The Body Shop, Down To Earth Eye Palette - Review

Last night I attended a bloggers event at The Body Shop's Sauchiehall street store, Glasgow. It was the perfect opportunity for me to find out more about their new "Down To Earth" eye palettes I've had my eye on.

There are currently six of these palettes out: five quads and one larger palette with eight shades. The five quads come in Smoky Brown (pictured above), Smoky Plum, Smoky Gold, Smoky Grey and Smoky Black and are £15 each. The larger palette seems to be a mixture of  the above and is £22. These eye shadows are vegan and, like all of The Body Shop's products, cruelty free. The eye shadows also pop out of the casing so you can mix and match the colours. I've also heard that they will be releasing these eye shadows as singles in the future too - perfect if you want your own custom palette.

At first glance the shades are beautiful. Smoky Brown caught my eye right away, but I would describe it as more of a nude-pink palette than brown. The colours looked very wearable and offered that subtle pop of colour that could take you from day to night. Think Urban Decay's naked palettes.

One of the lovely assistants at the store event quickly used this palette on my eyes to show me what it could do. I was sold right away. These eye shadows are a lot more pigmented than The Body Shop's current range of singles and are easy to build and blend for your desired look. When I commented on how these shades reminded me of Urban Decay's naked palettes I was told they're made by the same people - exciting.

From top to bottom: Oregon Sunstone, Peru Clay, Sienna Dust, Idaho Jasper

Today I decided to try them out for myself. I am by no means an expert at makeup and eye shadow is something I really struggle with. Saying that, I found these eye shadows great to work with. They can be built up easily, blended easily, and they still look good right now after a few hours of wear. So if you're like me and struggle with the eyes, don't be scared to try these out!

Overall I would definitely recommend these eye shadows. Not only are they cruelty free and vegan, they're great value, great to work with and have good lasting power.

In the picture above I am wearing:

Aloe Vera Gel - primer

Everyday Minerals Colour Corrector in Green - Face

Everyday Minerals Colour Corrector in Yellow - Undereyes

Everyday Minerals Foundation in Fair - Face

Everyday Minerals Blusher in Tea Rose - Cheeks

Everyday Minerals All Over Shimmer in Hint - Highlight

The Body Shop Down to Earth Eye Palette in Smoky Brown - Eyes

Barry M Blink Precision Eyeliner - Eyes

Lily Lolo Natural Mascara - Lashes

Bare Minerals Loose Eye shadow in Taupe - Brows

Lily Lolo Natural Lipstick in French Flirt - Lips

Natural Rosewater - Setting Spray

PS. Keep up with me on Instagram here.

Visit Scotland - Fort William and Highlands

It can sometimes be hard to sell holidaying in Scotland with so many great destinations in Europe. France, Barcelona or Italy anyone? But in reality, despite our harsher climate, there are so many brilliant places in Scotland worth sticking on your bucket list.

Admittedly I haven't seen much of our famous and scenic highlands, so recently I took a trip up to Fort William with the family. We were blessed with beautiful weather almost every day and I saw so much breathtaking scenery.

On the way to Fort William we drove by Loch Lomond. I never realised how large it was until we drove the length of it and it did surprise me. Unfortunately I didn't get any good photos from the car.

A little while later we stopped at Glencoe. Me and my Dad (a photography hobbyist) took some pictures of the famous Blackrock Cottage. It's apparently one of the most photographed areas in Scotland.

We stopped at the Glencoe mountain centre for a while. The scenery was nothing short of breathtaking. I was also amused by the strange huts you could rent if visiting for an overnight.

We continued on our way, making the occasional stop to admire the scenery. One of my favourite spots was below, where we got a gorgeous view of Buachaille Etive Mor.

The views didn't stop when we reached Fort William. We spent the night looking around the area and we fell in love.

We also visited the Glenfinnan Viaduct, part of the West Highland line and famous for featuring in Harry Potter. Yes, this is where we all once watched the Hogwarts Express chug along the line on the way to Hogwarts. Sadly I didn't manage to get a great photo as it had became dark, but if you are ever in the area it's great to go and see. You may even be lucky and catch sight of the Jacobite Express!

The next day we went on to Plockton. Plockton itself is unusual because the north atlantic drift allows palm trees to grow there. Yes, you read that correctly, palm trees in Scotland! The town is small, but it is a tourist spot so we received a warm welcome. There are various restaurants, inns and local events on to visit. We caught a boat race and visited a local art exhibition in the town hall.

