Vacation beauty routine – Part 1

As mentioned in my last post, I just returned from a week-long vacation in Mexico.  We’ve been to Mexico a few times but always in the fall/winter when the temperatures were in the high 20’s, very low 30’s at most.  Having never been in May before, I was completely unprepared for the heat, as well as the humidity.  There were days where it hit 85%, it was ridiculous.

When I’m on vacation, especially a beach vacation, I like to keep my beauty routine as simple as possible, for multiple reasons.  Firstly, it’s just less work to pack light overall, second it means less of a chance of something leaking or spilling and saturating clothing in my suitcase (been there, dealt with that a few times), and lastly I typically just don’t want to spend a lot of time doing my hair and makeup when there’s better things to do like lying on the beach. 🙂

During the day, when I’m at the pool or beach I tend to stick to a good facial sunscreen, body sunscreen, waterproof mascara, and SPF lip balm.  Mascara probably isn’t necessary but because I’m so fair in skin and hair, I feel naked without it.  Below are the products I used during the day:

Facial Sunscreen – Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defence Lotion with SPF 30 ($42 CAD)

I received a deluxe sample of this sunscreen at Sephora a few years ago and have been using it ever since. The thing I like about it is that it’s a sunscreen and moisturizer in one.  It’s oil-free, and contains aloe, and vitamins A, C & E and pro-vitamin B5.  Typically I find it works quite well for me but on this trip I found it to be a little greasy and it took a really long time to absorb into my skin. Normally it does take a while but it took extra long this time around and I’m thinking that had something to do with the ridiculous humidity in our room and outside of it.   On the positive side this doesn’t cause breakouts for me which I’m typically prone to when using sunscreen.  I should clarify that I ONLY use this while on vacation – there’s no way I could use this as my every day moisturizer as it’s way too greasy for that.  On vacation when it’s the only thing I put on my face during the day, it works well but I can’t imagine trying to apply foundation overtop of this.  The other thing I don’t like is that, like many other PTR products, this has parabens in it.  The last time I purchased this it came in a PTR gift set with a handful of other products so I’ve never actually purchased this on its own.  Not sure if I will once I finish this up, it’s quite expensive and I feel like I may be able to find something that works just as well, if not better.

Waterproof Mascara – L’Oreal Waterproof Voluminous Carbon Black (approx. $5-10 CAD, depending on retailer)

For years I used the non-waterproof version of this mascara for years and I loved it.  I still do love it actually, I’ve never had any mascara make my lashes look as full and lush as this can.  However, lately I find that any L’Oreal mascara flakes and rubs off under my eyes halfway through the day which is super disappointing.  I’m not sure if they changed their formula or what but it no longer works for me.  I thought I’d give the waterproof version a try to see if it would work any better.  Sadly, it didn’t.  This is most definitely NOT a waterproof formula.  I had racoon eyes after a few hours of wear and it flaked off like crazy.  I made the mistake of not removing it before hopping in the shower one day and I came out looking like Alice Cooper.  Would not recommend this one unfortunately.

SPF Lip Balm – Sun Bum SPF 30 Coconut Lip Balm ($3.99 USD)

I never realized the importance of lip balm with SPF in it until a few years ago.  We were in Jamaica and I was in the pool all day, lounging on a raft with my face upturned to the sun (stupid, I know).  By the time I got back to our room, my lips were swollen to twice their size and extremely sore.  It took me a while to figure out that I had, in fact burned them and since then I always pack and use a lip balm with SPF.  Last year I was in Vegas at the Flip Flop Shop (LOVE this place BTW) and they were selling these Sun Bum Lip Balms.  I picked up the Coconut flavoured one and kind of forgot about it.  I found this buried in my drawer when packing for Mexico and threw it in my makeup bag.  Little did I know how much I’d love it!  First off, it smells AMAZING!  I could literally eat it, it smells so good.   It contains cocoa butter, vitamin E, and aloe so it’s super moisturizing.  I loved that it never gave my lips a white tinge, as some lip balms with SPF can do.  The bad thing is these seem to be difficult to find in Canada.  Their website only ships to the States (boo!) so the next time I”m in the States I’ll be stocking up on these for sure.

