Empties: MAC, Amika, Vichy, Bliss, Nars, Kate Somerville

TextThis year, I’m trying to use up all the sheet masks and little samples I have lying around, so I went ahead and opened up this Bliss sheet mask. Honestly, it was fine, it hydrated and I think that’s all these masks do. They really plump up your skin and make it look amazing, but if you have an extra dollar at the drugstore, buy yourself some gum, not a sheet mask. I’d like a mask that peels… gives me a peel.. that’s what I’m into right now. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Ok, here are quick reviews of everything else that I finished:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Amika Power Hour Curl Refreshing Spray. I’ve been using this since I got it and I really like it on wet hair as a light conditioner. They say that you could use this to refresh curls, but there’s a bit of hold, and you might just get buildup because you’re adding product to hair that already has product in it.

Vichy Normaderm cleanser. This cleanser smells SO GOOD and I even used it to wash my brushes… it smells a bit like patchouli and cedar. The serum in this line smells the same way and it’s one of my favourites, so check this line out if you have oily skin.

Nars Laguna Bronzer Mini. Look at how little there is left… the part on the right side just fell out, so I thought it’s time to throw this away.

Finished a MAC Cosmetics lipgloss from forever ago.

A little mini Kate Somerville Exfoli-Kate which I adore. If you want real results from a product, try this, you’ll have glowy skin right away, but DO NOT use it if your skin is sensitive.

That’s it from me!

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Dior Escale a Pondichery Video Review

Video review of Dior Escale à Pondichery which takes me away. My first cardamom note perfume that I loved and the only one I’ve ever liked from Dior. This smells so different on skin than it does on paper because the cardamom really pops with heat. On paper, it’s quite citrusy. Not at the counter, you can get this on the discount sites. Did you know that in Indian culture green cardamom is a “cooling” spice? Makes it better for the summer. What’s your favourite spicy perfume?

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New Physician’s Formula All Day lip Pencils

New lip pencils! Wearing Physician’s Formula Rosé Kiss All Day lip pencils here.

These came in a package of 3 that came with a sharpener too. The hot pink is called She’s a Wild Rose, then Blushing Maive which are both glossy. These are very smooooth and moisturizing with a slightly sweet taste to them. They’re also super pigmented which I’ll show you in a reel. It’s annoying that you have to sharpen these but the formula more than makes up for that.

It’s actually hard to find a pigmented moisturizing lipstick and one that’s fairly long-lasting. If you’ve bought Nars Velvet Lip Pencils which also need to be sharpened, then you’ll like these too. Which colour do you think is the best?

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New Murad Skincare Eye Masks and Makeup I’m Loving Right Now

Me using the new Murad eye masks that just launched, and some makeup I’ve been using regularly.

The Murad masks are new. They’re formulated with retinol and made out of no-slip cellulose. People asked if these falls off and no, they don’t, but I also prefer to lie back and do nothing when I’m wearing an eye mask. It’s my new thing to do.

I liked these for their refreshing effect, and I’d suggest using them before an event.

Here’s the makeup I’ve been using, and actually there’s nothing new.

Bare Minerals Original Mineral Veil Transluscent Setting Powder. I like it! Less waste than loose powder! I use it with brush and not with the accompanying puff.

Fenty Beauty Cream blush in Rose Latte. I got this last year (over a year ago, actually!), stopped using it, and just took it out again. It’s a bit of a deeper colour than I normally go for, so I normally use this closer to my contour.

Stila eyeshadow. Discontinued. Never met a glitter shadow I didn’t like.

Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin foundation. I got a warmer shade and I like it so much better. The undertones are better suited for my skin tone.

Physician’s Formula lip balms. Because these need to be sharpened, I like to keep them at home instead of in my purse.

Vasanti Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner. These are the best eyeliners ever. Try them. They’re super black and they don’t smudge at all!

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Empties: Live Clean, Vichy, Talika, XO Treatment Room, Kerastase

  TextThings I’m done with, and let’s go in order of most-liked to worst.

XO Treatment Room Pink Perfection Peptide oil. I loved this. It was light but moisturizing and made my skin so soft. Sometimes I even mixed it into a heavier moisturizer to lighten it up a bit. This smelled like strawberry candy.

Kerastase Discipline Smoothing Milk. This was a sample (obviously) and it went on my wishlist. It actually takes your hair and you can use it on wet or dry hair. Kerastase products are heavily scented but I love them. I like my hair to smell good and I liked the smell of this.

Vichy  Aloe Vera Mask. Smells like a spa, like lavender and herbs. Aromatic. Inhale deeply and relax while this is on. It’s self-care more than anything else.

Live Clean Cannabis Conditioner. This took forever to finish because I hated the smell. It smells like soil so your hair smells terrible after you use it. Do not recommend.

Talika Lipocils mascara. Life’s too short for smudgy mascara.

