Ziaja Men | A Review by Himself PLUS A Giveaway!

So I've finally done it, I've roped my long-suffering husband into doing a blog review. I say that but really I'm writing this, just using his words. I chose to grill him on his thoughts after he had worked a 24 hour hospital shift, which aside from being slightly cruel also meant that he was perhaps less able to form a coherent sentence. Hence me doing the whole writing thing. 

The products in question are the Ziaja Men range. If you read my review of Ziaja's SenSitive skin range HERE then you'll know I'm already a big fan so when the brand gave me the Duo concept products to try out, I couldn't wait to see how himself would get on with them.

Firstly, a little bit about my lovely hubster. He has a daily routine but ordinarily wouldn't go any further than showering, a quick shave to tidy up his beard, deodorant and maybe some hand cream for his poor dry hands. He would never bother with moisturising etc and the situation rarely arises that I am ready before him. Yes, we are that cliche. So both the face cream and the aftershave balm were new additions to his routine. Here's how he got on: 

The packaging itself is simple, clean and masculine. We both gave all the products a sniff and found they have a lovely fresh, citrusy scent. I actually thought that these would be good for women too, if you dislike traditional feminine scents and prefer something more masculine, these are a good alternative. They definitely smell "male" but are in no way overpowering. No sex panther here, that's for sure. 

Duo concept moisturising soothing shower gel

This has a gel-like consistency, it's not as liquid or runny as some other shower gels are which himself firmly approves of and it lathers well also so it's exactly what you want when you're hopping into the shower in a hurry before work. It also has 300mls of product which is a really good size, especially considering the price, which is only €2.99!! While he hasn't noticed any particular moisturising effect, equally it hasn't dried his skin out as other shower gels have in the past.  

Duo concept moisturising soothing face cream

Smells a bit like sun lotion but manlier! It absorbs quickly, is non-greasy and has some serious mattifying properties (no shiny faces with this fella). I tried this out myself and couldn't believe how effective it was. If you have oily skin and are looking for a good moisturiser, this is the bomb. Himself has normal skin and although this was mattifying, it also left his skin feeling soft and smooth, which is not an easy combination to find in a moisturiser. It also contains SPF 6, which we both think could be a bit higher (men burn too!) but it's still a positive that it's in there at all. This is €4.79 for 50mls.

Duo Concept moisturising soothing Aftershave balm

This is designed to provide a barrier function for the skin while reducing bacteria growth. While he doesn't have a lot of shaved skin on his face due to his beard, he used this on his cheeks and his neck, where he tidies up unwanted beard-hair (my words, no idea how else to say that) and he found that it did soothe his skin post-shave with no stinging. Again, it absorbs quickly and is non-greasy. This is €4.56 for 75mls.

Duo Concept Anti-Perspirant

Himself doesn't like roll-ons for practical reasons; he finds that generally they can be sticky and drying (like a crusty layer...eww) but this one absorbs quickly and doesn't leave a sticky residue (and once again, eww). He felt it was effective on trial but hasn't used it enough to be able to say how good it is long term. This is €3.79 for 60mls.

The final verdict is that the Ziaja Men range is effective and good value and himself has said that he will definitely be purchasing more when he finishes this lot. So there you have it, two thumbs up from Dr Fancy Pants!

He's also very happy about that pint.

You can find Ziaja in Shaws department stores, online from Original Beauty and selected pharmacies nationwide.

In more great news, the lovely people over at Ziaja have given me not one but TWO sets of the mens range to give away to two of you lovely peeps! This would make a great pressie for your other half, dad, brother, friend, or for yourself (for men reading this or women who need a damn good mattifying moisturiser!).
So there'll be two winners (one set each), open to Irish residents only and over 18's (if you're under 18 you'll need permission from a guardian as I'll need your address to send your prize out to you!).
Just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below and leave me a comment letting me know you've entered! Best of luck!
XX

a Rafflecopter giveaway