Sunscreen – Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Ultra Radiance Lotion SPF 30 ($9-$12 CAD, depending on retailer)

Prior to our trip, I purchased a tube of Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen and Loreal’s Sublime Sun Silky Sheer SPF 30.  I’d heard good reviews on both of these but unfortunately I wasn’t impressed by either of them.  Both were fine as long as I didn’t go in the water after applying them.  Once I did, my skin turned white and the sunscreen melted off.  They both stated they were waterproof and I waited at least an hour for them to absorb before entering the water.  We spent a lot of time in the water so having a waterproof sunscreen was super important.  L’Oreal’s version had a very strong perfume smell to it that I wasn’t fond of – it reminded me to Revlon’s Outrageous shampoo that I used back when I was in junior high (do they still make this?).  Personally I won’t be re-purchasing either of these.

Turns out I didn’t purchase enough sunscreen to last our entire trip so I ended up having to purchase another bottle for an exorbitant price at the gift shop.  Their selection was limited to Hawaiian Tropic so we picked up the Sheer Touch Ultra Radiance Lotion.  I was so impressed with this – it absorbed quickly, didn’t rinse off in the water, added no white cast to my skin, and had a really lovely scent (coconut – smells like vacation!)  That’s why I was so disappointed to read THIS about it when I returned home.    Apparently it received the worst possible score on UVA protection. 😦  Guess I should start searching for a replacement.

I was going to include all the products I used on my vacation but this list is getting quite long so I’ve decided to break into two parts.  In my next post I’ll talk about the products I used in the evening.

Thanks for reading and have a fantastic weekend!

Review: Sephora Total Purify & Cleanse Gel

 

I picked this up a few weeks back at the Sephora VIB Rouge sale.  I was looking for a new cleanser and in the past, I have been pretty pleased with other products I’ve tried in the Sephora skin care line (cosmetic line – not so much). There were no reviews online for it so it was a bit of a risk ordering it but the price was reasonable ($15 CAD) so I thought I’d give it a try.

Here’s what it says it does: “Total Purify & Cleanse Gel thoroughly cleanses and removes makeup—even long-wearing makeup—without drying the skin. Its ultra-purifying action eliminates impurities and excess sebum, refining the skin’s texture and tightening pores. Skin is left clear, refreshed, and more radiant.”

I’ve been using this for a few weeks now and overall I really like it.  It definitely removes all of my face makeup and leaves my skin feeling clean, soft and refreshed.  I don’t use it to take off my eye make-up because I prefer using makeup remover (I use Sephora Cleansing Water – see review here).

I’ve said this many times but my skin is pretty sensitive and it can react badly to harsh products.  Breakouts, dryness, redness – you name it I’ve experienced it.  I found this really gentle and so far, I haven’t seen any breakouts as a result of using it.  I also love that it doesn’t give my face that tight, dry feeling afterwards.

This is a gel cleanser which I don’t think I’ve used before and I kind of like the feeling on my skin at the end of a long day, its cooling and soothing. It does lather up pretty nicely which always makes me feel like my skin is getting a good clean.  I’ve been using it with my Boscia Konjal Sponge, as well as with my Sephora Cleansing Pad and it works well with both, although I get more lather with the Cleansing Pad.

I can’t say I see any dramatic difference in my pores or felt that my skin looked more radiant so I wouldn’t buy this for those purposes. Overall it just seems like a good all-around face wash so if that’s what you’re looking for, I’d recommend it.

Where to buy it: Sephora Online or in-store

Cost: $15.00 CAD

Have a beautiful day!

Review: Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

 

I purchased this lip scrub a few weeks ago and I wanted to give it a good use before I reviewed it and decided if I liked it or not.

