Ziaja Manuka Tree Purifying Range Review

Hello Beauties I hope you are all well :) 

Today I come to you with a review but in a different style :)  

My daughter is part of this review thats why its different :) 

You may remember me mentioning before about having a teenage daughter who is going through a hard time with acne :)  Its hard for a mum to see her daughter been so down and so insecure about the way she looks and no matter how much you tell her she is beautiful she still looks in the mirror and is greeted by acne on her face.  So I made it my mission to got out there and find a skin care that is suitable for her and her skin type.  She had a very different skin type to me where I am normal to combination skin she is more oily to combination.  She suffers with alot of acne on her forehead which worsens at a certain time of the month.  Her acne at times can be very sore and very red 

I am sure alot of you out there know what its like :( 

I am sure you all know that I have tried some products from Ziaja and was never disappointed.  I like the fact that this brand is very affordable and the products are very good quality.  I love how effective their products are without using any harmful chemicals.  I trusted them that much I decided to buy their Manuka Tree Purifying Range for my daughter to try out :) As its perfect for people who have oily & Combination skin :)  not only that but Manuka is suppose to Used to solve oily and combination skin problems. Has antibacterial properties. Reduces infections and soothes irritation. Deeply cleanses the skin, eliminates the bacteria causing acne.

So Becky has been using these for the past 3 months and can safely tell you all what she thinks :) and what I think as a mum who has been keep a very close eye on her ;) 

First up is 

The Deeply Cleansing Peeling Paste retails at only €4.99 and you get 75mls which is quite alot for the price.  Ziaja states:  Deeply cleansing peeling paste with astringent and exfoliating properties. 

Effectively reduces skin imperfections. 

Prevents blackheads formation. 

Unblocks pores and prepares the skin for further cosmetic treatments.

To be honest when i got this first I thought it was a peeling mask but its in fact no way a mask.  The directions to use this is very simple and straight forward.  You spread the paste on your hands apply massage in circular motions onto your dampened face and rinse with luke warm water.  My daughter loves this and finds it very effective.  She picked this to be her top favourite out of the 5 and loves how her skin feels after using it :)  So much so she uses it every single day :)  She feels that this is more like a gentle exfoliator as there are tiny little beads mixed in with the past and feels her face is squeaky clean.  She also found even when her skin is at its worst been red and sore to touch that her skin can tolerate this peeling paste and finds it does not flare her acne up any more than it is :)  Thumbs up for the peeling paste and I will surely be repurchasing this for her as it does seem to help her alot.  Its been a month since I seen her acnes been red and sore and I know that its this product that's helping :) 

The Normalising Cleansing Gel retails at €4.49 and contains 200mls of product :)  Ziaja state:  Purifying cleansing gel. 

Perfectly cleanses the skin. 

Soothes irritations and skin redness. 

Moisturises and softens the epidermis. 

Prepares the skin for further cosmetic treatments.

Soap-free.

Basically there is a mixed review when it comes to this Cleansing Gel I am afraid.  My daughter has literally used this every single day up until a month ago because she decided she needed to leave it out for a while.  She found using this when her acne was at its worst been sore and very red was a little painful.  It stung her and made her spots redder which I have seen for myself.  I told her to take a break from it.  When her acne started to calm down and become less red and sore I told her to maybe try it again and this time it was a different result.  It did not sting or flare her acne up.  She still uses it maybe 3 to 4 times a week and her spots are still calm.  So I think if you have bad flare ups this might annoy you more but if you have normal dead spots you will be fine to us this for sure.  Her skin still feels soft and clean after using it :) 

Normalising Day Cream retails at €6.99 for 50mls of product :)  Ziaja states:  Light, moisturising-normalising cream for everyday care of oily and combination skin.

Deeply purifying active ingredients: antibacterial manuka leaves extract astringent - soothing zinc gluconate normalising oleanolic acid. Deeply moisturising active ingredients: bioavailable hyaluronic acid salt brown algae Laminaria ochloreuca.

Protective and corrective active ingredients: photostable UVA / UVB filters smoothing balance pigment

• Effectively reduces skin imperfections.

