First Trimester Must Haves

There are telltale signs of being pregnant, for me my first symptom was my skin. Sometime around April I woke up to eczema on my forehead, which was soon followed by a couple of weeks of oily skin. This dry to oily skin pattern continued and even today I bounce back and forward weekly. In addition to my face fluctuating there have been some changes on the body care fount too. With all these changes, I thought why not just document them in an essentials post? So ladies and gents here are my first trimester beauty must haves.

Avene Cold Cream

Pregnancy hormones can do a number to your skin and one of my biggest problems is eczema. Luckily I have my good friend Cold Cream to combat this pesky inconvenience. Not only does this magical cream help calm down redness and irritation but it actually does a great job at restoring the skin too. I have used this product as an eczema spot treatment for years with miracle results and I continue to use and love this product today.

If you’re pregnant suffering from eczema this steroid-free treatment is well worth a try.

I have a whole review here.

Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser

Once I finally eczema at bay I am encountered with my other delightful skincare problem… oil. To combat this concern I use the Regenerating Cleanser. I love the fact that this cleanser/scrub helps control oil and breakouts yet doesn’t feel stripping in the slightest. In fact the Regenerating Cleanser makes the skin feel smooth and look luminous. While keeping spots and blackheads at bay I can truly say the Regenerating Cleanser is both natural and effective.

Review here!

La Vanilla Deodorant in Pure Vanilla  

Armpits, not a glamorous thing by any stretch so I will keep this sort and sweet! I have been using Pure Vanilla for years, however usually in the summer I like to mix things up with a regular deodorant/antiperspirant. After dabbling into the world of aluminum deodorants again … I noticed I was getting rashes. Let's put it this was...I now know that armpit sensitivity is a very real thing! Since then I switched back to my La Vanilla and haven’t had a problem since.

Bonus item- A Good Body Lotion

I think everyone should own a good body cream/lotion/butter, but there is something really special about splurging in good body care when you’re pregnant. My recent splurge lead me to Fresh’s Lemon Sugar Lotion and I am loving how lightweight it feels especially on hot summer days.  Plus the lemony scent is mouth-watering.

Disappointing Products

There are some excellent beauty products out there and then there are some not so great ones. Today we are talking about the not so great ones. I have to confess disappointing products themed posts are my favourite not only to read but to write too. However before I get started take everything with a grain of salt, if something doesn’t work for me that doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. With that in mind here are my disappointing products.

Estelle and Thild Sensitive Skin Night Cream

I am into every single fantastic ingredient in this moisturizer. I also really like how this feels on my face, but I can’t get over the scent of this. The times where I have worn this I have been so put off by the scent that I’ve actually had to wash my face after. Maybe I have a bad bottle? However if you see are considering this Night Cream and are considering purchasing… proceed with caution!

Aveeno Stress Relief Body Wash

Again another scent related product… This camomile lavender scented body wash smells like root beer to me. Thinking about it this might be a pregnancy symptom because I know people love the scent of this. The body wash itself is really nice ... its just the scent that throws me off. Maybe it was expecting something with more lavender? I'm not sure what it is about this, but all I smell is root beer. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light

With promises of vibrant skin I thought this would be a perfect match for my dry skin. I couldn’t be more then wrong! This oily absorbing foundation leaves my skin looking dry and cracked. To make matters worse the lightest shade is unflattering shade of orange that looks unnatural against my pale skin. Dare I say it? but the whole shade range runs a little on the orange side so if you were interested in this foundation definitely suggest sampling/trying before purchasing.

MAC Plumful

Plumful is a beautiful plummy pink that looks stunning on. While this shade adds a colour to the lips the creamy texture makes it easy to wear. Sounds perfect right? Nope! It took me years to realize why I never reach for MAC lipsticks… I hate the plastic-y vanilla scent to them.

I feel like no one ever complains about the scent of MAC, am I the only one? Perfect shade, amazing finish, creamy texture… this lipstick is so close to being perfect it’s disappointing.

What are some of your disappointing products leave me a comment! 

June Favorites

 Now that the cat is out of the bag and we all know I am pregnant I can finally confess my makeup and skincare has been minimal. In addition to simple, I also haven’t switched up my makeup routine in 2 months. Some might look at this as lazy or boring, but I am telling you I have reached the height of makeup efficiency. I can now whip up a pulled together, work appropriate look in less than 5 min. However, I am a beauty junkie so even with my streamline makeup selection new favourites have still managed there way in to my routine. So ladies here we have my very sneaky June favourites!

Fresh Lemon Sugar Lotion

I am a body butter kind of girl but I have to say I find them too thick for the summer. I mean it’s definitely do-able but they kind of leave you sticky. I hate feeling sticky! So my quest for something light lead me right to Fresh’s Lemon Sugar lotion and DAMN! Lemon Sugar lotion hydrating yet so light it makes it perfect for hot summery days. The best part about this lotion is the scent. If you love lemonade, lemon ice cream, lemon squares or pretty much anything sweet and lemony you need to stop what you’re doing and go smell this!

Lush Buffy Body Butter

I give Lush a hard time… but this “body butter” is one hell of a scrub. Actually, if I could name this I would put scrub somewhere in the name. Sorry Lushies I am giving Lush a hard time, but what I am getting to is I love this stuff. I would say Buffy is the scrubbiest, moist hydrating scrub I’ve ever tried. If you’re into really gritty scrubs this is by far the best out there.

Marc Jacobs Magic Marc’er Precision Pen

Brace yourself people… on weekends I like to mix it up a little and add liquid liner to the mix! Crazy! In all seriousness the Marc Jacobs Liquid liner is really black and very long lasting, plus the tiny tip makes it a dream to work with. I got this tiny pen in a Sephora point perk and I am definitely considering purchasing the full size.

Cle De Peau Lipstick in T10

Cle De Peau is stupid expensive… actually I think this lipstick is a discontinued colour too. BUT this is literally my perfect shade! I would describe T10 as a rosy nude with the slightest touch of berry. As for the formula of this lipstick, its buttery, hydrating and long wearing… everything a really pricey lip product should be.

Now I'm on a mission I will find an affordable dupe for T10!!  

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

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 :)