natural cosmetic Archive | Berries in the Snow

asian cosmetics beauty MeMeBox PR Sample review

Review: Oolu Ginseng Gold Cleansing Foam and Mist

3. December 2016

Here is the last review for the Oolu skincare range I received from MeMeBox and it is about the Oolu Ginseng Gold Cleansing Foam and Mist. I already shared reviews for Oolu by Dr. OhKims and reviewed the Oolu Orchid Emulsion and Toner and the Oolu Moisture Liquids previously, so if you are curious about the brand head over to my other reviews, too.

Oolu is a sister brand of Whamisa. If you know Whamisa you might already have thought about the resemblance in their packaging design and style. Both products are belonging to Dr. Ohkims Cosmetics. That is why both brands are focussing on natural cosmetic products and especially fermented plant extracts. The description for this brand stated at MeMeBox says:

“When plastic surgeons from Korea, the world’s leading nation in plastic surgery, create an organic skincare line, everyone ought to take note. The doctors behind Oolu, by Ohkims Cosmetic, believe natural beauty is the best beauty, so they curated choice floral leaves that help strengthen skin’s self-regenerating powers. A 1,656-hour fermentation process from selection to blending and steeping maximizes the natural benefits of these organic ingredients. Then the premium products, from toning mists to mask packs, are hand-made to ensure the highest quality. As they say, true beauty takes patience.”

Again, like the products I reviewed before both products are beautifully packed in flowery cardboard boxes.

What makes Oolu cosmetics so special is that the key ingredient is preserved in the fluid products. For the Oolu Moisture Liquids there were jasmine and rose petals and blossoms inside the bottles, for the there was one single Orchid Flower inside the bottle of Oolu Orchid Toner. Here, the Oolu Ginseng Gold Mist contains a piece of ginseng! Also, the ingredients used in Oolu Cosmetics are Ecocert and from organic origin and they are free from animal testing!

Oolu Ginseng Gold Cleansing Foam

I will start with my impression of the Oolu Ginseng Gold Cleansing Foam, since cleansing is usually the first step in your skincare routine. I expect from a foam cleanser to create a nice lather and be gentle to the skin by being at maximum pH 7, but even better be slightly acidy. Also, since I have dry skintype I do not like the squeaky clean feeling but prefer some moisturizing, or at least some mild formulation that doesn’t dry out.

The Oolu Ginseng Gold Cleansing Foam claims to be purifying, refreshing and moisturizing. This handmade organic cleanser is infused with Ginseng and Gold as the name already suggests. The ingredients are listed below:

Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Myristic Acid, Palm Kernel/Coco Glucoside, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Panax Ginseng Root, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Euphrasia Officinalis Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Gold, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Rosewood Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil

You can also check the ingredients in COSDNA. The ingredients list is not too long and most of the ingredients are plant derived extracts. Ginseng extract, which is the key ingredient has skin conditioning properties. It is also said that it boosts the collagen production of the skin and has soothing properties. The cleanser also contains Lactobacillus and Bifida Ferment Filtrate. According to COSDNA the ingredients are all green labelled apart from the gold, which is labeled yellow. But mostly the amount of gold is so small that it won’t be responsible for any harm.

The performance of the cleanser is okay for a foam cleanser. It won’t remove your waterproof makeup completely, but all in all it cleanses the skin of most products. I measured the pH at 8 lathered up with water, which is slightly higher than I would love it to be. Still I didn’t experience drying of my skin luckily either. I guess it is an okay cleanser but probably not my first choice, although I like the ingredients lists. The Oolu Ginseng Gold Cleansing Foam comes in a plastic tube containing 130 ml.

Oolu Ginseng Gold Mist

After cleansing your face it is time for a moisturizing toner. The Oolu Ginseng Gold Mist can be used directly after using the Ginseng Gold Cleanser to lock in the moisture in your face, but since it is a mist you can also carry it around, for example during summer and use it to refresh your face. The key ingredients of the mist are the same as with the cleansing foam, ginseng and gold. According to its description it will keep your skin dewy without any stickiness, while helping brighten, firm, and reduce signs of aging. Plus, other natural extracts nourish the skin, strengthening it and preventing damage.

The ingredients of the mist are listed below:

Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Euphrasia Officinalis Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Royal Jelly, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Ginseng Root, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Gellan Gum, Adenosine, Sodium Citrate, Gold, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Rosewood Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil

You can look up the ingredients on COSDNA. Again, most of the ingredients are plant-based and green flagged.

I really love this mist! It has a liquid jelly consistency and feels like more than water on your face. It actually makes the skin feel hydrated. You can see a piece of ginseng root inside the bottle, too. The is a clip to protect the pump of the spraying bottle from being released. I kept it, in case I want to carry the mist in my bag sometime. After spraying I pat the moisture until fully absorbed and it doesn’t feel sticky on the skin at all. The pH of the mist lies at 5 which is great, because you can use actives afterwards.

The Oolu Ginseng Gold Cleansing Foam and Mist are another couple of nice products from Oolu. I love the fact that Oolu cosmetics uses natural and organic ingredients and mostly plant extracts. I also love their packaging, especially their cardboard box, design and the idea of the key ingredients inside the solutions. Out of the two products I would love to repurchase the mist! I like its texture and pH and the hydrating effect it provides. Both products are available from MeMeBox for 18 US$ (cleanser) and 28 US$ (mist).

What do you think of Oolu Cosmetics so far? Would you like to try them?

