HAUL: DECIEM The Ordinary Skincare

I've been wanting to try more DECIEM products so I made a little skincare haul on Hudson's Bay. It's hard to get everything on my wish list because as you may know, DECIEM - notably their line, The Ordinary - has been very buzzed about: it's affordable, and their ingredients and benefits sound pretty intriguing and effective. In Canada, you can get DECIEM directly from their website, Well.ca, and Hudson's Bay. They also have been opening up a bunch of stores all over the world! If you have a big wish list I suggest ordering through their website or going in-stores; however, I prefer to shop online because I get cash back on eBates (you can too - sign up here! Both Hudson's Bay and Well.ca are on eBates.ca). While there are still a ton of products I'd like to try, I was only able to pick up a few things that I thought would help with some of my current skin concerns.

Featuring Youngblood Natural Loose Mineral Foundation

I am not on the market for a new powder foundation as I am currently using and enjoying my Shiseido "The Makeup Powdery Foundation", but I was watching someone's YouTube video on foundations and she had said this was one of her favourites so I caved. I've seen Youngblood being mentioned here and there so it was not something that was totally new and risky. It is really pricey though, for a powder foundation. This cost me $42 CAD at nailpolishcanada.com (which, by the way, they threw in a liquorice lolly... I think because one of the items I ordered was backordered and they had to cancel it. Nice touch!). A review will be up as soon as I give this a go! Stay tuned.

XO Nicole

Cover Fx Pressed Mineral Foundation Review with Swatches

The Cover Fx Pressed Mineral Foundation is a powder foundation that provides medium to full coverage. After hearing amazing reviews about this product in terms of helping cover acne and scars, etc., I knew had to try it. I am now a BB cream convert but BB creams offer me only sheer to medium coverage so I wanted something to provide a bit of extra coverage for the days that I need it. The mineral foundation is a bit pricey ($35USD/CAD) but you get what you pay for. Cover Fx is known for providing makeup that is geared towards problematic skin so you can be sure that this powder will give you a beautiful finish without caking your face up. In addition, Cover Fx is amazing with providing a large range of shades. 

Just this past year, Cover Fx repackaged their products and came out with even more shades to suit everyone's skintone. This is one of the reasons why I didn't mind spending $35 on a powder foundation because I knew that the product I was getting would match me perfectly and would not leave me overly orange or yellow or pink (which is the number one problem between me and drugstore foundations). This powder does not break me, however, it does not control shine too well - even when I set it makeup setting spray. It comes with a pretty dense/firm sponge for applying the foundation but I use a kabuki brush to apply this all over my face instead. The product is so finely milled that a gentle tap or swipe with the kabuki picks up a lot of product! I will definitely be repurchasing this product.

What: Cover Fx Pressed Mineral Foundation 

Where: Sephora, Shoppers Drug Mart (Canada)

Price: $35 USD/CAD

XO Nicole

Sephora Haul (Cover Fx, Origins, Lancôme, Dior)

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This haul was from a while back when I started to break out due to stress from school - as you can probably tell from the products I purchased in this haul. Jessica raves about the Cover Fx Pressed Mineral Foundation on her blog, Beautezine; she claims that this was her go-to product back in high school for covering her blemishes, so of course, I had to try it (I trust her and her reviews!) because it was exactly what I was looking for. This powder foundation costs $35USD/CAD and while this is quite expensive, I thought it would be worth the splurge because they offer such an amazing color selection; they break it down into all three different undertones (pink, neutral and golden), so I was sure to find a shade that would match perfectly with my skintone. Here, you can see that purchased two just to make sure I got the right one because my Sephoras do not carry Cover Fx products and I could not swatch them in person. The two shades were G20 and G30. G20 matches me perfectly so I returned G30.

Well, you cannot just cover your blemishes, you have to treat them too! This ity bity Origins Super Spot Remover Acne Treatment Gel has to be the craziest purchase I've made from Sephora - cost-to-volume wise. The theory behind this is that only a tiny tiny amount of product is sufficient for treatment. We'll have to see about that.

Here are the freebies I chose. I chose the Lancôme Trio Pack that comes with sample sizes of their Hypnôse and DÉFINICILS High Definition mascaras and their CILS BOOSTER XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Base, which I have purchased before but did not love it. None the less, I thought I could pass these on to someone else. I do not fancy these high end sample mascaras because they never come in the waterproof formula.

