YSL Black Opium Neon

Posted on May 14, 2020 by Henna


Someone that I encounter almost daily smells so good. I walk by her and sometimes catch a whiff of her perfume, and I ask her what it is and it’s always… Black Opium. Given that, I was excited to give this new version of Black Opium a try.

This is definitely a gourmand scent, with notes of dragonfruit, orange blossom, and coffee, with a sugary amber in the dry down.

What I love about this scent is that it’s definitely long-lasting and I can smell one spray at the end of the day, even if I’ve sprayed it at the beginning of the day. It’s an eau de parfum and that’s probably why it’s so long-lasting.

$135 for 75mL, or $38 for this 10mL spray.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Perfumes | Tagged | Leave a comment

Catrice Cosmetics Overview Video

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Henna

Catrice Cosmetics is an awesome drugstore brand out of Germany that has makeup products at a very affordable price point.  Here, I talk about the products of theirs that I have tried.  You can find this brand at Shoppers Drug Mart.

http://www.instagram.com/p/CAHDE0KBDoP/

The Bae Eyeshadow Palettes are $16.99, the Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer is $7.99, and the HD Liquid Coverage Foundation is $13.99.

I’ve been impressed by everything in this line and think they’re worth checking out.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Make-Up | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Illumination Review

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Henna

Ok, my friends, I gotta say that I’m a huge It Cosmetics fan because their products are awesome. Soooo, I’m always a little biased when I talk about their products. BUT, I will say that I am on the fence about this CC cream. It is more like a foundation, even though it’s only available in  6 colours – and I have the shade medium.

If you’re looking for foundation-like coverage, then this is the CC cream for you.  I love using a foundation that has SPF 50 in it because then I have to worry less about sunscreen.

But check out how much shimmer was left on my hand after using this CC cream.  It was pretty shimmery which means that my face was shimmery too.  It looked more natural on my face than it did on my hand, but super be aware that this is a pretty shimmery cream.  It was toned down once I put powder on it and looked like a natural satin finish.

Available at Sephora for $52.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Make-Up, Skin Care | Tagged | Leave a comment

My Vanity Right Now

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Henna

Here’s what’s on my vanity at the moment.  What do you think?  See any favs?  I’ll say that this Make Up For Ever Reboot foundation is the best, even though it’s not really for oily skin.  Still love it.  I’m colour Y365 and I’ve added it to my Sephora List so that when it finishes I’ll be able to get more.  It doesn’t have sunscreen in it, but I’m using a sunscreen as a base.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tips for using A313 Retinol Pomade

Posted on May 12, 2020 by Henna


I’m using French retinol A313, and my skin is actually loving it. The weather these days is dry so my skin is more dry than usual. You can see in the picture above that it has a thick rich texture, which is slightly sticky when you apply it on your face. If you apply just a pea-sized amount, you’ll see that the pomade absorbs and leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth.

You also have to apply this on completely dry skin – one Instagram user recommended that I let my skin dry for an hour – but that’s just not happening. I wait about 20 minutes and then I apply the pomade, and I’m finding that’s working just fine. I also like to apply hyaluronic acid right on my skin before I use this because it adds a bit of moisture on my skin and the texture of the pomade seals it in.

If you don’t wait for your skin to dry before you use this, you’ll find that it becomes really itchy and you don’t want that. You’ll be scratching or touching your face almost constantly and that’s what you don’t want, especially considering the pandemic that’s been going on. Wait for your skin to dry and things will be better.

There might also be flaking when you use this – it’s only a 0.3% over-the-counter retinol but it’s pretty irritating so I found that I had some flaking after just 3 days of using it. A bit of irritation doesn’t bother me because it lets me know that it’s working, but I didn’t use any acids or vitamin C’s when I was on the regimen. I just stuck to my hyaluronic acid in the morning and at night and then used a hydrating cream in the morning. You could even use an oil and then put sunscreen on top. That worked well for me.

A313 is French but it’s available on Amazon!  I have linked to it so that it’s easier to find.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Drugstore Dupe: Hair Serum

Posted on May 11, 2020 by Henna

You know you love it – we all love to get premium beauty products without breaking the bank, and today I’m going to tell you about a hair serum that I think works as well as a high end salon line’s.

It’s L’Oreal’s OleoTherapy Perfecting Oil Essence, which I think works as well as Kerastase’s Elixir Ultime.

