Bliss Fabulous Everyday Eye Cream

By Min

Recently, Megan and I went shopping at Sephora. Although I needed a few products, I prefer to buy them at a pharmacy so that I can get Airmiles or some form of points. So I browsed a bit with no intention of buying. A friend of Megan’s sent me some samples for Arbonne and although I had a bad experience (all my fault), I wanted to try the eye cream because I had a ugly bump on my rosacea star (that people have confused for a zit.) I was really surprised that it worked, the bump went away.  This made me want an eye cream even though I have always thought that I was still too young to use one. From looking at recent pictures, I've learned that I have to stop living in the past...by which I mean I am not as young as I used to be. So whilst in Sephora, I took a gander at some eye creams but I was astounded by the price. It’s such a small tube...no points...not sure of efficacy. Then, as Megan was piling up her basket, I came across a brand that I did not recognize.  Bliss. It sounded divine and the packaging was clean and simple. I picked up a tube of Fabulous Everyday Eye Cream 15ml for $36. It is supposed to help keep the skin around our eyes hydrated and brighten the look of dark circles.  I actually think that nothing can help with the dark circles until the kids are off to boarding school but I was interested in the promise that moisture would be locked-in. At first there was very little going on. I don’t believe in miracles so I didn't expect too much but maybe a bit of improvement on the bump situation. Then after a week I noticed that the veins of the rosacea star were diminishing. And after two weeks, the bump was growing smaller as well.  Well, colour me surprised! I thought that a laser treatment at the dermatologist’s office was the only cure for my rosacea but this blissful little eye cream has really been working wonders. I might even try some more products from this spa brand. When trying new brands and products, there is always a possibility that you are wasting your money, so I’m super happy to report that this time it was worth the risk! 

Jergens vs St. Ives

By Min

When I was 11 years old, I used to put deodorant on my legs because I thought they looked dry and I didn't have any money. I thought it was more ridiculous to ask my mum to buy me body lotion so I got creative, or maybe just silly. Who cares what your legs look like at 11?!  But for some reason having soft skin was really important for me (probably from reading Seventeen magazines), so I have always used lotion after my shower and I do have soft skin probably owing to the fact that I don't have a lot of body hair and I use a little bit of lotion everyday. Since the deodorant on the leg phase, I have altered my methods and use real lotion. But nothing fancy for regular use. For awhile it was Vaseline but then I switched to Jergens when I saw they had a Naturals line.  It smells awesome! Love it! It quenches the thirsty skin from the dry winters and leaves me super hydrated while not making my skin sticky in the humid summers. It is also really affordable at about $5-$7 for a big bottle. Then suddenly, Jergens only had one lotion in their Naturals line. Weird. So when my pharmacy had no Jergens Naturals, I bought St. Ives.  Megs had previously bought St. Ives after running into the same problem with Jergens.  She wasn’t impressed, and said that it smelled like rabbit poop or something like that. That is weird too.  I thought she was probably just being picky like she tends to be sometimes so I went ahead and bought a bottle. The smell is okay.  I don’t hate it. It’s not bad but it’s very very thick and it almost like rubbing lard on your body, but the kind that doesn’t melt (not that I’ve ever done that).  It does absorb quickly but I prefer a cream that goes on smoother.  But at $4 a bottle, it doesn’t get any cheaper and in a pinch, I’d buy it again. (After writing this blog post, I bought the last 2 Jergens remaining at the store. I should be good for awhile.)

Mascara to Avoid!

By Min

What not to buy!

Asian eyelashes are often short, straight and not good friends with just any old mascara.

I have tried my fair share over the ages and my fave is still Shiseido Perfect Mascara Defining  Volume (which I reviewed in a previous blog post). It is made by a Japanese company so obviously a good match for Asian eyelashes. This review is dedicated to some brands that are not Asian-eyelash friendly. My first pick is Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Natural Origin Mascara, $15.  It made my eyelashes go flat and it smudged and had no discernible benefits. If this mascara had added volume or length to my eyelashes, it could be forgivable but it did nothing at all.  


Next, was Benefit’s Beyond Mascara They’re Real! $29.  The box looked so appealing with a before and after picture and some consumer panel results. I admit that it did create an appealing amount of length, however there was absolutely no volume.  It claims that 90% of users saw a base-to-tip curl, but it made my lashes go flatter than they were before (is that possible?) Therefore, there was no visible lift that 94% of consumers supposedly obtained. I guess I'm part of the unique 6%. I was really disappointed.  

