Beauty Finds: Mists, Toners, Masks and Eyeshadow. Kora Organics, Freshly Cosmetics and Honest Beauty.

Welcome back to another Beauty Finds! As always all products are cruelty free, natural as possible with my honest thoughts. So grab cup of tea and let’s begin!

There are a few requirements I look for in beauty products: cruelty free, natural, vegan better (I’m vegan but I eat honey. Beeswax depending on the brand I’m okay with. I know bad vegan. I haven’t eaten meat in almost 20 years. The honey I try to make sure is local or national from a good source). No snail slime. I try to avoid palm oil and it’s derivatives as I prefer orangutans. Nasty ingredients such as SLS, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals etc and their derivatives are out. I opt for clean ingredients although what’s clean can also be petrochemical derived. I’m not perfect, some slip through. I find it annoying purchasing online the list of ingredients isn’t inclusive when reading them on the packaging. Maybe I sped read. I usually put them back spotting an ingredient I don’t like. I’m sure I drive shop assistances crazy while I check ingredients online. Make up, it’s more tricky so I go for cruelty free brands opting for those with containing less petrochemicals. Silicones I try only to use in BB creams and concealers as they love clogging my skin. If lotions and moisturisers contain silicones, I don’t go near them! 

Products that are clean, natural, cruelty free and Korean, well, there goes the money! My love of Korean products might be waning but it’s still there. My skin type’s, oily, combo, sensitive, acne prone, at times dry and now anti ageing. Those lines are coming through fast.  

I’ve always said, beauty products are one of my biggest plastic consumption as I reduce the amount of plastic I use. More brands are awaking to being less plastic both in packaging and ingredients which I appreciate! I try if possible opt for the lesser plastic packaging. It’s hard though. Okay Nat, less beauty products! Some of these products I tested last summer through to winter. I like to use them of a while to see if they work. Some products you know straight away work or don’t, some you have to give time, others you have to see through the hype to see if they do or don’t. 

Kora Organics Sleeping Mask

A lightweight bouncy gel treatment mask that boosts hydration to deliver smoother, plumper looking skin. Wake up with your skin super soft and glowing. Thanks To: Certified Organic Silver Ear Mushroom, Coconut Milk, Caviar Lime and Kadadu Plum for boosting hydration to deliver super soft, plumper looking, glowing skin.

I was keen to try this as a friend introduced me to Kora Organics and that sleeping masks are huge in Korea. Kora Organics (Australian, not Korean) is perhaps one of the most famous internationally available organic, cleanest, natural skincare lines. It’s not cheap, products last a long time. A long time. A little goes a long way. Ingredients you can tell are high quality. While I can’t get this in Spain, my friend who introduced my to Kora Organics kindly bought me back one from Australia (paid her back of course!) and P also got me one from the USA last year.

I’m not a regular user of overnight or sleeping masks/packs. Honestly, I forget to apply them. I find that all of them including this one make my eyes and nose a little itchy. Not crazy itch, but enough to know it’s the overnight masks that are causing it.  With this mask it could be the caviar lime and kadadu plum, but as it’s the same weird sensation on my skin I’m not so sure. This is why I also forget to apply them.

While I have yet to start using the 2nd tube, I didn’t use enough the first one for long term effects. I can’t say I woke up with glow skin. For sure it felt softer where it didn’t rub off on pillows. It’s lightweight and after the weird sensation’s worn off I hardly notice it on. Only rinsing it off in the morning you know you’re washing off a mask. Wrinkles no way softened. I decided to review this one now as with all Kora Organic products there is an expiry date in addition to the use by date. The overnight mask recommended using up within 6 months of opening. I stupidly started using it about 9 months after opening, a month after expiration date and it stung my skin in a you should remove this now way. So this review is if you purchase it, use it within the expiry date printed on the box to get your money’s worth.

Kora Organics Citrus Facial Mist

A refreshing facial mist that energizes your skin and gives a healthy glow. Thanks To: Certified Organic Noni Extract and Aloe Vera, combined with Mandarin and Lemongrass Essential Oils, for awaking your senses and revitalizing your skin.

