12 July 2021

Winners announced in 2021 Free From Skincare Awards
My first big adventure this year was a joyful trip to London to once again participate in judging for the Free From Skincare Awards. Last Wednesday the winners were announced and it's a fantastic and well deserving group of brands across all categories.

Irish handmade skincare brand Holos Skincare has scoped the winning Best Free From Skincare Product for This is More Get Better Butter. “Scoring an average of 9.6 out of 10 with our product testers, Get Better Butter deserved the overall title this year,” said Awards director, Alex Gazzola. “The wonderful texture was admired by all, and the results reported were exceptional.”

Free from artificial fragrances, colours, animal-sourced ingredients, palm-oil derivatives and food allergens, Holos’s Get Better Butter was up against other successful category winners, including first-time participants Scence, Grace & Blumë and Made on the Chalk, and Award regulars Hairy Jayne, Weleda and Fiini Naturally.

The Best Free From Brand Award was shared between Lyonsleaf, winners of almost 30 medals in the history of the Awards, and Australian brand Eco by Sonya, who received a Gold and two Silvers with their three entries this year.

As a judge and blogger there are of course entrants to the awards that I cross paths with. Some of them I have suggested give consideration to participating each year. I don't always get to judge the categories they enter so when I see them scoop awards it's a lovely feeling. Congratulations to Minimalist Skincare, Wildefruit, Ermana, Lucky Cloud Skincare, Bowe Organics, BAO Skincare and Lily & Rabbit.

In honour of Plastic Free July, I would encourage you to explore the winners list because many of the brands have minimalistic and eco-friendly packaging. If like me you have an interest in Vegan skincare then several Vegan trademark holders are also on the winners list - Hairy Jayne, HAERScence Skincare, Queenie Organics, Crystal Spring, Bowe Organics, BAO Skincare, Little Soap Co, Beauty Kitchen and Rhug Wild Beauty.

A list of all Gold, Silver and Bronze winners can be found at freefromskincareawards.co.uk

Sarah x

4 July 2021

Green People Scent Free Hand Cream
I don't know about you but a huge bottle of hand cream is exactly what is needed at the moment. Constant hand washing and sanitising has taken its toll on my delicate skin so I want a lotion that absorbs quickly and instantly hydrates.

Green People is a brand I have trusted for many years. They are reliable, good quality and offer fragrance free options. The Green People Everyday Hand Cream is a whopping 300ml bottle so that works out great to share around your household or provides a plentiful supply if you're the only one using it. The simple white packaging looks elegant in the bathroom, bedroom or office. The pump generally works well but sometimes needs unclogging otherwise it will fly across the room. To be fair I'm sure most of us have experienced of this with pump dispensers, I find it a common problem with my products.

Green People highlight the following key points on their website -
Vegan, scent-free and suitable for all the family
Ultra-gentle on sensitive skin of all ages, with no synthetic fragrance
Naturally abundant in the Omega-3&6 fatty acids that are essential for healthy skin
Leaves hands nourished, soft and protected against dryness

So what do I think? Green People Everyday Hand Cream has a light lotion feel but it still manages to hydrate my skin. This cream sinks in quickly which suits me as I don't enjoy applying greasy thick creams during the day. It's nice to be able to get on with daily tasks and not have to wave my hands around waiting for absorption. 

There is a matching Scent Free Everyday Hand Wash which is on my 'to try' list for the future. You can purchase these products individually or as a set. Overall, I believe Green People Scent Free Everyday Hand Cream is the perfect staple skincare product to have in your home. 

If you'd like more information for the Green People Scent Free Everyday Hand Cream or any other products, then I recommend checking out their website - greenpeople.co.uk

Sarah x

20 June 2021

Bloomtown, Butterwhips and Grüum
(gifted/unpaid)

Here we are again with a round up of products I've been testing from Love Lula. An important note for readers with allergy prone sensitive skin, these products are fragrance free and do not contain essential oil allergens.

Bloomtown The Spring Sweet Almond & Shea Sugar Scrub - I know this brand having sampled their products on the judges table for the Free From Skincare Awards. Over the years I have stayed away from exfoliating because my delicate skin can't handle it and it can be damaging. Saying that the one place that gets a yearly scrub is my feet as my tough trotters can handle the course sugar grains which I can't tolerate anywhere else on my body. I'm really bad at looking after my feet. I'm guessing most of us have had that moment of panic when the sun starts shining, the flip flops came out and the horror of cracked heels are unveiled to the world. Bloomtown sugar scrub is course and gritty but with the right amount of oil to give moisturisation and not a trip to A&E (slippery bath tubs are not what we want). Spring is the unscented version but there are five fragrant options in the sugar scrub collection. It comes in two sizes, I have the smaller 60ml jar which gives the perfect amount to road test before investing further. Overall a good product but I'd use sparingly as over exfoliating skin can cause issues.

