Lavera Self Tanning Lotion - A Review For My Pure*

In the UK, there are 3 ways to get a tan , Number 1 - Go abroad! Number 2 - slather yourself in tan accelerator and sit in the garden on one of the 7 ish sunny days  that we get in a year or there is option Number 3, which is probably the easiest and cheapest - fake it!

I'm not gonna lie we have had a few sunny days this year, and thanks to a combination of using good SPF's and tan accelerators I have managed to get a little bit of colour but in the wider scheme of things my natural tan is probably someone elses pale and pasty look!

I have to be honest and say I really don't mind embracing the pale, I'm not one of those people that slaps on the fake tan all year around, in fact I don't actually use it that often, but sometimes you just feel as though you need a bit of colour in your life and on your legs.

I've been feeling a bit mehh lately and in my weird mind a tan was just what I needed to make myself feel a bit better and look a bit thinner so instead of using up one of the self tans that I already have , I decided to try something new from My Pure.

Traditionally fake tans are crammed full of chemicals, they might have the odd natural ingredient but they aren't always the most eco friendly product on the market. Throw in the fact that they aren't always cruelty free and they can be quite drying on the skin and it makes you wonder why we even bother. Thankfully though there are now a few more natural fake tanning options out there, and over the last month I've been using trying out the Lavera Self Tanning Lotion.

If anyone can make a natural and cruelty free fake tan then it's probably German brand Lavera. Like all of the products in their range, this NaTrue certified self tanning lotion is made from both natural and predominantly organic ingredients.It is suitable for vegans and it is free from parabens, sulphates, petrochemicals, silicone's, and artificial colourings and fragrances.

Packaged in a recyclable plastic, squeezy tube, it contains a wide variety of moisturising ingredients including organic sunflower oil, soybean oil, macadamia oil, and shea butter. It also contains
calendula extract, aloe vera, beta carotene and Vitamin E.

When I first squeezed some of the product out I have to say I wasn't expecting a lot, the majority of fake tans out there have a guide colour but this is just an off white, creamy lotion. To be honest it looks more like a body lotion or a body cream and it certainly smells more like a luxury body cream than a self tan. It has a really pleasant lavender, aromatherapy citrus scent that lingers on the skin.

Application is like most other fake tans out there, it's best to exfoliate first, and then you apply it on to clean, dry skin, avoiding the knees and elbows. It's very, very creamy and a little goes a long way, I definitely used too much at first but if you just keep massaging it in until it's absorbed. Obviously there is no guide colour so you just have to apply it as evenly as possible. You could just use a mitt I guess but because of the cream like texture it's just as easy to use your hands but remember to give them a good wash afterwards.

My skin did feel a tiny bit tacky for a few minutes so I'd avoid getting dressed or sitting on any fabrics for a few minutes. Once it sunk in though my skin just felt really smooth and as though is had been covered in a deliciously scented body cream. Lavera advise that you leave it for around 5 hours to see the full results and as per usual with fake tans I did the one leg challenge so I'm going to let the photographs speak for themselves

Before 

After

Before

After

After - Close Up 

I really can't describe how much this product surprised me, when I first saw the white creamy lotion, I'll admit I wasn't hopeful but despite the lack of guide colour, and more gradual tan appearance, within 5 hours I had a natural looking, golden tan, and super soft skin with only the tiniest hint of digestive biscuit aroma. It is quite a natural colour but you can reapply it every day or so for a deeper colour.

What can I say, I'm a fan! The texture and the scent made it a pleasure to apply, and despite the lack of guide colour I managed achieve a pretty even, natural golden tan, without any of the dryness or nasty smells that you normally associate with self tan. I still don't think I'm ever going to be one of those permanently fake tanned people, but I'm definitely going to be using this regularly and enjoying both the smooth skin and the healthy glow. Lavera Self Tanning Lotion retails at £13.50 for 150ml tube from My Pure. Are you a fake tan fan? or do you embrace the pale? Let me know your thoughts. 

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Lavera Illuminating Eyeshadow - Vibrant Gold*

All good things must come to an end, and over the next few days I'll be reviewing my final two products for online natural beauty store, My Pure. I've really appreciated all your feedback, questions and recommendations, and I've loved trying out so many new natural  products and new to me, brands. I thought I'd finish off by reviewing two products from one of my most recent and best discoveries, German brand, Lavera.

For those of you who aren't in the know, Lavera are one of the longest standing brands in natural beauty. They were founded in Germany over 25 years and they produce a large range of natural cosmetics, skin care products and toiletries. They only use natural ingredients, and ones that are certified organic whenever possible. All of the products are also formulated without synthetic preservatives, colourings or fragrances and their range is also cruelty free.

