Get Party Season Ready with It Works! Ultimate Body Applicator Wraps

Hey Ladies,

I hope you're all well! The party season is upon us once more, and now more than ever we want to look our best for the festive season! I recently tried a product I have been hearing a lot about, This Works! Ultimate Body Applicator, the Body Contouring Wrap. I honestly wasn't too sure what to expect as this was my first foray into the slimming wrap world, but here is how I got on...

The instructions for the wrap itself were simple: apply one applicator to the chosen area of your body, and leave for 45 minutes (or over night if you choose). Once finished, remove, discard and enjoy the benefits! I left my wrap on over night, even though the effects of the cream continue to work for up to 72hours! It was really quite comfortable to sleep in and the scent was actually very lovely! Once I had my shower, I got out the old measuring tape, and was absolutely astounded to see that I had lost a full 6 inches off my stomach! But where did it go? Most body wraps simply cause water loss, the UBA uses a botanically based cream formula to help tone, tighten and firm.

The effects of the wrap after one use were fantastic, perfect for perhaps for fitting into that Christmas party dress, or for nights out with the girls! I found the effects of the wrap to last about a week for me, but honestly with continued use, I can imagine the results will only improve! I would definitely purchase a few more of these to have on stand by for upcoming events, or special occasions!

That's it for now ladies,

I hope you enjoyed!

What are your thoughts on these types of wraps?

As always let me know below!

Until next time 

xoxo 

Aundrea

It Works Ultimate Body Applicators can be purchased from Jen here! 

She has some really fantastic offers on for the Festive Season, so don't be shy! 

Jo Malone London - Vanilla & Anise

Hey Ladies,

I hope you are all well! We have a first timer up for review on the blog today, Jo Malone - Vanilla & Anise. My love affair with Jo Malone began a few years ago on an aimless stroll through the beauty hall of Brown Thomas. It was one of those days when I had a rare free couple of hours to just browse. Originally I had intended to make my routine stop at the Tom Ford counter to peruse the Private Blend fragrances, when a lady breezed passed me smelling heavenly. I politely inquired as to what fragrance she was wearing and she told me her sister had bought it for her, Jo Malone but she could not recall the name. I finished things with Tom (Ford) immediately and headed straight for the Jo Malone counter, where I must have spent at least 45 minutes breathing in every scent that sounded remotely appealing to me, and that's where my addiction began.

I have a list (as most beauty bloggers tend to have) and on this list, are a number of fragrances I need to purchase from Jo Malone. Top of that list was Vanilla & Anise. It had been quite a while since I last smelled a perfume that I just had to have, that made a lasting impression on me. I found this particular one in BT's Galway on a shopping trip with tots, I knew there and then that I had to have this. A real sign that a fragrance is meant for me, is when I cannot stop sniffing my wrist, and that's how it was with this.

Vanilla & Anise achieves its cool atmosphere through a very clean opening of Neroli, which is quite dry and long lasting in the initial dry down of the fragrance. The tuberose and frangipani are held back making way for the incredible opulence of the orchid - vanilla combination, which pulls everything together very precisely in a way that only Jo Malone can seem to do. It's extremely understated and yet somehow manages to still be very, very elegant. Vanilla & Anise by name to me conjors up a vision of a cosy winters night by fire, and the scent of the fragrance itself makes it the perfect accompaniment to do just that.

I think this has the potential to be the perfect unisex scent, its not too spicy, not sweet or foody. Men as well as women will appreciate the crisp, elegant depth of this intoxicating scent. It has absolute pride of place in my perfume collection right now and will do for the foreseeable future. Any Jo Malone fragrance would make a perfect Christmas gift for someone special, the bottle itself comes beautifully presented in a gift box, with a perfect little ribbon wrapped around it. If you are stuck for gift ideas for him or her I would definitely recommend a little visit to your local Jo Malone counter!

That's it for now ladies!

I hope you enjoyed!

What are your thoughts on Jo Malone?

Have you any favourites or recommendations for me?

As always, let me know below!

Until next time

xoxo

Aundrea

Looking For an Alternative to Bioderma? Ziaja Have You Covered with Ziaja Micellar Waters!

