product review – Leave it to Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Makeup, Review, Skincare

December Boxycharm 2022

December 27, 2022December 27, 2022by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! Been a hot minute since I’ve done a blog post. In December I decided to do Vlogmas, so any free time I had this past month went to the vlogs! But I have lots of end-of-year content planned, so you’ll be seeing lots of posts here within the next few weeks. Before we can get to that, it’s time to share my December Boxycharm. Let’s get into it.

The first product is the Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum. Murad is a great brand and I love getting eye creams because they’re often expensive. I find it hard to get eye cream out of little jars so I appreciate that this serum comes with a pump. The serum is very nice, it sinks quickly into the skin and hydrates the eye area. I can’t speak to the anti-aging benefits as I’ve only used this serum for a week. But I like it so far and will continue to use it! Price: $89 US ($114 CAD)

The next product is the Laruce Beauty Special Edition 3-Piece Brush Set. This brush set is exclusive to Boxycharm but the brushes in the set are available on the website. I love getting brushes, especially eyeshadow brushes. The more brushes I have the less often I have to wash them haha. The brushes are synthetic, vegan, cruelty-free and feel very soft. The set comes with a tapered blending brush, a shadow brush and a detail blending. I’m very excited to have these brushes in my collection. Price: $38 US

The second skincare product in the box is the Lapalette Beauty Vita Yellow Fresh Cleanser. This is a jelly cleanser with vitamin C that is meant to brighten and hydrate the skin. It claims that it can remove makeup but I didn’t test that out. The jelly consistency does lather nicely. The citrus scent is very nice in the morning. I like this cleanser and will continue using it! Price: $32 US

The next product is the Realher Blurring Veil Set Your Goal Powder. I could only find this product through the Boxycharm website, which is a little odd. This product claims to be super fine to set makeup in place and control excess oils. I’ve only used this powder once so I’m still not sure how I feel about it. I find the powder has a been of a sheen to it – it’s not shimmery but it’s not completely matte. I was hesitant to put it under the eyes but I used it on the perimeter of my face and it was nice. I think if you have drier skin you might like this more. I’m still on the fence about it. Price: $25 US

And the final product in my box is the Dominique Cosmetics Unconditional Palette. I have decided not to try this palette as I don’t think I’ll get much use out of it. I have so many eyeshadow palettes so unless a palette screams my name I rather pass it along to someone else. The colour story is pretty, with roses and burgundies, but I don’t wear those colours often. It’s nice but not for me! Price: $28 US

The overall value of the box is $212, with the value being driven up by the Murad eye serum. Overall I think this was a good box. I like the skincare items and the brushes. I didn’t like the other items as much, but that was due to personal preference not because they’re bad products. Let me know what you guys think in the comments!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, empties, Hair, Makeup, Review, Skincare

Product Empties November 2022

November 29, 2022November 27, 2022by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! I’m back with another product empties. As I mentioned in my last empties, I’ve been going through products faster than I can write about them! I have fifteen empties to share today and I have about another twenty in my empties bag. Maybe I should do an empties Youtube video? Let me know what you think. Let’s get into today’s post!

Starting with body lotion, I finished the St Ives 24 Hour Moisture Body Lotion in the scent Almond & Flaxseed. I’ve mentioned my love of almond-scented products before and someone recommended this to me (I think on Insta). I liked this lotion! The pump made it easy to apply and it absorbed quickly into the skin. My only complaint is that it didn’t smell like almonds! If you prefer lightly scented products then you’ll love this but if you’re like me and want almonds this won’t hit the spot. I have other lotions that I like more but if you’re looking for a good drugstore lotion, this is a great option.

If you watched my USA shopping haul, then you’ll know that I’ve fallen in love with the Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch. It’s just as good as my beloved Peace Out Acne Patches but more affordable! If you’re in the US you can get them at Target. For my fellow Canadians, they are available at Shoppers but currently only online. I put it on a whitehead before I got to bed and by morning the pimple is all gone! I will be purchasing these again in the future.

Another favourite is the OLEHENRIKSEN Cold Plunge Pore Remedy Moisturizer. I finished both a full-sized and a mini travel size of this moisturizer. I recommend this to all my fellow oily & acne-prone friends out there. It’s super lightweight and doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. If you have sensitive skin I would be careful though because it has BHA and LHA in the moisturizer to help with pores. While I decided to purchase something else to review, I would purchase this moisturizer again in the future.

I had a deluxe sample of the First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser and it was alright. It’s a fragrance-free, gentle cleanser and I would say that it does exactly as it says. But for my skin I just like a little something more. If you have sensitive skin you would love this!

The next product is the Cerave Moisturizing Cream. I much prefer Cerave’s Moisturizing Lotion over the cream. The lotion comes in a pump so it’s easier to apply. I find the cream to be a little too thick for my skin. It’s nice in the winter when it’s super cold and my skin is super dry. But for the majority of the year, it’s just not the right moisturizer for my skin! If you have drier skin you’ll love this though!

I got the Clean Skin Club Pineapple Glow Mist in my Boxycharm box and I ended up liking it! It’s like having hyaluronic acid in mist form! It’s super easy to apply to the skin, it provided some extra hydration and smelt great. I would consider repurchasing in the future but I don’t want to deal with shipping and customs so I’ll be passing on that because I’m sure there are similar products available in Canada.

