Kind Culture > 2018

Year

Year: 2018

Isla Apothecary Body Exfoliant

Isla Apothecary Body Exfoliant + Balm Review

Bath & Body, General, Reviews, Skincare

Today is the second part of my mini Isla Apothecary review series. Over the past few weeks, I haven’t been too well and so this review is a little overdue. Thankfully, I’m doing better now, so I’ve got more time to focus on blogging!

Scroll down to read my Isla Apothecary Body Exfoliant + Balm Review! ☺

About Isla Apothecary

This London-based brand ensures that everything is handmade with care using only natural, ethically-sourced, and where possible organic ingredients.

Formulated without animal-derived ingredients, parabens, phthalates, synthetic materials, preservatives or aromachemicals, all ingredients and products are free from animal testing, and are suitable for vegans.

The Isla Apothecary philosophy is to package products according to what is essential to their integrity, to reduce waste at the source and to encourage re-use and recycling, using recyclable boxes and 100% biodegradable void-filling chips made from renewable sources.

Isla Apothecary Body Exfoliant + Balm

The Body Exfoliant + Balm is a revitalising blend of citrus, mint and wood essential oils wrapped in a mousse-like luxurious body scrub

Made with Organic Raw Sugar Cane and Papaya Extract to buff the skin to purge surface impurities and dead skin cells. A deeply conditioning combination of Shea butter, Coconut, Peach kernel, and Vitamin E oils restores moisture balance, promotes healing, and reduces skin inflammations. The body exfoliant melts into the skin to cocoon and protect against water loss and dryness. No residual greasiness, and no need to moisturise separately after use. Body scrubbing stimulates sluggish circulation, which can lead to lower collagen production, making skin more prone to sagging.

The body exfoliant is suitable for all skin types and costs £34.00 for 300g.

Review

Before I had even tried the body scrub, I felt that the peachy and citrus aroma of the body scrub was soothing. (Which, for me, is usually a sign that the product is good.)

Honestly, I was quite surprised at how large the granules of the organic brown sugar are; most of the body exfoliants that I’ve used in the past are much more smaller than this one. At first, I was a little worried that the scrub might be a little harsh against my skin, but I couldn’t be more wrong.

In the shower, the exfoliant works and melts on the skin within a couple of minutes of using it. It leaves the same kind of polished finish that the mud mask left on face on my skin, and the oils in the exfoliant keep the skin nourished and soft. After getting out of the shower, I definitely felt that the exfoliant and balm helped in keeping me relaxed all over.

It’s definitely worth trying out especially if you get dry skin during the winter, or just like to keep your skin exfoliated. If you’re unsure of whether you want to buy the full product, then you can also get the 60g jar (like the one in my pictures) from the Discovery Kit on the Isla Apothecary website.

So far I am loving the high quality of the Isla Apothecary products, especially since the products have more than one use which is so convenient!

Thank you to the Isla Apothecary team for sending me this fabulous body exfoliant.

Click here to buy the Isla Apothecary Body Exfoliant + Balm 

Don’t forget to comment, share  and follow.

 

–  Sonam xx

P.S: If you haven’t already, check out my first Isla Apothecary review. 

Yaoh Shampoo & Conditioner Review

Bath & Body, General, Hair Care, Reviews

Hey everyone, how have you all been? ☺

(Apologies for the late post, I’ve not been well and had to concentrate on my health first *always prioritise that* )

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted up a review but in case you didn’t know this post is part of a mini series on an amazing 100% vegan brand – scroll down to read my second review of the Yaoh review series – Yaoh Shampoo & Conditioner.

Who are Yaoh?

Yaoh is based in Bristol, UK, and is one of the UK’s original hemp companies, with a range of hemp body care and food products that are 100% vegan, paraben-free, sulphate-free and free from animal testing. Yaoh’s food range is also 100% certified organic.

Review

Yaoh Coconut & Lime Shampoo

Made with a combination of organic Hemp Seed Oil with extracts of Rosemary, Lavender and Chamomile along with Coconut and Lime fragrance to create an invigorating and refreshing shampoo.