Hey Ladies,

I hope you are all well! I have something for you today that will make your life a lot easier when it comes to cleansing, Ziaja Micellar Waters. Micellar Waters have recently become the weapon of choice when it comes to removing makeup, and for good reason. We're all looking for the most effective, hassle free way to remove our makeup at the end of each day and Micellar Waters are such a fantastic way to accomplish that. Being around the beauty community as much as I am, and reading as many reviews as I do, I think it's safe to say that we all went more than a little crazy for Bioderma. The worst thing about Bioderma was that it wasn't available here, we had to order off eBay paying extortionate prices for the product itself and shipping, or if you were lucky get a friend to pick it up in France. No one really wants that hassle, and whats more, if you can get an alternative that's just as good if not a little better, has an infinitely more reasonable price tag and is available in chemists or online to be delivered straight to your door, why wouldn't you give it a go?

Totally incredible and totally affordable, I give you the bright and beautiful range of Ziaja Micellar Waters. As I mentioned above, I have been looking for an alternative to Bioderma for the longest time. Ever since I gave my last 500ml bottle to my dear friend Sarah in exchange for a fabulous Owl Scentsy Burner (totally worth the trade by the way) I have been trialing different cleansing waters non stop, but was left unimpressed by what was on offer. So, when I found out what Ziaja had to offer by way of Micellar Waters, I knew I'd have to give them a try, lets have a closer look, shall we?

Ziaja Jasmine Micellar Water is packed full of fantastic ingredients to help your skin look and feel its best after cleansing. With Jasmine Oil used to cleanse the face of its impurities and also balance the skin, Pro Vitamin B5 to promote healing and new skin cells to consistently regenerate, and Hyaluronic Acid to play a critical role in in our skins health with its unique ability to lock in moisture. A product that not only is hugely beneficial to your skin but also removes every last bit of makeup without leaving your skin feeling stripped or dry.

Ziaja Natural Olive Micellar Water with its main ingredient of Olive Oil, which should really become a staple in your beauty regime in some form, it holds an incredible amount of benefits for your skin. Rich in Vitamin E, it helps to keep your skin looking and feeling supple and it can even help to calm any skin irritations you may have. It also helps to plump and moisturise the skin with its combination of Vitamin A & E, really making this Micellar Water something special. Again, after use, this leaves the skin feeling clean and hydrated, a total winner in my book.

Ziaja Rose Butter Micellar Water has to be one of my favourites. The many benefits of Rose Butter include minimising the appearance of acne scarring, it helps to moisturise dry, chapped skin and lock in moisture, the perfect companion for the cold Winter ahead! It's also an excellent toner due to its antibacterial properties, and finally it's also an excellent source of antioxidant Vitamin C which helps to repair discoloured skin. I guess really what I'm trying to tell you here is that I consider this a little bottle of wonder!

Ziaja marine Algae Micellar Water is definitely worth a look in my opinion. Marine Algae has many highly effective ingredients. It firms, lifts and hydrates the skin on contact. The secret to Marine Algae being so densely packed with vitamins and minerals is the fact that they are permanently submerged under sea water, which is itself is mineral and nutrient rich. Algae is also rich in beta carotene, Vitamin A, and Amino Acids, it also helps to maintain collagens, helping to make the skin soft, supple and wrinkle reduced! I cant recommend this enough!

So, my final thoughts on Ziaja's range of Micellar Waters? Amazing products! Stop buying your Bioderma now and switch to these, because honestly, for products that range between €4.49 and €5.99 you really cant go wrong. I just love these, I highly recommend you give them a try, I can guarantee you wont be disappointed!

That's it for now ladies!

I hope you enjoyed,

What are your thoughts on Ziaja's Micellar Waters?

Are you tempted to try them?

As always, let me know below,

Until next time

xoxo

Aundrea 

You can purchase Ziaja online here at originalbeauty.ie.

You can also add Ziaja on Facebook here.

Ziaja is also available at selected Pharmacy's Nationwide. 

Tag: 20 Random Facts About Me & Giveaway!

