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

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

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.

Dr Hauschka Natural Pastels range

New from Dr Hauschka is the limited edition Natural Pastels makeup range. The products are:

Kajal Eyeliner Duo in Berry – Black and Green – Anthracite $39
Solo Eyeshadow in Rose, Grey, Light Blue, and Soft Green $39
Rouge Powder Duo $57
Lipstick Slimline in Berry and Soft Rose $47

Looks very pretty, I particularly like the look of the Berry lipstick, it’s a nice bright pink which is still quite sheer. The whole range is perfect for Spring!

Facial oils

It may sound odd to put oils on your face, especially if you have oily or combination skin, but there are a lot of oil blends that are specifically designed for the face, like The Herb Farm Intensive Facial Oil, $31.80 for 15ml. It contains calendula, rosehip and tamanu oils and lavender essential oil.

To balance oily skin, try Dr Hauschka’s Normalising Day Oil, $57 for 30ml. It contains healing ingredients such as Carrot, Anthyllis, St.John's Wort and Wheat Germ oil. For a night treatment, try Nude Night Replenishing Oil, $132 for 15ml, which is a blend of omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9.

Some other options:

$30 and under: Bod Organic Morroccan Rose Face Oil 20ml $29.90

$40 and under: Antipodes Certified Organic Divine Face Oil 25ml $36.90

$80 and under: This Works Active Oil 30ml $85, Living Nature Radiance Night Oil 10ml $90

$95 and under: Hema Millennium Face and Body Oil 125ml $95

Body Oils

If you prefer an oil rather than a cream, lotion or butter to nourish your body, there are plenty out there, like Trilogy Aromatic Body Treatment Oil, $35 for 100ml, Antipodes Heavenly Body Oil, $38 for 100ml, and Dr Hauschka Rose Body Oil, $49 for 100ml, to name a few.

A lot of body oils have purposes beyond simply moisturising the skin, for example Living Nature Body Oil, $25 for 100ml, is good for warming up muscles before exercising, or for relaxing muscles after exercise, and Evolu Little Bottle of Silk, $47.95 for 60ml, is designed to refine the texture of the skin.

Some other options:

$25 and under:
Natralia Nourish Skin Oil 60ml $21 – Improves the appearance of damaged skin
Living Nature Tranquility Body Oil 100ml $25 – For relaxation and release
Living Nature Body Form Oil 100ml $25 – Helps skin feel fresh and smooth, promotes circulation

$50 and under:
Evolu Little Bottle of Calm 60ml $47.95 – Rescues skin from discomfort and soothes sensitivities
Evolu Little Bottle of Dew 60ml $47.95 – Revives moisture
Dr Hauschka Moor Lavender Body Oil 100ml $49 – Protects the skin from external stresses
Dr Hauschka Rosemary Body Oil 100ml $49 – Supports the body’s heat regulation
Dr Hauschka St John’s Wort Body Oil 100ml $49 – Calms and relaxes sensitive, irritated skin

Products for pregnant women

Pregnancy, from what I hear (I have never been pregnant myself), can have quite a major effect on the skin. Fortunately, there are a lot of natural products which are designed to help with the effects of pregnancy upon the skin.

To prevent stretch marks, try an oil like Weleda Pregnancy Body Oil, $25.90 for 100ml, Living Nature Beautiful Belly Oil, $30 for 100ml, Natralia Nourish Skin Oil, $21 for 60ml, or Dr Hauschka Blackthorn Body Oil, $39 for 100ml. The Nourish Skin Oil and the Blackthorn Body Oil aren’t specifically intended for pregnant women, but I hear they are good for preventing stretch marks.

Alternatively, try a lotion like Earth Mama Angel Body Butter, $59.95 for 240ml, or Mahu Stretch Mark Lotion, $14.95 for 50ml, and $24.95 for 200ml.

Mahu also makes a Facial Balancing Lotion for pregnant women, $16.95 for 50ml, and $29.95 for 100ml.

Lip gloss

I really like lip gloss. I have tried Dr Hauschka Novum Lip Gloss, $37, available in two shades, and Living Nature Lip Gloss, $36, available in six shades. I had the Dr Hauschka one in Rose Quartz, and the Living Nature one in Pink Whisper. They are both cool pink colours.

I found the Dr Hauschka one had a slightly weird smell, and wore off quite quickly. The tube also didn’t last very long. The Living Nature one smelled better, and the tube lasted longer, but it still wore off quickly. They also both have quite a thin texture.

The best natural lip gloss I have tried is Alba Botanica Terragloss, which I bought in Australia. I haven’t seen it over here, and I’m not sure where you can order it. I have it in Blaze, a bright pinkish red.

