Review: IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream

Please excuse my absence over the last few weeks – I was on a vacation and fully intended on blogging while I was away – but then vacation happened.  We spent the majority of our days either sight-seeing or driving and I just wanted to crawl into bed at the end of the day, which is exactly what I did.  I plan on doing a travel diary of our road trip so if you want more details on what we did, where we went and where we ate (the most important thing, IMO), keep your eyes peeled for that.  But now I’m back home and attempting to regain a sense of normal and routine, it’s time to resume blogging!

Today I’m sharing my thoughts what has become my go-to “foundation” over the last few months: IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better™ CC Cream with SPF 50+.  First up I’m going to gift it the “Longest Ever Name for a Product” Award ;).  I purchased this way back in March from the Shopping Channel.  They were having a showstopper that included a 2.53 fl oz size of the CC Cream with the Dual Ended Concealer Brush for $60 CAD; the 32 mL/1.08 oz of the CC cream retails for $45 CAD on it’s own, so I couldn’t pass up such a good deal.  I placed my order within the first hour of the showstopper and waited for it to arrive.  Fast forward to two months later, when I actually received the product I ordered.  Long story short: they sent me the wrong shade (and knew it), ran out of the shade I had ordered and I had to wait 2 months for it to come back in stock.  Honestly, it was a horrible customer-service experience and every time I called to cancel my order, they told me it was just a week away from being shipped to me.  Eventually that actually did happen, in the right shade this time (#whataconcept) and we’ve been inseparable ever since.

Before I get into why I love this so much, let’s look at all of it’s many claims, via the IT Cosmetics website:

This highly pigmented multi-tasking beauty miracle truly covers everything, will not crease or crack in fine lines, and gives you a healthy, Your Skin But Better® glow. Paraben-free and SPF 50+ UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum, Physical Only, Non-Chemical Sunscreen.

Developed with leading plastic surgeons, Your Skin But Better® CC+™ Cream with SPF 50+ is truly a multi-tasking beauty miracle. It’s your SPF 50+ UVA/UVB Physical only sunscreen that protects against the rays that both burn your skin and age your skin. CC+™ is infused with cutting edge Anti-Aging technology and is clinically shown to improve skin texture, brightness and increase skin hydration by 79%. The Anti-Aging hydrating formula is infused with Peptides, Niacin, Algae, Vitamins A, C, B, E, Hyaluronic Acid and Hydrolyzed Collagen along with Antioxidants and exotic natural botanicals for long-term brightening and color-correcting benefits.

And the ingredients (woah):

TITANIUM DIOXIDE 9.0%, ZINC OXIDE 6.3%, Water, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Magnesium Sulfate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Hexyl Laurate, Stearic Acid, Calcium Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Niacinamide, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Water, Lactobacillus/Honeysuckle Flower/Licorice Root/Morus Alba Root/Pueraria Lobata Root/Schizandra Chinensis Fruit/Scutellaria Baicalensis Root/Sophora Japonica Flower Extract Ferment Filtrate, Perfluorohexane, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Cholesteryl, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Indicum flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Perfluorodecalin, Morus Alba Fruit Extract, Magnolia Kobus Bark Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sprout Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Pentafluoropropane, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Steareth-20, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Colloidal Oatmeal, Hydrolyzed Silk, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium sorbate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Tocopherol, Thiamine HCl, Riboflavin, Retinyl Palmitate, Pantothenic Acid, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Niacin, Folic Acid, Chrysin, Carnitine HCl, Biotin, Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Chlorhexidine Digluconate. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499).

THE GOOD

• It’s highly pigmented with medium to high coverage.  If I’m having a good skin day, I can get away with wearing this and only this.  No concealer needed.  Unfortunately my good skin days have been few and far between lately so I haven’t been so lucky to be able to do so.  But if you have normal skin or even skin with a few small blemishes, I think you could be one and done with this!
• It gives my skin a healthy glow.  With the amount of coverage this provides, you’d fully expect it to have a matte finish.  Instead it leaves behind a dewy finish and brightness to my skin.  Most days I skip highlighter because I just don’t feel like I need it.
• It blends effortlessly and seamlessly into skin.  I always, always have problems with foundations settling into my pores, particularly if I use a brush to apply them (which is why I tend to stick to a Beauty Blender) and/or skip using a primer beforehand.  Miraculously, I don’t have that problem with this.  I use the brush included with my set to stipple and buff it into my skin and it works like a charm – and I’m left with an airbrushed appearance.  I’m going to credit the snail secretion filtrate for this benefit – which I will admit, at first grossed me out.  Experiencing its benefits has lessened the gross-factor, however.
• It works for my sensitive skin.  My skin doesn’t react well to a lot of face products, and I’ll admit to feeling a bit worried when seeing the extensive ingredient list.  However, I’ve had zero issues with this irritating my skin.  In fact, I feel like any dry patches I had are a lot less dry since I’ve started using it.
• It’s simple and easy.  As mentioned above, if you have non-problematic skin, you can likely get away without using concealer.  But given how moisturizing this is, I also find it very easy to skip moisturizer and primer as well.  I don’t tend to skip moisturizer very often because my skin often needs the other benefits that moisturizer provides but I like the fact that I can, without any consequences.  In addition, my use of primers has severely decreased – I just don’t need one with this product.  It honestly makes using other foundations seem like so much work.
• Sunscreen is included: I love the fact that SPF 50 is included; I’ve heard that anything higher than 30 SPF doesn’t really offer any extra protection but regardless, I still appreciate it being in there.  With my fair skin, I’ll take all I can get!
• It’s the perfect shade.  I ordered the shade Light after reading reviews stating that the palest shade (Fair) was really grey-toned.  That turned out to be a really good decision – this matches my skin perfectly.  I have a little bit of colour right now but even when I didn’t it seemed to be a good match.  This is a big thing because I’m always struggling to find foundations that match my skin tone given that I have lots of redness and am quite fair.
• The packaging.  I feel like pumps should be mandatory on all foundations – they keep everything clean and they’re so much easier to control the amount of product you can dispense.  I also appreciate that it’s all contained in a tube, which makes it nice and light for travel.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD:

It requires a setting powder.  I don’t see this as a huge negative – but if I don’t set this with powder, it disappears off of my skin within a few hours.  This is not an uncommon problem for me but the few times I did use this without setting it, I was not impressed with the lasting powder.  I now set it with Laura Mercier’s Translucent Setting Powder and it stays put almost all day.  Despite that, I don’t see this working well for anyone with really oily skin; I suspect it’ll just make you look greasy.

