Sunday, April 25, 2010

Avalon Organics Liquid Hand Soap

A few months ago I was in 'Le Gueuleton' restaurant in Dublin city centre. It is a lovely french restaurant and I had a very nice meal.


When I was there I noticed they had a lovely lavender soap in the bathroom which was made by Avalon Organics. I had not heard of this brand before so when I got home I googled it. The brand is available in Ireland from the online company www.evergreen.ie.
The lavender liquid soap was €4.99 excluding delivery.


The service from Evergreen was very good. My package arrived speedily and I got a free pen and a discount code for my next purchase.

I am really happy that I purchased this soap. I adore the scent and sometimes I find myself washing my hands for a lot longer than necessary. A friend visiting last weekend also commeneted on the 'lovely soap'.

A big plus for this soap in my opinion it is 100% vegetarian and does not contain parabens, harsh preservatives or sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate. It also comes in a variety of scents such as lemon and peppermint if lavender is not your thing.

Thanks for reading and I will be back with more reviews soon xx

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2 in 1 Wash & Mask


I know a lot of people have blogged about this product before but I just wanted to share the love. The 'Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2 in 1 Wash & Mask' is something I have come to rely on as part of my daily skincare routine.
I usually use it as a wash every morning and night.The product is easy to use, has a nice scent and does not irritate my sensitive skin. When I use it I like the cool and tingly feeling it gives.I think it has improved my skin and I have especially noted clearer pores since I started using it.
This product can also be used as a mask.I do this maybe once a week or so. However I do find it quite stubborn to get off when I use it as a mask.
This product is very reasonaly priced(around €5.00 depeding where you buy it from) and it lasts of ages.I bought my current tube about 2 months ago, I have used it every day and there is still plenty left.
Overall I love this product and I will definately be repurchasing it.

Monday, April 19, 2010

East of Sun by Julia Gregson


I have just finished this excellent book by Julia Gregson. Sitting down to read it I was transported to another place and time - India in the late 1920s.

The book tells the story of three english girls who travel to India each with their own reason for going and none quite realising how much India and what happens there will change them and their lives forever.

Reading this book made made me think about how little has changed and how much has changed in the world since then. Also the book really developed my interest in the fascinating history and culture of India.
It is an entertaining and thought provoking read and my favourite book of the year so far.


Friday, April 16, 2010

'Hot Looks' Nail Polish by Natural Collection

The 'Collection 2000 hot looks' nail polish is currently on offer in Boots - 2 for €5.00. I bought two shades:

1. BMX Bandit



The colour is purple/blue. Here it is on my nails:




2. Wham

It is a grey colour. Here it is on my nails:



I really like these polishes as they are easy to apply, quick drying and the colour lasts 3 to 4 days before chipping. There are a lovely range of colours available and I think I will be going back to Boots to buy some more shades.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

'Wonder Products'

Every so often a new product comes on the market which there is an awful lot of hype about.They are usually reviewed in all the magazines and described as the new 'wonder product'.

I have seen two such products in a lot of magazines recently which really interest me. Firstly the Trilogy Rosehip Oil:

Trilogy Rosehip Oil is certified organic and according to their website has been clinically tested and shown to help minimise the appearance of wrinkles, smooth skin and dramatically improve skin moisture levels, leaving the skin's appearance radiant and glowing. This lightweight, non-greasy, golden oil contains Omega 3, 6 & 9, essential fatty acids and antioxidants to restore optimum skin health.


Secondly the 'Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse(multipurpose dry oil)' also interests me:
This has been available in France for years but is new to the Irish market. It can be used on the face, body, hair and contains a unique cocktail of 6 Precious Plant Oils (Borage, St Johnswort, Sweet Almond, Camellia, Hazelnut, Macadamia) with a subtle fragrance for a velvety skin, silky hair and an improved overall aspect of stretch marks.


I love the idea of both these products but I do not have dry skin so I am not too sure they are suitable for me. Apparenty oil is good for combination skin as it helps to balance it out but I am yet to be convinced that it would be a good idea to rub more oil on to my already oily skin. Although I would like to try them in my dry hair and I also believe a few drops of either oil is lovely in a bath.

I have bought 'wonder' products in the past such as 'Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream','Clarins Beauty Flash Balm'and 'YSL Touche Eclat' and did not find that they were anything to write home about.


Have you tried either of these oils or are there any 'wonder' products you were really happy with or disappointed in?

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Fruit Bellini from Bomb Cosmetics

I was in the English Market in Cork over the weekend and I noticed a little stand selling really cute bath bombs. Of course I had to buy one! They were not very well labelled so I purchased the one I liked the smell of the most. Turns out it was the 'fruit bellini bath mallow' pictured below:


How cute is that!It was hard to use something so cute but somehow I managed it this afteroon. I had a really nice bath and the scent was amazing(the mallow is scented with frankincense, sweet orange, berry and sparkling white wine!). Also it was incredibly moisturising (slightly too moisturising for my skin unfortunatley but would be good for someone with dry skin.)
The 'mallow' came in a little bag which said the manufacturer was 'bomb cosmetics'. I had not heard of them before so I looked them up online and found a website full of beautiful bath products(http://cart.bombcosmetics.co.uk/). Here are a few of the lovely products to wet your appetite:









It is a really lovely website and if you are a fan of Lush I would recommend having a look. I was pretty impressed with the product I purchased and the prices are cheaper than Lush. On the website the prices are in sterling and most things are around £2.00. I paid €2.50 for the mallow I purchased.Also there is free delivery on orders over £25.00.
Have you tried anything from 'Bomb Cosmetics'?