Now I wish the St Ives lotion smelled just as good at the L’Occitane Almond line. I finished the Almond Smoothing and Beautifying Milk Concentrate and it was amazing. It smelled just like almonds and applied so well to the skin. It left me feeling so soft after. I used this only on special occasions because this is a pricey body lotion. But if you’re looking to treat yourself (or badly want an almond-scented product) then I highly recommend checking it out! I see myself purchasing from this line again in the future.

It takes a lot for me to not like a mascara, but the PUR Cosmetics Fully Charged Mascara just wasn’t it for me. I like length, definition and a little volume with my mascara. This PUR one gave me barely any length and was so clumpy. As the mascara aged it also became flaky, which is not something I normally deal with mascaras. It was almost impossible to remove! There are so many better mascaras out there, don’t get this one.

Another item I received in my Boxycharm was the Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Radiant Dew Mist. The website says this can be used to set makeup but I preferred using this as a skincare mist. I would spray this all over my face and then apply my hyaluronic acid. This mist is supposed to be good for breakouts and oil but I didn’t notice a difference. Based on the photos from the website it looks like they changed their packaging, which is good because I found the nozzle wasn’t the greatest. I won’t be repurchasing this mist because it was fine but not great enough to deal with shipping it to Canada.

A product I’ve repurchased is the Dove Exfoliating Body Polish. I decided to pick it up again since it’s a great body scrub available at the drugstore. I’ve come to realize I’m not a huge sugar scrub fan because I find they dissolve before I can scrub my body. This one is great because it’s not sugar so I can get a good scrub in. And I love the Macadamia & Rice Milk scent it’s nutty and sweet. I would repurchase again in the future.

Another scrub, this time a face one, is the Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser. I struggle with texture so I love having a good physical exfoliator. This one was pretty good. It has tiny beads to buff away the dead skin. It has a very refreshing and citrusy scent which I enjoy. Overall I like this cleanser and would recommend it!

I finished a deluxe sample of the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Makeup Primer+. Honestly, I wasn’t that impressed by the primer. It wasn’t bad. But if a primer claims to be a gripping primer, I expect it to grip my foundation and not budge throughout the day. I found it didn’t make much of a difference in the longevity of my makeup. If you want a gripping primer, the ELF one is much better and cheaper.

Another product I was completely unimpressed with was the Bumble and Bumble Curl Defining Cream. I didn’t finish this product, I’m throwing it away. It’s way too heavy for my hair. I could feel the cream in my hair and it weighted my hair down so the curls couldn’t form. I tried using this cream a few times using varying amounts and each time it was too heavy for my hair. It’s a real shame because I love Bumble and Bumble’s Curl Reactivator. But this curl cream wasn’t for me.

The Mudmasky Vitamin-infused Eye Serum was like the neverending eye cream. Most eye creams are 15 ml (or 0.5 oz) and the Mudmasky eye cream is double at 30 ml (or 1 oz). It took me forever to finish the eye cream. Overall I found it to be an alright eye cream. It did a good job of hydrating my under eyes and that’s all I ask for in an eye cream. It absorbs quickly into the skin and it worked well under concealer. But I don’t love it enough to ship it to Canada.

And the final empty is the Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara. I liked this one! It was great at adding length to my lashes. I liked the skinny wand because I find it easier to not get mascara on my eyelids with the skinny wands. I wish it was a little bit more volumizing but overall it was great for everyday wear. I would repurchase this mascara.

And those are my product empties! If you have tried any of these products let me know what you thought about them in the comments!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Review, Skincare

Juno & Co Cleansers Review

June 17, 2022June 14, 2022by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! Sorry for the sporadic nature of my posting lately. My life has been a little chaotic and it’s been that content creation has taken a bit of a back seat. That being said, I’m here to share a product review!

Back in April, I was kind enough to receive some products from the lovely Juno & Co. This post is by no means sponsored, I’m just writing it to show my appreciation for my first beauty PR package *eek*. Juno & Co is a small skincare brand from California that focuses on clean and sustainable products. They sent me three different products to try. Since I got the package back in April, I’ve had plenty of time to test the products. So let’s get into it.

The first product I tried was their CLEAN 10 CLEANSING BALM. This is an oil-based cleansing balm meant for all skin types to remove makeup. It has only ten ingredients (hence the name). I think this is a pretty good cleansing balm. It’s really good at breaking down all the makeup on my face. I will say it struggles a bit with eyelash glue so I find that I have to use a little more than usual to get rid of any residual glue. It has a nice citrus scent and leaves my face feeling clean. It’s a reasonable price at $20 so I would recommend it!

The second product I tried was their CLARIFYING CLEANSING POWDER. I’ll be honest, I was a little skeptical when I first got this cleanser. It’s a powder that turns into foam once you add water to it. The cleanser has papaya enzymes and rice powder to help exfoliate the skin and hyaluronic acid to help hydrate the skin. I honestly thought I wasn’t going to like this cleanser but I do enjoy it! The powder does foam up really well and keeps a bit of the grittiness to gently exfoliate the skin. I think if you travel often this would be a great cleanser because it’s a powder so it won’t count as a liquid for a carry-on! My only negative is that I dropped the cap and it cracked in half, so I had to hot glue it back together. But that might be my fault. 😅

The final product I tried was their CLEANSING COOKIE. I will say that this works but it’s just not my favourite way to cleanse my face. I think that reusable makeup removers are great at cutting down waste. They’re also perfect for those moments when I just don’t really feel like washing my face but still need to remove my makeup. That being said, I find they don’t do as good of a job compared to using a cleansing balm which is why I don’t reach for them often. This Cleansing Cookie does a great job of removing the makeup but I still feel the need to double cleanse after. But if you love reusable makeup removers then check this one out.

