A Baby on the Way

In the mist of busy wedding planning… Essentially we were days away from booking our destination wedding when we encountered a pleasant surprise, I was pregnant. Now for those of you who know me this will come to no shock to you, but I try to act like a cool person but in reality I am far from tranquil. So my initial reaction was along the lines of “Jay I know nothing about this baby business, I need a book”. That very night we went out and bought a couple of baby books and instantly felt more reassured.  As for the wedding it’s currently on hold. With that being said we eagerly anticipate planning once our little flower girl/ring barrier arrives.

How far along are you? 

15 weeks and 3 days.

How did you find out? 

I took a pregnancy test and it came out positive. The only funny thing was I actually didn’t believe the first test so I ended up taking two… both came out positive.

Morning sickness? 

Nope.

Other symptoms? 

Fatigue, like complete udder exhaustion! Which is why I haven’t been posting as much… sorry ladies! Along with constantly being tired my other symptoms include headaches, boob aches and a skin type that changes daily.  

Are you finding out the sex?! 

Yes, but I don’t know it yet. Personally I think it’s going to be a boy, but any guess is 50/50 at this point.

Mood changes? 

No, not really... just don’t show me a picture of a puppy I might cry.

Cravings?  

Now I love food and have always had certain cravings. So when I crave a pizza or nachos it doesn’t really feel different then my normal self. Are these cravings? Is this me normal? I don’t know.  

I know this is a totally different type of post for me, but a girl can't help but to feel excited. Until my next beauty post ladies... Which reminds me we really need to talk skincare, because my skin has gone bonkers... Wasn't there a bonkers candy?... Is this a craving? 

Anyways before I get rambling thank you for reading and I hope you all have a great night! 

CoverGirl the Super Sizer

I have serious mascara commitment problems. In my last mascara review I declared myself a new woman and vowed myself only use Benefit (review here). All I can say about that is fail… because when I heard that CoverGirl was releasing volumizing mascara I was all over it. Sorry Benefit, Hello Covergirl!

The first thing I noticed about this mascara is the huge tube. The second thing I noticed is the small oddly shaped brush. I felt kind of like a kid opening a huge present and only left with a small toy. Feelings of disappointment and shock took over me while I had this “where did the rest of it go” moment. It was at the same moment that I realized that I bought the brown-black version instead of the black version… but the review must go on!

The brush. To be honest one look at the sparse plastic bristles and I was convinced this would be a fail.  My first time applying this I was so sure of having clumpy spider lashes I kept a bottle of Bioderma and my Benefit Roller Lash close. The results were shocking! The brush as bizarre as it looks actually separates the lashes, while giving ample volume and length too. Also, to my surprise I was amazed to how easy this brush was to control during application. Without getting mascara on my nose, clothes or toes (?) I was able to coat each eye lash perfectly.

Moral of the story … Never judge a mascara by its wand!

But now for the goods!

Yes, the formula is long lasting and non-irritating. Also the brush despite looking wonky actually works really well. My problem with the Super Sizer is the “400% more volume” claim. Maybe I am being nitpicky but I was expecting more oomph, like 400 times more. On a side note, how would that even be measured?

Quick someone get me a calculator and a ruler!

The Super Sizer is a solid mascara. While it’s not ground breaking in terms of volume it really does give the look of beautiful lashes. Actually I would say classify this mascara as a multitasker it gives nice length, a good amount of volume and a decent amount of fullness. If you were looking for something new to try I would definitely give this affordable mascara a go.

Hand Bag Beauty Essentials

The contents of my makeup bag are always changing. Just think about it some months you may crave red lipsticks while other months natural pinks might be your signature colour. Which is why I always carry a “my essentials” bag. I totally understand this might overkill for some, but since the belongings of this bag rarely change it keeps things organized. Plus let’s face it I am a beauty junkie so toting around two small makeup bags doesn’t bother me in the slightest.  

On a side note, I suppose I could just carry on big makeup bag around… As per usual, I am getting way off topic here. So let’s just the post before I get carried away here.

Anti-Bacterial

I don’t use anti-bacterial often, but sometimes you just need to. My favourite anti-bacterial is Bath and Body Works PocketBac’s. Not only are these tiny sanitizers a purse friendly size, but I like the come in fun scents too.

