Summer is just around the corner and proper skincare is important to prevent damage. During the winter I use potent antioxidant serums, but I move away from these in the summer because they make skin more sensitive to UV radiation. When the sunnier months approach, I turn to products with sun-protecting and moisturizing properties.

The two plastic-free products I'm using now is Antipodes, Immortal SPF 15, natural sun protection face & body moisturizer and All Good, Sunscreen butter, SPF 50. The Immortal SPF 15 moisturizer is a light, odorless, multipurpose cream and is therefore perfect for daily use. It consists of natural ingredients (see image below for ingredients) and offers some sun protection due to the zinc oxide. This cream comes in a recyclable aluminum tube. The only plastic is the cap.

UV radiation is at it's strongest between 12:00-18:00 and SPF 15 is not enough during those hours. I therefore use the All Good, Sunscreen Butter with SPF 50. This sunscreen comes in small, handy tin jar that is easy to bring with you everywhere because it fits in pockets. This sunscreen is water resistant up to 80 minutes, biodegradable, non-nano and coral reef safe. The active ingredient here is also zinc oxide. I don't know why the other ingredients are not listed on the back of the jar, but they're listed on All Good's product website. They are: Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Calendula Flowers infused in Organic Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E.

Wrinkles and fine lines gradually sneak up on us as we age, though a natural and unavoidable process, it's not exactly something to look forward to. Thankfully, there are preventative measures that can be taken to slow the progression. Hydrating your delicate under-eye skin is key and that makes eye creams must-have skin care products.

There are a lot of natural products to chose from, Tata Harper caught my eye early on. This luxurious brand, named after it's creator, uses 100% natural ingredients. Many of the ingredients are farmed at Tata's own organically certified farm in Vermont. Several of her products have been on my watchlist, but the brand is quite pricey, making me hesitate. I later gave it some thought and my conclusion can be summed up in four cringeworthy letters: YOLO.

The product I purchased was the Boosted Contour Eye Mask. The mask comes in a 15 ml glass jar. I thought the lid was tin, but it's unfortunately plastic, but it's still better than an all-plastic jar. Now, over to the product. I'll start with the consistency because it was not what I expected, not in a bad way though. The mask is thick, buttery and has a somewhat hard consistency. One thing I really like is that the mask gives long term moisture. Ordinary creams tend to be too liquid and evaporate quickly, leaving your skin just like it was before you applied anything at all. I must say that the scent on this mask is just amazing! It has a delicious, almost tea-like, jasmine scent. I'm not fond of scented products for your face, but this one smells lovely.

I do not regret giving this product a try, even with the large price tag. Despite being only twenty-something of age, it's never too early to start moisturizing!

RMS Beauty has become one of my favorite makeup brands. The ingredients, packaging and what the brand stands for is great. It's hard not to like it so I recently added two new products to my makeup pouch. I previously reviewed the "Un" cover-up concealer and Lip2Cheek in the color Illusive. Today, I'll be reviewing two of Eye Polishes, Seduce and Lunar.

Seduce
Seduce has a deep brown color. It is very pigmented, a light poke into the jar gives more than enough product. It is easy to blend, but is a little bit drier than Lunar. Seduce also can also work as a contour.

Lunar
Lunar has a ivory shade with a tiny hint of gold, it looks almost velvety. This eye polish is very moist and easy to blend. It's not very noticeable on me, but that could just be my fair skin. I tried using it as a highlighter, with poor results. It works best on the inner corners of my eyes.

Even though I am very satisfied with my Kjær Weis eyeshadows, I've missed cream eyeshadows. I find this type of eyeshadow more practical for daily use. You don't have to a brush to apply them. Plus, you can be more sloppy with the application and still get good results. The oil-base also makes them moisturizing and easier to wash off after a long day.

I participated in an online Christmas calendar contest in december. It was run by a Norwegian organic beauty store called Skinlove. The contest offered daily prizes and was quite simple. I just had to answer a daily question related to organic beauty. Unexpectedly, I won on Christmas and the prize that day was a 500 NOK gift card (roughly 50 € or 60 $).

Because of the contest and a huge sale following the holidays, some of the items I had been looking at were sold out. I had to wait until they were in stock which is why I'm posting this so late.