Butterwhips Perfectly Pure Apricot Whipped Butter - If you enjoy using shea butter for hydrating your skin then I am sure this brand will appeal to you. Rich and luxurious which works well for dry skin. I have been using this butter on my legs which leaves them feeling silky smooth and lasts the day. I'd sum up Butterwhips as simple recyclable packaging with honest and straight forward ingredient formulation. Fragranced versions are available.

Grüum Pür Gentle Moisturiser - having previously shopped directly with Gruum to purchase their facial sunscreen. I'd refer to Grüum as affordable, uncomplicated, genderless and no gimmicks. The gentle moisturiser isn't promising to deliver any miracles but it will hydrate as expected. It's a lightweight lotion which works well on my mature, naturally dry skin. I will say that my skin generally glows in the summer months so it's easier to look after in comparison to the dryness of winter. The only criticism I have is with the packaging. The compact size is great to reduce waste but I struggle to squeeze product from the bottle. I have to shake hard, hold upside down and nudge the cream out. 


Sarah x

6 June 2021

The 2021 Free From Skincare Awards Finalists are Announced
It's been a bumper year for the Free From Skincare Awards with around 250 products making it through to the Final stage. The Finalists were decided by a team of independent testers, each with sensitive or problem skin, or with an interest in non-mainstream skincare products, who have been putting entries through their paces.

I'm a supporter of these awards because they are dedicated to celebrating cosmetics 'free from' ingredients which consumers, such as myself, choose or need to avoid. You'll spot some familiar brands on the list of Finalists, their products often feature on my blog - Annwyn, Balmonds, BAO, Eden Days, Ermana, Lily & Rabbit, Lucky Cloud Skincare, Lyonsleaf, Maison Meunier, Minimalist Skincare, Odylique.

Never in ten years have we had higher average scores in the Awards than this year,” says Awards director Alex Gazzola. “The vast majority of products performed well or exceptionally well, and it has been an almost impossible task to narrow the field down. All finalists deserve their places.

Amongst the familiar names are lots of 'new to me' brands which I've included in the photo above - Cacao Pow, Black Palm, Soft Paws Cosmetics, So Natural, The Natural Beauty Pot, Zero Soap

Finalists now go through to judging sessions, with panels made up of leading industry figures, including beauty journalists, bloggers, consultants, brand owners and formulators. Gold, Silver and Bronze winners in all 16 categories — plus additional awards for Best Free From Skincare Brand, Best Free From Achievement, and of course Best Overall Free From Skincare Product — will be announced online at the beginning of July.

If you'd like to browse the List of Finalists it can be viewed at the Free From Skincare Awards site.

Sarah x

1 June 2021

Father's Day Gift Ideas 2021
(not sponsored/researched and selected by Sugarpuffish)

I always struggle for Father's Day gifts so whilst searching the internet for my own ideas I've collated a little collection of presents. I hope you find this helpful.

Peace with the Wild - this site has a lovely collection of gift sets, they have everything covered  from sweet treats, gardening, skincare and more. I am sure you would find something for most budgets.

Sea Change Wine - this company keeps popping up on my Instagram so I'll give them a mention. Their message "We want to combine our love of great wine with our desire to do something to help protect our oceans." seems admirable and appealing.

Soap Daze - if you are looking for a zero waste option then what about a classic soap on a rope? lovely to see a modern twist on this old classic. Soap Daze also have gift set options.

Thought Clothing - ethical clothing is always an option from t-shirts, trousers to sock and undies. I particularly like their smaller gift sets including one containing a reusable PLA coffee cup and two pairs of bamboo organic cotton blend socks.

Tony's Chocolonely Chocolate - you'll be able to pick this one up at the supermarket or online. If you visit their website there is a feature to create your own wrapper which is something a little different. The Dark Almond Sea Salt and Extra Dark Chocolate 70% are suitable for vegans.

Wave Phone Cases - back in January I reviewed the Wave case I had purchased. It's still on my phone, holding up well and I like it so I can't think of any reason not to recommend as a gift.

