Eucerin is a German brand founded by a pharmacist, so all products in the brand are scientifically & clinically tested & proven.  They have a range of products, but the line I purchased all contain... wait for it!..... urea! Ring any bells? You might recognise this word as being pee BUT fear not, there are different types of urea, and the one used in skincare, isn't actually urine, as it's made from a synthetic sources! Phew!! 

Urea exists in all body fluids & tissues & is an important part of skin's natural moisturising factor. In many dry skin conditions, natural urea levels are reduced, leading to further moisture loss. By replenishing this active ingredient, urea effectively relieves itching &skin dryness. Unlike many other skincare "miracles", once applied to the skin, it doesn't just lay on top. It actually penetrates & is absorbed so that it can retain water &then increases the capacity of the skin to hold moisture and rehydrate.

The day time Eucerin face moisturiser isn't overly thick, so it works well under my make up, but still gives me enough moisture so that any dry patches are concealed.

The night time version, however, is  different story.  I was really impressed with this one.  It's much more rich & a lot thicker in consistency - something that I love in an evening moisturiser as I feel it seeps into the skin as I sleep. When I woke up the next morning, my skin was noticeably softer & felt really hydrated and smooth. 

I'm a big matte liquid lipstick lover, so I apply lip balm every single night before bed to keep my lips moisturised,  This one is also nicely thick &a little goes a long way. I tend to get cracked lips at the corners of my mouth & this worked a treat at easing the sting.

In the above image, you can see the consistency of each product.  From left to right, starting with the night moisturiser you will notice it is much thicker than the 2nd daytime moisturiser, with the last lip balm being more of a gel balm.  Overall I'm thoroughly impressed.

As an added bonus, Eucerin products won't break the bank:

Eucerin Smoothing Face Cream 5% Urea - €9-€10 (currently buy 1 get 1 half price in Boots >HERE< or get it for 25% off on Feel Unique >HERE<)

Eucerin Smoothing Night Creme 5% Urea €10-€11 (but still €6.69 in Lloyds at the moment >HERE<)

Eucerin Intensive  Lip Balm - €7 from SamMcCauleys >HERE< (€4.50 currently out of stock on Inish Pharmacy >HERE< but keep an eye out as it's the lowest price I've seen).

Slán!

Dia daoibh!

Today I'm here with my two absolute favourite skincare items of the month.  Kinvara is an Irish, oil based skincare brand - amazing for anyone looking for a bit of moisturisation and hydration for their skin.  I've been trying out two award winning products; the Kinvara Absolute Cleansing Oil and their 24HR Rosehip Face Serum. I'm obsessed.  As with all of my skincare reviews, I have been trying these products for about a month and have had no bad reactions.... at all,; only positive. 

First off, the packaging. Each face wash comes in a 150ml, pastel army green squeezy tube. The Pure Clay Purity and Pure Clay Detox are both face washes. The green Purity version is more of a cream wash and the blue Detox version is more of a gel wash.  They are both soap-free so your skin won't be left with that tight feeling after washing. The Pure Clay Detox is a a scrub containing little microbeads.

Each of the three face washes contain the following 3 clays:

 Kaolin- a highly effective natural clay, known to absorb impurities and excess sebum 

Montmorillonite- rich in minerals, a clay recognised for helping to eliminate imperfections 

Ghassoul- a pure clay highly concentrated in minerals, renowned to help clarify complexion 

This one contains Eucalyptus extract, which known for its purifying properties. It aims to give you clearer, fresher skin, without shine. Its non-drying gel texture transforms into a light foam, eliminating impurities and excess oil, and visibly reducing shine. 

Benefits - skin is deeply cleansed and purified, with excess oil reduced.

This scrub contains Red Algae extract and exfoliating micro-beads for brighter, smoother and fresher skin.. Its non-drying texture transforms into a light foam and releases the micro-beads, which exfoliate impurities and dead skin cells, leaving skin smoother and brighter. 

Red Algae- known for its brightening properties and will leave your skin with a healthy glow.

Benefits - skin feels deeply cleansed, purified and refined. Pores feel tighter. With continued use, skin is visibly transformed, smoother and has an even, healthy glow.

This gel wash contains Charcoal for clearer, fresher skin.. The dark tinted blue gel transforms into a light foam once in contact with water, which detoxifies the skin's surface by capturing impurities, including excess oil and make-up residue. Charcoal acts like a magnet to draw out impurities from the skin

Benefits - skin is deeply cleansed and purified

Each of the Purity Clay washes are priced at €7.99 in Boots but I found them for €6.85 from Inish Pharmacy >HERE< plus use promo code FITZNBITZ for an 10% off that!

Slán!

Dehydrated skin.  It's commonly mistaken for dry skin but believe it or not, you can actually have dehydrated, oily skin! Dehydrated skin is not a "skin type" per se, but it is a condition of the skin which can be overlooked.  Today I'm reviewing 3 skincare items aimed at people with tight feeling, perhaps flaky, rough or even itchy skin..... dehydrated skin.  I've been trialing these products for the past month, as I feel you need to give skincare a few weeks to see its true potential.

NikkieTutorials discovered the Nivea Men Aftershave Balm as a make up primer and everyone has been raving about it since.  I wanted to put it to the test myself!

Today I am reviewing a brand new micellar water to the market.  Introducing Garnier's Micellar Oil Infused Cleansing Water.  Yes, you read that right! A micellar water with oil in it; argan oil to be specific.

Overall I wouldn't be wearing it on it's own if it's coverage you're after, but it makes a great base for foundation or ideal  for those days when you want light coverage or to let your skin "breath". Again I had to allow a little time for it to set but after a couple of minutes I was good to go.

Below are some more from the range available from today, the 27th January 2013 while stocks last. 

Slán!