Ziaja Cocoa Butter Body Scrub

Its well known by my family and friends that if I really like something, I'll utter the words 'Ah no, I'll have it. You wouldn't like it' all of the time. And that was the first thing that came into my little pea brain when I opened this in the shower and tired it. Honestly, you really wouldn't like it. If you've bought some recently, then I'm sorry. You could send it to me and I'll dispose of it in the best possible way. By using it in the shower every single day. Muahahaha.

Ahem. Well, now that the moment of pure crazy is over, let me tell you about Ziaja. This brand is feckin hard to get your hands on if your like me and only pop into Boots the odd time to stock up. Since going on a mad hunt one day in town I did find a chemist on Talbot St that does a good lot of the range. I'm seriously impressed with the amount of products that Ziaja do, take a look yourself at the full range here. They cater for all skin types as well as for babies, a hair care line and lines for specific ingredients. And if you think thats a little bit great, then you'll be delighted to know that their products are all cheap and cheerful. Man I love it! I'm really surprised that I've only recently heard of the Polish brand, considering they are a family owned company that have been around since 1989.

I'm going to be banging on about this brand a lot in the next while, let me just tell you that now! But today its all about the cocoa butter body scrub that I was delighted to get in a goodie bag from a blogger meet up I attended recently. If you want to have a nosy at what went on then have a read of Robyn's blog post (from Robyn Rants And Raves) all about it over here! I was excited to try this body scrub out as its more then half the price of some of my most loved Soap&Glory scrubs and I wanted to see if I had found a new favourite. 

I have to admit, this scrub is really giving the Soap&Glory range a run for its money. It smells sweet and has a lovely thick texture to it. Once you wet it, it foams up slightly so its easy to rub across your skin and theres no clumps of it falling off like some scrubs I've used. There are tiny little bits in it that I can only describe as sand-like, with out it actually being sand just to say! It does a great job of exfoliating all the horrible bits of dead skin away without being too harsh either. Its perfect for using every day as it doesn't strip your skin at all. 

The packaging is plain, plastic and to be honest it just does the job. Theres nothing needlessly fancy or over the top and there doesn't need to be to draw people in. It works so well and the brand is fast becoming well known for their amazing products that don't cost the earth. I'm happy to stock up the entire bathroom with this brand over a high end one any day of the week. (and may be starting to do just that as I type!) You can get this body scrub for roughly €4.99 in a lot of chemists around the country. 

Spa Body Essentials

A little while ago the lovely people from Oceana Spa gave me one of their shower sets to try out, the *spa body essentials. I was really delighted to try the set that contains a shower gel, body scrub, body lotion and a bath lily. This set can be purchased from Oceana Spa but I'm still not sure what price it is after asking for a price list a few times, but if you contact them I am sure they would be happy to help. I've found the set online in dollars over here, which in euro roughly converts to €28.  

I really like the presentation of the set, the hard plastic bag that everything come in is right up my street. The packaging on the products is very basic however, which is a slight let down to a colour obsessed magpie like myself. But its whats inside and how well it works that counts at the end of the day. 

Earlier last month I did a little review of my favourite product out of the set here, the body scrub in my top 3 list. Filled with cocoa butter, mango butter and sugar cane, its got some great exfoliating power as well as being moisturising at the same time. Not to mention that its also a big 8.5 oz/140g pot. This, like the rest of the range has a distinct sweet sugar and lemon scent, its surprisingly refreshing. I've written more about it over here.

Next is my least favourite of the lot, the body wash. I didn't find that this foamed up well in the shower and the scent didn't linger on the skin once I was dried off. On the back it suggests using it in the bath as a bubble bath as well. When I tested it out it was very disappointing lacking in bubbles or even doing something for my skin after sitting in the water for over half an hour. This is a 12 fl oz/354.8ml bottle that has a pump, which is the one thing that I did really like about it. 

