Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Reve De Miel Cleansing Gel Review

I usually the type of girl that bounces from one product to the next. With that being said the one product I am loyal to is my cleanser. Over the years my beloved Clarins Daily Energizer Gel has kept my face clean, calm and spotless. I love the Daily Energizer Gel so much so that I actually feel guilty when I venture to other brands. I call this irrational feeling, cleanser shame! So feeling like a guilty lover I bring you my thoughts on the brand new Nuxe Reve De Miel Cleansing Gel.

I love Nuxe's Reve De Miel beauty range... the lip balm is a cult classic and the hand cream is a must try. Actually if you love the floral meets honey scent of these products you will without doubt like the smell of this perfume... no I mean cleanser. The potency of perfume in this cleanser is nuts. Its the kind of scent that lingers on your face for hours and will make your husband question why your wearing perfume to bed. What I find even more crazy is that Nuxe recommends this for people with sensitive skin. Maybe its just me, but when I am experiencing skincare sensitivities the first thing I avoid is overly scented products? 

If you can get over the feeling that you are washing your face with a shower gel there are some positives here. I really like is that this cleanser is void of harsh chemicals. I also really like the addition of honey. Honey works as a antibacterial, which is a excellent natural way to avoid spots. In addition this also contains sunflower oil which helps moisturize and sooth the skin. Now Nuxe claims(back to negatives sorry) this to be an makeup remover, I beg to differ. Used alone this does not remove makeup well in the slightest. 

Spoken like a true unfaithful lover my time with Reve De Miel actually made me appreciate my Daily Energizer Gel more. Will you ever take me back Clarins?
Okay, okay before you think I've ventured off to Crazyville I will leave you with this... 
There are things I really like about Nuxe Reve De Miel such as the ingredients. However with it's lacklustre makeup removing capabilities and it's overly perfume-y scent there are better options then Nuxe's Reve De Meil Cleansing Gel out there.  

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

c.Booth Clean Vanilla Bean

I have a strong love for buying body care. I could even go as far as saying I make this rather ordinary practice a full fledged event. Yes, I am one of those strange breeds that stands in the body department of whatever store and smells everything they have to offer.
Why do I have a feeling that most beauty lovers do the same?

So with my baby comfortably sleeping in her stroller I thought lets see whats new in the body care department. People I don't want to sound dramatic, but one whiff of the c.Booth Clean Vanilla Bean shower gel stopped me dead in my tracks. It's that kind of creamy vanilla scent that smells grown up and sexy rather then cheap and nauseating. With its amazing scent and its inexpensive price I thought lets give this a whirl. 

A beautiful rich lather, moisturizing formula all while having the lingering scent of vanilla bean. I bought this based on entirely on scent, but I have to say this shower gel exceeded my expectations! Not only is this shower gel perfection it's also free of harmful chemicals. To make things better c.Booth doesn't test on animals and the brand is environmentally conscious. I've tried many shower gels in my life but this has to be one of the best. 

The body lotion. I was so impressed by the shower gel the very next day I bought the body lotion. Again this lotion has that amazing, sexy vanilla bean scent and it too is free from harmful chemicals. C.Booth 4-in-1 body lotion is the perfect lotion for light weight moisture.  Its the kind of lotion you can quickly slap on without the worry of feeling greasy.  With its affordable price, handy pump, beautiful scent and hydrating finish you should put this on your try list too. 

If you couldn't tell by now I have been loving this range of products. I'm actually surprised I don't see c.Booth being talked about more often? So ladies next time you find yourself having
a smell session you need to give c.Booth Clean Vanilla Bean a go.  The Clean Vanilla Bean shower gel costs $6.97 and 4-in-1 lotion comes in at $7.97. With it's banging list of ingredients, affordable prices and superior quality I can't recommend the Clean Vanilla Bean Range enough.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Spring Skincare

Maybe it’s all the natural light or perhaps it’s the change of weather, but come spring time its normal to have a ‘my skin looks like crap’ moment. I’m talking about that dull, lackluster, boring skin that just makes you look like a tired zombie. So to avoid scaring the neighborhood children here are my 3 fail proof ways to get healthy looking skin this spring. 

