This morning I was at Great Eastern Square for a photoshoot of people taking part in WAM Fest. Whilst I was there, I checked out the Edible Felixstowe pop up event.
This Sunday 29th September, get down to Great Eastern Square Felixstowe.
There is an exciting event taking place called Edible Felixstowe. There are activities for the kids such as a treasure hunt and potato stamping. There is a bike powered smoothie makers that the Mayor has tested and approves of.
There are some lovely things to buy like the beautiful handmade wooden decorations, or the organic teas and soothing balm made with ingredients found in Felixstowe, and you can get fresh produce like apples, onions, honey, mead, and a selection of herbs. All harvested from Felixstowe and many are just asking for a donation.
I treated myself to the Tea LC Brew that has ingredients to boost your immunity, and a healing balm made with local ingredients. Then I got the Mead which I’ve never tried before, and only heard of in Fantasy novels, but I love honey so I’m excited to try it. I also got the local honey for my medicine cupboard as it helps during high pollen seasons. And I got an onion and some apples and made a donation.
I also took away details about the community gardening initiative where locals meet by the library on a Thursday at 5pm and work together to grow local produce that are free to all. One spot is the triangle in town. I had no idea this was happening but it’s such an amazing idea and I know someone I think would love to help.
Not long now until WAM Fest. Make sure you get your tickets so you don’t miss out on the next event!
Did you see my post about my Mother’s Day Skin Organics Skincare Box? Well that was not all I got. I was very spoilt and had two extra treats alongside my Skin Organic Box.
Niskama Skincare – Dry Skin Relief Body Balm
I accidentally used this before taking a pic – whoops! But, I don’t think you can tell.
The balm is hard and you warm it up in your hand to get an oil. It has a lovely clean smell that’s not too strong. And, guess what, it only costs £6.50!
This is the big 150ml bottles and costs £7.98. You can buy the smaller 50ml bottle for just £3.95 to try it out or for travelling.
I started using this right away as I needed a toner and love the scent of Rose. Needless to say, I love it. And can’t believe the affordable price – woohoo!
Being a redhead, I have always had a love for the Little Mermaid, ever since Disney released the movie.
https://youtu.be/ai1RlvqicrU
It was one of the first films I watched at the cinema. It was my birthday and my mum took me and my best friend. Before the cinema we went swimming and pretended to be mermaids. Afterwards, we ate at McDonald’s who had Little Mermaid toys and we both got Flounder. It was late night Christmas Shopping and the Body Shop had just opened. Mum treated us to a bar of soap and when we got home, my best friend and I had a bath together.
I’ve continued to love mermaids and if you follow my blog you’ll know I have even written a YA novel about one.
Today is Little Mermaid Day!
To celebrate, I thought I would share with you my wish list of mermaid themed ethical beauty products.
They also do a mermaid dry shampoo, hair oil and face mask.
Tropics Skincare – Blue Lagoon Blemish Prevention Skincare
This is a brand new product to this ethical brands collection! Mermaid’s need flawless skin to capture sailor’s hearts. With a name like ‘blue lagoon’ it’s a siren call to your nearest ambassador or visit their site – costs £42.
Bellapierre – Eye Shimmer Kit in Deep Ocean
I found this gorgeous kit on Naturismo for £29.99 (worth £81). This kit makes uses of blues and complimentary shades, perfect for fans of the ocean. The brand uses natural ingredients for their pigmented mineral products.
100% Pure – Fruit Pigmented Mermaid Palette
If blue is not your thing then this alternative eye palette with shades of coral, gold and green might be more your thing. The fruit pigmented palette costs £45.26.
Tarte Cosmetics
This cruelty free brand has so much for mermaid lovers to choose from. Here is a small selection of their fintastic products:
This has been one of the hottest summers in a long time and sun safety is important to me.
What I love about this product is the twisty caps to open and close meaning you never worry about loosing the lid. Being able to spray makes application quick and I can reach everywhere easily. It is clear, so I don’t get white streaks and it doesn’t stain my clothes.
The Kids bottle is my 4y old son’s but when my sensitive one runs out, I have used his. The kids one smells great with a fruity scent – an added bonus. We have reordered both more than once this summer!
The product is free of nasty chemicals, has a broad spectrum protection and recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation, it’s non-sticky and biodegradable. Plus, it’s water resistant for up to 80 minutes!
