Green Beauty: John Masters Organics Haircare review

John Masters Organics are one of those all-natural brands that somehow manages to excel in all areas of beauty and their vast range of products is a real pleasure to explore. They are perhaps most well known and loved for their haircare though, so it's about time that I shone a spotlight on this wonderful organic company.

John Masters Organics is the brainchild of celebrated American hairdresser, John Masters. He's worked within the major fashion and celebrity cliques throughout much of the '80s and began to do research into the world of organic ingredients when he discovered that many of the products that he was working with on a day to day basis contained potentially toxic chemicals that were being linked to numerous health problems. Determined to make a change, he began working on clean and organic haircare products that were not only environmentally friendly but also effective enough for him to continue to use on his celebrity clientele.

Thus, John Masters Organics was born and it continues to be one of the most successful and innovative luxury green beauty brands on the market. I've used many of their products over the years, including JMO's bestselling Lavender haircare line which I'm going to focus on today. 

John Masters Organics Lavender Rosemary Shampoo* (236ml, £17, link)

Developed for normal hair, this shampoo is one that I've recommended many times to friends and family who want to try an SLS-free shampoo. It's packed full of natural ingredients such as Rosemary, Lavender, Aloe Vera, Jojoba Oil and Nettle, plus it contains an interesting complex of Wheat Amino Acids and Soy Protein to help to strengthen the hair. This shampoo does have a strong herbal-meets-lavender scent to it, but I find it rather pleasant and relaxing - it's lovely to use if you're feeling a bit stressed! As you'd expect from an SLS and sulphates free shampoo, this won't lather up fully, but it does provide a small amount which allows you to easily massage it into the scalp. It gives a really deep clean, banishing any dirt, excess oil and residual build-up, and leaves hair feeling refreshed without being stripped or dry. I love it! Suitable for all hair types including colour treated. 

John Masters Organics Lavender & Avocado Intensive Conditioner* (207ml, £22, link)

If you love eating avo on toast, you'll be pleased to know that this superfood is also good for your hair. However, if you don't fancy a DIY treatment, you can just pick up this conditioner instead! Formulated with the likes of Lavender, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil, Soy Protein and Honey to name but a few, this conditioner is a great match for the shampoo above and will help to soften dry hair without weighing it down. I do think that it's not really 'intensive' though, as it feels very much like a regular (but high-quality, of course) hair conditioner that you can use every day, rather than a super thick once-a-week hair mask job, so it's definitely one to use on a regular basis instead.

John Masters Organics Rose & Apricot Hair Milk* (full size is 118ml, £25, link - 50ml travel size shown) 
Leave-in conditioners are a godsend for anyone who has frizzy or dry hair, and JMO's Rose & Apricot Hair Milk is fantastic for keeping those pesky flyaways at bay. It's full of nourishing natural ingredients such as Rosewood Oil, Rose Geranium Oil, Shea Butter, Apricot Kernel Oil and Rosehip Oil, yet it feels wonderfully light in texture and it won't make your hair look greasy or feel weighed down. You only need to use a tiny amount of this cream through the ends and lengths of your hair, and you'll be guaranteed a good hair day every time!

John Masters Organics are available in the UK from onlynaturals.co.uk

Have you tried anything from John Masters Organics?

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New In: Urban Decay x Jean-Michel Basquiat Collection - Review & Swatches

Urban Decay's latest collaboration with the estate of the late Jean-Michel Basquiat marries the world of makeup with Basquiat's outspoken creativity. It's an exciting collection and a fantastic way to introduce Basquiat's art to a new and younger generation.

My art teacher at college was a huge fan of Jean-Michel Basquiat's work and I have fond memories of exploring his art for an essay at that time. For those who haven't heard of him, he was a Brooklyn-born artist who used many different kinds of art forms to express and raise awareness of inequality, class divides, racism and poverty throughout much of the 80s. 

Like many troubled artists, Basquiat sadly died young at the age of 27, but his legacy and impact on the art world still lives on. He's most remembered for his graffiti work and paintings, one of which recently sold at auction for an incredible $110 million dollars, breaking the record for a US artist and placing him firmly in the realms of artist greats such as Picasso, Warhol and Pollock.

If you don't have any spare millions in the bank, you can still treat yourself to a little piece of Basquiat via Urban Decay's new collection, but move fast - the range is Limited Edition so don't miss out! 

Here are my picks from the collection:-

 Urban Decay x Jean-Michel Basquiat Gold Griot Eyeshadow Palette* (£35, link)

The attention to detail for this whole collection is completely on point; from the packaging, the colours, right through to the names of the shades themselves - everything has been respectively influenced by Basquiat's work. This Gold Griot Eyeshadow Palette features a reproduction of Basquiat's work printed on canvas which is wrapped all the way around the palette, covering every inch of it - it's beautiful!

