Green People Special Edition Butterfly Gift Sets

Green People is, hands down, one of my favourite beauty brands. I've found some of my holy grail skincare among their product catalogue, and I'm always encouraging my friends and family to try them out. With the holiday season approaching I know that many people are looking to find special gifts for their loved ones, and for me Green People's new special edition releases tick all the right boxes.

Organic Beauty Week: My Organic Beauty Recommendations

I find it incredibly fun to dip my toes into the world of natural and organic beauty, and there are so many fantastic brands and products, and I never feel guilty about using them. Now that I've been blogging for a few years, I definitely have my favourites and they do tend to pop up over and over again - but at least you know that they've been thoroughly tried and tested!

Spring Beauty Empties

Nowadays I don't hang on to all the beauty products that I finish, I ususally only keep the packaging of products that I'm excited to talk about. There are a lot of beauty products that I use which don't get mentioned on my blog - or don't get mentioned enough. I always enjoy reading "empties" blog posts, so I hope you enjoy all these mini reviews of the products that I've finished this spring.

My 2015 Beauty Favourites

Autumn/Winter Skincare: Exfoliators from Bee Good, Green People and Codage

Autumn Makeup Updates: Dark Nude Lipsticks

Switching Up My Cleanser: La Roche Posay and Green People

Organic Beauty Week: Organic Everyday Makeup

Organic Beauty Week and the Campaign for Clarity

The Best and Worst Mascaras

The Best Natural and Cruelty Free Makeup That I've Tried So Far

Easy to Wear Everyday Eye Makeup

Spring Makeup: Eyeshadow Palettes

February Beauty Empties

January Beauty Empties

Makeup Favourites from 2014

It was quite hard to narrow down my makeup favourites of the year because I discovered some incredible new products, especially over the last three months. I've basically just included the things that I reached for the most as well as a couple of newer products that I just really, really love.

For my Eyes

There's only been one eyeshadow palette that I've been reaching for throughout the year, and that's The Balm's Nude'tude Palette. My favourite shades are definitely 'Stand-offish' and 'Selfish', but all the shades are really wearable in a gorgeous buttery formula. My other eyeshadow favourite is Maybelline's Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze which I've used so much that I've nearly finished it! Honourable Mention: Wild About Beauty's Eyeshadow in Eva 

For my Face

My most used foundation has definitely been Revlon's Colorstay Foundation for Combination/Oily Skin in the shade Buff. I've just finished my bottle and have repurchased it in a slightly darker shade so that I can wear it next summer. My favourite concealer of the year has definitely been Seventeen's Stay Time Concealer, it's so light and blendable and gives a really natural looking finish. Honourable Mention: Real Techniques' Makeup Sponge

For my Cheeks

In terms of blush, the only powder blush that I've been wearing pretty much all year is Green People's Powder Blush in Peach*. However, the competition for my favourite cream blush has been fierce, but I think that I've definitely reached for Stila's Convertible Colour Trio in Cool the most out of the blushes in my collection. But my favourite new discoveries of the year by far have been from RMS Beauty - I have completely fallen in love with their Living Luminizer and Buriti Bronzer, I've been wearing them everyday since I discovered them. Honourable Mention: Benefit's Highbeam

For my Lips

I've discovered some incredible new lipsticks this year and I've picked a couple of my favourite formulas and shades. Hands down my favourite formula is Glo & Ray's La Amo Creamy Matte Lip Colour*, it's lightweight but offers opaque colour and it lasts really well. I've also been loving Ilia's Lip Conditioner in the shade These Days*, a really beautiful frosted bronze in a creamy and moisturising formula. Colour wise, two other favourites of mine are from Oriflame and Wild About Beauty. Oriflame's The One 5 in 1 Colour Stylist Lipstick in Fuchsia Hype* is an absolutely stunning, bright pink. Whereas Wild About Beauty's Nurtrilips Balm in Hannah* is a gorgeous, easy-to-wear, sheer berry that seems to work with everything. Honourable Mention: Living Nature's Lipstick in Summer Rain*

What have been some of your makeup favourites this year?

Green People: Impressive Natural Makeup

I "discovered" Green People in September and ever since day one I've been really impressed with their products. I've tried their facial oil (which is just beautiful), their makeup remover (which I loved) as well as talc-free powder blush, and I wasn't disappointed! Today I've got three more of Green People's beauty products to share with you - their Volumising Mascara, their Illuminating Eye Duo and their Night Forest Eye Duo. I've been trying these out for a while now and I've been very glad to have some more natural makeup in my routine, especially some talc-free eyeshadows. I've shared my thoughts on each product in a mini-review format but if there's anything else that you'd like to know then please do leave me a comment or tweet me (@OneLittleVice) for a quicker response.

