Category Lips

Jun 16 2020

{AD-Gifted} SO, It’s Vegan Skincare!

Hey there my lovelies, I hope you are doing as good as you can do right now.

Over the last few weeks, I have been testing out some super skincare. Skincare that is natural, kind to the skin, effective and kind to the environment AND, it’s Vegan too! Let me introduce to you, SO Natural Cosmetics.

So Natural Cosmetics is the brainchild of a husband and wife team who are based in  Buckinghamshire. They wanted to create a range of completely 100% natural and plant-based beauty products for face and body which was to be aimed at a market that isn’t defined by age, sex, or ethnicity, they wanted something that would be more natural and eco-aware and sustainable.

So Natural Cosmetics says:

“We believe that we all deserve something better. products that don’t have the potential not only to damage our personal health but also to destroy the environment around us. we have a duty to our children and grand-children to take care of their legacy. To that end all our products are 100% natural and plant-based. wherever possible we use organic accredited sources and local suppliers. we support small businesses and artisan producers. we take our carbon footprint seriously and seek to reduce our impact on the environment in every way possible. we embrace an ethos of no petroleum-based or synthetic additives. we are cruelty-free and only use natural ingredients from certifiably sustainable sources with good working practices and human rights policies. Simply put, our range is ethical, natural and effective and delivers high-quality visible skin and hair care benefits in a natural way”

The products that I’m going to introduce to you are Foamy Handwash, Versatile Ultra Gel, Deodorant Stick, Lip Balm, Waterproof Makeup Remover, and Nourishing Moisturising Cream. I’ll start with the Foamy handwash, seeing how handwashing is so important right now.
My hands have really suffered since COVID-19 reared its ugly head. Using anti-bacterial soap and handwashes have dried the skin on my hands, around my nails especially. My knuckles were so sore and red from all the constant washing of hands. I found the SO Natural foamy handwash an absolute delight to use on my poor hands. It’s based on the traditional soap recipe, made from pure organic vegetable oils, no unnatural chemicals have been used in the production of this foamy soap. The oils are Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil.
It’s unscented, so no flowery fragrance at all, although I think it does have the smell of the vegetable oils to it, certainly not a problem for me though. The handsoap is dispensed via a foamer bottle and just one pump is all that’s needed on wet hands to thoroughly clean (for 20 seconds, singing Happy Birthday) after washing I found that they were not dry or stripped, my hands were feeling quite smooth, and the problem skin around my nails was not as dry. An absolutely gorgeous handwash!
To keep my hands and anything else soft and nicely conditioned I have been using the SO Natural Versatile Ultra Gel. This is in a pump-action bottle again and it’s 100% recyclable. The formula for this multi-tasking gel is a family secret, although the ingredients are here: 
Aqua (Water), Flax Seed mucilage (Linum usitatissimum Seed extract, vegetable Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis leaf juice powder), Benzyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Sorbic acid. It also has vitamin E and Omega fatty acids.
SO, why is this versatile? Well, it can be used wherever you need to moisturise. You can even use it on the ends of the hair to help with the flyaways or to separate the curls during styling. I have used it to keep my hands soft and moisturised after all the handwashing that has to be done at the moment. I was also very surprised to learn that this gel can be used as a personal lubricant. It’s completely water-based with plant-based ingredients and PH balanced, so extremely safe.
The next SO Natural product that I have been using is the So Effective Hard Deodorant. The packaging really intrigued me. It’s made of brown Kraft paper which is fully recyclable. The deodorant is dispensed by pushing up from the base of the tube.This is a natural deodorant, aimed at keeping effective for up to 12 hours. It’s full of natural plant ingredients with coconut oil and cocoa butter within to help with nourishing the skin. This solid deodorant doesn’t stop you from sweating, but it does help to neutralize those nasty whiffs.
I have never used a hard deodorant before, and I was slightly concerned that once applied it would feel very sticky, but I needn’t have worried it applies better and much drier than a usual roll-on deodorant. The description says that the deodorant has a “subtle, clean and invigorating aroma of spearmint essential oil” I didn’t get that from it. I found the fragrance quite earthy, a bit chocolate like but without the sweetness, it has a more masculine fragrance, but saying than it is very pleasant, it certainly doesn’t clash with my chosen perfume. You can see the ingredients below.

 Rice Starch, Coconut Oil, Cocoa Butter Candellila Wax, Potassium Alum Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate, Lemon Ester (Isoamyl Laurate^, Triethyl Citrate^, Isoamyl Cocoate^), Castor Oil, Farnesol*, Spearmint Essential Oil, Sunflower Oil, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Limonene*. *Naturally present in essential oils. ^Esters of lauric, citric and coconut acid.