I bought the following items with my gift card

• Wooden hair brush by Redecker
• Natural bristle hair brush by Redecker
• Hair Oil for dry and damaged hair by Badger
• Face Tan Water by Eco By Sonya

The wooden hair brush is amazing! It is so gentle on my hair and scalp. I cannot believe I didn't get one earlier. Both of the wooden brushes prevent static which is nice too. The natural bristle brush is good for distributing hair oil and brushing out fine knots and tangles. I'm also very satisfied with the hair oil by Badger. It is moisturizing, leaving my hair soft and shiny as well as having a lovely citrus scent. I've only tried Eco By Sonya's Face Tan Water once. I think I need to give this product a few more tries. I read the reviews and people were pleased because they got very even results, but I am exceptionally pale and my ended up a little patchy. I'm still overall satisfied with my purchase.

I have accumulated a nice little collection of organic makeup products with nearly plastic-free packaging. I have already reviewed some of these products and I'll leave links to those reviews. However, I've never showed how these products look on my face, something I desperately seek in other people's reviews.

I don't wear makeup on a daily basis, that has been one of reasons why I didn't add any photos. I also realized that wearing glasses is not a good idea for an eye makeup review. Long story short, I didn't have any photos of myself wearing makeup without my glasses on. Luckily, I wore contact lenses and makeup during the holidays (hurray!). I finally have some decent photos I can use.

Now, I'm no beauty guru. I prefer a very plain look. I shun black pigments in makeup so much that I never wear mascara or eyeliner. I still believe my photos can give you an idea of how these products look on a face. The photos were taken without a flash, in front of natural lighting (my window, hah). I've also adjusted the brightness, as raw images tend to be dull and unsaturated.


My near zero waste makeup
None of these products have been tested on animals.

Kjær Weis
This is a makeup brand founded by the New York-based, Danish-born makeup artist Kirsten Kjær Weis. The brand combines sustainability and luxury. All the ingredients are certified natural or organic and the products come in a sleek, refillable alloy containers, making them very zero waste and plastic-free.

I use the eye shadows Cloud Nine and Wisdom and I've already made a more detailed review about them here.

Eye shadow, Cloud Nine
Cloud Nine is a pastel-pink eyeshadow with medium shimmer. I use it on the inner corner of my eyelid and sometimes as a highlighter for my cheekbones. For this I use generic sponge eye shadow applicator.

Eye shadow, Wisdom
Wisdom is medium shimmer too and has a cool brown shade that's neither light or dark. What I love about this eye shadow is that it's buildable. I blend it out thoroughly on my lids with EcoTools' eye shading brush because I prefer a mild look, but I also this eye shadow to create a smokey winged liner with my EcoTools' angled liner brush.


RMS Beauty
This is an American brand created by makeup artist Rose Marie Swift. Her story is interesting. After working in the cosmetic industry for years, she developed health issues. It turned out that she had toxic levels of chemicals found in makeup in her body. This inspired her to create her own brand and help women claim their right to healthy beauty. I've also reviewed my RMS beauty products before.

Un' cover-up concealer, shade 000.
I use this concealer under my eyes to soften my dark circles and to cover up my occasional blemishes. I don't use any brushes or tools for this.

Lip2cheek, illusive
This one is mainly for my lips. I use it on my cheeks sometimes too and I did in the photos.

Packaging
These products are plastic-free, with the exception being a thin plastic sticker on the bottom of the jar. The jar itself is made out of glass and lid is tin, making it very recyclable.


Physician's formula
This is an American brand that has been around for quite some time and specializes on creating makeup for very sensitive skin.

Gentle wear, organic pressed powder, translucent medium
I use this powder exclusively under my eyes after applying the 'un' cover-up concealer. This is to prevent the concealer from creasing and smudging. I apply the powder with my EcoTools airbrush concealer.

Packaging
This product is not completely plastic-free. The powder comes in a paper maché like container but it has two thin plastic windows, one on the top and one on the bottom. It also includes a brush with a plastic handle. I am seeking a future replacement for this one.


Maria Åkerberg
This is a Swedish brand that sells organic skincare products but also makeup. I don't think the products are available outside of Scandinavia, which is a pity because this brand has the best hair conditioner I've tried. I have been using Maria Åkerberg's shampoo and conditioner for four years now (mentioned in this post: Bar soap for your hair?).

Brow Pencil, perfect for blondes
Years of plucking has thinned my brows. I use this pencil to fill in what's lost, ha ha! This is a wooden pencil but it's not entirely plastic-free because of the plastic cap.

What I didn't mention in the photo and why
I didn't mention my lip liner by the French brand Terre d'Oc. I believe the brand has discontinued their makeup. Terre d'Oc still sells skincare products, but I can't find my lip liner anywhere online. I excluded it because I don't want to recommend something that is unavailable.