And finally, Dior Show, $31.  It promised  build-able volume. I give it that much but it did not keep the original curl I'd created with my eyelash curler. So while my lashes did not go completely flat, they were definitely not something to write home about.  If you have Asian eyelashes, I definitely recommend Shiseido Perfect Mascara Defining Volume (not Full Definition). If you don't have Asian eyelashes, I still recommend  Shiseido Perfect Mascara and also the DiorShow.  Happy mascara-ing! 

Makeup on Celebrities

 Lauren Alaina here won something important at an awards show the other night. The poor thing's face does not match the rest of her body!

Her dress is pretty. Too bad about the mismatched skin. Maybe it was the lighting on the red carpet because she looked better in another shot I found:

You can tell the lighting is totally different because her dress looks like a more buttery yellow in this inside shot, whereas in the red carpet shot it's a brighter yellow.

Next time I hope her makeup artist bronzes her face more!

Avocado Oil

by Megs

Move over, Argan Oil, there is a new oil in town! And by "move over," I mean "make room because I love you both the same."

Argan Oil is my serum and night cream in one. But I did a little research on avocado oil and it is also extremely beneficial for your skin. It supports skin's natural elasticity. Awesome! My skin is not droopy, or saggy, or wrinkly. But I look at my 3 and a half year old's skin and think "Yep, this is what every beauty fiend is trying to achieve the look of! That is why the "beauty industry" is a mult-billion dollar one." My skin is never going to look like my toddler's skin. It just isn't, but if I take care of it, it can stay fresh and youthful looking for much longer...I hope!

Like Argan Oil, avocado oil (why is one capitalised and the other isn't? I don't know! It annoys me!) is not full of difficult to pronounce ingredients. It has just one ingredient - avocado oil. At night, after I smooth on my Argan Oil and let it absorb for a bit, I smooth on my avocado oil and let it absorb for a bit.

It is not only good for skin! It is also good for your hair! I oiled my hair last weekend. I have to admit, I was skeptical. I mean, I wash my hair to keep it from being oily. Isn't oiling it counterproductive? Not necessarily!  I mean, as long as you wash out the oil you'll get the moisturising benefits of it without the greasy look. I have extremely fine, delicate hair. It breaks off very easily, particularly in a dry, northern BC winter. After putting avocado oil in my hair and leaving it for about 15 minutes, then washing it out, then drying it (half air-drying, half blow-drying) my super-fine, breakable hair was flexible! It felt moisturised and my rampant flyaways were noticeably (to me) reduced. This is a new treatment I plan to add to my weekly beauty routine. I hope the more I do it, the more flexible my hair becomes and the less it breaks.

I bought Now Foods Avocado Oil from well.ca (because I love well.ca!) and unlike so many beauty products, you get a lot for a little! $7.49 for 118 mL. You use so little, it will last and last.

Full disclosure: I really don't like taking photos for this blog because I'm not very good at it. But I feel like finding photos online instead of taking them myself is kinda cheating. I kinda cheated this time because my own bottle of avocado oil is all oily & not as pretty as the one pictured.

Live Clean Daily Moisturiser

 by Min

I was so excited when I heard that Live Clean (which I usually accidentally pronounce as "live" as in "man alive") was coming out with a skin care line.  They are such an affordable and safe brand and I love their paraben and phthalate free shampoos and conditioners that smell just wonderful. The first product from their skincare line I bought was the Soothing Daily Moisturizer.  My sensitive skin was immediately tempted by the word "soothing" and it was a steal at $19 for 150ml.  That’s a whole lot of moisturiser! So I bought one for myself and one for an exchange that I was going to do. I was immediately disappointed because the texture is so thin.

Then I noticed a funny smell.  It was the smell of old, wet cloths. You know, that smell of humidity when your clothes have been sitting damp in the dryer for a week? (Not that I do that!) I thought that it must have been my towel.  The next day, I changed the towel (that didn't smell bad) and tried it again. That smell! I double checked my towel and it smelled fine.  A terrible, sinking feeling came over me as I re-opened the bottle and took a whiff. Yep, it was the moisturiser. I was so disappointed.  I am so disappointed.  I was looking forward to using this Canadian brand that I have enjoyed so far. Also, I had sent one for the exchange that I was doing and I hope that she didn't get the same problem.

