Some of you might have caught my morning routine Instagram story, but in case you didn’t, here’s what I use daily!
I haven’t reviewed everything yet… but I do love this routine.
Where to Buy Derma-E Products
People have been intrigued by my Derma-E reviews, and I get a lot of DM’s asking me where they can buy.
Here it is:
Well.ca
The natural aisle of your grocery store.
Planet Organic and other natural food stores.
I hope that helps!
Here is a list of Derma-E products I’ve reviewed:
Derma-E Vitamin C Renewing Moisturizer.
Derma-E Vitamin C concentrated serum.
More coming soon!
Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil Serum
I love anything that smells of jasmine so I was delighted when I came across the @OscarBlandiHair Jasmine Oil Hair Serum.
This stuff smells amazing. Just the perfect amount of scent, and guess what? The fragrance lasts and lasts in your hair! Now, I have to admit that the serum itself is oilier than a pure silicone serum but you’ll have to see if that works in your hair. I, personally, love it as a finishing touch when my hair is already done. Smoothing it on gives my hair a lovely sheen and makes it smell good.
$35 online.
Armani Prive Eclat de Jasmine
I’ve reviewed the Armani Prive fragrance collection before and mentioned that what I loved about it was the wonderful smokiness that added a layer of mystery and uniqueness to each fragrance in the collection.
Eclat de Jasmine’s superficial distinction is the rose coloured stopper that caps the bottle.
The scent itself is the sweetest of the bunch. Wait a couple of minutes after spraying the fragrance and you’ll smell the lovely Jasmine top notes, and after about 30 minutes, the real smokiness of the scent comes through. Wait a few hours, and you’ll really start to smell an earthy patchouli mixed with a touch of bergamot and amber. I think that the Bergamot note really makes this scent a wee bit fresher than some of the other ones.
I am told that the Prive collection is hit and miss – you either love it or hate it and I am definitely in the former category. I think that people don’t like the woodsiness of the scents, which is what I particularly love about them. Note that this addition is not as smoky as the rest and has a fresh wet feeling in the opening notes that the other Prive’s don’t have and for this reason it’s worth taking another trip to the Prive counter to check this scent out.
The Prive collection can only be found in high-end department stores.
The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Review
I’ve put this amazing toner into a spray bottle and now I’m getting so much more use out of it. I feel like I’m not wasting any that’s left on a cotton pad, and I spray all the way out to my shoulders. Just remember to keep your eyes closed!
People keep asking me if I like the Inkey List, and the answer is YES! It’s an awesome brand: affordable, and basic ingredients that have science behind them proving that they work. And they’re easy to find.
I’ve added their Glycolic Acid to my skincare routine.
My skin loves glycolic acid. The increased exfoliation is gentle but so effective. My skin gets visibly smoother when I add it to my skincare routine. I actually miss it when I’m not using it because my skin just won’t be as smooth. It’ll be a little bumpy, especially in pictures.
Instead of doing peels regularly, which is giving me a bit more dryness than I like, I’m adding the Inkey List Glycolic Acid toner to my regimen. I let it absorb, and then follow up with a serum or just sunscreen. Sometimes I use it morning and night. Sometimes just in the morning, depending on whether I’m using a retinol or another active at night time. Sometimes I follow up with a vitamin C.
Get it at Shoppers Drug Mart for $12.99.
Fall Beauty: Beautycounter Tint Skin Foundation Swatch and Video Review
I got this tinted moisturizer almost two years ago, and I still turn to it when the weather gets a little bit cooler. Check out the full video review below – and I’m wearing it in the color Honey!
http://www.instagram.com/tv/B1_9Rf-BSM0/
I really fluctuate between tinted moisturizer and foundation. I definitely like the look of foundation, but in the summer, and when I have dry skin, tinted moisturizer is better.
Beautycounter’s Tint Skin Foundation hits all the marks with my skin – it helps it by moisturizing but gives it the great coverage that foundation should. The formula is dewy and pretty and the colours are wearable.
I colour I’m wearing is Honey, and you can see that it’s a nice warm tan colour.
The coverage of the foundation is light/medium, but it can be layered for more coverage. I apply it thickly where I need it, and blend it out to be actually sheer. I’m using my sponge to get the coverage I need, but because this is a moisturizing formula, you could apply it with your fingers too.
The foundation as sodium hyaluronate which helps skin hold on to moisture.
The finish is a dewy one, especially if you’re wearing it with sunscreen, and I like to set my t-zone with powder so that it looks less dewy and lasts longer on my skin. I also set it with a setting spray on most days and that makes a difference too.
The foundation comes in 10 colours.
$42 on Beautycounter.com.
