Merry Christmas!

So, I totally had plans to do posts about Christmas gift ideas, but I got crazy busy doing things like making my own wrapping paper (well, I didn't actually make the paper itself, I made the pattern on it), and those posts never happened. But I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and I'll be posting again after Christmas, on things such as my favourite products of 2011.

Note: The picture above, while lovely, is not quite what your typical Christmas scene in New Zealand would look like, it being summer here and all.

Ecostore Baby Bubble Bath

Ecostore have added a bubble bath to their baby products range. It is gentle on young skin, and is scented with essential oils. It is $10.95 for 200ml; see www.ecostore.co.nz for stockists, or buy it online at www.ecostoredirect.co.nz.

Peppermint magazine

I've been on the hunt for an eco fashion/beauty magazine that comes from my part of the world, and have not been successful - until now! I recently discovered Peppermint, an Australian eco fashion/beauty/lifestyle magazine. It is published quarterly, and can be bought at Borders, Magnetix, Starfish stores, and www.endemicworld.com for $11.95 (it costs a bit more at Starfish, $12.25 I think).

The current issue is focusing on cruelty-free fashion, and has an in-depth article about the fur industry, plus loads of other cool features, including info about various resuable water bottles, instructions on how to pretty up plain tank tops using doilies, and an article on palm oil. I think it's an awesome magazine, and I'll buying it every season from now on.

Evolu 3D Eye Care

New to NZ brand Evolu is the 3D eye care range. The products are:

De-stress Soothing Eye Gel 25ml $49.95
Daylight Firming Eye Cream 30ml $59.95
Decrease Eye & Lip Line Serum 15ml $62

Stuff that smells like grapefruit

For a yummy, zesty, scent, try these grapefruit-scented products.

Methven Uplift Shower Infusion 37ml $19.95




Giovanni Grapefruit Sky Hydrate Body Lotion 250ml $23






Ren Neroli and Grapefruit Shower Gel 200ml $62

New Trilogy products

New to Trilogy’s Age Proof range is Triple Action Line Smoother, $49.90 for 30ml. It contains nourishing ingredients such as jojoba oil, cocoa butter, and avocado oil, and is formulated to target fine lines and deep wrinkles.

New to the Body Care range is Ultra Hydrating Body Cream, $29.90 for 150ml. Moisturising ingredients like honey, sunflower seed oil, and olive oil nourish the skin, and mica gives some shimmer.

Favourite product of winter

Spring has begun, but it has got off to a shaky start, literally. New Zealand’s second largest city, Christchurch, has been struck by a major earthquake, causing severe damage to the city. There have also been a lot of aftershocks. People in Christchurch have been helping each other out, and several charity appeals have been launched. To anyone reading this who is from Christchurch, I wish you all the best, stay strong.

Anyway, my favourite product of winter is The Body Shop Delipscious Tinted Lip Balm in Papaya, $24, made from 100% food grade ingredients. It is super moisturising, thanks to the Community Trade Cocoa Butter, and it gives a subtle nude/peachy tint and shimmer to the lips. It’s also great to layer on top of a matte nude-coloured lipstick for some sparkle and shine.

New serum from Antipodes

New from New Zealand natural and organic skincare brand Antipodes is Joyous Protein-Rich Night Replenish Serum, $56 for 30ml. It contains Himalayan Goji, red raspberry seed oil, blackcurrant, hibiscus flower, and kiwifruit oil.

For every budget: Cream cleansers

Cream cleansers are good for drier skin types, because they add some moisture.

Low-cost: Sukin Cream Cleanser 125ml $12.99








Mid-range: Trilogy Cream Cleanser 200ml $39.90









High-end: This Works Clean Skin 150ml $60

Dr Hauschka Summer Impressions range

Dr Hauschka has a new limited edition makeup range, Summer Impressions. The products are:

Bronzing Fluid in two shades (Beige and Bronze), 30ml $54

Eyes & Lips Palette, with three eyeshadows, a kajal eyeliner, and two lip colours, in two colour schemes (Cool Breeze and Warm Breeze), $79

Powder Duo in two colour schemes (Cool Breeze and Warm Breeze), $65

The Mean Green Beauty Machine makes top 50 list!

