Review: Lee Stafford Treatment For Hair That Never Grows Past a Certain Length

It's been awhile since my last blog post, so I wanted to get back on track and do a review on this amazing product I picked up at Boots in Ireland! If you're into watching beauty gurus on YouTube or you're into reading blogs, you've probably heard of the Lee Stafford Treatment For Hair That Never Grows Past a Certain Length. I first heard of this when Helen aka Melon Lady did a review of it on YouTube (watch her hair growth experiment here!) You could really see the difference in the length of her hair within a short period of time! So when I saw this in Ireland, I picked it up right away.

The Lee Stafford Hair Growth range includes 4 products: shampoo, conditioner, leave in treatment and the wash out treatment. This is the wash out treatment, which you apply after you've shampooed and before applying conditioner. I try to leave this in for as long as possible, but it is recommended that you leave it in for 5 minutes. I really wish I had picked up the rest of this line while I was in Europe!

This treatment is meant to not only encourage hair growth, but reduces hair loss and improves the condition of your hair and scalp. It also smells amazing! It is moderately thick in consistency, so it does well as a nice mask. You're applying a decent amount into your hair at a time (about the size of an egg), so you'll get anywhere from 5-10 uses out of this jar, depending on the length and thickness of your hair. It is recommended that you use this treatment every time you wash your hair until the condition of your hair visibly improves, and then follow up once a week.

There are tons of products that claim they're going to help your hair grow, but does this product work? I am so happy to say it actually does! Although I do not have a before and after photo as of now, I can honestly say I have noticed visible hair growth, and I have used this product about 4 times. While I haven't had time to use this every time I wash my hair, I can honestly say it's done it's job already. As well as making my hair grow, it has definitely improved the overall condition as well. 

I've managed to find this product for sale on amazon.com here, so go check it out! You'll be really surprised.

xx

First Impression Review: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

         Let me just say, I did not think I would end up liking this foundation as much as I do. Whenever I look for a foundation lately, I always look for a brightening effect or a glow. So when I saw that Rimmel had come out with the Wake Me Up Foundation, I decided to try it. The reason why I did not have high hopes for this product is that firstly, I did not think Rimmel was known for having great foundations. And secondly, I've come to think that a foundation that only costs $7.99 can't be that great. Even my L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation, which costs $17.99 wasn't comparable to my Bourjois Healthy Mix Gel Serum Foundation ($27.99). The Wake Me Up Foundation is meant to be light, moisturizing, contains vitamins and has an anti-fatigue effect.

When you first pump out this foundation, it's relatively thick and not runny at all. The colour looked a little too dark on my hand, but thankfully it lightened up to my perfect shade when applied to my face with my fingertips. I'm not someone who will take the time to blend my foundation extremely well, so I like there to be an exact match right from the get go. I purchased the shade 100 Ivory, which is the lightest they have. There are only about 6 shades available, so not the greatest colour selection so far. This foundation contains 1 fl oz, which is the average for any foundation. The container is extremely breakable (as I learned by smashing a bottle open at the drug store by accident). 

Natural Lighting

As it turned out, this foundation is pretty much perfect for the winter months! There really isn't anything bad I can say about it. It's quite moisturizing, which is something that the L'Oreal True Match Lumi doesn't have. It's about medium to high coverage, making your skin look flawless. It's light enough so that you can't even feel it, and looks relatively natural. This is definitely a great foundation to take photos in. 

With Flash

The only slight criticism I have about the actual foundation, is that you have to blend extremely well underneath your eyes so it doesn't crease, as you can see above. I would recommend this foundation to anyone with normal to dry skin, of any age. This will most likely be my go to foundation for the rest of the winter! I love it!

Hope you had a great weekend! xx

Review: Pantene Expert Collection Advanced Keratin Repair Line

         I have never been a big fan of Pantene Pro-V Products, mainly because I never really bothered to buy them. I haven't heard a lot of raves about any particular Pantene product. So when I received two samples with my order from beyondtherack.com of the Pantene Expert Collection, I didn't have high expectations. I do love trying new hair products, so I decided to give them a go. At the time, I received the sample size of the Advanced Keratin Repair Conditioner, and the sample size of the Advanced Keratin Repair Split End Fuser (pictured above). 