It's a shame though. I loved this pencil so much that I hoarded a whole bunch when my Norwegian retailer was having a clearance sale. Is it plastic-free though? Like most lip, eye or brow pencils, no. It has the usual plastic cap. When the time comes I'll find a replacement, hopefully one with a plastic-free cap. Kjær Weis' new lip pencils are potential candidates but I'm not liking the current shades.

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I don't bite. :)

The snow has fallen, the temperature is dropping and it's already December. Winter has truly arrived. Cold temperatures can be surprisingly drying on your skin and anyone living in such climate knows the struggle. Winter eczema is a very real thing, especially here in Norway.

My lips and hands tend to suffer the most during these winter months. However, dry hands can easily be prevented with gloves. Lips on the other hand can't be covered with layers of fabrics, so a different solution is required. To prevent them from chapping I use the obvious: lip balm.

For years I used lipstick as balm, but my makeup use has declined over the years. It was time for a new, plastic-free lip balm. I landed on Burt's Bees' Beeswax Lip Balm for two reasons: one, beeswax feels less moist, something I prefer. Two, I did my Christmas shopping on Ecco-Verde and decided to throw in a lip balm. Burt's Bees' balm was the only beeswax balm available in plastic-free packaging.

So, what can I say about this lip balm? I really like the solid consistency. I despise that overly moist and sticky feeling that other types of lip balms give. This balm is not sticky, nor too moist. One thing did surprise though. I feel like the intense peppermint scent should have been mentioned on the lid. Peppermint oil was listed in the ingredients, but there's no way I could have predicted the intensity of it. It is so strong that it tingles on my lips, which is okay for me, but maybe not everyone else. Beside from that I find this balm effective and I'm pretty satisfied.

Let's talk skin care. All of my post in the beauty section are about makeup products, so I think it's time to bring a skin care product to the table. I'm currently loving two different serums by InstaNatural, the Age-Defying Retinol Serum and Age-Defying & Skin Clearing Serum.

I chose these serums for several reasons, packaging being one of them, but I also like what the brand stands for. InstaNatural offers a variety of natural skin care products, and they are all without harmful or questionable ingretients. Here's a quote from the brand's website "What we stand for: No parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, formaldehyde releasers, MCI/MI and synthetic dyes."

Let's move on to the packaging. This product comes in a paper box, but the serum itself comes in a glass bottle. Like most serums, it has a glass pipette attached to the lid. The lid has a metallic part, and a soft rubber top that you can squeeze and release to get a desired amount of product. Unforunately, this product is not entirely plastic-free because of the safety seal on the lid and the stickers. To be fair, it's a really small amount compared to an entire bottle being made out of plastic.

Another thing that attracted me was the active ingredients. Now, I'm extremely skeptical of anything "anti-ageing" and "skin improving". From what I've read, retinol, salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid and CoQ10 seems to be the most promising ingredients. These are components in these serums and what I'm interested in. The content in each serum is different, which is why I have two different kinds. Age-Defying Retinol Serum contains retinol, hyaluronic acid and CoQ10. Age-Defying & Skin Clearing Serum contains salicylic acid and a smaller amount of retinol.

The scary thing about skin care products like this is that they can backfire if you use them wrong. Antioxidants such as retinol, ascorbic acid and tocopherol, all present in these serums, can make skin more sensitive to UV radiation. One should definitely apply sunscreen when using these products. As an additional precaution, I apply the serum in the evening.

I'm quite satisfied with several things. I love that the serums aren't greasy like skin creams. My skin has not been irritated by the retinol, something I have experienced in the past. The scent is nice and mild.

Kjær Weis is a natural makeup brand created by the Danish born, New York-based makeup artist Kirsten Kjær Weis. The brand offers a variety of makeup products such as blushes, lipsticks, highlighters, foundations and eye shadows.

Kjær Weis' eye eyeshadow received a lot of positive reviews by other natural beauty bloggers, so I finally gave it a try. I now understand why this eye shadow is so popular. The consistency of this eye shadow is just amazing, it's so silky and blendable, unlike any other eye shadow I've used before. Normally I dislike shimmery makeup but the consistency totally makes up for the semi-shimmer. It is, in fact, not that shimmery when applied.

Packaging
The eye shadow comes in a neat little paper boxes. Inside is a metallic container so the eye shadow is completely plastic free. Kjær Weis is all about refillables, the container has a magnetic bottom and is refillable. This is also a lot cheaper.

Color
Cloud nine is a quite light eye shadow with a pastel pink tone and is great for highlighting around the eyes. I'd say that it's more shimmery compared to Wisdom, but I suspect that's just because it's lighter.

