Drugstore Brow Products

For a while department store brow products ruled my collection. MAC’s lingering, and Dior’s universal eye brow pencil were my two favourites out of the lot. However over the past couple of years my thoughts on luxury brow products have changed. I honestly think that the options in the drugstore are amazing. Not only are they less money but the quality seems to be on par with department store brands too. So here are my top three eye brow products from the drugstore.

Maybelline Clear Great Lash

This light weight gel keeps your brows in place all day!

If you were thinking this might be thick and heavy feeling I can assure you it’s so lightweight you won’t even feel it’s there. Even on days where I don’t wear makeup I always brush a little of this gel through my brows.

I love this product but if you are listening Maybelline I do have to say the clear tube isn’t my favorite packaging; eventually the clear gel turns a murky brown colour, which is kind of gross.  For the price however I can accept purchasing a new one if I need to.

THEFACESHOP Design My Eyebrow

Now I know THEFACESHOP isn’t technically a drugstore product. However because this is less than $10.00 I thought it only appropriate to put in the “drug store” category. This slanted waxy pencil is perfect for lazy days were you want things to be done in a couple of swoops. As for the product itself it is quite stiff which works well because it stays in place all day. If you are someone in need of a pencil for a quick eye brow fill this might be worth checking out.

ELF Professional Studio Eyebrow Kit

This set comes with a brow powder and a brow wax. The powder is perfect for filling in sparse areas and where the brow wax is great and defining. All though the colours of the powder and wax aren’t the same they work well together and give you that real eye brow look. I do have to say I also really like the small portable packaging of this too!

If this was 30 dollars I would still be awesome but because its only 3 it’s something you need to get right now!

What are some of your favourite brow products? leave me a comment! 

Sunday New Plants & Old Faithfull's

The weekend is almost done and oh boy it has been a busy one. On busy weekends like this I have to say I go to some “classic” makeup products that are tried and true. Two in particular that have been such a go to I thought I have to make a post about them. I have also bought some new plants, which I am pretty excited about so I thought I would throw it into this post too!

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

Truthfully I have never purchased one of these However, between getting this mini’s as samples or little bonus perks at Sephora I have not been without for two years. Fresh’s Sugar Lip treatment is ultra moisturizing but they also magically make your lips look better too. With it’s lemony scent it’s a great pocket friendly product to carry around.

Urban Decay Naked Pallet 

This might be my all time favorite makeup pallet ever. Here’s the thing about this beauty …it’s the only pallet that I own that can take me from a seriously dramatic smoky eye, to a simple natural look. In terms of quality there are no duds in the Urban Decay Naked pallet, each color works well alone and complaints each other too. If I need to slap something quickly on my face this is my go to pallet. A little Virgin on the lid mixed with Naked through the crease and that is what we call a two second eye!

Well I hope you are all having a great weekend!

What are some of your busy go to beauty products? Leave me a comment I would love to hear.

What is in my shower?

I keep way too many products in my shower. Honestly between starting 3 different body washes to having a slew of samples kicking around, things tend to get hectic pretty quick.  However I have turned a new leaf! I am making an effort to finish up one product at a time and keep things to the ‘minimum’.

So what is in my shower you ask, come have look?

Klorane Shampoo with Oat Milk

Klorane has been a brand for years I have only known through their famous dry shampoo. Earlier this year I was contacted by Klorane to try out a few of their products and I have fallen head over heels. There products works wonders, there ingredients are top notch and there prices are really affordable. Newly (kind of) purchased and well-loved is the Klorane Shampoo with Oat Milk. The Oat Milk formula is gentle enough for those who wash their hair every day.

Yes, I am guilty of washing my hair everyday especially in the summer!

While it is very gentle it still does a great job of cleaning hair thoroughly all while leaving my hair super soft.

Joico Smooth Cure Conditioner

This conditioner I find way too rich for my hair. Feeling to guilty to throw it out I just add dot to the ends of my hair then work the product upwards. It seems to work well but if for whatever reason I add more than needed my hair turns greasy. Would I repurchase this nope, it really doesn’t work for my hair.

Philosophy Margarita 3 in 1

Summer for me isn’t the same without this! Every year I go back to this because the scent alone smells fresh yet sweet and linger with you. Not to mention Philosophy’s 3-in-1’s are an excellent just in general.

Fear not this doesn’t smell boozy in the slightest.