Inside the palette, there's a decent sized mirror, a double-ended eyeshadow brush (that's brilliant quality as you'd expect from UD!) and eight eyeshadow shades that mostly fit within the neutral family. All of the shades are buttery soft and high-quality, with most of them being super pigmented and lasting all day without creasing or fading. 

• Crown - a bright metallic gold with a frosty feel to it. This looks amazing as an inner corner highlight to open up the eyes.
• Pseudonym - a deep matte black with a touch of a navy undertone running through it, what I like to call a 'blackened blue'. I love using this to set my liner with to add more definition. There's a tiny amount of purple glitter in this, but it doesn't really show up on the skin.
• BK - this is a stunning metallic grey-silver with an almost taupey undertone. Beautifully pigmented and one of my favourite shades in this palette.
• Influence - another favourite, Influence is a gorgeous metallic dark bronze with a coppery undertone. Applies super smoothly and the pigmentation is insane!

• Suckerpunch - a warm chocolate brown with some fine gold shimmer. A nice one to work with as you can really build up the intensity if you want to.
• Not For Sale - a rich sienna red with a brown undertone. This is an unusual colour for me to wear, but I'm looking forward to playing around with it because it blends so easily.
• Leviathan - a warm and pale flesh-toned nude matte. The least pigmented of the bunch and a tricky one to work with, but looks OK over a primer.
• Enigma - a pale neutral matte with a pinky undertone. Although it applies smoothly, I found this one to be my least favourite in the palette as I think it's far too light to suit my skin tone and looks too chalky on me.

 Urban Decay x Jean-Michel Basquiat 24/7 Glide on Eye Liners* (£16.50 each, link)

UD's 24/7 eyeliners are some of the best on the market and I've been using them for years, so I was thrilled to see these three new shades as part of this collection! They all have that classic and much loved waterproof 24/7 liner formula that glides on super smoothly and lasts all day, even in the waterline. I just love how colourful, vibrant and fun these are, and the cool packaging mimics the style of 80s art pencils.

All three shades are incredibly bright and pigmented; Anatomy is a bright coppery red, Post Punk is a full on neon yellow with a greenish tinge, and Vivid is the most beautiful bright cyan blue that I've ever seen in my life!

 Urban Decay x Jean-Michel Basquiat 24/7 Glide on Eye Liners swatches - Anatomy, Post Punk and Vivid.

 Urban Decay x Jean-Michel Basquiat Vice Lipstick in Epigram* (£16.50, link)

Like the eyeshadow palette above, the outer packaging of this lipstick features a canvas reproduction of Basquiat's work and I have to say that I haven't had quite so many compliments from friends and family before - it's certainly been a conversation starter when I've pulled it out of my bag! This lipstick is in Urban Decay's amazing Vice formula which is wonderfully creamy, richly pigmented and feels very comfortable on the lips. 

There are three shades available in this collection, but my heart belongs to Epigram - a medium pink with a warm brown undertone. It looks a lot darker in the bullet, but on my lips it pulls much brighter and looks amost coral-esque in the sunshine. A beautiful shade for Summer! 

Have you picked up anything from the Urban Decay x Jean-Michel Basquiat Collection?

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Foodie Friday: Coconut & Chilli Stuffed Baby Aubergines (Vegetarian/Vegan recipe)

Coconut and Chillies are one of those culinary combinations that just work so well together, and they really add a burst of exotic flavour to a simple dish like these stuffed Baby Aubergines.

This recipe is based on one that I found in Secrets From My Indian Family Kitchen by Anjali Pathak, which is a fantastic Indian cookbook that has a very contemporary feel to it. I love Indian food and I'm a huge fan of anything spicy, but this dish is something that I like to serve to friends and family who are just starting to experiment with chilli flavours. It's got a nice little kick to it thanks to the fresh Red Chillies, but it isn't overpowering and you can always use less if you want to.

One of the greatest things about Indian food is that it's often very vegetarian-friendly and the original recipe is indeed vegetarian. I've adapted it to be suitable for vegans to enjoy by swapping the Honey for Agave Nectar, and the Natural Yoghurt for a Dairy-Free version instead - easy!

This dish is lovely as a starter or you can serve it as a main with basmati or brown rice. If you're dining alfresco, you could easily pop the Baby Aubergines onto a barbeque for some extra smokey/ charred flavour.

