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Thursday, July 06, 2017

reviews skincare

Msquared Brands June Blogger Box Review! Old and New Brands!

Msquared Brands June Blogger Box Review! Old and New Brands!
July 06, 20170 Comments
Hello!

Today I'm back with another blogger box review! I swear these just get better and better.  There are a few new to me brands included in this post, which is always super excited since I feel like I'm always in the dark when it comes to brands. I'm just going to jump in.



Boo Bamboo - Charcoal Sheet Mask: Hydrating


This was really nice! It was a bit creepy considering I'm used to the translucent/white masks, but cool nonetheless. I did spend quite a while trying to fold down the bit that covers your nose, but turns out there isn't one!

This mask felt super hydrating and my skin still felt really soft the next day. The mask felt really cooling and tingly (in a good way) while on, and the excess soaked into my skin fairly easily. If you like sheet masks, I highly recommend trying this one out!


Urban Spa - The Serious Sisal Buffer


This is definitely a weird looking one, but I'm loving it so far! I've used something that's felt similar in the past, but it was directly taken off of a plant in Brazil. This is a glove that you put on to exfoliate your skin in the bath or shower. I've been using this every few showers with my Weleda body wash that I blogged about last month and the combination is amazing. I'm someone who really likes to scrub my skin clean and scratch my back so this was amazing for that! I'd have to say that the only downside is the size makes it awkward to store, but I just stick it on a shelf with my razor and haven't had any issues with it yet.

Boo Bamboo - Natural Sunscreen Spray SPF 30


I don't have much to say about this other than DON'T spray this around anything that you really don't want to get sunscreen on. The nozzle isn't bad, but it's still a spray and the product inside is obviously thicker than something like perfume. I personally don't see the point of having this in spray form since I still have to rub it in. Maybe if it were one of the really thin sprays that just absorbs into your skin without needing to rub it in. The product itself is good! I'm not a huge sunscreen wearer (I know—I'm awful), but this doesn't feel weird at all! There's barely a smell in my opinion (though I do love certain sunscreen smells) and it's really natural so you don't need to worry about harsh chemicals.

RADIUS: Organic Coconut Oil Toothpaste - Whitening



I received the "Ginger Citrus with Organic Chamomile Flower & Coconut Oil" flavour and was pleasantly surprised after almost having a heart attack. As you can see below the toothpaste itself LOOKS disgusting, but it actually tastes really nice and does a really good job! The tube is huge, which is nice. I don't use this on its own since I like having a minty taste in my mouth after brushing, so I use this at night before my regular toothpaste. I did notice that my teeth have gotten a bit whiter since I started using this about three weeks ago and I'm betting that the coconut oil has something to do with that! Radius is just proving to be great when it comes to oral hygiene products. I highly recommend this product if you want to whiten your teeth a bit—especially because this is organic and cruelty free!

Yuck!


Weleda: Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil


My mother and I LOVE this. We always put it on after we have our showers. I pat the excess water off of my skin so it's still damp, and then I apply this all over my arms and legs and rub the excess onto my stomach. This instantly makes your skin feel smoother and it actually smells quite nice. You don't have to use much at all, which is a huge bonus, and you know that it's very natural. I'm super impressed with Weleda and have yet to not enjoy one of their products! Highly highly recommend!

The Green Beaver Company: Natural Deodorant - Lavender


I haven't actually used this yet since I have two open deodorants open already. If you remember my first blogger box review, you know that I adore a lip balm from this brand, so I have no doubt that this will work nicely. Hopefully I'll remember to review this when I do eventually get to it!

North American Hemp Co.: Soak it Up Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner


As usual with hair product samples, I'm going to be saving these for vacation. I am going on vacation to a cottage  next week so I'll likely bring these with me in case I decide to wash my hair. It's unlikely, but you never know. I am very curious because I've heard a lot of good things about help. I've also introduced a few new hair products into my routine that are full sized, so I don't think I'd be able to give a solid review on these since they are so small, but I might snapchat or post on Instagram about it depending on if I really like it or not!


That's it for the June Blogger Box! Thank you so much Msquared Brands for sending these boxes to me! I truly enjoy them and feel so lucky to be able to try out these products!



*All of the items mentioned in this post were sent to me as PR, but obviously all of the opinions are my own :)

See you next time!
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Sunday, June 18, 2017

Get Ready With Me ~ My University Graduation

Get Ready With Me ~ My University Graduation
June 18, 20170 Comments
Hello!

This past Tuesday I officially graduated with my undergraduate degree! I received an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and couldn't be happier that it's finally over. For the first time in my life since I was three years old I don't have school. Not for a few years at least!

