Suki Chamomile Serum

Although I my complexion is normally clear, in the last two weeks I've had some trouble with blemishing. So I wanted to test the Suki's facial moisture serum, since it's made from all-natural ingredients and would, theoretically, be gentler on my skin.

The primary ingredient is Jojoba oil, so it has to be applied in very small quantities and massaged into damp toned skin to avoid any greasy consistency. Suki says the serums are very uniquely concentrated and when used as directed, they should not be at all greasy. The Suki Blue Chamomile Serum is actually indicated for oily skin. I really liked this product. It was very mild and kind to my skin. It did seem to improve the pimple situation a bit, although there is still no magic cure. The Suki Blue Chamomile serum and the Suki Pure Cosmetics range is available at Naturisimo The Organic Skincare Company.

Dr Alkaitis

Dr Alkaitis will be launching in the UK this summer. Ever since I discovered Dr Alkaitis in the US, I loved its purity. Dr Alkaitis’ philosophy is that 'if you can't eat it, don't put it on your skin.' With 100% active ingredients, these products are good enough to eat.

Dr Alkaitis’ organic skincare is already a cult range in the US and it has a huge celebrity following with written endorsements from Sharleen Spiteri (Lead Singer Texas) and Billy Zane (actor & director) featuring in their site.

I love the whole range, each and every product. It is so hard to choose just one product. The Dr. Alkaitis Purifying Cleanser and Nourishing Treatment Oil leave my skin unusually soft and the clarity is amazing. The Organic Replenishing Serum feels divine. I don't generally endorse products this heartily. Maybe it's to do with the fact that all Alkaitis' products are organic aloe-based rather than water based. Maybe it's because of the high concentration of all those lovely ingredients. Whatever it is, I'm sold. Dr Alkaitis organic skin care is being launched in the UK this summer and it will available at Naturisimo from launch.

Nature's Face

It is a pleasure to hear from the beauty editor of the Telegraph Magazine how pleased she was with the natural make up products she tested. She writes ' I am amazed that it has taken so long for manufacturers to sprinkle make-up with the same magic 'natural dust' as skincare. It make sense that cosmetics - applied near eyes and mouths - should use plant-based ingredients over chemicals, especially in this age of enlightenment. Sceptic maintain that 'green' cosmetics are not as efficacious or long-wearing as those with a refined chemical composition geared to give high-performance results. But I have not found this to be so with the natural organic cosmetics I have tried: Nvey Eco and Suki Color, both brands available on the organic skincare website naturisimo.com. [...]. Natural cosmetics unarguably have a place with those with makeup sensitivities but the new breed a giving great results too.'

Visit Naturisimo for one of the widest collections of natural and organic cosmetics in the UK.

John Masters Skincare

When I first tried John Masters Mandarin Maximum Moisture, I liked the sensual aroma and rich texture but in that first quick trial thought it a big pricey. So this week I decided to give it a second try and I was surprised to find how much effective it felt. It does happen that your mood can affect how a product is perceived, and this week I did ‘get’ the price tag. This John Masters Organic cream (£47.95) is an extraordinarily potent moisturizer. I used it at night and the morning after my skin felt soft and velvety, quite radiant. I loved the aroma and texture I had already appreciated on the first trial. I read in the description that glycoproteins stimulate cell growth for long-term reversal of damage caused by aging, sun and pollution. Mandarin extract helps to make the skin luminous and helps to reduce the appearance of age spots (71% of users notice significant reduction of age spots after 6 weeks). No doubt this is a luxurious product that works, I would definitely use it again when my skin feels a big dry or in need a special treat. The John Masters Mandarin cream and John Masters organic skincare range are available at Naturisimo The Organic Skincare Company.

Elysambre Makeup

This is an exciting week at Naturisimo with the launch of Elysambre Organic Makeup. Naturisimo is the first UK online retailer to offer Elysambre organic makeup, an innovative natural make-up line made with organic certified ingredients and paraben and petrochemical free. Elysambre is the result of a respectful consideration for people and nature and comes with great credentials as it is made by the same company that makes the organic certified makeup range Couleur Caramel. Its refillable packaging policy makes this a unique natural makeup range. And it’s entirely cruelty-free, of course. I particularly like the Elysambre Cream Foundation (£24.95) which gives me the sort of medium coverage I want and the Elysambre Organic Lipstick (£14.95), with its soft texture and natural aroma. I can’t wait to try more products next week. Be the first to try this fantastic new mineral based make-up range, available now at Naturisimo The Organic Skincare Company.

Nvey Eco: Best Concealer

NVEY ECO Organic Erase Concealer has won Best Concealer in the Natural Health Beauty Awards 2008 so a review was in order. This is a very good concealer and goes a long way in covering under-eye circles, blurring over acne scars or discoloration, and neutralizing any red spots. This organic concealer cream feels rich but light, it easily sinks into skin and settles down into a silky, non-greasy finish. And let’s not forget Nvey Eco is certified organic as well as “paraben free, SLS free, GM free, cruelty free, talc free, and contains no propylene glycol or petroleum based ingredients.”

Any downsides? Nvey Eco concealer doesn’t come in enough shades. It comes in only two colors which works well on fair to light tan skin tones. Anyone with deep-medium to darker skin, however, will probably find this concealer to be too light. Besides that, this is a very nice concealer. If you have fair to medium skin, I recommend giving it a try. NVEY ECO Organic Erase Concealer (£13.95) and the full Nvey Eco Organic Makeup line are available from Naturisimo The Organic Skincare Company.