It transfers.  This is probably my biggest frustration with this product – it transfers like crazy, even when set with powder.  I end up with it on the necklines of my clothes, on my phone, basically on anything that comes in contact with my face.

Requires concealer.  As mentioned above, I need a concealer with this, mainly to cover active breakouts.  It does not cover those to the level that I would like it to, but to be fair, I haven’t found a foundation that does, or at least one that doesn’t leave me with a serious case of cake face.  I’ll take the more natural look with the requirement of a concealer over that anyday!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Personally, I couldn’t be happier with this CC Cream and once I’ve ran out of my gigantic tube, I’ll be re-purchasing for sure!  I have used it so often that I’d estimate I’m about halfway through it and despite my horrendous experience with the Shopping Channel, I’ll continue to keep my eye out for future IT Cosmetics showstoppers, particularly if they’re featuring the jumbo size tube again (such good value!).  It’s got me interested in what other products are worth my time from this brand.

Have you tried IT Cosmetic’s Your Skin But Better CC Cream, or any other IT Cosmetics products?  Let me know below!

Thanks for stopping by!

Review: Vichy Normaderm Skincare

Over a month ago, I was selected to receive a Vichy Skincare package on behalf of ChickAdvisor.  I’m always excited to be selected for campaigns by Chickadvisor, but I was a little more excited than normal for this one.  At the time, I was dealing with some of the worst skin I’ve had in years.  Specifically, I was experiencing constant breakouts and nothing I tried seemed to be helping – not even products that had worked before.  It was beyond frustrating and there were days where I didn’t even want to leave the house (as anyone who deals with problematic skin can understand!)

Thankfully the day before we left for our Vegas trip, my Chickadvisor package arrived.  Included were three, full-sized products from Vichy’s Normaderm line: the Deep Cleansing Gel, the Pore Tightening Lotion and the Corrective Anti-Acne Treatment. This line is specifically formulated for oily and acne-prone skin – ding ding ding!  Right after I received these products I started using them and I immediately ditched the skincare products I was using at the time.  Given that I’ve now been using them for over a month, the time has come for an in-depth review.

Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel ($19.95 CAD for 200 mL)

From the website: This ultra-gentle soap-free, alcohol-free cleansing gel deeply cleanses sebum and impurities without over-drying or irritating the skin.  Its ingredients have purifying, anti-bacterial and keratolytic actions to prevent new imperfections from popping up.

Contains the following active ingredients:

• Salicylic acid: Unclogs and deeply cleanses pores.
• Glycolic acid: Has a keratolytic effect, which allows gentle peeling, as well as antibacterial properties.
• LHA: Gently smoothes skin texture and stimulates skin renewal.

My thoughts: At the risk of sounding like a tv commercial, the best way I can describe this cleanser is “gentle yet effective.”  It removes all of my makeup and leaves my skin feeling so soft and clean!  Given its’ active ingredients, I fully expected it to leave my skin feeling tight and/or dry afterwards, but I haven’t experienced any of that whatsoever.  Now, keep in mind it is the summer and my skin tends to be a little oilier than usual – so that could change come the winter months.  But for now, it’s working great.

My only complaint about this is that I can’t use this to remove my eye makeup.  Those active ingredients that help heal skin and keep it clear are best kept away from eyes so a second product is needed to remove eye makeup.  Is this really an issue?  Not really and it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make for clearer skin.  And if I’m being honest I have tried it on my eyes and it does take makeup off pretty well – but my eyes were definitely a little irritated afterwards.  So best to just not do it.

Vichy’s Normaderm Pore Tightening Lotion ($19.95 CAD for 200 mL)

From the website: This toner is specifically formulated for anyone dealing with frequent breakouts, dilated pores and excess shine. This formula combines soothing Vichy Mineralizing Water with glycolic and salicylic acid to unclog, tighten pores and purify the skin.

Contains the following active ingredients:

• Salicylic acid: Unclogs and deeply cleanses pores.
• Glycolic acid: : Has a keratolytic effect, which allows gentle peeling, as well as antibacterial properties.
• LHA: to smooth skin texture and stimulate skin renewal, without irritating the skin.

My thoughts: The fact that this is referred to as a lotion kind of confuses me – I honestly can’t remember the last time I used a toner, mainly because I never really saw any results with ones I’ve tried in the past.  In fact, I actually found they had adverse effects on my skin – my face would always feel extra dry and tight afterwards.  So I was a little skeptical to give this a try.  Turns out this has actually swayed my opinion of toners!  I use this after I wash my face with the Deep Cleansing Gel, and I love how refreshed my skin feels afterwards. Previously I was using a micellar water after cleansing to remove any last traces of makeup but I much prefer this because it does both that and refreshes my skin.  Unfortunately I can’t say I’ve seen any noticeable benefits in regards to mattifying my skin nor tightening pores – both are pretty much the same.  But overall I definitely like this more than I expected!

Normaderm Corrective Anti Acne Treatment ($29.95 CAD for 50 mL)

From the website: Normaderm Corrective Anti-Acne Treatment combines 1.5% Salicylic Acid, LHA, Phe Resorcinol and new Air Licium™ technology to treat and prevent all signs of acne: pimples, pore visibility, acne marks, shine and redness.

• Salicylic Acid + LHA: 50% more concentrated than our original formula to reduce pimples. Ingredients work together to quickly and effectively unclog pores without irritating the skin.
• Phe Resorcinol: New. Combined with exfoliating LHA, reduces acne marks thanks to its depigmentating properties.
• Air Licium: New Ultra-light aerogel helps reduce sebum production and pore visibility, giving the skin a soft focus mattifying finish.

My thoughts: This is the final product in this 3 step skincare process and if I had to pick a favourite, this would be it.  I LOVE this stuff.  I apply this product twice a day after using the Pore Minimizing Lotion; it feels moisturizing but not greasy.  It tingles a bit when I apply it but to me that just means that the active ingredients are doing their job. It doesn’t take long to soak into my skin, which I really appreciate, particularly in the morning when I’m applying foundation.  After it soaks in, my skin feels exceptionally soft, supple and moisturized. And the best part is, I see results. My skin hasn’t looked this great in months – I’m experiencing less breakouts and scars from previous breakouts are healing.  Again, I can’t say I’ve seen tightened pores and/or any less oil than usual but it’s been doing exactly what I want it to do – clear up my skin and keep it clear!

