Author: brightandbeautyfull

Pucker Up, Peeps! International Kissing Day and LUSH

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I am only back from a weekend{ish} away — has everyone posted about this already?

Well, shoot, I’m going ahead anyway. Mainly because I have posted about the Emotional Brilliance range from LUSH since its inception, and indeed, have worn the very colour that I received in the post.

LUSH KISSING DAYInternational Kissing Day! Lock up your bros! I love kissing, and oddly, I loved the Guinness Book of World Records when I was a chiseler, so the confluence of these two things makes me happy.

Sure, you can read all the info on the postcard. There’s a hashtag — #crueltyfreekisses — and in order for Lush to beat the standing record of 22,174 lipstick kisses, you’ll have to head to your nearest emporium to participate.

You’ll not only get to front for the banishment of the use of animals in cosmetics testing, you’ll get to play with some of the brand’s fun lip stuff. The Mint Julips Lip Scrub smells like ice cream, and I’ve been meaning to post about the newly-aerated Lip Balms — they are the business. Pictured here is Lip Service, of which I am an ardent fan. All this prep will do wonders for yer kisser, and frankly, while I’ve delighted in the long-lasting quality, and rich hues, of the Liquid Lipstick, I do find them to be somewhat drying.

Here’s a photograph of the lippy, in the wild, from last year {and a follow-up post about its staying power is here.}
LUSH PASSIONATE

Do thisssss.

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See http://www.lush.co.uk for a shop nearest you — although I’m not sure that helps us much, on this island? Where’s the lush.ie, yo?

The shop over by Trinity can be rung on 01 677 0392.

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Liberté, Égalité, Beauté: Virginie Claire Beauty Centre

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This is a little bit cheeky — ha, ha, it’s about a facial! — but I was only thinking about this very treatment this very day, and I decided to re-blog it, cunningly presented as a new post. So, since I’m telling you, it’s not so bad, right?

Two things:
1} To remember a facial one year on is pretty significant.
2} I was thinking about this facial because I was getting a treatment — a full body exfoliation and massage — and it developed into a train of thought I’ll write about anon, as regards self-care, and the ‘treat’ part of ‘treatment’.

Anyway, just about a year ago this week, I toddled out to Rathmines to the Virginie Clarke Beauty Centre, and received their gorgeous Radiance Facial, which I have never forgotten. Happily, the same deal commemorating Bastille Day is on offer again, and starts on the 8th of July through to Saturday the 13th. Virginie says, ‘All participating salons, country-wide, will offer the facial promotion, with the extra benefit of having a great promotional discount on the PHYTS products. If you buy one skin care product, you can get the second at half price.’ Bon!

So, without further ado, here’s that Haiku Review.

Haiku Review: Phyt’s Radiance Facial

Oh my God! Oh, my!
God! Nothing like a facial
To soothe your whole self.

Phyt’s is a French brand, and first came to Ireland in 2007. It’s chemical-free, paraben-free, not tested on animals, and the VIRGINIE CLAIREpackaging is 100% recyclable. I’ve had a few of the products cross my desk over the last few years, and wasn’t terribly interested in them. More recently, I got a sample of the Ativ’ Peel, a facial exfoliant, which I liked loads: it foams up nicely, which allows the granules to distribute gently but thoroughly, and it has a lovely lemon-y scent. So when news of the Virginie Claire Beauty Centre’s Bastille Day special  came in the email, and a voucher for the 60 minute Radiance Facial came in the post, I duly followed through.

Oh, sure, I said to myself, ‘Radiance’ Facial, uh huh. I think I cultivate my cynicism because I am perversely delighted to be proven wrong. After all these years, I tell myself that I am inured to the all the bells and whistles that accompany beauty marketing — I suppose I am, superficially, but deep down, I am ready and willing to be shocked and awed.

I was entirely all of the latter following my treatment. Is this an outcome specific to the quality of Phyt’s products? Is it the wholly down to the prowess of Virginie Claire, the proprietress herself? Or, is it my willingness to give myself over to the process?

It’s probably all three, and that last one interests me, because it is in direct contradiction to the whole cynicism thing. So maybe I am not really cynical.