I also spent 500 points on this Dior package. If you want to see what was inside, stay tuned for a blog post featuring the goodies inside!

XO Nicole

My Collection: Concealers Photos and Swatches

PF Light, Hard Candy Light, Sand 40, NW 25, NW 30

1. Physicians Formula Concealer Twins 2-in-1 Correct & Cover Cream Concealer - Light
2. Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer
3. Maybelline Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Concealer - Sand 40
4. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NW 20
5. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NW 25

XO Nicole

My Collection: Foundation Photos and Swatches

These are the three foundations that I have to mix to get my current shade. I know this may seem kind of bizarre since all three are of different undertones and shades but they seem to work out. Usually half of pump of each does the trick. 

1. MAC Matchmaster SPF 15 - 
2. Stila Natural Finish Oil-Free Makeup - A
3. Revlon PhotoReady SPF 20 − 002 Vanilla

XO Nicole

eBeauty Haul (Too Faced, Alpha Hydrox, Sophyto)

While I am not always fond of shopping on eBeauty.ca, I really just had* to because they offered harder to find products and more "green" product selections.

Sophyto Balancing Daily Moisturizer
I was running out of my DHC Acerola Gel Moisturizer, (which I love - it's so fast absorbing for my morning makeup routine) but since it is not a very "green" product, I had to look for something else. I have never heard of Sophyto (as like most of the products I've purchased from eBeauty) but the description fit what I was looking for so I took the dive (50ml tube for $32!):

This cream energizes your skin, and helps harmonize and hydrate your complexion. The nurturing formula contains Asian ginseng, shizandra and astragalus to promote repair while nourishing jojoba oil and shea butter deeply moisturize. Fast-absorbing and lightweight, it does not contain artificial fragrances, fillers or parabens.

Alpha Hydrox AHA Enhanced Cream
This was the main purpose for my order because I love this stuff. The cream really brightens my complexion and keeps my breakouts at bay. It's a must have in my skincare routine although I don't find the need to use it everyday (every other day does the trick for me). Also, it is has more AHA and is less expensive compared to the one from Paula's Choice.

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder
I was especially looking forward to receiving and trying out this bronzer as my new contour shade however, in my box was the Milk shade instead. I was under the impression that this was going to be the Chocolate (original) shade since on the eBeauty web page, there was no option for selecting different shades as well as no indiciation that this would be the milk shade like on the Too Faced website and/or on Sephora. Yes another disappointment from eBeauty. This one I am definitely sending back and thus, have to attempt to get my hands on this product elsewhere, as I am hitting pan on my NYX blush in taupe (swatches here and here) that I use to contour.

Those are all the products!

XO Nicole

Dr Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm Photos, Swatches and Review

Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm is my first western BB cream and just BB cream in general. I've always known about BB cream but have never given it a try to the lack of reviews and the poor accessibility of these products as they were more localized in Asia. However, ever since BB cream became all the rave last year, almost everyone jumped on the bandwagon and reviews started spewing out. Now, I was very enticed at this point, however, I was very put off by the mixed reviews and the fear that the shade would not match, etc. etc. In addition, upon further researching, I found that a lot of the original/Asian BB creams contained ingredients that I would like to avoid: parabens and chemical active sunscreen ingredients. If I were to try out a BB cream, it would have to be an "original" (aka with all the benefits that comes with a true BB cream) so my BB cream journey stopped there - or never even started.. until I  stumbled upon this bad boy on the Sephora website. Although this is not a BB cream to be found in the Asian market, the Dr. Jart+ brand is Korean and is manufactured in Korea. Also, I am a sucker for products developed by doctors (#medicalschoolhopeful).

This had everything I was looking for in a BB cream: it contains physical active sunscreen ingredients (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide), has benefiting properties for the skin (brightening with arbutin), being paraben-free and lightweight, etc, along with some added bonuses: it is cruelty free and dermatologist tested, it has nice and sleek packaging, etc. This is a true BB cream that has been made specifically for the Western market (you cannot find this on Dr. Jart's website). 

The BB cream comes in only one shade. Upon application, it does seem really pink based but when blended out and let set on the skin for a little while, the shade matches your skin-tone very nicely. The finish is definitely not a matte one but instead, is a more dewy-natural finish. I didn't find that the BB cream kept me skinfree, but then again, it didn't say that it would. It's no different than me wearing a foundation - I still have oiliness in my T-zone by the end of the day no matter what I set it with (powder and spray). The coverage of this BB cream is medium, meaning that concealer is only needed on areas where you have breakouts or darker acne marks. With this, if I am lazy, I am OK skipping concealer all together because this just smoothes and evens out your complexion that with even some imperfection left peaking out is not going to ruin your whole day (in my opinion, especially if you are going for the natural look). One pump (as seen in the photo) is all that I need to cover my whole face. I apply this with my fingers as it really helps melt the product into your skin that much better (I usually never use my fingers for foundation application but one reviewer on Sephora warned users to apply this as if you were applying moisturizer "or the results will be poor" - I took that advise and just ran with it and it works great!) I also love that this product is suitable for acne-prone skin and has properties to combat blemishes and scars left behind.

The packaging is super sleek too - I was really impressed by it. It's a tube but it's made out of shiny plastic material that makes it great for having it stand up on your vanity or what-have-you. I think that they did great in this department because it is not too masculine and not too feminine (this is suitable for both men and women). 

I am very content to have found a BB cream that has everything I am looking for and more! Ever since I received this, I have not touched my foundations at all. This is so easy to blend and if you are not like me and are OK with SPF 25 and the moisturizing properties of this, then this would definitely be the ultimate multitasking product aka timesaver for you! For $36USD/CDN, I definitely think that this product is worth it so I will definitely be repurchasing this.

XO Nicole

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

Garnier Clean and Fresh Complete Vitamin Enriched Cleansing Wipes

XO Nicole

Maybelline Dream Matte Pressed Powder Photos and Review

Maybelline Dream Matte Pressed Powder

This has to be one of the best drugstore pressed powders out there. I have gone through one and have repurchased this because it is that good.

The Dream Matte Pressed Powder is not only inexpensive but it is silky smooth as the powder is finely milled to slide on your face super smoothly. I have oily/combination skin so I do need to touch up throughout the day and this is great for that as it immediately takes away any shine without looking cakey. This product does what it claims to do!

The shade that is use is Sand (Medium 0-1) and even though I do have pale skin, this shade can look a bit to pale for me however, because it is so finely milled, it doesn’t make my face look chalk and stark white (or paler).

The packaging is fine as I appreciate Maybelline including a swivel mechanism underneath the actual powder to reveal a mirror compartment that also works to  contain a puff; however, I do find it quite awkward when attempting to use the mirror.

Maybelline Dream Matte Pressed Powder

Maybelline Dream Matte Pressed Powder

Maybelline Dream Matte Pressed Powder

Maybelline Dream Matte Pressed Powder

XO Nicole

Bare Escentuals Sample

I thought this was the cutest thing ever so naturally, I took pictures of it and of course, it's going on the blog post. My sister actually finally purchased the full size product but she has yet to use it and well, I just need to try this for myself. The mini kabuki brush is the cutest thing ever. It is perfect to throw in your makeup bag for touch-ups too!

XO Nicole

Benefit Finding Mr. Bright Photos

Finding Mr. Bright

Finding Mr. Bright

This Benefit kit comes with everything you need for the glow-y skin. This sampler kit is travel-friendly.

The Body Shop Honey Bronzing Powder Photos, Swatches and Review

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer

While the Body Shop’s Honey Bronze collection includes many products with a lot of shimmer and glitter, a bronze collection just wouldn’t be complete with out a matte bronzer, would it? The matte bronzer prouder in the collection are available in four convenient shades: 01 light matte, 02 fair matte, 03 medium matte, and 04 deep matte.

I generally only use matte bronzers for contouring purposes so I do not find this particularly useful for that field because the shades all have orange undertones. However, I do like the formula as it is not powdery and is very pigmented and it glides smoothly on the skin. Therefore, I think these bronzers are great for giving your skin a nice quick tan, but for contouring, it may not seem as natural for some. As for the packaging, I am indifferent about the packaging as it is a typical compact, but I should mention that the compact is very sturdy and comes with a large round mirror.

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 02 Fair Matte

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 03 Medium Matte

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 04 Deep Matte

Fair Matte, Medium Matte, Dark Matte

The Body Shop Honey Bronzers

The Body Shop Honey Bronzes

XO Jenn

REVIEW: Hard Candy - Primer

BLABBLE: I haven't been using primer for the past few months just because I've been trying to wear 'less' product on my face.. however, because I was close to the end of my SmashBox PhotoFinish primer, I picked this one up for a 'backup'. For a while, I've been using the primer everyday.