9.07.2015

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ

Hey guys!

Have you seen the new website?
(www.katievibes.com)

Unfortunately I'm having some SERIOUS(ly annoying) issues trying to switch over my Bloglovin. Therefore, PLEASE make sure you are following me on Twitter in order to see new posts. Hopefully, BL will be sorted within a week or so!

Thanks for understanding. :)


Katie 

x

NEW WEBSITE!

Yaaaaay!

You may notice that www.katievibes.com now forwards to a flashy new website (katievibes.squarespace.com).

This was a very rash decision but a good one all the less.

Enjoy!

x

8.24.2015

Book Review: The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa

“I'm sure it must have been even more wonderful then, when we were young and knew nothing about the pain of growing up.”
Yay, finally another book review! I picked up The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa on one of my book-buying jaunts with the lovely Kirsty from The Literary Sisters. These happen quite often and luckily, I always seem to come away with some brilliant pieces of literature.

The Diving Pool is a collection of three novellas, all just as creepy and unsettling as the last. The collection has the typical tone that comes along with most modern Japanese fiction - if you don't know what I mean, trust me, it's a thing. A lot of modern Japanese literary fiction (or at least all that I have read) has a very dark, almost soul-sucking quality to it. I'm not even joking. This collection is no different; you will be creeped out, disturbed, and possibly emotionally scarred. I promise however, that it's damn worth it.

I don't want to go too much in to the plots of each of the novellas as I truly believe this will take away from your experience of reading. However, I will mention that they include the following: an incestuous infatuation, a (phantom?) pregnancy, and an old guy living alone in a tattered university dormitory. I actually think that the book's blurb does a good job of intriguing without spoiling - here it is:
From Akutagawa Award-winning author Yoko Ogawa comes a haunting trio of novellas about love, fertility, obsession, and how even the most innocent gestures may contain a hairline crack of cruel intent.
A lonely teenage girl falls in love with her foster brother as she watches him leap from a high diving board into a pool--a peculiar infatuation that sends unexpected ripples through her life.
A young woman records the daily moods of her pregnant sister in a diary, taking meticulous note of a pregnancy that may or may not be a hallucination--but whose hallucination is it, hers or her sister's?
A woman nostalgically visits her old college dormitory on the outskirts of Tokyo, a boarding house run by a mysterious triple amputee with one leg.
Hauntingly spare, beautiful, and twisted, The Diving Pool is a disquieting and at times darkly humorous collection of novellas about normal people who suddenly discover their own dark possibilities.
I found the writing in this collection to be surprisingly beautiful, especially considering my dubious encounter with another of Stephen Snyder's translations, Natsuo Kirino's Out. Ogawa's prose is extremely ethereal, almost implying magical realism, but it intends to keep you grounded in real life which I found very unique and refreshing. I would like to point out though that if you like your stories to have a concrete ending then this collection will definitely not be for you. Each novella ends, leaving you quite astounded, rather like a deer in headlights. I found this to be very effective given the subject matters but I know how many people will find this quite annoying. You could say that the ethereal writing is a perfect match for Ogawa's wispy, smokey story lines.  
“Still, from time to time, I attempted analogies: the icy murmur of a fountain in winter when a coin sinks to the bottom; the quaking of the fluid in the inner ear as you get off a merry-go-round; the sound of the night passing through the palm of your hand still gripping the phone after your lover hangs up... But I doubted these would help anyone understand."
As mentioned, the tone is very typical of the genre, but the novellas are slim enough to only provide short exposure, so perfect for a novice. I would definitely suggest picking this up if you're in the mood for something different and if you're a beginner when it comes to Japanese literature, then this might actually be the perfect place to start. 

I'm really glad that I started here with Ogawa's works and I'm now just a little too excited to jump in to some of her more popular titles such as The Housekeeper and the Professor or Revenge.


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

8.18.2015

Spring/Summer Green Beauty Swap 2015


Okay, so it's summer. And what does that mean? The Spring/Summer Green Beauty Swap of course! The wonderful Ria from NaturiaBeauty hosts two fabulous green beauty swaps per year and I was absolutely ecstatic to get stuck in to the latest (you check out how the Christmas one went here). I've had great fun scouring Twitter and the blogs for what everyone else got and now you can finally see what I received! 

I was paired with Ashtynne from Green Beauty Babe and we were quick to get emailing and clue each other up on our perfect swap wishlist. Ashtynne and I were pretty flexible on brands etc so we just made sure that we let the other know what kind of ingredients we like to avoid. We were both a little delayed in terms of sending our packages (for various reasons), but when the day finally came, oh... it was a good one. Look at all the lovely goodies!

I'm super impressed with everything Ashtynne got me, especially as the package contains all brands that I've never tried before (minus Kahina). Also, I definitely squealed when I spied the Fat & The Moon Pimple Mud as it's something that I've been eyeing for the longest time. I was also stunned by that gorgeous Antonym Blush. The colour is absolutely beautiful and I've reached for it each and every time I've applied makeup since getting it; and look at that packaging! The Etta + Billie Ginger Orange Body Scrub is super interesting as well as it's solid... Lush style!

Here's a full list of what I so gratefully received:

I'd just like to say another massive THANK YOU to Ria for arranging the swap and to Ashtynne for sending me such lovely things! Bring on the Christmas swap - yay!

Did you take part in the Spring/Summer Green Beauty Swap?




8.14.2015

Review: Botanicals Lavender Botanical Water (and how to use it!)


