Beauty Essentials... for a Zombie Apocalypse

It never fails after The Walking Dead we have weekly a hypothetical conversation of what we would do during a Zombie Apocalypse.  The real question thou to any beauty addict would be what beauty products we would bring. So here are my top picks to looking fresh during a zombie catastrophe.

Perfume

Judged on books, movies and TV shows I think that the zombie apocalypse would be stinky. To combat the stench a perfume is needed. Stella McCartney’s mini Stella Nude is a very light fresh rose scent. What really makes it great is the portability not only is the bottle compact but the glass is thick enough it doesn’t feel like it will break.

Hand Sanitizer

I keep hand sanitizer on me all the time. In the post-apocalyptic world where dead gross creatures are living there is no exception to my hand sanitizer rule. 

Have you seen the dirt on the characters in The Walking Dead, imagine cooking … yuck

Avene Cold Cream

I have eczema and I don’t want burning, itching, dry or scaling skin ever. To avoid getting confused with a zombie I would pack my Avene Cold Cream. Plus, it’s small, good for dry skin and soothing which makes it perfect for skin irritations.

Lip Balm

So lip balms in pots are completely unhygienic during zombie situations so farewell Reve De Miel your perfect potted lip balm is not needed. Here’s the thing with lip balm, I love so many that come in pots and I love my Avene Cold Cream Balm. However the Cold Cream lip balm has a slight sparkle to it, which makes is amazing for normal life but for zombie world it might be a little … overdone.

So I would have to say I would take the Clarins Lip Balm with me. Its super natural, ultra hydrating and the thin tube makes is very travel friendly. Plus, it has the added bonus of tasting really good too, so if I ever got hungry I would be happy eating it.

What about concealer and mascara you ask? Well it’s the zombie apocalypse I wouldn’t want to go overboard!

Feel free to leave a comment I would love to know what your essentials are.

If you are watching the season finale of The Walking Dead tonight enjoy.

If not your probably think I’m very crazy at this point!

Home Things

Today I thought we would do something different and direct our attention to all things in the home. Jay and I purchased a home last spring, which is to be built this summer. With our foundation laid and only 4 months away from moving in, we have been getting excited. So with new homes comes bills’, closing costs but most importantly new things. So I wanted to share with some new purchases before they get packed away and put into storage. 

The cups and decanter were from chapters. I have wanted these since last Christmas, so when I found them on sale for 9.99 for 4 cups and 5.99 for the decanter I knew it was meant to be. As for the table runner, linen napkins and napkin rings they are from Crate and Barrel. I have been loving that store as of late!

Hope you are all having a great Saturday!

Products Not Worth It

 I’ve done one of these in the past I have to say it’s refreshing to vent. It sucks when you spend money on a product only to find out it completely just doesn’t work.

So I have four products to share with you today that didn’t work out for me.

Glam Glo

There is so much hype surrounding this supposed miracle mud. I have to be honest at first I really liked it but after a while I just found it drying and way too tingly. Tingly is actually me being a polite Canadian what I really mean is this fucken hurts. There are a ton of options that work bring the glow into my skin like the Philosophy Peel Pads, which are quick, non-messy and don’t hurt at all. I have dry sensitive skin so this might work for other types of skin but just beware of that tingle.           

Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper

Which is actually fact might be a great product but I got this in the complete wrong color. For some reason I thought Auburn sounded like my medium brown hair well surprise surprise it doesn’t match. Unless I plan on dying my hair red in the future this is a complete pointless purchase.

NARS Lip Gloss

I want to love NARS lip-gloss because they are non-sticky, last long and they have an incredible color range. Albatross is a great sparkly gold flattering to wear alone but even better worn over a red lipstick. The reason why I don’t reach for this is judged on the scent and taste. While this has not been as bad as others I’ve tried it’s just not great. For a high –end lip-gloss I feel it should be the full package.

YSL Shocking Mascara

Mascara is such a personal thing, so I don’t mean to offend any of you. For me the Shocking made my lashes sticky and applied rather clumpy. Overall I did not like this not one bit.

Another Week and Another Haul

You know when there are just to good deals to pass up? Yes these deals got the best of me and here we are with another haul.

Let’s begin!