My lips tend to get super dry and chapped in the winter months.  More so than normal because I walk into work and so my skin is really susceptible to all the elements.  I always have lip balm handy (preferably Lipsmackers Dr Pepper) and I have started slathering them in Vaseline before I’d go to bed at night.  It has helped but it didn’t get rid of the problem completely.

I was originally considering Fresh Sugar Lip Polish but I was struggling with the price, even with the extra 15% off during the VIB Rouge sale.  After doing some research online, I discovered that Lush had a version that smelled like bubble gum and was edible.  Oh and it was half the price.  Sold!

So what does this claim to do?  From the Lush website: “Our sweetest confection exfoliates lips smooth, prepping them for your favorite lip color or balm. A blend of exfoliating Fair Trade sugar and moisturizing jojoba oil, this lip scrub is sure to leave your lips enticingly soft and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time!”

I’ve been using this almost every morning for the last 3 weeks. I wet my lips with a little bit of water, dip my finger in the pot, rub it on my lips and scrub.  Sometimes I lick off all the sugar, other times I use a facecloth to brush off the sugar.

I feel my lips are less chapped since I started using this.  Any lip product I apply always goes on nice and smooth which is really the reason why I purchased this.  I’m not sure I’d say it assists in any way in regards to dryness but I’m not too concerned about that anyway.

I like the fact that I can lick this off if I want to.  Many times I choose not to because I usually brush my teeth before using this and the taste of my toothpaste with this doesn’t go well together.  However, I feel like with any other lip scrub that I’d use, I’d end up eating some of it (it’s really hard to avoid doing so) so it’s nice that if that happens, it’s actually edible and it tastes pretty good!  It is super sweet though, so if you’re not into that, it’s probably not for you.

The other thing with this is that it dries out really quickly.  A few days in I really noticed a difference in its consistency from the first time I opened and used it.  Then I made the mistake of not fully screwing the cap on and that dried it out even more. It’s still usable though so not a bit deal.

Would I buy this again?  Absolutely!  I probably will not need to buy one for a really long time – this is going to last forever.  After using it for several weeks I’ve barely made a dent in it.  I think it lives up to what it claims to do and what I wanted it to do, which is important.

Have you tried this lip scrub, or any others?  Love to hear your comments!

Where to buy: Lush Online or in-store

Cost: $9.95 CAD

Until next time,

Makeup brush cleanse!

This is a little embarrassing to admit but I haven’t washed my makeup brushes in a long time.  It’s been on my list of things to do for a while but I never got around to it.  I don’t use all of my brushes on a daily basis but I know the importance of cleaning them regularly, mainly to get rid of the bacteria that could potentially be harbouring within them, but also to ensure that I’m getting optimal use out of them.

A few months back I used my points at Sephora towards a sample of the Beauty Blender Blendercleanser Solid.  I’ve been using it to clean my knock off Beauty Blender, and recently my actual Beauty Blender, and it impressed me!  It removed all of the makeup from both sponges and didn’t leave any residue behind.  The nice thing about this is that you can use this to clean all of your other brushes as well!

So Sunday I got to work and dug out all of my makeup brushes.  I started by rinsing the top of the brush lightly under warm tap water (with the brush head facing down).  Then I rubbed the blendercleanser on the top and through the middle of the bristles.  I worked it through the brush head and then rinsed it under water again, using a combination of gently pulling at the bristles and gently swirling the brush head in my palm in order to remove buildup and the cleanser.  Once the water ran clear, I patted the brush head on a dry towel, reshaped the bristles and lay flat to dry.

Now after going through this massive clean I don’t have much left of the blendercleanser. I honestly can’t justify spending $20 on a small bar of soap to clean my brushes.  I did find this post on Lipstick Dupe and I’m thinking I might need to track down some of that soap and give it a try.  I’m certain I’ve seen these soaps somewhere (Homesense/Winners maybe?) so I’m on the hunt for them and I’ll let you know if I’m successful!

