My cruelty free primer collection

Hi everyone

I am a big believer in the magic of primers, I have only been using them for a few years but I think they do make the difference in keeping my make up on and also in building the layer between my skin and make up. I thought I would share with you my collection of primers and how I use the different types.

So the first type of primer I use is the Natural Collection hydrating and radiance primer. This is a cream type consistency and is quite thick and sticky, I know that sounds awful but it is actually really good for sticking my foundation to the primer and also making it stay for the day. This is such good value for money as its cost about £3 and often is on offer with two items from the range for £5 or similar.

I really like the shimmer it gives my skin and it is almost like having a highlighter on under my foundation. It really does help my make up to stay all day and it last me aprix a month even though I am guilty of using too much of every product I own.

The only down side I would say is that it is quite heavy on my skin in if I am layering foundation, powder and so on. On days when I need this to last then it is amazing but on a summery day in a beer garden when I want to relax it is too heavy and I like to opt for something lighter.

That leads me on to my next primer which is the ELF Primer mist. It is so light that when I first used it I was dubious that there was any point. it made my skin wet but did it work. Well I think it does, you spray on to the face and then it only takes a few seconds to dry and it does provide a layer under my skin. I often use this on hot days as it is so refreshing on my skin and I have found that even after a long day at work it does help keep my make up on. I was sat at my desk most of the day when I used it and so it would need testing under a heavy running around day and also on a night out but actually I did notice a difference an it felt so weightless on my skin. It cost around £3 so really good value for money.

Keeping on the theme of sprays is the Revolution pro primer spray. Again I really like this, it smells slightly more chemically than the ELF one and feels more like make up whereas the ELF one is fresher but I still really like it. I tend to again use this on days when I am not running around too much and just want a light coverage I think I would still turn to a cream for long nights and busy days. I have actually just used this on its own as well with no make up over it as I like to provide a barrier for my skin away form the pollution and dirt and that made my skin matte and look more put together even though I hadn’t actually out make up on.

The last primer I use is actually a little bit of a wild card and not actually a primer but a highlighter. It is the revolution strobe cream, I include this one in as I tend to use this as a primer under my make up on holidays or sometimes on nights out. I use it on my forehead, nose and cheeks as it is make my skin brighter under my foundation but not have that iridescent glow on the outside if that makes sense. It is also really sticky and so keeps powder under control. Another place I use this is as an eye primer as it is amazing for keeping glitter or powder eye shadow on my eyes.

So those are my primers, what brands do you use, do you have any wildcards.

Thanks for reading

AKL

 

New vegan face masks

Hi everyone

I love using face masks and I am constantly on the look out for a new one. So when I recently stopped in Superdrug to get shampoo and conditioner I walked out with a brand new face mask that I hadn’t seen before. It was the Superdrug ‘We love’ face masks charcoal facemasks. I have recently done a mask post but I figured can you really talk too much about face masks? I don’t think so.

So here it is. I tend to get the charcoal type masks a lot as I really like the deep clean feeling and that is what drew me towards this mask. This was about £5 but when I purchased it there was an offer on for 1/3 off so it cost me about £3.50. This is the charcoal one but there is another one which I believe is Kale and Berry.

I have oily skin and I do tend to get breakouts if I am stressed or if I eat a lot of rubbish (or go out with my friends and drink too many cocktails) so I do tend to buy masks that are good for that type of skin. 

I actually love this mask, it is quite a thick consistency and I had to spread it quite a bit across my face to make it spread evenly (hope that makes sense). It is quite a ‘strong’ mask for want of a better word as in I felt it really deep cleaned my skin but if you have really sensitive skin or dry skin then this probably isn’t for you.

I should get about three full face masks out of this pot so it is less than £1 per mask which is really good value.  I use this mask no more than once a week as I think more than that it would dry my skin out. I did use it on my cheeks even thought normally I would use moisturising mask there and keep this type of mask for my T zone and it didn’t have any adverse effects like drying my cheeks out but I don’t think I will use it again as it is too deep for areas of my face that are not oily.

