All posts tagged skincare

Phyt’s Rituals Set – An Organic Mammy’s Day Pressie? (& Review)

February 23, 2012

I am a huge fan of Phyt’s skincare. It’s natural but has potent ingredients that work on my skin without causing any irritation. I was pretty excited to see their Rituals Set as I had yet to try their body care products.

The set contains:

1. Hand Cream (40ml). 3 in 1 hand treatment, with lemon as an anti-pigmentation component for the skin, natural vitamin E for strengthening the nails and hazelnut oil, patchouli & rosemary to nourish and protect the hands against aggressions due to climate, cleaning products etc

2. A travel Relaxing Body Oil for nourishing the skin. Can be used with pregnancy. Contains: wheatgerm oil to nourish and keep the elasticity of the skin, lavender, tarragon and natural vit E.

3. A travel Body Gommage scrub shower gel with apricot seed powder for the exfoliation, orange & palmarosa for relaxing scents & skin soothing properties.

The set costs €35 which is pretty good for products that are 100% natural. It would also make a lovely Mother’s Day pressie although I tend to buy sets like this for myself too – it’s a good way to try a variety of products without shelling out for the full size.

What did I think?

The oils is my favourite product in the set. Although it’s travel size it will last a decent amount of time as a little goes a long way. It smells fresh and natural and left my skin soft. Best of all I didn’t end up with those blasted bumps at the backs of my arms. The hand cream is lovely too. Again, a little goes a long way and smells lovely. The shower gel with exfoliating particles is gentle and refreshing. More for regular use rather than the monthly skin sloughing event. I would re-purchase all of these products.

Phyt’s products are sold in salons all around Ireland – stockist here link!

Any more ideas for Mother’s Day? Some Mammy’s are harder to buy for – mine is definitely in this category!

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Human+Kind Review: All-in-one Anti-Ageing Cream

February 15, 2012

Being an advocate of natural skincare I have certainly worked my way through a hefty number of natural moisturisers. It was time to try a new one.

Enter All-in-one Anti-Ageing Cream by Human+Kind.

This cream is designed for women who lack the time for lengthy beauty rituals. It is a multifunctional product designed to work as:

an anti-ageing cream
an eye cream
a protective moisturiser
a night cream

It evens out skin tone reduces fine lines and wrinkles, softens the skin and reduces the appearance of age spots. The cream is packed with concentrated active natural ingredients which are designed to heal and rejuvinate.It contains jojoba oil, marshmallow, onopordum, centella, rosehip oil and shea butter. It also contains achmella oleracea, which is apparently known as nature’s botox.

Results?

I have been using this cream for ten days. I’m quite impressed. Not only is this a great all rounder it also helped even my skin tone. It didn’t break me out but left my skin soft and moisturised. This one is definitely for normal to dry skin types. If you’re oily I recommended stearing clear of creams and looking at lotions, gels or serums instead.

It costs €29.95 which is a fair price for a product that contains so many good ingredients. It’s always cheaper to buy creams laden with lab made chemicals as those ingredients are often cheap. If you’re a fan of natural skincare this one is definitely worth a look.

You can find Human + Kind products in health stores and pharmacies or at humanandkind.com.

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Voya Totally Balmy organic cleanser and Muslin Cloths

April 7, 2011

You all know that I tend to faff around with different skincare brands, all in the name of blogging, of course :) I first came across Voya last year when they launched a Seaweed based anti-ageing toner, which I loved.

I have since moved on to their Totally Balmy Cleanser. I have become quite the fan.

My thoughts

Two words – pure luxury! It’s made using organic seaweed, well, we do have an awful lot of it in Ireland. I’m glad someone is putting it to good use.

It smells divine, feels divine, looks divine. As you can probably tell, I’m a fan :)

It’s quite thick when you apply it first, then as it comes into contact with the heat of your skin, it just melts. That means it also melts off the make-up on your skin too, which I love.

It comes with a muslin cloth, which I think is essential when using balms like this. Otherwise, you could end up with residue issues.

If you have parched, dry skin you will most likely adore this as much as me. The downside is the price. It is definitely a splurge at €40. It is luxurious though and feels like a treat. I might reserve my purchase for dry skin season.

