• 2020 Sephora VIB Sale Haul

    Haul | April 2020 Sephora VIB Sale

    April 17, 2020

    Hi Everyone!

    Here’s my haul from the Sephora VIB Rouge Sale. I decided not to buy any new makeup because I already have more than enough makeup to get me through the year. So, I only purchased skincare and hair products…and one lip oil. I’ve been wanting to try Briogeo and other Volition Beauty products. I’ve tried the Celery Green Cream and Strawberry-C Brightening Serum from Volition Beauty. I thought I’d give their eye gel a try and also one of their serums. At the last minute, I decided to throw in a Sephora PRO eyeshadow brush.

    2020 Sephora VIB Sale Haul
    • Fresh Rose Cleansing Foam
    • Volition Beauty Snow Mushroom Water Serum
    • Volition Beauty Helix AM/PM Eye Gel
    • Jouer Cosmetics Essential Hydrating Lip Oil
    • Briogeo Scalp Revival Scalp Soothing Travel Kit
      • Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo
      • Scalp Revival Charcoal + Peppermint Oil Cooling Jelly Conditioner
      • Scalp Revival Charcoal + Tea tree Scalp Treatment
    • Briogeo Banana + Coconut Superfoods Shampoo & Conditioner Hair Pack
      • Be Gentle Be Kind Banana + Coconut Nourishing Superfood Shampoo
      • Be Gentle Be Kind Banana + Coconut Nourishing Superfood Conditioner
    • Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector
    • Tatcha Routine Refresher
      • The Deep Cleanse Exfoliating Cleanser
      • The Water Cream
    • Sephora PRO Fan Shadow Brush #25

    Will you be ordering anything during the sale?

    Love,

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  • September 2018 Product Empties

    October 1, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    This month I went through a lot of products! So, let’s get started!

    Bioré Blemish Fighting Astringent – This would sometimes sting my skin (even if I didn’t have a pimple. The alcohol content was very high and would make my eyes water.

    Repurchase? No.

    belif bergamot Toner – This was a very nice, gentle toner.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Spectro AcneCare Wash – This was a great acne wash that wasn’t too strong.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches (read my review) – Cannot get enough of these patches, they’re amazing!

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Clinique Pep-Start Quick Cleansing Swipes – These were gentle and removed makeup okay.

    Repurchase? No longer available, I believe.

    The Face Shop Clean Face Clear Away Spot Treatment (read my review) – This wasn’t very strong, I would rather buy the Kate Somerville eradiKate or Mario Badescu Drying Lotion.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    The Face Shop Jeju Volcanic Lava Self-Heating Clay Mask (read my review) – This was interesting. The self-heating factor might be good for body aches (although it would be a bit messy).

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    Live Clean Baby Colloidal Oatmeal Eczema Cream – This cream definitely smelled like oatmeal. I don’t know if it did anything to help. I was using it when I didn’t have any eczema flare ups.

    Repurchase? Probably not, I would rather get a Cetaphil cream bottle.

    got2be Guardian Angel Gloss Finish Flat Iron Balm – I have only ever tried 2 heat protectant sprays, but this did the job and made my hair look glossy.

    Repurchase? I have.

    Remay Shave Gel Bar – I received this for free and while it smelled nice and was very nice to shave with, I probably wouldn’t purchase it.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo – I got this in a Topbox and I knew it was expensive so I kept not using this little bottle. I love the smell of this dry shampoo and I got compliments twice when using it that I smelled nice.

    Repurchase? I finally splurged and bought a new one. I got a mini because the big size was out of stock.

    Live Clean Mineral Clay Rebalancing Shampoo + Conditioner – I liked this shampoo and conditioner.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette (read my review) – This is a good concealer palette if you’re just starting out and don’t want to splurge. You can use it to colour correct, conceal and contour.

    Repurchase? No, because Coastal Scents charges shipping to Canada.

    Colourpop No Filter Concealer in Light 20 – This concealer was bought before they added more shades, so there’s no longer a shade called Light 20. This concealer was okay for me. It oxidized really quickly. I would rather get Maybelline Fit Me Concealer since that’s easier for me to pick up.

    Repurchase? No.

    Milani Retouch + Erase Light-Lifting Concealer in 02 Light – This is a thick concealer that blends out nicely. I wasn’t sure if I would like it because I thought it might cause creasing under my eyes, but I wore it for over 8 hours and it didn’t crease 

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (Colour Correcting- Adjust) (read my review) – This did nothing to cover redness.

    Repurchase? No.

    Nude by Nature Perfecting Primer (read my review) – This was an okay primer, I didn’t love it and didn’t hate it.

    Repurchase? No.

    Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizer Primer (Smoothing) – This is one of my fave smoothing primers.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in Y245 – This was a great foundation, but the shade was too yellow. I think I’d need to mix two shades with different undertones to get the right match.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Burt’s Bees Goodness Glows Liquid Foundation in 1025 Natural Beige (read my review) – Because this foundation is very natural, it washed away easily with water. I didn’t like the smell of it either and it lingered after applying it.

    Repurchase? No.

    Fenty Pro’Filtr Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in 150 – This was too matte for me. While it was beautiful, I prefer something more luminous and natural.

    Repurchase? No.

    Coastal Scents Revealed3 Palette (read my review) – These had some great neutral colours if you’re starting out with eyeshadows.

    Repurchase? No.

    Urban Decay troublemaker Mascara – This deluxe sample was hard to judge the full-sized because it was such a short stick, I couldn’t apply the mascara very well to my lashes.

    Repurchase? No.