All in all I really like this mask and I will be using it again and also trying out the range that they have. Have you tried the new masks from Superdrug or have you tried this one. I would love to hear? Let me know what you think?

Thanks for reading

AKL

 

Cruelty free – body care

Hi everyone

Its really important to look after your body from the outside as well as in and I do pay quite a lot of attention to my face and I thought I had better up my effort with the rest of my skin. Summer is also a time when more of your body and I am hoping this sun keeps going for a bit longer.

For my body I am a bit believe in exfoliation and it is the first thing I do in my routine. While I am really carful with my face with the products and the amount I exfoliate the rest of my skin is at its best when I really keep up with exfoliating. I have a couple of method to do that, firstly my gloves. These are a really intensive exfoliator as you can apply pressure to the skin while doing it and it’s quite precise. They are such a cheap and easy way to do this as well, these cost me about £1 from Primark but you can get them for similar prices from Boots, Superdrug or most supermarkets.

The other method is a body scrub and for this I currently have two that I use. The first is slightly more pricy and it is the Body Shop Shea Butter scrub. It is a softer scrub than my gloves so I tend to use this on my chest and any areas of softer skin. It is really good at keeping my skin soft and smells amazing.

The second is the Superdrug Body scrub and I currently have it is the flavour Cherry and Macadamia, and it smells so good. This is a rougher scrub that the Body shop and really good for dry patches like feet and elbows. It cost around £1/2 so is really good value for money and I am yet to go into Superdrug when it is not on offer.

Once I’ve fully exfoliated I need to add back all that moisture. For that I use Morrison’s own brand moisturiser. I use a lot of moisturiser so I need one that is cheap, smells good and really moisturises my skin. The one I use currently is the Cocoa Butter Moisture lotion and the Dry skin Moisture lotion. They are very rich and creamy and really they soothe my skin. The Coco Butter one is my favourite it also smells amazing and I can still smell it on my skin hours after using. It smells similar to the Shea butter moisturiser from The Body shop which I love.

If I am looking for something a bit more fragranced for going out or just to treat my self I go for the  Superdrug Lotus Flower and Cherry Blossom. This really compliments the Superdrug scrub and is so thick and creamy it really frees like I have added all that moisturiser back in. It was on 2 for £3 when I went in along with the scrubs so excellent value for money and allows you to have something pretty in the morning to cheer you up when you are tired and getting ready for work.

Last but not least I use the Superdrug Vitamin E  skin care. It is a massive tub and costs around £2/3 which is such value for money and amazing quality. It is thick and creamy and rea;;y make my skin feel soft and smooth and moisturised. Normally it comes in just a natural fragrance but this time when I went in they had a charity tub with a dragon fruit fragrance added and it is even better and its great that it is going to a good cause.

So that is my non face skin care routine, let me know what your routine is. Do you pay as much attention as you do to your face?

Thanks for reading

AKL

My cruelty free skincare routine

Hi everyone

My skincare routine has recently changed and so I thought I would share with you my updated version. It is mainly the same steps but different products and some additions. Most of my skincare is from Superdrug which will not come as a surprise for those who have been reading for a while and it is very affordable with the most expensive being about £6. I am a big believer in being consistent with your routine and listening to your skin rather than spending a fortune on skincare.

So the first step in my routine is facewash and I use the Superdrug Tea Tree Pink Grapefruit or Lemon face wash. I have dabbled in cleansers, creams, lotions and so on over the years but I always come back to face wash as I find it leaves my skins so fresh and I really feel like my face is clean. This is a gel like consistency which is my favourite. These cost around £3/4 and they were buy one get one half price. They both smell amazing the grapefruit is my favourite and they last me about 2 weeks just over using mostly twice a day.

The next step is face exfoliator, I don’t use this everyday but around 3 times per week. I use the Superdrug Vitamin E gentle oatmeal exfoliator. It smells a little funny, like oat meal but slightly sweater but is really good on my skin. It is very gentle like it says and so I can use it slightly more often and really makes my skins feel soft and smooth. This was around £3 and has so far lasted me about a month and half and I have barely made a dent.