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by https://us.memebox.com/ , which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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asian cosmetics beauty Najoba PR Sample review

Review: Whamisa Organic Flowers Facial Oil

7. November 2016

Good news for my fellow German kbeauty lovers: Whamisa skincare is now also available in Germany through the online store for natural cosmetics Najoba. I received the Whamisa Organic Flowers Facial Oil for testing and since the temperatures are constantly dropping with the days it is always a good idea to have a facial oil at hands. Here is my impression:

The Korean brand Whamisa is relatively young and was founded in 2010 as certified natural cosmetics brand. Their key ingredients focus on plant based fermentation extracts. The brand name is written in Chinese characters which have the meaning of flowers and beauty and the use of four key components of natural materials in their products. The attractive ingredients are combined with a beautiful packaging design in light colors. Some of the products are decorated with flower illustrations, as you can see here, too.

The Whamisa Organic Flowers Facial Oil is made of 98 % of pure ingredients derived from nature. It provides deep moisture and absorbs into the skin without any stickiness according to the description. Fermented organic ingredients help the skin to protect itself from harmful environment and dryness by nourishing and creating a skin protective film. The facial oil is also supposed to improve the immunity of the skin by balancing the oil-moisture barrier. The skin is feeling more elastic, moisturized and brightened.

By the way, Whamisa products are formulated without Parabens/Synthetic/Chemical Preservatives, Artificial Dyes and fragrances, Petrochemicals, Silicon/Mineral Oils, EDTA, Animal Origin ingredients. Their products are environmental friendly and free from animal testing. The ingredients of the Whamisa Organic Flowers Facial Oil are:

*Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, *Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, *Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, *Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Oil, *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Satica (Carrot) Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil, *Lactobacillus/Chrysanthemum Sinense Flower Ferment Filtrate, *Lactobacillus/Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Ferment Filtrate, *Lactobacillus/Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Rhizome/Root Ferment Filtrate, **Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, **Paeonia Suffruitcosa Root Extract, **Glycyrrihiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil

*Certified Organically Grown **Natural Perservative

You can check the ingredients also on COSDNA and you will see that the list is quite short, and that all the ingredients are green labeled. Since some of the oils can cause potential irritations or Acne please be sure to patch test before use. Apart from the plant-based oils like Argan oil, jojoba oil or Camelia oil the product contains also Lactobacillus fermented plant extracts. Ferment filtrate is nutrients-rich. It contains many vitamins, amino acids and proteins and helps to improve the moisture level of the skin.

The Whamisa Organic Flowers Facial Oil comes in a milk glass bottle with an attached pipette for dispensing the oil. you can see the yellow colored oil through the glass. In contrast to regular oils like olive oil you will see that this oil is more fluid. It has a light flowery/sweet scent which reminds me of the Whamisa sheet masks I reviewed previously. In order to use this facial oil in your skincare routine you place 1-3 drops on your palms after your regular moisturizing skincare. The you rub the palms to your face and pat until absorbed. I leaves the warming feeling of oil on the skin while applying and feels nourishing directly. It absorbs after a few rubs and leaves a very adorable glow on the skin, without being greasy. Depending on your skintype the amount of the oil varies. You can also mix one drop or two with your regular moisturizer.

I love the Whamisa Organic Flowers Facial Oil. It is not as heavy as pure argan oil, which I used last winter when my skin was too dry, but it still gives that noticeable protective film to your skin. My only downside for Whamisa products in generall is the price, especially if offered by shops outside of Korea. Of course a high price is justified by the origin of the ingredients, since it is natural and organic cosmetics, and for non-Korean sellers they also have to add the costs for export. Still 45 € for 30 ml bottle of facial oil can be considered quite expensive, but be assured that there are facial oils on the market with less effective ingredients/mineral oil and so on sold for even more.

What is your favorite facial oil?

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.najoba.de/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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beauty beauty boxes food Nu3 PR Sample

Nu3 Insider Box Summer Edition

10. August 2016

Today's post will be about a PR Sample Box from Nu3. I decided to write the post in German since this shop is directed towards German customers. But if you want to know any details to any of the below products, please feel free to ask in the comments below. I'll be happy to answer your questions :)

Ich bin ziemlich spät dran für diesen Post, aber zum Glück ist es zumindest noch Sommer, entsprechend kam im Juni eine neue nu3 Insider Box eingetrudelt, dessen Inhalt ich euch heute hier vorstelle. Vielleicht kennen manche von euch den nu3 Online Shop für bessere Ernährung ja bereits. Sie bieten eine Reihe von Naturprodukten, Naturkost, Fitnessprodukte und vieles mehr an.

Die nu3 Insider Box ist keine reguläre Subscription Box, sondern eine fürBlogger kreierte PR-Sample Box vom online shop nu3. Man konnte unter verschiedenen Themen für die Nu3 Insider Box wählen und ich habe mich für die “Natural Beauty Box” entschieden. Die “Natural Beauty Box” enthält eine ausgewogene Mischung an Kosmetikprodukten und Naturkost bzw Beauty Foods. Schließlich kommt Schönheit ja bekanntermaßen von innen, von daher ist es auch wichtig gesunde Lebensmittel zu uns zu nehmen ;)

Die nu3 Insider Box Natural Beauty für den Sommer enthielt insgesamt 4 Produkte, die ich euch im weiteren näher vorstellen werde.

