Figs & Rouge Tinted Lip Balm - 100% Pure & Natural?

As a lot of my regular readers will know, I aim to buy more natural products when it comes to make up - paraben free, organic and ethically sourced as much as possible.

Obviously there are some exceptions to this, but if I see something advertised as natural, I will pick that over the other products available.

So I was happy to find a pure and natural tinted lip balm in the June Glossybox.  I used it for weeks, almost every day, assuming it was full of good stuff that would make my lips soft and lovely.

And then I showed my boss at work, and she took a look at the ingredients, something I'd not even thought to do seeing as '100% PURE, 100% NATURAL' was plastered all over the tube.

Here's what we discovered:

Cherry Blossom Tinted Lip Balm - Ricinus Communis Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Copernica Cerifera Wax, Parfum, CI 45380, CI 15850, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene.

Ricinus Communis Oil - A fancy way of saying Castor Oil.  Castor Oil has a high concern rating for irritation when it comes into contact with skin, eyes or lungs.  Something you'd want to put on your lips?

Hydrogenated Castor Oil - You can read a fantastic blog post here by TheSmartMama which explains the process that makes hydrogenated castor oil so unnatural and definitely, catagorically, not pure.

Copernica Cerifera Wax - Wax from the leaves of a Carnauba Palm, a plant native to Brazil.

Parfum - I HATE that products can simply list 'parfum' or 'fragrance' on their ingredients list!  it covered such a wide range of potential ingredients which each have their own ratings as allergens and irritants.

CI 45380 - a synthetic dye produced from petroleum or coal tar sources, which are continuously tested on animals due to their carcinogenic properties.

CI 15850 - as above, with the main function being as an ingredient in hair dye. RESTRICTED IN COSMETICS USE.

Benzyl Alcohol - An allergen, classified as 'expected to be toxic or harmful to non-reproductive organs' (including skin).

Limonene - A scent ingredient and solvent naturally ocurring in the rind of citrus fruit. Upon storage and exposure to sunlight and air, limonene degrades to various oxidation products which act as skin and respiratory irritants and sensitizers. (EWG.org)

All I have to say is, how can a company be allowed to market a product as 100% PURE and 100% NATURAL, when it is NEITHER of those things?

I'd be interested to see which other 'natural' products aren't quite as natural as they claim to be... Please share your thoughts below!

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Review: Glossybox October 2012

Glossybox is a monthly subscription of 5 high-end beauty product samples (with some full-size products sometimes, too) for £10 + £2.95 p&p.

You can earn Glossydots by reviewing the products sent to you in a quick survey, and redeem points for a free box. (1000 GlossyDots = 1 free box)

 'Tried and tested by the Glossybox Pros, Glossybox does the hard work for you'

The theme of the October Glossybox was 'DIY Beauty', and the first item was the Don't Just Clean It Woman, Scrub It body scrub by Anatomicals. It's a grapefruit exfoliating scrub, it has a strong smell but really nice and not at all harsh, it's refreshing and excellent for waking me up in the morning - and the smell lasts on my skin for a couple of hours after use. 

The exfoliating beads are big, but very gentle.  It doesn't make me feel like I'm scraping my skin off, which is a bonus. It's not at all drying or irritating to my super sensitive skin.  

The packaging is bright pink with a yellow cap, with a typographic narrative design which makes it stand out from other products you might find it with - not your typical pictures of fruit and flowers.  A 200ml tube lasts a while - mine's still going after 3 months of using it 3-4 times a week, and it's free from DEA's, sulphates, parabens and SLS's.

(RRP. £3.49/200ml, available for £2.99 from FragranceDirect.co.uk)

The next product in the 10/12 box was Anti Blemish by Skinetica, a topical solution to reduce and clear spots and pimples.  

It's ingredients are deionised (purified) water, ethyl alcohol, fragrance and organosilane quaternary ammonium chloride.  Ethyl alcohol is very drying to the skin, but used in moderation can help with acne - although I don't recommend it's use.  

Fragrance is very non-specific, and companies only need to list the word 'fragrance' to cover the dozens of chemicals which could make up the smell of a product - it could contain allergens, hormone disrupting phthalates, neurotoxins, and synthetic musks - which can also disrupt hormones, similar to the effects of parabens.  The ammonium chloride acts as an antimicrobial agent, and the water is deionised so that the sulphates etc. usually found in water don't disrupt the balance of the product.  

Considering all of the above, I wouldn't use this product.


Next is the Premium Beauty Balm by Dr Jart+.  I don't really buy into the beauty balm hype, to me they seem like glorified tinted moisturisers.  A lot of them make a lot of incredible claims, and this one is no different - *deep breath* a brightening, tightening, anti-ageing, hydrating, firming, pore-minimising, skin-tone perfecting, imperfection minimising, UV protecting, need-for-foundation lessening super miracle product.  

I used it once because I heard good things about the brand, but it was way too dark for my skin.  I decided to look up the ingredients for this review and have picked out just 4 of it's 37 ingredients at random:


Dimethicone - found in McDonald's Chicken McNuggets and head lice treatments.
Propylparaben and Methlyparaben
CI 77492 - Irritating to eyes, respiratory system and skin

I wouldn't use this product knowing this.


Fourth in the box was the Instant Anti-Wrinkle Mousturiser Hydra Vegetal from Yves-Rocher.  It contains 100% botanical based ingredients, including different types of tree sap, and witch hazel.  It comes in a long tube with a thin applicator, making it easy to get the small amount you need.  

It smells fresh, the most accurate description I can think of is that it smells like trees in the rain.  I love it.  It's very hydrating and not at all heavy.  I use it on days where my skin is feeling extra-dry or bland, and it keeps my face feeling brighter and smoother all day.  

This is a product I would absolutely recommend

(RRP £18/30ml, available from Yves-Rocher.co.uk for £9.25)


The final product in the October 2012 box was the Complete Salon Manicure from Sally Hansen.  It's a 5-in-1 base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, colour and top coat.  It uses patented Vita-Care technology for long-lasting care, wear and shine.

I have it in the colour Midnight In NY - black with a subtle sparkle.  The instructions recommend 2 coats, I'd recommend that you make the coats very thin, as even though the first layer goes on sort of grey, the second coat gives it a perfect finish.  Anything more than the minimum you can use to cover the nail, and it would be far too thick to dry without smudging and getting dents and bumps in it.

This nail varnish usually stays on my nails for a good 4 days to a week before I've picked it all off and have to re-paint.  Those with more self-control would probably find it lasts over a week.  It's not a small bottle either, at 14.7ml, and the price isn't sky high at £6.99 - It's well worth the money and I'd recommend this 100% for fuss-free nails.

(RRP. £6.99/14.7ml available from Boots.co.uk)


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