Favourite product of autumn

People keep saying it's winter, and I keep reminding them that technically, it's still autumn. Well, it is until tomorrow. Anyway, autumn has come to an end, and my favourite beauty product of autumn is Pangea Organics Egyptian Geranium with Adzuki Bean & Cranberry Facial Scrub, AUD$39.95 It smells yummy, it's nice and gentle, and it's a generous size (110ml), so I can see it lasting a long time - and it has fantastic plantable packaging (which I really must get around to planting - but perhaps not in this cold weather). More details are available in a previous post. It was sent to me by the people from Ikigai, an online organic beauty boutique - check them out at http://www.ikigai.com.au/ .

Organic cotton balls, buds, and rounds

If you want to use organic cotton when it comes to your beauty routine, there are some nice products to choose from. Try Simply Gentle Organic Cotton Balls (100 for $9.90), Buds (200 for $9.90), or rounds (100 for $9.90). The cotton used in these products is also fair trade. They can be bought at Commonsense Organics stores, or online at www.ecostore.co.nz.

Or you could go for The Body Shop Organically Grown Cotton Cosmetic Buds (100 for $6), and Organic Cotton Rounds (100 for $9). I have the Body Shop Buds and Rounds. The Buds come in a recyclable cardboard box, and they have paper stems, so are pretty good for the environment. They are also specially shaped – one end is pointed, the other flat, to help with makeup application. The Rounds come in a biodegradable plastic bag, and each one has a different texture on each side – one side is ideal for makeup removal, the other best suited to removing nail polish.

For every budget: Leave-in conditioners

Leave-in conditioners are great for adding moisture to dry, damaged hair.


Low cost: A’kin Lavender & Anthyllis 24 Hour Intensive Moisture Leave-in Conditioner 150g $15.90

Mid-range: Giovanni Vitapro Fusion Spray In Hair Treatment 250ml 22.99

High end: MOP Leave-in Conditioner 200ml $37

Read something Good

At the end of last year, I discovered an awesome New Zealand magazine at my local Countdown supermarket. Good is a magazine about sustainable living, and it is New Zealand’s first carbon-neutral magazine. Good is a fairly new magazine; it first came out in June last year. I have bought the three most recent issue, and all of the issues can be viewed on the Good website: http://good.net.nz/.

It comes out once every two months, and the current issue features Adam Rickett (star of Coronation Street and Shortland Street) and his dog on the cover, as well as an article on Adam. I spied Good magazine on Shortland Street (NZ medical drama) a few weeks ago, being read by Dr Sarah Potts! Issue 2 featured Rhys Darby from HBO’s Flight of the Conchords (he plays Murray the band manager). Issue 4 featured the gorgeous Keisha Castle-Hughes, star of Whale Rider.

Good is not a beauty magazine, but it does have some good articles on eco-friendly beauty, like this issue’s article on shampoo. I think it is more than just good (ha ha), it is a great magazine, and will continue to buy it.

Lots and lots and LOTS of new products!

There are a whole lot of cool new products out at the moment, mostly from New Zealand and Australian brands! They are coming out faster than I can write about them, so I’m doing a bulk post about heaps of them. So what have we got?

- Antipodes Grapeseed Butter Cleanser $45.90 for 75ml – contains cocoa butter, harakeke, and hibiscus flower. Another great product from this NZ brand.

- Bloom Pure Mineral Eye Shadow & Brush Set, $35 each – These mineral eye shadows each come with an eye shadow brush. They are part of the Australian brand’s mineral makeup range. I mentioned them in a post last year, and now they have arrived in NZ! There are six shades available, although the website lists eight. There are some pretty colours; I like the look of Crystal, a shimmering white, which would be great for highlighting the browbones.

- The Body Collection Plane Sense range – A set of eight products from an Australian brand, all 100ml, so they can be taken on the plane with you. Free from phthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oil, silicone, synthetic dyes, sodium lauryl sulphate, parabens, PEGs, and synthetic fragrances. The products are:

Body Wash
Body Lotion
Shampoo
Conditioner
Face Cleanser
Face Mist
Hand Lotion
Foot Lotion

There are also two gift packs. One contains Body Wash, Body Lotion, Shampoo, and Conditioner, and the other contains Face Cleanser, Face Mist, Hand Lotion, and Foot Lotion. The individual products are $8.50 each, and the gift packs are $28.99 each. They are pretty cute, and I’m keen to try the foot lotion.