You cannot deny - floral waters are bloody brilliant. They are generally purer than most traditional 'toners', and they are just so versatile. Recently, I've been trialling the Botanicals Lavender Botanical Water* and here are some of my favourite ways to use it:

As a toner... obviously. Okay, so this is probably a given - but floral waters really do make great toners. This Botanicals one in particular has brilliant ingredients (at the bottom of this post), and still feels like it's doing something. The lavender is both moisturising and soothing for slightly angry acneic skin. Sometimes I use this after a more exfoliating toner, and sometimes I use it on it's own. Works great either way.

To increase the efficacy of oils. A great way to get the most out of your favourite facial oil is to first spritz the skin with a good helping of floral water. The extra moisture will increase slip and make the oil go further, making sure that every bit of your face is nourished. 

As a cooling facial spritz. Again, probably an obviously one but floral waters are great for cooling down in this hot(?) weather we've been having lately. I like to carry my Botanicals one around with me as the packaging is small, compact, and secure enough for a handbag.

For setting makeup. Floral waters are also brilliant as natural makeup setting sprays. The light distilled (spring in the case of Botanicals), water is great to smooth out any cakey-ness and hide any dryness that may have been exacerbated my makeup application. I find that my makeup lasts a lot longer if I finish with a couple sprays of floral water.

For your hair. Bit of a funny one, but I also like to spritz my hair a little before blow-drying. I find that it helps to tame frizz and also makes my hair smell rather lovely, especially after it's regular ACV rinse!

If you're already a fan or if you're new to the world of floral waters, I highly suggest that you give Botanicals a go as their products are simple, organic, and super reasonably priced. You can get it here.

Ingredients:
Aqua, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower oil*, geraniol**, linalool**, limonene**. (Certified organic ingredients. **Natural constituents of essential oil.)

Have you tried any Botanicals products? Or do you LOVE floral waters like me?

8.10.2015

A Feminist Reaction to the 'Why I'm Not a Feminist' Video | Trident Media


So you may have seen it. There is a (relatively old) video currently making the rounds on Facebook that features a young women denouncing her need for feminism. The video has become a viral success despite it’s lack of substantiated facts and general naivety. Here's my reaction...

8.07.2015

Tips for Summer Language Learning | Trident Media


One of the most challenging things about learning a language as part of your degree is keeping that flow going throughout the summer months. This is even more important as a beginner as the foreign vocabulary and grammar is not yet solidified into your long term memory. Why spend hours and hours during term-time perfecting that smooth pronunciation just to lose it all over summer? Here’s our top tips for keeping your language skills tip top over the summer break. Anyway, how else are you going to chat up those new exchange students in September?

8.05.2015

Booktube Meet-Up Haul



I bought some books and things.

8.03.2015

Vegan Cuts June Snack Box Review


A good month or so ago (I've been super busy!), I was luckily enough to be emailed by Vegan Cuts and asked to review one of their snack boxes*. If you haven't already heard of Vegan Cuts, they are a company that provide monthly subscription boxes filled with amazing vegan snacks, or beauty products, depending on your preference. I filmed a ingredients review of their August 2014 beauty box last year - which you can see here - so I was super excited to receive some lovely new products from them. Especially considering that this time they were edible...

Unfortunately, after receiving the box, I almost completely forgot that I was meant to be doing a review. I was sure to take a picture immediately after it arrived, but I then proceeded to eat most of the snacks without making note of what they were or how I liked them. Wow Katie, super blogger skills. That's a compliment on their part though, right?

One thing I did notice about the snack box - in comparison to alternative vegan snack boxes - is that it was literally filled to the brim. You can see from the picture that the box was bursting with delicious vegan snacks which makes it extremely good value for money. In the US, a single snack box is just under $20 including delivery which is pretty much on point. I will note however that outside of the US, the value is not so good. A UK customer can expect to pay around $35 (£22) including shipping which is bummer considering that a lot of the products aren't available in the UK when you want to restock. In spite of this, let's get on to how delicious the snacks were! Here are the three highlights:

These were super yummy and especially satisfying seeing so I've been seriously craving jelly beans over the last few weeks. Most main market jelly beans contain beeswax, but of course these are 100% vegan. My only complaint is that the packet they came in was WAY too small. Still craving those jelly beans. :-(

Again, these satisfied a craving that I've been suffering with for a while. I'm not even a huge fan of chocolate cookies but these were really nice. They were a cute small bitesize which was perfect for a quick sweet snack at the work desk. However I'm not finding that I'm missing these as much as I just found out that I can eat Fox's dark chocolate cookies (amazing).

These may have been bright green and not the most appetising looking things, but they were definitely yummy. They have the perfect amount of spice which is cleverly offset by the sourness of the lime. These were incredibly moreish and I zoomed through the packet in about ten seconds. If I could source just one of these products in the UK, it would be these. Or maybe the jelly beans. Or maybe these. Hm. 

Find out more about Vegan Cuts here. Have you tried one of their boxes?



8.02.2015

5 Top Tips to Clean Up Your Online Presence | Trident Media


It’s 2015, everybody is on Facebook; and unfortunately for student job-seekers, this includes potential employers. Funny cat videos aside, social media is a brilliant resource for companies on the hire, allowing them to sniff out applicants and quickly sort the potential winners from the losers. It may be slightly intrusive but unfortunately for us, the internet is open and free for anyone to peruse. So, if you’re looking for a job and your feed is awash with drunken selfies and ‘fapes’...

7.26.2015

Berlin Round Up 2015


Here's some pics from our July trip to Berlin! This was our second time visiting and it was expectedly brilliant. We used Airbnb again but this time we stayed in Lichtenberg area. We had lots of beer and lots of fun and cannot wait to go back next year. <3

P.S. In terms of vegan food spots I REALLY recommend Fast Rabbit on Eberswalder Straße and Goodies, the cafe in Veganz Supermarket near Warschauer Straße S-Bahn station.