Have a great day!

Weekend Recap – April 28

A little late in posting this one…I hope you had a good Monday (#oxymoron) and a great weekend!  Mine was somewhat uneventful.  I didn’t do much at all but there were a bunch of things I could have and should have done…such as organize my closet, clean out my basement, rake my yard.  Maybe next weekend…

One thing I did do was head to Sephora to return those Cover FX drops which didn’t work for me (see post on this here).  While I was in there picked up a couple foundation samples.  I’m currently wearing Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Light Foundation and while I like it, I don’t love it.  I’ve almost finished the bottle so I thought I’d take an opportunity to see if there’s something better out there.  The sales clerk at Sephora gave me samples of Clinque’s Super Balanced Makeup and Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 H Foundation.  The price of the Lancome foundation scares me ($50) and I hate liquid makeup in glass bottles but I’m willing to give both of these a try.  I’ll let you know how they work for me.

I also snuck into Shoppers Drug Mart and spent some time scanning their makeup aisle and impulsively purchased Rimmel’s BB Radiance Cream. I’ve never tried a BB cream before and this was on sale for $7.99. So far I have to say I’m impressed.  The BB cream was kind of a scary colour when I first applied it but once blended I actually find it to be a really close match to my skin tone.  I also picked up a Stay Matte Pressed Powder for $7.99 and a bottle of Lasting Finish Foundation for $8.99 (can’t find this on their website so now I’m wondering if this has been discontinued?). I’ve been testing the BB cream with the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer I picked up last weekend and I’m liking this combination.  Even moreso when I set it all with the Stay Matte Pressed Powder.  I want to give this trio a try for at least a couple of weeks before I review it, so stay tuned for that.

Lastly, yesterday I had a craving for some chocolate chip cookies. I had a bunch of semi-sweet chocolate chips in my pantry and  I came across this Betty Crocker recipe online, so I thought I’d whip up a batch. I prefer chewy cookies rather than crisp ones and these delivered.  The only thing I didn’t like was that they were a little flat.  Next time I make these I’ll try substituting the baking soda for baking powder as apparently that can make a difference.

Wishing you a great week!

 

Review: Cover FX Custom Cover Drops

On Tuesday I finally received my much-anticipated online Sephora purchases, which contained the Cover FX Custom Cover Drops.  There is so much hype out there about this product and almost every review I’ve read has been really positive.  I was also running low on foundation and looking for something new so I thought I’d give these a try.

If you haven’t heard about these yet, basically the concept is that you can create a customized foundation.  The drops can be mixed with primer, moisturizer, sunscreen, concealer, etc. and mixed to your desired level of coverage.  1 drop equals light coverage, 2 drops equals medium, 3 equals full, etc.  Smart, right?

Unfortunately I’ve been trying since Tuesday to make these work for me and it’s just not happening. I believe the idea is that you can mix these with products that you currently own, use and love but not one of the moisturizers or primers that I mixed in worked.  Below are the combinations I tried:

• 3 drops Cover FX + 1 squeeze Rimmel Stay Matte Primer
• 3 drops Cover FX + 1 squeeze Rimmel Stay Matte Primer + 1 squeeze Estee Lauder Illuminating Perfecting Primer
• 3 drops Cover FX + 1 or 2 squeeze(s) Estee Lauder Illuminating Perfecting Primer
• 2 or 3 drops Cover FX + 1 squeeze Rimmel Stay Matte Primer + 1 pump First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Daily Face Cream
• 2 or 3 drops Cover FX + 2 pumps First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Daily Face Cream
• 2 or 3 drops Cover FX + 1 or 2 scoops Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief moisturizer

A little background on my skin: it’s combination and my t-zone typically gets pretty oily about mid day.  I find it hard to find products that keep my t-zone looking matte but not dry out the rest of my face.  Recently I’ve been using Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Foundation and while I like it, I can’t say I love it.  It really is long wearing but I do find it gets a little dry-looking near the end of the day.