Zunächst einmal war die Box unglaublich schwer, worüber ich mich im ersten Moment sehr gewandert habe. Als ich dann das Paket öffnete erblickte ich gleich eine sehr große und schwere Flasche nu3 Bio Aloe Vera Saft. Wow! Und gefreut habe ich mich darüber auch noch, denn ich hatte vorher noch nie Aloe Vera Saft getrunken oder probiert. Ich hab mir auch direkt den ein oder anderen Erfrischungtrank gebraut und fand es auch sehr passend aber auch etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig im Geschmack. Allerdings braucht man immer nur sehr wenig vom Aloe Vera Saft, muss allerdings die Flasche innerhalb von zwei Wochen verbrauchen. Ich weiß nicht genau wie das funktioniert. Ich hatte noch sehr viel Saft übrig….Und bin noch unentschlossen ob ich es wegschmeißen oder mir noch ein paar Masken daraus machen soll…Abgesehen vom Aloe Vera Saft enthielt die Box noch ein weiteres Getränk: nu3 Bio Fasten-Tee. Ich faster zwar nicht, aber ich mag sehr gerne Tee und die Kräutermischung aus grünem Material, Brombeerblättern, Brennnessel, Hagebutte, Fenchelsamen, Anis, Birkenblättern und Süßholzwurzel hört sich perfekt an. Auch hier sind die Zutaten aus biologischem Anbau.

Das einzige Kosmetikprodukt dieser Box war die Weleda Mandel Sensitiv Pflegedusche. Ich liebe Mandelduft, oder Mandelblütenduft in der Körperpflege! Die Weleda Pflegedusche ist ph hautneutral und seifenfrei und außerdem frei von Konservierungs-, Farb-, und Duftstoffen und verzichtet auf Rohstoffe auf Mineralölbasis. Das einzige was mir aufgefallen ist, ist dass sie nicht so gut Aufschwung wie andere Duschgels. Trotzdem schätze ich die Marke Weleda und ihre zertifizierte Naturkosmetik sehr. Das letzte Produkt der nu3 Insider Box diesen Sommer ist auch mein Highlight gewesen: die Nutri-Kick Stevia Schokolade! Ich liebe Schokolade, allerdings hätte ich mir unter normalen Umständen nie Stevia Schokolade geholt und war auch entsprechend skeptisch. Trotzdem wurde sie als erstes probiert…Und von meinem Freund direkt innerhalb kurzer Zeit vernichtet- und ich muss sagen sie schmeckt sehr gut und schmilzt perfekt im Mund.

Alles zusammen eine schöne Box mit interessanten Produkten. Ich bin sehr froh, dass ich sie testen durfte.

Die Produkte aus der Nu3 Insider Box sind hier erhältlich:

nu3 Bio Aloe Vera Saft

nu3 Fasten-Tee

Weleda Mandel Sensitiv Pflegedusche

Nutri-Nick Stevia Chocolate

Was haltet ihr von den Produkten? Habt ihr irgendetwas davon schon einmal ausprobiert? Wieder einmal eine schöne Box, wovon alle Produkte gut Verwendung finden. Was meint ihr?

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by https://www.nu3.de which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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asian cosmetics beauty Honeysu Official PR Sample review

Review: Whamisa Organic Facial Mask Pack Sea Kelp

2. August 2016

A Korean brand that was really in focus for many kbeauty bloggers in the last year was Whamisa, a natural cosmetics brand using certified organic ingredients for their products. The brand was hard to purchase outside Korea first but more and more online retailers started selling their products. Honeysu is one of the first retailers in Europe (based in Belgium) selling Whamisa products and I was more than happy to be asked to review a bunch of Whamisa masks. Eventually, you saw the picture on Instagram I posted. Today, I will tell you about my impression of the Whamisa Organic Facial Mask Pack Sea Kelp, whereas next time I’ll be focussing on their hydrogel masks:

The Whamisa Organic Facial Mask Pack Sea Kelp is quite a special mask because it is not a soaked cotton sheet or regular hydrogel, but it is made from 100% sea kelp, which is the reason why this mask has a green color. The mask is purely made of natural ingredients and consists in 90.37 % of organic ingredients. I want to point out some of the ingredients of this mask below:

Kelp

Kelp is not only healthy for eating, but also does it have benefits for the skin. It is rich in antioxidants and minerals and thereby benefits the skin in terms of anti-aging. In how far a mask sheet made of kelp influences the skin is not clear, since usually the effectiveness is correlated with the procession of the kelp, eg. by using the extract.

Lactobacillus/ Aloe Maculata (?) Ferment Extract

I’m a bit irritated about having Aloe maculata here instead of the commonly used Aloe Vera (Barbadensis). Aloe Maculata is a aloe plant growing in South Africa. The gel of this plant forms foam with water, which is why it is used as soap. It produces a yellowish gel, which has similar properties like aloe vera, so it is primarily moisturizing and antibacterial/ anti-inflammatory. I also read that Aloe maculata is more resistant to higher salt concentrations, so maybe this is one of the reasons why using this, since sea kelp is used for the sheet mask. I wrote Whamisa an email asking about the Aloe and hopefully they will reply and tell me whether there is a specific reason in using this Aloe specimen instead of the more commonly used Aloe Vera (also confusing: the import label says Aloe Maculata, whereas the official page of Whamisa in its English translation says Aloe barbadensis). Ferment filtrate is nutrients-rich. It contains many vitamins, amino acids and proteins and helps to improve the moisture level of the skin.

Licorice Extract

Licorice extract is a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and skin-conditioning properties and brightening. It is also used for fragrance in some cosmetics.

You will find the other ingredients listed on COSDNA, and you will discover that most of them are plant derived extracts and oils. I love the ingredients lists in total!