 

OVERALL:  I can honestly say that my skin has never looked clearer and felt more healthy and smooth after using this line.  My breakouts have been drastically reduced and scars from my previous blemishes are fading away.  I’m not using any other skincare products (aside from a micellar water to remove my eye makeup) so I have to give the credit to Vichy for getting my skin back on the right track.  The only true drawback I for forsee with these products is the fact that they do contain fragrance.  It is a light, fresh and clean scent, but it is still fragrance and that can cause irritation for sensitive skin.  Thankfully that’s now something I’ve experienced (despite having super sensitive skin) but it is something to be aware of.

I’m so thankful I was able to give these a try – they’ve totally transformed my skin!  Even though my one month test period is up, I will still continue to use the entire line and I will be purchasing them on my own dime as I use them up.  I actually want to do some further investigation on the other products in the Normaderm line as well.  They’ve hooked me in! If you’re struggling with acne, I’d highly recommend you give them a try yourself!

Have you tried any of Vichy’s skincare products?  If so, let me know below!

Special thanks to ChickAdvisor and Vichy Canada for sending me these products to try!  These products were sent to me for review purposes but all opinions are my own.

Review: CND Vinylux Weekly Polish

How often do you do your nails?  I go through stages where I do my nails every week and then others where I don’t do them for months.  I love having polished nails but I like to make sure I have enough time do to them properly.  I don’t have a steady hand so if I rush through applying polish it never ends well.  And after I invest time in doing my nails, nothing irritates me more than to have them chip after a day or two of wear.

That’s why I was pretty excited to give CND’s Vinylux Weekly Polish a try.  I was sent a package containing CND’s Weekly Polish in Regally Yours #140 and a bottle of their Weekly Top Coat as part of ChickAdvisor’s Product Review Club.  Using these two together claims to result in 7 days of chip-resistant wear.  Sounded promising to me!

The Vinylux line is described as a fast-drying, 2-step system that offers brilliant shine that lasts.  It also claims that natural light will result in increased durability; I’m not exactly sure what that means and I couldn’t find anything online that explains that, although I’m assuming it means a UV lamp isn’t required to set it.  Lastly, these are 7-Free polishes meaning that these are free from toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, phthalates (DBP), formaldehyde resin, xylene and lead.

I’ve been wearing this polish for the last 2 weeks and I definitely have an opinion on it.  First up, where it delivers:

• I can vouch for its claim that its fast drying.  This is what impressed me most. I’ve applied it twice over the last few weeks and within minutes it was dry to the touch and I could apply a second coat or the top coat.  Only once did I have it smudge after application and that was my own fault.  I definitely appreciate this factor in a polish as I can be pretty impatient waiting for coats to dry.
• The formula is thin and relatively easy to work with (however this is also a bit of a problem as described below)
• The weekly polish lets off a decent amount of shine but the Weekly Top Coat is exceptionally shiny.  I love having shiny, glossy nails and this doesn’t disappoint.
• There is no base coat in this line and it is not recommended you use one as it will negate the adhesives in the colour coat.  Given how dark and deep the shade I received was, I very concerned about using it without a base coat as I was certain it would stain my nails.  I can’t say it didn’t stain them at all – it did leave a slight tint behind but no where near what I was expecting and am used to with darker colours.  I found that to be impressive.

And where it falls a little short:

• Unfortunately for me, this wasn’t a chip-free polish.  I’ve applied it twice over the last two weeks; the first time I was pretty hard on my nails and there were some small chips and noticeable wear on the tips of my nails after the second day.  Because this is such a dark colour, the chips and wear were pretty noticeable but there was no large chips or peeling at all.  I didn’t think it’d be fair to judge it solely on that experience, so after a week I removed and re-applied it again the following week when I was much kinder to my nails.  Unfortunately I experienced the same issue and it was actually a little worse.
• I attempted to use the top coat to cap my nails in order to provide that extra bit of protection as they suggested, but it rubbed the polish off the tips of my nails (I did ensure my nails were completely dry before doing so).  If I could get this to work, I feel like this would definitely help with the chipping and wear as all of that took place on the tips on my nails – nowhere else.
• While the formula is thin and easy to apply, it can be a little bit patchy.  The colour I received was a deep, dark purple that actually appears black after applying 2 coats and the top coat.  Despite those two coats, there were some very visible areas on my nails where the polish was spotty.
• I had a small gripe with the brush – it’s on the thinner side but I prefer a thicker brush as I find I can apply polish more evenly this way.  I feel like this may have contributed to the patchy application.

I’m kind of on the fence with this – there were things I liked about it but the lasting power was basically their claim to fame here and it didn’t work all that well.  I’ve admitted defeat on the shade that I was sent but given that it wasn’t one that I would have picked out for myself, I may give another colour a try and see if there’s an improvement.

CND Vinylux Weekly Polish retails for $12.95 CAD and is available at select retailers and salons.

Special thanks to ChickAdvisor and CND for sending me these products to try!  These products were sent to me for review purposes but all opinions are my own.

FURKID by Paws & Play – April Box

Another month, another Paws & Play box.  Actually this is the last box of our 3 month subscription and it was going to be the determining factor if we extended our subscription or not.  I was hoping that it would blow me away and I wouldn’t be able to resist re-subscribing (you can read our review of the February and March boxes here and here).  To find out if it convinced us to stick around or not, keep reading!

Paws & Play is a Canadian monthly subscription box for your furkid; each month you receive a variety of high-quality products for your pet and you can personalize your box based on your pets preferences (i.e. strong chewer, soft or crunchy treats, gender, etc.).

This month’s “box” came in a bag again, I’m not quite sure why as I feel it would have fit in a box.  As a result the product card was a little worse for wear.

The total value of the box came to a total $51.95; I found most of the listed prices pretty reasonable, aside from maybe the toy.  As mentioned, we purchased a 3 month subscription for $109.95, which calculates out to each box costing $36.65.

They also included a separate card this month showcasing a rescue pet and their story – this month’s being cutie Tika.

First up was the Hyper Pet Gnarly Gnaws Bone. ($14.95)  It had a squeaker in it and I think these are met for strong chewers (which she is not).  Maggie doesn’t really destroy her toys (unless they have fur on them) and unfortunately she didn’t much interest in this.

Next was the Petcurean Catfish Barbue Jerky for Active & Opinionated Dogs ($16.95).  Love the opinionated dogs thing – that’s a good way to describe Maggie.  I knew she’d like these as she likes jerky treats and fish and she gobbled one right up.  These were a hit!