So the first day I mixed up the first combination and omg I can’t even describe how horrible this looked on my skin by the end of the day. When applying it (I used my new Beauty Blender) I found it looked a little dry and noticed it was magnifying my pores. I  managed to get it look somewhat presentable and off to work I went.  Throughout the day it got drier and drier and even emphasized some dry patches on my face that I didn’t even know I had!  It also started breaking up on my skin and my face was oily AND flaky.  I couldn’t wait to get home and scrub my face.

The next few days I played around with the various combinations above but still couldn’t get anything to really work.  When I mixed it using just moisturizer I literally had no foundation left on my face by mid-day.  Saturday I thought I’d give it one more try before deciding to return it (I really wanted to like this!) and I mixed it solely with Clinique’s Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief Moisturizer.  I had received a deluxe sample of this with my online Sephora order and wow, it is super, duper moisturizing (if you have really dry skin, I’d really recommend giving it a try). I figured if mixing it with a heavy duty moisturizer still made me look dry there really was no hope. So I mixed it up, applied and while it probably looked the best out of all the combinations that I tried, there was still visible dryness and pore magnification.

I admitted defeat and took it back to Sephora.  Thank goodness for their fantastic return policy!  While I was there I picked up a few samples of some Clinique and Lancome foundations that I wanted to try so I’ll see how those work.

The only positive that I can state about these drops was that the colour was pretty much a perfect match to my skin tone, which is rare.  And actually super impressive given that I selected my shade online using the Shade Finder on the Cover FX website.  Also I do think that these would last a really long time because you only use a few drops at a time.  So while they are pricey, they would have some longevity (which always makes me feel better about expensive purchases).

The other reason I didn’t like these – it was a pain to have to mix up everything up each day.  I feel like I already have so many steps in my morning beauty routine and the last thing I need is to add another.  I personally didn’t like the idea of mixing the drops and other product(s) in the palm of my hand as they recommend (too messy and too hard to mix properly), so I mixed them in a lid of an empty container.  I then had to rinse and clean that lid the next morning and along with whatever mixing tool I used.  I suppose that probably sounds a little lazy; maybe I’d feel different about doing if I actually liked the product but I kind of feel like I’d really need to LOVE it in order to make those extra steps worth it.

So that’s my review.  Not a product that worked for me but obviously it works for many others out there!  If you’ve given these a try I’d love to hear your take on them!  Meanwhile I’m still on the hunt for my perfect foundation…

Find it: Sephora online; CoverFX website

Cost: $44.00 CAD for 0.5 oz.

Until next time!

 

Review: Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water

I’ve been using this makeup remover for a while now and I love it.  No matter what else I try, I always go back to it and wonder why I even bothered trying something new.

Every night before I go to bed I use this to remove my eye makeup.  I’m sure I should be able to remove all of my makeup with whatever cleanser I’m using but that hasn’t happened yet but I’m okay with it.  I’m not sure a cleanser could actually ever get all my eye makeup off.  I wear waterproof liquid eyeliner and several thick coats of (non-waterproof) mascara daily so it’s not simple to remove.

This makes it easier.  I can usually get all my makeup off by using two cotton pads soaked in it.  It’s really gentle and not greasy at all.  I actually feel like it hydrates the skin around my eyes too.

I also use it to fix any makeup mistakes I tend to make in the morning.  I wear liquid eyeliner but I’m honestly horrible at applying it so I’m always touching it up.  I also always end up getting mascara on my eyelids or below my eyes.  A q-tip dipped in this cleans everything up really quickly and easily.

And lastly, I love this stuff because sometimes I’m lazy and do not feel like going through a 12 step cleansing routine every night.  I may be exaggerating a bit there but ugh sometimes I’m tired and I just want to go to bed but not necessarily with a full face of makeup on. #lazy  So I use this and I’m in bed in 3 minutes instead of 15.  I don’t like to make a habit of it but for that occasional lazy night, it works great.

