• skincare hair empties

    May-June-July 2021 Product Empties

    July 30, 2021

    Hi Everyone!

    I haven’t finished many products over the past few months, so I combined three months’ worth of empties. I haven’t really touched my makeup in a long time, so I only have body, skin and hair care empties.

    Rael Miracle Acne Patches (read my review) – I love these and I will continue to buy them. I like that there are only 2 sizes of patches and the plastic they’re attached to is perforated so it’s easy to peel them off nicely.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Skinceuticals Phlorectin CF* – I didn’t like the smell of this one (it smells like brown sugar or coffee?). It made my face feel tacky the whole day and I didn’t notice a huge difference in my skin either. Even if this was a more reasonable price (it’s $190 CAD for 30 mL), I wouldn’t purchase because of the scent.

    Repurchase? No.

    Neogen Pore Tight Aqua Mask – I don’t really use sheet masks anymore. I’d prefer to just use moisturizers, serums or sleeping masks. This mask didn’t really align with my face well. The eye holes were really high up, so part of my forehead wasn’t covered and a lot of the sheet mask was under my chin. It doesn’t have a scent, but for some reason, it gave me a headache. It dries down tacky which I didn’t like.

    Repurchase? No.

    Cerave Moisturizing Cream – I like this cream. It keeps my skin moisturized throughout the day.

    Repurchase? Yes

    Dove Cool Moisture Shampoo – I like cucumber-scented shampoos. They’re refreshing.

    Repurchase? Yes

    Dove Nourishing Rituals Energize Shampoo – I like the refreshing scent of the grapefruit and lemongrass.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Australian Bodycare Intim Shave Gel* – I didn’t really notice if this helped with ingrowns or any redness/razor bumps.

    Repurchase? No.

    Pixi Glycolic Body Wash* – I was using this on my legs mostly. I am prone to ingrown hairs, so I think the exfoliating qualities of the body wash were helping my legs.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    What products have you finished lately?

    Love,

    Products marked with * were sent to me.

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  • h&m style democracy warehouse sale

    Style Democracy H&M Online Warehouse Sale Review & Haul?

    July 28, 2021

    Hi Everyone!

    I was scrolling through Instagram and the Style Democracy H&M Online Warehouse Sale came up. I took a look and ordered some things.

    Originally, this post was supposed to be a haul, but it has turned into more of a review…keep reading to find out why.

    I wanted to buy some loungewear because my current loungewear consists of old gym shorts and old volunteer t-shirts that I’ve received over the years. I was hoping to find some tshirts, sweatshirts and maybe some shorts or pants. I was excited because the sweatshirts looked cozy. I was also going to buy a belt for my mom, but the only ones available were thicker belts that are more for style than function. There were a few cute dresses on sale too, but

    1) I have no use for them

    2) I have too many clothes that I’ve never worn

    3) they weren’t available in my size anyway

    Here’s what I ended up ordering:

    The total was about $85 which isn’t too bad for 7 items. Only the sweatshirt dress and the black sweatshirt with zippers were over $10. I know I only chose basic colours, but I’m plain/neutral when it comes to my style. My closet mostly consists of black and dark blue. It said it would take 10-14 business days to process…

    July 16th (13 business days later) – My friend received a shipping notification for her order. She made her order on the same day as I did. 

    I decided that I would wait until the 15th or 16th day before sending them an email to ask for an update on my order.

    July 21st (16 business days later) – I sent them an email asking for an update.

    July 26th (almost a month placing the order) – I receive an email saying that my order has been cancelled and a full refund has been issued. See below

    July 30th – Paypal refund is still pending. I’ve read it could take up to a month for a Paypal refund? Also, I have yet to receive the discount coupon/free shipping for the H&M site.

    Aug 4th – received full refund, but have not received the ‘discount coupon/free shipping.’

    This would’ve been my first clothing purchase in a year. I haven’t bought any new clothes, I’ve only been selling my old clothes (check out my poshmark blog post). I’m not trying to complain about it since I did get a full refund, but it is disappointing that I had to wait almost a month until I got any information on my order. I know Style Democracy runs a ton of warehouse sales in collaboration with other brands, so I don’t know if it was because this was H&M’s first warehouse sale. I feel like they should have some idea of how much inventory they have. I ordered seven items and I didn’t even get a single item shipped.

    When it comes to warehouse sales, it’s probably best to go to the in-person ones. As long as you’re making sure to follow all the safety protocols in place. For me, it seems like the only warehouse sales that I have had a good experience are beauty ones. I’ve been to a Nordstrom Sale and I purchased a few items. From what I remember, that was before Nordstrom was in Canada (we might’ve had a few Nordstrom Rack stores in Ontario). I’ve also been to the Designer Shoe Sale in Markham (in 2019) and also popped into a Puma one that was there too. The MAC/Estée Lauder and Shiseido Warehouse Sales were the best.

    Love,

    *Pictures were taken from the Style Democracy website.

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  • true bloom HydroBloom™ Skin Rejuvenation Kit

    First Impressions with TrueBloom HydroBloom Skin Rejuvenation Kit

    July 12, 2021

    Hi Everyone!

    Today, I’ll be sharing my first impressions review of a gadget from a brand called TrueBloom.

