Green Beauty: LoveLula Beauty Box - March 2021 review

 

If you love green beauty products as much as I do, you'll love the monthly beauty subscription box from LoveLula! Filled with a surprise selection of natural, organic and cruelty-free products, it's a great way to discover something new!

Here's what's inside the March LoveLula Beauty Box:-

Sukin Rehydrating Gel Cream (RRP £17.95)

Specially formulated for dehydrated skin types, this Rehydrating Gel Cream from Sukin has arrived at the perfect time this week for me to test out during this mini heatwave! I love the light texture which instantly sinks into the skin, so if you hate the feeling of heavy or greasy creams, this is a brilliant lighter alternative. Key ingredients include a Bio-Matine blend of Sea Algae with Hyaluronic Acid and Maize Complex to deeply hydrate and plump up dry and tired skin.

Giovanni Frizz Be Gone Hair Serum (RRP £7.99)

I don't know about you, but my hair needs all the help it can get when it comes to frizz - any kind of humidity causes it to look so messy so I'm thrilled to be able to try out the bestselling Giovanni Frizz Be Gone Hair Serum. As usual for serums of this nature, a few drops is all you need to make a difference and it does a great job of smoothing and adding beautiful shine.

Balmonds Skin Salvation (RRP £7.99)

Next up, I was also pleased to find this cute mini pot of Balmonds Skin Salvation which is a rich, oil-based balm/ointment that helps to lock in moisture. It can be used on any dry skin area that needs some extra TLC so give it a go on feet, hands, cuticles, rough elbows, chapped lips and more. It does contain beeswax though so it's not suitable for vegans, unfortunately.

Ayumi Neem & Tea Tree Face Mask (RRP £6.99)

If you're on a budget, Ayumi is a lovely affordable, green beauty brand to check out and this Neem & Tea Tree Face Mask is ideal for anyone who has oily skin that's prone to breakouts. It's an intensive treatment that deep cleans and refreshes the skin, removing all traces of dirt and impurities from pores for a smoother and clearer complexion. 

Madara City CC Cream SPF 15 (sample sachet)

The last product is a free sample sachet of the award-winning Madara City CC Cream SPF 15. With an innovative Hyaluronic Acid infused formula and an antioxidant blend anti-pollution blend, this CC Cream reduces the appearance of redness and dark spots and adds some sun protection with SPF 15.

LoveLula Beauty Box* is a monthly subscription box priced at £13.95 with free postage in the UK. Visit lovelula.com to find out more.

Have you subscribed to LoveLula's Beauty Box?

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Health & Lifestyle: ZOJO Beauty Elixirs Golden Adapto Latte - Turmeric Beauty Drink review

 

Turmeric lattes have been trendy for a while now, but if you're short on time or don't want to make your own, ZOJO have a luxury ready-made version just for you!

I first discovered Turmeric Lattes a few years ago when I was reading up on Ayurveda. This popular health drink has been widely used for centuries across Asia and is more commonly known as 'golden milk'. Traditional recipes mix a little turmeric powder with steamed cow's milk, along with other specially chosen spices and natural sweeteners for an instantly comforting and nourishing drink.

Nowadays, you're likely to see Turmeric Latte or Golden Milk popping up on the menus of artisanal coffee houses as a caffeine-free alternative, and the option to veganize it by using non-dairy milk is quickly overtaking its mainstream counterpart.

You can make your own Turmeric Latte at home (check out my recipe which is adapted from Jasmine Hemsley's East By West cookbook here), however, for those who are looking for a convenient ready-made version, look no further.

ZOYO Beauty Elixirs have created the Golden Adapto Latte, a Tumeric Beauty Drink full of healthy benefits for the skin and body. 

What's it made of?

This award-winning drink is 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and free from gluten, lactose, preservatives and artificial sweeteners. The base is Organic Coconut Milk Powder, with Organic Turmeric, Organic Ceylon Cinnamon and Organic Black Pepper. There's also Organic Tapioca for a little added thickness and Organic Gum Acacia which acts as a natural stabilizer.

What are the health benefits?

Turmeric is world-famous for its natural anti-inflammatory properties and it's packed full of antioxidants to help fight free radicals. It's an amazing ingredient to support a healthy gut and liver function which offers better fat digestion too. The Black Pepper component allows the body to absorb the active Curcumin in the Turmeric so that you can reap all of these benefits in a bio-available format.

How To Use

Add a flat tablespoon (5g) to hot water and stir well. You can use a frother to whizz up more of a latte texture and add a little natural sweetener if desired. 

Overall thoughts

Although this ready-made ZOJO Beauty Elixirs version is an expensive luxury, for those with the cash to splash, it's an ultra-convenient way to keep this healthy drink on hand in your cupboard and it takes seconds to make. The result was a little more watery than I perhaps had anticipated, so you may want to add a dash of non-dairy milk if you prefer your Turmeric Lattes to be more indulgent and 'creamy' in flavour. No amount of sweetener will make you like the flavour of Turmeric though, so I can appreciate that this is a love/hate it kinda thing for many people!

ZOJO Beauty Elixirs Golden Adapto Latte* (80g, £27, link)

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Introducing: Terre Verdi Herbs & Trees Balancing Facial Serum + Yoga & Sports Body Oil review

One of the pleasures of being a beauty blogger is the joy of discovering new-to-me brands, and the latest brand that has caught my eye is Terre Verdi. 

Terre Verdi is a 100% natural, cruelty-free and vegan-friendly skincare brand that's made in the UK. Its clean formulas have enabled Terre Verdi to be one of the first UK based companies to be awarded COSMOS Organic certification by the Soil Association, and their innovative products are kind to both skin and the environment. 

