Elemis Vs. This Works: Deep Sleep Pillow Spray

Hey ladies,

I hope you're well. I have a battle of the deep sleep spray's for you today! I had never been a particularly bad sleeper until recently when I began having steroid injections for my Tendonitis. I'm not so good with steroids, I can't sleep, and then the OCD starts to kick in which leads to me re-organising my makeup collection or cleaning the house at 4 in the morning. Even with the sleeping tablets my doctor had prescribed to combat that, they didn't help much. 

Que advice from the ever fabulous Chloe over at NurseFancyPants who mentioned the great things This Works Deep Sleep Spray had done for her, and kindly offered to send me a spare bottle she had to try it. Whilst I was gutting and redecorating my room (another terrific idea I'd had whilst trying to find sleep) I came across a bottle of the Elemis Quite Mind spray which is supposed to have a similar effect, and thusly the battle of the sleep spray's began!

So up first is the Elemis Quiet Mind Spray. I have to be honest straight off the bat and say, the smell of this is incredibly cloying. You would nearly need to spray it and come back 45 minutes later when it's calmed down, but even then it's very strong. It contains lavender, eucalyptus, patchouli, all to promote a quite mind and good nights sleep, neither of which seemed to befall me when I used it. But, to be fair to the product, I have used it when I'm over the affects of the steroids and it's ok, nothing to write home about. It is disappointing. Not what I have come to expect from Elemis, which is unfortunate. I'll continue to use it until I finish the bottle of course, but I doubt there'll be any miracles!

My little miracle product, the This Works - Deep Sleep Pillow Spray! My first experience with This Works was when I picked up 2 incredible candles in TK Maxx: the Petitgrain & Jasmine and the Vetivert & Lavender, both of which smell amazing! I had read about the Deep Sleep Candle, but had never heard of the spray until Chloe mentioned it to me. As I said above she was super generous in sending me her spare bottle so, that night and almost every night since I have been using this on my pillow, and my, my This Works (see what I did there?!) an absolute treat! I can happily report that there was no re-organising my nail polish collection at stupid o'clock in the morning! It contains essential oils of lavender, camomile and Vetivert to soothe the body and mind! Addie went through a bit of a growth spurt recently which meant she wasn't sleeping that well so I used this on her pillow and it did the trick too, so I can say with confidence that this is a terrific little product!

All in all, the This Works - Deep Sleep Spray far surpasses the Elemis Quite Mind. I am absolutely enamoured with it, I actually received a back up spray in a goodie bag at the opening of the Space NK Apothecary last week, which is terrific. Another plus myself and the lovely Chloe were discussing was that no matter how much you spray it, it seems to last forever, always a huge bonus when you happen to be a little bit in the actual love with a product right?!

So, that's it for now ladies!

I hope you've enjoyed!

What are your thoughts on sleep sprays?

Are you a fan?!

As always, let me know below!

Until next time

xoxo

Aundrea 

Max Benjamin Fragrance Diffusers: My New Addiction!

Hey ladies,

I hope you're all well and enjoying the lovely weather. I'm sorry I haven't been with you in a while BUT I am in recovery from a broken ankle! I think the only words of wisdom I could give you with regards to said broken ankle is DO NOT chase your 6 year old around the garden!

It took me quite a while to decide what my first post back would be, and I was toying with the idea of telling you all why I think Billy Ocean might actually be my father, but then I thought no, best save that one for later...

So I have chosen instead to tell you about my latest obsession, Max Benjamin Fragrance Diffusers. My obsession with these started when I went to visit my good friend Kat from Dolly Rouge for a weekend of nothing but food, fun, and pampering, and epic chats, not to mention The Vampire Diaries! I was immediately drawn to the scent in Kat's living room which was Mimosa and Sweet Amber from Max Benjamin. And so my obsession was born....