I did not look up anything about these products before trying them. My first impression while using both, was that I loved the consistency and the smell. Everything about it reminded me of a high end product. They are both relatively thick in formula and quite creamy. The conditioner was extremely easy to rinse out of my hair, and I felt it detangling as I ran my fingers through it. Once dry, my hair felt nourished and looked quite healthy! All a big thumbs up!

After looking up these products online, I learned that they are meant to do the following things: fight damage and provide shine, as well as fight split ends, frizz,  dullness and dryness. I would say that they definitely fulfill all of these categories. When I went to buy the full sized conditioner (pictured above) I was surprised at how much it cost. Pantene Pro-V is known for being a budget friendly brand, and these products were $9.99 for the conditioner and $12.99 for the Split End Fuser at Target, as well as $2.00 more each at Shopper's Drug Mart. The Pantene Expert Collection line is designed to basically step Pantene's level of hair care up a notch. They have two hair systems, the Age Defy line and the Advanced Keratin Repair line. The Advanced Keratin Repair line is perfect for my hair, as bleaching strips your hair of it's natural keratin. These products are also meant to repair up to two years of damage. 

Overall, I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who colours/bleaches their hair and/or uses heat styling, and needs to start repairing the damage. I've noticed more difference while using these products than I have with any other drug store product in a long time. The only thing I'm not a fan of, is that I don't recognize one ingredient on the bottle, so they definitely don't use any natural ingredients with these products. Seeing as I'm a big believer in using natural ingredients in any product, I do struggle with this a little. However, it does work, so I can't complain too much! Great job Pantene! 

Review: L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation

         I initially bought this foundation because I knew my beloved Bourjois Healthy Mix Gel Serum Foundation was going to run out soon, and I am still looking for a more affordable alternative that I love just as much. So when I saw the L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation for $16.99, I thought it seemed quite similar and I decided to give it a go. Like the Healthy Mix Gel Serum Foundation, it creates healthier looking skin the more you use it. On the L'Oreal Paris website, they state that it contains 40% water, so it's very light weight and hydrating. It also contains antioxidants and vitamins C and E, which are both extremely beneficial for your skin. It contains Anderson Fluid as well (which I've never heard of) for the instant luminous, glowing effect. I actually cannot find what Anderson Fluid is anywhere online, so if anyone knows, please let me know! It also contains SPF 20 and lasts for 8 hours!

Left: Bourjois Healthy Mix Gel Serum Foundation in 51 Vanille Clair, Right: L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation in Porcelain/Light Ivory

I picked this foundation up in the shade porcelain/light ivory, which is the lightest shade they make. It comes in 14 shades, so you get to choose from a decent colour selection. It contains the 30 ml or 1 fl oz which is typically of most foundations. As you can see from the picture above, when compared to the Bourjois Healthy Mix Gel Serum Foundation in 51 Vanille Clair it is a little bit thicker and is a slightly different colour. This particular shade (Porcelain/Light Ivory) does have a warm undertone and the Healthy Mix Foundation has a fairly neutral undertone, so it is likely that the same shade would still work for you. despite your undertone.

I was somewhat surprised to find that I really do like this foundation! It does give an instant luminous effect, which I wasn't really expecting despite what's on the bottle. It's about medium coverage with one layer (which I just applied with my fingers, as usual) and really makes your skin look flawless. The colour was also a perfect match for me, which is always nice to find when you don't test out the foundation at the store! The only complaint that I have about this foundation, is that even though it claims that it is quite moisturizing, it accentuated any dry spots that I did have on my face. So I would recommend making sure your face is well moisturized and exfoliated before applying this foundation. I suppose it's because I'm now used to a gel foundation, which glides over any dry areas and does not accentuate them by any means. Overall, I was really impressed with this foundation, and give it a 4.5/5 for price, the skin care benefits, the light weight effect and the perfect colour match!

HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A GREAT DAY! xx

Review: Soap and Glory Calm One Calm All Stress-Battling Softening Bubble Bath!