Last is the smoothie body creme thats 7oz/199.7g. I'm a big fan of this, its thick and creamy. It spreads alright and smells the same as the other products including vanilla, grapefruit and orange. My dear little mammy had a go of this as well and came away with the same thoughts as myself, she would buy it again. This is lasting well, but not as well as some of my moisturisers. As its quite thick you have to squeeze out a little extra then other products I've used which is something I noticed over the two weeks trying it out. Depending on what price this is, it mightn't be value for money when compared to other brands of the same quality. But it does leave my skin soft and drys in averagely well. 

What do you think of this set, would you use it or buy it as a gift? 

*I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here. 

My Top 3 Body Scrubs

I liked doing the top 3 sea salts sprays post so much that I thought I may as well do another top 3! This time it comes in the form of body scrubs, something that I have taken to using along side moisturisers as if its a religion. There really is no better feeling then having freshly scrubbed squeaky-clean skin straight out of the shower! And then a quick little shhlap on of the moisturiser and bam! Its gona' be one hell of a good day. I'll admit, it was really hard picking these and I could have easily listed about 8 more. Decisions can be hard when it comes to products sometimes! (First worlds problems, am I right?).

Starting with the cheapest and working my way up, I give you the most zingy out of the lot! Anatomicals 'don't just clean it woman, scrub it' body scrub - quite the mouth full! I've talked about this little beauty before but I really think it is one of the best affordable scrubs out there and I am in love with all this ranges packaging, its so funny and eye catching. Its got the kick you need in the morning not only to leave you soft but wide awake with its pink grapefruit scent too. It has a gel like consistency with little scrubby bits mixed in to give you the best of both worlds. This is easy to apply and because its a gel it slides over your skin easily and you don't need loads to achieve a well scrubbed bod. This is defiantly an all time favourite and I have repurched it since I've just finished this one. You can get your 200ml bottle from Cloud10beauty for €4. Not too shabby.

I genuinely had such trouble picking which Soap&Glory scrub I wanted to talk about in this post. I really am a massive fan of this range and one of my all time favourites is the Scrub em' and leave em' that I did a post on way back in the day over here. But in recent times I've been making my way through Breakfast Scrub which is a lovely shea butter sugar scrub that you could almost eat. I love the gorgeous sweet smell and how you can really work it well into the skin without half of it falling or not sticking onto your skin so you can rub it in. Its scrubby and good at getting you softy soft, but it always has the added benefit that its not harsh on your skin as the beads aren't course and the shea butter makes you that extra bit silky too. Another little thing that I love about this scrub is the tub it comes in. Yes, all S&G products are beautifully packaged and my heart flutters every time I see the famous pink shades passing my vision, but this is perfect for holding in the palm of your hand. I know it sounds silly now, but just you try holding a big awkwardly shaped jar of scrub when your all wet and things are easily slipping through your hands! This yoke is a keeper, but a little dear at €13.25. However theres one of those dangerous 3for2 offers on in Boots at the moment so... Get your hat and knickers!

And last but by no means the least, the *Sugarbutter body scrub spa body essentials. I got this as part of a set from the lovely Oceana Spa Beauty. I will be doing a full review on the entire set but I couldn't not talk about this scrub right now, its just too nice. This scrub is indeed sugar, but its also creamy and once you rub some over your skin and it mixes with water it goes a little further then the other scrubs. I honestly feel that it should be marketed as a moisturiser as well as a scrub, its so soft and lovely on the skin. It does mention on the back that its a body butter and scrub all in one though, which is good! This smells both sweet and slightly tangy from the grapefruit and orange essential oils. At €14 I think that although its a bit pricey, its well worth it and will last a very long time. I might even get it again once its finished up (just to be sure its eh, working right that is.. cough!) I really love this one.

*I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here. 

