Pretty In Bronze

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

My Five Favourite The Ordinary  Products
January 31, 20180 Comments
Hello!

It should come as no surprise that I'm a huge fan of The Ordinary! I discovered them about a year ago through the Canadian Beauty Blogger network when a member shared the amazing prices. I was so shocked at how affordable everything was that I put in an order—something I never do without hearing about a brand/products for several months first.

Fast forward a year and I've made three orders and one trip to a Deciem store to buy more The Ordinary products! I'm in love with their skincare and have also tried both foundation formulas. Since The Ordinary is brand of the month, I decided to put together a list of my top 5 favourite items that I own, which was super difficult. I managed to pick out my top 5 and listed the prices (in CAD) so I hope you enjoy!



Skincare


Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 ($6.80)

This is the first product I ever tried from The Ordinary! After reading a few reviews on this product, I decided to make my order, which included the next product on the list as well. Hyaluronic Acid does wonders for the skin, which is why it is added into a few of the other products that are also on this list, but also in so many products from so many other brands as well. I use this at night, though on weekends I use it in the morning as well. This stuff has really helped with moisturizing my skin and making it look more alive. My skin feels more plump (likely because it is more hydrated) and this soaks in so fast that other products layer on top like a dream. My bottle is almost completely empty, but that's ok because I have backups already!

Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA ($5.80)

I've seen mixed reviews of this, but this moisturizer works great on me! I can use this morning and night, but have recently only been using this at night. This works wonders on top of the Hyaluronic Acid. My second order from The Ordinary consisted of two backups of this, and a few other products that aren't mentioned in this post (but I still love them). 

This is actually a pretty intense moisturizer, which is perfect for me since I have pretty dehydrated skin. A small amount goes a long way! I saw a few other bloggers saying that this made them break out, but they also mentioned that this was too rich for them. I have very sensitive skin and this has never made me break out, so I guess I was right about needing the extra moisturizing power.  I maybe have one more use for this moisturizer before opening one of my backups, but I thought I'd show you the little device I use to squeeze out every last drop!


Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%($5.80)

I bought this from the Deciem store in Square One mall during an event where if you bought a friend you'd get 20% off. I finished up my old vitamin c serum and loved it so much that I knew I needed to replace it, so The Ordinary was my first choice for trying something new. 

I love this stuff, but it scared the crap out of my at first. The spheres actually hurt when I'm applying this to my face! I thought I was having a bad allergic reaction to the product, but I realized that the little spheres just feel like little blades running across my face when I rub this in. I also checked out the product page, and the "tingling" feeling is normal when you're first using and getting used to it. This is correct as this no longer burns or makes my face tingle as long as I am using it frequently. 

Wow does this help even out my skin! I feel like my acne scarring has diminished significantly! I learned about a year ago that vitamin C is very important to add to the skin because your body doesn't produce it, so not only do I need to take Vitamin C (and drink orange juice), but I need to keep using this and my skin will continue to look nice!

Salicylic Acid 2% ($5.30)

I don't have much to say about this since it's literally just Salicylic acid, but this works well! I've been using salicylic acid for many years, so it was a no brainer to pick up The Ordinary's version while at the same event at the Deciem store. It's just the clean ingredient, so it works just as well, if not better. The instructions say that you can put this all over your face to help even things out. I've tried this once and I couldn't tell a big difference, but when it comes to targeting acne spots, this stuff is amazing!


Makeup



Serum Foundation ($6.70)

I also picked this foundation up while at the Deciem event that I mentioned previously, but this isn't the first foundation I've tried from the brand. I've also tried their Coverage Foundation, but I bought that during the summer and got a shade that I can only match when I'm at my absolute darkest (and I don't lay out in the sun very often anymore). This foundation is light coverage, but that's what I love so much about it! I rarely wear foundation in the winter because my skin is actually pretty decent. My only concern is evening out my skin tone, so this foundation has been a life saver when I do want to look good on camera or in person. The shade range is surprisingly good for a brand that's fairly new to makeup! They actually have yellow undertones that are yellow! I got overexcited when I saw this shade in person. It is very yellow when I pump it onto my hand, which means it matches my skin perfectly!

I've seen a lot of negative reviews on the serum foundation, which confuses me because I love it so much! I apply this with an oval shaped brush (except mine is a cheap $4 brush from Amazon) and it seems to be the best for the foundation to go on super smooth and not leave streaks behind because it is super watery. I lightly pat on top with a beauty blender to remove any excess product, and my skin looks perfect! I think a big problem for many is how they apply the foundation, or that this is super light coverage, but for what I need this is absolute perfection... and the price makes things even better! I'm definitely going to be picking up more shades so I can wear this all year long (and I might pick up one or two other shades for the Coverage Foundation in case I do want medium to full coverage).