Cilque Silk Pillowcase
If you’re into taking care of your hair, or you follow any kind of hairstylist, salon, hair enthusiast, then you’ll have heard about Silk pillowcases. Silk – because it’s so smooth – is much more gentle on your hair and skin than cotton. Most people have cotton pillowcases, but even the highest thread count of cotton isn’t going to be as smooth as silk.
You can find silk pillowcases at some salons, but I got mine from Cilque.com. Don’t be like me and just get one – it looks weird on a big bed to see one pink silk pillowcase, and the other one plain cotton. Get two pillowcases – even if nobody sleeps on the other side, it’ll look way better.
The Cilque pillowcases are 100% silk and are machine washable, so they’re really not much more work than your regular cotton pillowcases. They really do feel nice and smooth and I had a comfortable sleep on them at night time.
Here’s me lying on my new pillowcase after a blow out. My hair looked great in the morning, but truth be told, I’m usually a pretty sound sleeper and I can have a blow-out last a long time. 
I do feel that the silk was very gentle on my skin and not as hard as cotton. I also wasn’t prone to getting sleep lines on my face that I can sometimes get from cotton pillowcases.
I have to say that in the case of silk pillowcases, I’m a believer. They do feel so gentle on my hair and skin and I had a great sleep with them.
Cilque pillowcases are available at Cilque.com. They’re available in a range of colours – light pink is the one that I have. I just wish they sold them in pairs! Prices range from $59 – $99 depending on the size and colour you get.
Kellett Skincare – Acne Free
The latest to come my way is a system for adult acne plagued skin which has its own needs – adults want to make sure that the products they use won’t cause wrinkles and at the same time, they want to be acne free. If you’re over the age of 18 and suffer from adult onset acne, then this might be the system for you.
Kellett skincare goes to the next level by being free of parabens, synthetic fragrances and dyes, and any kinds of petrochemicals.
It’s formulated by a doctor (Dr. Kellett!) and so it contains the best ingredients for ideal skin care. Dr. Kellett studied at the prestigious University of Toronto med school, and specializes in dermatology. Her adult patients kept asking for products that could help acne and wrinkles, and so she created something herself!
The system works because it is so well thought out. It contains a polishing cleanser – with little scrubbing beads, this is great for skin with acne, because it’s often oily and could use a good scrub to get rid of dry and dead skin cells as well as scarring. It also contains a gel with 5% benzyl peroxide – proven to kill the germs that cause acne. Finally, it has a sunscreen spray. With spf 30, the spray is light and can even be used on top of makeup which makes it ideal for any kind of skin. Plus, protecting your skin from sun can ensure that scarring is minimized and skin remains clear and fresh.
You can find the system online.
Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum
Bottega Veneta shoes are having a moment today, and maybe that’s why I’ve reached for this beautiful fall fragrance. 
I have finally found my favourite fall scent and it’s from 2010. It is quiet, yet there. You smell it if you hug me or not at all. The scent is warm and comforting without being sweet or smelling like a Christmas tree or pumpkin pie. Thank goodness.
Check out the beautiful bottle. There’s a leather collar around the bottle’s neck, and a quilted bottom that you can’t see or feel until you pick the bottle up in your hand. All of them hark back to Bottega Veneta’s simplicity and elegance. The fact that there are these beautiful details tied into the bottle design shows their link back to the leather goods that they are known for.
Bottega Veneta’s Eau de Parfum is amazing and the perfect scent for cool weather. Head to your local department store and smell for yourself.
The notes are: Italian Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Indian Sambac Jasmine, leather, Oakmoss, and Patchouli. Somehow, the scent is super warm and comforting, and what I can smell the most is the leather, oakmoss, and patchouli in the drydown. There’s a bit of warm jasmine but not the zing of bergamot or the spiciness of pink peppercorn.
Like any good fragrance, you can smell none of those and all of those notes at the same time, which is nice.
The scent is officially a leathery floral chypre, and just like the actual fashion house, the theme is laid back luxury. It is sophisticated and approachable. This scent is like wearing a cashmere scarf – only the wearer knows of soft and truly luxurious it is and the rest can only admire from afar. That is what this scent is. If you wear it, you can enjoy it the most because you get to smell how it changes throughout the day, and that is truly wonderful.
The scent is $145 for 50mL at Holt Renfrew and select The Bay stores.
The Smoky Eye Tutorial Video
I’ve been sitting on this video for a while – I took it during Fashion Week and finally had time to edit it properly. All the steps are there and I only taped her doing one eye so that the video was more concise. Note that all makeup is L’Oreal and easily found at the drugstore. Also note that the makeup artist used both pencil and liquid eyeliner and that she still used a light coloured eyeshadow as a base.
Enjoy!