Blog love

This post I just wanted to share some blog's that are my go-to's for good information and reviews, and some that I have just come accross.

No More Dirty Looks

I know that this is not a new blog, and that most people already know about and read it, but no More Dirty Looks is definitely a favourite of mine. Not just because of the great information and reviews, but because of the way the post's are worded; fun and laidback.

Tested on Human

A great blog that I came across about a month ago. Bronwen reviews great products and has very straight to the point reviews,


Natural Beauty Cabinet

This is another I have come accross recently. I get email's with the subject line reading "If you've only got 5 minutes..." and I know it is the next instalment from this blog. Great post's about not only about skin care but healthy eating, and homemade skincare recipes. I definitely recommend giving this a read.

The Clean Beauty Blog

I have a feeling I am way behind on this one, but I have only come accross this blog today and I love it. I love the 'how to's' using clean products and the reviews of brands i've never heard of.


Edit 4 Beauty

This is another I came accross today which also has great reviews on beauty products, information on new products/brands and how to's.


The Flaxen Owl

A great Aussie blog on natural beauty products that I was reading way before I started blogging. Hayley has also started a youtube channel which features beauty and food video's.

Wish list.

I have a gigantic wishlist, I mean it's ridiculous, so I shortened it down to just a few that I would like to try first. This is all beauty products, I will do another on health products soon.



Lulu Organics Jasmine Hair Powder. I mainly want this because of the packaging but also because I have never used a hair powder before.

Aromatherapy Personals Crave Control.

I wonder if this would help subside my junk food binges!?

Intelligent Nutrients Intellimmune Oil.

I've read great reviews about this and i'm all for antioxidant hits :)

Tsi-La Organic Mini Eau De Parfum Collection. Stunning bottles and i would really like to have a nice organic perfume rather than the unnatural, yet beautiful smelling one I have now.

I seen these a while ago when Bathing Beauty got them in stock and have been wanting to try them for a while. Ilia Beauty Lip Conditioner Pure Lip Care. I think I want to try Shell shock and dizzy, but maybe all 5 :)

Nvey Eco Creative Colour System. I have been wanting this in '5' (not pictured) since they first came out but im not sure if I could fork over that much for eyeshadow.

Apple and Bee Carry All Traveller in Magnolia. I have been wanting and Apple & Bee bag forever, so I think I will have to buy one before my next trip to QLD.

And the winner is...

The winner of My First Giveaway is...

~Tibby~

Congratulations!

If you could please send me an email with your address I will send you your goodies next week.

Thank you to everyone who entered and to those who read my blog.

I will be doing another giveaway in the future so everyone will get another chance.

Honeybee Gardens Pressed Mineral Powder

In my latest iHerb haul I bought a few Honeybee Gardens products, one being the Honeybee Gardens Pressed Mineral Powder in Supernatural. Supernatural is the second lightest shade in the range of 5 and is described as a 'neutral light shade',  it suits my skin tone perfectly. The compact is purchased seperatey and has a magnet in the botton to hold the powder in, a mirror, and it also comes with the little powder puff pictured.

The powder looks so perfect on and the company is true to it's word when it say's that this powder 'evens out skin tone leaving a natural silky finish', I could not have described it any better. The powders are talc free, paraben free, fragrance free and oil free, and if you smell them up close, you can subtly smell the aloe, chamomile and cucumber extracts.

As far as the little  powder puff goes, I don't really use it. It is a little bit stiff, so it sort of digs into the soft powder, grabing too much, I just use the EcoTools powder brush and that works great with this powder. I do love the little bee imprinted on the puff though.

Ingredients: Mica, Kaolin, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Magnesium Carbonate, Zinc Stearate, Boron Nitride, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorphenesin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499).

