Neal's Yard Remedies Eye Liner Review

Hello! Hope you are all well and hi to my new followers :)

Eye Liner is next on my list of make up items that are an easy switch from high street to natural and organic. I received the Neal's Yard Remedies Eye Liner free with Elle Magazine a couple months back and have been testing it out since. The colour is black but the website only sells their 3 colours; Slate, Oak and Midnight. The colour of my eye liner was an exclusive for Elle UK readers! I was very happy to receive this eye liner because I have been aware of Neal's Yard Remedies for a while but have not had a chance to test out their products. 

They are an English brand who have been creating and selling organic products for 30 years. Their website says:

At Neal's Yard Remedies, we're driven by the passionate belief that health and beauty should be more natural, less synthetic. This passion, and our firm belief that it's down to all of us to protect our precious planet, is at the heart of everything we do.

As expected, nothing is tested on animals and they are CarbonNeutral®. They have won countless awards and really are one of the leading organic health and beauty brands in the UK.

The eye liners are 37% organic and certified by the Soil Association. NYR say the eye liner is ultra smooth and glides on with the antioxidant and organic rich blends. It will gently moisturise  and protect delicate skin without dragging and pulling. The packaging is lovely with a navy paper like finish and silver writing.  

As this picture shows I have drawn two lines on my hand using the eye liner. The first one is how it applies normally, the second when it has been smudged. 

How do I like it?

 I think the eye liner does apply very nicely, I have never been the neatest when it comes to applying my eye liner, I always get the line wonky, but I do find that this eye liner is very easy to work with! It doesn't smudge very easily when it is applied which is great however I think it is not very long lasting. It seems to fade quite quickly. I also find that you have to apply 2 layers of liner to get the colour to be more opaque. But one layer is fine for me because I like the more natural look anyway! It is smooth without being to soft which is really good and the pencil doesn't break every time I try to sharpen it!

I have been happy with the eye liner and think it is reasonably priced at £9.50 considering the brand you are buying and the quality of the product. I would consider purchasing another one of their eye liners(in the colour  Oak) and would definitely recommend this product and brand to anybody else looking for an organic eye liner. 

My overall rating for Neal's Yard Remedies Eye Liner: 7/10

Lavera Volume Mascara Review

Today's blog post is looking into natural mascaras, and in particular Lavera Volume Mascara. 

I feel like I never have much luck with mascara. My natural eyelashes and rather straight and short, and the main things I choose to look for in a mascara is curl and volume. Finding that perfect mascara can sometimes be difficult, plus I'm looking for one that is natural or organic too! 

I personally don't think there is too much being offered with natural/organic mascaras in the UK which are affordable and easy to buy. I generally don't want to spend much more than £10 on my mascara.

Naturisimo is a great website because it has a vast range of brands and products with free UK delivery. I had heard some good things about the brand Lavera so decided to give their mascara a go! 

I bought the Volume Mascara for £10.90 for Naturisimo in the colour Black. The packaging says 'For natural, full-looking eyelashes' so I expected to have a subtle volume for everyday use. Naturismo also gave a description of the mascara on their website:

'Lavera Volume mascara with a shaping brush adds lasting volume and length to lashes for beautiful, bright eyes. Easy to use and with precision application, the brush glides through lashes for a bewitchingly silky finish. Carefully selected oils, such as organic sea-buckthorn oil, and organic jojoba wax nourish the lashes, while adding structure and shine. Dermatologically and ophthalmologically tested, suitable for contact lens wearers.'

So what's the verdict?

Unfortunately, I have not been very impressed with this mascara. It has a great wand for applying the product to your eyelashes, and it has a good application. However, after applying a couple coats onto my eyelashes, I could not really tell I was wearing any mascara. It did not give any volume or length, the only thing it did was made my eyelashes slightly darker, something which I guess would be good for somebody who didn't want to look like they had any make up on. One thing I did like was that you could easily reapply the mascara, as it was not clumpy or dry on my eyelashes, and it didn't appear to flake onto my under-eye area either (something which is useful for contact lens wearers). Another negative point was that the mascara smells like gin to me, which is not something I want to be smelling when I have just woken up in the morning!

