Sephora HAUL!!!!!!

Sweet sweet Lord... This came in the mail today and I am one happy girl!! 

I have stayed away from Sephora for months and it has been hard... It's like keeping a dog from a bone, a fish from water, a child from toys... ITS JUST NOT RIGHT! 

Well all is well in my world again, and I have some first impressions to share with you ladies!!!

I took advantage of the VIB 15% off sale just a few weeks ago and got some goodies I've been wanting to try some time now. 

1. DIORSKIN NUDE BB CREAM- raved about all over YouTube... I haven't had much luck with bb creams, or cc creams so far, but trying it on the back of my hand... It was completely different than any of the others...It actually covered, wasn't oily, and dried to a powder finish... Could this be the answer for me???? 

Spring and summer are the time to keep things light, natural, and pretty. Excited to try it out and report back!! 

2. BITE AGAVE LIP MASK: my lips have been extremely dehydrated lately and nothing works... So I decided to give this one a try. It smells and tastes yummy... Almost reminds me of Carmex in a way, but less waxy...it is very thick and I've been wearing it for a few hours, it hasn't disappeared, and  my lips feel amazing. The best part for me, is that it is made of 99% natural ingredients, so hallelujah for this discovery!!! 

3. Clinique: take the day off eye makeup remover: 

I needed to try a new makeup remover. While mine is great, I've been using it for about two years now, and just decided it was time to switch it up. Being the waterproof mascara girl that I am, I can really tell if something works very quickly....

How did it do? I put just a little bit on a cotton pad, held it on my eye for about ten seconds and EVERYTHING came off!!!! Then just to put it to the test, held it on the other eye and same thing! Winner! 

With points and free samples I got a few more things... A St. tropez face self tanner, Benefit zero shine  powder, Benefit new self adjusting colour bb cream, a sephora body butter, murad cleansing wipes, and the best point perk was a First Aid Beauty exfoliator. It was quite a big size and I have heard nothing but amazing things about the First Aid Beauty line for a while now... I will let you know how things are going in a haul update in a few weeks. 

Nothing like some good online shopping to make my day. It's the little things in life ladies!  😊💄👑

Product empties # 2:

A much shorter empties collection this time... Starting from the right: 

Avene: Clean-Ac Cleansing Cream: 

First off, This is a really great brand... Gentle very light scent, no stripping ingredients, quality product, made in France, formulated for very sensitive skin. I happen to love all of the Avene products that I have personally tried. And if you have the type of skin that cant handle most creams or cleansers because of how sensitive it is, or the reaction it will cause... This line is for you! 

Loved the smell of this product. It cleaned my face without it feeling tight and dry afterwards, and lasted a long time! I would definitely repurchase this face wash again!  

Origins Checks and Balances Faces wash: this happens to be what Kev uses to wash his face, by it's also what I use in the shower... Mainly cause it's there and I always seem to forget my stuff! 

I really like this wash- it doesn't stand out to me but it's an it's an overall good product- nothing crazy! Although I will say my skin definitely feels stripped after using this wash... And I will immediately need moisturizer when I get out of the shower... So not my first choice! 

Dove: Nourishing Oil care conditioner

This is an incredible deep conditioner. It smells amazing and does a great job of detangljng and nourishing my hair. Warning: I apply this from my chin down... The one time I put it all over I looked like a greaseball the next day: not cute! 

Side note: I tried the shampoo from this line and I HATED it. I felt like I didn't wash my hair for a month when I blow dried it, and it took forever to shampoo that feeling out. 

Deep conditioner: YES 

Shampoo: HELL NO! 

Tiber river: Spring Fling shower gel

Well you already know this is my favourite scent ever so that shouldnt come as a surprise... The one thing that I did find though was that after a bath with this stuff my skin felt really dry... Especially on my legs...so while I am obsessed with the scent I would rather spend a little more money on the Spring Fling Shower Shake which I find much more moisturizing! 

Micheal Todd Antioxidant Carrot serum

Micheal Todd Antiox serum 

To be honest I used These two together a half pump of each every night since I rediscovered them in my skin care drawer... I have loved Micheal Todd products for some time now. They are almost 100% organic and small wonderful. Their products and my skin just seem to work really well together. Their Blue Algae toner is the best toner I have ever ever ever used!! 

