IndieAna- In Search of the HolyGrail

After hearing that one of my fave mineral makeup companies, Aromaleigh ,  was closing down, I was devastated. I'd only tried the eye shadows and lipsticks, but there were so many unique gorgeous colours, it was a shame to see the owner close shop, due to personal reasons, that need a whole blog post to itself to cover everything! When these beautiful creations were being discontinued at a cheaper price, you can imagine my disappointment when international shipping was not offered. This closing down sale went on for months. Just when I'd begun to put my disappointment to rest, I found out some absolutely fantastic news, not only were Aromaleigh products being offered to international customers, the shop reopened, under slightly changed name..Aromaleigh V 2, Kristen may not own the company, but she still plays a vital role. Taken from the site " Aromaleigh is a cutting-edge cosmetics company at the forefront of the independent mineral makeup revolution. Our micro-formu...

  I recently finished a bottle of St Ives Tea Tree cleanser. I had been given this cleanser to review, thanks to beauty forum, Beauty Heaven. I had only been using this cleanser in the morning with my Clarisonic cleansing brush, as I prefer to use foaming cleansers with this deep cleansing tool. Here's my thoughts after trialling this cleanser: " The Green Tea Cleanser comes in a 200 ml bottle. I love that it is clear, so you can see just how much product you have. The cleanser is dispensed by simply depressing the top, which reveals an opening, for fuss-free application. It's a transparent green gel. The scent is what caught my attention. It is so fresh, just smells divine! I look forward to using it every morning. Upon application, the gel foams, feeling luxurious on the skin. For the amount of foam I get, it surprised me at how easy it was to wash off my skin. The product disperses quickly to reveal clean skin that does not feel at all stripped. ...

I just cannot get enough of perfume oils! I came across Nevermore Body Company through Heartsy. There was a possibility that Heartsy vouchers were going to be available for this Etsy store so I decided to make a purchase to try out some samples (and a FS!). So far they haven't featured yet, but I'm not disappointed that I gave this seller a try. In the parcel, as there often is, was the company's card. Bigger than a normal business card, this one cleverly includes a list of products and prices on the back. I like the labelling, it seems to have an old gypsy-like feel. This theme is universal, carrying across from the perfume oils to lotions, scrubs, soap and the like. The labels on the perfume oils, full sized and samples, appear to be water-proof, which is a definite advantage, as oils can sometimes be messy, running over onto the labels, which I have lost many this way. Can be annoying when a perfume can't be identified due to a missing label! The full siz...

Delving into the indie perfume world brought me to Symbolic Imports . Some of the perfume oils caught my eye, plus the fact that I'm going through so much lip balm lately, I decided to put a couple in my "shopping cart". Along with lip balms and perfume oils, on offer are, soaps (bars and whipped), sugar scrubs, hair care and lotion. I chose Chai Tea and Coconut lip balms. They are moisturising without being too heavy on the lips. The scents are subtle, yet noticeable. There is no taste. I ordered 4 roll-on perfumes, each being 7ml: COCONUT LIME : * The ultimate refresher - zesty lime and creamy coconut make this classic scent irresistible. As expected, I could detect a tart note, which seemed to outshine the coconut. After wear, the coconut appeared, not a sweet artificial note , but warm and creamy. It is a nice simple scent, which unfortunately, disappears too quickly. DRAGON'S BLOOD : * Dragons Blood is a soft Oriental blend of Patchouli and Rose on a w...

With a name like SweetPea and Fay , how could I resist purchasing a voucher through Heartsy for this indie makeup seller. Owners Katrina and Amanda Farnsworth describe themselves as: "We love anything unique or vintage. Our store reflects our quirky style while also offering all natural cosmetics that are fun and bright!" (Pic taken from Heartsy site) I only purchased eye shadows with my voucher, but this online store also stocks liquid lipstick and foundation. Purchases over $20 come with a free eye shadow, and there's a COTW eye shadow on offer cheaper than the normal eye shadow price. Their website is easy to navigate, and to place an order from. The eye shadows come in the usual size jars, with a simple label. Shipping/processing time was good. Now for the swatches, I was on a neutral colour kick, so no exciting bright colours, but I was happy with my order :) SCALYWAG : Bronzed taupe shimmer 93 PHOBIAS : Taupe with a muted pink hued shimmer WOE IS ...

 When I'd seen previously that there was a possibility of perfume seller, Poison Apple Apothecary being listed on Heartsy , I decided to purchase some samples. I'm so glad I did, because with the voucher that became available after my samples had arrived, luckily, I was able to buy a couple of full sizes previously sniffed. My purchase consisted of 2 full sizes, and of course the temptation was too great not to grab some samples as well. The parcel came in black paper, with a cute red ribbon. When I hastily unwrapped my package, I discovered that my samples were stored in an adorable labelled tin. As seen in the pic above, the full sized perfumes ordered were: HATTER'S TEA PARTY - This bottle boasts a cup of tea, a dash of spices, a crisp butter cookie, and a generous helping of blood orange. This is a fun, bright, fragrance . Tart, sweet and slightly bitter. I love how it conjures images of a tea party hosted in the warm sun, surrounded by lush green gra...