Irish Beauty/Skin Care/Hair Care Haul!

              As most of you know, I recently returned from my 10 day vacation in Ireland and it was absolutely amazing! The shopping there is quite different than in Canada in some ways, including the selection of beauty, skin and hair products. Some brands are significantly cheaper than in Canada, and some are more expensive. Here is what I picked up while I was there!

Ooh La La Paris Makeup Bag: I have come to LOVE Penney's (or Primark) for affordable, inexpensive shopping! Ir reminds me of Forever 21, but with better deals in my opinion. Primark is actually an Irish retail chain, but has hundreds of locations all over Europe. This bag is the perfect travel bag for your toiletries and/or makeup, as it fits a ridiculous amount of products inside. I actually only paid €4.00 for this bag, which works out to just under $6.00. 

Soap and Glory's The Greatest Scrub of All: Soap and Glory is considerably cheaper in Ireland than in Canada! I would say it's about half the price, if not more. I bought this in Boots, which is by far my favourite drug store over any in Canada. They constantly have offers such as buy 2 get one free (or 3 for 2). Although this scrub can feel a little drying (it does have salicylic acid in it) it works really well, and leaves your face smooth and clear. It can be used for any skin type, as it works for dry patches and for acne. I paid €7.00 for this, which works out to just over $10.00!

Lee Stafford Treatment For Hair That Never Grows Past a Certain Length: I have heard so many good things about this treatment, and having never seen it anywhere in Canada, I picked it up in Boots as soon as I saw it. Since I've only used it twice, I can't say if it's helping my hair grow, but it makes your hair feel absolutely amazing. This is a between shampoo and conditioner product, so you leave it on for a minimum of 5 minutes after you've shampooed your hair, and then follow up with a conditioner. This is not a cheap product as it worked out to about $20.00, but I believe it was worth it.

Bourjois Liner Pinceau Eyeliner: I am.....so disappointed with this eyeliner. I thought it was amazing when I first put it on, as it was super intense, shiny, and didn't budge. However, this first time I did notice a bit of a burning sensation, but I ignored it. I used it the next day and experienced the same burning sensation, but it went away after it dried. The next day when I woke up, my eyes were very swollen and sore where I applied the eyeliner, so I had to stop using it right away. So bummed out! Here's an instagram shot of what one of my eyes looked like:

Excuse the eyebrows!

L'Oreal Super Liner Eyeliner Blackbuster: I bought this eyeliner even though it was more expensive in Ireland than it would have been in Canada. However, after my eyes started breaking out like that, I stuck with a brand that I have had more experience with in terms of eye products. Although this eyeliner doesn't blow me away, it doesn't budge and is easy to apply. Most importantly, I am not allergic to it!

Provoke A Touch of Silver Twice a Week Brightening Shampoo: I had high hopes for this product, and to be honest I don't think it does much of anything! It's a nice shampoo, but I wouldn't repurchase it.

Botanics All Bright Hydrating Day Cream SPF 15: Looking at this day cream, it hits all the marks: natural ingredients, sun protection, brightening, hydrating, not tested on animals, under $5.00. Unfortunately, this cream turned out to be a little too light for me right now, so I'll revisit it when it's not as cold outside!

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Daily Moisturizer: This turned out to be one of my favourite finds, and I just picked it up at random! I don't think this is available in Canada, so I'll have to order some when I run out. This cream really does perfect your skin. It's targeted towards women in their 20's and 30's, to combat any irregularities in your skin. It makes your skin feel extremely soft, and diminishes your pores significantly.

Trevor Sorbie Colour Enhance Oil: I've only used this once so far, so I can't say for sure if it enhances my colour. However, this product does help moisturize your hair and smells really nice! It's enriched with avocado and argan oil as well.

Kadus Professional Coil Up Curl Cream: My boyfriend's sister actually gave me this, and I love it! It makes my waves incredibly soft and helps define them. Having used this on both wet and dry hair, I definitely prefer it on dry. An all around great product though!

Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick: Last but not least, my new favourite lipsticks! These are both perfect colours for me, in 02 Beige Touch and 03 Peche Cosy. These are half the price in Ireland than they are in Canada, as I purchased each of these for just over $13.00. These lipsticks are incredibly moisturizing, shiny, and are unique, beautiful colours. They are meant to protect your lips for up to 10 hours as well, which is perfect for the winter months. These will definitely be my go to lipsticks throughout the winter season. 

That's it! Hope you enjoyed! xx

Mini Drugstore Haul: Skin Care and Lipstick

       Now that I've gotten my skin used to more expensive face wash, I've come to slightly dread the time where I'll need to buy one again! I have seen a big difference in my skin since I've invested a little bit more, so I'm not too willing to go back to the products I used to use. However, I decided to try a new face wash this time, and picked up a few other little things from Shoppers Drug Mart that I needed while I was there.

I decided to stop purchasing full face wipes, as they're not the greatest for your skin, so I chose these instead. These are the Quo Mini Eye Make-Up Remover Pads. I find that it works just fine if I take my eye makeup off with a remover pad or eye makeup remover lotion, and use a washcloth for the rest of my face before going in with my cleanser. Quo is a Canadian brand exclusive to Shopper's Drug Mart, and I generally like their products. These come with 30 in a pack for $5.00, so it wasn't a bad deal. Hopefully these don't sting my eyes, as I've been having quite a problem with that lately!

I didn't go with my usual Biotherm this time, and picked up the RoC Multi-Action Makeup Remover Milk instead. I have never tried this brand, and don't know much about it besides the fact that it originates in France. It has everything I'm looking for in a cleanser for the winter months. As much as I like Biotherm, it always made my skin feel tight afterwards, and I'd have to apply a heavy moisturizer. This 3 in 1 cleanser is meant to remove face and eye makeup, tones and refreshes your skin, and moisturizes your skin for 24 hours. I will likely do a review on this once I've tried it out a few times. It's for all skin types, which is fine for me right now. This cleanser was about $17.00, $2.00 less than my Biotherm one.

Possibly a little TMI coming your way, but I've been having some skin related issues lately. I really needed something that would cleanse as well as soothe and calm my skin. I was originally going to go for the Avene Thermal Spring Water, which I'd tried before and liked, but they didn't have any available in the smaller size. So, I picked up the 1.69 fl oz size of the Vichy Thermal Spa Water for about $7.50. People buy these products for all kinds of reasons, normally to spray on their face in the summer time. I decided to use this for other reasons, as the Vichy Thermal Spa Water has 15 rare minerals, is 100% natural and soothes and protects your skin. I used this when I got home, and right away experienced some relief. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is experiencing sore, irritated skin. 

Finally, I picked up Rimmel's Lasting Finish Lipstick in Airy Fairy. I actually wanted to try this colour, because it's the colour Anna Saccone Joly aka the Style Diet wears all the time, and it looks fantastic on her! This colour is so pretty when swatched, so I'm really looking forward to wearing it. It feels creamy and moisturizing, which I need right now, so let's hope it works out. I'm tired of searching for the perfect lipstick!

That's it for my little haul, hopefully some good reviews coming soon!

xx

November Hits and Misses!

           I tried some new products this month, both sample and full size, and have to say there were a lot of prominent hits and misses. Hence the idea for the post! I apologize in advance for my camera, I could not get it to focus properly for the life of me. Below are some of my favourites and some of my not so favourites for this month!

HITS:

bareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15: I received this as a sample from Sephora, and thankfully a little goes a long way. This is a foundation I will eventually be purchasing in full size. I had heard amazing things about it but was still a little skeptical, as it looks like it would dry my combination skin out in the wintertime. However, it is not drying at all and leaves your skin looking flawless. The shade I was given was Fairly Light, which is for porcelain-light skin tones with neutral undertones, which turned out to be perfect for me. 

