vegan beauty

Zao Essence of Nature vegan refillable Volume & Sheathing Mascara and Concealer

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I came across both of these on the Peace With The Wild website but Zao do have their own website. Both of these products are cruelty free, organic, vegan and refillable!

I’m surprised these are packaged in little bamboo bags as it seems like unnecessary extra packaging. I do love the bamboo cases and that they’re refillable though.

Concealer £18.75

I chose the colour ‘Clear Beige’ as it suits ‘medium skin with neutral undertones’ which my skin is in winter. I cant show you a tester on my skin because it matches it so much that you can’t see it. For a stick concealer the texture is pretty creamy but obviously not as blendable as a liquid one. I’m not one of those people that slap on so much under their eyes, that they cover their cheek bones too (hey, each to their own), I just use it sparingly on blemishes and redness.

‘Organic castor oil 

This oil is emollient and so facilitates softer skin. It is also moisturising, increasing the water content of skin to keep it soft and smooth.

Organic carnauba wax

Secreted by leaves of a palm tree native to Brazil, this wax is a film-forming agent that protects skin via the production of a continuous film; this helps makeup to last for a longer duration.

Organic bamboo macerate

Bamboo macerate is extremely rich in organic silica, required by the body for the production of collagen, the body’s anti-ageing weapon. Our bodies require silica to maintain elasticity of the upper layers of the epidermis.‘

Volume and Sheathing Mascara £20.75

100% natural ingredients, 40% of which are organic. This Mascara is so gentle on lashes. The sheathing effect makes lashes thicker but also means that it slides off easily when I want to remove it. It doesn’t make my feel lashes dry or like they could easily snap, as they are still flexible.

This brush is absolutely fool proof! It lifts and separates lashes and applies the perfect amount of product.

‘Organic bamboo hydrosol
Derived from the distillation of bamboo leaves, it purifies combination and acne-prone skin by mattifying it. Moisturizing and soothing, it is also beneficial for dry and sensitive skin. Thanks to its high silica content, it leaves a soft touch to the skin.

Acacia gum
Acacia gum or gum arabic that comes from the resin secreted by the Acacia Senegal tree, is used as an adhesive agent, to improve the hold of Zao Make-Up mascaras.

Organic avocado oil
Obtained from avocado pulp, this oil is healing and calming. It works like a wonder on skin irritations. Softening, protective and very soft, it restores elasticity and provides comfort to the skin and takes care of fragile skin. Regenerating and restructuring, it acts against skin aging.’

I’ve not included a before pic because you can’t really see my lashes as they point forward without mascara, rather than upward.

I’m surprised at how thick and extended my lashes look, even with my hooded eyes. Below, I’m doing surprised-eyes in order to show you the base of my lashes.

I didn’t even know I had this many lashes lol

Rating for both 5/5 🥳

🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

Monthly Life Update – January

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My memory is so crap for these type of posts, I need to start writing this stuff down everyday.

Lifestyle 💁🏽‍♀️

Check out these eyebrows! I’ve fully grown them out so I can tweeze them back into a coherent shape easily. I‘ve given this top to charity as I constantly had to lint roller fluff off it. Ain’t no one got time for that!

Carrying on with trying to minimise my impact on the planet, I bought these Sustainable Essentials from Ecologue.

Me pissing around and doing The Dolly Parton Challenge.

After 1 wrong order (and a correction) and 2 stunning deliveries with flower delivery company Bloom and Wild, I ordered Lillies and white roses. The roses died long before the lillies even opened. I’ve learned my lesson and shall be buying from Tesco…or the garage from now on!

Skincare 🧖🏽‍♀️

The most effective deodorant I’ve ever used is Ohii, Charcoal Natural Deodorant (which I like to think is pronounced ‘Oh, eye?’). It’s vegan, yay! But not refillable, boo!

Glycolic Acid is my friend once again in – the incredibly effective – Pixi, Glow Tonic. Cleanses, brightens and smooths without being too drying.

Stressing Less 💆🏻‍♀️

I’ve noticed that if I don’t pressure myself to go to bed and wake up at a reasonable time, I sleep much better. I go to bed around 1.00am when I’m actually tired enough to sleep and anytime I’ve had enough sleep is when I get up. That’s reasonable for me.

I’m also stressing less about what is supposed to be happening when and tend to just be content with what is happening now. Not caring about being in control of everything and just letting stuff play out is a lot less stressful!