I would not normally do anything but I feel that I have been robbed, not only of my money but of my Live Clean joy.  I called the company and I’m hoping that it’s just a bad batch. I’m still waiting to hear what they have to say. What about other Live Clean products? What are your experiences?

Korres Provitamin B5 and Rice Bran Mascara

By Megs

Doesn't it just sound like an awesome product? It has provitamin B5 and rice bran! It's not just any old mascara! It's healthy mascara! I was led to it by one of my fave beauty blogs, clumpsofmascara.com. Brittany reviewed another Korres mascara called Korres Volcanic Minerals Volumizing Mascara. That review made me want to try Korres mascara. When I hit up the Sephora site, the Provitamin B5 and Rice Bran one was a little duo pack. Fun! So I bought it. I still love the name. I still love the idea of the vitamins and the rice bran! Do I love the mascara? Wellllllll, I wanted to. It is resoundingly OK. I have decent lashes - they're not the longest or the fullest or the...lashiest. But they're decent, and I'm happy with them. This Korres mascara is just fine on them. If I felt like my lashes needed all the length and volume that advertisers beat us over the head with, I would be really disappointed in this mascara. It coats my lashes. It doesn't add length for miles, or oodles of volume. It just coats them, makes them a bit blacker. I don't love this mascara, but I don't hate it either. I'll use it until it is gone, or expires (who am I kidding? I'll use it way past expiration!) and then I'll try something else. Maybe the Volcanic Minerals mascara...I probably should have just gone with that one in the first place!

Prodigy Hourglass Lipgloss

By Min

I don’t wear lip gloss or lipstick and my favorite lip product will probably always be the pot of blue Blistex Medex . One day, I had a passing thought that I should wear some sort of lip product in order to make my overall presentation of myself more polished.  My dry-looking lips were not doing anyone a favour - especially me!  So I asked Megan to find me a lip gloss and she found Prodigy Hourglass, $30. A little steep for a product that I usually don’t use but what the hell, a little extravagance once in a while doesn’t hurt anyone...really.  It comes in a funky looking package that fits inside your palm. I picked nude because I didn’t want to risk getting a colour that I would ultimately not end up wearing.  The first day that I wore it at work, everyone noticed.  I guess lips really can garner attention, wanted or otherwise. I like it because it’s not sticky and it doesn’t smell like fake candy or pineapples or chocolate.  The applicator is a bit awkward but I like the subtle colour. I don’t use it everyday because of the price and it also gets easily lost in my bag which makes it easy to forget. 

smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

by Megs

A good friend of mine did my makeup for my wedding. Beforehand, we went shopping and spent an obscene amount of money on makeup. That was my introduction to smashbox primer. If you have never been introduced to smashbox primer, take charge and go meet it. Because you will become besties with it and never want to live without it. I promise. It feels so good, so smooth. I have tried other primers like Cover FX (Canadian!) which I found to be too greasy for me, and Korres Quercetin & Oak Age-Reversing Primer, which I wanted to love. (Doesn't it sound amazing? I love the "Oak Age-Reversing" title.) But it was too lotion-y and not primer-y enough for me. I wear smashbox primer, BB cream and foundation. That may sound like a lot but I believe that the more layers there are on my face, the more protection it is getting and also, my skin tone doesn't look even enough for me without all 3. I am getting low on smashbox primer, which is why I borrowed a photo from smashbox's site instead of taking a pic of my own tube. I will definitely always re-purchase my smashbox primer. It really does smooth everything out and make it easier to apply the next layer, be it BB cream, foundation or whatever you use. At $44 cad a tube, it's not cheap, but you only need a smaller-than-pea-sized bloblet for your face so a tube will last you awhile. 

I kind of want to try the More Than Primer Dark Spot Correcting but it costs a bit more. I don't know if I want to take that gamble when I already love the regular primer so much. 

Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting primer

By Min

When I received this product from Megs (who else?!), I wondered what it was. Since I don’t use foundation, I thought it was an odd present. But now I realize why she would get it for me.  First of all, the smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting $38 is a foundation primer.  Its very green colour helps diminish redness and evens out skin. The other colours such as lavender are for Asian skin tones and the apricot is to conceal eye-bags, sunspots and veins. Gosh, I really think I need them all! Anyway, it has a really nice feel and goes on silky smooth.  Once the foundation is on, the primer is supposed to help it set and stay in place.  I only wear a BB (beauty balm) under my eyes and cheeks. But the BB glides on like nobody’s business. It is really seamless and looks way better than the BB by itself. Apparently you can also use it by itself but I find that it's not fantastic on its own. I say it works best as a primer but maybe that’s because I have a lot of redness on my cheeks. I was really skeptical about this product but as soon as I used it, I changed my mind.  

Toleriane Soothing Protective Skincare

By Min

I find it very scary going into the pharmacy because everything is so shiny and bright.  When I went to buy a new facial cream, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted but I was swayed by the Laroche-Posay representative present on that particular day.  I am not particularly partial to Laroche-Posay but when I say I have sensitive skin, the cosmeticians always point directly to that line.  So once again I tried a new product.  This time it’s Toleriane for $31.  I tried Toleriane Ultra and my skin broke out like it was 1997.  I chose the non-rich format because it was still summer at the time.  At first I thought that I should have gone with the rich formula because the cream felt so thin. However, my skin didn’t feel tight or like it was not hydrated enough.  It went on super smoothly and it made my skin feel immediately relieved and soft.  And though it is fragrance-free, I feel it has a nice scent.  This is the first Laroche-Posay product I have really enjoyed using. I even bought it again even though I wanted to try something else.  Next time I will try something new!

Dotticure

I only use "3 free" nail polish - polish that is free from DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde - and not tested on animals, of course. I found Zoya by scouring the internet for "natural nail polish." Of course, no nail polish is actually natural, it is composed of chemicals. But we can go a little safer and use "3 free." Lots of brands are "3 free" nowadays; it's not hard to find them. Zoya is by far my favourite brand. Why? I don't know. I can't say that the whole line is better than China Glaze, or OPI, or others. I just like Zoya best.

I got into nail art in the summer. My two downfalls are that I'm not artistic and I'm not actually very good at painting my nails. Patience has helped me get better (but not any more artistic) - a slower paint job will look better than a hurried one. These days I don't really have time to fool around with nail art, unfortunately. While I hate the word "dotticure," you kind of can't go wrong with one. They look so cute and are actually easy to do and hardly more time-consuming than just a normal polish job. I did these on Thanksgiving long weekend while at my parents'  house - lots more time to relax and paint my nails there.

Polishes used Deborah Lippman Hard Rock Hydrating Nail Hardener as the base, Zoya Dove as the grey base, China Glaze Recycle as the dots, Zoya Monica for the accent nail, Zoya Armor as the topcoat and Nicole by OPI drying drops.

Ombre Mani

Further to my love of nail polish and easy-to-do, non-time consuming nail art, I did an ombre mani recently. I am kind of excited that summer is over and now I can use my darker nail polishes, like greys and black, although I do love colour, bright, cheerful colour, and wear it whenever I can - clothes, shoes, makeup and nail polish, I generally opt for colour over neutrals. But I waited all summer to bring my grey polishes back out, I love grey nail polish - creams more than glitter.

From left to right, polishes used: Zoya Raven, China Glaze Recycle, Zoya Dove, OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, Zoya Purity. Basecoat shown in top pic, Deborah Lippman Hard Rock Hydrating Nail Hardener and top coat Zoya Armor. 

You can't miss the red polish all over Raven - I had a catastrophe last Monday. I have this case that houses all my polishes. The handle is on the lid. While carrying it, the lid half-opened, causing me to drop the whole case. Myrta from the Sunshine set broke and got everywhere - I had only used it once! Something Sweet by China Glaze also broke and I had also only used it once! Now I need a new storage plan for my polishes. 

Biotherm Biocils

 by Min

When I bought my favorite mascara Shiseido Perfect Mascara (see my previous review), The salesperson asked if I wanted a make-up remover. I usually use my cleanser as a make-up remover and figured that she was just trying for a higher sale.  At the time, I felt that spending $30 for a mascara that  may not even work was enough so I ignored her comment.

When I tried to take off the mascara, it would not come off.  Oh dear! What was I to do? I had some leftover samples of some cream cleanser/make-up remover but it did a half-assed job and I resigned myself to the necessity of having to buy a real, paraben-free make-up remover.