The Mean Green Beauty Machine is on a list of the top 50 blogs for all-natural beauty, at http://onlinenursepractitionerschools.com/50-best-blogs-for-all-natural-beauty/. Very exciting!

Survey about cosmetic blogs

I've been contacted by a postgraduate student at the University of Plymouth, UK, about a survey regarding cosmetic blogs. She is completing her Masters in Marketing, and the survey is about the influence that cosmetic blogs have on consumers. To fill out the survey, follow this link: www.surveymonkey.com/s/G3ZFTD8. It takes about five minutes to complete, it is anonymous, and the data that is held will be kept confidential. It will be open until Monday 26 July.

Indah

Indah is a natural body care range founded in 2009 in Bali, Indonesia, by Australian Teisha Lowry. The word Indah means ‘beautiful’ in Balinese. The products are handmade in Bali, using ingredients such as honey, coconut oil, fennel, seaweed, cloves, and patchouli. Teisha travels to Bali to farm ingredients for the products, which are extracted from natural, organic flowers, fruits, and plants, which are sustainably grown and harvested. Most of the ingredients are cold-pressed, which means that they are extracted without the use of chemicals and heat. Indah products are free from artificial colours, artificial fragrances, fillers, parabens, sulphates, phlatates and petrochemicals.

The products are free from palm oil, and Teisha supports the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. The packaging is recyclable, made from aluminium, recycled paper, and soy-based inks. A Balinese artist was commissioned to do the designs on the Indah packaging. Indah products are not tested on animals, and the company is an advocate of IDEP (Indonesian Development of Education and Permaculture). They encourage and support Fair Trade, and Mitra Bali, a non-profit, non-government organisation, which helps to improve conditions for Balinese farmers and their families.

The range is primarily targeted towards surfers, snow bunnies, and sun seekers, although is not only for those who enjoy the outdoors, but also who enjoy natural therapies. Indah adheres to the traditional Balinese cultural concept of Tri Hita Karana. This means that the company is committed to working harmoniously with, and respecting, the environment, humanity, and the divine.

The products are:

Surfer’s Body Balm AUD$19.95 in Fresh Soul
Lip Balm AUD$12.95 in Sweet Spice, Wellkiss, and Coco Love
Traditional Body Butter AUD$32.95 in Lovina Beach, Coco Love, and Dreamland
Body Bar AUD$9.95 in Uluwatu, Medewi, and Sanur Reef

Indah products can be bought on Indah’s website, www.indah.com.au, a variety of stores around Australia, and a number of Australian websites. Stockists are listed on the Indah website. There is also a link on the website to the Indah blog.

It’s great to see such a natural, ethical, eco-friendly, affordable brand. The products look amazing. If you live in Australia, then during July, if you spend $30 on the Indah website, you get free shipping and handling.

Tweet, tweet, tweet

The Mean Green Beauty Machine is now on Twitter! Check out the 'Follow Me' button to the right to see The Mean Beauty Machine's page. I'm still kind of figuring out how Twitter works, but it seems that other bloggers use it as a way of updating their readers about what's on their blog, so I'm going to try and find the time to do that!

The Body Shop Delipscious

In her lifetime, the average woman may ingest more than four pounds of lipstick! Bearing that in mind, The Body Shop’s new range of lip colours, Delipscious, contain 100% food grade ingredients. The Delipscious Sheer Lip Color, $28, is available in six shades, and the Delipscious Tinted Lip Balm, $24, is available in two shades. They are infused with blueberry and pomegranate fruit seed oils, and contain Community Trade cocoa butter, Community Trade organic beeswax, and Community trade organic virgin cold-pressed coconut oil. They do not contain any artificial colours. Plus, the packaging is great – silver tubes with pictures of cute little apples!