Hand Cream 

In the dead of winter I am prone to super dry hands.  However that doesn’t stop me carrying hand cream all year, it’s like my 30 second pampering indulgence. My two favourites are the NUXE Reve De Miel and the L’occitane hand creams. Both brands do really hydrating hand creams that aren’t greasy. After using 2 tubes of the NUXE back to back I opted for the floral master piece … L’Occitane Peony. So floral, so fresh this is a must for summer.

Mirror

Wither its applying your favourite berry lipstick or checking if your mascara is running a Mirror is a must. I got a little crafty (I use this term very loosely) with an old broken Chanel pallet. Basically I just took out the old blush and gave it a good wash…and voila a free fancy compact!

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream

Dry lips, taming eye brow hair, healing burns, soothing bug bites, hydrating cuticles, repairing dry skin! 8 Hour Cream is so amazing because of its infinite amount of uses. If you haven’t tried this cult status product by now please do, it without question lives up to the hype.

I have a whole review here…

Blotting Papers

It’s 5 you’ve been out all day and you totally forgot about your dinner plans at 5:30. I’m not saying these moments happened all the time, but these are the times where blotting papers come in handy. I have the luxurious Shiseido version on hand, but any blotting paper/thin paper works.

On a side note I also know people who swear by the Starbucks brown napkins.

What are some of your everyday purse essentials? leave me a comment!

Weekend Retail Therapy

I don't usually shop during the week... well that is a lie. I think it would be more accurate to say the weekend is where I do most of my retail therapy. On this particular weekend my shopping adventure lead me to Sephora and Walmart. Which on a side note I have to say might be my two favourite places to buy makeup. Walmart I find cheap in comparison to drugstores and Sephora is simply the mecca of beauty. So with a couple of new goodies to share and a few classics I'm going back to this is my weekend haul. 

Lush Buffy 

I was a Lush addict, however those days are no longer. I can really ramble all day about why I stopped using Lush, but it a nutshell I think there are better products out there with better ingredients. With that being said there

are some favourites that always bring me back to there stores and one of those is Buffy. Buffy is an exfoliation bar for those who like an aggressive scrub. Not only does it leave your skin smooth but the coca butter base leaves your skin hydrated too. I have yet to encounter a product similar to this, which is why I always go back to this classic. 

Cover Girl The Super Sizer 

This new offering from Cover Girl enticed me. With the huge claim of giving 400% more volume I am definitely excited to try out this product. I will report back my findings!

Neutrogena Hydro Boost

A drugstore moisturizer with Hylauronic Acid, no parabens and no alcohols... is this stuff real? I am really hoping this moisturizer is amazing because I love recommending affordable buys. Will be testing this soon! 

Fresh Sugar Lemon Body Lotion 

Did I need another body lotion? Probably not! However the sweet lemon scent of this instantly reminded me of summer. I also really like how light weight the formula is, especially in comparison to all the body butters I use. If your looking for something light and like the smell of lemonade this might be right up your alley. 

Caudalie Grape Water 

As a self proclaimed skincare junkie understand a spritz of aerosol water might be an unnecessary step to some. So you'll have to trust me when I say Caudalie's Grape Water isn't just a splash of water. No, no people this fine mist lightly moisturizes and soothes irritated skin. Which makes it the perfect (non-irratating) replacement for a toner. Plus it also has the benefits of feeling refreshing too! 

There we have it my weekend shopping haul... If you did a little shopping this weekend, I would love to hear what you bought. Leave me a comment in the comment section below :) 

The Best Everyday SPF's

There was a time where wearing a daily SPF meant slathering a greasy cream on your face. In addition to blocking pores these SPF’s also left an unnatural white cast on the skin too. I still am haunted by childhood summertime memories and the sunscreen that made me look like a greasy ghost. Luckily for us in 2015 things have changed, SPF’s are more user friendly yet more effective than ever before.  So ladies and gents here are my top 3 daily sunscreens!

Clarins UV Plus HP

This SPF 40 has been my go to for years! If you were looking for something light weight this oil free sunscreen would be right up your alley. In fact this sun screen is so light this doesn’t leave the slightest white cast onto the skin.

I also wanted to point out scent because I know many don’t like the scent of sunscreen.  If you are one of those people I am happy to report this absolutely 100% does not smell like sun screen. Perfect for every skin type this sun screen is my first recommendation to people.

Miracle 10 Sunscreen Lotion 30 SPF

Miracle 10 has a soft spot in my heart, not only are they a local Toronto brand but they do skincare extremely well. This SPF is very different then the Clarins, it’s thicker and takes a little effort to blend in. Rest assured the finish of this sun screen is completely dry, it will not block pores nor will it make the skin greasy. This SPF also has the advantage of being water and sweat proof, which make it my top choices for active days out in the sun.