Wearing 👚

I tried to get some style basics in the sales and had mixed success but I like these posts because they give you an idea of various brands sizing and quality etc.

Eating 🥗

Having three meals a day and eating a small breakfast before my body desperately needs fuel, so I have a clear head and the energy to put together something nicer later on.

I’ve gotten back into salad/deli type foods like humus, pickles, roasted peppers and tomatoes, crackers, seeds, nuts, stuffed vine leaves, chilled tofu (fried in toasted sesame oil and then chilled makes it taste like chicken breast for some reason) and so many condiments. There’s half a shelf full of them in the fridge lol BUT I’ve discovered my fave noodle place has stopped doing sushi! 😱

Greggs have launched their Vegan Stakebake and Vegan Sausageroll, so although I’m cheating with the gluten in the pastry, I still HAD to try them. Sadly I ran out of change and could only afford the stakebake, which was Delicious!

Reading 📖

I couldn’t get my head into reading books over Jan so I’ve been reading blogs including Roses Have Thoughts , Square One Notes , Mae Polzine and Cosmopolitan, Red, and Vogue, which was in a two-for-one deal surprisingly. I’ve read some great interviews, features, tips and reviews.

Watching 👀

Better than Human (with English subs) – this was similar to, but better than the Humans. Not as preachy and waster pacing and more relatable characters I thought.

Black Mirror series 2 – I really enjoyed this because it wasn’t as heavy as the first but still very poignant.

Black Lightning – Pop corn for the mind, with extra cheese. The quality of the fight scenes, the character arcs, the editing and the pacing of the story were all wildly uneven. The characters were likeable and the soundtrack consistently good though.

Santa Clarita Diet – featuring Drew Barrymore as a zombie and a wife and Mum. Once you get passed the clunky acting and awkwardly timed jokes in the first series and it just gets better and better. Brilliantly bizarre!

🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

Ohii Pure Stick Deodorant in Citrus Tea

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I started using natural deodorant ten years ago as I couldn’t find any others that were cruelty free at the time. The salt based ones didn’t really work but the solid cream ones worked really well, even in summer. I thought I’d try this charcoal-based one by Ohii in Citrus Tea £10 from Urban Outfitters to deodorise and care for my skin even more. It also has a lovely fresh unisex scent.

  • Cruelty free
  • Vegan
  • Aluminium free
  • Baking soda free
  • Doesn’t leave white marks/dries clear
  • Soothing Aloe

The Ultimate Test and Result

I was having food intolerance related hot flushes all day and night and by 7.00pm I have to admit I was smelling a tad ripe!

However…

The bloke wore this and cycled 6 and a half miles, spent the day in a meeting and cycled the same home and smelled fresh as a daisy!

  • Rating 4/5

    • I would have given it five out of five if it was packaged in glass, rather than plastic (two lids on top of one another as well) or if it was refillable. I also found the labelling extremely hard to make sense of, to the point where I missed the brand name completely!

    🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

    Yaoh! Mini Haul

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    I use Yaoh! because their products are hemp oil based, which really conditions my skin and my hair, they are BUAV (leaping bunny) approved, they don’t use palm oil and are affordable on a budget; the perfect brand in my opinion!

    The Coconut and Lime scent of the Shampoo is as wonderful as the shampoo it’s self. It leaves my coarse, frizzy hair so soft and shiny it totally transforms the texture. I don’t need to add hair oil afterward either, just curl cream. I’ve bought the body butter to match and I’m going to get the shower gel too next time.

    The Mango Lip Balm is hydrating and adds important oils, while smelling like a Mediterranean cocktail. It’s nice and thick but it does sink in, unlike other brands that are too heavily wax based.

    I decided to try a Tropical Fruits Body Butter (not shown) as the scent sounded lovely and exotic. The body butters feel light on the skin and sinks in easily but it’s still incredibly hydrating. The scent isn’t as strong as I’d prefer but it is pleasant.

    The Tropical Fruits Moisturiser barley has any scent, which I prefer. It sinks in quickly but I think this would be best for dry or possibly combination skin as it is rather rich. Considering it’s slightly scented and rich, it doesn’t

    Because I’d bought 4 items amounting to £25 I got the face moisturiser free!

    Rating 5/5 for everything!

    ❤Chrissie❤

    The Body Shop, Shea Butter Richly Replenishing Conditioner

    / Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 2 Comments

    Made from Community Trade Shea Butter from Ghana Shea Butter Richly Replenishing Conditioner (£6.50, 250ml) promises to leave hair nourished, less prone to breakage and less frizzy.