Final Thoughts?

I 100% recommend The Ordinary to everyone! The prices are ridiculously affordable, the products are high quality, the ingredients are pure, and you can find these in a bunch of different places! Most (if not all) of their products are cruelty free and vegan, which makes the brand even better! There are a few products that I haven't tried before that are already on my list, but considering I just received my fourth purchase a week ago (my friend and I ordered together) I thought I'd wait a while since I have a really good skincare routine going on at the moment. I did want to mention my #1 favourite since it may not have been super obvious in this post. My fourth purchase consisted of two backups of the Hyaluronic Acid! This stuff has made the biggest difference in my skin and I can't get enough of it! I have recommended this to pretty much everyone I speak to because it honestly works so well. If you can only buy one thing from The Ordinary, I recommend this 100 times over. 


I hope you enjoyed reading my little reviews on my top 5 favourite The Ordinary products! I've never received anything from the brand and they don't even know that I exist (though if you're reading this, I'd love to work with you!). All opinions are 100% my own (as usual).

See you soon!

Sunday, January 28, 2018

ESQIDO False Lashes + Lash Companion (Glue) Review
January 28, 20180 Comments
Hello!

This is a very exciting review for me because I've been seeing so many amazing reviews of these lashes for the past year and a half. I got invited to an event in the summer of 2016, but unfortunately couldn't make it. I regretted not cancelling my plans after I saw all the bloggers reviewing the beautiful lashes and lash glue, and have since been hoping that they would eventually contact me to do a review (I even went as far as messaging them on Instagram, which didn't seem to work).

Fas forward to December of 2017, when I woke up with an email from ESQIDO asking if I was interested in picking out a lash style to review along with their Lash Companion Glue. I, of course, said yes, and started wearing the lashes as soon as I received them at the end of December. I filmed a first impressions video, which I will post at the bottom of this review.

I chose the ESQIDO mink lashes in the style Lash Named Desire which retail for $29.00 USD. The ESQIDO eyelash glue (Lash Companion) retails for $10.00 USD. I'll jump into the full review with all of my pictures right now!



As you can see, the style I chose is longer on the outer corners than the inner corner. I really like this style of lash because it opens my eyes up on the outer edge, where I feel like my eyes look like they droop down.

The packaging is stunning, and has a magnetic closure, so you won't easily lose your lashes. The Lash Companion is also beautiful! The tube looks so fancy and so high-end that I was surprised that the price was so low. I was honestly expecting at least $20.00 USD.

The lashes are amazing! They have a cotton band, which makes it really thin and lightweight, which is perfect for beginners. The glue is also great for beginners since it dries down clear instead of black, so if you accidentally touch your eyelid with it, it won't look obvious.


Detailed instructions are included with any pair of lashes, and the Lash Companion. This is always important since not all lashes are the same. ESQIDO lashes are mink false lashes that are hand made. They can be worn over and over again, but that also means you should take care of them. Instructions are provided on how to trim the lash (trim the outer part for my style), how long to wait for the glue, how to apply, and more.

Here are a few pictures of me wearing the lashes. These are from different days so they might look better after I wore them a few times (I always find that once you wear a pair of lashes, they get used to the shape of your eye, which makes their application much quicker and easier).



I 100% think these lashes are worth the price. I've worn them 5 times so far and they still look brand new! I'm careful when removing them, and make sure to slowly pull the glue off of the band. Sometimes I even soak them in some micellar water for a few hours if I know I want to wear them and make sure that they look completely brand new.

Here's my first impressions video on the lashes!



See you soon!

Sunday, January 07, 2018

Silver & Gold Halo Eye GRWM ~ Too Faced Chocolate Gold Palette
January 07, 20180 Comments
Hello!


I just posted a get ready with me video featuring the new Too Faced Chocolate Gold palette! I've already done a post with all of the swatches from the palette and my opinion remains the same. This palette is amazing! I'll talk about it more in a favourites video or blog post, but for now check out this video to see it in use!

See you soon!


Thursday, December 28, 2017

Too Faced Chocolate Gold Eyeshadow Palette ~ Swatches
December 28, 20170 Comments
Hello!

