This & That Fridays – January 15

Happy Friday!  I hope you had a great week.  Mine was….long.  I was off sick last week and the week before that I was off/working from home so this was the first full week I’ve worked in a little under a month.  On top of that, I’m still not feeling great – this flu/virus/whatever it is, really likes me and doesn’t want to leave.  It’s starting to get really frustrating so I’m hoping that by next week I’m back to normal.

Have you seen OPI‘s new Hello Kitty collection?  I’m not a Hello Kitty fan myself but I will be hunting these down!  I definitely want Look at My Bow, Spoken from the Heart, and Charmmy & Sugar and Small + Cute = ❤.  Lots of pinks and surprisingly I don’t own many pink polishes.  These is the perfect Valentine’s Day collection!

Did you heard about the EOS lip balm controversy?  Someone filed a class action lawsuit against the company claiming their lip balms caused such bad irritation around her lips that she required medical attention.  Normally I’d roll my eyes when I see something like this because it just comes across as a cash grab.  But I’ve actually had a similar (albeit lesser) reaction to their lip balms.  However I just stopped using them and it went away….not sure why this wasn’t an option here.  And if I were to sue a company every time I had an allergic reaction to one of their products – let’s just say I’d be pretty rich.  Or in debt up to my ears in legal fees.

I’ve recently discovered my new favourite design tool for my blog – Canva!  I’m using it to design a new header, because I used PicMonkey to design my current one and it’s always been blurry, no matter if I size it to the proper specifications or not.  There’s so much you can do with Canva that is completely free – and you can pay for the extras as you go (if you want them).  I still really like PicMonkey for photo editing but I’m excited to see what I can do with Canva!

Who was your best dressed at the Golden Globes?  I’ll be honest, I rarely watch the actual award shows and lately, not even the Red Carpet Shows (I find the questions so stupid, pointless and awkward) so I keep an eye on sites like People and US to see what everyone is wearing.  I think my favourite overall was Amy Adams.

I made the Fox & She’s Get Better Chicken Noodle Soup recipe last weekend and it was really good.  I made a few modifications: I added 3 cloves of garlic, omitted the onion (I thought I had one in the house and I didn’t) and topped it with freshly shaved Parmesan Reggiano.  Oh I and I just used up a rotisserie chicken that we had for dinner the night before (which worked really well!).  I’m kind of soup-ed out for the time being, but next up I’d like to try making an Italian Wedding Soup.

Alright well after a wild and crazy Friday night, I’m headed to bed early and I couldn’t be more excited about it.  Have a great weekend!

Used & Abused – Product Empties

It’s been a while since I did one of these posts so I’m long overdue.  As you can see from the picture above, I’ve been hanging on to all these empty and used up products for a while and it was time to finally throw them out – and share my thoughts on them with you!  I’ve combined products into categories for ease of reading.

HAIR PRODUCTS

Batiste Dry Shampoo:  I’ve used up 3 bottles of this (possibly more – I may have inadvertently thrown out a couple) so I obviously like it.  I’ve tried others, and they just don’t compare.  I can get away with only washing my hair 2-3 times a week versus every day (my hair is fine and greases up easily).  It absorbs oil and gives me a little bit of volume and it smells great.  I used to be able to get the Cherry scent here but for a while now I’ve only been able to find the floral, fresh and tropical scents.  The fresh scent isn’t my favourite – reminds me of laundry soap.  I don’t mind the floral version, but out of the 3, the tropical scent is my favourite.  Lastly, you can’t beat the price of these – I typically purchase them at Winners or Homesense and pay $6.99 a bottle.  A bottle typically lasts me 2 weeks, which given how much I use it, is impressive.

Repurchase: Yes

Amika Undone Texture Spray: This past summer I visited the Birchbox store and made my own Birchbox.  I included this in my box and was really excited to try it out.  My first impression of this wasn’t great and unfortunately my opinion didn’t change after I finished this up.  It kind of clumped and tangled my hair together and left it a matted mess.  You can read the review here.

Repurchase?: No

Aveda Color Conserve Shampoo:  The salon I go to is an Aveda exclusive salon (meaning they only use Aveda products) and my hairdresser uses this shampoo on me every time I’m in for a cut and colour.  This isn’t the first bottle I’ve gone through – I’ve used this off and on over the last few years.   I’ve usually been pretty happy with it but going through this last bottle made me realize that it dries out my hair. And my hair already tends to be dry given that its colour-treated and subjected to heat styling each day.  So I finished this up but I don’t see myself purchasing this again.