Kora Organics facial mists are both their toners and throughout the day hydrations mists. This I used as a toner. Recommend application’s spraying straight onto the face however I applied it with my hands. Spritzing into my palms, applying gently patting into my face. While Kora Organics is now one of my favourite skincare brands, I don’t like all the products this being one. It was recommended for my skin type, oily combo. However I found the smell too overpowering to use. The lemongrass scent with tangerine and orange peel scents was too strong for me. It stung my skin on application and the scent at times made me feel nauseous. I didn’t used enough to see if it helped oily skin due to the smell and stinging on application. If you have sensitve oily sensitive skin, I’d give this on a miss. douglas.es

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Kora Organics Rose Facial Mist

A replenishing and nourishing facial mist that provides your skin with antioxidant protection. Thanks To: Certified Organic Rose, Hibiscus and Noni Extract for providing balance and tone for soft and supple skin. 

Hibiscus extract? Hello! Hibiscus are one of my favourite flowers and if I can wear their extract, I’m in! This rose mist is now my go to. Or my go to I can get in Spain from Douglas. Much more suited for my skin type. If you don’t like the smell of roses give this one a miss. I always find rose mists can be drying though they’re meant to be hydrating. This one lies somewhere in the middle depending on how my skin feels that day. Usually it’s hydrating enough to prep my skin after cleansing for the next round of serums or oils. Again I spritz about 3-4 pumps into my palms and apply. I like the rose quartz pink packaging. The pumps great, only the last few days of the product running out does it not pick up the liquid. Unscrewing the pump and pouring into my hands works fine showing how little I actually need to use.

I can’t say I noticed many skin changes. My skin for sure feels smoother on application. I like how it preps my skin for the next products after cleansing. It’s also the cleanest toner mists I can get in Spain at the moment (who knows with the Covid-19 lockdown and it’s after effect). Again the price is expensive however it lasts a long time. About 3-4 months of daily use twice a day. I would say this is more suited to oily skin than the citrus mist as it’s kinder for sensitive skin. I’m on my 3rd bottle so that’s saying something.

Freshly Cosmetics Superoxide Dismutase Face Mist

Innovative is an understatement, the Superoxide Dismutase Face Mist goes way further. Five natural innovative technologies combined in a single formation to even out he skin tone and reduce the sings of ageing, blemishes, expression lines and serum secretion. It’s formulation includes the most stable for of the Superoxide Dismutase and natural mineral malachite, with contains an exceptional natural copper concentration. Lichen and Iceland moss provide natural moisturising factors. You’ll fall in love with its result and its easy application. 

Key Points: 1. It reduces the appliance of wrinkles and expression lines, thanks to it’s exceptional concentration of the Superoxide Dismutase rich in natural copper, and the goji berry extract. 2. It increases firmness, improves elasticity and reduces skin’s roughmess, thanks to the innovative complex of lichen, polypodium and Iceland moss. 3. It evens out skin tome by reducing sebaceous secretion, blemishes and immflamuation thanks to the combined power of two species of lotus and curculio. 

I love crystals! That’s also another reason why I like Kora Organics. All products are made in vats containing rose quartz for self love. Some products even contain crystals! When I found out about big in Europe local brand, Freshly Cosmetics who are also natural, clean with some organic ingredients, I was keen to try this mist. One reason being it’s cheaper and more economical than Kora Organics. The other, it contains crystals too! Malachite! A crystal of transformation and protection by absorbing negative energies and pollutants both atmospherical and body to name a few of its magical properties. I am learning that more economical quantities don’t always work. It took a while to decide if I liked this. So much I purchased another I’ve yet to use. While Freshly Cosmetics does have a toner, this can also be used as toner after cleansing and before serums and oils. I’ll use the other in the summer as a mist hence this review being it’s toner side.

