A date with the bathtub- Weleda Time Machine

The nights are still pretty chilly over here and having worked some late nights lately as well as doing quite some intense yoga sessions, my muscles were in need of a soak and massage.

I haven't even used our bath tub since we moved into our apartment almost a year ago. When I lived in Berlin years ago the bathtub was the place to find me on days off and cold winter nights. I almost forgot how good it feels to have a bath! While the bathtub brings back memories I stepped even further down memory lane by using a beautiful Weleda bath milk. Weleda is one of the brands my hippie parents used when I was little and that I have adored all my life. It's the go to green beauty brand for everyday essentials. We lived in Germany and my Mum who is a Naturopath has always been into organic and green beauty products. Weleda has just brought out a new Arnica Muscle Soak, that called my name. It actually smells of an Swedish Sauna to me, which must be due to the birch, rosemary and lavender used. Where I grew up in Northern Europe saunas are very popular and are part of our culture. By the way: Did you know we recently visited Northern Germany, Denmark & Sweden? If you are interested in Scandinavia and our adventures check out our personal blog here. It's our personal project about happiness, photography and travel but mostly all the small things that make life so wonderful.

But back to my wonderful bath experience: I feel bathtime is one of these special pampering times that are so important for self care, just like meditation or exercise. I think I will continue to have baths until Spring arrives! I soaked for a little while in the warm water before bed and had my bed already warmed up with hot water bottles. I can't even remember a thing, I passed out as soon as I snuggled up. Highly recommended!

"Skin Food" is another hero product by Weleda a healing intensely moisturizing balm, soooooo good for feet, elbows or dry hands! It's one of these cult beauty products that has had no reason to change formula since 1926. It has a huge celebrity following as well and is a staple in many professional makeup kits, including my own, especially during the Winter months. Free from parabens, artificial preservatives, colours and fragrances. Skin Food is not tested on animals and is suitable for vegetarians. (this one is not vegan it does contain lanolin)

Weleda is one of the brands that takes green beauty to the next level, they grow most their ingredients in their own biodynamic organic gardens. Exotic ingredients they usually buy from sustainable fair trade projects, ensuring there are no sprays or pesticides used. This way they ensure that they are able to use only the highest quality ingredients while making sure they are sourced in a way that is ethically, socially and environmentally responsible. Extra green smoothie points from me there ;)

Ready For Spring: Jane Iredale 's Latest

The temperatures in Sydney have been rising and with so many sunny days over 20 degrees lately, I am beyond excited about Spring. The nights and mornings are still very crisp and I am sitting next to my heater, sipping on herbal tea as I type this.

There are more good news: Jane Iredale is launching some beautiful new products in August and I was lucky enough to have a little play and preview!

PoreAway Technology in Smooth Affair With the warmer weather around the corner, our skins will get often more oily and the humid weather will melt makeup off our skins much faster. You know I am a bit of a fan of the Smooth Affair Primer already, which is excellent for dehydrated, dry and mature skins. Now it has a little Sister: Smooth Affair For Oily Skin ! It's just as lightweight and hydrating as the original formular, yet it smooths out open pores and makes your makeup stay on longer even on oily skin. They have even named and registered the Pore Away Technology. I like how the formula absorbs quickly and feels like nothing is on the skin! Many primers that claim to do the same thing leave that typical silicone primer residue behind, yet this one is undetectable. The last thing you want on an already oily skin, is another heavy layer on top. It creates a soft focus effect due to minerals which colour adjust to your skin. The product looks milky translucent and goes on clear. The pretty golden tube is travel friendly and perfect for my kit. The finish is smooth and matte and keeps shine away.

PlayOn Lip Crayons! I am a bit of a fan of these already and have recently used them behind the scenes on some photo shoots, with amazing results. They glide on so easily, are very moisturizing, yet the finish is not too glossy, rather satin. And the colours? O M G . Just perfection. Really on trend and including the prettiest neutrals that look somewhat hip and fun and never boring or old fashioned. I have also been blending different lip colours together to customize them. I don't even have a favourite as all seven shades are all so pretty. That's why I gave you some swatches on paper... Yet on the lips they are way more vibrant and lucious. I liked them so much that I actually got worried they might be a limited edtion... I immediately asked the Jane Iredale team if the PlayOn Lip Crayons are here to stay. Thankfully they did confirm quickly that these amazing crayons will become part of their permanent range! Phew. I am relieved. And I can play on :) These beauties will launch real soon here, keep your eyes peeled! For absolute makeup minimalists: You would like the Lip Drinks in Buff (nude) and Crush (berry) they are lovely sheer tinted lip balms.