Some other options:

$15 and under: SHE Australia Tube Lip Gloss $12.99, available in ten shades

$40 and under: Couleur Caramel Lip Gloss $38.99, available in six shades

$45 and under: Aveda Lip Glaze $44, available in ten shades, Aveda Lip Shine $44, available in six shades, Bare Escentuals Wearable Lip Gloss $45, available in five shades

The Aveda and SHE Australia glosses are not as natural as the other ones – they contain artificial flavourings, and some artificial colours, but still, they are much better options than a lot of other lip glosses.

Lipstick

I prefer lip gloss and tinted lip balm to lipstick, but I still like lipstick. I like Living Nature Lipstick, $38, available in ten shades, which I have in Summer Rain (bright-ish dark pink), and Aveda Uruku Lip Pigment $44, available in twelve shades (six sheer, and six full colour), which I have in Sheer Ochre (browny/pinky nude). They are both fairly intense colours (and the Aveda one is supposed to be sheer – what are the full colour shades like, I wonder?), and pretty matte, so I put lip balm on before applying them, or put clear lip gloss over the top.

I tend to prefer more sheer lipsticks, and I like Aveda Lip Color Sheer, , which I had in Sheer Clover (warm, natural-looking pink), but it’s now run out. Lip Color Sheer has now been replaced by Nourish-Mint Sheer Mineral Lip Colour $44, available in seven shades, and there is a Sheer Clover shade. I assume it's a similar product.

Some other options:

$40 and under: Dr Hauschka Lipstick Novum $37, available in four shades, Couleur Caramel Lipstick $38.99, available in twenty-four shades (eight matte, fifteen pearly, and one glittery)

$50 and under: Aveda Nourish-Mint Smoothing Lip Colour $44, available in twenty-one shades, Bare Escentuals Lipstick $45, available in twenty-six shades, Dr Hauschka Lipstick $47, available in eight shades

Mascara

Mascaras are great for defining your lashes, and, depending on the formula and brush shape, for volumising, thickening, and/or lengthening. I really like Dr Hauschka Volume Mascara, $45, available in three shades. I have it in black, and it’s really good for defining my lashes, and giving them some volume.

I have also used Living Nature Thickening Mascara, $38, available in two shades. I had it in Jet Black, and it’s a decent mascara, but not as volumising as the Dr Hauschka one, and it tends to dry out more quickly, and therefore not last as long before it needs to be replaced (yes, I know you’re supposed to replace your mascara every three months, but for me it tends to be more like four to six months, because I’m cheap). Anyway...

Some other options:

$40 and under: Living Nature Conditioning Mascara $38, available in two shades

$45 and under: Couleur Caramel Eyelashes Mascara Long $41.99, available in four shades, Couleur Caramel Eyelashes Mascara Short $41.99, available in four shades, Dr Hauschka Mascara $43, available in three shades, Bare Escentuals Magic Wand Brushless Mascara $43, available in two shades

$55 and under: Aveda Mosscara $51, available in two shades, Aveda Mascara Plus Rose $51, available in two shades

Eyeliner

Eyeliners are great for creating a dramatic makeup look. I am a big fan of Living Nature Eye Pencil $30, available in four shades. I have it Smoulder, which is black with gold specks which look nice and subtle. I’ve never tried liquid eyeliner, I’d probably get it all over the place! If you like liquid liner, you could try Dr Hauschka Liquid Eyeliner $39, available in two shades.

Some other options:

Pencil eyeliner: Couleur Caramel Eye and Lip Pencil $27.99, available in nine shades (three only for eyes, six for eyes and lips), Dr Hauschka Eyeliner $29, available in five shades, Aveda Petal Essence Eye Definer, $44, available in six shades, Uruku Eye - Lip Color Liner, $44, available in three shades

Liquid eyeliner: Colour Caramel Eye Liner $38.99, available in four shades

Eye Shadows

Eyeshadows are great for...um...giving a bit of colour to your eyelids and browbones...not sure how else to put that really...Anyway, I like Living Nature Eye Shadow Duo $44, available in five pallets. I have it in Siennas, which is a light pink and a dark pink, and Clouds, a light grey and a dark grey. I also like the The Body Shop Nature’s Minerals Eye Colour $25, available in six shades. I have it in Golden Emerald, and while it doesn’t give as much colour as I would like, it’s good for layering over other colours for a sheer wash of green and a bit of sparkle.

Bloom Eye Colour Cream $26, available in six shades, is also pretty good. The Eye Colour Creams don’t contain any objectionable ingredients, and they are great for giving a bit of shimmer to the eyelid or brow bone. I have the Taupe shade (bronze-ish), and used to have Eskimo (white), which has now run out. Bloom has recently released Pure Mineral Eye Shadow, available in eight shades. I haven’t seen this sold anywhere yet, but hopefully it should be available soon.