• Regulates the sebaceous glands activity.

• Reduces oily skin and provides matifying effect.

• Reduces blackheads and prevents their formation.

• Moisturises and soothes irritations.

• Evens out the skin tone.

This is another of Beckys favourites :)  She finds this cream does keep her skin especially her forehead mattified without making the rest of her skin feeling too dry.  

She finds her skin feeling smooth and soft and relieved when first applied to the skin.  She even feels at times when she first applies the cream that it cools and soothes her.  This is definitely a repurchase :) 

Gently Exfoliating Night Cream with Almond Acid retails at €6.99 for 50mls of product.  Ziaja state:  Gently exfoliating, moisturising night cream with 3% almond acid.

Deeply purifying active ingredients: anti-acne, exfoliating almond acid antibacterial manuka leaves extract astringent, soothing zinc gluconate.

• Exfoliates and regenerates the skin without causing irritation. 

• Reduces acne lesions.

• Brightens skin discoloration caused by sun and inflammation.

• Reduces blackheads and dilated pores.

• Moisturises, improves skin firmness and elasticity.

• Evens out the skin tone.

Becky did try this every night for the most part of 2 weeks and we came to realise it was a bit much as it wasnt helping are already irritated skin.  She found it alot easier to use this 3 nights a week and instantly seen a difference.  I do advise if you have very sore red spots using this every night will be alot of your skin to take.  

She uses this 3 nights a week and in between uses the Cleansing gel above for the rest of the nights.  This routine has made a huge difference to her skin so much so that even on her time of the month her spots do not flare up at all like they used to :)  

Lastly 

Astringent Face Toner Retails at €4.49 for 200mls.  Ziaja states:  Astringent face toner.

Cleanses the skin and completes make-up removal. 

Reduces dilated pores. 

Contains organic acids with gently exfoliating activity. 

Helps soothe acne lesions. 

Prepares the skin for further cosmetic treatments.

Use in the morning and night 

The directions state to spritz the toner onto a cotton pad in which my daughter personally prefers as she likes to see if there is any dirty left on her face and to test herself to see if she is cleaning her face properly but she also likes to spray this directly to her face as it has at times helped her feel cool and soothed :)  either way she has found this did do its job and in fact relieved her at the beginning when her face felt sore.  

She experienced no stinging, no redness after use nothing but nice clean face :)  

Overall Becky has really enjoyed using these products and ended up having some favourites out of the 5 products :)  What more she has found a huge difference in her skin since using these and Her acne has calmed down so so much.  It hasnt got rid of all her spots but it sure has calmed down all the redness all the soreness and she hasnt broke out anymore than what she has before she started using these.  Which means her face is not so oily and is alot cleaner.  I am amazing in the space of 3 months her mood has completely changed.  She hasnt even asked me could she wear makeup to cover up as she feels more comfortable in herself and the very few spots she has on her face :)  

That makes me one happy mum :) :)  What's more is she is now in a set routine in looking after her skin which is more than what I was doing at her age :)  Lastly what's more is the fact that these products has made a huge difference to my daughters skin and I can repurchase often because they are so affordable :)  

Have you tried this range yet ?  

If you want to know where I purchased these Click here 

:)

I really hope you enjoyed this review 

Until Next time 

Lots of Love Luck and Laughter 

I love love love hearing from you all :) I make it my duty to read each and every one of you comments and every time i get a comment from you it highlights my day thanks so so much to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Makeup Academy (MUA) Romantic Efflorescence Palette :)

Hello my beauties I hope you are all well :) 

Its been quite some time since I shopped on The Makeup Academy Site and a few weeks ago I had a little browse and seen that their was a few new things that I just had to get my hands on :) 

One of course was this palette.  The Romantic Effloresence Palette :) 

I have tried many of Makeup Academy palette and to be honest was never disappointed so I just had to try this baby out :) 

This palette contains 10 eyeshadows for only £4 :) 

The packaging is the same as every other MUA Eyeshadow Palettes :)  Light weight palette which is white and with a clear lid :)  There is no mirror but it does come with a double ended sponge applicator :) 

