ZUII Organic Review

I just received a lovely selection of Zuii Organic Products from makeup products, to skin & body care.
Zuii is an Australian Organic Makeup and Skincare Brand with very clean and gentle ingredients.

All their products are inspired by flowers and have a luxurious floral scent to them, stemming from their all-natural organic flower extracts, blossoms and oils.

I really enjoyed the Certified Organic Flora Gradual Tan Face Water.
Which just gives a radiant sunkissed glow and leaves my skin very soft and hydrated. It’s enriched with anti-ageing ingredients and might just become a staple in my routine, for whenever my face doesn’t get enough sun. It’s perfect for an evening out the skin especially if you don’t want to wear makeup daily

The Certified Organic Flora Moisturising Body Wash has a lovely green and floral scent and is as the name suggests: Very moisturising.
My sensitive skin was very happy with it.
Bamboo extract is also rich in many essential compounds, like amino acids and flavonoids, which are packed with antioxidants that protect skin from oxidative stress. ... The bamboo extract helps strengthen that barrier and protect and restore your skin's resilience. It’s great for all skin types and can also help to prevent and heal acne.

The Certified Organic Flor Lux Lipstick has just about become my favourite new everyday colour…maybe it arrived just in time to land in my personal makeup bag…which makes me think that I should add a few of these to my pro-kit. I tried their lipsticks a few years back and didn’t really like them that much, they didn’t last and were quite shimmery, but these new ones are the bomb! Absolute pro-quality and very luxurious.

Its a highly-pigmented more matte/satin finish, that lasts and doesn’t budge. I have been wearing the colour “Grace” a very blue-based, purple-ish Rose colour if I had to describe it. It has some vibrancy and is the perfect punch of colour. The taste and scent are quite floral and strong as in all their products but I didn’t mind it.

Certified Organic Flora Eyeshadow Quad Palette

A big thumbs up! I received the shade “Havanah” a metallic palette with shimmery pinks and rosegold tones all of which just make my eyes POP so much. These will go in my pro kit asap, but I also want to keep a palette for myself.

Although, let’s be real…when do I ever wear eyeshadow?

Which brings me to the mascara, I have stopped wearing mascara a few years back, I don’t enjoy the removal at the end of the day and as I usually like to wear rich oils and dewy foundations I end up with panda eyes pretty quickly. Yet, I am always on the hunt for the best natural mascaras for my clients and my pro-kit.

I wore this one yesterday ALL day and it actually didn’t budge. It was natural looking and very black. Most importantly it didn’t irritate my eyes at all. I highly recommend this as a daily mascara to everyone.

PS it's VEGAN, YAY! (not many toxin-free mascaras are vegan, as most of the natural ones contain beeswax!
And most vegan mascaras, are not toxin-free but rather chemical-laden.
So I am super excited about this great vegan mascara.

Last but not least: The Certified Organic Flora Lux Finishing Powder. A super-luxe product that i recommend for sensitive skins and everyone looking for an ultra-fine setting powder. Infused with real rose petals and flower extracts, this powder smells delicious and luxurious and will never produce a cake face. You simply, gently layer it on to set your foundation. A very unique product with beautiful ingredients.

Thank you Zuii Organic for making such wonderful, ethical products. A few will land in my pro-kit and some will be a staple in my personal beauty bag!

A Zero Waste Cleansing Revolution - Santé by Enjo

If you know me than you know that I am big on resusable items.

So naturally I was pretty excited to try the new makeup removing pads by Santé by Enjo.

I used cloth nappies for our baby and washable baby wipes and I try to bring my keep cup when grabbing a coffee on the go.

It’s all the little things that make a difference! Zerowaste items are always a winner. I am by no means perfect though and there are lots of things I do regularly that aren’t green. Like everyone I am trying my best and taking steps to better myself all the time.

Back to business:

I received a whole set of reusable, washable, makeup removers by Santé by Enjo.
Best invention, ever?

Well at least one of the best invevtilns within the beauty space.
I have used reusable wipes and also cleaning cloths before and they have all been great.
These are from outstanding quality though. It’s also great they come as a set.

They come without packaging and arrive in a mesh bag, which is also used to wash the pads. You can simply throw the whole bag with the used pads in the washing machine.

First let me tell you about the looks and specs:

They are generously sized fluffy disks, that come in a variety of colours. The size is really great and makes them easy to use and efficiant in removing makeup. They are a seamless design, you can easily use both sides and all angles for makeup removal.
The fluffy appearance doesn’t dissapoint, they are SUPER soft. And they feel luxurious on the skin.
Another pro is that they are Handmade in Austria. You can really feel the high quality.

Use:
Simply add water and remove makeup in circular motions!
If you are using water resistant makeup you can use a little pure coconut oil first to melt into your skin, massage into eyelashes etc. so that you can loosen any water resistant makeup. Then you can use your makeup remover disk with water as usual to wipe away all makeup residue. Too easy!

