Sunday Sugar Fix

Another great cruelty free brand I love is Montagne Jeunesse. They are approved by the BUAV and the Vegetarian Society, use only natural ingredients and are very affordable. They do a great range of face masks from just 99p (available online or in most good chemists/supermarkets). I was lucky enough to be sent a load of their face masks in return for reviewing some other products they sent me to try (you can sign up to be on their beauty panel on their website). So tonight I tried the warm exfoliating Crystal Masque.

The mask contains crystallised honey and passion flower to smooth, soften and condition the skin. You have to place it in warm water for a minute before opening the sachet and applying to your skin.

This is what the mask looks like on your skin

There was a very generous amount of product in the sachet, more than enough to thoroughly cover my face and neck. As I applied the mask I fell in love with the smell - it reminded me of when you boil sugar to make caramel, very sweet. I thought I had better stay away from my 5 month old puppy Jack as he would no doubt try to lick it off my face! Luckily he was tired and went off for a puppy snooze.

The texture was sticky but smooth and contained sugary pieces to exfoliate your skin - you massage your face just before rinsing off to help remove dead skin cells. It was really easy to remove and my skin felt soft and smooth afterwards, and my skin tone appeared less red. Overall it was a great mask to use and I am looking forward to trying the next one!

Pure and Simple

Hello and welcome to my blog! I decided to start a blog on cruelty free living as it is something I feel very passionate about and want to share it with others. One of my other passions is beauty, so I will be sharing my views on a lot of cruelty free products! I will start by telling you about a great BUAV approved company that I recently discovered and was even more excited when I found out they are only based a few miles away from me in my home county of Cornwall :) *UPDATE - Pure Nuff Stuff are sadly no longer BUAV approved*

 Pure Nuff Stuff is a natural skin care product company; all of their products are vegetarian (most are vegan too), free from Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and parabens, and are not tested on animals. I purchased some of their facial products and couldn't wait to try them. I bought:

• Avocado cleanser - this is their only cleanser, but is suitable for all skin types. It has a lovely texture and a subtle avocado/rose smell, which is nice as sometimes products can smell overpowering. You only need a small amount, and rub it gently into your skin using circular movements then rinse off (or you can apply it with cotton wool pads if you have drier skin). I found it great at removing my makeup - even my mascara, as it is safe to use around the eye area, which is a bonus as you don't have to buy a separate eye-makeup remover.
• White rose toner - I love this toner. It has a gorgeous rose smell (which I can't get enough of at the minute, especially as I'm studying aromatherapy!) and doesn't contain alcohol, which can irritate the skin. It feels refreshing on your skin and removes any traces of makeup left after cleansing.
• Cream dream - this day moisturiser comes in three options, rose and vanilla (for dry or sensitive skins), lemon and geranium (for oily or combination skins), or unscented (perfect for sensitive skin or for adding your own essential oils to tailor it to your skin's needs). I got the rose and vanilla as my skin is slightly sensitive and rather dry at the moment, no doubt due to the cold weather we've been having. It has a lovely smell and moisturises well, it is absorbed quickly and doesn't leave a greasy film on the skin, creating a great base for makeup. You can also buy a sample size of this cream in any of the scent options so you can try it before commiting to a larger size.

All of these products come in two sizes, and some of the products on the website, including the cream dream, can be custom made with a blend of your choice so you get the product your skin currently needs.