Find it: Sephora (in store or online)

Cost: $25.00 CAD for 13.5 oz; $15.00 CAD for 5 oz.

Have a great weekend!

Weekend recap – April 20

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!  I was lucky enough to have a 3 day weekend so I feel a little more refreshed than usual and not too cranky about it being Monday again!

I spent my Friday at the shopping mall.  I spent waaaay too much money but I’m pretty excited about the things I picked up!  If you read my Friday post you’ll know that I was out looking for some new spring work clothes and I was successful there (post coming later this week on this).  I also hit up Sephora, Lush & Shoppers Drug Mart!  Considering I just made a significant purchase online at Sephora earlier this week I’m a little scared to check my credit card balance.  Anyway, here’s what I picked up at Shoppers Drug Mart:

Left to Right: Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer ($10.79 CAD – On Sale); Rimmel London Stay Matte Primer ($6.99 CAD – On Sale), Essence I ❤ Stage Eyeshadow Base ($3.49 CAD – On Sale); Essence Eyeliner Pen ($2.99 CAD – On Sale); Essence Superfine Eyeliner Pen ($2.99 CAD – On Sale).

So far I’m really impressed with the Maybelline concealer, Rimmel Primer and Essence eyeliner pen!  Not too crazy about the Essence eyeshadow primer and the Essence Super Fine eyeliner pen.

I also picked up the Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub ($9.99 CAD) and I’m really liking it!  Earlier this week I was contemplating the Fresh Sugar Lip Scrub but I was struggling with the price.  This one was half the price and works great – so far.

Lastly my Sephora purchases:

Left to Right: Rouge Dior Brilliant Lip Gloss & Lipstick Samples (free) ; Boscia Konjac Cleansing Sponge ($19.00 CAD); Living Proof Instant Texture Mist (100 point sample); Sephora Collection Eco Biodegradable Sharpener ($7.50 CAD)

The sponge seems to work well to remove my makeup but I’m not sure it’s doing anything groundbreaking just yet.  Haven’t tried the sharpener or the samples but I will at some point.

I plan on giving all these products at least a good week of use before I do a full review (only seems fair).

The rest of my weekend was pretty boring which was fine with me.  I caught up on a lot of sleep, went for a few dog walks and cleaned the house. #exciting.

Wishing you a great week!

Review: St. Ives Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange Scrub

Okay I can barely put into words how much I loooooove this facial scrub.  I’ve been searching for a gentle, yet effective exfoliator for a while now and when I came across this one I was skeptical at first.  But I’m convinced that this is truly one of the best drugstore facial scrubs out on the market right now.  And its super budget friendly!

A while back I was having issues with my foundation not blending well.  I noticed on the days that I exfoliated, it applied smooth and even.  At the time I was using a few different products to exfoliate but all of them were way too harsh to use more than once a week.

I happened to be in Superstore a couple of months ago and noticed that they had their St. Ives products on sale.  The Fresh Skin Exfoliating Apricot Scrub was actually one I had been using and while I liked it, I found the exfoliating beads too coarse for me to use any more than once a week.  The Even & Bright Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange Scrub caught my eye, mainly because I find my skin can be a little dull sometimes.  I’m also pale, so I experience redness on a regular basis.  So I picked up a tube for $3 and off I went.

The next morning I gave it a try and instantly I was in love!  It has a super creamy texture and a really lovely citrus scent.  The exfoliating beads were small enough not to damage my skin but large enough to give it a good gentle scrub and leave it super soft!  Since then I’ve been slowly upping my usage to about 3-4 times a week. My skin is feeling and looking great with no irritation or dryness and a completely smooth palette to apply my makeup.

The only drawback is that I can’t say for certain that it’s doing anything to brighten and even my skin tone, so I wouldn’t recommend it for that purpose.  Also, as with any exfoliating product, make sure you keep it clear of the eye area.  I read a review of someone who got this in her eye and ended up with a scratched cornea. #ouch.  So avoid doing that.  Overall though, I am super stoked about my $3 purchase and it’s being added to my list of favorite products for sure.