Next up is the SO moisturising Lip Balm. Like the hard deodorant, the lip balm is packaged in the brown paper push up tube, which is manufactured in the UK and completely recyclable too.

I really like this lip balm and I use it at night before I go to sleep, I keep it on my bedside table to re-apply during the night when I do tend to wake. It has 100% natural plant-based ingredients within this lip balm. There’s cocoa butter, organic jojoba and castor oils in there also peppermint oil. Again the description mentions the peppermint aroma, and again I didn’t get that. For me it’s unscented, but I know that the peppermint is in there because I do get a slight tingle sensation. This is a lovely moisturising lip balm, it’s not a sticky cloying lip balm, I hate that kind. This is so comfortable to wear, and actually, you don’t need to use a lot to get that moisture, I applied to my bottom lips and smooshed my lips together, they were completely covered and soft and smooth. It’s great to use under a matte lipstick too, especially if you don’t like a totally matte look lip. A really lovely lip balm.

Let’s talk about cleansing now with the SO effective waterproof makeup remover.

Okay, I have to say firstly that I didn’t follow the instructions to the letter when I used this cleanser. They say to apply a small amount to a cotton pad to remove makeup. I didn’t. I poured the milky cleanser into the palm of my hand and massaged it over my face, taking it across my eyes. I then removed it with my usual wet muslin cloth. It did remove my face makeup and left my skin feeling clean and soft and freshened. It didn’t remove all my mascara in one go, I went in for a second time, to be fair I would do anyway with a second cleanse. None of my makeup is waterproof, so I can’t comment on that side of the cleanser. There is no fragrance at all, it’s full of beautiful natural/organic ingredients such as Organic Olive, which is rich in Omega 3 and nourishes the skin. Organic Castor Oil which is good for dry skin types, Witch Hazel water a natural astringent that helps in the removal of makeup, it also helps with acne-prone skin or aging skin as it has anti-oxidants, and there is also Vitamin E which helps to retain moisture in aging skins. The cleanser is available in 100g and 250g size bottles, which are 100% recyclable.

Lastly, I’m sharing with you the SO Nourishing Moisturising Cream, particularly for dry and mature skin types.

Oh, my word this is one heck of rich nourishing face cream! It really is quite gorgeous. With 100% natural plant-based ingredients including Shea Butter which as we know is amazing for moisturising the skin and high in phytosterols which helps with cell renewal, there’s Cocoa Butter in there for nourishment and Olive and Sunflower oils to soften and protect the skin. It has no perfume and a total joy to use. You do not need to use a lot of product, it really does go a long way. I made the mistake of slathering it on my face and the following day I did have a bit of a breakout on my chin and the side of my nose. But once I corrected myself I have really enjoyed using the cream every day. It’s fantastic on the hands too, leaving them very soft and nourished aftrewards. A gorgeous everyday moisturising cream indeed.

SO Natural Cosmetics I’m very glad to say are wonderful, everything is handmade in the UK, 100% natural and plant-based, vegan – cruelty-free, palm oil-free – gm free, no synthetic or mineral oil-based additives. There is FREE shipping on orders over £30. You will find them HERE.

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading today, take care of yourself, stay safe.

XXX

 

 

 

 

May 21 2020

{AD-Gifted} Lotil Original, seriously good dry skin cream!

Hey, there my lovelies.

How are you all doing? I’m so sorry for not posting for such an age, I’ve just been feeling that there are more important things going on in the world right now, people might not be interested in reading blogs, especially product reviews. But, people have been reading here on my blog which is fantastic, thank you!

Even in lockdown, I have been lucky enough to have been sent some lovely products to try out and then review them here on EAB. This dry skin cream and lip balm from the brand Lotil really are seriously good. I do have dry skin anyway, which has gotten dry during the aging process, but it just seems to have become drier over the last few weeks while being shut-in more than normal. The tops of my feet, elbows, and oh my goodness, my lips have been very dry, and not forgetting my hands. Oh the hands, they have really taken a battering with all the extra handwashing!  I expect you are all the same? but then along came the fabulous Lotil Cream. Before I begin I should say that it does contain Lanolin, which is a wax that’s secreted from the wool of a sheep, and so this product is not vegan friendly. However Lotil does not test on animals. Other ingredients I have listed below for you.

Aqua (Water), Glyceryl Stearate SE, Glycerin, Lanolin Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Oleic Acid, Triethanolamine, Stearic Acid, p-Chloro-m-Cresol, Parfum (Fragrance), Linalool, Limonene, Citronellol, Coumarin, Geraniol, Anise Alcohol, Benzyl Cinnamate.

