I’m really excited to post this today, not just because I have a great offer for you at the end, but because it feels like it’s been a long time coming! I went to one of the most inspirational meetings of last year back in November, it was a ‘Meet the Maker’ session at Sandersons Department Store in Fox Valley, Stocksbridge (the town where my mum is from!) which is outside of Sheffield so there were a few of the Sheffield blogging crew there too. I got to meet Maleka who is the founder of *Merumaya skincare and my goodness she was amazing.
With 34 years (as long as I’d been born at the time!) in the beauty industry she really is a fountain of knowledge. Not only does her beauty expertise rival anyone I’ve ever met, her inspiring way with words as a woman in business was also exceptional. She quit working for the big names and decided to start up Merumaya in 2012 when she was 48, because ‘the fear of not trying was greater than the fear of trying and failing’.
The ethos behind the brand isn’t about anti this and that, or performing miracles, it’s about youthful ageing and performance of a product. She says she learnt what she didn’t want to do from some of the big corporations she worked for and with, and started from that. With that she went into the lab and came out with the products I’ve been testing for quite a while now and that I wanted to chat about today. Maleka bamboozled me with science on how her creams and serums were made, but what I took from it was this, the active ingredients she uses are the best in her eyes out there, the amount of these super ingredients that are used is not scrimped on to cut costs or improve profit margins (cough cough at this point to the larger brands!) she uses what’s needed to deliver what the product should and claim to deliver.
First up was the one product that I really wanted to work for me, I’ve been looking for a moisturiser with SPF in that’s cruelty free (not much to ask right!?) that works alongside my Moo Goo Scalp Cream (that I have to use on my dermatitis) that didn’t irritate my skin. Step up the Youth Preservation Moisturiser SPF20* (£33.50) I was a while testing it out as I’d started to use one that did irritate my skin so I’d had to revert back to the Benefit Moisturiser to get it all back under control. However, once I finally could start it I did not stop. So much so I’ve used it all. Every last drop. Sad face but glad face as it really worked for me! No irritation, no excess greasy forehead and no extra drying out of my dermatitis – all ticks in the boxes! Plus the SPF has just increased to 20 from 15 which is fab for the UK rays.
Next up was the Intensely Youthful Eye Cream* (£26.50) I love a good eye cream and this is fab, it’s helped moisturise and form that area, but as for my dark circles? It’s not been so great – although it’s driven out of my skin being fine around that area, so most creams don’t touch them, this I’ve found hasn’t done much either. I’ve also been ill and much more tired so a lot is attributed to that for sure, and the lifting effect is pretty good so I’d use it again and I’ve nearly used it up too! Another downside is that it’s not perfumed- Maleka explained that she doesn’t want to add perfume it as it goes around the eyes but the fragrance is a scent to get used to. My husband said it was a bit Tea like I’m not so sure, but I can say after a few weeks the smell does start to become a usual smell and you don’t notice it as much!
I’ve also been using the Iconic Youth Serum (£36.50 for full size version) I chose this as one of my Latest in Beauty beauty box picks and I’ve loved it. It glides on smoothly helps my moisturiser sink in and overall provides that bit extra to my skin care, that my skin seems to love!
My other fave is the Night Cream it does everything it says on the tin, it claims to help prevent spots and blemishes and I have seen a reduction I would say! I’d like to think its this doing its job!
And finally my utter fave the Concentrated Spot Treatment (£14.50) my first review of this was what seems an age ago and it’s still a firm feature in my bathroom cabinet. If there’s one thing you have to try it’s this, it clears my spots up in a day. And that’s no men’s feat! It really is my go to as soon as a I get a spot, it’s straight on! The best thing is that’s it now comes in a pump dispenser (the second photo – also retinol resurfacer review coming soon!!) rather than a squishy tube which meant it tended to overflow a little. Even with the old type tube you see here I easily made this last 9 months and more and have repurchased as it’s a go to (as you’ll have seen from my newly discovered skincare post way back when too!)
Now for the best bit… you can get 15% off for the next two weeks on Merumaya with my code LL15, and what’s more when you sign up* either using this code or by writing my blog name in the ‘how did you hear about us’ section of the email subscription sign up with Merumaya you will be put into the hat to be one of 50 people chosen to win a Full Size Concentrated Spot Treatment (in the older packaging) for FREE! I know right! What are you waiting for!?
There’s also some newer treatments winging their way to me plus some others I haven’t religiously used so there’s more reviews to come! Keep your eyes peeled.
Oh,and if you’ve used Merumaya before, let me know below what you love.
*products gifted to try out. As always thoughts and views are my own!