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Saturday, May 20, 2017

life

May 2017 Life Update!

May 2017 Life Update!
May 20, 20170 Comments
Hello!

This is obviously not a review post, but I wanted to update the few of you who do read my blog and/or watch my videos. A lot has changed and will continue to change in the upcoming months. I'll quickly round up what's happened so far. I graduated university! (Well my actual graduation is in June, but I'm done classes and final exams and have also received all of my final grades back. Yay!) I also started my full time job and have moved into my mom's tiny condo for the time being until Steven and I get a new apartment.

With these new behind-the-scene changes, a few evident changes have occurred.

My Instagram has been extremely neglected

My Instagram has been pretty awful lately. I've rarely been posting due to the new lack of time that I've had.I think I've posted two pictures int he last month... maybe three if I'm lucky. I've unfortunately been dropping in followers, but I expect it considering a bunch of them are accounts that follow me in hopes for a follow back.

I don't have much free time... in a new way

When I say new, I mean very different. Now that classes are over and I only have a full time job (I had full time class with lots of commuting time AND a 20 hr minimum a week part time job before) my free time has been utilized differently. For the first two weeks I re-edited my entire book and sent it off to my publisher to go through an official editing process. I have also been posting videos very frequently because I had a lot of declutter videos pre-filmed. I've also been working with brands behind the scenes, which means I've been trying out a lot of different products.

Stuff has been going on behind the scenes

So far you've seen one review post, but I have at least three more coming within the next month! Nothing is a secret, but I still want to have a bit of a surprise factor so I'm only telling you the subject for the reviews. One is a review of one brands several natural skin care products, another revolves around a lipstick collection that I have already mentioned on my blog and YouTube, and two are all about hair, though they deal with completely different aspects of it!

Now onto what's actually happening for the next few months.

I've mentioned several times on my YouTube channel that I want to go in a different direction. I truly enjoy doing reviews and just know that makeup tutorials as a focus just aren't for me. Don't get me wrong—I LOVE makeup, but I'm not great at creating makeup looks and I know there's just too much of it out there. I don't have anything new to bring to the table. However, everyone has different skin-tones, skin types, hair types, face and body shapes, etc. Because of this it just makes sense to be able to review a product based on my appearance and how my body/face reacts to it. This means that the possibilities are basically endless and it's not pointless to share my opinions on the products and how they look and work on me. I just won't be doing tutorials often. They'll be left for special occasions or if I just feel like filming myself getting ready for something. I won't be doing "How to do winged liner" type tutorials because I honestly don't know how and still take at least 30 minutes to get it right. I want my channel to focus on reviews, hauls, tips, and even throw in a few lifestyle videos including actual life advice, story time videos, DIY videos, and more! I just want my channel to be about myself personally and not trying to be like everyone else. This might even include occasional vlogs!

As for my blog—It's going to stay the same. I mainly reserve this for product reviews, but I'll probably start throwing a few new things in here once we move.

So. What is my new schedule? I'll be uploading once a week, but as usual no promises. This should be manageable, but my mom's place is extremely small and I'm already sleeping behind the kitchen table on the ground. It's hard to find space to film and time considering the sunlight is pretty bad when I'm home from work. Once a week should be fine and perhaps I'll throw in an extra video once in a while if I manage to have the time to film one. Blog posts will come as I test new products out (for a sufficient amount of time). Instagram will continue to be a work in progress since I don't have time to do more creative looks. Perhaps once we move I will have more to work with inspiration wise.

That's it for now! I will probably write update posts every time something major changes. The next one will be when we move into our next apartment in a few months!

See you soon with another review :D
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Thursday, May 04, 2017

reviews

Optically Canada ~ Opium Sunglasses Review

Optically Canada ~ Opium Sunglasses Review
May 04, 20170 Comments
Hello!