The Whamisa Organic Facial Mask Pack Sea Kelp is targeting wrinkles and dull and swollen face. But not only: it also improves the smoothness of the skin and the moisture level and has been tested by Gyoung Hee University. The sheet mask is divided into two parts, an upper part and lower area, folded between plastic sheets. The sheet mask has a marine green color and feels like soaked paper, kind of thin and slimey. The first thing to discover is the scent it has: it smells very strongly of algae (it is 100% kelp, so do not expect anything else :D) and if you are sensitive towards these kinds of scents you will probably have a hard time to leave this on your face. Since I have a salt water fish tank myself I was well prepared and kind of used to the scent, although it is surely not my favorite scent for skincare. The kelp sheets were soaked thoroughly with a yellowish, sticky essence. They are so nicely soaked, that the lower part of the mask kept sliding off my face. I can advice you to put this sheet mask on and lie down, so it will stay on your face and you will have some time to relax. Generally, I would advice you to use this mask in the evening, since the yellow essence tends to make the skin a bit yellowish at first and needs some more time than other sheet masks to absorb. Once it absorbs it definitely leaves a tacky and tighter feeling on the skin and seems to brighten up the skin. It also gives a nice glow and feels moisturzing. I didn’t experience any irritations while using this mask.

Whamisa totally has four different sheet masks. The Whamisa Organic Facial Mask Pack Sea Kelp mask is one of them. Furthermore there are three different hydrogel sheet masks available, which I will review in a couple of days as well. Don’t they look beautiful together?

I do like the Whamisa Organic Facial Mask Pack Sea Kelp and it has been my first kelp mask and my first Whamisa product in the same time. I can also understand the raving of many bloggers about this sheet mask. The scent of the mask is something special though, which might put you off if you do not like the strong algae scent. It also does have a superb ingredients list and all the products are labelled whether they are certified or not. I wish that more brands will take such a way of labelling more serious. My only tiny downside is the price, since Whamisa products are more expensive than other Korean brands. On the other hand the high price is justified by the origin of the ingredients. After all it is up to you whether to want to spend more money and know where your ingredients are from that you are putting on your face, or you prefer the cheaper versions – which I didn’t try, so I cannot compare it for you here (Whamisa was the first kelp mask I got to know, but is no secret that Tonymoly came up with a kelp mask, too).

You can get this mask from the Belgian online retailer Honeysu for ~~12 €~~ 9 US$ sale until supplies last (Yes, the price is for one mask and yes, it is really expensive compared to other sheet masks)! They ship within Europe quite affordably and most important super fast- but they also ship to other countries (higher shipping costs though). Honeysu doesn’t carry many brands, but they focus on products with non-harmful ingredients. I must say I really like the looks of the shop and I love their Instagram account. The pictures posted are always so beautiful! For my readers from the US you can get this mask from Amazon, too (14.88 US$).

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by https://www.honeysu.com which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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beauty beauty boxes food

Nu3 Insider Box März 2016

7. April 2016

Today's post will be about a PR Sample Box from Nu3. I decided to write the post in German since this shop is directed towards German customers. But if you want to know any details to any of the below products, please feel free to ask in the comments below. I'll be happy to answer your questions :)

Vor einigen Tagen erreichte mich meine erste Nu3 Insider Box. Vielleicht kennen manche von euch den Nu3 Online Shop für bessere Ernährung ja bereits. Sie bieten eine Reihe von Naturprodukten, Naturkost, Fitnessprodukte und vieles mehr dort an.

Die Nu3 Insider Box ist keine reguläre Subscription Box, sondern eine für Blogger kreierte PR-Sample Box vom online shop nu3. Man konnte unter verschiedenen Themen für die Nu3 Insider Box wählen und ich habe mich für die “Natural Beauty Box” entschieden. Die “Natural Beauty Box” enthält eine ausgewogene Mischung an Kosmetikprodukten und Naturkost bzw Beauty Foods. Schließlich kommt Schönheit ja bekanntermaßen von innen, von daher ist es auch wichtig gesunde Lebensmittel zu uns zu nehmen ;)

Enthalten waren in der Nu3 Insider Box März 2016 insgesamt 4 Produkte. Außerdem waren zwei Repeztkarten dabei, die einen dazu inspirieren die zwei Naturkostprodukte auszuprobieren.

Mir ist als erstes das Acai Pulver ins Auge gesprungen. Mittlerweile findet man so viele Rezepte in denen das Pulver verwendet wird und ich war zwar auch immer neugierig, aber getestet hatte ich es bisher noch nicht. Das dunkle Pulver sieht fast schwarz aus, färbt aber dunkelviolett, wenn man es zum Beispiel in Desserts oder Smoothies mischt. Ich hab es direkt in einem Mandelmilch-Erdbeer-Banane-Chiasamen Smoothie ausgetestet und muss sagen, dass die Farbe der Hammer ist. Wenn es jetzt wirklich auch so gesund ist, wie der Ruf der ganzen ‘Superfoods’, dann bin ich damit mehr als zufrieden. Das Pulver wird durch Gefriertrocknen hergestellt und ist ohne Zusatz von Konservierungsstoffen. Das zweite essbare Produkt aus der ‘Natural Beauty Box’ ist “Berry Burst”. Es handelt sich hierbei um Fruchtpulver von verschiedenen Früchten die mit Wasser vermischt werden und so einen Smoothie ergeben. Ich hab es direkt ausgetestet, allerdings muss ich sagen, dass mir weder die Konsistenz noch der Geschmack besonders gefallen hat. Ich denke da nehme ich doch lieber frisches Obst und Gemüse für meinen Shake. Man kann das Pulver allerdings auch dazu verwenden Joghurts und Desserts auszupeppen. Vielleicht wäre das die bessere Anwendung für das Pulver gewesen. Die Zutaten des “Berry Burst” stammen aus kontrolliert biologischem Anbau.