Repurchase: No

Kenra Volume Spray Super Hold Finishing Spray 25: This is another product that I’ve been using for quite a while – at least two years  I think.  I bought it after hearing Kate Bryan from the Small Things Blog (one of my favourite bloggers who has the most fabulous hair) rave about it and highly recommend it.  And when I first started using, I did like it.  It’s a very fine finishing spray that provides a medium to strong hold.  It takes a lot to get this to build up and feel stiff or sticky.  Which is a good thing!  But my hair is weird and after a while products just seem to stop working for me.  Which is what happened with this.  About halfway through this can, I just couldn’t get it to hold my bangs in place, or my style in place.  So I finished it up and looked for something else.

Repurchase: No

Living Proof Prime Style Extender: This is the first product I ever tried from Living Proof.  Initially I was intrigued by this because my hair tends to fall flat with even the slightest bit of humidity or with a tiny gust of wind.  Given that ‘stye extender’ was in the name, I thought I could benefit from this.  And it definitely does work.  I’d apply a dime size of this to freshly washed hair before any using any of my usual styling products and then I’d style as usual.  Despite adding an extra product to my lineup, I appreciated that doing so didn’t add any buildup or greasiness to my hair (which I’m prone to).  And, my style definitely lasted longer (although it wasn’t completely fool-proof).  The only thing I don’t like about this is the price.  Unfortunately none of Living Proofs’ products are cheap and the full-size of this runs for about $25.  I always purchased the travel size for $15 and it would last me about 6 months.  So given that this lasts a while, I can justify the price.

Repurchase: Yes

Living Proof No Frizz Shampoo & Conditioner:  I picked these up for travel purchases and because I wanted to give their no frizz line a try.  I typically don’t experience frizz when humidity hits – my hair just goes flat.  This specifically stated it blocked humidity so I was interested to see if it would work for me.  Unfortunately I didn’t find it worked great for that particular purpose.  I still suffered from flat hair on humid days.  I did notice that this made my hair feel noticeably smoother though.  So perhaps if frizz is your nemesis, this may work great!

Repuchase: No

FACE PRODUCTS

Sephora Collection Triple Action Cleansing Water: I did a full review on this earlier this year and nothings changed, I still love it.  This is my go-to makeup remover and I’ve been using it for years.  It’s a little pricey but it’s gentle on my skin and so effective!  I use it daily.  Love that it comes in pump form too!

Repurchase: Yes

St. Ives Even & Bright Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange Scrub: This was one of products I first reviewed on my blog and at the time, I loved it.  It smelled so.freaking.good, it was just the right amount of scrubbiness and the price was right.  Then I discovered (surprise, surprise!), it was causing breakouts.  Seriously, sometimes it feels like there’s nothing I can use! So I stopped using it on my face and used it in the shower instead, just to use it up.  I honestly think if you can use this and not breakout from it that its one of the best drugstore scrubs out there though.

Repurchase: No

L’Oreal Sublime Soft Gentle Micellar Solution: When I ran out of the Sephora makeup remover/micellar water noted above and I couldn’t make it to Sephora, I picked this up at Shopper’s Drug Mart to hold me over.  I didn’t really expect to like it but I was pleasantly surprised.  I felt this performed similarly to the Sephora option, although it didn’t quite take off my eye makeup as well.  In addition, I hated the packaging.  There’s no pump, so I had to “pour” it onto a cotton pad and rarely did it always go where I intended, or distribute as much (or as little) as I wanted.  I think I got this on sale for $6.99 but I definitely wouldn’t pay more than that for it – if you’re comparing it to Sephora’s version , this actually ends up being more expensive so I probably wouldn’t re-purchase this unless I was in a bind.

Repuchase: Yes and no (explanation above)

BATH & BODY

Bath & Body Works Deep Cleansing Hand Soap (Bourbon Street Buttercream): I love BB&W hand soaps but I won’t purchase the deep cleansing type any longer.  I didn’t realize these contain polyethylene (aka microbeads), which if you weren’t aware, are super bad for the environment (read more about it here).  I now only purchase the foaming hand soaps and hopefully B&BW will take action to remove microbeads from all of their products soon.  FYI this scent is no longer available but it was nice but nothing special – similar to a vanilla cupcake.