7.23.2015

Currently Reading #2


I almost forgot that I had started this section on the blog! So here we go - round two of what I'm currently reading. As always, if you want to keep up with my reading in real-time, add me on Goodreads.

Ahhh, this is brilliant. I read Burial Rites by Hannah Kent a couple weeks ago (review for this one coming soon) and obviously I couldn't quite let go of the Icelandic setting. Halldór Laxness seems to be a rather popular Icelandic author and this translation from Magnus Magnusson is truly wonderful. The plot seems to be moving quite slowly - and it almost reads like a memoir - however, the writing is perfectly beautiful and I cannot stop reading. It follows the life of a young fishing boy and his ascent in to education and the world of music. I've put some quotes below so you can really observe the beauty of the writing. I cannot wait to finish this book and I've already got some of Laxness' other works on my TBR list.

“I have written about everything at Brekkukot, both indoors and out, which can be given a name; but I have scarcely said a word yet about my grandmother, who was certainly not some useless ornament about the place. On the other hand, if she were likened to the heart of the house, one could say exactly the same about her as one does about healthy hearts in general, that whoever is lucky enough to have such a heart is quite unaware of having a heart at all.” 


"I felt that I was dying, and perhaps I did die a little, or rather began to die in the way that the cocoon of the chrysalis cracks at the end of winter; but unfortunately I did not die so thoroughly that I achieved new life like a butterfly."

Now I've only just started this one but it's had really good reviews on Goodreads so I'm excited to get stuck in. The Song of Achilles is a re-imagination of Homer's The Iliad. This was Madeline Miller's debut novel and amazingly it won the Orange Women's Prize for Fiction (now the Baileys Prize) in 2012. It's been described as an action-adventure story as well as an epic love-story, and so I'm SUPER excited to read on. After all, I do love a good classically-influenced tale.

Have you reading either of these two titles? What did you think? Let me know!

7.20.2015

Recent Buys: Lyonsleaf, Herbfarmacy, Beauty Without Cruelty


So I've been doing some beauty shopping this month and I thought that it might be fun to show you guys some of the things that I have bought! Two of them may be repurchases but if I'm honest, I really doing repurchase that often - therefore, they must be good!

This brand gets serious love in the green beauty community and rightly so. This product won a silver at last year's FreeFrom Skincare Awards and a couple other LyonsLeaf products have won golds at both this year's and last year's awards. Lyonsleaf creates wonderful waterless beauty products and their Beauty Balm is truly amazing. It's a thick shea butter-based balm that you can use in a variety of ways. I prefer to use it as a cleanser/make-up remover but it also works great as an intense moisturiser for dry skin. I had a little sample of this towards the beginning of the year and I cannot believe that I've waited this long to pick up the full-size.

Now on to the repurchases! Herbfarmacy's Pure Hydration Serum is brilliant and I love using it under my SPF of choice (*cough* Andalou Naturals Untinted BB Cream *cough*). It's a light-weight clear serum that injects your complexion with a massive hit of deep hydration. This is perfect for my horribly dehydrated skin, keeping it plump without overloading. I've done a full review of this so I won't babble on too much. Trust me, it's great. 

Now this is my absolute favourite concealer. Well actually, I may have to retract that statement shortly as I've just started testing a possible new winner (more on that later!). It's super smooth and super creamy and just so happens to come in a light enough shade for my super duper pale face. It's also really reasonable priced - you pick this this gem up for just £6.99. I have tried it before but it seemed to vanish from the interwebs for a good six months, leading me to believe that it had been discontinued. Luckily I was wrong!

What have you been buying lately?

7.17.2015

Book Review: The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman | Trident Media


When it was announced that Alice Hoffman - New York Times bestselling author of The Dovekeepers - was releasing a new book, I was quick to jump at the chance to read it. Upon finishing the book, I am still in awe at how much Hoffman actually managed to fit in it...

7.02.2015

Intro to: Marmozel Skincare


This review has been such a long time coming! I've been enjoying this brand for a while and I'm finally ready to put my thoughts in to words. A good couple months ago, I was contacting by the lovely Rimante from Marmozel and asked if I wanted to try a couple of their products. I took a gander at their website - was thoroughly impressed - and so was quick to jump on the chance to test a few out. I'd like to note also, that Rimante was super friendly throughout the entire process and you could actually tell that she had read my blog a little before emailing me, which is something that I REALLY appreciate when it comes to being approached by PRs. 

As a whole, Marmozel is near-enough vegan-friendly (apart from the beeswax in their lip balms), and all their products are made in Lithuania with certified organic ingredients. You can order for delivery to the UK through their website or I did actually notice that there is a reflexologist in the UK that uses their products and there is contact details for them if you were interested. I was sent five products to try, but today I wanted to focus on the three products that have really gone above and beyond in terms of performance.

If we're being completely honest, I haven't really used a hair mask at all since going natural. However, recently I've been experiencing some problems with a super dry scalp so this product has been well appreciated. One of the first things that I noticed about this hair mask is that it smells AMAZING - a true lavender and rosemary scent. It's lovely and thick but easy to spread throughout out your hair due to the coconut oil base that melts in to a luxurious oil. I did find myself quite skeptical about the 60ml product size, but I'm glad to report that there was no need for concern as I have safely got four uses out of this little tub, with still at least half of it left. It's been doing absolute wonders for my dry scalp and I love to sleep with this on before washing off in the morning. The scent lingers on the hair and everything feels just so soft and nourished. I would definitely consider repurchasing this product when it eventually runs out.