The frangipani flower on the front of the bottle is my wedding flower and first attracted me to the product.
What I love is that this summer scent is designed to stay fresh in the heat with ingredients that are photosensitive. It has a beautiful light fruity scent that isn’t overpowering. All the ingredients are natural and will leave skin soft and not sticky.
This lip product is moisturising and protective in the sun. The zinc oxide in it, is a natural sun protection and I think it does lighten my lip slightly but I like the look. It is meant to have a flavour but I can’t smell or taste it so it’s very light. All the ingredients and organic.
Flash Defence Anti-Pollution Mist (mine is a sample/travel size. The full 60ml RRP £24.00)
I have been loving facial mists this summer to keep myself cool but this one was my favourite.
In addition to refreshing my skin and being free of harmful chemicals, this product protects your skin from pollution and boosts your defences. I don’t live in a high pollution area but it made my skin feel great and I noticed a difference.
Salt of the Earth
Natural Deodeant (RRP £5.99)
I have been using the pink Lavender and Vanilla one for a while now and love the scent. Sometimes, I think lavender can smell a bit old fashioned but this is a gentle clean smell.
I decided to give the melon and cucumber one a go. The cucumber smell is stronger than the melon, it gives off a refreshing unisex scent.
At first, I found it strange that it felt like I was spraying my underarm with water as it feels wet. My old deodorant coated my pit in a dry powder. I gave it a go and I am so glad I did. It is gentle on the skin under there which is often forgotten and doesn’t make me feel itchy whereas my old deodeant did.
Smelling fresh all day in the heat without irritated skin makes summer so much better so it made my list.
Back in June, I did a first impressions post of the Naturismo box I purchased. Click here to see the post.
I’ve been using the products for just over a month now and feel I am in a good position so say how I got on with using them and what I liked, or didn’t like. Here we go:
I won’t rebuy this. I like colour on my lips and this is too natural for me. It gives a little gloss but doesn’t last long. It’s not tacky and actually feels very moisturising.
I won’t buy this because it is so orange on me, it is more like a bronzer. The product is very pigmented so I think I would enjoy other shades by this brand and plan to check them out in future.
It feels more like a balm than a tint. The colour is a very pale nude and doesn’t last long on my lips. I’ll use it for natural days but I won’t rebuy.
The sample pot is quite small which makes it tricky to get the powder out. I like the little powder puff but I found I prefer applying it with a brush. It did highlight the dry skin on my nose so unless I need my make up to last a few hours, I didn’t find myself reaching for this. I don’t think I will rebuy this powder but I really liked having the opportunity to try it as it has been on my wish list for a long time.
I really like this cleanser. It didn’t make it into my hospital bag because I tried it once and liked it so much that I started using it every day and it has almost run out. I’d like to rebuy this but it’s not cheap. I found the zingy minty freshness really good in the morning and my skin feels so clean after using it.
I can never have enough black mascara. As my eyes are quite sensitive in this heat and keep watering I did have an issue with this mascara running. I had to go back to my trusty Pacifica waterproof version. However, I wore it on a night out and it was fine. I think I will keep it in the draw ready for the cooler months. I would buy this again.
This was the first empty. I really liked this toner and found it so refreshing. I would want to rebuy this product. I am also very tempted by their Glow AHA Tonic as it reminds me of Glow by Pixi. Now, I have found the brands products effective I am interested in trying more by them.
Tinted moisturiser: I suspected that this would not be light enough but I tried the tinted moisturiser and I really like. The colour is perfect and my skin looks so healthy. Its very sheer so I still need a concealer for blemishes but in this hot weather a tinted moisturiser is all I want. I am pleasantly surprised and interested in buying this again.
Healthy glow foundation:
Summary
I am pleased that I got to try these products out. It had helped me discover new brands and try items from my wish list. I have been surprised by some products and disappointed by others, however, at only £2.50 each it was a very affordable way to discover what is right for me.
Head over to Naturismo to see their current offers on a wide range of organic brands.
My local ambassador for the brand posted on Facebook that Tropic was holding an event nearby for everyone to get together and learn more about the brand (there would be freebies). I decided that as the venue was easy to get to, it would be fun to do something grown up and for me. Together with a friend, on Tuesday, 15 May 2018, we attended to hear about how Tropics began.
The story
Susie Ma (the founder and creator) has quite a humble beginning. She moved to the UK and as a teen, she’d help out her mum at Camden market selling toys. Her family came from Australia and enjoyed creating their own beauty recipes with natural products.