I was recently contacted by Optically Canada to do a review and I of course accepted because I love sunglasses and they have some amazing products. You can purchase their glasses online at their Canadian website (If you live in Canada, of course). Optically let me pick out a pair so I ended up choosing the Opium OP1410 C04 style which I'm absolutely in love with! I didn't own a pair like these and I'm so happy I made the choice. Here's a picture of them:



Optically Canada offers glasses as affordable as $9. They offer regular prescription glasses as well as prescription and non-prescription sunglasses. The pair that I have does not have a prescription because I haven't been to the optometrist in over 5 years (oops), but I will make it a point to go in the near future so if I do end up needing a prescription, I'll make sure to order glasses (sunglasses and probably regular lenses as well) to go along with it. The sunglasses that Optically Canada sent me are currently priced at $39 on their website.

While Optically has affordable glasses, they also stock designer glasses brands such as Gucci, Fendi, Jimmy Choo, and so much more! I'm not one to care about brand names so I'll be sticking to whatever I like that I can afford, but for those of you that love all things designer, you'll find a great variety on their website!


I can't speak for every pair of glasses on the website, but I can for my pair. The quality is great and the glasses come in a very sturdy case that won't crush the glasses if you accidentally sit on them (I've been guilty several times in the past of this). I love the shape of these along with the lens colour. You can actually choose your lens colour and opacity on the website for an extra small cost, which is cool since I know people who are very particular about the colour.

The shape is very flattering and I wish I were better at figuring out the names of glasses shapes. I know they aren't aviators, but I really like them as well. I have an odd nose to eyebrow ratio (if that makes any sense) where most sunglasses completely cover my eyebrows. These still let them poke through so strangers that may see me in public will still know that I do indeed have eyebrows! The neutral lens colour is really nice on my eyes. The sunglasses do what they're meant to do while being cute so it's a win-win situation with them!


The website allows you to select whether you want mens or womens glasses. Many pairs, including mine, are considered unisex, which is great if you want to share a pair with someone else. Steven put these on as a joke and was surprised that they didn't make him look girly and that they actually fit! These glasses were just a perfect match. Click on the link if you want to view their women's sunglasses!

Optically offers several services such as reglazing your existing glasses. I've never actually heard of this before reading it on their site, but I guess it's a thing! If you have glasses that you love, but you need a new prescription and don't want to shell out the money for a whole new pair, check out the reglazing service that Optically offers and you might just find what you're looking for!

The verdict? I obviously really like these! My coworkers thought they were super cute and my mom even attempted to steal the case that they came in. I'm probably going to end up buying her a pair as well considering her current sunglasses aren't the cutest... but with that being said this is the end of my review.

Please check out Optically if you are planning on buying glasses or sunglasses any time soon. The prices are great and the selection is awesome!

And check out my Instagram post from a few days ago when I wore them on a super cloudy day (Thanks Canadian weather) and they still managed to look really cute!


See you soon!
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Saturday, April 22, 2017

bodycare reviews

Moor Spa ~ Natural body care product review

Moor Spa ~ Natural body care product review
April 22, 20170 Comments
The lovely team at Moor Spa reached out to me a few months ago regarding natural body products! I was sent a moisturizer, a herbal bath, and a massage balm to try out for a little while and share my thoughts. I've been using these products for almost a month now so I feel confident in my opinions!


Moor Spa Natural only uses natural ingredients while remaining vegan and cruelty free. This may be obvious since I already said their products are natural, but they also 100% naturally sourced, free of toxins, parabens, and chemicals. This is a huge plus for me because I have normal to sensitive skin, especially on my legs, specifically my shin area, so finding a moisturizer that doesn't irritate my skin is fairly hard to do.

Moor Spa Purifying Massage Balm - MSRP $25 CAD


Website: "As soon as the product touches the skin it melts into a liquid oil which has a superb glide and warms up remarkably quickly. Also, by comparison with massage oils and lotions, only half the quantity of  balm is needed."

