M&J London Candle: English Summer

   

Today I have a really exciting post to share with you about a wonderful brand that I discovered on Twitter. M&J London are a luxury UK brand created by two ladies Mira and Jennifer, who wanted to create a business that enabled them to be creative but that also held ethics and sustainability at it's heart. They created an amazing line of soy wax candles and I am beyond in love with the products and what I have learnt about them as a brand.

NATorigin mascara review

    If you read my What's in my makeup bag post you will know that I have been on the hunt for a nice natural mascara to replace the Clinique mascara that I had used for years.

    I am pleased to say that I have found a really nice mascara that is perfect for everyday use, it not only compares to the Clinique but I would say it is better. NATorigin is a brand that has been on my radar for a while and I really wanted to try their makeup.

    NATorigin are not only a natural brand but they are specifically formulated for people with allergies and sensitivities. They boast the Eco-cert and Vegetarian Society Logos and well as being the only cosmetic and skincare company to be awarded the Allergy UK stamp of approval.

    I purchased the lengthening mascara in black and have been using it everyday since I got it. It does give both length and volume, more so than any other natural mascara I have tried so far, but your eyelashes remain natural looking with no clumps. It has a traditional bristle brush which is a nice size and it applies the product well.

    The formula is perfect, not too wet and there is no extra drying time when compared to a conventional mascara, but not so dry that you can't get the product onto your lashes.

    I have experienced no flaking or transfer under the eyes with this mascara, it stays put all day long and is removed easily with both my REN Hydrocalm cleanser or coconut oil. I apply to top lashes only as otherwise my bottom lashes look too long and spidery so I can't comment on how it holds up with concealer under the eyes.

    I tend to use just one coat for everyday but I have experimented with it and added two to see what it looked like and I was happy with the results, it is buildable. You can get that fluttery lash feel from this mascara without the usual heaviness you get from regular mascaras. The ingredients and formula of this make it a perfect choice for people with sensitive and contact lens wearers like me.

(One coat of NATorigin mascara in black)

NATorigin lengthening mascara (6g) Ingredients: 98.5% natural

Aqua (Water), Sorbitol, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Ford Oil Copolymer, Acacia Senegal Gum Extract, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Glycerin, Tribehenin, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Hull Powder, Glyceryl Behenate, Sodium Hydroxide, Dehydroacetic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Seed Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Propolis Extract, Asparagopsis Armata Extract, Organic Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil, Benzyl Alcohol.

May contain ±: CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 77499 (Black Iron Oxides), CI 19140:1 (Yellow 5 Aluminium Lake), CI 77491 (Red Iron Oxides), CI77492 (Yellow Iron Oxides)

(Source NATorigin website)

I personally always throw away my mascara after 12-16 weeks of use although on the box it states that you can keep it for eight months once opened, I am dubious about that as it contains no parabens or phenoxyethanol as preservatives, so I prefer to be safe and always pop a sticky label with the expiry date on when I open a new mascara, this reminds me to buy a new one and throw the current one away before it has been open too long.

    The NATorigin mascara is £14.50 from the NATorigin Website or alternatively it is stocked at Lucyrose which is where I got mine.

  

Ana x

Coconut oil hair and scalp treatment

As the weekend approaches I will be indulging in one of my favourite treatments for my hair and scalp: Coconut oil. For years I have been plagued with a problematic scalp that is extremely dry, itchy, flaky and sensitive. I have up until the last few years of my life been utterly reliant on strong coal tar shampoos to keep it under control.

Inika light reflect Highlighting cream review.

    Inika is an Organic brand from Australia, it offers a wide variety of cosmetics including mineral make up. This highlighter caught my eye not just because it looked beautiful but because it isn't often that you see liquid or cream products from natural or organic brands.

    The highlighter is a gold cream, it is perfect for using on the cheekbones, eyelids, brow bone
or cupids bow. It applies and blends well leaving a pretty sheen to the skin. I find this wears well on my skin, I don't notice any difference to conventional cosmetics. I think this colour would suit a wide variety of skin tones, I am pretty fair all year round but I think it would look nice on darker skins too.

    Ingredients: Aqua; Mica (CI 77019); Vegetable Glycerin*; Cetearyl Glucoside; Cetearyl Alcohol; Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis) Seed Extract; May Contain (+/-) Tin Oxide (CI 778161); Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891); Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499); Ultramarines

    Overall I think this is a great buy even if you don't usually buy natural or organic make up. This highlighter comes in a squeezy tube packaging and you get 24 mls of product, a little goes a long way, mine looks barely used and I have had it over 12 months.

    I bought this from Lucy Rose if you haven't shopped there before they are well worth a look, they have a great selection of brands. This highlighting cream is currently priced at £14.35, which I think is good buy considering it performs so well.

Have you tried Inika cosmetics, what did you think? 

Ana x