Max and Me - Highly Vibrant Skin Care For Your Soul

I recently had the chance to learn about Max and Me, an award winning Austrian natural skincare line with a very different approach. Far from the mainstream, these products are working on an energetic level.

It's a family business owned by the inspiring Tanja & Max, who are dedicated to only using the very best, purest and most potent ingredients. They move beyond just organic ingredients and work with a team of health and plant specialists to ensure that every ingredient is the most potent and best quality possible. This Luxury skincare line that treats body & soul.

If you are into Crystals, Colour therapy or any forms of alternative energy healing or yoga, you might just love this holistic approach. If you are a science freak, simply enjoy the beautiful smell and textures of the products! And let the results convince you :)
I tried a few products and each one I loved. I am also into the cute & beautiful packaging with little elf illustrations and the use of lilac, which since pregnant I felt really drawn to.
(Can you tell, I am constantly wearing my purple/lavender Spell dress? )
But back to the topic:

The smells are divine and stem from only the purest natural ingredients, but they also fairly powerful. If you prefer neutral non-scented products, this line won't be for you, but if you appreciate wonderful well done all natural scents that uplift, you might get addicted really quickly.

The hero product which recently won the "Best In Show" Award at the Indie Beauty Expo in NYC is the "Enchanted" Face oil. That really says something, as pretty much every natural skincare brand has a face oil it's range, so there was certainly lots of competition. Enchanted is an oil that can be used day & night. Perfect for even sensitive skin it suits and nourishes all skin types and smells of Jasmine & Frangipani. But words can only tell you so much, if you are looking for an outstanding face oil this is it! Try for yourself. (vegan)

My personal favourite, possibly because it feels so protective and balancing is "Circle Of Protection" which is a body treatment. Using it on my belly right now and inhaling the magical scent makes me feel very good, grounded and happy.
Quite a winner for any pregnant lady. The blend of essential oils in “circle of protection” increases the resilience of your skin, protects and pampers you. With the particularly beautiful characteristics of magnolia, skin-enhancing manuka, Bourbon geranium, Qi-enhancing, repairing jasmine, litsea, protective and nurturing vetiver, rejuvenating and moisturizing rose and highly vibrant silver fir. (vegan)
(Having said all that there is a whole range of body oils which I haven't tried yet! Please share if you have tried any of the other blends, I would love to hear about it)

The range also contains two different balms to treat difficult skin conditions, which sound and feel amazing. Luckily pregnancy suits my skin very well and I don't have any issues to report, so I can't comment on how effective they are.
But I keep them safe and have a feeling they might help me once Winter comes and my hormones will once again change after birth. (not vegan, contains propolis)

What I can comment on though is the wonderful Serenity Mask & Wash. I already recently featured it in my Instagram stories. (A little heads up, though: This product does contain Manuka Honey and is therefore NOT vegan. If you are okay with that that you are in for a treat. Otherwise, it's good to know that the whole range is not tested on animals and most products are vegan.)
This product is amazing as a face mask, it lightly exfoliates, hydrates and balances all skin problems. My skin was radiant and refreshed afterwards without any redness. The mask feels soothing on and is not drying although it does contain clay. It can be used as an exfoliating face wash as well. If you want to remove makeup and/or eye makeup, it's best to use the Purity & Grace cleansing oil as a first step.

Before this post gets too long to read, I better wrap it up. There is so much to say about this line, but I hope I have stirred your curiosity and given you a little insight of my own experience.

New Colours From NUDUS

Remember NŪDUS?
The local line of luxury lipsticks has just released five new shades.

As they are extremely beautiful I thought I share the news with you!

I took a photo of some swatches and the lipsticks, to give you an idea.

All shades are beautifully highly pigmented and very wearable and flattering.

Well done, NUDUS

Nudus is certified organic & cruelty-free. The shades do contain beeswax though and are therefore not vegan.

I am happy I added these to my kit!