After years of torturing my skin I discovered something life changing when I rediscovered these serums... My skin doesn't like creams but it LOVES SERUMS! I don't have bad skin by any means but when I am using the wrong products it can quickly get irritated and full of lovely breakouts... When I stopped using a heavier cream on my face and instead using these my skin cleared up instantly! 

Both of these serums have natural acids in them which are meant as a gentle exfoliant. You would never ever feel it doing it's job but after a few weeks of using it you would definitely notice a difference! They slowly break down the dead skin in the top layer so the new healthy skin cells underneath can come to the surface. 

It sounds weird but your skin is constantly turning over, old skin sheds and new skin comes through, but with acids like AHA or citrus etc it just helps for those dead skin cells not to hang on and clog your pores which means less breakouts and a better complexion! 

While I am absolutely in love with these products and they are very affordable... (There are always coupon codes available for this line) what bothered me last time I picked up my order at the post office I had to pay $40 duty... No not 4... 4-0!!!! What the heck is that about?! 

I was not impressed to say the least... But if I saw a Michael Todd store... I'm pretty sure I would buy every Blue Algae toner on the shelf and these two serums!!!! 

-xoxo

K.I.S.S

To say that I am a marketers dream is probably the biggest understatement ever... And I have tried WAY too many products out on my skin searching for that perfect combination of products to make it perfect... After a very long search I've found the secret... Keep it simple, and INVEST IN YOUR SKIN!!! 

*Stay out of the sun! For obvious reasons... You know cancer and all, and for gods sake cover your face at least if you must tan! If Premature wrinkles, sun spots, and skin damage don't scare you... I'm not sure what to say except that you must be an idiot! Bronzer can help your face look tanned... Guard your skin!!! Sure, tans are amazing and you may look awesome now, but later... You'll regret that shit for sure! There's plenty of self tanning products out there to keep you satisfied! 

*After you wash your face take a CLEAN (a new one very day!!!) face cloth and get it wet with the hottest tap water your skin can handle. Squeeze out the excess and do a once over in your face with that cloth. This will pick up any left over products, and really leave your face feeling clean. Adding this step to my routine has really helped clear it up... Leftover product build up is one of the biggest reasons you will break out. Buy a stack of cheap face cloths at Walmart or superstore or anywhere... It will cost you next to nothing and you'll have enough for a week! Use a clean one every day, avoid trying to be green here... They're tiny cloths... It's the bacteria that you don't want to be putting back on your face! 😊

* change your pillow case... A lot. Think about all the stuff you put in your hair... Moving tons during the night and rubbing that gunk all over your precious face... Yum right? Also a HUGE factor in breakouts

* Wash all of your face and neck: that means hairline, jaw, neck... Everything. Why would you spend all your time on your face and not include your neck?? It's the first thing to show your age, and it needs to be taken care of! 

*Put your hair up at night. Less crap on your pillow means less junk on your face. Less oil and product on your face means clear skin. 

*DOUBLE CLEANSE: you can't possibly remove all of the oil, dirt, debris, dead skin, and your makeup in one minute. So avoid the temptation to be lazy! Wash that gross layer off first with cleanse # 1, and then really ran what's underneath and get what you didn't get the first time with cleanse

 # 2. 

It's always so bizarre to me when people will spend hundreds of dollars on clothes or shoes, yet be too cheap to even buy themselves a face product or two over ten dollars. It seems so backwards... 

Honestly you get what you pay for in most cases, and unlike that handbag or sweater that will be out of style in a year or two, you are stuck with your face for the rest of your life so take care of it! It's the first thing people see... 

Makeup always sits better on skin that is taken care of and it's meant to be used to enhance your natural beauty not cake it on until you look like someone else... 

INVEST IN YOUR SKIN, save your money somewhere else! 

I have combination skin on the sensitive side that is dry in the winter and oily in the summer. I've tried it all and here is some of the advice that I've discovered through research and trial and error...

Scrubs and exfoliaters: scrubbing your face has to be one of the best feelings ever, it makes you feel as though it is super clean, but using a scrub that is too harsh can actually really hurt, not benefit your skin... 