I already have quite a few lipsticks and tinted lip balms, but I’m majorly tempted to get one (or more!) of these...

Extreme Makeover: Blog Edition

You may notice things looking a bit different here. Blogger has a new design feature, and I've given The Mean Green Beauty Machine a makeover. Its sister blog, The Mean Green Fashion Machine will probably also be given a makeover at some point.

Favourite products of summer and autumn

It’s now officially winter, and I realise that I never got around to posting about my favourite product of summer. It is Karen Murrell Absolute Luxury Face Moisturiser, $45 for 50ml, available for Farmers. It’s a great light, non-greasy moisturiser. For more information, check out my review here, and http://www.karenmurrell.com/.

My favourite product of autumn is Beautiful Skin by Renee. Great for nourishing dry skin, check out my review here and http://www.beautifulskinbyrenee.com/.

Aurora Spa Rituals

New to Mecca Cosmetica stores (in Ponsonby, Auckland and at Kirkaldies & Stains, Wellington) is the Aurora Spa Rituals range, from Aurora Spa, Melbourne. The products contain botanical extracts, and are free from synthetic fragrances, colours, sulphates, and parabens. Check out the range at www.meccacosmetica.co.nz.

Fair Trade beauty

We are coming to the end of Fair Trade Fortnight. There are a number of brands which make natural beauty products using Fair Trade ingredients. Trade Aid has a range of Fair Trade soaps, made in the Palam Rural Centre in southern India using sustainably sourced palm oil. They cost $3, and are available in ten scents (Cinnamon, Clove, Coconut, Cucumber, Green Apple, Honey, Jasmine, Neem, Rose, and Sandalwood).

Lush uses Fair Trade cocoa butter from Northern Ghana and Fair Trade shea butter from the Ivory Coast. Dr Bronner’s products are certified Fair Trade by IMO, and use the following fair trade organic ingredients: olive oil from Palestine, coconut oil from Sri Lanka, sustainable palm oil from Ghana, and hemp oil from North America. The Body Shop uses a number of community trade ingredients: organic virgin coconut oil from Samoa, marula oil from Namibia, cocoa butter from Ghana, and aloe vera from Guatemala. They also use hand crafted accessories from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Note: I know that some of the ingredients used in products from Lush and The Body Shop are not all that natural. However, there are some of their products that do contain all or mostly all natural ingredients, such as Lush’s Les Cacas Henna Hair Dyes and Therapy Massage Bar, and The Body Shop’s Natures Minerals makeup range and Sugaring Hair Removal Wax, and it is products such as these that I mention on this blog.

The Mean Green Fashion Machine

Currently we are in the middle of Fair Trade Fortnight. This has led me to think more about where products come from, what they are made from, and who makes them. Particularly clothes, shoes, jewellery and other accessories. Ethical, sustainable fashion is not something I have really paid a lot of attention to in the past, but it's now becoming increasingly important for me to start making better choices when it comes to fashion.

I could start posting about fashion on this blog, but I really want this to be a blog about beauty products. So I have started a 'sister' blog, The Mean Green Fashion Machine, which will focus on ethical, sustainable fashion. And of course, I will continue blogging here about natural, eco-friendly beauty products.

Support a good cause for Mothers' Day

Mothers' Day is this Sunday. How about showing love for your mother while also supporting a great cause? Organic Beauty Now (an online organic beauty store) has teamed up with Epic Change (the brains behind Tweetsgiving), to create To Mama with Love. Check it out at http://www.tomamawithlove.org/. On this site, you can create a heartspace for your mother, personalise it and donate USD$20 or more in her honour, and send her an e-card with the link.

The money goes towards funding a home for 50 children in Arusha, Tanzania (the village of Tanzanian Epic Change Fellow Mama Lucy), and the goal is to raise USD$50,000.

