• Revisiting My 2018 Favourites | Part 1

    January 4, 2019

    Hi Everyone!

    I thought I would do a post revisiting last year’s favourites to see if they were still my favourites. I’ve already done a post for my September to December 2017 favourites.

    Revisiting My 2017 Favourites

    I’m going to split the posts into 2 parts so it’s not too long. Part 1 for January to June and I’ll post the Part 2 in six months’ time for July to December since they’re still fairly recent. These posts are only going to include my beauty favourites.

    JANUARY

    Maybelline FaceStudio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter in 100 Molten Gold – LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

    Repurchase? Yes! I want to get one of the lighter shades (since they’ve expanded their shade range) because this one can be a bit too dark on me.

    Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm – Love this balm!

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector – I enjoyed the metal applicator and it kept my under eyes soft and hydrated.

    Repurchase? I would buy it again, but I want to try other products. I’ve only tried a couple eye creams and it’s the best one I’ve tried so far, but I know there are ones that people rave about even more.

    Tangle Teezer Original Detangling Hairbrush – I haven’t used this in a while, but I still love it. I think I’m just worried the bristles will come off and I’ll have to get a new one.

    Repurchase? Yes, but I would get one with a handle. (UPDATE: I won a giveaway and now I have one with a handle!)

    Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo – I love the smell of this. I was surprised to read reviews about it smelling too much.

    Repurchase? I’ve already repurchased it.

    MAC Vamplify Gloss in What’s Going On – I loved the applicator of this lip gloss, but I didn’t like this particular shade. The only shades available are bright colours.

    Repurchase? No. If MAC made a lip gloss with this applicator in a shade I liked, I would definitely get it though.

    FEBRUARY

    MAC Strobe Cream – I love the Pinklite!

    Repurchase? Probably.

    Pixi Glow Tonic – LOVE THIS!

    Repurchase? I already have. (UPDATE: I have since realized that I may be allergic to witch hazel which is in the glow tonic).

    Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder – The powder itself is great and I love the puff. I don’t love the smell of the powder though.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    MARCH

    Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette – I enjoyed this, but I feel like I only used a handful of shades. Even at $5, it felt like a waste. Plus, you could tell the quality of the packaging was not great because it was basically just foam that had a piece of plastic material glued onto it. It started to peel.

    Repurchase? No. Shipping to Canada is an extra charge. I’d rather spend the money on the product instead of shipping. I’ve been using a Hard Candy palette that has a fraction of the colours, but I will be able to use all of them.

    LOVE OPI XOXO Mini Nail Lacquer 10 Pack – This pack had 4 colours that I wasn’t a fan of, but it was a good price at Winners.

    Repurchase? I wouldn’t have bought the pack at full price, but I would buy individual shades at full price.

    Dove Advanced Hair Series Regenerative Nourishment Serum-in-Oil – It made my hair super smooth, but I think I’d rather use a hair mask.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    APRIL

    Physician’s Formula Murumuru Butter Butter Bronzer – Great bronzer.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Physician’s Formula Butter Highlighter in Pink – Pretty cream highlighter.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Soo’Ae Caada Purifying Brightening Peeling Gel – LOVE!

    Repurchase? Yes!

    Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in Ivory 0.75 – This is a beautiful foundation!

    Repurchase? Undecided. I want to try other stick foundations to see how they compare. If I do end up buying this again, I need the right shade.

    MAC Pigment in Stardream – It’s a beautiful shade!

    Repurchase? No. Pigments are too messy for me.

    Miniso Flawless Baked Blusher in Rosy Pink – I decided to declutter this. This was a pretty shade, but I didn’t love that it was made in China. If you’re on a budget and you don’t mind where your products are made, this was a really pretty blush.

    Repurchase? No.

    MAY

    Bobbi Brown Instant Long-Wear Makeup Remover – This easily removes eye makeup.

    Repurchase? No. Too expensive for a product that will be on your face for seconds. I’d rather spend money on a moisturizer.

    INGLOT x Jennifer Lopez LipGlossy Lip Gloss in J225 Pinky – I liked the colour of this lip gloss, but I don’t think it’s worth $28. Plus, the smell reminded me of drugstore lip glosses.

    Repurchase? No.

