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A.
Sunday 6 March 2016
Thursday 25 February 2016
Favourites February 2016
Favourties posts two months in a row! that has got to be a record! It is sad because it is not far from the truth.
I have a serious problem. I can not walk by David's Tea without going in, which would be fine if I could leave without buying something. I currently have the Spring Collection ordered and will share that when it arrives. In my Valentine's Day post I talked about the sampler box they had out, one of my absolute favorites was Love Tea #7. It is a black tea with chocolate, strawberries and rose petals. I love this so much that I went and bought one of the giant tins that holds enough for like 90 cups of tea. It is chocolaty and fruity at the same time, perfect for a sweet pick me up or a cozy cup of tea before bed.
I am pretty proud that I have stuck to my Monthly Favourites (two whole months!) and I hope I helped someone discover a new favourite. If I had to pick my top favourite for February it would have to be the tea, it is a serious obsession. What was your number one?
I have talked about these polishes before and still love them just as much. I was exclusively a gel polish girl until I found this. With the top coat I can get a full week of perfect nails and then another week of pretty decent looking nails. This colour is a favorite this month. Other then my Valentine's Day nails every time I go to paint my nails I end up choosing Perfect Pair. It is just a perfect nude with a hint of pinky brown. I just love it; so elegant and feminine.
Originally I signed up with the Julep Maven box because I loved the nail polish. Now I rarely get nail polish, instead I fell for the skin care and makeup. When I saw this new product as an option I thought it would be something I would use and honestly I loved the packaging. The lotion is completely enclosed so very little bacteria is getting in there. Photo below. There were many of us that struggled to get the product to come out. As with anything I googled it and found all I needed to do was hold my thumb over the small circle while pushing the dispenser then release and repeat until product dispensed. This is a very rich cream that you can use on your hands, face and body. I don't normally trust these all in one type product for my face but I had too much on my hands one night and I was so impressed how soft and supple my face was the next morning without feeling excessively oily. For the most part I use it as a hand cream but it makes it a little easier to put on a night cream even on the laziest of evenings.
Lip products are my weakness. I had to pick this up to try out when it was on sale. It is sort of a mechanical lip crayon but the tip is very fine so you can line you lips before colouring them in. I found this to be very comfortable on my lips and lasted quite a while, it was not beverage proof but it's so easy to touch up that it's not a problem. I found it wore of fairly evenly as well. Swatch below.
I got this in my February Birchbox and was not initially super excited about it but figured it was something I would use. I was impressed with how pigmented, smooth and long lasting it was. I have issues with liner on my waterline running/smudging, this liner did collect in the inner corners of my eyes before it could set but was easy to fix and did not budge for the rest of the day. Swatch below.
I bought this because I wanted to test out the 16HR kiss proof claim. This lip colour does not screw around. I put this on at before I went to work, around 7am, and it lasted until I left at 5pm. That includes eating twice and at least 4 cups of tea. My lips did feel a little dry after lunch but I just put some balm on top and let that sink in before making my next cup of tea. I only saw a few colours in the display when I bought it but I will be keeping an eye out for more.
L'Oreal, Cynthia Rowley, Rimmel
Elizabeth Mott makes one of my very favourite masacaras and I was happy to receive a new product from the brand in my ipsy bag a few months ago. Until I started using this I rarely used an eyeshadow primer, I have one from Essence that was like $3 and worked pretty well but I rarely bothered to reach for it. The Elizabeth Mott primer does a great job of keeping my shadow looking great all day and not creasing no matter how long I am wearing it.
David's Tea Love Tea #7
I have a serious problem. I can not walk by David's Tea without going in, which would be fine if I could leave without buying something. I currently have the Spring Collection ordered and will share that when it arrives. In my Valentine's Day post I talked about the sampler box they had out, one of my absolute favorites was Love Tea #7. It is a black tea with chocolate, strawberries and rose petals. I love this so much that I went and bought one of the giant tins that holds enough for like 90 cups of tea. It is chocolaty and fruity at the same time, perfect for a sweet pick me up or a cozy cup of tea before bed.
I am pretty proud that I have stuck to my Monthly Favourites (two whole months!) and I hope I helped someone discover a new favourite. If I had to pick my top favourite for February it would have to be the tea, it is a serious obsession. What was your number one?
