Thursday, 31 July 2025
ad | One thing about me is that when I find a brand I truly align with ethically, I’m loyal as heck. That’s exactly how I feel about Tropic: a brand I’ve used for years and still reach for everyday. They tick every box: vegan, cruelty-free, female-founded, carbon neutral... all the good things 🎀
I think I first discovered Tropic in 2015 - I had just gone cruelty free with my cosmetics and plant based with my diet. I was immediately drawn to their ethos - sustainability without greenwashing, formulas that feel luxurious but gentle, and genuinely fab skincare and makeup.
So, whether you’re new to Tropic, or you've been watching a while and you've already heard me bang on about much I love their products, let's go through rundown of the products I genuinely love and recommend - complete with honest mini reviews and my top picks ↓
✨ Tamanu Balm: The Unsung Hero Your Skin Needs
If I had to choose one Tropic product to take to a desert island, this would be it. Tamanu Balm is what I’d call a skin saviour. It’s soothing, multipurpose, and truly underrated.
Whether you’ve got dry patches, irritated skin, healing scabs, or even minor cuts, this balm works like magic. I’ve used it on everything from chapped elbows to grazes on my knees (clumsy girl probs x) and it noticeably speeds up healing.
Tamanu oil itself originates from Polynesia and has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and regenerative properties - so it’s no surprise it works wonders. Honestly, this should be in every first aid kit. Not just a skincare item, but a household essential.
^Use sparingly - it’s rich and a little goes a long way. One pot lasts me ages!
🎀 Lipsticks I Wear on Repeat: Peony Pop, Go Go Goji & Wild Watermelon
Tropic’s lipsticks are chef’s kiss. I’ve tried a lot of natural or vegan lipsticks in the past, and they often fall short when it comes to pigment or texture. Not these.
Peony Pop is my go-to for a soft everyday, neutral pink.
Go Go Goji is a juicy coral with real personality. Super flattering & fab for summer - some corals make your teeth look yellow... not this one
Wild Watermelon takes the crown as the summer shade — fun, fruity, and uplifting 🍉🍉🍉
They’re comfortable to wear and non-drying <3.
Pair with the Line Up Lip Pencil in ‘Flirt’ for extra definition and staying power.
✨ Liquid Radiance Foundation & Velvet Beauty Cushion
I have combination skin that’s also quite sensitive - so foundation can be tricky for me. Tropic’s Liquid Radiance Adaptogen Serum Foundation is one of the few I’ve stuck with over time. It has a skin-like finish (not matte, not dewy), blends beautifully, and doesn’t cling to dry patches or aggravate breakouts.
The Velvet Beauty Cushion is a reallllyyyy soft applicator sponge that doesn't absorb much product at all. The travel case means it's good for on the go too. Together, they create the kind of finish that just looks like healthy, happy skin.
🎀 The So Sleepy Range. The Pillow Mist of Dreams 🌙
Best pillow mist EVER. I've been saying it since I first tried it back in 2017 - and I’ve tried a fair few. It’s got a calming blend of lavender, chamomile and frankincense, and I swear it helps me fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.
It feels like a little moment of self-care every time I spritz it onto my pillow or duvet. It also makes a gorgeous gift 0 especially when paired with the So Sleepy Temple Balm, which you dab on your wrists and temples before bed.
✨ Hydrogel Sheet Masks – Pop in the Fridge!
Skincare and self-care in one. Their Hydrogel Sheet Masks are soothing, cooling, and leave your skin feeling plump and calm. They’re especially lovely after a sunny day or a stressful week.
I keep mine in the fridge and it takes the experience to another level — the coolness helps de-puff and refresh the skin instantly.
They're also biodegradable and compostable, which is another reason to love them!
Definitely use one before an event or night out to give your skin a boost — makeup goes on like a dream afterwards. If I get married one day....... I'll be wearing this the night & morning of.
🎀 Comfort Food Face Mask – An Old Favourite
The name says it all: this is comfort in a tube. Their Comfort Food Deep Hydration Mask is a rich, creamy formula that soothes and nourishes parched skin - especially in summer when time in the sun can leave your skin dehydrated.
I reach for this whenever my skin feels tight, tired or in need of a reset. You only need 10-15 minutes and it leaves your skin looking soft, calm and glowy.
It’s also great for travel — especially if you’ve been flying or changing climates.
✨ Fresh Waves Moisturiser – Perfect Under Makeup
A new-ish favourite that quickly earned holy grail status. Tropic’s Fresh Waves Moisturiser is lightweight, cooling, and sits perfectly under makeup.
It’s one of those rare moisturisers that hydrates without leaving a film or making your base slide off. Bonus points: it’s a dreamy baby blue colour 🩵 and looks so cute on your shelf.
