I'm officially back form my Canadian adventures! It feels good to finally slip back into a routine. While I was away I got my hands on new green beauty products and put a lot of them to the test (also some I already had) and I have lot of thoughts. So we're not wasting time this month, I want to get right into it!
But how am I going to review them? I've put together a system that I've called the FLIPPER (hehehe) rating system, you can click here to get the details on how it works and what it stands for. For a quick reminder, each letter represents a criteria: F - Feel of the product, L - Labour/Ease of use, I - Ingredients, P - Packaging, P - Price, E - Ethical, R - Results. Each criteria will be worth 5 points for a total of 35. Ready? Let's get started!
Disclaimer : Some of the links below are affiliate links, you can click here to read my whole policy and what it means. I'd also like to mention that these are my personal opinions and experiences with the products listed. If I didn't like a product it doesn't mean that I don't like the brand, far from it! If one of your favourite products didn't work for me, don't take it personally! In fact if you have advice on ways to make it work, I'd love to hear it.
PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA ORGANIC WEAR BB CREAM - LIGHT - £10.00
I mentioned this product in my Travel Makeup Set and I mean it! I ordered this a good few months ago and mostly wear it when I'm away from home and in the sun, as the light colour is a bit too dark for me. I love this product because it's got good coverage for a BB cream and a physical sun protection as well. Be aware that because of the SPF, it does have a thick texture but I never found it difficult to apply. The ingredients are great and the product is hypoallergenic and cruelty free. The cream has a light coconut smell (which I love!) that goes away quickly after application, which is essential to me. This is the first product from the Organic Wear range I try and I have to say I was pretty impressed! Now when will we get a more decent shade range ?
F: 4 L: 4 I: 5 P: 3 P: 5 E: 3 R: 4 TOTAL: 28/35
URBAN VEDA REVIVING BODY LOTION - €20.45
I keep getting Urban Veda products in my monthly natural beauty box, so it's about time I review something! This body lotion has a pleasant but very strong rose smell so be warned, it's not the kind of fragrance that lasts all day though. The first time I tried it, I was just coming out of the shower and my skin started burning right away so my first impression wasn't the best. Parfum is listed quite high on the ingredient list so that might be the reason why. I've tried it a few times since in the morning when my pores aren't as open as after a shower and the lotion feels pretty nice. It's good but overall quite ordinary and I prefer to apply lotion after showering, so it isn't a hit for me sadly. I've been trying other products from Urban Veda that I love much better, so stay tuned!
F: 2 L: 5 I: 2 P: 4 P: 2 E: 3 R: 2 TOTAL: 20/35
ANTONYM CERTIFIED ORGANIC BAKED FOUNDATION - FAIR - £28.36
I can't believe it took me this long to try this powder! Antonym is the first brand I remember some "traditional" beauty Youtubers trying over a year ago. I have dry skin and have been looking for a powder that wouldn't leave my skin looking dull and cakey and I think I found it! The compact is huge and made out of bamboo and it's easy to pick up the product with a fluffy brush without it going everywhere. Despite its name, I wouldn't use this as a powder foundation as I don't really think it has any coverage, but it's great to set your makeup. The powder looks great everywhere except under the eyes when paired with certain concealers, so that's something to think about. It has a very subtle sheen (but no glitters at all!) that gives it a beautiful natural look on the skin.
F: 4 L: 4 I: 4 P: 5 P: 3 E: 4 R: 4 TOTAL: 28/35
ELATE BROW BALM - SMOKE - €18.65
Elate is a fairly well known zero-waste canadian makeup brand and the brow balm is the first product i'm trying! I want to start by saying I was quite sceptical of the colours on their website as all their shades seemed super ashy, but I trusted their description and indeed the colour suits me perfectly. Have faith! The brow balm comes in a beautiful bamboo case or you can simply buy a refill in a pan and keep it in a magnetic palette. My first impressions were that the balm was quite stiff but it gets better once you learn how to work with the product. It has a pretty waxy texture, so I find it a little difficult to apply sometimes but the colour stays very well and the wax keeps the brow hairs in place which is great. It's a brow product I'll be happy to use if I need my makeup to last for a long time but maybe not something I'd reach for if I need results quick!
F: 3 L: 2 I: 5 P: 5 P: 4 E: 4 R: 3 TOTAL: 26/35
JOSIE MARAN ARGAN BLACK OIL MASCARA - €18.80
I should start by saying I purchased this mascara thinking it was waterproof since it's got long lasting 24h claims all over it and the tube is blue. Newsflash : it wasn't meant to be waterproof. In general I have a lot of trouble with mascaras so finding a "green" one that works for me is a huge challenge. Still though, I decided this one was a good candidate since it promises long lasting nourished lashes. I wore this on a humid day in Dublin and it was probably the worst experience I ever had with a mascara. It transferred all under my eyes, on my brow bones and even on the side of my eyes somehow. I'd wipe it away and it would keep doing it again and again. I was so relieved to take it off at the end of the day. 100% would not recommend.
F: 2 L: 4 I: 4 P: 3 P: 1 E: 3 R: 0 TOTAL: 17/35
PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA - WORK IT!, FULL! FLARED! FIT! MASCARA -£7.00
Keeping with the challenge of finding a good natural mascara, I decided to try this one. This mascara claims to "last through your toughest workout leaving your lashes looking full, long, flared and dramatic- hour after hour!" but what I can say is that it was all under my eyes after about an hour. I tried it in the heat in Montreal and again in the humidity in Dublin. The packaging is also cute but very awkward to hold and work with. It's a pass for me, sorry Physician's Formula!
F: 3 L: 3 I: 3 P: 2 P: 3 E: 3 R: 0 TOTAL: 17/35
RMS BEAUTY MAGIC LUMINIZER - £36.00
I've talked before about my love for the RMS beauty living luminizer, and it's true I love the way it look! But I've noticed that when I wear it for a few days in a row, I start getting small bumps or pimples on my cheekbone area, which never happens normally. I think the formula might be a little too rich for my skin... The next time I saw a RMS counter, I decided to check out the other Luminizers. The Magic Luminizer seemed to be a bit less oily and creamy, and that's why I picked it up. I've worn it everyday for almost 3 weeks and my skin has never looked better! I'm not sure what's different in the formula, but this one applies well and is easily buildable. It can provide a natural glow or the kind of highlight you see from space. The only thing I have noticed is that I have to be careful to blend it very well, otherwise I can see the product on my skin which isn't ideal. Apart from that, I'm in love and will keep wearing this often.
F: 4 L: 4 I: 4 P: 5 P: 3 E: 4 R: 4 TOTAL: 28/35
ORGANII SUN MILK- SPF 20 -€23.85
This is another product I talked about for my travel makeup bag article. I received this tube in my monthly beauty box and was instantly impressed by how light it feels compared to the other natural sunscreens I'd tried before. I've been using only this in the scorching Montreal sun for 3 weeks and it has worked great! I only got burned once on a day when I was in and out of the water a lot, so it's safe to say that it's not water resistant. However, if you're just going to be outside and need sun protection, this cream is a great lighter option for those who don't like thick natural sunscreens. It also has a light but very pleasant smell!
F: 4 L: 4 I: 5 P: 3 P: 3 E: 4 R: 4 TOTAL: 27/35
