Author: greenlifeindublin

Bella Aura Custom Care Collection – First Impressions Review

Hi Lovelies,

 

Welcome back! And welcome, if you are new here ???

Bella Aura Custom Care Collection Review

How are all of you? Hope you are well? Today I wanted to share my first impressions review of new and hotly anticipated Bella Aura’s Custom Care Collection! I don’t know how about You, but I certainly was at the edge of my seat for months, while Yasmine, the boss babe behind the Bella Aura brand, has been teasing us with spoilers via InstaStories. Yasmine herself is the best advert for her brand – you only have to look at her perfect glass skin to know you want to know what she’s having!

You probably know my love for Bella Aura products knows no bounds (see review here, but please get a tea and a snack first, it is almost 4k words long. What can I say, I work hard and I like it that way)

The Swiss laboratory that Bella Aura partnered with is an international family business based in Switzerland that has been operating for over 75 years. As an innovative technology company, they supply demanding industries with natural and organic raw materials. They combine high-quality products, in-depth expertise and comprehensive services to offer their customers tailor-made integrated solutions. They think long-term, respond quickly, take a cooperative approach and are prepared to enter into and stand by commitments. They assume social and cultural responsibility and trust in the ability and loyalty of their employees and business partners.

Bella Aura is proud to source the ingredients from ethical and fair trade farms and artisan producers. All products are certified cruelty free and have high percentages of organic ingredients. I always knew Bella Aura is a fabulous brand, and I am happily witnessing it  collection various awards and certifications – don’t just take my word for it, check their social media! Natrue and Nagoya compliant, Halal certified and bear both Ecocert and Cosmos certifications, no less.  Bella Aura bioactives are made with Swiss actives blended from ancient traditions, which are also certified Halal, Ecocert, Cosmos, Natrue, and Nagoya. Products are based on botanical extracts of plants, herbs, and trees and the protein content in their roots, leaves, flowers, fruits. They are 100% natural botanicals and biologically advanced ingredients essential to healthy skin.

So imagine my delight when these gorgeous products landed at my door on Halloween – all treats, no tricks, mind you! It’s safe to say I did a happy dance on the spot, and I am still happy dancing! Let me cut to the the chase and tell you upfront that the products are as gorgeous as you imagine them to be, and even though I am testing them for a couple of days only, I think the products will take firm spots in my Holy Grail Products gallery – I am happy to report no initial reactions or irritations – including the perioral dermatitis patch I have on my left cheek. I think we all know how uber sensitive and reactive my skin is, and if the products suit me, chances are they will suit anyone, although of course, sample patch test is always recommended. I will follow up with the separate reviews on all the the products later on, this is first impressions review. And the impressions are good!

Shall we take a look at the individual products?

 

Bella Aura Hydra Revive Treatment

 Hydra Revive Treatment

This is  essential oil-free serum that effectively hydrates, restores, calms and balances the skin.

Main ingredients: Icelandic moss extract, Magellan’s peat extract, Polypodium Vulgare, Fern extract, Safflowerolosomes, olive oil extract.

This is the product I have tried first, and I was not disappointed! It has a similar consistency to other Bella Aura products, it is a thin emulsion that resembles a thin yogurt consistency, but do not let that fool you – the product is a powerhouse of wonderful natural ingredients and extracts like Icelandic moss and peat – say what? The ingredient list intrigues me to no end, and I am very curious to see what it will do to my skin in the long run. From the first impressions point of view I can say that my skin felt very smooth and soft the the touch, and once I followed up with Bella Aura day moisturiser, it felt good and moisturised for hours on end.  The product description promises to revive dry and dull skin and rejuvenate 20 years of youthfulness within four weeks (in-vivo study). Polysaccharides in evergreen fern extracts will help the skin to retain moisture and provide intense hydration. Skin will look fresh and young with increased smoothness, elasticity and firmness. Eight benefits in one product, doesn’t that sound like a dream? This is aimed at dry and dehydrated skin, with loss of elasticity and uneven texture, dehydrated skin, eczema type conditions, dull skin, oxidized skin and fine lines.

Right? I feel this is the product that was made for me, and I will make sure to follow up with a detailed review in about four to six weeks – I always take that much time to really test skincare products.  Oh, and you get 50ml or 1.7oz of this product.

ACTIVE BOTANICALS
Icelandic Moss Extract, Magellan’s Peat Moss Extract, Polypodium Vulgare Fern Extract, Safflower Oleosomes, Olive Oil Extract.

 

Bella Aura Gravity Reverse Body Serum

Gravity Reverse Body Serum

This is lightweight yet powerful body contour serum that deeply hydrates, restores skin firmness, smoothes skin texture and stimulates collagen production for measurably firmer, smoother and rejuvenated skin. There’s that signature Bella Aura texture again, the serum takes no time to sink in into the skin, yet it leaves the skin deeply hydrated and super soft.

This multifunctional product is an intelligent collagen booster obtained from the leaf sap of the South African medical plant Bulbine frutescens. Smart skin collagen management is essential, because uncontrolled activation of collagen synthesis can lead to the induction of inflammatory processes and the development of low quality collagen. Thanks to the active substances knipholone and acetylated polymannose, BioActives recalibrates the equilibrium between the decomposition and reconstruction of dermal structures, thus providing the skin with an extra portion of high quality collagen. The active ingredient heralds a new era of natural high quality collagen boosters and paves the way for exciting cosmetic applications:

  • Aging gracefully
  • Lifting
  • Wrinkle filling
  • Contour remodelling
  • Reduction of stretch marks
  • Nail care
  • Tattoo aftercare

138 % improvement of wrinkle appearance and 100 % more facial collagen density as compared to placebo.

53 % reduction of stretch marks volume and 212 % visible improvement of stretch marks appearance as compared to placebo.

