Monday 21 November 2016

Review: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

Seen as I love this product so much, I wanted to do a review and share my experience with Liz Earle's pretty renowned Cleanse & Polish cleanser with you all. I have to admit, without the world of blogging and reading beauty reviews online I probably would have passed this by in the pharmacy or drugstore. But after reading so many reviews and hearing so much about it online, combined with not having a cleanser that suited my sensitive skin, I decided to purchase this hot cloth cleanser and see what all the fuss was about! And here I am, writing a review after using it continuously for nearly a year! As cheesy as it sounds, I haven't looked back! It has become such a staple in my skincare bag (I've done a blogpost already on my skincare bag on my blog-click the link below) that I don't think I'll be changing it up for quite some time!


I have sensitive skin and this just works so well for me. It's amazing to see, when I apply it to my eyes, rub the cream in (you will look like you have panda eyes but fear not). Then take your muslin cloth, run it under warm water (or a nice face cloth either for more exfoliation) and simply remove your makeup with your cloth. 99% of your makeup (inc. eye makeup) comes off in one sweep, LITERALLY! Then give your cloth another rinse and sweep it over your face and neck to remove any remaining makeup. It's so gentle on your skin and thoroughly cleanses your skin. You will have such baby soft skin! I really recommend buying it.

If you're trying it for the first time and don't want to invest (which you so should), I recommend buying the starter kit (if you're living in the UK- here for over £15, and if you're in Ireland- here for just over €20). But if you live in Dublin, I recommend going to Liffey Valley Shopping Centre- there is a massive Boots there which stocks Liz Earle and it's a bit cheaper! Plus you'll get your Advantage Card points! BONUS!!

This product has become a firm favourite in my skincare bag and I love using it on days when I have makeup on and on days when I haven't! I would really recommend using this as a cleanser, it will really do wonders for your skin!


You can also find me on the details below-
Twitter- https://twitter.com/TheYellowSunflo
Instagram- Instagram.com/sarahwhelehan
Blog- The Yellow Sunflower http://sarahyellowsunflower.blogspot.ie/

Sarah 

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Sunday 4 September 2016

Antipodes¦ The Westbury Hotel, Dublin


After attending an event in the glamorous 5 star hotel in Dublin, The Westbury Hotel (check out the hotel here) with Antipodes, I have been really enjoying trialing and reviewing their entire skincare range. Antipodes pride themselves in being a Scientific Organic beauty brand, hailing from New Zealand. 
The above products are a wide range of their facial oils, day and night creams, and their hand and body cream.  

Below you can see the delicious spread of treats we were served, as part of The Westbury Hotel's Afternoon Tea. All of the nibbles were delicious and they have a wide variety of savoury and sweet treats, to suit all tastes.

This is the mini set from the Moisture Boosting range, for daytime. It comes with a facial oil called 'Divine Face Oil' and their hydrating Day Cream called 'Vanilla Pod'.
Firstly, I have to admit I loved the facial oils in both the day-time and night-time sets. Facial oils are often neglected by people and come with an element of 'fear'. People often think they will make their skin 'oily' or 'even oilier', especially those people with combination-type skin. But it's actually the complete opposite. Often is the case, that combination-type skin is dehydrated and is lacking in oils, so this light oil is one I'd really recommend for ALL skin types. It smells so good also, something I'm a huge lover of (good smelling products that is!). 

This facial oil is also vegetarian approved, so this may appeal to many of you. The oil contains avocado oil, vitamins A, B1, B2 and D, and antioxidants. These vitamins are very important in the production of collagen, to help with the aging process of your skin (ADDED BONUS!!).

The moisturiser in this kit, is beautiful and light, ideal for morning time before you apply makeup. It's light and the pleasant scent is of vanilla-something any sweet-scented lover will adore. It's 'meant' to also help fight off blemishes, but that's not something I can vouch for. Again, this is packed with hydrating properties and antioxidants.
RRP- 17.91 (purchase here)
Nearly a year on from opening this product, I'm only just after finishing it! This product is called 'Jubilation' and is a moisturiser for your hands and body. Personally, I have just loved using this rich moisturiser for my hands, to keep them looking soft and smooth. It has a strong scent if I'm honest, but one that I grew to really like. It's packed with plant oils (fig and blackcurrant), omega 3, 6 and 9, and vitamins A and C and E. It also contains superfruit kiwi seed oil. 
This tube is handy to keep in your bag for everyday use on-the-go. I used this on a daily basis, and it's safe to do so. 