One day, Susie bought some jam jars to market and mixed up a batch of her moisturiser and sold it at the stall for £20 a pot (this was a few decades ago and even for London that isn’t cheap) and they sold out fast! Susie and her family realised that she was onto something and she had to make more. Susie kept selling her jar until she had enough to help her mum buy her first home.
One of her friends told her about a TV show called The Apprentice where you pitch your product to sponsors. Susie got on the show but didn’t win. However, Lord Alan Sugar’s wife was so taken by the cream he was encouraged to reach out to her to work on a deal.
Most retail products have to be filled with certain chemicals to retain their shelf life. Susie didn’t want to do this as she wished to keep the products clear. This caused a problem and they had to find another way to market the brand without retail. Susie then went with a social selling platform.
She didn’t want her ambassadors to feel pressured into sales as she was confident her products would sell themselves. She allows her employees to work flexibly – they can work as much or as little as they want or are able to. This is very appealing to people with other commitments (like parents or carers) or those that wish to wind down but can’t get their state pension because the government have upped the age. It also appeals to those that love beauty and want to support an ethical brand.
Susie likes to reward all her ambassadors and there are prizes for her team at whatever level they are at. The ambassadors who came to the event shared with us their experience of the Glammies, free holidays and other perks for hitting a target. All of them spoke about how they don’t feel pressured or tied in.
We were told Susie is in the process of revamping the makeup to give it a new look. There are lots of people speculating that her next project will be a baby and child range. Although, many guests shared what products they already use on their kids (for example, the Frangipani body wash).
Reflecting
I must admit, after hearing the heartwarming story of how Tropics began and Susie’s values, I love the brand even more. I was very tempted to sign up as an ambassador but I am about to go on maternity leave so I think it is best I simply continue as a loyal customer for now.
If you have the ‘Think Dirty’ app, you will see that this Vegan, Organic and Cruelty-Free brand’s products are rated ‘0’ (the lowest) toxic level.
If you haven’t tried Tropic yet, you really should check them out.
My story with Tropic
If you follow my blog then you’ll be aware that I do love Tropics Organics. My first purchase was the Tropic Travel Essentials Set. This set came with:
Smoothing cleanser (50ml)
Vitamin toner (30ml)
Skin revive (15ml)
Organic elixir (10ml)
Lip love balm (10ml)
Bamboo face cloth
All the items fit in the little travel cotton bag that comes with the set. RRP £28
I went on to buy the full-size versions of the cleaners, toner and moisturiser. When I placed the order, my local ambassador had a deal on. Everyone who placed an order that week got added to a raffle and they got 10% of all orders placed off their bill. This resulted in my getting most of my order for free!
My husband stole the moisturiser (RRP £22) and when it ran out he had the cheek to ask me to buy more. So, when I placed my order, I decided to treat myself to the Soothe The Senses body oil (RRP £28). My wedding flower was Frangipani so I’ve had my eye on this for a little while. Once again, my local ambassador had a deal on! When I received my order, I had a travel size version of the Wild Mint, Lime and Pineapple body wash and body puff.
My husband and I fought over who the body wash belongs to (friendly banter) and when it ran out my husband placed his own order for the full-size version (RRP £10) and treated himself to the Awaken Your Senses body oil!
My next purchases will likely be one (or more) of the following:
Mini Body Wash Collection – RRP £14
Frangipani, Star Anise and Tiare Flower Body Wash – RRP £10
The Pip Box is a beauty subscription box with a selection of cruelty free products. A donation from the cost of the box goes to an animal friendly charity (This month is Animal Free Research). The box contains a selection of five products – skincare, body care, makeup and occasionally a sweet treat too.
In each box is a card encouraging consumers to share their pictures on social media. They then choose a winner to get their next box free. Last month, they chose my February pictures and I got my March box free.
The box came with an information card to tell me all about the products inside and their value.
Dr Botanicals: Tropical Invigorating Cream (website RRP £29.00, Sheet lists price as £44.00)
Dr Botanicals is a London based vegan skincare brand and made from pure natural ingredients, paraben-free and no harmful preservatives. They pride themselves on their products being kind to your skin and animals.