Next is my exfoliating pads and these are the Superdrug Naturally radiant glycolic acid daily cleaning pads. I normally use the Tea Tree daily exfoliating pads rather than these which actually I do prefer because of the exfoliating part and also they are wetter (bear with me) These pads are quite dry and very small so I often need about three to make my face feel clean which also makes them feel rougher and like they drag my skin slightly. I do like the effect these have on my skin as they make my skin really soft and smooth but I think I need more time to see if I will repurchase.

Next in my routine is the B Refreshed Essence lotion, which I have been using for a few years and I love. It was an impulse purchase because it was on offer but it is so amazing. You basically drop a bit into your hand I use about three shakes (that might make more sense if you purchase the product) and then you pat it into your skin. I use on my face, neck and chest and it is designed to restore the moisture that cleansing takes away from your skin. It soaks in really well, smells very light and refreshing and really does seem to keep my skin moisturised.

Next I use the Vitamin C Brightening eye gel. This is such a good product, while it doesn’t look like it is it actually a roll on gel. It is really soft and smooth on your eyes. I have done a full review on this and the Vitamin C Hydrating boost on my blog.

Then for my next step I use the Simply Pure Light Emulsion Moisturiser with two drops of the Vitamin C Hydrating boost mixed in. I actually brought the Simply Pure by accident as I have used there products before but swapped but when I went in to Superdrug I was in a rush and need a moisturiser quick so I went with this. It was so low in cost at about £2 that I felt it was ok if I didn’t like it. However I did and still use this, it contain Factor 15 which is great even in England and sinks into my skin so well. It is non greasy, non fragrance and great for under make up.

So that is my skincare routine, let me know if you use any of these products, I love hearing about people routines and skincare.

Thanks for reading

AKL

My Waitrose vegan food haul

Hi everyone

I actually don’t tend to shop at Waitrose that much just due to convenience (and it is often considerably more expensive), but I was passing by and smelled there amazing deli bread so thought it would be rude not to stop by and see hat they had to offer for vegans.

Firstly I picked up some staples in the form of my usual butter the Pure Sunflower spread, they also do soya and olive so I tend to mix it up between the three. To me this taste very similar to the Flora brand that I used to have before I went vegan and I don’t honestly think you would tell the difference between this and a non vegan brand. I often use this for cooking as well as sandwiches and toast. This cost about a £1 so the same as many other supermarkets.

Next is these yummy Eat Natural bars in the Apple, Ginger and Dark Chocolate flavour. These are great for on the go and they have so many different flavours to choose from. These are my favourite as they feel like a treat as well. These cost me about £2.30 so a bit more expensive than other cereal bars but better than buying individual ones.

I was really excited about the next product as I have been looking for it for a while and haven’t been able to find it in Asda or Morrisons. It is the Vegan version of the Quorn ham and I am disappointed and happy about it all at the same time. I am happy as I miss having cold sandwich fillings that are simple and I am a bit bored of having things like falafel so I am very happy. However my boyfriend brought actual ham at the same time and the difference is crazy. Actual ham is much bigger, thicker and better value for money. I find this really frustrating as wile of course I would never go back to real ham the value in the products really showed the lack of value for money in the Quorn version. I got two small sandwiches out of the ham and for the £2 I’m not sure I would buy this regularly.

Next I have Clive’s pies, rather interesting name! I have the Creamy mushroom flavour and it was actually the only one I could see but the Waitrose I was in wasn’t that big so that could be why. This was yummy, I’ve had quite a few mushroom pies before since going vegan and I’m not sure this one was any different but still a nice homely filling pie that was quick and easy to cook and yummy to eat, cant complain. It cost me just under £3 so worth the money as that matched the price roughly of other pies such as Linda McCartney.

