Tag: beauty

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle

Beauty Finds: Translucent Loose Powder, Charlotte Tilbury, Nude by Nature, Lily Lola & Honest Beauty

by natjtanLeave a Comment on Beauty Finds: Translucent Loose Powder, Charlotte Tilbury, Nude by Nature, Lily Lola & Honest Beauty

Summer’s here and so is keeping oil slicks at bay. The last 2 summer’s I’ve been trying to finds a translucent talc free, due to talc being possibly carcinogenic, silicone free loose powder to keep the shine at bay. I don’t use primer as I don’t want another product wanting to clog my skin and I want a little shine as I don’t like the all matte look. 

In the winter I skip powder however however when the heat and humidity arrives, forget dewy skin. This girl has a full on oily slick look. I have learnt to work with my oil skin not fight it. Finding the right moisturiser helps as does BB cream or tinted foundation. For the days when I know full oil slick’s inevitable I like a little loose powder on my T zone. Loose cruelty free, petroleum (aka plastic) ingredient powders for some reason are more expensive than pressed power and harder to find. Or maybe I looked in the wrong place. Out of the four I tried, only one is now in use and even then I’m thinking shine is down to the products underneath and keeping hydrated. Excessive shiny oily skin is often down to being dehydrated. I should also point out I don’t bake. Too many lines and I only do BB cream or lightweight foundation.

With all my cosmetics I like cruelty free, vegan if possible, clean ingredients, natural ingredients. No nasty toxic ingredients like petroleum and it’s alias (3rd or 4th generation I sometime use depending on ewg.com), parabens, SLS’s, phthalates,  etc. I try to avoid palm oil as I prefer orangutans having forests. With skincare it’s easier, with make up it’s harder. My skin type is oily, sensitive, acne and yes, now anti ageing as those lines…

Charlotte Tilbury Charlottes Genius Magic Powder Under Eye and Face 1 Fair

Soft focusing light defusing loose powder

A genius, light diffusing loose powder that blurs, visibly reduces dark shadows and boosts radiance. Use all over face, matching skin tone for an enhanced complexion or a lighter shade for under eyes for a brightening effect.

I wanted to try something by Charlotte Tilbury. She’d launched a little earlier in Sephora Spain and I’d been hearing so much on YouTube by beauty YouTuber’s I no longer watch about her line. I wanted a translucent powder but I also wanted to try one of her products. I’d checked out reviews before and should have left it on the shelf. The sales assistant said even though it’s not translucent as the range then didn’t have one (maybe they do now) being ‘fair’, it’s the right shade for me. You know I ignored that little voice that said no.

Continue reading “Beauty Finds: Translucent Loose Powder, Charlotte Tilbury, Nude by Nature, Lily Lola & Honest Beauty” →
Beauty and Skin Care, Fitness, Lifestyle, Nature, Photography

Weekend Friday Favourites

by natjtanLeave a Comment on Weekend Friday Favourites

Welcome to another Weekend Friday Favourites! I hope you’re having a great weekend!

Apologies for the gap in Weekend Friday Favourites. Some of you many know Spain has one of the strictest Covid-19 lockdowns in Europe. Translation unless an essential worker you could only leave your house for the supermarket, bank, doctors or work. 7 weeks of not being allowed outside unless a bike ride to the supermarket or bakers lead me to dark place. It’s not the worst dark place I’ve found myself in. Maybe, a different room of darkness. Add a huge birthday this month of a new decade for a girl it’s all downhill. Thankfully the Spanish government last weekend has allowed us out to exercise. We have times slots based on age and I can’t tell you how good it feels being able to freely within reason run and cycle. To see the sea up close again, feel open space, see flowers, birds and other people with happy faces. Hopefully in a week Catalunya can move into phase 1 of a little more freedom as restrictions are eased.

Freedom Flowers. 1st bike ride in 7 weeks!

I’m also getting up early too! We’re only allowed out once day for exercise within the 2 time slots. I’ve chosen the mornings between 06.00-10.00 as I’m guaranteed daylight and sunshine. The other time slot is 20.00-23.00 however 21.00 it starts to get dark. I need all the sunshine and vitamin D I can get.

Anyways, Weekend Friday Favourites, things that have made me smile or caught my eye recently. Please feel free to comment below what’s been making you smile recently! 

Mike Peele Hip-Hop Fit

As I was unable to run, on run days I did Popsugar Fitness Dance workouts. Most trainers are guest hosts with links to their own YouTube or fitness businesses. I took a Mike Peele’s Hip-Hop Dance Workout and really enjoyed it. Seeing if he had more classes of his own on YouTube he does! Pre USA stay at home orders Continue reading “Weekend Friday Favourites” →

Beauty and Skin Care, Recycle Less

Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 2

by natjtan2 Comments on Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 2

Welcome to another Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 2! As some you may know I’m trying to reduce my plastic consumption. I’ve always said beauty products after food are the the hardest plastic area for me to reduce. Thankfully with hair care, it’s getting easier to go plastic free with solid shampoo and conditioner bars! However just like their liquid counterparts it takes many frogs to find the right ones.