Clarins Daily Energizer Cleansing Gel

When I worked in cosmetics people would go bonkers for this. Why you ask? Because this very lathery cleanser takes off all your makeup yet it doesn’t make you skin feel stripped. Clarins does it right with this gel let me tell you, its effective, has a great list of ingredients and cost’s less than $20.00. I wrote a whole review you can check out here!

THEFACESHOP Mango Seed Cleansing Butter

I got on the double cleanse trend and oh boy my skin has never looked so good.  THEFACESHOP’s Mango Seed Butter Cleanser is an excellent product that adds a boost of hydration and melts off makeup at the same time. If you were interested in the whole double cleanse trend this is a great product to try.

Avene Gentle Purifying Scrub

I talked about things to a minimum but here is where I go a little nuts ….

Exfoliators. I use this exfoliator I would say 85 % of the time. I like that it’s a gel I find it very easy to apply and while it is gritty its not to abrasive.

Clarins Gentle Refiner

This Clarins option is gentle too but a little grittier then the Avene.  I love this on days where I feel like I need a deeper clean. Out of the two I can’t say I have a favorite both are gentle yet they are like day and night. You can see my thoughts and a more detailed review on both here too. 

Soap and Glory Scrub Actually 

This is a really really good body scrub. It’s really scrubby, smells like fruity goodness, feels slightly warm on the skin and it’s not in a darn pot! I have made a vow and sworn off all potted shower products for a while.

The Body Dream Team

I am not the kind of girl to mix beauty products together. Actually I pride myself on using no fuss products that are easy to use, but also work well.  But every now and then there are products that work so well together that the extra effort is totally worth the results.  Let’s talk about my moisturizing dream team shall we?

I always have a rotation of two body “moisturizers” on hand.  The first moisturizer is my everyday basic body lotion/cream. The second moisturizer is always an oil which I use on days my skin needs extra hydration.  Basic and easy routine, right?

Things got crazy the other week… this post is turning into a ramble!

Basically things got crazy when I noticed my dry skin on my arm needed extra love and mixed The Body Shops Shea Body Butter with the NUXE Oil Prodigieuse together. While the both work well alone, holy crap there was a noticeable difference using them combined.

 Lets just take a moment and talk about the scent both of these products smell freaken amazing. But together honestly its an out of this world experience. I would describe the two combined as relaxing yet warm. Kind of like shea butter meets vanilla and kind of floral too. Yet the scent is not over powering in the slightest. Makes me wish that was a perfume it works so well. 

The true beauty about this dream team is the hydration. I've never tried anything that came close to moisturizing like this. Both products have amazing ingredients so theres no surprise when combined results are astonishing. I do have to admit application isn't that strenuous either... even for my lazy girl approach to makeup.  All I do is add a few drops of the oil to a handful of Shea Butter and apply. 

So while I love easy one step products I do have to say that sometimes maybe the more steps the better... at least in the body dream team scenario anyway.    

Hmmm... I wonder was other great oil, body moisturizer combinations there are? 

Essie Blanc

I am back in here with this tidbit of information you know what doesn’t go well with moving? Nail polish! Needless to say between packing to unpacking I haven’t painted my nails in weeks. So which colour have I been lusting? Essie Blanc.

I actually forgot how much I loved white nail polish. Years and years ago I went through a white nail polish stage.  Since then I have not owned a single bottle. Random fact but a true fact!

 Here’s the thing about white nail polish they’re summery yet it match with every outfit imaginable. White polishes also have  the added bonus of making your skin looking tanned even though it might not be. Honestly some Essie polishes can be hits or misses but I would definitely say Blanc is a hit.  Blanc is opaque, non-streaky and an overall pleasure to apply.

If you want to get on the white nail polish trend Essie’s Blanc is an amazing to try!

Expensive But Worth It

Dare I say it? Over the past few years’ drug store makeup has improved both in quality and in innovation. However, there are those gems in the department store that no matter what I’ve tired nothing seems to compare. So while some there might fancy a luxe mascara or high end foundation here are my 3 luxuries worth the price tag.

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir

I love this scent. This heady scent is truly an original because it falls somewhere between the line of masculine and feminine. Yes this smells like pomegranate but there something (maybe the patchouli?) that make it smell so darn remarkable.  Non dupable and well-loved Pomegranate Noir is pricy but worth it.

