Nía Intensive Luxury Creamy Shower Mousse Review

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

I'm a big believer in buying and supporting Irish. I'm always on the look out for home-grown makeup and beauty companies in particular, and Nía is a relatively new one to me! Nía was founded by Celia O'Grady, a skin care expert with over 30 years experience in the field. Nía products are hand made in Limerick using Irish ingredients where possible and all products used are 100% natural.

I received their intensive luxury shower cream mousse in my goodie bag at the IBY meet up back in August. I hadn't heard of the brand prior to that day so I was delighted to be introduced to a new Irish skincare company.

I don't recall ever using a shower mousse before so I was excited to see what was in store! I had pretty much fallen in love with the product before I had even used it just based on the scent alone. Honestly, the fragrance is simply divine. This creamy mousse is infused with ingredients such as:

• Aloe Vera
• Coconut Oil
• Honey
• Vitamin C and
• Orange Oil

In the pot the product has a thick balm like consistency but once it comes into contact with water it becomes much more creamy in texture. A little goes a long way with this product, I find that you only need a small scoop because the mousse forms a nice foamy lather when worked into the skin.

My eczema has been quite bad over the last 6 months, the worst it has been in years and I'm finding it hard to come across in shower products that don't further irritate my skin. It's been a bit of a trial and error process over the last little while but I'm delighted to report that this is one of the products that suits! The mousse leaves my skin feeling rather soft and I love how the fresh scent lingers on the skin after the shower. 

A little pricey at €14.95 but as I said a little goes a long way. For me, for something that actually helps soothe my skin it's worth every penny. I'm almost at the bottom of my tub so it won't be long before I order another!

If you are interested in checking out this product or others from the range you can do so by clicking here.

Hope you all are having a wonderful Monday!

Chat soon,

Eimear x

Tan Organic Moisturising Dry Oil Review

Hey Everyone!
Hope you all are well :)

Back in August I attended the IBY (Irish Beauty YouTuber) Meetup organised by the lovely Dale from MonsterMakeupXx. I'll link her YouTube channel here, go check her out she's an absolute scream! Dale organised such a fantastic day for us all, it was filled with laughter and chats about all things beauty. On the day we had speakers from different brands come in to talk to us about their products and there were also demo's throughout the day too. One of those speakers was Noelle O'Connor, founder and creator of the Irish brand Tan Organic! It was extremely interesting to hear about her story, her time spent on Dragons Den, her rise to success and the struggles she has encountered along the way.

I had never tried any products from the Tan Organic range before so when we were presented with a goodie bag filled with some bits and pieces to try, I was over the moon! One of the first products I decided to try out was the Tan Organic Moisturising Dry Oil. I decided to reach for this product first because I had never tried out a dry oil before, I was curious as I really didn't know what to expect from it.

Starting with the packaging, the oil itself is housed within a 100ml thick glass bottle. There is a tonne of information printed on the bottle in relation to the ingredients and the products uses, to name a couple. The wooden lid twists off to reveal the opening which is just a small hole in the top of the bottle. Usually I wouldn't like an opening like this, generally I prefer a pump with products. However, the hole isn't large enough for you to accidentally pour out more product than you need so no oil goes to waste. I'm pleased with the packaging its high quality and exactly what I would expect considering the price.

As I've said previously, I have never tried a dry oil before but I was intrigued when I heard Noelle talk about this products multiple uses. I really enjoy multipurpose products and in this case it helps me justify the price. The oil contains a cocktail of fantastic ingredients, some of which include; 

• Argan Oil
• Borage Seed Oil 
• Rosehip Oil
• Macadamia Oil
• Orange Peel Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Jojoba Seed Oil
• Hemp Seed Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil

The Moisturising Dry Oil can be used in the bath, as a cuticle oil, in your hair as a treatment, as a face and body moisturiser and more. I like to add a few drops to my bath water the aroma it gives is just gorgeous and it also leaves my skin feeling silky soft. In terms of a hair treatment, the way I use the product is I apply a few drops to the ends of my hair around half an hour prior to washing, then I wash and dry my hair as normal. I find it helps soften the ends of my hair and also keeps the frizz at bay. Finally, I use the oil to give a sheen to my skin and also as an all over body moisturiser after my shower. I decided not to chance the oil on my face but I really enjoy how it leaves my skin feeling. I've very dry skin and I also suffer from eczema and I find the oil has helped to soften my skin without irritating the patches of eczema that I have.

The oil gives a lovely sheen to the skin which I find very flattering especially for nights out or for special occasions. I don't think it absorbs into the skin that quickly, it takes a few minutes but it doesn't leave a greasy/slippery/oily residue on the skin afterwards. What I also like is that the smell lingers on the skin after the oil has been absorbed by the skin. It has a lovely citrus scent which I really enjoy!

A bottle of the Tan Organic Moisturising Dry Oil will set you back €24.99. Initially I thought it was quite dear however, taking into consideration it's a multipurpose product and that a little goes a very long way, I can justify spending that amount of money on it. When it does eventually run out I will be picking myself up another bottle.

If you are interested in picking up some of the Tan Organic range, their products can be purchased online or in selected pharmacies around the country. For more information about stockists, click here.

Have you tried the Tan Organic Dry Oil or a dry oil from another brand? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts :)

Until next time,

Eimear x

Ziaja Marine Algae Micellar Cleansing Water Review

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

For as long as I can remember I have always used a product in some shape or form to pre cleanse my skin. Sometimes it might have been a makeup wipe other times it might have been a specific type of cleanser but over the last year or so I have been using cleansing waters. The first cleansing water I tried out was the Garnier Micellar Water and I absolutely adored it. It worked really well at removing the bulk of my makeup prior to cleansing and it is reasonably priced too so win-win. 