This is nice! I've used this a few times because Steven refuses to give me a massage every day, but it's always been very nice. The scent is very light and it feels very nice on my skin. My back wasn't irritated at all minus the redness from Steven giving me a massage. This is probably due to there not being much friction since this is very smooth and silky feeling. The product claims to be non-greasy and I was surprised to see that an oil can actually be non greasy. You have to try it to understand! I did not get a rash from this product and it didn't make my pj's feel or smell gross afterwards!


Moor Spa Herbal Bath - MSRP $11 (or 5 for $45) CAD


Website: The water-soluble nutrients in the Moor create a soothing and purifying effect for the whole body. Take a Moor bath for a relaxing, reinvigorating bathing experience.

This was very fun for me! I don't currently have a bathtub where I live, but my mom has one and I visited her at the end of March. I know this looks really dark in the bag, but I was expecting it to be a very light grey colour in a full bath tub. I was so surprised that the water basically turned black, but found it really awesome. Here's a picture I posted on my Instagram

A post shared by Amy Sousa (@beautybyamysousa) on


The instructions say to run a warm bath, but not too warm because it may cause you to feel drowsy. Both my mom and Steven were in the house with me so I decided to rebel and run a hot bath because I was feeling pretty sore and love the feeling of hot water. I didn't feel drowsy at all, but that doesn't mean that you should do the same. Basically do as I say, not as I do. My muscles definitely felt a bit better and my skin felt really smooth. This didn't smell strange, but natural in a good way. I also wanted to mention that this was very easy to rinse out from the tub. I was worried that it would clog because there were a few squishy pieces in the bag, but they dissolved in the tub for the most part and easily went down the drain. The little pieces that stayed behind were easy to rinse off with the shower head and a normal sponge to make everything white again. I did run hot water down the drain after completely rinsing the bath just to be safe, but you're probably ok if you don't. If you're into bath products I highly recommend trying this out. Especially because the price is so good!

Moor Spa Body Lotion - MSRP $26 CAD 


Website: "A unique blend of Moor plus chamomile, arnica, wild yam and sweet potato extracts leaves the skin soft, smooth and well hydrated."

I was a bit confused by the name of this product because it's so literal. Not that it's a bad thing, but I'm used to products with really long names that have a million claims promoted on the packaging. I like the simplicity of this and find the packaging to be quite attractive (I like white and the blue/green). There is a light scent with this as well and the product feels cooling when you apply it. I've been using this every time I remember to and it always makes my skin instantly look more alive. I have very dry skin on my legs and often look patchy, but this really does help it if I actually use it frequently. While it is a bit pricy for the size, this is natural like the other products and no animals are harmed, which makes it worth a higher price tag. For me the most important thing about a body moisturizer is that it doesn't irritate my skin and this lives up to my expectations!

 I have a form of eczema that I can't remember the name of (it's a rare form) where moisture (including body lotions) usually irritate it. My form of eczema doesn't really occur in the winter, mainly in Autumn, so I didn't have to worry about it right now, but it's nice to know that this doesn't irritate my skin. I'll definitely be using this when my eczema returns because it is very light and natural. I don't think this would work to make your skin look perfectly moisturized in one go so I'd opt for a thicker body butter type of product for that, but for an everyday product this is really amazing!

So overall I'm impressed and really enjoyed all three products!

If you're interested in purchasing any of these products, email info@moorspa.com to request a spa code so you can make a purchase :) If you decide to do this, tell them that Amy Sousa sent you! I don't make any commission so don't worry about that!




*These products were sent to me as PR for review consideration
*I was not paid to talk about the products and will not make any money off of purchase
*As usual all opinions are my own
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Tuesday, March 21, 2017

highend makeup

Anastasia Beverly Hills Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit Swatches

Anastasia Beverly Hills Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit Swatches
March 21, 20170 Comments
Hello! I should've posted this a few weeks ago when I received it considering there weren't too many swatch posts at the time, but oh well. I got this glow kit during an early release on the  Sephora App! This is the first glow kit I've ever purchased from ABH and boy am I happy with it. I was concerned at first because a lot of reviewers say that the glow kits are very inconsistent (like the ultimate glow kit not being as good as the original or moon child), but I was very relieved when I swatched these and tried them on my face.