Bobbi Brown Corrector

There are a couple things about being fair unless your pale you wouldn’t understand.

1.       Why are all pale foundations so pink?

2.       People just assume you were a fan of Twilight series

3.        Pale skin usually means a colony of purple veins live around your eye area.

It is these pesky veins that constantly make me look sleepy and overall just dive me nuts. Eventually my journey’s lead me to the Bobbi Brown Corrector.  Unlike anything else I’ve tried the pinkish concealer is perfect at neutralizing my veins. In addition the little pot lasts forever and while the texture is thick it’s not cakey what so ever.  While there are tons of correctors on the market nothing beats the Bobbi Brown corrector.

Guerlain Shine Automatique in Rose Pompon

This lipstick is so expensive but if I had to pick a lipstick to wear everyday this would be it. Right down to the handy packaging, the sheer wash of colour, the moisturising qualities and the very flattering colour this particular lipstick has got it going on. Rose Pompon is a sheer pinkish plum with just happens to go with every look imaginable. Basically I  love this lipstick and don’t think I could be without it! 

What are you expensive but worth it products? Leave me a comment!

Sigma Brushes

Beauty Blogs and Sigma brush reviews go together like peanut butter and jelly. Years ago I actually bought a brush set from Sigma. Like I am talking way back when, before the Sigmax line and before the “new” numbering system occurred. While I still use this brushes daily and peruse the Sigma website frequently the darn shipping costs always stops any further purchases. 

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Obsessed Look to try out a couple of Sigma makeup brushes. Obsessed Look carries a number of amazing brands but the best part is Sigma Brushes ship for free within Canada!

E25 Blending Brush

When offered two brushes from Sigma the E25 was my first pick. I have always wanted to try this brush to compare it with the cult classic MAC 217. So how does it compare? Firstly the shape is very similar sort of flat sort of fluffy.  No lie thou… the bristles seem angel hair soft in comparison to the MAC.

But disregard the whole MAC comparison the Sigma E25 is a great stand-alone brush.  The E25 is multifunctional in packing on eye shadow, defining the crease and at blending out harsh edges. In my humble option this kind of brush is essential to any makeup lover’s makeup bag.   

E40 Tapered Blending 

My second choice was the E40 which is a blending brush. In comparison to other blending brushes I own the E40 seems to be a smidgen longer and less rounded. The shape is pretty darn awesome because it allows you to really work in product into your crease. I’m not going to lie I was a skeptical about this because it was slightly difference but I am a fan.

Pared with a shadowy brown this can give you those huge hooded eye you’ve always dreamed of.

Betty Davis anyone? Yes please!

You can find more information on these brush’s here.  

Yes you heard right Sigma Brushes ship for free from Obsessed Look.

Have you tried any sigma brushes? What do you recommend?

Sunday Packing

Yes the weekend before our move and to say the least things have been pretty hectic. From furniture shopping, to scheduling deliveries and oblivious boxing things up I am feeling stressed and exhausted. So where does a stressed out beauty obsessed girl like myself go to seek comforting? Straight to the vanity of course! Three things that have made my day a little more enjoyable.

Reve de Miel

My lips are do darn dry! I’m not sure what been going on with them but the constant feeling of burning lips had been driving me bananas. To combat the persistent dryness I have had my pot of Reve De Miel with me. I love this lip balm and while I usually use it as an overnight treatment its great for daily use for try lips too!

Aveda Beautifying Composition Oil

While I have packed most of my bathroom I had to leave this little gem. The scent of this it self makes me feel like I’m being transported to a spa. Such a little luxury but the aromatherapy qualities have me feeling a little more tranquil. Plus a couple of drops into my bath tonight is a treat I am looking forward too!

THEFACESHOP Special Care Hand Mask

On the top of my list of things to try at THEFACESHOP is this hand mask. It smells good (like apricots) and does a great job at moisturizing your hands. Application is simple just put the gloves on and wait 20 min before taking them off. Your hands after feel way softer and super hydrated. Who knew boxes can dry the heck out of your hands?

Best part about this very effective hand mask is it’s only $3.00!

Well back to the packing I go! I want to just give you the heads up I do have another post lined up for you but because of moving and that sort of stuff (internet) I am not sure if there will be any posts next weekend. I hope all of you have had a excellent weekend and thank you for reading!