I am really looking forward to using this, especially seeing the effects promised- and knowing I’ll be testing this in the cold months of the year, I’m interested to know how it will work on my skin.  Yasmine told me it is supposed to work on cellulite too, so I am really curious! I am yet to find a product that works in this area, and if this does, I will make sure to shout about it from the rooftops.

Oh, and you get 100ml of this product.

ACTIVE BOTANICALS
Bulbine Frutescens (Stalked Bulbine), Amazonian White Clay, Olive Oil Extract, Safflower Oleosomes

 

Bella Aura Rapid Repair Clarifying Elixir

Bella Aura Rapid Repair Clarifying Elixir

This is another product I was dying to try and for a good reason – it has a highly concentrated antioxidants from Norvegian Spruce extract, as well as other amazing ingredients of course, but hear this – ten drops contains the same concentration of Lignans as the following:

50 cups of green tea?
100 cups of tomatoes ?
510 cups of lettuce
1800 cups of apples ?
70 cups of oranges ?
30 cups of cauliflowers
150 cups of onions
40 cups of cherries ?
160 cups of cabbage
50 cups of strawberries ?
40 cups of kiwis ?
77 cups of oats
Powerful antioxidants 24x more than flaxseeds

Say what? Shall we look further into the ingredients? This beauty also has rosemary leaf extract, blackcurrant seed oil, sunflower oil and microsilver. Sounds good? I think so! Just like Hydra Revive Treatment, this is another 8 in 1 product meant for acne prone skin that might have inflammation and dehydration, as well as redness, congestion and hypersensitivity, oxidized skin  and eczema type conditions.

This product is a bit different from the others in terms of colour  and smell – as you can see from the photo, it has a slightly darker than white colour, almost grey, and the smell isn’t of neroli like  the other products. I actually like the smell, it is slightly herbal and forest like, it is like you would take a walk in the pine forest in sunshine and absorb all the smells around you. The texture is the same as all the other products, might be ever so thicker, and of course, it sinks in within seconds, leaving no residue, no tight or uncomfortable feeling or anything of that sorts. It actually holds up alone if I use instead of moisturiser, and it carries me through the day beautifully on it’s own. Again, really interested to see what changes it will bring to my skin – and pinky swear to follow up with a review in a few weeks time!

ACTIVE BOTANICALS
Norwegian Spruce Extract, Blackcurrant Seed Oil, Sunflower Oil Concentrate, Balloon Vine Extract, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Safflower Oleosomes, Micro Silver.

 

So what are my final thoughts? I like the products so far, as I already mentioned, there were no initial reactions, which are more than likely if I test any kind of new product, so I am well chuffed. My happy and plump skin agrees! Let’s hope things will continue this way – and I will certainly make sure to follow up with the reviews of all of these products in the next following weeks.

If you are interested in trying any of these new launches (and we both know you want to), here are some more good news – you can save 15% off them with my ambassador code “renata15”, so make sure to use it at the checkout at BellaAura.com . They ship worldwide!

Wait, there’s more! Keep your eyes firmly on my IG page as there *might* be a giveaway coming soon! My lips are sealed for now 🙂

If you want to know my thoughts on the main Bella Aura Collection and why they are my Holy Grail products, click here. (my code is valid on them too)

*Update on why I no longer stand by this brand, even though I still think their products are fantastic, can be seen here, scroll down to the very end.

That’s all for now, see you here again next Tuesday!

Lots of Love,

Renata.

 

Green Life In Dublin, green beauty and lifestyle blog
Enjoy my content? A  tip into my PayPal Tip Jar -  will get You my eternal gratitude and more awesome green beauty reviews Your way! I weed out all the greenwashing products so You won't have to.

Weekly Musings – November 2018

 

Hi Lovelies,

 

Welcome back! And welcome, if you are new here xoxo

Green Life In Dublin Weekly Musings

How are all of You? I hope life is treating You well?

I myself am completely knackered, but since I love blogging so much, I still wanted to get a blog post out. Having just sent my kids back to school, I finally found a minute to actually sit down and work in peace for a little while.  This is actually my second Weekly Musings post, and while I’d like to link to the first one, I can’t – I lost it together with my first website, and as a true professional, I haven’t saved it 🙂  In it I wrote a long and heartfelt post about my life, the actual reason I moved my blogging day to Tuesdays, to the blogger life not being so glitzy and glamorous as people imagine. Even if I tried to replicate it, I can’t, because I wrote it in a spur of the moment – and every time I sit down and try to re-write it again, it doesn’t come out right, it feels dry and forced instead of heart to heart post I intended it to be. I have to be in the right zone to blog, because when I catch the tail of inspiration, that’s when I am at my best creative self, the words flow faster than I can write them down, and when I proof read the post prior to publishing it, I am happy with it on the whole, whatever kind of post it might be. Whereas when I decide I need to work on the blog to get one post or the other, that’s when I hit the wall, the posts come out dry and not my best. Plus all hell breaks loose around me, I find myself pulled into a million different directions at the same time and getting irrationally angry at not being able to get the stuff done.   This leads me to my next point, my new posting days – after working on the weekends only I found myself with too much on my plate on Mondays, from a cr*loads of housework post “Daddy’s Day” – we don’t have a nanny or anyone to help with child care or anything, really, so it is down to us two. Long story short, daddy started minding kids while I went back to work a few months ago. My job is on the weekends only, but he thinks it’s my job to clean up after them when I come back to work. Obviously I am not happy with that at all – you would think I’d have this area of my life in balance after two thousand years of marriage? Not so much. I think like most women I’d done a huge disservice to myself holding three corners of the house while working full time in the past. Now trying to change it and get my family to pitch in, I am met with resistance, obviously. Because if they had it that good so so many years, why would they want to work for free, right? This reminds me of a meme I saw on Facebook ages ago – it reads something like this – ” It is so easy being a woman – you get up at 5-6am, you make breakfast, get up family, serve them breakfast, help kids get dressed, prepare lunches, walk them to school, go to work, pop to supermarket for groceries after work, come home, prepare dinner, serve dinner, wash up after the dinner, supervise your kids homework, play with the kids, walk the dog, put the bins out,  bathe the kids, read them bed time stories and put them to bed, clean up the house, put on washing, sort out and iron previous washing, check & reply to email, pay the bills – and the rest of the time you are FREE to do what you want!!!” Well, something like that, I think I should put it into a meme actually 🙂 So, with all this in mind, and the pressure to do all the things right and on time, I made a decision to move my posting day to Tuesdays after doing it for so many years on Mondays. Being the responsible person I am, I realised I was stressing myself out for no reason – blogging is like a full time job, but I am not at that stage where it pays for itself, so I should take my mental health into consideration and drop the weight where it is appropriate. As my family pointed out, why work for free? And put pressure on myself to post on Mondays if I have the rest of the week that is mostly stress free?

