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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Facial Cleanser Review

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Facial Cleanser
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Facial Cleanser
This has to be most popular oil based cleanser so I had to give a try when I placed my DHC order - I was also persuaded by the sale they had on this. Before I get on to the review, I want to make note that I do not use this for my face as I have acne-prone/combo skin and I am way to paranoid to apply this to my whole face but I have tried it once for the sake of it and it works great for face and eye makeup - just not waterproof mascara. Also, because I do use my beloved Clarisonic every night to remove all my makeup, I feel that this is not necessary for full facial purposes. I do use this on the other hand, for my eye makeup. My everyday eye makeup, although does not include any eyeshadows or false lashes and the likes, does consist of multiple and multiple coats of mascaras - especially waterproof ones (specifically my Maybelline Illegal Lengths mascara) so as you would think, it would be a pain to remove at night - and yes, you are right, it is. I hoped that this would reduce the time for removing my waterproof mascara, however, this does not do anything at all! I do, however, feel that this is sufficient, if not great in removing anything but waterproof mascara. For me, this did not succeed in the purpose I purchased it for, but if you are on the market for an oil based cleanser for removing non-stubborn makeup, or makeup that is not as stubborn as my waterproof mascaras, and/or you do not own a Clarisonic that will help give you clean face, then this is a good choice. I love the simplistic packaging and the simple ingredients. I do love the DHC brand - read about the haul here.


DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Facial Cleanser
Deep Cleansing Oil, Facial Cleanser

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Facial Cleanser
Deep Cleansing Oil, Facial Cleanser

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Facial Cleanser
Deep Cleansing Oil, Facial Cleanser

Overall, I would recommend this if you wear heavy and long-wearing makeup and do not own the Clarisonic that will really ensure full makeup removal. This does not work on my waterproof mascara, so keep that in mind also!
XO Nicole

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Essie Topless and Barefoot

 Essie Topless and Barefoot

This has to be one of my favourite nude nail polishes (I LOVE my nude nail polishes) and while it is not the absolute perfect/HG nude nail polish, it is pretty darn close. The reason for this is because it does seem to be a bit too pinky and purple-y for me in certain lighting. If the shade toned down just a slight bit on the pink undertones, then it might be perfect but for now, I love this - it is my go-to nail polish and I will not hesitate to repurchase and/or buy a back-up.

The application of this polish is not bad - you need at least two coats for an opaque finish or you will end up with some streaks with just one coat.

Essie Topless and Barefoot

Essie Topless and Barefoot

XO Nicole

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Drugstore (Covergirl, Burt's Bee, Sally Hansen, now solutions) Haul


Here is another drugstore haul - I made this specific haul on Well.ca. They had all their nail supplies on sale so I took this opportunity to pick of some things that were on my list, particularly the Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream.

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream
Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream
Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream - I have really dry cuticles and for the longest time, I didn't really do anything to them but recently, I decided it is about time I managed them if I wanted my manicure to look its best. This product was certainly a no-brainer for me as I've heard a lot about this in the past. Not to mention, this is easily accessible at the drugstores, for a reasonable price, is natural, smells great and supposably works great! I have already gave this a shot and I love it so far! A full review will be on its way.

Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat
Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat 




Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat - I have mixed experiences with Sally Hansen products but since I was in desperate need for a top coat and a base coat, I chose this because this product supposedly kills two birds with one stone. The 'strengthening' property is an added bonus.


NOW Foods Coconut Oil
NOW Foods Coconut Oil
NOW Foods Coconut Oil - I love Coconut Oil for all sort of things - it's a great moisturizer but I really love it for my hair, so when this was on sale, I picked a back up. Apparently, this one does not have the coconut smell - which is great because although I never really mind the smell, I would prefer to be able to use it and not have people ask, "do I smell coconut?" etc. etc.

CoverGirl Lashblast Volume Blasting Waterproof Mascara
CoverGirl Lashblast Volume Blasting Waterproof Mascara

CoverGirl Lashblast Volume Blasting Waterproof Mascara - I decided to pick this up again because since it is a stellar waterproof mascara - ie. it does not budge at all! - it would be perfect for the summer months to prevent smudges and racoon eyes.