Overall I would not re-purchase the mascara and can't see myself using the rest of my current one up. Although it was a nice application, and gave me smooth eyelashes, it didn't add any volume or length to my lashes, which for me defeats the purpose of using mascara. I would only recommend it to people who possibly have very light coloured eyelashes and don't want to look like they are wearing any make-up.

 I hope to find the perfect natural/organic mascara soon, has anybody got any recommendations?

My overall rating for Lavera Volume Mascara: 4/10

Dead Sea Spa Magik Rich Moisturiser Review

Finding a good moisturiser is a hard job! You want something that is perfect for your skin type, glides on smoothly, sinks in quickly, creates a good base for your make up, and most importantly moisturisers your skin!! On top of all that, I am on the lookout for a natural/organic moisturiser which will tick all these boxes.

So how does Dead Sea Spa Magik's Rich Moisturiser do on the test?

I bought this from Holland And Barrett for £7.29. You get 75ml of product, which I don't think is too bad for the price. It is certified organic and has minerals such as Magnesium, Potassium and Calcium in it. There were a few ingredients on the list that I was unsure about, but searching on cosmetic databases have shown that that they come under the category of little to no hazard to you. 

Features of this moisturiser include:

*Light, non greasy

*Good for dry skin

*Corrects moisture balance

*Good make up base

*Contains UVA & UVB Protection

Feel Unique describes it as 'A nourishing moisturiser to re-hydrate and protect, leaving your skin remarkably supple and radiant.'

So how did I like the product?

Firstly the packaging looks like something you might buy in a spa, they have made the products look more expensive than they actually are. When using the moisturiser, I used about a pea sized amount, I have found you really don't need too much!

The moisturiser is white and creamy. It smells lovely and fresh but I can't put my finger on the scent. It glides onto my skin really smoothly and sinks in very quickly. I think this really great because sometimes you have to wait 5 mins for your moisturiser to sink in before getting your make up on! My skin does feel soft and even after using this moisturiser which then means it is a good base for my make up. It hasn't made my skin break out which is a big thumbs up, but I don't think it makes my skin radiant like it claims too! Another positive is that I like that it has UVA & UVB protection in it. 

So in conclusion I think this is a very good moisturiser and I am interested in trying some of their other products. There is very little that I can say is bad about this product, however I am still interested in trying more moisturisers! I would definitely recommend this anybody interested in organic skincare who has normal to dry skin. It is affordable and a really good moisturiser!

My overall rating for Dead Sea Spa Magik Rich Moisturiser: 9/10

Burts Bees Honey Lip Balm Review

When you think of natural skin care, one of the first brands that comes to mind is Burts Bees. They are a well known brand with a good reputation. Their products are free from Parabens, Sulphates, Phthalates or Petrochemicals and ingredients are at least 99% natural. 

From Naturisimo 'Burt's Bees creates Earth-friendly natural products carefully crafted from time-tested, proven recipes formulated with effective natural ingredients.'

I purchased the Burts Bees Honey Lip balm from Naturisimo for £3.50. I think the price is very reasonable as you would spend this on a lip balm from the high street without thinking twice. The packaging is the same as all their other orangey-yellow items. I like the understated packaging as its doesn't try to glamourise natural and organic products as it can make the products feel gimmicky.  

This product is 100% natural and states that it moisturises and nourishes the lips in a gentle way. It is filled with butters and oils which will condition and soothe your lips. Examples are Beeswax, Sunflower oil, Coconut oil and Honey.

What did I think?

The first thing I like about this lip balm is that it is smells very strongly of Honey. It fills the air with the sweet scent which I find very pleasant. The balm glides smoothly over my lips and certainly makes them feel soft and  conditioned. My only negative thought is that I find myself having to re-apply the product more often than other lip balms I use. But I have found that the lip balm has lasted me ages. I bought the lip balm in December and I am only just finishing it now. I have tried their pomegranate and original lip balms too, which I liked but this one has been my favourite. I love the smell of the Honey the most! 

Overall I would recommend this product to everybody. Their line of products are accessible and affordable to all. Both women and men could use the majority of the products and they have ranges for baby care too. I will be reviewing another one of their products that I have tried soon and can't wait to try some of their other items such as the moisturisers and lip glosses!

My overall rating for Burts Bees Honey Lip Balm: 8/10