Current Favourites

As it has been a long time since I last posted ( a few months, I'm sorry) I think a favourites might be a good place to start.

Eco Store Hand cream.

Since realising that your hands are a dead give away of your age- as most people forget to take care of them- I've been addicted to hand cream and addicted to finding the perfect vegan one.

I tried a few.  But for the most part, I felt like they just made my hands smell nice. Nothing wrong with a nice smelling hand of course, but I need to feel like a hand cream is doing a bit more for my skin. So while on my way to work one day, I popped into the Eco Store and bought this lovely thing.

As with all of the Eco Store's products, the packaging is 100% recycled and carbon neutral. The other good thing about this brand is that they only use ingredients that are necessary- meaning no nasty chemicals or additives. 

I've been giving this light hand cream a go and really enjoying it. There is something therapeutic in taking a moment out to just care for your hands- because they do a lot, touch a lot and that all shows as you age. Everyone's hands deserve a little TCL. I even give my, gym-caused-callus-ridden, boyfriend hand massages to make sure they get looked after.

This formula is non greasy, meaning I can apply it and not have to worry about making everything I touch slimy- which is always nice. As it's a light moisturiser, I can feel it lets my skin breathe but gives it the moisture it needs. If you're in the market for a new hand cream or want to start taking better care of your hands- try the Eco Store. 

Sukin Nourishing Lip Treatment.

As the softening ingredient in most lip balms is bees wax- it can prove quite difficult trying to find a vegan friendly one. But not to fear, for I have found a good quality one!

Since discovering Sukin, I will admit I have become a little obsessed with them. You can see my review of some of their products here.

Like the Eco Store, Sukin is carbon neutral and free of dodgy ingredients. 

If you've ever tried Hurraw, you will understand when I say that although they smell nice- it did nothing does nothing for your lips. This Lip Treatment on the other hand, is great. The smell is rather neutral- just a hint of Shea butter.

I went years without a lip balm and got into the bad habit of biting my lips, meaning I was in need of this beauty. After using it two days, my chapped, sore lips were 85% better. It's incredibly hydrating, and it has great staying power due to its thick formula. 

I will be repurchasing this for a long time. 

Real Techniques- Core Collection.

I've wanted Real Techniques bushes for a while.  I mainly use the Eco Tools brushes that I bought a few years ago, and are still in really good shape (am hoping to get more on net trip to UK in Dec) but Real Techniques are renowned for their quality, I had to get my hands on some.

After having an issue with Fishpond over shipment of this collection, I decided to buy it from Life Pharmacy.They cost about $40 for the set of four.  You can find Real Techniques in most pharmacies. 

Core Collections features:

Buffing Brush: I've been mainly using this for press and loose powder.

Contour Brush: This I use for contour and press powder in small areas. 

Pointed Foundation Brush: I don't use this one unless I have the time. It's a pretty small brush so it can take a while to cover your whole face- I prefer to use my fingers.

Detailer Brush: This one is great for concealer in small areas or even for precision cream eye-shadow. 

What I really wanted to find out about these brushes was how soft they are, and also if they shed. No one likes a face covered in brush hairs when applying foundation. 

Luckily they leave my face brush-hair free. Obviously, the real test for softness and shedding will be time. 

I feel like I've been spoilt by using Eco Tools for so long. Although, Real Techniques are very soft, they don't really come close to the softness of Eco Tools. 

When it comes down to how well they do the job, I'm not going to pretend I am any sort of cosmetics expert. I don't really know what I'm doing, or what the real purpose of most brushes are, but I find my own uses for them and they work pretty well. They are easy to clean and apply make up pretty flawlessly. 

I am really enjoying using these brushes at the moment. You can definitely tell when you're using good quality products. 

I would love to add more Real Techniques to my collection.

Strawberries.

It's that time of year again. Who doesn't love the sign outside the grocers 2 punnets for $4?

Whether they are covered in sugar, chocolate, in a smoothie, fruit salad, or just as a snack on their own- strawberries are so sweet and beautiful at the moment. And the way the weather in Auckland is going at the moment- they are the only good thing about summer. 

Archie. 

Archie is by far my most favourite thing on this list. 

About 5 months ago, I got the idea in my head that I wanted a dog and within 2 weeks, Archie was living with us. 

We got him from The SPCA and apparently he and his siblings were found abandoned under a house. 

When we visited they had all been adopted apart from Archie (he was called Taffy at the time), we were told that no one was interested in him because of his unusual markings. Apparently he is a Staffy cross, but they can't be certain. We now know he has Boxer in him. 

His story tugged on our heart strings, so we had to meet him. He was subdued at first, but soon came out of his shell, and we fell in love. 

At 8 months old he is the most loving thing, very clumsy, and loves nothing more than a good snuggle. 