Repurchase: No

Bath & Body Works Body Scrub (Vanilla Bean Noel): This is by far, my favourite BB&W scent.  I love it so much that last year, I purchased this body scrub.  I didn’t realize this had glitter in it – which at first I thought I would hate but it didn’t stick to my skin so that wasn’t an issue.  Unfrotunately this also contains polyethylene so I won’t be repurchasing it.  Which is too bad because I actually felt like it worked pretty well.  Not worth sacrificing our oceans for though!

Repurchase; No

Cake Supremely Rich Bath & Shower Gel (Desserted Island): I’ve spoken about these bubble baths/shower gels previously and how much I love them.  I find these giant bottles at Winners or HomeSense for $14.99 and they last me months of religious use.  They work really well as a bubble bath or as a shower gel but I mainly use them for bubble bath.  Using just a dollop in the bathtub results in a generous amount of frothy bubbles that last a while.  Plus these all smell amazing – this particular scent smells slightly sweet and of coconut.  Highly recommend these guys!

Repurchase: Yes

HAND LOTIONS

The Body Shop Almond Hand & Nail Cream: If you can’t tell, I go through a lot of hand lotions.  This one was a bit of a letdown for me.  First impression was that I liked it – it seemed moisturizing and the scent was pleasant.  But the more I used this the more I realized how overpowering the smell of this was. It’s supposed to be almond scented, but in my opinion it was more perfume-like.  Plus, I HATED the packaging – I could never get the cap back on and when I neared the end, trying to squeeze the last drop out of this squishy foil material is next to impossible.

Repurchase?: No

L’Occitane Shea Hand Cream: This is a classic hand cream that I always end up going back to…because it actually works.  It has a very light, pleasant scent and the shea butter moisturizes my hands without feeling greasy or oily.  You can’t go wrong with this.

Repurchase: Yes

EOS Hand Lotion (Berry Blossom): I’m not a fan of EOS lip products so I’m not sure why I bought this.  Figured it would be easy to throw in my purse I guess.  And it was.  And it smells good.  But that’s where the positives ends.  This could possibly be one of the worst hand lotions I’ve ever used.  It had such a thin consistency that I barely felt like I had put hand cream on; plus it had zero moisturizing benefits.  I hated the hard plastic bottle too – guaranteed there’s still product in there but it’s so hard that you can’t even squeeze it out.  Wouldn’t recommend this.

Repurchase?: No

The Body Shop Coconut Hand Cream:  I love coconut scented things and this was a pretty good one!  It smelled authentically like coconut but it was a light scent, nothing too strong.  The lotion itself was light but it absorbed well and left my hands feeling soft and moisturized – for a couple hours anyway.  I wouldn’t say it’s the most moisturizing lotion I’ve ever used but it was a good one for the summer when I don’t need intense moisture.

Repurchase; Yes

Soap & Glory Hand Food: Soap & Glory is not a widely available brand around these parts; a few of the Shopper’s Drug Marts close to me have a small selection of their products, usually situated on an end of an aisle. I came across this travel sized hand cream in the clearance section and it sounded interesting so I bought it.  I think I paid $4 for it which was reasonable.  What I loved most about this was the scent – it smelled like sparkling lemonade.  The hand cream itself was pretty good too – it was thicker so I definitely noticed a difference after using this.  This did take a bit of time to absorb into my skin though. Despite that, if I can ever find this again, I’d definitely re-purchase it.

Repurchase?: Yes

Nivea Smooth Replenishing Hand Cream : Another travel sized version to throw in my purse.  This to me was just your everyday drugstore hand lotion.  Had the slight perfumey scent and was pretty basic, despite having macadamia nut oil in it.   I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it.  Don’t see myself picking it up in the full-size though!

Repurchase?: No

MASCARAS

Maybelline the Colossal Volum’ Express: I did a review on this back in the Spring (read it here) and I don’t really have anything new to report.  I still think this is a really good mascara, the only thing I don’t like about it is that it can flake off a bit and it has a scent (which confuses me).  You don’t get intense volume or length with this but it its a good everyday mascara.