That is for my small haul - hope you guys enjoyed it! 

XO Nicole

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Garnier Clean and Fresh Complete Vitamin Enriched Cleansing Wipes Review

Garnier Clean and Fresh Complete Vitamin Enriched Cleansing Wipes Review
Garnier Clean and Fresh Complete Vitamin Enriched Cleansing Wipes
For some reason, it seems like I have some sort of affinity in makeup removing wipes in green packaging.

Anyway, let's move on to the purpose of this post. First off, I do like the scent of these wipes - they have a fresh scent to them and wakes me up before my workout (which is when I use them prior to) and it does not irritate my skin. The wipes themselves are great as I find that they do a good job in removing my foundation and skin makeup. I do not even attempt to use wipes for my waterproof mascara/eye-makeup but for the face, they are great. They do not leave any residue on my face after usage. At the same time, I do not find anything special about these wipes aside from the fact that they are "vitamin enchriched". I would repurchase these wipes based on this added benefit (if you compared it to other wipes that do not have multi-purposes), however, these wipes unfortunately, do contain parabens.

Garnier Clean and Fresh Complete Vitamin Enriched Cleansing Wipes Review
Garnier Clean and Fresh Complete Vitamin Enriched Cleansing Wipes
Garnier Clean and Fresh Complete Vitamin Enriched Cleansing Wipes Review
Garnier Clean and Fresh Complete Vitamin Enriched Cleansing Wipes
XO Nicole

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

eBeauty Skincare Haul


My skincare routine was long over due for some new products! During the past few weeks, I've been scraping my moisturizer and rummaging all over for cleanser samples in the meantime to tie me over until I hauled some new skincare produts. I tried to go as all natural and green but sometimes, that's a really hard thing to now - right now anyways, for products to suit your needs and meet your criteria (ie. parabens, dyes, etc). I purchased these items from eBeauty.. only because eBeauty is the accessible place that I know of that sells alternative brands (to the ones sold at Sephora and drugstores). My experiences with eBeauty is not my favourite (more on that soon) but I couldn't help it since they carry the brands of products I want to try.

Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser

Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser - I have never heard of this brand before but having read the description on eBeauty, I felt that it met all the criteria I was looking for in a cleanser: natural, brightening, gel consistency, suited for normal/oily skin and contains no parabens. Even though I scavaged high and low for some kind of review on this, I did not come across many that was helpful but I couldn't find anything that sounded as good as this one did.
Formulated with exfoliating extracts from the New Zealand kiwi superfruit and vibrant hibiscus flower, this exceptional cleanser works to gently-yet-effectively clean the skin without any irritation. Manuka honey and vinanza grape come together to provide antibacterial powers and a boost of antioxidants that help control oil and leave the skin looking refreshed and brightened. Ideal for normal and oily skin. Lightly scented with refreshing green apple and cardamon.

theBalm TimeBalm Skincare White Tea Juniper Oil-Free Face Moisturizer

theBalm TimeBalm Skincare White Tea Juniper Oil-Free Face Moisturizer - I know theBalm has been an up and comer in the makeup scene recently but I have never heard anything about their skincare, and like with the Antipodes cleanser, this one sounded like it will suit my needs quite nicely.
This oil-free moisturizer works to hydrate and keeps the skin looking and feeling smooth. Juniper extract clears out pores and removes excess oil for a shine-free complexion. Green tea extract provides antioxidant protection against free-radical damage.

And for the last item.. well, what you should be looking at is the Boscia Clear Complexion Cleanser, however, eBeauty managed to send me the wrong thing and gave me the Boscia Clear Complexion Tonic instead (which is really funny since this product is not even listed on their site). I did not take an individual picture of it because well, it's not the product I paid for! So sorry, no picture of the bottle and what not. I will have to call them personally to have the correct thing sent out to me. 

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this haul and got some ideas on some skincare stuff you would like to try or if you have tried any of these stuff, let me know what you think!