Also, use this code: TMWL20 to get 20% off at http://www.organicbeautynow.com/.

Happy second birthday, blog!

As of yesterday, my blog is now two years old! I've enjoyed writing this blog, and will continue to do so. Expect more info on new products and brands, product reviews, and more!

A’kin PureMAN range

It’s been around for a while in Australia, but the A’kin PureMAN range has only recently arrived in New Zealand (well, recently in Wellington anyway, I can’t speak for the rest of the country). The products are:

Energising All-In-One Hair + Body Wash 150ml $20
Invigorating Daily Face Wash 125ml $27
Dual Action Face Wash + Scrub 75ml $25
Calming After Shave Balm 75ml $25
Visibly Fit 24 Hour Moisturiser 50ml $30

Stuff that smells like lemon

For a tangy burst of citrus, try these lemon-scented products.

Vrindavan Lemon Certified Organic Lip Balm 5g $9.00






Avalon Organics Lemon Hand and Body Lotion 350ml $25

Dr Hauschka Lemon Body Wash 150ml $29

New Trilogy Sensitive Skin range

Trilogy have three new products designed for sensitive skin:

Very Gentle Cleansing Cream 150ml $39.90
Very Gentle Moisturising Cream 50ml $46
Very Gentle Calming Fluid 30ml $43

All three products are fragrance free, alcohol free, and have been dermatologically tested for sensitive skin.

Product review: Beautiful Skin by Renee

Renee Blackwell sent me her product, Beautiful Skin, to try out. It’s a blend of six oils: rosehip seed oil, vitamin E. oil, macadamia nut oil, hemp seed oil, carrot seed oil, and essential oil of rose.
Size: 50ml
Price: AUD$45
Packaging: A glass bottle with a screw-on lid.
Available at: http://www.beautifulskinbyrenee.com/
The verdict: This is really good for dry skin. I have been applying it at night, on some of the marks on my face (from previous acne), on my elbows, and on an annoying dry patch of skin on my left foot. After using it for a few weeks, I think that it has been helping the marks, my elbows are a lot less dry, and the annoying dry patch is almost gone, which is great, because nothing else would make it go away. I would recommend this for turning dry bits of skin back into normal bits of skin, or just generally providing some moisture. All the oils are great for moisturising, and it also smells really nice.

Jurlique now in New Zealand

Australian natural skincare brand Jurlique is now available in New Zealand, at Kirkaldies. The range is pretty extensive, and again I’m feeling a bit too lazy to list all the products. To check out the range, go to http://www.jurlique.com/, but bear in mind that the prices are in Australian dollars.

For every budget: Body butters

Body butters are great for super hydration, particularly now that the weather is getting colder.

Low-cost: Skinfood Body Butter 250g $15.99







Mid-range: Antipodes Jubilation Ultra Nourishing Body Cream 200ml $48



High-end: Origins Calm to your Senses Lavender and Vanilla 200ml $60

New products from Primal Earth

NZ men’s skincare brand Primal Earth have a couple of new products:

Aloe Hydrate Facewash 125ml $11.99
Aloe Hydrate Moisturiser 50ml $17.99

Available at Foodtown, New World, and Countdown stores.

Five cult natural beauty products

There are some beauty products, including natural/organic ones, that are so popular that they have achieved ‘cult’ status. Here are five of them.

Weleda Skinfood 75g $21.90 – This is great for dry, rough skin. I like to use it on my feet.



Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm $12.95 – Super popular, and now available at Farmers as well as Kirkaldies.




Trilogy 100% Pure Certified Organic Rosehip Oil 20ml $22.90 and 45ml $38.90 – I find this great to use on dry skin and scars.





Dr Bronner’s Magic Soap 236ml $14.90 and 944ml $34.9 – This has 18 different uses. I’m not quite sure what they all are, but apparently this soap is quite the multi-tasker. Available in Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Almond, Rose, Baby Mild, Citrus, Lavender, and Tea Tree. Also, the writing on the bottles is quite interesting.