Hey Ladies,

I hope you are all well! I wanted to do something a little different for you today. A Tag, not something I normally do, but I thought this might be a fun way for you to get to know me, and have a little fun while doing it. As promised, I also have a little giveaway for you. Stick around, until the end to find out what it is, and how you can win!

So here they are, 20 Random Facts About Me:

1. I have a totally irrational fear of butterflies.

2. My favourite film of all time is The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. It is a very old black and white film,made in 1947 starring Rex Harrison and Gene Tierney. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it, just make sure and have the Kleenex close to hand! You can thank me later....

3. I have the strangest taste in male celebrities, Dylan Moran, Karl Pilkington, Jason Segal, Kevin Smith, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harelson, Timothy Dalton, Seth Rogan and Anthony Hopkins to name but a few.

4. I am obsessed with Comic Book Movies, but don't read comics... V for Vendetta, Avengers Assemble, Thor (and his massive hammer, sorry, I'm not sorry) Iron Man, Batman etc...

5. My girl crush is Jennifer Lawrence. I think she is incredible.

6. This is a strange one, but I'm kind of fascinated by peoples Laughs, like if you have a really good laugh, I'm pretty sure we'll get along. I think Sharon Osbourne has the best laugh on the planet. Seth Rogan is a close second! 

7. I have an unhealthy obsession with Silent Hill. The story line, the characters, everything. I think that the movies, are visually, the most stunningly beautiful movies I've ever seen.

8. Charles Bukowski is my favourite poet. His collection of poetry 'You Get so Alone at Times, it Just Makes Sense' literally changed my life.

9. I think The Hunger Games Trilogy have to be some of the best, and totally addictive books ever written.

10. Depeche Mode & New Order are my two favourite bands. If I could chose a favourite song from each, they would be Depeche Mode - It's No Good and from New Order - True Faith.

11. When I was 12 I watched The Exorcist and it got to me so much that to this day, I still cannot watch it.

12. I once met Dylan Moran outside Vicar Street and he asked me if I wanted a pineapple. I just wanted to run away with him there and then.

13. The 3 Most Played songs on my iPhone are M83 - Midnight City, The XX - Intro and Bastille - Of The Night. 

14. Quentin Tarantino is my favourite director of all time, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown are my favourites.

15. I once sat on my friends curling iron whilst wearing a skirt, it burned straight through and I now have a very impressive penis shaped scar on the back of my leg... I promise you there was no alcohol involved at the time, although it did it's part afterward...

16. I'm actually quite accident prone, and have no problem laughing about it. I think the worst had to be the time I fell out of a Wheelie Bin, again no alcohol involved, just trying to push the rubbish down...

17. I'm a little bit in love with Steve Martin, The Father of The Bride films and Trains, Planes and Automobiles have to be some of his best films.

18. I collect scarves, and perfume. I have about 150 scarves, any colour, design or fabric, I more than likely have one to suit. My perfume obsession began when I was 16 and bought a bottle of Ralph Lauren Ralph on a flight back from Italy. I now have over 70 bottles.

19. I like to think I'm an optimist, that everything happens for a reason, and I'm a huge believer in Karma.

20. I would be lost without my friends, most of whom are probably reading this now. I'm blessed to have such an incredible bunch of people in my life... half lunatics, half angels for putting up with me.

So there you have it, 20 Random Facts About me! Now, on to the Giveaway!

I want you to leave a comment below, or tweet me, telling me a random fact about you! That's it, nothing more, nothing less!

If chosen you will win a mug with your Blog Logo on it! You will of course have to send it to me so I can get it done up, and if you don't blog, don't worry, I've got you covered! You're more than welcome to send me a picture, or whatever you would like to get printed on the mug.

Here is what mine looks like!

Congrats to the lovely Chloe - Nursefancypants! x 

So, that's it ladies!

I hope you enjoyed!

Winner will be chosen next Monday! 

Get commenting and good luck!

Until next time

xoxo

Aundrea

I would like to tag: Chloe (NurseFancyPants), Donna (NotJustInside), Orla (MakeupOverMind), Marian (HighLifeOfMars), GirlFridayBeautyBlog, and Sarah (Adoreabubbles) Feel free to do the tag yourselves ladies! xx