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How are all of you, I hope you are well?
Today is going to be a quick post on what natural and organic products I took to Rome for a mini getaway to treat Mom for her birthday. For those of you who might not know, my mom had a breast cancer about a year and a half ago. She won, which pleases me to no end, but being aware of the limited time we had left, I got this idea in my head to whisk my mom away for her ultimate Birthday this year and I didn’t rest until I made that happen.
I got request to see what exactly I took with me, so this post is for you guys – here is the breakdown of the products. Continue reading “Natural & Organic Products For A Weekend Away”
Today I wanted to introduce You to my Amazon Page – I am probably the last blogger on earth to join their Influencer program (influencer who, me? what a funny word). I haven’t realized that until now, but most of us are hooked on the convenience of online ordering and once you get the taste of having ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN POSSIBLY WANT within a few clicks, there’s no going back 🙂 Living in this Emerald Isle also know as Ireland and having made my switch well over a decade ago, I am still used to struggling getting natural things locally, even living in the capital of it. While things are going into the right direction and I can get limited body care, skincare and haircare in the health shops as well as some big retail stores, it is almost always the most expensive things from the range and not necessarily the ones I want or even suitable for me. Make up is even more limited, so I am well used to getting practically everything I need online. Up until now I didn’t have one place to “store” all the natural things I love or want to try in one place, until this Amazon page thing came along 🙂 I started with making Natural Skincare and Natural Make Up boards at the start and my addictive personality quickly took over, now I have everything from Natural Health, Natural Home to Plant Lady to Wellness to Books and even Man Cave (don’t ask). The same thing happened with Pinterest years ago, started with four boards and now have over 80, can’t stop, won’t stop until the thing is perfect, and even then I am correcting it 🙂 So I spend considerable amounts of time not only looking for natural products to add to my store, but also looking at the stores they came from, they all had to have 100% positive feedback at the very minimum and be naturally orientated as well. If some cut-price-random-things store sold nylon wigs, garden hose and natural products together, out it went. Sort of naively I expected loads of natural brands to be on Amazon, but I didn’t find that to be the case, for example two of the brands I really really adore, Bella Aura and Mahalo aren’t on Amazon, nor are their products. While searching and searching for the right products, brands and stores to add to my page, soon noticed there are loads of reselers, oftentimes with highly inflated prices (just search NYR) and I skipped those too, because I don’t want people to think green beauty is all about paying hundreds and hundreds for one product, it is not. Luckily is is not all doom and gloom and Amazon does have more than fair share of natural products – answer to any conventional product, really 🙂 Really really, just check my page 🙂 Continue reading “Shop Green Life In Dublin Amazon Store”
Now, if you follow me for at least a couple of months, you might remember me ordering Joy roller in my Love Lula blogger order back in February here, and putting all of the products into my Pinterest wishlist here – and guess what? The Universe has a strange ways of working, but I am happy to say that Amy reached out to me not too long after and asked if I would like some more products to try. Not only that, but she offered to pick the products for me by dowsing (don’t ask me, she is the expert). I was like “does one legged duck swim in circles? Yes please!”
So long story short, Amy picked the products she thought I need at this time based on my energy field – and boy, did she get it right! I am not an expert when it comes to all things aura/ energy field / flower and gemstone essences/ aura sprays, etc, but I am a believer – I think there’s not only our physical body, but also spiritual one and it is just as important to take care of both. It took me a very long time to realize this, but let’s leave it for another time and come back to the wonderful Nature’s Wish products. Let me just say that while all these products you see here were sent to me, I have full intentions to repurchase them with my own money. Not only that, I am sharing them with you – yep, there will be a mini giveaway at the end of this review, and this time it is international!
A bit about the brand and it’s founder:
Nature’s Wish is an award winning wellbeing and skincare company, offering a range of high quality products that are rich in vitamins, essential oils, flower and crystal essences. Each product is handmade in small batches to retain the quality and integrity of the essences.
