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Skincare

Category: Skincare

Plum Goodness Green Tea Face Mask Review

Beauty, General, Reviews, Skincare

Today I wanted to share with you all the third review of a series of reviews on some products that I ordered from Plum Goodness, it has been a little while since I did another post from this series. (This whole season has mainly been about skin care but I do have some different posts coming out soon.)

Are Plum cruelty free?

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Plum Goddness is an online-cosmetic brand, based in India, that was founded by Shankar Prasad in July 2014. The brand is one of the first 100% vegan brands in India that are completely committed to ensuring that their products are ‘safe and good’ – not only are the products cruelty-free but they are also free of parabens, phthalates and SLS.  The products all feature the ‘1% For The Planet’ logo, meaning that Plum Goodness give 1% of their sales to non-profit organizations that are dedicated to protecting the environment.

 

The Green Tea Clear Face Mask

The Green Tea Clearn Face Mask is made of kaolin and bentonite clays for a natural cleansing and exfoliation of the skin. The face mask also contains extracts of green tea, to stop the acne formation cycle in its tracks and the glycolic acid sweeps away skin debris and prepares the skin for self-renewal.

The face mask is priced at Rs. 490.00 (Indian rupees) for 60g, which is approximately £6.00 – please do bear in mind that the exchange rate does fluctuate but it shouldn’t make too much of a difference in the price for someone purchasing from abroad.

Review

My first thoughts about the face mask is that the smell of the green tea is very subtle and clean. The consistency of the face mask felt very smooth, creamy and almost mousse-like. Once I applied the face mask, my skin did tingle for 5 minutes and I felt like the mask was stretching and tightening my skin and as it dried. It’s important to bear in mind that I do have sensitive skin, so not everyone will have the same kind of reaction that I do.

As the mask had completely dried my skin stopped feeling as tight as it did before. The smell of the green tea mask was actually very soothing and although it’s recommended to leave on the mask for 30 minutes, I ended up keeping it on for (approximately) 45 minutes – I was watching a film and lost track of time.

After washing the face mask off my face, my skin felt incredibly smooth, I generally don’t really have big pores but they were barely visible after using the mask. The black heads and a little bit of oil that I normally get on my t-zone was gone and my skin had an amazing post-facial glow that I normally get after going to a salon. Despite not having acne-prone skin, the mask worked amazingly at clearing my skin.

I still have two more products left to review from this series, and I’d love to know what your thoughts are on it!

If you are from India, then you can order directly from the Plum Goodness website. If you live outside of India, then you can order the products by emailing hello@plumgoodness.com

I hope you all enjoyed my Plum Goodness Green Tea Face Mask review. For more skincare reviews, click here.

Peachy Fox Dead Sea Mud Mask Review

Beauty, General, London, Reviews, Skincare

I wanted to share with you a new product that I’ve had the pleasure of testing out – the Peachy Fox Dead Sea Mud Mask.

Are Peachy Fox cruelty free?

Peachy Fox are an all natural, conscious London-based skin care brand that believe in purity and being unapologetically clean. Each product is crafted in the U.K, using only natural and organic ingredients. Their mission is to offer stunningly clean products using ethically sourced natural ingredients which is why all of their products are free of parabens, sulfates, colours and petroleum – to top it all off they are cruelty-free!

The Dead Sea Mud Mask

The dead sea mud mask is rich in minerals and nutrients that help to detoxify and deeply cleanse the skin, promoting clearer, brighter skin while tea tree oil and collagen work to prevent breakouts and diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Formulated with nourishing ingredients such as jojoba oil and hyaluronic acid, this mask is a deeply moisturising treatment for the skin. It’s recommended to apply the mask on clean skin, avoiding the eyes, and leave on for 10 minutes before wiping away clean.

The mask costs £13.99 for a 100ml tub and is available to buy online. I received this product free from the Peachy Fox PR team.

Review

When I first tried out the mud mask, the consistency was thick, the smell of the tea tree oil and dead sea salt were quite prominent. As I was applying the mud mask on my face, I noticed that the mask went on and spread across my skin smoothly, the mask is generally quite creamy. Once I had fully applied the mask, I felt a tingling sensation that lasted for about 10 minutes, but I’m guessing that’s more to do with the fact that my skin is quite sensitive so I was expecting that to happen, I could definitely feel the tea tree oil working into my skin and tightening my pores.