Repurchase: Yes

Maybelline the Mega Plush Volum Express: Another decent mascara that I reviewed back in June (review here); in short I wasn’t too fond of the flexible brush but overall it got the job done.  This didn’t give me mile-long, super thick lashes by any means but I like having mascaras like this on hand when I just want something fool-proof and easy to apply.

Repurchase: Yes

LIP PRODUCTS

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment (Rose):  I’ve gone through a few of these tinted lip balms over the years and I must say that I do like them.  They are super moisturizing and they add a nice hint of colour to your lips (in this case a light rosy hue).  I think they’re a good thing to have in your purse, in the event that you forgot your lipstick or other lip product.  What deters me from buying these regularly is the price – I just find $26 steep for what this is. Plus it annoys me that the lettering rubs off.  And I didn’t like the rose scent of this.  Still, I’ll probably continue to purchase these once or twice a year – usually as an impulse buy.

Repurchase: Yes

Lancome – Baume In Love: I have no idea why I purchased this or even when.  Am I the only one that does that?  I think this may be the only Lacome product I’ve ever owned, perhaps ever own.  It’s not a brand I tend to gravitate to – but maybe I’m missing out?  Anyway, this was another sheer tinted balm; don’t see myself re-purchasing this one though.  It left my lips a slightly toned down version of a hot pink so I wasn’t fond of the shade.  It provided okay moisture but I feel like I must have had rocks in my head when I decided to pay $32 for this.  I can get similar results with something way cheaper.

Repurchase: No

And that’s all of it!  Phew, that seemed like a lot.  If you tried any of these products let me know how they worked for you!  And if you read right until the bitter end or even if you just skimmed through, as always, thanks for reading!

July Loves & Letdowns

Hey everyone!

Well here I am again, behind on posts!  For the last couple of weeks I’ve been trying to put together a travel diary for my trip to Vegas last month.  It’s been a bit of a struggle, mostly because I didn’t take many (aka any) pictures on our trip and I feel like a good post needs lots of pictures to tell a good story….I also didn’t take notes so I’ve been wracking my brain trying to remember some of the details – it just hasn’t been going well.  On top of that I’ve been struggling to manage my time lately – it just doesn’t feel like there is enough hours in the day!   So for the time being I’ve decided to focus on other posts and work on that one on the side and depending on how that goes, I may or may not decide to end posting it if I feel its worth reading.

Anyway it’s time again for my monthly loves and letdowns! These are mostly beauty-related but I do have one non-beauty related item at the end to share with you as well.

LOVES

CoverGirl The Super Sizer Mascara – $6.99 CAD

I decided to give this mascara a try after hearing great reviews online about it.  It’s not normally a mascara I would try based on the brush alone.  As I’ve said many times before, I typically like the traditional bristly-type brushes and this one is definitely not that.  It’s a plastic brush with tiny little comb-like bristles on the wand.  When I opened this up I was very skeptical that this could do anything at all to my lashes.  I was soon eating my words after giving it a try – it’s fantastic!  This separates my lashes, adds volume and length, is very pigmented, and holds curl.  I experience very little to no flaking with this which for me is huge – I suffer from seasonal allergies so I’m constantly rubbing my eyes.  I will get the occasional clump when applying but all I do is run the wand through it a few times and it combs them out.

Something to note: there is a bit of a technique to applying this – you need to twirl the wand through your lashes as you apply it. If you just comb the brush through like you normally would with any other mascara you’re going to get clumpy, stuck-together lashes.  As a result, I wouldn’t say this is a good mascara for a beginner but seasoned mascara users shouldn’t have an issue picking up the technique (if I can do it, anyone can!).  In my opinion the results are worth the bit of extra effort!

Cera Ve Foaming Facial Cleanser – $14.97 CAD

I’ve been using this cleanser for about 3 weeks now and I am in LOVE!  I bought this as part of a 3 piece Cera Ve set @ London Drugs that included their eye cream and PM Facial Moisturizer.  Its been a struggle for me to find a cleanser that is effective in removing my makeup at the end of the day that doesn’t dry out my skin or leave it with that tight feeling afterwards. After trying a few cleansers and having just ok results, I resided myself with the fact that I was going to have to use eye makeup remover prior to washing my face basically forever.  And then this came into my life!

I use one full pump to wash my face and it typically removes all of my makeup in one shot!  If I’m wearing heavier eye makeup I make sure to use an additional half pump specifically on my eye area and that seems to do the trick.  Very rarely have I had to resort to going over my eyes with my eye makeup remover afterwards.