The day had started off a little overcast, but the skies began to clear as we made our way to Skye. This was my first time visiting a Scottish Isle, and I was keen to explore. Please excuse my messy hair, we'd been in a rush to leave in the morning.

We stopped at Armadale to relax, grab a drink and have a look around. There were a few shops and I had a nosey around Ragamuffin, a wholefoods shop and a photography gallery. It ended up quite hot and I was struggling to cope in my dark jeans and top. Scotland in August, who would have thought? We ended up catching the ferry back to Morroch before heading home.

The next day we headed over to Skye again to watch the highland games. As usual we made a few stops along the way to admire the scenery.

Overlooking Loch Garry.

Overlooking Loch Loyne. This area seemed to be a popular stop for hikers and travellers to build cairns. Cairns are piles of stones typically built as landmarks on hills and mountains. The tallest one here was just shorter than me (I'm 5ft4), but if you do a quick google as I did, you'll be surprised at how high some around the world have become.

We reached Skye later than we'd planned and the events had became busy. Struggling to find a good veiwing spot, me and my mum left my dad and brother to have a look around the town. There were many interesting shops and we ended up going for lunch in a cute inn. We ended up sipping gin and tonic whilst watching someone perform some traditional folk music.

The day ended up a little rainy towards the evening, which presented the opportunity for me to snap this haunting photo of Eilean Donan Castle on the way back to Fort William. So although I didn't manage to catch the sun or the games that day, I ended up thoroughly enjoying myself.

I spent most of the next day with my nose buried in a book as we said our goodbyes to Fort William and headed home to Lanarkshire. We stopped for a lovely lunch in Oban and were lucky enough to catch some beautiful weather once again.

We were definitely blessed with gorgeous weather on our trip north this year, but I still feel that I would have enjoyed it thoroughly even if it had been otherwise. I'd argue that the Scottish highlands have a beauty that can rival even some of the most famous landscapes across the world. 

I've made a promise to myself to start exploring more of my beautiful home country, which means I'll be sharing it here on my blog. To all my international readers, from Argentina to Russia (I know you're there!), next time you're looking to holiday do consider Scotland. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised! 

PS. Keep up with me on Instagram here.

Cruelty Free? Here Are Some Products You May Have Missed

I went cruelty free long before I changed my diet. Why? Because it's much easier. I understand how it can be hard for people to go vegan. Not all of us - especially young people living at home - have the privilege to go vegan.
This can be down to judgemental family, not having the money for your own food (or parents willing to pay), not being confident cooking your own meals, etc. Yet there are still many other areas in life we can make a change for the better. Even vegetarians/vegans may not realise what products they are buying that are not cruelty free, but luckily I've been researching into this so you don't have to.

Make-Up

This was the first area of my life I made cruelty free. It may be hard giving up a beloved products, but it is so easy to find cruelty free dupes and there are so many budget friendly brands. My personal favourites are Lily Lolo, Honeypie Minerals, Barefaced Beauty and Everyday Minerals. You also have e.l.f cosmetics, NYX, Kiko Cosmetics, Colourpop and many more. If you would rather stay in the "high" end you also have Too Faced, Urban Decay, Nars, Illamasqua. Trust me, there are many brilliant make up brands out there. With a quick google it is so easy to switch up your makeup products.

Beauty

Beauty products can be a little harder to switch as many people pick them up from drugstores or supermarkets that offer little to no cruelty free options. My favourite place for beauty is Lush, but it can get a little out of budget for some people. There are a few great budget options - their shampoo bars can last for months and are only £5 odd each! They also make solid conditioners for around the same price. Just make sure you apply them correctly - a quick google or visit to store will set you right. Their facial and body soaps also last for ages, and are well worth the buck.

If Lush isn't your thing, check out The Body Shop, Greenpeople or Faith in Nature for a range of beauty products. If you're feeling creative try DIY-ing some products to save cash (and your skin). Read more about DIY-ing products on my blog here.

Art Supplies

This is one I've just came across recently. Everything from your glue to your paper may have been tested on animals, or may contain animal derived ingredients. Luckily my favourite pencils - Faber Castell Polychromos, are safe. Apparently Faber-Castell haven't tested on animals in 22 years. Also Winstor and Newton have said they don't test on animals, and I found a list of their animal-free products here.

