Voya Ritzy Spritzy

I was first introduced to Voya a few months ago during a trip to The Twelve hotel in Barna.
All of the products supplied in the suite were Voya and it definitely added to the luxury of our stay, fast forward a few months when I was asked if I would like to review Ritzy Spritzy I didn't think twice I was just like hells yeah they're products were amazing I definitely want to try more!
It also helped that I am in the final stretch of my third trimester and I was told that Ritzy Spritzy ( isn't the name amazing!) Would help to keep me cool in the hot weather, seeing as I feel like I'm on fire from the inside I doubted it could do me any harm.

So Ritzy Spritzy is an anti-ageing toner from Voya made with an impressive 94.5% organic ingredients the main one being Voya trade mark ingredient of hand harvested seaweed. Voya has very popular seaweed baths in Sligo which sound amazing and have made the top of my must visit list for next years summer holidays :-)
Voya prides themselves on the simplicity and honesty of their products and it really is something they should be proud of.
I tested Ritzy Spritzy daily for over two weeks before this review and each spray was as lovely as the one before. I used it morning after cleansing before applying make up and then at numerous times during the day to keep myself cool and just to refresh my face a little. The second that you spray it you get that luxury that you would normally associate with a salon treatment, one whiff and you can just tell how good the quality of the product is, I hope you understand what I mean by that? I find with lower end products they can be overly perfumed and just smell cheap.
My wrinkles are definitely less visible but I can't give all the credit to this as I am 39 weeks pregnant right now so I know my face is slightly more 'plump' than it would be regularly ;-) but I definitely notice it more hydrated which I will give 100% credit to Voya for. This worked absolute wonders for keeping me cool in the hot weather that we were having during the testing especially as I felt on fire from the inside out!
I was so impressed with the way that it kept me cool while giving me some luxury that the rest of the bottle is currently sitting in my labour bag waiting to provide me with some loveliness in what I am told is a tropical delivery room.

I am seriously impressed with this product and Voya as a brand especially because they are Irish, actually I may try to do another block of my beautiful Irish brands series and feature some more Voya loveliness in the future. Log onto www.voya.ie take a peek and get yourself some of their products if they are all like the ones I have tried you will not be disappointed. 

Beautiful Irish Brands : Waxperts

Welcome to the latest edition of my Beautiful Irish Brands series. Todays post is all about the wonderful Waxperts and the ladies who created It.

Waxperts was formed in 2008 by friends and business partners Ellen Kavanagh and Trish O Brien. They started off and still are based in Dun Laoghaire Co. Dublin.
The waxperts story is a genuine 'built from the ground up' success story that leaves you really rooting for them once you have heard it. It started as a room in a clinic doing waxing for a small customer base and with grants from the local enterprise board and extreme hard work grew into what it is today a full waxing salon and their own range of wax which is the only depilatory wax manufactured in Ireland and the only of its kind in the world. It is currently used in over 300 salons in Ireland and the UK, there is also the extremely exciting news that waxperts are going to be breaking into the US market after recent talks with the worlds number 1 waxing brand! ( i'll have to leave you guessing on what that brand is)
Both Ellen and Trish are beauty therapists who solely specialise in waxing and client safety and hygiene which is why they have a 'no double dipping' policy that they and every salon that uses the wax abides by.
Waxperts have a number of products that include hot wax, strip wax, pre wax oil, after wax oil and finally Ingrown hair pads which I have reviewed for you today.

Let me start off by telling you that I am the poster girl for ingrown hairs that go bad! I cant even count how many times I have had to visit the doctors in the last few years to get medication to reduce inflammation ect due to ingrown hairs. So when I was sent my ingrown hair pads I of course already had some that I could immediately begin testing on. One of the ingrown hairs I had was definitely making its way to being a doctor visit one. To use the pads you simply take a pad and rub over the area you want to treat after showering.
I used the pads every day for 3 days to get rid of the ingrown hair which was inflamed to about the size of a marble on day 1. I really fell like im giving TMI on this but I think its really good to know just how much of a lifesaver these ingrown hair pads are. For me to be able to reduce an ingrown hair by just using a pad has been a bigger lifesaver than I can express. The pads have also meant that the ingrown hair has disappeared with no scarring or scar tissue which unfortunately I have too much of. Thank you Waxperts I will never again be without these pads and fingers crossed I will never again have to be subject to the pain of ingrown hairs, I am only sad that I hadn't found these sooner.

