*Detox Your Makeup Bag*

Time for a Detox?

With so many organic cosmetics out on the market, it is so easy to find some exciting new products to add to your makeup bag. Here is my little wish list:

1. Zuii Organic Foundation in Rose. This foundation gives medium coverage and leaves a smooth and natural looking finish. Contains Aloe Vera, Vitamin E and Vitamin C. RRP $44.95
2. Bare Blossom Blush in Flaming Ray. A soft and smooth blush to make your skin glow. RRP $43.00
3. Eco Minerals Mascara in Black. This is a all natural formula that makes lashes look lushious and keep lashes healthy. RRP $33.00
4. Bloom Eyeshadow in Sunset. Smooth formular inn a golden warm Brown. RRP $25.00
5. Blue Wren Purse. This little blue wren in Australian native grasses is made from Australian Certified Organic unbleached cotton. RRP $9.95
6. Inika Lip Whip in Peach. This ultra moisturising lip whip has a high gloss finish and is 100% Vegan. RRP $25.00

Have Fun!

Renee x

Review: Dr Hauschka Eye Balm

An Eye Balm that Works!

A few weeks ago I had been given the opportunity to  try the Dr. Hauschka Eye Balm. I have used and reviewed the Dr. Hauschka Daily Revitalising Eye Cream and really liked it. It was easy to use and worked well with my skin. I readily accepted the chance and I am so happy! This time I decided to take Before and After pictures of my eyes so that you can see how much of a difference (if any) it has made to the skin. I took these AFTER pictures a couple of days ago and I'm glad I did because I have the Flu at the moment, meaning my eyes are back to their beautiful puffiness. 

In the pot the Eye Balm is quiet hard because it contains beeswax, so after I scooped a rice size bit out I warmed it between my fingers to help melt the wax, then pat it on my eye area. Because it has a high quantity of wax it doesn't sink into the skin quickly so I had to be careful not to rub my eyes straight away. However this doesn't bother me because I think it would be fine to pop foundation or any kind of powder on top if you are in a rush to get out the door.

I used the Dr Hauschka Eye Balm for 16 days before writing this review and I am very pleased with the results so far! I have noticed a dramatic reduction to any puffiness around my eyes and that's very exciting for me to see such a difference. The Eye Balm also claim to soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but I am lucky enough not to worry about that yet. Another thing that The Eye Balm claims to do it moisturise around the delicate eye area. I can vouch for that too. The skin underneath my eyes doesn't feel as thin as it once did, and is minus that dry tissue paper feeling of the skin.

Only use a rice size amount of product.

Before

After, my eyes look less puffy underneath especially in the inner corners.

(The lighting situation doesn't help though.)

Eye Balm

Winter protection for all skin conditions

10ml | Available now | RRP $62

 

* Eye Balm supports elasticity
* Softens and smooths dry skin and fine lines.
* Minimises the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
* Extremely protective the delicate skin around the eyes
* Skin is moisturised, firmed and fortified
* Wild Carrot Extract is a rich source of provitamin A
* Calendula and Anthyllis soothe delicate skin
* Apricot Kernel Oil, Jojoba Oil and Beeswax moisturise

If your interested in purchasing the Dr. Hauschka Eye Balm go to the Helios website.

Have Fun!

Renee x

This product was sent to me for consideration, however my opinions are 100% genuine and honest.

Products Im Throwing Away

In The Bin...

One of the most satisfying jobs I give myself is to clean out my bathroom cabinet. Sorting through products that I have not used for a very long time, I found that a few of them were all too easy to toss into the bin. They just didn't agree with me.

The Body Shop Brazil Nut Lip Butter: I use to love this lip butter when I was a teenager. When I tried it the other day I found the scent overpowering and I don't think it's as moisturising as some other lip balms I use that the moment. 

Ofra Lipstick in Red My Lips: I recieved this lip colour in a Lust Have It! box. This is a matte lipstick and it's bright red. I doubt if I will ever wear it because it's not my thing.

Napolean Perdis Lip Gloss: This lipgloss came as a sample with an Instyle magazine and it has been sitting in my bathroom cabinet ever since. I prefer lip colours with a rosy tint and nude colours are my least favorite so I had never had the urge to wear this. 

Natio Loose Mineral Foundation:  This was my first mineral foundation purchase but I quickly tired of it because I realised that it didn't provide as much coverage as I would have liked. It also didn't stay all day either.