Soap & Glory Scrub Away

I love Soap & Glory so when I saw this scrub on sale for  $9.00 I thought it was worth the try. Besides the price I love scrubs that come in a tube because they make for easy application in the shower. I have not tried this yet but from what I can tell it smells nice.

On a side not I hate scrubs that come in a tub, is it just me? Or does anyone else end up dropping them in the shower?

Bio Beaute Lip Balm

It’s no surprise to you that I love NUXE. So when I saw NUXE’s little sister Bio Beaute’s lip balm I had to see how it compared to the cult classic Reve De Miel. Right off the bat I can tell you that this one tastes and smells freaken amazing.

Clarins Brightening Exfoliator

I’m not lying when I say this …since the sun has been out I have realized just how blah my skin is. In hopes on getting my glow back I thought this bighting product would put the radiance back into my skin. I think this will be similar to the Philosophy Micro Delivery Pads but I will report once I’ve tried.

Benefit Maybe Baby

This was such a good deal and what prompted this whole haul in the first place.

I have always wanted Maybe Baby so at $19.99 I thought it was worth adding this peachy number to my spring fragrance lineup.

In addition my local Shoppers Drugmart was having a giveaway over the past weekend in which lead me to 2 full sized products to take home. One product was the Essie polish in Saturday Disco Fever and the other was the Rimmel Lipstick in Rose Sorbet. Both colors look amazing and I think they will look stunning worn in the summer.

I have yet to try some of these but so far I love the Maybe Baby. The fruity fresh notes are such a nice change from my usual dark and heavy rose scents. If you have a request for me to review something feel free to leave a comment below. Or leave me a comment and let me know what you have been hauling!

New Schedule

I thought I would take the time today to quickly post my blog schedule. 
Interesting right?

So I will be posting Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

I have tons of posts planned for the upcoming month, which I am so excited to share.

Thank you for your continuous support and your lovely comments.

If you want to request a post, tag or review of a product feel free to ask.
I hope you are all having a fantastic monday.

Tanya

Blushing for Spring

To me spring means tulips, Cadbury Mini Eggs, warmer weather and bright pink blush.

Well pastel nail polish too, but that’s another post.

There’s no better way to brighten up your entire completion then by adding a pop of pink to the apples of your cheeks. So if your anything like me your skin by now is dull, pale and dry, which is not a pretty look.

So I wanted to share with you my top three pop of pink blushes.

Illamasqua Hussy has me blushing like a floozy.

I’m just kidding mind you I’m not really sure how hussies blush to be honest?

But back to the topic on hand blush!

Hussy is a beautiful matte bright pink. Not just any pink though but more of a warm pink with the slightest touch of coral. While this might look crazy in the pan I can assure you it’s not. In fact applied with the lightest hand this can look very natural. If you have never tried Illamasqua blushes I highly recommend you do they blend like a dream and are a definite favorite in my collection.

Dior Rosy glow blush just magically brightens the skin.

I have just been reaching for this day almost every day this week because it wears amazing on my skin. Unlike Hussy this blush is more of a cool toned pink blush.

Rosey Glow very smooth and very bendable, so don’t be scarred of the super bright color. The color actually self adjusts to your perfect blushing glow… talk about magic right?

Rosey Glow… I even love the name

I have a whole post about this bad boy to click here to read more about this Rosey Glow blush.

I need to stop this because in all honestly I’m annoying myself!

If Rosey Glow and Hussy had a baby it would be ELF’s Pink Passion. 

I would say this blush is a medium toned bright pink and just like the others adds a really nice pop of color to the cheeks. If you have never tried ELF blushes they are a steal. For three dollars you get a blush that competes and out performs some department store blushes. On the other hand if your scared to invest in a bright pink blush the ELF one is great affordable option too.

So there you have it spring is here and now that the sun is out I have noticed how dull my skin actually is. 

Joking, well not really.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I would love to hear what your favorite pop of pink blushes are so feel free to leave a comment.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

Klorane Hair Care

I have a secret passion for French pharmacy brands.

Passion is being really polite because it’s more of an obsession at this point.

Blog after blog I kept hearing about the famous Klorane. A brand with rich botanical history and a solid line up of products designed for every hair concern.

With really cute clean packaging too!

Hair … this might not be something you hear me talk about often.

