cruelty free skin care

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle, Recycle Less

Beauty Finds: Respire Apple And Pomegranate Deodorant Stick Review

19/04/202219/04/2022by natjtan3 Comments

Welcome back to another Beauty Finds! This edition is Respire Apple and Pomegranate Deodorant Stick.

I did for a while make my own deodorant until convenience won. I’d been using Respire Fleur d’Oranger Orange Blossom Natural deodorant which I liked. It wasn’t heavy feeling, wasn’t sticky, 99% natural and clean ingredients, but still got a little stinky the end of the day. Respire do refills, yet at the end of the day it’s still plastic. This was a little guilt trip as I started making my own to save on plastic. Sephora’s travel and mimi products stand by the cash desk did their thing when I saw Respire now do a plastic free option. Of course I had to try it! Skip a paragraph for the review or read on about my beauty product requirements.

I have a few requirements when it comes to beauty products: cruelty free, natural, clean, vegan better. I do my best to avoid nasty ingredients such as SLSs, parabens, PEGs, silicones, etc. Petrochemicals are the sneakiest with so many derivatives and aliases. I also avoid palm oil and it’s derivatives as I prefer orangutans. Coconut oil marketed as the good oil I’m also cutting down on as it can be just a damaging crop as palm oil. If I do get products containing palm or coconut oil I try to get organic or sustainably sourced. With make up it’s a little harder so I go for cruelty free brands. I prefer products with less plastic and thankfully more brands are aware consumers don’t want unnecessary plastic (or governments are telling them less plastic). My skin type’s oily sensitive, acne prone and now wrinkles. I know nothing stops those lines, but if I can delay them then….

Respire Apple and Pomegranate Deodorant Stick

First up as mentioned it’s 100% plastic free. The tube is cardboard and the label isn’t plastic cover paper. It’s all cardboard. There isn’t a plastic seal, neither is the base of the deodorant. No packing carton, just the deodorant as it is on sale. It works by manually pushing up from the base when needed. It’s extremely long lasting too, about 4-5 months which is great value for money at 50g for €11.90 or €3 a month from Sephora España. Respire’s own site it’s the same price with discount on bundles.

Continue reading →

Beauty and Skin Care

Beauty Finds: Sioris Feel So Fresh Toner Review

12/04/202212/04/2022by natjtanLeave a Comment

Welcome to Beauty Finds! This edition features Sioris Feel So Fresh toner.

This was Miin Cosmetics find. If there’s one product I’m not so loyal with it’s toner. A toner’s role is to return the skin to its ideal state after cleansing for the next stages of skincare. Cleansing strips away impurities including the ‘good ones’. A toner returns the skin to its neutral pH level around 5 and hydrate the skin to help absorb further products to come. Some toners also help remove any left over residue from cleansing although my belief is those said cleansers aren’t doing their role properly! Skip a paragraph for the review otherwise read on about my beauty requirements.

Sioris Feel So Fresh Toner

A facial toner contains Yuja Extract Water (77.9%) which is an orange citrus from Jeju Island infused with Witch Hazel Water, Willow Bark Extract and Broccoli Extract to help balance, hydrate dry sensitive skin.

Note dry sensitive skin! I have oily skin! When I was trying this is was just after lockdown was lifted and this girl wanted a new toner! It was hard finding one the previous months and I was allowed out to shop.

I ignored my inner voice saying stay away, it contains witch hazel! Witch hazel is meant to be good for oily acne skin however I find it’s way too drying with my skin. Ignoring that voice and saying no look it has Yuja extract! That’s one of the most potent vitamin C sources in skin care! The aloe vera leaf extract and glycerin will counteract any of the drying properties of the witch hazel.

Ingredients:

Please note the Sioris uses seasonal ingredients so each batch may differ in ingredients depending on the time of year each batch is produced.

Continue reading →

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle

Beauty Finds: Sioris Fresh Moment Cleansing Oil Review

15/03/202205/04/2022by natjtan1 Comment

Welcome back to another Beauty Finds! This edition features perhaps one of my favourite Korean skincare brands, Sioris and their Fresh Moment Cleansing Oil.