Long story short: at the end of the facial, I sat up and looked at my face in the mirror and laughed because it was like I was standing centre stage in Carnegie Hall under a spotlight, my face looked that clear and bright and lit up. In a word… radiant.

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There really is nothing like wrapping up in a terry-cloth tube-top and lying down on a massage table. Every synapse in my brain takes this as a cue to to just relaaaaax, and my whole body follows suit. It’s amazing how much of the tension we feel ends up in our faces. As Virginie began the treatment with a comprehensive cleanse, tone, and exfoliation, I could feel the boulders that had been collecting in my jaw begin to disintegrate. As a result, the clenching in my forehead released — and I felt that release all the way down to my neck. Wild.

Next came a real highpoint: application of Serum Capyl-Rose, massage-style. This was perfection, and Virginie paid particular attention to the area around the eyes. I’m not entirely sure what happened next, because then I got a shoulder/arm/upper back massage, and I went away to my happy place.

Highest highpoint? The Aqua Peel-Off Mask, which is it bit pongy with rosemary, but otherwise feels like it is coolly and soothingly getting right down to the bottom of your pores and cleaning them out. And: oh! The sensation when it is peeled off your face, in one piece! So satisfying! Unfortunately, kids, you can’t try this at home; I asked as soon as I was able to form thoughts again, and Virginie said it’s too messy — she tried it herself and even she, a professional, found it too fiddly to do on one’s own.

In other details: the salon is super quiet for a day-spa-type place, certainly the quietest I have encountered yet; Virginie is supremely well-informed and up-front about things, as well as being knowledgeable and personable and adept; I took the 16 bus from Camden Street and was at the centre in ten minutes.

Did you realise that both American and French Independence days are in the summer? We had a laugh about that: if either revolution had failed, at least they could have fecked off to the beach.

Is that cynical? Nah, just practical, right? Anyway: yet another failure to be disenchanted! Success!

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Virginie Claire is located at 255 Harold’s Cross Road, Dublin 6; 01 4978833

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Viking Chic? Nails Inc Floral Street Varnish and Goth-y FitFlops

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Loving the way the flat, bright white of Nails Inc‘s Floral Street just pops.

NAILS INC FLORAL STREET

I was going to go give myself a pedicure in Photoshop — gasp! Misrepresentation! — and then though, hmmm, might be more useful to show what happens after you have worn a pair of black tights, and have to touch up the big toes.

Now, I admit my toes are manky, and that the nails are the smallest you may ever like to see on a grown human woman {weirdly tiny!} and that maybe people come to The Internet to see perfect things.

I obviously don’t agree. What’s the point of pretending that this is varnish is not doing something that might bug you? Me, I’m happy enough to show the result of a quick and dirty touch up — I had to post and run, ha, ha — because it’s like, real, betches.

Anyway: the varnish is a bit gloppy, and in general the texture is a bit like white out. It took three layers to get the dead white.

I love it anyway! And in tandem with my dungeon-y vintage FitFlops (c. 2010), the overall look is on-trend monochrome, with a Norse twist.

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€17.10/£11*

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Price point alert! Sheesh!

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Are you people gonna tell me you put top coat on your toes????

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I Heart Lip Gloss. Specifically: Armani Flash Lacquer

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Hearting is down to shine: I do like a good shine on the lips. This used to manifest itself in a very Jersey frost; I am not ashamed, and indeed, tend to seek out a nice, silvery-pink on occasion. This pink, though — as ever in Giorgio Armani-land, rather soullessly designated as 520 — is pure, pretty shiny shine.

ARMANI gloss 2

And in less moody lighting:
ARMANI gloss 1

The photos are getting weirder and weirder over here — but I think this shows the gloss to great effect. {I was sick of seeing my schnozz take up, like, the whole feckin’ frame.}

I have a love/hate relaysh with the clicky-closure on this yoke. Sometimes, it just doesn’t seem to *snap* into place the way it ought. I then get paranoid about it and fall into an OCD rabbit hole, making sure it’s shut. Hmmm, that may be TMI. But be aware — it would be a darned shame to spend €25.50/£23.50/$29 on a gloss that ended up smeared all over your hairbrush. Ick.

Coverage is comprehensive, it doesn’t feel sticky, it stayed well put, and it doesn’t have a fragrance, which makes a nice change.