Soap and Glory Calm One Calm All Stress-Battling Softening Bubble Bath. That's a mouthful! I have heard amazing things about all of Soap and Glory's products, so I decided to try something I can always use-bubble bath! Since we moved into our apartment, I've started taking baths constantly. I'm not the kind of person who can stay in a bath and relax for an hour, but at least 15 minutes in the bath at the end of the day makes me less stressed. I'll actually take one whether I need it or not, which reminded me so much of the quote on the bottle below....except in an opposite kind of way. It says on the bottle that this deluxe formula comes with a built-in body lotion and includes lemon balm, mallow extracts and moisture magnetizing skin conditioners. It's supposed to make your skin so soft, that you don't need to moisturize afterwards! It's also scented with Soap and Glory's original Pink Fragrance.

So, what did I think of this product that I had such high hopes for? Although it smells incredible, (kind of like marshmallow, but floral-like at the same time) I did not find this to be very softening at all! I was extremely bummed out about this! My skin felt pretty much the same going into the bath as it did coming out. Which is so strange, as I've read so many positive reviews on this product, claiming it made their skin super soft! I mean, it has lotion built in! One thing I do have to say is that it creates a VERY sudsy bath, so if you're into baths with tonnnnns of bubbles, this is for you. So, this combined with the smell does make for a very relaxing bath. I don't think it's worth the $14.00 retail price, so I wouldn't buy it again. I think you're paying more for the Soap and Glory brand name than the product. But then again, it works really well for some people, so perhaps it's worth it for them. 

RATING:

Review: Marcelle BB Cream Cleanser

         After receiving a sample of the Marcelle BB Cream Cleanser, I thought it sounded interesting so I gave it a go! Although I never got into the whole BB Cream craze, I thought the idea of a BB cleanser sounded interesting. It actually was the first of it's kind on the Canadian market. I had previously tried Marcelle's Golden Glow BB Cream and wasn't impressed, although I know a lot of people love it. This cleanser is meant to be a skin enhancer as well as a BB cream remover, with many of the same benefits. Even though it's meant to help remove your BB Cream, I've found it does a perfectly good job with foundation as well. It's meant for all skin types, is completely perfume free as well as oil free.

This formula is extremely gentle on the skin, and glides on smooth and creamy. You are actually not supposed to wash off this cleanser to get the full benefits, so I choose to apply it after using my regular cleanser. All you do is wipe off the excess cleanser with a cotton pad, and you are good to go. I have to say, I am quite impressed with this! It REALLY moisturizes your skin, which is surprising as it feels so light. I've used this for the past few nights in place of my regular moisturizer, and not only does it deeply moisturize my skin, but it doesn't break me out either. It helps smooth out my complexion and minimizes my imperfections. Seeing as my skin gets so dry in the winter, it may be necessary to repurchase this to carry me through the winter months and help repair my skin from the harsh cold. The full size BB Cleanser normally retails for $16.95, but is available on marcelle.com right now for $11.87. Definitely worth checking out for any skin type!


RATING:

First Impression Review: Dove Nourishing Oil Care Anti-Frizz Serum

         I was recommended the new Dove Nourishing Oil Care Anti-Frizz Serum after my mom received a sample of it, and was extremely impressed at the difference in her hair. She was complimented on the condition of her hair by our hairstylist, who told her to keep using whatever she has been using, as it seemed much less dry. My mom has much curlier hair than I do, and hers tends to be prone to dryness and frizz. Curly hair needs as much moisture as possible, especially when you use colour on top of it like she does. I'm always looking for moisturizing hair products, so I went out and purchased it from the drug store for $8.99.

The package recommends that you dispense 2-3 pumps into your hands, rub them together and then disperse the product evenly into your hair. I used 3 pumps, which isn't very much product, as it's an incredibly light weight oil. It's ingredients include sweet almond oil, hydrogenated coconut oil and argan oil.

Since the texture of my hair is naturally wavy, whenever I apply product I scrunch it in to help form the waves. I let it naturally air dry after I finish scrunching.