As you can see, this palette is not meant for porcelain skin. I've seen a lot of complaints about this being too dark for fair skin and not dark enough for deep complexions. I'll never understand these complaints on collaborations such as this because it's supposed to work for Nicole's skin tone! That's the entire reason that I bought this. If I were to create products with a brand I wouldn't be worrying about what skin tones to focus on... I'd focus on what suits mine. Right now I'm at my lightest and most of these work great! I know for sure that when I'm at my regular summer shade (my Brazilian skin tans easily) ALL of these will work, with Forever lit being a bit too light on its own. I'm thrilled that Nicole chose these colours as they suit her skin tone and many other people who often have to pick something a bit too light or a bit too dark (or mix the two).


These are swatches on the under side of my arm! The top of my arm is actually darker and matches my face better, so these swatches don't look quite as dark on there. As you can see, a lot of these shades are very similar with different undertones. I'm completely fine with this as I don't need more than three different results from a highlighting palette. All I need in terms of highlighting is an out there palette (Like the KVD Alchemist palette or the Moonchild palette (but that one isn't available on Sephora so I doubt that'll ever happen)).  I do find some a bit too similar, so I can understand the complaints. Here's a different angle and a quick video shot with flash.


Here are a few pictures of some of the shades on my face! I wasn't wearing any foundation (just concealer directly under my eyes) so they don't look nearly as intense as they usually do on top of a base. I'm also still a newbie and used my phone without my umbrella lights so that also makes it not look as amazing, but I swear they're awesome! I applied a tiny amount to my eyes for the last two photos as well (no eyeshadow today—just mascara). The only shade that I wasn't wearing was Kitty Kat, but it's really beautiful! I just ran out of space on my face. My dog on the other hand... you'll see.
Glo Getter on the cheekbone
Forever Lit down my nose
Forever Young on the cheekbone and 143 on the lid
The crappiest photo of them all!  Day Dream on the lid.

The formula is beautiful! All of these swatch very easily and are pigmented. I swatched all of these like I would in a Sephora (and I'm not that rude customer that greedily digs into it because it's free) and did one long swipe of each on my arm. I didn't go over any of the shades, which is why some might look less pigmented than others. The last three are the most intense in my opinion along with Kitty Kat. Forever Lit is very light and is probably the least pigmented, but that's ok because I use it most for the inner corners of my eyes, on the tip of my nose, eyebrow highlight, and mixed with the lighter shades if I really want to look metallic.


Here's one final picture! My pictures really don't do this palette justice. For whatever reason (probably the shine) my camera didn't want to focus properly.

Do I recommend this palette? Absolutely, IF you aren't very pale or very deep. If you have a light medium to dark medium skin tone this will work very well! I know I'll be using these for eyeshadows (especially 143 because gold is my favourite), but I don't think they promote this use for them. Regardless, I think this is beautiful and highly recommend :) The packaging is also very nice. There isn't a mirror, but I don't expect a mirror in every single makeup product—especially products like these where you're probably not going to bring this on its own with you for touchups.

This palette retails for $52.00 CAD at Sephora (including online) and I am unsure of how long it'll be around. I'm not going to buy a backup because I don't think I'll ever go through all of the shades. Go swatch it if you have the chance though! Unless you're light as paper, you might be surprised at how many of these might work on your skin. I know I've seen several bloggers with lighter skin than myself wearing some of the lighter shades and it works well!

I lied. Here's a picture of my dog's paw with Kitty Kat on it when he stepped on my fan brush.

Bye for now!

*I bought this with my own money (Well, with a gift card that I got from Steven's dad at Christmas 😉)
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Sunday, March 05, 2017

affordable reviews

The Ordinary Skincare by Deciem

The Ordinary Skincare by Deciem
March 05, 2017 18 Comments
Hello! 

