Demeter Helps You Smell the Rain!

Springs showers are just hitting some places, but if your city isn’t one of them, don’t worry: you can still get in on the action with Rain from Demeter Fragrance Library.

Rain doesn’t just smell like water.  It’s a soft subtle scent that smells of warm earth and freshness in the air.  It’s a truly unisex scent because it doesn’t smell like cologne or flowers.

If you like untraditional scents or just like smelling good then this is the fragrance for you.

You can find this beautiful scent on Amazon.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged | Leave a comment

Vitamin C Packaging

All three of these bottles have 30ml of product, but I thought that it was really interesting that the Ole Henrikson bottle was HUGE.  That being said, the Ole Henrikson bottle is airless so it’s not going to oxidize the product as you’re using it.

Does packaging make a difference in what you buy? I know we feel that dropper bottles are more science-like and so the stuff inside must be better, but you’re letting air into a product every time you use a dropper bottle and that might not be a good thing.  Vitamin C is unstable to light so… something to keep in mind when you’re purchasing it.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Aveda Dry Remedy Collection

 

Because I live in a dry climate, and because I guess I do wash my hair a wee bit too often, I’m always on the lookout for the next best moisturizing shampoo and conditioner line, and my latest love is Aveda’s Dry Remedy Shampoo and Masque.

They are both infused with Buriti Nut oil that nourishes your hair during wash and afterwards.

The masque is remarkable, and it actually does work, but the shampoo is pretty awesome too.  You just need a tiny bit to get a head full of lather, so you’re not dousing your hair in shampoo.  Both products are rich and creamy and smell lovely as all Aveda products do!

$32 for Conditioner, $40 for the masque, and $32 for the Shampoo.

Posted in Hair | Tagged | 5 Comments

The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream

One of the things that I’ve been doing while I’ve been home on quarantine is going through all my drawers and bags and digging out the minis and hand creams that I’ve got stashed away.  I don’t know why I stash them but I do!  So now I’m going through them, and I found this cute The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream.

One sniff of the cream and it took me back – it smells fresh and clean like old-school Body Shop. I can see why this cream has been around forever.  It’s light and fresh and perfect for every kind of skin.  The formula has wheat germ oil in it too, and has been updated with the addition of Hyaluronic Acid.  It’s effective and made my skin feel so good.

Anyone else love a Mini?

Posted in Moisturizers | Tagged | Leave a comment

Givenchy Fall 2010 Collection

A look at an old fall collection from Givenchy. Loved it, and they kind of launch similar things each year, but this collection was especially pretty. Now, instead of eyeshadow quads, they have a 9 shadow palette but still with sparkly shadows.

My picks are going to be the Midnight (bottom right) and Blue (top right) quads. Smoky eyes are always in for fall, and the jewel tones are going to take this look to the next level.

The face shades (both the blush and the face powder) are called Blooming and are sheer peachy powders meant to make the skin look as if it’s glowing. They’re so pretty and easy to use.

Finally, we come to my favourites – the nail polish, lipgloss, and lipstick. All are in peachy pink tones and just make everything vibrant and pretty. The lip gloss is Blooming Lilac and Blooming Coral so they’re pretty much must-haves.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged | 3 Comments

It Cosmetics CC Cream Drugstore Dupe

Sometimes, you don’t have to buy something from the drugstore to get the best of what’s available.

Case in point: It Cosmetics CC cream, which is a cult favourite. People love it for the amount of coverage it gives, and because of the fact that it’s SPF 50.  It comes in 3 different formulas: matte, regular, and Illumination.

The It Cosmetics CC cream is $52.

You could also try the Maybelline Dream Urban Cover which also has lots of coverage and SPF 50.  Both formulas are basically high SPF foundations available in a range of natural-looking colours.  Honestly, they are my go-tos when I want to be protected during the day.

The Maybelline Dream Urban Cover foundation is $15.99 and available online.

Both foundations have some antioxidants and skin-helping ingredients – but the main thing is that even their packaging is similar, and L’Oreal is the parent company that owns both brands. I actually liked the Maybelline Dream Urban Cover best, because it has the right amount of coverage and looks so natural on my skin.