Our third item was Northern’s The Big Biscuit ($4.95). This is a hard crunchy treat and our profile was set up not to receive crunchy treats so I was a little miffed to see this included.  I broke Maggie off a piece but as expected she turned her nose up at it.  There’s that opinionated dog thing kicking in.

Also included was a Fur + Body Revitalize & Sustain Dog Refresher ($12.95).  This is a spray that can be used to deodorize your pet’s coat if it’s getting a little less than fresh and you don’t have time for a bath.  We don’t have anything like this so I thought this was kind of neat.  I gave it a try and it smelled pleasant and seemed to work pretty well.  I like that its made with organic and natural ingredients too.

Lastly was a This & That Duck Wing ($1.95).  Looks appetizing doesn’t it?  😉  I was a little concerned because there was no packaging on this, it was just loose in the bag. I had to reference the product card to determine what it was but it didn’t give any details as to to where it was made.  In addition, I googled “This & That” and couldn’t find anything about them online so that was disappointing; I like to know where the products I’m feeding Maggie are coming from.  I’ve never given Maggie wings to chew on before and the shape of this made me a little nervous, but she was going crazy for it.  So I gave it to her and as you can see, she really enjoyed it at first:

Thank goodness I was watching her because within a few minutes of her chewing on it, she started coughing and I had to pull it out of her mouth because she had started to swallow it yet it wasn’t completely chewed.  After that I chucked it right in the garbage (much to her dismay).  I know there’s a choking hazard with any type of chew but this didn’t seem to be breaking down like a bully stick normally would, which is why she nearly choked on it.  Scary moment for me and I definitely won’t be purchasing any duck wings (or any other kind of wings!) for her going forward.

And that was this month’s box.  Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be renewing our subscription.  I really like doing these unboxings with Mags, she gets so excited when we go to open them up.  But on the other hand, I find we’re only using about 50% of the items that we receive and I’m feeling a little frustrated that our profile preferences have been ignored twice now.  I might do some more investigating on other pet subscription boxes just to see if there’s a better option for us.  If you have any recommendations, please let me know below!

Sephora Haul & First Impressions!

Did you participate in the Sephora sale?  I did and although I didn’t get everything I intended (as usual) and made a few impluse purchases, I generally stuck to my shopping list.  Here’s what I picked up:

L’Occitane Almond Smoothing and Beautifying Supple Skin Oil – $52 CAD:

From the website: A quickly absorbed indulgent body oil formulated with more than 50 percent almond oil to help skin feel firmer, smoothed, and hydrated.

I first heard of this from Youtuber Brianna Fox, I believe she mentioned it in a monthly favourites post.  She said it was great for using after you’re out of the shower and it leaves your skin soft and smooth.  I mentioned it to my Mom and she said she uses it and loves it.  Since my skin has been feeling exceptionally dry lately, I decided to treat my skin.  The price was a little hard to swallow but I figured if it was that good, it’d be more than worth it.

First impression:  I’m not sure about this quite yet.  The oil itself is lovely – it absorbs quickly as it claims, it smells beautiful and my skin feels supple, soft and smooth afterwards.  However, the packaging is my biggest gripe.  The oil is housed in a beautiful thick glass bottle with a spray pump – normally this wouldn’t be an issue but it takes quite a bit of effort to push the pump down and that combined with my oily hands feels like a disaster waiting to happen.  I was using this every other day but I’ve since cut back to every 3rd day because I’ve already used about 1/5 of the bottle.  Given the price I can’t really justify buying a bottle of this every month and I was hoping it would last a while.  So while I like this, I think next time I’d try the Almond Milk Concentrate instead.

Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Water Foundation – $47 CAD:

From the website: A lightweight, full coverage hydrating foundation infused with tarte’s Rainforest of the Sea™ complex.

I kept hearing everyone and their dog rave about this foundation and when I saw it in store, I couldn’t resist.  The packaging was beautiful, the shade (light neutral) was a perfect match for my skintone and the coverage looked amazing.

First impression: I obviously still have not learned my lesson to not buy foundations without trying a sample first.  I have sensitive, combination skin with an oily t-zone and dry, dehydrated skin everywhere else.  There are very few foundations that work for me, and unfortunately this is not one of them.  A few minutes after applying it, I loved how it looked, it literally made my skin look flawless.  Then it set, and that’s when the problems began.  It highlighted every dry patch and pore on my skin, and as the day went on, it only got dryer.  I tried applying it with various beauty sponges and foundation brushes, with primer, without primer and I just couldn’t get it to work.  On top of that, it was making me break out (not that that’s anything new).  So I unfortunately I had to return this which was disappointing.

Too Faced Love Flush Blush Wardrobe -$45 CAD

From the website: A six-piece, high-impact blush palette with shades that last for 16 hours.

I’m a big fan of Too Faced products and I’ve yet to try their blushes.  I’ve also been wanting a blush palette for a while so this killed two birds with one stone.  I swatched each one in store and they all looked like shades I would wear regularly so I was sold.

First impression: So happy with this purchase!  All of the blushes have just the right amount of pigment so you don’t need to use a light hand but you can easily build them for a more intense look.  They have a silky soft texture and tend to last about 6-8 hours on me, depending on what I’m doing.  My only complaint would be the packaging – it’s beautiful but it’s cardboard so I won’t travel with this – despite the fact that it’s super light, I know it’ll get scuffed and scratched in a second.  That’s no where near being a deal breaker though, so if you’re looking for a blush palette, I’d suggest you highly consider this one!  Note: this is limited edition.

Tarte Rainforest After Dark Colored Clay Eye & Cheek Palette – $48 CAD

From the website: A limited-edition, colored clay eye and cheek palette for day to night looks.

I did a post a few months back on multi-purpose palettes as I was trying to decide which one I should buy.  I looked at a few options but ultimately narrowed it down to this one and Tarte’s Showstopper palette.  I ended up choosing this one because it had everything I was looking for (eyeshadow, blush, bronzer and highlighter) and the shades are on the cooler side so I felt it’d work better with my skin tone.

First impression: Another satisfying purchase!  This is a great palette, I’m so happy with it!  The eyeshadows are fantastic – super buttery and pigmented and I absolutely love the shades.  The blush, highlight and bronzer are also gorgeous.  I’m going to be traveling with this soon and will do a more in-depth review sometime in June so stay tuned!