Exfoliate 
I am obsessed with exfoliating. Dare I even go as far as saying I can write a novel just on exfoliating alone. However I will spare you the agony and just get on with the post… 

Exfoliating is the act of removing dead skin cells that hang out on the skins surface. The pile up of these dead cells gives the illusion of dull, ill looking skin. Now there are two ways to fix this problem, chemical exfoliation and physical exfoliation. Chemical exfoliatiors use some sort of acid to remove dead cells. Sounds terrifying, its not! Actually there are loads of chemical exfoliators that are suitable for even the most sensitive skin types. Physical Exfoliators on the other hand remove dead skin cells through friction. This type of exfoliating varies on intensity depending on how gritty the formula is. Whatever exfoliator you choose is entirely up to you. Hell you can even get really crazy like me and choose both! 

Moisturize
Another factor to dull looking skin is the weather. Here in Canada it’s normal to have spring like weather one day and arctic weather the next. This constant temperature fluctuation generally results in dry skin. So my next tip for better looking skin is to moisturize. With a quick slap on the face even the most basic moisturizer can instantly repair the quality of your skin, help reduce the appearance of fine lines and give the skin a more radiant glow. Just remember before taking a plunge on any moisturizer, go simple and always keep your skin-type on mind.


Mist 
Some people collect coins, cards or cats, I however collect facial mists. I have one that contains SPF in my car, one that sets makeup on my vanity, a hydrating one… you get the picture. So the next product you need for amazing-looking springtime skin is a hydrating facial mist. Just like a moisturizer a good facial mist can hydrate the face, but unlike a moisturizer it only takes a second to apply. Furthermore even if you wanted to cheat on your whole skincare routine the fact your misting liquid on your face will give the illusion of healthy skin. Weather you’re using a mist for moisture or for a quick refresh, facial sprays should be on your must have list this season. 

Now that your skin is exfoliated, hydrated and glistening from facial mist scaring the neighbor’s kids will be a thing of the past. Unless of course those kids are brats then I say scare away… I’m kidding! But in all seriousness say hello healthy, luminous, glowing skin this spring with these three easy tips.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Let's talk Sanitizer

Let’s take a break from the beautiful world of skincare and talk hand sanitizer. Yes, you heard me right hand sanitizer. Not a sexy must have, but a must have none the less. So ladies put your bottle of Purell down let’s talk Dr. Bronner’s Organic Hand Sanitizer.

Formula wise this hand sanitizer is banging, no parabens, petro chemicals or any other nasties. Actually this sanitizer only has 4 ingredients, which makes it makes it one of the purest I’ve ever found. Ingredients aside the reason you need this hand sanitizer in your life is the beautiful lavender scent. With real lavender essential oil this hand sanitizer transports you to a lavender field somewhere in the south of France.
I’m obsessed.

So obsessed actually I’ve considered wearing this hand sanitizer as a perfume…
Who am I kidding I embarrassingly have worn this as perfume.


With its handy spray, beautiful scent and pure ingredients Dr. Bronner’s Organic Hand Sanitizer is a product worth talking about. 

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Kitchen Beauty Essentials

Like most beauty obsessed you can find makeup and skincare all over my house. In each powder room a lip product, in the family room a selection of face masks and by the front door a couple of fragrances. However there is one beauty "hot spot" in our house and that is the kitchen. From hand creams to a selection of lip products here are my kitchen beauty must haves.

Hand Soap and Hand Cream
Nothing says at home spa then a sink full of dirty dishes. HA...
In all seriousness (well as serious as soap can be) using dish soap can and will dry out your hands. To avoid chapped, cracked and even bleeding hands I say spurge and buy your self a proper soap and hand cream. My new favourite is William Sonoma's Lime Blossom. Apart from making me feel really fancy the Lime Blossom fragrance is fresh and the formula is nourishing.

Lip Products
Sometimes the kitchen island becomes a dumping ground for lip products. With that being said I always keep at least two lip products in the kitchen at all times. One is a sheer lip balm perfect for everyday use and the other is typically something with a bit of colour. Currently I have have the clear Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy (review here) and Fresh Sugar Lip Balm in the colour Berry. 

