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

Wet n Wild Megalast Lipstick Swatches and Review

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Wet n Wild is one of those brands that I go back to time and time again. Budget beauty products are my favourite and Wet n Wild are a brand that stock just that. They have a fantastic selection of products in their range and all items are priced between €1.99 and €6.49. Out of their entire collection of products the lipsticks are by far my favourite and at €2.99 a pop, you really can't go wrong!

Wet n Wild recently sent me out some products to try out, some of which were the Megalast lipsticks. I was sent out four shades from the range and I actually happened to have those four particular shades in my collection already along with another one that I had purchased recently.

Usually, when I purchase a product I won't use it until it has been photographed for the blog encase I decide I want to review it. At the time I bought my lipsticks I was stuck in a bit of a rut with the blog and I wasn't reviewing items. Sometimes I can get away with using a lipstick a couple of times and then photographing it, particularly if the bullet is shaped like the Megalast ones because the usage isn't noticeable. However, there was no salvaging the Wet n Wild lipsticks in my collection. They looked God awful and i'll explain why in a moment!

  

L - R

(Red Velvet, Vamp it Up, Mauve Outta Here, Spiked with Rum, Cherry Bomb)

As I have said these lipsticks are very cheap and the packaging reflects that. I don't mind how the packaging looks what bothers me is the way the lipsticks are stored. These lipsticks don't wind down fully into the tube like pretty much all other lipsticks I have tried. I can't think of any other brand that has released a lipstick packaged in this way. The reason my lipsticks are not presentable is because they are quite badly chipped. I've hit the lid off the side of the lipsticks numerous times while trying to put the lid on which is quite annoying. Due to the fact that the lipstick will always be sticking out of the tube you need to carefully place the lid back on without touching the bullet. I feel like I'm playing a game of operation each time I want to put away a lipstick haha! Also, the inner lid of the lipstick dirties easily because you can't wind the lipstick down fully but honestly for the quality and the price of the product I can get over the blip that is the packaging.

L - R

(Spiked with Rum, Vamp it Up, Red Velvet, Mauve Outta Here, Cherry Bomb)

Red Velvet

Vamp it Up

Mauve Outta Here

Spiked with Rum

Cherry Bomb

The Megalast lipsticks are marketed as a matte lipstick and because of this I expected the products to be quite drying on the lips. My lips are dry all year round so I always expected the lipstick to emphasise my dry patches but that wasn't the case. The only time I found my dry spots noticeable was when wearing one of the lighter shades 'Mauve Outta Here' but at that it wasn't anything major. 

When I first tried out a lipstick from the range I was surprised by the consistency. All of the lipsticks that I have tried are creamy in texture, some more than others but none are completely matte. I would say the Megalast lipsticks leave more of a semi matte finish to the lips. The five lip colours that I have tried so far are very comfortable to wear and they don't dry my lips out further throughout the day. 

In terms of longevity each of the lipsticks lasted well pretty much up until the 5 hour mark and then I felt I needed to top up the colour. I trialled the lipsticks without lipliner to see how well they lasted on their own but I prefer applying a lip liner and having that as a base for the lipsticks first. I find they last even longer that way and the shade 'Vamp it Up' actually applies nicer over a base. On it's own 'Vamp it Up' can be hard to apply evenly, it can be a small bit patchy but with a lip liner underneath it, it looks phenomenal.

The only shade in the range that I wasn't keen on was 'Mauve Outta Here' purely because its completely out of my comfort zone and it's not a colour I would reach for.

To summarise:

Pro's

• Affordable (only €2.99)
• Widely Available
• Fantastic Range of Shades
• Long Lasting
• Highly Pigmented
• Not Drying on the Lips

Con's

• Poorly Packaged

I would highly recommend checking out the Megalast range if you haven't already. If there are any shades that you have tried that you think I might like let me know :)

Until next time!

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

Cheap and Cheerful with Make Up Academy

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Ugh, long time no tutorial!

Well...its been a couple of weeks which feels like a life time.

I've been sick which sucks and I didn't want you all to think I had hired Kermit The Frog to record my voice overs...so I said it would be best to wait ha!

I already have one series dedicated to beauty buys which are cheap money wise...not quality wise. More formally known as the "Beauty on a Budget" series.

So far I have covered the brands: 

NYC, Essence and Catrice.

In this series I have dedicated the entire makeup look to one brand to see how cheaply I can apply a full face of makeup for.

I think I might turn today's tutorial into a series.

In this series I will focus on one product by one brand, opposed to many different products by one brand :)

The series shall be crowned "Cheap and Cheerful"

To start the ball rolling we have Make Up Academy.

 I have heard so many good things about Make Up Academy, particularly from a lot of UK YouTubers. MUA is only sold in Superdrug here in Ireland and to my knowledge there are only two stores. One in Tallaght and one in Santry, both are quite a trek from me haha! A couple of months ago I had to go up to Dublin so naturally I popped into Superdrug, I had never been before. Unfortunately the MUA stand was quite small with not a lot of choice but I did manage to pick up this beautiful palette and a couple of single eyeshadows. I am so impressed with the quality of these eyeshadows, the pigmentation is amazing! 

If you are a fan of MUA, you might have guessed from the picture above that I used the 'Heaven and Earth' palette. My god it is a dream to work with!

Keeping in mind that we are now heading into Autumn (YES!), I decided to use browns and golds for this makeup look. 

I will have a review of this palette coming soon I am just over the moon with my purchase. The palette is so versatile, there are so many different eyeshadow combinations you could use! 

If you would like to see how I created this makeup look then just click on the link below!

I hope you enjoy the tutorial and thanks a million for tuning in.

I really appreciate it :)

Talk soon!

Eimear x