 

 

Well, I hope I communicated this point right, I am not someone who leads this glamorous life, party hopping with a champagne in my hand – far from it. I am just a tired mommy who is trying to keep all her plates in the air, blogging included! Not-so-recent changes in IG algorithms did my nut in, the engagement level dropped dramatically, as well as my page became invisible to the people who didn’t know about me already, meaning I was concealed from the masses. Lots of smaller brands and bloggers were affected, not just me, but it was so disheartening that I thought of leaving it all together a couple of times. I also noticed a couple of bloggers finding a way around it by buying followers, something I would never ever do. What keeps me going is the desire to help people to switch to natural and organic beauty – that is the exact force driving me and my blog – not the fame and money, I think these things should come as a “side effect” of your hard work. And it is hard work, anyone who tried his/her hand at blogging, will know that. I decided bumps like that not to let to get to me – Your messages telling me I helped in some way or form to find your best natural products is the best music to my ears – even all these years, it doesn’t get old. It gives me wings to keep going!

Well, having said all that, I think it might be my seasonal depression talking, as it always rears it’s ugly head at this time of the year. But then again, I think it is important that everyone in the family would pitch in in equal measures, am I right? Us moms tend to do the lions share out of love for our families, but it is a fine line to balance – family members take it for granted all too soon. I was listening to one of On Air With Ella podcasts, where one lady submitted her question and Ella and some psychologist, who’s name escaping me, spend the good hour talking about all the ins and outs of the situation. Basically, one middle aged lady with a husband and two grown up male sons found herself with a health problem that prevented her doing all of the housework she always did, and she asked her family to help and pick up the slack. Do you think they did? She soon found herself branded a nag and a killjoy if she repeatedly asked them to do what had to be done in the first place – how is that fair? And where’s the happy middle ground here? Comment below with your thoughts on this?

Moving onto happier subjects! November is my birthday month, so I am actually on the lookout for a present for myself. After all, I’ve been really good this year, so I deserve to treat myself, right? I am looking at Ere Perez Colour Pot in Harmony, as I really like the way it looks on my blogger friend Jana from Small Bits of Loveliness (see the Natural Beauty post in my old blog here), as well as Ere Perez Almond Oil Mascara. I chose both products from the same brand as I really enjoyed what I have tried from them so far (see review here), even though I am a bit sad they discontinued one of my favourite blushes, called Bondi. You know I love my Nars Orgasm Natural Dupes 🙂 I am also looking at these duo lipsticks from Emani, Xanadu (described as peach and pink) and Shangri La (described as soft pink with hot pink) – not too sure which one to get, as the photos from online shops look different to swatch photos, I am a bit apprehensive and confused. Let me know if You have any of those and how do you find them? Any feedback would be appreciated, so please send me the link to reviews or your IG swatch photos, anything, really? By the way, do you want me to do a full blog post on what else I want for my Cake Day and plan on getting? Do let me know and I will be happy to do that post for you.

What else is happening? I am happily testing/ judging for The Beauty Shortlist Awards 2019 and just submitted my judging form for CertClean Clean Beauty Awards as well. The best jobs I ever had, and I am hoping to do lots more of them in the future! That’s a dream come true and proof that hard work pays off. I gets loads of questions about it, and yes, I will blog about it in my own good time, and yes, the opportunities came to me and not the other way round.

What else is happening? It is not announced yet, but I am happy to tell you I am the new Ambassador for Inner Senses brand – over the moon about this, as I have been a fan for a couple of years now. I have actually reviewed the body oils last year, see the post here.

My love of books is well known, and I was really happy to learn that I can actually request any book I want at my local library – how come no one told me that before? I went on thinking I can only choose from what’s available in my local branch, which is tiny. I am on the maximum 12 book at any given time, but have to scale down, because that’s one of the areas I was stressing myself out for no reason. From now on I will try to be on two or three books at once – which is a very manageable number. Anyone else reading multiple books at once? My reading list can be seen in my Instagram a few posts back for those of you curious?

So imagine my delight when I learned I can also read magazines online, also via Dublin library – I felt like I won the lottery or something! There were times in my past where I actually had a disposable income, or play money (something that is next to nothing now) and I was buying loads of magazines every month, but losing a job put an abrupt stop to all that. Kids needs and bills come first, am I right? Happy to re-discover my old fave thing – the first day was spent drinking tea and reading all magazines I could squeeze into the few hours when the kids were in school. Pure bliss! This will definitely help lift my mood and feed my endless curiosity in the dreary upcoming Sickness Season, umm, excuse me, I meant Winter.