As mentioned above there is a mixture of 10 eyeshadows both matte and shimmery.  The eyeshadows are suitable for every skin tone and is perfect for day time and night time looks :)  What I love is that each eyeshadow is named I know it may not mean alot but it means alot to us beauty bloggers :) 
What i do find different from this palette to the rest of them is that the colours look mixed up in the palette, usually the lightest colours are on the first row and the darker shades ending with the black is on the 2nd row.  Its not a great deal I suppose but when your used to having shades in order it can be a little weird :)   So here is the shades :) :) 

Mesmeric:  This is a very light almost sheer matte champagne shade.  This is the perfect matte highlight or blending out shade :)  
Tempt:  A deep shimmer purple with a hint of red sparkles :)  I thought this would be more pigmented than it is but it appears patchy which takes a little more effort to blend :)  If used over the lid you are best patting it on for more of an effect :) 
Corrupt:  In the pan this looks like a very pigmented black but Its not the blackest I have seen :)  This is more of a charcoal matte black.  It is pigmented but not as pigmented as I thought.  You have to build this shade up.  Its easy to blend which is a bonus.  
Obsessed:  A deep chocolate brown with silvery shimmers :)  Very pigmented a little goes a long way :) 
Lavish:  Is a very sheer matte light taupe.  It would be perfect to use as a blending out shade.  
Fiery:  A Deep Metallic gold I love this shade.  Its very pigmented and a little goes a long long way :) 

Bewitched:  A nice medium bronze brown shade :)  This again is very pigmented and shimmery :)  
Magnet:  A medium brown grey shade :)  This is another matte :) I find this again to be patchy and a little hard to work with its a good outer v shade for a daytime smokey look 
Exposed:  This is an unusual shade :)  Its a light brown grey shade with silver shimmer :)  When the sun shine on this shade it looks like it has hints of green in it :)  very pigmented a little goes a long way 
Siren:  This is another matte shade this time a medium purple.  Again I find this shade patchy which leaves it hard to work with :(  you need to build this shade to work with it :) 
Reveal:  This is a light bronzed taupe which in some light looks silver :)  With is very shimmery and very pigmented :)  You may experience some fallout while using this shade as it is slightly chalky 
Captivate:  Another matte this time a medium brown.  This is a better matte than the rest quite pigmented easy to blend easy to work with.  

To be honest this palette didnt excite me alot.  When I began to swatch it, some of the shades looked very simular.  I was trying to pin point which palette it reminded me of and then bam !!! The MUA Undress Me Too palette .  
So If you have the MUA Undress Me Too Palette you may want to pass on this one as I find the Undress Me Too Palette to be better than this one :) 
I am not saying that this is not a great palette but I have found the eyeshadows less pigmented and the mattes were very disappointing  
I find you have to use a primer all the time with this palette and it does last for the day but without you are not going to get the pigmentation you want.  There is some very pigmented eyeshadows in this as you will see by the swatches but I have to admit its the first palette by MUA that disappointed me.  
Here is a day time look I created using these shadows :) 
I used "Mesmeric" under the brow and all over the lid
"Fiery"  on the inner 1/2 of the lid 
"Siren" in the crease and a little above 
"Obsessed" on the outer 1/2 of the lid 
"Corrupt"  on the outer V of the lid blending into the crease 
I took a shimmer golden champagne shade from another palette to the inner corners to brighten up my eyes 

Have you tried this palette yet?  Whats your thoughts of it :)  I hope you enjoyed this review :) 
Until Next Time 
Lots of Love Luck and Laughter 
 

I love love love hearing from you all :) I make it my duty to read each and every one of you comments and every time i get a comment from you it highlights my day thanks so so much to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Luck of the Irish Giveaway :) :)

Thank you for your interest in "Luck Of The Irish" Giveaway Hop. Please read thoroughly and sign up using the linky below.