Kommen wir nun zu den Naturkosmetika: Zunächst einmal ist mir die große Tube der Lavera Regenerierenden Bodymilk Bio-Cranberry & Arganöl ins Auge gesprungen. Ich mag Lavera Produkte und deswegen habe ich mich besonders darüber gefreut. Die Bodymilk ist für trockene und anspruchsvolle Hauttypen geeignet und enthält Bio-Arganöl, Sonnenblumenöl und Sheabutter. Sie hat einen säuerlichen Cranberry Geruch, der mich allerdings auch an das orientalische Gewürz Sumac erinnert. Ich mag ihn sehr, weil ich bei dem Geruch immer an den Gewürzschrank bei meinen Eltern denken muss. Wie die meisten Naturkosmetika, die auf gewisse Inhaltsstoffe verzichten braucht diese Bodymilk etwas länger um einzuziehen, aber hinterlässt die Haut gepflegt und das reativ lange. Und sie krümmelt auch nicht, was daran liegt dass sie keine Silikone enthält. Das zweite Produkt aus dem Bereich der Naturkosmetik is die Organique Sensitive Haarmaske. Ich hatte bisher noch nichts von dieser Marke gehört, allerdings bin ich sehr angetan davon. Ich benutze die Maske entweder als Spülung oder als Haarkur/maske und sie macht meine trockenen und widerspenstigen Haare richtig geschmeidig und duftet dabei auch noch sehr gut (Magnolien). Die Verpackung, vor allem der Deckel, ist auch wirklich hübsch und etwas Vintage-mäßig angehaucht.

Die Produkte aus der Nu3 Insider Box März 2016 sind hier erhältlich:

nu3 Acai Pulver

nu3 Berry Burst

Lavera Regenerierenden Bodymilk Bio-Cranberry & Arganöl

Organique Sensitive Haarmaske

Was haltet ihr von den Produkten? Habt ihr irgendetwas davon schon einmal ausprobiert? Ich bin wirklich angetan von meiner ersten nu3 Insider Box und außer dem Berry Burst, der nicht so nach meinem Geschmack war, benutze ich alle übrigen Produkte oft und gerne.

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by https://www.nu3.de which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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beauty PR Sample review

Review: Lavera Illuminating Eye Cream

2. November 2015

If you are a user of natural cosmetics you will have heard of the German brand Lavera. A while ago I was lucky enough to receive this Lavera Illuminating Eye Cream for testing and although I’m not that consitent in grabbing natural cosmetics only I do attempt to try them more often than in the past. The Lavera Illuminating Eye Cream is an example for a good daytime eye cream made of natural ingredient.

Lavera, one of the well-known German natural cosmetics brands was founded 25 years ago and is known and available in 40 different countries all over the world. Their ingredients are mainly plant-derived and moreover they are against animal testing. The Lavera Illuminating Eye Cream is a good example for this, since it is free of paraben, mineral oil, silicon, micro beads, phtalaten, synthetic scents, -color and -preservatives.

The Lavera Illuminating Eye Cream has pearl extracts and caffein as key ingredients, but the ingredients list contains some more potential substances, like hyaluronic acid, titanium dioxide, shea butter and some other plant ingredients. You will find all the ingredients on the packaging, but the description is in German only. The ingredients are also labelled whether they are from certified organic agriculture or if they are natural essential oils. This tube of eye cream contains 15 ml of product.

The packaging is simple, yet pretty, showing some pearls on it. The tube is a regular small-sized eye cream tube made of plastic. I think that these tubes are reasonable for eye cream, although it is more convenient to have a pump dispenser.

The Lavera Illuminating Eye Cream has a cream consitency and a pale pink color. It contains shimmery pearl extract and glimmer, which reflects the light on the skin when blended in and makes the skin appear more bright and glowy. Tired eyes and a dull expression can be reduced this way. It has a creamy babypowder scent and absorbs quite quickly after patting it in. If you use conceiler under your eyes you should definitively give the cream enough time to set, otherwise it will not work with other products.

All in all, the Lavera Illuminating Eye Cream is a good product and especially for day time use. The reflection of the light gives the skin a nice shimmer, which doesn’t look to heavy or unnatural. Peaople sensitive to scents will find the scent maybe to strong. The scent definitively lingers when I try the cream on my hand, but under my eyes I do not notice it. You can also use the eye cream on your lips, cheeks or eye lid for some reflecting shimmer. The Lavera Illuminating Eye Cream retails for 9.45€. If you live in Germany you can find it in your local druf store. I can advise you to check out the official Lavera page. There is a 2 € coupon for the Lavera Illuminating Eye Cream available >>here<<. You can find some Lavera products also on Amazon!

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.dm.de/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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beauty MapleHolistics PR Sample review

Review: MapleHolistics Natural Beauty Products

14. October 2015

I’m so sorry for the being absent in the last couple of days…or weeks, but today I’m back with a new review! :) Actually, here are 3 reviews I will be discussing in this post, all of them dedicated to a couple of really awesome MapleHolistics Natural Beauty Products. It could be especially interesting for those of you looking for products with a short ingredients list consisting only on the necessary…and of course for all of you who love natural beauty products! Upon request by MapleHolistics I was allowed to choose products of interest and they were so kind to send me all the products I was interested in, which were a argan shampoo and conditioner and a vitamin C serum. They were so kind, that they even included a lip balm on top! Since I really do like all of the products and I’ve been testing them very thoroughly I can really recommend you to keep on reading and maybe also take a look at the range of products by MapleHolistics.