Powder $7.49

Compact $8.99



Madara

I recently started using the Madara Moon Flower Tinting Fluid and let me just say, I love it!  It smells like freshly cut...weeds. It definitely is not a bad smell it just smells different from freshly cut grass, it reminds me of sour sobs actually. As for the texture it is a really light fluid that spreads really well and is moisturizing. I have been using the Kora Organics Tinted cream for a while now and as much as I love it, I do have the original formulation which is very dark for my skin tone and tends to be a bit drying. The Madara fluid matches my skin colour perfectly and leaves the skin with a fresh, dewy appearence. It's perfect.

The Madara fluid has not irritated my skin and it looks amazing on.

The Tinting Fluid comes in two colours, Moon Flower which is for paler skin and Sun Flower which is for more tanned skin. I love the names and the packaging.

Around $34.00 from Love Lula

Ingrediants: Aqua, Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil*, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Distillate*, Glycerin*, Theobroma Cacao Seed (Cocoa) Butter*, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hypericum Perforatum (St. John's Wort) Extract*, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Extract*, Chamomilla Recutita (Camomile) Extract*, Algae Extract, Plantago Major (Plantain Leaf) Extract*, Cetearyl Glucoside, Capryloyl Glycine, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide***, Xantan Gum, Aroma**, Citral**, Eugenol**, Limonene**, Linalool** [+/- (may contain), Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)]***

* ingredients issued from Organic Agriculture;
** natural essential oils;
*** inorganic substances and/or pure mineral pigments;
99,875% of the total ingredients are of a natural origin;
13,86% of the total ingredients are issued from Organic Agriculture;
Natural and Organic cosmetic certified by ECOCERT SAS – B.P. 47 F-32600 according to ECOCERT Standards.

I have also been using the Madara Moonkissed Tinting Lipgloss which is also good. I wouldn't say it is a favourite but I do use it fairly often. I bought I thought it would give me a nice subtle tint but I honestly can't see any difference with when wearing it. It does however give my lip's a nice shimmery wet look without any stickiness whatsoever which is hard to find. The Lipgloss comes in two shades, Moonkissed which is a beautiful pink lip-like colour and Sunkissed which is a caramely colour.

Around $12.00 from Love Lula

Ingrediants: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Oil*, Helianthus Annuus Seed (Sunflower) Oil*, Theobroma Cacao Seed (Cocoa) Butter*, Cera Alba (Beeswax)*, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil*, Rosa Canina (Rose Hip) Extract*, Lecithin, Aroma**, Citral**, Geraniol**, Limonene**, Linalool** [+/- (may contain), Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)]***

* ingredients issued from Organic Agriculture;
** natural essential oils;
*** pure mineral pigments;
94,5% of the total ingredients are of natural origin;
93,7% of the total ingredients are issued from Organic Agriculture.

11 Questions

I woke this morning to find I had been tagged in an 11 Random Things tag by Hayley from The Flaxen Owl. As excited as I am to do this, bear with me, I have never been good at this sort of thing.

Rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them that you’ve tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about ‘you are tagged if you are reading this.’ blah blah blah, you legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 random things about me:

1. I am really self-concious. Most people think I am just a snob, but i'm not. I just keep to myself because I am always worried that people won't like me or that I am boring. Silly, I know, but i'm working on it.

2. I am book obsessed. I'm slowly gathering quite a collection on all sort's of subject's and I am constantly adding more. As a kid I hoped to one day own a home library like that in Beauty and the Beast.

3. I am a compulsive shopper. I cannot save money to save my life.

4. I love the movie Alice in Wonderland. I have always been a daydreamer and this movie set's off all sort's of adventures in my head :)

5. My favourite food is Pizza, which sucks as I am gluten intolerant.

6. I feel a strong connection to all things Native Indian. I don't know why, but I feel really calm and happy when I am surrounded by those things, but also a sense of sadness and longing. Weird.

7. I have absolutely no style. I love the Rockabilly and Pin up styles but would never feel comfortable going out in public dressed up like that, so I stick to basic jeans and tee's. But I don't mind as long as I am comfortable.

8. I am highly intuitive. It sometimes makes life hard as I cannot go against my instinct's, but it is very helpful.

9. I LOVE LOVE LOVE crystals. I have quite the collection happening, and I always sleep with an amethyst and rose quartz under my pillow. My boy's also have crystals in their room.