• This Giveaway Hop will run from March 10th, 2015 {12:00 am EST} through March 24th, 2015 {11:59 pm EST}.
• Each blog in this Event will have at least 1 prize per winner. You may have more than 1 prize but you may have only 1 spot on the linky per blog.
• Each blogger is responsible for obtaining his/her own prize.  Prizes can be sponsored or self-sponsored.
• This is an OPEN themed Event – but your prize should be family friendly!
• To sign up for this FREE Event, please use the linky at the bottom of this post.
• Prize minimum value of $15 please.
• There will be a #LuckOfTheIrish Twitter Party on Thursday, March 19th, 2015 at 12:30pm EST - feel free to start teasing it! 

• PAID OPTION: For a $10 fee you can co-host this event. You will receive:
• Be listed as a "co-host" for this event and be in the first 10 of the giveaway linkup.
• A link to your blog will be included in the opening paragraph listed on everyone's giveaway.
• Limited spots available! There are only 8 spots - first come, first served. Once these are full, the Google Form will stop accepting submissions.
• You will need to be sure to report your link BY March 8th, 2015 to ensure your spot on the linkup.
• Sign up here: http://goo.gl/forms/6AXAp9Rol5
• Co-hosts must post the giveaway hop signup announcement on their blog. You can find the announcement HTML by clicking here.

Blogger Requirements:

• Please join our Facebook Groups "Up All Night Blogging" and  "The Hopping Bloggers", which are dedicated to this Event and all upcoming Events. A lot of information will be shared there.
• Approximately 2-3 days prior to kick-off, an email with HTML code will be sent to each blogger. This HTML must be posted in your Giveaway Post. Giveaway Post must be live by 12:01 am on March 10th, 2015 or you risk removal from the hop linkup.
• In that email, will also be a Google Doc where you will need to submit your post URL - First Come, First Serve style - meaning the sooner you submit your link, the higher up you are on the Giveaway Hop Linkup (unless you are a paid co-host).
• Please keep your giveaway at 1 or 2 easy mandatory entries. There is no limit on extra entries.
• Sign-Ups will close on March 7th, 2015 at 11:59 pm EST.
• Posting about this Event, whether by including the button (below) in your sidebar OR by writing a post is not required to join (unless you are a paid co-host), but we’d love it if you did! You can use #LuckOfTheIrish when advertising. You can find the announcement HTML by clicking here.

To sign up for this Event, add your information in the Linky Below!

Please include your Blog Name as the "Name" along with the link to your blog homepage. This is just the sign up. You do not need to know the giveaway you will feature yet, but start thinking about it. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at TheHoppingBloggers@gmail.com.

I love love love hearing from you all :) I make it my duty to read each and every one of you comments and every time i get a comment from you it highlights my day thanks so so much to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Makeup Geek Starter Kit Review & Swatches

Hello Beauties :) I hope you are all well :) 

You have no idea how excited I am right now that I finally own 9 Makeup Geek eyeshadows :)  I have been wanting to try these for such a long time as I am a huge fan of Marlena from Makeup Geek :) and I thought the day would never come :)  To be honest I wanted to save enough to buy alot in one go and that what I intended until I realised that the more you buy the more you have to pay customs.  The reason I knew this was because I talked to a few people about them and they warned me not to order too many at one :) 

So I decided it was about time I got my hands on some and I finally have started my collection :) eeekkkkkkkk :) 
Deciding on what eyeshadow to get was such a mission to be honest as there is so many shades to choose from (If I had my way I would pick all of them hehe)  with about 68 eyeshadows to choose from and that without choosing from pigments and foiled eyeshadows your mind will be bedazzled :)  
To be honest I have all on my wishlist and had no idea where to start and end.  So I ended up taking the easy option and picking the Starter Kit which contains 9 eyeshadows for only $49.99
That works out a bargain as each eyeshadow costs $5.99 which means there is almost $4 knocked off if your buy the starter kit :) 

You have two choices:  You can purchase the pans of eyeshadow on their own from the website or you can choose a UNII Palette along with it for extra.  I choose just the pans as I had a UNII Palette of my own :) 
I have a feeling I am going to have to invest in another bigger UNII Palette for the future for my MUG Eyeshadows :)  

Marlena thought out this Starter Kit very well :)  i am in love with each and every shade of eyeshadow :)  Their is great eyeshadows in here for daytime looks and of course night time :)  

