February Favourites

   

                

February was a good month for beauty products in my book. I got to try out Ziaja Skin Care for first time and found out that I am in love with their new range Olive leaf nourishing cream. It can be used for face and body but I have been using it as a moisturiser. It has a gorgeous soufflé like texture, and it sinks into the skin without leaving any greasy residue. I can also testify that makeup wears really well on it and doesn't slip off the face. This is definitely my new favourite moisturiser and would be perfect for dry skinned gals out there and according to the blurb on the back of the bottle 'recommended for every skin type, at every age.' It claims to provide proper hydration, protection (spf 20) and regeneration. This moisturiser is light and non greasy and gets a big thumbs up from me! €6.99 available in limited stockists for the time being. 

                      

Next up I purchased a prolong wear concealer from MAC in shade nw15 it has made a huge difference  to the coverage in my makeup and has changed the amount of foundation I need to use. Loving it! 

         

The Boots botanics radiance balm is getting a lot of lip service at the moment for all the right reasons. It gives a radiant non glittery finish to the skin. I would highly recommend this to brighten up your makeup routine, I bought this for €3.99 at its introductory price. Think it's now €6.99 and selling out fast! 

           

The academie instant tan also has to get a mention. It provides the skin with an instant gorgeous golden glow and wears off evenly, no patches. It's a little messy to apply. It I hear the Cosmetic outlet which stocks it now stocks pumps to go with the tan to ensure  non messy application. 

            

My favourite lip trio this month has to be Rimmel Tiramisu lip liner, NYX jumbo lip pencil In Milk and MAC Creme cup lippy. The NYX pencil is actually an eye pencil but I use it to make my lips look fuller in three easy steps I have lips to rival Kylie Jenners ;) I wish.... First I line my lips using the Rimmel liner, then I pay Milk pencil into the centre of the lips and fill in with my Creme cup lippy which is coming to the end of its life. Voila! Big lips without the fillers. 

This is my number one trick to plump up your pout! 

So that's it folks, those are my February favourites. I'm currently running a Wet n Wild cosmetics giveaway on my facebook page so pop on over to enter www.facebook.com/bloggingitbeautiful 

You can follow me on Instagram at katiejanewheeler or on Twitter @KjWheelo 

Have you tried any of my February favourites? Will you try out my lip trick? Let me know in the comments below.

Xoxo 

Physicians Formula Review

Physicians Formula is a major US brand that has just begun to flood our shores. Developed by a scientist for his wife who had sensitive skin it is the perfect makeup brand with a lovely romantic back story to it to suit a Valentine's week review. 

I was sent the Happy Booster blush, the PH matchmaker gloss and the concealer twins to have a go of. I was delighted with the super cutesy packaging of the Happy Booster blush and the fun science behind it. This fantastically iridescent blush contains euphoryl,  plant extract said to mimic the effect of happy hormones called endorphins hence the name 'happy booster'. 

                      

The ultra thoughtful packaging of all of the products I received from this range makes me feel that it had to have been a female who designed the brand packaging. It comes with a mirror and a handy little brush underneath the compact. 

I fell in love with the ph matchmaker lip gloss. Once again the packaging won me over, it lights up and had a mirror on the side to make applying it on the go even easier. This lipgloss is fab, the science  behind it means it will adjust the colour to suit the natural ph of your skin so as to give a natural looking hue to your lips. I think this is fab and the shade my lips turn suits me too a T. I have the blusher on in the above pic too, it gives a gorgeous flush to the cheeks. 

                     

Look at it! Fancy! Last but not least we're the concealer  twins. It is a dual ended product containing a gren camouflage concealer on one end to cancel out any redness in your skin tone and a flesh toned concealer on the other end. 

                     

I swatched them both above and as you can see they are of a creamy consistency. They are easy to blend with the green cream requiring a little more work. Once again, a lovely product to work with. Also very handy on the go or for travelling as it is a two in one product. 

I am very excited to try more from this brand. As of now all products are at the very affordable price point of between €10 and €20. If you leave a comment below where you are from I can tell you where your nearest stockist is, they have plans for a big expansion across Ireland  in 2015, so watch this space.... Xxxx

Ziaja Skincare Review

 

The fabulous folks over at Ziaja sent me out some of their new Olive Leaf range skincare to try. Ziaja are a Polish brand celebrating 25 years in the industry and so they decided to bring out this new range to focus on their beauty ethos of simple, natural and effective products.

I received the gel micro exfoliating scrub, concentrated nourishing cream and the regenerating face mask to try out. All of these products are meant to suit normal, dry and sensitive skin so essentially they could work for all skin types.

First up they smell absolutely divine! The packaging is a little bit basic, but to be honest I'm a big believer in the quality of the product over how it looks. I think the packaging really fits in with their brands message of  simple, natural and effective. The white and green colours are fresh and to the point.

First product I used after I removed my makeup was the gel scrub. Now I do have sensitive skin so I felt the granules were a little bit harsh for my skin. I rarely exfoliate because I have rosacea and my skin can flare up easily so I was a bit worried using this product. My skin was perfectly fine afterwards however so no worries there. I do feel the gel scrub would be better suited as a body scrub.

Next up on my face was the nourishing body cream which contains UVA and UVB, also spf 20 protection from the suns rays and the harsh weather conditions. The cream is a lovely texture and designed to be used both on face and body. Both products retail at €5.99 and can be bought on www.originalbeauty.ie

I have yet to try the face mask, it contains hyaluronic acid which seems to be the buzz word on everyone's lips these days so I'm looking forward to giving it a go. It costs a tiny 69c so worth giving a whirl.

Have you tried any of the products by Ziaja yet? Let me know your experience with them in the comments below...