Although the recommended amount of time to keep the mask on is 10 minutes, I decided to leave the mask on for approximately 35 – 40 minutes until it was completely dry. After washing off washing off and removing the mud mask with a flannel (water alone did not do the job), my skin was visibly brighter and firm. Not only did the mask reduce the look of the blackheads on my nose significantly, but it also made my skin feel hydrated, in fact I didn’t need to moisturise afterwards. Personally, I would recommend that you use this mask at least once a week, just to help maintain your skin.

As far as I am concerned, the Peachy Fox Dead Sea Mud Mask is an all round brilliant mask for helping keep your skin clear, especially as it starts to get colder outside. I’d like to thank the Peachy Fox PR team for sending me such a lovely mud mask. 🙂 🧖🏽✨

I hope you all enjoyed my review. Click here to buy the Peachy Fox Dead Sea Mask.

 

– Sonam x

P.S: Click here for more skincare reviews. 

Plum Goodness Grape Seed Scrub Review

Beauty, General, Reviews, Skincare

Today, I thought it was about time that I shared the second instalment of my Plum Goodness review series.  This post is a review of the Grape Seed & Sea Buckthorn Mild Foam Scrub, which is from the same range as my previous post – this will be a little shorter than the last post.

Are Plum Goodness cruelty-free?

Plum Goodness is an online-cosmetic brand, based in India, that was founded by Shankar Prasad in July 2014. The brand is one of the first 100% vegan brands in India that are completely committed to ensuring that their products are ‘safe and good’ – not only are the products cruelty-free but they are also free of parabens, phthalates and SLS. The products are renowned for being both high-quality and affordable.

One of my favourite things that I like about the Plum Goodness brand is that they do not promote any skin whitening products, something that is unfortunately rife in India’s cosmetic industry. The products all feature the ‘1% For The Planet’ logo, meaning that Plum Goodness give 1% of their sales to non-profit organizations that are dedicated to protecting the environment.

Grape Seed & Sea Buckthorn Mild Foam Scrub

The foam scrub is made of 100% biodegradable, natural, skin-friendly Cellulose beads (no plastic whatsoever) that gently buff away debris and dead cells. The Grape Seed oil in the scrub is rich in linoleic acid,in vitamins and anti-oxidants providing protection against pollutants, sun damage and free radicals, while the Sea Buckthorn oil heals skin damage naturally without skin irritation.

On the Plum Goodness website, the scrub is recommended for those with normal and combination skin types, but is not recommended for people with very dry skin, acne-prone skin and for those with extremely sensitive skin.

The scrub is priced at Rs. 335.00 (Indian rupees) for 75ml, which is approximately £4.00 – please do bear in mind that the exchange rate can fluctuate, and the price could be a little higher for someone purchasing from outside of India but I was charged exactly £4.00 for the foam scrub

Review

At first glance, I could smell the grape seed more than anything and the texture is more like a slightly runny gel, the scrub is transparent with red beads. When using the face scrub, I generally found it to be quite soothing and gentle on the skin. For someone that has sensitive skin, I was pleasantly surprised at not having any kind of tingling sensation as I did with the mask, the scrub gradually turned into foam as I was massaging it on my skin.

After washing off, my skin felt clear, bright and smooth, it had a very polished shine to it – something that I normally get after having a facial treatment in a salon. My skin didn’t  feel the slightest bit oily or dry – in fact it remained quite balanced for the rest of the day, and wasn’t at all effected by the pollutants outside.

The foam scrub has done a wonderful job at maintaining my skin as it begins to get colder outside and help bring out a natural glow to my skin – it is without doubt a face scrub that you want to get your hands on! 👌🏽💆🏽‍♀✨

Click on the image below to read my first Plum Goodness review on the Grape Seed & Sea Buckthorn Renaissance Face Mask.