10. I hate conflict and will find any way out of it. I do tend to hold a lot of stress in because I don't want to offend or upset anyone but I like my more peaceful nature and have found that writing in a journal really does help.

11. I love to do craft of any sort. I sew, scrapbook, draw (although not so well), and I really enjoy making gift's for people.

11 question's I had to answer:

1. What is your dream job? To own my own health food and supplement store/organic supermarket and have a beautiful, peaceful room set up where I will do my Naturopathy Consultations. I have an amzing picture in my head  and cannot wait to start that journey. 

  2. One of your favourite things from your childhood? Could be a friend, game, memory, etc.

Our craft room. My siblings and I had an outdoor brick room that was our's for whatever we wanted to do. We had sewing machines set up, costumes and craft supplies galore, and everything else we could possibly need for our adventures and roles we wanted to play that day.
 3. Where would you love to travel? This is a tough one. I would love to see the world, but if I had to pick one place it would be...Tibet. All those beautiful mountains and buildings. 

 4. Who is your favourite character from a TV show/Movie. Why? At the moment, Kristen Stewart. I don't get the fuss about her being a bad actress, If you have read the twilight book's she plays the part perfectly and her other movies are good too.  

5. What prompted you to start a blog? I just wanted to share my opinion's and hopefully inspire at least one person to make healthier choices. 

 6. What is one thing you always have to have with you? That would probably be a crystal,  I feel content when I look at them.
7. Are you more of an indoor or outdoor type? I love the outdoors but these days I find I spend the majority of my time inside which is the biggest thing I want to change for 2012.
8. What is one bad habit you have? Biting my nails. I go year's without doing it and then start again. It is disgusting.
9. One person you would love to meet and why? This can be anyone in the world, past or present. Ella Fitzgerald because she has the most amazing voice, and I was so inspired by her as a child.
10. Do you have a guilty pleasure? If so, what? Chocolate. I can literally eat a whole block in a very short time, which thankfully, I haven't done in quite a while now.
11. If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be? A wolf. Possibly something to do with my obssession of all things Native Indian but also because I love dogs.

11 questions for the people I tag:

1. Who or what inspires you? Why?

2. If you could live in anyone's shoes for the day, who would it be?

3. Do you prefer sweet or savoury?

4. Do you play an instrument? If so, what made you choose that particular one?

5. One thing you absolutely cannot live without?

6. What is your favourite colour?

7. One thing you want to do most in life?

8. Who is your favourite Author? Why?

9. What is your favourite brand? It can be for anything.

10. What is your biggest fear?

11. Do you consider yourself creative?

11 people I tag:

Mademoiselle Nature
Ladytink_543
Emmas Designblogg
White Lily Red Rose
Oracle Fox
Point of Interest
The Natural Beauty Workshop
Heirloom Beauty
Natural Beauty Cabinet
Natural Beauty Blogger
The Healthy Foodie

My First Giveaway!

 I have finally reached 50 likers on Facebook so i can do a giveaway now! I'm so excited about giving a gift of natural beauty to someone :)

The giveaway consist's of:

- 1 Acure Organics Firming Body Lotion

- 1 Desert Essence Coconut Shampoo

- 1 Desert Essence Coconut Conditioner

- 1 EcoTools 5 peice Brush Set

- 1 EOS Lipbalm in Honeysuckle

- 1 Blum Naturals Facial Cleansing Towelettes for Normal Skin (pack 10)

To Enter

-First, you must be a subscriber to my blog either by email or by google friends.

-Second, like Free To Be Natural on facebook.

-Third, leave a comment telling me why you would like to win. Your comment must be posted on this blog post.

Details

- The giveaway will close at midnight on Friday the 27th January Australian time. Track the time Here.
- The winner will be chosen at random.
- This giveaway is open internationally.

Good Luck everyone :)

Guest Review

I sent a few samples to a friend of mine, Victoria,  who is just making the transition to natural and organic so she could try them out and see the difference.