Sioris Fresh Moment Cleansing Oil

A lightweight cleansing oil with Safflower seed oil that gently melts away makeup and diary dirt, while Sweet almond oil and Jeju Camellia oil leaving the skin supple, hydrated and nourished.

Directions. Gently massage a small amount of cleansing oil over dry skin. Add elate to emulsify and continue to massage into the skin. Lastly, rinse with warm water.

I accidentally purchased this by mistake. I was previously using Urang Natural Cleansing Oil , and while I’m a true Taurus loyal, every now and then the rebel Taurean in me wants to try something new with huge inner turmoil that I’m switching products and brands. For a while I had switched to Sioris Day By Day Cleansing Gel and to be honest I didn’t notice that I’d switched products until working out what to buy one month, I was oh, there’s 2 and I’ve used both which explains why the lid are different! I honest thought they’d just changed packaging and put the price up. They’ve since switched the gel cleanser to a pump version.

After realising this and going back to repurchase I remember the Miin Sales Assistant saying there’s not much difference between Sioris and Urang’s oil cleansers with Sioris having 50ml more. To be honest I can’t remember what the gel version was like. I do remember that if you used hands instead of a make up remover pad it did get a little messy and if it got in the eyes stung a little.

Sioris is a brand I really like. A few products I haven’t liked however the majority I’ve tried I do. All the ingredients are clean, they favour natural ingredients and use in some products seasonal ingredients. I cleanse with firstly an oil based cleaner to remove make up and sunscreen then a foam based cleanser to removed the ‘water’ based dirt which is still Urang Creamy Foam Bubble Cleanser! That foam cleanser is the icing on the cake to the Sioris’s oil cleanser!

Since I switched out Urang Natural Cleansing Oil for Sioris Fresh Moment Cleaning Oil, I think my skin has actually been better (even if I crash and sleep in makeup some night. I know, I know.) with less blackheads and acne in general unless my nutrition isn’t so good. While both are the same price, €29.95 you get 50ml more with Sioris. Fresh Moment Cleansing Oil feels like it’s wiping away make up and sunscreen. It’s oily without being too oily. It also removes oil well too. When I do facial exercises I use an almond and rosehip oil so my face can get urgh sometimes. I remove it massaging this cleansing oil and it cuts right through the almond and rosehip oil before the foam cleanser. Fight oil with oil right?!

Continue reading →

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle

Beauty Finds: Shangpree Pore Tightening Mask Review

15/02/202205/04/2022by natjtanLeave a Comment

Welcome back to another Beauty Finds! This edition features Shangpree Pore Tightening Mask.

Please scroll down a paragraph for the review.

Beauty Finds: Shangpree Pore Tightening Mask

Shangprees’ signature mud treatment with purifying white clay (Kaolin), Ginseng and Hyaluronic Acid removes excess sebum, impurities and dead skin, while strengthening the moisture barrier for a visibly clear, refined and youthful looking complexion.

Apply a thick layer to clean skin avoiding the eye and lip area, leave on for 10-20 minutes, and then rinse with lukewarm water. Use as often as needed.

Nothing can shrink pores, but this mask does leave my skin feeling degunked and hydrated. Many clay mask can take out all the moisture leaving my skin feeling dry (Most clay masks you should only leave on for 5 minutes!). Sometimes I break the one of the biggest NO NO skincare rules that is not removing make up before bed 🙆‍♀️. While I cleanse my face in the morning it can still feel blocked up. This mask makes my skin feel cleaner again.

Thanks to all the oils in it, it doesn’t dry like the other clay masks. That’s not to say it doesn’t dry on application, it does, but it doesn’t flake or feel like it’s dried tight on the skin. I’ve often left it on for over 20 minutes and my skin has felt the same as if I left it on for 10 minutes. I still get blackheads however if I use this mask often enough I can keep them at bay and they’re visibly less. With regards to sebum, it’s the winter so I naturally have less shiny skin than in the summer. I have noticed on days I use it, I’m less shiny nose. However with face masks/coverings all make up gets rubbed off and shiny skin is also due to how much water I drink. I use it about 2-3 times week and haven’t reacted to it. The girls at Miin Cosmetics know their products when I asked if they had good clay mask.