    Cake Beauty (Delectable) The Everything Powder – I used this to set my makeup and it works beautifully. It doesn’t have talc…it’s basically just corn starch! But, it had a smell that was quite powerful (like the Baby All Gone dolls where you feed the baby cherries from a spoon – anyone old enough to know what those are?) This was annoying to use as a setting powder because I had to use an old setting powder container to use it (since this is shaped like a baby powder bottle).

    Repurchase? No.

    Live Clean Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner – This made my hair look shinier and smoother. Although, I’m not a huge fan of the scent of Argan Oil, I didn’t mind this.

    Repurchase? Possibly.

    JUNE

    Clinique Sonic Systems Purifying Brush – I enjoy this brush and the charge lasts a really long time! I got this at the MAC Warehouse Sale for $40 and the brush heads were $10.

    Repurchase? Although I like the brush, I wouldn’t pay full price for the brush heads. If I ever go back to the MAC Warehouse sale, I will pick some up.

    Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask (read my review) – I gave it a 5/5, but I’m not sure if it actually helped to clarify and exfoliate my skin. When I wake up the next morning though, my skin does look quite refreshed and hydrated.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser – If I wanted to replace the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, I could buy this to use as a makeup remover. I love that they changed the packaging from a tube to a bottle!

    Repurchase? Possibly.

    Clionadh Cosmetics Mother of Pearl Highlighter – This is so pretty!

    Repurchase? Yes, but without the scent.

    The Body Shop Tea Tree Targeted Gel Blemish Stick – I’m so torn. This blemish stick worked well, but it felt unsanitary to stick the wand back in after using it on a pimple. Plus, it’s expensive for a small stick.

    Repurchase? Undecided. But if I do, it has to be on sale.

    The Body Shop Tea Tree Anti-Imperfection Daily Solution – I believe this is no longer available, but it felt like it was the same product as the tea tree oil from The Body Shop.

    Repurchase? Unavailable.

    The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Body Wash – This worked okay, I would still get a pimple here and there on my back.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    Burt’s Bees Blush in Shy Pink – This is a pretty matte shade, but sometimes I go too heavy-handed and have to really blend it out.

    Repurchase? Probably not. The shade is a bit too pink and I’m not a huge fan of the packaging. Since blush lasts so long, I’d rather pay for a high-end one with nicer packaging.

    Click here for Part 2!

    Did you spot any of your favourites on my list?

    Love,

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  • maybelline master chrome by face studio metallic highlighter 110 molten gold

    January 2018 Faves

    February 2, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    Here are my January favourites!

    maybelline master chrome.PNG

    If you love the Wet N Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder (read my review), you’ll love the Maybelline FaceStudio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter in 100 Molten Gold. It’s absolutely beautiful! I originally thought it might be too dark on me since champagne/opalescent highlighters look better on my skintone…boy, was I wrong! When highlighters are too peachy or bronze, it can look like I just have a sparkly bruise.

    I love that highlighters are dual-purpose, you can use it as it’s intended (highlight your cheekbones, bridge of the nose, brow bone, cupid’s bow), but you can also use it as a shimmery eyeshadow or just put on the inner corner of the eyes.

     Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm is awesome! You get a small dab on your finger and rub it into your skin and it easily takes off your makeup without having to rub at your eyes. It starts off looking similar to coconut oil and then it melts as you put it onto your face. It doesn’t make your face feel sticky or oily and I love that it’s not liquid so you don’t have to worry about it leaking when you travel!

    My only wish is that it wasn’t so expensive. I’m going to save it for eyes and lips only because those are the areas that take a bit longer to remove my makeup. I love the Garnier Micellar water for removing makeup too, but it doesn’t always clean my eye makeup.

    I’ve been using Clinique’s Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector for a month. I got it from December’s MAC warehouse sale as part of a pack with Clinique’s dark spot corrector for $30. After the first week, I saw a difference. My dark circles were getting better, but then I had a few late nights and they started to show up again. With a good night’s sleep and staying hydrated, I do notice that the dark circles aren’t as bad and my under eye area is softer and more hydrated than before. I also like the metal applicator, it feels nice and cool under my eyes. At $55 (the normal retail price), I don’t know if I’d buy full price and I’m sure there are cheaper other creams that do just as well, but for less than $30 at the sale, this was a great deal.

    media-20180126wdI’ve talked about the Tangle Teezer Original Detangling Hairbrush twice before (read my review) and my post comparing it to a Claire’s dupe. I also really love the amika perk up dry shampoo. It smells amazing, refreshes your hair and gives you some volume when you need it.