It also leaves my skin feeling great afterwards!  Not dry, sticky, greasy but just soft and clean. It’ll be interesting to see if that changes once the winter months are upon us but for the time being it works great.  It has zero scent so that’s great for my very sensitive skin!  This is at the top of my list of cleansers right now!

Cera Ve PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion – $14.99 CAD

As mentioned above, this came in a pack with the cleanser and eye cream. I’ve been using the cleanser in combination with this moisturizer and I feel like my skin has greatly improved!  My fair skin is quite prone to redness and I feel like this has really helped even my skin tone. I also feel like it moisturizes it just the right amount – if I use a moisturizer that’s too thick, I usually wake up in the morning with a greasy face because my skin just can’t absorb it.  If it’s not thick enough, I end up with dry patches.  When I wake up the morning after using this, my skin just feels soft, hydrated and moisturized.  I notice a little less oil on my t-zone throughout the day as well which is a first for me!

This is also great for sensitive skin because it has zero scent.  No breakouts as a result of using this either, which for me is a huge bonus because my skin can react very badly to certain ingredients.  I’m considering giving the AM version of this a try!

Bare Escentuals/Bare Vitamins Skin-Rever Upper – $26.00 CAD

This is a product I’ve come back to after straying away from over the last few years.  I was searching for a new daytime moisturizer that was light and fast-absorbing and I remembered how much I used to like this.  I picked up a bottle back in June and I’ve been using it every morning since.  This is a super light moisturizer that includes salicylic and glycollic acids.  I find that salicylic acid isn’t always effective on my skin (for instance in acne treatment products) but I’ve been in love with glycollic acid ever since I started using Peter Thomas Roth’s Glycollic Acid Moisturizer years ago (see review here).  The two mixed together however produce really great results on my skin!  I don’t think there’s a large amount of either of these in here (if I’m comparing it to the PTR version anyway) but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I don’t want something super harsh in the morning anyway!

What is important to me in my daily moisturizer is something that is light and fast-absorbing yet still gives me a good base to apply my primer and foundation.  I don’t have time to wait for 20 minutes for something to absorb.  This soaks in quickly but still leaves my skin feeling moisturized.  I think this is actually marketed as a primer but I don’t see it working in that capacity for me, there’s nothing in here that would really make my makeup “stick”.

This has a very thin, watery consistency so if you like thicker moisturizers you’ll probably want to stay away from this.  I use a pump and a half on my entire face every day and that is plenty for me.  While this is a little expensive it will last me a while given how little I need to use.  Overall I’m really glad that I’ve re-discovered this!

Vaseline Lip Therapy (Original) – $2.49 CAD

As I’ve mentioned numerous times before, I have very sensitive skin.  And my lips aren’t exempt from that.  If I use a matte lipstick for a few hours my lips dry out.  It doesn’t even have to be a matte lipstick, if it’s not super moisturizing they typically react badly.  They peel, flake – you name it.  So lip balm is my best friend – I’m constantly applying it.

I bought this little guy a while ago and I threw it in my bathroom cabinet and forgot about it.  When I was cleaning out my drawers a few months ago I came across it and thought I might as well use it.  I put it on my nightstand and started using it religiously every night before I went to bed.  And I’ve really noticed a difference!  My lips definitely feel softer and smoother and peel and flake less often. I’ve also noticed that they can seem to handle drier lip products for longer periods of time now.  The only thing I’m not crazy about is the fact that the packaging is a little unhygienic – you have to dip your finger in to apply it.

I was curious what – if anything- was different in this compared to regular old Vaseline.  I was hoping that there was something different in it because even though I only paid a couple bucks for this, you can get a huge tub of Vaseline for a few dollars more!  So…..um….upon investigating, it appears this is just plain old Vaseline in a smaller container.  Lol!  I feel like this belongs in my letdowns for false advertising…but I like the product so….I guess it can stay here.  Next time I’ll perhaps try the cocoa butter version so I can feel better about paying $3 for the tiniest tub of Vaseline ever.