Sustainability/Eco/Ethical Factor:

Reusable
Washable
No Packaging
Made in Austria / no slave/child labour/ no sweatshops/ sustainable practices Very high quality and durability
Saves the use of makeup remover products, which further reduces waste and resources

My Thoughts:

My skin felt really clean and clear after using the cleansing pads, even without the use of a cleansing product.
I am personally only wearing very light makeup, yet they also worked well to remove makeup on my clients and models.

Easy to wash in the little bag and just all round a great product!

Definitely recommended to get your hands on some! Use this link or Code:  LIVLUNDELIUS at checkout for a free bonus gift with your order!

You are welcome! 

Disclaimer:
The link used is an affiliate link, which means that I am earning a small commission on each sale at no cost to you.

I have not been paid nor influenced in my honest opinion and I will always only recommend products I truly love!

The commission is used to support my small business and this blog and your support is highly appreciated!

Vegan Glutenfree, Sugarfree Christmas Cookies

I really wanted to bake with Faye this year for the fun and also start the tradition of Christmas baking with a rolling pin and cookie cutters.
I know so many great, healthy recipes but they don’t have the right consistency for cookie cutting.

It took a little trial and error and searching the internet until I found a realtively healthy-ish version that worked. I used Banana Flour and Date Syrup and also added some spice :)

Here it is:
(inspired by this recipe at Unconventional Baker)

INGREDIENTS

½ cup coconut oil, softened

½ cup date syrup

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

½ a vanilla bean pod scraped out

a dash of salt

1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice  

2¼ cups gluten-free flour blend you can buy a ready made blend or make your own.
I used: 1 cup Organic Rice Flour, 1 Cup Banana Flour, 1/4 cup corn flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. 
Prepare a rolling area with two additional sheets of parchment paper
cookie cutter(s) .

1. Place coconut oil in a large mixing bowl and whip it with a mixer until it’s creamy.
   Add sweetener, vanilla extract and bean, and salt and mix  once again to combine. Add in flour and use a wooden spoon to mix. Then get in there with your hands and mix everything together by working the  dough until you can shape it into a ball {note: the consistency of the dough should not be sticky but should press together  when pinched — be sure to knead it really well first for some time — if it’s a little sticky, add a little more flour (try 1-2 tbsp); if it’s a little dry add a little more sweetener (try 1 tbsp)
   Shape the dough into 2 balls and then flatten each into a disk.

2. Roll out one of the dough balls between two sheets of parchment  paper to ¼” thickness {or thinner or thicker depending on how you want  your cookies to turn out}. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.  Carefully transfer to a prepared cookie sheets, spacing them ½” apart  {they won’t spread as they bake}. Gather up any dough scraps and repeat  until all dough is used up. Repeat the process with the second dough  ball.

3. Bake in a pre-heated oven for approximately 11-13 minutes, until the edges just begin to become golden. Remove from oven and place on a  cooling rack. {Note: cookies will harden a little within minutes of cooling, so don’t overbake}.
   Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes  and enjoy!

Quinoa Water Foundation - Revolution in Natural Makeup

Ere Perez just keeps launching new great products.

I am a fan of Quinoa as food, you know those delicious little grains packed with nutrients?
Faye loves them too and they are a staple in our kitchen. Until now I haven't thought about it as a skincare or beauty ingredient, but this new foundation has changed that.

As the name suggests, the Quinoa Water Foundation is as light as water.
It comes in a glass bottle with a dropper, which reminds me of serum foundations.
It's great for all skin-types and I find it very suitable even for warm and humid weather given its featherlight texture. I am trialling & testing it in the windy, cold Winter weather here right now and am still very impressed.  It certainly helps to lock in moisture and it's perfect for everyone that doesn't like the feel of makeup on their skin. You can not feel this product, it's so light and really blends into the skin

The finish is smooth and natural. It's not dewy or glossy nor mat. Just like healthy skin.
The coverage is light and buildable. You can layer it for more coverage. I would describe it as light coverage though. Perfect for your everyday wear. Really good for sensitive skin or skin prone to breakouts.

The application is easy peasy.
It's recommended to use the multipurpose brush, but fingers do also work well. Yay!

Thank you Ere, for bringing out another vegan, cruelty-free, toxin-free product that works!

Polished & Nude

I selected my favourite nail colours for you!
All of them are vegan, toxin-free (-ish) and made by local awesome brands.

I love toxin-free nail polish and Sienna Byron Bay's colour selection has been a long favourite.
My colour for this Summer has been "MUSE" it seems to really suit my skin and is so pretty on toes. I really love the longevity & quality of these and also wore them on my wedding day.

I am a sucker for a good nude, especially in my pro-kit it's what I mainly use and I love a nice nude nail for myself as well, it's low maintenance and just chic. The newest kids on the block are the nail polishes by Ere Perez.
Ere Perez "Ballet" & "Soul" are just perfect. They also strengthen the nail. They have promising bright colours too, which I haven't tried yet, but I am smitten with the nudes for now and they are the latest addition to my kit.

Another really great Australian brand with a really cool selection of colours is Kester Black.
I have owned really quirky & stunning shades in the past and have always been happy with them.

If you get your nails done at a salon, look for a toxin-free & cruelty-free one, or simply bring your own products with you.