Original Beauty Blender – $28 CAD

From the website: An edgeless, non-disposable, high-definition cosmetic sponge applicator.

If I’m being honest, I really did not want to buy another one of these.  Paying $28 for a makeup sponge kinda kills me!  But I’ve tried many of its dupes and I still like this the best – nothing applies my makeup quite the same.  My last one lasted me a year which I’m pretty sure is much too long but I took pretty good care of it. We’ll see how long this one holds up!

First impression: Still great!

Buxom Eyeshadow Bar Single Eyeshadow (No Faux) – $15 CAD

From the website: A primer-infused, powerfully pigmented eye shadow refill with intense color payoff.  Described as a iridescent snakeskin.

I’ve been eyeing this shade long before I even purchased my Buxom palette, and I’ve been waiting for it to come back in stock at my local store for months. Luckily there was one left when I visited and I couldn’t wait to get it home and try it out.

First impression: No Faux is a duo-chrome, warm-toned brown eyeshadow with a pale and dark green shift. I found the texture to be a touch dry compared to my other Buxom shadows, which was a little odd.  I’ve worn this several times since I purchased it and I love how beautiful and unique it is.  I do find this works better pressed into the lid rather than blended all over – the duo-chrome tends to disappears when it’s blended out too much.  Overall though, very happy with this purchase!

Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint (sample) – Full size $28 CAD

From the website: A jet-black, volume-packed mascara so anyone can master the tarte of the fringe.

I usually buy my mascara from the drugstore but this was a 100 point perk so I can never resist trading in a few points to try something new.  I’m pretty picky about what I look for in a mascara, so anything with a heftier price tag really has to blow me away to convince me to buy it.

First impression: Damnit – I love this!  This is an amazing mascara  – it’s super black and it adds crazy length, definition and volume to my lashes which is exactly what I look for in a mascara!  On top of that, it doesn’t flake or smudge.  My other favourite higher-end mascara is Too Faced’s Better than Sex and I think (I think!) I might like this better because thus far (knock on wood), I haven’t experienced any flaking.  The only drawback is the packaging – there’s no edge at the end of the tube to wipe the excess product off on, so it gets pretty messy pretty quick.  I think this is specific to the sample size though, the full size appears to be different.   If this continues to be awesome, I’ll be adding this to my full-size purchase list for sure!

Clinique Take it All Off Set – $17 CAD

From the website: A duo featuring a dramatic, black mascara and a creamy cleansing balm to remove makeup and refresh.

I’ve been wanting to try Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm since last year and I finally decided I was going to do it.  I was happy to find this little set in that always dangerous area before the checkouts and I figured this was a perfect way to try it out without committing to the full size.  Plus it included a mini High Impact mascara as well.

First impression: So at first, I didn’t really like this.  Mainly because I wasn’t following the directions and applying it to wet skin, rubbing it in and then washing my face.  That did pretty much nothing to remove my makeup.  Then I re-read the directions and applied it to dry skin – and I was much happier.  This does work really well to remove all traces of makeup (including stubborn eye makeup!) but it requires patience as it’s a bit of a process.  I’ve found the way it works best is to really massage it to my skin (particularly my eye area), let it sit for a minute or two and then rinse.  The end result is my face is completely devoid of every trace of makeup and feels super soft and moisturized.  I’ve never had a cleanser do both of those things at the same time!  So consider me impressed but also disappointed that I didn’t buy the full size of this! I have yet to try the mascara so I’ll keep you updated on that.

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream with Super 7 Complex – $19 CAD

From the website: A daily age-defying moisturizer formulated with Fresh’s proprietary Super 7 Complex, proven to prevent the signs of aging, provide 24 hours of significant moisture, and boost radiance.

This was another impulse purchase – I had no intention of buying this but that darn checkout section got me again!  In fairness I did need a new day cream and I had forgotten about that prior to getting in line so this was a convenient option.  I haven’t tried much in the Fresh line aside from their Sugar Lip Treatments and Soy Face Cleanser.

First impression: The first thing I did when I opened the glass jar was sniff it and I was kind of disappointed with the cucumber scent.  It wasn’t strong by any means but I hate cucumbers and anything that smells like them!  It smells very similar to the Soy Face Cleanser, perhaps a little more muted.  However what really impressed me was when I applied this to my face – wow!  It’s a silky smooth, lightweight cream that just melts into my skin really nicely.  It’s really hydrating but it absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave behind that horrible tacky feeling that creams sometimes do.  So while it’s still pretty early to make the determination that this is my new favourite moisturizer, I have to say that it’s definitely impressed me so far.

If you read my Sephora Shopping List post, you’ll notice there’s a few items that I said I was going to buy that didn’t make it home with me, including:

Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Lipstick (Firebird): I swatched this in store and I was disappointed.  The colour is pretty but I thought it was going to be more unique. ]

Sephora Kiss Me Balm (Soda Pop): My store didn’t have this shade in stock so I’ll pick it up another time.

Escada Aqua Del Sol Fragrance: Apparently Sephora no longer carries Escada in-store, only online.  Given that the rollerball was sold out online, I couldn’t be bothered to place an online order.

Benefit Coralista Blush: Given that I purchased the Too Faced Blush palette above, I didn’t feel like shelling out more for an individual blush.  I still want to try this though, so it’ll stay on my ongoing list of products I want to try.

Bite Agave Lip Mask: This was something I REALLY wanted but my store was sold out of the clear version and I had no interest in the coloured options.  I was annoyed but I’ll pick it up at some point as I know it’s normally in stock.

My initial plan was to go in store and confirm what I wanted and place my order online so I could take advantage of ebates.  Problem being I was using a gift card to pay for my purchases and guess what?  You can’t use gift cards to pay for purchases online in Canada.  That REALLY ticked me off – like its 2016, why is this not possible?  So I ended up just purchasing everything in store and scaling back on my purchases a bit.

Would love to know what you picked up from the Sephora sale – please share with me below or link to your posts!

Thanks for stopping by!

FURKID by Paws & Play – March Box

Today I’m reviewing and sharing our unboxing of the March FURKID by Paws & Play box.  This is the second box we’ve received as part of our 3 month subscription.  You can read our review on our February box here.

Paws & Play is a Canadian monthly subscription box for your Furkid; each month you receive a variety of high-quality products for your pet and you can personalize your box based on your pets preferences (i.e. strong chewer, soft or crunchy treats, gender, etc.).

