First Impression: Graydon Clinical Luxury by Nature

I was lucky to be invited to a little event held by Blush Pretty where I was able to sit down with a small group to meet and discuss with Graydon Moffat, the founder and creator of Clinical Luxury by Nature, a Canadian based skincare company.

Review: Get messy with Jealous Body Scrub

For many people, they associate mornings with a hot cup of coffee and a shower. Maybe some people might drink their coffee in the shower, I don't know. I'm personally not a coffee drinker (I just can't down that stuff!) but the smell doesn't bother me too much either.

So, what does coffee have to do with beauty? A lot actually.

Review: Garnier Clean+ Makeup Removing Cleansing Lotion

There's a new makeup remover in town, and you're going to want to try it.

Garnier has been around for years over a decade. Growing up, Garnier was in my home for hair care. Today, while still turn to Garnier to keep my hair healthy, shiny and smooth, I also turn to Garnier for some facial care. I like using their Pure Control Anti-Acne Astrigent Lotion about once a week to help fight off acne and their BB cream is one of my favourites.

Review: Amie Petal Perfect 2-in-1 Cleanser & Toner

 One of the very first skincare items my mother ever purchased for me was toner. I'm pretty sure I was 10-13 years, but I've used a toner every single day from that moment on. Toners help restore the pH balance to you skin and can feel quite refreshing. On mornings where I don't have the time to do my full skin care routine, I'll only use toner since it helps get rid of that extra dirt and oil that's just sitting there. However, Amie has quickly become my new best friend with their Petal Perfect 2-in-1 Cleanser & Toner.

Palmers Skin Therapy Oil Face - Review + Giveaway

From previous posts, you know the importance I place on using face creams and how important it is to truly take care of you skin once you've hit that lovely "mid-twenties" mark.

The latest trend that's sweeping the skin care aisles are oils. Not oils for your body, but for your face. To many, this sounds absurd! But there are many benefits to using oils on your face.

Most oils are rich in antioxidants and vitamins. Because of their super nourishing powers, it helps against dry skin. And for those of you who live in Canada (or Boston & area), you're probably suffering from dry skin at this very moment.

Up until recently, I've never used Palmer's products. However I've been using two of their oils (one body, the other face) and I'm in love.  Keep reading for review & giveaway!

CND Vinylux & Shellac Garden Muse Summer 2015

A bone-chilling spell is upon us this February, however that isn't stopping us from thinking about the warm weather that's hopefully gracing us with it's presence in the next few months.

Photo: CND

CND (Creative Nail Design) is soon-to-be releasing their summer collection, Garden Muse. With colours that call forth memories of beautiful flowers and blue lagoons, one can't help but think that the warm weather is just around the corner.

After braving the near minus 25 weather, I was able to see this collection first hand; and I was not disappointed.

CND is known for their Shellac brand. Said to last 14+ days, this formula requires a UV light to cure and is 3 free. CND is also known for their Vinylux Weekly Polish System. Also 3 free, this system lasts only a week, however does not require a UV light, which means you can save yourself a trip to the salon by doing this at home while watching movies with your girlfriends.

           Beckoning Begonia, Crushed Rose, Wisteria Haze, Lost Labyrinth, Reflecting Pool and Butterfly Queen                            Photo: www.cnd.com

Garden Muse will be available March 2015 in both Vinylux and Shellac. All Vinylux colours are new, however Crushed Rose and Reflecting Pool are the already available Hot Pop Pink and Water Park in Shellac shades.While not sure about Hot Pop Pink, Water Park is a metallic finish instead of cream finish.

A friend of mine chose Wisteria Haze while I choose Water Park (If I had known that it was a metallic finish, I wouldn't have picked it). I'm completely in love with her choice of Wisteria Haze. While I'm not a light purple-y person, I need this colour in my life.

Waterpark with Wisteria Haze (purple) and Butterfly Queen (pink glitter) on accent

A few colleagues of mine always seem to have perfect manicures and credit CND Shellac for it. So my current manicure is a Shellac manicure and I will be reporting back to let you know how well it held up!

Looking for some summer inspiration?

photo: CND

 Here's a few other pics from the event:

 Looking forward to Summer yet?  Which colours do you have your eyes on?
 

January Empties

It's been a while since I've done empties post. But I'm back at it!

Pantene Ultimate 10 BB Shampoo & Conditioner: My hair felt clean and smooth and I like the smell. Will repurchase

Batiste Dry Shampoo (medium/brunette): My fave dry shampoo up-to-date, however even with the hint of colour, I still have to shake it out/brush to blend it. Will purchase again if I can find it.

