The Veiled Artist

Hi my loves,

I hope you're doing well! In today's post I will be reviewing the St Ives Renewing Collagen & Elastin Body Lotion. I've been testing and trying it out for the past few months so lets get started!

St Ives Renewing Collagen & Elastin Body Lotion

Price, Packaging, Quantity

You get a very generous 620ml of product and it costs anywhere from 5-10$ depending on where you purchase it from. I got it in Srilanka for 3750/- LKR which is about 12$.
The St ives Renewing Collagen & Elastin Body Lotion comes in a large plastic bottle with a pump. Although the pump can be locked I don't recommend travelling with this because not only is it a massive bottle, the pump is not the most secure. However, you can always transfer your lotion to a smaller travel sized container which is what I do every time I want to take this with me on my travels.

St Ives Body Lotion

My thoughts

I was on the hunt for a day time body lotion because my skin has been very dry lately. But I also didn't want anything that is too heavy because I absolutely despise the feeling of being sweaty after using a body product that's too rich for your weather and skin type.
That's when I stumbled upon this body lotion during a deep online research session. Side note, I was also looking for a product to use on my stretch marks and I saw a few reviews from people claiming it helped renew their skin and lightened long term hyperpigmentation and I was like oh I definitely need to try this now!

It has a subtle fragrance that I personally find very refreshing and the formula is neither too light nor too heavy. If you have very dry flaky skin, this may not be the product for you. On drier areas of my skin like elbows, feet, etc. I prefer to use a body butter or something heavier.
But for everyday use I find this to be perfect.

St Ives Renewing Collagen & Elastin Body Lotion Review

However, one thing I've noticed while using the St Ives Renewing Collagen & Elastin Body Lotion is that your skin only looks and feels hydrated while it's on. The minute it's washed off, my skin goes right back to feeling dry. Meaning, it doesn't help improve moisture levels over time. So I disagree with St ives' claims and all the reviews I saw that claimed it transformed their skin. After using this body lotion for several months, I can confirm that it makes no significant difference haha. Oh and I don't see any improvements in the appearance of my stretch marks either.

Body lotion review

Pros

Affordable
Love that it has a pump

Cons
Hydration is temporary
No improvement in skin texture as claimed by St Ives

Would I recommend this?

If you have normal to dry skin, I definitely recommend the St Ives Renewing Collagen & Elastin Body Lotion if you're looking for an everyday body lotion! I know I'm repeating myself but I feel like the 620ml of product is very generous, considering how much it costs. However if you suffer with extremely dry, flaky skin, you're better off using a body butter paired with a body oil to finish.

Thank you so much for reading my loves! You can check out my last post here. It was a review of the Luvesence Spanish Jasmine Body smoothie which is another recent body care favourite of mine.

Have a great day,

Zaha.

Hi my loves,

I hope you're all doing well! Today I decided to review the Luvesence Spanish Jasmine Body Smoothie that I have been testing and loving for the past few months. Keep scrolling to read my very honest thoughts on it!

What the brand claims

Price, packaging and quantity

My thoughts..

As you can see in the swatch below, it has a thick yet fluffy formula. I feel like this formula works great for humid Srilankan weather because it's very hydrating but doesn't leave behind any oily residue.
It takes a minute to work it into your skin but once it's absorbed you can immediately get dressed and it doesn't get on your clothes. Instead, you're left with glowy hydrated skin.

I mostly use this on my arms and legs and one tub lasts me about 2 months. However, if you're using this as an all over body moisturizer, 100g of product will only last you a few weeks.
If I could describe the scent of the Luvesence Spanish Jasmine Body Smoothie in one word, it would be 'calming'.

But I must add that this product is quite heavily fragranced. Personally I am rather picky with the fragrances around me, even if it's room fragrance. They have 5 different scents of the body smoothie and I picked this one because it was the least overwhelming.
If you're someone who dislikes fragrance in skincare I would suggest you skip this product but if you love yourself a scented body product, do check out their range and have a little whiff of all five scents and choose your fave.

