Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm Review

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

I'm no stranger to Elemis my Mam was a massive fan and I'm not going to lie, I was partial to robbing a pump or two of her Elemis lotions and potions every now and then (sorry Mam). This however was the first "makeup item" that I had gotten the chance to try out from the brand. Last October I attended a Debenhams beauty event with some other lovely Irish Bloggers/YouTubers and this was one of the products that was in the goodie bag. Up until then I had never used or even heard of a flash balm before. I had a fair idea of what the product was used for but I had a little peek at the directions anyway. 

According to Elemis this is a multi-use product. 

"Directions: Use as a light daily moisturiser. Can also be used as a radiance booster, or makeup primer over your regular moisturiser."

I definitely find that the product illuminates the skin but I don't find it overly moisturising. Personally I wouldn't use it in place of a moisturiser more so in combination with one as also suggested.

I like to wear this as an illuminating primer. Majority of the time I sport a very matte base, I like the option of then adding in the glow where I see fit. Sometimes though I like a change. I apply the balm to my skin, add my foundation and then I apply a very light dusting of powder over the top to set everything in place. It doesn't give a very dewy appearance to skin it lives up to its name and gives a slight radiance which I love.

The balm has a strong scent to it which I adore. I'm terrible at describing scents but the balm contains ingredients such as bitter orange, neroli, bergamot and lemon. The fact that the product is quite heavily scented is something to be weary of if you have sensitive skin. Despite having very sensitive skin myself, I haven't had a problem with this product or any from the Elemis range to date *touches wood*. In terms of consistency the product is thick, quite gel like but this doesn't affect how the product applies. The balm blends into the skin with ease, it's not very heavy and doesn't make the skin look or feel greasy. I find it leaves a slightly tacky feel to the skin which is why I love to use this product as a primer. I find it really grabs hold to the products which follow after, foundation, concealer, etc.

It's not a cheap product by any means but definitely worth every cent. It's available from Debenhams and will set you back €54.60 for a 50ml tube. It broke my heart to see the price tag but it is a product I will part with my cash for, it's fantastic and I'd highly recommend!

If you're interested in checking out the balm you can do so by clicking here.

I hope you enjoyed the review and i'll see you all again soon, I'm really enjoying  getting back into the swing of things!

Ciao for now :)

Eimear x

Vita Coco Coconut Oil

Hey Everyone!

Happy Halloween :)

Two years ago I bought my first ever tub of coconut oil and I haven't looked back since. Initially I used it for cooking as a replacement for olive oil but fast forward six months and I had a tub stored in my bathroom, kitchen, bedroom and in my handbag too. The more I looked into coconut oil, the more I discovered just how many benefits and uses it actually had so I decided to put them to the test. I've lost track of how many tubs I've went through and how many different brands I've used over the last couple of years but the two I've always went back to are the Biona Organic Coconut Oil and the KTC 100% Pure Coconut Oil from Tesco. Recently however, I came across the Vita Coco Coconut Oil and the tubs I had been using have now taken a back seat.

Vita Coco claims their coconut oil is a natural multitasker. 

"From baking to beauty it can do it all!"

That is most certainly the case, with all coconut oils. The difference between the Vita Coco coconut oil and other brands I have used is that the Vita Coco one smells of coconuts. Hardly ground breaking Eimear, you might think but actually none of the coconut oils that I have tried out so far smell of coconuts, they don't really have a scent to them at all. However, Vita Coco's Coconut Oil smells exactly like a bounty bar its absolutely delicious!

Last year I compiled a post on how I like to use coconut oil so I won't go into detail. If you want to read up on that you can click here. To give you a brief idea, here are some ways in which I get great use out of coconut oil:

• Hair Treatment
• Lip Balm
• Sooth Skin Irritation
• Moisturiser
• Cooking
• Body Scrub
• Shaving Cream
• Ease an Upset Stomach

Its a wonderful little product and i'll most certainly buy the full size tub of the Vita Coco brand of coconut oil once my little pot runs out. Vita Coco Coconut Oil retails at €12.99 for 500ml, which is dearer than other brands but I think its well worth the money!

Are you a fan of coconut oil? If so, what do you use it for?

Chat soon!

Eimear x

The Body Shop Ginger Sparkle Body Butter

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

What feels like only yesterday, in November I picked up quite a few products in The Body Shop. Its hard to believe that we are heading into March already…where does the time go at all! Anyway, I decided to pop in after seeing some of my favourite bloggers blogging about the new ranges for Christmas 2013.

I had my eye on a few products from their posts so it was only natural that I went in and had a little sniff and swatch for myself.

In that visit I picked up the '4 Step Smokey Eye: Smokey Brown' eyeshadow palette and also the '101 Color Crush' lipstick, you can see those both in action here. When I went up to the counter to pay for my items the girl behind the counter told me if I spent 'X' amount more I could avail of the offer on the body butters. I think the offer could have been if you €30 or more in store you could get a body butter for €5.00! The Body Shop are known for their body butters, I adore them so at this price I couldn't pass up that offer.

I ended up picking up something really small like a nail buffer to make up the price difference and off I went to select my body butter.

The girl that was serving me brought me down to show me the range of butters that were on display. Before I even went to look at the butters I knew I wanted the Coconut one, I think its the only one I have ever purchased.

 I am obsessed.

However, after having a little sniff of some of the other butters I thought maybe just maybe I would try something different for a change.