I've always been massively in to toners - but never really that much in to floral waters. Here's where things change. This toner is super simple in it's ingredients: using only rose damask and jasmine floral waters, and it's just what my skin has been needing lately. It's perfect to spritz on the skin before applying facial oils and this ritual really helps improve the efficacy of your oils. It did take me a while to get used to the strong rose scent (something that I've never been that keen on), but I'm definitely a floral water convert and already have a couple lined up in my arsenal to try next. 

Marmozel also carry a selection of handmade perfume oils and I was lucky enough to try the scent named 'Very'. With a jojoba oil base, this perfume uses notes of bergamot, vetiver, black pepper, and rosemary. It smells absolute divine and the scent does seem to linger for a couple hours after application. I like carrying this around in my handbag as an emergency scent, in addition to a little aromatherapy rollerball when it's needed.

Have you tried anything from Marmozel? Let me know!


6.19.2015

Book Review: The Shore by Sara Taylor


Hark! A book review. 
“For a moment they lie there together, in their own tiny nucleus of heat and breath.”
Firstly, this book contains a great deal of emotional and sexual abuse so just want to put out a trigger warning. 

The Shore is Sara Taylor's first novel and if I'm completely honest, it's pretty impressive. Saying that, I would definitely conclude that it is closer to a short story collection - rather than a novel - and I found no issues with dipping in and out, reading a chapter or two at a time. I am unsure whether this was intentional, but it definitely works. I am going to avoid giving away almost anything in terms of the plot because frankly, it is a journey that you need to embark on yourself. The stories come together and intertwine beautifully but I feel that it is very important that you try and keep them separate, at least in the beginning, to avoid becoming confused. Don't try to find the connections on your own! Stick it out and by the end you are left with an entire heart-breaking history of a group of small satellite islands known as The Shore. Taylor's intense descriptions instantly transport you to this desolate coastline and you can practically feel the sand and pebbles between your toes.

However, we aren't staying put... the plot transports you through time and space, jumping from present day to the distant past and the distant future. The chapters are presented out of chronological order which, although a little unsettling, seem to work due to the hidden links between each of the narratives, which of course become apparent towards the end of the book. The narratives generally follow many generations of two families which stem from a young part-Native islander and her first husband. A family tree is provided at the beginning, and although it doesn't include everyone, it does help to keep the featured characters straight in your head.

The overall narrative is - in essence - an unconventional love story. A love story between friends and unfortunate neighbours, but more conclusively, a love story between the islands and their inhabitants. 

The main characters are complex, interesting and perfectly flawed. They take your hand and accompany you on a journey of every human emotion as explore their own links with the island, and ultimately, whether they should stay or go. Some chapters are obviously a little harder to swallow than others (in terms of abuse etc), but overall, it is a very enjoyable and unique read. A debut novel that was long-listed for the Baileys Women's Prize? It can only be good.

My only tiny issue was that I wasn't a massive fan of the ending, but you can't have everything, right?


DISCLAIMER: I received this for free through NetGalley in return for an honest review. This post contains an affiliate link.

6.17.2015

We're Going Through Changes


Hi guys. Yeah I know, long time no see. Here's why.

Recently I've been strongly reconsidering the direction in which my blog is going. I'm still a green beauty addict and I'm still vegan - but I've been wanting for a while now to explore some of my other interests through my wee corner of the internet. To be clear, when I say 'other interests', I mean books. I'm looking to move my content towards more book reviews/lists etc, with the occasional sprinkling of beauty. I'm going to aim towards one beauty post a week, and 1-2 book posts a week.

I'm going to be taking a little hiatus (or more so a continuation of one...) to really plan out how I would like these changes to take place. I want to tweak my layout, recategorise and purge my posts, and get some new content lined up and scheduled. There will be some scattered posts over the next couple weeks but I shall be doing a re-launch kinda thing on Wednesday 1st July. It's time to get my arse in gear after too many months of sporadic blogging. 

So, long story short, stay tuned!

5.17.2015

My First Shampoo Bar Experience


A couple months ago I finally made the decision to ditch liquid shampoos and try a shampoo bar. For those who don't know, shampoo bars are essentially natural soap bars (made with oils and waxes), which are specially designed for washing your hair. They're really popular in the green beauty community and I've been wanting to try one for a while. So - when my favourite soap brand Coutiver released one (pictured above) - I took the plunge. This post was originally going to be an in-depth review of said shampoo bar but I've now come to the conclusion that shampoo bars might not be for me.

Shampoo bars HATE hard water. Hard water has a high mineral content - usually magnesium and calcium. This makes the scales of your hair stand up, making the texture rough and making it a lot harder to efficiently rinse out soap that tends to react with the higher levels of minerals. This results in hair that feels weighed down and almost coated.

Truth is, Coutiver's Chestnut Beer Shampoo Bar is all kinds of wonderful. I cannot fault the formula whatsoever. I would list you the beautiful ingredients but unfortunately I no longer have the wrapper and the product is currently out of stock in Coutiver's Etsy shop. It leaves my hair lovely and clean and there's no denying that an actual bar of shampoo feels a lot more natural than even a sulfate-free liquid shampoo. Unfortunately, here in Essex, we have extremely hard water. This can be remedied by following your shampoo with an apple cider vinegar rinse but even with a 50/50 ACV to water split (which also works out quite expensive), I'm still experiencing side effects such as lint-like soap scum on my hairbrush and hair after brushing and a distinct reduction in hair volume, especially at the scalp. Don't get me wrong, I ADORE the idea of a shampoo bar but I'm starting to think that they're quite the hassle when you have thick hair and hard water. I've also noticed that the bars dissolve down quite quickly and when it becomes thin, it also becomes a lot harder to use. Therefore, I've decided to go back to my old faithful Acure shampoo for now.