MapleHolistics is a US based beauty company that has been around for the past few years. They develop and manufacture their own all natural cosmetics, which is also animal cruelty free, and focus mainly on shampoos and conditioners. Nevertheless, you will spot some skincare and bath and body products on their web page, too. I decided to do a review about the Argan Oil Shampoo and the Argan Oil Conditioner. Argan Oil is one of my favorite haircare ingredients, since it makes my hair less frizzy and manageable. I love the Argan oil products from Confume, for example and I’m using them almost daily. I also chose the Vitamin C Serum by MapleHolistics. I was drawn to this serum by the short and really good ingredients lists here. And last but not least I received a Acai Berry Lip Balm on top.

I’ll start of with the Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner: MapleHolistics Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner is designed for men and women. It comes in a red plastic bottle with a simple design. Some illustrations on the label make it still look appealing. Since the bottle of the shampoo and the conditioner is both red, the difference of the two products lies in the color of the label, which is red/brownish for the shampoo and white in case of the conditioner. Also the consistency of the products is different: The shampoo is more runny and has a milky color whereas the conditioner is a white balm product. The scent of the Argan Oil Shampoo and the Conditioner is very subtle and not heavily perfumed at all. In order to dispense the shampoo you can press the cap. This kind of bottle is convenient if you are traveling.

All the MapleHolistics Natural Beauty Products I received came with a information card. The card lists the effect of the key ingredients, but there is a full ingredients list on the label of the bottles, too. Here are the key ingredients of the shampoo as listed on the web page of MapleHolistics:

Argan: Also known as ‘Moroccan Oil’ and one of the rarest oils in the world, argan helps supply shine and a healthy look to hair with its abundance of vitamin E, carotene and essential fatty acids.

Peach Kernel: Contributes valuable regenerative and moisturizing properties, and is great for sensitive skin.

Jojoba: As it closely resembles sebum naturally produced by the scalp, jojoba is one of the skincare industry’s most favored ingredients and has a host of therapeutic properties.

Avocado: Enriches the formula with its high vitamin content, which includes vitamins A, B1, B2, D, and E.

Camellia Seed: Nourishes the complexion and helps condition the scalp, while providing healthy antioxidants to rejuvenate hair and scalp alike.

Almond: An excellent moisturizer,which is rich in proteins, olein glyceride, linoleic acid and vitamin D to help soothe dry and irritated areas on the scalp.

Botanical Keratin: Keratin is a family of fibrous structural proteins, which contribute to the composition of hair. As it is essential to hair’s formation, insufficient quantities of keratin may be a contributing factor to having frizzy and unmanageable hair. This naturally derived ingredient helps to replenish the ideal keratin content for strong, durable hair.

Honey and Vanilla: With their light and sweet fragrances, these ingredients enrich the formula for a balanced and soothing experience.

The Argan Oil Conditioner has these key ingredients listed additionally, apart from Argan Oil and Jojoba Oil

Shea Butter and Green Tea: These helpful ingredients are fast-absorbing and commit moisturizing qualities to dry and delicate hair strands. Shea butter, in particular, contains vitamins A and E, making it an excellent natural moisturizer for the hair. It locks in moisture without leaving the hair greasy or heavy. Green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which strengthens hair roots, activates hair follicles and promotes hair growth.

Pomegranate, Hibiscus and Sea Buckthorn: Certified blend assists in repairing damaged hair follicles to revitalize healthy, flowing hair. Pomegranate contains ellagic acid, which prevents the moisture in the hair from drying out. Hibiscus (“the flower of hair care”) helps prevent dryness, dullness, and hair damage. It also prevents problems like dandruff, split ends, and premature graying. Sea buckthorn, on the other hand, contains high levels of Omega 3, 6, 7, and 9, as well as vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K that promote healthy skin and hair.

Both products work great on my hair and although the Argan Oil Shampoo is sulphate free it leathers up really nicely and generates a soft foam. Furthermore my hair does not feel dry after using these two, which is my main concern with other sulphate free shampoos. The hair is shiny and I can comb it easily even while it is still wet. I definitively like this shampoo and conditioner and it is worth to have a look at it, if you are on the look for a sulphate free shampoo at the moment. The bottles contain 8 oz and retail for 12.97 US$ for the shampoo and 7.89 US$ for the conditioner. It is probably more expansive than a lot of drug store hair products, but after all I think it is worth it.

The next product I tried and really enjoyed using it the MapleHolistics Vitamin C Anti-Aging Serum. You know I love the O.S.T Vitamin C Serum and I repurchased it a couple of times already, but this one impressed me because of its mild formula and short ingredients list. If both versions of the O.S.T C20 Vitamin C serum are too strong for your skin I can recommend you to check out this Vitamin C Serum instead. Like all the Vitamin C serums I tried so far it comes in a brown glass bottle with a pipette attached to the cap. The liquid is almost clear with a slight yellowish tint. Unlike the Vitamin C serum from C20 this one doesn’t have the same watery texture, but a more serum-like, thicker texture which feels very soft upon applying it to the skin. Moreover, it has almost no scent. It absorbs fast without stickiness and works well with other products. Nevertheless, I always wait a couple of minutes after applying any vitamin C serum before I continue with the other skincare steps. The ingredients list is short and contains these ingredients:

Water, Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate), Vegetable Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Vitamin E Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ferulic Acid, Algae Extract, Pullulan Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate

So this serum contains not only Vitamin C, but also Vitamin A and E, plus hyaluronic acid and quite important Ferulic Acid to stabilize the Vitamin C. Really a lovely ingredient list! My skin didn’t react to this serum and I’ve been testing it for a month now. Definitively a very good serum! The bottle contains 30 ml and and retails for 11.77 US$ which is affordable compared to other Vitamin C serums.