Here are the samples I sent...

(order of products as listed below)

Firstly, I had a blast experimenting with these products ~ I was literally like a kid on Christmas day when the parcel arrived! I am new to 'natural & organic', therefore I have only just started making the transition. After using most of these products in the last month, I have provided my opinion on what worked & didn't work for me below. (=

~ Kora Organics Tinted Day Cream by Miranda Kerr

I have light sensitive skin, therefore I only use a little bit of Kora Tinted Day Cream as it's darker than my natural skin colour. I've been applying it to my face after putting my usual moisturiser on (as it recommends on the Kora Organics Blog site... However I currently use Dr Lewinn's moisturiser (naughty!), as I haven't yet found a natural moisturiser I like...) to help it blend easier. I do like the little glow it gives me & I don't have to use foundation afterwards. It's also assuring that it has SPF 15+ in it too.

~ RMS Beauty 'Un' Cover Up

When I wear foundation, I put the 'Un' Cover Up on first, applying & sweeping underneath my eyes & down the side of the bridge of my nose. It's creamy & thick therefore not a lot of it is needed to do the job. I like it because it brightens & 'opens' up my eyes more, making them 'pop', if you like. I find if I put too much of this on however, the excess sits in the creases under my eyes but I think this is due to the hot weather here in Queensland. It does stay put when I use a mineral powder foundation over the top instead of liquid based. Overall, I do like this product because it does cover my dark circles & any red blotches on my face.

~ RMS Beauty Living Illuminiser

A great product! I love using the Illuminiser along my brow line, across the top of my cheek bones & along the bridge of my nose. It doesn't look 'sweaty', instead give you a nice healthy shine & accentuate these features. I definitely will keep this product in stock.

~ RMS Beauty Lip 2 Cheek 'Muse'

I love this colour! It's very neutral which is what I always usually go for when wearing makeup. Just simple but give a nice shadow - I apply this to my cheeks. It's not empowering to the face but just give a little tint & definition to the cheek bone. I apply the Illuminiser above this to make it stand out a little more (= I'm keen to buy & try out the other Lip 2 Cheek colours RMS Beauty has, as I really like this cream.

~ RMS Beauty 'Magnetic' & 'Seduce'

Again, these two are gorgeous colours; I apply one or the other to my eyelids & despite looking dark in the containers, They are actually a nice medium chocolate brown. 'Magnetic' is a bit of a metallic shimmer when on my eyes whereas 'Seduce' is a lighter, base colour with less shimmer to it. My suggestion would be that 'Magnetic' is good for going out & 'Seduce' for the office/casual day (=.

~ RMS Beauty Lip Shine 'Moment'

This one isn't really going to have a big review on it as I haven't used it enough; for someone who doesn't usually wear colour on her lips (as I have big lips & lip colour just makes them REALLY take over my whole face - 'Oh, there is actually a face behind those lips!')... But it is a nice, neutral colour, I can give it that. I envy women who can wear lip colour, especially the siren red! =/ If there is anyone out there with big lips like me & pull it off, tell me your secret!

~ MSB Eyeshadows 'Mermaid', 'Redcurrant' & 'Persian Pink'

These powder eyeshadows hold very well when applied. I didn't have any problems with any excess powder dropping on my cheeks & when I say 'hold very well' on the eyelids, it really does stay there! It is totally up to you how light or heavy you want the colour to be, I found that 'Persian Pink' applied to the inner - middle of my eyelids & then the 'Redcurrant' applied to the outer of my eyelids a quite nice, fun & refreshing look. I never usually wear other colours than neutral so I stepped out of my comfort zone when trying these eyeshadows. I surprised myself with the pinks as I really liked the colours on my skin, the 'Mermaid' however, didn't suit me =( I have blue eyes & it looked too much on my face. I think it certainly would look great on someone with darker skin & brown eyes.