Best of all – tis’ made in Sligo :)

Muslin Cloths

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the aul’ muslin cloth. I go through quite a few every year and I wouldn’t have it any other way. They’re kinder than cotton wool and more effective than wipes. They slough away dead skin cells and stimulate circulation. What more could I want. After a few uses I pop mine into a white wash and they come out as good as new.

Voya now sell Organic Muslin Cloths which cost €12 for a pack of three. They arrive in a drawstring bag which is handy.

I found Voya online here or their Irish seaweed skincare products are available from spas around Ireland (listed on their website).

Can’t wait to try more of their products. I love supporting Irish business, no better time for it, but I would love this cleanser regardless!

What do you think of cleansing balms?

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La Roche-Posay Anthelios Stick SPF 50+

January 27, 2011

I have been buying La Roche Posay facial sun creams for years. They absorb quickly and offer a complete block so they’re perfect for my skin. A few months ago I picked up La Roche-Posay Anthelios Stick SPF 50+ recently and thought I’d share.

The stick is perfect for skiing. Anyone who has experienced the red strips down your nose and across you cheekbones from skiing will be thankful for this one. It’s small enough that you could pop it in the pocket of you ski jacket for top-up applications on the piste.

I haven’t been skiing in a few years so I used this on a sun holiday. The stick is perfect for applying to particular areas and that’s what appealed to me most about this one. I am covered in moles (boo hoo) so factor 50+ is the order of the day. I apply in on sun holidays directly to moles.I have also stuck it in my pocket to apply down my nose and under my eyes whilst out on day trips or walking.

It dries fast, smells nice and the tube is longer lasting than it appears. To give you an idea of how it settles into the skin, here are some pictures. The first was taken immediately after application, the second one minute afterwards.

The stick costs €10.50 and is available from pharmacies around Ireland. I am also keen to try the Anthelios Fluid Extreme SPF 50+ (€21.50) so if anyone has tried it please let me know how you got on.

Do you use spf in the Winter?

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Top Winter Product: Lush Ultrabalm

December 9, 2010

Since the snow and ice set in here in Ireland I have been layering on the beauty products to try and protect my skin. I was chatting with some of you on Twitter the other day about the best products for the extreme dry bits. This got me thinking.

One of the products I have been relying heavily on is Ultrabalm by Lush. Ultrabalm is designed ‘For bits that chap and chafe’, I sure have plenty of those this season!

Basically this is a medium size tub of emolient skin saviour. It’s said to relieve, protect and moisturise – it delivers. It does everything it is supposed to to. It’s also a vegan product.

I use it on my lips, elbows, knees, I also rubbed a little into the heels where my shoes were causing chaffing, that solved that problem. It also makes an excellent lip balm, cuticle balm

Don’t expect to smell any delicious scents as this has none, it smells like wax. That might be off-putting to some of you but for me that means no artificial fragrance. In fact one of the things I like about this balm is that it only contains three ingredients; Organic Jojoba Oil, Candellila Wax, Rose Wax. This means it doesn’t cause any irritation. So if you have a chapped nose from a head cold, smearing some of this balm on will protect the skin but won’t cause any stinging.

This is a classic, reliable product. One that belongs in your handbag.

The balm isn’t expensive either, €10.95, which is a good price, particularly for a vegan product. I use so little at a time that my pot should last me all Winter.

What are you using on your dry bits?

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DIY Skincare: Egg White & Lemon Juice Mask

November 30, 2010

It’s been a while since I posted a ‘make your own skincare’ post. This recipe is perfect for this time of year and is suitable for all skin types. It gently exfoliates whilst brightening, toning and clarifying your skin.

What you need

Still bottled water
1 large egg white
Half of a lemon

*Optional – Witchhazel or rosewater (from you local health shop)

Beat the egg white until it forms stiff peeks.

Squeeze one teaspoon of lemon juice from the lemon.

Gently fold the juice into the egg white. Apply it to your face and neck, leave it for 2o minutes to work its magic. Rinse with lukewarm water and a muslin cloth (or cotton wool pads), pat dry.

If you have any witch hazel or rosewater you can dab some on the skin. Follow with your moisturiser.