If you ever intend to adopt a pet, please check out The SPCA. And if there isn't one close to you, please make sure you do a background check on any place you might be looking to adopt from to ensure it's not a puppy mill or something similar. 

I hope you enjoyed reading my current favourites. Promise you won't have to wait so long again for an update. 

Au Revoir My Lovelies.

Rachael. x

June Favourites.

This month's favourites are a mix of new and old. I'm a creature of habit but I'm trying to make an effort to experiment with new products.

As always, all of this stuff is 100% vegan :)

Barry M Natural Glow Palette

I have been dying to try out Barry M since I  saw this video. I had no idea they had vegan options. Luckily, recently my parents went back home to visit family and bought me back this gem (as unfortunately, we don't have Barry M in NZ.) This cost £6-£7 from Superdrug. 
So happy was I when I got my hands on this, couldn't wait to put my face on.

Not very clear, I might do a tutorial soon.

  
I'm not one for very heavy eye make up, so I really like this palette. The pigment is nice, not super pigmented, but it is a lot better than most eyeshadow. I give it about a 8/10 for pigment. 

You can go for a heavier look than this, it's all about building the colour up.  I used the three eye colours on the right of the palette and the blush. Oh my, I love the blush. I've got very fair skin, and this colour suits it so well.

I'm really happy parents were kind enough to find this for me, I'm in love with it. 


Freefrom Double Chocolate biscuits.

For about 3 years, these have been my go to biscuit. They are $4 in countdown, in the health food aisle. 

 Vegan and gluten free, these are similar to Tim Tams or Penguin biscuits if you're in the UK, these things are amazing. 

 Sometimes gluten free food can taste of cardboard, not these. I, guiltily, can eat the whole packet. 
After something cheap to give you that chocolate fix? Just head to countdown, they work everytime. 


Natio Fizz Nail Polish 

This has been in my draw for a while, and only the last few weeks have I realised what a lovely colour it is. 
When you have short nails, it's a great colour. Very creamy pink with a beautiful  purpley/pink shimmer though it. I really like wearing this over a white tip as it make it look less harsh and more pearly. 



Leahey No Chicken Gravy

I bought this from The Cruelty Free Shop for $1. It was on special, nearing it's date. 
It had been sitting in my cupboard for a while, pretty sure it was past it''s best before when I ate it. Oh well, I've worked in the food industry for years, best before's are safe.... (hopefully)
 Friday was a wonderfully stormy evening, perfect for a roast dinner. 

To some of you this looks disgusting and weird, I know, but to me it is beautiful. A lot of gravy too. 

Back to the actual product. When I was a meat eater, I was never a huge fan of chicken gravy, I found it bland. I don't know whether it's because I don't have chicken flavoured things much, but I really like Leahey's gravy, I found it really flavourful. It's quite oniony, very similar taste to chicken crisps. I'm going to repurchase this next time I'm in the city. 


Hope you all had a good June, and I wish you a wonderful July. 

Au revoir my lovelies

Rachael xxx

Sukin Review.

Hey Guys,

A couple of weeks ago I discovered Sukin and did a haul of all the goodies that I bought.

Now I've had some time to give the products a go, as promised, I'm here to review them for you.

 Facial Scrub: $13.99 NZD 125ml: 

 This is a fair bit more expensive than my normal facial scrub (St Ives apricot scrub) and there is less of it. But the product itself is really good. At first the texture felt a bit strange, (it's very milky, almost creamy,) but it leaves the skin feeling very fresh and clean. I've found that you only need a small amount to get the job done. Because this is a consent rated product, it will last a while, making it a pretty good investment.

 Facial Moisturiser for sensitive skin- $14.99 125ml: 

Ignore my face in the bottle

 Again, a bit more expensive than the $7-$8 I pay for Simple, however it is calming to see 100% vegan written on packaging. I have found this to work really well. It's quite rich, meaning it is great for these wintery months when your skin tends to be more dry.  As for being for sensitive skin, I'm not too sure. I can't tell whether it's the toner I use before this that is reacting in a strange way, but I have found that I get a tingling in my face when I first put this on. I don't get any other irritation, just the weird tingles. 

Purifying Shampoo- $19.99 500ml: 

 This is the product I was most excited about. As good vegan haircare can be such a pain to find. My first couple of tries with this didn't go so well. At first I couldn't get it to lather, then I found when my hair dried, it was still dirty. But I persevered, and on the third try hacked it. You really have to give your head a good rub to get the bubbles going and be super thorough with rinsing. Once I had realise how to wash my hair like a proper person I found this shampoo really nice, my hair felt shinny and most importantly-clean. Also, it smells great. Citrusy with a hint of vanilia. It kind of reminds me of Lush's Happy Hippy.   I will definitely be repurchasing this.