Now, I’ve gone through many bottle of the Kerastase serum and I absolutely love it.  I even have a back up of it sitting in my haircare drawer, so that I can turn to it whenever I need.  It smells amazing (all Kerastase products are so nicely scented) and it leaves my hair super duper soft.  So I love it and continue to use it.  But at $60 it might be the thing that you save for special occasions.

l'oreal paris oleo therapy perfecting oil essence

Instead, you could try L’Oreal’s OleoTherapy Perfecting Essence which is $15.96 and available at the drugstore.  It offers a blend of oils with the silicones, and L’Oreal is the parent company of Kerastase, so it’s not surprising that both brands are offering an oil-serum to use on your hair.

I found that both of these left my hair super soft and manageable.  The Kerastase one had a nicer scent, but it didn’t make that much of a difference in the long run.

You can find both Kerastase and L’oreal online.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Styling Products | Tagged , | Leave a comment

5 Best Eye Creams

Posted on May 8, 2020 by Henna

You definitely don’t need 5 eye creams, and most of the time I don’t use one.  I find that my skincare used under my eye does just fine, but sometimes my eye area is more dry and crepe-y so I like using an eye cream when I feel that’s happening.

So here are my favs – they’re all different so that you can find one that’s good for you. Reviews are linked, but also where to buy, in case you know what you want.

  1. Tatcha Silk Peony Melting Eye Cream. Light but creamy.  $78. Purchase here.

2. Vivier Platine GrenzCine Eye Cream.  Has squalane and peptides in it so it’s a cut above most eye creams at Sephora.  Available in dermatologists’ and medi-spas. $191.  Purchase here.

3. Fresh Creme Ancienne Eye Cream.  Super rich. $95.  Available at Sephora.

4. Estee Lauder Daywear Eye.  A cooling gel that’s lovely. $52.  Surprisingly, this is the cheapest one on my list, even though I think of Estee Lauder as a high end brand. Available at Sephora.

5. Philosophy Time in a Bottle for Eyes.  Love this because it has vitamin C in it which makes it a great serum.  It’s not a cream, so you could use this under a cream.  Find it here.

What are some of your favourite eye creams?

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ralph Lauren Big Pony Fragrance Collection Review

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Henna

This fall, Ralph Lauren is after the younger consumer with their Big Pony fragrance collection.  As consumers increasingly want goods that seem to “fit” their own personality, Ralph Lauren has created 4 scents, each of which represents a particular personality group.  There is Sporty, Seductive, Adventurous, and Stylish and they all smell different from one another.

The Sporty fragrance (#1) is is a fresh citrus.  It smells very much like most men’s fragrances – kind of effervescent and soapy.

The Seductive scent (#2) is an interesting mix of dark chocolate and musk.  The opening is unusually gourmand, but the drydown is very nice.

#3 is the Adventurous scent and is a minty woody scent.  It is my favourite because of the fresh opening and then the smoky drydown.

#4 is supposed to represent Stylish men and is so fruity with woods.

You can find them on Amazon.

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Perfumes | Tagged | 2 Comments

Raincry Volume Collection

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Henna

Brand new at department stores is Raincry, a haircare brand that uses the best ingredients in its hair care formulations. I’ve been loving using the Volume collection right now, because it’s making my hair clean without stripping it. It’s adding volume and moisture in one go.

The Volume Wash has AHA’s in it to help cleanse your scalp, and the Thickening Rinse is an emollient conditioner with omegas in it to help the condition of the hair.  It washes clean but leaves hair detangled and smooth.

You can find the collection at The Bay, Saks, Bloomingdales, and Nordstrom.  The Bay is having a deal right now where you get a free shampoo with any Raincry purchase.  $48 for the conditioner, $44 for the shampoo.

All the products are color and keratin safe, and are made in Canada.

They also have some amazing hand crafted brushes that leave your hair so nice and smooth.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Shampoo and Conditioner | Tagged | Leave a comment

Garnier SkinActive Micellar Water

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Henna

Right now, I’m using Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water.

Micellar water isn’t just regular water. It’s water that’s infused with tiny particles (micelles) of oil or cleanser so that it feels like water, but the micelles emulsify oil and dirt, and make it possible to wipe all that away.

If you’re trying to reduce your impact on the environment, one way of doing that might be to stop using wipes on your face because they are big polluters. I mean, there’s a time for wipes, like on vacation, but if you’re just using them at home, then you might be better off stocking up on micellar water and some reusable makeup removing pads, or even some washcloths.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is meant to take off makeup but also leave your skin moisturized.  I need something else to take off waterproof mascara, but that’s always the case for me.  It always requires a couple of cleanses, or even some cold cream to really come off.  I like following up with a light cleanse to get my skin really clean.

Pick up Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water online for $8.97.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Cleansers | Tagged , , | Leave a comment