XO Nicole

Saturday, July 14, 2012

May 2012 GlossyBox Canada


My relationships with monthly subscriptions had long been over after experimenting with a few different services but I just could not pass up trying Glossybox. I've seen UK bloggers'/vloggers' reviews and hauls on them and I always thought how lovely their boxes were so when they expanded into the North Americans, I decided to give it a try - I mean, have you seen their packaging? Their sturdy pink boxes that hold the products really did lure me in, I'm not going to lie. Out of all the services I've subscribed to in the past, the Glossybox box is the most high quality and it really does make receiving their packaging each month a joy in itself.

Here is what my Glossybox included (you can find these listed also on their website):

 
Simple - Eye Make-Up Remover

Tried it but it did not remove my waterproof mascara but I was expecting it to anyway. Waterproof mascara does not budge.


Simple - Refreshing Facial Wash Gel
I tried this with my Clarisonic and it wasn't anything special. I didn't find it to be particularly great at removing all my makeup without the Clarisonic but it did not cause me to break out, which is always a plus. With that said, I will not be repurchasing though.
 


 Curel Targeted Therapy Foot Therapy
I don't use foot cream.. but maybe now is a good time to try? I do like the size of this sample though! Good for those with larger feet :)


Sebastian Professional - Volupt Shampoo (full size)
Have not tried, but pleased with this full size product.

 
Pandora's Makeup Box - Lipstick

Have not tried nor do I plan to because the shade is just not for me. I received this in 'Charmer' which is a bright red/pink shade that reminds me a lot of Elf's Party Pink lipstick, but much more brighter.


Overall, I LOVE their packaging, as mentioned earlier and I really like that the products vary from skincare to makeup to hair. Although I must add that I did not like receiving two items from the same company/brand (ie. Simple eye make-up remover and the refreshing facial wash gel) because if one is sensitive to that particular brand, then two products go to waste instead of one. Out of all the subscription services I have tried, Glossybox is definitely the best but it is also more expensiver than the rest ($15/month, vs. $10/month for TopBox and the previous fee of $10/month for LuxeBox) but I think it is worth it if you are deciding between the different services. There are many pros and cons when it comes to choosing these services so be sure to check them all out to see which ones are partnered with the brands you love most!





XO Nicole

Friday, July 13, 2012

Mascara and Lash Primers (Shiseido, Estee Lauder, L'Oreal, Maybelline) Haul


 As per usual, I have been obsessing over how long my lashes can look with the Maybelline Illegal Length Fiber Extensions Waterproof so I had to purchase a backup when it was on sale at the drugstore (that makes this one the third I've purchased thus far - it's that good! I have never repurchased the same mascara three times as I usually love to try out new ones but this one has to be a staple in my makeup collection). While at the drugstore, I picked up one of L'Oreal's new volumizing mascara, because in my opinion, though Maybelline makes the best lengthening mascara, L'Oreal makes the best volumizing mascaras (a la the original Voluminous and Million Lashes). This new L'Oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24 Hour Waterproof Mascara to me was like a mesh between the Million Lashes and the Extra-Volume Collagen, which I have been meaning to try, so this was a must-try!


Shiseido Estee Lauder Eyelash Primer

While Illegal Lengths have been giving me phenomenal lashes, my lashes have not been in the best condition. I cannot say that it is the mascara causing the numerous lash breakages I have been experiencing because overapplying mascara has been a problem of mine, I had to do something about it but I just could not give up using the Illegal lengths. The fact that that this mascara is waterproof does not help either, because as well all know, waterproof mascara formulas can be really drying to your lashes. Anyway, to compensate for this fact, I decided to dive back into the lash primer world again. To date, I have tried numerous lash primers but have yet to try the ever so popular, Shiseido Nourishing Mascara Base. I thought because of it's 'nourishing' properties while it primes your lashes, this is the perfect time to try this out.

On the way, I decided to pick up the Estee Lauder's Lash Primer Plus Full Treatment Formula just in case! ;)

Shiseido Nourishing Mascara Base

Estee Lauder's Lash Primer Plus Full Treatment Formula

XO Nicole

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Essie A Crewed Interest

Essie A Crewed Interest

I saw a lot of swatches of this polish and I had fell in love with it. From the swatches, I concluded that it was going to be a neutral (my favorite kind of polish) shade but with a brighter vibe to it because it is a peachy colour. It looks great in the bottle, however, on me, not only was the application super streaky (the most streaky Essie polish I have tried thus far) but the colour was not what I was expecting. Because it was so streaky, I absolutely needed a second coat (most of the time, I can get away with one coat of polish, and I prfer it that way). The second coat did fix up the streakiness but because another layer was added, the polish became more vibrant and opaque than I wanted. In fact, in some lights, I find that it looks more like a neon peach colour!