I’ve found some bars might contain too much sulphate that make my fine hair go crazy frizzy. Nobody wants that! I also feel sometimes the ingredients are a little more concentrated being in a bar. Just like with all my beauty products I always go for cruelty free products, vegan a bonus. I prefer natural clean products and try to avoid nasty ingredients such as parabens, petrochemical ingredients and its derivatives, SLS etc. I avoid palm oil if I can as I prefer orangutangs. I’m not perfect, some nasty ingredients slip through as I sped read the label, or it’s a derivatives or an alias I’m not familiar with. With make up I opt for cruelty free, clean as possible ingredients however it’s harder with make up than skincare to avoid the crap free ingredients. My skin type is oily, combo, sensitive, acne and needs all the help it can get with anti aging. My hair type is fine, gets greasy quickly and is prone to damage even though I don’t colour it or use any heat treatments on it. I often get OWay rebuilding treatment. 

One thing I have noticed with solid shampoo and conditioners is the price. It’s a lot kinder to the bank balance. Depending on the size they also last longer. This I find interesting as many natural liquid shampoos and conditioners cost almost 3-5 times or more the price of a bar.

Solito Herbal Solid Shampoo. Neutral For All Hair Types 

This did what it said, neutral for all hair types. I was sad when it had it’s last lather. It kept my hair happy and shiny in 3 countries with 3 different climates. It left it feeing clean, happy, a little shiny. It’s scent didn’t really smell, it lathered nicely, it was a great everyday shampoo. I would repeat buy however:

It contains propylene glycol, petrochemical derived. I’ll admit I over looked it at the time as the previous solid shampoo bars made my hair a little crazy Continue reading “Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 2” →

Animal Kingdom, Fitness, Lifestyle

Weekend Friday Favourites

by natjtanLeave a Comment on Weekend Friday Favourites

I hope your weekend’s going okay! I’m patiently counting down the days until life returns to a new normal of being allowed outside. Spain’s extended the current lockdown until 26th April. I’m hoping the weather’s not sunny skies everyday. I understand the lockdown whys but lots of sad puppy dog faces looking out the window on sunny days. Okay, rainy, cold, windy days too.

Anyway, this weeks Weekend Friday Favourites, things that have made me smile or caught my eye this week after a little break.

PopSugar Fitness

As much as I love Tone It Up, Studio Tone Up App, when it comes to cardio, I need more for my substitute run days. YouTube read my mind suggesting PopSugar Fitness! I’ve been having so much fun doing their free kickboxing and dance classes. I’m like a stick insect body rolling, I’m picking up the steps and I genuinely look forward to my classes. Classes are anything from 10-50 minutes. They also have a wide selection of HIIT, Zumba, toning and strengthening. One of my favourites, 30-Minute Latin Dance Workout with Nicole Steen when I discovered it 2 weeks about had about 5.2 million views. It’s currently at 8.1 million views! So much energy and positivity! The kickboxing class, 40-Minute Boxing and Kickboxing Workout with Christa DiPaolo fly by. I’m enjoying Deja Riley’s classes as well as others by Nicole Steen’s and Christa DiPaolo. The cherry on the top, they’re all free!!! To save my neighbours ears I put 2 yoga mats down which also help me get a better rhythm. My trainers squeak and catch on the floor tripping me up and putting me off count. Blame the tools! My ‘stomping’ puts me off and I think the neighbours will ring the doorbell asking me to stop.

Moisturising Cotton Gloves

If you have small hands, these are fine. Larger hands or longer fingers they might not fit

Leave it to my washing machine to have a breakdown in a lockdown. I’m waiting for the landlord to replace it. He’s been ill, so I understand the wait. The weather’s been windy, cold and rainy and I’m hand washing practically everything. I get bad hands in the winter anyway. Throw in hand washing they’re chapped and cut to F. I’ll put my hands up and say I forget most nights to do this. Continue reading “Weekend Friday Favourites” →

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle

How I Check Beauty Products Ingredients

by natjtan2 Comments on How I Check Beauty Products Ingredients

A while back I shared how I find out which beauty products are cruelty free, a hugely important aspect for me when it comes to beauty products. Today in continuation I’m sharing how I find out if the ingredients are good or bad.

I prefer natural, clean beauty products and I’m learning what’s clean doesn’t necessarily meaning it’s not derived from petrochemicals. Vegan products are a bonus. As many of you know I’m on a mission to reduce the amount of plastic I consume. This too includes what’s in beauty products. The packaging I try to opt for less plastic however I’ve always said beauty products are one of my biggest plastic areas. 

Many times looking on online an ingredient says it’s synthetic and has a low rating on ewg.com for toxicity meaning they’re clean and safe. However I prefer not to put petrochemicals on my skin anymore. ewg.com is a great place to start looking at the toxicity rating of products. 0 being least hazardous, 10 being the highest. A few natural ingredients might have a rating of 3-5 based on the allergic reaction but I prefer them over synthetic. I’m no angel some nasty ingredients sip through, I’m okay this time or some I know the brand has sourced the best option of it. I also understand that what is natural can also be processed. On the whole I try to avoid the nasty ones. It’s easier with skincare products than makeup. Makeup I try to opt for the lesser badder ingredients.

The main ingredients for concern are: Sulphates, parabens, synthetic fragrance, synthetic colours, T.E.A, D.E.A, silicones, PEGs. ethoxylates, formaldehydes, phthalates, synthetic preservatives, synthetic glycols. These can all individually cause anything from hormone disrupters, skin rashes to I’m sure polluting the environment. In addition I try to avoid palm oil and it’s derivatives as I prefer orangutans. This can be more tricky as like coconut oil (the ‘good’ oil but still has its problems enviromentally) it’s derivatives are used mixed with other ingredients or are the petrochemical Continue reading “How I Check Beauty Products Ingredients” →