You may have noticed that I haven't reviewed the freebies that I got. The reason being is that I haven't tried them and I'm not really too sure that I will. If I do, I will let you guys know my thoughts.

Hope you enjoyed this review and found it helpful.

Au revoir my lovelies

                                                 Rachael xxx

Sukin Haul

Hi Guys,

Today I ended up in Farmers and with a handful of Sukin products. 

I had seen this brand before but never tried and I had no idea they were vegan until mummy bear pointed it out to me. The companies tag line is, 'skincare that doesn't cost the earth.' Relatively clever, and hoping it's true. 

All products are 100% vegan and carbon neutral.

Obviously I got rather excited and had to buy a few things to try out and tell you lot about.

I bought the three products on the left, and because I spent over $40 I got the other stuff free!!

 Facial Scrub: $13.99 NZD 125ml After finishing my apricot scrub I thought I should try a new one. All Sukin products are sulphate and paraben free, extra points there. 

Facial Moisturiser- for sensitive skin: $14.99 125ml. My skin is rather sensitive, but they do make ones for normal skin too. Looking forward to trying this. 


Purifying Shampoo: $19.99 500ml. Since my Pureology shampoo ran out I've been looking for a new one. This one is reasonably priced for vegan hair care- just hope it does the job. 

Free Gift: For spending over $40 I got a cute floral toiletry bag- can never have too many of those.  Samples of Sukin Protein Hair Treatment, Purifying Facial Masque, Hydrating Body Lotion, and Facial Moisturiser also came in the bag.



I'm really looking forward to trying all of these products, hoping I've found a great new vegan brand. 

I'll review once I've tried them.


Au revoir my lovelies. 

Rachael xx

Current Favourites- Beauty and Food.

I should have done an April favourites but we are way too into May for that to be justifiable. So here are my current favourites.

First off is foundation. 



Natio Pure Mineral Foundation 
 

Finding a good vegan foundation is nearly impossible. I've spent years trying to find a half decent one but they don't seem to exist.  Liquid ones tend to blend terribly and have little to no coverage, and powders are cakey with no staying power. 

 I was told that Natio was vegan, I was a bit skeptical as it was a non-vegan who told me. Especially as Natio is a rather big name brand, they are in almost all department stores and pharmacies here in New Zealand. 

Being the pessimist that I am, I geared myself up to be told I was misinformed when I emailed the company to ask. 

This was the response:
“Natio’s makeup and nail polish range, including our foundations are also free from animal by-products, meaning that yes, Natio foundations are vegan friendly."  

YAY!! 

 I bought this guy for $25 at Farmers. A bargain considering I had paid upwards of $80 for some foundations in my quest to find a decent vegan one. 

 

 

 

 I was so excited to try this for the first time. I wasn't expecting miracles, but I was hopeful. 

Being a mineral foundation it's not a heavy coverage. I don't have great skin so I do prefer a bit more coverage than this gives. It's very light, I definitely forget I'm wearing it. A major upside is that you don't feel like you've got a face full of make up, you look fresh and dewy.

The one I have is in the shade 'light.'  I am very pale and it can make it rather hard to find a foundation light enough for my skin but Natio's Pure Mineral Foundation is a great match. 

Overall this is a good foundation for the price and 100% the best vegan foundation I've ever come across. No doubt in  my mind that I will buy it again. 





Pureology Perfect 4 Platinum 

 

I've blogged about Pureology before  but this time it is about their Perfect 4 Platinum shampoo and conditioner. 

Although I am not blonde anymore, I was using this when I was a few weeks ago. 

Like foundation, finding vegan shampoo and conditioner can be really tricky and comes with a hefty price tag. That is one of the major down sides to this brand- it isn't cheap. 


Upsides:- They smell amazing. Very sweet and sugary. 

              - Unlike other vegan shampoos and conditioners   
                you  feel like your hair is actually clean. 

              - Not only is it vegan but it's purple shampoo.
                Meaning, it's great for blonde hair. 


I won't be buying this particular one again as I'm no longer blonde, but if you are and don't mind spending a little more on your hair, I recommend this stuff. 






 Cherub Dairy-Free Parmesan

This stuff will be mentioned in a few recipe posts. It is my new faviourte thing when it comes to vegan alternatives. 

 I know it's not great to eat processed food, sometimes I can't help it. I get cheese cravings.

Cherub dairy-free Parmesan is amazing. It lasts for ages, it smells like the real thing, tastes pretty close, and I can't get enough of it.

I bought this for $5.90 at The Cruelty Free Shop . Reasonable for alternative cheese, I reckon. Brilliant on pasta, pizza, mash....  Even my meat eater boyfriend likes it.