Lastly, here is my impression on the Acai Berry Natural Lip Balm by MapleHolistics. This is a solid, but simple lip balm consisting mainly of Shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter and sunflower seed oil. Vitamin E and Aloe leaf extract give some extra moisture and nutrition to your lips. It has a fruity-sweet scent reminding of berries and does a good job in hydrating the lips. Moreover, it comes in this bullet shape and is more hygienic than lip balms which come in containers where you have to use your finger. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it in the shop, but this lip balm contains 4.25 g in total. It was really a nice surprise to receive this and I’m using it daily and I’m totally happy about it, too!

Although I didn’t know MapleHolistics before I’m very pleased and positively surprised about the MApleHolistics Natural Beauty Products. I liked all three of them and I can recommend you to check out their products if you have the chance. There is also the possibility to check out http://www.mapleholistics.com/free-products/ in order to get your hand on a free product. Moreover, I wanted to point out that their blogger connection is being sponsored by edumuch.com. Last but not least, I hope you accept my apologies for my rare postings in the last days, but I promise there will be a bunch of new reviews within the next time. ♥

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Review & Giveaway: Amazingly Beautiful Body Moisturizer and Revitalizer

29. April 2015

A while ago I reviewed Beautiful A.M. Moisturizer and P.M. Revitalizer from the company Trusted Health Products and I really did like the facial oils for my daily skincare routine. Today I’m reviewing another product distributed by this company called Amazingly Beautiful Body Moisturizer and Revitalizer. This Body Moisturizer and Revitalizer is made of pure botanical oils, like the facial oils I reviewed before. And like last time I have a giveaway for my readers from US, Canada, Europe and Australia at the end of the post!

Trusted Health Products is a company dedicted to offer the “Purest and most Natural Products available anywhere in the world today”. Their products are GMO-free, 100% Pure & Natural, and have No Additives of any kind. Amazingly Beautiful Body Moisturizer and Revitalizer is a body oil , which claims to be the ultimative dry skin solution. Since I have dry skin myself I was really curious about that claim. You’ll find a detailled description for the product >>here<<. As you might have noticed, my version of this body moisturizing oil has another label and also another packaging. They changed the name recently and replaced the dropper bottle with a spraying bottle which is a great idea in my eyes. Nevertheless, the product is still the same, so the properties of this body oil didn’t have been changed. Here is the old bottle:

The new one comes with a new name and design, which fits better to the facial moisturizer:

You will find the directions and ingredients on the label of the brown glass bottle, too.

The oil itself is an orange colored, runny oil with a great smell of orange juice. It is as if you are cutting up a fresh orange and smells great and natural and not a bit artificially. The oil is leightweight and absorbs quickly into the skin and doesn’t make the skin feel heavy or greasy. This is a point I would love to stress, because I love how it absorbs!

What does this Amazingly Beautiful Body Moisturizer and Revitalizer promise to us users? Here is a list of the benefits this body oil claims:

-it decreases the appearance of spider veins and blemishes
-it smooths the appearance of rough and scaly areas
-it reduces the appearance of age spots, discoloration and sun spots
-it firms and tones skin’s appearance
– it makes the skin feel clean and conditioned – smooth like silk
– it can use as an underarm deodorant
– it feels like it moisturizes deep down – say goodbye to dry skin
– 100% pure botanical oils of almond, orange, lime, lemon, olive and avocado
– no preservatives, parabens, petroleum-based oils, GMOs, synthetic chemicals, artificial fragrances, colorings, or additives of any kind

These are a lot of promises, honestly! What I definitively can say, is that I love the short ingredient list consisting only of pure botanical oils. The scent is so natural and fruity, it makes your mouth water (if you love eating oranges at least). The fact that it has no additives is a huge plus, too. I can confirm that the skin feels smooth after using the oil and feels silky. Since the oil isn’t greasy and absorbs fast, the feeling of the skin is quickly noticeable. I say, that body oils always to a great deal in toning and firming the skin, too. I couldn’t observe any other huge changes of my skin, like decreased spider veins or blemishes, spots or discolorations, but my skin doesn’t have much of these problems anyways. The oil is nicely moisturizing, but I used additional moisturizers on super dry spots like ellbow and knee, because I didn’t have the feeling that this body oil was enough for these parts. Nevertheless, all in all, I am pretty amazed (:D) by the Amazingly Beautiful Body Moisturizer and Revitalizer, and giving the fact that the oil comes in a spraying bottle I love it even more. There is no better and easier way to put on body oil than with a spraying bottle! A bottle of this body oil contains 100 ml and retails for 39.97 US$.

Visit their Website!
Like Trusted Health Products on Facebook!

Now, let’s get to the fun part of this post: Trusted Health Products offers 1 bottle of Amazingly Beautiful Body Moisturizer and Revitalizer to 3 separate winners!