L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation: I have already done a review on how much I love this foundation, and it has definitely been a favourite this month. I change it up every couple days with my Bourjois Healthy Mix and it really illuminates and leaves your skin looking radiant. Only downside is it could be a tiny bit more moisturizing, but other than that, it's fantastic! I have the shade porcelain/light ivory.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick: Although this particular colour has been my go to lip colour this month, I would definitely repurchase more from this line, as they're so smooth and hydrating! This one here (and swatched above) is 700 Nude Delight. This is pretty much a perfect nude for me. The great thing about these is that they're super affordable, and are really good for your lips. They contain SPF 20 and vitamins A, C and E.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Treatment and Concealer: I LOVE the formula of this concealer! I've heard so many YouTubers rave about the Age Rewind Erasers, and yet I was still surprised to see how good it was. This particular one contains vitamin C in order to treat and conceal sun spots, dark spots, acne spots and acne discolorations. Although my skin is quite good right now (knock on wood) I still decided to get this one for the extra benefit of Vitamin C. I'm using the shade Fair 210. An amazing concealer for any age range.

Ojon Colour Sustain PRO Fade-Fighter Weekly Conditioning Treatment: This was another deluxe sample I got from Sephora, and I was pretty impressed with it! It's really gentle on your hair and super conditioning. It's meant to protect your hair colour for up to 40 washes, and shields hair from environmental damage. Living in the city, I'm always looking for products that specifically claim that they shield from environmental damage, because you are absorbing so much crap into your skin and hair every day. It also contains UV sunscreen, which is always a plus. Seeing as this is a weekly treatment, the 3.4 ounce bottle should last you a decent amount of time.

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara: This may be my new favourite mascara! As well as volumizing and adding length, it actually is conditioning your lashes with the natural properties of olive oil. It's not supposed to smudge, clump or flake, which I've found to be true. They currently only have one colour out, Jet Black, which is fine as this is the colour I would have chosen anyway. Such a great mascara! 

MISSES:

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion-Anti-Aging: So many people are OBSESSED with Urban Decay's Primer Potions, but after trying this one, I'm having a hard time seeing why. I suppose it's because I've always primed my eyelids well with foundation and/or concealer and powder, so I've never really had an issue with my eyeshadow staying on. I did not find that it made my eyeshadow look more vibrant either. Overall, just not really something I need!

Essence Mono Eyeshadow: The shade I have here is 02 Dance All Night, and I have to say I find it very strange. I found it beautiful to look at, as the top part is a really pretty gold metallic colour. But then when you work your way through the top layer, it has a different, darker colour underneath. It's definitely still usable for something, but not a colour I would have bought had I known that it would be underneath.

Sephora Collection Primal Instincts Eyeshadow Palette: I'm actually really bummed out that I don't like this palette anywhere near as much as I thought I would! I kind of wish I had bought the first palette I picked up instead, which was Benefit's Easiest Nudes Ever. I LOVE shimmery shadows, but there's almost too many in this palette. I definitely need to learn when using this to stick with just one of the shimmery shades for one look. Having said that, they are gorgeous colours when swatched. The other problem I had, was that they are not super blendable. The edges tend to stick after a few minutes, and when you try to fix a mistake it comes off a little patchy. Other than that, I'm still going to try to find ways to make this palette work!

Covergirl LineBlast 24 Hour Eyeliner: I have to say, this was pretty much crap. It tends to dry up fairly quickly as you're putting it on, and by the end of the day it does smudge a little. If it weren't for these two things, it would be a really easy eyeliner pen to use, as the tip is fairly sturdy. It only comes in two shades, which is the one I have (Enduring Black) and Eternal Brown. Not impressed.

Vasanti Casablanca Silky Eyeshadow: I always like trying out Canadian brands, so I thought I would give this one a go. The packaging is nice and sleek, but it seems that's what you're paying for. It's not on the cheap drug store end price wise, as it's $15 for a mono eyeshadow. The colour just did not impress me at all, even as a base. It was very sub par to other gold eyeshadows I've tried. I went back to my Gosh Waterproof Eyeshadow Stick in Gold immediately after using this. (After taking these photos, I dropped this eyeshadow on the bathroom floor, and lets just say the packaging is not durable at all).

GOODNIGHT! xx

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: 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:

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

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!