Pure Lash - Lashes Lashes Lashes Lashes (along with brows) are possibly the biggest ongoing beauty trend of the last few years, with women using growth serums, permanent eyelash extensions and falsies have become a staple for evening makeup. Personally I love my mascara and wear it daily. I like long, full lashes, yet I like them to look natural and I have used organic or natural mascaras for some time. It's important to keep in mind how important your eye sight is and sensitive eyes are not to be messed with in my opinion. Jane Iredale has released another great mascara, free of nasty preservatives or petroleum based ingredients. Pure Lash Lengthening Mascara, actually conditions and protects your lashes with Panthenol and Wheat Protein. I like the effect and texture it gives, not too gluggy, it manages to separate the lashes very well. As will all mascaras I always find the application is most important.

Pure Pressed Eye Shadows These are not new but rather a staple within the eye makeup range. I like them in my pro kit because they are so gentle and safe for sensitive eyes. They can also be used wet or dry and are super versatile. Due to the pure pigment they can be used on brows, cheeks or lips, depending on the shade. These are the shades being promoted for the new season: There is "Forest" which is the most wearable, richest shade of a deep matte green. I have recently used it to create a dramatic smokey eye on dark hazel eyes. "Iris" is a rich matte purple, great for stronger looks or to be used as eyeliner to make green eyes pop. "Steamy" is a warm peachy soft red, pretty on blue eyes and also on cheeks. "Mermaid" is a soft shimmery pearly green, good as a highlighter with very little colour pay off. They all come as individual compacts which is perfect for a personal beauty bag, however it is a little more tricky to use in my pro kit. As most artists would agree: We love palettes, as they are easier and quicker to set up. I hope Jane Iredale will eventually design a system to create custom palettes for these great quality shadows.

All these products will launch on the 10th of August 2015

All Jane Iredale products are certified cruelty free, free of Paraben and Phenoxyethanol preservatives and all minerals are purest quality and tested for purity and never contaminated with heavy metals, all products are suitable for sensitive skin and have been tested to be Hypo Allergenic.

Vapour Organic: Luxury Makeup

You might have noticed a few raving reviews on here lately! As I like to feature brands that I personally like to use, I usually feature only my very fav's up here on the blog. Just in case you were wondering... it's not that I am not critical enough! It's rather that every product that makes it on here, has already been carefully selected :) I like to keep things positive and all the products or brands featured are the ones that I really like and that stand out to me. As Organic Makeup Artist I am so passionate about companies that get it all right.

I have recently already talked a little about Vapour over here and named a few faves. This brand has previously already received tremendous love from Vogue beauty editors, so I am certainly not the first to discover this outstanding organic luxury makeup brand. Well deserved. The textures and finishes are simply beautiful and up to the highest luxury makeup standards and yet they manage to stay clear from harmful toxins. If you didn't believe that organic makeup works until now (which is of course sooooo wrong!!!) this brand will instantly change your mind: Trust me! Besides that they just got the whole sustainable thing right, the products are produced with windpower and of course they are certified crueltyfree. These guys just got it all. Okay, before I keep raving I better give you some more details about the products:

And now a little more detail about the products: Atmosphere Luminous Foundation If you like dewy skin you will love Atmosphere Luminous Foundation. It comes in a stick, which is a little different, especially if you are used to liquid foundations. It super handy though, doesn't take up much space in your cosmetic bag and it travels so well, without the danger of spilling and leaking. The packaging is beautiful and the twist mechanism is properly worked out and easy to use. I warm the end of the stick on the back of my hand, before apply a few streaks across my face. Paying the most attention to areas with redness. Next I use my fingers to blend the product. It moves very smoothly on the skin. The scent is fresh and barely noticeable. The finish is what it promises: Luminous! You won't need much product: If used correctly, your skin will glow, but not shine; if there is shine, you have over-applied. Try to use concealer where you are seeking extra coverage, rather than overusing the foundation of problem areas. Of course if you are after a matte finish, have oily skin or want and all day lasting finish: This is not the foundation for you! About the colour and shades: They got the shades spot on with a variety of natural and yellow toned foundations from very fair skin to very dark skin, with 12 shades to choose from Vapour covers a way larger range than most other organic ranges, which is fabulous. On normal to dry skin, this wears beautifully and it's very silky. My skin still feels moisturized after the end of a long day in this Winter weather. The current Sydney Winter feels pretty cold and endless to me and my skin has become a lot drier. My summer go-to foundations simply don't do the trick in this weather and with all the heating. Vapour Atmosphere Luminous Foundation keeps my skin hydrated and doesn't show up dry areas unlike most other foundations. It's a dry skin saviour! I also combine it with Stratus for some extra glow and smooth the skin.