Lat but most certainly not least was my favourite products I picked up which is the Vivera Veggie Shawarma Kebab. I’ve seen lots of this brand but mainly things like burgers and I had been wanting to try something from the range. I really enjoyed his, I didn’t actually eat that many kebabs before but I might start eating more. The texture is like chicken (what isn’t) and with a little bit of olive oil cook in about 5 minutes and it gives of this beautiful chili, gilled spice fragrance like it has been marinating in my kitchen for hours. I had it with wraps, garlic vegan mayo and salad and it was one of the nicest vegan fast food meals I’ve had in ages. Amazing flavours with next to no fuss or cooking time. It cost about £3 so well worth the money.

So that is my Waitrose vegan haul, I will also be trying some more of there skincare range when I go to a bigger shop. Let me know what you enjoy from Waitrose.

Thanks for reading

AKL

 

 

Aveda Haircare review

Hi everyone

I love Aveda and I’m sure I have said that in quite a few posts now but its true I do and I find myself trying lots of different products in the range and loving hem all. The latest hair care in the range I have tried is these.

They are the Aveda Pure Abundance Style Prep, the Aveda Volumizing tonic and finally the Aveda Thickening tonic. I have also done a post on the shampoo and conditioner that I use from Aveda if you want to check it out as I love them. I tend to use these three Aveda products or a combination of them after shampoo and conditioning.

Lets start with the Pure Abundance, is perfect for giving you fuller hair after blow drying although you can actually use on both wet and dry hair. It also protects my hair so I use it before straightening as a heat protection spray. This also smells amazing and can be used to freshen my hair. I use dry shampoo and I love it but it can way my hair down if I am not careful and use too much so I tend to use this after to add volume my hair again. It is quite a small bottle that I have but I used it 2 weeks every day on holiday and only used about half so it may look small but it really long lasting.

The voluminzing tonic is lovely and really makes my hair shiny and also look really healthy. I spray this all over my hair before blow draying. I personally spray it in my roots as it says and also in the middle of my hair and it really does add volume. I have quite fine hair although I do have lots of it so I really see a difference with this tonic. It doesn’t sit on my hair though and there is no product build up as I have to be careful of this.

Finally the thickening tonic, this has a similar effect for me as the voluminzing tonic. It is meant to expand the strands of your hair to make them fuller. I spray this on my hair from root to tip, not loads but just about 3 sprays all over. I actually use this with the volumizing tonic as they really complement each other. It does smell amazing so fresh, there is a certain smell about Aveda be it hair or body products and I do love it

If I was to purchase these products again I would probably got for the volumizing tonic and the pure abundance and maybe not the thickening tonic as although I do love it is does feel like you can get away wit either that or the volumizing tonic.

So that’s my 3 current favourite Aveda products, do you have any recommendations for Aveda or any other styling products? I love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading

AKL

Superdrug Cruelty Free Super Balm

Hi everyone

So I was passing through Superdrug as I do at every given opportunity and I was picking up a few essentials (and half the rest of the shop) when I spotted a few new face skincare bits which caught my eye.

I half read the cover of this product as for dry skin and pretty much ignored it at first as I don’t have dry skin on my face (apart from my lips), my skin is quite oily so I avoid anything for dry skin. Then spotted that it was actually for dry skin, nails, cuticles and lips and I immediately grabbed this and I am so glad I did these are the main areas of concerns for me and long storey short this product is amazing!

That pretty much sums this up, it is actually amazing, where has it been all my life! It is a tiny little tub about the same size as the lips scrubs from Lush (if you are a fan) but good things officially do come in small packages.

It is a similar texture to lip balm and actually you apply it in a similar way. You just run your finger over it and apply to the places you need which for me are my lips and skin around my nails. It is completely clear and smells really nice as it contains coconut oil, avocado oil and shea butter, it is part of the vitamin E range from Superdrug which I have used on my skin before.

The texture goes on like a lip balm but it then disappears into the skin so it is non greasy and made my skin instantly softer and less dry around my hands even after a couple of washes. I have been applying it constantly for a few days and it looks like it hasn’t been touched so really good value for money as I think it cost around £2/3.

It is perfect handbag size and because it sinks in so quickly and leaves no grease it is perfect for taking to work. I use a computer at work so its horrible when I put moisturiser on and leave greasy finger prints all over my laptop.

