Greenly Connections: Jana of Small Bits of Loveliness

QUICK FACTS

Bio: Jana Drolc, author of Small Bits of Loveliness, passionate about green, natural and organic products.
Location: Slovenia
Connect: Jana’s Blog and Instagram

If you are not yet familiar with the beautiful face pictured above, it is our great pleasure to introduce you to Jana – lover of green beauty, advocate for organic living and content creator behind the blog Small Bits of Loveliness.

Amazing natural and organic product recommendations, Beauty Heroes Ambassador, and trained beautician, Jana is an incredible wealth of knowledge.  She has a passion for living healthfully that shines through in her thoughtful posts and detailed reviews.  Although she has a degree in Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, makeup and beauty products have always interested and inspired Jana, and after reading an article about harmful ingredients that are often in every day products, her focus shifted to green beauty and finding clean and safe products.

If you are new to green beauty or are a veteran in your journey to finding healthier beauty alternatives, you will certainly enjoy Small Bits of Loveliness and the wonderful woman behind it.  We are thrilled today to have the lovely Jana on the blog sharing with us a little bit more about herself, how she became interested in organic beauty and she is even sharing her five must have winter skincare products!  Read on below for our interview with the lovely Jana!

The Greenly Guide: What was it that first intrigued you about green beauty and natural products? How did you first become interested in researching what ingredients were in the products you were using?

Jana: Well if my memory serves me right, I got into green beauty and natural products after I read an article about toxic and harmful ingredients hiding in my every day products. Before really diving into the magical word of green beauty I actually first got into cruelty free brands and products. The majority of natural and organic products are cruelty free so I just started using those. Then I started reading more about ingredients, learning which to avoid and which worked for my skin. My skin and hair really agreed with the change so it was only natural to continue. I also started reading green beauty blogs and was inspired even more to follow on this journey. So yeah, my interest in animal welfare and cruelty free products + reading and learning about ingredients made me think and changed my whole look on beauty.

The Greenly Guide: What inspired you to share your story through your blog and when did you begin blogging?
Jana: The longer version of this answer is in my Beauty Heroes interview, to sum it up – it was my gorgeous friend who inspired me to start writing my blog. I said it many times before and I will gladly say it again, I will be forever grateful to her. Starting out on my blogging journey was THE best decision of my life. I feel blessed to have her in my life, as well as my friends and family who support me.

The Greenly Guide: How did you come to settle on the name Small Bits of Loveliness? (such a cute name!)
Jana: Aw thank you! I wanted something that would give me the option of writing about a wide variety of subjects because I didn’t quite know for sure where my blog would take me. I only knew I wanted to write about beauty, but then I also wanted to include some fashion and cooking posts, and more, so I decided on a name that would cover all that. But it wasn’t as easy as it sounds, not at all. After years I still like my blog name so I guess I did something right there. Again, thanks to my boyfriend and friends who helped me.

The Greenly Guide: What qualities do you look for in a brand when you are searching for new products to try?
Jana: I take a closer look into the ingredients + brand’s philosophy. Cruelty free, 100% natural, organic, palm oil free, eco friendly, vegan and things like that make my heart skip a beat. I’m not perfect and still use products in plastic packaging (but then I always recycle!) and I also don’t use all vegan products (I can’t say no to honey), but I try to do my best. Oh and when I see palm oil or palm oil derivatives among ingredients I always ask the brand if it’s from a sustainable source. I think everyone should be more mindful of palm oil. If you’re not familiar with the problem, palm oil plantations have a huge negative impact on environment, on animals and people. You should really look into it. Back to the qualities I look for in a brand, well a gorgeous packaging doesn’t hurt either, but in the end the ingredients and performance are what really matter.

The Greenly Guide: Are there any green brands that you have tried that are local to you that you have loved and would like to share?
I haven’t tried the brand yet but I saw it the other day and it picked my interest –Amon & Anis. I love their cute design, so pretty! They are 100% natural and at least 98% organic. I will have to try something from them, they look so lovely.

The Greenly Guide: What are your winter skincare must haves? Can you narrow it down to 5?
Jana: Keri, this is the hardest question, I love so many products! Since this time is all about hydration and nourishment, the first product that comes to mind is the Nap in the Meadow by the amazing Earthwise Beauty. The Nap is a very hydrating product that is also anti-inflammatory and soothing, and has made such a massive difference in my skin. This year I haven’t experienced any problems with dry, flaky skin which is often times the case when transitioning from fall to winter, and I believe this product played a big role in that. For the face let me also mention my newest discovery – Siam Seas. Oh my word, Supadra’s products are so good! Such a fan of the Elements Beauty Balm and The Twiglight BeCalm Skin Serum. I saw immediate results with these two products. My skin was instantly calmer, more even and smooth. Can I cheat a little and think of the two Siam Seas products as one? If that’s the case I can move on to the best hair oil in the world, the UMA Intensely Nourishing Hair Oil, which is keeping my hair soft and hydrated. For my body I have to mention Kahina Giving Beauty Moroccan Rose Beldi Soap and accompanying Kessa Mitt, which makes my skin unbelievably soft and Rachel’s Plan Bee Jasmine Body Oil, doubles up as perfume oil. The scent of this product is one of the best out there. So much love for all these products.

The Greenly Guide: We are big fans of The Peridot Mag that you are a part of- how did this collaboration come to be and can you explain a little about The Peridot for those who aren’t familiar with it?

Jana: Thank you, glad to hear it. First let me start with your second question. If I try to describe The Peridot Mag in one sentence, then I would say it’s a place for all who are interested in green beauty, ethical fashion, eco lifestyle and more. Everyone can find something special to enjoy and learn something new. If I can say so myself it is a great place to spend some of your time. I’m only a contributing member (a very bad one at this moment!) but I was actually a co-founder, with Liz, Tammy, and Nic. It was fun while it lasted but honestly, I was feeling too much pressure and having a full time job and my blog was just too much for me to handle. For the sake of my sanity I had to take a step back, so I became a contributor. Luckily the ladies were really understanding and I can’t thank them enough for that.

The Greenly Guide: Living abroad, can you share your go to green beauty online shops that are your favorites in your region?
Jana: For Slovenian shops I want to mention two – Specia and LilyLolo, and as for European beauty shops I love Reina Organics, Eminessences, Love Lula and So Natural Beauty. These are the ones that first come to mind.

The Greenly Guide: Do you have any exciting upcoming plans for Small Bits of Loveliness that you can share?
Jana: There is always something going on, but at the moment there’s nothing too big to share.

The Greenly Guide: Anything else you would like to add?
Jana: All that is left to say is that I’m so very grateful to you Keri to feature me on your beautiful blog. I feel so honoured you picked me among all amazing green beauty bloggers out there. Thank you! To those of you who read my interview, thank you as well. <3

Thank you so much to Jana for taking the time to share more about herself and her green beauty journey.  We cannot wait to see what she has in store in the coming year!

For amazing green beauty information, gorgeous photos and honest product reviews, please make sure to head over to Jana’s blog and follow her over on Instagram as well!