I have heard only the best about the liquid sister Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation , which is supposed to be better suited for combination skin. I can't wait to order myself this one as well, so far I have not yet used it professionally.

Stratus Instant Skin Perfector Again this product comes in stick form or as liquid, depending on skin type. The stick is best to be used with the stick foundation on drier skin, the liquid goes with the liquid foundation on combination to oilier skin types. I used the stick and again think that's so practical and easy to use. It's a colour correcting makeup primer with the same silky texture as found in the foundation. It comes in 3 different shades to balance different skin tones, but the product itself has no colour. I warm the stick on the back of my hand and then apply were extra glow is desired and on areas that need smoothing, due to larger pores or fine lines. This magical stick perfects the skin and can be used on it's own, if you are after a very natural look and if you have already even beautiful skin. It's very moisturizing and has light reflecting properties which help to blur any imperfections.

Mesmerize Eye Colours Smolder & Embrace make the perfect soft smokey eye on the go, super fast blended with fingers, the Mesmerize Cream Eye Colours are very beautiful. Best suited for people with dry eyelids or can also be used as base with your favourite mineral eye shadow powder over the top for extra longevity. On myself they won't last on their own due to my oily eyelids, but I still like to use a light colour to highlight the inner corners of my eyes.

Aura Multi Use Blush The Aura Multi Use Blush is an easy to blend blush stick, that can also be used on eyes and lips. I love it the most as blush. My eyelids can be to oily for the product to stay put, on my cheeks however it lasts and lasts and lasts... On shoots it's brilliant and very pretty on eyes. The perfect bridal blush or every day work day blush! No brushes needed, it transforms into a silky texture that goes on easily with fingers. I love the colour "Spark" which is a very healthy warm tone. Of course you can blend it with a brush as well. Hooked!

I am currently using Vapour on set a lot, so I will also update you with some professional photos of makeup looks I have created with these products.

Intense Creme Eye Shadows By Au Naturale

What could be a better start to the week than dipping my brushes into some beautiful new makeup products by Au Naturale? They seem to be the expert when it comes to natural creme makeup products.

I had an extensive play and have been wearing their organic creme eye shadows and creme concealer quite a few times now, so it's about time to tell you how great they are. Intense pigments and beautiful colours make these a perfect addition to my green luxury makeup kit. They blend very easily, you can also mix different tones together to create unique shades. Another plus is that they multitask: the matte shades double as eyebrow colour or you can use any shade as eyeliner, used with an angle brush.

The creme concealer is a little miracle worker, hiding imperfections before you can count to three... And super easy to apply! I love it for redness and blemishes, some people do however successfully use for the under-eye area as well. It surely is creamy and has full coverage. The little pots with window are great to use in my kit, as I can easily see the colour, without having to open each and every one.

Although I mainly use pressed eye shadows in my kit, the little loose pigment shadows of Au Naturale apply with ease: wet or dry and come in rich shades. Really great for editorial makeup artists that are looking for some colour and also for sensitive eyes, these vegan eyeshadows are free of any nasty byproducts. Simply 100% quality pigment. I played with the Glam Eye Palette, which also included two eye brushes. With their simple and sleek design, durable quality and super soft cruelty free bristles, these brushes are very nice to use and blend those creme products to a real seamless airbrushed finish.

The lip gloss in a very humble packaging really surprised me: The colour was intense and almost opague, very long wearing (for a gloss!) and without any annoying smell or taste. Formulated without bee's wax, preservatives, parabens, fragrances, additives, bismuth oxychloride and nano-particles these suit the most sensitive flowers. Lip gloss is such a simple product, yet I find that many brands don't get it right. Most are too goopy, with strange flavours that remind me of kindergarten (not in a good way) These glosses however are pro quality. A powerful gloss in simple sturdy packaging.

All Au naturale products are professional grade, made in USA by the very inspiring founder Ashley Prange. All products are made fresh and without preservative. It's amazing to yet discover yet another 100% natural, green and toxin-free brand that really delivers professional results.

A Simple Green Beauty Routine For Everyone

I feel super honored to be featured over at the wonderful Nourish Every Day blog. You recently met the inspiring and smart Monique from Nourish Every Day already here on my blog. She asked me to share a simple routine that is suitable for everyone along with some product recommendations with her readers.

I connected instantly with Monique when she booked me to create her wedding makeup, and while I took away some awesome nutrition advice and health food shopping lists, she was really interested about my move to a toxin free makeup kit and working as a green makeup artist.

It's all about Cleanse, Hydrate, Moisturize & Exfoliate. You might know some of this already and also might already know a few of my current favourite brands. Check it out and also browse all of Monique's healthy recipes, they are amazing!