It's not my first foray into the world of Max Benjamin, I've been a fan of their candles for as long as I can remember, starting with Blue Velvet and Elderberry which they have sadly discontinued.  I actually bought a stockpile of the candle before they were taken off the shelves, but I miss it terribly so Max Benjamin, if you're reading this please, please, please bring it back! Im also a huge fan of Dodici, which smells just beautiful. It's quite a masculine scent but I just adore it! My only point of purchase in this town is Carraig Donn, so off I went to have a sniff, and completely fell in love!

My first diffuser purchase was the incredible French Linen Water. I just love this scent, it's not something I would normally go for, but I was looking for something different. MB use only the finest selection of essential oils to create each diffuser, so it doesn't scrimp on the scent! It's scent includes the ever relaxing lavender, sweet orange and citrus notes which blend together beautifully! It always seems to smell different, and call me insane but, I detect notes of chocolate in there! It's just perfect.

My most recent purchase was this beauty, which I have to thank Kat for turning me onto. Mimosa & Sweet Amber. The soothing sweet amber in this fragrance makes this perfect for de-stressing after a long day of shuffling on my broken ankle. It also contains delicate top notes of green leaf and a tender heart of mimosa. I've really been enjoying how it mingles harmoniously with French Linen Water to create my own little unique scent. My room smells beautiful (even if I do say so myself) these scents are just a pleasure to be around.

The fantastic thing about these beauties is that they come with a fantastic 150mls of product, which is a huge amount of fragrance! What's even better is the fact that you can purchase refills for when they run out, pretty nifty right?! They have such a terrific selection available on their website, I highly recommend you treat yourself because they are just stunning! I will be repurchasing refills for the ones above, but I also have every intention of letting my addiction take over and buying more! I do have my eye on 3 or 4... or 5! You know me... in for a penny in for a pound!

So that's it for now ladies!

I hope you enjoyed!

What are your thoughts on Max Benjamin?!

Have you tried anything from the range?

As always, let me know below!

Until next time 

xoxo

Aundrea

Ziaja - The Holy Trinity of Enzyme Peels

Hey Ladies,

I hope you're all well! As a long time skincare obsessive, I have tried my fair share of face masks, peels, lotions and potions of every type. It's been a really long time since a budget skincare brand has impressed me. I find that more often than not, they're a complete let down, so I gave up trying them, wholeheartedly convinced that I would never find one, and that high end products were the only way to go. I was a total skincare cynic, until Ziaja came into my life. Today, I want to share with you my new skincare obsession from Ziaja - Enzyme Peels!

Enzyme Peels have become incredibly popular recently. But what are they, and why are they so important? Well here's the sciencey bit behind it *puts on over sized glasses to look intelligent* enzyme peels are used to deeply cleanse and resurface the skin by treating the upper layers of skin tissue. It literally helps to peel the dead skin cells off the face. Sounds kind of gross I know, but it is incredibly important as these peels help the skin to promote renewal of shiny new healthy skin cells!

I think a lot of people when they hear 'Enzyme Peel' suddenly conjure up the image of Samantha in Sex and the City, looking like a bee keeper hiding under a veil after a harsh chemical peel! This is not the case at all with Enzyme Peels, so don't be frightened! Ziaja have something for everyone in their Enzyme Peel Range! Lets take a closer look shall we?

The SenSitive Skin Enzyme Peel contains an enzyme called Papain, which is terrific for breaking down skin cells! The peel also contains Allantoin, and Castor Seed Oil which are praised for their soothing properties, and also Panthenol which is a pro vitamin of B5, a fantastic hydrating ingredient! This is one of my favourite Enzyme Peels, it leaves the skin feeling soft, plump and incredibly smooth! What more can you ask for?!

The Marine Algae Smoothing Enzyme Peel contains a host of fantastic ingredients to transform dull skin. This peel uses a Bioactive Enzyme with Algae, Canola Oil, Vitamin A, and Pro Vitamin B5. The Algae is a water binding agent which will help to lock moisture into your skin, fantastic for those of us who have skin a bit on the dry side! The Canola Oil helps to eradicate fine lines, blemishes and acne scarring. The Vitamin A helps to keep your skin looking young and the B5 as I mentioned before is fantastic for keeping the skin hydrated!