I made a GRWM video that I'll link at the very bottom of this post, but I didn't talk about many specific products that I used. Much of my different routines (skin care, foundation, hair care, ect.) has changed over the past several months and while I didn't show absolutely everything (like my shower routine) I showed the most important parts of the process. Let jump in!


This picture is a bit random and made up of items that I have been using for a while, use on special occasions, or just wanted to try out because they are a sample. The Priorin hair vitamins come with 60 capsules, which last a month as the instructions say to take two a day. I received this for free and had used them all up the week before grad and I did actually notice quite a difference! My hair grows fast as is, but these made it grow even faster. I highly recommend! I'm going to try and finish up all of my biotin vitamins that I've had for years before purchasing this, but if I can find the other ingredients I will probably go with those as this is a bit too pricey to buy monthly (almost $30!).  I used my ISA Professional hair straightener to straighten and add a few waves to my hair. Here is a link to the video I made showing you how I straighten my hair!

I used this black head pore strip gooey stuff that I ordered off of Ebay. I have no idea what the brand is, but if you search up blackhead pore strip on the website you should be able to find it! It works pretty well for how cheap it is, but if I had a big issue with black heads I would personally purchase the Biore ones!

This Skin Inc. brightening mask was nice, but it didn't do very much (if anything at all). I got it as a free sample at Sephora when I bought my best friend's birthday gift and I probably wouldn't purchase it since it didn't make enough of a difference.

I used the Crest 3D White Strips the night before grad. Specifically the flex ones, which my mom got for free in a flyer that came with two. I know you're supposed to use these types of whitestrips several days in a row for a real result, but I whitened my teeth about six months ago (for four days) and my teeth are decent as is so using this one made enough of a difference as you'll see near the bottom of the post in my smiling picture. This was the first time that my teeth felt ridiculously sensitive though. The glamorous white (non flex fit) did not do that at all for me so I don't know what was up with that, but my salt toothpaste from Weleda saved the day!

Last from this pic is the Dr. Brandt Lip Full Effect AM and PM treatments. I used the PM the night before, as well as during my getting ready process just so soften them up. I put the AM on once I was done my makeup and before I did lipstick. The PM does work nicely to moisturize, but the AM doesn't make too much of a difference. It's slightly less moisturizing, but I did not see a plumping effect whatsoever, which they claim. My lips didn't even tingle. Then again, the Too Faced Lip Injection gloss didn't plump my lips at all, but they at least tingled and got red around the outer ridges (not that that's good considering my lips stayed the exact same size).


For skin care I cleansed and exfoliated my face with my MyChelle Sugar Cleanser, used my The Ordinary Azelaic Acid to brighten my skin, my Hyaluronic Acid to promote moisture, and Natural Moisrutizing Factors + HA to act as my moisturizer. My Weleda Skin Food was used on acne spots to keep them calm and not red. Finally I used my IQ Natural eye gel that I put into this sample tub because I didn't want to bring the entire thing to Toronto with me! Still my favourite eye gel that I've tried!


Primers! I used four of them. That sounds insane and it is considering it didn't make an enormous difference. The Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser was used right on the sides of my nose where I have slightly visible pores. I don't like using it anywhere else because it tends to be a bit greasy or just makes my makeup slide around. I used the MAC Prep + Prime Natural Radience primer in the yellow shade all over my face (I didn't see any difference to be honest). The Nivea Men Sensitive Skin After Shave Balm was used on my forehead, chin and nose as those are the areas that get shiny after several hours. This is awesome because it feels a tiny bit tacky, which makes the foundation on top stay on forever! Finally, I used the Estee Edit Beam Team, which is pretty much a hydrating dewy primer / highlighter. I put this all over my cheeks because they are pretty dull. This made my skin look more alive and less flat once foundation was on. I did not use the highlighter that comes in the lid, but only the main product!


These are all of the base items I used and did not show in the video. I used my  Makeup Forever Ultra HD Liquid Foundation in the colour Y117, which is too light for me, and mixed it with the Lancome Teint Miracle foundation in the colour Bisque, which is too dark. These mixed together are really nice because the makeup forever feels a bit more dry and cakey, while the Lancome is very thin and pigmented. Them mixed together is awesome and it was easy to match my body. I used my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in the colour 10 Light (what's new?) for my under eyes and any redness or scars I had on my face. I used my beauty blender for all of these, including my RCMA No-Colour powder that I used for baking and setting my face. Favourite setting powder of all time! And finally for Brows, I used my ABH Dip Brow Pomade in the colour Medium Brown with my #18 brush from the same brand. I love this combo so much, but it is pricey so I don't know if I'll continue repurchasing the pomade since I love the Essence one. I used the Benefit Gimme Brow because this is my last tester tube and it doesn't do much so I wouldn't accidentally go overboard.