From left: 520, 102, and 526.

From left: 520, 102, and 526.actually makes nice change. I am looking longingly at 102, a champagney-hue, and at the sophisticated mauve-y sparkle of 526.

Seriously, though, Giorgio, do better with these names — hey! Maybe I’ll just give it a go!

…

Hmmm, this is harder than I thought. Well, I dub the centre gloss Effervescence because: Champagne. Oh, okay, and the last can be Sophisticate. Ha! I had already done this work, above!

…

Stuck on the auld 520, which is starting to sound plausible in all its numerical splendour. Blush, maybe? Eh, that doesn’t embody the prettiness, and the pinkness, though. Psychedelic Furry? {I know who’ll get that…} I’m going to go with Lustre, and feel dissatisfied.

Soz, Giorgio, all is forgiven.

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Gorillas? Avalon? Play…For Me? Laboratoires Filorga Paris Eau Anti-Age {Mist}

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FILORGA EAU ANTI-AGEI am generally not mad about toners that require one to, er, hydrate oneself in the face by way of a spritz. I… I’ve got a filthy dirty mind, because I am choosing my words carefully here. Pump, squirt, spray — they are making giggle, smuttily. No wonder I write sexy books.*

This is the least sexy packaging I have come in across in quite a while, and yet, I am strangely attracted to it. It is so white, trying so hard to be pure, and yet its operative capacity makes me snort like a 12 year-old boy. Mixed signals!

Laboratoires Filorga Paris take their anti-aging seriously, and I can just see all the scientists in their pristine lab coats frowning crossly as I make my silly jokes. France as entire country is massively into its santé, and Filorga are big grown ups who have been at this for ages. Like, the 70s. Their site switched to French halfway through my research; it seems they do professional lines in glycolic peels and in injectable fillers, and in anti-aging mesotherapy, which also has to do with needles, I think, and includes ‘the famous polyrevitalizing complex NCTF®.’

Holy God, I’ve done so much googling for that one paragraph, I feel the need of a fainting couch. Perhaps, instead, I shall mist my visage with some Eau Anti-Age?

It is extremely refreshing. I mentioned the famous polyrevitalizing complex NCTF® because it is referenced on the bottle, and it transpires that it is a class of hyaluronic acid, and so therefore is meant to plumpen dry lines and generally youthify. {The number of tabs that are open this second!}

So, the point is, then, to … something something, the mists of time? The mist from the fountain of youth? Remember Myst? That’s the only time I got into a computer game. I got nowhere, but I enjoyed the weirdness of the environment. Uncanny valley.

Right. As opposed to the pumpy squirts that make me chortle, this is in actual fact a gentle mist, which = refreshing, and also not such a shock to the system. It smells very herbal as well, but there’s no list of ingredients on the site. Ah sure, go and have a look; the video shows a really clean spa, and now I want a good going over.

I’ll just get my cloak.

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*Drama Queen, The Fidelity Project, and That Magic Mischief are all my sexy books. So far…

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FOTLT: Buff Make Up Bronzer, Mainly; Also: Eyelashes

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FOTLT buff bronzerGreeting from my usual spot in the back of the 46A, a week ago. Time Travel R Us at B&B!, and here’s a glimpse of The Face of Last Tuesday that had some nice stuff on it.

>First of all: Buff Make Up was developed by Paula Callan,BUFF BRONZER in association with Hession Hairdressing. Callan is one of Ireland’s best-known MUAs, and puts all of her 15 years of experience into the line, which basically needs to look flawless when applied by an amateur. That’s my take, anyway. I englowened myself with the Bronzer in Exotic Blend {€30} You can see, here, the general spectrum on offer. On your right, the clever compact, in which the product flips up to reveal a mirror and a fancy brush — and with air holes so it can breathe. Genius!

>Second: a fun new mascara from Lancôme, via Alber Elbaz. The Israeli designer has been with Lanvin since 2001, and this marks his first foray into make up. I am sporting Hypnôse Doll Lashes Mascara {€28}, which are supposed to make your eyes look like — well, you’ve figured it out already, haven’t you? I am a fan of Hypnôse anyway, but this is really fab, and your eyes will look exactly as promised, if that’s your thing. I am totes fine with it. The brush is a brush, as in: not a comb, so I had my usual ish with liberally dotting product all over my eyelids. I have been applying mascara for many, many years. You’d think I’d have figured it out by now.
DOLL LASHES LANCOME

This is a limited edition! There are eyeshadow palettes, too, that look nice.