The Rose Butter Micro Peel, is something a little different from the other two peels as it contains tiny micro exfoliating particles. Perfect for if and when the dead skin cells are being extra stubborn. This peel contains Rose Butter, which is known for its healing properties. Olive Oil EFA's (Essential Fatty Acids) Olive Oil attracts external moisture to the skin and because the fat composition of Olive Oil is very similar to that of human skin, it ensures that as it forms a breathable film to prevent the loss of internal moisture, it does not block the natural functions of our skin while doing so! Tres, Tres important, no?! This peel also contains Vitamin C, E, B3, B5, and B6, all excellent for keeping the skin looking and feeling hydrated, young, soft and supple!

So, as you can see, I am suitably impressed and more than willing to eat my own words about High End Skincare being the only way to go. The Enzyme Peels are not just comparable to higher end ones, but better. The price point is so much more reasonable, there is more bang for your buck AND they're just generally freakin awesome!

Before I hang up my Sciencey Education hat for the day, I just want to remind you of something incredibly important. When you use any sort of peel, it is imperative that you keep your skin moisturised, preferably with one that contains an SPF! After all, you've just gotten rid of a layer of skin, all be it a dead layer, but you don't want those UV ray's to penetrate only to do copious amounts of sun damage to it! So please, be as adventurous as you like with your new BFF The Enzyme Peel, but just make sure that you take the proper steps to ensure you keep it protected too!

That's it for now ladies,

I hope you enjoyed!

What are your thoughts on Ziaja's Enzyme Peels?

Have you tried any? 

Are you tempted?

As always, let me know below!

Until next time 

xoxo

Aundrea

Ziaja can be purchased online here - www.originalbeauty.ie

Follow Ziaja on Twitter - here.

On Facebook - here and here.

Roger & Gallet - Rose and Fleur d'Osmanthus Hand & Nail Creams

Hey Ladies,

I hope you're all well! Roger & Gallet being a long time favourite brand of mine, tend to get me ridiculously excited with new releases to their permanent line. As you all know, I'm such a huge fan of their fragrance waters, shower gels, and body moisturisers, so when I discovered they were releasing a range of new hand and nail creams, I knew I had to have them!

First up we have the Rose Hand & Nail Cream. This little beauty contains Shea Butter and Rose Extract to moisturise, soften and soothe tired hands. I am in love with the scent of this product. It's an incredibly delicate scent, that smells like a thousand rose petals have been pressed together to make this cream. You really only need the smallest amount of product because it spreads and sinks in beautifully. It leaves your hands feeling incredibly soft and nurtured. I just love it!

The Fleur d'Osmanthus Hand & Nail Cream is more heavily scented but no less wonderfully! It's fresh, it's zingy and the scent lingers long after the creams itself has sunk in. This also contains Shea Butter, but also Apricot Oil to nourish and protect your hands and nails. I can see myself using this during the Summer months to hydrate my hands. The scent just screams Summer to me, as with the original fragrance, which this stays true to.

Both of these hand and nail creams that Roger & Gallet have given us are a real treat! I can only hope and pray that they expand the range and bring out some of my favourite scents to accompany these beauties!

It was pointed out to me in my last R&G post, that nobody seems to love this brand more than me, and you know, that's true. Roger & Gallet never disappoint, I'm always so excited to try new products, and anything from the permanent line that I haven't gotten around to yet. There is something about Roger & Gallet, they just seem to release products that everyone can love and appreciate, and in turn, we have to appreciate R&G for that, because there are no filler products in their collection! Everything is just beautiful and that's why I love them so much! From packaging to the product it contains, it's absolute perfection!

That's it for now ladies,

I hope you enjoyed!

What are your thoughts on R&G's new Hand Creams?

Will you be trying them?!

As always, let me know below!

Until next time

xoxo

Aundrea