natjtan With K-Beauty established on beauty shelves there’s new player in town. A-Beauty or Aussie beauty. In the past 2 years Australian beauty products have been quietly creeping onto beauty countertops. A-Beauty has a reputation of using high quality natural ingredients, many sourced from and/or indigenous to Australia with a focus on clean natural beauty. Long time readers will know I’m all about natural ingredients and cruelty free brands. Vegan all the better. While A-Beauty doesn’t have the same ring as K-Beauty I’m beginning to appreciate them both without a clear winner. There are some amazing natural ingredients cruelty free K-Beauty brands out there, although A-Beauty might have the edge. Today I’m sharing the A-Beauty brands I’ve tried so far with a few competing if not winning for my love of K-Beauty.
I have my Aussie friend to thank for introducing me to Kora Organics. Created by supermodel Miranda Kerr, Kora Organics is a natural organic ingredient, no nasty ingredients, cruelty free range with many products using noni fruit. It’s expensive but value for money with products lasting a long time. You only need to use a little! The only downside is most of the tubes and bottles are plastic. Kora Organics ship worldwide with some exceptions, one being Spain. Nooo! Thankfully Douglas last year started selling some of the Kora Oragnics range. Most of the products I’ve used I’ve fallen in love with and have helped improve my skin no end. Ever since I’ve been using the Noni Radiant Eye Oil I haven’t been recommended once any eye creams! It’s small, expensive but lasts about 4 months used about 3 times a day. I even apply it around my mouth to help with the lines around there. Most products I’ve tried are now staples such as the Noni Glow Face Oil (expensive but lasts nearly 5-6 months), Balancing Rose Mist, Noni Bright Vitamin C Serum (again expensive but lasts 5 months), Turmeric Brightening and Exfoliating Mask and Soothing Moisturiser. No SLS, petrochemicals, parabens, sulphates, synthetic fragrance or colours. T.E.A, D.E.A, glycols, silicones. PEGS, ethoxylate, formaldehyde or formaldehyde derivatives are to be found in any products. Only the body balms are non vegan containing beeswax. All products are certified organic and filtered though rose quartz during manufacturing for extra self love.
The first Aussie brand I found in Sephora.es! The orange scented coffee scrub is their original product and their line’s since expanded into cleansers, toners, moisturisers, balms and hair masks. Everything is based around coffee! I really like their Charcoal Face Cleanser and Body Balm which helps with the start of an eczema flair up. I’m also in love with their Coffee Lip Scrub (currently not listed, however the Cherry Bomb version is which I’ve yet to try! Click the highlighted coffee lip scrub for Sephora.es link) and Caffeinated Hair Mask and the Caffeinated Face Moisturiser until I made the link I might not drink coffee anymore to stop cyst spots I still apply it. When I stopped using their Caffeinated Face Moisturiser I stopped getting tiny cysts. That’s just my skin with one product. Reviews have been great for the Caffeinated Face Moisturiser. The rest of Frank Body products ones I’ve used I’ve really enjoyed using. I’m working way through their body scrubs however I’m preferring the sugar ones. The cheeky tongue in cheek marketing makes my smile too. Sephora.es sell a small part of the range with the FrankBody main site offering free worldwide shipping on orders over €20. Shipping is quick and thanks to it entering for now the UK there are no custom fees in Spain or return at customs due to ingredients. I’m not sure now the UK has left the EU which EU country will be the port of entry for the rest to Europe to avoid customs. All products are plastic packaging with shipping packaging cardboard only. Oh and all products are natural, contain no nasty ingredients, all are vegan apart from lip glosses and the whole line is cruelty free!
*Stay Sweet Parakeet!