Despite all this, if you're lucky enough to be blessed with lovely soft water, I really suggest that you give a shampoo bar a try as they are far superior in ingredients to your average natural liquid shampoo. I would highly suggest a palm-free shampoo bar and if Coutiver restocks the Chestnut Beer soap, grab it! Finally, if you have any tips about making the most of shampoo bars with hard water - leave them below!


5.07.2015

Intro to: PHB Ethical Beauty


A couple months ago, I made my first ever order with PHB Ethical Beauty. They've been on my radar for a while but I finally took the plunge when they had 20% off one weekend. I really wanted to try their mascara as a possible replacement for my previous HG, the Lily Lolo Mascara. If you want to find out why I'm no longer using Lily Lolo, check out my review here.

PHB Ethical Beauty is a wonderfully ethical company. All their products are vegan-friendly, halal, and natural. They're a family-run business and they were founded by Rose Brown, who is a vegan herself. They are certified cruelty-free and are also certified by the Vegan Society.

I ordered myself the eye gel, mascara, and lip pencil during their deal but PHB were super lovely and sent me the Hydrating Toner as a small gift. Today I'd like to share with you just my first thoughts and impressions of the products. Then in a few weeks I plan on doing a full review of at least the mascara.

This toner is just so simple and that is exactly why I love it. It has a light scent of ylang-ylang (my favourite) and feels so dang soothing when sprayed on to the skin. The spray function is really effective (a massive plus), and I love using this to dampen my face before applying any facial oils. It's alcohol and oil-free and at £12.50 for 100ml, it is really good value for a high quality floral water.

I haven't been able to test this too much yet but I can report that it feels lovely and cooling on the eyes. It's a very light clear gel and you only need the smallest amount to bust those dark circles. I have noticed however that this isn't something that you can just slap on at the last moment. It really needs to go under your facial oil/moisturiser otherwise you can be left with slightly dry eyes after waking the next day. When I remember to use it, I really am rather impressed. I've never got on with heavier eye creams (due to being milia-prone), so I really can appreciate this lighter gel formula.

PHB's mascara had been on my radar pretty much ever since I first started looking for a natural and vegan mascara. I first came across them on the European beauty site, Ecco Verde. Only one thing had held me back from trying it and that was the fact that it does contain phenoxyethanol, a preservative which has been known to irritate dermatitis. This is an ingredient that I usually try to avoid but after being disappointed by Lily Lolo I thought that I would just bite the bullet and give it a go. After all, I don't tend to smear mascara all over my hands... I don't actually wear mascara that often but when I have used it, I've been really impressed. The effect is very similar to the Lily Lolo, the only difference being that the PHB mascara has a slightly wetter formula and can smudge during application. Luckily after drying, it doesn't seem to budge. I'm excited to give this a more in-depth test and will report back.

Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed with this lip liner. The formula feels lovely and lasts well however, the colour just really isn't for me. The name evokes thoughts of a YLBB shade but it seems to be more of a metallic red which is something that just really doesn't work with my skin tone or any of my other lip products. I also think that the website swatches are a little misleading in this case. I really hope that they bring out some more shades as I really like the formula! 

Have you tried PHB Ethical Beauty before?

4.13.2015

Recent Empties #3


Hope everyone is doing well! Today, I've got some empties. This is by no means everything that I have used up lately but includes the more interesting things... 

This was my summer shampoo of choice. It has lemon and tea-tree to keep oily hair super clean and itch free. I did find however that this really does not work in the colder months, in which it made my hair dry and did nothing for my itchy scalp :-( I've since moved on to a wonderful shampoo bar from Coutiver (to be reviewed soon), so I won't be repurchasing. However, I would recommend this to natural shampoo newbies with oily hair as it is very affordable.

I blogged about this AGES ago and yes, it has taken me all this time to use it up. It's actually been sitting around in my drawer with nothing but a few pumps left and recently I took it upon myself to finally use the last couple drops. I really loved this body oil. It's simple in ingredients and smells simply amazing. It is however rather expensive so I don't think that I'll be repurchasing. I have lots of body oils to use up and you can get equally as good body oils from more affordable brands. Opulentia is such a wonderful company though so do please check out their website.

I did really love this mascara in the beginning and I have indeed written a review for it. However, since then I have experienced some issues with the longevity of the product. My second tube wasn't anywhere near as good and seemed to dry up extremely fast, in about a month. I've now moved on to a lovely option from PHB Ethical Beauty which I shall be reviewing soon. Also, it is worth noting that I am no longer choosing to buy from Lily Lolo due to my decision to only buy from vegetarian brands (but only vegan products, of course!). Lily Lolo sell products using carmine and so are not vegetarian. 

I received this sample from Kris himself and although I did use it up, I'm not a massive fan of thick, shea-based body butters - especially those in jars - as I find them a little unsanitary. I have lots of body butters and lotions to use up so I will not be repurchasing.

I bought this simple natural roll-on deod from Madara as a travel option when I went to Berlin last September. Unfortunately, this didn't really work for me and tended to sting on application a couple days after shaving. It also uses potassium alum so I would not recommend it and will not be repurchasing.

Lastly, we have on of the very popular Odacite facial serum concentrates. I chose to try the one suited for pimples and frankly I don't really feel that it did much, especially considering the price. I do feel that I am the minority with this so part of me is tempted to repurchase and give it another go... 

What have you been using up and loving lately?