    Bella Pierre Cheek Stain in Coral – It was pretty, but I feel like I never gave it a fair shot. I think I’d prefer a cheek stain that twists up or in a pan instead of a pot.

    Repurchase? No.

    Burt’s Bees Nourishing Mascara – While this was easy to wash off, it didn’t do much for my lashes.

    Repurchase? No.

    bareMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick in Tutu – It was a pretty pink shade, but a bit too pale pink on me. I might consider buying a different shade.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    Dior Addict Lipstick in 983 Insoumise – My mom bought this for my sister’s wedding, but it was way too pink for her and had shimmer in it, so she gave it to me. It’s a beautiful pink shade, but it’s a bit too pink for me too. I would sort of do an ombré lip with this on top of a nude/pink lipstick and it added the perfect amount of shine and pink.

    Repurchase? Not this shade, but I loved how hydrating this lipstick was, so I would definitely consider getting the Dior Addict Lip Glow or purchasing a different shade.

    What products did you finish this month?

    Love,

    jen

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  • scaddabush italian kitchen & bar

    Review | Lunch & Dinner at Scaddabush Italian Kitchen & Bar

    March 20, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    Ever since I went to Scaddabush for my birthday a few years back, I have been raving about the fresh mozzarella! This weekend, we finally went back so my family could try it. I’ve been to two of the downtown Toronto locations: Yonge & Gerrard and Front & Simcoe. They have six other locations: Oakville, Scarborough, Vaughan, Square One, Sherway Gardens and Richmond Hill. I went to the Yonge & Gerrard one for my birthday and we went at about 10:30 and it was super busy still. For Front & Simcoe, we had a reservation at 6 and it was obviously super busy especially since we went on a Saturday which was also St. Patrick’s Day.

    DINNER

    20160930 peach mango bellini

    Peach Mango Bellini – Sparkling wine, peach schnapps, Cassis, mango purée

    scadda.PNG

    Fresh Mozzarella (Naked) – Extra-virgin olive oil, San Marzano tomato jam, sea salt, focaccia crostini

    Fresh Mozzarella (Prosciutto) – Fig jam, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, focaccia crostini

    Straight Up Meatball (stuffed) – Our signature meatball with focaccia crostini, three-cheese sauce, poor man’s Parmesan, Sunday sauce, fresh basil

    yum

    Mario Pizza – Prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, San Marzano tomato sauce, baby arugula

    Zucca Ravioli (social) – Butternut squash ravioli, Grana Padano, hazelnut butter cream sauce, fried sage, poor man’s Parmesan

    Fettuccine Capri (large) – Shrimp, scallops, PEI mussels, squid, roasted red peppers, tomato sauce, orange gremolata

    20180317_195445

    Zeppole – Deep fried sweet dough, dusted with citrus sugar, served with chocolate hazelnut sauce for dipping

    Favourites: fresh mozzarella (naked & prosciutto), straight-up meatball (stuffed)

    The mozzarella is only available after 5pm each day. So, if you want to try it, you have to go at dinner time, not lunch. Both the naked and the prosciutto are great options.

    I feel like their best dishes are the appetizers and the pastas. Especially since the mozzarella is made fresh and so is the pasta. I think we all got full on the appetizers before the pasta even came and I think we could’ve skipped dessert. For me, I would prefer to get appetizers instead of the desserts.

    The pizza tasted like other flatbread pizzas I’ve had. It was good, but it was your typical flatbread pizza. Maybe one of the other ones with more toppings is better.

    The zucca ravioli was good, but quite sweet. We probably could’ve ordered a large instead of the social. We brought the leftovers home and I ate it the next day by frying it up with a runny egg, it was delicious.

    My dad ordered the fettucine capri. Although I like seafood, I don’t love seafood pasta, but it was good, especially the pasta itself.

    My sister and brother-in-law shared one of the new features: Chocolate Bomba- Sponge cake, mascarpone panna cotta, Nutella mousse, chocolate ganache, toasted hazelnuts, strawberries, citrus sugar. My sister said it was good, but very rich, so I think it could’ve been split between three people or maybe if we hadn’t ordered so many appetizers. I didn’t really like the zeppole because it had a bit too much of an egg taste for my liking.

    Next time I go, I might try the chicken parmesan or get the spaghetti and meatball.

    LUNCH

    I’ve since been back for lunch and here are my thoughts on the new dishes I tried. We went right when they opened and five of us shared one appetizer and three dishes ( sandwich, pasta and pizza).

    Italian Burger – Hand-pressed Certified Angus Beef ground chuck, fresh mozzarella, arugula, bruschetta, balsamic reduction, basil pesto aioli, focaccia bun

    Shrimp Spaghetti – lemon wine cream, garlic butter, roasted garlic, fresh basil, fried capers, piccante sauce, spicy poor man’s Parmesan

    Smoked Bacon & Egg Pizza – Double-smoked bacon, Berkshire sausage, Alfredo sauce, fried russet potatoes, caramelized onions, chilies, chives, two freshly cracked eggs

    I loved the burger and the spaghetti was really good as well. I would order both again. The burger patty sort of tasted like the meatball, but it had a nice char on it and the focaccia bun was nice and soft (but not at all mushy). The pizza was pretty good too, but I probably wouldn’t order again. Although it was interesting having potatoes on my pizza. I would get potatoes on my pizza again. Since I shared the pizza with friends, I don’t think everything was on the two slices I ate. I didn’t have any chilies or caramelized onions.

    Have you tried the fresh mozzarella at Scaddabush?

    Love,

    jen

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