LIKES

So I decided to add a new category in here called Likes.  Love is a strong word and sometimes I don’t love something but it’s not exactly a letdown either.  But I still like it!  Hence the new category…

Almay Clear Complexion Concealer – $11.99

So you should know by now that I have sensitive skin.  I think I’ve mentioned it twice just in this post.  When I needed a new concealer I did a bit of research beforehand because I didn’t want to pick up something to cover breakouts that was going to make them worse.  I read a lot of good things about this concealer so I picked it up and have been using it for about a month and a half.  And I think it’s a pretty good solid concealer for blemishes!  It covers well and it contains salicylic acid so while its covering my breakouts it’s also supposed to be working to heal them.  Or at least that’s what it claims, I don’t rely on this solely to help heal a breakout because it’s just not strong enough.

I don’t have a ton of breakouts but I definitely don’t find it makes them worse which is a relief.  I do find that the salicylic acid gives this more of a dry texture and can highlight any dry patches so I make sure to moisturize any dry areas really well prior to applying.  Also I don’t use this on any other areas aside from breakouts – especially not under your eyes!  The salicylic acid would likely irritate that sensitive skin and causes dryness.

So overall, I like this and I may repurchase it but I think I’d like to try some other concealers first to compare.  If you have sensitive, acne prone skin, this could be a good option for you!

Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector (Champagne Pop) – $46.00 CAD

So initially I had no intention of buying this.  While it looked like a beautiful product the price just seemed ridiculous to me.  And I didn’t own any highlighters and I wasn’t sure that purchasing one this expensive to start out with was a great idea.

Then I was in Sephora and they had this on display and it was in stock.  I had been hearing about how difficult it was for others to find and those that did have it were just RAVING about it.  So I did a quick swatch and I was impressed – it had such a silky and buttery texture and it just glided on to my skin.  I decided to treat myself and snatched it up.

The first few days using this I was still very impressed with it.  I loved how pigmented it is which means I need very little of it to give myself that glow-from-within-look. Being on the paler side I was a little worried that I was going to look like a super shiny peach but the shade of this is spot on.  I now understand the hype.

However now that I’ve had it for a couple of weeks I still think it’s great but I kind of think that this may be slightly overhyped.  Probably not a popular opinion but it’s my honest opinion!  I was in Sephora this weekend and I was checking out some of the other highlighters they carry and I found a few that seemed somewhat similar for less. Plus, I’m finding it doesn’t have the greatest staying power (at least on my skin).  That said, I do have trouble keeping most products on my face but when something is this expensive I just have higher expectations of it and I feel that’s a fair expectation!  So I will enjoy using this while I have it but I can’t see myself forking over this amount of money for this again (not that I could given that its limited edition).

LET DOWNS

Becca Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector – $18.00 (0.4 oz)

I picked this up a month or so ago and I’m so glad I decided to try out the smaller size of it before committing to the larger, much-more-expensive full size!  I’m always looking for a product that will matify my t-zone and one of the You-Tubers that I’m subscribed to (can’t remember which one) recommended this in one of her videos.

There’s a few reasons why this was a let down.  First off – it doesn’t mattify.  I put this on underneath my foundation and my mid-day my t-zone is just as oily as it is when I use nothing.  Secondly, this is super difficult to apply.  The instructions state to rub a small amount between your fingers and then apply it but it dries really quickly so you have to work at lightning speed.  Lastly – it leaves a white residue behind after application.   No matter how much I blend it in, it leaves a white powdery finish behind that WILL NOT blend away, no matter what I tried.  It stuck around even after applying my foundation and I couldn’t get my foundation to blend over top of it.  So frustrating!

Huge fail for me – do not recommend this and most definitely will not repurchase!  I’ll be using this as an eye primer to finish it up.

NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick (Paris) – $6.99 CAD

I received this lipstick free with a $20 purchase of NYX products at London Drugs a few months ago.  I loved the colour of this – it’s a cool-toned mauve shade and its very pigmented. I was intrigued by its creamy consistency but unfortunately that’s where the problem lies – this is just way too creamy.  I found that it tends to move around on my lips after applying so it ends up around my lips and on my teeth, etc.  It also has zero staying power, which I’m usually not a stickler on, but I expect a bit more from a lipstick when compared to a lip gloss or balm, and this just doesn’t deliver.  It transfers on to everything!  Lastly, because it’s so creamy and moisturizing, the product itself is just so soft it smears all over the inside of the cap and mine actually broke in half!  I didn’t even have it outside or in my purse or anything – it was just sitting on my makeup vanity.  So unfortunately although I am normally a fan of NYX products, I can’t recommend this one! 😦

EOS Lip Balm – Coconut Milk – $3.99

I have a slight addiction to lip balms and I’m always open to trying new ones.  A year or so ago I had purchased the Sweet Mint EOS lip balm and I was pretty disappointed with it – I found it waxy and not at all moisturizing – in fact I found it actually dried out my lips!  Because I wasn’t a fan of it after using it a few times I kept it at work and used it every once and while.  Then I was reading online somewhere about how their newer versions were a vast improvement – in particular the coconut milk flavor, so I picked it up and thought I’d give it another try.