The Best Of Beauty Challenge: Pamper Products

Its week four of the best of beauty challenge hosted by the lovely All The Buzz. I'm sure by now you know the story with these posts! If not heres week one to tell you all about this great challenge. This week Sam has picked the topic of pamper products and to be honest I couldn't think of something that was really a proper, full on pamper product. So I had to sit in the bath last night and contemplate it all (any excuse for a bath) and decided I'd just write about what I had in there with me! 

Alberto Balsam is a new brand for me and really just the first conditioner I picked out of the drawer. If I ever go for a bath or pamper night I put as much conditioner in my hair as will stay in it and then go about everything else, knowing my hair is thanking me under all that goo. This one is the coconut scent and its just nom.

 Same goes for a face mask. Nothing screams pamper like a face mask to me and this one in particular. Nimue is an amazing brand and I am in love with their rejuvenating face mask. If doesn't hurt my skin, smells alright and leaves my skin feeling really lovely after. Its a proper treat!

Next its onto the skin. I'm a lazy thing and if I can shave my legs without too much effort, I will! This is why I love the Body Shops shea sugar body scrub. It has just enough scrubby bits that really help exfoliate the skin, making it a little sorter and ready to shave when the time comes. That and it smells like something you'd eat, not rub onto your skin. Promise I've not eaten any yet. Can't say the same for some Lush things...

After a nice bath, shave or even if I'm just feeling extra nice to myself I will pull out some moisturizer and go to town. Mostly my elbows and knees get all the attention which is bold of me, but I feel like sand paper - attractive! I like this Boots own brand one at the moment. Its a massive pot for next to nothing. It doesn't have an overpowering smell and skins into my skin quickly. Perfect!

Lastly how could I not include my favourite bubble bar Dorothy, from Lush. It smells like sweet magic, looks cool in bar form and in the water and best of all it makes a tonne of bubbles that leave your skin soft. I want, no, need them all.

Top that off with a nice Yankee candle (addicted to the bloody things!) a book or magazine and my pamper night it complete! As always, if you fancy reading more bloggers picks then you can follow #BOBBlogChallenge on twitter. 

Aqua Mirabilis Body Butter

The first proper beauty review of the year and its a Lush one. I think I need to go to a 'LushAnon' meeting, its becoming clear to even me how much I love going to Lush, buying new shiny products and then use them. Le sigh, what can a girl do when its true love huh?

I got this for my birthday back in September and didn't want to open it before I used up my Soap&Glory scrub em' and leave em' scrub and other bits of scrubs I had lying around. I'm dreadful for opening new things before using up what I have, just too much temptation! This lovely square of joy was bought on the Lush website along with lots of other goodies I all but squealed over, so thats why its wrapped in plastic instead of its normal naked self.

I'll just admit it now, theres nothing about this exfoliating body butter that I don't like. The smell that lingers on your skin weakens me at the knees - which isn't a bad thing considering you can have a good scrub of your knees and legs while your down there. Its an easy shape and size to use, it has loads of little sand-like scrubby bits to really get the blood going and the dead skin running. Not to mention it moisturizes beautifully without leaving a heavy layer of product on your skin so you feel like a walking oil stick. (walking oil stick? Now theres a weird image for you all to ponder over for the day..) You can have a look at the full ingredients list above or over on the Lush site. But with things like almond and cocoa butter, who needs much more convincing?

Since taking this photo I've only got one use left of it and I've been using it nearly daily in the shower for a week now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it goes fast, what I'm saying is I'm that addicted to it that I can't not use it all over my bumps and lumps (my humps, my humps, my lovely lady lumps. Sorry Fergie for butchering that..) This is £6.25 online. You'd be mad not to get one.

Oh a side note, I was recently asked if I was in some way connected with or paid to promote the Lush brand. The answer is no, no I am not! But I can see why some people would think that! All gifted or PR samples are marked with a * and is linked to my disclaimer.

DIY Almond & Lavender Sugar Body Scrub

Hello there lovely people of the internets! How are you all today? I really don't ask that enough and  I should. While were on the topic of chats, why don't you come over to Twitter page and we can chew the ear off each other!

