Beauty Review | Fushi Hydrating Lip Balm

I short while ago I was raving about Fushi’s Really Good Hair Oil, (which incidentally they should call their Really, Really, Really Good Hair Oil), and today I’m back with a review of their Hydrating Lip Balm*.

The weather in Scotland has been glorious for the past while now, which usually means the condition of my lips improves after a long, cold winter. Recently though, my lips have still been suffering. I blame it on working in the great outdoors! 

I always carry a lip balm with me, and I’m very fussy about which lip balms I choose. Vaseline and Carmex, sorry but you guys just don’t cut it! The Fushi lip balm however, is fast becoming a permanent fixture in my handbag or pocket. It contains avocado, peppermint and geranium oils...mmm, divine.

It smells deliciously minty, and on application there’s a lovely, soothing, menthol tingle which lasts a long time. This lip balm sinks into your lips immediately upon application but the hydrating, moisturised feeling lasts and lasts. This makes it fantastic for under lipstick as it creates a smooth, soft base without leaving a smudgy, wet residue which ruins your lippie. It’s especially useful if you’re going for a matte lip.

If you want a lip balm which does exactly what it says on the pot, doesn’t contain any nasties, isn’t tested on animals, and won’t interfere with your lipstick or lip gloss, then I recommend giving Fushi’s Hydrating Lip Balm a try. At £5.05 for 10ml it isn’t the cheapest lip balm out there (although it’s far from the most expensive either), but it’s worth every penny.

Beauty Review | Viridian Beauty Oil & Beauty Complex

I used to buy my vitamins and food supplements from the supermarket. Then I met a friend who worked for Holland and Barrett, and she opened my eyes to what it was I was actually buying.

There’s a reason why Asda’s vitamins are significantly cheaper than the ones you’ll find in the likes of Holland and Barrett. For a start the strength of the contents can vary a lot so you should always check what you’re actually getting in terms of mg per tablet or capsule. Also, cheaper vitamins and supplements often contain unpleasant bulking agents, and the capsule or tablets coating can be made out of all sorts of weird stuff.

When I was contacted by Viridian to ask if I would like to try their Ultimate Beauty Oil* and Ultimate Beauty Complex* products I did a little research on the brand, aided by the knowledge I’ve gained over the years from my Holland and Barrett pal!

Viridian Nutrition are a family owned, UK-based company, and the purity of their products is of utmost importance to them. They guarantee non-GM, non-irradiated and 100% active ingredients in their products with no nasty additives whatsoever. That means no added sugars, no colourings and no artificial flavourings, and instead of using nasty glues and binders to whole their products together, they prefer a slower, gentler manufacturing process. Most importantly for me though, none of their products or ingredients are tested on animals, and the vast majority of their products are vegan.

First up, lets take a closer look at their Ultimate Beauty Oil, which retails at £9.50 for 200ml or £19.66 for 500ml. 

This oil is a balanced combination of omega 3,6 and 9 fatty acids, which I’m sure you’ll know are essential for the good health of just about every part of your body. They are found naturally in oily fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. Ultimate Beauty Oil also contains a bunch of antioxidants, which I’m sure most of us could do with more of in our diet.

I’ve been trying out this oil by putting two teaspoons in my breakfast smoothie every morning. You could also try it as a salad dressing, in soups, porridge, just about anything. You can also down it straight from the spoon if you’re feeling brave! It doesn’t taste bad. It’s just like cooking oil, but it still isn’t exactly pleasant to knock back! Viridian do advise that you don’t use Ultimate Beauty Oil to cook with though, as the cooking process devalues all the goodness it contains.

Now let’s take a closer look at the Ultimate Beauty Complex. You can purchase these capsules from the Viridian website for £9.50 for 30, £15.90 for 60 or £24.95 for 120.

First off, these capsules are relatively big. If you’re one of those people who really struggles with swallowing tablets then you may struggle with these. Personally though, I didn’t have any problems downing these with a glass of water. You take two capsules a day with a meal. I’ve been keeping mine on my kitchen counter and taking them at dinner time.

The Ultimate Beauty Complex capsules contain a combination of vitamins and minerals which help to maintain collagen integrity, supporting the underlying structures of healthy, skin, hair and nails. Take a look at the Viridian website to read about the ingredients in more depth.

With products such as these you obviously can’t expect to wake up one morning with flawless hair, skin and nails. Whether you’re having a good hair, skin and nails day is affected by so many things, such as environment, stress, genetics, products you’re using etc. No magic solution which can combat them all is ever likely to exist. 