3.21.2015

Orange Lips for Pale Chicks - Lippy Girl Review


I've only recently got in to bold lip colours. I'm not a red person as I prefer deep fushias and purples. Recently however, I've been experimenting with orange shades. Oranges tend to be hard to work with when you're as pale as me but good news guys... I've found the one. Son of a Brick* - from Canadian makeup brand, Lippy Girl - is a beautiful deep, burnt orange. It may look a little intimidating in the bullet (and swatched on the hand), but when layered over a little lip balm on the lips, it's a definite winner.

I'll start by admitting that my first foray in to Lippy Girl wasn't the best. I was originally sent the shade Abraca-BAM, but unfortunately, something was a little off with the formula and I found it to be dry, dragging and very patchy. Son of a Brick however is a big step up and I find it to be smooth and deliciously opaque in but a couple swipes. It took a few experiments for me to make this very unique shade wearable but as mentioned above, it works wonderfully when layered over lip balm. The burnt colour is paled out a little, making it perfect for my light complexion. This method also thankfully leaves your lips feeling moisturised without forfeiting any staying power. It lasts a good six hours and it also seems to behave when it comes to eating and drinking. I'm finding that I'm reaching for this shade more and more as we move in to spring, and I love to wear it with bare eyes and just a touch of peachy red blush.

The ingredients are also super impressive being 100% vegan and dye-free. It can be hard to find interesting lipstick shades without the addition of synthetic dyes but Lippy Girl seem to be doing a brilliant job bridging the gap. I also really enjoy the sleek black metal packaging, however, mine seems to have got damaged in my bag and now makes a strange rattling noise...

I will definitely be trying some more shades from Lippy Girl in the future (namely, Boss Lady) and you can take a gander yourself at Botanical Brands, where they retail for an affordable £12.50.



3.08.2015

Belated Blogiversary Giveaway! - Win Three Zoyas of Your Choice! (INTERNATIONAL)


So it's finally giveaway time! This is a real long time coming because my 'blogiversary' was actually at the start of February... I find it really hard to think of good prizes, but I definitely prefer when the winner can pick something that they would 100% enjoy. So... lo and behold here we are! And don't you worry, this giveaway will be international. To get around overseas shipping, I shall be ordering the prize directly to the winner, from a local retailer. So basically, as long as Zoya polishes are available in your country, you can enter! Yay!

I absolutely love Zoya nail polishes as they are five-free, cruelty-free and suitable for vegans. And when I say three of your choice... I mean it. Go mad!!

There aren't really any rules except the following:

  • If you are under 18, make sure you have permission.
  • Enter via the Rafflecopter below.
Good luck!





3.07.2015

Supplements and Stuff


Ever since I was sent some wonderful products by Viridian (more on the other bits later), I've been wanting to do a post on supplementation, or more specifically, my optimal supplementation routine (when I'm being good and remembering). If you saw my beauty goals post, you would remember that in 2015, I wanted to get better at taking my supplements. Well, we're not quite there yet, but I thought that making another supplement-centric post might help me on my journey. My supplement 'collection' if you will is split in to three categories which I feel, are most important for my own specific needs. Remember, I'm not a doctor and this is what works for me. It might not necessary work for anyone else. We have the 'general' supplement, the skin-doctor, and the bone-helper

Now, before we begin, I would like to point out that I am very much an advocate of getting your vital bits and pieces from food & water intake alone. However, sometimes this is not possible e.g. illness, travel, three-day Netflix marathon. These are the times when I refer back to a good general supplement that just ensures that I can get through the days without falling asleep or getting ill. I know, it sounds bad but the truth is, you really can't get all your nutrients from beans on toast. At the minute I'm using the Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw One for Women. Three things drew me to this brand: it's completely raw, made from vegan food sources; you only have to take one a day; and you don't have to keep them in the fridge. Really, they're perfect for when you're feeling especially lazy. Price-wise they're not too bad either and I picked up this sizeable 75-capsule container for around £25 off Amazon. They do smell a little funky, but you really can't beat raw food supplements. This brand contains everything that you'll need for the daily grind including at least the rec. daily value of all major vitamins, and lots of lovely minerals such as zinc, iron and selenium.

An additional 'bone-helper' isn't really a must for everyone, but if you're like me and unfortunately still on hormonal birth control (more specifically the depo shot), I would really suggest investing in a good source of calcium. Even more so, if you can sometimes be a particularly lazy vegan like myself. Getting a supplement including the addition of magnesium and zinc would be extra-great as calcium needs these guys to help it be effectively absorbed. I try to take two caplets every single day, and have done so ever since I uncovered some slightly worrying research about the long-term effects of Depo Provera. I won't go in to too much detail, but I am looking to come off of it pretty soon. Personally, I use just a generic H&B own brand supplement and I find that this works pretty well (I hope).

Finally, we have the shining star of this post. The Viridian Clear Skin Complex*. I'd heard a lot about these supplements from fellow bloggers and frankly I was both excited and intrigued when I was given the chance to try them. At first I was definitely skeptical and struggled to see any real difference. But, I really noticed the change when I briefly stopped taking them for a week or so. Unfortunately, I'm still struggling to take them regularly but I feel strongly enough about them that I'm considering purchasing another bottle to really put them to the test with regular dosages. I really like Viridian as a company because all their supplements are available with vegetarian capsules and their packaging is wonderfully eco-friendly. In fact, you can return an empty supplement bottle to any Viridian retailer for recycling and receive a 25p refund. Further to that, every bottle sold helps generate funds for a selection of charities. That really is dedication to the cause! The Clear Skin Complex contains 100% active vegan ingredients that are also gluten-free, salt-free and without added sugar, yeast, preservatives or artificial colourings. The only downside that I can see to these supplements is that they are rather pricey. A 60-capsule bottle to last you roughly a month will set you back around £20. However, I really do feel that they bring results and I'm looking forward to showing you some more of their great products in the future. You can find out more details about their full range on their website.