Swap with Tattooed Tealady

by Megs

Sophia of Tattooed Tealady and I did a swap that was end of August/beginning of September. And it was awesome. I had so much fun shopping for her, buying Canadian products for her that she may not have had the chance to try otherwise (she is British). I learned that Annabelle is Canadian! I didn’t know that; they are now on my radar as a brand to try. I also learned that Annabelle and Marcelle are sister companies – Marcelle was the skincare side and Annabelle the cosmetic side although Marcelle does have some of its own makeup. In summary, the buying portion of the swap was lots of fun.

Neutrogena naturals fresh cleansing

 by Min

Going paraben-free is not always the cheapest option.  So, when I saw that Neutrogena launched a natural-line of face products, I gravitated toward it in the pharmacy.  I bought the fresh cleanser + make-up remover for under $10 - very reasonable, I felt.  First of all, I have to say that my relationship with Neutrogena is a rocky one.  We had a great time during university years, then the harshness of some of their cleansers turned on me and gave me mung.  Mung is puffy, hard, sand-paper-ish, red skin that hurts like a son-of a-gun.  It also doesn’t look very good.  So I tried the Neutrogena naturals fresh cleanser with apprehension.  I was having a massive reaction to something I had used but I thought it was getting better, even still, I decided to try the face wash right away. I continued to experience a reaction but I thought it was the Neutrogena product so I stopped using it after one day and I told Megs that I would send it to her.

Arbonne Clarifying Toner

 by Min

Megs is always trying to buy me something or another.  I think it makes her feel better about not visiting me (I live in Quebec and she lives in BC). So when I went to visit, I think she noticed all sorts of things about my skin that she wanted to fix.  As a result, I received Arbonne’s Clear Advantage $21, a clarifying toner.  I don’t break-out but I understand how she could have mistaken the imperfections for buttons (in French, they call zits, buttons.  Isn’t it cuter?)   I tried it anyway.  At first I only used it every other day because I was scared to have a reaction.  Furthermore, the list of ingredients takes up the whole backside of the box. Parabens are not the only scary stuff in products, they have nasty counterparts as well. The liquid itself is not clear but milky and it doesn’t sting.  Then after a week, I started using it every day and no reaction.  Phewf!  After a week, I started getting little white buttons.  Weird.  So I stopped using it for a couple of weeks.  When I tried it again, I got buttons again.  Coincidence? I think not.  I don’t have an acne problem so maybe this wasn’t the best toner for me.  On a positive note, if you do break out and have sensitive skin, this might very well work for you. Should I test it a third time? Or should I try another toner? Suggestions?

Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturiser SPF 40

by Megs

After falling so profoundly in love with Josie Maran Argan Oil, I was really excited to try the Argan Daily Moisturiser SPF 40. It’s a broad spectrum SPF and I don’t totally understand what that means except that it’s the “good” kind of sunscreen.

Aside from being a ridiculously rich, jet-setting model, Josie Maran sounds like someone I have a lot in common with. She started her brand in order to make natural, chemical-free, safe beauty products available to women.

The Josie Maran website says this:

tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush

By Megs
OK, I definitely blame Sophia of Tattooed Tealady for my urge to purchase this blush for myself. She asked for one in the swap we did. Unfortunately, I either ordered the wrong colour or Sephora sent the wrong colour. Sophia asked for Tipsy and we got Dollface. Quite different colours, and I wanted to replicate Tipsy as closely as I could with another blush. So I went on a hunt throughout the interwebs, to learn why this tarte blush is so special and what I could find that would be slightly similar that I could possibly buy locally. Similar blushes? Nary a one. tarte is special, check out this page about Amazonian clay on tarte's site. The Amazonian baked clay they use is special. It’s good for your skin. It lasts 12 hours!

eos Hand Lotion

By Megs 

I was introduced to eos this summer on every beauty blog I read, it seemed. All the beauty bloggers were talking about the eos lip balms. I can't use lip balms, although I admit to being sorely tempted by those cheery, brightly coloured spheres. I searched all over my immediate area for the Lemon Drop one for the swap I did with Sophia of Tattoed Tealady. No luck. I was like a maniac, checking every store that could possibly carry them. I actually don't know if they were ever even available in B.C. Sophia ended up getting one in Lemon Drop from someone else. That is the flavour I would have bought myself if I'd found it.

Anyway, reading about them lead me to wanting to know more about the brand. eos does not use parabens, phthalates, or test on animals! Yay!