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. 

New Vaseline Spray&Go Body Moisturiser

Its time for some heart to heart here. I have to tell you all something that is shameful and truly dreadful; I am lazy as hell when it comes to moisturising. Oh god there I said it and the world of beauty inhales a sharp breath! I know, what am I like having sand paper skin. I don't know myself but I have to tell you, I've found something thats making it a little easier to deal with.

Vaseline has a new Spray and Go body moisturiser thats been on shelves since Christmas if I remember. I walked by, always having a look, always wondering what it was like but never taking the leap because well, it was moisturiser and that was something I never bought as I've so much of it lying around at home, unopened, unused and unloved. But it was on offer one day when I was in Boots going a bit mad and I thought why not, I think theres enough space to squeeze in one last impulse buy! I was so lucky that I did too.

Right so, here is what you do. Spray on, rub in really quick and put your clothes on before you freeze. End of. No waiting around and risking your bits falling off from frost bite, no flapping your arms around or blowing on your skin trying to get it to dry faster. Nope none of that carry on. It claims to be non greasy and its not too far off, it does skin in and dry quicker then a lot of the moisturisers I have tried and with so many different types to try I know I'll not only use this one up but also be trying out the others in the line. The one I have now has cocoa butter in it and smells sweet and slightly chocolaty, nom! All the tins have a handy nozzle yoke that you can twist so none of it will come out by accident, just like the bottles of Impulse. Another handy benefit of this is that my skin is actually starting to feel like skin again and not the sand paper I have become accustom to feeling. Lovely stuff!

My 190ml bottle was about €4.19 and I know Boots has them on offer a lot too. Will you be piking up one of these handy yokes for those days when your in a hurry or indeed like myself, lazy as sin?

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.

My Top 5 Hand Creams

Something a little different for you all, my top five favourite hand creams! I am a big fan of hand creams as I tend to use them as a multi purpose item for my hands, elbows, arms, feet and sometimes knees. They get a grueling testing out and if they can't make my skin soft its in the bin with them never to be bought again. These are in no particular order, being in my hand bag, beside my bed or getting passed around my friends, they are my go-to creams.

Dove indulgent nourishment is an old favourite of mine. My mom has used Dove, my gran has used it. Its just one of those loved and trusted brands. I particularly like this one as is has shea butter in it making my skin smell devine and it is a deep care complex forumla just to add fancyness to the pot. I use it as a before bed cream for my elbows and feet, waking up to noticeably softer skin. 

Cath Kidston Wild Flowers in honeysuckle is so handy to throw in my bag or when travelling as its the perfect size and smells like home in the summer (we have honeysuckle growing at the entrance to the garden) I use this only on my hands as I feel its a small tube and I don't want to waste it on anything that can be covered with shoes or clothes! - Weird I know. 

Johnson's 24 Hour Moisture Radiance I picked this up before Christmas last year in a sale for €1.40 (good memory huh?!) just to try out and fell in love with it. I reminds me of my Dove one with the same shea and cocoa butter smell. This one I use on my hands all the way up to my elbows to help them keep soft and not rough or sore. Works a treat.

Flower Pharm is actually a body butter but I love to use it as a hand cream as well. You can get three in a pack from Tecso and they really work wonders. I use this one all over and it give the best results to my knees. Ah, to be a softie all over. Le sigh.

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula is my last but not least hand cream. Theres a bit of a trend here with the cocoa butter, I know but I just love the smell and how soft it makes my skin! This is a concentrated cream with vitamin E so it gives extra love when my skin needs it most. This is kept in my top drawer so I can grab it when my skin needs it most. I picked this up in Pennys. 

What are some of your favourite hand creams? As always I hope everyone is keeping happy and well! You can always find and talk to me on Twitter.

Have you entered my Halloween giveaway yet?