Dr Hauschka Rose Day Cream 30ml $60 – An extremely popular biodynamic moisturiser.

Elemental Herbology

It sounds like a textbook that Harry Potter would read to help him deal with those strange plants in the Hogwarts’ greenhouse – Elemental Herbology. Actually, that would probably be more Hermione’s thing: ‘You two really need to read Elemental Herbology...’ Anyway, it’s really a skincare brand that has recently become available at Mecca Cosmetica. The body products are divided into different seasons, which is an interesting concept that makes sense. There are quite a lot of products in the range, and I’m feeling a bit too lazy to list them, so if you want to check them out, go to www.meccacosmetica.co.nz.

More info on the Karen Murell range

Karen Murrell sent me her awesome new range of products in January, and I have been having fun trying them out. You may remember me

mentioning this range a few months ago. Karen launched Skinfood in 2002, and this new range late last year. The products are certified by Ecocert (the first New Zealand brand to have this certification), and the Organic Food Chain. The boxes, tubes and bottles all have the percentage of organic ingredients printed on them. The packaging is pretty cool – the boxes, bottles, and squeezy tubes are recyclable, (the boxes are made from recyclable, renewable paper using soy inks) and the lipstick and lip balm tubes are biodegradable – you bury them. That’s cool, and not something I’ve come across before. The packaging is also very stylish and eye-catching, with funky artwork on the boxes.

They are available at Farmers stores, as well as some other stores. For more information on stockists, as well as more information about the products, check out http://www.karenmurrell.com/.

I think this new range is great. It’s hard for me to pick a favourite out of all the products, but if I had to pick one, it would be the moisturiser. More on it (and all the other products) below).

Here’s the lowdown on the products:

Pure Honesty Cleansing Gel
Size: 100ml
Price: $34
Packaging: A recyclable (HDPE 2) squeezy tube inside a recyclable two-piece cardboard box.
The verdict: It’s gentle, but cleanses thoroughly. I only need to use a little bit, so I can see the tube lasting for a long time. Any skin type could use it, but it contains seaweed and witch hazel, which are both beneficial to oily and combination skin. Using it in combination with the moisturiser has helped my skin clear up (I had previously been getting a few pimples). It smells nice and fresh.

Absolute Luxury Face Moisturiser
Size: 50ml
Price: $45
Packaging: A recyclable (PETE 1) pump-top bottle inside a recyclable two-piece cardboard box.
The verdict: A nice, light moisturiser with a lovely scent. It moisturises well, but doesn’t clog pores, and I find I only need to use a small amount. I have combination skin, and it’s good to have a moisturiser that is non pore-clogging, but still, well, moisturises! It contains tamanu oil, a ‘miracle ingredient’ which accelerates new tissue growth.

Aqua River Face Cream for Men
Size: 50ml
Price: $36
Packaging: A recyclable (PETE 1) pump-top bottle inside a recyclable two-piece cardboard box.
The verdict: I gave this to my brother-in-law, and he likes it. This also contains tamanu oil.

True Miracle Intense Balm
Size: 50ml
Price: $39
Packaging: A recyclable (HDPE 2) squeezy tube inside a recyclable two-piece cardboard box.
The verdict: This is really good for dry cuticles, lips, or dry skin, really. Smells and tastes great too. Ingredients include cocoa butter.

Nature’s Essense Body Scrub
Size: 200ml
Price: $45
Packaging: A recyclable (HDPE 2) squeezy tube inside a recyclable two-piece cardboard box.
The verdict: This is a great moisturising scrub, ideal for using before applying fake tan. Contains tamanu oil, salt and oat flakes.

Moisture Stick Lip Balm
Size: 4g
Price: $24.99
Packaging: A biodegradable tube inside a recyclable two-piece cardboard box.
The verdict: A good, nourishing lip balm that smells great, thanks to the sweet orange essential oil. I find that I don’t need to apply it all that often. Contains jojoba and castor oil.

