Vegan Beauty: Lush's Ice Blue and Sandstone Soaps

I picked up these two Lush soaps from the Vegan Society's stall at the Natural and Organic Products Show - a slab of Ice Blue and Sandstone. I'm already a big fan of Lush's solid soaps as I really like the range they stock and I think that they're affordable and long lasting products. I already knew that Lush's soaps were cruelty-free and free from unsustainable palm-oil but I didn't know that many of them were also suitable for vegans. 

Lush Ice Blue Soap* | rrp £3.10/100g

Ice Blue is a peppermint soap, and it's as refreshing as it is blue! It contains menthol which gives it a strong minty scent, along with fine sea salt which works to gently soften skin. Although it contains hydrating ingredients such as rapeseed and coconut oil, it does also contain SLS - an ingredient that encourages that satisfying foam you get in many shampoos and body washes, but that can also act as a skin irritant. However, if you're looking for a soap that will give a really good lather then Ice Blue is going to be a good option. It would work well as a body wash, or perhaps even as a shampoo (that's how lather-tastic it is), but for me personally I'm probably going to reserve this for use on my makeup brushes as it leaves them squeaky clean.

Lush Sandstone Soap* | rrp £3.40/100g

Sandstone also has a refreshing scent, but with a citrus rather than a minty base. Unlike Ice Blue it doesn't contain SLS, but it does still contain ingedients like rapeseed and coconut oil as well as other oils such as litsea cubeba oil and coriander oil. It also contains sand which acts as an exfoliating property, although it does contain far less sand than I'd imagined it would. However, the sand content coupled with the gentle citrus scent makes it really nice for use on the hands. It leaves them feeling clean and soft but not overly dry like a soap containing SLS might. Although I love Ice Blue's strong minty scent, I definitely prefer the consistency and ingredients of Sandstone.

Do you ever use solid soaps?

What's your favourite Lush product?

Lippy Girl Vegocentric Vegan Lipstick in Coral Me Maybe Review

This Lippy Girl Vegocentric Vegan Lipstick in Coral Me Maybe* is the first product that I've ever tried from Lippy Girl Makeup's range - and it has not disappointed! I didn't really know what to expect from the product as the natural lipsticks I've tried so far have been incredibly hit  (Living Nature and Ilia) or miss (Honeybee Naturals). However, as soon as I first applied Coral Me Maybe I knew I was going to love it, as it immediately had all the tell-tale makings of a really great lipstick.

The Lippy Girl Vegocentric Vegan Lipstick packaging is compact but sturdy, with a weightiness that imbues it with a sense of luxury. Furthermore, the lipstick itself is very secure in the tube, twisting up and down easily. The formula of the lipstick is also really nice as it isn't too creamy which means that depending on your preference you can apply it quite sheerly or layer it up for an opaque colour. Lippy Girl's Vegocentric Vegan Lipsticks also contains lots of natural oils and butters (castor seed oil, jojoba oil,  feels very smooth on the lips which makes it easy to apply evenly and very comfortable to wear. They strike a really nice balance between offering a moisturising application of colour, but one that isn't too thick and doesn't just slip off your lips. As a result, I found that I didn't need to use a lip liner to get a precise looking finish, and equally I didn't need to exfoliate my lips either. Overall, it's just really easy to apply, comfortable to wear and I loved the semi-opaque colour achieved in a couple of layers. Below, you can see what Lippy Girl's Coral Me Maybe looks like in natural daylight (both images show the colour and finish achieved with two-three layers of lipstick).

Lippy Girl's Vegocentric Vegan Lipstick in Coral Me Maybe* is my idea of a perfect spring/summer lipstick shade. It's a very pretty pinky-coral shade that really brightens up the complexion without actually being all that bright itself. Coral Me Maybe has a very subtle frost finish that not only makes my lips look bigger than they really are but also catches the sunlight in a really beautiful way. The overall effect is very flattering but it isn't a "natural" looking lip colour as you can definitely notice it on your lips. I personally really like the shade and although it doesn't last all that long on my lips it does fade evenly which makes me feel comfortable wearing it  on a day-to-day basis. Overall, I think the colour is fresh, modern and perfect for the summertime - and considering that the lipstick is also 100% vegan, and that the metal packaging can be recycled, I'm really, really impressed. 

Lippy Girl Vegocentric Vegan Lipsticks* can be found on MyPure for £12.50* - there's a range of really gorgeous shades and I've already lusting after quite a few more!