Rebalancing after pregnancy :part one skincare

 Baby sparkle is now 8 months old and thankfully he now has a full bill of health. I'm not sure if it's the norm or if it's because I had a really difficult time after but my body just went crazy in particular my skin and hair. It took me about 6 months of trialing different products to finally get the right balance again, I am still searching for the right exfoliator to finish the routine so I'd love for you to comment with any reccomendations. 

I kept reading so much about a double cleanse I figured it would be a good place to start so I use 

Blumain organics cleansing oil

This is lovely as it's really gentle and adds moisture rather than taking away like most cleansers. This also has the added bonus of being completely natural. 

Rrp: €19.95

Followed by 

NIA cleansing balm 

This is a little touch of luxury for daily routine it comes in a fab tin with cloths included. You apply onto face with sticks provided( I couldn't get hang so used my fingers!) it feels lovely on leaves a really nice softness and again isn't drying at all. 

Rrp: €19.95

For toner I have been using 

Lotion yonka 

I absolutely love this it's pure luxury but really good value for money as the bottle goes very far. Just a little spritz adds lovely glow to your face and keeps it from drying. It smells amazing too a definite favorite that will be repurchased for many years to come. 

Rrp: €30.50

 For moisturiser and this little treasure from NeoStrata 

Its a really moisturising really comfortable cream and like it says on the tin it really does restore! 

My skin before was deeply lined, greyish looking and plagued with flaky patches around my nose, chin, hairline and brows. Even thinking back makes me shudder. 

My skin after is a lot more youthful looking its softer and holds moisture in a huge leap forward from the dehydrated mess I started with! 

Rrp: €46.95 40g 

As I said I'm still on the hunt for the right exfoliator as the ones I have always used are way too harsh for me now. 

Did your skin totally change with pregnancy? Let me know in comments x 

This post features pr samples. 

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. 

Thea Skincare

A few weeks ago I was sent this Thea Skincare Cocoa Butter and Chocolate Body Scrub and Rich cocoa and coconut body butter to test. I have used them for the past few weeks so that I can review them for you.
Thea was started by Althea Giscombe a former Avon manager who was inspired to create this brand after a trip to Africa.

First up is the Body Scrub.
I found the body scrub had a very buttery texture that warmed up really quickly and melted into my skin. I thought that the pieces of sugar in the scrub were just a tad too large and so you had to be gentle with rubbing them in. Thea skincare is natural and organic and what I loved most about this scrub was that It looked and felt like a homemade scrub. It made it feel more luxurious as it didnt feel mass produced. It works very well as a scrub skin is left feeling very moisturised afterward but I did find that parts of my skin felt a little dry after use and so It does need to be paired with the body Butter.

The Body Butter really reminds me of the ponds cold cream, It just feels ice cold when you put it on It is thick and creamy but spreads much more easily than other body butters I have used its more like a light version of a body butter. As ive said already it pairs beautifully with the body scrub and they really compliment each other. The body butter moisturised my skin well. I was dissapointed when the body butter didnt smell like yummy coconut as I was expecting but I do find that happens with natural products sometimes.

All of thea skincare products are free from parabens, sulphate and artificial fragrance, they are vegan friendly and do not test on animals.
Have you tried any Thea Skincare, Let me know in the comments.

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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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