Lipstick
Size: 4g
Price: $24.99
Packaging: A biodegradable tube inside a recyclable two-piece cardboard box.
The verdict: The lipstick is available in four shades: Cordovan Natural (beige nude), pink starlet (bright pink), Red Shimmer (bright red), Violet Mousse (nudey pink). The shades are fairly matte, but the lipsticks are moisturising, including ingredients such as jojoba and castor oil. The lipsticks smell really amazing, probably due to the cinnamon oil in them. I really like all the colours, but my favourite is Violet Mousse.

I very much recommend the Karen Murrell range, it’s good to have another great New Zealand natural skincare range available.

New blog on fair trade skincare and makeup

My cousin has started a blog about fair trade skincare and makeup. Good on her! I think fair trade is really important, and there are an increasing number of skincare and makeup brands which now include fair trade ingredients. Check out Fair is Fair at http://fairisfair.inube.com/. You will also see a link to it on this page, under the section ‘Websites and Blogs’ (on the right).

Products I want to try in 2010

It’s a new year (ok, like a month and a half into it, but whatever), so time to try new things (well, not always new, but new to me). Karen Murrell has very kindly sent me her new range of products, so I have been using those (I’ll put more info about this up here soon). In addition to those, this year I would like to try:

- Blue Earth Sunblock $28.90
- Seven Wonders Sculpting Wax $33.50
- Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara $29.95
- Lafe’s Natural & Organic Deodorant Stick 71g $15.99
- Quash Hand Sanitiser 15ml $5.50
- Weleda Birch Cellulite Oil 100ml $30
- Quintessentials Natural Sunscreen 150g $33.40
- Juice Beauty Blemish Be Gone $29
- [Al'chemy] (By A'kin) Lemongrass Shampoo 225ml $15
- [Al'chemy] Jojoba Light Conditioner 225ml $15
- Nature’s Gate 32,000 I.U. Vitamin E Roll-on 32ml $27.70
- Natio Mineral Lip Gloss 9ml $19

Seven Wonders Natural Haircare

Seven Wonders is an Australian brand which has recently (within the last few months) shown up at Health 2000 in Lower Hutt. The products are:

Sulphate-free Cleansing Shampoo 250ml $21.99
Sulphate-free Moisturising Shampoo 250ml $21.99
Natural Volumising Conditioner 250ml $21.99
Natural Moisturising Conditioner 250ml $21.99
Detangling Moisture Spray 250ml $22.99
Natural Protein Treatment 125ml $21.99
Leave-in Moisturiser 125ml $19.99
Thermal Protectant Spray 250ml $27.90
Anti-Frizz Creme 125ml $25.50
Gloss Serum 50ml $33.50
Styling Gel - $22.95
Sculpting Wax - $33.50

Products I wanted to try in 2009

You may (or may not) remember that a year ago I had
a list of 12 products I wanted to try in 2009. Did I try them? More information below.

- Dollop Hair Pomade 70g $27.50 – I bought this in January or February, and still have some left. A little goes a long way!
- Holistic Hair Sea Spray 250ml $23 – This is good for spraying into hair before blow-drying to give some definition.
- SHE Australia Face Serum $24.95 (I think) – Have not tried this, and I happy with the serum I’m using at the moment (Pacifica Organics), so I probably won’t try this anytime soon.
- Weleda Birch Cellulite Oil 100ml $30 – I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m still keen to.
- SHE Australia Dusting Powder $12.95 – I haven’t tried this, but I’ve bought so many mineral eye shadows in the last year, that it might be time to stop buying them for the time being. Technically, this isn’t an eye shadow, but that’s probably what I’d use it for.
- Sparitual Nail Polish $29 – I’ve got this in Up at Noon (bright pink) and Gold Digger (gold), both very nice.
- Origins Smileage Plus Lip Tint $32 – Very nice, but unfortunately it has now been discontinued. I had it in Sugar Cane (light pink) and Off-Beet (dark browny-red).
- Natures Gate Organics Advanced Care Upper Tanagement Self-Tanning Creme $25 – I haven’t tried this, and I’m still keen to, but I can’t find it anywhere (it used to be available at Health 2000 in Lower Hutt).
- Crabtree & Evelyn Naturals Cocoa Butter & Cardamom Lip Balm - SPF 8 15g $15 – The Crabtree & Evelyn store in Wellington sold out of this pretty quickly (and they don’t have any of the Naturals range anymore – was it limited edition?), but I picked this up at David Jones in Brisbane. It's a nice bronzey colour with some subtle gold shimmer, and nice taste, although perhaps a bit too sweet.
- Primal Earth Organic Shave Gel 175ml $8.99 – Great! I have used the Extra Sensitive one, which is free from artificial colour and fragrance. It’s also available in Aloe Hydrate and Menthol Cool. It is designed for men, but there’s no reason why women can’t use it!

