October November Beauty Finds

I received some great news yesterday. As many of you know long before I became a vegan I’ve always opted for cruelty free beauty products. No animal testing please. Thanks to Leaping Bunny and PETA I’ve managed to stick to this. (Thankful too that my beloved Korean products also don’t!). For a long time it was down to the company’s ethics if they tested or not. A few years ago the EU banned all cosmetic animal testing with various organisations putting pressure on other countries to follow. So many brands I’ve avoid mainly due to China. I found out a few years ago while some companies say they don’t test on animals, if they sell physically in stores in China that means the products have been subjected to 3rd party animal testing as required by Chinese law, for all imported cosmetics. China did ban a few years ago animal testing on domestic products but imported products were still required to be tested. This meant I’ve left a lot of products on the shelf. 

Care2 announced yesterday that China will soon allow importation of non animal tested cosmetics!. Which is fantastic news, if and when it happens! So many more products I can try! However the writer brought up an interesting point. Continue to support those who chose ethics over big money in the first place. This is what I’ll continue to do as these companies also produce products that don’t come under the label ‘cosmetic’. For example Proctor and Gamble and Johnson and Johsnon who own amongst many companies Covergirl, Max Factor and Aveeno, Clean and Clear respectively, also produce washing detergents, household cleaning products under many names that are tested, Ariel, Gillette and Windex and Mr Muscles respectively amongst many others are just a few household names.

That aside, a little late October November Beauty Finds. I have 4 requirements when it comes to cosmetics, no animal testing, no animal ingredients (I eat honey, so beeswax and honey’s fine. Bee venom and snail slime, I’ll pass), as natural ingredients as possible and no nasty ingredients like SLS, parabens, petrochemicals (petrochemicals can be sneaky and come under many aliases and derivatives. Some are safe and non toxic. It’s a minefield negotiating labels), palm oil (I love orangutans more) etc. The last 2 can be hard with make up in Europe, so I go with what I can get.

Manefit Lavender Wrinkle and Lifting Beauty Planner Mask

I’ve tried a few Manefit’s sheet mask available at Miin and this one I liked the most. It’s description ain’t so glam: mask gives moisture and elasticity to skin loosing vitality with time. It does contain a petrochemical, butylene glycol which scores 1 out of 10 on EWG for toxicity. Its other con is that it contains 2 masks. As the main mask is so delicate, another is used to protect it. More waste! I’m not a huge fan of lavender and thankfully the scent isn’t overpowering as it does what is says. My skin feels and looks smoother. As the mask is so fine I can tear it along the nose bridge bit without ripping too much for a snugger fit around my nose and eye area.

Neogen Dermalogy Real Flower Cleansing Water Calendula *

100% naturally brewed soothing bio-cleanser

Koreans are know for their love of fermented food packed with probiotics – kimchi! They’ve taken that love to skincare products. Neogen is brand that’s becoming a favourite. Calendula has great skin nourishing properties and this even contains petals to continue the fermentation as you use it. It’s applied with a cotton pad to dry skin and it feels so good wiping away make up and dirt! Eye make up it’s okay, I prefer coconut oil. I’ve been using in conjunction with one of their foam cleansers and haven’t exerpienced any breakouts. It’s doesn’t leave my skin feeling stripped dry and I’ve seen an improvement in skin texture and tone skin using the 2 products. 

*At time of writing neither Miin where I purchase it or amazon currently stock it. I’m hoping Miin gets more soon!

Neogen Dermalogy Real Fresh Foam Green Tea 

100% naturally brewed soothing bio-cleanser 

This is the only Neogen foam cleanser I can try for now! Amazon have a few more I’d like to try, but none will ship to Spain and it’s chance ordering from Korean sites with customs. Thankfully Miin stocks it! Like the calendula cleanser, this is a fermented cleanser used as part of the 2 step cleanse. An oil cleanser to remove makeup and suncreen, followed by a foaming cleanser to remove dirt and water based dirt. The bottom part has a small filter packed with green tea leaves again to continue fermentation! After using my skin feels clean but not a stripped out all moisture squeaky clean feel. It’s left feeling refreshed and ready for toner, essence and everything else! 

Original InvisiBobble, The Traceless Hair Ring 

I was curious when I purchased these in Sephora but it left them in the drawer until I noticed a girl at my gym wearing one and asked her if they worked. She gushed slightly, so I was okay, let’s try them. Their claim: traceless, avoids headaches, no spilt ends strong grip, all hair types. The perfect hair band! No ponytail or bun marks, no split ends!, stays put and won’t tangle in my hair.

The first few wears I liked them so much I got them in blue and pink (the names are so cool, To be or nude not to be, Mint to be, Pinking of you) for top knots and ponytails at home and the gym. I should have waited a few weeks before purchasing more. Yes, they don’t hurt in a bun or pony tail, they’ve tangled twice in 2 months, they don’t leave traces unless my hair was slightly damp going up in bun and left for a few hours. However they only lasted 3 weeks before they overstretched and start loosing their grip. For the price I’d expected more and it’s more waste plastic. I do however like the nano clear ones for securing plaits cycling. They’ve kept their shape for longer. For now I’m sticking with hair ties. 

Cosrx Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask

Enriched with more than 65% of rice extract, this mask provides intensive nourishment with deep moisture and brightening. 

I’m still not convinced of overnight masks, so I thought I’d try one from one of my favourite bands, Cosrx. As will all Korean overnight masks it’s lightweight and invisible. I haven’t had any breakouts or white bumps with this one and I think it does what it says. My skin the next day doesn’t feel dry and I’ve seen some improvement in skin texture. As for helping with wrinkles, fine lines, the jury’s still out. I like the idea of overnight masks, however I don’t think I use this enough to change my mind (December list, overnight mask x 2 a week). I do like that this one contains few ingredients. 

Kat Von D Lock It Concealer Cream

24 hour wear, crease proof, full coverage, hydrating

What can I say. This is better than the Nars one I was using. I very nearly repurchased the Nars concealer until I noticed she had 18 shades of concealer. 18 shades for every skin tone! There had to be one for me! I go for neutral if I can as though my veins say I’m a cool tone, my hair and eye colour say warm. After a little help from a Sephora assistant, I choose L9 Neutral. It covers those underage bags, stay put even through HIIT workouts, basically does what it says. It’s biggest test was our day trip to Madrid. I applied it at about 04.25 and it was still going strong around 23.00. It’s a little expensive but you get 6.25g which I think is good value for money. If blended with a Beauty Blender the finish is near flawless. It doesn’t separate much as the day goes on into fine lines either which is a big plus! Perhaps it’s only con is the price point, but again for the quantity I think it’s good value for money. 

SkinMiso Real Clean Peeling Gel *

Initially I though this was a scrub thanks to it’s description, hypoallergenic aqua gel clearly remove dead cells, wastes and sebum without irritation and clean up deeply pores with plant extracts. Totally a scrub right?!. The first time using it I kinda freaked out. I was fascinated and disgusted by the white flakes that came off! I try to avoid over using it as it removes that much gunk from my skin. I’ve noticed my skin looks brighter and have had less blackheads and blocked pores since using this. I even use it for a total body ‘scrub’ (if you do, stand in the shower or bath so you don’t have to sweep the floor afterwards)! It only real con is it does have a slight chemical smell. I would also recommend using it on your hands first before applying it on your face so you know it’s working on your face.

*I purchased this in Sephora Spain however they don’t stock it on their website.

There you have it, Oct/Nov Beauty Finds! Have you tried any of these? What’s you currently beauty product obsession?