I've tried a few of their make up products now and for one of my final My Pure reviews I decided to try out one of their eyeshadows, they have a few different shadows to choose from but I went for one of the Lavera Illuminating Eyeshadow.

This is a baked eyeshadow that is suitable for contact lens wearers and vegans. It's a mineral based shadow that's crammed full of natural mineral pigments, and moisturising ingredients. Packaged in a basic clear and black plastic compact, this is a domed, baked shadow. There were 4 shades to choose from and the colour I went for was Vibrant Gold.

In the pan this is much more of a soft yellow gold tone , rather than an out and out metallic gold.

I'm usually a sucker for a baked eyeshadow but unfortunately this one just isn't that great. The pigmentation and the pay off just isn't strong enough. Instead of the solid yellow gold that I was hoping for, this shadow just gives you a subtle wash of gold with a touch of sparkle.

Liked all baked eyeshadows this one can be used both wet and dry and although I haven't managed to take any pictures of it wet, it does improve both the pigmentation and the vibrancy.

This shadows wears well both wet and dry and if you want a subtle wash of colour, then this could be for you,especially if your looking for something that is cruelty free, unfortunately though for the price, I would have like a bit more pigmentation and a bit more vibrancy from this shadow. Lavera Illuminating Eyeshadow comes in a 1.5g compact, it comes in 4 shades and retails at £11.50 from My Pure. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please leave me a comment x

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Benecos Natural Nail Polish Remover - A Review For My Pure*

As much as I love nail polish, there are aspects of it that I don't love. I hate waiting for it to dry, and I hate it when it chips, but more than anything else I hate having to remove it! There are now products on the market to help our polish dry more quickly and there are things to help stop it chipping, but despite advances in beauty and science, nail polish removal doesn't seem to have got any easier. It still takes an age to do, it can be messy and more often than not it smells terrible.

Like nail polish itself, nail polish remover more often than not is crammed full of strong chemical compounds that are designed to dissolve lacquers, plastics and even paints. Most of them do the job that they're designed for but there are side effects, certain ingredients such as acetone can be very drying on the nails and the hands, and oh did I mention the horrible smell!

Thankfully there are a lot of acetone free removers on the market now but a lot of them still contain way too many chemicals for some, so for one of June's My Pure reviews I decided to try out a more natural, gentle and non drying nail polish remover from German brand Benecos.

At first glance it's hard to see how a nail polish remover would ever fit into Benecos ingredients philosophy. Traditionally full of chemicals and preservatives, making a nail polish remover that contains natural ingredients, and no nasties, genetically modified material, soy or gluten was no easy task but like with their nail polish, Benecos have stuck to their guns and created a product that fits right in with their philosophy and the rest of their range.

The Benecos Natural Nail Polish Remover is an acetone free product, that's created without any synthetic preservatives, mineral oils, or parabens. It contains ethyl lactate which is a natural degreaser that comes from sources of lactic acid, alcohol, water, and vegetable glycerin for moisture and nail condition. It also contains sweet orange oil and lemon peel oil and other citrus extracts.

Packaged in a wide necked plastic bottle, the remover itself is clear and resembles water in both colour and in consistency, when you touch it though it has a slightly viscous, oily feel.

The first thing that you notice when you pour the remover onto a cotton pad is the smell. Now I would never advise that you go around smelling nail polish remover, but you can't help but smell it when your using it. Compared to some I've used this one doesn't smell too bad, it still isn't great though and it's a bit like really strong alcohol with a bit of a citrus hit. Thankfully the nastier aspects of the fragrance die off quite quickly and your hands and nails are left with a subtle citrus scent.

I used it just like I'd use any other nail polish remover, I normally hold the cotton pad over the nail for a little while to start dissolving the polish before I start wiping. This makes removal a lot easier and a lot less messy. How did I get on? well see for yourself

Before 

After

Before 

After 

The first polish I tested it with was Benecos Natural Nail Polish in Lavender Sky (read my review here) - here I used 1 coat of nail strengthener, and two coats of polish. You would expect this remover to work well with the same brand of polish and as expected it got it all off without too many problems.

I also used it with a few coats of strengthener, and on another occasion with another brand of polish, a coat of strengthener and a top coat, and I have it did take a little bit longer than it did with my usual acetone free remover but it did the job. 

The key thing that I noticed though with this remover was that my nails weren't left looking white and dehydrated and the skin around them certainly didn't feel dry or uncomfortable. As I said before this polish remover has a slightly oily feel and I think that helped to almost give the nails a hit of moisture. It was just enough though and you didn't feel as though you needed to wash your hands straight away.