This mask last 6 hours in the fridge. I tend to make a batch when I have someone to share it with. Once a week will do it!

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Yes to Carrrots Christmas Sets

November 11, 2010

I really like Yes to Carrots products. I’m all on for anything natural and gentle.

At the moment I’m using the Body Butter, shower gel and shampoo. Last Christmas I bought myself a gift set as a way to try out a few of the products. I like sets in general since they are usually more cost effective than buying the products separately. This year I’d like to try some of the Yes to Tomatoes range which is probably more suited to my skin.

Here’s a little look at the sets available this Christmas…

Yes to Carrots Body Care Kit €21.99

Yes To Carrots Hand Cream (100ml Tube)
Yes To Carrots Body Scrub (200ml Tub)
Yes To Carrot Body Butter Full Size (250ml Tub)

Yes to Crarrots Carrot Loving Care Set

Carrots Moisturizing Day Cream (18 ml Tube)
Carrots Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser (18ml Tube)
Carrots Body Butter (30ml Jar)
Carrots Shower Gel (60ml Bottle)

Yes To Carrots Shower Kit €19.99

Yes To Carrots Shampoo (500ml Bottle)
Yes To Carrots Conditioner (500ml Bottle)
Yes To Carrots Shower Gel (500ml Bottle)

I think I’ll buy the Body Care Kit for myself. I have yet to come across any of their products that I don’t like so it’ll be money well spent.

What are your thoughts on Yes to Carrots? Do you buy sets often?

I’ll be back this afternoon with a post on my mac eyeshadows.

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Product Revival & Review – Olay Daily Facials Clarify Scrub

October 19, 2010

Whilst cleaning out the press under my bathroom sink last week I found a tonne of unloved products. At the very back I found Olay Daily Facials Clarity Daily Scrub.

I bought this last year used it a handful of times and moved on, the usual story. In the interest of clearing out the press I decided to use it up.

I have been using it for nine days now and I have to admit, I like it.

It contains tiny little beads, so tiny and so few that I’m not sure how exfoliating this product is. This doesn’t bother me since I have been using it as a cleanser morning and evening. I follow with Liz Earl toner and Origins Mega Mushroom Serum (video review coming soon on this one!).

My skin has been quite sensitive lately so I was expecting a little irritation. Not so. My skin feels soft. I actually look forward to using it before bed.

The only thing that puts me off is the colour, it’s blue!

The scrub contains green tea, aloe vera and salicylic acid which makes this a good option for those of use who suffer from spots.

As much as I’m enjoying using the wash I’m not sure if I would repurchase. We’ll see! It costs around £4.50 / €6 for 150ml’s.

What are your thoughts on Olay products? Are there any that you recommend?

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DIY Skincare: Coffee Scrub

October 10, 2010

DIY Homemade Coffee Scrub

I’m not a coffee drinker but you know how much I like making skincare products with stuff from my kitchen presses. I opened the cupboard the other day to look for inspiration and on front of me stood this lonely bag of ground coffee beans – unloved and getting old!

I decided to incorporate them into a scrub that I could use in the shower. Although I don’t like the taste of coffee I do love the smell so I was excited about this little mini project. Coffee is said to be good for stimulating lymphatic drainage – I can’t testify to that but it’s a common ingredient in anti-cellulite products.

Ingredients

2 cups of ground coffee
Half cup of cup or granulated sugar
3 tablespoons oil (Olive oil, grapeseed, almond etc)

Mix all the ingredients together and massage into damp, warm skin. You could store left overs in a jar and keep in the fridge for use later in the week. It’s that simple!

It does look a little messy but you’re in the shower when you apply so getting messy is part of the fun. The scrub leaves your skin silky smooth.

Finally, I have a use for coffee!

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Skin Care Favourite’s

July 25, 2010

I’ve changed my skin care routine up a bit over the past few weeks. I was suffering from breakouts go leoir but also dryness and sensitivity. My new routine has improved the situation enormously.

Here is the video -

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0Byw3Rd2BM

It’s a fickle world so no doubt I will change my routine again at some stage in the future, but for the moment I am delighted with the results of using these. What skincare products are in your arsenal at the moment?

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