Puretopia Creamy Face Cleanser: This bottle is almost empty, but that's only because I bought it and had no money to buy a different cleanser once I realised that it was too creamy for my face and made me break out in spots. So, for a few weeks I had unruly skin. I haven't used this cleanser since.

Lush Full of Grace Serum Bar: I was having a bit of an obsession with serums, and I have had very good experience with Lush products. So I bought the Lush Serum Bar. I transferred it into a tin because it melted horribly while it was being delivered to me (ordered online). This Serum made my skin dry and made me breakout.

L'Oreal Colour Infaillible in Naughty Strawberry: I  bought this eyeshadow on a whim, looked at the colour swatch and forgot all about it. This bright pink, loose eyeshadow with golden flecks in it is NOT my colour. I have always given my purchases a lot more thought from then on.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes in Black: This was a gift from Rimmel but with no obligation to review. I did love the shape of the brush because it is HUGE which allows the look of long lashes. However, it took about a week before the formula became clumpy, I believe its because the bottle and the brush is big so it allows air to get inside.

A lot of these products are not cruelty free, but they had been sitting in my cabinet for some time before I decided to purchase only cruelty free products.

Have Fun!

Renee x

Models Prefer Nude Pallette

Some New Nudes

I have seen a lot of nude palettes floating around beauty blogs and it kind of inspired me to look for a new shadow kit. Not having the biggest budget I was thrilled when I saw the Models Prefer Nude Eye-shadow Palette in Priceline this week. At only $12.99 with ten shades in a mix of matte (m) and shimmer (s) shades I think this is a really good deal. This is also a cruelty free brand too!

The size of the palette is small and tidy and perfect to fit in a travel bag or even a handbag if I'm needing a quick touch up during the day.

I was a bit concerned at first because I thought the shades would be a bit dark for my light complexion. I think that looking at the swatches on my skin they will blend in quiet well.

Below are swatches of the eye-shadows on my skin, next to each name is an (m) for matte finish or (s) for a shimmer finish.

From Top to bottom: Bare (m), Sand (s), Golden (s), Glisten (s), Earth (m)

Top to Bottom Bliss(s), Natural (m), Desert (s), Nature (m), Willow(s)

Have you been enjoying some new shades lately?

Have Fun!

Renee x

How to choose a Great Mineral Foundation

Be In The Know

Sorry no pictures today, I just wanted to write a quick one.
Today I was clearing out my bathroom cabinet of old products that don't get much use any more. I was going to do a "chuck out" post but one of the items I was throwing away was an old mineral foundation that I don't use and frankly I was never really keen on anyway.

With the exorbitant amount of mineral based cosmetics out there, how do you choose one that's worth forking your money over?

Look for:
Fine particles that blend onto the skin easily
A non-oily feel to the product
Even coverage that is simple to build onto itself

Avoid:
Clumpy consistency
A gritty feeling when applied to the skin
Plenty of fallout when your blending the foundation in.

Ingredients to avoid:

• no fillers,
• no talc,
• no Bismuth Oxychloride,
• no alcohol,
• no silicones,
• no mineral oils,
• no perfume,
• no PEGs,
• no preservatives and
• no synthetic toxins 

I reckon the fewer the ingredients listed on the label, the better.

Have Fun!

Renee x

About Me

Perth/ Western Australia

Welcome! My name is Renee and I am the creator/writer of Lifestyle and Beauty Honestly. I am a wife, a mother and a friend of people and animals. 

I started this blog in the month of October 2013 thinking that I would write about any beauty product that took my fancy. After looking deeper into the way these cosmetics were produced I discovered that a lot of my favourite makeup brands tested on animals. I started to do a bit of research into animal testing and I immediately stopped buying these brands and have changed my thinking about what cosmetics I purchase. I have never looked back.

These days my blog focuses only on cruelty free cosmetics. I write reviews, show some makeup looks, and take pictures of many, many swatches. When I'm feelin' chatty I will let you in on a family outing or a yummy recipe.  I also write about some of the truths behind the commercial animal industry. 

Thank you for reading my blog and sharing in the discovery of the wonderful world of cruelty free living.

Have Fun!

Renee x

Spring Inspired Makeup

Sweet Cheeks

I thought during the next few days I would concentrate on a few different makeup looks. It gives me a chance to play around with my products and experiment with some looks that I have been missing.

Today cheeks were a part that I really wanted to play up because the sunny days of Spring means fresh, rosy cheeks. I kept the rest of my look natural so I that this would be a day appropriate look.