In summary:

PROS:

• Gentle yet effective exfoliation
• Refreshing scent (not overpowering)
• Leaves skin smooth and soft (no dryness)
• Budget friendly!

CONS:

• No real evidence that it actually brightens or evens skin

COST: $3-$6 CAD, depending on retailer

WHERE I FOUND IT: Real Canadian Superstore; most drug/grocery stores

Happy exfoliating!

Maggie ❤

Weekend recap – April 13

Well it’s Monday again.  Weekends always go so fast and never seem long enough. My weekend mainly consisted of me alternating between laying in bed and lounging on the couch. I was still getting over this head cold/flu that I caught last week (still am) so I had no energy to do anything.  It was pretty disappointing as I missed out on a few things that had been planned for quite a while but what can you do.

Quality time with my bed and couch meant I had time to create a new header image for my blog, as you may have noticed.  I used Pic Monkey which is my new favorite photo editing tool. The photo editing options offered are literally endless, it’s really user friendly and best of all – it’s free! Another bonus: you also don’t have to log in and create an account to edit or create anything, which is great for lazies like me (just another password to remember). I also took the opportunity to change up my theme as my new header didn’t go well with the last one I was using (Sela).  I’m not convinced this one (Able) is truly the one either, but for now it’ll work.

One thing I learned about myself while I was furiously working away on my blog this weekend – I’m super critical and a perfectionist.  I’m still not happy with the fact that my header looks blurry but I finally had to let it go.  I spent hours creating one version, only to upload it and end up scraping it and then starting over again.  I had an idea in my head of what I wanted it to look like but creating that image wasn’t so easy.  Don’t even get my started on sizing #rage.

Anyway it’s done now and I feel it’s more reflective of me so I hope you like it! I also spent some time perusing Sephora.com this weekend.  If you’re a VIB Rouge member you should have received an email for 15% off your purchases from now until Tuesday.  I’ve got a long list of wants but for the sake of my credit card balance I need to scale that list back.  Here’s a few purchases I’m seriously considering: 1. Beauty Blender ($26 CAD) – I currently use a Quo knock off that I bought on sale for around $4.  It works well and I’m happy with it but I keep hearing everyone rave about these.  But $26 for a makeup sponge?  Seems ridiculous but I’ve spent more on stupider things.

2. Cover FX Custom Cover Drops ($44 CAD) – I’m running a little low on foundation and I’ve been hearing nothing but rave reviews about this product.  The idea behind this is that you can blend a few drops with any face product – moisturizer, primer, oil, etc. and it works as a foundation which you can customize to create whatever level of coverage you desire.  Anything that’s versatile and customizable sounds great to me so I’m pretty tempted to take the plunge on this one.

3. Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm ($35 CAD) – I’m also in need of a new face cleanser and again, the reviews on this one are very positive.  Ultimately I need a something that’s moisturizing and gentle, but can remove my makeup and not make me break out.  This isn’t a cheap option either but apparently it’s supposed to last a while which makes up for it.

4. Fresh Sugar Lip Polish ($26 CAD) – My lips have been super dry and peel-y lately and I’ve been wanting to give this a try for a while.  The reviews on this one seem a little mixed so I’m interested to see how it works for me.

Have you tried any of these?  If so let me know, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them!  I’ll be doing a blog post later this week to update you on my purchases.

One last thing I wanted to share – I watched the movie Tammy yesterday.  It’s a little older (released last summer) but I hadn’t had a chance to watch it yet.  Overall: HILARIOUS.  I’m a huge Melissa McCarthy fan and even though I think she’s played a similar character in her last few movies, she still cracked me up.  The critics weren’t kind to her in their reviews of it but who listens to them anyway?  If you like slapstick comedy with a touch of raunch I’d recommend it.

Have a fantastic week!

Maggie ❤