This month’s “box” actually came in a bag due to the size of the items included.  Like last month, they included a product card that lists everything included and their respective prices.  This value of the box this month was $65.75.

On the flip side of the card they always feature a rescue pet and his/her story.  This month’s coverboy is a kitty by the name of Luxx. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first item we pulled out of the box was this Chuckit! Max Glow Medium Ball.  Maggie will play fetch for about 2 minutes so she’s not really into balls.  However we usually keep one out in the backyard for when she has the urge so this will be good for that.  Or if we decided to play fletch at night I guess!

Next – another toy, this time an Indoor Tumbler by the same brand (Chuckit!).  I honestly didn’t think she’d be too interested in this as it’s pretty big and bulky but I threw it around the backyard for her and she played with it for quite a while!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here she is playing up a storm:

They also included a footed bowl; these are always handy to have on hand and I liked the colour of this, plus it’s pretty sturdy.  Maggie wasn’t so interested in this though ;):

On to something Maggie was more interested in – a snack bar.  This is from the brand Spike and contained chicken meal and sweet potato.  This actually smelled pretty good when I opened it (I didn’t test it out, I swear):

Maggie seemed to enjoy it (please excuse the grass stuck in her fur!):

I swear if any human ate like she did (all obnoxious with their mouth wide open), I’d be beyond annoyed:

But with her, it’s just cute.  🙂

Lastly, they included a large box of DIGZ French Pup Macarons:

On top was a  little card that described how and what they make the macarons with:

And finally, the macarons themselves:

These are basically like sandwich cookies with a crunchy cookie on the top and bottom and some kind of filing in the middle.  While I think these would be devoured by literally any other dog on the planet, Maggie is a bit picky and isn’t too fond of hard cookies.  She appears to have a hard time chewing hard treats or food so I usually have to break them up into small pieces for her.  I did this for her with these but these are REALLY hard and it took quite a bit for me to break it up.  I also specified in our profile that we only wanted to receive soft treats so I’m a little confused as to why they sent us these.  So we’ll probably forward these on to one of our doggie friends.

And that was what made up our March Paws & Play Box!  Overall I was pretty satisfied with the box, aside from the macarons.  Next month is going to be the last box as part of our 3 month subscription and then we’ll need to evaluate if we continue on month by month, sign up for another 3 month subscription or try another pet subscription box.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pizza Night @ Without Papers

Last weekend was Date Night for D and I – we were going to the hockey game and decided to go to dinner beforehand.  I had a craving for pizza so we decided on Without Papers.  We’ve visited once before, quite a few years ago and decided it was time to pay them another visit.  As usual, I made reservations using my Open Table account (which if you don’t already have, I’d highly recommend signing up for.  Find out why here).

Without Papers is a local pizzeria located in the trendy neighbourhood of Inglewood.  It’s located on the top floor of one of many historical buildings within the area.  There’s a bit of a hike up a steep flight of stairs to get to it, but once you’re upstairs its bright and airy, with the kitchen, bar and hostess stand near the back and a variety of pub tables and a bar seating around the staircase (such a smart use of space!).

When we arrived we were greeted warmly and promptly seated at a table in the corner, next to the window.  Our waitress came by and dropped off glasses of water while we perused the drink menu.  Their drink menu is pretty limited to beer and wine, so we both chose beers.  I ordered a Stiegel Radler, which is a grapefruit beer, and D ordered a Peroni which is an Italian beer.

While we waited for our drinks we eyed up the menu and decided to start with a caesar salad, and each get our own pizza.  I chose the Hawaiian 5-0 which was made up of Canadian back bacon, pineapple, jalapenos, aged cheddar and mozzarella.  D chose the Hutch which was topped with Calabrese salami, Genoa salami, pepperonata, and mozzarella.  This also came with a warning that this was spicy, which is part of the reason why he chose it (he loves heat!).

Our salad came shortly after we ordered our pizzas and it looked really good. I’m pretty picky when it comes to caesar salad – a) the dressing needs to have flavour and not be too garlicky b) there needs to be the right amount of dressing (not overloaded so it’s soggy but not dry either) and c) the lettuce needs to be crisp and fresh.  This version had the perfect amount of dressing and the dressing was delicious – creamy and with the right amount of garlic.  The only disappointment was with the lettuce itself – I prefer the dark, leafy part of the lettuce and it was mostly the stalks (I think that’s the word?). Not sure if this is normal for them or just a one-off.  Either way, it was still pretty good and we finished it off.

Then our pizza’s came.  I remember the pizza’s being good the last time ate here, but I don’t remember them being this good.  The pizzas have a super thin crust and are loaded with toppings.  This means that the crust can get a little soggy once it’s sat for a while but that doesn’t bother me one bit.  I must admit I removed the jalapeno’s from mine but I like that they leave a hint of heat behind.  Because of the light crust, you can easily eat more of your pizza than you would usually which is why I love thin crust pizza.

I had a slice of D’s pizza and his was really good too – albeit a bit too spicy for my taste.  He piles Sriracha and chill flakes on almost anything he can and likes the feeling of his mouth burning.  Me not so much.

Despite devouring almost all of our pizzas, we wanted to end our meal with a light dessert, and chose the Tiramisu.  It was really good and the perfect size to share.  The best thing about our meal is that we left full but not stuffed, which is surprising given how much we ate!

Now the one thing I have to mention that I was disappointed with was the service.  While our waitress was prompt and efficient, she was almost to efficient.  While I don’t like wait staff that don’t know when to stop talking, a little bit of conversation/pleasantries are nice.  She never asked us how we were or explained any of the specials or features, or asked if we had any questions.  When Darren’s pizza arrived, it was the incorrect order, and she apologized, whisked the pizza away and brought the correct pizza out shortly thereafter, so we appreciated how quickly that was dealt with that situation.  However, once we finished our pizzas, she took our empty plates away and then promptly brought us our bill.  She never asked if we wanted anything further (such as um, dessert?) so when she came by to ask if we needed the debit machine, I actually mentioned to her that we’d like to see a dessert menu.  She apologized and said she had simply forgotten and brought us the menu right away.  However, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that she wanted us out of there ASAP, which was annoying.   I hate being rushed when out for a meal.   I’m not sure if she was at the end of her shift or just anxious for us to move on, but either way, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Despite the customer service snafu, we were really pleased with our meal overall and would definitely return.  The delicious pizza made up for the oversight in service, and I’d totally recommend it as a place to curb your pizza craving in Calgary.