I have to say this remover impressed me way more than I thought it would. I was thoroughly expecting it to struggle with polish removal but by and large it did the job, without smelling too bad and without drying out my nails and my skin. I did find that it took longer than my usual remover especially when I was removing multiple coats but considering the lack of chemicals and nasties, you really can't complain. That said I'm not sure I would repurchase it as I'm pretty happy with my current budget friendly remover, but if you're trying to cut down on the amount of chemicals you use in your beauty routine though or if you're looking for a cruelty free product, then this is definitely something worth trying. The Benecos Natural Nail Polish Remover comes in a 100ml bottle and retails at £5.95 from My Pure.Would you consider using a "natural" nail polish remover? Let me know your thoughts x 

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Nails Of The Day - Benecos Natural Nail Polish - French Lavender*

Although I don't seem to write as many nail posts as I used to, I'm still obsessed with nail polish. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a flash of colour when I'm typing, or seeing a set of pretty painted toenails peeking out from my sandals. My nail polish collection is getting seriously out of control though, but I can never resist adding new ones to my collection especially when it's from a brand that I haven't used before. As you know I love trying new things so for one of June's My Pure reviews I decided to try a nail polish from German brand, Benecos.

I've tried a few products from this BDIH Certified brand now, and I have to say for the price point I've been pretty impressed. The brand produces a wide range of affordable, good for you, skin, body, hair care and make up products, that use organic ingredients where possible and are free from a lot of chemicals and preservatives that you would normally find in toiletry and cosmetic products.

When you think of nail varnish though, one of the things that you probably think of is chemicals, surely there is no way that a nail polish can be natural and good for you? Well think again, all of the nail polishes in the Benecos range are not only cruelty free and suitable for vegans but they're also 5 Free. A lot of nail polishes now describe themselves as 3 Free but there aren't that many traditional style, nail polishes out there that describe themselves as 5 Free. What that basically means is that Benecos nail polishes are free from toluene, formaldehyde, camphor, phthalates, and colophonium or colophon, which have been found to cause skin irritations and breathing problems.

My Pure currently stock 15 shades of nail polish from Benecos but the shade I tried was French Lavender. I'm a huge fan of lilac and purple nail polishes so this one was right up my street.

Packaged in a 9ml size cylindrical bottle, this polish has a short, and thin, but good quality brush. The polish was quite fluid but the brush was easy to control and it applied easily and smoothly. and dried quickly. The coverage was okay after 1 coat but I felt that it really needed two coats to give the full depth of colour.

The finished colour was quite a bit deeper than it looked in the bottle, it wasn't the lilac tone that I'd anticipated and instead it had very much a dirty, dusky lavender, purple finish. Wear wise, I always test nail polish without a top coat and two days in, I only have a little bit of tip wear.

Although the colour didn't end up being quite what I expected I have to say I still liked this nail polish. It applied and wore well, it dried quickly and it definitely didn't seem to have as strong a smell as some polishes that I've used in the past. I'll definitely be trying a few more colours in the future, and if like a lot of people I know, you're looking for a gentler, or 5 Free nail polish, then this could be the brand to try. Benecos Natural Nail Polish in French Lavender comes in a 9ml bottle and retails at £6.95 from My Pure. Are you a fan of free from polishes? Let me know your thoughts x 

*Sample

Lavera Soft Glowing Highlighter - 02 Shining Pearl - A Review For My Pure*

Hi Guys x I hope you've all had a lovely, sunny weekend, I've had a couple of busy days but I'm back now with another My Pure review for you and  it's another one from German, natural beauty brand Lavera.

Although Lavera also produce a large range of skin and body care products, personally I'm all about their natural make up line. Many moons ago the words, natural and make up just didn't go together. If a make up product was ethical, contained no nasties and  was full of good for you ingredients, then the chances were that the quality just wouldn't be that great. Thankfully times have changed though and over 25 years of experience has allowed Lavera to produce a highly regarded make up range, that's cruelty free, predominantly organic and contains no synthetic preservatives, colours, or fragrances.

My Pure has a huge selection of make up products from Lavera, but the one I decided to try this time round was the Lavera Soft Glowing Highlighter in 02 - Shining Pearl.

Like all of the other make up products in their range, this cream highlighter is crammed full of good for you, skincare ingredients including, Castor seed, jojoba, argan, sunflower, rapeseed, coconut and olive oils, and Shea, and cocoa butter. It also includes a variety of natural mineral pigments, and various flower and plant extracts including mallow flower, Rosa centifolia and sea buckthorn.