I have some awesome swatches today. I got this palette a few days ago as a Christmas present from Steven's dad step mom (pretty much my in-laws). I immediately started playing with it and I'm already in love so I thought I'd share swatches since there aren't a ridiculous amount out there yet!

Here are a few pictures of the palette and what came in the box!


I swatched every single shade without any primer or glitter glue or makeup spray (just my finger and the eyeshadows as is).


There are all the swatches and close-up shots of the colours! I will likely be wearing this palette in a post soon for certain false lashes, and I will definitely be wearing it on Instagram and YouTube! I highly recommend this palette for anyone who enjoys shimmery or metallic shadows, but still enjoys having those staple transition shades. This palette seems to be permanent so you don't have to rush, but the quality is amazing so I highly recommend!


See you soon!

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Vegan Hair and Body Products ~ Review!
December 24, 20170 Comments

Hello again!

This is part two of my blogger box review of the products I received. I'm going to jump right in with the review this time, but if you want more info you can check out my last blogger box post here!


This Divine Essence essential oil is awesome! It smells a lot like the Vick's rub we all grew up with (at least it does to my coworkers and I) and I love to put it in the diffuser at work when I'm feeling stuffy. This stuff seriously relaxes me. I've strongly hinted at wanting a diffuser / told Steven several times that I wanted one so I'm hoping I'll have one for my apartment after Christmas and I can enjoy this at home as well!


These products are specifically for men, so Steven tried these out and even wrote notes down on what he thought! I thought it'd be more authentic if I just paste his notes below (and funny for me) so here are his thoughts in point form:

Decode shampoo:
  • Aroma is good, not too strong but not lacking scent. 
  • Definitely smells of peppermint oil (which is advertised, and if that's your thing than great. I'm on the fence about it.
  • Used a dollab the size of a quarter and about 3/4 of a cm high which is ~50% more than my usually shampoo to get the same lather. 
  • "Cool" feeling begins after 2 minutes on scalp and stays after rinse. 
  • Didn't strip hair of all oils which is nice for short outings


Decode shaving lotion:
  • Smells of a clay mask and something else I can't put my finger on but it's not bad at all.
  • Had to use quite a bit to get a decent lather for a mans face. 
  • Lubrication qualities are slightly below average for a shaving lotion.
  • I can definitely see this being useful for large-flat surfaces like legs/arms rather than more denser areas. 
  • No irritation
  • Didn't leave my hands feeling oily (aka not having to spend 3 minutes washing my hands in the shower to get the oils off in fear of grabbing my razor, having it slip out of my hands and cut me) after lather.

So from Steven's review it looks like the shampoo wins. I personally love that cool tingly feeling on the scalp and know a lot of men that do as well, so I think that's worth looking at. As for the shaving lotion, Steven thought it was ok, but not worth it considering we just buy cheap shaving cream for a buck. However, he did text me that it would definitely work well as an alternative if you live a vegan lifestyle or if you're cruelty free!



I'm really enjoying this shampoo and Conditioner by Giovanni Cosmetics! This really makes my hair clean and keeps it feeling clean for longer. I'm surprised it doesn't wash out any colour because of how clean my hair gets, but it does tend to feel a bit more dry because of it. I now have this in my shampoo rotation where I have two other shampoos that I like to use every few weeks. Sometimes I mix one of my other shampoos with this depending on what I want my hair to feel like, but I can safely say that I prefer this shampoo if I want to spend less time straightening my hair.



Last, but not least, is this Surya Brasil nail polish. I've never seen a Vegan nail polish before (though I have seen cruelty free), but I really like this! The packaging is really nice, and the polish itself is pretty good. It isn't my favourite nail polish, but it's also not bad. This applies really nicely since it has a dense brush that is shaped perfectly (not those flimsy brushes with bristles randomly glued on). The polish with three coats reminds me of those 90's jelly sandals like I showed in my video, but that also means it isn't super opaque. Because this requires several layers to get to my desired opacity, it ends up being pretty thick and peels off easier. Overall the polish is pretty nice. If you are or know anyone that is Vegan, I recommend! Especially around the holiday season as a gift (or a gift in general for anything) because it can be hard finding products like these that are Vegan. I also like the name because I'm Brazilian, but that has nothing to do with the product.

That is it! Hopefully this review has been helpful! With the holiday season starting soon it's always a good idea to read up on reviews as much as you can! Especially if you're trying to figure out what to buy your Vegan friends or family! If you want to find all of these products, just head onto Well.ca and you will find it all!

See you soon!

@beautybyamysousa