3.02.2015

Review: Lovea Argan Detangling & Conditioning Hair Spray


We'll start this review with a fun fact: detangling spray has been one of my last beauty items to go green. I have really knotty, thick hair and I rely on a good detangler to make brushing my hair both effective and bearable. Considering how much I love my Lovea sun lotion, I thought that I should give their haircare a try in the form of their Argan Detangling and Conditioning Hair Spray*.

It's no joke that argan oil is fantastic for your hair. For a while now, I've been polishing off my hair routine with a few drops of the widely-proclaimed 'liquid gold'. This product claims to harness this wondrous oil, to leave your hair super smooth and tangle-free. Unfortunately, I'm not 100% sure whether I can agree. I started out believing that I LOVED this product. However, after a few more uses I came to realise that I was just being blinded by its pretty damn delicious scent. The simple packaging is great and the spray mechanism is spot-on, but I'm just not that sold on the formula within.

The product appears as a clear water-like liquid which is to be sprayed on to wet hair before drying. This is absolutely fine, however after drying my hair can sometimes feel a little sticky or gritty, almost as if I've sprayed it with a good amount of hairspray. As you can imagine, this doesn't help too much with the detangling. On the upside, spraying a little while dry, leaves my hair smooth, super shiny and with just enough texture for a little curl-scrunching action. 

Despite this being a definite bargain product (coming in at a little over £5), I can't help but feel a little disappointed with its performance. Saying this though, I only wash my hair once a week or so, so my opinions may change after a couple more uses. Maybe I'm using a bit too much? Who knows. If you'd like to give this a try (or try Lovea's awesome sun lotion), the brand is available on MyPure with free UK delivery.


2.24.2015

Review: Herbfarmacy Pure Hydration Serum


I’m always on the look out for a good hydrating serum. I try to wear a decent SPF everyday (review of the one I use here), and I’ve found that my skin can’t handle this in addition to a regular moisturiser. Therefore, underneath, I prefer to use a good quality hydrating serum that ensures my skin will stay plump without overloading my pores. Recently I’ve been using the Herbfarmacy Pure Hydration Serum*, and frankly, I couldn’t be happier.

This serum has got to be one of my favourite samples that I recieved as part of the brilliant Reading meet-up that was arranged by the wonder-trio: Rach, Sarah and Jen. We left with some serious booty and this serum has really been impressing me, especially as I haven’t tried much from Herbfarmacy as a brand. I’ve found that a lot of their products aren’t suitable for vegans but I’m super happy that this serum seems to be an exception to the rule.

Well on to the product, the Pure Hydration Serum claims to be an ‘easily-absorbed serum with powerful hydrating and moisture holding capacity’. I would definitely agree with this and I’ve found that the effects are similar to that of Hydraluron, a popular mainstream hydrator that uses hyaluronic acid, a humectant that can often be derived from animals. Herbfarmacy’s option does include sodium hyaluronate (the sodium salt involved in hyaluronic acid), however, you can feel reassured in the fact that Herbfarmacy do in fact use vegetarian sources of this ingredient, which can not always be promised with more non-natural companies. For those out of the loop, hyaluronic acid is great at attracting and holding in moisture. In other words, in increases the effectiveness of products used in succession to itself, locking in moisture.  

As mentioned beforehand, I’ve been using this serum under my SPF and I have been seriously loving it. It’s definitely a winner when it comes to layering with other products, avoiding the dreaded pilling effect that you can occasionally encounter with such practices. Obviously - as mentioned above - the sodium hyaluronate really helps with SPF layering as it increases the moisturising properties of anything used after it. The texture is really interesting but I do find that it absorbs easily and my skin feels instantly smoother and plumper. The hydration does seem to last throughout the day for me, however I do have slightly oilier skin and so dry skin friends will definitely need to layer it with a heavier moisturiser. 

The serum has a really pleasant smell which I suspect, is down to the marshmallow root extract. Marshmallow root is also really great at deeply moisturising and this in addition to aloe vera, shea butter and rose water makes the product really effective. It does seem to be preserved with alcohol (as well as potassium sorbate), but I don’t find this to be a problem due to the sheer abundance of wonderful hydrating ingredients.

All in all, this will be a possible re-purchase for me as I just find it fits in really well with my current routine. It’s not the cheapest ever at £24.50 but it’s super effective and comes in the cutest packaging, don’t you agree?

2.12.2015

Currently Reading #1


I've been on a book-acquisition rampage again (When am I not?). So I thought it might be handy for me to start picking out some of the books that I'm reading and that I'm really excited about. The logic is that I'll be reminded of all my part-read books and be more inclined to finish them. We'll see how that one goes. Let me know if you'd be interesting in seeing these posts a little more often, as they may help to introduce you to some authors that you might not have heard of.

Starting off with a lovely short-story collection, we have the weird and wonderful world of Karen Russell. All of Karen Russell's narratives are just a little strange, making them truly entertaining to read. I started reading this collection after having to read the name-sake story for my creative writing class - a pleasant tale about a group of young wolf girls being 'trained' to be humans by a school of nuns. Interesting.

Octavia E. Butler is truly the hidden gem. I read her short story Bloodchild a couple weeks ago and now I am determined to get through her entire bibliography. Her writing is most definitely science fiction, but it always has a twist and beautiful hidden meaning. This book follows Dana, a young black woman in the present day, who finds herself transported back to nineteenth-century Maryland. As the book proclaims: "It's the most terrifying experience of her life... until it happens again." I've just started reading this and I cannot wait to see what happens.