Pros

• Does what it claims
• Affordable
• Easily available in Srilanka
• Paraben Free
• 100% vegan and vegetarian
• Not tested on animals

Cons

• Feels like 100g of product is insufficient to be used all over the body, for atleast a month
• Heavily scented

Would I recommend this?

If you're someone who doesn't mind fragrance in your skincare product, I highly recommend it! I really want to repurchase it but I saw that they also have a body butter in the same Spanish Jasmine range so I will try that next and maybe even review it for you guys! You can find this product being sold across major super markets in Srilanka, clothing/beauty stores as well as their website luvesence.com!

Thank you so much for reading my loves and I hope you found this review helpful! You can check out my last post here. It was an update on where I have been over the past 4 years and why I needed a hiatus.  
Have a great day and take care!
-Zaha

Hi my loves,

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? 4 years. It’s been almost 4 whole years since I disappeared and I would like to inform you with my whole chest that I AM BACK. But let’s rewind a bit. You deserve an explanation, so let’s talk about it. Where the hell have I been??

Next came the agonizing, long distance relationship, jeez. I wouldn’t wish that shit upon anyone. If any of you are dealing with it right now, just know that I am so proud of you. It's so tough, not just because you miss your partner but the time zones?? And having to stay awake or turn your entire schedule upside down just to speak to them, sigh. Hated it. Can you tell I’m not the romantic type? Haha sorry.

Then began a life I was not prepared for. A life.. I will talk about in the future someday. Not today. UAE, is beautiful. I am so in love and I will definitely be back there soon. That being said, I lived there for a full year and half and hands down, it was some of the most challenging times of my life. Interesting, yet tough. Away from my family, in a new country and a lot of other things that I will, as I mentioned above talk about in the future someday.

Then suddenly, 8 months in, a very planned surprise. Haha you knew it was coming. I knew. Everyone knew. I was pregnant!! And in September 2022, I was blessed with the love of my life, Eesa. A little human being that I live and breathe for. The little human who is asleep next to me as I quietly type this post in a dark room only lit by a nightlight because he hates sleeping in the dark. The little human that I am extremely protective of (suddenly my parents behavior makes sense to me). I won’t be sharing any of his pictures online because its not something I am comfortable with. But he will inevitably make an appearance or two in my content because he is such a big part of my life. The biggest part of my life really.

I never knew I had strength like that until I had no option but to stay strong, for my little boy. Subhanallah. And finally, light at the end of the tunnel! I could bring him back to Srilanka. The crisis had been resolved to a certain extent and his documents were ready and you guys, when I tell you what it felt like getting back home..

You know those scenes in movies where someone is released from prison and sees sunlight for the first time in years after being in solitary confinement, yeah. That’s what it felt like. I have so much love in my life. I had forgotten about that while I was in UAE. I had friends offering to come and look after my son while I napped, I had my parents who I live with now, helping me. I was safe. My son and I were safe again.

Only this time, I like to think of myself as a new and improved version of Zaha. Zaha 2.0 we can call it. I am no longer the people pleaser I used to be. I have never stood more fearlessly in my truth and my heart has never been more full. Alhamdulillah!

I have been trying to come back to social media and all of you since January of this year but as expected, since I’m a mommy now, time is limited. I have also been working as an almost full time artist, creating commissioned art over at ‘Paintings Srilanka’. Which is my other little baby.

But I am finally here my loves. Over the past 4 years, I’ve had to grow up a LOT and do it VERY QUICKLY. If you knew of the things I’ve been through over, not just the past few years but over the past 27 years of life, one would wonder how I still manage to smile this much. But I just happen to be someone who believes that every bad experience is a learning opportunity. I keep finding lessons in my worst moments. 

The lessons I learned from difficult years in my past helped me get through these 4 years and I know for a fact that the lessons I learned this time around will carry me through several more decades. I am so excited to share this side of myself with you. The warrior, the artist, the mom. 

