Kiss true volume lashes in Ritzy

As some of you may know,  I write the odd post for sparkle blossom beauty & today is one of those days ☺
With the glorious weather today, and while everyone was enjoying the sunshine, I was working in the salon. But it wasn't all bad as I got to do some lovely hair and makeup for a girl going to her graduation.
Which brings me to the kiss true volume lashes. Clare gave me a few to try out but these were by far my favourite. They were so easy to apply. I just had to trim the ends slightly to fit. But they just looked so natural and had so much volume. My client was thrilled with them as she said they felt very light and looked amazing.
I will definitely buy these again although slightly pricey in boots for €7.49, I have found them in a few chemists for €5.99 and of course they can be reused.
Julie @blossombeauty x

Global wellness day

I don't normally just share press release info like this but it seems like a really wonderful way to spend a day and VOYA are an amazing irish brand. I hope some of you find this info useful and get to join in :) 

Wellness Influencers Gather to Support

 GLOBAL WELLNESS DAY IRELAND

Strandhill Co. Sligo

#GlobalWellnessDay

 

 

Saturday 11^th June will mark the fifth Global Wellness Day (GWD), set to be celebrated around the world. With an international network of over 70 Global Wellness Day ambassadors, Kira Walton, Co-Founder of VOYA, has her paddle in hand, as she ‘SAYS YES!’ to universal wellness.

 

With planned activities set to promote wellness for the mind and body, those both near and far are invited to join Kira, the VOYA team and a variety of local wellness experts. Commencing at 9am on Saturday 11^th June, VOYA will meet participants at the Sligo Enterprise Centre, where the day will start with a mindful meditation practice. This will be led by Noeleen Tyrrell from award-winning eco retreat centre, Ard Nahoo. Meditation helps to reduce stress, increase brain productivity and further aid a good night’s sleep. Taking a few minutes each day to reflect and gather your thoughts will allow you to instantly feel the benefits of a healthy body and peaceful mind.

 

Following this, renowned ‘Personal Change Coach’, John Graham, will be giving talk with helpful hints, tips and tricks on how to enable you to switch off your mind at night, for maximum energy and productivity the next day. Anne-Marie O’Halloran,founder of Yoga Meon will host a yoga session tailored for all levels. The practice will incorporate mindful breathing, whilst gently increasing body flexibility for a sense of overall wellness.

 

Having reset both the mind and body, VOYA will also host their annual 10,000 Step Challenge, where a gentle walk across the bays of Sligo perfectly work up an appetite for lunch. After a light lunch, Sarah Middleton, dance instructor and choreographer, will be welcoming all levels to partake in a Dance Wellness class, where fun and laughter are guaranteed for all ages. Fitness 4 All will be holding ‘Rebounding class’ and then kid’s activities will be hosted also further promising to keep children active, engaged and most importantly away from the Xbox in the afternoon. With a wide range of exciting activities, fitness will be improved without anyone even noticing. Those participating in activities will also have their name automatically entered into an exciting prize draw, where one lucky winner will receive a hamper full of VOYA goodies – the ultimate at-home, gift of spa!

 

To encourage awareness both locally and nationally, VOYA has created a GWD Ireland Facebook Page to get individuals thinking about their wellbeing and the small steps they can take personally to achieve a healthier and happier lifestyle. Through this page, VOYA will be engaging with people across Ireland with the intent of ensuring that they feel supported within their journey. As well as supporting others, VOYA has already received great support from their spas, as they come together to celebrating Global Wellness Day to promote happier and healthier lives.

 

For further information please visit

www.globalwellnessday.org  or www.voya.ie

 

[Above from left: Francis and John Brennan, Irish Hoteliers & TV Personalities | Kira Walton, Co-founder of VOYA & Padraig Harrington, Golfer | Eimear Hutchinson, Irish Times]

 

Rebalancing after pregnancy : part 2 haircare!

If you have read part 1 of this series (thanks for visiting again!) you will know that after baby my skin shrivelled and dried up like old fruit and the very same thing happened to my head! 

When baba was about 3 months all of the gorgeous thick hair I had accumulated during my pregnancy began falling out in giant clumps , I heard this happened but holy crap I could of made 2 extra wigs with what came out in the first week. At the same time I got really bad dry scalp and a really sensitive scalp so the usual head & shoulders suddenly burned my scalp so was way too harsh to use. So began my looooong search for a cure. I tried so many different shampoos over the last few months before I found this combo that's been doing the job for me. 

First up is this fantastically scientific offering from Bioderma node ds+ €13.50

I apologise for this photo my before ones that I always take have disappeared ! 

This is an intense shampoo formulated specifically to eliminate dandruff whilst still being really gentle. 

So how this works is for the first 3 weeks you use this 3 times per week and thereafter 1/2 times per week depending on how you feel you need it. To use you leave it on for 5 minutes before rinsing off , the massive bonus for me with this was how soft it made my hair it was like using a really good conditioning treatment the second you start to rinse hair feels so silky. I used a kerastase treatment in the run up to my wedding and it was really similar to the results there. 

So back to the main purpose! By week 3 my dry flaky can't leave the house it's so bad scalp was finally cleared! Once I switched to the once a week use I started using

  Tresemme luxurious moisture think I got on offer for about €5 

shampoo for the in between washes this has been great as it dosnt bring the dry scalp back which others did plus it's just a great easy use shampoo. 

Next up in the series I'll talk about all the new make up I had to buy too (lol) 

This post contained a mix of pr samples and ones I purchased myself. 

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. 

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!