Here are the rules:

1. There is no shipping or handling costs for the giveaway winners.

2. The giveaways are for the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia only!

3. No cheating! I will check the entries, and in case of cheating, the entries will be deleted.

4. Eligibility Requirement: You – or anyone in your household – may win one bottle of Botanical Splash one time only. Previous winners please do not apply

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don’t want to take part in the giveaway, or have a blog and are interested to try this product nevertheless: For a limited time, the manufacturer is willing to offer my readers one FREE bottle. They said they would love to have our readers try out Amazingly Beautiful Body Moisturizer And Revitalizer and agreed to send one bottle FREE if our readers would pay a minimal shipping and handling charge. This is a one-time only offer! Click here to get your FREE bottle now! (PLEASE NOTE: THIS OFFER IS FOR ANY PRODUCT REVIEW READER THAT WOULD LIKE TO TRY THE PRODUCT! IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A GIVEAWAY ABOVE)

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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Review: Konad Lila Lily Clear Spa Ellie Essence

28. April 2015

There are two main points that make me want to try a new skincare or beauty product. First, a cute or special packaging design, and second the ingredients, especially if they are strange like for example snail, donkey milk, or if they are mostly natural and plant derived. The Konad Lila Lily Clear Spa Ellie Essence has fulfilled both points. This clarifying essence has such a beautiful packaging design and it contains 70% of thermal water enriched in minerals as well as 9 other natural ingredients to clean the skin from troubles. Sounds like a promising product!

Konad is a Korean cosmetics and nailcare company, which is exporting worldwide. They have two branches, one focusing on nails, like uv gels and stamping nail art, the other branch is all about skincare and cosmetics which are natural, ecological and pure. Konad’s Lila Lily Clear Spa Ellie Essence is an example for the latter branch.

The first thing you notice about this product is the packaging. The essence bottle comes in a cardboard box and both have a green/blue color, reminding me of a under water scene. The colors are so calming and they reflect the image of a clear and pure environment. The bottle of the essence is made of glass and may be considered heavy, but I prefer glass bottles over plastic because it looks much more elegant. The packaging is really pretty all together!

The description on the cardboard box is also written in Korean and in English, which is great! You can also find the product description on Konad’s official page. The ingredients are listed there, too. I added them to COSDNA and you can look them up >>here<<. The essence contains 70% of Sulfur hot spring water, which is supposed to provide abundant mineral to the skin. Moreover, it contains nutrition from 10 kinds of natural ingredients: extracts of Tremella Fuciformis Berk, Asiatic Pennywort, Sulfur Hot Spring Water and Nacre Protein help relieve various skin troubles. Plankton extract prevents excessive sebum on the skin. Salicylic acid eliminates corneous tissues and dead cells, which reduces inflammation and read spots, and makes your skin smoother by chemically exfoliating the skin. Vitamin complexes and marine collagen provide moisture for the skin and helps to make the skin more elastic. Apart from all these beneficial ingredients I want to point out that this essence also contains PEG/PPG-17/6 copolymer as emollient, which is rated red in COSDNA (the same is for Salicylic acid).

The bottle of Konad’s Lila Lily Clear Spa Ellie Essence contains 50 ml of product, with a shelf life of 12 months after opening. The glass bottle has a metal cap with an attached pipette. In this way you are able to take out the essence hygienically and in small amounts. In order to suck up the product into the pipette you have to push the top of the cap. I discovered it never gets filled up completelly, no matter how slowly I release the bottom. Luckily, the amount which is sucked up after all is the exact and perfect amount to spread on the face (maybe that’s done on purpose?!).

The essence itself is a clear and runny liquid, but nothing like water, and neither completelly gel-like. I was not sure about the scent first, but after using the essence for some time I have come to the conclusion that the essence has a grapefruit scent. Since it contains alcohol, too, you will also notice a bit of that scent first, before the alcohol evaporates. The grapefruit scent doesn’t linger though, and since essence is mostly followed by other skincare steps it won’t be noticeable at the end anyways.

The essence can be used by all skintypes according to the manufacturer.After applying my beloved Klairs toner I put a small amount of essence into my palms and pat it into my skin. Afterwards, I continue to use serums and creams. I didn’t have any problems using it with my dry skin and I didn’t react to the essence negatively. It absorbs quite quickly, but it feels sticky. It doesn’t feel drying on the other hand, which I was really happy to see. I didn’t see any changes towards red skin or small troubles honestly. I didn’t use the essence over a long period of time, yet, there are other products containing BHAs and AHAs which work faster on troubled skin.

In the end, I’m not sure if I would repurchase this essence. I love the packaging design and the way the dropper makes it easy to apply the right amount of product to your skin. I also like the attempt of putting a bunch of natural and benefiacl ingredients into this essence. I’m not too fond of the stickiness of the product and in order to look over that point I would have wished a better effectiveness of the product as a whole on my skin. Since I didn’t see any significant changes I’m not sure if this additional skincare step is something worth adding. People with lots of troubled skin might love this more, than someone with a good skin condition, because probably the results can be seen quicker. I’m not sure about the price for this essence, but since Konad is distributing worldwide you might want to check the stores (if you have any information about the price, I would be happy to hear about it, so I can add it).

This product was provided to me by BNTnews for reviewing. Don’t forget to visit the other BNTGirls Doris, Joanne, Alene and Bella and check out their reviews. And visit BNTnews for the latest Korean news and trends:

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And here is my rating for the Konad Lila Lily Clear Spa Ellie Essence:

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.bntnews.co.uk/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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