My Verdict on Vichy - Liftactiv Serum 10 - Idealia Life Serum & Thermal Spa Water

If you are a regular visitor to my blog and read my product reviews you will know that I rarely test products over the twenty euro mark. The reason for this is very simple. I always budget myself when it comes to shopping for skincare and make-up. I try to find a more affordable option and If I'm not willing to spend money on a certain product I wouldn't expect my readers too either. 

Today I'm going to give you my verdict on three products from Vichy and tell you wether or not they are worth purchasing. 

Vichy Liftactiv Serum 10 for Eyes and Lashes 15ml €27.00

Suitable for sensitive skin and all skin types this product claims to give an instant illuminating and lifting effect to eyes and fortify lashes. It's innovative formula is paraben free, hypoallergenic and contains Vichy thermal spa water to sooth and fortify. To use you simply place a small drop to your fingertip, close your eyes and apply by gently patting onto your eye area from the inner to the outer corner of the eye. Lastly sweep any left over product on your fingertips to your eye lashes.

I found the Liftactive Serum light and refreshing on my eyes. I expected it to feel heavy or sticky but it wasn't. It instantly made my eyes feel lifted, just like it promised. I was so surprised to be honest with you. I was sceptical from the very beginning. I wasn't too fond of the price for just 15ml of product but you really only need a small drop and it lasted a good few weeks using it twice a day. I noticed a significant difference in dark under eye circles and was delighted to see my lashes appearing fuller and getting stronger. 

Vichy Idealia Life Serum 30ml €38.50

This is the first serum to ever make it into my daily skincare routine. It's designed to address dull grey complexion,  uneven skin tone, dark shadows, enlarged pores, oily and dry patches. Was Idealia Life Serum the solution to my tired dull looking skin or was it all too good to be true? 

I used this product every single morning until I could no longer draw any product from the top of the bottle and had to remove the pump to scrape what little product was left from it! Another pleasant surprise, I absolutely loved this product. After a few weeks I noticed a major reduction in fine lines on my forehead. I couldn't believe it. I even looked at older photos to make sure I wasn't just kidding myself into believing that one product could make such a difference in such a short amount of time. My pores also appeared reduced and I had a nice healthy glow to my skin. I loved how much Idealia Life Serum felt on my skin so much that I didn't even wan't to apply make-up afterwards.

Vichy Thermal Spa Water 150ml €9.99

Another product first to grace it's presence into my skincare regime. I had never tried a water spray before and to be honest thought it was a bit of an unnecessary product. The Vichy Thermal Spa Water can be used all over to boost hydration. Filtered through volcanic layers, Vichy Thermal Spa Water is naturally enriched with 15 mineral salts and 13 trace elements to calm skin and build up it's resistance. 

Although I did enjoy using this product during the summer months I didn't find myself reaching for it everyday. I found it great for providing instant relief from the heat, adding moisture to my dry skin. 

I would highly recommend the Liftactive serum 10 and Idelia Life Serum to anyone looking to improve dark under eye circles and dull, tired looking skin. I would gladly forget about my skincare budget and fork out for these products by Vichy. I loved using them everyday and seeing the results in my skin the longer I used them. As for the Thermal Spa Water, I think it is a good product and very affordable for the amount of product it contains. However it did not find a permanent place in my skincare regime. There's only so many products I can put on there ya'll! 

Let me know that you think of these products in the comments below. Maybe in the future I'll stop talking myself out of buying certain products just because of the price because I was really happy with the results.

Love,

Sarah

Ziaja'a New Manuka Range - Face Care Products for Oily/Combination Skin

Ziaja have very recently launched a new skincare range called Manuka. The Manuka Tree Purifying range like all their other lines of skincare is incredibly affordable with products ranging from €4.49 up to €6.99.