If you are from India, then you can order directly from the Plum Goodness website. If you live outside of India, then you can order the products by emailing hello@plumgoodness.com

I hope you all enjoyed my Plum Goodness Grape Seed Scrub review. Don’t forget to comment and share my post ♥

Plum Goodness Grape Seed Face Mask Review

Beauty, General, Reviews, Skincare

Today I wanted to share with you all the first review of a series of reviews on some products that I ordered from Plum Goodness.

Who are Plum Goodness?

A post shared by Kind Culture (@kindcultureuk) on

Plum Goddness is an online-cosmetic brand, based in India, that was founded by Shankar Prasad in July 2014. The brand is one of the first 100% vegan brands in India that are completely committed to ensuring that their products are ‘safe and good’ – not only are the products cruelty-free but they are also free of parabens, phthalates and SLS. The products are renowned for being both high-quality and affordable.

One of my favourite things that I like about the Plum Goodness brand is that they do not promote any skin whitening products, something that is unfortunately rife in India’s cosmetic industry, and they also keep all aspects of their line as ‘good’ as possible. The products all feature the ‘1% For The Planet’ logo, meaning that Plum Goodness give 1% of their sales to non-profit organizations that are dedicated to protecting the environment.

The Grape Seed & Sea Buckthorn Renaissance Face Mask

The mask is made of kaolin and bentonite clays for a natural cleansing and exfoliation of the skin. The grape seed oil is rich in polyphenols (anti-oxidants), Vitamins D, C, E, flavonoids and essential fatty acids, while the sea buckthorn oil heals skin damage naturally without skin irritation.

The face mask is priced at Rs. 450.00 (Indian rupees) for 75g, which is approximately £5.25 – please do bear in mind that the exchange rate does fluctuate but it shouldn’t make too much of a difference in the price for someone purchasing from abroad.

Review

The first thing that I noticed about the Grape Seed & Sea Buckthorn Renaissance Face Mask was how easy it was to apply. The texture of the face mask is very smooth and slightly creamy, it generally smells very clean and the colour is a natural looking nude peach.

When I applied the face mask I did feel a bit of a tingling sensation, I do have sensitive skin so that is quite a normal reaction for me. After a few moments, the mask felt and smelt quite gentle, I could smell the grape seed oil more than anything else but I must admit that the smell was not overbearing. As mentioned before the recommended time to leave the mask on for is 30 minutes, but surprisingly the mask dried within 10 minutes of application. I left it on for the recommended amount of time, my skin did feel tight once it dried.

After washing off the mask, my skin visibly looked softer and brighter – I felt like I was glowing. Not only had the face mask manage to fade some of my dark blemishes but it also made my skin feel firmer than normal.

So far, I am extremely impressed with the high quality of this face mask, it’s the perfect mask to use to keep your skin looking fresh throughout the autumn weather – I cannot wait to share my review of the other products by Plum Goodness. 😄👌🏽💆🏽‍♀️✨

If you are from India, then you can order directly from the Plum Goodness website. If you live outside of India, then you can order the products by emailing hello@plumgoodness.com

I hope you all enjoyed my Plum Goodness Grape Seed Face Mask review.

 

For more skincare reviews click here. 

Lush ‘The Birth of Venus’ Jelly Face Mask Review

Beauty, General, Reviews, Skincare

Today I thought that I’d write a review on a relatively new face mask that I’ve been quite impressed with in the short amount of time that I’ve been using it – ‘The Birth of Venus’ jelly face mask by Lush.

Are Lush cruelty free?

Lush are an all-round ethical company that are commited 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.

‘The Birth of Venus’ Jelly Face Mask

The Lush ‘The Birth of Venus’ Jelly Face Mask is great for toning, soothing and balancing your skin. Fresh sea water tones and refreshes skin, lavender oil calms and rose absolute soothes and balances. Carageenan seaweed gel is intensely softening and will leave skin irresistably soft. To use, simply pinch off a piece of the mask and work to a paste between clean, dry hands. Apply to the face and let it work its magic for 5-10 minutes.

I bought ‘The Birth of Venus’ Jelly Mask for £6.95 at the Oxford Street, London store.

Review

My initial thoughts on the mask were that the texture reminds me of melted marshmallows and once you start to rub it between your hands it the jelly mask starts getting thinner and looks a little like lather.