It can cause tiny scratches and broken capillaries which look like small blood vessels on your face. Harsh scrubs are also really not a good idea of you have breakouts. When you rub that scrub all over your face, what you have in your head is the idea that you are cleaning, when really you could be spreading the bacteria of your breakouts all over... That means more breakouts!!!

So while it feels good to really giver, try a chemical exfoliant which doesn't have to be harsh at all, let the product do the work for you and you can have the same result of a scrub without any risks! 

Some exfoliants I really like are...

Ren Glycol Lactic Renewal Mask: 

This one is very cool! REN is an all natural skin brand that you can find at Sephora. It was created by two men that were searching for something that their wives could use without being too harsh... I know Kev loves me, but I'm not sure that he would cook up products for my face... 

ANYWAYS, the point is that they are great products free of everything you would like to avoid. 

It feels like a thick cross between honey, and jam. It's amber in colour and it smells AMAZING! When you out this mask on your skin automatic feels cooler. It says to leave it on for five to ten minutes but after trying it out a few times and realizing that my skin can tolerate it, I usually leave it on for twenty-thirty minutes so it really does it's job. 

It uses lactic acid and natur enzymes to break down the dead skin cells and peel them away when you wipe the product off... And no it does not hurt one bit!!! 

Kate Somerville: Exfolikate

Exfolikate is a great product from Kate Somerville skin care. It is on the pricey side BUT if you buy the small tube which is about $25 this will last you 10-15 uses. You don't need a lot lf product and you only use this once every week or two, so really it works out to... $1.60 or so every time you use it for all you number crunchers. 

This product is both a physical exfoliant: gritty texture AND a chemical exfoliant. 

Masks: Are a huge help and can be used as spot treatments if you want the mask to go further. I have talked about the Glam Glow mask that I absolutely LOVE in my product empties # 1 post, and this is probably my favourite mask EVER. Il be honest though... Paying for it really blows so I'll usually wait until I have a gift card, and for a 20% off sale at Sephora to make it a little easier. I have no problem spending money on good products but $70 for a mask is a bit hard to swallow...

There is a budget buy that almost every beauty blogger that I read has mentioned... Queen Helene's Mint Julep Mask: you can find this at Sally'ms beauty supply, and apparently at regular drugstores in the states. It is everything you want: soothing, smells great, it pulls out impurities and detoxifies the skin, and the best part... You can buy a huge tub of it for around $7!!!! Now your thinking... Why the heck spend money on Glam Glow if this is so good? But while this mask is wonderful it's just not the same as Glam Glow. 

Face wash: this is where you can buy something more affordable. Out of all of your face steps your cleanser will spend the least amount of time on your face. Instead of a foaming face wash try a cleansing milk... Much more gentle and not stripping! I personally love Avene cleansers or The Body ShopVitamin E cleansing milk.  

Toner: Toner is something I go back and forth on... Do I need it, do I not need it... But every time I am using a great one I notice a huge difference in my skin! It's clearer, brighter, and just feels better. A toners job is to prep your skin for the serum or moisturizer that you are going to put on next. The problem with toners is that there are so many of them and most suck... So a few suggestions I have are to use the tea tree oil concoction I mentioned in one of my first posts ( just a few drops of the oil mixed with water), or use a toner with an acid in it which will promote cell turnover and cleaner pores... My absolute hands down favourite toner of life is the Michael Todd Blue Algae toner! I can recommend that product without even hesitating, the only problem is- is that it's only available online and sometimes the duty can be a real pain... But besides that... It's worth it my friends!! 

P.S. Don't be fooled by those toners with alcohol in them... Remember alcohol will dry out your skin... Skin lacking it's natural oils will over compensate by producing too much and that's when your skin will do bizarre things... Don't use toners with alcohol!!! 

Serums & Lotion: now this is where to invest those pennies my loves!!! These are the products that stay on your skin overnight and can literally make or break the next day for you...so choose wisely and for gods sake don't be a cheapo here!!! 

My skin type can't handle a lotion or cream but serums are perfect! Dry skins needs both a serum and a lotion,and some skin types might even need an oil. Oils are all the rage these days (as these things tend to go in phases) and are a great idea but don't use an oil like you would a cream... 2-3 drops max!!! 