La Vanilla Healthy Deodorant

 I’ve been blogging for a year and I feel safe enough to say we are all friends here. So ladies today we are going to tackle the arm pit. Yup ladies today we are talking about deodorant! Not about any deodorant but La Vanilla’s Pure Vanilla deodorant. 

I converted to natural deodorant’s years ago a part of me wanted to steer clear of the harsh chemicals but the bottom line is my pits are sensitive. Did I just really say that? I don’t consider myself a sweaty person but so many of them never worked. Reading an online review about La Vanilla’s Healthy deodorant inspired me to give the brand a whirl. 

Three years later I am still loyal to the La Vanilla brand. From the first time I smelt Pure Vanilla I knew it would be the right one for me. While it still smells like traditional vanilla there’s something a little more to it than your average vanilla scent. As for the performance all the natural deodorants I’ve tried have been stinky to say the least. Honesty the La Vanilla is the only natural deodorant I’ve ever tried that works!  For everyday use I should mention. If I know I’m going to the gym or doing any sort of crazy activity like that I wear regular deodorant. What I like about this the most besides the scent is just how gentle is it. While other deodorants cause me irritation this one feels soothing almost cooling actually.

ps: this is a new tube

If you’re someone who has sensitive arm pits or if you want to switch to a natural deodorant this one is well worth the try. Did I just write a whole post about deodorant? Do you have a favorite natural deodorant? Leave me a message.

Keeping things cool

 I love the heat but I hate the humidity. For me it’s a double edged sword because high humidity means my eczema disappears which I love.  On the other hand I hate the consistent feeling of being damp and the thick hot air. It honestly feels gross… humidity feels gross. So trying to keep things light and breezy here are my favorite products on hot muggy days.

Evian Mineral Water Spray

This is like a portable air conditioning unit! Unfortunately it’s only temporary but a quick squirt of this feels so refreshing. If I know I’m going to be outside on a hot day I always bring one of these with me.

Aerosol water might sound crazy but there is a good reason why so many people bring these to festivals and outdoor concerts this really works.

Clarins UV+HP

I would say 99% of SPF’s feel sticky on the skin especially high SPF’s. Between you and me sticky in combination with humidity just feels unclean. Clarins UV+HP SPF 40 sunscreen is so light weight it feels like nothing on the skin. This oil free formula is suitable for all skin types so it’s perfect for oily skin too! I know I’ve been including in every chance I can talk about SPF but it is just that good. I even light how small and compact the bottle is. I will stop rambling … on to the next!

Tint your moisturizer

Not only can foundation look horrible on a hot day but it can also feel heavy too. I don’t have a tinted moisturizer that suits my pale skin at the moment. So what is one to do? Add a drop of foundation to your moisturizer! Actually there is an even easier way to go about this… dot foundation where you need it and dot moisturizer on the places you don’t then get a duo fiber brush and blend. This method is less messy but gives the same results. 
On a side note I like the NARS Sheer Glow paired with my NUXE moisturizer. I find it less finicky and more moisturizing! 

Sunglasses

This isn’t really a beauty tip it’s more like a cheat. Humidity can do a number on eye shadows, mascara’s and eyeliners. To avoid panda eyes at all costs I skip all eye makeup and put on a pair of sunglasses. Plus if I’m outside I wear sunglasses so no one sees my eyes anyway.

Tinted Lip Balm
Anyone will do really! One that I come back to every summer is the Baby Lips in Cherry Red is always a go to because while it adds a sheer wash of colour it also easy to just whip on. 
I love Baby Lips to there affordable, easy to use and come in a variety of fun colours. 

Three things I can’t wait to try

Oh my have I been collecting!  As you may or may not know Jay and I purchased a home over a year ago. Finally finished construction we are set to move in just over a week. Over the past year I have collecting/hoarding/saving special things that I bought with the intention of using in our new home. Yes, this might be some strange activity but I can’t help myself I am exited and happen to love shopping.

  

Fresh Sugar Lemon Sugarbath

Our new house has a stand-alone tub so I was excited to start buying bath products. In all honestly I have wanted these for a years but since we have had the shower tub combination I knew they wouldn’t get good use. When I went to the States the other week I noticed these were almost $10.00 cheaper so I thought to myself why the heck not?

They smell like lemony goodness I can’t wait to try them.