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    I have thick, coarse shoulder length hair which is excellent condition but looses it’s natural oils easily, even after using very gentle, natural shampoo.

    I like the mild nutty scent and how creamy this conditioner is. My hair was left feeling incredibly soft and replenished. It was still a little frizzy but then I would never expect conditioner alone to sort this out. I always need to add hair oil after lightly towel drying my hair, no matter what conditioner I use.

    The only problem for me is the size and the price, it’s either too small or too expensive. I can appreciate that the people who produce this in Ghana need a fair wage but maybe The Body Shop could take a little less profit? I don’t know but what I do know is that it’s too dear for me to use regularly with my thick long hair, even though a little does go a long way.

    Rating 4/5

    ❤Chrissie❤

     

    Yaoh – Organic Hemp Seed Oil Shampoo & Conditioner

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    Yaoh Organic Hemp Seed Oil Shampoo – Coconut and Lime (£5.99 240ml)

    Contains extracts of rosemary, lavender and chamomile and is free from sodium lauryl sulphate and other harsh chemicals. The lime and coconut scent reminds me of a delicious holiday cocktail. I have tried shampoos in the past (most of the generic brands from big companies) that have left my hair feeling like tangled straw. I’ve tried shampoos that are a lot more gentle but didn’t really do the job. Yaoh shampoo removed a huge amount excess grease, dirt and product build-up but didn’t strip my hair of it’s natural oils. Sometimes I co-wash (meaning just washing with conditioner to gently refresh hair and re-define it’s shape) but I honestly could have sham-washed with this shampoo, it’s that gentle and nourishing.

    Rating 5/5

    Yaoh Organic Hemp Seed Oil Conditioner – Summer Breeze (£5.99 240ml)

    I have to get this out of the way first; both me and my bloke hated the scent of this so I only used it on the back of my hair for the purpose of reviewing it and then my usual conditioner on the rest.

    Rating 2/5 (only for that scent though)

    Overall

    My hair has never been so soft ever before, not even as a child. It’s like I have a totally new (and much calmer) hair type that just falls into shiny loose spirals – wow!

    For 33% off all bath products Nov-Dec use code SHAM33

    ❤Chrissie❤

    Ciate Minis – Gelology Collection – Paradise Lost

    / Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 4 Comments

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    I have way too many nail polishes so I’m only buying ones from now on that are very versatile or have something special about them.

    Paradise Lost is a beautiful rose gold colour with copper tones and incredibly fine sparkle, which has a matte texture.

     

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    Ciate Gelology range incorporates their most popular shades but this time in a highlight pigmented gel finish that bonds to the nail better and bends with the nail for longer wear. This glided on easily and two thin coats gave this amazing depth of colour. I do have very weak bendy nails and it hasn’t cracked or flaked at all!

    I’m going to be wearing this through October and the party season. It will also look stunning with a tan in Summer.

    ❤Chrissie❤

    Norvelle 4 Faces Facial Tanning Spray & Body Buff Exfoliating Ph Balancing Mitt

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    Norvelle are British brand who serious about tanning, they are even used on Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing With The Stars. They offer a comprehensive range of products depending on how dark you want to go and how you prefer to apply your product. They are BUAV (leaping bunny) approved to not test on animals.

    4 Faces Facial Tanning Spray (£9.99 2floz)

    The Science Bit

    Time Release Micro Capsules bind moisture within the skin, for 24hr hydration.
    Natural Enzymes repair weak, dehydrated skin.
    Unique Dermal Barrier locks DHA within the top layer of skin, priming it for Longer Lasting, Deeper, Sunless Results.
    Advanced DHA Odor Encapsulation molecules ‘trap’ and virtually eliminate common sunless odor.
    Non-Comedogenic Facial Quality Formula designed for delicate facial skin and will not clog pores.
    Just of the Beach Color™ patented blend of DHA and bronzers found only in Norvell Professional products.

    Application of Facial Spray

    It’s suggested that you spray this facial tan onto a beauty blender to apply it. The first one absorbed most of it and then it ran straight off the second one. Clearly, I need to up my beauty blender game! So instead, I prepped my face with some rich moisturiser and sprayed this straight onto my skin and blended with my fingers and palms. The spray is very uneven and does not come out like a mist. The nozzle is incredibly hard to press down (and not just with my hypermobile fingers, my friend struggled too) so some work is definitely required either way you apply this. I’m going for the mouse if I ever buy this myself.