The reason being is I have to be the laziest person when it comes to hairstyles.

I don’t color it, I rarely cut it and I don’t like using a lot of product on it ether.

What I do is rely on is great products that work and that are most of all super simple.

So when I was offered to try some products from the shine inducing Magnolia line it peaked my interest for three reasons

1.     The love of French pharmacy products

2.     The solid list of ingredients that’s in each and every one of there products

3.     There dry shampoo is a great product that very user friendly yet effective.

I am rambling…

Klorane Magnolia Shampoo* is a shampoo for those in search of maximum shine. What I really like about this is it gives great shine but doesn’t make my hair look greasy at all. The scent is a light floral that is very pleasant. Would I repurchase this yes, what I really like about Klorane product’s is they are easy to find and at my local drug store they go on sale often too. More on that later!

The Klorane Magnolia Conditioner* it was okay. Personally I love those conditioners that leave you hair almost slick feeling. This didn’t do that in fact I would say this is more of a cleansing consistency. As for the scent, it was okay. This didn’t leave my hair tangled in any sort of way but it just wasn’t what I was use to. Would I purchase again, honestly no this product just didn’t work for me.

I love leave in conditioner, because I have long hair it is a must if I plan on combing it after I shower. The problem with some leave in conditioners is they can leave your hair greasy or very flat. The Magnolia Brilliance spray* is definitely the star of the show.  It’s non-greasy, smells great, leaves my hair shiny and easy to comb through. Would I buy it? Absolutely!

In fact I saw it on sale at the drug store and couldn’t imagine going without it so I bought it right then and there.

Overall I have really liked what I’ve tried from Klorane. I like that this is a brand I can find easily, has great ingredients and is a good price point too. I would say the star of the Magnolia line is the leave in spray. Feel free to leave me a comment and let me know what are some of your favorite hair care products are.

Thanks for reading,

Tanya

*this post contains pr samples

Putting it On

At age 10 I found a sample of foundation in my mom’s purse. Like any aspiring beauty junkie in took the opportunity to slather is on ASAP. Unfortunately for my Mom this happened to be in the back of her car.

And unfortunately for me I had no idea what I was doing, or the amount of trouble I was about to get into.

Today you would be happy to hear I have grown up from the days of stealing foundation from my mom and turned a new leaf. In fact I really like putting on makeup just as much as taking it all off.

So here are some of my essentials to putting it all on!

Sonia Kashuk Dou Fiber Kabuki Brush

  This was one of those ‘love at first sight’ brushes. This dense duo fiber brush is great at blending in foundation when in a rush. It’s like a hybrid of the Smashbox Kabuki, the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, and a regular duo fiber brush. The synthetic fibers not only make it easy to clean but it doesn’t eat your foundation either.

Ever have that? Your brush consumes more foundation then what actually goes on to your face.

I love this brush and can’t recommend it enough.

Fingers

So while I don’t slap on foundation like I use to I still find it useful to use my fingers. The combination of getting product of exactly where you need it and the natural heat of your hands make fingers the perfect tool for concealer. 

Another great use for fingers is for cream eye shadows.

Eye Shadow Domed Blender Brush

My easy eye is a cream natural eye shadow with a quick defined crease. There’s not better brush to define you crease then the classic blending brush. The big dome applies a sheer wash of color to the crease making it a perfect partner to achieve a quick polished look.

There is more to this oversized blending brush is more than subtle definer its also a great tool to tone down makeup looks, essential to blur our harsh eye shadow edges and its also great at adding a highlight color the cheeks.

The one I have been using for years now is the Sigma blending brush, but MAC also does one that is very similar.

Q-Tips

It never fails it’s the days I wake up 30 min late that I always mess up my mascara. Which is kind of like the days I wear a dark lip shade that I always get it smudged on my face.

For these mishaps I always have Q-tips around when I am applying my makeup. Most of the time I use them to remove make up mistakes but there also great at smudging liner too!

I have to do an honourable mention to the  MAC 217 brush kicking around my vanity and a handy blush brush too! While I might skip out on my 217 some mornings there isn’t a day that goes by where I can go without on the 4 listed above.