Thanks for reading!
A.
Wednesday 24 February 2016
Ipsy February 2016
I think any month that has a holiday makes me more excited for my Ipsy bag. This month I wanted pink for Valentine's Day, I would be happy if every single item was pink. Let's check it out:
First how cute is this bag? I love the cute little pixelated love letter, the pink top zip and the back is solid shiny pink. I'm a fan.
treStiQue Baby Blush Stick in Bora Bora Coral
Full Size $34 Sample Value $8??
I am not a huge lover of cream blushes but this feels almost like a powder when it goes on the skin and blends out to a wearable colour. Swatch Below. I am not sure on the value of this one, it is not a lot of product compared to packaging but definitely enough to use for a while.
Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish in I'm Kind of a Big Deal
Full Size $15
There is the pink! I do not normally want to get nail polish in my bags but I love this brand and was hoping to get this. They cover in a couple coats and last quite a while with the right top coat. Would I pay $15 for a nail polish? Oh hells no.
Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Primer Oil
Full Size $42 Sample Value $5.50
I might get hate mail for this one (just kidding, no one cares enough about my opinion) but I really do not like Smashbox. I have tried primers, eye shadows, mascara and I was either left unimpressed or indifferent. That being said I was curious to try out a primer oil, to me that seems kind of foolish since my face already makes enough of its own oil. I was pretty surprised how well this worked for me. Will I every buy it? No. It did make my makeup go on nicely but it didn't do anything to extend the wear. Like I said I have oily skin so I did not expect much but it was not a horrible as I thought. If you have dry skin this might be something you want to look in to. Just make sure to let it soak into your skin for a while before moving on in your routine.
Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion
Full Size $68 Sample Value $8.50
I could get this in every single bag and be excited every time. This has physical and chemical exfoliants so you face feels so smooth and deep down scrubbed after using this. In studies the majority of participants said their pores looked smaller, skin looked smoother, helped mattify and so many other good things. I can not justify spending $68 bucks on a full size but if I ever came into some money you better believe I would always have this beside my sink at all times.
Margaret Dabbs London Miniature Crystal Nail File
Full Size £12 (about $17USD $23 CAN)
I got a couple crystal nail files from Julep and Immediately threw out all my regular nail files and bought more crystal files as Christmas gifts. It is just so much smoother on my nails and apparently makes your nails less likely to split. If you spend any time at all filing your nails go get a crystal nail file, it is a little more expensive but will last so much longer. This mini size is perfect for my purse.
The value of this month's bag is $46 (using the USD value for the nail file) which is pretty impressive for a $10 bag. Even with the shipping and awful exchange rate I am happy with the value. I will use 4 out of the five items, the odd man out being the primer oil. I already know a dry skinned friend who will love it and I am glad I got to try it out. Overall I am very happy with my products even though two are not items that I would normally want to receive.
Thanks for reading!
A
@dirty_cupcake
*referral link
Tuesday 23 February 2016
Birchbox Canada February 2016 The Final Birchbox
Well if you are not aware Birchbox is pulling out of the Canadian Market. When you log on to Birchbox.ca you see this message:
I am pretty disappointed they have decided to leave us but lately there have been a few Canadian subscription boxes popping up lately that look pretty great.
Originally Birchbox was going to turn any leftover payments for annual subscriptions into Birchbox points but then changed the message to offer refunds as an option. I imagine a number of people were not impressed they would not be able to get a refund. I do believe you have to contact them to get an actual refund.
Let's talk about my very last Birchbox:
Not going to lie I was kind of hoping they would throw a little something extra into the box to apologize for abandoning us but since they are clearly not making enough money in the Canadian market I was not expecting it.
Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner in Black
I was not excited for another black eyeliner but I figured at least it is in a colour I will use. I was so impressed by this eyeliner! Other than a small amount of it gathering in my inner corner (I have watery eyes, every eyeliner on the planet does this) it did not budge all day. It is very pigmented, goes on smooth and may very well be a new favourite.