I’ve only tried their face masks as Sephora.es only has a small range with shipping outside of Spain way too expensive (along with customs) for me to try without sampling in store. Their focus is natural ingredients however I have noticed the Hydrating Face Moisturiser I wanted to try contains a not so nice but not too bad ingredient rated low on ewg.com (the ingredient being Polyethylene Glycol. I’m not sure if it’s petrochemical or corn derived). Out of the 3 masks I’ve tried Uluru Purifying Mask containing red and white clay is now my go to clay mask. I was worried the first time I’d left it on for too long my skin would be tinted orange! I didn’t have to worry. It rinsed off fine. There’s a slight tingle a minute or 2 after application and it’s been great at keeping blackheads under check. The products are quite expensive so read reviews before purchasing. That said like Kora Oraganics the mask with 1-2 weekly use lasts about 4+ months. Less is moreMost products are paraben, sulfate, phthalates, silicone, harmful chemicals and fillers free and best bit, cruelty free! Again all products are plastic packaging. Cult Beauty’s the stocker aside from their own site for Europe (again too expensive for me to try on a whim without sampling beforehand).
*Written the inside of the cardboard packaging lid and makes me smile every time.
Sand and Sky’s main product is their Australian Pink Clay Porefining Face Mask and separate Australian Pink Clay Flash Perfection Exfoliator with the focus on natural native Aussie ingredients. They launched last year a new range featuring Australian emu apple in a serum and mask. They hit hard on Instagram launching and in Sephora.es with their travel sized clay mask. If I’m honest I think the pink clay mask is mostly hype. I’m sure it works for a lot of skin types, just not mine, oily sensitive. It was okay, didn’t really do anything but felt nice on. If anything it felt like it dried my skin slightly. It’s expensive for the price however you get discount of about 25% if you purchase kits. Shipping’s great, quick with packaging plastic free. Even the pot’s plastic free being glass (lid plastic) but after using the exfoliator and not appreciating them I moved on. I learnt later pink clay is actually a mix of red and white clay. I prefer Dr Roebucks Uluru Mask that’s more effective for less money. That said the full sized mask lasted about 4-5 months of about 1-2 weekly use. All products are sulfates, silicones, parabens and phthalates free and are cruelty free!
vee.p Bath and Body Soap
From my friend who introduced me to Kora Organics she also gifted me for Christmas a vee.p Bath and Body Soap; Whatever Max Soap Bar. I wasn’t sure if it was a face or body soap but as a body soap it was amazing! Unfortunalty it didn’t last long about 2-3 weeks. It gets extra bonus points for not containing palm oil, synthetic dyes, additives or fragrances with the whole brand cruelty free, vegan and handmade! Every bar of soap purchased vee.p donate a bar to soap.aid a non profit who recycle discard and used hotel soaps into brand new soap bars to children and families in need across Australia and the world. A simple bar of soap can stop so many infectious diseases and hygiene related deaths and many people don’t have access to a bar of soap. Coincidently checking out Veep’s site I learnt how long clay masks should be left on for which is a lot less than most clay products recommended times before they start to be ineffective. Clay masks magical properties are when they’re 50-60% dry before rinsing off.
Koala Kangaroo
How cute is this little one?! P bought it back for me from when he was in Austraila last year. It’s heartbreaking what happened to koalas, kangaroos, farm animals, marsupials, birds, reptiles, insects and many other animals in the bush fires which are still ongoing. Who knows, products containing native Australian ingredients might be affected by the bush fires too. Please see a Week Friday Favourites post under Internet Finds how you can donate to help with the going care for animals affected by the fires.
Are you a fan of Aussie Beauty or have tried any of the brands mentioned? Please share in the comments below! Aussie brands seem put a lot of care and attention in the ingredients with awareness also for the environment and nature. Which is crazy as Australia’s main exports are coal, iron ore, lead, diamonds, rutile, zinc, zirconium, gold, opal, uranium and aluminium.
[…] Moisturiser which too had coffee seed extract. When I stopped using that last year and only writing Clean Aussie Beauty Brands I’m Using, I noticed my cystic acne virtually gone. It could be a coincidence or my body just doesn’t like […]