 If you can get your hands on this stuff, I urge you to try it.

Alpro Creamy Valina Dessert 

 

If you miss vanilla mousse, or Angel Delight type stuff, then you will adore these.

I tried these creamy desserts for the first time on a trip to the UK, 2 years ago, and loved it. I never expected to see it in New Zealand but about 3-4 months ago I spotted them in a Countdown supermarket.  

They aren't the cheapest thing going, about $6 for a pack of 4 but they are great for a treat. 

If you've tried any of these products, or have some alternatives, please let me know :)

5 Beauty Products Everyone Should Have

These are some of my favourite beauty products at the moment. All 100% vegan and 100% brilliant. 

A couple of these products I have been using for a long time, others, a couple of months.

First up is Simple's 'Kind to Skin Replenishing Rich Moisturiser.'   

I am a huge fan of simple, and have been since I lived in the UK. As someone who suffers from sensitive skin, this brand is a lifesaver. It has no harsh ingredients that might irritate the skin, just all the kind, loving stuff.  If you have issues with dry skin, definitely give this a go. I find it is rich enough to get rid of those horrible dry patches, but not too heavy that it makes my face feel greasy. Another good thing about this moisturiser is that it works for 12+ hours. I am trying actively to use moisturiser 3 times a day (as I saw the results of this on a relative -looking very good for 60+) but I am rather on the lazy side. So, it is good to know that if I do forget to reapply, it will still be working it's magic. 

The other Simple product on my list is their 'Kind to Skin Moisturising Facial Wash.' 

Again, this stuff is designed especially with sensitive skin in mind. All of the products Simple make are light, gentle, and refreshing. The face wash is no exception to that. 

 Because it's foaming, you get a hell of a lot of use out of the bottle, which is always a plus.  If you do suffer from sensitive skin, you will be happy to know that his product is 100% soap free (YAY!) And because it's moisturising, it wont dry your skin out, like other washes can. Want to know something else great about this brand?  Simple is really affordable! This face wash retails at about NZ$11 and the moisturiser NZ$8. Not bad for some of the most skin friendly products on the market. 

For hair care, I have Pureology 'Essential Repair- Split-end Correcting Treatment.' 

This isn't' something I actually went out and bought. And I know, had it not been given to me by my wonderful friend Nick, I never would have tried it. However, I am SO glad he did gift it to me. This stuff is great. I am yet to try other products made by Pureology, but if this is anything to go by, I need to get my hands on some more of their stuff! Not only does this smell like sweets, it visibly improves the condition of your hair, while prolonging colour after dying. It also has organic ingredients in it, which is always nice to see. One thing I will say, is that you really need to make sure you brush your hair thoroughly after using this, so as to avoid greasy clumps.

I've tried a lot of vegan hair products over the years, and it can be very hard to find ones that work as well as their non-vegan counterparts, but I have found a product that works better than any non-vegan product I ever used.

I've got two Lush products to show you, the first is 'Tea Tree Water.'

I tend to be quite wary of tea tree products, as when I was younger I had a bit of a reaction with it. But for some reason, this toner works fine with my skin, I've had no issues with irritation or dryness. One thing I've always disliked about toners is that they can leave your skin feeling very tight, even after applying moisturiser. I've been using this product for over a month now, and haven't had any of that tight skin feeling. So, I definitely recommend if that is something you dislike about other toners. I don't just use the Tea Tree Water on a cotton pad, to wipe away excess dirt, but it also works well as a face refresher. Because it's a spray, it is great to just spritz directly to the face, leaving it feeling cleaner and fresher. As tea tree is a natural antibiotic and antiseptic, it is amazing at helping clear up spots and blemishes. 

Lastly, is another Lush product 'Charisma Skin Tint'

Skin tints have a few uses. The first is as a tinted moisturiser. Just add a small amount to your everyday moisturiser and voila. The second thing this is good for, is as a contour or bronzer. It does look very dark in the bottle, but don't fret, it doesn't apply that dark. This product builds as you go, so it is great if you are someone like me, and often makes mistakes. It's third use is great for summer, or if you are a bit partial to fake tanning. I won't lie, I don't tan very well at all, red is about the only shade, other than white, that I go. However, fake tan is a great alternative to not only getting sunburt, but also premature skin ageing that the sun can cause. 

Downside to suddenly having skin a few shades darker? Having to get new foundation, either that, or applying bronzer by the bucket load. But never fear! Much like how this can be used as a tinted moisturiser, it can also be used to darken your foundation. As I said before, it builds as you go, so you can easily get the perfect colour to match your bronzed body. This stuff works well with other products, mixing in perfectly, so there is no separating or uneven finishes. 



Hope you found this little bloggy blog useful. 

Rachael x