Inspired by the profound effects that flower essences can have on a persons wellbeing, Amy Murphy-Watts founded Nature’s Wish in Hampshire in 2010. She is passionate about flower essences and their remarkable ability to be absorbed into your energetic system, as such she only uses natural and organic ingredients. Amy is a trained Bach flower practitioner and through her extensive learning and experience she now makes all her own flower essences. She places a lot of love, care and hard work into what she does and considers flower essences to hold a key part in helping to rebalance our own vibrational energy. Each of her combination essences have a particular purpose.
Combining the essences into sprays and beauty products enables you to get the benefits of the essences in many ways, Amy blends them into Face Oils, Roller Balls, Energy Sprays, Lip Balms and Body Oils. All the flower essences are made from plants grown in Amy’s garden or gathered on local walks in Hampshire, thus preserving the highest quality distinct imprint of the flowers. None of the products contain any chemicals, petroleum, palm oil, parabens or additives and is never tested on animals.
Stay tuned and let’s look at each of the products individually, shall we?
This wonderful product is probably my favourite from the whole lot – don’t ask me how it works, but it has the ability to silence my monkey brain within seconds! It is a blend of floral waters, essential oils, flower, crystal and environmental essences to cleanse and revitalise your natural energy field.
BENEFITS: A soothing blend to help calm when you are feeling overwhelmed or under pressure. Provides grounding and protection allowing you to feel strong and safe, enabling your aura energy to have a sense of inner peace. FLOWER ESSENCES: The Peace blend of Angel’s Trumpet, Daisy and Walnut. ESSENTIAL OILS: Palmarosa, Rose Otto and Grapefruit. FLORAL WATER: Rose Bulgarian.
I always have this within reach and am spraying it multiple times per day – and I make sure to take it with me to work on the weekends too. It comes in the 100ml glass bottle and I hope it never runs out!
Ingredients: Rose Floral Water Palmarosa Rose Grapefruit Angel's Trumpet flower essence in Brandy and Water Daisy flower essence in Brandy and Water Walnut flower essence in Brandy and Water
The description says it is a luxurious combination of natural and organic oils that are rich in vitamins, essential oils, flower essences and crystal essences.
BENEFITS: A relaxing blend to provide a feeling of calm in times of stress. Helps to centre and rebalance the mind and body. Aids connection of thoughts and information with patience and sensitivity. FLOWER ESSENCES: The Tranquility blend of Daisy, Impatiens, Lavender and Walnut. ESSENTIAL OILS: Neroli, Mandarin and Rose Otto.
This product is also very enjoyable to use and I don’t want to run out of it too! I find 100ml bottle gives me around 10 full body applications – and I am very generous when applying body oils, I am obsessed with them for the last year or so! I wish the scent was a bit stronger, but I appreciate that is is all natural and natural essential oils do not give you that in-your-face aroma some of you might want. I have to say I am yet to use it as a bath oil, I don’t want to waste it, so I keep using it as a body oil.
Ingredients: Grape Seed Oil Thistle Org Avocado Org Sunflower Oil Org Castor Oil Org Vitamin E Neroli Rose Mandarin Daisy flower essence in olive oil Impatiens flower essence in olive oil Lavender flower essence in olive oil Walnut flower essence in olive oil
Now, at this point I should probably tell you that all of the Nature’s Wish products are available on Love Lula except for the essences (this link above will take you directly to their website. No affiliation or sponsorship, purely for your convenience) As far as essences go, I haven’t tried too much, so I don’t have an extensive experience with them. I also didn’t know what I was going to get, so I wasn’t able to go and look up the product beforehand and get some preconceived thoughts about it, so when I did get the product, I decided to take the essence without looking at the description and to see where it goes. I have to say I was taken by surprise – my normal state of stress-head was instantly mellowed when I took this product, and the problems that seemed huge before definitely did seem on a lesser and more manageable degree. So this made me a believer – this is something you have to experience for yourself as flower and crystal essences are still outcast as the “witchy” “hippy” stuff, sadly so. This Tranquility essence is a mix of a few flower essences and is designed to help us ground back to the earth, bring calm to work the situation out, feel patient and connect with the inner self. It is also a great enabler in meditation.
