Blumain Organics 100th post!!

Hi welcome to me & Julie's first co-post ;) and what better way to start than with the blogs 100th post and a new Irish beauty brand Blumain organics. Every once in a while you come across something that far exceeds your expectations and this range has blown our socks off! Julie and I have reviewed some products each which we will tell you about here. As a special celebration of our 100th post Sinead of Blumain Organics has put together an amazing hamper for one lucky reader, entry details can be found at the end of the post. 

Julie says being an extremely busy mom with two very active young boys , it's no wonder my skin looks so tired and dull.
I used to have a great skincare routine but that has long gone out the window.
So when I received the Blumain hydrating orange blossom cleansing milk €19.95  & blackcurrant & geranium age-defy moisturiser €25 l figured now is a good time to get back into my routine.

The cleansing milk contains castor oil, alpha hydroxyl acid, orange blossom water and essential oils.
The cleansing milk says to rinse with water and remove with a damp cloth but I just used damp cotton wool as I always do. When I first applied it, the scents of the essential oils are very apparent & slightly heady. But that soon settles & if you're a fan of essential oil based products then you will be sure to love it. The texture is quite creamy so I didn't think I'd like it on my skin but I did. With just two cotton pads & two pumps of product, my skin was clear of makeup. It also didn't feel oily like some of these products can. 

I did splash my face with water before applying the moisturiser,  which again had a creamy texture, albeit a thicker consistency. It had a silkcocks base look when applying which I didn't like but it soon soaked into my skin, well actually my skin sucked in every ounce of product which I obviously needed & didn't leave an oily residue which these products can. I didn't get much of a smell of blackcurrant but the smell of lavender, geranium & Orange is just divine. The Moisturiser contains argan and pumpkin seed oils, Hylauronic acid, coenzyme q10, blackcurrant extract and geranium oil.
I have used these products for two weeks now & I can honestly say I'm hooked. I am telling everyone who will listen about them.
I have had bad acne since i had my second boy a year ago and nothing seemed to work. But since using this, it has reduced significantly. This is definitely down to the properties of the oils.

Clare says, this cleansing oil €19.95 has completely won me over, it has won a bronze "free from" award for being free from ingredients that usually cause allergic reactions. When I first tried it I thought it felt more like honey than oil and while applying it felt a little sticky going on , I then used warm water and a muslin to remove and then came the wow moment after literally just one use I could feel the moisture in my skin. Normally after cleansing my skin is sucked of all moisture but this is fantastic and after continued use has really changed the texture of my skin. it's also only very lightly scented so easy to use. The pump on the bottle is great,  I think it could benefit from having a muslin cloth included as I always think it's a nice touch with a cleanser ;) 

Sinead just like Julie is owner of her own beauty salon " finishing touch" in mallow, cork. Blumain organics was launched in June 2014 and to date has 24 products in the range. The products are currently sold from Sineads salon and through her website www.blumainorganicskincare.ie 

One lucky reader ( ireland only) can get their hands on a hamper just in time for Christmas enter through our twitter good luck!

Beautiful Irish Brands : Holos

Welcome to today's installment of Beautiful Irish Brands a series spotlighting Irish brands in the beauty industry as always I will begin by telling you about who is behind the brand followed by a product review. 

Holos is an Irish natural beauty brand from Wexford to be exact creating hand made natural products made with essential oils. Their belief is that the beauty products that we use are absorbed by our bodies in the same way as our food. so they have created these natural, healthy and environmentally friendly products that also have the bonus of luxury.
Holos have got seven different product ranges Love your skin: A range suitable for all skin types but aimed towards dry and mature skin. Good Morning: A quick fix, minimal fuss skincare routine Good Night: Aimed toward balancing and relaxing you at the end of the day Blossoms: A feminine range made with Neroli, ylang ylang and my favorite smell in the world jasmine (I have my eye on this range to be my next treat) Woodlands: range for men, Happy Baby: An oil for use in the bath or massage onto babies skin and Happy Momma: products are safe to use during pregnancy and nursing.
Niamh Hogan is the creative force of the brand whilst her partner Paul is the man behind the scenes. Niamh is a practicing aromatherapist and natural lifestyle practitioner, her vocation led to a passion for a natural lifestyle and essential oils which led to her creating the Holos brand initially for her own use followed by the decision to share with all of us!

For my review section I was sent and have been testing Anti-Ageing facial oil from the Love your skin range. The oil combines Rose, Palmerosa, Benzoin & Frankincense with Argan oil which aims to reduce appearance of wrinkles by restoring the lipid layer of skin! -very scientific after writing that I feel like Im after travelling back to Leaving Cert Home Ec. The Rose and Benzoin are there to reduce inflammation and the Frankincense and Palmerosa keep the skin looking young by reducing fine lines.
I have been using this oil every night for the last two weeks and I am really loving It. First off I adore the packaging It is in a glass bottle with a dropper for the oil so no mess yay! I really like the smell of the oil It has a beautiful rose scent that's in just the right place between subtle and overpowering. I have found that It has been aiding in me relaxing at night and Its even quite therapeutic to just apply it every night.
I noticed a difference in my skin from just the first use and the effects have been magnified over the course of the two weeks. What It has done is make my skin plumper especially on my cheeks I feel like my face isn't dragging down anymore It has really lifted It. My forehead wrinkles have visibly eased and my forehead is no longer dehydrated. My whole face has been glowing, just really radiant! This was my first time to trial a facial oil and I will never be without this again. I cant believe how much better all of my skin looks and feels after just a short time. The oil retails at €22.20 and in two weeks I have used just about a quarter of the bottle this works out around €0.40 per day for spectacular skin a complete steal!
Its a credit to Niamh and Holos that a product that does so much can be all natural too I'm looking forward to seeing this brand explode across the market as It deserves.

You can purchase the full range on www.holos.ie and a number of health stores nationwide.
I hope you have all loved today's post please leave a comment to let me know.
You can also find me on twitter @clareken86
Instagram: sparkleblossombeauty

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