Wisdom has a medium brown-taupe color and is semi-shimmery. When used it's nearly matte. This eye shadow is well pigmented and blendable. I feel as if a little goes a long way with this one as I prefer a less intense look.

Ingredients

Cloud Nine
Talc, Mica, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Zinc Stearate, Tin Oxide, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract*, Silica, Aqua (Water), Tocopheryl Acetate, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extracti*, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Dextrin, CI 77891 ( Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides).

Wisdom
Talc, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Mica, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Zinc Stearate, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract*, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extracti*, Aqua (Water), Tocopheryl Acetate, Tin Oxide, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Dextrin, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 75470 (Carmine). Caution – Contains Carmine.

*Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) is a naturally derived preservative. There has been some controversy around this ingredient because it contains substances that are similar to parabens. 

I recommend this post about the Honeysuckle controversy by Marta, the founder of Truth in Aging.

Summary
My overall impression of this eye shadow is good. This is a high quality natural product and a great zero waste alternative because of the packaging and the refills.



With Flash





























Without flash

After my previous post "That time of the month, sustainably" I decided to give reusable pads a try. Reusable pads are not cheap but they're definitely cheaper than menstrual underwear. I looked into Lunapads and Gladrags. These are quite expensive, especially with the shipping. Another thing that made me put them aside was the fact that shipping pads from America to Europe isn't exactly environmental. I've already made a post about the environmental downsides of online shopping and how to do it in a greener way, feel free to read it.

Hannahpads review
The good news is that I found a Norwegian retailer that sells Hannahpads, for a reasonable price. I ordered four small-sized Hannahpads with floral designs. After giving the first four pads a try, I ordered additional pads and a pouch.

Materials
The pads are made out of organic cotton and have multiple layers that make them extra absorbent. They are not entirely plastic free because they have plastic snaps and a TPU coating. The coating makes them leakproof. Before you shun the these pads because of the tiny plastic content, keep in mind that they are made for long-term use.

Absorbance
Like I've already mentioned, they have multiple layers of fabric to make them extra absorbent. They can absorb about 120-180 ml, depending on the size. I ordered the smallest pads, they are in a pantyliner size. The different sizes range from pantyliner, S, M, Overnight, Ultra and Super Ultra. You can check out the sizing chart here, it lists the number layers and absorbency too.

Cleaning
Hannahpads can be hand washed or machine washed, it doesn't really matter. The pads should be soaked and hand washed a little bit before using the washing machine. Also, do not use laundry softener as it will make them less absorbent. For hand washing you just soak them and rub them with soap. Hannahpad sells a special probiotic soap too for cleaning but you can totally use a regular mild soap too.

Other
These pads can be buttoned into a square, making them easy to put in your purse if you're on the go. This also makes it easy to bring used pads safely home, if you end up changing one while you're away. Not only are they practical, they come with beautiful designs and you can order a special pouch for storage.

Hello there! You probably found this post after googling an RMS beauty product, looking for swatches or reviews. Well, I have good news for you then! Today I'll be reviewing the "Un"cover-up concealer in the shade 000 and Lip2Cheek, Illusive. I don't know if you're a just a makeup addict or specifically looking for organic brands. Maybe you're a zero waster? Anyway, this is the right place because I'll be covering all those aspects in my review.

RMS beauty "Un"cover-up concealer
Shade: 000

Packaging
So this product comes in a tiny paper box, you can see pictures of it on the bottom of this entry. Inside the box is a small glass jar with a tin lid. This product has a minimal amount of plastic so it's a good option for a zero waste lifestyle. The only plastic that comes with this product is a sticker on the bottom of the jar that has the name of the color on it. I took a photo of that too (bottom of the page).

Color
I really like this concealer! I decided to go with the lightest shade possible (000), but was skeptical. Any pale girl, like myself knows the struggle when it comes to finding the right product. Concealers, foundations and powders are often too dark or too yellow. I don't know why organic makeup manufacturers seem to believe that fair skinned girls only exist with warm undertones. My skin definitely has a cool, pink undertone. What makes this concealer great is the neutral color. It's neither pink or yellow so I assume it works for both undertones.

When it first arrived I got a little worried, the shade seemed a little bit too fair. However, it turned out to be the right shade. If you take a look at my swatches you'll hardly even notice it.

Coverage
The concealer is very pigmented and provides a heavier coverage. It can certainly cover up anything, something I find that a lot of natural products don't. It's also a little bit oily so I prefer locking it in with a little bit of powder to make it less shiny on my face. This is just my preference, I prefer matte-looking makeup. I have worn it without powder too and it was not a problem.