Ingredients /Essences:Daisy: Helps to bring together scattered thoughts and information. It creates clarity and a calm mind. Enables us to connect our thoughts and information into a coherent patter. Very good as an aid with study to help focus the mind.
Impatiens: For impatient and impulsive people. For those who like working their way, at their speed and are often critical of others who don't. Sudden temper outbursts, impatiens, irritability. By taking impatiens it brings a calmer nature, more patient and sensitive to others.
Lavender: For those who over stretch themselves emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically. Helps us to connect to our higher self, bringing spirituality into everyday life. It brings clarity, enabling us to hear our inner guidance. It relaxes those who over stimulate themselves. It also helps to protect those who absorb too much spiritual energy which can often result in difficulties in the head, neck and shoulders
Walnut: For those who find it difficult to adapt to change. Very useful for major-life changes, teething, puberty, pregnancy, divorce, moving home or school, changing job, bereavement etc. For those who feel affected by other's influences and personality. It is also a good grounding essence and an all round protector.
Roller balls are a mix of different essences and essential oils in some type of carrier oil. They are convenient to carry around and apply on the pulse points as needed, you are meant to inhale them after application. The smell is faint but pleasant (again, this is not a perfume) and I find if used regularly, this centers my thoughts and makes me less stressed, so I guess you can say it gives me some joy if you will.
Ingredients:
Flower Essences: Angel's Trumpet, Willow, Sweet Pea
Crystal Essences: Rose Quartz
Essential Oils: Bergamot, Lemon, Rose Geranium, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang
Breakdown of what each of the ingredient and what it does:
Essential Oils:
Bergamot: Psychologically Bergamot has soothing, balancing and reviving qualities. It is a sunny essential oil, connected to the heart chakra, helping to relieve sadness, depression and grief.
The Bergamot we use is Bergapten-free – so less likely to be phototoxic and less likely to be a skin sensitiser.
Lemon: Lemon is uplifting, refreshing, reviving and stimulant. It helps to bring clarity to the mind and prevent emotional outbursts. As well as clearing the mind it can help to open the heart.
Rose Geranium: It helps to gently uplift and balance. It creates a feeling of security by helping to calm anxiety and bring about a sense of balance. Good to steady out moody swings.
Roman Chamomile: This is a deeply calming and balancing essential oil. It helps to create a feeling of relaxation.
Ylang Ylang: This is a very pleasant smelling oil with a delicate fragrance. It works as an antidepressant, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic and aphrodisiac.
Flower Essences:
Sweet Pea: For grounding in over crowded places, families or situations. To bring our thoughts back to the here and now, for those who escape to fantasy. Helps us to form connections with home and communities, for anti-social behaviour. To create a sense of belonging and connection with others. Good for those moving around.
Angels Trumpet: Heralding and welcoming in the angels. To break down inhibitions and self doubt. Good for those on spiritual journeys to connect to inner self and the angels. To feel inner peace, balance and calm. A beautiful essence.
Willow: For resentment and bitterness. For those blaming others and feeling hard done by ‘poor me’. Helps us to take responsibility and not blame others. Allows us to be more open and less resentful.
Crystal Essences:
Rose Quartz: Helps to release emotional stress, and helps with emotional problems such as negative self-image.
And now for the (mini) giveaway, the part you have been waiting for! If you want to win Nature’s Wish roller ball in Joy, all you have to do is to leave me a comment here – anything you want to say, simple “want” will do 🙂
The giveaway is open worldwide for one week, closing date is May 16 2019 and the winner will be live drawn in my Insta stories on 17 May.
That’s all for now, see you here next Tuesday 🙂
Lots of Love,
Renata.
Green Life In Dublin, green beauty and lifestyle blog
Today I will do a bit of a different post, a Clean Beauty tag one. I was watching Andie’s The Green Queen Clean Beauty Tag video (here) and it turns out the tag was created by the Conscious Bee (see her video here) whom I just discovered in a series of serendipitous moments. Loving what I saw, I self tagged into it, because that’s how I roll 🙂 Both ladies did Youtube videos, Get Ready With Me style, but since I am a blogger, not a Youtuber, I will improvise a bit – I will answer questions first and will link to some of the make up post after, pretending I was sort of doing make up all along. There are quite a few I’ve done lately, what can I say, I have rediscovered my love for make up 🙂
See my Natural Beauty interview with adorable Andie here and let’s get into the tag, shall we?