My first impression of this was that I really quite liked it.  The smell was awesome  (sweet and light and not overpowering) – I’m a fan of anything coconut related so that was easy to win me over with.  This formula on this is also much better – it’s moisturizing, smooth and creamy.  So I was happily using this everyday for the last few weeks and then I noticed that I was experiencing breakouts around the corners of my mouth.  I couldn’t figure out what was causing it and then it dawned on me that this might be the culprit.  So I stopped using it and viola – the breakouts went away and stopped making an appearance.  Grrrr!

So that’s how sensitive my skin is – a lip balm can make me break out!  But I think the problem lies with two things – first this contains coconut oil.  I know some people slather their skin in it to cleanse and moisturize but you won’t ever catch me doing that!  I’ve read so many things about coconut oil being highly comedogenic and because my skin is so sensitive it just wouldn’t be worth the risk.  Secondly, the packaging on EOS lip balms means that you can’t get a precise application so I was often getting the product around my mouth instead of just on it.  Normally not a big deal but when the product contains coconut oil, those are the results. 😦

So it goes without saying that I won’t be repurchasing this!

True Detective – Season 2

So earlier this year I blogged about how much I enjoyed Season 1 of this series and how I couldn’t wait to watch Season 2   This season’s cast included some big names that I was really excited for such as Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch – who I love – and Vince Vaughn and Colin Farrell.  So going in, my expectations were pretty high.

If you’ve never heard of or watched True Detective it’s a crime drama with  a unique concept in that each season has a completely different storyline and cast than the previous.  Which I really like because you get complete closure on the previous season and start fresh with something completely different, unrelated to the previous set of episodes.  It feels like a brand new show each season.

So the final episode of Season 2 aired last week and I have to say – the entire season was such a disappointment! I found this season so difficult to follow – the plot was confusing, I couldn’t get invested in the characters and there were only 1 or 2 episodes that left me wanting more, one of which was the finale.  The episodes were dreary and depressing as well.  Not that Season 1 was heart warming or anything but there was always something going on in each episode that kept me engaged and excited to find out what was going to happen next.

So big thumbs down for this one.  It’ll be interesting to see who they cast in Season 3 but regardless, they better do a better job of it because I won’t continue watching if it proves to be another dud.

And that’s it for this month.  Have you tried any of these products?  Watched True Detective? If so let me know in the comments below – would love to hear your thoughts on them!

As always, thanks for reading!

London Drugs Haul & First Impressions!

So I stopped in London Drugs to pick up some new deodorant, and I walked out of there with all of this:

Because I totally needed 2 new foundations, another mascara, lip balm, a concealer, another face wash, night cream and eye cream.  I did need (ok want) another tube of the Jergens BB cream so technically that’s justified.  Must stay out of drugstores…or just stores in general.

Anyway, here’s the details on what I picked up:

Mitchum Unscented Gel Deodorant & Anti-Perspirant – $3.99 (SALE!)

I’ve discovered that the Dove dry spray deodorant that I’ve been using it actually irritating my skin and causing a rash – lovely!   I used to use Mitchum deodorant years ago and it seemed to work, so I thought I’d revisit it.  Bonus that it was on sale!

My first impression: I find this leaves a sticky residue after applying but once it’s dry it goes away.  No irritation so far either.  It seems to be doing its job so far.

 

Nivea Smooth Replenishing Cream – $2.49 CAD

Nothing super exciting here – just a small hand cream to throw in my purse.  This has macadamia nut oil in it which seemed interesting so I thought I’d give it a try.

My first impression: I’ve only used this once but it seemed to work fine.  Not too thick, standard drugstore lotion perfumey smell and my hands felt moisturized after.

e.l.f HD Lifting Concealer (Fair) – $3.99 CAD

If I could find a concealer that doesn’t settle into the fine lines around my eyes that would be great.  I liked the sound of this one (lifting?) and it was cheap so I figured it was worth a shot.