The cream is really light but moisturising and sinks in fast. The tropical smell isn’t strong and reminds me of grapefruit but that’s not listed as an active ingredient. These are:
Elderflower: to protect the skin from free radical damage
Chamomile Flower Extract: to heal and soothe irritated and damaged skin
Tiara Flower Extract: to deeply nourish and purify the skin
I’m still really enjoying their day cream from last months edit too – click here to read.
Saturated Colour: Make Me Matt (website and sheet RRP £8.00) and Moisturising Lipstick – Naked Pink (website and sheet RRP £7.00)
This month I got two products by Saturated Colour. This is a UK brand (Essex), cruelty free and vegan friendly. The brand is affordable and they products have great colour and some clever ideas.
The Naked Pink lipstick is a gorgeous colour that would suit almost anyone. It is a daytime pink and you could wear it to work. The ‘make me matt’ is a clever product that can turn any lipstick matt. If you have an old favourite that is the perfect shade but want it to be matt, then this is for you. I think it is genius.
Her are some pics and swatches of the lipstick, Make It Matt and Lip Lock (another Saturated Colour product for longer lasting lip colour).
Top pic: Make it Matt (over lipstick)
Middle pic (L to R): swatch of lipstick alone, lipstick with Make it Matt, lipstick with Lip Lock, lipstick with Make it Matt & Lip Lock
Bottom pic: Naked Pink Lipstick
Okko Skincare: ‘Try me’ Natural foot balm stick (£21.00 RRP for 50g on the website, £3 on the sheet for 4.5g ‘try me’ size)
Okko Skincare use natural and organic ingredients in their products. They are proud of their balms in a stick format as this enables you to throw it in your bag without the risk of spills.
I was impressed go easily the stick was to apply to my foot. It instantly turned into an oil. I used it straight out my morning shower but think this would be better before bed to allow the oil more time to penetrate. It has a nice smell and I’d be interested in trying more of their sticks.
Raw-Ganic: Refreshing Aloe and Green Tea Facial Wipes (£2.99 on the sheet and website)
Raw-Ganic is an English brand (Oxford). The brand uses natural and organic ingredients that are environmentally sustainable and affordable. It is vegan and cruelty free.
I like these wipes. I’ve used them to remove Make-up before bed and in the morning. I also tested them on removing the searches from my arm and it came off easily, even the swatches with Lip Lock. I’m thinking of putting them away in my overnight bag or next to my bed for when I’m too tired to take my makeup off with a full cleanse.
Would I recommend?
I am a regular subscriber to The Pip Box and never been disappointed by the contents. It was really rewarding to get my box for free and goes to show that the company really do care about their customers.
I’m starting to grow a nice collection of Saturated Colour and Dr Botanics products and I am interested in buying more. I like being introduced to new brands I may not have discovered otherwise like Okko Skincare and Raw-Ganic both organic brands with great ethics.
My husband spoilt me and Christmas and bought this foundation and lipstick from my wish list. I’ve used the foundation every day since and I’m now waiting for payday so I can buy some more.
About the brand
https://instagram.com/p/Bgf6Y-9jAGc/
Nui cosmetics are from Berlin, Germany. They produce natural and organic beauty products that are cruelty-free and vegan-friendly.
My products were purchased from Glow Organic (Brighton, England). This is my go-to online store for organic makeup.
About the foundation
Name: Natural liquid foundation
Shade: Intense Kanapa
Cost: £38
The foundation isn’t the cheapest I’ve bought but it is well worth its price tag.
It is the perfect shade for me and I love how I can build it up where I need it. It goes on easily like a liquid foundation but dries with the longevity of a Matt foundation. It doesn’t sit in creases and looks very natural. It has a sweet scent to it making it a joy to use.
I apply with my fingers or a sponge. I like the little cap (lid) that clicks on to prevent the foundation coming out when not in use.
About the lipstick
Name: Natural Lipstick
Cost: £23
Shade: Aroha
You need to be confident to wear this lipstick every day as it is a daring colour. True red is a tricky colour to find in organic brands but Nui has done it!
It’s quite a nourishing lipstick and feels lovely on your lips, however, this means it doesn’t last long and needs to be reapplied during the day.
Repurchase
The only downside of the foundation is I didn’t know I was about to run out until it did. ?
As I had already been on a hefty shopping spree this month (probably the biggest in a decade), I had no budget left to repurchase. I had to wait until payday. ??