There is a great selection of mattes and shimmers in this collection and each shade is perfect for every skin tone :) 

So lets begin one by one with the shades :) 

Shimma-Shimma:  Love this name as its a real Marlena saying "A little Shimma Shimma" :)  This is absolutely amazing and already a favourite of mine I have to admit.  Such a beautiful.  A Beauiful shimmery peachy champagne :)  This is sooooo pigmented a little goes a long way :)  A perfect all over the lid shade or simply us as a highlight AMAZING !!!! A Must have 

Glamorous:  Another favourite of mine and let me telly you now this eyeshadow is amazingly pigmented.  You bearly have to dip your brush into this pan to get instant pigmentation.  This is a beautiful shimmer bronze gold :)  Another must have !!!!

Creme Brulee:  A Matte Medium sand orangey shade.  The perfect transition shade :) I adore this and have found myself using this alot lately.  A little goes a long way even though its matte it blend beautifully :)  

Cocoa Bear:  Another Matte this time a lovely red brown :)  This is very very pigmented and a perfect crease shade :)  Its also great for using as a transition colour for smokey eyes :) :)  The pigmentation from this shade is absolutely incredible I mean go easy ladies and gents because you can easily over do it up if pick up too much on the brush :) :) 

Mocha:  Perfect name once again :)  A Matte warm Brown :)  Another perfect crease shade out even outer v shade for day time smokey eyes :)  Another pigmented shade nice and soft and easy to blend.  I have also used this for a daytime eyeliner :)  Love it and love how pigmented it is :) 

Unexpected:  Another matte :)  This time a light purple with pinky undertones :)  I love this shade as its a perfect transition shade and also perfect for a during the day smokey eye :)  Very pigmented and blends really well :) 

Prom Night:  I absolutely love this shade :) :)  A Pale Purple with a hint of grey in there :)  This is of course shimmery and has a lovely texture :)  This is hugely pigmented and very complimentary for every eye colour but mostly for anyone with green/hazel eyes :)  I adore this shade as you can wear it both day and night :) 

Drama Queen:  Another Favourite :)  I love my purples ;)  A Beautiful deep dark purple shimmer :)  There is a mixture of red and silver shimmers and wow will your eyes be bedazzled once you wear this.  My hazel eyes look more green when I wear this I just love it :)  This can be worn on the lid for that deep passionate smokey eye for night or wear in the outer V to darken up a look :) HUGELY Pigmented :) 

Corrupt:  This is the blackest black eyeshadow I own !!! I mean I own alot of palettes and alot of eyeshadows and no black eyeshadow matches this one !! This of course is Matte with a subtle amount of shimmer.  You bearly notice any shimmer while using this.  The pigmentation WOW !!!!  Blending is effortless which is always a plus right ?!

And now the moment you have all been waiting for The Swatches :) 

Closer Look? :) 

 

All swatches are made with no primer and in natural daylight :)  They are amazing Right??  Click on the Pictures for an even closer look ;)   I have to admit I have not one bad thing to say about these eyeshadows.  They are super high quality for a super affordable price and my goodness every bit as good as any high end eyeshadows :) 
I also have to admit I am jumping onto the site straight after this to order more and to be honest will not stop ordering until I have every shade :)  I am totally in Love :)  
With a primer of course you are going to find no fading whatsoever and I have worn these shadows for over 12 hours :) :) 
I highly recommend them seriously !!!! 
The only thing I do have to say is be careful when ordering from the Makeup Geek store because no matter where you are if you order over $22 worth of makeup from this site, you will be charged customs.  So order small and often.  
I didnt mention that Makeup Geek eyeshadows are also Cruelty Free, Talc and Paraben Free.  
Here is a look I created with these beautiful shadows :) 

Using Shimma Shimmer on the 1st third of my lid and on my tear ducts. 
Glamorous on the rest of my lid 
Creme Brulee in the crease and above 
Cocoa Bear in the crease alone blending with Creme Brulee
Mocha on the outer V blending into the crease I also decided to blend a little of mocha into the outer third of the lid :)  
I love this combination :)  I will soon post up a picture of a night time look using these eyeshadows so make sure to keep an eye out :) 