Normally, I like to leave on face masks longer than the recommended amount of time, mainly because I like the face mask to be completely dry before taking it off. So I left the jelly mask on for about 15 minutes, and once the mask had dried completely I washed it off with luke warm water. As I was washing it off, I felt that my skin was visibly more softer and was glowing, and after drying my face my skin was smooth and firm. I would definitely recommend this mask for you all, especially before you sleep!

I hope you all enjoyed my review of the ‘The Birth of Venus’ Jelly Face Mask. ‍💆🏽✨

Buy the mask here.

For more skincare reviews click here. 

Arbonne International Review

Bath & Body, Beauty, General, Makeup, Reviews, Skincare

Arbonne International Review

Today I’m very excited to share some quick product reviews of a few Arbonne Cosmetics samples that I received a little while back.

A little about Arbonne International…

Arbonne International are an all vegan brand that have been around for almost 40 years, and their products are based on the philosophy of using pure, botanically based ingredients in scientifically tested products. Arbonne create a variety of products ranging from skincare, personal care, nutrition, makeup as well as hair care. They formulate their products without parabens, artificial sweetners, gluten, synthetic dyes, petrolatum, artificial flavours – and best of all they are strictly cruelty-free!

One thing that I personally love about their brand is their ‘Arbonne Ever Green Commitment’ to being as clean and green as possible by creating products with recyclable packaging, using recycled and recyclable shipping boxes, reducing their carbon emissions and conserving water.

My verdict

So moving on to the samples that I received…

RE9 Advanced Collection – The Day Cream was definitely my favourite out of these, the cream was lightweight and moisterised my skin without feeling oily it has a nice light citrus smell to it that lasted quite a while.

 

FC5 Collection – The Hydrating Eye Cream was another product that I liked the most. It has a combination of lime, ginger & cucumber extracts which keeps the cream smelling very refreshing, it’s perfect to use as a base cream before applying eyeshadow.

 

 

It’s A Long Story Mascara – I was very impressed with the way that the mascara separates and lifts the lashes in one go. It generally gives the lashes a natural looking boost with out clumping which is perfect for every day makeup.

 

Lastly, I’d like to thank Maggie Goleniak for sending the lovely samples! ☺

To learn more about the Arbonne products and Arbonne in general you can contact Maggie Goleniak (Independent Health & Beauty Consultant) by emailing her at madzior79@yahoo.co.uk. You can also check out the full range of products that Arbonne offer by clicking here. I hope you all enjoyed my Arbonne International Review.

Read more beauty posts here. 

Forever Against Animal Testing

Bath & Body, General, Inspiration, Reviews, Skincare

Hello everyone!

Happy Sunday – I hope you all had a lovely weekend. ☺

Some of you may have already seen the Forever Against Animal Testing campaign that Cruelty Free International and The Body Shop have created to put an end to cosmetics testing on animals on a global scale.

Ban Animal Testing

Animal testing remains a problem around the world, with over 80% of countries still having no laws against testing
in cosmetic products and ingredients. Despite the fact that reliable alternatives are available, millions of animals
continue to suffer. Cruelty Free International estimates that more than 500,000 animals are used worldwide in
cosmetics testing each year.

The Body Shop and Cruelty Free International’s new campaign Forever Against Animal Testing is calling
for a ban on animal testing in cosmetic products and ingredients, everywhere and forever, through
a United Nations International Convention. It is the most ambitious campaign ever against animal testing
in cosmetics, hoping to achieve 8 million signatures. We want to stop all cosmetic animal testing of ingredients
and products, everywhere and forever.

Quick review

Those of you that follow me on my social media accounts will have seen that I have posted and shared the petition to try and get more people involved and I’d like to thank the lovely people from the The Body Shop PR team for sending me a Special Edition Piñita Colada Body Butter with a custom Forever Against Animal Testing sticker on there. I’ve been using the Special Edition Piñita Colada Body Butter for the past few days and I am loving it! It smells like a fresh bottle of tropical juice (lol). The body butter is quite a lightweight cream that works well with the summer with the intense weather that we’ve been having here lately. It’s definitely worth getting before they all go! ☺

As someone who is passionate about the Cruelty-free movement, I feel that it’s important to not only support campaigns like this but to also support the brands that are actively making more and more cruelty-free and vegan products like The Body Shop. Together, we can inspire change in the simplest of ways, so please help us end cosmetic testing on animals by signing the Forever Against Animal Testing petition by Cruelty Free International & The Body Shop. ♥

Don’t forget to share this post and spread the word! To sign the petition click here! (The petition ends in 2018)

– Sonam

P.S: Click here for more skincare posts. 

5 Tips for a Natural Spring Glow

Beauty, General, Skincare

5 Tips for a Natural Spring Glow

As spring is finally here, most people will generally focus on spring cleaning by getting rid of their clutter, but there’s hardly any focus on how we can cleanse ourselves and get rid of all the damage that the winter can do to our skin (and bodies). I thought it would be great to encourage you all to with 5 tips to help your skin get a natural spring glow without the need of too much makeup. So here it goes…

 

Tip #1 | For those of you that aren’t vegan – cut down on the diary products. There are plenty of growth hormones, which are actually meant for little calves, that stimulate our oil glands and can clog our pores.

 

Tip #2 | Clean your make up brushes! A lot of people forget about it, but our makeup brushes can retain the bacteria that’s been on our faces. The same principle applies for our phones, most people don’t even think to clean their phones which is unfortunate because we use them all the time (and pretty much everywhere) – so don’t forget to keep your phones clean too!

 

Tip #3 | Invest in a good sunscreen! I cannot stress the importance of using the best possible sun screen that you can find. In the past, I never gave much thought into using sun screens and whenever I did I would just pick the first one that I would see which would end up leaving my skin all oily. I did a review on this ERiiS for Sun sunscreen which is perfect for spring – click here to read about it.

 

Tip #4 | Detox – This again is one of those tips that everyone knows that they could use, but end up forgetting about. Detox yourself inside out by eating and drinking clean. Cut out the alcohol, sugar and salty foods – our skin is like a weird sponge that not only glows when it’s getting the right foods and is cleaned properly but also starts getting dull when we neglect ourselves.

Tip #5 | Following on from what I said in the tip before – don’t be lazy with your skincare routine! Having a regular skincare routine and using a moisturiser that works well for you can do wonders for your skin. You know your skin and face better than anyone else so make sure that you stick to what you know works well with your skin.

Let me know what tips you all use to get your skin glowing naturally. ☺

I hope you enjoyed this post on 5 Tips for a Natural Spring Glow, click here for more skincare posts.

Himalaya Herbals Neem Scrub + Wash Review

Beauty, General, Reviews, Skincare

Today I wanted to share another Neem post with you all, since I know that you all love my posts on Ayurveda.

What is Ayurveda?

For those of you that are new to my blog (welcome!), you can check out my previous Ayurvedic posts by clicking on the images below:

  

To quickly define what Ayurveda is; it is a traditional medical science that was created by the Vedas in India which covers a broad spectrum of health and well being (from beauty to yoga and so on). Today the remedies that are provided by Ayurveda are well established in the field of beauty and alternative medicine​, in fact, a lot of the foundations of modern-day mindfulness and holistic lifestyles are influenced by Ayurveda. Those of you that have been following my blog will be more than aware of my love of Ayurvedic Beauty products and how passionate I am to show you all​ brands that are ​both cruelty free and ​well established in the field of Ayurveda.

Are Himalaya Herbals cruelty free?

Himalaya Herbals are a cruelty free brand based in India that are committed to creating natural herbal products based on the ancient traditions of Ayurveda. The company create a variety of products from haircare, beauty, bath and body products to toiletries – they even have a baby care range.

To check the cruelty free status of Himalaya Herbals you can check by typing out ‘Organique by Himalaya’ on the Leaping Bunny product search by Cruelty free International. You can also check the back of the Himalaya Herbals products for the No Animal Testing/Cruelty Free logo.

Purifying Neem Scrub Review

The Purifying Neem Scrub is made with a blend of Neem as well as Apricot which has quite a cool and gentle touch to it. The Apricot is used to scrub away blackheads and dead skin while the Neem is used for its natural anti-bacterial properties, leaving the skin clean and smooth. When using the scrub I noticed that the little scrub granules are not at all harsh on the skin, so it generally works well for someone that has quite soft skin.