CLEAN BEAUTY TAG:
1. When did u switch to green beauty and why?
That was around a decade ago, after accidentally discovering Janey Lee Grace’s book Imperfectly Natural Woman – I was looking for some light read for the weekend and that book changed my life! Many years later I managed to get Natural Beauty interview with Janey Lee Grace, see that post here. Funny story with that book, I had to buy it not one, not two, but four times, because after reading it I started lending the book to everyone around me and I didn’t get it back a couple of times. So I had to buy it for myself again and again, and it was the exact same book I did my very first Instagram giveaway with 🙂 Before that I was naively assuming that all the products on the shelves go through rigorous testing for safety and ingredients aren’t harmful for humans in any way shape or form- oh boy, how wrong I was! I was sick to my stomach to find out how many harmful ingredients are in our skincare (formaldehyde in babies products for God’s sake, don’t get me started on this!!) and I started switching out my products there and then. But the trouble was, clean beauty products were soooo hard to find back then – most people (millennials) will have a hard time believing this, but there were NO online shops back then, so I was having the hardest time switching my products. Yes, you read that right, no Detox Markets, no Love Lula or anything. In fact, I can credit Janey Lee Grace for my blog too – I was having the worst time finding not only my best natural products, but any natural products around me at all, so I remember thinking to myself “this is nuts, what if someone is going through the same transformation and does not know where to start or where to go, I better blog about this to let people know”. So that’s how my blog started, out of desire to help out fellow green beauty sisters – and that’s still a driving force behind my blog to this day! I was here before it became popular and way before PR and marketing was happening. Up until two years or so ago I was purchasing all the products myself, so if that doesn’t prove I am not in it for the money, then I don’t know what will. Fortunately the green beauty scene exploded since – and that makes me very happy! I kind of made it my mission to help all the ladies (and gents) to switch to natural and organic products. Clean beauty world has an answer to any conventional product out there, and it is a proven fact the products work – and they work even better! Just check my post on more than 20 natural dupes for Nars Orgasm here for example – I worked really hard on that post 🙂
2. Do you remember your first green makeup product? Did it work well for you?
Yes I do – it was a Dr Hauschka mascara and for then-unemployed me it cost me eye wateringly amount of money, I remember wincing when parting with my cash – and to make matters worse, it didn’t do anything apart from making my lashes black and it started crumbling in the first week. I remember thinking “oh no, what if all the natural products are so expensive and work so bad?”. Fortunately I was able to find a Holy Grail product in every single category since, you can see them here. I sifted through a ton of products to find good ones that work amazingly well. And they are at all price points too – you don’t need to spend a ton of money in every single category. I choose to splurge on skincare (I am five minutes to forty after all, I kind of need to) and am quite happy to save on body care for example. No money? No problem, use coconut oil as your body moisturizer! Make up? I have it at all price points starting from just 2.50€ going to up to 50€ for a palette. I think that is quite reasonable, no?
3. Have you noticed a change in your skin/overall health since the switch?
Yes! My skin was a disaster before the switch – dry, super sensitive, reactive to every single product I have tried and more and more adult acne as the time went by – and amazingly I never attributed my skin’s conditions are caused directly by the products I was using. I guess I was blindly falling for the “I am worth it” marketing hype – oh the naivety of me! Insert face palm emoji here 🙂 I see history repeating itself with my elder daughter, who’s is convinced she needs certain ingredients and products for her skin to look good. She buys her own products (oftentimes conventional, resistance to parents, sigh) but she reacts to them more often than not, so I am strategically suggesting natural alternatives and am doing a happy little dance every time she does not reject something. I have to say she and I started on the wrong foot with all things natural – I gave her my own DIY deodorant and it burned her pits – turns out she is allergic to baking soda! not only in deodorants but in toothpastes and dry shampoos, everything 🙁 She rejected all natural products for a couple of years since then, and I can’t say I blame her. Slowly but surely she is coming to our side, but we have a long way to go. I do not push her in any way shape or form, I am not one of those green beauty bullies with scare mongering tactics, you might notice that in a way I blog too – I simply let people know about amazing natural stuff and let people think and choose for themselves.