Surprise: Luckily, my husband knew it would make me very happy to surprise me with my favourite foundation. Upon seeing me trying to use up samples I had, he ordered it without me knowing. ?
I didn’t grow up with makeup and, traditionally, I would only wear mascara and tinted lip balm at the weekend. At college, I started experimenting with colours and wearing the palest foundation I could afford, but was still a tad orange for me.
A love of make up
I was twenty and in my second job when I visited a Lancome counter for the first time. The woman did my make-up and I was amazed at the transformation. I promptly bought as much as I could and vowed to return. Their foundation was the closest match to pale skin and their skincare felt amazing; plus, they had deals giving away free stuff with purchases or big discounts.
For years, Lancome was my counter of choice and occasionally I would try other brands like Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown or YSL.
Changing thoughts
I read an article about an ingredient in lipstick that causes cancer. I checked my tubes of Lancome and discovered it was present. I searched for reassurance that in small amounts it would cause no harm – this was the start of me questioning my products.
The next occasion was a girl at work who was very vocal on raising awareness of animal cruelty. She’d share horrific pictures and stories of what the beauty industry and meat industry does to animals. I started paying attention to whether brands I bought were cruelty-free and discovered many leading brands sell in China – they have a law enforcing products must be tested on animals. Sadly, many of my favourite brands were trading in China and I realized they must have allowed this to happen in order to sell there.
The final change was when I discovered my toddler sitting among a cracked pallet of eyeshadow by Pixi Beauty, finger holes in my Bobbi Brown foundation and a red-smeared face covered in Benefit’s Benetint (I suspect he had tried eating it). I was in a blind panic that he could be poisoned by my make up. I cleaned him up and realised it was time to clean up my beauty choices.
Hanging onto the baddies
Changing to clean beauty products wasn’t going to be an overnight transformation. On maternity pay (then returning to work on part-time hours), I didn’t have the funds to overhaul my makeup or skincare in one go. It was a slow gradual process.
To start, I held onto all my products. There was some trial and error in finding what worked for me as many brands are online so ordering them was a gamble. More brands are now offering affordable samples making it more cost effective to experiment. With my successes, my old brands started to get replace and the old products relocated to a box for emergencies – I was still scared to throw them out.
https://instagram.com/p/BfBWXfDhRNs/
https://instagram.com/p/BfDaJPyBayK/
Fresh start
We recently got our bathroom refitted. I had to clear everything out for the workmen to rip out our old suite and put in our new bathroom.
This finally gave me the push to say goodbye to my baddies that we’re gathering dust and out of date. I only put back the products I use that are cruelty-free and most are chemical free too.
It’s been a tough three weeks without a bathroom. Luckily we have been able to stay overnight at my mother-in-law’s and there are people with bigger problems so I don’t want to complain.
My son has been really good about keeping out of the workers’ way and not complaining about the noise, mess or disruption – it hasn’t been easy for him. He would have loved to have given them a hand but it was too dangerous.
I felt he deserved a treat and when I saw Good Bubble had released a new Gruffalo range, I knew it would be the perfect treat.
https://instagram.com/p/Bf1IVlLBs_o/
He was really happy when he saw his new products sporting the Gruffalo, one of his favourite storybook characters.
The Review
Here is what I thought of the new line and the yummy fruity prickly pear scent.
Bubbly Gruffalo Bubble Bath (£3.99): The bubble bath made a decent amount of bubbles and smelt delicious. We have had the bubble bath before in Dragon Fruit and CloudBerry.
Grubby Gruffalo Hair & body wash (£3.69): It was easy to get a lather and my little boy was confidently by washing himself. We have had the wash before in Dragon Fruit and CloudBerry.
Little Softy Moisturiser (£3.99): This is new to the brand and an excellent addition. My little boy loved having his first body moisturiser. At first, he thought it was a hand cream until I encouraged him that he could apply it all over. This was easier for him to use than their Organic Coconut oil (£7.99).
Grizzly Mane Detangler (£3.99): He doesn’t have long hair that tangles but he does get flyaways so I decided to give this a go to see if it helped tame the problem. I think it has worked. It smells really good and can be used on dry hair so we are using it to freshen up between hair washes.
Dragon Fruit was my favourite but now it is the Gruffalo prickly pear. We will, definitely, be buying this again.
I was only able to get this range direct from their site but I’m hoping Sainsbury, Ocado and Holland & Barratt will get some in stock soon as they sell the rest of the range.
