Madara Ultra Purifying Mud Mask - Review*

The especially effective plant ingredients in MADARA products are nurtured in the rough climate of northern Europe by the Baltic Sea. With severe winters and short Summers, unique plants have evolved with high concentrations of bioactive molecules which protect them from these climatic extremes. MADARA is entirely natural and ecological cosmetics certified by ECOCERT.

This deep-purifying detox mask with Nordic forest lake mud cleans, tightens pores and conditions, leaving skin fresh, matt, and revitalised. Effects: 1. Clarify: Absorbs excess oils, cleans, refines pores, reduces outbreaks 2. Detoxify: The power of mud binds toxins and heavy metals and helps to eliminate them 3. Rejuvenate: Eliminates traces of acne and minor inflammation. 4. Recharge: Recharges with trace elements and vitamins for a revitalised and glowing complexion 5. Hydrate: The colloid structure of mud helps to retain the skin’s hydration. Recommended twice a week as clarifying treatment for oily, combination skin, skin with enlarged pores, blemishes, acne. Recommended once a week to combat skin dullness, tiredness, and occasional inflammation.

I decided to try out this new vegan and cruelty-free product that MyPure was selling as it looked interesting and sounded like it would be great for my type of skin! I really love the smell of this mud mask as it smells a little bit like Parma Violets, very sweet but subtle. The product itself is thin but creamy and it feels like you would need a lot of this product to cover your face with the product, but it seems to work well with just a thin layer covering the face. I've used the mask a few times now for around five to ten minutes each time and I've noticed that when I've washed it off it's made a slight difference and has left my face looking fresh and very feeling soft. Overall I do really like this mud face mask and I'll be looking into buying it again in the future.

£22.25 from MyPure

This product was sent to me to review, all views are my own.

Acorelle Eau de Parfum Vanilla Blossom Roll-On - Review*

Acorelle is a French range of certified organic fragrance, skincare, body care and baby care. Acorelle mood-enhancing perfumes make you feel good. Acorelle perfumes are certified organic and made from 100% natural ingredients. They are popular with Olfactotherapists who use the power of natural fragrance molecules to enhance mood and feelings of well-being.

This 100% Natural Eau De Parfum with essential oils of Peru Balsam and Patchouli create a sense of comfort and reassurance. This roll-on size is perfect for travel and for slipping in your handbag. Certified by ECOCERT, contains no phthalates, artificial colours, artificial musk or synthetic chemicals and is also cruelty-free and vegan. 

This month I decided to try out the newly stocked Acorelle Eau de Parfum Roll-On in Vanilla Blossom from MyPure. I have two perfumes that I've liked for a while now which I use most days, but unfortunately, they're not vegan or cruelty-free. This is my first try at a vegan and cruelty-free perfume and although it's my first time I think I've already found my new favourite scent! I love the size of this product, at only 10mls small it's the perfect size to fit into your handbag or to take away with you when travelling. The rollerball is a great idea for a perfume as it allows you to apply how little or how much of the product you would like to have on you depending on your desired strength of smell. My first disappointment with this product is that the ball seems to be a little too small for the top as it tends to leak all around the lid, leading to a messy bottle. This means I probably won't be leaving it in my bag unattended unless it was protected in another bag, as I wouldn't want it to leak everywhere. My other disappointment is that I don't think I would pay £13 for a product that is this small and not very well designed. Other than those two downsides I really love the flowery vanilla scent of this product and shall be looking out for a spray pump to come out in this size.

This product was sent to me to review, all views are my own.

MÁDARA Nourish & Repair Shampoo & Conditioner - Review*

The especially effective plant ingredients in MADARA products are nurtured in the rough climate of northern Europe by the Baltic Sea. With severe winters and short Summers, unique plants have evolved with high concentrations of bioactive molecules which protect them from these climatic extremes. MADARA is entirely natural and ecological cosmetics certified by ECOCERT.

Shampoo

Rich and silky shampoo with Northern Nettle and Quince. Gently cleanses and repairs dry, damaged hair. Fights fatigue and helps to prevent breakage and split ends. Hair becomes reinforced and naturally smooth.

Conditioner

Rich and creamy conditioner with Northern Nettle and Quince deeply nourishes and repairs dry, damaged hair. Helps prevent breakage and split ends. Hair becomes silkier and easier to style.

I was running low on both my shampoo and conditioner, so this month I decided to try out the vegan and cruelty-free MÁDARA Nourish and Repair shampoo and conditioner from MyPure. Both products are nut-free which is great if you're sensitive or allergic to nuts, and both the shampoo and the conditioner bottles are packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled bottles which are super! I haven't tried out many shampoo and conditioners since becoming vegan so I thought I'd go for this lovely-looking duo. To me, my hair looks (but doesn't feel), dry and damaged and I have quite a few split ends due to heat damage over the years. My hair also tends to come out quite a lot after I've washed it so I'm always looking for both a repairing shampoo and conditioner that works.  The first thing I noticed when using these two products was that they both have an unusual smell, it's not overly strong or overpowering but it does remind me of a damp earthy smell. The shampoo seemed to lather up well, which is what I like from a shampoo as it feels like I'm getting a good thorough hair wash. And the conditioner coated the ends of my hair evenly avoiding that heavy slimy conditioner feeling that you can get sometimes. When drying my hair I felt that my hair felt really clean and untangled, it was a lot easier to brush and style once dry and my hair seemed to be less wavy and thick looking like other shampoo and conditioners leave my hair once dried, this then meant I didn't have to straighten my hair as much as usual afterward. My hair felt really nice after using these two products on it together so I will most probably be buying these again.

Shampoo £12.95 from MyPure
Conditioner £12.95 from MyPure

This product was sent to me to review, all views are my own.

LUSH Cosmetics Big Blue Bath Bomb - Review

LUSH Cosmetics is highly against animal testing and uses only ethical ingredients. All of their products are handmade and are 100% vegetarian-friendly, not all are vegan-friendly, so make sure you lookout for the Vegan Society Approved stamp!

This calming bath bomb evokes a summer’s day at the seaside: perfect for drifting off. Big Blue’s key ingredient is a type of kelp called arame seaweed, which softens in your hot bathwater. Arame is rich in vitamins and minerals including iodine, which helps to regulate metabolism. Sea salt softens the skin, helping to remove dead skin cells, while lemon oil clears the mind and, like lavender oil, is antiseptic and cleansing.

When I visited my first vegan festival back in August at the Kensington Town Hall in London, I excitingly ended up making my very own Big Blue bath bomb with a LUSH demonstrator! The experience was really fun and I recommend making your own at a store if possible. Luckily this is one of my favorite LUSH bath bombs, so when the bath bomb we were going to be making was announced as this one I was happy. I used the bomb not long after placing it into my LUSH goodie box as I was excited to find out what it had turned out like. It turned out to be just like a store-made Big Blue Bath Bomb and I really enjoyed using it. As you can see from my photo above this bath bomb turns your bath water a lovely deep blue ocean colour whilst also filling your bath with soft seaweed! The bomb takes a nice amount of time to completely disappear leaving you with a lovely salty smell in the air. I love this bomb as the seaweed leaves your skin feeling really soft, even when you're finally out of the bath. I really recommend this bath bomb to you if you enjoy salty seaside swims.

£3.95 each from LUSH Cosmetics