Made from Earth

Ok, so you may all be wondering if I’m still here, given that I haven’t posted in a while...sorry about that. I’m still here, and I have a great brand to tell you about!

Made from Earth is an American company that makes organic skincare products. Check them out at www.madefromearth.com. They kindly sent me some of their lovely products to try. The products I tried were:

Rooibos Tea Facial Scrub

Size: 2 oz (about 57g; I had a smaller sample size)

Price: USD$24.99

Packaging: A plastic jar with a screw-on lid.

The verdict: This is a nice gentle scrub containing key ingredients jojoba beads, aloe vera, and rooibos tea. It’s detoxifying without being harsh, and it smells good too.

Pure Aloe Vera Skin Treatment

Size: 2 oz (I had a smaller sample size)

Price: $14.99

Packaging: A plastic jar with a screw-on lid.

The verdict: Soothing, moisturising, and non-greasy, containing healing ingredients including aloe vera, witch hazel, and neem . Great smell too. Very nice!

Rosehip + Hibiscus Facial Serum (pictured above)

Size: 2 oz

Price: USD$12.50 (Currently on sale from $24.99)

Packaging: A plastic bottle with a pump-top, and lid.

The verdict: This is nice and moisturising, without being greasy. Nice subtle smell. Contains hibiscus flower extract, rosehip seed oil, and glycerine, among other things. Love it!

Blueberry Organic Lip Balm with Vitamin E

Size: 0.15oz (4.25g)

Price: USD$3.99

Packaging: A windup plastic tube with a lid.

The verdict: This has a yummy but subtle taste and smell, and it’s very moisturising too, with sunflower and jojoba oils.

Citrus Fresh Organic Lip Balm with Vitamin E

Size: 0.15oz (4.25g)

Price: USD$3.99

Packaging: A windup plastic tube with a lid.

The verdict: I really like citrus scents and tastes, so loved this. It’s like a glass of orange juice in a tube! A dry-lip quenching one, that is.

I really like that there are so many great natural and organic ingredients in these products. I think it is great how much aloe vera is used in the products – very good for sensitive skin! The packaging is also really pretty. Plus, it is a cruelty free brand, which is a must for me.

To risk sounding like an infomercial, but wait, there’s more! Readers of this blog can get a 5% discount on Made from Earth products when you purchase them from www.madefromearth.com. Just enter the code 'TheMeanGreenBeautyMachine’. No minimum.

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.