And this is the final result! Although it doesn't take care of all of my frizz, it made my hair feel conditioned without weighing it down at all. My waves were so bouncy and light, especially compared to when I use some of my other products. It also smells AMAZING and leaves a lasting scent in your hair. I applied one pump after my hair dried, which made even more of a difference. On dove.ca, they recommend using this product as a pre-blow dry primer or to use after your hair is already dry to tame frizz and flyaways. We'll see if this makes a bigger difference with continued use, but so far I love it!

First Impression Review: Covergirl Clean Whipped Creme Foundation

         It was hard for me to accept that I may actually have to switch up my foundation routine for the winter, as I'm obsessed with my Bourjois Healthy Mix Gel Serum Foundation. However, unless I use a super heavy face cream underneath, I'm starting to get dry patches around my cheeks and nose. So instead of spending another $30 on a foundation that I'm not sure I would like, I went to the drugstore and looked for something more affordable that was meant to be moisturizing.

I found a few possible contenders, but decided on Covergirl's Clean Whipped Creme Foundation. I could tell just by looking at it that it was a good colour match for me. This is the lightest shade, in 305 Ivory. It's usually safe to go for the lightest colour for my skin, although there have been a few exceptions to that. I am 3 shades down in Revlon's Nearly Naked Foundation, which is fantastic, especially for the price. And then at times the lightest shade looks way too orange on me.

This foundation is super thick in consistency, therefore it's easy to achieve high coverage. It's meant to be perfect for winter, as it gives your skin a boost of moisture without a shiny, greasy finish. According to covergirl.com, it will make your skin look smooth, natural and matte. It comes in 10 shades, which is a decent selection, but only contains 0.6 fl oz as opposed to the usual 1 fl oz that's fairly standard in foundations.

Bed Head!

While applying this foundation, I noticed right away that it was incredibly smooth, light and matched my skin tone flawlessly. I started in the areas where my pores tend to appear the largest.

The only breakouts I really have right now are around my chin, so I made sure to apply generously around this area. To see if the coverage was buildable, I applied two coats on my entire face with my fingertips, which is how I apply all my foundations.

This is the finished product! As you can tell, I had already applied the rest of my usual makeup. And what do I think of the result? .........Sigh. Here's the problem. Although I definitely found it to be hydrating, that was one of the only things I liked about it. Although I blended and blended with my fingertips, I found that it was hard to get it to sink into my skin. Also, it really washed my face out. I don't feel like using a slightly darker colour would have corrected this, because this shade is 100% my colour, any other colour would have looked unnatural on me. I also did not find that this photographed well on me. I didn't include a picture with just the foundation on on purpose, because I looked SO washed out. It does give a flawless finish, but the two coats I applied definitely did not let my natural skin tone shine through.

Overall, if I had only applied one coat I may have liked it better, but I think this would be a great foundation for anyone with a darker skin tone than me. I purchased this on sale for $5.99, so it's definitely a great price for what you get. So unfortunately, unless my skin is having an exceptionally dry day, I am going to go back to my Bourjois for now!

I give this foundation a 3/5 for the exact colour match, the very reasonable price, the superb hydration and the smooth texture!

THANKS FOR READING! xx

New Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain: Review

        I've heard so many people rave about the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain + Balm, that when I saw this new version I thought I'd give it a go! I actually was looking to try the lip stain, but the colours were all wrong for me, as they don't make any particularly natural ones. Also, my lips have started to get SO dry now that it's getting so cold out, so something with a little bit more moisture would be a better option for me right now!

Before applying a few coats of the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 035 Charm, I exfoliated my lips with the Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub. This is a must have if you have dry lips, as nothing goes on properly when your lips are chapped. This is an edible exfoliator, which I try not to think about as I'm licking the dead skin off of my lips.

Seeing as I only picked this up at the end of the day today, I decided to apply the balm stain at 5:30 PM and see how it held up until around 9:30 PM, when I normally take off my makeup. According to revlon.ca, this product is supposed to give your lips an instant moisturized feel with a light stain of colour. The flush of colour that it does give you is meant to last for hours.

This is how is looks on my lips after applying a few coats. My lips did feel moisturized, although not exceptionally. They're naturally a dark nude colour, so this gave me a really nice light shade of pink. I am really a huge fan of this colour! Once again, it is 035 Charm. The balm stain smells minty, but doesn't make your lips tingle.