Therefore, I am happy to announce that I am no longer going to be just a pair of eyeballs on the internet and you’re going to see ‘me’ and more of my heart and thoughts on camera from now on. I hope you guys will join me on this journey, I have so much to share with you.

I love you,

Zaha Ali

(aka The Veiled Artist)

How's everyone doing? Today I will be reviewing two body lotions that I have wanted to talk about for quite some time now! Earlier this year, Iris Garden was kind enough to send me their super popular body lotions, the Fuller’s Earth with Shea Butter Moisturizing Body Lotion and the Rose with Shea Butter Body Lotion, to test out and review and let's just say I have had more than enough time to form my thoughts on them haha considering the fact that we're now in December. Before we get started however, I do have a little disclaimer!! I just want you guys to know that whether a product is sent to me or if I purchase them myself, my reviews are and forever will be based on my own opinion and experience. I'm here to spill the tea, so that I can help you save your coin or find a great product! So let's get started!

Iris Garden fullers earth with shea butter moisturizing body lotion and rose with shea butter moisturizing body lotion review

Iris garden fuller's earth with shea butter moisturizing body lotion review

What Iris Garden Claims about the Rose Moisturizing Body Lotion

Iris garden rose with shea butter moisturizing body lotion review

Price, Packaging and Quantity..

Both body lotions cost 1590/-LKR ($8) each and you get a good 200mls of product. The lotions come packaged in a simple transparent bottle with a black pump. Personally I like that the bottles are transparent because I can easily see how much product I have left and when I need to make a repurchase. The pump can also be locked making it super convenient to pack while travelling. 

iris garden moisturizing body lotion review

My thoughts..

I'm going to start off with my favourite of the two, and that is the Fuller's Earth lotion. I absolutely LOVE how soothing the scent is. Something about this scent gives me 'freshly showered - clean' vibes and I'm HERE for it, especially on a hot humid day. But the scent of the Rose with Shea butter lotion however, I could never get myself to like. 

iris garden rose with shea butter moisturizing body lotion ingredient list

Although I don't mind SOME fragrance in my body care products, I strongly dislike anything too strong and unfortunately, this particular lotion straight up smells like perfume. However, while I was doing my research on it, I did find that a lot of people love this particular lotion FOR its scent so if you are sensitive to strong fragrances like I am, I would highly suggest trying to get a little sniff before you make your purchase haha because both scents definitely linger on the skin for hours after application.

iris garden review

Both lotions are super hydrating, get absorbed into the skin within minutes and don't leave behind a greasy residue, which my impatient brain loves! I love that I can get dressed right away and won't get any product on my clothes. 

affordable body lotion review

One of my top favourite things about these lotions is how long they keep my skin hydrated. I would say I have normal/slightly dry skin and when applied at night, it keeps my skin hydrated all night until I shower the next day! And my skin feels super soft and smooth. Ngl, this lotion, paired with freshly shaved legs, got me feeling like I'm floating through clouds haha! And who doesn't want to feel like they're floating through clouds?! But if you have super dry skin however, I would recommend trying something heavier like Vaseline's body lotions.

iris garden fullers earth with shea butter moisturizing body lotion ingredient list

Another thing that I love about these lotions is that they are 100% cruelty free and do not have any harmful chemicals in them. The older I get, I find myself getting more and more into products with more natural ingredients and a shorter ingredient list because come to think of it, your skin is your largest organ and I think it's so important to pay attention to what you're applying on it as it WILL get absorbed into your body.

cruelty free body lotions in srilanka

Speaking of protecting your skin, this lotion contains an SPF of 10 and Iris Garden claims that it can help prevent sunburns but that's definitely not enough guys and I would recommend applying a separate sunscreen of at least spf30 or more if you plan on staying out in the sun and do not want to risk any sun damage or sunburns. Iris Garden also claims that these lotions can help reduce the appearance of stretch marks and scars and will brighten your skin but personally, it made no such difference to my skin besides leaving it feeling gloriously hydrated.