A few months ago while waiting for an event to start myself an Anita from Adorn.ie were chatting away about products, as us beauty bloggers love to do and she kindly gave me one of her spare bottles of the Ziaja Marine Algae Micellar Cleansing Water. Up until that point I had only tried the Garnier cleansing water so I was looking forward to putting this one to the test especially as Ziaja products are nice and affordable too!

As the name suggests, the Ziaja Micellar Cleansing water belongs to the company's Marine Algae line of products which is best suited to those who are 30+ or those who have dry & normal skin types. My skin is very sensitive and I've always suffered with dehydration and patches of dryness too. More recently though my skin is becoming a little oily around my nose and chin while remaining very dry elsewhere on my face. Even though I'm more of a combination skin type now I still think this product works really well with my skin. The cleanser contains algae funnily enough and is packed with provitamin b5. It aims to prevent dehydration and sooth skin irritations. What I love in particular though is that it is fragrance free which suits my sensitive skin to a tee!

I soak two cotton pads in the water and then I begin sweeping the pads around my face to remove my makeup. I start with the face makeup and it does a fantastic job at removing the top layer of foundation off of my skin. Once I'm satisfied with the face I move onto the eyes and it does equally as good a job at breaking down and removing eye makeup. When that step is complete I'm ready to move on to deep cleansing my skin!

One big difference I noted between this cleansing water and the Garnier cleansing water is that the Ziaja one doesn't leave a residue on the skin. Other than that there isn't much more I can say about this product, it does what it sets out to do and I'm very pleased with it!

The Ziaja Marine Algae Micellar Cleansing Water costs €4.49 so if you see it stocked in a pharmacy near you give it a go. It's inexpensive and works a treat!

Until next time :)

Eimear x

Human+Kind All in One Hand+Elbow+Foot Cream

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Today I have another moisturizing cream review for you all. 

The main reason I picked up this particular cream was due to the fact the it can be used on the feet. The 14 years of chalking up my feet for gymnastics really took its toll so I decided I would like to get them in good nick again.

Although I hadn't heard many things about this cream in particular, any products I have tried out from Human+Kind I have loved.

Naturally I was hoping it wouldn't be any different with regard to this product!

The first thing I loved about this product was that it is a multi tasking cream, it is formulated to suit your hands, elbows and feet! The second thing I loved about it was the size, its a tiny little bottle of cream. A perfect size for popping in your handbag when your on the go or if your storing it in your bathroom it isn't going to take up much space at all. As I said in a previous post that I usually get perfume for birthdays and Christmases, the same goes for skincare items, bath and body products..all that sort of thing! So my bathroom is jam packed with body lotions and potions, creams..the works.

For that reason I love products that double up as another product or aren't just specifically formulated for one area of the body. It saves time, space and more importantly for me, money.

Like all the Human+Kind range the packaging is super cute!

As with all of the Human+Kind range this product is completely natural.

That means no chemicals, no parabens, no colourants, no perfume, no additives and no testing on animals. None, zilch nada! :)

The cream is light weight, extremely moisturizing and fast absorbing.

I loved the fact that it smells exactly like my much loved Human+Kind cleanser (review here)

Even though the cream is labelled for use on your elbows, I think I only ever used it there once or twice. Mainly because I didn't think I needed to apply it there. I apply a body moisturizer or body butter at night after my shower and that covers my elbows so no dryness there!

Recently I have been getting eczema on my hands and funnily enough this cream helped with that. I didn't expect it to at all but one thing it did in particular was keep the itchiness at bay. My hands were noticeably softer after using the cream, unfortunately the same can't be said for my feet.

While it worked really well as a hand cream it didn't do as good of a job with hydrating the skin on my feet. As far as a foot cream goes its pretty average which I was a bit disappointed with.

Regardless though it wasn't a waste of money and I will still continue to get use out of it as I enjoy how it works as a hand cream.

The cream retails €7.95 for a 50ml bottle.

Would I purchase this again? 

No, probably not. I really like the cream but I only get use out of it for my hands and as thats the case I'd rather pick up my Cien one from Lidl that retails for only 99c!

Have you tried this cream?

If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

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

Cien Moisturising Hand Cream

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Today I have a review of a budget friendly hand cream.

In a post I did awhile back on a body moisturizer, I explained how terrible I was with regard to looking after my skin in the sense of moisturizing. 

I used to neglect moisturizing my body but now I don't even have to think about doing it. Its become a part of my routine, after my shower I now always make sure to slather a nice layer over my skin.

As I said before I have very dry skin, I suffer with it on my face, hands and body. I decided seeing as I was treating the rest of my skin why should I neglect my hands?

While I was doing my food shopping in Lidl I ventured up the aisle with the perfumes, deodorants, shampoo's etc.

Scanning the shelves I spotted this Cien Hand Cream, I had heard a bit about the brand..good things to date!

I picked it up and had a little try :)

First off the bat I really liked the smell and the texture. One of the reasons I used to avoid moisturizing was because I hated the greasy residue that was left lingering on your skin for what felt like an age after using the product.

This hand cream absorbed pretty quickly into the skin so I was quite impressed.

I checked the label and this cream was only 99c. 

Yep thats right, less than a euro!

I was sold.

I popped it into my basket and went on my merry way :)

I have been using it for the last couple of weeks now and my skin is noticeably softer, I'm chuffed with it! 

I went back and bought another one so I have one beside my bed for night time use and I have one in my handbag that I can use on the go.

I can't recommend this hand cream enough and for that price you really can't go wrong :)

Have you tried any of the Cien range?

Let me know! 

I can't wait to pick up some other products from the brand :)

Eimear x