An attractive close up of my noticeably chapped lips!

The moisturizing balm came off pretty quickly in the next hour, and my dry lips started to reappear. However, the colour was still noticeable.The stain came off a little more in the center of my lips than anywhere else, but that's to be expected with any lip stick/stain. In the 4 hours between putting it on and taking it off, I reapplied once after I ate.

This is what was remaining on my lips when I took the rest of the stain off with a little makeup remover on a tissue (ran out of cotton pads, sorry if it looks a bit gross!) Overall, it does what it's supposed to do. It is only meant to keep a flush of colour on your lips, which it did. Next time I wear this, I may just apply once or twice and use a gloss or moisturizing lip balm over top when needed. Usually I don't go for pink/peach colours, but I loved this one as soon as I swatched it on my hand in the store. I'm not sure if I'll be repurchasing other colours, but this one is a huge thumbs up!

HOMEWORK TIME! xx

Ashley Bridget Accessories Review

               Lately, there have been ads for ashleybridget.com all over Facebook. There always seems to be some kind of big sale going on! Especially with the Ashley Bridget Magic Collection, which I actually think is quite cool (if you're into Harry Potter, which I am!). If you don't already know, Ashley Bridget is a fashion forward accessories line, designed in New York City and put together in Toronto. The amazing deals that they advertise made me want to see what the line was actually like, so I ordered a couple pieces.

Both pieces came in cute little individual bags, which included the bracelet (obviously) and the Certificate of Authenticity, which I think is a really nice touch. I think their packaging looks sophisticated and professional, and I love the navy blue.

This is the Halyard-Navy Bracelet from the Nautical Collection, which retails for $49.00. What's great about their Nautical Collection is that it's not too summery looking, so you can get away with wearing them year-round. This particular bracelet also comes in black, tan and white. For each bracelet, they give you a detailed description online about what it represents, which actually makes you really want to buy them! This one is 14k gold plated on the chain link and cuffs, and is fastened to a sailor rope. It's fully adjustable, and can easily fit any wrist size. I really like this! It looks great and is really well made. I don't think I would pay the full retail price for it, so even though it is 14k gold plated, I think they could bring their prices down a little. Other than that, a great accessory!

I was actually most excited to purchase this piece, which is the Tranquility Bracelet from the Expression Collection. I have to say, I did not end up liking it as much as the Halyard-Navy one, which was disappointing! It's a nice bracelet, but I definitely don't think it's worth the price, as it retails at $42.00. Although both of the white rope bracelets are silver plated, I found both them and the Koskin Weave in the middle a little flimsy, along with the clasp. I also needed assistance with putting this on, as it's actually difficult to clasp yourself. So although I liked the idea of this bracelet and what it represents, I'm not sure if I'll be repurchasing from the Self Expression line if they're all made like this.

 Having said all this, I would recommend checking out ashleybridget.com, as they do have some beautiful accessories. I believe I ended up paying $24.00 for these two pieces along with receiving free shipping, as I purchased them when some great deals were going on! They ship worldwide, with regular free shipping over $50.

TIME TO GET BACK TO STUDYING! UGH! xx

Lush Review: Empties!

   
           I have used up countless amounts of Lush products in my time, so this certainly isn't all of my empties, but it is all that I've managed to keep over the past couple months! I love all of these products in some way, and some have even made it into my top 10 favourite products. Here's a run down of each, and what I thought of them!

Marilyn Hair Treatment, Curly Wurly Shampoo, Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly, Bûche de Noël Facial Cleanser, New! Shampoo Bar

Some of these products look quite scuffed up and perhaps slightly gross, as the majority of them spent their lives in my shower, so I apologize for that! I will be listing these in order of what I enjoyed the least, to what I enjoyed the most. Again, these are all great products, but I would have to say some are more impressive than others.

5) SWEETIE PIE SHOWER JELLY

This 100 ml version is actually Lush's best selling shower jelly. It came with The Sweetest Thing gift box, which was a really nice gift to receive. 