Umm, I am also on a few audio books – yes you guessed right, from the library! I imagine you rolling your eyes at me at this point, and yes, I can totally understand that, I probably sound like a broken record by now. But if You are like me and are committed to constantly better yourself, you will get me. Currently I am onto Jennifer Kries Waking Energy and loving it! The way I can actually fit it into my life is when I power clean in the morning post school run. I can’t remember where I heard this idea of power cleaning your house every day for 20 mins in the morning, but I found this idea perfect! I am a big fan of putting all the things we used that day at the end of the day, while my husband is errr, make-a-mess-all-week-leave-things-where-they-fell-and-then-spend-Saturday-cleaning-it-all-up-while-blaming-everyone-around-you kind of guy. So this technique was kind of like a saviour to me, and if I can feed my soul while doing mundane tasks, then it is thousand times better!

What else? I am hoping to manage to squeeze a date night with my hubby to go watch the new Queen movie! Have you seen it? Is it any good? I am hoping it is good, because Queen’s was actually a first album I ever bought, aged 13. I hope my idols won’t fall from the grace in my eyes, as there were a few places I skipped while reading Freddy’s biography.

 

That’s all for today, see you here tomorrow!

Lots of Love,

Renata.

green life in dublin
Green Life In Dublin, green beauty and lifestyle blog
Enjoy my content? A  tip into my PayPal Tip Jar -  will get You my eternal gratitude and more awesome green beauty reviews Your way! I weed out all the greenwashing products so You won't have to.

Bella Aura Skincare Review

Hi Lovelies,

Welcome back! And if you are new here, welcome ???

Bella Aura Skincare Review
Bella Aura Skincare Review
Bella Aura Skincare Review – old packaging

Let me present the review of something that really works for my sensitive skin – step forward Bella Aura products! I can’t express my feelings enough about the whole line and how wonderful it is! I have started this review many times and every time it does not come out right, so I delete everything and start again. And again. It’s just because there is so much I want to say and so much joy I want to express, the words are tumbling down faster than I can write them down. Let me put it in a nutshell – my sensitive skin found home! I am so amazed at this, as every single product in the line works amazingly well for my skin, and when used in conjunction I have clear and happy skin. And continuously so! I never had this with any other line or brand, and I never seen my skin changing so fast either. Needless to say I recommend this brand to just about anyone, because if it works for me, with uber sensitive skin, chances are it will work for you too.
Let me tell you a little pre-story – the day I received Bella Aura, I was sporting rare dermatitis breakout on my face, as many of you might know, I have form of Celiac called Dermatitis Herpetiformis, where the only outwards symptoms you get are dermatitis rashes all over the body. Nothing to do with herpes, mind you. And in my case it is extremely frustrating and annoying – because it always starts on my face before it spreads to anywhere else on my body. I am lucky girl, I know! Soo, long story short, Bella Aura products cleared the outbreak in three days! Even though they aren’t specifically designed for that purpose. Let’s pause here for a second and let that sink in and be a testament for the brand. Yasmine, you did a wonderful job! I was so amazed and delighted, as so so relieved I decided to go for it – as you might understand, trying new products is a scary thing for me. So many hyped up products in the green beauty community didn’t work for me – if I didn’t get an initial reaction, then most likely they were not working well on my dermatitis patch, making it redder and angrier. None of that with Bella Aura! In fact, the opposite was true – my skin (and my dermatitis patch) were soothed, nourished, glowing and happy. Needless to say everything else I own went into the fridge for the time being. Upon inspecting the ingredients I was happy to find out my
skin receives a supercharged cocktail of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, peptides, hyaluronic acid,  coenzyme Q10 and more, delivered in a creamy white emulsion. During use, my skin was the clearest it has ever been—and I’m not exaggerating. Bella Aura is starting to collect awards, so don’t just take my word for it – the line speaks for itself!

Bella Aura line came about when Yasmine Jones, the creator of the line, was suffering from deteriorating skin & acne scars after going through a traumatic experience with her mother’s battle against leukemia (You can read her full story on Bella Aura website, link at the end of this post). After spending thousands on skincare products and consulting with skincare specialists, she found nothing was working to improve her skin. It was during a trip to Morocco that she met a prominent chemist/herbalist who believed that his oils would help her skin and after months of trying them, she began to see her skin improving. Yasmine wanted to add active ingredients to these oils, and with the help of Swiss skincare technology, Bella Aura line was born. According to Yasmine, most skincare regimens incorporate both serums and creams in order to balance out the advantages and disadvantages of each. By combining them into an emulsion for Bella Aura’s blends, the best of both is fused into one.

There are only five products in the line so far (hold the horses for not one, not two, but THREE new products launching super soon! And what’s more, there *might*be a giveaway for them on my IG page. What can I say, I am so excited!)  and they work amazingly well together – there’s emphasis on less is more, and I have to agree in this case – these products are all my skin needs. For the most part, that’s it, but let me explain that further on in this review.

Bella Aura products

The textures are that of thin lotion, but do not let that fool you – they are true powerhouses of amazing ingredients blended together into a powerful fusion. Yasmine describes it as a serum in a cream emulsion. As the products are light, they sink in very quickly, leaving no residue or heavy feeling you sometimes tend to get with oils. If it worked amazingly well for me, it will work for you too. Let’s see some amazing ingredients in these products? All of the minerals and vitamins in Bella Aura products are derived from natural botanical fruit and vegetable extracts. Black oats, Nigela Sativa oil (also known as black cumin or black seed oil) and prickly pear (also known as fig de barbary or cactus oil) are the key ingredients in products.

Black Oats contain lipids and proteins which have humectant and emollient properties that help to moisturize the skin keeping it soft and supple.

They also contain antioxidant properties making them extremely anti-aging, and helps with inflammation as well.  Black Oats are known for helping with more sensitive skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. and they also contain saponins which make them a gentle cleanser for more sensitive skin.