And below is a makeup look using some of these products aswell as some of her own:

Kora Organics Tinted Day Cream ~ I applied my usual moisturiser on (which isn't featured because it is not a natural product; I am yet to find a moisturiser I like) & then lightly dabbed the Tinted Day Cream over my face for a bit of a glow & sun protection.

RMS Beauty 'Un' Cover Up ~ I swept the cream underneath my eyes & down alongside the bridge of my nose for a full coverage & 'light up'.

Couleur Caramel Anti-Red Blotch Cream ~ This is a fantastic product! Despite the colour (green!), you don't need to use much & it DOES blend in to your skin quite well, doing it's job of covering up red blotches & spots. I use it around the outer sides of my nostrils & my chin. I also have red skin on my cheeks but I don't worry too much as I like to have a bit of colour there.

Natural Ground Minerals by Designer Brand (Light Foundation) ~ I discovered this foundation at a reduced price from our local Chemist Warehouse... & I really like it! Organic, it is talc free & has SPF 15+. It doesn't feel heavy & thick on my skin & blends quite nicely. My skin feels smooth with this powder foundation (= I'm not a fan of thick foundation where it completely covers everything... I'm one girl who likes her sunkisses, so this foundation is quite light & suits me perfectly (=.

RMS Beauty Lip 2 Cheek 'Muse' ~ Used along & blended on my cheek bone to give a bit of shadow.

RMS Beauty Eyeshadow 'Magnetic' ~ I applied this quite lightly on my eyelids to give a natural look. I love the cream eyeshadows that RMS Beauty stocks & when removing makeup at the end of the day, it's easy to wipe off.

Couleur Caramel Eyebrow Pencil, Dark Brown ~ I'm a big fan of neat eyebrows when doing makeup, it makes all the difference. As I have light eyebrows (being naturally mouse brown/blonde), I use this pencil to match my dyed hair colour. The pencil also has an eyebrow brush on the other end for a quick blend & groom.

RMS Beauty Living Illuminiser ~ The Illuminiser was lightly dabbed along the top of my cheekbones, above the 'Muse' cheek colour to give it more 'pop'. I've applied it along my brow line above the eyeshadow.

Couleur Caramel Mascara, Brown & for Long Eyelashes ~ When it comes to clumping Mascara, this is NOT one. When I buy mascara, usually I have to scrape the excess off back in to the bottle but with this gem, I don't & I was literally excited by this! My eyelashes didn't stick together either, it was just wonderful! This will be one of my must have in my makeup bag. The ONLY downside is that depending on what I'm doing through the day, I find that it does drop tiny crumbly bits on to my cheeks. But I had this problem with some other mascaras I have used too.

Essentially Avocado Lip Balm ~ This is actually a new product that's recently been produced in Childers on an Avocado Farm. This lip balm has been made with 100% natural pure avocado oil, beeswax, honey & coconut. It doesn't have any colour, just clear but it really plumps up & moisturise my lips. It doesn't taste bad & I only have to apply it about 2-3 times a day so it does wear well compared to other lip balms I've used.

Thanks Victoria xo

iHerb Haul

A few weeks ago I placed my first order with Vitacost.com which I was really excited about, as they have products that iherb doesn't, but after a lot of stuffing around, I ended up cancelling the order, the reason being the lack of communication. I was highly dissapointed but I have decided to give them another go in the future. Anywho, I placed an order through iHerb on friday so I was really surprised when I got the order today. These are the products I ordered and also what I will be reviewing in future post's.

Acure:

Radical age reversal treatment

Brightening facial scrub

Day cream

Energizing body lotion

Calming body lotion

Firming body lotion

Line eraser

Facial cleanser for oily/combo skin

Balancing rose and red tea facial toner

Dr Bronner pure castille soap - baby/ unscented

Dr Bronner pure castille soap - peppermint

Devita solar body block

Desert Essence coconut shampoo and conditioner

Desert Essence Tea tree oil and ginger toothpaste

Desert Essence wintergreen tea tree oil and neem toothpaste

Honeybee Gardens:

Luscious lipgloss - hollywood

Luscious lipgloss - innocence

Compact for pressed powder

Pressed mineral powder - supernatural

Truly natural lipstick - romance

Truly natural lipstick - Karma

Jobacolors eyeliner - smoking gun

Acure organics dark choc mint lipgloss

Badger poetic pomegranate cocoa butter lip balm

So happy with this order, I can't wait to start using the Acure Organics products.

