Odylique Limited Edition Fig Fondant Organic Mineral Lipstick

After experiencing some adverse effects from organic lipsticks, I recently purchased the Odylique Limited Edition Fig Fondant Organic Mineral Lipstick and thought it was definitely worth sharing with you all.

Having dry and sensitive skin can make it very difficult to try out new products because often they can irritate your skin. For this reason, I spend a lot of time researching the brands and ingredients to help to minimise the risk. Lipsticks always seem to pose a problem, particularly green and natural ones, as they can often cause dryness on or around the lips afterwards. Odylique’s lipsticks contain 100% organic plant oils and butter, which they claim makes them really nourishing, so I decided to give their organic mineral lipstick range a try.

Colours

Lipsticks from L-R – Rose Parfait, Marshmallow, Raspberry Coulis, Hot Chocolate, Praline, Cherry Tart, Apricot Sorbet, Fig Fondant (limited edition)

Firstly, let’s talk about the colours. Odylique’s mineral lipstick range comes in a choice of eight rich colours which would compliment most complexions. If you have brown eyes and olive skin then the Cherry Tart would be a great shade to try.

I personally love a deep pinky-purply hue, having blue eyes this really helps to make them pop. For this reason, I chose the award winning limited edition Fig Fondant shade. This is such a versatile colour. It’s less pink than it appears on the swatch image above, I’d liken it to a deep nude shade.

Free From

• Synthetic dyes
• Carmine (crushed beetles)
• Preservatives and fillers
• Bismuth oxychloride
• Hydrogenated oils
• Lead
• Mercury
• Parabens
• Phthalates
• Petrochemicals
• Silicones
• Talc
• Tree nut oils

Ethics

• Vegetarian
• Fairtrade
• Member of Soil Association
• Cruelty free

Product in Action

The lipstick is easy to apply and leaves your lips feeling really moisturised. I love the colour and the lipstick stays on for most of the day. As usual with creamier lipsticks, you do need to reapply after food and drinks. I wore this lipstick yesterday when shopping and going for cocktails and lunch. I only reapplied the lipstick once after lunch to top up the colour.

Results

Performance rating: 5/5

This is the first time I’ve ever awarded a product five out of five, however, I genuinely feel this lipstick deserves it. My sensitive skin has had no reaction to it, my lips are left feeling really moisturised and it scores brownie points for being the first lipstick range to be certified by the Soil Association and Fairtrade standards.

Price

£18.00

It’s a little pricier than many high street brands however the colour and benefits are worth every penny.

What’s Inside

• Ricinis communis oil*
• Cera alba
• Simmondsia chinensis oil
• Butyrospermum parkii butter
• Helianthus annuus seed oil
• Helianthus annuus seed cera
• Calendula officinalis flower extract
• Hippophae rhamnoides fruit extract
• Rosmarinus officinalis extract

May contain +/- CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77891, CI 77742, Mica

10 Minute Green Beauty Makeup Tutorial

I thought I’d share with you all a quick 10 minute makeup look using some green beauty products that I’ve recently purchased.

This evening I’m going over to a friend’s house for a catch up with the girls, so I want a natural makeup look that I can complete quickly because as usual, I’m running late.

Having fair skin, blue eyes and brown hair; I find earthy tones really compliment my skin and eyes. Earthy colours are very versatile though and will suit most people with pale to olive skin. So all of the brown eyed and green eyed beauties out there will look equally as gorgeous wearing these tones.

Skin

Today has been the hottest day of the year so far and I’ve spent a bit too long in the sun without adequate protection. This has resulted in my nose and cheeks turning an unhealthy shade of red. For this reason, I’ve moisturised my face after showering with Nourish London Relax Calming Moisturiser. This vegan, cruelty-free, British brand is certified organic by the soil association and offer products for a range of different skin types. My skin is sensitive so the lavender in this cream works wonders for me; particularly when my skin has been under some kind of physical (sunburn) or emotional stress (hormones).

Face

To cover up the redness, I’ve applied 100% Pure Healthy Foundation in Peach Bisque. Dot the foundation on your cheeks, chin, nose and forehead, then spread outwards until all of your face is covered. I personally also apply foundation on my neck and under my chin, ensuring my neckline is thoroughly blended.

This a full coverage foundation which is coloured using fruit and vegetable pigments instead of synthetic dyes. 100% Pure ensure their products are cruelty-free and free from artificial colours, fragrances and synthetic chemical preservatives.

It is quite difficult to purchase their products in the UK, although Naturisimo has now started stocking some of their range. If you order direct from the brand then they advise that shipping can take up to 7 – 15 business days. It would definitely be good to have this brand more readily available in the UK as the products are very effective.

Eyes

On my lashes, I’ve used PHB Ethical Beauty mascara which is a deep black colour. As mentioned, in my review (follow link) you do need to use an eyelash brush or old mascara brush to separate your lashes between coats as it can easily clump. The mascara does stay on all day though and never flakes.

