Testing Green Beauty - November Edition

PESTLE & MORTAR - PURE HYALURONIC SERUM - 43€

I received this in my natural monthly subscription box, and I was so happy because I'd been looking into Pestle & Mortar for a while. They are an irish green skincare company. This serum claims to be lightweight, moisturizing, fragrance-free and usable as a makeup primer. I'm happy to report it does all these things! The dropper makes it quite easy to apply, it doesn't feel thick and penetrates the skin very fast. I've never had any issues layering skincare or makeup with it and my skin isn't looking so dry. Pestle & Mortar is a little on the pricy side, but if all their products are like this I'm happy to recommend them.

Would I repurchase? Yes!

NEAL'S YARD REMEDIES - WHITE TEA ENRICHING FACIAL MASK - 28£

Another product from my beauty box, this is a rich clay based facial mask. Right off the bat I can tell you that I wasn't a big fan of the scent of this product, at all. This is supposed to be a cleaning & detoxifying mask. While it didn't do anything particularly bad, I didn't notice any improvement in my skin. Usually clay-based masks at least leave it feeling soft but that didn't really happen. My other issue with this mask is that it's quite thick in consistency, and I needed a lot of product. For the price, I feel like the tub wouldn't last very long.

Would I repurchase? No. One detox clay mask I really enjoy is the Ri Na Mara Face Mask.

JANE IREDALE - DREAM TINT® TINTED MOISTURIZER - 41€

I've wanted to try Jane Iredale products for so long now, so when I saw a counter during my recent trip to Denmark, I practically ran to it. The dream tint is exactly what it says, a tinted moisturizer. It has light coverage, enough to even out the skin tone and can be built up a little in the areas where you might want more coverage. I apply it very easily with my fingers. It has a fresh fruity scent that I really enjoy, and I also appreciate that it goes away pretty fast too. So far it has layered very well with all products I've paired it with. It leaves my skin looking luminous (but not shiny) and doesn't feel tacky to the touch, which is just brilliant. I haven't really tested those claims, but it is supposed to be water resistant for 40 min and contains a reef-safe FPS 15. It's also recommended for everyday use by the Skin Cancer Foundation!

Would I repurchase? Absolutely.

PHB ETHICAL BEAUTY - MINERAL EYEBROW POWDER - 15,35£

I got this a few months ago when I went a little crazy buying new beauty products. I was so intrigued by this, a loose brow powder? I'm usually not a big fan of loose powder products, but I was proven wrong. I have this is the colour brunette, which was a little dark for me. I did change my hair colour recently and it now fits me perfectly. I find the loose pigment covers the brow hair better than a pencil or a pomade. When I use this, my brows look full and the finish is natural. I do fix the powder with a clear brow gel to keep it in place all day. I was afraid the container might be a little messy, but so far so good. I feel like the pot would also last me for so long since you need so little, which makes the price very reasonable to me.

Would I repurchase? Yes!

NUDE BY NATURE - PERFECTING CONCEALER - 22€

Nude by Nature is one of the rare green beauty brands that I can actually find in person in stores. I picked this up at the beginning of the summer so I've been testing it for a long long time now. I would say the coverage of this is medium. If I apply it with a brush or a beauty blender, it tends to look quite dry pretty fast but applying with my fingers works much better. I wouldn't use this concealer on a day where I have massive dark circles, but would keep it for more natural days. It does crease a little on me but that's fairly normal. I do have one big but when it comes to this concealer though : it has one of the worst packaging I have ever seen. Not only is the writing all faded already, but the product leaks into the cap and gets so messy very fast. I keep cleaning it again and again.

Would I repurchase? No. For the price this needs too much special attention.

BOTTEGA VERDE - ACETONE-FREE, MILD NAIL POLISH REMOVER WITH HONEY EXTRACT - 9,99€

I picked this up a few weeks ago in Venice, they are a italian green beauty brand but they seem available online everywhere in Europe. I was in a pinch and needed a nail polish remover, and boy was I happy with this one! This product works so fast and so well. It smells a little like honey too. I've used it to remove green and conventional nail polish and it has dealt gracefully with everything I've thrown at it. I guess there's isn't much else to say about a remover. I doesn't leave my skin feeling "raw" or dry and irritated, but I still do follow up with rosehip oil everytime I use it.

Would I repurchase? Yes.

RMS BEAUTY - EYE POLISH - LUNAR - 28€

I've talked about many RMS products here, but this one was by far my biggest disappointment. I've been swatching the different shades of eye polish in store for a while and I always told everyone how impressed I was with how pigmented and shiny they were. And they are. However when I finally took the plunge, I went for the shade Lunar. The shade itself looks beautiful, but I've never had a product crease so much so fast on me. By the time my makeup is finished, the eyeshadow already looks so bad I have to redo it. I tried wearing it with different primers and although it helped a little, it's nowhere near what I would normally expect. Putting powder eyeshadows on top does help with the lasting power but defeats the purpose for me. Also they're not cheap.

Would I repurchase? No.

TRILOGY - REPLENISHING NIGHT CREAM - 35,95€

This night cream is one of the first products I purchased when I switched to green beauty, and I can't believe it hasn't made its way to the blog until now. This night cream is rich, silky soft and doesn't leave the skin greasy. It has a slight scent that goes away after the initial application. It's hard for me describe but this night cream just does exactly what it's meant to do. It has no crazy claims or promises, but for my skin it's just the perfect night cream. It is currently packaged in a glass jar with a metal lid. I'm not a big fan of jars but I do appreciate that the packaging is plastic free!

Would I repurchase? Yes!