A little goes a very long way! 

Some serums or very light lotions I would recommend: 

Any serum by Micheal Todd-online

Josie Maran Light Argan Oil- Sephora

Organic Aloe Vera Gel: JASON (brand) -health food stores or some Superstore organic isles 

Kate Somerville: Quench Oil Free Serum- Sephora

The Works: Perfect Look Skin Miracle- this works.com (think Vitazing minus the grease...)

If you have dryer skin...

The Origins Vitazing is amazing... But a touch greasy for my skin

Routine: 

Morning: cleanse, tone, serum

Night: double cleanse, tone, serum, spot treatment if needed

Weekly: exfoliate and use a mask 

Keep it simple, but use quality products that work for your skin! Trust me... That is money very well spent!

-xoxo

Spring Cleaning: Brushes

Ladies!

It's time to spring clean your brushes! Yep, brushes! Now your probably thinking why the hell would I do that? Well here's a few reasons... 

*With lots of build up your brushes become scratchy, and will pick up less product

*Inside your innocent and clean looking brush that never gets a good cleaning (ew by the way) is dirt, debris, dead skin, oil, bacteria... Yummy right?? 

*All of the yumminess mentioned above means one thing for your skin: breakouts! (Don't say I didn't warn you!) 

This may seem like a harsh reality check but friends... Seriously not washing your brushes is like using the same cloth every single day to wash your dishes and counters... Would you eat food off of your counter then? Didn't think so... 

Think of the disgusting possibilities there... Is washing your brushes sounding more appealing now?? Let's get to it! 

Now that you know WHY to wash them you can go about it a few different ways... But you need to know a few tips before you start: 

*Never get the whole handle of your brush wet... You don't want the glue to melt between the bristles and handle

*Always be gentle with your brushes!! Swish them side to side don't scrub the junk out of them or consider them garbage. Brushes are an investment and when they are taken cAre of they can last years! 

*Reshape them and lay them flat to dry so the water doesn't drip into the handle causing the hair or brush to become loose! 

Now you can use a spray... Usually these have alcohol in them and are good to use day to day...but IT DOES NOT COUNT AS A DEEP CLEAN! 

You can use your regular face wash , or baby shampoo!

Or you can use a professional deep cleaning solution ( pictured below... This is really easy and costs less than $10... At Sally's Beauty Supply, No excuses!!!) just add a bit of this to water and swish the brushes around. 

Or for you natural kids out there you can use hot water and vinegar and you are good! 

Enjoy the cleanliness ladies! And btw you should be deep cleaning at least every two weeks, and spot cleaning in between... Otherwise you are now aware of what could happen😊

Xoxo

This Works: Perfect Look Skin Miracle Review

I heard about this cream from several beauty bloggers... And after Lisa Eldridge used it in a tutorial of hers... I was sold! Watch the link below if you want to see it in use! 

http://youtu.be/Xql3MenPRbw

This Works is an all natural brand that you can find in the UK, and the US but not so easy to find in Canada. 

This product is described as a tinted moisturizer but not the kind you are thinking right now... This isn't a makeup and cream hybrid, nope this is a cream with natural ingredients that gives skin an amazing glow or tanned tint. 

In the summer I can get away with just wearing this cream on lazy days, but it also helps when my skin is pale as can be in winter just to warm things up a bit. It has an herbal smell to it but not one that I minded at all. 

Now it was a bit pricey to order this beauty but well worth it. I used it all last summer and quite a bit this winter and I JUST finished my tube. I love the fact that even though it is in a tune it has a pump which keeps things hygienic. Not a fan of dipping my fingers in a pot...

It reminds me of Origins Vitazing moisturizer which used to be a big favourite of mine, but I like the fact that this cream is completely non-greasy which is an absolute must for me... After a few hours with Vitazing my face turned into an oil slick... Married or not that is not attractive!

It's about time I order another tube... If summer every does come...😏

You can order this at www.thisworks.com (another great product that everyone raves about is their deep sleep spray... Haven't tried it myself yet but wow am I tempted!!!)