It does does contain a few ingredients that I’m a little erm about. That said I’m on my 2nd or 3rd tube. The ingredients are; sodium hyaluronate acid, polysorbate 60, DMDM hydantoin, perfume, and disodium EDTA. Miin Cosmetics only sells cruelty free brands, however I’m not sure if this particular product is vegan due as it contains sodium hyaluronate acid. Shangpree itself is cruelty free according here. There’s huge debate about the source of hyaluronate acid if it’s plant derived or from animals. It’s so hard to find where brands get theirs from. DMDM hydantoin maybe I should stop using it with a little research! The perfume, I haven’t reacted to but I can’t say I like the smell of it. I’d prefer the natural smell.

Continue reading →

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle

Beauty Finds: Sioris Stay With Me Day Cream Review

02/04/202105/04/2022by natjtanLeave a Comment

Welcome back to another Beauty Finds! This edition Sioris Stay With Me Day Cream!

I have a few requirements when it comes to cosmetics and skin care: cruelty free, natural, clean, vegan better. I do my best to avoid the nasty ingredients such as SLSs, parabens, PEGs, silicones, etc. Petrochemicals are the sneakiest with so many derivatives and aliases. I also avoid palm oil and it’s derivatives as I prefer orangutans. Coconut oil marketed as the good oil I’m also cutting down on as it can be just a damaging crop as palm oil. If I do get products with these ingredients in I try to get organic or sustainably sourced. With make up it’s a little harder so I go for cruelty free brands. I prefer products with less plastic and thankfully more brands are aware consumers don’t want unnecessary plastic (or governments are telling them less plastic). My skin type’s oily sensitive, acne prone and now wrinkles. I know nothing stops those lines, but if I can delay them then….

I discovered Sioris in Miin Cosmetics last year. Initially I was a little skeptical. The packaging is minimal, I didn’t want a plastic packaging brand again (dream on Nat) but I wanted to try new moisturisers. Their own site is mostly in Korean so I rely on stockists for product and brand info such as Miin Cosmetics. I believe the packaging is minimal with investment in the actual lotions and potions. Previously I was using Kora Organics and Honest Beauty moisturisers but I wasn’t happy with them. Kora Organics lotions (from douglas.es) are expensive for what they are, Honest Beauty, Honest Hydrogel Cream (from douglas.es) I liked, but couldn’t find what their hyaluronic acid sources were. Honest Beauty last year dropped a vegan line which had me questioning the hyaluronic acids used as they can be animal derived.

I decided to try Sioris Stay With Me Day Cream which the girls at Miin Cosmetics recommended. My skin in a day or 2 looked so much more healthier I went back to purchase the You Look So Young Night Cream and A Calming Day ampoule. Sioris isn’t an organic brand but everything they use is natural, mostly vegan and seasonal. Yes, seasonal. They use seasonal ingredients in many of their products. This also means that sometimes products aren’t available due to selling out fast until the next batch. Their prices aren’t cheap, but they’re not too expensive being mid range price with a little going a long way. All products are nasty ingredient free save one below. The products also are fragrance free, with no artificial fragrances or perfumes added so the smell of products is subjective. Some say it smells bad, but honestly it doesn’t smell of anything. Their Forever Young Night cream does as it contains tamanu oil, but the scent dissipates quickly and I’ll take that scent over artificial heavily scented or perfume any day.

So far most Sioris products I’ve used I’ve liked. Stay With Me Day Cream is a Daily Moisture Cream formulated with Schisandra fruit to help hydrate the skin intensively without being oily. Jeju Calendula and Ceramide also help soothe and strengthen a weakened skin barrier.

The cream has a slight pink hue which varies from batch to batch as it doesn’t contain any colouratives. The only ingredient that is on the bad list is butylene glycol. It’s rated 1 on ewg safety list and it is in the first 1/4 of ingredients. I’m hoping however all the other ingredients cancel out any damage done. It’s first ingredient is citrus junos fruit or yazu fruit which renowned for it’s high vitamin C properties (I’ve just started a yazu serum: by Urang (Miin Cosmetics here. Yes, I love Miin Cosmetics!) which it packed with it and have noticed a huge improvement in skin tone). Schisandra fruit is renowned for it’s skin calming and restorative properties. I’m in! Calendula calms skin and acne.