Salt of the Earth Rock Chick Deodorant - A review and giveaway

Crystal Spring, who already make the award-winning Salt of the Earth natural deodorants have just launched a new 100% natural deodorant for girls, called Salt of the Earth, Rock Chick.

Both deodorants are unscented, long lasting and good value for money. They are suitable for vegans and obviously are not tested on animals. They both contain naturally-occurring potassium alum and are suitable for young skin too (so are great for young adolescents, who might not need a strong antiperspirant). The Rock Chick solid crystal deodorant (priced at £4.96) is attractively packaged in purple and silver. My girls, who aren't particularly sweaty teens, found it easy to use and effective. 

They weren't as quite as keen on the Salt of the Earth Spray, as it goes on wet and takes a little while to dry, but they thought it smelt pleasant as a body spray. Although it has no added perfume, it contains  honeysuckle flower extract so smells faintly floral. I think it would work well as a body-freshening spray at festivals or during camping trips, when daily showering isn't always possible.

"A little bit of girl-power confidence for those who are starting to notice changes with body odour. Long lasting and great value, Rock Chickis kind and gentle to skin and kind to clothes. Being unfragranced it will work without anyone knowing it is there..." 

I have a set of Salt of the Earth deodorants (including one unscented full-sized spray, a travel spray and a Rock Chick, crystal stick) to giveaway, simply use the Rafflecopter widget and leave me a comment below, telling me your favourite smell! Closes Midnight 7th June UK only.
Integrity Statement
I received complimentary products to review and giveaway. The views expressed are genuinely those of myself and my family.  a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you're not lucky enough to win this prize, Crystal Spring are currently hosting a giveaway for their new scented Salt of the Earth deodorant. Competition closes Sunday 8th June.

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Oy! Organic skincare for young people - A review

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You may remember my previous review for Green People and how much I loved their products, so of course I jumped at the chance to road-test some more products with a helping hand (well, face!) from both Miss Ony and Miss Kahonie. The products we were asked to test were the Oy! Cleanse & Moisturise and the Oy! Foaming Clear Skin Face Wash. Both are formulated specifically for sensitive young skin, but include vital skin cleansing ingredients which are so important for the tweens and teens. Of course the products are also suitable for vegetarians (most are vegan) and cruelty-free.

Oy! Is the first certified organic and fairly traded range for young skin. Oy! offers a unique range rich in natural spot-zapping key actives for a clear, blemish-free complexion and gentle, effective products for the body. 

We tried out the products for a month to see if there were any long term benefits or any skin reactions after using the products daily...

The packaging for both was practical, modern and appealing. The products smelt lovely with a fresh, zesty, citrus aroma which would suit both boys and girls. The Cleanse & Moisturise is formulated to be used without water as a combined make-up remover, cleanser and moisturiser. I would say this is better for drier skins like my own, as the girls didn't feel that it cleansed their combination skins efficiently enough, so they used it as a moisturiser instead. Miss Ony and I also tried it out as a make-up remover. It removed most of our make-up efficiently enough, but struggled with waterproof mascara. The foaming Clear Skin Face Wash was was great. It foamed well and one squirt was enough to wash our faces. It left all of our skins feeling cleansed and smelling great. 

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13 year old Miss Ony is prone to the odd break-out of spots and she noticed a definite improvement to her skin over the trial period, and ended up with blemish-free skin! Miss Kahonie and I only get the occasional spot, but our faces remained spot free over the trial. None of us had any adverse reaction to the products.

You can buy the full range of Oy! products from Green People and various other outlets. The products normally retail from £7.95 each but Green People currently some special  special offers on selected products. Click here for more information.

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Superdrug's cruelty free and cost-conscious products

I'm a bit late in realising this, but apparently all of Superdrug's own brand cosmetics and toiletries are now approved by BUAV. I only found this out, when I was looking for a hair styling product in Superdrug and happened to notice the BUAV bunnies on them.

This is great news for ethical consumers, as it guarantees that no animal testing has taken place in any part of the products' manufacturing process. Vegetarians and vegans will be pleased to know that the products are also labelled as to their suitability. I'm happy to report that the items I have tried so far, are cheaper than most of the big brand cosmetic lines and are great quality too.

You may think that the animal testing ban which came into force in 2009 means that all cosmetics are already cruelty free, but BUAV say that "Despite a UK and EU ban on the use of animals to test cosmetic products, large numbers of cosmetic products available in high street stores still contain ingredients that have previously been tested on animals. Contrary to popular belief, until 2013 cosmetic companies are still allowed to market and sell products within the EU that have been tested on animals in other parts of the world."

If you are concerned about animal testing via the backdoor, please sign the NO CRUEL COSMETICS petition.

Integrity Statement
I have not received any payment or free products in return for this review and the views expressed are genuinely those of myself.
Image courtesy of BUAV © Pin It

Because I'm worth it...beauty with an edge!

I love Urban Decay make up! I discovered the brand last year after searching for cruelty-free cosmetics online, and was pleasantly surprised at the cost and quality of their products. Not only that, but the packing is eye-catching, original and looks great on your dressing table...so good in fact, that 12 year old Miss Ony, keeps 'borrowing' my make up!

Their products come in an amazing range of long-lasting pigment colours, which are fabulous for the party season and would make a lovely last minute present for a friend (or yourself!)

Their new vegan eye shadow palette includes vibrant teal and silvery-green shadows plus four rich neutrals. It also includes a mini eye pencil and (non-vegan) primer. It costs around £23 and is available online and from selected Boots, House of Fraser and Debenhams stores.


Update: 07/06/12 I am saddened to hear that Urban Decay will no longer be cruelty free, after they decided to sell their products in China. Whilst Urban Decay won't be testing their own products, it is likely that the Chinese policy of animal testing will mean that their products will have to be tested before they are allowed to go on sale. Therefore Urban Decay will no longer be able to use the leaping bunny symbol or claim to be cruelty free.

Update: 06/07/12 I am very happy to hear that Urban Decay have done a U-turn and have decided not to expand into China. Well done everyone who expressed their concerns and well done to Urban Decay for listening to your customers :-)

Images courtesy of Urban Decay.

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