Have you tried these? What did you think?
 

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Kevin Murphy Ever Smooth Heat-activated style extender

This is my favourite new hair product, and it launched at a time that I can really give it time to test it out. This is an amazing spray for helping your heat-style your hair. It protects your strands from damage, but it also has hold in it so that whatever you’re doing to your hair will stay a bit better. There’s no slip to this product, so don’t use it like you would use a leave-in conditioner or something, but use it as the last product in your hair styling routine so that it gives you the hold that you need.

I also like to use this on dry hair because it gives extra hold and shine, and I like to use it when I’m not heat-styling my hair because it kind of makes my hair dry extra curly by trapping the moisture in my hair.

Like all Kevin Murphy products, this smells really good. Like wet cedar in the best way. I love spraying this on in the morning to set my hair and I kind of use it like a hairspray after I’m done doing my hair too. I like how my hair looks when it sets and I like the bit of shine this adds to my hair.

Get it where Kevin Murphy products are sold.

Posted in Styling Products | Tagged | Leave a comment

Deciem’s The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% with HA Spheres 2%

I love test-driving products from @deciem.  They don’t break the bank, but you have to order them online.

Right now, I’ve been test-driving this @deciem The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension on my nights off from Retinol. It was super grainy and dry feeling but that was just the first use. After that, it’s been smooth and easy to wear and makes my skin super bright.

The formula of this cream is basically vitamin C powder mixed into Squalane.  Because of that it feels oily and powdery at the same time, and a little bit gritty.  But that’s ok.  It eventually melts into your skin and you can totally use it in the morning before your sunscreen and the rest of your routine. 

I do find that at the beginning of using this, it really really burns my skin. They say that it’s more of a tingle, but I really felt that it was a bit of a burn that I felt. This diminishes as time goes on, and your skin does get used to it, but you have to go through a bit of discomfort first. 

Oh, and they also have a Vitamin C in silicone, but silicone always makes my skin break out so I didn’t try that.

Available online for $5.80.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Aveda Hand Relief

While I’m at home, I’m finding all these half-finished hand creams and I’m trying to finish them all. First up is Aveda Hand Relief. It smells beautiful and fresh like many of Aveda products, and so that makes me look forward to using it. It’s also not overly scented, so I like that too.

The texture of this cream is thick and greasy. It really protects your hands, but it has a matte, not shiny finish, so you really feel like you can use it during the day and then go write or do whatever you need to do.

$12 for this little travel size.  $34 for 125mL.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Nars Contour Blush

Nars Contour BlushesIf you finish doing your makeup – the whole foundation, eyes, blush, brows routine – and at the end, everything still looks a little flat, then chances are that what you’re missing is a contour. Contour just adds dimension and depth back into your face. Your face is not without its own shadows and a layer of foundation and concealer tends to cancel all those out, so you need to strategically put them back in.

Your best bet when finding a new contour colour is to check out Nars’ new contour blushes. With any shimmer or glitter, these blushes have a two colours in them – a darker pan with a lighter highlighting stripe next to it.  There are three shades to choose from: Olympia, Paloma, and Gienah.

I checked out the blush in Olympia (the lightest) and Gienah (the darkest).

Nars GienahGienah is best for very dark skin tones. It is a honey-coloured powder for highlighting, paired with a deep amber for contouring. If you use Nars foundation, you will likely only need Geinah if you are the darkest three colours.

Nars OlympiaOlympia is great for light and medium skin tones. I’m a medium through and through, and it worked very well on my skin. The ivory highlighter is easy to blend and not at all chalky. It is not shimmery and slightly creamy toned, so if you’re porcelain skinned, you will need to use it carefully and after you apply a foundation. The Rose coloured blush has a touch of greyish beige in it so it actually does work as a shadow on the skin and blends beautifully.

These are $46 and available at Sephora, Hudson’s Bay, Holt Renfrew and Murale) and www.narscosmetics.ca. You may not use a contour colour daily, but I highly recommend this blush if you’re going to be photographed because it makes such a difference in your final look.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged | Leave a comment