The smell of the shampoo really was so refreshing. As someone who has thick hair, I found myself using the shampoo more often than I normally would (roughly around 4 times a week). It’s a little mild for my hair type, in the winter my hair can go a little more greasy from wearing hats, keeping it tied up etc.

Other than that, I think the shampoo would work better for my hair in the summer, and perhaps if I had thinner hair.

Yaoh Summer Breeze Conditioner

Made with Organic Hemp Seed Oil with extracts of Rosemary, Lavender and Peppermint along with floral extracts.

I actually loved the conditioner, it’s kept my hair pretty smooth in the cold weather. The ends of my hair can get quite dry in this weather and I find that I don’t need to use too much product on the ends of my hair for it to work.

I definitely think that the Yaoh Shampoo and Conditioners are worth trying out, especially if you’re looking for an all vegan brand! The products are also recyclable and there’s currently a special offer on the Yaoh website running until the end of December.

Thank you to the lovely Yaoh team for sending me these products. ☺

Don’t forget to comment, share and subscribe ♥

In case you missed it, check out my first Yaoh review.  And click here to check out the Yaoh range. 

Isla Apothecary Skin Purifying Mud

Isla Apothecary Skin Purifying Mud Review

Beauty, General, London, Reviews, Skincare

Today is the first part of my mini Isla Apothecary review series. This is one of three reviews that I will be doing for this brand (so far). So scroll on down to read my review on the Isla Apothecary Skin Purifying Mud! ☺

Are Isla Apothecary cruelty free?

This London-based brand ensures that everything is handmade with care using only natural, ethically-sourced, and where possible organic ingredients.

Formulated without animal-derived ingredients, parabens, phthalates, synthetic materials, preservatives or aromachemicals, all ingredients and products are free from animal testing, and are suitable for vegans.

The Isla Apothecary philosophy is to package products according to what is essential to their integrity, to reduce waste at the source and to encourage re-use and recycling, using recyclable boxes and 100% biodegradable void-filling chips made from renewable sources.

Isla Apothecary Skin Purifying Mud

The Skin Purifying Mud is a multi-tasking facial mask and gentle exfoliant, to deeply cleanse, purify and balance your skin.

A refreshing, circulation and collagen boosting treatment for the skin, the mud synergises anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and skin toning ingredients such as raspberry leaf, yarrow, rosehips, with compounds from lemon balm and orris root to absorb excess oil and impurities, and to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin for deeper cleansing and greater protection against everyday skin stressors. It will also help to remove the last traces of your cleanser, which will contain environmental build-up and make-up. With a potent, natural source of salicylic acid from white willow bark that effectively treats infected skin, the mud mask is especially beneficial for acne-prone skin.

Simply mix the powder with an equal amount of water to create a paste, leave on your skin for 10-15 minutes to reveal a smoother, brighter, fresher and noticeably refined complexion.

The purifying mud is suitable for all skin types and costs £30.00 for 95g. Which may seem like its less but one teaspoon of the powder was more than enough to use the mask for about 4 times.

Review

First off, I have to mention how much I love the whole look of the jar. Most of you can probably tell that I’m a tad obsessed with rose gold. And of course that its reusable, which is a bonus.

As I mentioned before, I only used a teaspoon of the powder. It is fairly simple to make into a paste, didn’t require much effort or work. It turns out that one teaspoon was more than I needed, so I also got my mum to try out the purifying mud too. And there was still plenty left over!

What I wasn’t expecting were the exfoliant bits when making the paste, you can really smell the rosehip in the mask. Once I had got the right consistency, I left the mud mask to set for a minute. When I put the purifying mud on my face and neck, it started to dry within minutes, but didn’t completely dry until 30 minutes later – I had the heating on as it was cold that day, so that could have sped up the drying process a little. The smell of the mud is so fragrant and soothing and after a while I could really feel it tightening my skin as it dried.

After washing off the mud mask, I rubbed the exfoliant bits into my skin and it gave my skin the kind of smooth and polished look that you would have after having a professional facial – I was mind blown at the quality of the product. It’s definitely worth trying out, or gifting someone for Christmas.

Thank you to the Isla Apothecary team for sending me my new favourite mud mask and exfoliant ♥

I hope you all enjoyed my review. Don’t forget to comment, share & follow.