Lotil Cream has been in households for over 100 years. Great for all the family to use and in any way at all where dry, chapped skin needs to be soothed, and it gives protection from the enviroment too. The fragrance isn’t overpowering at all, it smells rather like a fresh body talc in my opinion, really quite lovely. Lotil cream also has anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties which gives lasting protection from infection. It’s a rich cream that is easily and quickly absorbed into the skin without leaving a greasy feel.

I have used Lotil cream on various parts of my body. I have used it on my feet after bathing, and removed hard skin, applied the cream to them and popped on socks, boom, no more rough hard skin! My feet remained soft for a fair while so that I can now wear my sandals. I’ve massaged some cream into the skin around my toenails, lovely and soft now. My hands have been very dry and sore due to all the extra handwashing, but massaging Lotil cream into them has softned them completely, the backs of my hands really were looking old and wrinkly, but now so much smoother looking.

So about 10 years ago I sustained an injury to my shin, I bumped into the coffee table and got a rather big bruise, which ended up turning into a nasty ulcer, which was literally eating away at my leg. I had to have foot to thigh bandaging for about 6 months. At the end of those 6 months I had a leg as hairy as a Gorilla and a scar about 3 inches big! I solved the problem of the hairy leg with shaving, but the scar I have for the rest of my life, there is nothing I can do about it, I live with it. My scar does get very dry, especially in the colder months when I wear trousers all the time. I just applied my regular body lotion to keep it soft and smooth looking. But sometimes I had to apply the body lotion 2-3 times a day which got rather tedious, and I eventually didn’t bother. Now I have Lotil Cream to apply to my scar, and I will never apply anything else again. It’s fantastic! I’m going to show you photos of my scar. The first one is before application of the Lotil Cream.

Can you see how dry and scaly my scar is? Sometimes it would itch too. I am always aware not to scratch at the scar as there is every possibility that it could cause bleeding then there would be a chance that it would ulcerate again.

This is my scar after applying Lotil Cream. It’s so much softer and smoother. The dry scaly skin has disappeared and so has the itchiness too. Lotil Cream once it’s sunk into my skin lasts for ages, I never have to re-apply during the day. It doesn’t leave a greasy residue that could stick to clothes, it absorbes completely. Now I use Lotil Cream as part of my regular beauty routine. Lotil Cream comes in various pack sizes.

30ml – handy miniature tube
50ml – handbag-sized tube
114ml – multi-purpose home use tub
500ml – extra large container with pump dispenser

I have also been using and loving a lot, the Lotil Lip Care lip balm, with SPF 30. It contains all the beautiful caring goodies that the Lotil Cream has, it’s fragrance free and no nasty taste to it either. I was suffering from sore lips because I’m a lip licker, and applying the Lotil Lip Care has helped with that too. I always like to apply lip balm at the start of my makeup application, by the time I get to lipstick my lips are soft and smooth ready for lippy. I often apply lip balm and then take a cotton bud and scrub over my lips to exfoliate, wipe away excess then re-apply lip balm, bingo soft smooth lips! Lotil Lip Care is great for that pupose too.

I really have my new “hero” products with Lotil. They also have foot treatment products in the range and I’m going to be giving them a go too. You will find all Lotil products on Amazon HERE. You can also purchase at Boots too, but right now it is out of stock and you could try again later HERE.

Thank you for stopping by and reading today my lovelies, stay safe.

XXX

Mar 23 2019

[AD-Gifted] Super Stylo Satin Finish Lipstick by MUA Makeup Academy…..

Hey there lovelies, welcome to Elegant Ageless Beauty!

I had a little squeal of delight when 6 gorgeous looking lipsticks by my favourite makeup brand MUA Makeup Academy arrived for a little play.

I have 6 shades from the 8 that are available. They are lovely chunky twist-up lipsticks, with the absolutely gloriously MUA usual fragrance of vanilla! All of them are so wonderfully pigmented and glide on perfectly leaving a very pretty sheen to the lips. They last a good couple of hours on me, I am a constant lip licker and I drink a lot of water and a few coffees throughout the day. But re-applying doesn’t bother me as the lipsticks aren’t drying at all, they feel so moisturising. The darker shades do leave a slight stain on the lips as they wear down, and even though I have 59-year-old lips, these did not “bleed” into my lines, AND I wasn’t wearing any lip liner either.