Scent
The concealer has a very light scent that is only noticeable when you smell the jar. It's nothing you would notice when wearing it on your face. I can't pinpoint the smell, it's vanillaish.

Ingredients
*Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, *Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, *Cera Alba (Beeswax), *Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol(non-GMO), *Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, and may contain: [+/-] Titanium Dioxide CI 77891, Iron Oxides CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499.

*CERTIFIED ORGANIC

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RMS beauty Lip2cheek
Color: Illusive

Packaging
The packaging is identical to the "un"cover-up concealer.

Color
The pigmentation is great and I'm loving this color. We're all different when it comes to what kind of lip color we prefer. I personally prefer darker colors because I can easily make them look less intense. You either wear the product as it is for full effect, or you can apply a thin layer to make it light. Illusive comes off a little darker in photos than it is in real life.

I have not used it on my cheeks, nor am I planning to do so. This is solely for my lips. The reason I chose lip2cheek is because I'm not too fond of shimmery makeup products. Most of the RMS lip shine products are shimmery but beware, some of the lip2cheek products are too!

Scent
It has a light coconut scent.

Ingredients
*Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, *Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, *Cera Alba (Beeswax) (Cire d’abeille), *Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, *Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, **Buriti (Mauritia Flexuosa) Oil, *Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Tocopherol(non-GMO), Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Propolis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract , *Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, May Contain: [+/-] Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Mica.

*CERTIFIED ORGANIC **WILDCRAFTED

The product comes in a paper box. Inside the box is a glass jar with a tin lid.

This is definitely not the most comfortable subject to bring up but we have to adress the fact that periods produce a lot of waste (not to mention a mess). Tampons and pads end up in landfill, and that's a lot of waste per woman as we require these things on a monthly basis through a large portion of our lives. Are there environmental periods? Yes. A lot of women are already using the menstrual cup and it has received great reviews. The truth is though, not everyone is comfortable with menstrual cups and tampons. Some of us freak out by the thought of strolling around with something inside. Worry not, sister. There are other options.

So I mentioned the menstrual cup and if that caught your interest, Divacup and Lunette has made quite a fuss among zero waste bloggers. The menstrual cup is basically a soft silicone cup that you insert just like a tampon, only it is washable and reusable. One purchase will last a long time but for those who refuse to insert anything, there are several other alternatives. Lunapads and GladRags currently have the largest assortments of washable cotton pads. These are shaped and used like any regular pad, only they're durable and made out of cotton fabric. Instead of throwing them in the trash, you throw them in the washer. The pads are a little expensive, but they will pay form themselves in no time.

If not pads, you can always turn to menstrual underwear. Yes, you heard right! Menstrual underwear. No pad, no tampon. Sounds gross? I agree, but decided to try it anyway and it didn't make the mess I thought it would. THINX is the brand and the panties are expensive too, but let the reusable part weigh in before you turn your back. You don't need to buy new underwear every month, unlike regular pads and tampons.

THINX comes in different styles and with different absorbency. They even have thongs, obviously for lighter days. I personally went with the hiphugger style for heavy days. My thought was "If I'm going to do this, I'm going to DO this!" so no medium or light day panties in this house! Hiphugger also comes in two colors, nude and black. At first I wanted black but decided to go with nude because I was testing, assuming any leakage would be easier to detect. If you're squeamish I can tell you that you won't be seeing much of aunt flo' because the inside of the the panty is black.

My experience with THINX was good. I had no leakage but my flow would also fall into the medium category. The downside to my test was that I only bought one panty and had to use pads for the rest of the week. However, I managed to replace a whole day's use of pads with THINX. If I owned several pairs it would have been more sustainable, but they're so darn pricey! I did some research and found a that the cheaper alternative is Padkix. I have no experience with these, but I might give them a try in the future. Anyway, despite my positive experience, I don't trust these 100% yet. I'd wear dark pants if I were to go out. You know your own flow, but if you're going to give 'em a try, do it at home first, just to be safe.

If you still don't feel ready to let go of your regular pads and tampons, don't get your panties in a bunch just yet (ha). Ordinary pads and tampons are often full of synthetic, non-biodegradable materials and even contain harmful substances. Yoni offers both pads and tampons that are made of organic cotton and tested for these harmful substances. The box is made out of paper and the pads are wrapped in a thin biodegradable plastic. Replacing orginary menstrual products with Yoni is a step in the right direction too.