ASK Revival Hair Conditioner: Silicone-free, but really nothing special about it.For $17 a bottle, there's no way I'd buy this again.

Redken Anti-Snap: Man, I've had this for like, 3 years? Used on & off, really don't know if it's helped. Probably wont purchase again.

Lancome Pure Empreinte Masque: This was the first masque that I've ever purchased and it really is great, however I have since found others that I love that cost less.

Lancome Crème Radiance: Smelled a little soapy, but lathered nicely. Worked great with my Clarisonic. May repurchase if I don't like any of the other cleansers I have.

Marcelle makeup remover: Love it! Removes makeup nicely. Will repurchase.

Be Fine Exfoliating Cleanser: I found this too rough on my skin. Would not purchase.

Be Fine Gentle Cleanser: Smells great (peppermint oil),  however very liquidy. Found it a little messy. If it was thicker, I'd buy it.

Revlon Lash Potion Mascara: I really enjoyed this mascara. It was a nice combination of volume & length. However, since I have so many mascaras, I wont be buying any for at least a year.

B. Kamins BB Cream: A little thick and the colour didn't match. Probably would not purchase.

Sephora Liquid Liner: While not empty, I barely used it and I've had it for a while. Liquid isn't my style, so I wont be repurchasing.

Crawford Street Tangerine Lip Balm: I loved this at first, but then the smell quickly went bad. It was weird. Would not repurchase.

H2O Eye Cream: Nothing special. Probably would not purchase.

Kaia Juicy Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloths: This was soft, my face felt clean, did an alright job at removing makeup. I can't seem to find it on their website anymore, but I do believe it's more expensive that what I'd be willing to pay.

Beauty So Clean Gingerbread Scented Conditioning Brush Cleanser: Great for between washes and smells lovely. Already have more but in a different scent.

Pai Rice Plant & Rosemary Bioaffinity Tonic: This didn't really do anything special. Was like any other toner to me. Wouldn't purchase.

Vitabath Hand Cream: This was so-so. I found it left my hands a little greasy for a minute or two after application. Don't think I'd repurchase as I have other favourites.

Revolution Organics Freedom Glow Beauty Balm: I found it quite greasy. After a few months of not using it, it looks like it started going bad. No thank you.

Urban Decay Potion Primer: To this day, it is still my holy grail primer. I've already got another one on the go!

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation: The coverage was perfect (I need light-medium coverage), colour was a match, and it stayed all day. I'll probably repurchase once I run out of my current foundation..

Vitabath Grapefruit Vanilla Body Wash: I don't particularly care for grapefruit, but this wasn't strong. BF even commented that it smelled nice. I probably wouldn't buy it. There's others that I prefer.

Win a $30 Aveeno Fresh Essentials Prize Pack!

Last week I shared with you the Fresh Essentials line from Aveeno and how much I loved the night cream!

This week, I want to give my readers & followers a chance to win all three products. The Aveeno Fresh Essentials Daily Exfoliating Scrub, Aveeno Fresh Essentials Daily Moisturizer SPF30 and my favourite, the Aveeno Fresh Essentials Night Cream, are all up for grabs!(approx. retail value is $30 CAD)

Here's what you need to do:

Valentines Day Nails

Next Saturday mark's Valentines Day. A day where roses are more expensive, chocolates are around every corner of the food stores and love is in the air.

I Love... Giveaway!

Hello loves! Hard to believe it's already February. Before you know it, it's going to be Valentines Day.

Speaking of Valentines Day, I've teamed up with I Love... and Shoppers Drug Mart to bring you a mini giveaway. Doesn't matter how you feel about about February 14. As long as you're a Canadian residence, you can enter to win!

I Love... has a wonderful collection of body butters, bubble bath/shower crèmes and body spritzers in a variety of scents to keep you feeling fresh, smooth and smelling good. I Love... is available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart & Pharmaprix.

I've previously mentioned the Strawberry's and Cream Bubble Bath & Shower Cream as well as the Raspberry & Blackberry Body Butter and I can't tell you just how much I'm loving them. To this date, the body butter is still my favourite of the two.

New to me is the Raspberry & Blackberry Body Spritzer. It smells just as amazing and it's not a strong, overwhelming smell. It doesn't last as long as a perfume, but it does a great job as a mid-day pick-me-up.

Here's a few tips:
- Spritz it directly onto your body before changing. I find by doing this as opposed to spraying your clothes,  when the scent rubs off, it's rubbing off on your clothes (as opposed to your jacket), so you still get little whiff of it here & there.
- Spray your hair with it (only once!). This will leave your hair smelling lovely, even after your shampoo smell has gone.