Number 4 Fluoro5 Elixer Restore & Repair Oil
Well that is a hell of a name eh? Goodness. I am not over the moon about this product, at the risk of sounding like a broken record I am trying to convince my hair it only needs washed twice a week so hair oils aren't something I am really into right now. That being said I do really like this brand and the oil is very lightweight but delivers some serious shine. Apparently it has all sorts of reparative benefits so I have been putting it in my hair overnight if I am not going anywhere the next day or the night before I wash my hair.
Clean White Woods Perfume
I am not at all interested in this sample. I don't mind getting perfume samples as long as they are packaged in a way that I can throw them into my purse or gym bag. This has a nice scent that is very natural in a non patchouli kind of way. I cant wear perfume during the week so nothing about this is exciting.
Naobay HydraPlus Cream
This "ultra rich face cream" isn't exactly the product I would pick for my oily skin but I love Naobay moisturizers so I was excited all the same. I have not worn it under makeup but I have been applying it before bed and on no make up days. I find it absorbs quickly without making my skin feel greasy or tacky. I am really impressed. I also used my Birchbox points to order the Mattifying Cream which will likely be a better match for me.
Obsessive Cosmetics Lip Tar Liquid Lipstick in Black Metal Dahlia
I have only worn this once for about an hour and while I really like the colour and I lasted through dinner and tea I can't see myself reaching for it just because of packaging. The full size comes with an applicator but this sample is just in a squeezy tube. I will try it out a few more times but if I don't love it I know I wont put the effort into wearing it.
**Update: this last so long on my lips! I lasted through multiple cups of tea, a breakfast biscuit and only started to fail at lunch. That is about five hours of wear without damage. I might have to use this after all.
Overall I am kind of disappointed in my very last Birchbox, I did not bother calculating the value of this box as it seems a waste of time since no one in Canada can sign up and Americans get different boxes. There isn't anything in here that really thrilled me. I will use and enjoy the eyeliner, the lotion is alright but not suited for my skin type, the hair oil is something I will use once in a while, the perfume I will likely throw out and the lip tar is nice but inconveniently packaged. I guess it makes the breakup easier but hasn't Birchbox ever heard of "always leave them wanting more"?
I am pretty disappointed they have decided to leave us but lately there have been a few Canadian subscription boxes popping up lately that look pretty great.
Originally Birchbox was going to turn any leftover payments for annual subscriptions into Birchbox points but then changed the message to offer refunds as an option. I imagine a number of people were not impressed they would not be able to get a refund. I do believe you have to contact them to get an actual refund.
Let's talk about my very last Birchbox:
Not going to lie I was kind of hoping they would throw a little something extra into the box to apologize for abandoning us but since they are clearly not making enough money in the Canadian market I was not expecting it.
Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner in Black
I was not excited for another black eyeliner but I figured at least it is in a colour I will use. I was so impressed by this eyeliner! Other than a small amount of it gathering in my inner corner (I have watery eyes, every eyeliner on the planet does this) it did not budge all day. It is very pigmented, goes on smooth and may very well be a new favourite.
Number 4 Fluoro5 Elixer Restore & Repair Oil
Well that is a hell of a name eh? Goodness. I am not over the moon about this product, at the risk of sounding like a broken record I am trying to convince my hair it only needs washed twice a week so hair oils aren't something I am really into right now. That being said I do really like this brand and the oil is very lightweight but delivers some serious shine. Apparently it has all sorts of reparative benefits so I have been putting it in my hair overnight if I am not going anywhere the next day or the night before I wash my hair.
Clean White Woods Perfume
I am not at all interested in this sample. I don't mind getting perfume samples as long as they are packaged in a way that I can throw them into my purse or gym bag. This has a nice scent that is very natural in a non patchouli kind of way. I cant wear perfume during the week so nothing about this is exciting.
Naobay HydraPlus Cream
This "ultra rich face cream" isn't exactly the product I would pick for my oily skin but I love Naobay moisturizers so I was excited all the same. I have not worn it under makeup but I have been applying it before bed and on no make up days. I find it absorbs quickly without making my skin feel greasy or tacky. I am really impressed. I also used my Birchbox points to order the Mattifying Cream which will likely be a better match for me.