Have you tried any of these?

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Most Worn Perfumes This Year

TextPerfume diary: most worn January and February. March is here, so this is a little late, but I finally moved some things around over the weekend. I’m always organizing and reorganizing and hoping to move things so I reach for them and give them a good wear. That being said, I never plan what I’m going to wear in advance and it’s always what the mood is at that time. Anyone else? Anyway…

Chanel Paris-Venise. This arrived in January and I love wearing it. It’s a powdery vanilla that really works for cool weather especially if you don’t want anything too heavy. Honestly,I’ve worn it so much and I think I’m going to put it into the box and put it away for a while. This made my mornings and put me in such a good mood everyday. I love the fine mist, and the sweet lemon first thing in the morning. But it doesn’t last long, and by lunch, I’d find that it was basically a skin scent. I still love it and lasting power has no bearing on how good a fragrance is. It’s just the way it is. It’s fine. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Vintage Guerlain Samsara EDT. This is a heavy fragrance, and definitely not as worn as the Chanel because it’s so dense. I love it, and I want to get other versions of Samsara to try. If you’ve experienced them, let me know your favourite and why in the comments.

L’Artisan Parfumeur Coeur de Vetiver Sacre. I love this one too, it’s a bit of a tea scent, and it’s better in the summer so that’s when I’m going to wear it, so putting it away for a while.

Chronotope Perfumes Buen Camino. Lavender and immortelle make me adore this scent. I can wear a lot of this and not get sick of it.

Kayali Invite Only Amber 23. This is like a popular version of Serge Lutens Chergui, but with tobacco and a good puff of powder. Honestly, if you want a feminine sweet tobacco fragrance, try this one, it’s from Sephora so easy to order and sometimes it just hits the spot. This is my little 10ml mini. Isn’t she cute?

Anyway, I am going to put some of these away and change up this lineup a little. Actually the Chanel and the L’Artisan are going away and I’ll add something else in their place.

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Givenchy III Perfume

TextI got it from my momma…Literally…I was going through a box from the back of a drawer over Christmas and found this empty bottle of Givenchy III… at first I couldn’t believe she held on to it…but also, it’s totally something I would do, so I’ll hold on to it for her. I can still smell an 80’s floral chypre when I put my nose up to the bottle and it turns out that this is easily found on eBay… very likely this little bottle came as part of a gift set…I’m officially team keep the empty bottle. What team are you on?

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Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady Review

Just can’t let it go…

Spicy rose is what I smell and taste like today. Refreshing and delicious at the same time. I let it go but it came back to me…Maybe for right now, it’s just meant to be… a forever perfume if there ever was one. But Portrait of a Lady needs to stop being on all the top 10 rose perfumes list.

Anyone expecting a fresh garden rose will be disappointed. It’s a dry herbal rose blended with pepper, cinnamon, and clove, at once homely and exotic. The spicy rose blended with patchouli, sandalwood, and a bit of incense the kind of perfume I can never get sick of.

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Fenty Skin Pre-Show Glow Review

Remember those scrubby gloves you used in the shower or that scrubby cloth? Well the new Fenty SkinPre-Show glow comes with that and they recommend you use it once or twice a week gently in your skin.

I don’t know how I feel about that but I will update. I’ve got the mini version.

The update is that this actually didn’t bother my skin as much as I thought it would, but I do like to wash it regularly and so usually use this glycolic acid treatment with my regular reusable cotton wipes.  It has worked at getting rid of some texture on my skin which I really like.

The liquid in this is kind of thick but that means that it doesn’t run off the cloth and stays on.  I do like that.

I think that there are a lot of options out there for a good glycolic acid, and this is one of them!

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Hair Oils I’ve Tried

TextA roundup of all the hair oils I tried in the past few weeks. Honestly, I’m sure I have the same hair as always, but probably more grey than anything else.

A lot of these oils are so expensive – over $50 and when I used them, I really thought that it might be better to get a cheap oil and just put the rest of the money towards a nice perfume.

Of all of these, my least favourite oil was the Balmyard one. I found that it made my hair crispy, even after I washed it off, so I think that blend of oils is film-forming. The Ouai oil has silicone in it, so it’s not really a true oil, but it’s the best for frizz. The Aesop oil is good for a nice head massage. Sahajan – well that’s my favourite. The UMA Oil was good because it washed out clean and that’s a priority for me. The castor oil is from Amazon.

Obviously, I didn’t use any of these long enough to be able to see a real difference in terms of growth or hair health. For that, I would need to use each oil for at least 3 months, and I’d need to develop a consistent way of measuring change. I’m not doing that, and I don’t think any of these oils advertise life-changing hair development. That being said, the ritual of giving your scalp a nice massage cannot be appreciated enough, and if you’re locked down like we all are right now, a little ritual like this one might just be the thing that saves you.

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