Whoops, Renata, get back to the question, will you? Yes, my skin balanced itself in a month when I switched to natural products and the acne never came back – amazing or what?
4. Is there anything you wish was different about the green beauty space?
Yes, a few things come to mind. Price points for one (a whole topic on it’s own, for another time maybe, there are few things worth their price point, but not all) limited shade ranges when it comes to make up; scare mongering tactics needs to go, as well as greenwashing.
5. What is the nr 1 ingredient you avoid in cosmetics?
Fragrance, parabens, bismuth oxychloride, phenoxyethanol – although the latter is increasingly hard to avoid, it is everywhere!
6. What are your favorite 3 make up products you discovered thus far?
Well, if we are talking about make up only, my first love would be Peachy Keen by Inika– it is a natural and more gorgeous version of Nars Orgasm, even though it does not look like much in most of online shop photos. Trust me, it will get you all heart eyed once you will get it and put it on. Very concentrated, so the jar will last you for years, I promise! Nars Orgasm was the last product I switched, but having found Peachy Keen, I haven’t looked back.
Next would be my trusty workhorse for many many years, a product used and appreciated daily; I have stuck with it going through branding and packaging changes – please step forward Hynt Beauty Duet Perfecting Concealer! By far the most full coverage concealer in the green beauty or not green beauty and it is something I keep coming back to no matter how many other products I have tried. I have not one but two reviews of it on my old blog (see here and here) so I won’t be going into too many details here. So well worth the money, I have my last jar for well over the year and I am yet to hit pan or see a change in the formula (as in going bad) when my newer concealers are starting to smell a bit off after six months. I can’t praise it enough, really. Just one teeny tiny thing, dear Hynt Beauty, if you are reading this, please introduce a shade in between of Light and Medium – those two shades need to have a love child, pronto! You have introduced a shade in between for the darker shades, now please do so for the lighter ones too, pretty please? As you can guess, I happen to be in between the shades and would love to be able to buy just one jar instead of two at a time. The formula is very impressive, so that’s why I keep buying two shades, but I have heard many and many ladies say the same thing. Once again, Hynt Beauty, pretty please?
Do you guys know how hard this question is?? I have to say both moisturizers and Antioxidant Booster by Bella Aura Skincare (review) – I can’t live without them!
8. What brands do you really want to try but still haven’t?
My wishlist is probably two miles long, haha! The first brands that come to mind are Okoko Cosmetiques, Lovinah, Osea, Live Botanicals, Blue Beautifly, De Mamiel, Odacite, Mayia Chia, Aether Beauty, Laurel, Antonym, Amly – do I need to go on? 🙂
9. What type of product do you buy the most of?
Toothpaste, rinse, body wash (mostly soap, Black African soap preferably). Body Oils. Shampoo. From beauty products, mascara. Same like a regular person, really.
10. Do you like trying new skincare products or do you keep a certain routine?
A bit of both really. My uber sensitive and dermatitis prone skin does not allow me much room for wriggle, I am most likely to react to any product, even to the ones everyone is raving about. Having found my perfect skincare in Bella Aura, I kind of don’t want to test or try anything else, plus having put my skin through a marathon (and burning it more than once!) for the sake of judging in the green beauty awards (see more on my IG), I don’t really want to try anything else for the time being. But still there comes a product from time to time that calls my name organically and I get that magical experience – I am talking about May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon as an example, see more in my recent Favourites post here.
11. If you could only buy from one brand, which one would you choose? Pick one for makeup and one for skincare.
Skincare, easy – Bella Aura! Make up, it would have to be between Inika(amazing blushes and mascara) and Hynt Beauty(concealer and lipstick Holy Grails), but W3LL People are also very high up there – oh, what to do??
