Petite Marie Ounce of Prevention Mineral Sun Protection Cream SPF 30

Petite Marie Organics is a Switzerland-based range (although it initially started out in the UK) founded by nutritionist Julie Gabriel after years of struggling with acne herself and the range focuses on natural skincare for these more problematic skin types. 

I stumbled upon this suncream after reading a review on vivawoman.net, and it piqued my interest as it seemed like it would be a beneficial sunscreen for my acne-prone skin as it is mineral based, using zinc oxide (not-nano) as the primary sun defence.

It also contains some other natural lovelies to calm and soothe the skin like Arctic blackcurrant oil as well as antioxidant protection from Green Tea and Lycopene.

The texture is a light cream, but because of the zinc oxide, I find that it takes on a very slight chalky feel as you rub into the skin. When initially applied the cream does look whiteish, but with blending leaves barely a trace visible on the skin.

Even though the texture is a little strange at first in comparison to other sunscreens, I do not find it drying and it's only if I've applied too much that it seems to settle around drier areas like spots. I think if you had drier skin then you would probably need a separate moisturiser underneath. I have used it without and it's fine on my combination/acne/dehydrated skin but because of the texture I like having a 'cushion' between so I usually slip a little serum or moisturiser underneath.

Ingredients:

Purified water, zinc oxide (18%), organic olive oil, cetearyl olivate (emulsifier), sorbitan olivate (emulsifier), organic shea butter, organic sea buckthorn oil, cetyl palmitate (emulsifier), sorbitan palmitate (emulsifier), organic Argan oil, organic Echinacea extract, organic calendula extract, Siberian ginseng extract, starflower oil, Arctic black currant oil, olive leaf extract, xanthan gum, green tea, lycopene, gluconolactone, sodium benzoate.

I bought this from petitemarieorganics.com

EDIT 5/5/12: Something I forgot to mention in my review was the website service (the comment by Anonymous reminded me).

I did find it took much longer to receive my order than I would normally find ordering from overseas. I would expect an order to be dispatched within 3 days from any website (unless it is stated on the website that there will be delays), but this took about a week for the status to be updated, then another week or so for it to arrive.

Dark Taupe-Brown Eyeshadow Comparison

I have several eyeshadow shades that I know are very similar and it's only after I've bought them I've thought to myself 'I hope I haven't ended up with the same eyeshadow', so I've done a comparison to see.

These are all in the dark taupey brown category - my instant go-to for smoky eyes/outer corner and crease blends.

From top left clockwise: Burberry Taupe Brown, Revlon CustomEyes Naturally Glamorous Palette, Rouge Bunny Rouge Blackpepper Jay, Une Sfumato Eyes S11

Bottom-Top: Rouge Bunny Rouge Blackpepper Jay, Burberry Taupe Brown, Une S11, Revlon CustomEyes Naturally Glamorous Palette

L-R: Rouge Bunny Rouge Blackpepper Jay, Burberry Taupe Brown, Une S11, Revlon CustomEyes Naturally Glamorous Palette

L-R: Rouge Bunny Rouge Blackpepper Jay, Burberry Taupe Brown, Une S11, Revlon CustomEyes Naturally Glamorous Palette

The Rouge Bunny Rouge and Burberry are the most pigmented shades and the ones that look very similar, but on closer inspection the Burberry Taupe Brown (07) is a touch warmer (maybe a tiny bit green) toned where as the Rouge Bunny Rouge Blackpepper Jay (045) looks a very tiny bit darker and more neutral than warm.

I adore the quality of both of these shades and the texture is equally as smooth and impressive in one swipe although the RBR is just that tiny bit smoother, although I don't think there is much in it. Blackpepper Jay I haven't had as long where as the Burberry is the first one I bought from the four shades so I have used this much more and it is one of my favourite eyeshadows.

The Une Sfumato S11 is one of Une's better pigmented shades although not quite as pigmented as RBR or Burberry. It looks to be a lighter and more warmer brown-toned version of Blackpepper Jay. Even though matte, it has a subtle sheen to it whereas RBR and Burberry are very much matte.

The Une I have had to make a few passes to get a bit more intensity but I think the sheerer texture works well for layering and when I don't want as strong a look.

I've already recently reviewed the Revlon CustomEyes palette here, but thought I'd see how the darkest shade looks in comparison. This is more pigmented than the Une and has a similar warm tone like the Burberry but with a subtle sheen that is visible when the light hits it.

I like all of these shades and even though some are more similar than others, they are not exact dupes so I don't feel too bad owning them all!

Current Lipbalm Loves: Malin + Goetz & This Works

I am a bit of a lipbalm-aholic, I love a gorgeous balm so will have a variety about the house/handbag/work and these are a couple I'm currently loving:

Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturizer

I read Visionary Beauty's review on this a while back and made a mental note to check this out when I went to SpaceNK (and had also accumulated enough N.dulge points;)

This is a nice, thick clear gel texture that feels so cushiony and nourishing on the lips, elevating any dryness straightaway, making the lips feel super-smooth and generally lovely:) It is fragrance and colour free as well.

I think I prefer this more than the Lanolips 101 Ointment because I find it a little more moisturising and because it's completely clear I can be quite liberal with it and not get a milky-looking build up my lips that can happen with the Lanolips if I lay it on a bit thick!

This Works Turbo Balm

I got this free with a purchase and initially I was not taken with it as even though it's a balm, it has a thinner texture which feels a little granular rather than completely smooth. Because of this, I mainly kept it for use at home and was not expecting a great deal but after having using it consistently most evenings it seems to over time improve the feel and general hydration of the lips which has been a pleasant surprise. It's also good for any other dry patches of skin but I use it mainly on the lips.

L- This Works Turbo Balm, R- Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturizer

Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturizer Ingredients:

This Works Turbo Balm Ingredients:

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, Euphoribia Cerifera (Candellia) Wax, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Rosa Centifolia (Rose) Oil. 

Revlon CustomEyes Naturally Glamorous Palette Review

I went to check out the new Revlon lip butters but my eyes were also drawn to this palette with my favourite colour combo of browns. I think this is new as I don't remember seeing it previously.

It's a lovely compact size with a pretty selection of natural shades with good pigmentation. I really like the embossing on the powder which gives it a little bit more interest and is a detail that grabbed my attention initially. The texture is smooth and fairly buttery although the first shade on the left and the middle paler shade are a little powdery than the others.

Shade 1 is a dark, almost black brown which is more matte than the other shades. Shade 2 is a deep, warm brown,  Shade 3 in the middle is a pale creamy beige sort of colour,  Shade 4 is a rich, chocolately slightly red-toned brown and the last shade is a pretty golden brown.

I always get good use from these kind of colours and they are ones I reach for instinctively in my collection, especially when I'm in a hurry.

There are 2 other colour variants I saw - one of which was more blue based and another that I was also tempted by which had a beautiful deep green and purple.

The palette is £7.99 which I think is rather good for the quality and range of colours.

I purchased this from Boots.