PRICE: $6.95

WHAT IT DOES:  This product is literally a jelly that you use to cleanse your hair and body. It softens and cleanses your skin and leaves a slight iridescent shimmer.

WHAT IT'S MADE OF: The star ingredients in this shower jelly are coconut, black current, cherry and seaweed.

HOW TO USE IT: This product works best when you pinch off a piece and spread it into a loofah. It foams up nicely, so you don't need much.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Although a lot of people adore shower jellies, and Sweetie Pie smells great and leaves your skin exceptionally soft, I'm not a huge fan of the whole idea of a shower jelly. Unless you do use a loofah and make sure the jelly is completely crushed into it, it tends to be hard to work with and bits end up falling into your shower.

RATING:    2/5

4) NEW! SOLID SHAMPOO BAR

This shampoo bar does not get it's name from the fact that it's actually "new", but is created for people who want "new" hair! I purchased this from Lush by the recommendation of a sales girl, when I told her that I wanted a product that would help my hair grow longer.

PRICE: $11.95

WHAT IT DOES: This product is especially meant for people who have weak or thinning hair. It helps stimulate your scalp, influencing your hair to grow in thicker and healthier. It also leaves the hair that you already do have soft and shiny.

WHAT IT'S MADE OF: The star ingredients in this shampoo bar are peppermint, rosemary, cinnamon and nettle herbs.

HOW TO USE IT: Wet both your hair and the shampoo bar, and either work the bar into a lather in your hands or glide it down your hair a few times. Make sure you massage it into your scalp!

WHAT I THOUGHT: I loved what this shampoo bar did to my hair! It didn't feel exceptionally stimulating on my scalp, however it smells great and does make your hair stronger and shinier. I didn't notice if it made my hair thicker at the root or that it promoted faster hair growth. The downside to this product was kind of my own fault. Although I stored it in a Lush tin, I did not store it in a dry, cool place in between uses, so it started to get a little gross. However, used correctly this is a great product and is ideal for travelling!

RATING:    3/5

3) MARILYN HAIR TREATMENT

I was recommended this product in a Lush store when I was searching for a pre-wash treatment that would benefit blonde hair. There is 225 g in this product, and you get roughly 3 uses out of it depending on your hair length. It is of course named after the world's most famous blonde, Marilyn Monroe! All the more reason to purchase this product, as I'm a huge Marilyn fan.

PRICE: $22.95

WHAT IT DOES: Like I said, this is a pre-wash treatment that is meant to hydrate and add shine to blonde hair. It also uses natural ingredients to infuse colour into your hair so you go even blonder! It is formulated to strengthen your hair, calm your scalp and bring out the blonde tones that you already have.

WHAT IT'S MADE OF: The star ingredients in Marilyn are chamomile, saffron, linseed gel and lemon.

HOW TO USE IT: You can really leave this product on for however long you want, but the suggested time is 20-30 minutes. Shampoo it out afterwards and use a conditioner if you need to.

WHAT I THOUGHT: I adored this product! It for sure has a place in my top 10 favourite hair care products. Out of the five listed here, it's my favourite smell-wise. It does everything it's supposed to do and I did notice a difference in my hair colour after using this product. My hair was actually noticeably blonder, not just to me, but to other people as well. The only thing is, I did expect my hair to be softer after using this treatment. I'm not really one to spend almost $25 on a treatment you can only use a few times at the most, so I did expect a bit more of a transformation in terms of hydration. Having said that, it's still a great product, and I will eventually repurchase it.

RATING:    4/5 

2) BÛCHE DE NOËL FACIAL CLEANSER

This 100 g pot is actually a seasonal cleanser, so it's only offered for a limited time during the year. However, the arrival of this cleanser means that once again Christmas is near! I put this product on my wish list last Christmas after reading about it's benefits for combination skin such as mine. This product is meant to be similar to the Lush cleanser Angels on Bare Skin, and is named after the French dessert! 

PRICE: $12.95

WHAT IT DOES: This is an exfoliating cleanser, which buffs away dead skin while deeply cleansing at the same time. It's ingredients also help to moisturize and nourish your skin.

WHAT IT'S MADE OF: The star ingredients in this cleanser are ground almonds, kaolin clay, almond oil and seaweed.

