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Posts tagged BUAV
biOrganics Salon Secret Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil
3
8 years
by Naomi in Hair
I recently came across a hair care brand who attracted my attention for a very specific reason – they’re BUAV approved. I am always on the look out for cruelty free hair products as they are surprisingly difficult to find, so when biOrganics offered to send me a sample to review I was keen to try them out.
biOrganics was founded in 1991 as the first professional organic hair care brand in Europe. The brand claims that their products give salon results, and everything is made from natural and organic ingredients wherever possible, so they’re free from nasty parabens and synthetic chemicals. As mentioned earlier, biOrganics are BUAV approved, meaning they do not test on animals under any circumstance, and are also endorsed by the Vegetarian Society.
The sample I received is a 12ml bottle of biOrganics’ Salon Secret Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil. The oil itself is colourless and has a base of organic Argan Oil and Ylang Ylang, and can be used to smoothe frizz, add shine, and protect hair from heat. It is also said to strengthen and repair dry and brittle hair, and reduces blow-drying time.
My experiences with the oil so far have been mixed, but mostly good. The bottle says to ‘dispense 1-3 pumps into palms, rub hands together & apply directly to clean, towel-dried hair’, which is where I initially went wrong. Unfortunately, the sample bottle does not come with a pump spray, so I had to guess how much to use. I ended up applying a coin-sized amount to my hair (to the ends and mid-lengths as suggested), but after blow-drying my hair looked and felt greasy, and I had to wash the oil out again. It turns out I used too much oil for the length of my hair, but after being given some advice by the lovely folks at biOrganics I tried again with a smaller amount of oil (about a little fingernail amount), and it worked a LOT better. This time my hair did dry quickly, looked and felt incredibly soft, straightened easily and, most importantly, stayed straight all day! I usually end up with slightly frizzy locks a few hours after straightening, but biOrganics hair perfecting oil solves this problem. The lesson here is definitely LESS IS MORE!
I’ve also used the oil on dry hair. The bottle says to ‘Use sparingly on dry hair for extra smoothing prior to heat-straightening’, so I applied a very small amount to the dry ends of my hair. The oil seemed to create a protective layer between my hair and the heat, so rather than breaking and looking dry after straightening, my hair looked smooth and sleek.
Overall, once you learn how much oil your hair needs, this is a very good product if you want straighter, sleeker hair that lasts. The oil costs £3.99 for a sample bottle or £12.99 for a 50ml pump spray bottle, so it is very affordable, especially for a natural, cruelty free product, and I’d definitely recommend it. biOrganics Salon Secret Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil is available online here, and they also sell a range of shampoos, conditioners, brushes and other hair care products. Or, if you’d prefer to buy from a local store, you can also find your local stockist.
Naomi x
*This biOrganics Salon Secret Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil was sent to me on behalf of biOrganics for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and based on my own experience.*
Proposed EU Ban on Animal Testing for Cosmetics
7
8 years
by Naomi in General
Yesterday evening I received a very exciting email from BUAV to say that, after over twenty years of campaigning, the EU have announced that they will be banning the sale of cosmetics which have been tested on animals. According to BUAV’s article, “the import and sale of animal tested cosmetic products and ingredients is to be banned in the EU on 11th March 2013″, meaning that any company wishing to sell new cosmetic products within Europe, must not test them on animals anywhere in the world. The ban will not just affect beauty products, but also toiletries and essentials such as soap and toothpaste.
As I’m sure you will all agree, this is a huge step in the right direction to banning animal testing worldwide, and as BUAV have said, hopefully it will send “a strong message worldwide in support of cruelty free beauty and in particular to countries such as China, who still demand animal testing for cosmetics, to also respond and ban testing on animals”. I personally couldn’t be happier with this news, and I look forward to seeing what positive changes this will bring to the cosmetics industry.
To read more about the proposed animal testing ban in the EU, you can visit the BUAV article referenced above here.
Naomi x
Montagne Jeunesse Glacial Clay Spa Fabric Mask
9You may remember that last month I introduced you all to Montagne Jeunesse’s new range of Clay Spa fabric masks. I wrote an in-depth review of the wonderful Dead Sea Mud Spa Mask, and today I will share my thoughts on the Glacial Clay Spa mask! I’d been saving this one to use on a day when I felt I really deserved a treat, so after a feeling stressed and poorly earlier this week I decided to indulge.
Like the Dead Sea Mud mask, the Glacial Clay Spa is a fabric mask, but this one is infused with ‘Real Clay, Arctic Cloudberry & Red Grape’. The active ingredients are specially chosen for their cleansing and anti-oxidant properties and are all vegetarian and animal friendly (Montagne Jeunesse are approved by PETA, BUAV and the Vegetarian Society).
Out of all the masks I have used, this is the quickest and easiest to use, and probably the most effective. It comes in one fabric piece, with eye, nose and mouth holes already cut out, so all you have to do is place it on your face, press it down and relax for 15 minutes. Who knew effective skincare could be so effortless?!
Now, I know you all want to know what it looks like, so I have put my reputation on the line to show you just how silly it makes you look!