Where’s your favourite pizza from?  Let me know below.

Thanks for reading!

Simple Skincare

I was selected for the Simple Skincare campaign via Chick Advisor a few weeks ago and received a package containing 3 Simple Skincare products.  I’ve never used any products by this brand, but I’ve seen their products in the drugstore and know that they are popular amongst bloggers and Youtubers.

When I received the products I first did a little research on the company; as someone with sensitive skin, I was pleased to learn that all of their products are free from dyes, artificial perfumes or harsh chemicals.  Instead they contain skin-loving ingredients and added vitamins and their products are all are hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic and pH balanced (source)

While this all sounded great, I was interested to see if they’d deliver.  I’ve tried products meant for sensitive skin before, only to end up with breakouts, redness and irritation.  So needless to say, I’m pretty cautious about trying out new skincare and tend to introduce them slowly and sparingly.

Let’s get into the reviews of each product:

MICELLAR MAKEUP REMOVER WIPES – $6.99 / 25 wipes

Gently cleanses skin, leaving it feeling instantly hydrated and refreshed, with no residue left behind.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau) (Solvent), Cetearyl Isononanoate (Emollient), Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5),Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Glycerin (Humectant), Sodium Citrate (Buffering Agent),Ceteareth-20 (Emulsifier), Cetearyl Alcohol (Emulsifier), Glyceryl Stearate (Emulsifier),Ceteareth-12 (Emulsifier), Benzoic Acid (Preservative), Dehydroacetic Acid, Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)

I’m pretty picky about my makeup remover wipes.  I typically only use these when I travel or sometimes if I’m feeling particularly lazy after a night out.  My favourite makeup remover wipes are the Olay Gentle Clean Wet Cleansing Cloths because I can usually get away with using one to remove all my makeup (two if I am wearing heavy/waterproof eye makeup), they stay moist and they don’t irritate my skin or eye area.  So that’s what these were going up against.

I’ve used a half a dozen of these so far and I can say that they are on par with my Oil of Olay faves.  They’re really moist, so I have no problem with removing almost every trace of makeup.  If I’m wearing a particularly stubborn mascara or eyeliner I might have to use a makeup remover just to clean up around my eyes but that’s no different than what I experience with the Olay wipes.  The best thing is that I never experienced any dryness, redness, irritation or breakouts with these – my face just felt nice and clean afterwards! Overall, I’m happy with these and would repurchase these on my own.

REPLENISHING RICH MOISTURIZER – $10.99 / 198 mL

Leaves skin replenished and nourished all day long.  Contains Pro-Vitamin B5, Chamomile, Glycerin & Geranium.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Polyacrylamide, Stearic Acid, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Caprylyl Glycol, Laureth-7, Allantoin, Pentylene Glycol, Bisabolol, Disodium EDTA, Lactic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Serine, Sodium Hydroxide, Urea, Sorbitol, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Methylisothiazolinone, Phenoxyethanol

When I saw the word “rich” in this I groaned a little inside.  Me and rich moisturizers don’t usually get along.  I have combination skin so I don’t typically need a heavy duty moisturizer.  If my skin is feeling particularly parched, I’ll use a heavier moisturizer overnight so my skin has plenty of time to absorb it.

Surprisingly the consistency of this isn’t as thick and creamy as I expected.  It’s actually quite lightweight but once applied to skin it is quite emollient and definitely takes its time to absorb. Unfortunately I tried it out one morning and a few hours in my skin was looking pretty oily so this wouldn’t work as an everyday moisturizer for me.  I have used it overnight however, and it seems to work better for me that way.  So I’ll keep it on hand for those times when I’m needing some extra hydration.  I don’t think I would purchase this on my own though – I prefer skincare with active ingredients (ideally glycolic acid) and lighter moisturizers work best on my skin.  I see they do have a light moisturizer so I think that would probably work better for my skintype if I was looking for a moisturizer with inactive ingredients.

CLEANSING MICELLAR WATER – $6.99/198 mL

A perfect blend of multi-vitamins, skin loving ingredients and gentle cleansers to cleanse the skin while removing make-up. Skin is left feeling clean and hydrated.

Ingredients: Aqua, Hexylene Glycol, Glycerin, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, DMDM Hydantoin, Cetrimonium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate.

This box couldn’t have come along at a better time – I was close to finishing up my much-repurchased Sephora Action Cleansing Water and have been itching to try something new.  I had heard some good things about this Micellar Water so I was very interested to give it a try and see how this compared.  I’ve been using the Sephora version for years and I’m very happy with it. I like to use a micellar water in the morning in lieu of washing my face, and after cleansing in the evening.

I experienced 2 drawbacks with this micellar water; firstly, I felt like my skin was slightly oilier than usual by about mid-day when I used this in the morning.  Secondly, I prefer a pump-style bottle rather than a squeeze bottle as I find it’s much easier to dispense and I use only what I need.  Overall though I think this is a pretty good micellar water.  It removes makeup pretty well, leaves my skin feeling refreshed and doesn’t leave any residue behind.  I’m not sure it could replace my Sephora version but I’d pick it up if I was in a pinch.

Overall I was pretty happy with the Simple Skincare products I received.  Even if all the products weren’t a complete match for my skin type and typical preferences, I could easily make any of these work for me and be happy with the results.  Plus I love the fact that they’re from the drugstore and are reasonably priced.

Have you tried any Simple Skincare products?  What were your thoughts?  Let me know below!

Have a great day!

Luxe Box – Spring 2016

Happy Hump Day!  Thanks to the holiday on Friday, we’re already halfway through the week.  Sometimes I find that short weeks feel longer than regular weeks which is annoying.  Thursday at 4:30 PM can’t come soon enough!

Today I’m reviewing my Spring Luxe Box.  Luxe Box is a quarterly Canadian beauty subscription service; included in the box is 7-8 trial-sized beauty and lifestyle items.   The monthly plan costs $26 a month and the annual plan is $96 a year.  I subscribe to the monthly plan as I prefer the freedom to cancel my subscription whenever I please.

So, here’s what my Spring box included:

Smashbox Photo Finish Classic Primer (.25 fl. oz – $44 CAD for 1 oz): I’m not a fan of this primer yet samples of it follow me everywhere I go.  I’ll be giving this away.

Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Primer (3.0 mL – $37 CAD for 0.75 oz): A second primer?  Okay I actually don’t mind this one but again, I’ve already got a few of these in my stash already.  Boring.