HOW TO USE IT: After dampening your face with warm water, take a pinch and create a paste in your hand by adding just a little bit of water. Apply to your face in circular motions and pat dry.

WHAT I THOUGHT: I will without a doubt be repurchasing this product this Christmas (or as soon as possible). It is one of the best products I have ever used on my skin. My skin tends to feel tight after using pretty much any cleanser, especially in the wintertime when my skin gets quite dry and flaky. This is the perfect cleanser for me, and keeps my skin clear while moisturizing it at the same time. Love, love love. The only negatives are that it doesn't smell the greatest, and can be a little messy!

RATING:    4.5/5

1) CURLY WURLY SHAMPOO

Last but not least, my all time favourite Lush hair product. This 220 g pot lasts you at least a couple of months if not more, seeing as you need very little of it. I was given this as a gift from my boyfriend last Christmas, without even knowing about this shampoo myself. He thought he'd take a chance because he knows I love coconut, and it was an excellent choice!

PRICE: $25.95

WHAT IT DOES: This shampoo is meant to make your hair super soft and moisturized, as well as treating split ends and eliminating frizz. It adds a ton of protein and nutrients to your hair, which keeps it extra shiny and bouncy.

WHAT IT'S MADE OF: The star ingredients in this shampoo are creamed coconut, coconut oil, eggs and avocado.

HOW TO USE IT: Just pinch off a small bit of product into your hand, lather up and work through your hair.

WHAT I THOUGHT: I cannot say one bad thing about this product. When I first received it I was wearing my hair straight nearly all the time, so I used it even before blow drying and flat ironing my hair, and it worked fine. It was only when I started wearing my hair naturally wavy more often that I was blown away. I don't think any product makes my wavy hair look as amazing as this product makes it look. My hair absolutely loves it. It looks incredibly moisturized, it is not frizzy at ALL, and it smells amaaaazing. I even somehow like the fact that the little bits of coconut get on the walls of my shower. Although this is expensive for me for a shampoo, I will without a doubt be purchasing it again.

RATING:    5/5!!!

 HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT WEEKEND! xx

Butter London's 3 Free Nail Lacquer Review: All Hail the Queen

Let me start off by saying, I had a TERRIBLE time taking pictures for this post! I cannot take adequate pictures of nail polishes for the life of me. With such a beautiful nail polish you'd think it would have been easier. Anyway!

I picked up Butter London's 3 Free Nail Lacquer in All Hail the Queen from the Blossom Lounge in the Distillery District for around $20. I've never spent $20 on a nail polish of any kind before this one. However, I hadn't seen them anywhere else in Toronto, so when I saw them there I had to pick this one up. I've actually wanted it for several months now, ever since I randomly came across All Hail the Queen on Pinterest. I don't think I'd even heard of Butter London before then! Of course, Sephora.com started carrying them about a month after I purchased it, so at least I now know of two places I can get them in Toronto!

Just a note: Butter London's "3 Free" formula means that it's formulated without formaldehyde, toluene and DBP!

This has become my favourite nail polish, and I rarely use anything else. I've picked up colours that were similar to this before, however there's nothing that compares to this one. All Hail the Queen is called a "holographic beige", due to the fact that it has tiny specks of all different colours mixed into it. This makes it like no other beige you'll find out there! 

Yes, my nails are slightly different sizes! Oops!

The ONLY thing I don't like about this nail polish, is that a regular top coat only prevents it from chipping for a couple days. I haven't tried either of Butter London's top coats or base coats, which are designed to make a difference in the staying power. As I just applied it today, it's still perfect. 

For now, I'm using Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails UV Top coat, which came with a Sally Hansen Hard as Nails French Manicure Kit. This gives a great shine and works fairly well with most nail polishes. Even though spending $20 on a nail polish does not mean it's "better" than others, I do believe it is worth it when it comes to these holographic colours that you can't seem to get anywhere else. Overall, I still give this nail polish a 9.5/10 for it's amazing colour!