No excuses my apologies for the blur

I could tell on application the ingredients aren’t as higher quality as Kora Organics. It doesn’t smell or feel as smooth. I’m not sure what it was about it, I couldn’t wait to finish it, so I didn’t have to use it anymore. It was okay as a basic toner, but if you’re looking for oily skin hydration I don’t think this is it. I applied it in the same manner as other toners, with my hands rather than spray directly onto my face. I was a little disappointed I didn’t like it as Freshly Cosmetics has a huge following in Europe. I liked it’s ingredient list, clean, natural, 82/1% organic, the bottle’s aluminium making it easy recycling. I can’t remember if it came in a protective cardboard box. The only plastic’s the pump and label. It just didn’t do anything for me. I was hoping it would due to the price point. No softening of wrinkles or expression lines or skin tone evened out, acne back when I used it, still going strong.

Honest Beauty Get It Together Eyeshadow Palette

One word, babes: Versatile. Need a smokey eye palette that makes smokey easy? Done. Want blendable natural eyeshadows for a seamless no-makeup look? You’ve got options. Want to start the day off matte and slip into shimmers and satins later? The ten copper-to-berry shades of our eyeshadow palette are here for you (and every eye color) with a velvet texture and rich pigment. 

Honest Beauty’s a line I’ve been wanting to try since’s it’s creation a few years ago as I’ve been a Jessica Alba fan since Dark Angel (yep, I’m old!!!). Her book The Honest Life lead me on the path towards clean natural skin care, household cleaning products, organic food etc. She created her Honest brand after trying to find non toxic cleaning products while pregnant. Having sensitive skin she wanted to expand her line to beauty. 

I’m beginning to really like Honest Beauty! (And it’s prices 🙂 ) I don’t like that some of Honest Beauty ingredients are listed as clean on ewg.com with a little more research they’re 3rd or 4th generation petroleum derived ingredients or contain silicone. Honest Beauty I’m leaving as personal choice over natural vs clean. Products which contains the 3rd, 4th generation petrochemical products I skip, although some slip through with further checking later. AKA, Nat sped read.

No excuse for the smudges. I did wipe the palette down. Obviously not enough

When it’s come to eyeshadow the last few years I’ve avoided ones that contained petrochemicals. Only when a friend last year mention talc’s a carcinogenic, I was uh oh, my eyeshadows contain talc. A few months later I discovered douglas.es had starting selling Honest Beauty. Not the whole line but enough for Europeans to be woohoo! We get to try Honest Beauty! The eyeshadow palette was one of the first I products I purchased. 

I’m in no way a full face of make up girl. I would know where to start after watching hundreds of YouTube tutorials, the end result would be questionable. I like basic eyeshadow, eyeliner for a wing as my eyes are small and mascara. I’ve been using only 4 of the colours as I’m a little scared of the darker colours. I stick to Vanilla’d Velvet for base, Matte Plum which is more of soft purple brown and Iced Cotton. Magnetic Ink I use as an liquid eyeliner base to stop the liquid eyeliner running. Running? Wrinkly creased eyelids. Don’t rub your eyes too much removing eye make up, you get wrinkly creased eyelids. I use Tarte Shape Tape 12 hour Eye Primer Stick as a base and the shadows seem to last all day. The shades blend nice with a little work. Some get powdery like the black so there is fall out. I only apply lightly as I feel they’d be too dark for me everyday being fair. If I do apply too much half asleep it is harder to blend out and can be patchy. To get around this before applying I gently tap the brush on the back of my hand then apply. I was concerned the colours would be either too warm for me or too cool. Can’t test online shopping! I’m somewhere near the middle and the palette is for both cooler and warmer skin tones. Perhaps leaning warmer and I’m a little cooler. As I can’t find other talc free palettes, this my only palette.

Since I’ve been using this combo my eyelids haven’t been slightly red removing it. If my eyelids are pinky or red I know I’m reacting to something I’ve applied. None of the shadows contain the silicone dimethicone or plastics. For an eyeshadow the ingredients on the on less is more side. The only plastic’s the protective film covering the mirror and probably the glue holding the pallet together. 

Aside from the patchiness the other cons I have are with douglas.es. They don’t list ingredients. Those I had to go to honest.com and koraorganics.com. It would be great if it had few more lighter matte colours but that’s just my preference. 

Have you tired these products? Are you a hydration mister throughout the day or morning and nighttime rituals? Please share in the comments below!

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