It also contains hyaluronic acid and blue algae extract, which help plump and soothe the skin. Great if you’re prone to redness or irritation.
🎀 Lip Glaze in Candy Pop – My Favourite Gloss
I’ll be honest - I’m fussy about lip gloss. I want shine, but not stickiness. A good scent, but not artificial. I don't want to taste the scent. And something that lasts without drying my lips out or leaving a weird ring around the edge.
Candy Pop ticks every box. It’s the perfect pink — glossy but natural, wearable for day or night, and it smells like sweeties 🍬 (in the best way).
It’s one of the glosses I actually use up and re-buy. That’s when you know it’s good!
Watch my favourites on my face here.
Here’s a quick rundown of everything featured above, all vegan and cruelty-free, of course!
ᰔ Hydrogel Sheet Masks
ᰔ Fresh Waves Moisturiser
ᰔ Liquid Radiance Adaptogen Foundation Serum in Shade 3
ᰔ Velvet Cushion Foundation
ᰔ Undercover Concealer in Shade 2
ᰔ Lift + Sculpt Palette – refillable with my chosen shades
ᰔ Eco Artist Brushes – Precision & Expert Blending Brush
ᰔ Line Up Lip Pencil in Flirt
ᰔ Kiss Me Quick Lipstick in Go Go Goji
ᰔ Lip Glaze in Velvet Peach
All available at Tropicskincare.com
So there we go! A lot of love for Tropic - they've been leading the way in ethical, sustainable beauty without compromising on quality or aesthetic :)
If you’re looking to switch to more ethical beauty brands - or if you just want products that feel good + do good - I couldn’t recommend Tropic more.
I hope this post helps you find some new bits to try - let me know if you have any questions about the range or any favs of your own to share 💌
Becks x
AD – This post is part of a paid partnership with Tropic - all views are my own (as always!)
Tuesday, 16 April 2024
Merit's approach is all about a "less is more" philosophy, focusing on high-quality, multi-tasking essentials to create a flawless, natural-looking makeup look. The brand sent over their Great Skin Instant Glow Serum, No.1 Blending Brush, and Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick in Bisque. I tried these three and was so impressed I then placed and order for their Signature Lip in Millennial, Bronzer Balm in Siene, Flush Balm in Stockholm, Daylight Highlighter Balm in Cava, Solo Shadow in Vachetta, and their Clean Lash Perfect Black Mascara.
Of all the products, I have to say the Clean Lash Perfect Black Mascara, Great Skin Instant Glow Serum and the No.1 Blending Brush were definite standouts for me. The serum gives such a beautiful, healthy-looking glow to the skin without feeling heavy or greasy on my normal, dehydrated skin, and the brush makes blending cream and liquid products a total breeze. It works really well with cream products from other brands too. I also really loved the Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick - it offers light, buildable coverage that blends seamlessly with the serum. That said, I'm not sure how well it'll work for dry skin.
A few products didn't quite hit the mark for me, though. I found the the Bronzer Balm in Siene was a huge let down. It is really lightweight on the skin and blends well - but almost TOO well. It blends into nothing on my skin and takes a long time to build up. The formula is similar to the Flush Balm which I also think is a waste of time due to the lack of pigment.
Thursday, 22 February 2024
MUA Cosmetics have just launched their new Hydra Juice Peptide Lip Balms, with a colour range that is somewhat similar to the cult favourite Rhode skincare lip tints. I would say these are a much more affordable dupe for Rhode in terms of the colour options - but the formula is actually better. I was able to get my hands on the full range of MUA's new lip balms and put them to the test.
Price Point
MUA's Hydra Juice Lip Balms retail for £2 each which is an amazing price point! To compare, Rhode's lip tints are £16 each. That's over £14 in savings for what I found to be a comparable, if not better, formula. The MUA balms are available on their website here and I would assume also coming soon to Superdrug stores.
Product Performance
Now, I've tried a LOT of lip balms in my time. Some amazing, some not so much. It's also worth noting that vegan lip balms are usually not as good as non-vegan lip balms because so many non-vegan ingredients such as beeswax and lanolin make for a great thick lip balm formula.
MUA vs Rhode
After testing both formulas extensively, here's how the MUA Hydra Juice Lip Balms compared to the Rhode lip tints:
- Smoother, less grainy texture
- Longer lasting tint, up to 1 hour per application. Don't need to reapply often.
- More hydrating, leaves lips soft
- Shades Heartfelt Hun and Caramel Glaze similar to Rhode's Toast
- Shade Watermelon Sorbet (why didn't they call this one Watermelon Sugar??) is similar to Ribbon
- Slightly less pigmented than Rhode, subtle tint
- Light fruity scent vs Rhode's unscented lip tints
- They are nicer scents compared to Rhode's scented lip treatments too as they are more subtle
- £14 cheaper than Rhode! A huge plus point considering how often I use lip balm.
