Biossance Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum Review

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Henna

OMG, so the name of this serum bugs me.  Phyto-Retinol?  It’s just so misleading.  There is no retinol in this serum, and the main active ingredient is Bakuchiol in a squalane formula that’s ultra-moisturizing.  Now, Bakuchiol has been studied a bit and the evidence suggests that 1% of a bakuchiol formula can have the same effect as retinol for reducing wrinkles if used twice a day.

That’s great news for people who find that retinol is too harsh for their skin because Bakuchiol is more gentle and it’s a vegan product.  The problem is that bakuchiol doesn’t have the same effects as retinol on acne and skin tone, and so to use the name Phyto-Retinol in the name of a product that doesn’t have retinol in it is so misleading.  It’s capitalizing on the popularity of retinol without actually including that ingredient in the formula.

They should just change the name because this is actually a nice serum, and I loved using it. I love squalane even on my oily skin because it prevents it from getting dry.  I also love bakuchiol because it makes my skin so bouncy.  I put this serum on at night and then woke up to brighter bouncy skin every single day that I used it.  It worked great and I would recommend it for every skin type.

Available at Sephora, $95.

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

Real Techniques Cleansing Palette and Brush Cleanser

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Henna

If sometimes you want to scrub your brushes clean but don’t know how to, then a brush palette can be a real help.  It’s a silicone pad and you put soap in it and then swirl your brushes around.  The little knobs really get into your brush and help get the dirt out.  A packet of the palette comes with a brush cleanser sample!

The palette is made out of silicone, so it doesn’t retain any colour and washes totally clean.  I let it dry on the counter before I put it away.

The Brush Cleansing Gel is nice and light, and washes everything out of your brushes.  I love using it and I just had to use it in my brushes once.

The Brush Cleansing Palette is available for $26.99 and the Brush Cleansing Gel is $9.

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

Dior Lip Balm

Posted on April 26, 2020 by Henna

I am currently addicted to this lip balm in a big way.  I don’t think I’ve liked a gloss or balm like this one in a really long time, and I love this so much that I’ve been using it non-stop recently!

What am I talking about? Dior Addict Lip Glow which first launched in 2009 and is now a mainstay in their product line up.  People really love the lip glows, so much so that Dior also has a lip oil that’s out now too.

It’s one of those products that changes colours adjusting to your own lips, and it gives my lips a super healthy pink colour that looks like my own lips after eating a raspberry popsicle.  The balm gives shine to your lips but that eventually wears away just leaving a stain-like pink behind.  It’s really quite enchanting.

Word to the wise though – the more of the balm you apply, the deeper the pink gets until it’s almost reddish pink and that might not be the colour that you want to wear.

You can find the Lip Glow everywhere Dior’s products are sold.  It also has SPF 10 and retails for $42.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Make-Up | Tagged | 5 Comments

Scentuals Skin Repair Balm

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Henna

A stick moisturizer has so many benefits: less messy and less waste of product for starts.  If you’re using Scentuals skin Repair Balm, then you’re also getting the benefit of shea butter, cocoa butter, and whatever’s scenting these beautiful body bars.

The bars melt as you rub them on your skin, and they’re a little greasy but they really protect your skin from dryness.  They’re perfect for the frequent hand-washing that we’re doing right now!

The Rosemary Mint scent is my favourite, but these also come in Lavender, and Vanilla Tangerine.

Available on the Scentuals website. $13.95 each.

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

Avene Eau Thermale Mineral Fluid and Tinted Mineral Fluid

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Henna

I’m into tinted sunscreens at the moment, and Avene’s Tinted Mineral Fluid has the tint that closest to my skin tone at the moment.!  The SPF 50 formula is made up of zinc oxide which is finely milled but I found that the tinted version wasn’t dark enough for me, and I stuck to the untinted version and mixed my concealer into it.  The tint is a beige colour that’s not warm enough for me.

The formula for both is slightly greasy so I like to apply powder on top, but it’s also moisturizing and natural-looking so I do like to use it and find it comfortable to wear.

Available at drugstores for $36.

For those that are interested, I swatched both these sunscreens in my Spring Favourites video, so I’ve reposted it below.

http://www.instagram.com/tv/Bw3SsZAhE6W/

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

Nars Brow Perfector

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Henna

Are you growing in your eyebrows yet?  Because the pencil thin brows or brows that blend into your skin just aren’t in anymore. What you need is brows that really make a statement or at least an appearance on your face.

If you need help filling in some spots, you could try the Nars Brow Perfector ($22).