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    Please excuse the shadows on the left of my face, this was the most true light, rather than blanching me out in glaring sunshine.

    Result! (Yes, I am actually shouting that out loud)

    Spray tan usually makes my skin so dry and it settles in all of my expression lines but my skin remained hydrated, even through the next day. When my skin was wet I patted it dry with a white towel and the tan didn’t transfer. Well, that’s a first! I have been wearing darker coloured tops incase it rubs off around my neckline though. I had a very faint freshly painted smell but that faded quickly. I’m still waiting for it to go patchy five days later but it’s not budging. I’ve just exfoliated (because my skin needed it, not the tan) and even now I’m still tanned and glowing!

    I have a realistic colour that works wonderfully with my natural skin tone and I wonder if this is because I diluted the colour a little with my moisturiser. I can imagine you could go really quite dark with a few layers of just this product, even though there are much darker one’s available in the range.

    Pre Sunless Body Buff Exmitt Exfoliating Ph Balancing Mitt (£5.99)

    The Science Bit

    Boosts Amino Acid Levels on the skin surface, which works directly with the active sunless ingredient, DHA, to produce maximum color results.
    pH Balancing Skin Primer balances out skin surface prior to tanning to minimize orange look for that natural just off the beach™ color.
    Hydrates skin for even and maximum absorption of sunless solution.
    Advanced DHA Odor Encapsulation molecules ‘trap’ and virtually eliminate common sunless odor.
    Time Release Micro Capsules bind moisture within the skin.
    Unique Dermal Barrier locks in DHA.

    Application

    Even though this mitt is really big it’s soft and easy to use. I didn’t realise it comes with a lot of moisture, so much that I dripped it everywhere taking it out of the foil – oops! It moved along my limbs fine but didn’t feel very exfoliating. There was enough moisture left to be able to reuse it, so I put it into a zip lock bag for next time.

    Result

    My legs felt moisturised and a little smoother and the tan glided on really well. I was worried about the colour payoff because my legs were actually wet from the mitt before applying the tan. I was left with subtle, natural looking colour as if I’d been running errands, during a week of sunny weather, rather than on holiday or outside gardening all day. A huge bonus for me was that there was no freshly painted smell at all! My skin stayed moisturised, with no patchiness, colour change or spray tan scent and those really are the most important things for me. Low maintenance and a believable result.

    ❤Chrissie❤

     

    This product was gifted to me.

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    Zoya Nail Polish in Rocky

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    Cruelty free and vegan with no formaldehyde, toluene, dibuytl phthalate or camphor. I’ve used this polish in a hurry without a base coat and, unlike a lot of polishes it has not made my nails dry or brittle. With a base and top coat this polish has lasts up to four days even though my nails are oddly flexible, meaning polish is prone to cracking and breaking up but Zoya lasts.

    Rocky is an opaque turquoise. It reminds me of 1950’s electric guitars and retro Smeg kitchenware but a tiny bit more toward the greener side of turquoise, which adds depth and saturation to the colour.

    ❤Chrissie❤

    Your Tea – Tea Face Healing Hydrating Tea Scrub

    / Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 3 Comments

    Jarbox

    Your Tea is a company which sells all kinds of tea, tea accessories and tea based beauty gifts. Tea Face Healing and Hydrating scrub ($24.95) is said to assist with a radiant complexion, healing scars, addressing uneven skin tone and drawing out impurities. It contains all natural ingredients including Rosehip Oil, Patchouli Oil, Jojoba Oil, Ylang Ylang, Cold Presed Coconut Oil.

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    I thought this scrub would be messier to use than it actually was but the tea granules stuck together quite well as I scrubbed my skin in circular motions. I leaned back to chill out for 15 minutes to let the oils soak in before removing with a damp flannel and rinsing my face with tepid water. I was impressed with how effective the exfoliation of this scrub was as it left my skin feeling really smooth. It also looking radiant and a lot calmer than before. Some scrubs leave my skin a little red or flushed but Tea Face actually calmed down the redness that I had across my nose and cheeks.

    Jar

    I decided not to use any moisturiser straight afterward as I loved my skin the way it was! I really like the packaging as it’s easily recyclable and I’m going to re-use the glass jar as I think it’s lovely. It’s important to keep the scrub in the fridge once it’s opened, which keeps it fresh and really adds to how refreshing it feels.

    Rating ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

    ❤Chrissie❤