Some other options:

Single colours: SHE Australia Dusting Powders $12.99, available in eight shades, Couleur Caramel Eye Shadow $26.99, available in thirty shades, Dr Hauschka Eye Shadow Solo $27, available in nine shades, Aveda Petal Essence Eye Color Single $37, available in twenty shades, Aveda Uruku Eye Accent $44, available in four shades

Pallets: Natio Mineral Sparkle Dust Eyeshadow Compact $18, available in one pallet (four colours), Aveda Petal Essense Eye Color Duo $51, available in nine pallets, Dr Hauschka Eye Shadow Pallet Stone Colours $69, available in one pallet (four colours)

Blushers

Blushers are good for giving your cheeks a bit of colour. I have Natio Mineral Radiance Blush N' Brush, but I can't find it in shops anymore, and it's not listed on their website, so it must have been discontinued. It's nearly run out anyway, so I have bought The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Cheek Colour, $30, available in four shades. I have it in Pink Quartz, the lightest shade.

Some other options:

$20 and under: Natio Mineral Blusher $16, available in one shade

$40 and under: Bloom Mineral Touch $39, available in one shade

$45 and under: Aveda Petal Essense Cheek Colour $44, available in seven shades, Aveda Uruku Cheek-Lip Creme, $44, available in four shades, Couleur Caramel Blush Powder $44.99, available in two shades

$50 and under: Living Nature Blush $47, available in two shades, Dr Haushcka Rouge Powder $47, available in three shades

$55 and under: Aveda Petal Essense Face Accent $51, available in eight shades

$80 and under: Bare Escentuals $78, available in thirty shades (Yes, thirty! Not sure if all shades are available in New Zealand)

Face powders

I hope you all have had a good new year. I've got lots of great things to blog about this year...starting with face powders!

Face powders are good for mattifying the skin, and for 'setting' your makeup. Some powders are pressed, like Dr Hauschka Translucent Face Powder Compact, $49, and Living Nature Luminous Pressed Powder, $49, available in three shades. Other powders are loose, like Dr Hauschka Translucent Face Powder Loose, $49, and Aveda Inner Light™ Loose Powder, $66, available in two shades.

Some other options:

Pressed Powder: Couleur Caramel Compact Powder $44.99, available in five shades, Aveda Inner Light™ Pressed Powder $66, available in three shades

Loose Powder: Couleur Caramel Free Powder $44.99, available in three shades

Top ten products of 2008

Well, it’s the last day of 2008, and it has been quite a year. The Beijing Olympics, the USA electing their first black president, New Zealand returning to a National Government, just to name a few interesting events...but anyway, back to beauty stuff. I have tried a lot of great natural and organic beauty products this year. This list details the ten best products which I tried for the first time this year...and it was difficult to name just ten, because there were so many great products I tried! They are in no particular order.

Dr Hauschka Volume Mascara – It’s a great mascara! I have it in the black shade, it is very volumising, and defines lashes nicely. $45.

Trilogy Gentle Facial Exfoliant – A very fine grain facial scrub, good for getting rid of dead skin cells. $40 for 75ml.

Sukin Hydrating Body Lotion – affordable, effective, and smells great. $15 for 250ml, and $22 for 500ml.

UV Natural Sunscreen SPF 30+ - High SPF, non-drying, but also does not clog pores. $36 for 200g.

Ecostore Body Wash – Comes in a big bottle, smells good (three scents to choose from), it’s a great price, and it lasts for sooo long! - $8.99 for 400ml.

The Body Shop Nature’s Minerals Foundation – Nice and mattifying, gives good coverage. I have it in 01, the lightest shade. $45 for 5g.

Giovanni Nutrafix Hair Reconstructer – A great hair moisturising mask, good for a weekly treatment. $22.50 for 200g.

Ecostore Baby Nappy Balm – great for dry heels, cuticles, and for baby’s bum, (obviously) though I haven’t used it for that! $8.99 for 60ml

Evolu Purifying Mask – Great for a weekly treatment, and you only need to leave it on for five to ten minutes. Smells good too. $35 for 75ml.

Weleda Iris Moisture Cream - Nice and moisturising, but not greasy. $23.50 for 30ml.

Hope you all have a great new year! I’ll be back in 2009 with more product reviews, product info, ingredient spotlights, information on new products, and more.

Concealers

I hope you all had a great Christmas! I did, but I'm really tired now, which means I have dark shadows under my eyes. Concealers are great for covering these shadows, as well as covering up pimples, redness, and scars. I like Couleur Caramel Corrective Cream, $31.30 for 3.5g, available in five shades, which I have in shade 02. I have also tried Living Nature Concealer, $32 for 7ml, and availabe in three shades, (I have it in Medium) but it gave me pimples, so perhaps would be better for someone with dry skin. The Couleur Caramel concealer has quite a dry finish to it, so probably wouldn't be so great for those with dry skin. Miessesnse Concealer, $26.90 for 5g, and available in four shades, is also good, but I haven't seen it anywhere in ages.