And that is my review of some Juno & Co skincare goodies! If you’ve tried this brand before let me know what your thoughts are in the comments!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, empties, Hair, Makeup, Skincare

Product Empties May 2022

May 24, 2022May 23, 2022by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! It’s time for another product empties. I don’t know if these types of posts are very popular anymore. I love doing them because it allows me to follow up on products I’ve mentioned before and give my in-depth thoughts. I’ve been finishing a bunch of products lately. I’m trying to limit to 10 products per post but I have another 15 so maybe sometime I should do a Youtube video? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Let’s get into it!

The first product was the CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion. I’ve mentioned this before but I use a face lotion on my chest and back because those areas are acne-prone. Using my heavily scented body lotions breaks me out in those areas so I use lotions like this CeraVe one. I liked this moisturizer! First, it’s a pump which I prefer for body lotions. The formula is thin but still moisturizing. It sinks very quickly into the skin and isn’t sticky. And best of all it’s from the drugstore! I tried to repurchase this and it was sold out everywhere! I picked up a different lotion but would get this again in the future. This lotion has my stamp of approval.

A haircare empty was the Moroccan Oil All in One Leave-In Conditioner. Just want to note that this isn’t curly-girl approved but I was all out of leave-in conditioner and was gifted this so I was like might as well use it. And I did enjoy it! I did a nice job of adding a little moisture to my hair. I still think my favourite is the leave-in by Living Proof. I wouldn’t repurchase it because it’s not curly-girl approved but I think it’s worth trying out if that is not something you look for in your products!

A mask empty!! It takes me forever to go through masks and the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner Pore Purifying Mask was no exception. I got this mask in a Boxycharm back in 2018… that’s a long time. This mask wasn’t bad it just wasn’t my favourite. The mask is white with little beads that turn blue as you rub it into the skin. This is a pore-purifying mask and I just have masks that do a better job. I won’t be repurchasing and wouldn’t recommend it.

Another Boxycharm product was the Elemis Superfood AHA Glow Cleansing Butter. I got this product back in September 2021, not four years ago haha. My initial review was that this would be great for people with dry skin and that thought still stands. It has a very creamy texture that is very hydrating. My only issue is that it wasn’t the most effective cleansing product I’ve ever used. It’s fine for light, everyday makeup but if I was wearing liquid eyeliner or lash glue it wasn’t very good at removing it. I finished the product but I won’t be repurchasing it.

One of the many cleansers I recently finished was the Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser. This is a gentle cleanser with AHAs and hyaluronic acid to help with skin texture, oiliness and acne. When they say this is a gentle cleanser they weren’t joking. If you have sensitive skin you might enjoy this. But I personally found it wasn’t strong enough for my skin. I will not be repurchasing this.

The next product was the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray. I was a little disappointed with this product. Everyone raved online that this setting spray would help make my makeup last long and I didn’t notice a difference. I was also not a big fan of the scent either, it was very floral which I personally don’t like. Now this might be because I got the mini size, but I found the nozzle often got clogged and would spray big droplets all over my face. If you want a long wear setting spray I would recommend the Milani Make It Last which is half the price of this Charlotte Tilbury one.

A cleanser that I didn’t even finish was the Juice Beauty Green Apple Brightening Gel Cleanser. Unfortunately, this cleanser broke me out so I stopped using it. I know it has Vitamin E in it which does clog my pores but I’m unsure if that was what was causing me to break out. Either way, I would suggest being cautious if you wish to try out this cleanser.

Another setting spray that I finished was the Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional: Super Setter Pore-Minimizing Setting Spray. If you read my Sephora haul post then you would know that I already repurchased this setting spray. Unlike the Charlotte Tilbury spray, I do notice a difference in my skin when I use this spray. It just helps smooth my skin and blur my pores. It’s great after I use powder to just make everything look more skin-like. I highly recommend checking out this setting spray.

The final cleanser I finished was the Glamglow SUPERCLEANSE Clearing Cream-to-Foam Cleanser. This was my shower cleanser. I generally keep on cleanser in the shower so I don’t have to remember to bring one from my skincare to the shower each time. I generally relegate cleanser I’m not as fond of or ones that aren’t as strong to the shower. I chose this one to be a shower cleanser because it’s a messy cleanser and it’s easier to contain the mess in the shower. Since it’s a charcoal cleanser it would leave grey water stains in my sink. Also this has a licorice scent which I do not like so I would also hold my breath while using this cleanser. Probably would have returned it if I had purchased it but I got it in my Boxycharm so I was persistent and finished it instead. I will not be repurchasing though.

The final product today is the Frank Body Caffeinated Scalp Scrub. This was another Boxycharm product. This was my first time using a scalp scrub and it was alright. It felt nice in my scalp to use it but I didn’t really see a difference in my scalp or hair after using the scrub. I have a rubber scrubber that I use with my shampoo and I find that stimulates my scalp enough to help with product build up and dandruff. Overall maybe if you use a lot of product in your roots you would like this more but it just wasn’t for me.

And those are my product empties! Let me know in the comments if you have tried any of these products and what your thoughts were!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Drugstore, Review, Skincare

Body Lotions & Hand Creams Round-Up + Review

February 11, 2022February 10, 2022by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! I realized it’s been almost two years since I’ve shared my body lotion and hand cream collection. I will often mention when I finish a body lotion in my product empties post, but I thought it would be worth doing a dedicated post. I use body lotions year-round, but especially love slathering myself in lotions during the cold winter months. Because of that, I’ve amassed quite a collection. So let’s get into it!

A round up of the body lotions and hand creams in my collection.

A great drugstore option is the St Ives Body Lotion. I have the Almond & Flaxseed Oil lotion. I love the scent of almonds, especially in body lotions. I’m sad to say it doesn’t smell much like almonds. But besides that, it’s a great lotion. I find it’s on the thinner side so it’s not as moisturizing but it does absorb very quickly into the skin. It comes with a pump which I prefer and it’s a big bottle so it takes a while to get through it. If you don’t like Almond there are tons of other scents as well! A good drugstore choice.

Another good *affordable* option is the Bath and Body Works Body Lotions. I put affordable in asterisks because it’s not the cheapest on the market but they always have sales so it’s easy to get at a discounted price. I have the scent Watermelon Lemonade that I got after Christmas for $3. They have so many scent options that you’re bound to find one you like. The scents are quite strong and I find they do linger on the skin. I had a pumpkin pecan one and I didn’t put perfume on when I used that body lotion. Besides the strong scent, I do find they’re pretty hydrating and absorb into the skin relatively quickly. It’s a squeeze bottle which I don’t prefer as much as a pump but still not bad. Would still recommend it since they have a great scent selection.

My other drugstore recommendation is the CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion. This is technically a face moisturizer but I use it on my body. I’ve mentioned this before but I’m prone to breakouts on my chest and back. I prefer to use an unscented face moisturizer on those parts of my body to help with the acne since scented moisturizers can be irritating and pore-clogging. This lotion provides the perfect amount of moisture while also absorbing into the skin quickly. It’s also a pump which I love! I would recommend this lotion for both the face and body.

Now switching from my least expensive to my most expensive – the L’Occitane Almond Smoothing and Beautifying Milk Concentrate. As I mentioned, I love almond scented products and I had heard great things about this lotion so I wanted to try it for myself. It’s very luxurious with a glass container. The formula is thicker than some of the others in my collection so it feels luxurious to apply as well. I like using this after I’ve exfoliated and shaved to make my legs feel real smooth. I think there are lotions on this list that do a good job so you don’t necessarily need to buy this expensive one. But if you like the scent of almonds you have to try this one.

Next, I have my two Sol De Janeiro creams. I have the original Brazilian Bum Bum Cream and the Coco Cabana Body Cream. I’ve brought both of these creams to different vacations, so whenever I apply them I’m instantly transported back to that trip. I do like both of these creams. They’re thicker but absorb easily into the skin. The scent is strong but doesn’t linger too much so I can still apply perfume. I don’t use them too often since they are on the pricer side but I would say they’re good lotions.

If you follow my blog then you’ll know I like the Hempz Natural Herbal Body Moisturizer. It’s similar to the St Ives lotion but just a bit thicker so it adds more hydration to the skin. I also find the scent is stronger. I currently have the Fresh Coconut & Watermelon scent and it’s a great neutral scent. I’ve purchased this originally on Amazon but I’ve found them at Winners as well! Great mid-priced body lotion.

And now onto hand creams. First I’m going to shout out a local small business! My friend got me the Maison Apothecare On-The-Go: Lavender & Sea Salt Lotion for Secret Santa and I love it! I apply it every night before bed. The scent is perfect before bed to calm down. For hand cream, it’s very important that it’s fast-absorbing and doesn’t leave my hands feeling greasy. This hand cream ticks both of those boxes! I would recommend checking out this shop if you’re local.

My other hand cream is not pictured because I leave it at work. All my coworkers are obsessed with the Bath & Body Works Eucalyptus Spearmint Hand Cream. They always ask me if they can have some hand cream! The formula absorbs very quickly so I don’t have to wait and worry about greasy hands. But it still gives that boost of hydration when my hands are cold in the winter. The scent is also divine. It’s very calming and I can smell it when other people use it. Like other Bath & Body Works products, it’s pretty affordable but you can get it even cheaper during the sales.

And those are all my favourite body lotions! Let me know in the comments if you have any favourites. I’m always willing to try out a new body lotion!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Review, Skincare

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum – Review

February 8, 2022February 8, 2022by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! I know you guys always like product reviews, so I want to do more one product reviews. I don’t always do big hauls, sometimes I pick up just one product. I recently needed a new vitamin C serum and wanted to try something new. I’ve had a good experience with other Glow Recipe so I thought I would try their vitamin C serum. So let’s get into the review!

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum

I decided to pick the Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum because it had great reviews and was in the middle price range for vitamin C serums. You might remember that the Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil is my favourite vitamin C serum that I’ve tried so far but that’s $95. The Glow Recipe serum is $59 – not cheap but more affordable compared to the Biossance oil.

The Glow Recipe serum is a brightening serum with vitamin C, guava, tranexamic acid and ferulic acid all meant to reduce the appearance of dark spots and leave the skin looking visibly glowing and even. This is meant for all skin types. It’s also vegan and Clean at Sephora certified.

I like the packaging, I think it’s quite cute. I like the pump, it dispenses the perfect amount of serum for the face. The serum is pink in colour and has a strong guava scent. It’s a very milky consistency but it does dry down pretty quickly.

I’ve been using the serum for three weeks now and I am noticing a difference in my dark spots. I’ve had some wicked breakouts lately and it’s helping to heal the scarring. That being said, I don’t notice a huge difference in the brightness of my skin. I use the Biossance Oil and I almost immediately notice a difference in my skin. I find the brightness to be a more subtle and gradual difference.

Overall I do like the Glow Recipe serum because it’s making a visible difference in my dark spots. If you’re like me and looking for a serum to help with dark spots and acne then this is a great serum is check out! If you’ve tried this serum let me know your thoughts in the comments.

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Makeup, Review, Skincare

January Boxycharm 2022

January 28, 2022January 28, 2022by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! It’s time for the first Boxycharm review of 2022. It’s crazy to me because I’ve been subscribed to Boxycharm since November 2016… that’s insane! I’ve received my fair share of boxes so you can expect me to always be honest and upfront about my thoughts about Boxycharm. So let’s get into this month’s box.

The first product in my box is the NARS Blush in Orgasm. I just want to mention how incredible it is to get this product in my box. NARS is a huge brand and Orgasm is one of their best-selling products so it’s cool to get it in the box. I have a mini of the shade Deep Throat, so I was already familiar with the formula. This powder is very light so it gives a more subtle look to the skin. I much rather have a subtle blush that I can build up than a super pigmented blush but it can be easy to overdo blush. The shade Orgasm is a peachy pink with a subtle shimmer running through. I almost don’t have to wear highlight with this blush. I like this blush and I’m excited to have it. Price: $30 US, $39 CAD

Now a product that I wasn’t excited to receive is the Chella Slanted Tip Tweezers. I have received these tweezers before, back in October 2019. It’s not very often but it sometimes does happen that I get a repeat product. As I mention in the intro, I have been subscribed for over seven years. I think I’ve only received a repeat product twice before, which is pretty good considering I know repeat items are an issue with other subscription brands. I will be giving those tweezers away since I still have my other pair. And I use these slanted tweezers to help me with my cross-stitching haha. The grip and the slant help me tie knots with tiny embroidery floss. Price: $20 US

The next product in my box is the Realher Dreams So Big Eyeshadow Palette. Now, something I’ve decided this year with my Boxycharm is I want to be more mindful with the products I’m testing. Often in the past, I would try a product even if I think I won’t like it for the sake of my video and these blog posts. I would use a product a few times and then never use it again. Going forward if I don’t think I’ll like a product I won’t test it so I can donate it. I was on the fence about whether or not I would like this palette but decided to test it out anyways. And I’m glad I did because I think this is a great everyday palette. The mattes and shimmers are soft, so there is quite a bit of kickback in the pan. But on the eyes, they are also soft, which is perfect for everyday wear. I’m not going into work with a super bold smokey eye, I want something soft and natural. This palette is perfect for achieving that look. This palette also leans a more rosy tone so it stands out in my collection. I don’t think you need to necessarily go out of your way to get this palette because the colour palette isn’t anything special. But I see myself reaching for this palette now that I have it in my collection.

I’ll be honest with you guys, I was scared to try the Dermelect Cosmeceuticals Outcrease Retinol Trifecta Serum. I follow a few skincare influencers online and they all say to proceed with caution when it comes to retinol since it can often cause purging, irritation and dryness. I have never used retinol because I’m still young and most professionals don’t recommend it until your mid-20s anyways. Well, I’m turning 25 this year and I have this retinol so I was like okay it’s time. Except my face wasn’t ready for it. I’ve been dealing with some gnarly breakouts and didn’t want to start a new product until it calmed down. So I’ve been trying it on my neck! Retinol is meant to help with lines and I’m starting to get some tech neck lines already so why not? I’ve used it twice so far. The first thing I noticed is that the dropper is very loose (not sure if that’s the right way to describe it) but a lot of serum comes out very easily. It goes on quite sticky and takes a while to turn down, but does eventually dry down. I’ve only used it twice so I can’t give much of a review. I would keep an eye out for my product empties because that’s when I give in-depth reviews. Price: $39 US

And the final product in my box is the PUR Fully Charged Mascara Powered By Magnetic Technology. I want to first state that mascara is all about personal preference. Everyone has different lashes and most people want their lashes to look different. So far for me, this is not my favourite. This mascara is described to thicken, volumize and separate lashes. I am much more of a length over volume type of girl. I give that it gives good volume at the root of my lash but barely any length or curl. I also find that it doesn’t do a very good job of separating my lashes, if anything it clumps pretty easily. Finally, the wand is pretty thick so I always get mascara on my lids. Now I won’t completely write this mascara off, because I often find I like mascara after it dries out a bit. So I’ll give it more time. But so far it’s not my favourite. Price: $22 US, $29 CAD

The overall total of the box is $129 US. While there were some great products in the box it was also disappointing to get a repeat item. I also wanted to mention that I didn’t receive any of the products that Boxycharm was promoting on their social media in my box, which is somewhat disappointing since some of those items looked nice! Let me know what you guys think of this month’s box and if you receive Boxycharm let me know what you go in your box!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Drugstore, Makeup, Review

Testing Beauty Youtubers 2021 Favourites

January 25, 2022January 26, 2022by Lea3 Comments

Hey guys! One of the things I look forward to every new year is watching my favourite YouTubers’ do their 2021 favourites (if you haven’t read mine yet, check it out!). I feel like yearly favourites are some of the best recommendations because the product made it to the top of someone’s list. I decided this year to pick up a couple of products that made some influencers’ faves list and test them out for myself. I did a YouTube video trying the products for the first time and also mentioned some products that were already in my collection. Today I’ll be giving you my follow-up to that video after using the products a few more times.

New makeup from Make Up For Ever, Merit, Catrice, Maybelline and NYX Cosmetics

Let’s start with the product that inspired this post. I had seen Allana Davison rave about the Merit Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil for quite a few months now to the point where I was like I HAVE to try it out. Allana is not only my favourite Youtuber but also this lip oil just seems right up my alley. Merit describes the product as a sheer slick of colour with rosehip oil and shea butter to create healthy-looking lips all day long.

I have to say their description is pretty accurate. The pigmentation is enough that I can wear it by itself for a very natural look or wear it on top of a lip liner for a more defined lip look. It’s not sticky whatsoever since it’s an oil and it’s very comfortable on the lips. Unlike some glosses, it doesn’t look gross if my lips are dry and crusty. Since it’s a lip oil it’s not the most long-wearing, it obviously goes away if I’m eating or drinking. I picked the shade Taupe because I am obsessed with browns and I love it. They have a beautiful range. I might pick one up for my mom for her birthday because I think she would really enjoy this formula. Allana was 100% right with this product.

The next product was a recommendation from Tati. If you watched my video, then you might have seen that I was on the fence about the shade I picked up in the Catrice True Skin Hydrating Foundation. Once I went into different lighting I realize I did get the perfect shade for my winter pale skin. I got the shade Neutral Ivory and I’ll give the brand major products because this foundation is neutral. I often find with drugstore foundation that the shade can lean either too yellow or too pink but this one matches me perfectly.

The foundation is described to be a long-wearing, medium-buildable coverage foundation with a natural ‘real skin’ finish. The foundation is also supposed to be hydrating, is vegan and cruelty-free and comes in 20 shades. I’ll be honest guys, this really isn’t a hydrating foundation. I find that it leans more matte. If I use a hydrating primer it’s not as bad. But because it’s matte, I find that it takes a bit more work to blend out cream products on top. That being said, this foundation is very long-wearing. I have very oily skin and I didn’t really need to powder until the 8-hour mark. If you have dry skin I would pass on this foundation. But if you need something that will look good all day, then check this one out.

The foundation and concealer when I first applied it

The other base product that I got was the Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Self-Setting Concealer. This was another recommendation from Allana. I wanted to try out a new concealer and thought this would be right up my alley. The concealer is described as creamy, with a natural, medium and buildable finish. It also is supposed to have a self-setting formula with up to 12-hour, crease-free wear. I’ve been having issues with my concealers creasing lately so thought this would be a good one to try.

With some concealers, a little goes a long way. Not with this one. Where I apply it is where I get coverage and it doesn’t give much more. This just means that I have to apply more than I usually would. But once it’s applied and blended it’s amazing. The concealer does a good job of neutralizing the blueness I have under my eyes without being really stark and high coverage. I’d be lying to say that it doesn’t crease, especially because I have a very expressive face. But it took a while to crease and didn’t crease that bad. I would say it more just settled into my lines that high creases. From afar you really don’t notice it. I’m not the hugest fan of their shade range because I find that they have more undertones than shades. I wasn’t too confident when picking out a shade, but luckily the shade 20 Soft Sand worked for me. Overall I’m enjoying this concealer and excited to use it more.

The product I’m still on the fence about is the NYX Lift & Snatch Brow Tint Pen. Both Allana and RachhLoves raved about this brow pen. This pen has a micro-brush tip pen that is supposed to be buildable to create hairlike strokes. The pen is supposed to be smudge and transfer-resistant with 16-hour wear. I got the shade Espresso because that’s what I use in NYX’s other brow products.

I think this is a good brow pen, I’m just not sure I like brow pens. When I first tried the pen it had been ages since I’d gotten my brows done. I had to be so precise since my eyebrows didn’t have much shape so it took forever for me to do my brows. The pen is quite pigmented so it created a bold brow very quickly. I have since gotten my brows done so now it’s just a case of filling in the bald spots. I once again find that because the pen is so pigmented that it creates a very bold brow. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if I was doing full game and wanted something to balance out my face. But for every day it’s too much since I naturally have a lot of brow hairs. I think if you’re someone with not a lot of natural brow hairs you’ll love this because it’s easy to create the hairs. I’ll continue playing around with the pen because maybe there is just a learning curve, but for now, I’m not sold on the whole brow pen train.

And the final product I picked up was recommended by THREE Youtubers – Tati, Rachhloves and Jamie Paige. And that is the Maybelline Lifter Lip Gloss. This lip gloss was going around the internet as being a dupe for the Fenty Beauty lip glosses. Maybelline describes their glosses as having hyaluronic acid to deliver lasting hydrating and fuller-looking lips. I got the shade Moon, which is supposed to be a dupe for Fenty’s Fussy shade.

This might be crazy, but I think I prefer the Maybelline formula! The glosses look very similar on the lips, giving a subtle sparkle to the lip and a very juicy and shiny look. The Maybelline gloss is slightly thinner than the Fenty one, which I prefer. I don’t like a very thick and sticky gloss, I prefer something I little thinner and smoother. That being shade, the Fenty one does last longer so it depends on what you rather have. There is no doubt you can’t bet the Maybelline price. The internet loves this gloss and I’d have to agree with the internet that they are pretty great!

And that’s my thoughts on the beauty products I picked up based on beauty YouTuber’s recommendations. If you enjoyed this post let me know and maybe I’ll do a part two? And if you’ve used any of these products let me know if you agree or disagree with my thoughts!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Makeup, Project Pan

Project Pan Update January 2022 – The Final Update

January 14, 2022January 14, 2022by Lea2 Comments

Hey guys! I wanted to give you an update on my project pan products. As the title suggests, this is going to be my final update as I won’t be doing a project pan in 2022. I’ll be sharing the update on my products first, then I will explain why I have decided to not continue doing a project pan. Let’s get into it.

If you don’t know what a project pan is, the idea is to focus on a few products and either hit pan or finish the product. I started doing a project pan in January 2021 but switched products in June. In today’s update, I’ll be showing you the final progress pictures of the products I picked in July. I forgot to take progress pictures a couple of months so sorry about that!

The first product is my Jaclyn Hill x Morphe Eyeshadow Palette. I hit pan in one eyeshadow during my last update and haven’t really made much progress since. I think there is a decent dent in the shade beside it but I still have far to go before hitting pan. It’s much harder than I realized to hit pan on eyeshadow.

I hit pan in my Maybelline City Bronzer & Contour Powder, but I did it accidentally. I was tapping my brush against the side of the compact and the bronzer cracked. Part of it fell off and on my leg. I threw out the part that cracked and fell out but the rest of it is pretty solid so I feel comfortable keeping it. But in all honesty, I was nowhere near close to hitting pan. When I look at the bronzer at the side there is still a good amount left. Probably wouldn’t have hit pan if it hadn’t broken.

A product I actually did hit pan on is the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in the shade Paaarty. I can’t remember when exactly but pretty sure I hit pan while I was filming. I’m pretty happy that I hit pan, but to be fair I’ve had this blush for years and it’s a mini so I feel like it’s easier to hit pan.

I said in my last post that I’m tired of using the TooFaced Born This Way Ethereal Setting Powder. And that feeling has only grown since my last update. It just leaves a weird yellow cast which I’m not a fan of. While there is a little bit left, I’m at the point where it’s difficult to get it out of the sieve. I am throwing out this powder because I don’t want to use it anymore.

Another product that I’m sick of is the Temptu Liquid Glow. I’ve been using this highlight since April. Except I actually gave up in late November and just started using other products. The cap is absolutely disgusting and I could clean it but I think I’m just going to get rid of it. I believe it was a limited edition product anyways, so there is no point in promoting something you guys can’t get. That being said, I did make pretty good progress, but this just shows to me that it takes forever to get through liquid highlights.

And that’s the update on my project pan products. Now before I share why I’m not doing my project pan anymore, I wanted to share a few things I did enjoy about doing a project pan. First, while it does take a while to hit pan on things, it’s pretty satisfying when I do. Second, it made my decision-making process pretty easy in the morning because I knew what products I was going to use. If you have a big collection this can be helpful if you feel overwhelmed. Finally, it helped me realize that I actually didn’t really like some products and that it was time for me to either throw them out or pass them along to a better home.

Now onto the reason why I am not continuing a project pan. As you can tell by some of my thoughts above, I got pretty sick and tired of using the same products over and over again, especially when I wasn’t very fond of them. Another downside is that I have a very large collection, so I felt weird using the same thing over and over again and therefore neglecting everything else I own. I also wasn’t just the most practical all the time. I often wouldn’t pause my project pan to test products out for my blog. Or sometimes I just wanted to use something else to create a certain look.

I think there are pros and cons to doing a project pan but ultimately won’t be continuing to do it. That being said, while I might not be doing a project pan, I think I still want to focus on using certain products. I did find it helpful to have a few products set out that I want to use, but I think I want to rotate them more frequently than a project pan requires. Doing a project pan requires a long-term commitment to actually hit pan on anything. I think I want to switch up my products every couple of weeks. I have a large collection so I want to give equal love to all my products instead of a select few for the year.

So those are my thoughts on my project pan. If you’ve ever done a project pan before, let me know if you agree or disagree with my thoughts, I’d love to discuss!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, empties, Hair, Makeup, Review, Skincare

Product Empties November 2021 (What Beauty Products Would I Repurchase?)

December 3, 2021December 3, 2021by Lea3 Comments

Hey guys! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done an empties post. I barely had any empties for a while and then within the last couple weeks I’ve finished like five products. I have 12 products for today’s post so let’s get into it!

Up first is the Hempz Natural Herbal Body Moisturizer in the Sweet Pineapple & Honey Melon scent. I was totally influenced by Sierra Schultzzie on this one. She did an “influencers made me buy it” video and fell in love with this lotion which in turn made me buy it. This is a great body lotion! It smells absolutely amazing – it reminds me of this certain gum but I can’t remember the name. I love the consistency because it’s not too thick but still hydrating. It sinks into the skin quickly and the scent lingers a bit but isn’t overpowering. I decided to repurchase the lotion but this time in the Fresh Coconut & Watermelon scent. Would recommend checking out this lotion.

The next product is the Versed Day Dissolve Cleansing Balm. Cleansing balms are one of my favourite products to test out and this is one of the best I’ve tried so far. It’s an oil-based cleanser so I find that it’s incredible at removing makeup. Even the most stubborn mascara, liners, lipsticks and glitters come off easily with this balm. Despite the fact that it’s oil-based it doesn’t leave my skin feeling oily or greasy. Sometimes if I’m feeling partially lazy I won’t double cleanse because my face feels clean enough after using this cleansing balm. AND best of all it’s available at the drugstore. I recommend checking out this cleansing balm if you wear makeup.

My brother has gotten into the habit of using my eye cream. He loved the Farmacy Cheer Up Brightening Vitamin C Eye Cream. We both have very sensitive under eyes and this didn’t both us. I honestly didn’t notice much of a difference but he did. He said it was hydrating and he just found it made a visible difference. He even asked if I was going to repurchase it (to which I replied he can purchase it himself since I have another eye cream open). So this eye cream has my brother’s seal of approval.

The first of two haircare products is the Living Proof Restore Repair Leave-In. I highly recommend this leave-in conditioner. First, it’s curly girl approved so my fellow curly hair friends can use this. Second, it does such a great job of leaving my hair smooth and silky. You can use a leave-in product as a heat protectant since its coats your hair. I will use this if I’m going to diffuse my curls and it helps prevent any frizziness. I currently have some other hair products open but once I finish them up I will buy this again.

The second haircare product is the Playa Healing Hair Masque. Honesltly I was a little disappointed by this mask. I had heard great things about the brand and assumed I would like the mask. It wasn’t a bad mask but it didn’t do anything more from my hair than using conditioner. If I’m going to pay almost $50 for a hair mask I want a noticeable difference and I didn’t get that. Still on the hunt for the best hair mask.

If you suffer from acne, then you HAVE to try the Benzagel Acne Gel. If you’ve followed me for awhile you might remember that I was using prescription acne cream for awhile. Unforuantely I’ve run out of the cream and cannot afford to repurchase it. So I switched over to this Benzagel Acne Gel. This contains Benzagel Peroxide, which is the main ingredient in Proactive. This is the best over the counter cream I’ve used so far. I apply it to wear I break out once a day and I noticed a huge difference in as little as two weeks. I’ll be honest and I still get breakouts but this has helped me. I recommend it to everyone suffering from acne.

Another cleanser I finished is the Laneige Cream Skin Milk Oil Cleanser. If you have dry skin you’ll love this cleanser for removing makeup. Unlike cleansing balms which sometimes can be stripped, this cleanser is quite hydrating. I will say it’s not as effective compared to other makeup removing cleansers so I used this more on my lighter makeup days. I personally won’t be repurchasing it but would recommend to anyone with normal to dry skin.

A moisturizer I finished is the Murad City Skin Overnight Detox Moisturizer. While I like this moisturizer I still find it funny that it has vitamin C. I’ve already heard that it’s best to apply vitamin C in the morning because it helps prevent UV damage, so it’s weird to be that they put vitamin C in a night cream. But besides that this cream isn’t bad. A little on the thicker side, which makes sense since it’s a nice cream. I like the packaging. It’s a push pump so I don’t have to dig my fingers into a jar. Overall it was a good moisturizer but I’m not going to go out of my way to repurhcase it on the Murad website.

A product that I was surprised that I enjoyed so much is the MineTan Body.Skin Hydra Glow Sleep Serum, which is a hyaluronic acid serum. I haven’t had the best of luck with finding a hyalurnoic acid serum that I like but this one worked great! I noticed a difference in how moisturizer my face felt after using this serum. I also noticed that my skin looked brighter as well after using it for a couple of weeks. Overall I enjoyed this serum. Unfortunately it’s only available through their site so I don’t think I’ll repurchase it because I don’t want to deal with the hassle that is shipping to Canada. But if you live in the US check this out!

A finished a makeup product! Doesn’t happen very often but I finished my tube of my Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. You already know that I’ve repurchased another one. I just love the way it brightens my undereyes and it’s so easy to blend. It does start to crease on me around the six hour makeup but it’s creamy enough that I can usually just tap out the creasing and lines with my finger and it looks fine. I think the fact that I finished a whole tube of this is just a testament to how much I love it.

Back to skincare again, I finished a bottle of the Clean Skin Club Vitamin C Brightening Booster. It was alright. At this point I compare all vitamin C serums to the Biossance one and this one just wasn’t as good. Now if you don’t like an oily feeling serum then you’ll probably like this one because it dries down almost matte. But I didn’t notice having any immediate brightening effect nor was it any faster at helping with my hyperpigmentation compared to the Biossance serum. It’s not bad but not good enough for me to want to repurchase.

And the final product is the Versed Look Alive Hydrating Plumping Mask. I thought for some reason based on the packaging that I would go through this in a few uses. But it took me like two years to get through the mask (expiry dates? what’s that lol). If you just want a mask to add some extra hydration to your skin, this is the mask for you. It’s like an extra juicy moisturizer. I leave it on for ten minutes, wash it off and my skin feels plump and juicy. It has a very nice, light floral scent. And best of all like other Versed products it’s affordable! I haven’t yet but I am considering picking another one up.

And that is it for my product empties guys! Let me know if you’ve used any of these products and what your thoughts are on them. And if you have any hair mask suggestions leave them in the comments because I’m still on the hunt!

xoxo

Lea