 

nars brow perfector

The Nars Brow Perfector is a super slim eyebrow pencil that is just right for filling in the brows.  It is long-lasting and quite natural looking because the line, although coloured, is not super dark so you can use small strokes and make it look like hair.  You can also use an eyebrow brush and blend it into the skin so that it looks completely natural.  The Brow Perfector comes in four colours: Salzbourg (blonde), Kalamata (Light Brown), Caucase (Brown), and Suriname (Black).  I have the Suriname, and I actually find it to be a little too dark unless I use it sparingly.  I think it would be great for someone with black brows that are very slim, but used on brows that already have a full shape, Suriname can give a look that’s a little too dramatic.  That said, it’s a very easy pencil to use for the eyebrows.

If you’re wondering whether you really need a brow product, let me throw this into the mix: if you’ve ever spent a lot of time doing your makeup, looked back at pictures and wondering what was missing – it’s probably that you didn’t spend any time on your brows.  A nicely groomed brow is the real difference between a professional makeup job and an amateur one.  Many times, unless you fill in your brows they don’t even show up properly in pictures, so filled in brows can make you look more photogenic!  Ever since I saw the difference in my own pictures, I use some sort of brow product daily and it has really become a part of my routine now – and my pictures look better!

Available at NarsCosmetics.ca.

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Fall 2013 | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Avon Charcoal Collection

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Henna

If you have oily skin, then you need some charcoal in your regimen, and I’ve been trying out these two products from Avon which work but are also affordable.

First, there are the Anti-Pollution Charcoal Pore Strips ($9.99).  They take out the gunk in your pores like the normal pore strips do.

The Charcoal mask stick ($19.99) is the first stick mask that I’ve tried and I like it because it doesn’t leave my fingers all messy.  It absorbs oil and leaves skin nice and smooth so I love that.

You can find the collection on Avon.ca.

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

Giorgio Armani for the Summer

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Henna

If you’re a compact lover, as I am, there’s no doubt that you’re a fan of Giorgio Armani and I thought today was a good time to throwback to this compact from 2009.

Regardless of the trends, Giorgio Armani always bring out something completely different from what the rest of the market has, and that’s what keeps people going back to their counter.

The compact that’s being offered is a bronzing one and it’s a trio of 3 colours: a bronze, an orange, and a touch of gold. You can sweep your brush across all 3 to get a bronze glow or just dip into the orange for a look that’s more sunny. The seemingly Mayan-inspired design is pretty and goes deep so your compact looks newish even when it isn’t.

In Canada, Giorgio Armani cosmetics can only be found at Holt Renfrew stores across the country.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Summer 2009 | Tagged | 2 Comments

Stella by Stella McCartney Perfume Review

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Henna

Recently I was gifted the Stella by Stella McCartney perfume in the form of a gift set. I received the Eau de Parfum and the Body Cream and the reason I got them was that I had mentioned that I love the way that the perfume smells.

The perfume is a mostly rose-based scent that has a touch of sweetness in it and lots of freshness. It’s a feminine young rose rather than one that smells old and like your grandmother.

The only thing is that the body cream doesn’t smell like the perfume and neither last long on the body! I have the Eau de Parfum and I have to say that I’ve got Eau de Toilettes that last longer than this. If you’ve ever sprayed one of the mini Stella’s on yourself at Sephora, you should know that the perfume in the small bottle smells different than the perfume in the big bottle.

In any case, it’s a beautiful perfume and if you can deal with its evanescent nature, you might like this scent. I still spray it on everything.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Pantene No Wash Collection

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Henna

Being home for Covid 19 really gave me a chance to see how long I could go without washing my hair – because I wasn’t seeing people and because I had time in the morning to really fiddle with my hair and actually try to make it look better instead of just being done with it and putting it up in a bun.

Here are three products from the collection – the dry shampoo, dry shampoo foam, and a dry conditioner mist.  There’s also a texture spray, and a curl foam that I didn’t get because I didn’t think that I would use them.  Of the three above, the Mist Behaving Dry Conditioner Mist was good, but I didn’t like the scent, and it got to be that I couldn’t stand the scent.

Cheat Day and Never tell both smell super fresh so I liked using them.

The Cheat Day Dry Shampoo Foam is maybe the most unique product.  It goes into your hair nicely and doesn’t leave it powdery.  There’s no white residue so it’s safe for all hair colours.  It’s awesome to use on sweaty hair because it leaves it manageable when it dries, but you could use this on totally dry hair too.  It doesn’t volumize as much as a dry shampoo powder or spray does, but that might be ok for some hair types!  I honestly go back and forth between this and the spray and I like them both.  I like that I can really get this into my roots and kind of massage it in until it dries.

Each product is available at drugstores and mass merchandisers. $10.99.

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