Homeoplasmine (in an old Dior Pot) 
Every kitchen should have some sort of  multi-purpose ointment in it! Strong statement I know, but there is no other product hydrates dry skin, moisturizes lips, repairs cracked cuticles, helps calm down bug bites and help aid burns. If your unable to find Homeoplamine, Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour Cream and the Honest Companies Healing balm are both excellent alternatives. 

Hair Things
Firstly let me start off by saying I don't do my hair in the kitchen. However as someone who worked in in the food service industry keeping your hair up while cooking has been drilled into my head. So I always keep a hair tie, bobby pin and clip handy to prevent my long hair flying everywhere. 

Tweezers
Again I don't pluck any sort of hair in the kitchen... actually the very thought of it makes me want to puke. Now this might be TMI but I'm going to go there... chin hair. Every now and then I find a random ass chin hair thats long and nasty. To avoid people confusing me for an ogre, troll or any other fairy tale villain I like to have pair of tweezers handy. Again I don't remove hair in the kitchen, but I the powder room is fair game. Chain hair, tweezers, plucking ... this is becoming all sorts of gross-ness... on to the next item. 

Mirrored Compact
Having a mirrored compact is key to avoiding fo
od in teeth or on the face situations. A Chanel mirrored compact might seem like the ultimate luxury, but I'm here to tell you its not. Instead of tossing out an old Chanel blush I just removed the shabby blush and bam I was left with a pretty fancy compact. The Chanel mirrored compact sells for $45.00 online and using an old compact is free... easy beauty hack if you ask me.


So now you know our house is a dumping ground for beauty products. I also keep a selection of nail polishes in the office and face creams on my coffee table... I seriously have a problem! Until next time ladies... 


Friday, April 1, 2016

March Favourites

Glow-y makeup, warm weather, nude nails and light rose scents I'm pretty darn excited spring is here.   And on a side note I also like the idea of getting out of the house more since I have been getting slightly stir crazy as of late. So this months favourites are a healthy combination of winter must haves and some spring beauty items too. 

C.Booth Vanilla Bean Bath & Body Wash 
If you love true vanilla scents you need to stop what your doing and go get this shower gel. This drugstore shower gel feel luxurious on the skin and the beautiful vanilla scent lingers for ages. Ingredient wise this shower gel contains a long list of excellent hydrating ingredients. In addition this bargain buy also contains no nasties. Which in my humble opinion makes it better then most high end shower gels that sell for 4 times the price. At $6.97 a pop I can't recommend this shower gel enough. 
On a side note I am totally going to pick up the matching body lotion on my next trip to Walmart. Be prepared because its probably going to be in my next months favourites. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light 
Hourglass explains Ethereal Light as "an opalescent sheer, cool white powder that mimics a moonlit glow, even in broad daylight"... Sounds dramatic, but its true. Ethereal light is absolutely stunning and the perfect product if you what to mimic healthy radiant skin. This sheer powder sets makeup like a dream while adding a slight sheen to the face. Even when I don't have time for foundation a quick dusting of this powder blurs imperfections and creates a stunning glow. 

Clarins Instant Concealer 
You know, I knew I loved this stuff but I didn't realize how much until I went without.  Bobbi, Maybelline, NARS, Chanel and Clinique nothing that I've tried ever covers dark circles better then the Clarins Instant Concealer. My time "without" this concealer only lasted one frantic day and I now always plan to have a back up when running low. 
Love this product, won't ever be without. Dare I even say I am addicted to it?
You can see my whole review here. 

Dior Addict Lipstick in Fashion Show 
I have a hard time ditching berry toned lipstick in the spring and summer. So before I convert to pretty pink lipsticks I thought why not get some use out of one of my favourites, Dior's Fashion Show. If your into sheer moisturizing lipsticks and you like berry tones this is one you have to try. 
Should you want to try this pretty colour it's now called Fashion Night. It also sells for almost $10.00 more since the latest repackaging ... not cool Dior. 

Really, really not cool Dior. But price increases aside those are my monthly favourites. What products have you been loving this month?