The pads rrp is €9.99 available from www.waxpertswax.com

They are also available on cloud10beauty and dolledup although the pads are so good that they are currently sold out in all of these places! Keep your eyes peeled for when they come back into stock I know I will. 
Have you tried any waxpert products or been waxed in a salon that uses their products. Let me know in the comments.
You can also find me on twitter @clareken86
Instagram: sparkleblossombeauty

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Essence Pureskin Skincare Launch

Essence is one of everybody's favorite budget make up brands. They have now the very exciting news of expanding into the skincare market. Their new skincare range Pureskin is marketed towards problamatic, oily skin. This coupled with essence always budget prices will make it the perfect skincare range for teenagers.
Let me just give you a short introduction to the range.
I havent tried any of the products yet myself so Its purely information for today.

 Anti-Shine Pore Refining Serum €3.79
This serum is said to  regulate sebum production and free skin from excess oil.

Anti-Spot Cover Cream €3.49
A tinted cream which aims to cover whilst also fighting spots.

Anti-Spot BB cream €5.49
This aims to cover impurities without blocking your pores. It also has added bonus of SPF10.

Anti-Spot 4in1 cream wash €3.49
This can be used daily for washing face or as a mask. Its aim is to clean skin, remove blackheads, give a matt complexion and refine pores. Sounds like a great multi use skincare product for teens on a budget.

Purifying nose strips €1.89
Im pretty sure everyone knows what nose strips are meant to do by now this is the product from the range im most excited about as I dont have oily skin but I suffer with blackheads on my nose so these will definitely be on my shopping list especially at under €2.

SOS spot killer €3.79
This is an overnight spot treatment aimed at clearing skin while you sleep.

Anti Spot Gel €2.99
an on the go treatment gel designed to cool and treat spots.

This essence pureskin range is available in pennys stores and pharmacies from September.
Have you used any of these products yet? Let me know in the comments

You can also find me on twitter @clareken86

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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Beautiful Irish Brands : Dreamdots

Hello Everyone, Welcome to the second post in my new series! As always in my Beautiful Irish Brands series this post is about more than a simple review this series is about spotlighting the Brand so first we will meet the lady responsible for bringing us dream dots. DreamDots are the brainchild of entrepreneur Donna Ledwidge who has already has huge success in the business world from owning her own salon at aged just 21 in 2004 to creating other brands Stickcons- rhinestone shoe kit and as co-developer of wow-brown tan.

How do you go about creating a product like this?

“I suffered with acne when I was a teenager and although I got it under control in my early twenties I would continue to get severe breakouts every few weeks. I decided my next brand would target this problem”. Quote from DreamDots creator Donna Ledwidge. 
DreamDots are an emergency overnight patch designed to calm, clear and heal breakouts.They are CE, BSI and FDA approved and are also Vegan and cruelty free. 
It is said that dreamdots can be used by everyone and as part of any skincare routine.