Drink

Yes, drinks! Not all are vegetarian. Did you know that many ciders and beers aren't cruelty free? Although they may not contain any animal ingredients, they are usually used in the fermentation process. Spirits - such as vodka, gin and whiskey - are usually free from this, but I try to double check now. I've also started trying alternative milks - such as oat and rice - with white russians (my favourite cocktail!). You can't be too careful!

Clothes

Yes, sadly clothes aren't always cruelty free. As if it's not bad enough that many companies have their clothes made abroad in workshops where the workers are treated horribly, many clothing brands test on animals too! I already try to avoid leather and fur, but even silk is a no-no. Silk, obviously from the silk worm, isn't always a cruelty free process. Now I didn't throw out my leather shoes and bags when I went vegetarian. but I wouldn't ever add to my collection now. It's so hard to be completely cruelty free with clothes as ethical brands are usually quite pricey. Unless you buy everything second hand you're kind of stuck. Hopefully it won't always be that way!

There's no doubt many things I've missed out, such as cleaning products. Unless you want to DIY your own stuff it can be pretty hard to find cruelty free cleaning products. Sadly it is extremely hard to go completely "cruelty free" as so many products can be traced back to causing some sort of human, animal or environmental harm. Every little swap can make a difference and the more people that start supporting cruelty free or vegetarian/vegan brands, the more in demand it will become. Sadly the world will never be perfect but it doesn't mean we can't do our bit!

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Lily Lolo Natural Lipstick, Berry Crush - Review

I've wrote about my love for Lily Lolo's natural lipsticks before, but after purchasing a new shade recently I had to do another post.

When on holiday recently my mum decided to pinch my lipstick in "Rose Gold" (it suited her better anyway), and promised to buy my another lipstick in replacement. I decided to go for the deep, purple shade "Berry Crush".

I thought a bold berry shade would be perfect for the colder months coming in. Like my other Lily Lolo lipsticks it's strongly pigmented and feels great to apply. Here are some swatches to compare:

From top to bottom (natural light): Berry Crush, French Flirt, Rose Gold.

From top to bottom (flash): Berry Crush, French Flirt, Rose Gold.

I'd describe the finish as satin. Not quite glossy, but it has a sheen in the light. I sometimes apply a little colourless balm on top if I want a glossy lip.

Here is the finished look with the lipstick. As it is such a bold shade I imagine it would go with most, if not all, skin tones. Lily Lolo's natural lipsticks are my favourite lip products, and I can see myself picking up a few more shades in future. If you're interested in these lipsticks check out my more in-depth review here.

Here is a list of what I'm wearing in the above photo:

Honeypie Minerals colour corrector in Green (face)

Honeypie Minerals colour corrector in Yellow (under eyes)

Honeypie Minerals mineral foundation in Fair 

Lily Lolo mineral blush in Sunset

Everyday Minerals all over shimmer in Hint (highlight)

Mineral Powder in dark brown (Eyebrows) - It's an old tub so I don't have the brand!

Lily Lolo mascara in Black

Lily Lolo natural lipstick in Berry Crush.

And a little colourless lip balm for a bit of gloss! 

I prime my makeup with aloe vera gel.

I set my makeup with this rosewater spray.

PS. Keep up with me on Instagram here.

Pukka Organic Herbal Tea - Review

Although I've been aware of the benefits of drinking tea for a few years, I've never been a big tea drinker. My experience with tea was gulping down some green tea and peppermint at 8:30 in the morning to keep myself awake at work (and it does!). Recently I decided to start exploring herbal teas to hopefully discover some flavours I enjoy. If it too helps my skin along the way I'll be sure to blog about it.

Whilst on holiday last week I came across a cosy wee wholefoods shop in Armadale, the Isle of Skye. It turned out to be part of "Skye Forest Garden", an eco camping and woodland walk area. It was here I came across Pukka tea, and I decided to pick some up to try. I chose "Elderberry & Echinacea", and also picked up a sample of their "Womankind" blend. The Elderberry tea is organic, vegan and dairy/wheat/gluten/caffeine free. I love the strong fruity and herbal taste from this tea and I find it quite comforting to drink. It makes a welcome change from the plainer taste of green tea.

After having a nosey around their website, I'm impressed at the range of teas they offer. Unless you can't stand tea, I'd say there's a flavour there for everyone.

The "womankind" blend was also lovely and I picked that up just because it contained rose. Unfortunately they didn't have a box of it on sale that day.

What's your favourite herbal tea blend? I'd love some suggestions to try! 

PS. Keep up with me on Instagram here.