Blithe and Bonny Honey Almond Bath Salts

I have never seen or heard of this brand before, which kind of makes it fun to try. Again going back to the whole bath I wanted a bath salt that was soothing and relaxing. I think they are spot on with the Almond and Vanilla because together smell intoxicating. While the Fresh Sugarbath is quite zingy and uplifting the Blithe and Bonny is gentle and comforting.

Almond and Honey… genius combo!

Diptyque Candles

Completely a luxury purchase I bought two of these fancy candles. After hearing one amazing review after another I needed to weigh in on the hype. Right off the bat I gravitated to the limited edition Rosa Mundai. While the glass container is stunning I loved the light rose fragrance. I also got the mini Figuier candle, which was a complete impulsive purchase, but it just smelt so darn good I couldn’t put it down. Honestly I have some pretty high expectations, so I can’t wait to share with you my thoughts.

Saving any special beauty products? Leave me a comment!

Summer Makeup Bag

Some season’s I plan what is in my makeup bag. For example around fall I always bring berry toned colours and around Christmas I always like to keep a red lipstick close by. But in the summer my structured ways subside and I’m left with well-loved easy products that work well in the heat.

Clarins Lip Perfector

Is it a lip balm is it a lip gloss?  While this is still shiny its non-sticky lightweight formula feels like a lip balm. So in other worlds it’s the best of both worlds. Not only is this perfect for barely there makeup looks it’s just a great lip product to have on the go.

I’ve talked about this product a few times over the previous months but this has to be one of my favorite lip product formulas ever. Clarins if you are reading please make a plumy tinted one for the fall. Or a cherry tint! If you want to read my detailed review you can click here.

Chanel Happy 

I have been absolutely loving this product! I did a whole review on this which is here. But to sum things up the sheer fuchsia jelly adds the nicest pink tint to the lips. I have bought a few Chanel Glossimer's over the years and this one has to be my favourite out of the bunch. 

Victoria Secret Sparkling Citrus

The story is I was on the hunt for a coconut body spray. While I still wear perfume everyday I like having an easy lightweight spray close buy to freshen up. I found this little gem at Victorias Secret for 75% off! Sparkling Citrus smells like coconut and lemon. While it smells super sweet coconut the lemon keeps things very light, fresh and a little more adult. 

Bebe Lip Essence

Another blogged about favourite! 

Random but every time I use this people always comment on the cute packaging. 

This lip balm has a very slight shine to it and feel very light weight on the lips but what I love most about it is that it has some SPF in it. Having burnt my lips in the past this is something I avoid at all costs. 

Burts Bee's Rose Water & Glycerin Toner 

I love the scent of this toner but most of all I love how fresh this makes my skin feel.

I got a little sneaky with this one and put this in a travel spray bottle. I like having this close by it helps freshen up dull skin it also helps cool you down if your hot. 

Dior Addict Lip Stick in Dior Kiss

I think I can say this might be one of my all time favourite pink lipsticks. It's the perfect pink for my pale skin and the formula is like butter! This colour goes with just about any makeup look and doesn't require a mirror to put on... win win! 

THEFACESHOP Freshian Volumizing Mascara

THEFACESHOP is one of my newest discoveries and a brand I am completely obsessed with. Overall there products have been good, prices are affordable, packaging is cute and the staff and the store are very helpful. A few weeks ago I received this mascara as a gift with purchase along with some other goodies. I hear tons of hype surrounding Asian mascara’s and eyeliner’s so I was eager to try and report back.  Now here is what I think… 

With its sleek black packaging and minimal wording I honestly do love the simple look of this product. The brush is a small fiber brush which is perfect for working in the product into the lash line. Come to think about it I think I prefer fiber mascara wands over there plastic counterparts. Typically I find fiber wands coat the eye lashes better then plastic wands. Anyways back to the topic on hand the Freshian Mascara! The formula of this is extremely wet, which isn’t clumpy and actually smells quite nice too. The problem with this mascara is my lashes stick together when I close my eyes. I’ve tried the non-blink completely dry down but this never completely dries. While the formula is not clumpy I find the wetness gradually clumps my lashes together. If the formula was a tad drier this would be a fantastic budget product but unfortunately for me the Freshian mascara didn’t work

  I hate to be negative but keep in mind mascara’s can be such a personal thing. There are a ton of great FACESHOP products that I thoroughly recommend but unfortunately this is not one of them. What are some of your favorite mascara’s leave me a comment!