For the rest of my face items, I used the Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer to slightly warm up my face. I went in with the Kat Von D Shade + Light palette to contour and bronze a bit more where the butter bronzer wasn't enough. I went in with my Milani Luminoso blush, and my Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit by Anastasia Beverly Hills. All of these combined created the perfect combination for my face that day!



For my eyes I went in with my Original Chocolate Bar Palette by Too Faced. This is my favourite eyeshadow palette that I own for sure. I used the lighter pink and gold tones as well as the light and medium coloured transition shades for a simple, but pretty look. I wore  my Lancome Hypnose mascara and applied affordable ebay false lashes with my new Duo lash glue (The black one did not work for me at all).  I forgot to mention my lipstick, but it was MAC's Cosmo!

I'm an idiot and didn't use an eyeshadow primer or set my face afterwards so my makeup was looking a bit odd by 5, but for the pictures and ceremony my makeup stayed in place! Here are a few pictures that were taken after the ceremony was finished! The video will be at the very end of the images. I hope you enjoyed this walk through of all of the products that I used! Congrats to everyone else graduating this year! Go class of 2017!

Bye!
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Friday, June 09, 2017

hair reviews

Priorin Hair Vitamins Review

Priorin Hair Vitamins Review
June 09, 20170 Comments
Hello!

Today I'm back with something different to review. This is the first time I'm reviewing something that I actually had to ingest a product consistently. I've tried out candy bars and granola bars before, but hair vitamins were a first!I was presented with the opportunity to review Priorin, hair vitamins that stimulate and increase hair growth. I have been interested in hair vitamins for quite a while now so I couldn't skip the opportunity!


I received one box of Priorin (60 capsules), which is enough for one full month. The instructions say to take the pills every day for 3–6 months for noticeable results, but I feel like I did notice a change in my hair. I do ask you to keep in mind that my hair grows extremely quickly (I think it's part of being Brazilian). Priorin contains biotin, millet extract, L-cystine (amino acid) and calcium pantothenate. According to the information provided, the combination of these ingredients are clinically proven to have shown improved hair growth/re-growth. I know for sure from experience that biotin is great for your hair and nails so I had no doubt this would at least work a bit!

Main ingredients + usage

Picture of my current hair when straightened (minus that one piece I missed *facepalm*)

The pills scared me at first glance because they are fairly large and brown, but thankfully they are soft and rounded off so they go down without a struggle. The pills also taste surprisingly pleasant (but please take it with water) and I'm sure you've taken some sort of vitamin/medication before that tastes absolutely horrid (I'm looking at you birth control!). The instructions say to take two pills a day with food so I took my morning one along with my birth control and anxiety med, and at dinner once again with my anxiety meds (I swear I'm not crazy. Just anxious!).

As you can see the pills aren't exactly tiny

It took about three weeks, but I noticed that my roots were growing in quicker than usual. I didn't take a ruler to my hair or anything like that, but I'd say that my hair grew about 50% faster?  My hair usually grows about two finger widths a month (my index and middle finger), but this past month it has grown three! Of course the hair is very short and I won't tell for a while how it's truly doing, but so far so good! The hair feels soft and shiny, but technically it is virgin hair.

If you're desperately wanting to grow your hair out faster I definitely recommend these! They are a bit on the pricey side (A bit under $30 CAD for a month supply), but the other hair vitamins I've researched are about the same if not more. I did find this coupon on Priorin's website for $5.00 off a purchase so definitely download it if you do end up buying it! Also check out the Checkout 51 app! Last week there was $4.00 cash-back (that is still on as I post this) if you bought a box. That would basically mean nine bucks off if I had purchased one.

While I really liked these, I won't be repurchasing solely because my entertainment budget is very limited and I can't justify spending 1/3 of it every month on these. I do have a few months worth of biotin pills left over so I will definitely be using those until I can afford these or find them even more discounted! I do think these work better than the biotin pills alone, but at least this way I can somewhat continue to grow my hair a bit quicker and stronger :)

I hope this review was somewhat helpful! A huge thanks to Veritas Communications for giving me the opportunity to try out this product!

See you next time!

*A month's supply of Priorin was sent to me in exchange for a review, but all opinions are 100% my own!
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Monday, June 05, 2017

affordable makeup

Flickable Lip Gloss Review ~ Available at The Hudson's Bay!

Flickable Lip Gloss Review ~ Available at The Hudson's Bay!
June 05, 20170 Comments
Hello!