The new range is targeted for people with oily/combination skin who suffer from an oily t-zone, dilated pores, blackheads, minor spots, acne breakouts and shine control. The new face care products get their name from the star ingredient, Manuka leaf extract. It's contains powerful antibacterial properties which make it perfect for soothing irritation, eliminating bacteria and cleansing the skin.

The range consists of a Normalising day cream €6.99, a gently exfoliating night cream €6.99, a deeply cleansing peeling paste €4.49, a Astringent face toner €4.49 and a normalising cleansing gel €4.49. I myself have dry skin so taking that on bored I tested out the cleansing peeling paste and the face toner.

 

Ziaja Manuka Tree Purifying Deeply Cleansing Peeling Paste €4.99

Despite what the name might suggest this is essentially a ex-foliating facial wash. 

Directions: Massage onto damp face and rinse off. Use once a week.

A little goes a long way with this product. I found the exfoliating beads to be absolutely perfect for my face. Not too abrasive, just the right amount to unblock my pores and leave my skin feeling fresh. Perfect for removing dead skin cells and perfect preparation before you complete the rest of your daily skincare routine. As it is directed for oily/combination skin and I have dry skin I feel it's worth mentioning that this product didn't dry my skin out. Make sure to apply a suitable moisturiser directly after applying products like this to your face. 

Pleas note that this is not a peel off mask. They mention Peeling paste in the title because this product removes dead skin cells and it also resembles the consistency of toothpaste. 

Ziaja Manuka Tree Purifying Astringent Face Toner €4.49

The purpose of this face toner is to reduce the appearance of porous areas, sooth acne breakouts and also improve blemishes. 

Directions: Apply with cotton pad over cleansed skin. Use daily.

Firstly I just want to say this product worked best for me when I spritzed the solution straight onto my face and then used a cotton pad to lightly dab around the different areas of my face. I enjoyed this product because the mist was so gentle and it felt nice and light on my skin. Great skin preparation for your favourite daily moisturiser. 

All the products in this range smell the same and the scent is nice and refreshing. It's the kind of scent you would associate with a freshly cleaned face if that makes any sense. 

I would recommend this range to teenagers suffering from breakouts and women of all ages who have oily/combination skin. If like me and you have dry skin and love a good facial exfoliant please try out the Deeply Cleansing Peeling Paste. I haven't tried anything like it since Soap & Glory's No Clogs Allowed and that costs €15. Great quality for an even better price.

Have you tried out any of the Ziaja skincare ranges yet? 

Love,

Sarah

I Love Seaweed

I have to say I have become obsessed with finding body products containing natural ingredients over the last few months. I'm also delighted at the amount of companies in Ireland that deliver fantastic quality products using natural ingredients that are sourced locally too. Out of all the products I have tried and tested I fell in love with the following three containing seaweed.

 Seavite Illuminating Shampoo 250ml & Conditioner 250ml €10 each.

Seavite is an Irish family run company based in Co Galway. They have a whole range of organic seaweed products for your body, face and hair. I specifically love the shampoo and conditioner because they contain no skin irritants such as parabens which is great because I suffer from a dry scalp due to years of washing my hair daily. The price tag might be more than most are willing to spend but the quality of these products is fantastic. My hair felt amazing after the first use and the Illuminating conditioner is by far the best conditioner I have ever used. They have also lasted me quite a long time too so you are getting your money's worth. 

LUSH Seanik Shampoo bar

I was very intrigued by this product the first time I was introduced to it by a Lush assistant in their store on Henry Street, Dublin. I had approached her asking for a shampoo that would not irritate my dry scalp and she suggested I use the Seanik shampoo bar. She spoke to me about the benefits of seaweed and that's how my love affair began. Seanik is a shampoo that doesn't come in liquid form like most. It is a round blue bar and contains seaweed and sea salt. I found it excellent for travelling especially with the lush tin to store it in. It added volume to my hair and although I didn't find it as nourishing for my scalp as I had expected it was great for removing dirt and grease from my hair leaving it a lovely shine and feeling soft.   