Green People Volumising Mascara in Black*

available online for £14.75

As far as I'm concerned, Green People's mascara wands are totally on point - I love these sorts of lash, separating and defining brushes which seem to add tremendous length! The formula is also really good, especially for a product that contains 98% natural ingredients, using natural pigments to achieve it's dark black colour. However, I don't personally think this mascara offers much in the way of volume but it does seriously lengthen my lashes and lasts from morning until night without any flaking or smudging. I actually found that on my lashes it outperformed my Maybelline the Falsies Mascara in terms of longevity, and I feel much more comfortable reaching for a Green People's makeup especially when it comes to an everyday essential like mascara! Overall, I'm really impressed and I'll be reaching for this mascara over others that I own because I really like it. 

Green People Illuminating Eye Duo* (pictured above left)

available online for £17.50 (currently on offer for £10)

Green People's Illuminating Eye Duo really does what it claims - it brightens and enlivens eyes, making your face look brighter and more 'awake'. The shades are subtly different, one is a pure shimmering white and there other is a very pale, pearlescent pink. I love using both of these on the inner corners of my eyes, but I do find that I need to use a primer to help them last throughout the day. Because these eyeshadows don't contain talc (to which my skin is sensitive) I can also use them as skin highlighters - applying them on my brow bone or across my cheek bones. I really like both of the colours, they're very wearable and aren't too stark, and they aren't too powdery. These will be particularly good for anyone ensitive to talc who's looking for an easy-to-wear, multi-tasking addition to their everyday beauty routine.

Green People Night Forest Eye Duo* (pictured above right)

available online for £17.50 (currently on offer for £10)

The Night Forest Duo really appealed to me because I loved the look of the colours - a deep brown that's perfect for a brown smokey eye, and a lighter, golden brown that's good for both brightening the eye area and adding some subtle definition. I find that these eyeshadows need an eye primer to last throughout the day on my oily eyelids but they also work really well when used as liners. Below, I've included photos of me wearing the dark brown shade along my upper and lower lash line. You can see that it gives a deep smokey look that isn't too dark or harsh. I love that these eyeshadows contain Jojoba Oil and Vitamin E, and I feel as though Green People offers wonderful skin-friendly makeup that I feel really comfortable reaching for on an everyday basis. 

Have you tried anything from Green People before? Did you like the look of any of the products featured in today's post?

November Beauty Empties

My Eyeliner Collection

Pencil eyeliners were among the first beauty products that I ever started buying and I wear them most days. They're easy and quick to use, they come in wonderful colours and they add some much needed definition to my eyes. Pictured above is my entire pencil eyeliner collection and I'm going to talk you through some of my top picks and why I like them. Hopefully this will give you some ideas on which ones might work for you.

Best Value for Money

Essence Stays No Matter What Waterproof Eyeliner in Black

I picked this up a while ago now and it remains one of my favourite pencil eye liners - it's cheap but lasts really well on me. I like to use it to tightline my eyes (I use it on my upper, inner lash line to make my eyelashes appear fuller).

Favourite for Daytime

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Kohl Kajal in Taupe

This is one of the easiest colours to throw on when you're in a hurry. It's matte, long lasting and offers light definition that isn't at all harsh. It's a great alternative to dark liner during the day time. 

Favourite for Evening

Mac Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner in Lord It Up

I think that this is my favourite shade of eyeliner but I do have problems with it smudging and transferring so I tend to reserve it for special occasions. I don't think that the product itself is worth the money but it was my first ever Mac purchase (before I knew better) and the colour won me over.

Longest Lasting

Eye of Horus Eyeliner in Nubian Brown*

Generally speaking, Nubian Brown is my favourite eyeliner to wear because once I've applied it I don't have to give it a second thought. It doesn't smudge, transfer or disappear throughout the day and it's a very wearable matte dark brown. I'd highly recommend it.

Most Worn "Coloured" Liner

Gosh Velvet Touch Eyeliner in Fashionista

Recently, I've been experimenting with some eyeliners that aren't my typical black and brown shades and Fashionista is just such a wearable navy that I've been reaching for it more than some of my more neutral options. It's a great drugstore pencil liner, it's creamy and it lasts very well on me - couldn't ask for more.

Natural Options

Green People Eyeliner in Brown and Inika Organic Eyeliner in Black Caviar

If you're into natural makeup then the two eyeliners in my collection that you might like are from Green People and Inika. I've used a couple of Inika's eyeliners in the past and they're soft without super lasting power, but I do feel more comfortable using it around my eye area than other products. Green People's pencil liner is a very new addition to my collection but I like the mid-tone brown shade and the formula seems very nice so far.