Nigella Sativa is a flowering plant that originates from Southwest Asia, India and North Africa. The flowers are usually white and pale blue. They belong to the plant family known as Ranunculacease (buttercup family). This miracle oil has been used in traditional medicine as a remarkable healing agent with powerful restorative properties since the beginning of civilization.  Originally, it was called Panacea, which means to cure all.  It is said that Cleopatra used Nigella Sativa oil in her beauty routine for hair and skin. It was also reported that the oil was found in the tomb of King Tut in Ancient Egypt.  Bella Aura uses Nigella Sativa that farmed and processed in Morocco. They work in partnership with local farmers to produce 100% premium, natural, organic Nigella Sativa seeds, and never use any chemicals or pesticides during the planting, farming or production process. The virgin seeds are cold pressed, bottled in dark glass bottles and stored in a dark cool place to ensure that the chemical properties of the black seeds are retained.

Nigella Sativa, (also known as Black Cumin Seed or Fennel Seed) contains over 100 chemical compounds that are direct contributors to having beautiful skin. This is the most powerful oil in the world with a significant amount of protein and exceptionally high in antioxidants. It is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, calcium, selenium, magnesium, iron, beta-sitosterol, copper, zinc, potassium, paltimol, niacin, vitamins A-B-B2&B3-C-D&E in the seeds. Nigella also delivers the essential Omega3&6 fatty acids that are not produced naturally by the body. This extraordinary oil also has anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties.

Nigella Sativa oil is renowned for keeping your skin looking flawless, young and radiant. This powerful oil helps prevent blemishes, fine lines, age spots, dry or oily skin. Some clinical studies suggest that it is beneficial for removing scars in the skin as well.

Fig de Barbary, also known as (Prickly Pear, Cactus Oil and Opuntia Ficus Indica) is one of the richest oils that fortify the skin with the essential vitamins A-B1&B2-C-D-E-F-K and Omega 3-6-9 fatty acids. It also delivers a wide range of the vital minerals magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium, potassium, thiamin, niacin, beta carotene, amino acids, selenium and many more. Fig de Barbary is miraculous oil that acts as a natural barrier against free radical damage, which is the major cause of premature aging.

This extraordinary oil has a powerful anti-oxidative activity and high moisturizing value to rejuvenate mature skin for a remarkable lifting effect. It reduces dark circles under the eyes, hydrates, smooths, firms and refines skin texture plus brightens the complexion. It is a true beauty elixir that is quickly absorbed into the skin and leaves no greasy residue. This age-defying oil contains almost 150% more of the anti-aging antioxidant Tocopherol in comparison to any other oil in the beauty care industry, including Argan oil.
The Fig de Barbary oil is produced in Sidi Ifni that is located in southwest Morocco. It is one of the most expensive oils in the world to extract and requires the production of about 1 million seeds to acquire just one liter of this precious oil. Our Fig de Barbary plants are completely pure and organic with no chemicals or pesticides used during the farming process.

If we want to break down ingredients further to singular mineral and vitamins, here’s what they do:

Omegas 3-6-9s play an important role in all skin conditions, such as combating wrinkles, lines, acne, eczema, psoriasis and even dry, flaking or very oily skins. These good fats are credited with helping your skin’s cell membranes stay healthy, which acts as a barrier to harmful exterior conditions. The cell membranes influence the cells ability to retain moister, thereby producing a softer, more subtle and more wrinkle-free skin. The anti-inflammatory compounds in 3-6-9s help to affect how healthy the skin looks and feels during the aging process.Magnesium is a powerhouse mineral that is essential for keeping your skin performing at its best. It has anti-oxidant clout with enzymes that regulate DNA replication and repair to prevent the skin being subject to a host of wrinkle-producing malefactors, such as free radical damage and inflammation. Without the DNA repair from Magnesium, you will continue to be assaulted by free radicals and it’s only a matter of time before fine lines and wrinkles begin showing up.

Zinc is beneficial for many acne sufferers who are deficient in zinc. Once they start obtaining zinc in their daily regimen, their acne often improves. It is a trace mineral essential to all forms of life, such as gene expression, cell growth and cell replication and especially important for clear skin.

Calcium includes cell renewal, lipid barrier function, and antioxidant protection from DNA damage. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body and a deficiency can manifest itself in skin dryness, itching and premature wrinkling.

Potassium is a vital indicator of healthy looking skin because it is a key player in cell integrity by maintaining electrolyte balance and internal fluids, thus keeping cells hydrated and skin internally moisturized.

Beta Carotene is a carotenoid known for its antioxidant properties. Its ingredient in skin care products can include skin cleansers, facial moisturizers, foundation, sun products and anti-aging treatments. Beta-Carotene provides protection against sun damage and helps to even out skin tone and improve skin texture.

Amino Acids are the building blocks of beautiful skin. They help to produce collagen, elastin, and other proteins and fibers for strong, soft and desirable skin. Selenium has a number of positive attributes in skin care with the key role relating to its antioxidant properties and ability to tackle free radicals. Free radicals result in the disruption of living cells such as skin cells. Selenium helps to retard negative environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides, which can spawn free radicals.

Copper holds promise for prolonging youthful looking skin. It plays an important role in maintaining healthy skin because it helps to develop collagen and elastin, which maintain the strength of the skin for less sagging and fewer facial lines. It also has antibacterial and antifungal properties, which help prevent skin infections.

Sterols are natural compounds derived from plants, fruits and vegetables and essentially vegetable fats that enhance the human immune system. Phytosterols are extracted from different botanical sources. Phytosterols contribute to the structure of the cell membrane and have anti-inflammatory properties, which contributes to anti-aging properties. Phytosterols and polyphenols improve sun-damaged skin.

Carotenoids come from fruits and vegetable and help your skin’s complexion look healthy. They travel through and get stored in our bodies with the help of fats and enhance skin color and tone for a beautiful glow.