Let’s look at the pretty colours! I just want to clarify that the numbers on the lipstick are not the numbers that MUA have put on them. Mark popped them on for me so that I’m able to give you the shade names more accurately.

 1. FIRST CLASS.  beautiful blue-toned red.

2. ELITE Pink with brown tones.

3, SUPER NUDE a cool-toned nude

4, WORLD CLASS a warm pink nude

5, HEROIC a warm nude

6, MAJOR a warm orange-brown

You can pick up these gorgeous lipsticks from Superdrug on your High Street or online at MUA  HERE.

Thank you for stopping by and reading today.

XXX

Aug 16 2018

A Tint for the Lips and Cheeks..B. Makeup

I do love a product that’s multi tasking, you know using a lipstick for cheeks as well as lips? Well look what I’ve got, it’s a product that you can use on the lips AND the cheeks! *rolls eyes* Today I thought that I would share with you what I think of the Lip and Cheek Tint from B. Makeup.

Okay so of the 6 shades available I have 3, from the left is Crimson Caress, Frivolous and Just a Kiss. The B. Makeup Lip and Cheek Tint is the perfect must have for my makeup bag, it gives the prettiest pop of colour to lips and cheeks when you don’t want to go for a full on makeup. Although it’s buildable to be more intense if you need it to be. It does have a lightweight creamy texture and it blends so easily too. The colour payoff is lovely, quite subtle, my favourite shade is the first one in the photo, Crimson Caress it’s the one that I’ve reached for more than the other two. I apply it to my cheeks with my fingers in a patting motion, which is my preferred method for all cream blush, it’s non oily and once it’s on the skin it gives me a dewy look to my cheeks. To keep it looking dewy I don’t apply any finishing powder, but it lasts on me all day.

Using the same shade on my lips, it’s just as lovely. It doesn’t feel sticky or tacky, I have used it with my finger to apply for a pretty “your lips but better” pop of subtle tint. It doesn’t give my lips much of a shine, but it’s certainly not drying either. To add more of an intense colour boost I applied the tint using my lip brush, and it looks amazing. The B. Makeup Lip and Cheek Tint is perfect for Summer time makeup, but I think I shall be using it well into the cooler Autumn days too. If you want to check them out for yourself you will find them HERE.

XXX

*PR GIFT*

Jul 14 2018

Velvet Matte Liquid Lipstick by Cassie Lomas for B. Makeup…..

Hey there lovelies, welcome to Elegant Ageless Beauty, I’m Teresa.

This is another gorgeous makeup product from B. Makeup at Superdrug. It’s one from a range of products by  Cassie Lomas. Cassie is a makeup artist and brand ambassador for B. Makeup, she also owns the Cassie Lomas Makeup Academy. I’ll leave her details/links at the end of this post.

So, one of Cassie’s products I’m sharing is the Velvet Matte Liquid Lipstick.

The shade is called The Nineties. It’s a bright orange – red lipstick perfect for Summer, and the colour actually does suit me, I don’t often do a red lip but when I used this for the first time the other day, I quite liked the colour on me. I’m not a matte lip kind of woman I think I’ve mentioned that before, I feel they can be more ageing on me at times, making my lips look dry and cracked. But this is B. Makeup and it’s really very nice. It’s a doe foot sponge applicator which apply product perfect onto the lips. Now, I applied the product to my bottom lip first and smoothed my lips together to distribute onto top lip. Oh my goodness it was so smooth and not at all sticky, BUT the liquid lipstick was on about 4 of my teeth! I had to remove it with a dry cotton bud, and it took about 5 to 7 minutes to dry completely! I wore the liquid lips all day, it lasted me until I took it off at night. It didn’t crack on my lips at all, or make my lips feel dry. As with other liquid lipsticks I’ve tried I did have to remove it with an oil cleanser.

Okay, I firmly believe that the liquid lipstick had become too warm from the extreme temperatures we are having in the UK at the moment, I think that it melted (if a liquid lipstick can melt?) onto my teeth and then took all that time to dry down because of the heat. I used it today, it’s not hot and it has applied just lovely. I think in future I shall pop this liquid lipstick into the fridge for a few minutes before applying, during any other heatwave we may have. 

In essence the Cassie Lomas for  B. Makeup Velvet Matte Liquid Lipstick is lovely, pigment is amazing and yes it does dry down matte after a short while. Sometimes I just like to put a tiny amount on my finger and apply it over the top of a clear lip balm for a more subtle natural look. Unfortunatly this shade is no longer available, however you can shop all Cassie Lomas for B. Cosmetics HERE

And you can see more by Cassie Lomas HERE.

XXX

*PR Gifted*