VOYA Time to Shine Body Buff 200ml €29 75ml €10

My favourite body scrub to use is the Body Buff Time to Shine by Voya. It's mild enough to use regularly but also very effective for exfoliating dead skin leaving you with silky toned results. It contains ground walnut shells and seaweed flakes which make this product so effective and enjoyable to use. I think the price point reflects the superb quality and effectiveness of this product. All products in the Voya range contain organic natural ingredients locally sourced in Co Sligo.

If you have dry skin like me you should give seaweed based products a go. Seaweed face masks are also great for relieving itching caused by acne and for achieving soft glowing skin. 

How do you feel about Products containing natural ingredients? Do you mind the hefty price tag? I for one think every penny (cent?!) is worth it.

Love,

Sarah

This months Ultimate advertiser is About Girl Friday . If you would like to find out more about advertising on this blog click HERE

Cocoa Brown 1 hour Tan Review - Before & After photos

I'm so excited to review this product for you today. I have to admit I have never been big on tanning. You name a tanning brand and I've tried it with no luck in finding the right one for me. Until now...

Cocoa Brown is a revolutionary new tan that has exploded onto the Irish market. Apart from its affordable price of just €7.99 for 150ml and it's gorgeous pink packaging the major plus for this product is the fact that it's a one hour tan. You can apply this to your skin, leave it on for just one hour and be left with an all over natural tan. You can leave it on for a maximum of three hours if you are looking to achieve a deeper tan. It won't develop any future after three hours....so in other words it's pretty fool proof. No more tangoed teenagers, AMEN! It's called Cocoa Brown because that's what this product will deliver. A nice natural brown tan. 

Marissa has gone above and beyond to bring us Irish girls this almost too good to be true product. The ingredients contain hi tech accelerating agents which start working the moment the mouse touches your skin. The revolutionary ingredients speed up the absorption and development of the tan which allows you to wash it off after just one hour. 

I thought this product couldn't get any better until I experienced another WOW moment after using it. I was not at all expecting the sweet smell of Tahitian Gardinia. I never thought I would see the day when I would actually like the scent of a self tan but I love the smell of Cocoa Brown. 

Unlike other brands I have tried this won't have you looking like a Character from Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, it won't leave you with streaks, it won't stain your bed clothes and it won't leave you broke.

I know I have been in situations where I was going on a night out and was in a fluster because I had no time to apply tan and ended up covering up with tights and cardigans to hide my pale skin!! Having a tan that develops in such a short time is going to make going out a lot easier for women from now on.

AFTER

Sorry about the lighting, this is the cocoa brown tan after I had it on for 3 hours. Taken without a flash.

I found Cocoa tan very easy to apply using the Self tan applicator mitt. The mitt will prevent your hands from staining and is re-usable. It is machine washable but I find it quicker just to hand wash straight after using it. 

Cocoa Brown is available nationwide and you can find out more information on their Facebook page and stay up to date on all their latest news over on twitter.

I'm so excited about this product I want you to try it out too. Win yourself a bottle of Cocoa Brown 1 hour tan and an applicator mitt just in time for New Years by following the rafflecoptor widget below.

Good Luck,

Sarah

This months Ultimate advertiser is About Girl Friday . If you would like to find out more about advertising on this blog click HERE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy Irish Day 6: Pixy Natural Skincare

PIXY natural skincare have you covered this Christmas. Their range of products made  from natural ingredients include bath bombs, body oil, lip balm, cuticle balm, soap, bath salt and oils, shower mousse, foot scrubs and the list goes on and on! Having an Irish brand that offers variety is brilliant but it doesn't stop there. The entire range is hand made by local people in Mallow, Co Cork. That's what Love Irish, Buy Irish is all about this year. Supporting Irish business which in turn support the local community. 

I discovered Pixy not too long ago at the Pro Beauty Exhibition show in the RDS. I was attracted by the magical aroma that surrounded their stand and I also got to talk to a lovely lady who's name I believe was Eilish. Her excitement for the Pixy brand was so obvious that it in turn made me excited to learn more about it. She told me all about their experience on the Dragons Den and suggested some of her favourite products.