Ferulic Acid is found in the cell walls of plants and acts as an anti-oxidant that seeks and destroys several types of free radicals that cause skin damage. It act synergistically with other antioxidants such as Vitamin C & E and makes them more effective and powerful in preventing wrinkles.

Lemon Balm contains romarinic acid, which offers stronger antioxidant activity than vitamins C and E. This antioxidant-rich botanical helps to prevent free radical cell damage.Rutin is a type of bioflavonoid that has a very high anti-oxidative capacity and the ability to increase collagen production for reducing fine lines and plumping the skin. It also acts as a protectant from oxidative damage caused by sun exposure.

You may or may not know that I road test every new skincare product prior to writing a review on it, and this was no exception. Your skin renews itself at around 30 days period (40 if you are 40, yay or what?), so I need to make sure I test the product thoroughly before I speak about them. I see no point in doing first impressions reviews on skincare, but that’s just me. Here’s my skincare routine for the last year or so:

AM: no cleanser, refreshing my skin with thermal water and konjac sponge or washcloth.
1 pump of Antioxidant Booster mixed with 2 pumps of Daily Repair Moisturizer applied all over the face
1 pump of Instant Lifting Eye Contour, applied on the under eye area, upped lid, eyebrows and around lips.

PM: skin cleansed with a few pumps of Gentle Purifying Cleanser, followed by
1 pump of Antioxidant Booster mixed with 2 pumps of Night Cellular Renewal all over the face, followed by
1 pump of Instant lifting Eye Contour, applied like in the morning – on the under eye area, as well as on the upper lids and around the lips.

As I already mentioned, I shelved or rather refrigerated all the other facial products I used and stopped all PR products when it comes to skincare. What can I say, coming from a beauty blogger, this is BIG. I think you already got the impression on how great my skin loved these products (see the gushing at the beginning of this post) . Also worth noting is that when I first tested the products a year ago, I tried to stop using the entire line and go back to my usual products only incorporating one or two Bella Aura product into the set up – and that’s when my redness and skin irritations came back. So that’s why I wouldn’t recommend getting just one of moisturizers if you are new to the brand, you might not see the full potential of the products, and/or it might not mesh well with whatever else you are using. I would recommend getting a sample set first, and using all the Bella Aura products together – in the sample set you will get 10ml of each of the product, and trust me, they will give you enough use for a couple of weeks – plenty of time to see if the products are for you or not. I can bet you will end up falling in love with the products in the first couple of days, just like I did. The day and the night creams are very similar in consistency, as well as how they feel on the skin, but upon inspecting the ingredients I realized they have different ingredients, thus you might not cut corners and use only one of them. The Antioxidant Booster is a true star in my book, makes everything so much better and my skin truly likes it. For a while, I wondered how it would perform boosting my other creams I own, but at the same time I didn’t really want to try it, as I enjoy using Bella Aura exclusively too much. The eye cream works great, is light and sinks in quickly. I was a bit worried about it at first, as prior to this, I only used under eye oils for two years straight (Earthwise Beauty Passion Eye Serum and Wabi-Sabi Botanicals Budhi Eye Nectar – they might be called serums or nectars, but in reality they are oils). So I was a bit worried about not getting enough hydration in this delicate area, but my qualms were quickly squashed, it works great! It is also the first eye product to make a difference in darkness I have – not a stark night-and-day kind of difference, but I am impressed nonetheless. The cleanser I too found great, the same milky consistency like other products, but you get huge bottle of it, and must say it works great for my sensitive skin, it does not irritate it, which is super rare for me. It does not lather, but it cleans your face nonetheless. I find no need to double cleanse, and it takes all of my make up beautifully in one use. Even eye make up, but please take my advice and do not open your eyes when doing it. Rinse well first. Just saying.

Yasmine herself is the best advert for her brand – not only she looks drop dead gorgeous, but what drew me in was her gorgeous soul – so I am so glad green beauty community connected us! She not only supports several charities and works with the communities in her native Morocco, but I also witnessed her supporting her fellow green beauty sisters in a big way – she donated a portion of her profits to Lily’s aka Genuine Glow hubby’s cancer treatments, as well as when Taylor from My Lucite Dreams lost her home (and a dog) to a fire. Now, how amazing and thoughtful is that?! Be sure to check out the blog portion of her website and her Instagram too – you can find so many helpful tips over there, as well as facial massage videos – I think those are well worth checking out.

My overall thoughts – I was deeply impressed by every single product in this line, and honestly, I can’t even begin to pick a favorite! This truly is a beautiful and thoughtful line that really does deliver on its claims. My skin is so temperamental and difficult to please most times and during the entire testing period (about 1 year now, if you can call 1 year a testing time? I think we can all agree it is so much more that that), my skin is calm, clear, hydrated and just healthy looking, which it hasn’t been in a long while. I know it’s not the most wallet-friendly brand, but trust me, it is worth every single penny! As anyone with the troubled skin know the value of good skin days – it gives you wings and this new found zest for life! And that to me is priceless – I am willing to stop spending all my money elsewhere “for the sake of blogging and reviewing content” and truly invest in me, you know?
If you asked me to point out anything bad about the products, the only thing that comes to my mind is that the eye product could do with a different pump – the way it is now, I find it dispenses too much product, and I can’t half-pump it. With the amount it gives, I can easily do under eyes, upper lids, eyebrows, around the lips, and oftentimes I find I still have some product left, which I use on my neck. But that’s a good problem to have, isn’t it?

Bella Aura products have had a make over with new packaging and slight formula tweaks, so this might be the last time You see this packaging, although I am sure my and BA love affair will continue. It’s the same as finding THE ONE – you just know!

You can get it from BellaAura.com (use my code “renata15” to get 15% off your order) and EU distributor for it BeautyWiseShop.be. (shop no longer exists).

