New It Cosmetics Secret Sauce

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Henna

It Cosmetics has turned into a brand that’s coming out with fun and exciting products all the time, and when they release a moisturizer it’s no different.  Secret Sauce – Clinically Advanced Miraculous Anti-Aging Moisturizer is no different.  It’s a moisturizer that has a plethora of ingredients to help improve skin. From peptides to natural extracts and even diamond powder, this moisturizer is formulated to help your skin look good immediately and over time.

Secret Sauce is also incredibly moisturizing thanks to the addition of glycerine, olive oil, and squalene.  There’s also vitamin C to help with brightness, and Niacinamide to help reduce oil production, and a host of extracts to help your skin look better. 

Not only does the moisturizer feel hydrating on your skin, but also wears nicely under makeup, without any pilling or heaviness.  It absorbs into skin after a bit and keeps skin hydrated for a long time, even making it feel smoother as soon as it’s absorbed.

$88 at Sephora.

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Truly Clear Soap Bar

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Henna

Sometimes you don’t know how well something has been working until you stop using it and then notice that something’s different.  That might be what happens when we feel that our hair has gotten used to a shampoo, or how when you wear a perfume all the time, you stop smelling it on yourself.  Give yourself a break from anything and you realize how much you miss it and what it actually added to you. Might even apply to things other than soaps, perfumes, and shampoos.

In any case, that was my experience with the Truly Clear soap bar.  This mostly natural bar is made with anti-microbial silver and salicylic acid so that it actually helps kill bacteria while it cleanses your skin.  At first, I wasn’t sure how it was working, but it turns out that the Truly Clear soap bar leaves a bit of a residue or film on your face so that it actually helps get rid of acne long after you’ve washed the soap off.

The silver helps prevent the formation of new bacteria and the salicylic acid helps clean the pores from inside and out.  I actually keep the soap bar in my shower and even use it on my body.

$19.95 and available online.

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My Lips But Better: Estee Lauder Burnt Raisin

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Henna

Liquid lipsticks are everything I want in lip colour: long-lasting, opaque, and best of all, matte.  To find a colour that’s my lips but better?  Well now I’m set.

I’ve been using Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Envy Paint-On Liquid LipColor in Burnt Raisin, and it’s the prettiest lipstick ever. 

This lipstick is super pigmented and creamy.  It’s also very wet, so you literally do have to paint it on with the applicator and then let it set (which it does in a minute) before you do anything with your lips.  The beauty of this formula is that the colour changes a bit the more product you apply.  One coat is the pretty pink you see in the picture above, but a second coat does turn it into more of a grape colour.

My favourite way to use this is to actually just dab it once in the centre of my lips and then blend it out with my fingers.  This makes the edges soft, and the colour looks natural.  With just a dab , I’m sure this is one lippie that’s going to last me a long time.

$39 at Estee Lauder counters and online.

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My Makeup Today

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Henna

A bit old-school with today’s post, as it features a list of what I used today.

  • Aveeno sunscreen.  It’s just SPF 15 but perfect since I’m going to be spending much of the day indoors. I know that it says for the body on it, but I think it’ll be fine for my face too since it’s pretty lightweight.
  • Estee Lauder Double Wear Light foundation.  My fave, and the bottle is half-empty.  Can’t even remember the last time that happened.
  • Urban Decay Primer Potion.
  • Nars Velvet Eyeliner in night-rider which is a blue-black.  Really makes brown eyes pop.
  • It Cosmetics mascara
  • Nars contour.  This contour powder is a bit difficult to use – it’s so powdery that it’s hard to get the tiny amount you need to do a natural-looking contour.
  • Estee Lauder Liquid Lipstick in Burnt Raisin.  I dab a bit on and then blend it out with my fingertips for a more natural look.  This raisin colour is pink when you apply it lightly but more of a grape if you apply too much.

That’s it!

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Body Shop Lip Butter

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Henna

With the air being hot and dry at times, and with my layering on lots of sunscreen, I’ve found that my lips have taken a back seat in terms of care.  So I’ve been looking through my stash of lip products and reached for The Body Shop Grapefruit Lip Butter since it smelled so yummy. It is beautifully creamy and soft! This is one of the smoothest lip balms that I have ever tried and it turns out that all the flavours are like that.  They’re so great that it’s hard to pick a favorite but the Papaya one is a good choice, as is the Grapefruit one.