So down to the review part. I received my pack of dream dots a few weeks ago and like many other bloggers I have spotted chatting on twitter I was actually hoping to have a breakout so that I could get the chance to test them! So after about a week of waiting I got myself a whopper of a spot, the only problem was it wanted to stay underneath my skin as one of them spots that just stays huge,angry, red and hurts like hell at all times. So I was thinking Its not a proper spot yet so It wont work but It was really sore so I said I'd go with it and hope for the best. The dream dots are like small round clear stickers, there is no fussing with them you just peel them off the backing and press them on the spot. The only thing you need to do is cleanse the area before and after and wash your hands after contact. I never felt anything having the patch on was completely unnoticed. I was delighted the next morning as the dream dot had completely taken away the sore, tight feeling that I had. It had reduced pretty much all of the inflammation and made It so this once angry whopper of a spot was completely unnoticed with a little concealer. I used the dream dots on this again the next night and by the following morning It had completely dissappeared. 
I am just recently married (March) and for a few months before I was constantly reading articles about your must haves for Bridal emergencies. Dream Dots should be on top of all of these lists! It is honestly the most useful thing that Brides, Grooms or anyone could have in an emergency Kit a serious problem solver that actually works. 
Well done to Donna and her Dream Dots team on such a fantastic and innovative product. 

Dream Dots retail for €14.95 for a box of 24 dots. 
You can buy direct from www.dreamdotsforspots.com

Or from pharmacies across Ireland. 

Have you tried dream dots? Please leave a comment I read and reply to all. 
I recieved the dream dots as a pr sample this has in no way influenced my review.

Physicians Formula Sexy Booster

Today I am reviewing a Lip Gloss/Stain from Physicians formula Sexy booster range*  and the shade I have is rouge (red).

Physicians formula is a well established good quality brand but is sparkling new to Ireland so a lot of people may not have heard of them. With the quality being so high and none of their products exceeding €20 I cant imagine the people of Ireland will be in the dark for much longer. 

 I will start off with the packaging which makes the product distinctive. It is sleek clear bottom with a red lid there is a ribbon wrapped around the tube and a stiletto heel charm attached at the front. 

The gloss itself smells pleasantly like vanilla, the texture is kind of like a mousse mixed with a stain, I'm not sure if you will understand that I probably wouldn't! It goes on very sleekly and looks very glossy at first but is definitely more matte once it dries which takes about an hour which would have me class it as a stain rather than a gloss. The wand for application is a good shape and stiff enough to allow precise application.

I love bold strong lip colours and this slots straight into that category. I have never seen such a high colour pay off from a gloss/stain and the lasting power of this is amazing I am very impressed.

Please excuse the lack of other make up in my selfies but just shows how much of an impact one good product can make! 

This product however does not stop at just making you look good, the range is formulated to 'inspire sexy self confidence'. One of the most notable ingredients of the range is Horny Goatweed which is an aphrodisiac from ancient Chinese Medicine which among other things is said to restore sexual fire! 

All of this considered It makes this much more interesting than your average lip gloss/stain. The R.R.P. of this product is €15.90 which in my opinion is a bargain for such a multitasking product :) 

As the brand is new to Ireland it isn't available everywhere yet but you can find a list of stockists on their twitter page @pformulairl 

To sum up I really like this product and the brand is really fun! I am really looking forward to getting my hands on some more of the physician formula range and as always I have made myself a little wish list LOL maybe for Christmas!!

Have you tried any Physician Formula Products yet? Which are your favourites? Please leave a comment below.

*PR sample

WELCOME

Hi and welcome to my new blog sparkle blossom beauty!
Ill start by telling you just a little about me.
 
My name is Clare I am 28 (since last week) and recently married and have a gorgeous golden labrador that completes the family. I love beauty products of any kind when I am around them I am like a magpie to a shiny thing! I'm constantly buying new stuff so i definitely have a good stock to get me started on the reviews.
along with beauty products i have two more weaknesses, earrings and wool! i know its slightly random but im completely addicted to knitting and will constantly have a project going at the moment its a patchwork blanket for the winter. my other love earrings i think depending on type it can completely change a look e.g. the same outfit and make up will look completely different worn with pearl studs compared to beaded statement earrings!

I will be giving my honest review of products on this blog and all opinions are my own.
my first review will be up very soon and will be a post on de-stressing (face + body) and will include these products.

 one of which is my desert island must have product, can you guess which one it is?
follow me on twitter and watch this space for the first review.
https://twitter.com/Clareken86

clare xx