(none of the links is affiliate link, just FYI, so we would be on the same page. One of them is an ambassador link, the other is purely for your convenience)

*Update on why I no longer stand by this brand, even though I still think their products are fantastic here, scroll down to the very end.

Have you tried Bella Aura products? What are your thoughts on them? Please share, I would love to know!

Psst, keep your eyes peeled for the launch of the new products and my first impression review post very very soon!

That’s all for now! Ta-ta & I will see you here shortly. Always new posts on Tuesdays.

 

Ps. I have since been asked to be Bella Aura ambassador, and of course, I said yes in a heartbeat!

Lots of Love

Renata.

Green Life In Dublin green beauty blog
Enjoy my content? A  tip into my PayPal Tip Jar -  will get You my eternal gratitude and more awesome green beauty reviews Your way! I weed out all the greenwashing products so You won't have to.

*Post features PR products and an ambassador link. So you’d know and we would be on the same page.

Walden Natural Perfumes Review

Hello Lovelies,

Welcome back! And if you are new here, welcome xoxo

Walden Natural Perfumes Review

Today I am coming at you with a review of some fabulous natural perfumes that are still into my Top Three Favourites, ever since they launched a little more than a year ago, and I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

Walden Natural Perfumes are 100% natural and made from the finest absolutes, resins and essential oils in the world. They are named after Henry David Thoreau’s seminal novel Walden. Part meditation, part handbook for simple living in natural surroundings the book has inspired countless readers and Walden Perfumes is proud to follow in those footsteps. Offering a natural alternative to mass-produced fragrances made by industrial processes and shilled by celebrities, Walden Perfumes is proud to return to the glory days of real perfumery when fragrances were made by hand in small batches from natural ingredients of the finest quality. They are housed in simply stunning bottles, they are very simplistic, but elegant, there’s chunky square glass bottle with a wooden lid and a simplistic label. The fragrance feels very decadent and luxurious to me, exactly the way I like my perfumes to be. There’s five scents to choose from.

A Little Star-Dust: Ylang Ylang, Iris & Jasmine with Amyris & Tonka Bean
(Finalist for ‘Best Natural Beauty Product’, Natural & Organic Awards Europe 2017)
A Different Drummer: Pepper, Cedarwood, Amber, Amyris & Sandalwood
Castles in the Air: Citrus, Tropical Flowers and Lavender
The Solid Earth: Petitgrain, Vetiver, Patchouli Oil & Amyris
Two Eternities: Wild Roses, Jasmine, Iris, Bergamot & Sweet Orange Oil

A Different Drummer Walden natural perfume

I chose “A Different Drummer” one as it appealed the most to me, and I am pleased to say I got it right (sandalwood and amber – yes please!) – I can’t stop oohing and aahing over it ever since I got it! I fully intend to try samples of them all as the time goes by, “A Little Star Dust” is calling my name too, but I am sure “A Different Drummer” will be in my favourites forever. When first applied, it can be a little heady and strong, but soon sinks into your skin and transforms into a natural scent that smells classy and exotic at the same time, almost one of a kind! I like not smelling like everyone else, and that is exactly that type of a smell. Choosing fragrance is very personal to me, and that is why I am so picky about it, I reject 95% of the fragrances easily. That is why I am so chuffed with myself for getting it right from the very start with Walden. The scent can easily be worn by men or women, I noticed my hubby sneakily using it too. I simply adore this scent and I am simply under the spell and utterly in love with it! I look forward to wearing it – that is saying something, believe me. Well done, Walden Natural Perfumes, your products are simply exquisite! I am looking forward to wearing them for years to come. As you can see from the photos, I love it so much that I invested in a baby roll version of it, so I could carry it with me at all times!
The fragrances are available in a few different formats, 50ml bottles, 15ml purse sprays, 10ml oil based roll ons, cutest baby roll ons bottles that you can fit in any sized purse, and of course, sample sizes, so you can try before you buy. Don’t you love samples? All available via LoveLula (sadly no more).
(free shipping worldwide for all orders £15+ woohoo or what?)

walden natural perfumes review

That’s it for today. Have you tried Walden natural perfumes yet and which one is your favourite? What natural perfumes are you guys loving? Please share with me, I would love to know!

Loved this post? Please share it on your social media to get the green beauty word out! You will have my eternal gratitude 🙂 Let’s be friends all over social media too, my links can be found on the right hand side of this post.

 

See my last Love Lula post here – a review of Alteya Organics Facial Sprays.

 

 

That’s it for today, see You here next Tuesday.

Lots of Love,

Renata.

Green Life In Dublin green beauty blog
Enjoy my content? A  tip into my PayPal Tip Jar -  will get You my eternal gratitude and more awesome green beauty reviews Your way! I weed out all the greenwashing products so You won't have to.
Products featured are a mix of LLABP PR products and those bought with my own money. Links are affiliated, and I thank You so much for using them – at no expense to you of course xo
*You can’t use my content or my photos without my permission.

Alteya Organics Facial Sprays Review

Hi Lovelies,

Welcome back! And welcome, if you are new here xoxo

Alteya Organics Camomile Water
Alteya Organics Camomile Water Review
Today I wanted to talk about recent love of mine, Alteya Organics facial mists, Organic Bulgarian Rose Water & Organic Bulgarian Chamomile Water.  The brand is new(ish) to Love Lula*, but have been in business for many years.

Continue reading “Alteya Organics Facial Sprays Review”

My Favourite Green Beauty Products

Hi Lovelies,

green life in dublin
Green Beauty Products I Love & Recommend

First and foremost I wanted to say HUGE THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART to each and every one of you who read my blog, followed me on my green beauty journey – I love you guys!