As you know, one of my beauty resolutions for the year is to really pay attention to and take care of my skin care. I really only started a legitimate skincare regime in October of 2016 and I have noticed huge improvements since then. Good skin care that targets specific concerns is hard to come across in an affordable price range. You know that I love my MyChelle and IQ Natural products that I was sent back in October, and some of them I will definitely repurchase when I run out, but others are just too expensive and I wanted to see if there's something else out there.

Right as my skin cream (Supreme Polypeptide Cream) started to run out, I saw someone post in a beauty Facebook group about The Ordinary. There were tons of comments raving about this brand and how affordable it is so I had to check it out. I was expecting an American company that ships to Canada for about $15 (USD) with a skin cream at about $30+ (as most brands end up being like this), but I was so wrong! These products are made in Toronto! Everything on the website is in Canadian dollars and the shipping is free with a purchase of over $25.  I was completely shocked again when I started to add products to my basket that suit my skin concerns. A moisturizer is about $6 Canadian. What? I bought four different products for $30 INCLUDING TAX. This is unheard of here in Canada.

The Ordinary's slogan is: Clinical Formulations with Integrity. 


Want to know something else that was great? The website had a disclaimer saying that product orders would be taking longer than usual due to ridiculously high number of orders. I was ok with that, thinking that I could stretch out my moisturizer until at least Valentines day, but my order arrived in one week! ONE. WEEK. I'm officially jumping for joy!  I'm going to share with you what I ordered. I have tried all but one product so far, but I will do more testing before I have a solid opinion. Let's jump in! 


Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5:

Over 50% of this acid that is in your body is in your skin. It is an active skin care ingredient that plumps up the appearance of dull or aging skin, mine being dull, because it helps retain moisture. Vitamin B5 helps enhance surface hydration too! I've used this several times in the morning, but mainly at night time. This absorbs really fast so you need to be quick while applying it, or at least apply a bit to one section at a time. This has definitely helped my skin look more lively! The only reason I wear foundation anymore is because I want to even out the skin tone, and it just looks better when doing a full face of makeup, but on a no-makeup day my skin looks so much better!



Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%: 

This is naturally produced by yeast that lives on normal skin. It brightens the skin while improving texture and reducing the look of blemishes. It even acts as an antioxidant! This formula offers a very high 10% concentration of high-purity Azelaic Acid in a lightweight cream-gel system. - Deciem site and other sources. I've used this several times in the morning and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I've seen fellow bloggers raving about this (and no, they aren't sponsored and didn't get it for free) so I might need to go over more reviews before I fully understand it. I don't really think my skin looks brighter. I also didn't have much texture (if at all) to start off with so I can't vouch for that claim either. But I will tell you that the acne scars that I have definitely look a bit lighter, which is major for me because I've always struggled with covering them up. I'll definitely keep using this because it's not harming me and the scars have faded quite a bit so far! The ingredients are good for your skin and these products are ridiculously affordable so why not? It's kind of like eating a healthy diet. You may not tell a huge difference on the outside, but your body will definitely be thanking you on the inside.


Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA:

These natural moisturizing factors (NMF) keep the top layer of your skin protected and hydrated. "This formula offers non-greasy hydration that acts as a direct topical supplement of impaired NMF components. It contains 11 amino acids." - Deciem. I use this in the morning on days that I'll be wearing foundation and I really like it!


Retinol 1%:

I haven't even opened this one yet. The reason is because my current retinol serum from MyChelle has not run out, so I refuse to open this one. On the packaging it says to not mix this with other retinoids. This is totally safe to use with the other products in this article. I'm excited to try this out and will likely do an updated blog post review for all of these because it's so darn affordable!

All of these products are 30ml (so 1 fluid ounce each!) All of these are also Vegan and Cruelty free, which is another huge plus! Each product is linked and you will find more information about ingredients and how to use them on their site.

Thank you so much for reading! I highly recommend trying out The Ordinary by Deciem if you're looking for skin care. I bought all of these with my own money and the company did not ask me to review their products. I don't think they know who I am anyway!

Bye for now!

 *All of these products were purchased with my own money. All opinions are 100% my own.
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