Essie A Crewed Interest

Essie A Crewed Interest

Essie A Crewed Interest

Essie A Crewed Interest

XO Nicole

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Organic & Natural Lip Balms (Dr. Bonners & Badger)

Dr. Bronner's Magic Organic Lip Balm

After finishing my Softlips lipbalm, it was time to find a new lipbalm and as with my skincare products, I opted to choose an organic and natural product. I have heard rave reviews about the EOS and Burt's Bee lipbalms, however, I wanted try something else. When I saw these on Well.ca, I thought they were perfect. My favourite part of these lipbalms, aside from it’s ultra hydrating property (more so than Softlips, that's for sure), I love that there are minimal (and hydrating) ingredients and they are all natural and organic. In this way, I have really no worries about accidentally eating or licking this off my lips although they do not taste yummy at all.

Dr. Bronner's Magic Organic Lip Balm

Badger Balm Unscented Lip Balm Stick

I usually use Vaseline or other Petroleum jelly products on my lips before I sleep because I find that these are the most effective in moisturizing my lips but since I have been using the Badger Balm Unscented Lip Balm Stick, I realized that this can easily replace my need for Vaseline every night. I haven't had chapped lips since I have been using this - I think the fact that this is so much more convenient than having to apply Vaseline with my fingers that I am more likely to just reapply this regularly throughout the day.
Badger Balm Unscented Lip Balm Stick

Badger Balm Unscented Lip Balm Stick

XO Nicole

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

June 2012 GlossyBox (Canadian)


I know I am usually super late on posting about the new boxes (subscription beauty sampling services) but this one was not my fault! My June GlossyBox just arrived on my doorstep yesterday (July 3rd!). At any rate, here is what was in my GlossyBox for last month.

Biore Warming Anti-Blackhead Cream Cleanser

Biore Warming Anti-Blackhead Cream Cleanser - full size
This is something different than I am use to (I usually prefer gel cleansers) but hopefully this one will work since I have never purchased any cleanser targeted specifically for blackheads.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion 
I already own one of these samples and I keep it in my makeup bag. I do like Neutrogena sunscreens since they do not leave a white cast and they have never broken me out, however, I prefer sunscreens with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as active ingredients. 
Wella Professionals Ocean Spiritz

Wella Professionals Ocean Spiritz - full size
I was pretty excited about this product because I have never owned nor tired any beach texturizing hair spays but at the same time, since I do have naturally straight and thick hair, I doubt that this would work on me. It is a nice selection for the summer.
Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex

Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex
Again, I literally have another one lying somewhere in my drawer that was given to me from my sister. There goes two for my mom.



CoverGirl Blast Flipstick Blendable Lip Duo

CoverGirl Blast Flipstick Blendable Lip Duo - full size
While it was nice to find another full size product, this product is not for me - the product itself and the shade I received it in. I think that subscription companies should stray away from products that are really personal to each individual. From previous experiences, like LuxeBox and TopBox, the shades sent to me for whatever product were better suited for me mainly because they tailor to your personal style and taste based on the survey you were to complete at the beginning. I don't think GlossyBox even attempts to tailor to your style and taste - maybe they only have one shade and they just send it out to everyone? 

Gillette Venus Embrace Razor

Gillette Venus Embrace Razor
I currently own this same razor (plus a few more because I keep receiving them as free samples from other sources). They are not the best but they do the job.


Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strip
I have never tried any pore strips as I usually use masks to deep clean my pores but this is a nice alternative, though I will probably not spend $1 on strip.


I will just point out that three of the samples that I have received in the box, I have received for free before through things like the P&G sampler boxes so I was not particularly pleased with this, but I know this is a sampling beauty product site so I cannot blame them.

And I have praised GlossyBox previously about their packaging but it means nothing if it arrives at your door in a not so perfect condition even despite the actual box inside another shipping box. One corner was dented and the edge of one side was dented as well.



XO Nicole