Purifying Neem Face Wash Review


The Neem Face Wash is a gel that’s made using Neem & Tumeric and I must say it was surprisingly gentle on my skin, considering how strong both the main ingredients can be (also, it looks like Flubber to me haha). The Tumeric works to naturally control acne and pimple outbreaks and again the Neem is used for its natural anti-bacterial properties. After using the face wash the skin is left with a natural glow and the skin stays quite soft during the day.
Overall, both products work well for my sensitive skin, but I would recommend those with extremely sensitive skin to consult a dermatologist before trying Neem products.​ Whenever I use these products, I end up using them together – but you can use them individually.
Good news for all of my readers based in U.K, most of the Himalaya Herbals range is available to buy at Beauty Base. The Purifying Neem Scrub costs £2.59 and the Purifying Neem Face Wash costs £2.99 at Beauty Base.
I hope you all enjoyed my Himalaya Herbals Neem Scrub + Wash review.
Don’t forget to comment, share & follow.
– Sonam x

Lotus Herbals Apriscrub Review

Bath & Body, Beauty, Reviews, Skincare

I had to take a break from blogging because of my final exams, but I am so glad that my final year is finally over. If anyone that has gone through this phase in their life tells you that university is a breeze, they are either a horrible liar, or extremely lazy – this last year was a real challenge and words cannot accurately describe how relieved I am that it is over.

During my revision and exam time I had pretty much neglected taking care of myself I like normally would do, and had pretty much turned into a slob, but one product that I had been continuously using was the apricot face scrub called Apriscrub by Lotus Herbals that I had bought from India. Despite the fact that I was under a lot of stress during this period I have to admit that I hardly broke out with any spots, in fact it kept my skin relatively clear.

About the brand

Apriscrub is made for all skin types and it’s specifically made to remove dead skin and keep your skin looking fresh, from my experience it has significantly reduced the amount of oil that I get on my T-zone (the forehead and nose). The best thing about this particular scrub is that its made with an ingredient that people are familiar with, as naturally people can become a little apprehensive when using trying different ayurvedic products and it also does not leave a lasting smell. It actually smells like a nice blend of apricot and musk.

Lotus Herbals leaping bunny and vegetarian logos.

Lotus Herbals is an Indian herbal cosmetic company that pride themselves in their innovative use of ayurvedic ingredients and their ongoing scientific research – they even have a make up range. What makes them even better is that they are a cruelty free company, and they actually have the leaping bunny logo and green dot logo to verify that they are both cruelty free and have vegetarian origins. One thing that I have noticed about ayurvedic and herbal cosmetic companies in general is that they do not test on animals but the only problem that I have with some of these companies is that they do not always verify this, which can make consumers sceptical of them. The companies seem to make the assumption that we would automatically understand that the products are not tested on animals but I personally think that they tend to forget that being cruelty free and organic is not mutually exclusive.

Are Lotus Herbals cruelty free?

Compulsory brown and green dots on packaging

In India, it is still legal to test on animals but in the past few years there have been active steps in the right direction to make changes to the law. Before I had mentioned that the Apriscrub packaging had a green dot on the back of it; for those of you who are not familiar with products made in India it was made mandatory by the Indian government in 2014 to have a green dot on the packaging of cosmetic products, food and household items to signify that the product has been made with vegetarian origins for the majority vegetarian population. For products that have been made from non-vegetarian origins there will be a brown dot, or in some cases red dot, which will make consumers aware of what type of product they are purchasing.

Where to get Apriscrub

I bought the scrub for 245 rupees for 180ml in India, which works out for roughly £2.48. However, I am not sure if it sold in any stores in the U.K but you can order it from Amazon for £5.48 with free delivery, which is a positive thing considering that it is £3 more than the price that I had originally paid for but it is  definitely worth buying.

I would love to know your thoughts on this piece, and whether you all think that I should continue to write more about Ayurvedic beauty. I hope you all enjoyed my Lotus Herbals Apriscrub review.

Click here to read more skincare reviews. 

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