Today I have decided that to do a little DIYing as Christmas is upon us and not everyone has a money tree in their back garden. (But if you do, kindly post a few seeds my way please!) That and its just something different that you might like to try. You can use many different things in your body scrubs. I opted for sugar instead of salt as I wanted a softer scrub, I put in some lavender for colour and almond oil because I love the smell of it. Don't be afraid to experiment and add your own tastes to your scrubs. 

For this you'll need:

A clean jar

Sugar (I like brown)

Olive oil (I used extra virgin)

almond essences or scented essential oil

Lavender

A table spoon

Ribbon (optional)

You can be very fancy and go spend a bomb on the ingredients if you like, or you can pick up cheap as chips things from Tesco that will make several batches of scrubs. You can also get a bag of lavender and different essential oils in a lot of health shops, I got mine in the Asian food market beside the Georges Arcade in Dublin. So once you have a clean jar grab a tablespoon and get to work! 

For every 2 tablespoons use one tablespoon of oil. I only found this out through a lot of trial and error, so find what works best for you. I actually liked a more oily mixture so I add in an extra tablespoon of oil at the end. I've found the best way to do this is add 2 tablespoons of sugar and then use another tablespoon to add in the oil, then mix it. Add in a tiny bit of essences and a sprinkle of lavender. Then go repeat this until you have filled your jar to the top.

If your making this as a present for someone then adding a piece of ribbon to it, a piece of fabric over the lid or hand designed sticker can really add an extra loving touch. And thats it, your all done! 

This is so easy to do and makes a great personal present to give someone. It works well and my skin feels really clean, well scrubbed and soft after. Since making this I've actually used half the jar and know when its all gone I'll be making some more stat! 

Thats all for now, hope some of you might try this and find it works well for you or even as a Christmas present.

Stay fab!

Things I've Used Up #2

If you've just popped by, hey lovely of you to come take a look at my blog. I did a #1 post last month, over here. I just love reading empties posts, I can't help but be nosy!

So way back at the start of this year I got to know Fragrance Direct quite well and ordered the famous Macadamia Oil shampoo while it was cheap because its not normally something I would ever be able to fork out for. I'm glad I didn't spend a lot of money, I honestly couldn't see any difference in my hair and the shampoo was difficult to get a good lather in my hair. Ok, its colour safe, sulfate free and paraben free which are all great, but this just isn't for me.

A quick sniff of this empty pot and I'm wishing I still had some left! I did a big review of Soap and Glory's Scrub em and Leave em over here. While on the topic of reviews, I also did a review of Love Lettuce too. I can not wait for my next visit to Lush to repurchase this stuff or maybe pick up a different one and try them all! Amazing on the skin.

When the blogs of the world went a bit crazy for texturising sea salt sprays, I had to see what they were all about and picked up Aussie dual personality aussome texturising and conditioning gel spray. I am a big Aussie fan and found this to be a lovely treat for my hair, giving it a bit of volume and lots of texture to play around with and style my hair. Thumbs up all the way, it even wins on the smell. I'll be picking this up again.

Bit odd but I repurched my Vitamin C tablets. Winters rolling in fast and I am so prone to getting colds! By taking one of these everyday I am helping my body that extra little bit to keep me well. Have you sorted your vitamins? You can get these in Boots, Tesco or even your local garage!

Yet another shampoo, this time its Fruit Essence by Boots. This one is called goodbye dry ends for mid to long hair. I regularly buy these from Boots, they remind me a lot of Herbal Essences as they smell just as nice but for half the price - oh would you look at that poetry! For under €2 you can pick up one of these and they all have matching conditioners too. Bargain!

Lastly my Natural Collection pressed powder in cool. This is a permanent product in my make up bag and I have already repurchased tow more of these. Works well, keeps eveything in place and cheap too. What more could you ask for. Loads of my family and friends love this particular product, its fab!

Have you entered my Halloween giveaway yet?