What I am wearing:

Zuii Organics Liquid Foundation in Rose

Eco Minerals Blush in Dreamtime

E.L.F All over Color Stick in Pink Lemonade

Thin Lizzy 6 in 1 Professional Powder

Blinc Mascara in Black

Australis Extender Lash and Brow in Clear

Australis Stayput Longlasting Eyeliner in Midnight

E.L.F Lip Plumper

Have Fun!

Renee x

** First Impression** People For Plants Cleanser and Makeup Remover

Australian Organics

 I have been using the People for Plants Cleanser and Makeup Remover for a few weeks now and I thought I would give you a first impressions. I'll tell you about the difference between using it wet and dry. To use this cleanser wet its best to dampen your face with  water and and massage a small amount onto the skin, and then wash away with warm water. I find that this cleanser has a bit of a greasy feel to it when I am using it on damp skin, like it just slicks all over the face. When I try to wash it off I can kind of feel a layer of cleanser on my skin that I feel is impossible to get off. However once this layer has dried it feels surprisingly moisturising. Not a feeling of oil is on the skin at all. This cleanser contains Shea Butter so I am thinking that it's the Shea that gives my skin a lovely soft feel.

As a dry makeup remover I put a small dollop on a makeup pad a wipe my skin without using water at all. This is a brilliant way to remove makeup before a proper cleanse, Or if your like me, can't be bothered standing over the sink before bedtime scrubbing away at my face.

I'm not sure if I would buy this product again, I think I am more inclined to use it as a wet cleanser to finish the bottle up but I don't really like the layer that the Shea Butter leaves on my skin before it dries.

 I do love the People for Plants Lip Balm though and will be going back for those when I finish my sticks.

What do you think of the People for Plants products?

Have Fun!

Renee x

Winter Favorites 2014

Seasons Besties

It's four days into Spring and my washing is still not dry on the line. I kid, I kid. But I am hoping the sun will show his face a bit more in the near future. In the meantime I have compiled a list of my favorite things this past Winter.

The first thing that deserves an honourable mention is my night-time treat. I discovered this in the back of our pantry when I ran out of Milo and in desperate need of a chocolate fix. I sip on the Cadbury Drinking Chocolate in Mint when I am writing blogs or just watching a teensy bit of youtube before I move onto Chamomile tea. The hint of mint (pun intended) just makes this drink quiet refreshing and yummy. I know a lot of people just put a couple of spoons in a mug then add hot water, but I prefer to add a dash of warm soy milk to it as well.

Winter... a time for puddings? You bet ya! These Aunt Betty's Puddings are so delicious. These are single serve cups and I just have to pop it into the microwave for 30 seconds and out comes a lovely warm treat smothered in gooey sauce. There are five flavours I think and I have tried every one of them, Sticky Date, Golden Syrup, Chocolate.. I forget the other two. Definitely worth a try and a little bit addictive.

I don't drink plain coffee. Coffee by itself tastes too much like coffee, so I opt for Mochas. The chocolate tends to cancel out that bitter coffee taste. Nescafe Mocha Sachets are my coffee hit in the morning. When everyone else is perfectly happy with a regular cup of Jo I refuse to wake up to anything else. Moccachino also do a mocha sachet but I find Nescafe taste better. 

Beauty Favorites

I don't go out much in Winter.  I think that rainy weather is perfect to watch a DVD or do some research on the computer. So I have no makeup favorites because I haven't been wearing a lot of colours on my face while I have been plodding around at home. But I do have a couple of new discoveries I am happy to share.

On the lookout for a nice thick Body Butter I picked up the Yes To Carrots Super Rich Body Butter and I really like it. I have used it everyday this Winter and I think it hydrates my skin really well. I don't think that the body butter is as thick as I would originally have liked but it does the job well. I cant really describe the scent either but it is faint and doesn't overpower my nose.

I absolutely love The Environmental Toothbrush. I bought one each for my husband and I about a month ago and since then we have bought a ten pack for adults and a few child size ones for bub. These toothbrushes are environmentally friendly because bamboo is biodegradable and will decompose within a few short months. Plastic toothbrushes take thousands of years to decompose. 

If you live until you are 80 years old and replace your toothbrush every three months, you will be using four toothbrushes every year.

    4

x 80

  320

Toothbrushes per person adding to landfill

This little bottle of Lush Happy Hippy Shower Gel will be one that I will have to replace soon. I think this sweet and refreshing scent of Grapefruit would be perfect for Spring. But this Winter when I have been using this in the morning it really helps to wake me up on a cloudy and dark morning. Like a little burst of sunshine in my shower.

What things have you been loving this Winter?

Have Fun!

Renee x