Remember, if you've never shopped with iherb before, use the coupon code EYE455 at the checkout for $5 off your first order.

Health Apps

This week I started studying again so until I get back into routine with it all I probably won't be doing so many post's, and I probably won't be doing a health post as yet as my 2 current subjects are really full on (well for me anyway). But I just wanted to share some of my favourite health related iPhone apps for all the people with iPhone's. I'm sure some of these are available on iPad's too but I don't have one yet so

:( so i'm not 100% sure.

Chemical Maze: Complete Edition  $7.49

This is basically the book in app form, which is super handy for me as I seem to have misplaced by beloved book. The picture is a screen shot of the main menu, you can select or deselect chemicals as per dietary requirements, symptoms/ailments, ingrediants derived from certain things, by risk level and by effects on body. You can also choose to look through only food additives or cosmetic ingrediants or both, you can search for the ingrediants you are looking for, and the best part, you can take a photo of the ingrediants list if the writing is too small to see and magnify the list using the built in magnifier.

I would say that this app is  a lot better than the book, not because the book isn't good, but because this is just so much easiert o navigate and search through. This would probably be my favourite health type app, and it is always being updated which is one up on the book again.

Integrated Iridology $2.99

I think that Iridology is amazing, for someone to be able to see so much from looking at one's eye is just incredible. I haven't begun this subject yet but I am so excited that I will get to soon. It is amazing how spot on this app is too, it explains personality types and general health issues that usually come with certain eye colours and eye markings. I have used this app many times, definitely money well spent.

iMantra $0.99

This app is perfect to use first thing in the morning or right before bed. Obviously you can use it any time of the day but I generally use it when I go to bed as it relaxes me so much and help's me have an amazing, peaceful sleep. You can choose what type of Mantra you want from Buddhist to Hindu, Planetary to Krishna Das. I personally only use the Buddhist mantra's as they are the ones that I seem to be attracted to, so to speak. After picking what type, you pick a mantra (second picture shows some of the Buddhist mantra's), I usually use OM Mani Padme Hum, as I learnt that one year's ago and I just love it, but Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is another one I like. Above the mantra's it also explains a bit about each one as you select it if that is what you want to go by. You then pick how many Malas you want to do and how many beads for each Mala. The general is 108 beads per Mala so that is what I go with, it's a good number.  

I love this app so much because it helps motivate me to actually chant which is really good for the soul and I know that once im finished I will feel happier and more relaxed.

You can also record up to 9 of your own mantra's which is pretty cool. And, for those who are worried they won't be able to pronounce the chant's, don't worry, it say's them for you and you just go with it, or you can turn the voice down and just have the music.

Stumble Upon FREE

This one technically isn't a health app but I have found some amazing health and nutrition related articles, as well as naturally beauty articles and websites. I find myself spendinghours on this if I let myself. Plus, you can share the articles you like on facebook or like them, which saves them for later on your account. Stumble upon also adapts to what you do or don't like and searches for or avoids those particular articles. So cool.

Pinterest FREE

Again not a health app, but I also spend a lot of time on this app, and have found so many health related links. Everything from recipes, to exercise, to DIY beauty and anything else you search for. It's definitely my go to for inspiration on lazy day's.

Well that's it for now. I hope this post was useful to someone :)

Extra Post's???

[Source]

I have been thinking about doing post's on health aswell as beauty, as everybody knows they go hand in hand, and it is something I am passionate about. I would put up post's on recipe's, health food's, herb's, the body etc. is this something you would be interested in? I would hate to lose followers if you are interested in beauty only, so I thought i'd ask. Also, this blog would remain mainly focused on beauty, it would just be every now and then as I learn new things through my Naturopathy course.