I have another exciting review! I received these a few weeks ago to test out some of their lip glosses that are brand new to Canada! This was the first time I was actually being sent lip products so I was already excited to try it so thank you to the Brill Communications team and Flickable! These lip glosses are really affordable at just $6 CAD and they are sold exclusively at The Hudson's Bay!


Left to Right: #1, #4, #5, #3, #2
There are 5 lip glosses total and I love them all! Some are more pigmented than others, but they all smell and taste amazing! I'm going to list the colours and show you arm swatches as well as insert pictures where I'm wearing the red gloss with a my lips but better colour underneath. The words in bold describe the scent and taste, but I'm sure you already knew that!

-        Better Off Red 01: Berry: 
-        Do Ya Pink I’m Sexy 02: Passion Fruit
-        Citrus How We Do 03: Tangerine
-        Toffee Talk 04: English Toffee
-        Flight for Your White to Party 05: Sugar Cookie
Left to Right: #5, #4, #2, #3, & #1 (Top without flash, bottom with flash)


These glosses are not sticky whatsoever, which means that they're not super long wearing, but I don't ever expect that from lip gloss in the first place since I only use them to add a bit of shine to matte lipstick or to throw on to give my lips a tiny bit of life. The lip glosses contain ingredients like meadow foam sea oil, jojoba seed oil so they are very moisturizing, which is rare to me because most lip glosses that I've tried feel moisturizing at first and then dry out my lips soon after.

My favourite out of the bunch for colour is definitely #3 because orange toned lipsticks work really well on my skin tone, but the sugar cookie taste and scent for #5 is so yummy and I can wear it on top of any colour without changing the colour! It's a close second since I wouldn't wear it on its own, but man does it taste and smell delicious.


Same as previous order. Photo taken with flash to show a more accurate representation of colour

Cons:

While the packaging is super adorable it does make it awkward to store. I'm also unsure oh how this is going to work out when most of the product gets used up since the applicator can't reach the edges, but I have a feeling that I'll open them up when it gets to that point and put the product into a little sample container. The glosses are also pretty sheer, so it's really hard to be able to tell which one's you're wearing with the exception of Better Off Red. The pro with that is that you probably don't need to buy all 5, but I'll let you know below which ones are my top 3!







Order same as swatches!

So as you can see there's not a huge difference between a bunch of the shades except for a slight undertone (and #5 because it's a bit more pigmented and a lot more noticeable in person... the lighting wasn't the best for this). Do you need all 5? No. Do you only want one? Also No. If you're really into this type of lip gloss I recommend three of them for sure! I'm really surprised at my choices because none of them involve the two colours that caught my eyes when I first saw the pictures.

#1 Flight for your White to Party is perfect on top of any lipstick that you want to spice up a bit. It's by far my favourite scent and taste out of the bunch too! #4 Toffee Talk is also amazing and in person it looks a bit more pigmented, making it wearable enough for me to not wear any lip product underneath. It's very natural and like the rest of the lip glosses tastes great! Finally, #5 Better Off Red is perfect to wear on it's own! It's decently pigmented and I find myself bringing this to work with me all the time because it's so easy to take off (I honestly just lick it off because it tastes so good) so I don't have to struggle before eating lunch. It also looks amazing on top of lipsticks and gives them a bit of an oomf. I'll insert a photo below from Instagram when I was wearing a very natural "my lips but better" lipstick (Rimmel Kate Moss #105) with Better Off Red on top!


Check out Flickable's website and social media! Remember that they are available at the Hudson's Bay exclusively for everyone in Canada (aka me and my fellow makeup addicts). I really do love these and I'm so happy that glossy lips are finally making their way back! Especially these ones because my hair doesn't get stuck in them nearly as much as the other glosses that I own!

https://www.flickable.com/                                                                                                                     Instagram: @flickable
Facebook: @flickable                                                                                                                                
    Pinterest: Flickable

 *I received the items mentioned for free in exchange for a review. As usual all opinions are my own!
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Monday, May 29, 2017

reviews skincare

Weleda Blogger Box Review

Weleda Blogger Box Review
May 29, 20170 Comments
Hello!

I received a new blogger box from Msquared brands a month ago filled with several awesome Weleda products! The items ranged from a toothpaste to body-washes to face creams. All of the products that I received were different from the previous blogger box, which is super exciting because I love trying new things out.

I'll start off with the Mighty Essentials bag that came filled with sample sized products.