It comes in a black plastic pot with a twist off lid. The lid contains a clear plastic section so you can see exactly what the product is at a glance.

There are two shades to choose from Golden Shine which looks darker, and more golden bronze toned, and the one I went for Shining Pearl. The swatch on the website isn't the most accurate I have to say, but Shining Pearl in real life is a beautiful, pearlised, creamy champagne colour.

This is a cream highlighter, and probably because of all the lovely oils, and butters it has a lovely creamy consistency, and thanks to the essential oils  and plant extracts, it also has a lovely lavender, type aromatherapy type scent, which lingers on the skin.

All you do is take a small amount of the product (a little goes a long way), and dab it on to your cheekbones, your eyelids, under your brown or anywhere else where you would like a bit of shimmer and a bit of a glow. You can either apply it with your fingertips, or if you have one, a small stippling brush, or even one of the tiny beauty blending type sponges.

It can look a touch cakey at first especially if you're applying it on top of say a face powder but it blends down nicely and gives the skin, a subtle but noticeable shimmer, and glow.

Here I've applied it to my cheekbones, and I've also used it to highlight my brow arch, and I've also used it as a cream shadow and to add a bit of brightness to the inner corners of my eyes, I'm a huge fan of powder, liquid and cream highlighters, and for me this one is a nice addition to my collection. If you want all the shimmer, glitter and sparkle, and you're looking for that disco ball look then this probably isn't the product for you. If on the other hand you just want to add a tiny bit of shimmer and glow here and there then this product could be one to try. The Lavera Soft Glowing Highlighter comes in 2 shades and retails at £9.50 for 4g, from My Pure. Are you a highlighter fan? Let me know your favourites in the comments box x

*Sample

Lavera Fine Loose Mineral Powder - Transparent - A Review For My Pure*

From something that was once a mainstay in many peoples make up routines, in recent years loose powder seems to have got a bit of  a bad press. Look at any You Tube video or magazine article on celebrity make up fails and you're bound to see at least once beautiful woman with a loose powder disaster and a floury, cakey face - not a good look!

Loose powder can be messy, and it can be cakey, drying and ageing but it if you've got an oily skin, it can be a god send. A lot of brands are replacing their loose powders with balms, and silicone mattifiers but for me I'll always be a loose powder girl.

Find a good loose powder and you'll realise why this product has been around as long as it has. The ingredients may have changed a bit over the years but if your skin is prone to oiliness and shine, then you'll know that a quick dusting of powder, both perfects and sets your make up, and takes away all of that oil and shine.

I'm slightly obsessed with face powders, and I always have a few on the go at once - I tend to use pressed powders for touch ups and when I'm on the go but for that first application at home I love the feeling of a loose powder on my skin. I've got one or two in my collection already but since I recently finished one I thought that I pick one up for one of May's My Pure reviews.

I've already spoke a little bit about the ethics and history of German brand Lavera in a previous post but I think it's important to remind you of the significant role they've played in the natural beauty industry.


Lavera as a company are over 25 years old, which surely tells you something about the quality of their products. 25 years in the beauty industry is a long time, and in that time many brands have came and went but Lavera have stayed at the top of the natural beauty market. They produce a wide range of products that only use natural ingredients, which are organic where possible, and that are formulated without synthetic preservatives, colourings or fragrance. The range is also animal friendly, and dermatologically tested to be suitable for even the most sensitive of skins.

The product that I decided to try was the Lavera Fine Loose Mineral Powder which comes in the one shade Transparent. Lavera are firm believers in the fact that make up should be good for your skin, so this product contains a host of good for you ingredients that you probably wouldn't expect to be in a face powder.

Suitable for all skintypes this talc free formulation, contains a wide variety of natural minerals and light reflecting pigments, as well as rice powder, and nourishing, organic oils, butters and plant extracts including, argan, coconut, sunflower, olive and jojoba oils, cocoa and shea butter, and extracts of rosa centifolia, mallow, lime blossom and licorice root.

The powder itself comes packaged in a basic, but practical screw top jar, and features a little insert with holes in so you don't dispense too much product at once.

The pot also comes with a useful, soft velour powder puff. You can apply the powder either with the puff provided but either patting or rolling it onto specific areas of shine, such as the t-zone, or if your skin is just generally oily or if you want to set your make up, you do what I generally do and use a big fluffy brush

The powder itself has a beautiful soft and velvety feel, it is very finely milled and it feels very lightweight on the skin, and no matter how much you apply it never feels cakey or drying. I think that that's probably down to all of the moisturising ingredients and plant oils, that also give a subtle but noticeable aromatherapy type scent.

