Alva COLEUR Green Equinox Collection ♥

This is a new launch from Alva, I'm already a fan of their foundations and liquid eye shadows so I was excited to give this a whirl. At first I kinda expected them to be quite faded, and not very intense but I was soon eating those words when I swatched them. I found I didn't need any kind of base with these, the colour is that rich and they didn't crease/fade after hours of wear. 

I like the stacker as it gives you a handy way to grab it and throw it in your bag if you are going somewhere, with the nice mix of colours you can create many different looks.

I shall post a FOTD using these soon, so keep an eye out.

http://www.alvanaturalskincare.co.uk/

Skin Saviour - Alva Natural Skincare♥

Alva Natural Skincare do some great products, and this has to be my favourite product that I have tried from the brand - Sanddorn Skin Oil. "Dermatological studies using Sanddorn Skin Oil the moisture level of the skin increased by 69% after 4 weeks use, while the depth of fine lines and wrinkles was reduced by 21%.

Sandorn Skin Oil accelerated the healing of light sunburn by 93% compared to untreated skin. In 66% of cases the red skin disappeared entirely within 24 hours." This is a fantastic rich oil for your skin, it increases the skins ability to retain moisture, it helps to firm the skin up and all while protecting your skin from all the nasty environmental aggressors. Like most oils it is a good product to include into your routine is you have any scars on your skin, from acne or even stretch marks on your body. It is great at helping my acne scars keep moisturised, so the skin doesn't flake and this helps them to heal better.

Although it is an oil, I have found on my combination skin (with an oily t-zone) it doesn't increase the amount of oil on my skin and make me look/feel greasy. It sinks in straight away, whilst you get the benefits of it being a super hydrating oil it really doesn't feel like you are applying an oil to the skin. Big thumbs up.

The picture below is how much I use for my whole face, you only need a little amount so it will last you a very long time.

Have a look at the ingrediants, no nasty stuff in here "buxus chinensis (jojoba oil), prunus dulcis (almond oil), hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn oil), tocopherol (vitamin E), citrus nobilis (mandarin oil), cymbopogon martini (palmarosa oil)". Alva Natural Skincare is dedicated to ensuring their products are free from parabens, SLS, EDTA or PEGs. PLUS they don't test on Animals, something a-lot more brands need to pay attention to. 

I'd love to try some of their other products from this line, have you tried any?

Alva Sanddorn Skin Oil 

100ml £18.00

15ml £5.00 

Alva Natural Skincare - Rhassoul Mineral Wash Cream♥

When it comes to skincare I am always on the look out for two things, a great facial cleanser and a moisturiser to match. This facial cream stands out for me not only for be organic, but also because of the brands standards like opposed to animal testing, not using parabens, paraffin, mineral oils or PEG compounds and the commitment to the environment ensuring they source their packaging and production regionally when possible. An overall impressive brand I think.

The Rhassoul mineral wash cream is a thoroughly deep cleansing wash, it really gets deep into your pores to get all the dirt out. It also settles out any problem skin with ingredients such as tea tree and manuka oils, soothing irritated skin helping to fight against any spots, blackheads and excess oil - I have to say it really works at keeping the skin clear. Other ingredients include aqua, volcanic mineral clay, tea tree oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil, bergamot orange oil, citronella oil, ylang ylang oil, citronellol, geraniol, linalool, limonene, this product is packed with everything to give you a clear complexion. 

I like to rub a decent amount into my skin, then leave it for a couple of minutes almost like a mask to work its magic and then rinse off with muslin cloth . Aside from my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, this is the only other cleanser I have found to work as hard in getting my skin super clean but still soft with no tightness.

Like all the Alva products I've tried is smells delicious too, very fresh and citrus. It is really awakening to use in the morning. 

But remember this is a clay product so shake well before you use, I forgot one time and a whole host of runny liquid came spurting out my bathroom floor got rather messy!

150ml £10.50

Check out the brand and learn more on their website

http://www.alvanaturalskincare.co.uk

Alva Natural Skincare - Fluid Foundation♥

Hey cupcakes! This review is long over due, but it's worth the wait. Before I get into the review itself I want to start on a high point about the brand, and their colour products:

Alva Coleur make-up for skin: pure & organic, naturally.

- uses only natural colouring & no carmine

- vegan friendly

- Europe's first Ecocert certified organic make-up range

- includes a patented active ingredient that supports the skin's immune response as well as giving an anti-ageing effect

- completely talc free

- powders and rouges are baked and not pressed. This guarantees a silky consistency and naturally de-humidifies the powder without the addition of potentially harmful binding agents

- PETA approved

When I did a little research into the brand I was really impressed with the overall goodness they sprinkle over their products and the brand in general. There is nothing better than knowing the products I'm using are happy ones, with good values behind them! I think the more brands that can be like Alva the better.

Foundation is probably the one product I have more of than any other in my collection, I am very picky and it takes a lot for one to impress me enough to use it or even repurchase it.

The Alva Fluid foundation had ticks in all the right boxes: Provides a matte finish, Evens out skin, Helps with redness, Creating a soft and smooth texture to the skin and packed with goodies like Vitamin, Red grapevine and evening primrose oil. It is a gem, this was a stand out for me and I was shocked. 

For me products either have high expectations or no expectations, this one had none I didn't expect it to be any good and I didn't expect to like it. I really do need to learn not to judge so quickly. I'm not sure why I had the preconceptions, it sounded amazing but maybe deep down all the good qualities that Alva can proudly show off about maybe made me think it wouldn't be as good as say a YSL foundation which lets be fair doesn't have the happy ethical ticks to it. I think I though because it sounded so good, that it was going to be too good?

So I slapped it on, a little more product than I would usually use but that's fine as it sinks in beautifully to the skin and gives it the added bonus of hydrating my face at the same time. I think however if you lean towards the more oily of skin types you may want to stay clear. My skin is normal/combination, I get dryer in winter and a little oilier in summer so this worked out really well for me.

So how was the coverage I hear you ask? Well pretty darn impressive too, definitely a medium but lets your own skin still shine through so it looks really natural. I have a lot of acne scars and this evened the tone out so they faded away, which is something I normally only get with a medium/full coverage. I think because it still leaves an element of your own skin coming through it gives you that flawless finish, which makes it look natural not too done up or like you just raided a cosmetics counter. It also didn't go patchy as the day went on, I think because it is a little more hydrating than other foundations your skin underneath it healthier making the foundation look better.

As for how it lasted, this bit let it down a little I think this is more of a weekend/fun type, for a work day it wouldn't cut it (8am-5pm is a long day though so bare that in mind) as I don't like to have to touch up and tbh I don't get the chance. However if you don't mind preening your lovely self towards the afternoon then you'll be fine. I reckon this would be a really nice bridal foundation for someone looking for a very natural but still flawless look, as it photographs like a star too no flash back or horrible white face with this.

You get the standard 30ml for £18.40 putting it in the high end section but considering I pay that and more for some of my other favourite foundation I think it is a good price.


I think you need to give this a go, hopefully you'll be as surprised as I was!

You can buy yours HERE