Obsessive Cosmetics Lip Tar Liquid Lipstick in Black Metal Dahlia
I have only worn this once for about an hour and while I really like the colour and I lasted through dinner and tea I can't see myself reaching for it just because of packaging. The full size comes with an applicator but this sample is just in a squeezy tube. I will try it out a few more times but if I don't love it I know I wont put the effort into wearing it.
**Update: this last so long on my lips! I lasted through multiple cups of tea, a breakfast biscuit and only started to fail at lunch. That is about five hours of wear without damage. I might have to use this after all.
Overall I am kind of disappointed in my very last Birchbox, I did not bother calculating the value of this box as it seems a waste of time since no one in Canada can sign up and Americans get different boxes. There isn't anything in here that really thrilled me. I will use and enjoy the eyeliner, the lotion is alright but not suited for my skin type, the hair oil is something I will use once in a while, the perfume I will likely throw out and the lip tar is nice but inconveniently packaged. I guess it makes the breakup easier but hasn't Birchbox ever heard of "always leave them wanting more"?
Thanks for Reading!
A.
Saturday 13 February 2016
Valentine's Day 2016
I am not sure why but I am really into Valentine's Day this year, I do not normally celebrate it at all since it is even more made up than most holidays. No I am not a bitter, single, crazy cat lady; I just think it puts a lot of pressure on relationships and is an unnecessary expense. Beast and I typically exchange cards and small gifts like chocolate or books and then just spend the day together if we can.
To me Valentines day, and the days leading up to it, are the only days pink and red match and can be worn together. I am taking full advantage of that and thought I would share some of the products that are putting me in a Valentine's mood this year.
Revlon Set
In Shoppers there was a Revlon Love Collection by Leah Goren display and there was a lip colour set I could not pass up. There are three crayons in this set. Sultry and Elusive in Matte Balm and Honey in Balm Stain. I've tried these crayons in the past and have been meaning to give them another shot. I loved Sultry, it was comfortable on the lips and I was surprised by how long it lasted through my morning tea and nibbles. What really impressed me was how it wore off. My main complaint about lipstick is when it wears off everywhere except the very outline of my lips, then I am walking around looking like I walked out of the 90's. Not OK. This, as with any lip product, did wear off in the center first but it almost looked like I had an ombre lip look going on or I had put a lighter gloss in the center of my lips. The other Matte balm is just not my colour, for the most part when I wear any sort of light or Barbie pink lipstick I look like a 90's Vegas Stripper. No disrespect ladies, it is just not a look I can pull off. I will pass this one on to a friend. I can't decide how I feel about Honey in Balm Stain. I was not sure I was going to like the colour but it was sheer enough that it didn't give me the Vegas stripper look but did give me some colour. I think if it was a little more moisturizing I would love it. I will definitely get use out of two of the three products so I am calling it a win.
Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Kayla and Nicole
While I do not like Barbie pink lipstick I love it in a gloss. I have a set of mini Buxom Lip Polishes that I love to wear alone but also look great over other lip colours. I used this over both Sultry and Honey. With Honey it really brings out the Balm and is just the perfect Barbie pink for me. Nicole is more red and, as with all Buxom glosses, looks great alone or over another lip product.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Camera
Whether you are going all out or not going out at all for Valentine's Day I think taking some photos, on actual film, are a great idea. No, not those kinds of photos. I love this little camera, obviously snapping a quick photo with your phone is more convenient for every days use but on holidays and get togethers I like to carry this little guy with me. There is just something more real and precious about having a photo on actual, tangible film.
Essie Nail Polish in Mod Square and Julep Nail Polish in Sheila
Speaking of Barbie pink here is Essie's Mod Square. What else do I need to say? I also used Julep's Sheila for an accent nail to take full advantage of the pink and red combo I would normally not be caught dead wearing.
David's Tea Sweetheart Collection
I never need an excuse to buy more tea and I can not resist these sampler kits. You get to try twelve different teas and each little pot usually makes me three of four cups of tea. I love discovering teas this way so if you find one you don't like then you are not stuck with a full bag and it is not a waste of money. Some of my favourites from this collection are Cherry Blossom, Love Tea #7 and Organic Green Seduction.