>Third: da lips. I got me paws on a Pür Minerals Lip Gloss Stick in Berry Pretty {can only find the US price of $15}, and I love it. It is emollient, and yet has super staying power. I love the mauve tone as well, it’s got presence and yet it doesn’t require a lot of attention, the way a red would.

Hmm, that was an easy face. Must do that again.

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MRL Candles Lush Locks: Well? Are They Lush? Are They?

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I love candles, but sometimes I hate to use them, because once you use them, they are no longer beautiful. Candles in glass jars are particularly tricky: I much dislike the way the glass gets all smokey, and the way that the wax can cling to the sides. And the way the wick gets all carbon-y or whatever and flakes into the wax. I just want them to be gorgeous pillars of potential flame.
Lush Locks
Case in point: look how pretty! It took me weeks to even take my Marie Reynolds London Lush Locks Hair Treatment Candle in Satin out of its box! Once I finally brought myself to untie that sweet ribbon, I put the candle on my desk, and I’d look at it, like I’d look at someone on death row, with a mixture of pity and dismay. Well, her days were always numbered, and I recently decided to give this thing a go.

It wasn’t just the whole ‘destroy the beautiful candle’ thing that was holding me back. Hot wax? On my hair? Culled from a burning candle? Really? I had run a Q&A with Marie Reynolds herself here, and she advised using a wooden spatula — I suppose like a thing from the dentist? — if you didn’t want to extinguish the flame. Having nothing the like to hand, I grabbed a tablespoon, blew out the flame, and scooped some out.

Here are a few Pro Tips™:
1} If you don’t have a wooden spatula and opt for a spoon — a spoon that will officially be designated as The Lush Locks Spoon — you needn’t reach for tablespoon. A tea spoon is sufficient, because:
2} OMG, you can use almost none of this to great effect. As you may know, my hair is long, and now is full of layers. The first scoop I took was the only one, as it was too generous, and I actually didn’t need as much as I thought I would, for the lengths and ends.
3} Do this over a sink. Don’t do it at your desk. Because when you use too much and it drips between your fingers, it will get all over your lap, and justtttt miss your keyboard.

The wax is made of soya, which = natural, and the scent is glorious, a combo of Moroccan Argan Oil and champ flowers*, among other delicious things. I didn’t wrap my hair in a warm towel, only because I forgot that part. I cannot wait to try that. You can warm up your towel in the microwave. Is awesomeness.

By the time the wax gets from the spoon to the fingers, it is comfortably warm, the perfect temperature, and yes, MRL Candles are also superb for sexytime massaging — or anytime, really. The wax gave excellent coverage, and as I said, I needed little more than a teaspoon to cover The Hair, like this:
MRL on hair

I had fear that it would turn into hard gunk, the way wax does when it drips on a tabletop; while it didn’t stay malleable, it didn’t dry up and crack, either; it felt like a serum. I left it on for thirty minutes, washed The Hair, dried it, and styled it.
LUSH LOCKS in practice
The locks, they are lush, indeed.

This is technically second day hair. I had a lie-in yesterday and didn’t mosey out into the world until whenever o’clock, so there wasn’t that much environmental wear ‘n’ tear on The Hair. I did the bind-it-up-in-a-topknot thing for sleeping, and this morning gave it a spin with the BaByLiss Big Hair, my new fave thing now that I know how to use it correctly.

The candle is 135gs — how many teaspoons is that? 135gs  = 25 burning hours, so I reckon I’ve got at least 24 more treats in store!

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Buy your Lush Locks at mrlcandles.com; The Satin 135g candle retails for £24.74 + postage.

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*Googled champ flowers, to no avail. Anyone?

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Dude Week: Things That Make Me Go Ooh! In the Shower

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Alas, not this, unfortch.
B CUMBERBATCH DUDE WEEK SHOWER
A tenuous connection to Dude Week, indeed. Anyway! Shower! Ooh!