Bio Beauty Miceller Cleansing Water

There’s no hiding it I love NUXE. So when I saw the Bio Beauty stands popping up at my local Shoppers I was intrigued. So like the curious cat I am I hit the Internet and did some research. Bio Beauty is a brand that prides itself on using mostly organic ingredients. Unlike their big botanical sister NUXE, Bio Beauty is based around fruit. In addition prices from the entire line range from the $15.00 to $35.00 mark.

Miceller water’s are makeup removers, which have tiny partials of oil in them. While this idea seems greasy it’s not. They are meant to feel gentle as water but effective at removing makeup. The product that comes to everyone head is famous B

ioderma Crealine. Which I have to say is my personal is my favorite!

So how does the Bio Beauty compare?

Honestly, it doesn’t.

Sorry a lot of built up there but it doesn’t compare to other offerings on the market.

Yes, it’s mild on sensitive eyes but its makeup removal properties are just lackluster.

In fact I just breezed though this generous sized sample in days.

Between you and I would recommend you spend the extra five dollars and get the original Bioderma, I just find it on a whole way more effective.

And on the other hand if you were looking for something just for the eyes the Klorane Eye Make-Up Remover* is an excellent choice too! Just like the Bioderma it feels mild.

 So yes it was fun to try something new, but it’s also fun coming home to my Bioderma, Klorane dream team.

The 5 min makeup look

 Truthfully I love a quick makeup look. Day to day my makeup looks hardly surpass 10 min’s but its on weekends that I master the 5 min look.

I always start my look off with Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. This is definitely a go to foundation because it’s hydrating enough that it blends flawlessly into my dry skin. I always start off by using a little on my chin and around my nose. On days where I have more time I apply more but usually I just apply to cancel out any redness. Next is concealer! Usually this is a two-step process and sometimes three. To make things effective and quick I apply Clinique’s Airbrush concealer to the darkest parts of my eyes.  Keeping up with my usual routine I blend concealer with my fingers.

With my base on I am ready for the eyes. Honestly, applying eye shadows makes me lose track of time. So to avoid a getting sucked in I don’t dare open an eye shadow pallet. However, because my lids are vieny I quickly apply Smashbox’s eye primer on. This is a nice product to use because it neutralizes darkness but also doesn’t crease. With every temptation to open my NARS eye shadow pallet I quickly apply a generous coat of Mascara. Right now I am using the Bourjois Glamour Max. Personally the wand is a too big but it thickens up the lashes nicely.

A little pop of colors on the cheeks can really wake up your completion. So the one I am going for is the Dior Rosy Glow blush. Especially because my makeup is so simple I think it’s important to give the face some light. For the finishing touch I apply the Clarins Lip Perfector and Spray on some Moonbeam.

No idea what Moonbeam is … its like a very light version of Angel. I Moonbeam also has mild woody notes which I really like too!

Personally I would sear away from a cat liner because I have a tendency to mess thing up when I’m in a rush. Stay away from big eye shadow pallets or too many options! Yes lots rambling but I think the trick to a 5 min makeup look is to use products you know that work for you.

Now off to paint my nails! 

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Clarins Natural Lip Perfector

There are certain lip products that I polish off like no bodies business, like the famous Dior Addict Lip Glow and my personal favourite Guerlain Shine Automatique. Clarins Lip Perfector is a product that falls into this category. I polished one of these last summer and I’m not going to lie I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

So what is it that makes these so amazing you ask? 
Firstly if you’re thinking this is a liquid lipstick your wrong. 
It’s kind of a moisturizing balmy texture with the shine qualities of a lip-gloss.I can reassure you this isn’t as sticky as a gloss, but isn’t as thin as a lip balm either.

I’m rambling about texture right now aren’t I? Basically, it’s the best of both worlds.

As for color payoff it’s subtler than a tinted lip balm. Making it a very friendly lip product to use when in a rush!

The taste and smell are latterly the cherry on top of the cake. Sweet vanilla all the way! It’s not too chemically, actually this is what makes me re apply every 10 minutes I love the taste.

The product has it all, functional packaging, a sweet sent, a slanted doe foot applicator, a delicious scent, smooth texture, ease of application to the cute color pay off.

There’s no way to put it except that I’m absolutely obsessed.