Jelly Pong Pong Lychee Softening Shower & Bath Gel (30 mL – $15.95 USD): Lychee’s gross me out – I personally think they look and feel like eyeballs. So I can’t say I’m super excited by this but I haven’t tried it out yet.  At first I thought this was a sample size but it appears this actually full-sized.  I can’t imagine paying $15 for this little tube?

POP Beauty Kajal Pen – Inky Purple (0.9 g – $10 USD): This excited me at first as I actually quite like purple eyeliners.  Then I tried it.  This smudged like crazy.  Plus it’s not really all that pigmented so you can’t really tell that it’s purple.  And if you actually want to smudge it out and use the smudger that’s on the end of the brush, it rubs the eyeliner away.  Fail.

Schick Hydro Silk Razor ($12.64 CAD): This seemed like an odd addition to the box but one of the few things that I’m actually going to use.  We typically purchase the value pack of Schick disposable razors from Costco and they work well but every so often its nice to use something a little more luxurious.  I’ve used this a few times and I do enjoy how soft my skin feels after and it definitely reduces the number of nicks and cuts I inflict on myself.  On the down side I don’t find these provide as close of a shave as my disposable razors.

Morgan Taylor Professional Nail Lacquer – Eye Candy (15 mL – $15.83 CAD): I always like getting nail polishes and I’ve never heard of this brand before so its nice to try something new.  If only the colour were more unique – I have this periwinkle shade in other brands so I wish they would have included something a little different.  I have tested this out and the formula seems easy to work with so that’s a bonus.  I struggle with the $15 price tag on this though, as nice as the formula is you wouldn’t catch me paying $15 for a bottle of this.

Model Co BB PLUS Cream Daily All-In-One Skin Perfector Broad Spectrum SPF 30 – Light (35 mL – $22 CAD): This is what excited me most out of the whole box – I love BB creams for the warmer months when slathering a thick layer of makeup on my face is the last thing I want to do.  This pretty much claims to do it all including cover blemishes and imperfections, maintain hydration, correct signs of dullness or fatigue and help protect the skin from UV rays.  Unfortunately I’ve used this twice and I’m not even the least bit impressed.  The coverage of this is so sheer that it does nothing to cover any blemishes or scaring, nor does it brighten or awaken my complexion. It feels pointless to even apply it. On top of that the shade is really orange/yellow so it gives me a really attractive Oompa Looompa glow. And if that isn’t enough,it doesn’t last on my skin.  Both times I’ve used this I’ve applied it in the morning and hung out at home on the couch all day.  After a few hours, the product dissipates off my face and I don’t have a trace of it left.  I could potentially use this as a primer but that’s about it.  Huge disappointment and wouldn’t recommend this.

This month they also included two coupons; one for a bonus 3500 Shoppers Optimum points if you purchased the full size of the Benefit POREfessional Primer.  I don’t like it enough to purchase the full size so that won’t be going to use.  The second was $5 razor blades for the Schick razor.  I know razor blades are expensive so I might actually use this.

So, if you couldn’t tell, I’m pretty disappointed with this season’s box.  I feel like there wasn’t a ton of thought put into it (2 primers, a razor, etc.) and the products I was excited to try fell flat.  That said, this is only my third Luxe Box and I was happy with the previous two I’ve received.  Here’s hoping the Summer Luxe Box is more impressive!

Have you tried any of these products?  What are your thoughts on the Spring Luxe Box?  Let me know below.

Thanks for stopping by!

Lise Watier Hydraforce Hydra-Protective Comforting Creme

Last month I was selected to receive a product from Lise Watier’s newest skincare line HydraForce, courtesy of Glam Sense.  This line contains Gaspé Algae Extract, described as a “…survivor of harsh environments, the Gaspé algae has developed a highly efficient resistance system, enabling it to thrive in severe conditions. Its extract guarantees the skin’s global hydration, transforming it into a veritable defensive shield.” (source).  

I received the Hydra-Protective Comforting Creme, which is meant for normal to dry skin.  Unfortunately this wasn’t really a match for me as I have combination skin so I feel the Creme-Gel would have worked better with my skin type. I do tend to experience dry patches every once and while though so I decided to give it a try.  In addition to the creme, I also received a hydra-detect device that was meant to test the hydration levels of my skin (more on this later).

First up, I have to say the packaging is beautiful.  The jar is a thick, heavy glass and it feels and looks really luxurious and high-end.  The creme itself has a thick, rich and creamy consistency and after applying this before bed for a period of 2 weeks, I definitely noticed a difference in the hydration levels of my skin.

One thing I’m not a fan of is its’ strong, perfumey scent; I have very sensitive skin and I tend to stray away from skincare products that have added fragrance.  I think I could stand the scent more if it dissipated after applying, but it lingers for quite a while after.

This is also just a little too rich for my skin, at least right now. Not much of a surprise, given that it’s for normal to dry skin types. I think if we had more of a true winter here, this may work better for me as an overnight mask, used a couple of times a week.  This has been a very mild winter and we haven’t had much in terms of blustery winds or really cold, dry air so my skin isn’t in need of this level of hydration.  However I think if you struggle with dry, parched skin, this could work wonders on you!

Lastly, I have to say that I find the hydra-detect device a little..okay, a lot gimmicky.  Basically you download the Hydra-Detect app and hook the device up to your phone.  The device has a sensor which is to be place on different areas of your skin before and after applying the product, in order to measure hydration levels.  The problem is – I could only get this to work on my hand.  Its intended to test the T-zone and Cheeks but every time I pressed the device in those areas, it wouldn’t move past the “testing” stage and the results never came through.  So I found that frustrating but I wouldn’t depend on this to determine how hydrated my skin is anyway, because how accurate could this really be?  It did show that my hand was much more hydrated after applying the creme but of course it would be, and I don’t really need a device to tell me that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The price point for this product is $45 CAD for 45 mL; if I compare that to other higher-end skincare brands I’ve used, I find the price reasonable.

Overall, I think this is a decent product and would probably work well for those needing some serious hydration and moisture added back into their skin, assuming you’re okay with the fragrance.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Dicaprylyl Ether, Cetyl Alcohol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Leaf Cell Extract, Squalane, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Dimethiconol, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Peg-8, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium Edta, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Parfum (Fragrance), Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Geraniol, Citronellol

Cost: $45.00 CAD for 45 mL

Thanks to Glam Sense and Lise Watier for giving me the opportunity to try out this product!