12. What do you love about makeup? What about skincare?
I love that make up lets me create the best version of myself – isn’t that amazing how much more confident you feel when you look great? Skincare is my everyday treat to myself, my “me time”, my self care. What’s not to love, am I right or am I right?
13. Name your favorite thing about the Green Beauty community?
The support! I am so so grateful to green beauty community for welcoming me with open arms. Up until then I was kind of not belonging or should I say not feeling welcome anywhere really, and this is where I feel at home and feeling like I am contributing to a great cause. Andie’s comment about other women struck a chord with me, all the backstabbing in my life came from other women, even close friends, so I was kind of floating around in life not feeling that love, support, girl or sister power, up until I discovered the green beauty community. Huge thanks each and every one of you!
(ps. catty behaviour still happens in the green beauty world, this is an industry like any other industry. Fact of life)
Now that all of the questions are answered, let’s pretend I was doing make up at the same time 🙂 I will link three of my last make up posts, so check out the one which look you like the most – I didn’t mention any make up in my recent Favourites post, but any product from those posts below is still a strong favourite to date. Or skip them all together. Your call. Thanks for reading anyway!
Welcome back! And if you are new here, welcome 💕💕💕
Natural Products in TK Maxx
Today I am coming at you with a short post on what you can find in the beauty section in your local TK Maxx, or TJ Maxx for my US green beauty sisters. This has been my secret weapon for years, and I I hope more of you will discover this great place to shop and save a bit of money too. This is especially great for people like me, when you have no Wholefoods or Detox Market or any place indeed where you can get anything your heart desires under one roof in your city. A good few stores are now jumping on the natural beauty bandwagon, but when you actually look into the selection, it is oftentimes very expensive or just plain greenwashing brands and products. So what’s a gal to do? Apart from going online, check out TK Maxx! Continue reading “Natural Products in TK Maxx”
Welcome back! And if you are new here, welcome 💕💕💕
Love Lula Beauty Box February 2019
As you might know, Love Lula is not only awesome online shop, but they do their own monthly beauty box – which feels like Christmas or Birthday present each month, mind you! I don’t know about you, but I certainly am looking forward to getting it each month. I *might* be stalking postman like a hawk around the time I expect my package. What? He has my precious Love Lula goodies, it is allowed 🙂 They ship worldwide, and the price is 14.95£ monthly recurring for UK customers, and for us international gals there are two options of three months (52.50£) or a year (210£) including post and packaging. It is all well worth it in my opinion as your money will go far and beyond with this beauty box – let me tell you the boxes are most likely be 60£ or more in value! The lowest I have seen is 49£ I think – if that isn’t a great value for money, then I don’t know what is. You are guaranteed to get 2-3 full sized products in every box each month, but they often go far and beyond that – February’s beauty box contains 5 full size natural beauty products and it’s worth £60- see, told you it is amazing value! Even if you will get samples, they are most likely be deluxe or travel size, I think I have seen sachet samples twice in over a year.
Welcome back! and if you are new here, welcome 💕💕💕
Today I wanted to share another well kept Winter Wellness secret of mine, the secret I’ve been shouting about from the rooftops for the last few months years, haha! Seriously, this post is a result of the multiple Instagram conversations about the things I do in order to stay healthy, where I found myself writing the same recipe to many many people all over again – I figured it would make it easier to blog about it, than share it another forty times, haha! It gathered so much interest that I thought it might as well do a special blog post about 🙂 So here we go, let’s see what is the fuss all about it? Continue reading “The Tea That Keeps Me Well In Winters”
Today is the day I have to get over myself and bring out less than positive feedback on products and brands – even if it brings me out in rash! As a natural people pleaser I want to be nice to everyone around me, and I am always about support for fellow green beauty sisters! Green Beauty community is largely nice and supportive, and in my mind I would like everyone to get along well and be supportive of one another. But at the same time I know there are undercurrents in it, as any other industry. This post is not about throwing people under the bus or some people’s or brands kind of nasty behaviour behind the scenes – although I could tell a few stories.
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