My first impression:  Creamy texture, a good colour match for my skin tone but I’m not seeing much staying power with this unfortunately.

 

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation (Classic Ivory) – $9.99 CAD (SALE!)

I’ve been wanting to try this foundation for a while because everyone raves about it.  Lately I’ve been wearing Covergirl’s Ready Set Gorgeous foundation and I included it as a love in my June Loves & Letdowns (review here) but it’s always good to have options.  Plus this was on sale this week so I thought I might as well pay a little less for it if I was going to try it.  I have read some comments about this causing breakouts which worries me a bit because it does have sunscreen in it.

My first impression: I’ve used this once so far and it probably wasn’t the best day to test it out for the first time.  Basically I was sitting directly in the sun for 2.5 hours straight so it just melted right off my face.  I’m not sure any foundation would have withstood those conditions so I’ll try it out under some more normal conditions and I shall keep you updated!

Marcelle Flawless Skin Fusion Foundation – $18.99 CAD 

This was a total impulse buy and one that I hope I don’t end up regretting!  I was just about to leave the cosmetics area and I noticed this on display. Given the price, I normally would have just walked away but there was a $5 manufactures coupon for it so I took the plunge. I’ve never tried any of Marcelle’s products before and I didn’t realize that they are a Canadian company, which I’m always happy to support.  The weird thing is I can’t find anything online about this foundation AT ALL.  Maybe it’s just because it’s so new but it seems weird that Marcelle wouldn’t have anything about it on their website at the very least?

My first impression: So I’ve only used this twice but so far, I REALLY like this.  I’d describe the texture as almost serum-like and it’s very lightweight.  I find it leaves behind a slightly dewy finish and it feels like its light coverage but it covers really well!  I’m going to continue to use this for the rest of this week and cross my fingers that the love just continues!

EOS Visibly Soft Coconut Milk Lip Balm – $3.99 CAD

Okay, I’ll admit that I was not fond of the original EOS lip balms that everyone else seems to go crazy over.  I tried them once and found them waxy and not at all moisturizing.  I read online somewhere about the newer versions being a vast improvement over the originals, so I purchased the coconut milk version.

My first impression: So far, so good!  This smells absolutely amazing and it’s definitely moisturizing!  I’ve only used it a handful of times but I’m kind of loving it already!

Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream (Light) – $11.99

I just did a full review on this in my Used & Abused post (read it here).  Love this stuff!

 

CeraVe Skincare Essentials Pack – $19.99 CAD

I’ve been wanting to try a few CeraVe products for a while now – specifically their eye cream and AM moisturizer.  I went and took a peek at the eye cream and it was priced at $22.99 (eek!).  I was about to walk away when I saw this display of these skincare essential packs that included the coveted Eye Repair Cream, Foaming Face Cleanser and the PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion.  It was on sale for $19.99 (marked down from $29.99) so I snatched it up immediately because #nobrainer.  Even at $29.99, this is a fantastic deal, given that the eye cream retails for $22.99 alone!  I’m so tempted to go and buy another one but I know that I need to try these out for at least a couple of weeks first to ensure that I actually like them.

My first impressions: I’m liking the cleanser – not super moisturizing but not drying either and it takes off the majority of eye makeup which is really rare!  The eye cream – meh, doesn’t seem to be doing anything fantastic but its early days!  Same with the PM moisturizer but I’ll keep using all of these and do a full review in the near future.

Covergirl The Super Sizer Mascara (Very Black) – $6.99 CAD

I’ve heard some super good things about this mascara and I’ve been dying to try it.  It’s not one I would normally try because I typically like the traditional bristley brush mascaras, however I was intrigued by the reviews that said this was great for volume.

My first impression: The brush takes a bit of getting used to as you have to twirl it through your lashes as you apply it. As a result I find it end up getting mascara on my top water line which is a little annoying.  However this definitely provides some serious length and I’d say a reasonable amount of volume.  It does get a bit clumpy but I was able to use the brush to comb them out a bit which I thought was pretty cool!  I picked this up in Very Black and it is indeed, very black!

Have you tried any of these products?  If so, leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts – I’d love to hear them!

Thanks for reading!