    Hydrodermabrasion combines a 2 stage process into one quick and easy treatment for clearer and healthier skin.
    ​Stage 1 is the Detox and Exfoliation process. The warm water polishes and deeply cleanses your skin while the strong yet gentle vacuum unclogs your pores and removes toxins from your skin!
    ​Stage 2 is the Revitalization and Brightening process. The vacuum suction increases blood flow, triggering natural collagen production while stimulating new cell growth.
    ​Collagen is the essential protein which provides the elasticity in the skin, helping your skin look and feel young and healthy. 

    • Easy 5 Minute Weekly Treatment
    • Sucks Dirt & Makeup From your Face
    • Unclog Pores, Remove Blackheads & Whiteheads
    • Stimulates Anti-Ageing Via Collagen Production
    • Improve Skin Tone & Texture
    • Reduces Wrinkles & Fine Lines
    • Suitable For All Skin Types
    • true bloom HydroBloom™ Skin Rejuvenation Kit

    I’ve always been curious about these types of devices. You put warm water into the device which cleanses the skin while the vacuum removes toxins and unclogs skin. The vacuum is meant to increase blood flow and stimulate new cell growth. The device comes with 6 different attachments – 3 silicone ones and 3 hard plastic (different sizes for each). The instructions in the box aren’t the most coherent, but it gets the message across.

    The suction on this device is very strong and I’m a bit concerned about it causing bruising on the more sensitive areas of my face. I made sure to read instructions carefully before using it. I tested it out on my arm to see how strong the suction was and it got a bit red. After a while it went away, so I tried it out on my face. I got a red mark on my forehead and jawline which stayed there for the rest of the night. On the website, there’s before and after shots of the water. There’s one compartment for the clean water and another for where the water goes after. I’ve seen the water look cloudy and kind of yellow in some pictures. I’m assuming the person who used it had removed their makeup with the device. When I tried it, the used water was a little cloudy and there were a few hairs in it, but I didn’t see anything else.

    I’ll continue to try it out on my arms and legs just to see if it helps with blood circulation. I don’t get a lot of blackheads, but if I do, I will test it out. I’m curious to see if it’s strong enough to pull out a blackhead. For now, I will just have to test it out long-term to see if it does improve blood circulation and improve skin tone.

    RATING: 2/5

    At the moment, I’m not convinced this product is necessary for your skincare routine. It feels like it’s just another gadget that I’ll use for a few months and then forget about, but we’ll see. Especially with this being gadget from a brand that’s not well-known. Maybe one from a better known brand would have a gentler suction.

    Have you tried one of these gadgets?

    Love,

    *This product was sent to me complimentary for a review. All opinions are my own.

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  • Bubble Fresh Start Gel Cleanser

    Review | Bubble Fresh Start Gel Cleanser

    July 2, 2021

    Hi Everyone!

    Today I’m reviewing Bubble’s Fresh Start Gel Cleanser.

    “Bubble is the first skincare brand made for Gen-Z.” Even though it has Gen-Z in mind, people of all ages can use it.

    • Science-driven products that are sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free
    • What you won’t find: harsh chemicals, additives, fillers or fragrances
    • Partnered with Better Help to offer 50% off of online therapy with each initial purchase
    • Donate 1% of their profits to organizations that support teens facing mental health difficulties

    Our everyday cleanser purifies skin without drying it out. This gel-based formula cleanses away pore-clogging impurities while simultaneously soothing skin—and without any harsh ingredients that can strip it of essential moisture. The end result: A complexion that feels fresh, clean, and balanced.

    Price: $16 USD for 4.2 FL OZ 125 mL

    • For all skin types
    • Free of denatured alcohols, parabens, artificial color & added fragrance materials
    • Made in the USA

    Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Water, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract, Caffeine, Butylene Glycol, Gluconolactone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

    The packaging is cute. I like the baby blue and the fact that it comes in a pump. There are two things I don’t love about the packaging:

    1. When you push the pump, it dispenses onto the side of bottle if you keep it upright. So I need to tilt the bottle (90°) to make sure it dispenses onto my hand.
    2. I don’t know if I’m just not strong enough, but it’d be nice if the bottle could open so that when I’m closer to finishing it, I can see how much is left.

    RATING: 3.5/5

    I like that it’s a gel cleanser. There’s no added fragrance, the natural scent isn’t my favourite, but since it’s a cleanser, it’s not a big deal. I have dry skin and I tried using it out every day for a week. It didn’t make my skin feel dry. Since it has PHA (polyhydroxy acid) which is an exfoliant, I like to use it a few times a week as my night cleanser. I use about 2-3 pumps each time, So I will keep track of how often I use it to see how long it takes to finish up.

    Back in high school, I had no idea what BHAs or AHAs were. I don’t even remember what I used as a cleanser, I might’ve just used bar soap and water. Just thinking about it makes me cringe. I barely had a skincare routine. I would use the same moisturizer as my mom (she has oily skin and I have dry). I wish I had been more interested in skincare when I was a teen. I only knew about drugstore brands like Clean & Clear and Neutrogena. Even then, I barely used anything.

    Have you heard of Bubble?

    Love,

    *This product was sent to me to try out.

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