 Fill our the rafflecopter form for your chance to win: 


- I Love... heart shaped locket (as shown above)
- One (1) I Love... product offered in Canada of the winner's choice (selection can be found here).

Giveaway open to Canadian residents only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Aveeno Fresh Essentials

I've only started using moisturizers in my 20's, and more frequently religiously after I turned 25. Not only does moisturizing protect our skin by creating a barrier, shielding your skin from the toxins in the air and keeping the good stuff in, it also helps fight wrinkles.

A moisturizer can help decrease visible wrinkles by nearly 30%. Of course, along with moisturizing, we have to protect our skin from the beautiful, warm sun too.

It's been a few weeks since I started using the Aveeno Fresh Essentials line of skin care products, and I must say that I really enjoy them (and have fallen in love with one of them)!

Aveeno Fresh Essentials Daily Exfoliating Scrub

What I like most about this scrub is that it's a little thicker, like a cream and it's actually coconut pulp and natural luffa that creates the scrub (thank you for not contributing to the plastic that's already endangering our marine life!)

This scrub is definitely gently enough to use on a daily basis, however I do prefer a slightly rougher exfoliator, and since I use a Clarisonic the rest of the time, this just doesn't cut it for me.

I would highly recommend this to someone with sensitive skin and who can't use the rougher face scrubs.

Aveeno Fresh Essentials Daily Moisturizer SPF30

I love moisturizers that have SPF! Even in the winter months, it's very important to wear SPF. The sun may not feel as warm on your skin, but it it's still there and it also reflects off the snow and projects harmful rays.

I've been applying it every morning after my wash. No break-outs or irritation, no pilling and absorbs quickly. The only issue I have is that I seem to get a little more oily in my t-zone compared to normal. Hmm. Maybe my skin doesn't like it as much as I want it to.

Aveeno Fresh Essentials Night Cream

Wow. Love at first application. And still is my favourite after a few weeks.

This is a thick, but not heavy, night cream. I used it nightly after cleansing with my Clarisonic and a little goes a long way. My skin just absorbs it and my skin is left feeling smooth and moisturized. The best part is that I don't wake up oily in the morning. My skin's been feeling great since using this! I've tossed my old night cream since I've met Aveeno Fresh Essentials Night Cream. Truly a match made in heaven.

Aveeno products can be purchased in a wide variety of stores. I've personally seen them at Shoppers ranging from $13.99 - $20.99

(products have been sent to me for review. All opinions are my own)

You could win $160 in PayPal cash!

Valentine's Day is around the corner but your credit card is still crying over the holidays. Or maybe you've been eyeing a new makeup collection, or Michael Kors bag. Whatever it is, we're here to help!

Myself and 12 other bloggers have come together to give you the chance to win $160 in PayPal cash! Buy something for your sweetie, or splurge on yourself (after all, you deserve it!)

No excuse not to remove your makeup!

If I could share one tip about makeup that I learned from my mom, it would be to make sure you take it off at night.

Premature aging, clogged pores, acne, eye irritation or infection are all possible when you don't wash that makeup off before bed. If you forget once in a blue moon, it's not too bad, but don't make it a daily habit.

"Chic" look featuring Make Up For Ever Studio Case

I've been wanting to use the Make Up For Ever Studio Case since I received it in December, but felt a little lazy. Honestly, I liked what I was doing every day; it worked for me. But I needed a change, and today was the day!

The Studio Case has 12 Artist Shadows that seem to be maybe 1/3 of the size of the full size shadows, and a full size Artist Liner.

Happy New Year & my beauty Resolution

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and are recovering from any New Years festivities!

Over the past month, I've realized that my stash isn't getting any smaller. On the contrary, it's actually getting bigger. Much bigger. So I've decided to try to do something about it this year.

#1 -Take Inventory
I'm honestly scared of this, but I know it's going to be needed in order to track progress.

Sneak Peek of my Inventory so far...

#2 - Set a goal
Once above list is compiled, I need to knock down some items. Without seeing this list, I'm going to aim for finishing 2 lipsticks + 2 lip glosses (I have lots and this will be a tough one!), then there will be skin care in there for sure. Maybe finish 2 face creams and washes or something. Like I said, this list will need to be made once the above list is done.

#3 - Try not to buy anything
This will be almost impossible, however I have been getting much better in the past few years (ie: I can walk out of Sephora without buying anything)!

And another resolution is just to just eat healthier. I'm not going to say something like "loose X amount of weight", because that doesn't work. I'm going to eat healthier, go for regular walks with the dog (puppy = short struggling walks, by the summer she should hopefully be good) and see where that takes me.

So there you have it! Once I have my first and second lists made, I'll be sure to share with you.

What's your 2015 resolution?