Whatever you have planed for February 14th, fancy date night, Netflix and Chill or just Netflix with your cats I hope it is magical and to any guys planning to propose: lame.
To me Valentines day, and the days leading up to it, are the only days pink and red match and can be worn together. I am taking full advantage of that and thought I would share some of the products that are putting me in a Valentine's mood this year.
Revlon Set
In Shoppers there was a Revlon Love Collection by Leah Goren display and there was a lip colour set I could not pass up. There are three crayons in this set. Sultry and Elusive in Matte Balm and Honey in Balm Stain. I've tried these crayons in the past and have been meaning to give them another shot. I loved Sultry, it was comfortable on the lips and I was surprised by how long it lasted through my morning tea and nibbles. What really impressed me was how it wore off. My main complaint about lipstick is when it wears off everywhere except the very outline of my lips, then I am walking around looking like I walked out of the 90's. Not OK. This, as with any lip product, did wear off in the center first but it almost looked like I had an ombre lip look going on or I had put a lighter gloss in the center of my lips. The other Matte balm is just not my colour, for the most part when I wear any sort of light or Barbie pink lipstick I look like a 90's Vegas Stripper. No disrespect ladies, it is just not a look I can pull off. I will pass this one on to a friend. I can't decide how I feel about Honey in Balm Stain. I was not sure I was going to like the colour but it was sheer enough that it didn't give me the Vegas stripper look but did give me some colour. I think if it was a little more moisturizing I would love it. I will definitely get use out of two of the three products so I am calling it a win.
Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Kayla and Nicole
While I do not like Barbie pink lipstick I love it in a gloss. I have a set of mini Buxom Lip Polishes that I love to wear alone but also look great over other lip colours. I used this over both Sultry and Honey. With Honey it really brings out the Balm and is just the perfect Barbie pink for me. Nicole is more red and, as with all Buxom glosses, looks great alone or over another lip product.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Camera
Whether you are going all out or not going out at all for Valentine's Day I think taking some photos, on actual film, are a great idea. No, not those kinds of photos. I love this little camera, obviously snapping a quick photo with your phone is more convenient for every days use but on holidays and get togethers I like to carry this little guy with me. There is just something more real and precious about having a photo on actual, tangible film.
Essie Nail Polish in Mod Square and Julep Nail Polish in Sheila
Speaking of Barbie pink here is Essie's Mod Square. What else do I need to say? I also used Julep's Sheila for an accent nail to take full advantage of the pink and red combo I would normally not be caught dead wearing.
David's Tea Sweetheart Collection
I never need an excuse to buy more tea and I can not resist these sampler kits. You get to try twelve different teas and each little pot usually makes me three of four cups of tea. I love discovering teas this way so if you find one you don't like then you are not stuck with a full bag and it is not a waste of money. Some of my favourites from this collection are Cherry Blossom, Love Tea #7 and Organic Green Seduction.
I went back to David's tea after picking up the Sweetheart Collection to stock up on Love Tea #7, I figure it wont be around long after Valentine's Day. I ended up getting one of the giant tins that hold enough tea for ninety cup. Damn sales girl was on her game. I also picked up some tea bags in Red Velvet Cake and gave a few of them out as Valentine's to some of my tea loving friends. "This sweet, lightly creamy black tea blend perfectly captures our favourite dessert. With semi-sweet and white chocolate chips, beetroot powder and little red sprinkles, it’s rich, delicious and a whole lot of fun."
Whatever you have planed for February 14th, fancy date night, Netflix and Chill or just Netflix with your cats I hope it is magical and to any guys planning to propose: lame.
Thanks for reading!
A.
Monday 25 January 2016
Favourites January 2016
I do not have the best track record with monthly favourites, I can not remember the last one I posted but I hope to do better this year and at least get one up every other month. I do not want to put up a favourites post if I don't really love the products. These products I love madly.
I have had the worst dry, chapped lips. I have been scrubbing them raw and using every lip balm I have but nothing has worked at all. I got fed up and during my lunch I marched over to Shoppers and asked the Beautique lady for the best lip healing treatment they had. She delivered. This has saved my lips, it is meant for severe dryness and made with cold cream to seriously moisturize and hydrate. This is not something I would use if my lips were in their normal shape, it is clearly meant for deep repair. I use it twice a day and before bed and my lips are in much better condition. I can wear matte lipstick again!