Skin Food Ultra-Rich Cream

I was really excited to see that I got the famous Skin Food product that I've been seeing people raving about. While I hadn't actually read any reviews on it, I have tried it a few times and was confused at first. I did notice that it's very moisturizing, but I had no clue what it was truly meant for. I hopped online and looked up reviews and it's basically a super-product (if that makes any sense) that helps with dry skin. I now use this on dry patches that I find on my face—mainly where there are old acne spots that have dried up. I don't know that it's a holy grail product as I have a skin care routing that really works for me, but this is great to chuck in a bag because it apparently works well on eczema!

UPDATE: This is magic! I learned that this can be used on acne and it shrunk my acne down so quickly! It even made my cystic acne come out quicker and shrink right down while keeping it from turning red! Now that I know that this is pretty much sorcery I'm 95% going to buy the full size with the coupon because I've never used anything that has worked so well to get rid of my acne! This in conjunction with the salicylic acid that I have is perfection!

Salt Toothpaste

The toothpaste was... interesting. It really cleaned my teeth, but the taste is horrible! I'm Brazilian and love adding extra salt to food (I literally put a salt packet into ketchup when eating fries), but this toothpaste just tasted wrong. I don't know how to explain it, but while it was gross my teeth did feel really nice afterwards. While I would never repurchase due to the taste, I do feel that this would be a great product for those of you with sensitive gums. Several years back when I had first gotten my braces removed I had really sensitive gums and had to do a salt rinse every night. Instead of doing a salt rinse, I feel like using this toothpaste a few times a week might help!

Tip: Use this with your toothbrush DRY. I didn't even notice that tip until I started writing this blog post. Do I think it's better than using it wet? Yes! It doesn't taste nearly as gross and it feels even cleaner!



Arnica Massage Oil

I have not tried this yet (Looking at you, Steven!), but I will hopefully soon so I can update this blog post. I didn't want to wait any longer before uploading this so this is the only product that's missing.

Almond Soothing Facial Lotion

This is pretty nice. It's nothing special because once again, I love my current skin care. I do have sensitive skin so if it's acting up for whatever reason I'll put this on my face so I don't waste any of my everyday moisturizer and this seems to do the trick to calm it down! I can see myself bringing this around if I'm sleeping over somewhere so I don't have to lug my skincare with me, but other than that I'll use it for it's purpose—soothing!

Sea Buckthorn Creamy Body Wash

This is a really nice body wash. The name isn't lying when it tells you that it's creamy. My skin feels really nice after using this and I think at this point I might only have one more use (I use a lot of body wash at a time). It seems like Weleda does a great job when it comes to body washes considering I really love the full sized one they also provided in this box! I'll talk about that one next. Fun fact about this product: The organic sea buckthorn is cultivated in Tuscany, Italy that is run by a family business that uses sustainable farming practices.

I got a $3 off of any one full-sized product coupon with the little Mighty Essentials pouch and you might be surprised to read this, but I think I'll go for the toothpaste. Not only is it affordable, it's something that I don't really already have and could come in handy if my gums ever decide to be sensitive!

Calendula Intensive Skin Recovery

This is something I definitely need to use more before giving an actual review. I have been using it and it does not irritate me. I feel like it makes my redness less visible during the day if I put it on at night, but I need to use it for a while longer to see if it actually repairs my skin!

Evening Primerose Revitalizing Body Wash

This is amazing! I love this stuff so much and wish it were easier to find in person. This is so soft and does not irritate my skin whatsoever. Not even on my shins! My shins and tops of my feet are the most sensitive parts of my body considering that's where all of my eczema shows up at the end of summer. This just cleaned my super well as well as moisturized me. I'm very impressed by it. I also really like the scent! You don't need too much product at once, which is great for me because I usually use a ton of product, but this will probably last me another month, which is pretty awesome!

Evening Primerose Age Revitalizing Day cream

This is a pretty average day cream for the price. It's better than the drugstore moisturizers that I've tried, but in comparison to the high end ones it doesn't really do anything special. My mom uses this the most because I have my moisturizer that I love so much. This is probably the most "eh" product out of the bunch in my opinion, but it's still not bad which says a lot about Weleda.


Evening Primerose Age Revitalizing Night Cream

This is surprisingly a lot better than the day cream. I've tried this at least 4–6 times and it really moisturized my face without irritating it. I woke up every morning with my skin feeling nice and not dehydrated. I do use a few serums under my moisturizer, which definitely adds to the feeling of my skin, but in comparison to the day cream I find this one way more worth it!


Overall I really liked the Weleda blogger box! I highly recommend their products because they do work and the ingredients are very good! I tried out a few of their products in the last blogger box so I will link that right here for you to check out!

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you've tried out any of these products and how you liked them!

- Amy
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