Some other options:

$40 and under: Dr Hauschka Concealer 2.5ml $37, available in three shades, Dr Hauschka Pure Care Cover Stick 2g $39, available in two shades

$60 and under: Aveda Inner Light™ Concealer 7g $59, available in six shades

Foundations

Some women wear foundation every day, but I only wear it on special occasions. I like The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Foundation SPF25, $45 for 5g, which I have in 01, the lightest shade. It is available in five shades. I have also tried Bare Escentuals Foundation in Fairly Light. It's $78 for 9g, and is available in fifteen shades. I prefer The Body Shop one, because it is more mattifying, and it is a lot more affordable.

These are both mineral powder foundations, but there are a lot of natural liquid foundations available, like Living Nature Foundation, $49 for 30ml, and available in six shades.


Some other options:

Mineral foundation: Natio Mineral Loose Foundation 10g $23, available in three shades, Bloom Pure Mineral Powder Foundation 2.5g $39, available in three shades


Liquid foundation: Dr Hauschka Translucent Make-up 30ml $49, available in five shades, Living Nature Illuminating Tint 30ml $52, available in three shades, Aveda Inner Light™ Liquid Foundation SPF 12 30ml $73, available in twelve shades, Couleur Caramel Foundation Liquid 30ml $76.99, available in three shades

Cream foundation: Aveda Inner Light™ Dual Foundation SPF 12 7g $73, available in nine shades, Couleur Caramel Foundation Cream g $76.99, available in five shades

Bronzers

To give yourself a bronzed glow, in addition to fake tan, try using a bronzer. I like Dr Hauschka Bronzing Powder, $49 for 9g. Dr Haushcka also makes Translucent Bronze Concentrate, $58 for 30ml.

Some other options:

$25 and under: Natio Mineral Pressed Powder Bronzer in Sunswept 18.1g $23

$40 and under: Bloom Pure Minerals Radiant Touch in Sunkissed 2.5g $39

$50 and under: Living Nature Summer Bronze Pressed Powder $49

$60 and under: Couleur Caramel Terre Caramel Bronzer $55.99, available in four shades

$80 and under: Bare Escentuals Faux Tan Bronzing Powder 2.8g $78, Bare Escentuals Warmth Face Colour 2.8g $78

Face masks

Using a face mask once a week is good for your skin. I like Trilogy Purifying Masque, $33.90 for 35ml. Evolu Purifying Mask $35 for 75ml, is also good. Although both these masks are for all skin types, they are clay-based masks, which are good for oily skin, as are mud masks. Another clay mask is Dr Hauschka Cleansing Clay Mask, $62 for 90g, which is in the form of a powder which you mix up with water. I didn't realise that it was a powder when testing it out at Farmers once, and spilt quite a large amount of it on the ground. Anyway, moving on from that...


People with drier skin will benefit from a moisturising mask in a gel or cream form, like Living Nature Ultra Nourishing Mask, $59 for 50ml. As for those with sensitive skin, try Weleda Almond Facial Masque, m$22.50 for 30ml.


Some other options:


$10 and under: Clear as Mud Face Mud $4 per 18g sachet, Skinfood Mud Masque 100ml $9.99


$25 and under: Clear as Mud, $24.99 for a box of seven 18g sachets


$30 and under: Weleda Iris Intensive Treatment Masque 30ml $25.50, Alba Botanica Hawaiian Papaya Enzyme Facial Mask 85g


$45 and under: Living Nature Deep Cleansing Mask - 10 5ml sachets for $42, Living Nature Hydrating Gel Mask 50ml $42, Antipodes Manuka Honey Treatment Mask 75ml


$80 and under: Ren Multi Mineral Detox Facial Mask 50ml $69, Ren F10 Enzymatic Skin Smoothing Facial Mask 50ml $74, Ren Jiaogulan Cell Energising Facial Mask 50ml $76

$90 and under: Dr Hauschka Firming Mask 30ml $89

$120 and under: Aveda Deep Cleansing Herbal Clay Masque 125ml $102, Aveda Intensive Hydrating Masque 150ml $117

Lip balms with SPF

Your lips need protecting from the sun as well as your skin. For the colder months I like Apicare Protect Me Beeswax Lip Balm SF 15, $7.20 for 4.5g. It moisturises really well.

Alba Botanica Sun Lipcare SPF 18 Lip Balm is also good. It's $8 for 4.2g. So is Evolu Healing Lip Treatment SPF 15, $19 for 10ml.

For a higher SPF, I like Comvita Lip Balm SPF 30, $11 for 5g. Or try Dr Hauschka Sunscreen Stick SPF 30, $26 for 4.9g.