I love the luxurious and sleek black glass packaging and with enticing products for skincare and pampering, green beauty fans will easily fall in love with this organic range. To give you a taster of what you can expect from this brand, I've been testing out their Herbs & Trees Balancing Facial Serum and Yoga & Sports Body Oil which you can read more about below.

Terre Verdi Herbs & Trees Balancing Facial Serum* (30ml, £31, link)

As we move into Spring, you may notice that your skin becomes a bit less dry and breakouts are common amongst hayfever sufferers which starts to kick in around this time of the year due to the release of tree pollen. If this sounds like you, or you simply have oily or combination skin, Terre Verdi's Herbs & Trees Balancing Facial Serum is a brilliant product to try to help restore your skin's natural balance. 

Focused on rebalancing sebum production and relieving redness and inflammation, I've found this serum to be very useful for combatting seasonal and hormonal breakouts, and it easily fits into your routine, either in the morning or evening. Key ingredients include the astringent Geranium and Tea Tree essential oils, whilst Patchouli Leaf Oil and Frankincense Oil work their magic with their natural anti-ageing and wrinkle-reducing properties. Calendula extract is also included for its ability to boost collagen production and the combination of Argan Oil and Jojoba Oil provides a rich source of essential fatty acids and antioxidants to deeply nourish the skin. 

As a result, this oil-based serum feels a little denser and heavier on the skin than water-based equivalents, so use less than you think - 1-2 drops is enough for me to use in the evenings and it's moisturising enough to use on its own after cleansing.

Terre Verdi Yoga & Sports Body Oil* (30ml, £15, link)

As many of my regular readers will know, I'm an avid Yoga and Pilates fan so I was excited to try out a mini bottle of the Yoga & Sports Body Oil. This beautiful oil is a real pleasure to use after a good stretching session as it helps to aid muscle recovery thanks to its clever blend of carefully chosen plant-based ingredients. 

The base is made up of Argan, Camellia, Sunflower Seed and Jojoba Oils which provide a silky texture to gently massage into weary limbs and this leaves the whole body feeling soft and supple. However, it's the addition of Ginger Root Oil that delivers a warming, almost tingling feeling which stimulates collagen production in the joints, whilst Eucalyptus Oil brings a soothing sense of balance and relief,  and Black Pepper essential oil helps to ease sore and aching muscles. 

If you're a Yoga devotee, add this to your shopping list ASAP!

Have you heard of Terre Verdi before?

Shop the full range of Terre Verdi at LoveLula.com and TerreVerdi.com

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Tried & Tested: KeraHealth Follicle Hero Shampoo & Conditoner + Supplements review

Give fine or damaged/weak hair a strengthening boost with KeraHealth's amazing Follicle Hero range - I'm thrilled to have had the opportunity to try it out!

Since hitting my 30s, I've noticed that my hair, which has always been on the fine side anyway, has become much thinner as I've got older so I tend to always seek out haircare which can help to give it a boost. At the end of January, I received a lovely lockdown PR gift which included this haircare duo from KeraHealth, along with their popular Hair Women supplements to put to the test.

If you haven't heard of KeraHealth before, they're a specialist luxury brand dedicated to improving hair loss and hair health by combining the latest scientific research with ingredients that really work based on clinical tests.

KeraHealth Follicle Hero Shampoo* (250ml, £32, link) and Conditioner* (150ml, £38, link)

At the core of KeraHealth's haircare range is the Follicle Hero Shampoo and Conditioner. This hard-working duo is created with key ingredients such as Keratin, Biotin and Coconut Oil, and both products are free from SLES, parabens, silicones, petrochemicals, artificial colourants and mineral oils. 

For me personally, I found the Shampoo to be the real star here because you can massage the ultra-gentle, yet purifying formula deep into the scalp where I feel you'll see the best benefits. The combination of added Wheat Protein with the strengthening abilities of Keratin and Biotin make a huge difference in reducing breakage and split ends, whilst Coconut Oil adds essential moisture and has antimicrobial properties to remove dirt and impurities from the scalp, resulting in healthier hair overall.

The accompanying Conditioner plays its part by helping to increase hair density and adds lots of lovely moisture and shine. Like the Shampoo, it's packed full of nourishing and strengthening ingredients such as Keratin and Biotin, as well as Aloe Vera for additional hydration. It's a great conditioner for fine and thinning hair as it doesn't weigh it down so it can be used regularly to keep your hair in tip-top condition.

KeraHealth Hair Women Supplements* (60 capsules, £60, link)

A finalist in the recent 2021 Pure Beauty Global Awards, KeraHealth's Hair Women Supplements is a nutraceutical dietary supplement that specifically targets female hair loss (which is very different hormonally from men's hair loss) and helps to stimulate new growth at a cellular level. It features full-spectrum antioxidants which are not only great for hair loss but also help to boost immunity and have anti-inflammatory and stress adaptogenic benefits too.

So what's in these supplements? A daily dose of two capsules contains 18mg Niacin (113%), 2mg Vitamin B6 (140%), 300ug Biotin (600%), 12mg Panthothenic Acid (200%), 9mg Zinc (90%) and 1000ug Copper (100%), plus the key ingredients of 500mg KerCysteine (an exclusive combination of essential amino acids), 220mg L-Leucine and 10mg French Maritime Pink Bark Extract. It's worth mentioning that these include 10mg Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) which is derived from natural sources and coated in a patented process to ensure the capsules are bioavailable to the body.

For best results, you do need to take these for a minimum of three months in a row so it's certainly an investment for your hair, however, compared to other supplements on the market, these appear to have an edge based on their ingredients profile. Free from trans fat, lactose, gluten and stearates, they are a drug-free alternative for those seeking a solution to female hair loss.

Have you experienced hair loss?

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