- Latential Latentialme Eau De Toilette $99.95 – I bought this as a Christmas present for myself with money from my parents and grandparents. I ordered it off the Viola Organics website, because Commonsense Organics no longer stock it. It’s lovely – a spicy floral that is a great scent for summer.

- Lafe’s Natural & Organic Deodorant Stick 71g $15.99 – I haven’t tried it yet, but I would still like to.

Burt’s Bees is in New Zealand

American brand Burt’s Bees has reached New Zealand. Burt’s Bees products can be bought at Smith & Caughey’s, IE Produce and Urban Loft in Auckland, Ballantynes in Christchurch and selected health stores and pharmacies nationwide, and Kirkaldies in Wellington. Prices range from $9.95 to $64. I don’t have a list of the products available, but I know that Kirkaldies has a wide range, including the babies and men’s products.

Top ten products of 2009

I meant to post between Christmas and New Year’s, but didn’t get around to it. Hope you all had a great Christmas and Happy New Year! Anyway, these are my favourite products of 2009, in no particular order. I tried a lot of really great products, and it was difficult to narrow them down!

e.l.f Mineral Eyeshadow $12.99 – these eyeshadows are really affordable, and comes in 12 colours. I have four of these (Celebrity – shimmery pale gold, Sassy – shimmery bronze, Confident – shimmery dark brown, and Temptress – matte warm pink). These were available at Bling stores, but I’m not sure if they are stocking them anymore.


Trilogy Energising Face Lotion 100ml $46.90 – technically I bought this right at the end of last year, but never mind that. This is a light but nourishing moisturiser, and a little goes a long way. Doesn’t seem to clog pores, which is great.

Saya Body Butter 200g AUD$26.95 – Thick, rich, moisturising, smells great, and handmade in Noosa. Order from http://www.sayaskin.com/.

Aveda Lip Shine $44 – Yummy taste, moisturising, and comes in five shades.

Pai Echium Eye Cream 15ml £24 – rich, nourishing eye
cream. Order at http://www.paiskincare.com/.






Sustainable Youth® Technologies Immune Performance™ Revitalizing Serum 30ml USD$80 – Nice and light, with a yummy ginger beer scent. Order at http://www.sustainableyouthproducts.com/.

Bloom Minerals Plus Lip Butter $31 – Cute little pots of moisturising lip colour, available in eight shades. I have Natural Woman (brownish nude), and had Shiver (nudey pink), which I have now used up.




ecostore Shampoo and Conditioner for Dry and Damaged Hair 220ml $9.99 – technically two products, but let’s just forget that for the moment. They work well, are very affordable, and smell great.

Pangea Organics Egyptian Geranium with Adzuki Bean & Cranberry Facial Scrub 110ml AUD$39.95 – Yummy-smelling fine-grain scrub with plantable packaging. Order from http://www.ikigai.com/.


Trilogy Botanical Moisture Masque for dry hair 95ml 29.95 – Good for a weekly treatment.