I just grabbed this on my way to the checkout at Sephora. I wanted to try it after I used the hydrogel mask I got in my Birchbox and it was amazing. This is a two step process, the first is similar to those awful Biore strips you rip off your nose but way more gentle. As disgusting as it is there are few things as satisfying as ripping junk out of your pores, I am not ashamed to admit that. Step two is a wet patch that contains serum to tighten and firm. I would prefer of the second match was more of a blackhead dissolving serum but it was still a great combo.
LIFE CHANGING! This product is absolutely life changing, I am the worst at liquid eyeliner. I gave away all the liquid eyeliner I had because I just could not get a straight line on my upper lid to save my life. The only times I managed it took me far too long. The ergonomic design of this eyeliner makes is so easy to get a straight line, no skipping. Luckily the formula is also amazing; pigmented, glides on smoothly, doesn't smudge, feather or transfer. I just can not say enough wonderful things about this product, if you struggle with liquid liner pick up this gem.
This is another lip product that has helped my poor dry lips. It is a seriously delicious scented lip balm with oils and vitamins to moisturize your lips. I have the colour Caramel and the formula is very sheer, you really wont get a lot of colour from these but that means you can apply it more often. This might be the first lip product I use all up. I use this instead of regular lipstick when my lips are dry so I still feel like I am wearing some colour.
I got this as a sample from the Bonjour Jolie Mystery Box and fell in love with it. It is so creamy and lathers for a surprisingly gentle but effective clean. My face was left feeling so soft and soothed, moisturized without any residue or film left behind. I am in the need to a new cleanser and I will be picking this one up.
Thanks for reading!
A.
Bonjour Jolie Super Fabulous Fall Mystery Box 2015
Oh the saga that was this box. When I purchased this box the email stated they would ship out the end of October 2015. Mine arrived at the end of December. I had to contact Bonjour Jolie at least five times about shipping and after they finally understood I was not talking about my normal monthly box they eventually sent out a second box.
There were a few different boxes you could choose from at different price points. I chose the:
NEW! $30 Super Fabulous Fall Mystery Box:
- 2 Full Size Beauty Items (valued at $16 each or higher)
- 2 Mystery Jewelry Items
- 2-3 Sample Pampering Items
- Variety bag of Teas
- Variety of Sweets
I love apple cider so I was excited to see so many packets, I would have preferred more original than pumpkin flavored but they are both yummy. Two full chocolate bars are not a bad deal at all, I gave these to Beast as I have had enough Kit Kats to last a lifetime. The peppermint bark protein bars, on the other hand, went right into my purse and they were amazing! They just tasted like candy bars.
The quality of the jewelry from Bonjour Jolie is not always amazing but it is usually pretty cute. I had gotten a black version of the wooden bracelet and wished I had gotten brown instead so that worked out. I already received the little starfish necklace in a previous box which is bound to happen so this will go to my friends daughter. The gold necklace is cute, I don't wear a lot of gold jewelry but I will keep this for the rare occasion my outfit calls for it. The little snowflake earring are super cute and sparkly, I likely wont wear them very often but they would be great for a holiday party or an ugly sweater party. I don't know why but I was really excited for the little gold pouch from Victoria Secret. I use it to keep a lipstick and balm in so I can just grab it when I go to the bathroom and do a touch up.
These are all skin care samples and include a lemon face scrub (love), a face mask, lip mask, eye cream, face oil, sunscreen and a Evelyn and Crabtree lotion that smells amazing. I think there is a perfume sample in there as well.
There was quite a bit of makeup in this box, jasmine body lotion, hair shine spray, concealer samples, mascara, Burt's Bee's lip gloss, loose pigment eyeshadow, Laqa & Co lip and cheek tint, eyeliner, eyeshadow samples, eye shadow duo and eye primer.
It definitely seems like I have more than what was advertised, I don't know if that is just how it came or if they jammed some extra stuff in there when they had to resend. I will use most of the skin care stuff and some of the makeup but I don't think I was worth the money once you factor the exchange rate and shipping to Canada.
Thanks for reading!
A.
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