– Sonam x

 

P.S: For more skincare reviews, click here. 

shampoo and body cream

Yaoh Body Butter Review

Bath & Body, General, Reviews, Skincare

The last few of weeks have been such a challenge, naturally, I had to take a bit of a break from the blog to focus on everything else. Before I’d feel guilty about taking a break, but one thing that I’ve been working on this year is not being such a workaholic. So far, I’m getting the hang of it!

In the mean time, I’ve been reviewing quite a few different products (which I can’t wait to share with you). This post in particular will be part of a series on an amazing 100% vegan brand – scroll down to read my first review of the Yaoh review series – Yaoh Body Butter Range.

Who are Yaoh?

Yaoh is based in Bristol, UK, and is one of the UK’s original hemp companies, with a range of hemp body care and food products that are 100% vegan, paraben-free, sulphate-free and free from animal testing. Yaoh’s food range is also 100% certified organic.

Review

All the skincare range is made with organic hemp seed oil. The body butters are all £11.99 for 200g. Overall, I really do like the Yoah skincare range, the body butters and moisturiser are so buttery and smooth – perfect in this cold weather. There are plenty of options to choose from, so there’s something for everyone. And I like that the brand are quite neutral i.e for everyone.

Yaoh Body Butter Original

Made with a combination of Hemp Seed Oil to moisturise and rejuvenate the skin, with extracts of Rosemary, Lavender and Peppermint. Personally, I found myself using this more on regular basis, the lavender and peppermint extracts add a more floral and refreshing fragrance to the body butter compared to just the hemp seed oil – which I loved! My skin stayed smooth throughout the day, which is so important when the seasons change.

Yaoh Body Butter Coconut and Lime

Made with Organic Hemp Seed Oil with extracts of Rosemary, Lavender and Chamomile along with Coconut and Lime fragrance to create an invigorating and refreshing body butter. This was one of my favourite body butters, the smell is uplifting and again the body butter works well in keeping my skin smooth, it does eventually make you feel hungry after a while.

Yaoh Body Butter Tropical Fruits

Made with Organic Hemp Seed Oil with extracts of fruit essences to create a refreshingly fruity body butter. While this is a tropical fruit body butter, I actually liked the fact that the smells weren’t so strong with this one. Again the body butter keeps my skin looking fresh and nourished, and this one reminds me of summer. 🙂

Yaoh Moisturiser Deep Forest

The moisturiser is £6.99 for 56g. Made with Organic Hemp Seed Oil with Essential Oils and extracts to create an exotic moisturiser. I will be honest, the moisturiser was my least favourite, mainly because I prefer floral and fruity fragrances. But I must admit that I did like that the moisturiser is lightweight, and small enough to travel with. Like the body butters, the moisturiser lasts all day, the only real difference is that the body butters have a thicker consistency while the moisturiser is more lightweight.

Generally, I think it really depends on the kinds of scents and ingredients that you prefer in the products that you use, I would definitely recommend the brand. he best thing for me was that I didn’t have to use too much of the product for it to go a long way, and that the packaging is recyclable. Thank you to the lovely Yaoh team for sending me these products. ☺

In the next few weeks there’ll be some more reviews on the Yaoh range. So do let me know what you think!

Don’t forget to comment, share and subscribe ♥

Check out my second Yaoh review.  And click here to check out the Yaoh range. 

Lush Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar Review

Bath & Body, Bath Bombs, General, Reviews

Lush Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar Review

Bubble bubble toil and trouble!

Halloween is generally a festival that I’ve never really celebrated, the most that I’ve done is watch Halloween films. But last year, I bought some Halloween themed bath bombs from Lush and tried them out – absolutely loved them! This year, I bought some products from the Halloween bath range as my little way to celebrate Halloween (and to relax). Scroll down to read my Lush Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar review! ☺

Who are Lush?

Lush are an all-round ethical cosmetics company that are committed to being cruelty-free, vegan and sustainable as possible. Their products are all handmade, smell amazing, and have a cool sticker at the bottom of their boxed products to tell you who and when the products were made. With over 100 stores across the U.K, Lush is easily one of the most prominent organic beauty brands.

Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar ✨🎃

If you’re pumped for Halloween, you’re sure to feel jacked up by this sparkly bubble bar. Crumble your pumpkin up under running water to build a mountain of soft bubbles. Lay back in the warming juniperberry and uplifting grapefruit waters as they simultaneously brighten your skin and mood. Happy-making lime oil scares away the doldrums and blues, making you feel happy as a Jack whose got the scream. This shimmery pumpkin is really Samhain to shout about.

I bought the bubble bar from the Lush Oxford Street store for £4.75 (each).

Review

This bubble bar looked so magical when I saw it in store, like something you’d see in Harry Potter ☺

As soon as I put the bubble bar under running water, it began melting away instantly, and the colour of the water started to look more like a shimmery tango (orange soda) with bubbles on top. The smell of the pumpkin and grapefruit is so refreshing while the two little cinnamon sticks adds a little soothing spice to the otherwise citrus scent.

Based on the amount of time that it took for the bubbles to disappear, I’m guessing that I spent about an hour in the tub. The combination of the lime oil, grapefruit oil and juniperberry oil left my skin feeling soft and cleansed even after I got out of the bath. I actually regret only getting one of the Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bars, it’s definitely my new favourite bubble bars from Lush (might probably buy some more soon). Hopefully they continue making this next year too! ✨

Have any of you tried this bubble bar yet? What were your thoughts on it?

Don’t forget to comment, share and subscribe ☺

(Click here to check out the Lush Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar)

Lush Bewitched Bubble Bar Review

Bath & Body, Bath Bombs, General, Reviews

Lush Bewitched Bubble Bar Review

Bubble bubble toil and trouble! 🐱

Halloween is generally a festival that I’ve never really celebrated, the most that I’ve done is watch Halloween films. But last year, I bought some Halloween themed bath bombs from Lush and tried them out – absolutely loved them! This year, I bought some products from the Halloween bath range as my little way to celebrate Halloween (and to relax). Scroll down to read my review on the Lush Bewitched Bubble Bar! ☺

Who are Lush?

Lush are an all-round ethical cosmetics company that are committed to being cruelty-free, vegan and sustainable as possible. Their products are all handmade, smell amazing, and have a cool sticker at the bottom of their boxed products to tell you who and when the products were made. With over 100 stores across the U.K, Lush is easily one of the most prominent organic beauty brands.

Bewitched Bubble Bar 🐱🧹🖤

After a busy day whizzing around on a broomstick, run a bath, crumble this lucky little cat under the water and ground yourself with spicy olibanum. Let superstitions go and allow yourself to be spellbound by uplifting bergamot oil as your twitch your nose and breathe in this familiar blackberry scent. Whether in this life or one of the other eight, you’d be a fool to let this pass you by!

I bought the bubble bar from the Lush Oxford Street store for £4.95 (each).

Review

Before I had even bought the bubble bar in store, I was in love with the berry scent. On its own, the bar itself is dry and crumbles a little.

When I put the bubble bar under running water, it took about 10 minutes to melt completely – which is great for me because I still managed to get some pictures of it. The blackberry smell becomes even more prominent while the bubble bar melts away and I loved the way the colour of the water darkens with little flecks of glitter (it really adds to the Halloween theme).

There wasn’t as many bubbles as I was expecting. While the scent was lovely and the bubble bar was overall relaxing, I felt that the bergamot oil wasn’t working on my skin. I must have spent about 30 minutes in the tub. Unfortunately, I just think that this bubble bar didn’t meet my expectations, it’s still worth trying as I enjoyed watching the bar melting. I guess this would probably be more fun than anything else, especially for children.

Have any of you tried this bubble bar yet? What were your thoughts on it?

Don’t forget to comment, share and subscribe ☺

Click here to check out the Lush Bewitched Bubble Bar.

For more reviews on bath bombs, click here.

 

Electric Ink Daily Moisturiser Review

Bath & Body, General, Reviews, Skincare

Today I’m reviewing a new vegan skincare brand, specifically for all of your tattoo care needs: the Electric Ink – Daily Moisturiser. Scroll on down to read more! ☺

(Quick disclaimer: I do not have any tattoos, so I tried out the daily moisturiser on my skin as I would with any other moisturiser.)