The child in me could not leave without getting the Hidden Surprise Pink bath bomb €3.70. It's pink, covered in glitter and has a toy inside. What more can you ask for really? Oh wait, it also smells like sweet candy! 

Blue Sapphire, my favourite! A bath bomb good enough for royalty! 

Pixy also have a range of Gift Sets for you to choose from for Christmas. They also over free shipping in Ireland to orders over €50. Also for this week only they are giving you 20% off their Pixy Dazzle gift set, it usually costs €49.95 but you can snap it up for €39.96 and comes with eight amazing products. 

I think Pixy individual products would make fantastic stocking fillers. They also make these Pixy Pedi gifts sets which you can buy on their website for €16.95.

I know too many people with foot phobia's so for their sake I will re-frame from showing any picture of my feet. I will say this though, my feet felt so smooth and smelt great after using the Pixy Pedi set, good enough to eat you might say! The first time I used it I went a bit mad on the peppermint cream and smelt like an after eight which I didn't mind! I'll know better next time, plus the instructions say to apply a small amount but as per usual Sarah no patience got too excited and had to learn the hard way! 

Pixy also don't use ingredients made from animals and only test on themselves so I am proud to announce that Pixy received the Puppy seal of approval. YAY!

You can buy Pixy Online and in Pharmacy's nationwide. To stay up to date on their new products and special offers make sure you head on over to Facebook and like their Pixy Natural page.

Lots of Love,

Sarah

This months Ultimate Advertiser is Carter Beauty. If you would like to find out more about advertising on this blog click HERE

Buy Irish Day 2: Bia Beauty

 All the way from Blarney in County Cork I want to introduce you to Bia Beauty, an exciting range of skin care products made from 100% natural ingredients.

The creation of Bia Beauty blossomed after Tracey Ryan took her love for plants and studied Herbal Science at Cork Institute of Technology. As a result of her studies Tracey says "I know how to select the most appropriate herbs and use them in the most beneficial ways".

Tracey sells all her handmade products on her website www.biabeauty.com. Individually they range from €4.95 up to €19.95. You can also buy beautiful gifts sets containing all her wonderful products. I think these would make wonderful gifts for Christmas. 

This gift set contains: Detox Body Scrub 240ml and Apple Blossom Body Butter 200ml.

This gift set contains: Mellow Mandarin Moisturiser 60ml, Orange & Grapefruit Facial exfoliant and Cleanser 60ml and a 7ml Lip balm in Lime Pie.

The Feed Your Skin gift set included the whole Bia Beauty skin care range including the Lemon Myrtle Hand Cream 60ml.

I can not get over how fresh these products smell. Each product really is made from 100% simple natural food ingredients and are even suitable for dry skin. One thing I didn't know before discovering Bia Beauty is that your skin absorbs 60% of what you apply to it. If you are what you eat then your skin is also what it eats. That's why Tracey named her natural handmade cosmetics company Bia beauty (Bia being the Irish word for food). Tracey also tries to order her ingredients as local as possible. She buys bees wax from a bee keeper in West cork and chocolate from O'Connell's in Cork city.

I've liked all the Bia Beauty products I have tried out so far and if I had to choose, I say my two favourite products are the Apple Blossom Body Butter (200ml €19.95) because it is so nourishing to my skin and I love the apple scent. I also love the Lime Pie Lip Balm (7ml €4.95) again because of the wonderful scent and handy packaging. I love them all, the smells and textures are just perfect for me.

You can stay up to date with Tracey's expanding product range on her Facebook page and Twitter

Support Irish this Christmas and buy Irish for your family and friends.

Let me know what you think about Bia Beauty in the comments below.

Love,

Sarah

This months Ultimate Advertiser is Carter Beauty. If you would like to find out more about advertising on this blog click HERE