Pacifica

It has recently come to my attention that the brand Pacifica is spreading its influence all over the world, even coming to Ireland! I noticed a display of their roller ball perfumes in Nourish (a health food chain here in Dublin) and had to give them all a sniff! 

The brand is 100% vegan and cruelty free, and the ingredients in the products I've tried so far are pretty natural! Bonus! (do remember to read ingredient lists of individual products, though)

The one I chose to take home with me was the Tahitian Gardenia, which is still my favourite. It's light and fresh, slightly floral and definitely not overpowering. 

You can also find a slightly wider range of Pacifica products on iHerb with worldwide shipping (I am utterly obsessed with this site if you hadn't guessed.. use my code DCL725 for your first purchase!)

When I spied the Indian Coconut Nectar set on sale for only $18 (!!!!) I had to jump on and order it! The trio came with the full size rollerball perfume and full size lip tint, as well as 2.5fl oz tube of the body butter. 

The coconut scent reminds me of holidays, pina coladas and sunscreen. It is a little sweeter than the Gardenia, so I prefer it for balmy summer nights rather than an every day/ signature scent. 

The ingredients are pretty clean as far as the body butter goes, although it does contain phenoxyethanol. I'm going to use it up on my legs, just because it came with the set although I probably won't repurchase. It's a butter that you would buy more for the scent than any amazing moisturising properties.

The packaging on the perfumes is delightful, they are glass tubes with gold caps. Every scent is colour coded so you can easily find the one you want if you decide to buy them all!

As I had heard rave reviews about the lip tints in the natural community I also picked up the Blood Orange. Unfortunately for me, this lip tint contains shimmer and also SMELLS LIKE ORANGES. I don't know why I was surprised by the strong scent, but I think I presumed the name referred more to the colour than the scent. I am really not a fan of orange scents, but I did try this out once - I lasted about 10 minutes before wiping it off.

Bottom: Coconut, Top: Blood Orange

The formula of these lip tints is lovely, but less is definitely more. All you need is a sheer coat for moisture and some colour (beware the shimmer if that's not your thing).

Ingredients:

Perfume

Alcohol denat. (natural grain), parfum (Pacifica’s own fragrance blend with natural and essential oils), aqua (water).

Body Butter

Aqua (purified), caprylic/capric triglyceride (coconut source), helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, glycerin (vegetable source), glyceryl stearate (vegetable source), aloe barbadensis leaf juice, stearic acid (vegetable source), stearyl alcohol (vegetable source), butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, allantoin, theobroma cacao (cocoa) butter, hyaluronic acid, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, xanthan gum (vegetable source), algin (algae source), riboflavin (plant source), mangifera indica (mango) butter, rosa rugosa (rose) seed oil, daucus carota (carrot) seed oil, aleuritus moluccana (kukui) nut oil, macadamia ternifolia seed oil, linum usitatissimum (flax) seed oil, mixed tocopherols (vitamin E), panthenol (pro-vitamin B), parfum (Pacifica's own fragrance blend with natural and essential oils), cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, arnica montana flower extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, camellia sinesis (white tea) leaf extract, phenoxyethanol and ethylhexylglycerin (plant source)

Lip Tint

Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax, glycine soja (soy) wax, persea gratissima (avocado) oil, theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, tocopherol, flavor, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract. May contain: mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, silica.

100% Vegan .Cruelty and Paraben-Free.

Honeybee Gardens Mascara

This mascara retails on iHerb for $8.46 (about €6.25) which is pretty reasonable as natural mascaras go!

Upsides

- It's pretty affordable

- It's black (I got the colour Black Magic)

- Super natural and vegan ingredients

-Long-lasting (this stuff is nap-proof, people)

Downsides

-No discernible volume or length added

-Doesn't layer well

-Can take time to build up

After 1 coat

Close-up ;)

It gives a natural lash look, as I've discovered to be the case with most natural mascaras. The formula is more on the wet side, with a spooly-style spiral bristle applicator. I think the packaging looks really cute, not that it makes any difference to the product that's in the tube! 

I have found that this mascara doesn't layer well, so once it has dried, leave it alone rather than going for another coat, which can really clump the lashes. 

This mascara works best when wearing light/no makeup on the lids, as it pops against a light background. It frames the eyes well, gives slightly defined and separated lashes, but isn't going to WOW on the lash front. It's a great every day grab-and-go product. 

Ingredients

Purified water/aqua, serenoa repens (saw palmetto) fruit extract, hydrogenated glyceryl abietate, brassica campestris, aleurites fordi oil copolymer, copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax*, glycerin, persea gratissima (avocado) butter, triisostearyl citrate, stearic acid, euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax, aloe (barbadensis) leaf extract**, rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis) leaf extract**, xanthan gum, d-alpha tocopherol, sodium hyaluronate, methylcellulose, ethylhexylglycerin, phenethyl alcohol. May Contain/Peut Contenir: mica, iron oxides (CI77499, CI77492).

*certified organic ingredient, ** made with certified organic ingredients

My Fave Muffins

These are my favourite almost-paleo, almost-vegan muffins! I'm sure it would be pretty easy to switch out ingredients to make them ENTIRELY either paleo or vegan, if that floats your boat. Either way, the  recipe is versatile, delicious and quick!

I make these all the time!!