Isn’t it good to know though, that you’re doing everything you can to support your body from the inside out? Of course a good diet is essential, however even if you fill yourself with fruit, veg, nuts, fish and seeds everyday, the nutritional value of these has declined massively over the past 50 years because of aggressive farming methods. I think Viridian’s Ultimate Beauty Oil and Complex are perfect for giving you peace of mind that you’re hair, skin and nails are getting what they need when your diet falls short of providing it.

After 30 days of trying out these two products I wholeheartedly recommend them, especially the Beauty Oil. I’ve already noticed a huge difference in my nails (which take a mighty battering while I’m at work), so I’ll be continuing to use both these products for the foreseeable future. I’m hoping to see a visible improvement in my hair and skin after a few months too. Even if I don’t, it’s good to know that on the inside they should be better able to cope with anything life throws at them!

Souk Souk Beauty Box | May 2013

This month I signed up to trial a new beauty box. It’s called the Little Green Beauty Box and it’s from a company called Souk Souk. I first read about the Souk Souk box on the lovely Ana’s blog.

I love the idea of beauty boxes and am always excited to see that my Amarya beauty box has arrived, however it’s difficult to find a box which meets my standards as far as being cruelty free is concerned.

Souk Souk drew me in with this:

“We support any skincare or cosmetic brand which is trying to do the right thing in terms of reducing its impact on the environment; reducing its reliance on synthetic chemicals and preservatives to formulate products; and refusing to use ingredients that have been tested on animals. Some of the brands we support have gone several extra miles and have committed to using as close to 100% organic or natural ingredients as possible and have certification to prove it. We will always include information in our boxes about each of the brand’s ethics, policies and any certification they may possess.”

I signed up for a 3 month trial which cost £36 plus p+p just to get a little taste of what Souk Souk has to offer. I didn’t want to commit myself too much before I’m sure that the brands Souk Souk send are as cruelty free as I aim for.

I received my first box this month.

I’m delighted that all of the products I received are from cruelty free brands, and two of them are BUAV approved. Souk Souk send you a little info sheet with your box which tells you any certifications the products have, such as BUAV, Vegan and Soil Association.

You also get a little magazine, and I was really pleased to see an article in the magazine on the recent EU ban on animal testing, what it means, and the pitfalls we still need to look out for when choosing which brands to buy from.

Trial Size Green People Moisturising Shower Gel 30ml, Full Size RRP £10.95

Trial Size Green People Nurture Body Lotion 30ml, Full Size RRP £18.95

You’ll never hear me complain about receiving Green People products. They’ve been at the forefront of the green/natural/organic movement from the beginning.

The shower gel contains orange blossom, yucca and marshmallow and it smells divine. i love me some orange blossom! It’s so fresh and revitalising.

The body lotion contains perilla, evening primrose, shea butter and bergamot. It’s a heavier, more calming scent which will ideal for lathering on at bedtime. 

Trial Size Dr Bronner’s Magic Soap in Rose 59ml, Full Size RRP £5.48

Dr Bronner’s Magic Soap is a cult classic. It’s known as the 18-in-1 soap because of it’s many uses, although you could definitely find more than 18 uses for it! I love rose scented products and this one is no exception. It’s concentrated so a little goes a long way. I plan on using mine to wash my makeup brushes, which I’ve heard it’s amazing for!

Full Size Balm Balm Tea Tree Lip Balm 7ml, RRP £3.50

Again, Balm Balm is a bit of cult classic in the green beauty world. I love organic lip balms and I think anyone who is still using petroleum based balms such as Vaseline and Carmex are mental!

I’m pleased I received the tea tree version because it can also be used on blemishes, cold sores and cuts due to it’s antibacterial and antiviral properties.

I gave this product a little test as soon as I opened it and, so far...so amazing! 

Full Size Inika Brow Liner in 02 Brunette Beauty 1.2g, RRP £13.50

Souk Souk read my mind with this one! I’m currently using Benefit’s brow Zings to fill in my brows which isn’t cruelty free. I’ve been looking for an alternative and with summer (supposedly) on the way I’ve been thinking a brow pencil would be lighter and more subtle for the warmer weather.

The Brunette Beauty colour looks perfect for me, and i like that this pencil comes with a sharpener on the end.

All in all i’m thrilled with my first Souk Souk beauty box. It contained some lovely brands, all of which are cruelty free and the value for money is wonderful.

What do you think of this Souk Souk box?

Lisa x