Juice Beauty Lipstick

I recently received a sample of the Juice Beauty Tinted Lip Moisturiser in Joyful. This Lip Moisturiser retails at £5.95 and also comes in a trio pack (Joyful, Playful and Delightful - £13.95). It smells great, very juicy berry/cherry flavour, although when you put it on you don’t taste it much. It gives a little hint of colour, although I would have preferred it without, not that I don’t like tinted lip balms, it’s just that I am not convinced by the colour of this one. This is not a greasy, glossy lip balm, which may be perfect for some. For me however, who has dry lips, it is a little dry and will not slide on the lips the way I like it. I was really looking forward to try this Juice Beauty Lip Moisturiser because I'm still looking for my perfect lip balm but for me this is not it. If you are looking to protect your lips from the sun and don't like the greasy feeling, this could be just the ticket. Juice Beauty SPF15 Tinted Lip Moisturiser and the entire Juice Beauty line is available from Naturisimo The Organic Skincare Company.

Back in store: Weleda

After a pause of over a year, Weleda is back in our shelves. Weleda believes in supporting the natural healing abilities of the individual by developing and producing the highest quality complimentary medicine, nutritional supplements and holistic body care products. Weleda emphasizes the use of essential oils and plant extracts in as many of their products as possible. Weleda's goes in to great details about the ingredients they use and don't use - how they get those ingredients - and why they use them. I particularly like the Weleda Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream, its smell and texture, and it's great value for money, too. A selected range of Weleda products is available at Naturisimo The Organic Skincare Company.

Suki Lip & Cheek Cream

I absolutely adore Suki and it is probably the best natural cosmetics range I’ve ever tried, and I’ve tried many. So when I was told that Suki was going to launch Suki Color I was delighted. Because of the huge demand for Suki samples, I’ve only managed to get my hands on the Suki Lip & Cheek stain in Dhalia, the only colour available in a sample at the time. I first used this product on my cheeks and I didn’t really go WOW! because I found the colour slightly brownish and I am more of a pinkie blusher kind of girl, but it grew on me. I would have liked this blusher to have a more creamy texture, so it is best used after your moisturiser or facial oil. As a lip stain it didn’t work for me. It was too dry and I would have liked a little bit more gloss to it. If you are on a budget, like most of us are, then at £31.95 it’s pricey and I would rather spend £13.50 on an Nvey Eco blusher or two. The Suki Lip & Cheek stain and the entire Suki natural cosmetics range is available at Naturisimo The Organic Skincare Company.

The Times Beauty Awards

It’s that time of year again: The Sunday Times Style Beauty Awards 2008 - as voted for by you.
The Sunday Times beauty editor, Helen Brown invites nominations and we would love your vote to support 'naturisimo.com' nomination for Best Beauty Website.

Closing date is April 9th. Vote here or visit http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/specials/style_beauty_awards/

Thank you to everyone who supported our nomination in The Observer Ethical Awards Best Online retailer. We hope to hear from you again!

Earth's Beauty Lipstick

The packaging of this Earth’s Beauty Lipstick is very deceiving. It is quite plain and the Travel Size looks like children’s make up, but the quality is actually rather good. It feels as moist as a lip balm, slightly glossy and slightly shear. I received the Earth's Beauty Lipstick in Rose Quartz and although the color didn’t much my skintone completely, I still like using it. It is a medium pink with a light lilac undertone and because it is not a natural tone of pink, it is more of an evening shade. I would love to try some of the other colours and find my right shade. The full size costs £11.95 and the travel/tester size £5.95 and although it is tiny, I think it can still last you for a month using it everyday. I would definitely buy this lipstick again. Feels like a lip balm and has no taste or smell to it. The Earth’s Beauty Lipstick and natural mineral makeup range is available at Naturisimo The Organic Skincare Company.

Spring Skin Essentials

DULL SKIN NEEDS...a mini-overhaul. To polish up my post-winter skin, I am using the Suki Exfoliating Lemongrass Cleanser to reveal fresh skin, followed by the Suki Intensive Complexion Brightening Cream. The active ingredients time release Vitamin C, grapeseed brewer's yeast and green tea to brighten complexion and stimulate collagen productions so the skin becomes radiant withouth the use of any of the usual artificial and obscure chemicals found in most brightening creams. I am thrilled by the results of this safe and clean brightening cream, how it protects my delicate skin while achieving a healthy glow. The Suki Brightening Cream (£43.95) and Suki Exfoliating Lemongrass Cleanser (£23.95) are available at Naturisimo The Organic Skincare Company.

Juice Beauty Cleansing Milk

This organic cleansing milk is recommended for dry, mature, normal and sensitive skin. I have dry skin so it was the perfect cleanser to try out. It has a nicely orange blossom smell, it reminds me of the Earth Mama Body Butter. It claims to gently cleanse and comfort for a dewy, moist complexion. It cleanses and removes make up and although it didn’t dry out my skin, it didn’t leave it as moist as it claims. Would I buy Juice Beauty Cleansing Milk in the future? …I probably would, but this time I would remove it with cotton wool and not with water as per the instructions as this, in my opinion, dries out dry skin. A favourite of mine is the Suki Cleansing Lotion, £22.50 for 171ml. You can rinse it with water or simply apply and remove with cotton wool but in both cases, this cleanser lives dry skin nicely moisturised. The Juice Beauty Cleansing Milk, £19.95 for 120ml and Juice Beauty organic skin care line is available at Naturisimo The Organic Skincare Company.