This time, I made chocolate-blueberry muffins with cacao powder and blueberries. I have also made spicy carrot muffins with carrot and cinnamon and nutmeg (topped with pumpkin seeds... DELICIOUS), or added shredded coconut.. or topped with pecan nuts.. the possibilities are endless! Play around and have fun :)

Makes 6-10 muffins depending on the size.. feel free to double the recipe!

Dry Ingredients
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup millet flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Wet Ingredients
1Tbsp honey
1/4 cup water/vegan milk
1Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 mashed banana
1 egg

Optional extras
Blueberries
Cacao powder
Maca powder
Protein powder
Shredded carrot
Desiccated coconut
Spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, etc

1. Mix dry ingredients (and add any dry extras)
2. In separate bowl, mix wet ingredients
3. Add wet to dry and fold in extras!
4. OPTIONAL: add pumpkin seeds or pecan nuts to the top...
5. Bake for 30 minutes

Enjoy! xx

Weleda Rose Eye Cream

I had never tried anything by Weleda, but heard good things about the company from other bloggers.

I decided to check out their Rose Eye Cream from iHerb with my latest order.. (use discount code DCL725) This eye cream costs about $21 on iHerb, quite a luxurious price point! The smell is quite subtle and inoffensive, I don't notice it while I'm applying it.

Being 23 and wrinkle free, my ideal eye cream is something that moisturises my under eye, and preferably brightens and reduces dark circles.

This cream comes in a tiny tube of 10ml, and you know what they say about good goods coming in small parcels! If you are looking for a solution to a dry eye area, look no further. This definitely packs a moisture punch, a little goes a LONG way.

I haven't noticed any reduction in my darkness, which is a shame because studying/late night tumblr scrolling makes my dark circles very apparent.

I didn't think that I was looking for a straightforward, moisturising eye cream, but I have been reaching for this little guy consistently! I wear it during the day or at night, though I have not worn makeup for weeks so I can't say how it holds up as a primer for concealer. It has the consistency of a creamy moisturiser and leaves the skin feeling fresh and hydrated. 

Ingredients: Water (aqua), prunus persica (peach) kernel oil, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, alcohol, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, hydrolyzed beeswax, rosa moschata seed oil, olea europaea (olive) oil unsaponifiables, sedum purpureum extract, glyceryl stearate SE, euphrasia officinalis extract, xanthan gum, sodium beeswax.

Next cream on my list to try is the raved-about 100% Pure coffee bean eye cream.. I love coffee, so the idea of caffeine for my eye bags is very appealing to me. Got any other suggestions? Leave them below!

Alanna xx

OOTD Like a Lady

Black Crop Top - F21

White Cardigan - F21

Midi Skirt - H&M

Shoes - F21

Trench - Stradivarius

OOTD 18 May 2014

Black crop top - F21

Red shirt - Primark

Silver necklace - Don't remember (for sale on my depop here)

Skirt - H&M

Boots - Truffle on ASOS

REVIEW: Acure Brightening Facial Scrub

Today's review is of the Acure Brightening Facial Scrub with argan stem cells and chlorella growth factor.

Let me start off by saying that I don't use this on my face. As a rule, my face doesn't react well to manual exfoliants and scrubs. I prefer to use chemical exfoliants such as AHA's to gently remove unwanted skin cells. I did try this scrub out on my face and had an AWFUL reaction: swollen, red, itchy, inflamed and irritated skin. Beware that if you have sensitive skin you may have a similar reaction! (It may have just been me, I haven't heard of anyone else reacting badly to it)

However! I persevered, having paid for it and wanting to get my money's worth. I experimented using it as a gentle body scrub for the top half of my body: chest, shoulders, back and arms. I generally avoid scrubbing these areas with a sugar or salt scrub, as these are too harsh for anything but my legs! 

So far, I have been liking the effects of using this on my top half as a body scrub. It has fine beads in it that feel similar to gritty sand. They don't fully dissolve as you massage your skin, but the texture of the scrub becomes more milky and slightly foamy, before rinsing away to reveal smoooooth baby soft skin. 

I highly recommend moisturising after this scrub, as this tends to be the best combination for keeping my skin supple and hydrated. If I skip the moisturiser, my skin can tend towards acne due to overcompensation of stripped oils. 

I use this scrub several times a week and I love the subtle algae smell that fills the shower when I use it! Buy on iHerb here for $13! 

Ingredients: Organic Curoxidant Blend (organic euterpe oleracea (acai) berry, organic rubus fruticosus (blackberry), organic rosa canina (rosehips), organic punica granatum (pomegranate), Fair Trade Certified organic aspalathus linearis (rooibos), organic calendula officinalis (calendula), organic matricaria recutita (chamomile), organic aloe barbensis (aloe vera) leaf juice, vegetable glycerin, French green clay, organic lemon peel granules, saponified organic cocos nucifera (coconut oil), cellulose gum (vegetable), Fair Trade Certified organic olea europaea (olive oil), organic ascophyllum nodosum (sea kelp), theobroma cacao (cocoa) powder, organic chlorella pyrenoidosa (chlorella growth factor), chlorophyll, glucono delta lactone (fermented sugar), carageenan, argania spinosa (argan) stem cells, organic argania spinosa (argan) oil, potassium sorbate (food grade preservative), essential oil blend of salvia officinalis (sage) and mentha spicata (spearmint).

If you have tried this scrub, let me know what you thought of it!