Who are Electric Ink? 💉

When your body is a canvas and tattoos are your artwork, it’s important to take care of them. With Electric Ink Skincare, tattoo and skin care couldn’t be easier – their specialist products are packed with ingredients that keep skin looking nourished and tattoos looking fresh and vibrant.
All Electric Ink Skincare products contain a mixture of oils and vitamins that work to nourish the skin and protect the tattoo, as well as improving the definition of the tattoos and keep them from looking faded. Every product can be easily incorporated into an established skin care routine.

All the Electric Ink products are all made in the U.K, vegan-friendly, cruelty-free and available to buy from Boots.

Daily Moisturiser

The Daily Moisturiser hydrates and soothes dry skin, helping to protect ink from fading and discolouration with a selected blend of effective ingredients.

The moisturiser contains:

  • Liftonin-Xpert to help reduce signs of skin redness and support the maintenance and intensity of tattoo ink.
  • Inca Inchi Oil is obtained from a Peruvian Amazonia plant, which helps to improve skin elasticity and maintains skin hydration.
  • Vitamin E Acetate assists with increasing the moisturisation of the skin’s surface and helps to prevent the signs of sun damage.
  • Coconut Oil has great moisturising abilities and its light texture is ideal for dry skin.

At the back on the box, you can see that the box is recyclable and that the PAO symbol (period-after-opening) says that you can use it for 6 months after opening.

It’s normally priced at £10.95 for 200ml, but right now it’s on offer for £7.30 at Boots.

Review

First of all, I have to mention the packaging – I love it, it would definitely draw my attention when shopping.

Initially, I used the moisturiser after I used the Electric Ink – Exfoliating Body Wash in the shower. The moisturiser smells almost the same as the body wash. Generally, the moisturiser is quite lightweight and lasted throughout the day.

While it does keep my skin hydrated, I’m not particularly a fan of the way that the smell kind of lingers. It’s kind of a shame that the coconut oil is not as prominent in the moisturiser, otherwise I might have liked it a little more.

Since this range is specifically created for tattoo care, and I don’t have any tattoos, I feel that my review might be a little limited – having said that, the moisturiser worked well on skin, so I can only imagine how well it works on tattoos.

I would love to know if any of you have tried out this range already, or what your thoughts are after using the product, and how well it works to maintain your tattoos and skin.

Once again, thank you to the lovely Catalyst PR team for sending me this sample.

Click here to read more and learn about the Electric Ink Tattoo Care brand.

Don’t forget to comment, share and follow.

 

– Sonam

PS: Click here to read my first Electric Ink review. 

Why there should be more ethical companies

General, Reviews

Hey everyone! ☺

I hope you all are well. Nowadays, the majority of consumers care about the ethics of their companies. We have so many options on the kind of companies that we can choose to buy from, and now more than ever it’s important to understand the environmental impacts that companies have.

Why there should be more ethical companies

Millennials especially are turning away from big corporations who test on animals in place of companies like Lush. Community initiatives are holding supermarkets responsible for their unnecessary plastic waste. And, companies who face accusations of unsustainable practices are now struggling to see success. In short; we’re no longer willing to buy from the most convenient sources. Increased knowledge of issues like these means we’re standing up and holding both ourselves and our businesses responsible.

For that reason alone, then, any company operating now could benefit from more sustainable practices. You could even go as far as to say this is a must for anyone aiming their products at millennials. But, what many businesses don’t realise is that they could benefit here in more ways than one. When you take time to consider this issue, it’s clear that sustainable practices could help companies where it matters most. We are, of course, talking about their profits.

No matter how ethical a company is, it doesn’t make sense to disregard money altogether. Hence why many companies will put profits above the environment. Without that, there won’t be a business in the first place. But, in the modern climate, that may well be the wrong way to go. In fact, profit in contemporary business now seems to go hand in hand with sustainability. To prove the point, let’s look at the financial benefits of sustainable practices.

Saving money

Many companies make the mistake of assuming sustainable practices will increase costs. But, that’s a falsehood. On the surface of things, ethical packaging may cost more, and sustainable practices could lead to longer processes and further pay for staff. But, when you break this down, the chances are that costs won’t increase long-term. In fact, these practices could save companies money. For one, consider that businesses caught committing environmental offences have to pay out for a federal crimes attorney who can clear their name. Failing that, they may have to pay penalties as we saw last year when significant corporations had to pay more than £1.5m for environmental breaches. So, while sustainable practices may cost more in the short-term, they could lead to savings over time.