I decided I would pick up one of the limited edition butters from the Christmas range. It didn't take me long to come to a decision, for me the ginger body butter stood out a mile! I popped back up to the till and paid for my items, I left the store bag in hand grinning like a Cheshire Cat. It was a good day :)

Can we all just take a second to appreciate how cute the packaging is?

I adore the little gingerbread man, massive thumbs up from me!

I was sold on this body butter before I even knew what it smelled like, damn packaging gets me every time!

If you are familiar with The Body Shops body butters you will know that they are thick and creamy body moisturizers that vary in texture. As I briefly mentioned above, this 'flavor' of body butter was limited edition for the festive season. Fingers crossed it will be back again for this Christmas because it absolutely divine.

The Ginger Sparkle Body Butter has a warm, rich, spicy ginger aroma to it…as the name suggests. On that point actually with regard to the sparkle I noticed little to none in my tub anyway. Sparkle or no sparkle though it didn't matter to me either way, I just love the scent and moisturizing properties haha!

Suitable for all skin types, I love how creamy and luxurious this butter is.

I always apply it at night time, after my shower I will slather a generous amount over my body. I have dry skin and it definitely hydrated my skin leaving it feeling silky smooth. I also love how the scent lingers on the skin, I could still smell the butter on my skin the next morning. I would say it lasts around a maximum of 10 hours on the skin which is amazing.

Coming into march now, I have been using it regularly since I bought it and its still going strong. I haven't even hit pan yet!

They may seem pricey upfront, but a little goes a long way so you really get value for your money with these body butters.

On the whole it was an amazing edition to the range.

Please bring it back again this Christmas *cheesy grin*

Were you lucky enough to pick up this butter when it was available?

What did you think of it :)

Eimear x

Cocoa Brown Chocolate Whip Oil Free Body Moisturiser

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Its that time of year again and boy did it come around quickly!

I can't believe we are nearly into December and how close it is to *gulp* Christmas.

Along with some festive cheer the winter months also brings cold, damp and dreary weather…..with a bit of snow if we are lucky! *fingers crossed*

I love the winter months, I look forward to this time of year so much!

Not just because my birthday and Christmas are in December but because…..

quite frankly I love the cold!

My body on the other hand, despises it. I suffer terribly form colds and flu's, dry skin the works! I'm sure we can all relate :)

Due to this I always need to take extra care into looking after my skin.

A thick, creamy and most importantly hydrating moisturiser is a must have!

Today I am going to share with you my favourite budget buy moisturiser from the one and only…Cocoa Brown!

As you all know by now I am no stranger to Cocoa Brown products. Over the past year Cocoa Brown has taken the market by storm and is continuing to do so with the steady release of new beauty buys to the range!

1 hour tan

Night and Day Mousse

Tough Stuff 

and most recently 'Chocolate Whip' has joined the Cocoa Brown family!

If you haven't checked out the full range, just click on each of the names and it will take you to an in-depth review on each of the products :)

Before I even get in to talking about the product, lets just take a moment to appreciate the packaging. I'm a stickler for packaging but Marissa's range has always gotten a bit fat tick from me and that remains unchanged!

I love the colour combination, the pink on the white its so girly especially with the added floral design that runs around the tube. 

That is another thing I adore about this product is the fact that it comes in a tube, this makes for easy application and there is no mess!

When I squeezed the product out of the tube I couldn't believe my eyes…

it was brown!

I don't think I have ever come across a brown moisturiser before, it definitely lives up to its name 'Chocolate Whip'. Then the smell hit me next, oh wow.

If you have tried some of the other products from the Cocoa Brown range you will be familiar with the Tahitian Gardenia scent, its also infused with some Cocoa so you get a slight whiff of chocolaty goodness too!

Chocolate Whip is enriched with Vitamin E and Panthenol. The Vitamin E helps to reduce the appearance of stretch marks, age spots and also helps strengthen the skins barrier function. While the panthenol helps to protect against every day environmental damage. The added panthenol means it is suitable for acne prone skin, it will moisturise the skin without clogging pores!

This moisturiser is also oil free, most body lotions on the market contain oil which causes your tan to become patchy and fade unevenly. With Chocolate Whip this is not the case, when applied daily from the day of tanning application it helps to prolong the life of your tan making sure it fades evenly.

As the moisturiser is multipurpose it can be used in two other ways.

1. Before you apply your Cocoa Brown tan, apply chocolate whip to areas such as the hands, elbows and feet to prevent the tan from becoming too dark in those areas. Also apply it to any dry patches you may have to ensure a streak free flawless finish to your tan

2. If you don't fake tan…don't worry! Don't be put off by the colour, this moisturiser isn't tinted in the slightest! This moisturiser can be used on a daily basis to hydrate the skin leaving it silky smooth.

After I applied the moisturiser aside from the smell, the first thing I noticed was how quickly it absorbed into my skin. There was no oily residue left behind so time spent standing in the nip after my shower was kept to an absolute minimum! Thank god says I, its been ferociously cold these last few mornings!

While it absorbs into the skin quickly I've noticed this is a slight flaw too if I had to nitpick! As it dries quickly I find myself having to use a good bit more of the moisturiser to cover my entire body, however its not that big of a deal when you consider the price of a tube is only €7.99!

On the whole I'm once again extremely impressed with my Cocoa Brown package, 'Chocolate Whip' is definitely a must have moisturiser in my books!

And at that price….Bargain Hunter Byrne strikes again :)

For more information head over to CocoaBrown.ie

or to the Cocoa Brown Facebook page (here) for some exciting competitions too! 

Talk soon,

Eimear x