If Green Life In Dublin Awards existed, these would be it!
Each and every single product is well and thoroughly tested by me – I would never dream of recommending a  product I haven’t used and loved myself. 

I always try to get discounts for you guys so you could save $£€

Live In The Light is a truly natural UK web shop that I work with, my code “GREENLIFEINDUBLIN15” will save You 15%
(some of the links will be affiliate links, but not all. I am not about that life, I love creating good content and sharing good natural products!)
green life in dublin
Green Life In Dublin Best Products – My Favourites
green life in dublin
Green Life In Dublin favourite natural make up

Foundation 

  • Pure Anada Mineral Foundation
  • English Mineral Makeup Company Mineral Foundation
  • Inika Certified Organic Liquid Foundation

All Holy Grails for a few years now.

BB cream

Inika Organic BB Cream Foundation

Cream concealer

In concealer, I am looking for the full coverage first and foremost. Me and my acres of dark circles need it 🙂

Powder concealer

  • Pure Anada Loose Mineral Foundation used a a concealer.

More pigmented than some powder concealers I’ve tried.

Setting Powder

As a dry skin gal, I do not use it, soz

Blush

  • Inika Peachy Keen (loose)
  • Pure Anada Forever Summer Pressed Blush

Blush is my happy place, so I couldn’t chose just one.

Bronzer

  • Inika Bronzer In Sunkissed

Mascara

  • Inika Long Lash Mascara

Highlight

  • Inika Highlighting Creme

Eyebrow Product(s)

Eye Pencil

Lavera black pencil

Liquid Eyeliner

  • Couleur Caramel Liquid Eyeliner

Single/ Duo Eye Shadow

  • Inika Pressed Mineral Eye Shadow Duo in Golden Oyster

Eye Shadow Palette

  • Pure Anada palettes

Lipstick

Lip Gloss

not a lip gloss person, but DrHauschka ones seem nice

Lip Balms

  • Hurraw, especially Moon Balm


Moisturiser

Facial Oil

Water/ Aloe Based Serum

  • Earthwise Beauty Nap In The Meadow
  • Alteya Organics Rose Otto Regenerating Concentrate

Oil Based Serum

  • see facial oils

Balm

  • Mahalo Rare Indigo

Lip Balm

  • Hurraw

Acne Treatment

Dermatitis Treatment

  • LaVigne Mayan Magic Balm
  • Living Libations Everybody Loves The Sunshine with Zinc Beach Balm (no kidding, see the review!)

Face Cleanser (gel /cream/ liquid)

  • Alteya Certified Organic Rose Otto Cleansing Milk

Balm Cleanser

  • Neal’s Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm

Oil Cleanser

  • Living Libations Sea Buckthorn Best Skin Ever

FACE SPF PRODUCT

  • Living Libations Everyone Loves The Sunshine With Zinc (both liquid and balm formula)

Balm with SPF (Beach Balm & Lip Balm)

  • Living Libations Everybody Loves The Sunshine With Zinc Beach Balm

Face Exfoliant 

  • as my skin is super sensitive and dermatitis prone, I choose konjac sponge for gentle exfoliation

Make Up Remover

  • Neal’s Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm
  • followed by Alteya Organics cleanser

Eye Make Up Remover

Under Eye Cream

Evolve Organic Beauty 360 Eye & Lip Contour

Face Mask

Toner/ mist

  • Isun Skincare Ormus Myst
  • Alteya Organics Certified Organic Chamomile Water
  • Alteya Organics Certified Organic Rose Water

Face /Neck Tools

 

green life in dublin
Green Life In Dublin Best Haircare

 

Shampoo

  • Rahua Volume shampoo

Solid shampoo

Pure Anada Balancing Solid Shampoo Bar

Conditioner

Hair and Scalp Oil

Dry Shampoo

  • Living Libations Flowers In Her Hair 

 

Natural and Organic Body Care – and lots of reviews of it

Body Scrub

Evolve Organic Beauty Tropical Blossom Body Polish

Body Wash

Evolve Organic Beauty Pomegranate & Goji Aromatic Wash

Deodorant

  • Elsa’s Organic Skinfoods

Body Oil

  • Inner Senses Body Oils
  • Kathleen Sensual Rose Body & Massage Oil

Body SPF Product

  • Green People Sun Lotion Scent Free
green life in dublin
Green Life In Dublin Favourite Products

 

Natural Perfume

Natural(ish) Nail Polishes

  • Glossworks

DENTAL CARE

Toothpaste

Tooth Oil

  • Living Libations Neem Enamelizer Liquid

Gum Health

Mouthwash

Teeth Whitening

Tongue Cleaner

WELLNESS/ Supplements

wellness/ superfoods + superfoods drinks

Wunder Workshop Shroom Latte

Gynostemma tea, Shaman Shack Herbals Four Eternals (superfood mix) & more

Yogi Throat Comfort Tea

+ essential oils + so much more 🙂

I hope this was in any way interesting and/or helpful to you, and if it leads to at least one person finding a good product, then my work is done. Please be on the lookout for the reviews of many of these products, and let me know your favourites as well, so I could check them out!

 

Lots of Love,

Renata.

green life in dublin
Green Life In Dublin, green beauty and lifestyle blog
Enjoy my content? I would appreciate any  tip into my PayPal Tip Jar - any donation will get You my eternal gratitude and more awesome green beauty reviews Your way. I weed out all the greenwashing products so You won't have to.

Growing Pains

Hi Lovelies,

 

As you know, I invested into my own website a month ago – and let’s just say I had to dissolve it due to some issues. So despite blogging for years, here I am, starting all over again – sad to lose a month of hard work I’d put into it, but I’ll bounce back for sure! In the meantime, please check out my (now old) blog here – all the posts back to 2009, haha! And come back here for new posts every Tuesday 🙂

Have a nice day, all of You!

Lots of Love,

Renata.