It's also one of their BEST SELLERS, and I can see why and it's one I would repurchase! It's one I would recommend for people with very dry, flaky, patchy skin- on the hands or body.
RRP- 27.00 (purchase here)

And finally, this beautiful duo! This combination of products is available as part of their Anti-aging range and is ideal for travel due to their compact size. The first product is the 'Joyous' protein-rich, replenishing night serum. Richer is consistency than the 'Divine facial oil', this is a real treat to apply to the skin at night-time. Quite often if I'm home early, I'll remove my makeup, cleanse my skin and apply a layer of this serum, and continue with my evening. I like to leave it to 'sink in', on it's own, for as long as I can. The difference in my skin is just unbelievable, and better than any face mask you can buy! 
It's packed with goji berries, raspberry seeds and blackcurrant oil. These are packed with essential fats, which hydrate your skin.

Alongside the 'Joyous' serum, is the 'Avocado Pear' night cream. This contains manuka honey (and we all know how good that is for us) and is proven to stimulate collagen in your skin by up to 92%. These minis are a great introduction to the brand and an ideal 'try-before-you-buy' kit. They are also a lovely gift to give a loved one, for a very affordable price. 
RRP- 16.63 (purchase here)

If you're interested in purchasing any of the products above from the Antipodes skincare range, or if you're interested in researching about the brand a bit further, check out the following websites:


If you're in Ireland, you can purchase the products from FeelUnique, and BeautyBay. The products are also available in many health food stores. 

Sarah 

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Monday 29 August 2016

New Product Releases¦ Armani & Kiehls

I've been to a few events over the past month or so, which saw the following products launching. I really wanted to share these products with you, as some of them have great ideas behind their launch. These are the ones that are of interest to me personally!

Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream¦Limited Edition (assoc. with Laura Mvula)

Here's a shot of Mr. Bones and myself in the Kiehls store on Wicklow Street in Dublin.

This year Kiehls have teamed up with the super talented singer Laura Mvula, who has designed the limited edition 'Ultra Facial Cream' for Kiehls. For each tub sold (RRP €54), Kiehls will donate €11.50 to the MTV 'Staying Alive' charity, which supports 3 projects around the world-fighting against HIV/AIDS. It gives me great satisfaction to know that more than one fifth goes to a worthy charity. I haven't tried this face cream before, but am looking forward to trialing it, when I finish my current cream (Steamcream is the one I'm using at the minute). 
If you are in Dublin city centre, be sure to check out the iconic store on Wicklow Street (just off Grafton Street), or in Dundrum Town Centre. 
The cream is also available on arnotts.ie

Emporio Armani Diamonds CLUB for HER and HIM

This pretty pink bottle of perfume is the newest launch from Armani and one which will appeal to many! It's call 'Diamonds CLUB' and the bright pink bottle is one you can't miss on the shelves or at your nearest Armani counter. Here's what Armani say about the perfume-
"Teamed with energizing mandarin to last 'til dawn, rose explodes like a sweet treat wrapped in patchouli and marine notes. A dance that begins from the first splash on the skin."

This is an eau de toilette, so it's light and the scent isn't too strong. If you're willing to shake up your day-time or work fragrance, and be on-trend, then here's the one for you or your partner. The RRP is €48. 


Kiehls Cactus Flower & Tibetan Ginseng Hydrating Mist

This product is a lovely cooling facial mist from Kiehls which you can use anytime during the day, before makeup or even on top of your makeup. It also has soothing and purifying properties, and can be used as a finishing spray that locks in a dewy and fresh complexion. Cactus Flower is renowned for its ability to improve skin hydration, softness, smoothness and overall skin appearance. 
This is a great product to keep in your bag for on-the-go, to help maintain your skin's hydration levels. It's a nice compact bottle in size and it's really sturdy so it won't leak in your bag. 
This product is available since August in Arnotts and Kiehls stores nationwide. 
RRP is €22.50 (75ml)
RRP is €32.50 (125ml)

If you're interested in trying out any of these new launches, be sure to check out the stores I've listed above. There's definitely some really good products being released, so be sure to hit the shops.

Let me know on Twitter (@Sarah Whelehan- linked here) or in the comments below!

Sarah