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Fragrance Friday: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

Posted on August 10, 2018 by Henna

Here are pictures of my own bottle of Coco Mademoiselle. The seal is difficult to break – not because it’s uber-secure but because you know that it was put on in some workshop at Chanel Headquarters.

 


I did finally end up breaking the seal – but only because I know that Chanel never discontinues any of its fragrances. They believe that what comes out of the Chanel Perfumery is timeless and so I know that should I ever want to, I will be able to purchase another bottle of Coco Mademoiselle.

The scent itself is like a new classic – it’s a slightly powdery floral that’s young but still distinctively Chanel.

 

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A Completely Clear Face Sunscreen

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Henna

#SorryNotSorry for all the sunscreen posts.  I’ve been using sunscreen diligently – on myself and the kids – as part of a quest to get out of the house more and be out and about with the kids.  I mean, I try anyway, but in the winter, it’s easier to make an excuse and just stay indoors.  The weather has been so nice that there’s really no excuse anymore and so we have been going through copious amounts of sunscreen.

Of course, one of the challenges is to find a sunscreen that protects but doesn’t show up as white, and isn’t greasy, so that I actually want to use it. 

The Aveeno Ultra-Calming Sensitive Skin Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 is a winner.  Not only does it rub into your skin easily, but it does absorb into your skin with a non-shiny soft and smooth finish.  I have oily skin and this works for it – if you have dry skin, you are going to need something that’s more hydrating underneath.

I put it on my face, continue on to my neck, my shoulders, arms, and hands and then I’m ready for my day.

$19.97 in drugstores and mass merchandisers.

 

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Annabelle Edge Lipstick

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Henna

Annabelle’s Edge collection is inspired by geometry but the Edge lipstick that’s part of the collection is functional too.

The lipsticks are in a diamond shape which makes for an unusual lipstick, but also provides lots of sharp corners to draw nice clean lines with. 

The Edge lipsticks come in lots of bright colours.  Colour payoff is decent but if you have darker lips or any discolouration, you’re going to have to go over your lips more than once to get full coverage.  There’s also slight staining with the brighter colours, so even when the lipstick fades, the colour will be there.

These are super creamy and shiny in their finish – which means that they don’t last a really long time, but they look good when you first apply them, and they feel comfortable on the lips. Because the lipsticks are so creamy, they even feel moisturizing, and in the long run make your lips look better.

Pick them up at drugstores and mass merchandisers for $9.95.  Also online at Annabelle.com.

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Bobbi Brown Oil-Free Even Finish Foundation Review

Posted on August 7, 2018 by Henna

I now use Bobbi Brown Oil-Free Even Finish Foundation and my love of this foundation has a story behind it.
We all have those Mondays. Mine included parking too far away in the middle of the city and having to run for blocks and blocks in high heels and in the rain. It was silly of me and let me tell you the looks of people passing by informed me of the fact.

When I finally arrived at my destination, I was perspiring and wet from the rain. I ducked into a restroom. I knew my hair wouldn’t look good but what I really dreaded seeing was that makeup that had melted. I had been wiping my skin so I didn’t know what would be there and what wouldn’t.

You already know how this story ends.

I still looked flawless. Everything was just as I had applied it a few hours before, and after blotting my skin with some paper towel, I was ready to go. I didn’t need powder, I didn’t need more blush, everything was as it should be.

This foundation already has SPF 15 – is there anything it can’t do?

It is oil-free and sets matte without powder. They recommend it for oily skin, but if you have dry skin but moisturize every day, then I think that you can use this too. You can’t really layer it and it doesn’t come with a pump (not a good move, Bobbi Brown) but it’s still worth having. Some people buy expensive foundation and then don’t use it. I don’t save this for a special occasion. Why should I? This stuff can tackle every day!

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CoverGirl Lash Blast

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Henna

Here’s a picture of the wand that makes Cover Girl’s mascara, Lash Blast, so intriguing. It seems to use the same spiky bristles as the newest mascaras but the wand is huge! The small wand you see on the left is the one for Volume Exact. See how much smaller it is?
I usually don’t like mascaras with fat brushes. I find them to be unwieldy and I inadvertently get mascara on my eyelid as I try to negotiate mascara on every part of my lashes. That said, this mascara is really good and it does give me long full lashes that are slightly curled as well. I would even say that this is one of the best mascaras of the year and if you’re looking for a mascara that delivers and you like the fat wand mascaras, then this is your best bet.
$7.49 at drugstores and mass merchandisers.
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