    media-20180119asa

    At the MAC Warehouse Sale in December, I got a very vibrant pink lip gloss in the charity bag. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it because it’s described as a Hot Intense Fuchsia and it has a bit of shimmer. It’s the Vamplify Lip Gloss in What’s Going On. It’s on sale on the Canadian MAC website for $14.40. It’s a longer tube than a regular lip gloss- it has a similar size to the YSL Touche Eclat pen. I also like how the applicator is angled a bit, flat and longer than most doe foot applicators I’ve used. It might just be me, but the smell reminds me of vanilla extract. If you want a pop of hot pink gloss, this is a great option! It’s so bright, you can put it on and then wipe it off after a few minutes and it gives you berry stained lips.

    What were your faves this month?

    Love,

    jen

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  • Dupe It Out | Tangle Teezer The Original Detangling Hairbrush vs. Claire’s Detangling Brush

    August 24, 2017

    Hi Everyone!

    Welcome to my first post in the Dupe It Out Series. Today, I’ll be comparing hair detangling brushes: The Original Detangling Hairbrush by Tangle Teezer and a Mint Detangling Hairbrush dupe from Claire’s. I’ve already written a full review on the Tangle Teezer brush.

    Tangle_Teezer_Original_Professional_Detangling_Hairbrush___Black_1511951069Tangle Teezer The Original Detangling Brush

    The Original is the ultimate detangling hairbrush. Using our innovative two-tiered teeth system technology, it detangles with minimum fuss, breakage and damage, leaving hair smooth, soft and shiny.

    97288_2Claire’s Mint Detangling Hairbrush

    Look after your hair by getting through all those stubborn knots with our super soft detangling hairbrushes!

    WINNER: Tangle Teezer’s Original Detangling Brush

    The Claire’s one wasn’t ergonomically designed to fit into your palm. I have a fairly large palm and I kept dropping it because it’s so slippery. I’ve had a few close calls where it almost fell into the toilet. I have dropped it on the floor a few times. I bought a Forever 21 detangler with a handle, but it was rock hard and hurt to comb my hair. The Claire’s and Tangle Teezer are much softer on the scalp.

    I was blow drying my hair and using the Claire’s detangler, but I got a bit too close to the heat. The dryer melted the detangler into my hair! I had to re-wash a section of my hair to get the little bits of mint green plastic out.

    *At the time of writing this, the Tangle Teezers with handles didn’t exist yet. I would definitely choose a Tangle Teezer with a handle over the no handle ones.

    Have you tried hair detanglers?

    Love,

    jen

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  • Review | Tangle Teezer The Original Detangling Hairbrush

    November 15, 2016

    Hi Everyone!

    I’ve previously posted about a detangling brush that I got from Claire’s which I accidentally got too close to a hair dryer and melted…and I also had a brush from Forever21, but hadn’t tried it yet. Since that post, I tried the one from Forever21 and it was so hard that it hurt to comb my hair with it. The one from Claire’s wasn’t as hard and didn’t hurt when I combed my hair. However, the Claire’s detangler was quite small and didn’t have any grip to it, so I dropped it a few times.

    I got a Tangle Teezer brush for my birthday. It’s the original detangling hair brush for $20. I asked for the black one since I didn’t like the colour combos of the other brushes. Originally, I thought these were too expensive, but I have to confess that I like it.

    Save

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    The Original can be used on wet or dry hair and is suitable for all hair types and textures. It banishes tangles, knots and helps prevent breakage and damage thanks to its unique two-tiered system technology – the long teeth detangle and the short teeth smooth the hair cuticle for healthier-looking, glossy hair.

    It’s a lot bigger than I thought it’d be, but that’s a good thing because it is ergonomically shaped to fit in the palm of your hand. I like to use it to detangle my hair after a shower to get out the knots and then I use a regular paddle brush to dry my hair (don’t want another melted detangler on my hands…especially at these prices). I would definitely recommend it for anyone who is willing to splurge a bit. Just remember not to get it too close to the heat!

    RATING: 4.5/5

    I give it a 4.5 because even though it’s shaped to fit your hand, it’d be better with a handle (they now have combs with handles too).

    UPDATE: They come with handles now and I won two in a giveaway! I am absolutely loving it and would rate them 5/5!

    Love,

    jen

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