rael Archives

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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February 2020 Product Empties

February 28, 2020

Hi Everyone!

Here are this month’s empties!

Daiso Razors – I like these for shaving the face. They come with a plastic protector for storage.

Repurchase? Yes.

Tarte Maracuja Eye Treatment – This cream is quite thick and I finished it a lot faster than I finished other products with the same amount.

Repurchase? Probably not.

Good Molecules Pure Cold-Pressed Rosehip Seed Oil* – really liked this oil.

Repurchase? Yes.

Kopari Coconut Deodorant (read my review) – I had to declutter this because my underarms got a reaction when I would use it. I think it’s the coconut. It smells nice, but it didn’t do the best job when I would work out. Of course, it is a deodorant and not an anti-perspirant.

Repurchase? No.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser – This is a good cleanser for me to use in the morning. I sometimes use it on the body as well.

Repurchase? Yes.

Rael Miracle Patches (read my review) – LOVE THESE! If you haven’t tried hydrocolloid patches for your acne, you need to try them! It doesn’t have to be these specific ones, but these and the COSRX ones are favourites of mine.

Repurchase? I purchase mine from Amazon (4 packs of 24). This is my second time buying 4 packs. It took me about a 8-12 months to finish all 4 packs.

Moom Aromatherapy Foot Spa Cream* – Why are all foot creams mint-scented? Not that I’m complaining. This was a nice foot cream, but I didn’t notice a huge difference in how smooth my feet felt.

Repurchase? No.

Joico Moisture Recovery Shampoo – I like this shampoo. I wouldn’t say it’s my fave, but I haven’t gotten any reactions (when I was using a Pantene shampoo, I noticed I was getting breakouts along my hairline and I don’t use many other hair products so it was easy to narrow it down).

Repurchase? Only on sale.

Australian Bodycare Tea Tree Oil Face Tonic* (read my review) – I enjoy tea tree oil for my acne-prone skin.

Repurchase? I would purchase more products in their Tea Tree collection (like the body wash).

Tula Acne Clearing + Tone Correcting Gel – This is a nice salicylic acid acne gel. When I first got it, I would use it every day which I realized was too often and the reason my skin was a bit red. Once I cut down to using it less frequently, it was better and still kept my skin fairly clear.

Repurchase? Tula no longer ships to Canada, but I’m sure I can find a similar acne gel with salicylic acid.

Grounded Sage Pure Amore Gel Facial Cleanser* – I didn’t love this cleanser mainly because it came I a glass jar. I prefer a pump because I don’t want to stick my wet hand into the jar and I also tend to use more.

Repurchase? No.

Nars Velvet Matte Foundation Stick in Fiji – This wasn’t my favourite stick foundation I’ve used.

Repurchase? No.

Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in 09 Red Berry Glam – I wanted to try this lip oil and I won it in a giveaway. It wasn’t the shade I wanted, but I got to see if I liked the formula. I was expecting it to be more of an oil, but it’s basically like a gloss (quite sticky).

Repurchase? Maybe, but in a different shade.

Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara – I like that this is a fiber mascara. You just have to wash it off with warm water and you don’t get raccoon eyes. Unfortunately that means it’s not waterproof if that’s what you’re after.

Repurchase? Yes.

Sephora Solid Clean: Solid Brush Cleaner – This is a nice little thing to travel with and it comes with a little silicone pad to help get a deeper clean.

Repurchase? Maybe.

What did you finish this month?

Love,

Products marked with (*) were gifted to me.

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15 Beauty Favourites I’ve Repurchased | 2020

February 14, 2020

Hi Everyone!

Today, I’m sharing makeup and skincare products that have become favourites of mine. Either I already have repurchased or plan to repurchase in the future.

Check out my 2018 list of beauty favourites

In no particular order, here are 15 of my beauty favourites:

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water – I love this primer water so much, that I actually bought 3 during a sale on Smashbox.ca! It’s one of the few products that I’ve bought backups.

Check out my blog post on buying beauty backups!

Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define* – Love this brow pencil. Benefit is one of the few brands that carries brow products with more than 3 shades and also different undertones.

Colourpop Boss Brow Clear Gel – My friend recommended this brow gel and I love it. It doesn’t make your brows feel crunchy at all!

Bioderma Sensibio H₂0 Make Up Removing Micelle Solution – The Garnier and Bioderma Micellar Waters are my favourites. The Garnier one is cheaper, so I repurchase it more, but I do see why everyone loves the Bioderma one too.

Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes* – I think this would be a great eye cream for the spring/summer time for me. It was very nice and light, but wasn’t quite hydrating enough for Canadian winters.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer – This is one of my favourite primers that keeps my dry skin hydrated throughout the day.

Good Molecules Pure Cold-Pressed Rosehip Seed Oil* – I have been loving facial oils for my dry skin and this one is a great one from Good Molecules.

Good Molecules Silicone-Free Priming Moisturizer* – I love that brands are coming out with primers without silicones. This one is a great 2-in-1 product.

Gummiband Hair Cords – I was originally gifted some hair cords, but I have since purchased more because I love them. Also, they’re a Canadian brand.

Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder – This is a beautiful powder to set your makeup.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask – This is the only lip mask I’ve tried, so I can’t say it’s my favourite. It is a great lip mask that keeps my lips hydrated at night.

Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer – A favourite concealer of mine for spot concealing. It blends beautifully into the skin.

Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector – I really enjoyed this eye cream. It made my under eyes feel smooth and hydrated. I also loved the metal applicator.

Rael Miracle Patches (read my review) – Love these patches!

Volition Strawberry-C Brightening Serum* (read my review) – Loved this serum!

What beauty favourites have you repurchased?

Love,

Products marked with (*) were gifted to me.

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January 2020 Product Empties

January 31, 2020

Hi Everyone!

Here are my first empties of the decade!

Milani Baked Blush in Dolce Pink – This was a beautiful blush that had the perfect amount of pink and shimmer.

Repurchase? Absolutely! I would also try other shades.

Sephora The Cleanse: Daily Brush Cleaner – I bought my first bottle of this years ago and it took me a while to finish it. It was probably expired by the time I finished it, to be honest. It had a pleasant smell when I first bought it, but they’ve since changed the scent of it. It smells more like chemicals which I don’t like. Although it does clean brushes well (for a quick clean).

Repurchase? No.

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Self-Setting Concealer in 21 Cinnamon – I really enjoyed this concealer. I bought it last year during the Sephora sale, so as you can see, I used it up pretty quickly. It looked really nice on the skin.

Repurchase? Yes.

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Long Wear Foundation Stick SPF21 in 260 Bisque N – I decided to declutter this because I’ve had it for a while. I peeled off the sticker on it and it said it expired in 2018 which was when I bought it! I liked it, but I think I actually prefer the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick. I liked this one better than the Hourglass Vanish Stick though. The Hourglass was just too full coverage for me (even using it sparingly).

Repurchase? Maybe.

1 newbie, 1 empty

Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème – I just featured this in my monthly favourites post. I really liked this eye cream. I don’t have dark circles, so I don’t know if it helps with that, but my under eyes felt moisturized and smooth. No reactions to it at all! I have heard that people have used it for a few months and all of a sudden, they had a terrible allergic reaction to it. Their eyes would get puffy and red 🙁

Repurchase? Sadly, no. If it causes reactions after using it for a while, I don’t want to repurchase.

Rael Miracle Patches (read my review) – Love these hydrocolloid patches!

Repurchase? Already have.

What did you finish this month?

Love,

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July 2019 Product Empties

July 30, 2019

Hi Everyone!

I have quite a few cleanser empties this month! I use several at a time (one for morning, one for night). I also switch them up to test different ones out for a bit so that I can post a quick review on Instagram. I also have a few makeup empties for you this month, keep reading to see what products I’d repurchase!

Cosrx Low Ph Good Morning Gel Cleanser – I didn’t love the herbal smell of this cleanser. It cleansed well, but I’d rather use Cetaphil which is unscented.

Repurchase? No.

Pixi Glow Tonic Cleansing Gel* – This cleanser was okay, I tended to squeeze out a lot more than I needed because the cleanser was more liquid than other cleansers I’ve used. The scent of this cleanser reminded me of kitchen cleanser because it smelled like lemons.

Repurchase? No.

Youth to the People Superfood Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer (read my review) – Love this moisturizer! It’s clean at Sephora and has no added fragrance which is great for my sensitive skin.

Repurchase? Absolutely!

Holika Holika Pig-Nose Clear Black Head Massage Gel – I wouldn’t say this worked super well for blackheads, but in the beginning, it worked okay as a peeling gel for my nose. It would moisturize my nose and also get rid of some of the dead skin.

Repurchase? Maybe.