Ingredients (serves 4 as a starter):-

• 10 Baby Aubergines (halved & scored)
• 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
• 2 tsp Black Mustard Seeds
• 2 tsp Fresh Ginger (peeled & finely chopped)
• 1-2 Red Chillies (sliced)
• Handful of Fresh Curry Leaves
• 6 tbsp Desiccated Coconut
• Pinch of Salt
• Dairy-Free Natural Yoghurt (to serve)
• Honey or Agave Nectar (to serve)

Method:-

1. Preheat the Grill to medium or Oven to 220C / Gas Mark 7.
2. Line a baking tray with foil and rub the Baby Aubergines with half of the Coconut Oil. Place them on the tray scored side down and grill or roast for 10-15 minutes, until the skin changes colour and starts to turn crispy.
3. To make the stuffing, heat the remaining Coconut Oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the Black Mustard Seeds. When the seeds start to jump about, add the Ginger, Red Chillies and Curry Leaves and cook for about a minute.
4. Add the Desiccated Coconut to the pan to lightly toast until golden brown, this should only take 30 seconds or so. Turn off the heat and add a pinch of Salt to season.
5. Remove the Baby Aubergines from the oven/grill, flip them over and arrange onto plates. Top the aubergines with the stuffing, pressing some of it gently into the scored parts (but most will stay on the top). 
6. Drizzle over some Yoghurt and Agave Nectar to serve. 

P.S: If you can't find Baby Aubergines, you can always use two regular sized Aubergines instead and cut them up, and remember - this dish is supposed to look messy so don't worry too much about the presentation, just relax and have some fun with it!

Are you a fan of Coconut & Chilli flavours?

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May Beauty Favourites

May was a great month for discovering some new and old beauty favourites, and this roundup features a bit of everything! Let's get stuck in shall we?

Velvotan The Original Tanning Mitt* (£2, link)

As someone who enjoys slapping on the fake tan during the Summer months, I've tried out a lot of mitts from various brands over the years and let me tell you something - the quality of them can vary considerably, and paying more money for a tanning mitt doesn't always mean that it's going to be any good. I'm currently using this one from Velvotan and it's one of the best that I've tried (and I love a bit of leopard print!). I've used it with a couple of different formulas and it's worked well with all of them, plus it comes out of the washing machine looking like new. A steal at just £2 and you can pick it up in Tesco. 

Woodland Trust Fikkerts Bluebell Hand Cream* (75ml, £10, link)

The Woodland Trust are an environmental conservation charity that I've supported since I was a young child, so I was pleased to see this gem of a hand cream in their latest Spring/Summer catalogue. Made by Yorkshire brand Fikkerts, it's a really lovely and luxurious feeling hand cream packed full of moisturising natural ingredients such as Coconut Oil, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Honey and Vitamin E. It has a subtle natural scent of Bluebells and leaves hands feeling silky soft. 

MAC Matte Lipstick in Velvet Teddy (3g, £16.50, link) 

I finally took advantage of MAC's much-loved Back 2 Mac recycling scheme and swapped some old empties that I had lying around for a free lipstick - yay! I chose Velvet Teddy which used to be one of my all time favourites as a teenager, but I hadn't gotten around to repurchasing it until now. When I applied it again, it brought back so many memories and it still suits me as much as it did back then. Happy days!

MAC Lip Pencil in Spice (1.4g, £13, link)

Naturally, one does not go into MAC without coming out with an impulse purchase, and I picked up a lip pencil in the blogger favourite, Spice. This is just one of those great classic shades that goes with some many of my most-used lipsticks and I love how it looks on its own too.

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray* (30ml, £10, link)

A long time favourite of mine, this cult classic has recently had a packaging makeover and I think it looks pretty snazzy! I use this a lot during Summer to keep my makeup from melting off my face and it does an excellent job of keeping everything where it should be throughout the day. If you haven't tried it before, I'd recommend getting your hands on this 30ml travel size first to test out, as the full size is quite pricey, but I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Alucia Organics Chamomile & Calendula Calm Balm* (50g, £14, link)

I love trying out different balms to tackle my eczema flare-ups, and my latest discovery is this wonderful Calm Balm from Alucia Organics. It's 99% organic and the balm is formulated with an expert blend of nourishing and soothing ingredients such as Shea Butter, Hemp Seed Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Chamomile, Beeswax, Rosehip and Calendula. I find this very effective for calming down my irritated skin and helping it to heal, whilst keeping everything thoroughly moisturised at the same time. As with most balms, a little goes a long way, so I expect this jar will last me a long time.

Organic Be Argan Oil* (50ml, £13.59, link) 

Argan Oil is a firm staple in my bathroom as I use it for both skincare and haircare purposes. It's a fantastic natural multi-purpose oil that you can use literally anywhere to soften and smooth. One of my favourite ways to use it is as an intensive hair treatment, where I'll add a few drops to my dry lengths and ends, plait my hair and then sleep in it overnight. It's much, much easier to wash out than Coconut Oil and leaves my hair feeling stronger and looking shinier. This one from Organic Be is just straight up pure organic Argan Oil which is how I like it!

What are your current beauty favourites?

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