The shade is called Transparent, and unlike a lot of loose powders that claim to be translucent, and despite the fact that it does seem to have a hint of colour, it doesn't drastically change the colour of your foundation or look obvious or chalky on the skin. My skin is you know, as very pink toned and quite pale, and this shade really worked with my skin, I can't say though how this would work on darker skin, a true translucent but should be okay but that's something that you would need to try for yourself to be sure.

I've been using this powder to set a variety of foundation, and it worked equally well on all of them but perhaps the one that it's performed best with is the Lavera Natural Liquid Foundation in the shade 02 - Ivory Nude. I reviewed this product a little while ago now (read my review here) and whilst there were aspects about it that I liked, the colour was a little bit off, and the creamy formulation meant that it didn't last very long on my skin. When I saw the accompanying powder, I thought would give it a go and see if it made a difference, and believe it or not it did.

Not only did it seem, to calm down the richer colour, but it also took away all of the initial shine, and glow in an instant, and it helped the foundation not only last longer but it also it made a lot more wearable on my oily skin

I've took a few photos below but I don't really think they show the difference that well after all this is a transparent powder so you aren't really supposed to see it. In the before pictures I'm just wearing the Lavera foundation and nothing else, and in the after photos I've just added a dusting of the Lavera Fine Loose Mineral Powder.

Before

After

I know you can't see too much of a difference in these photographs but I think you can see a slight change in the skins texture in the after photographs. What I like about this powder is that it is so light weight, you can barely see it or even feel it on the skin, you skin just looks smoother, and with a more even tone and texture. The oil just seems to disappear in a minute and your skin doesn't feel caked, thick with product or dry and flaky. If you have oily skin and you love natural products than I would definitely recommend this product. As well as using it set your make up, you can also dust this powder onto bare skin and use underneath your make up, to mattify the skin, and to even out your skin tone. Yes it's a little bit messy and you get a bit of fall out here and there but if you want an even toned, matte complication, then this is definitely something to try. The Lavera Fine Loose Mineral Powder in Transparent comes in an 8g pot and retails at £15.90  from My Pure. Are you still a loose powder fan? Let me know below x

*Sample

A Review Of Benecos Natural Compact Blush - Sassy Salmon*

The eagle eyed readers among you will probably already have at least some idea about what this posts going to be about. No I don't mean from the title that's way too obvious - I actually mean from the pretty large hint that I dropped in Fridays My Pure post.

It made sense I guess, if I was going to review the Benecos Rouge Brush, it made sense to review one of their blushers too so for the second of April's My Pure review I'm reviewing the Benecos Natural Compact Blush in the shade Sassy Salmon.

I've already talked an awful lot about the Benecos philosophy but I think it's important to mention it again. This German brand is BDIH certified and what that means is that the products are free from a lot of nasties that tend to crop up in a lot of beauty and make up products. They only use predominantly organic natural ingredients, and their products are also cruelty free, gluten free and free from genetically modified ingredients.

Like the Natural Highlighting Powder that I reviewed in a previous post (read it here) this blusher only contains natural pigments and minerals, and it is free from artificial colourants. It's also packed full of hydrating and moisturising skincare ingredients including macadamia nut, and castor, and sunflower seed oils.

This 5.5g powder blusher comes packaged in simple, but stylish clear plastic packaging. The blusher itself is embossed with the Benecos leaf / stalk logo.

My Pure currently have 3 colours to choose from but the one I chose was probably the most summery Sassy Salmon, a pretty rosy coral shade. I've tried my best to replicate it in these pictures but in real life it's probably a touch more brighter and coral looking.

As you can see from the swatch picture the pigmentation is excellent, this blusher has a soft, velvety feel, and despite the fact that it's a little powdery in the pan it's very easy to apply and to blend.

I feel like a broken record lately but thanks to the changeable weather this probably isn't the best of pictures but I hope you can see the pretty glow that you can achieve with this blusher. I think that this blusher would work on most skin tones, and because of that I can really see if being one of my go to summer cheek shades for Summer 2016. I love this blusher and it will definitely be making an appearance in my March / April favourites video, not only for the appearance, and quality but also for the amazingly purse friendly price. The Benecos Natural Compact Blush  is available from My Pure and comes in 3 shades and retails at just £5.95 for 5.5g of product - which I think is pretty decent when you consider the quality of the product, and the companies philosophy. What's you favourite blush shade for summer? Leave me a comment and let me know below x

*Sample