This was very much an impulse purchase during a recent foray in to Waterstones. I was captivated by the beautiful publication of this book and the equally as stunning illustrations. Marketed as a modern Korean fable-- it's the story of a Hen named Sprout, who no longer wishes to lay eggs on command and pines for freedom from her barn. She hatches (ho ho) a plan to escape so she can finally lay an egg of her own. This book draws some serious parallels with the current situation in Korea and promises to be an intriguing read. I haven't actually started this one yet, but it's next on the reading list.

If you haven't noticed already, you can actually see what I'm currently reading in the little box to the right of this post. It also links to my Goodreads, if you wanted to find out more about the titles or even add me as a friend (hint hint).

2.09.2015

Vegan Week Overview


Okay so Vegan Week turned out to be a bit of a fail didn't it? Unfortunately I had forgotten to schedule all my posts (bad blogger) and uni was being a bit of a nightmare. But, all in all, three out of seven isn't too bad. Right? Let's look at the posts that I actually did manage to put out this week.

We started off the week with a look at some vegan book recs, covering both non-fiction and cookbooks. Admittedly, I hadn't actually read a couple of them, but that blunder is being rectified pretty soon. 

Next, a look at my current all-vegan skincare routine. My routine is always changing, but lately I've been settling in to a regular set up. Take a look at what products I'm currently using in my second post of Vegan Week - ft. lots of lovely favourite brands such as Pai and Andalou Naturals.

And then, we finished the week with a bang. Last in line was my review of a couple lipsticks from well... Red Apple Lipstick. Now this was a rave review if I ever saw one. Long story short, I need more. I NEED more. Red Apple Lipstick has definitely become my go-to brand for high quality vegan lipsticks.

So, that was last week. A couple posts that got left out include a Vegan Food Faves and a FAQ, which I will definitely be posting some time in the near future. Now, if Vegan Week has taught me anything, it's that I really need to use my planner more...

2.06.2015

Review: Red Apple Vegan Lipstick


I'm so glad to finally be reviewing the wonderful Red Apple Lipstick for you all! I've been trialling these lipsticks for a good few months, and all I can say is, the hype is dang real.

Red Apple Lipstick is a relatively new company, offering gorgeous natural lipsticks that are first and foremost, gluten-free, but also vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free and mostly dye-free. As well as these, they also offer a wide range of other products such as lip pencils, lip glosses, mascara and pressed eyeshadows (which I am DESPERATE to try). They first approached the radar after a read over at Britanie's blog, but recently they have taken the green beauty community by storm, and for a good reason. I signed up for their blogger program, and was lucky enough to be sent the shades Audrey* and Hibiskiss*. Audrey is a beautiful slightly plum-toned pink nude, and Hibiskiss is a true berry pink shade. Consequently, they actually look rather lovely when layered over each other.

Admittedly, they do look quite similar in the bullet - something that worried me upon first opening - but from the swatches you'll notice that they are both beautiful and unique shades. They also vary slightly in formula: Audrey being a sheeny, slightly sheerer consistency; and Hibiskiss, a slightly matte, more opaque option. Both shades were perfect to be wearing throughout autumn and I'm continuing to get a whole lot of use out of them as winter wades on. Both shades are super moisturising and I've never had them dry out my lips. Further to this, the staying power is truly something that I have never experienced. Natural lipsticks can often be quite 'wet', leading to transfer and general wear & tear throughout the day. However, I've found that these lipsticks really do stay in place, even after a hefty breakfast ;-)

As mentioned, the ingredients are all gluten-free and vegan. However, ingredients do vary depending on the lipstick's collection, so you can have a look at their full ingredients list here.

Now I also have to bring your attention to the stunning packaging. I've really never seen a natural lipstick look so luxurious and high-end! The bullets are a beautiful matte black, with a textured grip and a really, really satisfying click-close. However this quality (and it really is quality), is most definitely shown in the price of these lipsticks. They are rather pricey, and even more so for us UK-dwellers who will be paying some hefty shipping/customs fees on top of this. A lipstick retails for $23.50, however, there is always some kind of discount or coupon available so they're definitely still worth looking in to. You can actually sign up to their free VIP programme, and be sent a new coupon code every month! In fact, I insist that you do look in to them if you haven't already because I am truly enamoured by their lipsticks and frankly, I need more.

2.05.2015

My Natural Vegan Skincare Routine


First of all, let's just ignore this horrendous photo. Long story short, I forgot to take a photo while there was ACTUAL sunlight. So... unnatural lighting. We'll have to deal.

Moving on, today I'm sharing with you, my most recent skincare routine! My routine is always changing, but recently I've been settling in to a certain selection of products - which are all natural, vegan and cruelty-free of course!

AM:
Cleanse Blissoma Mild Rice Facial Cleanser
Tone Primavera Sage & Grapeseed Toner
Treat Herbfarmacy Pure Hydration Serum*
Moisturise Andalou Naturals Untinted BB Cream or Skin & Tonic Calm Balm

PM:
Remove Makeup DIY Cleansing Oil w/ Jojoba and Lavender
Cleanse Blissoma Mild Rice Facial Cleanser
Treat Yours Truly Organics Fix Me Serum
Moisturise Pai Rosehip Oil or Skin & Tonic Calm Balm 

Okay, so failed photo-taking aside, these are the products that I have been using and loving lately! I'm choosing not to go in to many details today as I'm looking to do full reviews over the coming weeks. Those products that already have corresponding reviews, have been linked accordingly :-) Hope everyone is having a fantastic week, and join me tomorrow for a very special review... ooooooh!