- Various new products from Comvita Huni – This NZ brand recently expanded its skincare and body care range. The new products are:

All Day Hand and Nail Cream 75g $25.00
Every Day Body Wash 250ml $29.00
Intensive Hydrating Mask 75g $45
Every Day Eye Cream 15g $39.00
Anytime Lip Treatment 10g $15
Night and Day Serum 25ml $69

I think the serum has actually been around for a while, but it wasn’t part of the original range. I’d like to try the lip balm, it looks yummy!

- Tebe, a New Zealand range, whose products contains olive oil and olive leaf extract, have two new products:

Eye Cream 20ml $27.70
Face Polish 50ml $24

- Another new mineral makeup range is here! BYS (Be Yourself), an affordable Australian makeup brand now has a range called Minerals Naturalé. The products are:

Foundation 3.5g $12.90, available in nine shades
Concealer 3.5g $12.90, available in six shades
Blush 3.5g $12.90, available in three shades
Bronzer 10g $19.90, available in two shades

I have seen the foundations and bronzers at Glassons, and the full range of products at Cosmetics Plus. The website lists several other products, which don’t seem to be available here.

- Another new product from a great NZ brand! Ecostore Fabric Softener, 500ml for $7.95, 5L for $61.75 – Not a skincare product, but it does affect your skin – sensitive skin can be irritated by fabric softeners, but not this one! There are no dyes or perfumes in it, and it’s nice and gentle.

- New lip balms from Natio – Another Australian brand has some nice new lip balms:

Paw Paw Lip Balm 20ml $12
Men’s Lip Balm 20ml $12

- Weleda Body Washes – A change from all the NZ and Australian brands, Swiss brand Weleda has put out some new body washes. They are all $19.50 for 200ml, and there are three:

Wild Rose Body Wash
Sea Buckthorn Body Wash
Creamy Citrus Body Wash

Very nice, I’m keen on citrus scents, so I may try the citrus one at some point.

Sooo many new products! Awesome!

Mothers’ Day!

It’s Mother’s Day in New Zealand this Sunday, so here are a few gift ideas.

Blue Earth Lavishly Lavender Soap, $5.50 for Medium, $9.00 for large – I got this for my mum for Mothers’ Day last year, and she really liked it. It smells great!

Living Nature Just for You Gift Pack, $24.90 – Contains Nourishing Hand & Body Cream 50ml, Nourishing Body Wash 50ml, and Manuka Honey & Calendula Petal Soap 70g

Trilogy Rose Hand Cream, $15.90 for 50ml, and $27.00 for 100ml – It’s got evening primrose, rosehip, jojoba and almond oils in it to keep hands soft

To all you mums, happy Mothers’ Day for Sunday!

Physicians Formula Organic Wear

Sometime last year, I mentioned that Physicians Formula had a new range of organic makeup, Organic Wear, that wasn’t yet available in New Zealand. Well, it is now! I saw it at a Unichem pharmacy in Wellington, although I’m sure there are other stores which stock it also. We don’t have the full range of the Organic Wear line, but that’s ok. What’s available is:

Pressed Powder 9g $39.95, available in five shades
Loose Powder 22g $39.95, available in five shades
Matte Finishing and Bronzing Veils 9.5g $39.95, available in three shades
Bronzer 9g $39.95, available in three shades
Tinted Moisturizer 44ml $29.95, available in three shades

The pamphlet I picked up at the pharmacy also listed:

Concealer Stick, available in three shades
Eye shadow duo, available in four shades
Blush, available in five shades

I’m not sure of the prices or sizes of these products, because they weren’t available at the pharmacy. The packaging of this range is very cute and recyclable too. The products are certified organic by Ecocert. I am keen to try the tinted moisturiser.