Poppy Sloane Tres Chic Vegan Mascara

I am a mascara fiend, it is the one product I never leave the house without and I love nothing more than discovering something new. The latest in the line of newness for me come from Poppy Sloane, a brand I had never come across until now. A brand that takes pride in being 100% British and back in 2014, the Poppy Sloane smudge proof mascara first conceived. What they wanted to create was the best waterproof mascara that didn’t smudge, smear or flake. Essentially, they wanted to design the best smudge proof mascara on the market. Fast forward to 2019 and the Mascara has been reformulated having taken on board opinions and comments by those using it.

So now we have a mascara which claims to be more volumising whilst retaining all of its other features from the original formulation and now it is also Vegan.

This smudge proof mascara is fantastic for its waterproof, flake proof and smear proof qualities. Completely coating and tubing your lashes, this mascara is super stylish – there are no fibres as bamboo has been added to give extra volume and avoid a mess with the added bonus of being anti-microbial – good for eye health. It is easily removed with plenty of water and a little bit of friction. No special makeup removers are required and it’s best not to use makeup wipes or cotton wool/pads – just water and your fingers or a flannel. 

When I buy a mascara, I am quite picky about the formula that I want to use. I don't like anything that is overly wet because I have fairly long lashes, so I don't want to apply something, only for it to drag my lashes down. What I have found with this mascara is that the formula isn't at all wet and because of the design and shape of the brush, it manages to grab just enough product to coat and tube the lashes. Again, there are no extra fibres that have been added, instead, bamboo (instead of Beeswax) has been added to give extra volume and avoid a mess with the added bonus of being anti-microbial which means it is good for eye health.  It is also water-resistant, smudge proof and flake proof and when it comes to removal, you just need some warm water and a cloth, no excess rubbing and it is all removed.

The brush for me is the absolute selling point.  When I use a mascara wand, I want something that separates my lashes as well as coating them. The wand itself is quite thin and really flexible, so it moves freely with your hands as you weave it in and out of your lashes and with bristles of all different sizes, tapering off towards the top, it manages to coat every single lash, even the smallest ones towards the inner corner of your eye. You can add 2-3 layers without clumping or ending up with spider lashes.

I have absolutely loved using this mascara and it is worth noting that as well as being Vegan, this mascara is hypoallergenic and free from parabens, palm oil, bismuth, lead, mercury and phthalates. Priced at £15 it is available from Poppy Sloane or you can also find it on Amazon** too.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links** unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Procoal London Shampoo Bars

I am trying to do the best I can with ditching plastic, buying metal straws, recycling more and not buying bags for life (which is an oxymoron anyway) etc etc... The one thing I haven't give much thought too is the products in my bathroom that can be changed, one of them being shampoo.  I have used shampoo bars in the past, but more out of curiosity than for the job they do for my hair and scalp.  When Procoal got in touch to ask if I would like to try some of their products I didnt even hesitate.

Procoal began back in 2016 with a husband and wife team and their manta is 'Selfish self-care' which intrigued me and it basically means that the only way you can be selfless towards others.

As human beings, we’ll only survive by existing collectively. Helping our fellow people. Collaborating. Cooperating. Being one big family. Working in teams. It’s as natural as leaves, sex and bird’s eggs.
That all sounds very lovely and planetary. But come on. We all know that deep inside every selfless, sharing, loving collaborator, there’s a selfish git.
There has to be.
After all, if we don’t first care for ourselves, how will we find the confidence, verve and energy to care for others?
And in turn, when we look after others, we feel even better. It’s an upward, positive spiral, starting with us.
So, selfishly care for yourself in the best way possible. Do that, and we’ll know the rest of the world might have a chance.

All of which makes perfect sense to me and at the end of the day, the one person we should all be making more time for is ourselves, even if that means an hour of me time in a bath of hot water and bubbles with a book and a brew, it isn't selfish to just want to be with yourself.

To that end, Procoal does not test any of their products on animals, most of their ingredients are naturally derived, like charcoal and essential oils. Even the synthetic components have a proven history of safe use. So I chose two shampoo bars to try out and I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to be so impressed. They are compact, eco-friendly and vegan and it is claimed that a single bar can do the job of three 250g bottles of traditional liquid shampoo, so roughly 80-100 washes.

The first Shampoo Bar is Purifying Charcoal which works to help cleanse impurities from your hair and scalp. What I loved about the description is that this solid shampoo bar is made using selected ingredients to help fight against urban pollution. If you live in a heavily populated city, like London, then you know only too well just how manky your skin can feel after a day outside, never mind your hair and scalp!

My skin absolutely loves Charcoal as an ingredient and within this shampoo bar, it uses its purifying qualities to work as a deep cleanser while botanical extracts such as Ginseng Root help strengthen the follicles and roots of the hair.  

The second shampoo bar is the Nourishing Seaweed bar and I was drawn to it because of just how blue in colour it is. Seaweed helps to nourish the scalp as well as to increase hydration and when I had a flare up of eczema at the back of my scalp a few years ago, I was told to use a product with Seaweed in to help with calming and nourishing and it worked a treat.  Alongside the seaweed is Clove Flower Oil which helps invigorate the hair follicles by increasing blood circulation to the scalp.

To use a shampoo bar you simply need to ensure your hair is wet and then, as you would a bar of soap, I rub it between my hands and then apply the lather to my scalp and hair and then as I get to the lengths, I use the bar itself to work the lather into the hair.  What I like about these products is that the lather comes about very quickly, so you don't need to overly rub the hair to make them work.  I find that I only need to rub the shampoo bar between the palms of my hands for a minute or two to create the lather I want.  This might differ depending on your hair type.  I have a lot of hair on my head, so I do need a bit of lather to give my hair a really good cleanse.

When it comes to storage, I have an old Lush tin that I store my Shampoo Bars in rather than leave them sticking to the side of the bath and every time I have used them, they have felt amazing on my hair.  It is soft, my scalp feels clean, there is no build up and I can go 2 days between washing my hair instead of having to wash it every other day.

These shampoo bars are currently on offer for just £6.95 here and if you purchase two bars, they cost just £11.99 saving you a lot of money!

Have you ever tried a Shampoo Bar?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.