Gorgeous, right? To be honest I find it pretty hilarious (not that it gives you much freedom of movement to laugh haha). Anyway, onto the important stuff…
The glacial clay that forms the basis of the mask is fantastically cooling and makes your face feel instantly refreshed. The coolness also tightens your skin and soothes any soreness or redness, which does wonders for your complexion. My face didn’t feel irritated at all whilst wearing the mask, so I was able to completely relax and enjoy the beautiful scent of the mask (my mum says it smells like summer). After 15 minutes, I removed the fabric and washed any excess clay from my skin with warm water, massaging in a circular motion as I did so. I didn’t even need to use any moisturiser after wearing the mask as it didn’t cause any dryness. Rather, it made my face look visibly rejuvenated.
I can’t recommend these fabric masks highly enough and I’ll definitely be purchasing some more. If you want to try anything from Montagne Jeunesse’s Clay Spa skin care range, you can purchase individual masks for £1.49 each (BARGAIN) from the Montagne Jeunesse website, or they are now available in Boots. They’ll also be in ASDA as of September.
Have you tried these masks yet?
Naomi x
*I was sent this Glacial Clay Spa Mask by Montagne Jeunesse for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own. Some affiliate links have been used.
Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes Break-Out Mask
2This is the third review in my series of Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes reviews, and today I’ll be featuring the Break-Out Mask!
Like most of the Skin Heroes range, the Break-Out Mask comes in a sachet containing two different products. Stage 1 is the green tinged ‘Cleansing Mud Mask’ (Left), and Stage 2 is the ‘Rapid Action Moisturiser’ (Right).
What hit me first about this mask when I tore open the sachet was the scent. The Tea Tree and Willowherb smell gorgeously refreshing, almost minty, and are both present due to their calming and soothing properties – exactly what you want from a mask which is meant to reduce break-outs! 
As the instructions suggest, I washed and cleansed my face before applying the mask. Once again, I found the sachet contained too much mask for one application… I must have a freakishly tiny face! Either that or Montagne Jeunesse are very generous. The mask felt nice and creamy and smoothed on so easily, although I did get a bit messy with blobs of mask in my hair and all over my hands! I left the mask on for 15 minutes, and took the opportunity to pose for some photos with one of my cats, Moth.
She doesn’t look amused does she? haha. She approves of Montagne Jeunesse products really though, as they’re all vegetarian and animal friendly! Approved by the Vegetarian Society, BUAV and PETA
The mask had a cooling effect on my skin and felt slightly tingly, but not uncomfortably so. After 10 minutes, as it dried, it got quite stiff and started to crack. I was worried it would be difficult to get off because of that, but as soon as I wet it it went creamy again. Having said that, it did take a while to get off, but after some persistence with a wet flannel my face was left squeaky clean.
I was very pleased with the results after using this mask. I’ve experienced redness, soreness and tightness after using other mud masks in the past, but other than a fresh, tingly feeling, my face looked and felt fine. The Rapid Action Moisturiser was a lovely consistency too and settled the tingling down, leaving me with baby soft skin.
This is my favourite Skin Heroes product so far and I would definitely use it again. If you’d like to try this mask, or any other Montagne Jeunesse skin care products, you can buy them on their website or in ASDA, for just £1.49 (RRP) per sachet. Trust me – they’re well worth it for a little pampering session!
Naomi x
Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes Dry Skin Mask
7As I mentioned here, this morning I received my package of Skin Heroes products from Montagne Jeunesse, and since I’m having a Friday night in, I thought I’d treat myself to a little pamper session using one of the masks! The first mask I’ll be reviewing is the Dry Skin Mask. According to the packaging, the mask combines Raspberries, Blueberries and Red Grapes which ‘are high in anti-oxidants that protect and replenish’. One thing I love about Montagne Jeunesse is that their skin care products are full of natural ingredients where possible, which are delicate on the skin – great for someone like me with sensitive skin! They’re also vegetarian friendly which is an added bonus.
The Dry Skin Mask comes in a sachet containing two products – 15g of Ultra Moisturising Mask (Left), and 3g of Rehydrating Skin Serum (Right).
The instructions for use are as follows…
Firstly, submerge skin in this creamy souffle and let the super fruits explode into action.
So this is what I did! After removing my make up and washing my face, I applied the mask liberally to dry skin and left it to work its magic for a good 15-20 minutes, as the packaging suggests! There was a generous amount of mask in the sachet for one application – I smothered it on and was still left with some excess. The mask smells a bit like fruit yoghurt which is lovely, but I found it also had a slight whiff of something else, I’m not sure what, but it wasn’t too nice. Luckily that subsided after a while!
As the mask dried it felt refreshingly cooling, and didn’t go tight and crumbly like a lot of masks do. When it came to removing the mask, it came off easily with warm water and a flannel. I patted my face dry with a clean towel and moved onto to step two, which helps you to…
rehydrate with this follow on serum of crushed Blueberries and pulped Raspberries, an anti-oxidant frenzy.
Initially, I didn’t think the 3g of serum would be enough to moisturise my face with, but it is so rich it was almost too much! It took a while to fully massage in but I got there eventually. The skin on my face usually gets very dry and itchy when I use face masks, so I was worried that this would do the same despite its claims, but I was proved very wrong. The combination of moisturising mask and hydrating serum left my skin feeling soft without feeling taught or greasy – just what you want from a mask! These masks cost £1.49 each in ASDA or on the Skin Heroes website and are definitely worth it – the perfect Friday night treat!
Look out for my next Montagne Jeunesse review, coming soon!
Naomi x