I really hope you enjoyed this review :) 
Have you tried Makeup Geeks Eyeshdows :) 
Until Next Time 
Lots of Love Luck and Laughter 


PS A little update:   I couldnt resist girlies I just had to order more eyeshadows arghhhhhhh please tell me I did the right thing come one please :)  :) 

I love love love hearing from you all :) I make it my duty to read each and every one of you comments and every time i get a comment from you it highlights my day thanks so so much to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

NYX Cosmetic Matte Lipstick Review and Swatches Part 2

Hello Beauties I hope you are all well :) 
If you are a follower for a long time you will know I absolutely love and adore the NYX Cosmetics Matte Lipsticks.  I loved them that much I got more :) :)  As I have reviewed them before (see my first blog post here) I will not go into too much detail about them again, but I will tell you why I love them so so much 

• You have a wide selection of shades to choose from over 20 shades to be precise and many of the shades will suit every skin tone 
• These lipsticks are matte all the way and super long lasting :) 
• The formula of these lipsticks are super creamy soft and does not drag on the lips unlike some matte lipsticks :) 
• The Pigmentation of these lipsticks are amazing !!! from each and every last one which means longer lasting lipsticks :) 
• The price of these lipsticks are super affordable costing only $6 each or here in Ireland between €6-7 each.  Soooooo worth it 
• The fact that they are matte you would be worried that they would feel too drying on the lips well with these lippies they are not drying and feel like a normal lipstick.  Now if you suffer with dry cracked lips you will find the lipsticks drying and soaking into your dried lips so make sure to moisturise them before using these :) 

Ok I think I have covered why I love them so much so let me show you the new shades I added to my collection :)  First up is 

Summer Breeze:  Summer Breeze is the perfect name for this shade as i see this as the perfect summer shade.  A baby pink that is more on the cool side and looks amazing on even the palest of skin tones :)  I love how it looks on people who have a more neutral to warm skin tone as it really compliments them :) beautiful pigmented shade :) and really applies well :) 

Next up is 

Tea Rose:  I am sure you recognise this one from my last blog post as this is a repurchase.  I adore this shade so much :)  Its the perfect MLBB (My Lips But Better) lipstick :) 

Its a beautiful Dusty Rose shade and perfect for everyone :) Again applies like a dream 

Next is 

Spirit:  As you can see this shade is very very nude and a little too nude for me.  Its almost like a concealer for my lips :)  Its not my favourite and to be honest I found this formula different to the rest.  It was a little to oily as it started to seperate from my lips :(  Its a no no for me im afraid.  If you like peachy nudes this might interest you more :) 

Next is 

Aria:  This is one amazing shade as im into my purples alot lately I just had to grab this one to try it out and im glad I did.  This stunning pinky purple is amazing and the more you build it up the more gorgeous it looks :) 

I love that once applied well on the lips it doesn't move and when it starts to wear off it leave my lips pink.  That is sort of a word of warning too :)  This lippy does in fact stain so if you apply this on your lips in the morning and not top it up you are left with pink lips :) :)  and I mean nothing will remove the pink from your lips not even oil :)  

And Lastly 

Merlot:  Scared of reds and would like to try reds for the first time?  This is the red for you :)  Reds are even scary to me to be honest as I havent got the perfect white teeth I dream of having (american white I mean)  So I feel if I wear reds it makes my teeth look more yellow (dam to my addiction of tea and sweets)  This is a lovely subtle pinky red a gentle red for all of us who fear reds :)  I adore this shade and find its easy to wear :)  It compliments my warm complexion really well

So there you have it :)  I am so happy with my collection and certainly plan on buying more shades, so keep your eyes peeled for more swatches soon :) 

Have you tried these yet?  

Which shade so far is your kind of shade :)  

I hope you enjoyed my post 

Until next time 

Lots of Love Luck and Laughter 

I love love love hearing from you all :) I make it my duty to read each and every one of you comments and every time i get a comment from you it highlights my day thanks so so much to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx