Beauty – Page 25 – Leave it to Lea

Cover FX Power Play Foundation Review

June 11, 2018by Lea1 Comment

Hey guys! So today I have decided to review the Cover FX Power Play Foundation after hearing a few Youtubers rave about it. Now because this foundation is not cheap, its $52 CAD, I decided to just get a sample from my local Sephora.

cover fx 1

I decided to try this foundation because it sounded like an oily girl’s dream. I have very oily skin, and I’m constantly looking for a matte foundation that helps control shine and stays all day. The Cover FX foundation is supposed to do exactly what I want.

What I was really impressed with is the shade range! There are over 40 shades so there is a shade for everyone. I prefer a neutral undertone for my foundation, and not every line carries neutral shades. The shade N25 fits me perfectly right now.

I tried applying the foundation with both a brush and a sponge and I much prefer how the foundation looks with sponge. Using the sponge helps the foundation look less powdery because (surprise!) it has a very powdery finish on the skin. I wasn’t sure if I liked how the foundation looked but once I finished my makeup I liked how it looks way better. I would not saw it’s very full coverage because I could see acne scarring and my freckles on my nose peeking through the foundation. I tried to build it up but I find it became cakey so I would just stick to one layer.

The first time I wore the foundation I had mixed feeling about it. I put this foundation on around noon. By 3pm, right before I had to go to work, I was looking a little oily but my makeup was still looking fresh (photo below of my makeup at 3pm). By 8pm, about half way through by shift I was very oily but my makeup was still intact. By this point my bronzer/blush/highlight would have faded with other foundations, but with the Cover FX foundation they were still visible. By the time I got home my face was very oily in my normal oily spots, but what impressed me was that my makeup was still on the face. It had not wiped off or broken up. I was happy that it lasted all day, but I was so shiny which I am not a fan of.

The second time I wore the foundation was to my friend’s party. This time I didn’t have the same expectations of it staying shine-free the whole day. I put my foundation on around 3pm, and touched it up at around 8pm. It was shiny, but some setting powder helped get rid shine and kept me looking fresh the rest of the night.

In summary, I like this foundation. It stays all day and keeps my face makeup in take. It has a beautiful matte finish, but some of my other foundations do a better job at controlling my oil. I think this foundation would be good for an event or something where you want your makeup to look food all night but also have the opportunity to do a few touch ups. I don’t think I will purchase this foundation just because I don’t see myself wearing it every day. But I might grab a sample of it for a special occasion.

And that is my review of the Cover FX Powder Play foundation. Let me know if I should do this again, and if so with what foundation?

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Review

May Boxycharm

June 2, 2018May 6, 2020by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! I am here with another month of my Boxycharm! This month’s theme was Boxy Bash, in celebration of Boxycharm’s five year birthday. Everyone received six products as apart of this month’s birthday theme.

Photo 2018-05-20, 12 37 52 PM

The first product is the PUR Sculptor Palette. I really like PUR’s face products. They are creamy, pigmented and blend really well. The highlight shades give a blinding glow without looking too glittery. The contour shades are quite dark, I might be able to use them with a light hand or once I get more tan. But they will work beautiful for people with darker skin tones. But the highlights are so good that I don’t mind being able to only use half the palette. Price: $30 USD

Next is the Cover FX Blurring Primer. I’ve heard really good reviews and was excited to try this primer, because I always like a pore minimizing primer. It’s good, but I can’t tell if I like it more or less than my Smashbox or Benefit primers. I definitely notice a difference in wearing a primer vs. not wearing a primer, but I can’t really tell a difference between my primers. I think I need to more thoroughly test this primer more. Overall I am happy to receive a full size expensive primer! Price: $36 USD/$46 CAD

Probably the best packaging every goes to the eyeliner I received from Pretty Vulgar. The Ink Gel Eyeliner comes in a jar that looks like an ink pot. I don’t use gel eyeliner very often, so I struggled a little bit using the product due to lack of skill. This gel is creamy though and glides easily on the eye. Once this eyeliner dries down it does not move unless you put it on your waterline. I put it on my eyelid and it did not move, but I also put it on my waterline and smeared everywhere. As well, because I’m not a pro at gel eyeliner and didn’t have a good brush (*cough* I don’t like the Aesthetica brush *cough*) I had to try and fix my eyeliner and it would not budge. As well, at the end of the night I had troubles removing all the eyeliner. Even after scrubbing my eyes (more than I should) I still had a thin line of eyeliner the next day. In summary, this eyeliner is not for the faint of heart. I will probably use it once I get a better eyeliner brush and when I need my eyeliner to last all day, but it won’t be my everyday eyeliner. Price: $24.00

I received four brushes in total from Aesthetica. The P12 Face Brush and a 3 Piece Eye Trio. I am kinda dissapointed in these brushes. Boxycharm has sent some really nice brushes, like the Luxie brushes, but these ones are not worth their price. Morphe brushes are way better quality than these. First when they arrived in the mail they smelled disgusting, like bad chemicals. Luckily after washing them the scent went away. The face brush is soft but only does a medicore job of applying product. Both the brush hairs and handle feel cheap. Both the eyeliner and brow brush in the eye trio are thick, and I prefer very thin brushes for eyeliner and doing my brows. The only brush that I had no problem with was the spoolie. Overall very unimpressed with these brushes. Price: $27 for face brush and $45 for trio.

The final product was the Beauty Creations Matte Lip Gloss in the shade Sweat Heart. Not sure why it’s called a lip gloss because it’s definitely a matte lippie. It’s not to drying, the only annoying thing is that after a few hours there is a lipstick gunk line that forms. Not the most flattering but easy enough to fix by just wiping it away. It is a nice nude shade, and I will definitely wear this lippie again. Price: $10.00

Photo 2018-06-02, 12 48 46 PM

Overall, even though I don’t like the brushes I don’t think this was a bad box. I think with practice I would like the eyeliner more, and I like the primer, face palette and liquid lipstick. Not the worst box but not the best. What did you guys think of May’s box? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Review

Laura Lee Los Angeles Nudie Patootie Palette

May 23, 2018by Lea1 Comment

Hey guys! So if you have been following my blog for awhile, you will know that one of my favourite Youtuber’s is Laura Lee. I bought her first eye shadow palette and I loved it! So when I saw that she can out with a new palette I immediately bought it. This eye shadow palette is called Nudie Patootie and features a range of nude shades and a few sparkly shades. It has 14 shades and costs $45 USD; it was around $65 CAD for with me shipping, and I did have to pay duties on the palette. The shipping was relatively quick.

Photo 2018-05-03, 3 33 29 PM

The packaging on this palette is beautiful. I love the the pink gradient on the front with the name in a glossy embossed lettering. The logo and sides are the palette are rose gold which is so cute. The palette comes with a large mirror and feels sturdy. The eye shadow pans are about the size of a loonie. This palette is long, basically the size of my forearm. This makes it a little impractical to travel with because it doesn’t fit into my makeup bag. But the palette is so beautiful that it is nice to display.

Photo 2018-05-03, 3 33 17 PM

The quality on this palette in unbelievable. The shadows are creamy and pigmented while being extremely blendable. I will say that the shadows translate a little darker on the lid. For example, I went in with the shade Bare thinking it would be a nice light wash of pink and man it was PINK. The website says there are only two metallic shades, Au Naurale and Jaybird, but I find that Exposed is more metallic than shimmery. These shades are goregous and super reflective but are a little hard to work with. Laura (and the website) suggests to use a glitter glue or a wet brush with these shades. I tried the wet brush method and while it was beautiful, I did get a ton of fallout. I have yet to tried it with glitter glue since I don’t own any. The shimmers, besides exposed, are very easy to work with and both a brush and finger work well. There is a nice mix of warm toned and cool toned shades, so it is a very inclusive warm palette.

When I saw this palette I was blown away and thought it was beautiful. And then I got the palette and opened it and was like…what look do I do. I like the palette, but I find that the shades are not ones that I really gravitate to. I have created some nice looks from this palette and will continue to use it, but of her two palettes I prefer her other one more.

And that is my overall review of the Laura Lee Los Angeles new palette! Let me know if there are any other palette that you want me to review. Should I do a palette collection post? Let me know!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Haul

BIG Sephora Haul

May 18, 2018by Lea1 Comment

So I bought a bunch of makeup from Sephora to do haul both in March and April and I forget to write them! I decided to combine all the makeup that I recently purchased into one big Sephora Haul. There is a combination of new and older products. A bunch I got during the Sephora VIB Spring sale.

Photo 2018-05-17, 2 12 40 PM

Now the whole reason I did a Sephora order in March was to buy the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow palette. This is my first Anastasia palette, but I was very excited because I have heard good reviews of her other palettes. This palette is just beautiful and has many everyday, wearable shades. The shades are mainly warmed tone, but there a few cooler toned shades. The eyeshadows are very pigmented, so there is a decent amount of powder that kicks up in the pan, but nothing like I saw with reviews on the Subculture palette. The metallics are super creamy but have a lot of fallout, so I just make sure to do my eyes first with this palette. I am very happy with this purchase and I know I will continue to use it a lot.

Next I decided to buy the Huda Beauty Easy Lash in the style Camille after seeing Rachhloves rave about them in her videos. There are a demi lash, which means that only cover half of the eyelid and are generally easier to apply. Even though these are demi lashes, they are full of drama. I liked them because sometimes I find big lashes can completely cover my eyelids, but since these are a demi lash you can see my eyeshadow. The only thing I didn’t like was that since they were a demi lash, it was harder to conceal my lash band. Overall they are really well made and I am interested in trying some of Huda’s other lashes. Check out my Instagram to see these lashes on my eyes, in my St. Patrick’s day makeup!

Photo 2018-05-17, 2 14 04 PM

Next I got a mini of the Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Microfinishing Pressed Powder. I received a sample of this powder and liked it so much I decided to buy a mini of it. I like this powder because it’s pressed but when I swirl my brush in the pain powder comes off very easily. There is nothing I hate more then having to swirl my brushes a ton to get powder on my brush with a pressed powder. This powder makes my skin look and feel super smooth and is pretty good a controlling oil. I got the mini mainly because it’s cheaper haha!

The final product in my March haul was the Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick. I had many good reviews that this was one of the best liquid lipstick and I must agree! I personally prefer comfort over transfer proof and this one delivers what I want. While the line has a large shade range, I find all the shades very dark. I ordered the shade Babe Alert, and while it’s described as a nude rose, I found it to be very pink instead of being more nude. It’s still a lovely shade, but I would have preferred if they had more nude options.

The second haul I did during the Spring VIB sale. I bought a bunch of stuff I had my eye on for awhile, but was waiting for a sale to buy. The first is the Tarte Tarteist PRO Glow Highlight and Contour Palette. I was looking for a creme contour and I thought this palette would be a good fit for me since if I decided I don’t like creme contouring I could still get use out of the palette with the highlight shades. This palette comes with one creme contour, one powder contour and four powder highlights. I really like this palette. The creme contour shade is smooth, pigmented and easy to blend. The powder is super pigmented, so make sure to tap off the excess. The highlight shades are beautiful and feel so creamy. I am really happy with this purchase and I know I will use it a lot.

Next I decided to get the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Glow Highlighter in the shade Oyster which is a rose gold shade. This liquid highlight definitely has a learning curve to it. I tried to apply it with a sponge and it just removed my foundation underneath. Using my fingertips is the best way to apply it I find. I also was excepted this to be a more blinding highlight but it’s more of a glowy sheen. This is great for no-makeup-makeup days.

I wanted to get a eyeshadow primer so I decided to get the Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer (because it was the same rating but cheaper than the Urban Decay Primer Potion). I have very oily eyelids, so I need to use a primer to make sure my eye makeup doesn’t get are creasy and greasy. This primer is tacky to it’s useful to just go over the primer with a nude/skin tone eye shadow. This primer does a great job keeping the eyeshadows vibrant looking. The only thing is that the whole the primer comes out of is quite large, so I have to be careful not to squeeze too much out.

Finally, I repurchased the Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Setting Spray. It’s my favourite setting spray, hands down. The mist is so fine and nice. This also makes my makeup look great! It takes away the powdery look and locks in the makeup. I use this setting spray, and a little MAC Fix+, every single day.

And that is my massive makeup haul! Let me know what you guys think of the products I bought, and what I should buy next time I place a Sephora order. 🙂

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Review

April Boxycharm

May 3, 2018May 6, 2020by Lea1 Comment

Hey guys! Sorry for being MIA for a month and a half. I got really busy with school and my personal life, so my blog had to take a back seat. But now I’m done school and ready to commit more time and energy into my blog! 🙂 And what a better post to come back to than my April Boxycharm! This month’s theme was Eye Candy and man this was a good box!

april 1

First I got two brushes from SL Miss Glam. They are very cute looking brushes! They are soft, synthetic brushes. The purple brush is a great crease brush while the pink one is great at packing on colour. I love getting brushes in my box, and these brushes are quite nice! Price: $38.50 USD

Next is the BrowGal Instatint Tinted Eyebrow Gel. Now this is a good product but the completely wrong shade for me! I have dark eyebrows and this tinted gel was way to light for me so I gave it to a friend. My friend really likes the brow gel. She said it applied nicely and does a good job of keeping the brow hairs in place. She also said it is more natural looking in comparison to other brow gels that look more slicked back. While some people may find a tinted brow gel nice, I think since Boxycharm doesn’t ask for our shade preferences it would have made more sense to give us a eyebrow gel. Price: $22.00 USD

I received a MAC Cosmetics Liptensity Lipstick in Burnt Violet. I think this is a really nice lipstick but I’m not a big fan of the shade I got. Burnt Violet is a deep plum shade, which I would wear more in the fall/winter versus the spring. As well, I prefer wearing dark shades in a matte finish instead of a creamy satin. Finally, because of the lipstick bullet is flat, it is extremely hard to make a crisp line. Now I wouldn’t mind if the lipstick was lighter in colour, but because it’s dark it looks messy. Overall, I would have loved if I had gotten a different shade, but I probably won’t wear this lipstick until the fall and would need to use a lip brush. Price: $21.00 USD or $26.00 CAD

Every subscriber this month received the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner. While it’s great to receive such good quality and expensive skin care, this is my third Dr. Brandt product, and I would enjoy trying skin care from other brands. This mask itself is very interesting. It comes out like a gel and has these tiny little beads that break and turn the mask blue as I apply it to my face. The mask definitely reduced the oil on my face and made my pores look cleaner. This mask is an oily girls dream but definitely not for dry or sensitive skin. Price: $47.00 USD

Finally each person received one of five possible Colourpop eyeshadow palettes. I received the Element of Surprise Eyeshadow Palette. I am really happy that I got this palette! It has a nice mix of mattes and metallics to create so many different looks. I really like Colourpop eyeshadows – they are creamy and the metallics are super pigmented! This palette is also surprisingly small. This might bother some people because it means the pans are small, but I actually like that because it makes it easy to travel with. Overall so happy with this eyeshadow palette, and excited to do so many different looks with it! Price: $18.00 USD.

Overall total was $144.50 USD. I really liked this box! There were no products that were bad, just products that I wished I had received a different shade! Let me know your thoughts on the box 🙂

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Favourites, Skincare

Updated Skincare Routine

March 14, 2018by Lea1 Comment

Hey guys! It’s been awhile since I’ve shared my skincare routine and I have updated it since then. I have very oily and acne prone skin – my skin still acts like I’m fourteen. I was using Proactive for a really long time, but since I started taking birth control for my acne, I found Proactive to be to harsh for my skin. My skin has cleared up, but I still get the occasional stress zit. I will break down both my morning and night routine for you guys!

skincare routine march 2018

Morning Routine

I always cleanse, tone and moisturize in the morning. I know most people do this at night but it’s just the habit that I am in. To cleanse my face, I use the Philosophy Clear Days Ahead Oil-Free Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment Cleanser (long name I know). What I really like about this product is that even though it’s designed for oily skin and acne it’s not very harsh. Some products designed for acne can be very strong and irritating but this one is gentle. I feel refreshed after using it – which is great since I use it in the morning.

Next I use the Origins Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner. This toner is great for oily skin. My skin feels so refreshed and clean after I use this toner. I feel like it really gets all the gunk out of my pores. I wipe my face with this on a cotton circle and let it sink into my skin for a minute.

As I mentioned in my Winter Essentials post, I have been loving the Pacifica Kale Luxe Oil-Free Multi Cream. This moisturizer is vegan (and cruelty-free) so it does not have all the bad ingredients that will clog up my pores. It is also oil free, which is super important for me. I also enjoy this moisturizer because it makes my skin feel hydrated and refreshed without feeling heavy. And you can find it at certain drugstores!

After that I let my moisturizer sink in and then I apply my makeup if I am wearing any that day.

Night Routine

The first step of night routine is to remove my makeup. First use the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover to get rid of my eye makeup. I personally enjoy using a liquidy remover to get rid of my eye makeup because I find it’s the best at getting rid of mascara. I have been enjoying this Neutrogena one because it’s not too harsh or oily compared to some other ones. The only thing is that it does not have a special cap to stop the flow of the product. So one I took off the cap and dropped the whole and lost a third of the product because it’s just a big open hole. So don’t be a klutz like me when using this product.

If you have read any of my empties post, you know that I love the Garnier Micellar Water to remove my face makeup. I will wet a cotton round and wipe my face to remove my foundation and concealer. It does a good job of removing the makeup and leaves my face feeling refreshed after.

Next to cleanse my face at night I use two different cleansers depending on what my faces feels like. Most days I use the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. It’s a gentle cleanser use which is all I need after removing my makeup. Double cleansing is good to get rid of any leftover product. It also enjoy the cucumber smell – it reminds me of a spa. The only cleanser I like to use if my skin is feeling particularly oily that day. The Sukin Oil Balancing Pore Refining Facial Scrub has a very liquid consistency with tiny beads to help exfoliate the skin. It does an amazing job of really doing a deep clean and my skin feels so refreshed after I use it. I also personally enjoy the charcoal smell this product has.

After I cleanse my face I will apply my Pacifica moisturizer again. Finally I use a retinoid prescribed by my doctor – the particular one I am using is called Differin XP. I put the cream on top of my acne and it really helps spot treat the area. I personally have much success with this product, but just be careful when using retinoid because they can be irritating.

And that is my skincare routine! Let me know what products you guys like and any that I should maybe try 🙂

xoxoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Review

February Boxycharm

March 10, 2018May 6, 2020by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! I know I am quite late on this post, but to be fair I got my box really late this month. Anyways, I have never missed a month since I got my Boxycharm subscription, and I am not letting a late box ruin that streak! So here is my review (only a week late haha). This month’s theme was Galaxy Glow, so there are some pretty fun items that I might not necessarily wear every day, but are still pretty fun to have.

feb 1

First is the CoverFX Shimmer Veil in the shade Amethyst. This is a creme product that has multiple uses and it crease-proof. It can be used on the eyes or the face. The purple shade might not be the most approachable shade, but I really enjoyed it the day I wore it. It also did not crease and lasted at day which is great for a creme shadow. Overall, not a product I would wear all the time, but does exactly what it claims! Price: $28.00

Next is a pretty cool product! The Naked Cosmetics Holographic Highlighter Palette is not your average highlight palette. It has all the colours of the rainbow! I was very impressed by the quality of this palette. The colours were very vibrant and showed up very well on my skin. The powders are quite pigmented. Now I personally don’t work a green highlight every day, but this palette is very fun and I will definitely use it for some more fun makeup looks. Price: $38.00

The lip product for this month that I received was the PUR X-Faux Lip Plumping Lip Exfoliator. This product is not bad, but I personally don’t like the packaging. This does a good job of hydrating and exfoliating my lips, but I’m not sure how much plumping it does. I also wish this was in a flat-twist-up-lip-balm like tube instead of a point. I found the point to be weird and it actually broke off for me. Personally wished I had gotten the other lip exfoliator they were giving in the box last month, but oh well! Price: $17.00

Next is the Smokey Eye Pencil by Vintage Cosmetics. I don’t often use black eyeliner pencils, I usually use liquid ones instead. This one wasn’t bad – it was very creamy and intense and glided on the lid pretty well. I want to try and do a smokey eye with this eye pencil since it’s what the pencil is advertised to be used for. Price: $21.00

By far my favourite product this month is the Crown Pro Trio Brush Set. I always love getting makeup brushes in my box, because Boxycharm always gives good quality ones that I would normally not buy myself. These Crown brushes are no exception. They are soft and apply powder products like a dream. The largest powder brush has now become my favourite brush to apply bronzer with. I have no tried using these brushes with cream products, but apparently they are designed to work well with those too. These brushes are also very pretty, which is always nice! Price: $29.99

And that was my belated February Boxycharm review! Here’s to hoping that my March box comes sooner this month!

xoxoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Review

January Boxycharm 2018

February 3, 2018May 6, 2020by Lea3 Comments

Hey guys! Today on the blog is the first Boxycharm review of 2018! Like I mentioned in December, I accidentally received an item I have got in a previous box in December, so I got an extra item in my January box. So while everyone else didn’t get this item, I will still review it for you guys.

Jan 1

First is the Crown Brushes Glam Metals Palette. I haven’t really use this palette. The shades just don’t excite me. As well this shades are not ones I would reach for on an everyday basis so I honestly have only used this palette once. Also I don’t like how the only matte shade is the black. If a palette is going to be all simmers then I have to really like the palette. Not my favourite palette I have received in my Boxycharm. Price: $25.00 USD

Next is the PUR Bronze and Brighten Check Palette. I don’t understand what PUR did, but I do not like the bronzer in the palette. It is too warm, glittery and does not blend. Which is so weird because I love their other bronzer. The blush in this palette is super pigmented but still nice. I just have to apply with a light hand. Finally the highlight is nice, but very light. Good for people with a paler complexion but not universal, I probably couldn’t wear it in the summer. If the bronzer was better I would enjoy this palette, but it sucks so I don’t enjoy the palette as much. Price: $34.00 USD

I didn’t think I was going to like the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Luminizer Primer. I’ve never tried a luminizing primer before because I have oily skin so I generally don’t need help making my skin look dewy. But I decided to try this primer and I really liked it! I does a really good job of making my makeup look smooth and not cakey. Now while it does say that it is a pore minimizing primer, it’s not as good as the Benefit or Smashbox primers. I will definitely use this primer again when I want a smooth look to my makeup. Price: $38.00 USD

Next is the It Cosmetics Brow Powder Universal Eyebrow Pencil. I once again didn’t think I would like this product but I was pleasantly surprised. The consistency of the pencil is great – not too creamy and not too hard. I wish the pencil was a little smaller but it still possible to get a nice defined brow. Also, I dyed my hair a shade darker half way through testing the brow pencil and found it nicely matched me with both lighter and darker hair colours. I do think there is a limit to how dark or light this pencil could work for, but I think it would work for the majority of hair colours. I will continue to use with pencil. Price: $25.00 USD, $32.00 CAD

Another product I really liked was the Girlactik Matte Lip Paint. I received the shade Posh. I really liked this liquid lipstick! It was easy to apply, and was very comfortable on the lips. It also did not emphasize any of the lines on my lips. It also wore really nicely through the day, and was able to withstand eating to a certain degree. Overall really love this liquid lip! Price: $23.00 USD, $28.35 CAD

*Bonus Product* I got the Makeup Geek Eye Liner in Plumeria. It’s a beautiful purple shade with red undertones. The eyeliner was easy to apply and stayed all day. It was actually pretty hard to remove. It was also easy to smoke out using a pencil brush. This shade also made my hazel eyes look very green. A great bonus item to receive!

The final total of my box is $144. It’s funny because the products I didn’t think I would like ended up being my favourites! What did you guys think of January’s box?

xoxoxo

Lea

Beauty, Fashion, Favourites, Life, Makeup, Review

Winter Essentials

January 22, 2018by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! Today I am sharing some things that help me survive through the cold Canadian winter. Just a miscellaneous of different things that I enjoy and thought would be worth sharing!

Photo 2018-01-21, 2 30 10 PM

First is a super cozy knit sweater from Forever 21. It gets really cold where I live, so I basically live in knit sweater from November to April. I have been really into turtlenecks, but sometimes they can be really a little too much when wearing a heavy knit. I like this sweater because it has a mock turtleneck so it’s the perfect in between. But ya I’m a sucker for any knit sweater really.

Next it’s important to keep my fingers warm outside, so got to have a good pair of gloves or mitts. My dad got me these ones from The Bay last year and I love them! This year they have a different design but the quality of these mittens are great. They have a fleece inside and then a knit outside to keep my hands nice and warm. Also they’re so patriotic! Highly recommend these for all my fellow Canadians.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but the Nivea Hydro Care Lip Balm is my favourite lip balm. I own four of these: one beside my bed, one with my makeup, one in my purse and one in my school bag. And I usually have a few backup ones around the house. What I like is that they are lighter than the regular Nivea light balm, but still give intense hydration. It’s great and I will probably continue using these babies for a long time.

Next is a moisturizer. If you guys remember from my Beauty Empties post, I was looking for a moisturizer that would give my oily skin some hydration but also not break it out. I decided to try the Pacifica Kale Luxe Oil-Free Multi Cream. It is designed for oily and blemish prone skin. I decided to try it because the brand is 100% (and cruelty free!) so it doesn’t have as many bad products that would clog my pores. I have been really liking it! I use a tiny pea size amount and leaves my skin feeling hydrated and fresh! It has an interesting scent, but I like it!

Finally, for Christmas my Mom got me a diffuser! Along with the diffuser my Mom got me some essential oils, and the one I have been using the most is the Immune Antibacterial Diffuser Blend from Saje Natural Wellness. I am always sick, and this blend is supposed to help relieve the symptoms of cold and flu. The combination of eucalyptus, myrrh and cinnamon smell like medicated but I love it! I feel like it helps me breathe much better at night!

And these are my winter essentials! Let me know what you guys like to help you get through the cold winter months!

xoxoxo

Lea

Beauty, Review, Uncategorized

Beauty Empties

January 17, 2018by Lea1 Comment

Hey guys! So today I am sharing a bunch of beauty, skincare and hair empties, letting you guys know my thoughts on the products and whether I would buy them again! I’ve been meaning to do this post for awhile so here it is!

20171007_125457(1)

First I have two empty bottles of the Garnier Miscellar Water. If you guys have been following my bog for a bit, you would know that this stuff is my favourite miscellar water. I prefer using miscellar water instead of using face wipes, it does such a gentle job of removing all my face water, and leaves it feel refreshed after. If you’re looking for a miscellar water, highly recommend this stuff.

Next I have an empty bottle of St. Ives Fresh Exfoliating Apricot Scrub. I remember reading somewhere that some celebrity really likes this scrub so I decided to try it out. I only used this scrub in the shower for some reason, just because I’m lazy like that. The combination of the scrub and shower makes my skin feel a little dry after, but it also makes my skin feel really smooth. It’s an amazing product, but I did buy it again because it is a reasonable price.

It seems like I went through a lot of dry shampoo, but the funny is that I actually finished three of these dry shampoos on the same day because they were are almost empty. First there are two Batiste ones, the Tropical and the XXL Volume. I really like both of the Batiste dry shampoos. They do a good job of getting rid of grease and stays that way all day. They do have a white cast, but it goes away easily. I also was surprised at how much I enjoyed the XXL Volume. If you are looking for a voluminous dry shampoo, this one goes a good job. The Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo I got in my Boxycharm. It was nice but I didn’t like it as much as my Batiste ones. It gave a nice scent to the hair, but I found by like 5pm by hair looked greasy again. Finally was the Dove Dry Shampoo, which was okay. I only used it when I ran out of my other dry shampoos.

My next skincare empty is the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel with SPF 15. I liked this product so much that I bought a second one, but now using the second one I’m not so sure I like it anymore. My face was breaking out when I was using this product, but I haven’t for sure figured out if it was this product or something else that was breaking out my face. It might be the SPF that my face doesn’t like, because my face is really sensitive to SPF. I’m really on the fence about this product. I think I want to switch and get one of Neutrogena’s moisturizes that doesn’t have SPF in it.

Another makeup remover I finished is the Marcelle Gentle Make-up Remover for Sensitive Eyes. I prefer a more oily makeup remover to get rid of my eye makeup, I just find it’s better at removing stubborn mascara. I decided to try this Marcelle one because it has good reviews. It was good, but I found it was really oily. Like after I was done removing my eye makeup, I would have to back over with my micellar water to remove the excess oil. It was good, but I did not repurchase because I also found it to be a tad expensive compared to other drugstore remover.

You can tell I bought my All Nighter Setting Spray awhile ago because it is in the old packaging. I have repurchased the product since then, and I am actually getting close to finishing it. This Urban Decay setting spray is by far my favourite that I own. It really does a good job of making my makeup last longer. It was gives a beautiful finish to my skin. Highly recommend!!

Finally, I finished my POREfessional Face Primer by Benefit Cosmetics. I have also repurchased this primer. What I like about this primer is that it not only feels in my pores and makes them feel smooth, it also makes my face more matte. I have very oily skin, so I really need help making my face matte. This is a staple product that I use almost every day!

Those are all my empty products! Let me know what products you guys finished and think I should try!

xoxoxo

Lea