Creamiest Formula

Maybelline Master Drama Khol Liner in Charcoal Grey

This is the creamiest eyeliner I've ever tried. It is like butter - but in a good way. It's easy to apply and blend out into a natural looking smokey eye and then it just sets and doesn't budge. It's a really great drugstore option and I'd definitely recommend the grey shade, it's a lovely alternative to black and brown.

Least Creamy Formula

Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Elate

The "hardest" and least pleasant to use formula is (although I'm sad to say it) from Illamasqua. I was really excited to try their white eyeliner but I just don't find myself reaching for it very much as I don't enjoy applying it. 

Least Favourite Overall

Mac Eye Kohl in Smoulder

For a Mac product I find this eyeliner incredibly disappointing. It smudges left, right and centre and seems to have zero lasting power on me. It does offer an incredibly deep black shade, but I never reach for it anymore. You'd be better off going for one of Rimmel's Scandal Eyes Eyeliners or Inika's Organic Eyeliners. 

Would you like to see any of these used in makeup looks? What are some of your favourite or least favourite eyeliners?

New Beauty Bits

Over the last month I've been trying out a couple of new products that I thought I would share with you. Today I'll we talking about my thoughts of a lip balm, moisturiser, facial oil and some face wipes - all of which I tried for the first time over the six weeks.

Bee Good Vanilla & Honey Lip Balm*

I was very kindly gifted this lip balm at Scarlett London's #bloggerfestival and it is the first Bee Good is product  that I've had the pleasure of using. Bee Good is a lovely British company that uses natural ingredients in their products. Their Vanilla & Honey Lip Balm is very light and hydrating and works well when used in the morning before applying make-up or throughout the day. It doesn't, however, have the heavy, super hydrating consistency of the lip balms that I like to apply in the evening before bed to rejuvenate my lips for the coming day. All in all, I really like the subtle scent, the light texture and the colourful packaging and I've been reaching for it all month long. I think it is much better than simple and cheap drugstore lip balms and it is on par, but not better, than my long standing favourite lip balm from Lush, Honey Trap. I would definitely recommend it if you like to wear lip products and want something to use during the day but not if you're looking for an overnight lip treatment.

Formula 10.0.6 Seriously Shine Free Mattifying Oil Free Moisturizer Aloe Vera & Bamboo

I picked this moisturiser up when I was in Amsterdam in September. I've wanted to try some Formula 10.0.6 products for a long time but I haven't ever seen them for sale in the UK. If you have combination or oily skin then you'll know how important mattifying moisturisers are in a skincare routine. What I really like about this one is that it isn't overly scented, it has a very light constancy that is reminiscent of a higher-end product favourite of mine (L'Occitane's Angelica Ultra Matte Fluid) and it really does keep my oily t-zone matte without overly drying out my skin. I really like the product, I like the packaging and I like the results. I've only been using this for about a month now but my first impressions are really good. I'm hoping that I can continue to use this throughout the next few months, although with winter approaching I will need to wait and see if I need a more hydrating option. 

Green People Anti-Ageing Facial Oil*

This is another sample that I received at the #bloggersfestival and I am so, so glad that I did. Green People is a relatively new brand discovery of mine but I have been overwhelmed by the quality of their products. I recently reviewed one of their powder blushes and fell in love! The results of trying this facial oil weren't much different. I have never applied a product before bed and seen very immediate results the next morning. From my very first application of this facial oil I saw an immediate and drastic improvement in the texture of my skin. This facial oil packs a seriously hydrating punch and transformed my tired and dull complexion into much softer and more radiant skin. I couldn't recommend this more highly and I've already purchased a full size. I've also converted my dad to this oil, even on his very dry mature skin it does wonders so I definitely think this is a winner.

Diadermine Hydrating Facial Wipes

This is another product I picked up when I was in Amsterdam because I was staying in a 8 bed hostel and wanted something to quickly and easily remove my eye makeup when I returned late in the evenings. Sophia actually chose these make-up wipes and her decision turned out to be a good one because I think these are the best ones I've ever tried. They're incredibly moist and hydrating and they remove eye makeup very very well. We picked up two packs for €5 so they're relatively affordable and if I ever need face wipes again when I'm travelling I'll definitely be keeping my eyes out for these and repurchasing them. Honestly, if you know where to buy these I would recommend them above any of the others I've tried and reviewed in the past. Like all face wipes they aren't as good as a thorough cleanse, but they're great at removing make-up and they didn't irritate my skin at all. 

Have you tried any of these products before?

 What skincare products have you been loving lately?

Follow me via: [Bloglovin] [Twitter] [Facebook]