organic? I really do want to try EVERYTHING!

L xxx

I was initially concerned about using these products as I have oily combination skin and worried that a product for nourishment and hydration would be too much for my skin but I was pleasantly surprised.

I love the glass packaging. Glass always makes something feel more luxurious. Both the day and night creams are really thick creams that sink into the skin. The day cream feels light on the skin and doesn't leave me oily. It leaves my skin with a great base for my foundation. 

The night cream is really thick and I did think because of this it would leave my skin feeling super soft but as L mentioned you do need to apply a lot of it to get those results. I do feel like I need to use more of this than most creams and therefore have found it's not been lasting too long.

I have liked both of these creams and they have made me want to try more of there products and some specifically for my skincare. Any recommendations?

Love M

xxx