Aveeno Fresh Essentials Daily Moisturizer

With a SPF of 30 Aveeno’s Fresh Essentials is an excellent budget choice. This oil-free moisturizer spreads over skin with ease, while feeling light on the skin. However will say this has a slight dewy finish, which makes it great for dry to normal skin types (not so much for oily skin types). If you were looking for an inexpensive daily sunscreen the Fresh Essentials is worth checking out.

What are some of your favorite SPF's? Leave me a comment!

No Bake Turtle Cheese Cake

There is a restaurant by our house that has the best Turtle Cheesecake one could ever ask for.  Jay and I love the cakes so much that we even strategized a really crappy plan to try to get the recipe. After realizing that paying off the waiters and hiding cameras around the restaurant wasn’t an option I decided to come up with a recipe of my own. What I created shocked me… not because it resembled the restaurants but because it was so tasty yet so easy. Yes Cheesecake can be super heavy and dense, but this light weight Turtle Cheesecake so light it makes it perfect treat after a summer BBQ.

Crust

1 PKG of Oreo’s

2-4 TBS of butter (room temperature)

Filling

1 PKG of cream cheese (room temperature)

½ cup of sugar

473ml of whipping cream

Melted milk chocolate to taste

Topping

Carmel Sauce (store bought it fine)

Melted Milk Chocolate

1 hand full of Pecans

1.       In a food processer, process entire package of Oreos and two table spoons of room temperature butter. You’re looking for the consistency of wet sand here, if your Oreo “sand” is not wet enough add more butter and process until consistency is just right.

2.       Take crust mixture and press into bottom of spring form pan. Try your best to make things as level as possible.

3.       In a mixer (or by hand) whip, whip cream until it forms stiff peaks. To avoid over mixing I always start my whipping cream in a mixer and finish it by hand. Transfer whipped cream into big mixing bowel.

4.       No need to wash that mixer bowl or attachment for this step! Add cream cheese, melted milk chocolate and half into mixer bowl and mix until combined. You could add more chocolate if you crave a richer Cheesecake. Personally I like my filling quite light, so I add enough chocolate to make my cheese mixture look like weak chocolate milk (about a half of chocolate bar).  

5.       Slowly fold in cream cheese mixture into whip cream. This will ensure your filling is light and fluffy.

6.       Once mixture is combined pour Cheesecake filling over Oreo crust. Smooth top with end of spatula and place in fridge. I let my cheese cake set overnight but 5 hours should do the trick too. Once cheese is firm release for spring form pan.

7.       Now is the time where this becomes a Turtle people… and it couldn’t be and more easy! Sprinkle pecans on cake, I use a handful of roughly chopped pecans. Finally I drizzle caramel and melted chocolate over the cake and I am done!

One Shade Wonders

Smoky eyeshadow looks to perfect shaded pin-up eyes, I love eye shadow. However, as much as I love spending time on my makeup on a day to a basis I enjoy simple and quick one shade looks.  Sounds boring right? My answer to you is it doesn’t have to be, there are some amazing colours that imitate multiple colours with one single swipe. So ladies and gents here are my tried and true one shade wonders.

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Mystic Rock   

There is a lot of hype about this product and for one very good reason… it’s just that good! This pinky bronze shade is complex yet is still wearable. Applied opaque Mystic Rock looks pink, however once you start blending the product out it magically transforms to a bronzy colour.

Mystic Rock is the type of shade gives the impression that you spent hours on your makeup, when really it just took you 30 seconds.

MAC Patina

If an antique gold colour had a baby with a cool brown, they would make Patina. While the colour is actually quite subtle itself, the shade is interesting enough to be worn alone. I find the slight gold adds light to the lids while the cool brown tone compliments the crease. Patina is one of my all-time favourites and in my humble option a must try on every makeup lovers list.  

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Sugar Frost

The other shades are here because they have that cool colour transformation thing going on, but Sugar Frost is here simply because it’s pretty. This sparkly champagne colour might look basic, but there is something about shade that adds light to the face. Actually if I can be honest, I love this product so much so that I have worn it every day since I bought it (over a month ago). It might be in the subtle sparkle, or it might be light colour, or both? But every time I reach for this product I have that “damn that looks pretty” moment.

What are some of your favourite one shade wonders? Leave me a comment!

Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser Review

I am skincare obsessed. Kind of cat lady surrounded by her feline friends I one day envision myself surrounded by an arsenal of skincare. As a self-proclaimed skincare fanatic when it comes to new skincare saying that I do my research would be an understatement. I mean I really bask in the whole process like reading reviews, researching ingredients and learning about the brand. Accordingly when the new opportunity for an exfoliator arose all roads lead to Tata Harper’s Regenerating Cleanser.

Let’s talk a little about the brand shall we? Tata Harper strives on being natural and non- toxic. Unlike many brands Tata’s follows this rule 100% of the time. Remarkably all of Tata’s products are made in small batches. This small batch philosophy guarantees you get the freshest product possible. The whole range is well thought out and her website is downright beautiful (and informative).  If you were on the market for luxury artisanal skincare, which is both healthy and effective Tata Harper is a collection is worth checking out.

The Regeneration Cleanser is not your typical “microbead” run of the mill exfoliating product. No, no, no this is one of those clever skincare products that has every angle of exfoliation covered. The first about most obvious thing this does is exfoliate dead skin cells. You will notice that this product has a slight grit to it, which really helps you get that beautiful deep clean. Next up is those pesky blackheads. The Regenerating Cleanser boasts pomegranate enzymes which literally melts away blackheads and reduces the look of pores too! Got pimples? This cleanser has got you covered too with the miracle ingredient willow bark extract (think natural salicylic acid). Finally with the addition of french clay this product really helps detoxify the skin and prevents further breakouts. 

This cleanser/exfoliator is seriously some holy grail beauty stuff.  Not only does my skin look better but the texture of my skin actually feels softer too! You could use this product everyday because the formula is both gentle and leaves skin feeling balanced. Personally I like using this product every other day, kind of how you would a with a typical scrub. I don't usually say this about skincare but I noticed results instantly with this product. However after 4 weeks of use and I can truly say that my skin looks smoother, brighter and more glow-y that it ever has ever before. 

May Favourites

 It’s officially the half way mark in the year, which truthfully blows my mind. Where does time go? Philosophical answers aside we are here to talk makeup! This brings me to my next point, if I had to pick a theme for this month it would be along the lines of lazy-girl, yet refined makeup. I’m not sure if we beauty girls are allowed to admit this but, this month I’m all for looking pulled together but with the least amount of effort. So with a handful of easy to use products here are my May favourites.

Diorskin Nude BB Cream

I’ve tried BB creams in the past and never really got along with any particular brand. Dior’s BB cream is different it’s light enough for my fair skin and packs a decent amount of coverage too.  I also love that you can apply this BB Cream with your fingers yet still get a beautiful finish.

If you were looking for a foundation-y product that is light weight, sheer and just generally very easy to use give Diorskin Nude BB Cream a try!

I have a whole review here.

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Sugar Frost

In my mind nothing was going to beat the By Terry Ombre Blackstar’s. Yes, I was totally stubborn about the issue and refused to try anything new for years. I am getting off topic here, but what I am getting to is the Caviar Sticks are downright amazing. Just like the Blackstar’s they don’t crease, they are easy to blend and they last all day.  The colour Sugar Frost is an easy one swipe wonder that gives the eyes a slight champagne shimmer but doesn’t look over done (or too frosty).  Excellent product and one I’m sure I will be using every day for months to come. 

Bourjois Silk Edition Powder

I freaking love this powder, so much I had to include it into my favourites this month again. You could wear this powder alone for a natural finish. However I love wearing this over my Dior BB Cream. Not only does it increase the longevity of the BB, but it also adds slightly more coverage.  

Avene Cold Cream

I don’t use Cold Cream every day, but this month was a true testament of why I always keep a tube around.  Sometime around Mother’s Day I started getting really dry, scaly patches on my forehead. I have to say this was one weird occurrence because I don’t tend to have eczema in the summer. After using cold cream for a week  my dry patches were magically gone… Yes you heard me right completely gone! If you are prone to dry skin or eczema having this in your stash is a life saver.

 I did a review way back when here should you want to read more about this miracle product.   

Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser

After using this product for 3 weeks a can now safely say I am in love! Despite less skincare products this month, this gentle exfoliator has my skin looking better than it’s ever looked before. I don’t want to say too much because this is a product that deserves a review of its own. However I will leave you with this … the Regenerating Cleanser is absolutely incredible.

Lazy makeup to lazy skincare this is my May favourites.

What are some of your monthly favourites leave me a comment!