
It's new, it's classy and it's been voted Grazia magazine's no.1 organic beauty product. So what's so great about Pai?
The list of attributes is pretty impressive: apart from being paraben-free (seemingly a must for all new beauty products at the moment), Pai skincare is handmade, certified organic by the Soil Association and free of artificial colours, fragrances, petrochemicals and phthalates. It's also made in the UK, so won't have been flown in from anywhere by the time it reaches your makeup bag. So if you're after a nice new moisturiser, lip balm or eye cream, why not give Pai a try? The range is available now at How on Earth.
Speaking as someone with highly sensitive skin, I find salts and aloe vera to be two of the most soothing substances to bath in, but until now I've never found a product that combined the two together.
Step in Geo Organics Atlantic Sea Salt with Aloe Vera. Each box contains nothing but big flakes of sea salt with organically produced aloe vera, and a few sprinkles melt into a warm bath like a dream. If you have sore or sensitive skin I'd definitely recommend keeping a pot of this blend near the tub. A 250g pack costs £2.45 at Mariposa Alternative Bodycare.
Don't you just hate it when you go to stock up on your favourite beauty product only to find that it has been discontinued? You can imagine my utter dismay then when on a recent soap run to Lush, I discovered that the creamy, parma-violet scented soap 'Gratuitous Violets' had been sent to the big bathroom in the sky.
All is not lost however. Due to the constant demand Lush have been receiving for their products from the past, they have launched Retro Lush , a dedicated area of their website where you can order some of the most popular discontinued products.
Continue reading >>
Training yourself to recognise potentially harmful ingredients in makeup and skincare products can be tricky, even when you've been using cosmetics for years. Manufacturers are wise to our concerns, and will do all they can to disguise the chemicals they use, giving them new names that sounds less threatening.
But for those just starting out, identifying these nasties can be even harder. Young and Pure, a new natural skincare brand aimed at teenagers, has stepped in to address this problem with a list of chemical ingredients and their various aliases - I learnt something from it, and it's well worth a look whatever your age! Follow the jump to view the list - then check to see how 'natural' the contents of your bathroom cabinet really are!
Continue reading >>
I'd heard good things about MyPure by a friend who swears by them as a reliable source of body, bath and beauty products, so was really excited to sample some of these for the site. In particular, my nature-loving friend had raved about Australian haircare range A'Kin, available exclusively at MyPure in the UK, so I opted to give it a try.
MyPure's three promises are that it only sells products that are non-toxic, non irritating and non sensitising, which means that any unnecessary synthetic ingredients are outlawed. I tried a few different A'Kin products: read on after the jump for my verdict.
Continue reading >>
I used to think that all 'natural' perfumes smelled of patchouli and left oil slicks on your clothing, but I'm quite a convert having tried a few such potions recently, and am always on the lookout for new and exciting non-synthetic fragrances.
The main difference I've found is that they don't reek of alcohol when they're applied, and the oils tend to blend into the skin far more readily, leading to admiring comments from colleagues and friends for the rest of the day, with no need to re-apply! They come in cooler bottles, too.
Recently, I stumbled across the wonderfully named Strange Invisible Perfumes, and just had to give them a try.
Related: Perfumes go all hippy for valentine's day
Continue reading >>
I'm a big fan of all things Cath Kidston, and have been using the rose-scented hand cream for some time. While I already love this product to bits, I was pleased to see that a new formulation has been made for Cath Kidston, which contains no parabens suplhates or artificial colours.
As well as positively glowing with the signature Cath Kidston rose fragrance, the handcream has been fortified with natural oils and vitamin B for locking in nourishment for the hands and nails.
See the whole range at Quirky Bags