I would recommend this product to anyone with dry skin but also I personally have used it in other ways for example those areas you don’t want to fake tan I used it as a barrier and also for when you are dying your hair to protect your skin around your ears and forehead. For me this has become a constant in my handbag.

Have you tried this product or any of the other Vitamin E ranges? Let me know what you think? Have you got any amazing products you have accidentally stumbled on?

Thanks for reading

AKL

My cruelty free shower gels

Hi everyone

I am very much a shower person, I do have baths (mainly when I buy new Lush products) but they tend to be more for relaxing rather than the actual purpose of washing and getting clean (I do wash in the bath as well :). So day in day out it is a shower for me. I tend to have a long shower at night and wash my hair and then another shower in the morning before work. I love to have beautiful smelling products to wash with and so I thought I would share a few of my favourites with you.

So as you can see they are very colourful, I feel that the colours of these products brighten my morning and other than brushing my teeth the first thing I do is pick up these products and shower.

The products I go to every day are always Original Source. All of these products are vegan and specify on the bottle that they are not tested on animals which is amazing.

My go to favourite fragrances are always the sweet smelling ones and my 2 favourite are the cherry and almond milk and the sweet apple and vanilla milk. They smell beautiful and really fresh, they are not overpowering or too sweet. I have recently been experimenting with new fragrances though and my current favourites are the lemon and tea tree and the mango. I think as we are coming up to  summer these are the perfect fragrances.

 

The amazing thing about Original source is that you can often get them for about £1 a bottle, Superdrug and Morrisons often have them 2 for £2 or they will have offers at them half price at £1. You can also just about get them in every store that sells toiletries so they are one of the most accessible vegan shower products and the colours make them jump off the shelf. I also feel that these products are really creamy and they lather really well.

A new brand I have found at Morrisons is The Little Bubble Company. They are not tested on animal, I originally brought them thinking they were another brand and then got blinded by the colours of the bottles.

The minute I smelled these I fell in love, they are so yummy it feel like you have just created a drink. That would be the down side actually – you cant drink them. Only joking.

I brought the Lemon soufflé and the strawberry smoothie. You can use these both in the shower and the bath which is great and they were so affordable at £2, I got them on offer at 2 for £3 from Morrisons. Like the original source they are full of sweet smelling, great lathering goodness. They last a long time as the bottle are quite big and I have a tendency to overuse products. I would recommend these products as a real pick me up first thing to really make you start you day well.

I do believe that starting your day right can make a difference and for me good smells and colours really affect my mood and make me feel happy. These are just a very small part of having a good day and a good start but sometimes it can really pick you up.

What products do you have that you love, do you have any recommendations?

Thanks for reading

AKL

Cruelty free hair care treatment products

Hi everyone

I love all sort of conditioning and hair treatment products and I spend a lot of time looking for new products that promise to give me long, glossy locks. Personally like with skin care I believe its about consistency and testing products rather than always opting for the most expensive. I think we all know our hair and can tell when it is loving a product or not. So here are a few of my favourites currently.

Firstly I have got to mention the Superdrug Argon intensive hot oil treatment. This has to go first as I think hot oil treatments were the first type of beauty treatment I ever tried when I was about 11 years old. My mum used to use the V05 hot oil treatments and so I used them on my hair as well. It has been years since I have used one so I just had to buy this one when I saw it. They are so easy to use and it barely takes any planning or extra time to use. You simply leave them in hot water for about a minute (I put them in while I am getting undressed and getting my towel) and then massage it into your hair for about another minutes or two. Rinse this off and then shampoo and condition as normal. Love it!

Next is the pre shampoo elasticity hair treatment, this treatment you put on for 20 minutes per shampooing and it is designed to increase the flexibility of the hair and reduce breakages. I sometimes put it on for just 20 minutes while I do a face mask or something or I will put it on all afternoon while I am relaxing on a Sunday. I always think the longer the better but I’m not a hairdresser. I’m not sure about elasticising but it is certainly a good conditioning treatment. It costs around £5 but it often is on offer with the other Argon oil products in Superdrug.