The MUA balms deliver on hydration and a natural, luminous tint for lips. The formula glides on smoothly without any grittiness. The tint lasts a solid hour before needing reapplication. And the balms leave lips noticeably softer.
The full lineup includes:
- Cherry Kiss: Deep black cherry with black cherry scent
- Heartfelt Hun: Warm nude with a vegan honey scent
- Caramel Glaze: Nude with a caramel scent
- Coconut Sugar: Clear with coconut scent
- Watermelon Sorbet: Neutral pink with watermelon scent
- Berry Bliss: Pinky red
It's also worth noting that I much prefer the Hydra Juice lip balm scents than Rhode's scented lip treatments (Salted Caramel, Vanilla etc) because they are much more subtle and you can't taste them. The Rhode scented balms smell really synthetic to me. The MUA Cosmetics balms, by contrast, are not sickly or synthetic in scent or taste. (Side note: I really adore Rhode's skincare! You can probably tell that I'm not as big of a fan of the lip balms but their Glazing Milk & Glazing Fluid I use everyday. See here for my review of the full line).
Final Thoughts
I'm genuinely so impressed with MUA's new Hydra Juice Lip Balms. They provide hydration, a smooth and subtle tint, and truly lovely lip care. If you love the look of a Rhode lip but not the price tag, these MUA's balms are a fantastic and affordable alternative. I highly recommend giving these new lip balms a try - your lips will thank you - and then you can thank me.
Have you tried the MUA Hydra Juice Lip Balms yet? Let me know your thoughts if so!
Monday, 4 January 2021
2. L'Oreal Glow Mon Amis Drops Dupe (or any liquid highlighter!) = MUA Light Lustre Drops
These MUA Light Lustre drops are hands-down one of my favourite highlighter products ever - they sit amazingly on the skin & look really natural. You can add the drops to your foundation for a natural glow too. Plus, they're amazing value for money! £4 for 30ml. Winner winner chicken dinner.
3. Laura Mercier Face Illuminator Highlighter Dupe = Makeup Revolution Reloaded Highlighter
Retailing at £3, this is a brilliant budget buy and comes 8 different shades to suit a variety of skin tones. It swatches really well, very smooth and works well as an eyeshadow too. Also - peep that same embossing... I smell a carbon copy... for 1/10th of the price...
4. Tom Ford Glow Drops Dupes = Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops
If you prefer a highlighter with a tinted base colour, you could always use the Drunk Elephant Bronzi Drops, which have a rich bronze, metallic tint to them.
Both are matched on price-point as well at £30 each.
5. Mac Strobe Cream Dupe = NYX Born To Glow Liquid Illuminator
MAC are unfortunately not cruelty free. Whilst NYX do have a parent company who are not cruelty-free, they are cruelty-free as a brand and have quite a few vegan options. This liquid illuminator from their Born To Glow range is a pretty similar dupe for MAC's Strobe Cream and works just as well. It's also a lot more affordable!
6. Nars Multiple Dupe = Hourglass Flash Highlighter Stick
The Hourglass Flash Highlighter is a really beautiful stick highlighter and comes in a range of shades. Hourglass are owned by Unilever now, but they are cruelty free themselves and have loads of vegan products (they were supposed to be completely vegan by 2020, but I'm not sure if there's been an update on this).
7. RMS Beauty Living Luminizer Dupe = Kora Organics Luminizer
8, 9 & 10:
Some of my favourite vegan powder highlighters may not be direct swaps for non-cruelty free versions, but I figured they're worth mentioning anyway!
Jouer Cosmetics Powder Highlighter
One of my all time favs - it's so soft and smooth. Be careful when travelling because it's such a soft formulation, it is prone to smashing in transit!
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector
Milani Strobelight Instant Glow Highlighter
Thanks for reading!
Friday, 1 May 2020
Above we've got the Inika Baked Mineral Illuminisor - this one isn't my fav as it's kind of chunky & the glitters are very obvious on the skin. Thought I'd mention it though as it's £33 (!!!!!!!) and I wouldn't want you to waste your money when there are better alternatives out there! Has a slight rose-tone to it, so might work for a blush topper if you're a fan of glitter.
Another pricey purchase, this is the Ilia Liquid Light Serum Highlighter in the shade Nova. It's described as a soft gold, which I can agree it certainly is. It mixes with foundation, can be used as a primer or on its own. It's pretty sheer though - it's no way near as intense as the Charlotte Tilbury Spotlight Wand. It's supposed to be skincare + highlighter in one. Glycerin is high up the ingredients list, which could maybe explain it's gel-like texture. Overall, I like it, but is it worth £38? Jury's out.
Monday, 27 April 2020
April is up! Over! Done! Dusted!
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