3 Beauty Things I didn’t do 10 Year Ago

Yes, my closet still consists of mostly black and yes, I still love makeup, and I still feel like that out-going dorky high school-er. However, I can’t shake the feeling that things have changed, like being more of a homebody, water retention (yes this is very much a real thing) and naturally, makeup. So I thought I would gather some beautifying things that have changed over the past few years.

Neutrals

I use to rock Smokey green eyes, sparkly baby blues and neon pinks. In fact my first two colors I ever bought from MAC were Swish and Aquadisiac. These days I only wear neutrals. Not only are they more appropriate for everyday life but I feel confident wearing them too.

Urban Decays Naked pallet is literally my security blanket. Every single shade from this pallet is wearable, bendable and pigmented. I’m sure most of you have this by now, but if you don’t I highly recommend it.

Body Lotion

As you probably may know I have dry eczema prone skin. For years and years and year I wore body lotions with tons of perfume in alcohol in them
. Yes they smelt nice but in return I was left with dry, itchy, irritated skin.

Now days I like to use the Avene Xera Calm Balm, not only is this rich enough to moisturize my dry skin for hours but it also stops the itch. That sounds gross but there’s no cute way to say it. The French know their skincare/body care! You might think this would be really greasy but assure you it’s not at all.

If I want something with a scent I like to use the Body Shop Shea Butter. Yes, this one leaves a residue but I just love the scent and overall hydration.

Cleansing

I am so guilty of this but … I use to fall asleep with a full face of makeup on.

Gasp!

I couldn’t even imagine falling asleep without washing my face now. Over the years I have used drug store cleansers, high-end cleansers, cleansing oils, lush’s weird mud concoction and coconut oil. Each has their benefits, but I am personally parietal to Philosophy’s Purity cleanser, because of so many reasons. If you just read my post on this I won’t repeat the 101 reasons but if you haven’t click here to find out more information. But above anything I will take any cleanser anyway before I hop into bed with makeup on.

How can I use to fall asleep with makeup on completely escapes me. 

Mind you so does hydration with non-hydraitng products and how I wore cotton candy eye shadow colours day to day. 

So while I am the same girl I can't help it things have changed!

I would love to hear what have you changed in your routine so please leave a comment below!

The Very Unexpected Haul

I had no intention to shop this weekend. Isn’t that how the story always starts?

But one for one reason or another I ended up with unexpected purchases so I thought why not share? 

I went to the mall to go exchange a shirt. Somehow I ended up in The Body Shop, crazy how that happens! I have heard various reviews on the Honeymania line so I thought I would dabble into this collection by picking up a shower gel. I hoped this would smell like Lush’s Honey I Washed the Kids soap, it doesn’t. Instead it’s a flowery sort of scent with an undertone of sweetness. I will have to report back to you on this product, because while I love The Body Shops shower gels, I’m not 100% sold on the scent.

More on this to come!

Jay went to Future Shop this weekend, and some how I ended up in Ardene’s. 

If you have no idea what Ardene’s is, it’s a Canadian company that basically sells inexpensive accessories, shoes and clothes. While the prices are easy on the pocket the quality can very. With that being said there scarves are always a must for me There 2 for $15 dollar deal always makes it a great way to switch up things season to season.

While I habitually wear black day to day, I thought this pink bird scarf would be fun for the upcoming season.

I personally don’t particularly like pink, but I thought the geometric bird design made it very chic for the upcoming season.

The final stop this weekend was Shoppers Drugmart.

A staple to every Canadian Beauty junkie!

With out even blinking I went right to the Clarins display to check out the Lip Perfecter’s. Last summer I finished up the tube of this and I had been missing it ever since.

So I thought the perfect pairing to my new pink scarf would be the very pink 01.

Don’t be alarmed all of these are very sheer creamy balms. They give a non-obvious tint of color to the lips as opposed to their close cousin the tinted lip balm.

Finally best for last Reve De Meil hand cream by NUXE was something my Mom picked up for me this weekend. I have to say I am most excited to try this. I wont go on to this because I feel it deserves a post all of it’s own.

But!

Who knew my favorite lip balm makes a matching hand cream?

My embarrassing enthusiasm for NUXE lead me with a sample of there Mirceller water… Is it better then the famous Bioderma, I will report back!

Feel free to leave me a comment; I would love to know what you’ve been hauling lately!

Like always ladies, thanks for reading! 

Tanya