Sarah x

23 May 2021

Grüum SPF50 5* UVA Dermatologist Face Sunscreen
(Please Note - I purchased this item/ingredients were correct at date of publication/always check with company for up to date information as formulations can change)

UPDATE JULY 2021 - I have seen a few comments on Gruum's IG that their SPF is not Vegan as has been claimed on their website and in adverts. I understand the formulation is from Altruist and their FAQ page states "Given the interest in this issue we have investigated further and we know that the components are fully vegan except for Xanthan Gum as there are enzymes used during a fermentation process to get Xanthan Gum. The typical production process of Xanthan uses Iysozyme derived from the egg white of chicken eggs."

I was window shopping for a facial SPF and a well timed instagram advert from Grüum had me placing an order. Grüum sunscreen appealed to me for several reasons. It's fragrance free, cruelty free, affordable, with high UVA and UVB protection.

We built grüum on three core principles: Simplicity, Honesty and Fairness. We’re committed to creating clean skincare products that are kind to you, your skin, and our planet.

Yes, I too am here for the dinky cute bottle, it's a standard 50ml and you'll probably get through it quickly if applying every day. According to the FAQs it is a plastic bottle made from either HDPE or LDPE (caps from PP) these are recycled plastics but it is going to depend on whether your local council accepts it. I know that this will be a deal breaker for some readers.

Grüum SPF is lightweight and feels like a standard lotion. I have a pale skin tone and so I don't notice a white cast. In that respect it's much better than other mineral sun creams I've tried over the years. I think it's possible that it could also suit a deeper complexion and suggest it's worth trying out. I'm happy to apply my tinted CC cream over the top without any noticeable issue so I'll say this works well under makeup.

I've not experienced any breakouts or irritation and I'm happy to keep using Grüum facial sunscreen for the foreseeable. Obviously with the weather being shit at the moment and no overseas summer holidays on the horizon, I can't say how it holds up on a very sunny day. For day to day activities at home I'm happy with how it feels on my skin.

I recommend checking out the Gruum website - www.gruum.com for more information and to browse their other products.

Sarah x

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16 May 2021

Gallinée Prebiotic Perfume Free Cleansing Bar
(gifted/unpaid)

Back in March, I reviewed the Silvan Skincare Pure Face Cream and it quickly become a firm favourite in my skincare routine. As that product comes to an end it reminded me that I hadn't featured the other items included in my February delivery from Love Lula.

Gallinée Prebiotic Perfume Free Cleansing Bar - an interesting brand because products contain prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics to support the good bacteria on your skin. I'm a bit sceptical about the use of these ingredients in skincare as I have questions about the effectiveness in products without stable packaging. Apparently the original scented Cleansing Bar is a best seller and now Gallinée have followed up with a fragrance free version. At first I thought this bar was intended for facial cleansing but the formula is gynaecologist tested and can be used over the body. 

Gallinée are very keen to inform customers that their cleansing bar is not a soap. You may be wondering what makes soap, soap free! It's all in the ingredients. Soap is formulated with natural oils or fats, sodium hydroxide (or other strong alkaline solutions) and surfactants. A 'soap-free' cleanser doesn't contain these ingredients.

This cleansing bar looks, feels and lathers like soap. It promises to be gentle and non-stripping on the skin. I'm going to be honest and say I'm struggling with this product. I'm sitting on the fence with my opinions in that I don't hate it but it hasn't got the 'wow' factor. For me, it may be better as a body cleaner but I lost interest in using it.
Lamazuna Solid Cocoa Butter
Lamazuna Solid Cocoa Butter (Frangipani) - first up this one smells delightful because I find it hard to dislike the scent of Frangipani. The tropical vacation vibes are what we all need right now. Lamazuna's ethos is zero waste which I am sure will appeal to many people. 

I'll be honest and say I have struggled with the concept of a solid moisturiser. Some people like their skincare waterless however I think my dry and eczema prone skin is better suited to creams and lotions. I've ended up using this solid cocoa butter to scent my skin rather than provide long lasting moisturisation. I simply don't feel as if I can get the traction and moisture that my skin craves. If you have an uncomplicated skin type and you crave plastic free skincare, then give Lamazuna Solid Cocoa Butter a try, you never know you may end up loving it.
Organically Epic Conscious Cotton Buds
Organically Epic Conscious Cotton Buds - there is nothing thrilling about cotton buds but I do like to use them for various beauty tasks. These buds are made from sustainable bamboo and organic cotton, they are compostable and recyclable. I do limit my usage but I'm also conscious about not contributing to plastic waste. These cotton buds are an easy product to recommend as there isn't anything to dislike about them.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the items featured here, please visit websites for more information.

Sarah x 

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