I don’t know how many body scrubs I’ve tried. I could figure it out, but how tedious would that be? I bet, though, that I could safely guess… between 30 — 50? Seven a year for the past seven years? Let’s just say 45. So when I dispensed some of Elemis’ Sp@ Home Skin Nourishing Body Scrub on my shower pouf and was inspired to exclaim, ‘Ooh!’ as I applied it — well, that’s a professional opinion, dontcha know. It is spectac.

It’s mainly about the scent, I reckon. Everything that Elemis produce smells divine, and the scent off this is so luxurious, it really does live up to its spa-at-home promise. Is it the macadamia oil? It is the sweet almond? I doubt it’s the wheat germ, but who knows?

‘Tis spendy, at €39/£28.50/$53*, but this does the pricey-product thing of lasting a long time, since you need to use so little. Also: the effect of the scrub — it’s the bora bora sand, I am sure of it — is comprehensive, and you won’t have to exfoliate as often as you would. Srsly, I was shiny and new for a week. Love it.

SHOWER OOH!

When a face scrub tells me to keep away from the eye area, I pretty much ignore it. Not that I am scrubbing that sensitive area directly! I am not that foolish! I don’t really mind the proximity of scrub to eye, though, and perhaps get a little too close for comfort.

I can confirm that that is the case, as the use of freeze 24/7 IceCrystals Anti-aging Prep and Polish {€54/£46/$65**} has converted me to caution.

This is the perfect facial scrub for those among us who sleepwalk into the shower every morning. It is fiercely frosty, the result of specially calibrated pure magnesium oxide crystals encapsulated in Advanced Silicone Emulsion << now, you know I so rarely just spout product info, but I really had no idea what it was that made this literally make my skin freeze. Smelled like menthol eucalyptus? I think I may have been trained over the years to think that everything briskly resin-y is eucalyptus. I don’t know that I feel at all enlightened by words like ‘magnesium oxide crystals’ and am particularly intimidated by ‘Advance Silicone Emulsion’ but this was invigorating, thoroughly exfoliating, and it made my eyes sting. It made them sting intensely. So, mind your eyes, like the directions say. Listen to the tube.

Like that, I didn’t bother to read all about how to use Nivea‘s new In-Shower Body Moisturiser {€3.99/£3.65/not in USA?}, which is: use your regular soap or gel, rinse, then apply this. Then rinse. It saves you the post-shower moisturising step, which I usually quite enjoy, but when I’ve had the need for speed, this product has proven to be a good thing. When I used it correctly. When I didn’t, I couldn’t figure out why I was smelling not-so-fresh? When you do it right, it is as nice as, but much more efficient than, applying oil to the damp bod and then towelling off. It’s the same principle though, which is to trap moisture so your skin will be refreshed during the rest of the day.

I think that’s it… I’ve got some hair care products in the queue — what a surprise! – so stayed tuned for more ‘ooh’!

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*Whoops: price point differential!
** Whoa: only 70gs in the tube!
*** Whew: that’s great value!

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Screen grab via the entire flippin’ internet, in fairness.

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Soz, Mr B Cumberbatch, for, you know, objectification and all that, but srsly: ooh!

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Dude Week Q&A: Peter Brennan of Ziaja

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PETERFirst of all, repeat after me: zeye-ah. Wait, okay, wait: shzEYEa. Argh! The name is hard to pronounce, but the products are easy to use, and even easier on your wallet. Irish distributor, Peter Brennan recommends we rhyme Ziaja with ‘buy-a’. But with a shushy zed sound in the front. Or something. 

Even if you can’t quite get the hang of how to say it, Ziaja as a brand are comprehensive, top-to-toe brand that has the added attraction of being extremely affordable. In my personal experience, I found the Natural Grapeseed Oil Moisturising Body Butter to be as good as, and in many ways better {coverage, absorption, and cooling qualities} than many other, pricier brands I’ve tried, and for close to half the cost {€7.99!}

I chatted with Peter about how he went from swinging hammers to promoting skincare.

How did a dude get into the beauty business?
I’m a carpenter by trade, and was trained by John Sisk and SonLltd back in the days of the Celtic Tiger. I saw the construction market slowing down years before the crash and figured it was time to look at doing something different that would be buildable through the tough times ahead. I set up a small distribution company and started  buying small amounts of Ziaja products. I literally went cold calling  to pharmacies and pitching in the brand – now years on we have approximately 500 pharmacies.