On my eyelids, I’ve used a combination of colours from Lily Lolo’s Pedal to the Metal Eye Palette. To start, I’ve applied Photo Finish to the upper eyelid and Hook Up to the lower lid.  From the outer corner of my eyes to half way across the crease of my eyelid I’ve drawn a line in Pole Position using the tip of the brush. Blend Pole Position into Hook Up. On the inner corners of your lower lid apply Fueled and blend into Hook Up.

Adding dimension to the crease of your eye, applying a shimmer on the inner corners and using neutral colours, can all help to emphasise your eyes and make them look bigger.

Lily Lolo is a fantastic British brand that offers mineral makeup at very affordable prices. The makeup is good quality, cruelty-free, free from parabens and phthalates, synthetic perfumes and dyes. Plus, I love the retro packaging it comes in.

Contour

I’ve used miniature versions of Tata Harper’s Very Bronzing and Very Highlighting everyday contour to define my cheekbones and highlight my brow bone, chin and nose. I personally don’t tend to contour my forehead as I have a small head and a heart-shaped face so I don’t feel the need to make my forehead appear narrower.

This is the first time I’ve used this product, so I have applied it quite sparingly to keep the look very natural. If I was going to an event then I would apply a thicker line of the Very Bronzing from my earlobe to halfway across my cheek, to really enhance my cheekbones. The key with any contour though is blend, blend, blend – there are far too many stripey contour images floating around on Instagram! Another trick to contouring if you want a lighter look is to use your fingers rather than a brush, this gives you more control over the amount you are applying to an area.This guide to contouring produced by Tata Harper is really helpful if you’re not sure where to apply the products.

At £36 a pop each, Tata Harper Very Highlighting and Very Bronzing are pretty pricey. If you only contour on special occasions then I would suggest purchasing the miniature versions at £2 each, which should last approximately 3 applications. I certainly don’t contour every day, in fact, once a month would probably be more accurate so these miniature versions suit me perfectly.

Lips

I want to keep the look fuss-free so I’ve kept my lips completely natural. If you want to add some va-va-voom to your lips then I’d use a rich red lipstick, or to keep it simple, try Green People’s special edition velvet matte lipstick in damask rose. I’ve ordered this lipstick so it should be arriving in the next few days; it’s a really subtle colour that will work with most pale to olive skin tones, plus the combination of carnauba wax and beeswax make it super nourishing.

I will supply individual reviews of each of these products shortly where I’ll go into more detail about the ingredients, brands and quality of the product. In the meantime, I’d love to know what you think of this look so please leave me a comment with your thoughts.

PHB Ethical Beauty All-in-One Natural Mascara Review

This award-winning mascara pretty much ticks every green beauty box so I was excited to see how it performs. The mascara claims to be all-encompassing; boasting to lengthen, volumise and thicken lashes. In addition to being flake-free, water resistant and good to use if you have sensitive eyes (like mine). Sounds perfect… right?

My lashes, like my hair, are long and fine. I personally like a full lash look and I prefer a black mascara as it helps to really emphasise my eyes. For me, the ideal mascara needs to be a true black, inject some serious volume and remain in place all day. So let’s see if this mascara lives up to its reputation.

Ethos

• Organic
• Cruelty free
• Vegan
• Handmade in the UK
• Halal Certified

Free From

• Parabens
• Nano particles
• Bismuth oxychloride
• Talc
• Formaldehyde
• Mineral oils
• Fillers
• Gluten
• Fragrance
• Preservatives
• GM ingredients

Product in Action

My verdict is both positive and negative. Let’s start with the best bits – it is a true black colour, and makes my lashes look huge. Both in length and volume. So if you’re like me and you long for big bold lashes then this certainly won’t disappoint.

There were a few things which let the mascara down. Firstly, I found the application was quite messy, due to the thickness of the brush bristles causing my lashes to clump together. To separate them I ended up using an old mascara brush. Secondly, the mascara takes a few minutes to properly dry. So if you’re like me and spend your mornings rushing to get ready for work, then you may find that you need to double-check your mascara before darting out of the door as it may have smudged around your eyes.

Throughout the day the mascara successfully remained in place with no further smudges. When it came to removing the mascara in the evening, it came off very easily with cleanser. As an added bonus, this mascara is made with botanical oils so it really helps to protect and improve the condition of your lashes.

Results

Performance rating 3.5/5

On the whole, the positives outweigh the negatives and you certainly can achieve a full lash look. However, I think this works best as an evening mascara when you have the time to brush out your eyelashes in-between applications and then let it thoroughly dry. 

Price

PHB Ethical Beauty All-in-One Natural Mascara – Black £15.95

About PHB Ethical Beauty

The UK-based family-run business, claim to offer the world’s largest range of natural, vegan, cruelty-free and Halal Certified beauty products.

PHB stands for pure, handmade and British, which accurately summarises the brands’ ideals. Every product is handmade in the families manufacturing unit in the South of England.

What’s Inside

• Aqua
• Oryza Sativa Wax (Rice Bran Wax)
• Organic Olea Europea (Olive Oil)
• Cetyl Alcohol (Coconut)
• Coernica Cerifera (Carnauba Wax)
• Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla Wax)
• Vegetable Glycerin
• Stearic Acid
• Acacia Gum
• Black Iron oxide (CI 77499)
• Aminomethyl Popandiol
• Phenoxyethanol