Gosh Cosmetics Review

           First off, I did not know that Gosh Cosmetics is in fact a Danish brand, not a Canadian brand as I had originally thought! All the more reason for me to support it, as I'm happy to see a Danish brand doing so well in our drug stores! I've got to support both of my countries! Price wise, this brand is between drug store and high end.        

I started experimenting with this brand at the beginning of this summer, when I found myself searching everywhere for a lipstick that would actually suit me. Coloured lipsticks look AWFUL on me, and every nude I've tried just blends right into my lips. I wanted something subtle, but to actually be able to tell I was wearing lipstick at the same time. Purely based on colour, it came down to the Velvet Touch Lipstick in 146 Cappuccino by Gosh and the Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in Creme Brulee. The Velvet Touch Lipstick won hands down when compared beside each other on my hand. Although similar, Velvet Touch lipsticks have an amazing consistency, feel exceptionally soft when testing out on your skin and contain SPF 6. The colour is more of a brownish-pink, instead of what you find with the typical nude lip colours. Having said that, this product does not a very strong staying power, probably due to it's extremely creamy consistency. It needs to be reapplied a few times throughout the day. However, seeing as this is the exact colour I've been looking for, I can't complain too much.

From top to bottom:  Waterproof Eye Shadow Stick in Gold, Long Lasting Eye Liner Pen in 005 Purple, Velvet Touch Lipstick in 146 Cappuccino

The Waterproof Eye Shadow Stick in Gold was the second product I purchased, and I've been using it almost every day since July. The stick is still nowhere near finished. This product is very creamy, therefore it blends very easily and is the perfect natural gold colour. It also contains no mineral oil or preservatives.  The only thing that I don't like about this eye shadow, is that it is definitely not smudge-proof when it dries and I do not believe that it is particularly waterproof either, despite it's name. Other than that, a highly recommended product.

The latest product I've purchased was the Long Lasting Eyeliner Pen in 005 Purple. The staying power of this eyeliner is unbelievable. Not only is it extremely shiny and applies easily, but you cannot get this eyeliner to smudge for the life of you. It does not come off with soap, and it doesn't even come off easily with makeup remover! I'll definitely be purchasing more of these eyeliners, as it does not compare to any liquid eyeliner I've tried to far.

As you can see, after doing the smudge test with all three of these products, the eyeliner is the only product that held up exactly as it was before. It is still going strong even as I am typing this! 

Last but not least, the nail polish! Although I'm not a huge fan of the colour of the Special Edition Nail Lacquer, (shown here is 617 With a Twist) it does stay on your nails considerably longer than other nail polishes I've tried that are more expensive. It also covers well, is extremely shiny and dries quickly. I will be repurchasing these nail polishes, but in different colours!

HOPE YOU ENJOYED!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation Review/Before and After!

I absolutely love this foundation! I would have to say that this is my all time favourite. The Healthy Mix Serum Foundation by Bourjois is actually a radiance boosting gel foundation that is meant to last for 16 hours. It is a semi-matte, buildable light to medium coverage foundation, that includes the "fruit therapy" of lychee, goji berries and pomegranate. The shade that I have is 51 light vanilla, which is the lightest shade they make. This foundation contains one fl oz, which is average for any foundation. I purchased this for $27.99 from Shoppers Drug Mart.

For the sake of the "before shot" for this post, I am going to do something I've never done before...post pictures of myself completely without makeup! My skin is actually quite bad right now compared to how it normally is, but that's okay!

BEFORE

So here is my skin without a drop of makeup and some light moisturizer!

As you can see here, at the moment I have texture in my skin, some discolouration and some full on zits. Not the best time for me skin wise! 

AFTER:

Although not perfect, my skin is more even, I look awake and alert and the colour blends perfectly into my skin. This is without any concealer, or any setting powder over top. I applied one layer over my entire face with my fingertips, and one more layer over my problem areas (cheeks, chin, forehead). This foundation is perfect for under your eyes to take care of any light discolouration without the need for concealer at all. I would not recommend this foundation to anyone that's looking for full coverage, but for skin like mine it could not be more perfect. Gel foundations do tend to be slightly more moisturizing, which is great for combination skin in the wintertime. Overall, fantastic product and will definitely be repurchasing!

Hope you're all having an amazing weekend!