My favourite Stretch Mark Tummy Oils

Good thing I already had a very clean, toxin-free beauty routine before I was pregnant, so I was able to continue most of my favourite skin care (e.g. Edible Beauty) , body care and makeup.

My skin has become much drier though all over the body and of course I am also trying my best to avoid any stretch marks and keep my growing skin firm and elastic and hydrated. It's also a nice ritual to celebrate this changing and growing body and honour all this hard work it's doing.

I really enjoy my daily oiling sessions :)

Truth to be told, no matter how much oil and moisturiser you use depending on your individual skin, hereditary conditions and how quick you are growing stretch marks can not always be prevented.

Because I am a bit of a beauty nerd, I have tried and used quite a few different all natural and organic tummy oils. Here are my favourites:

Divine Mum's Tummy & Body Oil
Beautiful bottle, luxurious feel and a very pleasant and super subtle scent.
I was able to tolerate this even when I had morning sickness.
This gem can be used by Mum's AND babies of all ages including newborns.
It's very hydrating yet absorbs the fastest from all the oils I have tried, which makes the use even more practical. The bottle comes with a pump, which makes my life so much easier, no mess or oil spills here It's a real favourite, yet the most expensive out of my selection.

DnA Elements Mama Belly Oil
It has a light citrus scent and goes on very rich, which makes it great for massage. And the evening, however, it takes a little longer to be fully absorbed.
The bottle is sleek and beautiful, yet it has a big opening which makes the dosage a little tricky.
It comes at an affordable price in a sleek stylish glass bottle. (not pictured)

Weleda Stretch Mark Massage Oil
This one just exudes wellness & relaxing! The scent is very soothing and beautiful to me. It absorbs into the skin beautifully and is a really great choice for a pampering body treatment. It can be used before, during and after pregnancy and has been developed with midwives and doctors. I really enjoy using this one and enjoy the scent now in my second trimester. I think it will remain a favourite for my belly and breasts after birth as well. If you are particularly sensitive to scents in the beginning of your pregnancy simply wait a few weeks.

Last but not least

Edible Bubba Vanilla Dream Oil
The Baby massage oil is a real treat gourmand lovers. Created for babies it's too good not to use on pregnant grown-up bellies and bodies. I have always had a weakness for a good natural vanilla fragrance. With it's extremely gentle and hydrating ingredients this one is a real winner to be used on Babies skin (including newborns) and works as a perfect body oil for breastfeeding mamas, (as it's all edible your bubba will be safe to suckle on your skin!) It's the perfect massage oil with it's rich texture and doubles as bath oil (when you add it to the bath with a little of the Orange Blossom Baby Hair & Body wash or your regular shower gel. I like that this one is a real multi-purpose oil and is perfect to use on the baby as well. I will keep stocking up on this one!

As this is my first pregnancy I am researching and trying out a lot, but for a beauty lover like myself, that's kind of fun. I hope this was helpful to you.

If you have any favourite cruelty-free pregnancy products, please share in the commentsI would love to hear from you! And of course, I keep you up to date with my most discoveries.

Jane Iredale Summer Campaign

In September I flew up to Noosa to create one minute makeup looks for Jane Iredales latest Summer campaign. It was such good fun and an amazing team on set.

All the looks are wearable and very natural and subtle. I liked how all models were different ages and colouring really showing a variety of looks that suit pretty much everyone.
They are all created with real women in mind that only have a few minutes to do their makeup and are far from the usual complicated & ultra detailed Youtube makeup looks.

It's fun to see the final clips and I thought I share them here with you.

If you like the videos above check out all looks in the Jane Iredale Austalia Youtube playlist here

I really love working with the Jane Iredale products, they live up to my professional standards, are kind to the skin and are all PETA certified cruelty-free. Most of the range is vegan too!
My pro kit contains quite a few items of this brand and my collection continues to grow.

I hope you enjoyed some quick,simple, practical & natural makeup ideas for Summer!