Making money

The benefits here don’t stop with saving money. Sustainability can also boost profits. For one, they ensure companies don’t alienate audiences. Thus, there’s more chance of a broad reach when it comes to sales. Sustainable businesses may also find they can charge more for the same products. Small increases for things like paper packaging could boost earnings. Investors are also more willing to back sustainable and ethical companies. Even if business owners don’t see the importance of a focus here, shareholders and investment companies do. So, getting on top here could also see businesses booming when it comes to outside support.

You could argue, then, that finally paying attention here is a crucial aspect of business in 2018. The question is, do enough companies realise it?

I hope you all enjoyed this contributed post on ‘Why there should be more ethical companies’ ☺

Don’t forget to comment, share and subscribe ♥

Electric Ink Exfoliating Body Wash Review

Bath & Body, General, Reviews, Skincare

These past few weeks I have been so productive, I’ve achieved almost all of my goals for this month in terms of my work, at home and even with this blog. And I’ve hit a new milestone on my Instagram – yay!

Today I’m reviewing a new vegan skincare brand, specifically for all of your tattoo care needs: the Electric Ink – Exfoliating Body Wash. Scroll on down to read more! ☺

(Quick disclaimer: I do not have any tattoos, so I tried out the body wash on my skin as I would with any other body wash.)

Are Electric Ink cruelty free?

When your body is a canvas and tattoos are your artwork, it’s important to take care of them. With Electric Ink
Skincare, tattoo and skin care couldn’t be easier – their specialist products are packed with ingredients that keep skin
looking nourished and tattoos looking fresh and vibrant.
All Electric Ink Skincare products contain a mixture of oils and vitamins that work to nourish the skin and protect the tattoo, as well as improving the definition of the tattoos and keep them from looking faded. Every product can be
easily incorporated into an established skin care routine.

All the Electric Ink products are all made in the U.K, vegan-friendly, cruelty-free and available to buy from Boots.

Exfoliating Body Wash

The Exfoliating Body Wash actively removes dead skin cell build up, brightening and clarifying the appearance of tattoos with a selected blend of effective ingredients.

The body wash contains:

  • Liftonin-Xpert to help reduce signs of skin redness and support the maintainance and intensity of tattoo ink.
  • Amino Acid which acts as a skin conditioner with pH-regulating properties. It improves the clarity of the skin and evens skin tone.
  • Red Algae Extract has anti-pigmenting activity, giving skin a luminous and ultra-refined complexion.
  • Multi-Fruit Extract contains naturally occurring alpha hydroxy acid that safely exfoliate dead skin cells and help to rejuvenate skin.

At the back on the box, you can see that the box is recyclable and that the PAO symbol (period-after-opening) says that you can use it for 6 months after opening.

It’s currently priced at £9.95 for 200ml.

Review

First of all, I have to mention the packaging – I love it, it would definitely draw my attention when shopping.

On first use, I noticed that that the body wash has a citrus scent but also smells slightly of the amino acid. I could feel small sugar-like granules in the light yellow body wash. As I don’t have any tattoos, and used it directly on my skin, I noticed that it thoroughly polishes and exfoliates the skin.

After getting out of the shower, my skin felt and looked smoother – it really works well with removing and exfoliating the dead skin. I couldn’t stop feeling my arm after getting out of the shower, in fact the day after using the exfoliating body wash my skin was still just as smooth as it was the night before.

Honestly, I don’t think I’ve done this review any justice because I don’t have any tattoos – nevertheless this product has worked amazingly on my skin!

I would love to know if any of you have  tried it out already, or what your thoughts are after using the product, and how well it works to maintain your tattoos and skin.

Thank you to the lovely Catalyst PR team for sending me this sample, I hope you enjoyed my review.

Click here to read more and learn about the Electric Ink Tattoo Care brand.

Don’t forget to comment, share and follow.

 

– Sonam x

P.S: Read my second Electric Ink review here.