At the start, when I was dealing with the buyers I was asked regularly “what did you work at before selling Ziaja?” I always said I was a carpenter! Most found it funny but interesting, and it definitely kept the conversation going, and that’s an important part of any sale. Today, I really enjoy working in the beauty industry because it changes so much — it makes it very interesting to work in.

What makes Ziaja so special? What does provide that separates it from other brands?
Ziaja  is a Polish beauty brand with a 20 year heritage of developing naturally inspired face and body care products. Launched in Ireland four years ago, I believe the brand has done well in Ireland as Irish women are very savvy about skincare, and in these cost-conscious times, we have built a loyal  customer following, women who trust the brand, love the products and  actively recommend them. Ziaja also offers a fantastic choice for a variety of skin types and conditions: with over 500 products formulated with the same high quality ingredients found in more expensive skincare labels. All the products are skin friendly, Ph-balanced and hypo-allergenic and protect the skin.

Are you a fan of the product yourself? Which ones would you use, to help my readers choose some samples for the men in their lives?
Yes, I use Ziaja products — the olive shower gel and natural argan body lotion are firm favourites! Ziaja has a range for men called Duo Concept, which was developed to address men’s specific skincare needs. I really like the Men’s Moisturising Cream SPF6 (RRP€4.79) It protects, moisturises and delivers a mattifying skin finish – that’s important for blokes.

Given that you are out and about, meeting beauty professionals, can you pinpoint any upcoming trends in skincare that readers may like50+ Jasmine anti-wrinkle serum 30ml copy to know about? Any inside knowledge?
Woman are buying intense DIY dermatology treatments to use at home, from  glycolic peels to hyaluronic acid anti-ageing treatments. Ziaja’s jasmine-based skincare range is fortified with potent anti-aging ingredients like micro-collagen and hyaluronic acid. The Jasmine Serum Anti-Wrinkle 50+ and tinted eye cream have sold out twice on shelf since launch.

There is also a lot of talk out there about micellar cleansers, which based on microscopic molecules that trap and breakdown oil, allowing it to be removed easily from the skin. Ziaja are pioneers in developing micellar water cleansers, having launched them on the market over 2 years ago. Ziaja have three micellar cleansing products: Marine Algae Spa, Rose Butter Water and Jasmine Micellar Water — they are priced at only €4.50 for 200mls.

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Ziaja price range from €1.99-15.99. Shop online @ http://www.originalbeauty.ie.

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Dude Week: This La Roche-Posay Vid Will Always Be Relevant!

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I saw some dudes selling the paintball experience out in Henry Street, when we had summer last week, and I was like, dudes! You are burning yourselves to a crisp! The foreheads, they were scarlet! So may I sorta reblog myself: a post from last May. Bears repeating.

{I was going to edit the part about the sun seeming ‘a distant, wistful memory’, because it is out, this very second — but that will probs change the minute I post this. Doesn’t matter! ABSPFing!*}

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Chase Your Dude Around the House with SPF!

Because one in eight Irish dudes will get skin cancer.

Yeah, I know, I’m looking out my window, too, and the sun seems a distant, wistful memory. And frankly, the last three {four? Five?} ‘summers’ haven’t exactly inspired any of us to even think twice about UV protection.

Picture 6I am bad enough, me with all my samples and knowledge, about being ambivalent as regards the SPF, but dudes? How many dudes do you see sloping around with their shirts off, the minute the mercury creeps above anything that seems even remotely warm? And, as it says in the video created by La Roche-Posay for their Save Our Skin campaign, some Irish dudes do think that sunburn is hilarious — I’ve seen them, laughing at their poor, lobstery mates! — but the long term ill effects of a right roasting can be life threatening.

So, you know, if you want your man to take care of his pelt, it might be up to you to get the routine started. And, uh, apparently like, clothes don’t really block out the UV as much as you’d think, so if you are chasing your dude around the house with SPF, well, it could be fun. Because you can’t really apply the stuff effectively when those clothes are on? Right?

Sun protection can be sexy.

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*Always Be SPFing!

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