Next I have the Argon oil therapy replenishing treatment masque, this is a sachet masque and does about one treatment on my just past shoulder length hair. I cant tell too much of a difference in all honesty between this and the elasticity mask they both provide really good conditioning. The only benefit of this over the tub is the size,  I took this on a overnight stay with me and it was perfect for travel, it cost around £1 so really good value.

Another sachet I have used is the Palmers Coconut oil deep conditioning protein pack. This is a slightly bigger pack and is around £1.50 a pack so still really good value for money. I really love this as it is so thick and creamy and does what it say on the pack, provides a really deep condition treatment, my hair felt so soft and smooth after. I would be careful of this if your hair is prone to getting greasy as it is really thick but for me it was perfect.

The next item will come as no surprise it is coconut oil from Superdrug. I always have this in as a staple, it is in solid form and so I just scoop some out and rub it between my hands to make it liquid. This is the small bottle and cost £2/3 but there is a larger bottle as well. I use this in conjunction with other things such as the Argon oil so I don’t use it too fast. It is good for my scalp as well as hair, coconut oil is also really good for stimulating hair growth and so I often massage this into my scalp about 10 minutes before my shower.

Last but not least I use the Superdrug Argon oil, I also use this as a heat protecting serum before I blow dry my hair but it is really good as a conditioning treatment. I put this through my hair from about half way down to my roots, it is amazing in terms of how shiny and soft it makes my hair. It doesn’t actually take much to do my hair even though it is quite thick and just past shoulder length. I do this about once a week and leave it on for as long as I get the chance.

So that is my hair care treatments, do you have any recommendations? I would love to hear how you use them and if you have any special routines.

Thanks for reading

AKL

Cruelty free foot care

Hi everyone

Its that time of year again when our feet start to see the light of day again and we want to put on pretty sandals. It doesn’t always guarantee sun in England but it is certainly worth thinking positive.

I like to look after my feet anyway throughout the year as I used to work in retail and for those you have that have or still do (or any other job meaning you are on hard floors on your feet all day) then you will know your feet need some TLC.

I picked these items up from Superdrug for my feet to help them get sandal ready.

I have the Superdrug Exfoliating Foot Scrub, the Soothing Foot Lotion and finally the Foot Nourishing pack. I made a bit of a mistake and brought the Honey and Almond sock pack rather than the tea tree oil one so annoyed with myself on that front! I am still going to use it as the alternative is the bin.

So I used the scrub in the shower like you would a body scrub. Its quite a gentle scrub but I do like it. It has a tea tree, minty smell to it but very pleasant as it make your feet feel fresh and clean. I do like a firmer or rougher scrub for my feet particularly the heel as they get the driest from walking the dogs so much but this is nice for regular use.

Once out of the shower I used the foot lotion, again this has a minty fresh smell which I liked. It is quite a light moisturiser but it does leave my feet moisturised, I’m not sure if it was as good as my body moisturiser so although this was cheap and on offer I don’t know if it is worth the extra pay out.

The final product I used was the foot sock, I used these while I had a face mask on as you cant really walk around so needs to be used when you have 10 minutes to sit down.

I actually love this product just because of the way you use it. It is like a sock that you cut the top off and then kind of wrap around your feet like bandages over your feet to moisturise. These are so soothing and moisturising. I will be repurchasing these, even in the honey they are soothing and freshening but I really want to try the tea tree oil as that I imagine will be so tingly fresh on your feet.

I probably wouldn’t purchase the scrub or lotion again if I am honest, they were really low process point at about £2 each and I got these on 3 for 2. The only time that would tempt me would be if I was doing a long walk or it was particularly hot and I was on my feet as the fresh feeling from these is great however the actual exfoliating and moisturiser but are no better than my normal products.

The sock pack though I will be purchasing again the next time I go to Superdrug in the tea tree oil fragrance. I love it and well worth the money at again about £2. It is one use but as they have a 3 for 2 offer on I think I will purchase 3.

Have you tried using these or any foot products, what do you think do you buy specialise products or just use your normal body products?

Thanks for reading

AKL