Holika Holika Golden Monkey Glamour Lip 3-Step Kit – I really enjoy this 3-step lip kit. It turns chapped lips into smooth, ready for lipstick lips. First, you exfoliate your lips and then put a lip mask on and follow up with some honey to moisturize. Personally, I could do without the honey. I’d rather just put some lip balm on my lips because the honey is so sticky.

Repurchase? Yes.

Mizon Apple Smoothie Peeling Gel – I enjoyed this peeling gel. It sloughed off dead skin well and it was a good price for the amount. I’ve used others that work a little better, but this is a gentle one that’s inexpensive.

Repurchase? Maybe.

Rael Acne Healing Patch (read my review) – I love these!

Repurchase? Yes.

Lancôme Miracle Cushion Foundation in 025 Beige Naturel – I really enjoy this cushion foundation. It’s a lightweight, buildable coverage. The shade is a bit off though – it looks a bit orange sometimes, so I might have to find a better shade match.

Repurchase? Yes.

Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Illuminating Setting Powder – This is a translucent pressed powder that’s supposed to give you a glow from within like the Hourglass Ambient powders. I’ve swatched the Hourglass ones before and they look beautiful, this Bobbi Brown one just looked like I had shimmer on my face.

Repurchase? No.

Catrice Light Illusion Loose Powder in Yellow Matt – I didn’t like this powder. I wanted to try a banana powder, but I prefer translucent powders.

Repurchase? No.

Wet N Wild Megaglo Highlighting Powder in Precious Petals (read my review) – This is a cult favourite for good reason. I was only able to get my hands on the shade Precious Petals which was too dark for my skintone, but it was still beautiful. I used it a lot as an eyeshadow instead because it was just a bit too golden for me.

Repurchase? Yes, in a different shade.

Love,

items marked with * were gifted to me.

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This or That | COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches vs. Rael Miracle Patches

April 19, 2019
Hi Everyone!

I’ve tried out the Rael Hydrocolloid Acne Healing Patches (name has been changed to Miracle Patches) and compared it to my beloved COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches (read my review) and here are my thoughts:

COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches

The thin clear hydrocolloid patch feels similar to a hydrogel sheet mask in texture, adhering your skin strongly. It’ll stay on through showering and washing! It treats breakouts by eliminating infection and bacteria, which is what causes them in the first place. It’s able to breakdown debris from blackheads and absorb gunk from whiteheads overnight, so you won’t experience a harsh dry patch from using this. It even helps flatten and heal cystic acne faster!

24 patches per pack (3 sizes):
- 10 x 7mm
- 5 x 10mm
- 9 x 12mm
The COSRX are the first patches I tried and I’ve compared them to the Nexcare ones which I didn’t like (read my review). I buy the COSRX patches on Chuusi.ca for $4.50 each.

Rael Miracle Patches

Our high-grade absorbent hydrocolloid extracts impurities and provides a protective barrier that guards your skin from bacteria and irritants. These super-effective patches reduce inflammation and also prevent potential acne scarring.

24 patches per pack (2 sizes):
- 12 x 10mm
- 12 x 12mm
I bought these on Amazon.ca and got 4 packages for $24.46 which means 1 pack is $6.12

The Rael ones remind me of the COSRX Clear Fit Master Patches (read my review) because they are tapered on the edges, but the COSRX Clear Fit only comes with 18 patches in 10mm size.

Rael costs a little more, but they are better if you are wearing them out of the house. COSRX are cheaper, but they’re a little more noticeable (especially if it’s somewhere obvious like your cheek). COSRX comes with 10 of the small sized patches and I mostly use the medium and large patches. Sometimes when I peel off the COSRX ones, it folds over onto itself (like when you’re opening a bandaid and it sticks to itself and you can’t unstick it). The Rael (and the COSRX Clear Fit) patches are easier to peel off because the sheets are perforated.

Cosrx (white sheet), Rael (clear sheets)

Rael patches

WINNER: It’s a tie!

I think that since the COSRX ones aren’t tapered, they can absorb more. From now on, I will buy both and use the Rael ones if I need to wear one out of the house and use the COSRX for home.

UPDATE: I’ve started to love the Rael patches more because I get pimples on my face where there’s curves (nose, jaw, chin). It’s easier for the Rael ones to stick since they’re thinner. I have noticed that if you wear the Rael ones for too long and there’s a lot of stuff to absorb, they will get gummy (for lack of a better word). The COSRX ones, since they’re thicker, they don’t get gummy.

Have you tried acne patches? What’s your fave brand?

Love,
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