caudalie vinosource

July Empties: Actual Skincare & Makeup

I’ve got the day off and even though I’m feeling sort of like I’ve been run over my a miniature dumptruck I figure that it’s time for the second part of my empty products post from July. I’m only slightly bitter that I did not in fact manage to finally finish up a particular foundation of mine… I promise.

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Sephora Collection Lotus Face Mask ($8/0.84 ounces)

I’m a bit funny about spending money on single use skincare so on my own I probably would not have bit the bullet and tried out one of Sephora’s newer sheet masks on my own but I will say that I was impressed with this moisturizing and soothing mask – it actually did what was on the label without any real amount of marketing nonsense or misleading ingredients. I felt hilarious with the mask on and was surprised to find that I still found it kind of large on my large face but I found that it came with a generous amount of product in the packet so although the mask was only one use, I got another two out of the excess product left on the sheet itself. It was really great for plumping up my skin, conquering dehydration and calming it overnight – in a visible way. I wouldn’t repurchase on a regular basis, but I would consider picking some up again on one of the buy-four-get-one free deals that Sephora has on.

Paula’s Choice Resist Moisture Renewal Oil Booster Trial Size ($15/0.12 ounces)

I really did enjoy this irritant and fragrance free oil when I had it to instantly nourish and soothe my skin and I do appreciate how unique this product is, being formulated without fragrant essential oils that can wreck havoc on the skin. With that said, this does not impress me enough to warrant purchasing the full size, especially when you take the smaller-than-average size of the bottle into account.

Paula’s Choice Resist C15 Super Booster Trial Size ($20/0.12 ounces)

On the other hand, I found that this Paula’s Choice 15 % vitamin c antioxidant did last for a longer amount of time and was so good that it prompted a second order when I missed it tremendously as part of my routine upon using up my bottle. Obviously a repurchase has happened and I’m enjoying incorporating my larger bottle into my daily routine because it has helped to smooth the texture and the overall clarity of my skin. It’s the best.

Caudalie Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil ($55/ 1 ounce) | review

This luxurious facial oil might not be the cheapest and does have the potential for some irritation with some synthetic fragrance and potentially problematic essential oils, but it has the most indulgent fluid texture and has helped to deeply hydrate and soothe my dehydrated sensitive skin. Because its pricier, I’ve switched to use a more affordable organic rosehip oil but I miss it terribly and am contemplating picking it up again.

Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer ($46/2.5 ounces)

This Kiehl’s moisturizer is definitely a great one and it’s great for dehydrated sensitive skin – plus you do get a great deal of product for the price – but it’s not my absolute favourite and does not compare with the Caudalie one that I’m going to discuss next. It’s free of fragrance and all things irritating and has the nicest lightweight soothing texture with glycerin, shea butter and a few anti-irritants, but it’s not like an instant skin drink and treatment. I wouldn’t be opposed to using it again in the future but I have no immediate plans to try it.

Caudalie Vinosource Riche Intense Moisture Rescue Cream ($40/ 1.3 ounces) | review

After using up the lighter Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet and loving it last year, I was shocked to learn that I did the impossible, fell for the richer formula even harder. I might even say that it approaches holy grail territory with the instant lightweight hydration and soothing factor with its blend of emollients and antioxidants. It was almost a repurchase in the first place being the richer moisturizer in the same line but I’m definitely planning on coming back to it again after finishing my current one on the go.

MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder in Light ($31/0.35 ounces) | review

Being someone who finds it difficult to get along with most powders and use any quantity of them even when I do, but I’ve managed to use this soft matte natural-looking powdery until it shattered with just the inner rim remaining. It’s my favourite powder of all time, not offering much in coverage and just a small amount of oil-absorbing action but it doesn’t highlight dry patches, give a dry appearance to the skin or look powdery. I would definitely recommend this as a natural powder and will likely purchase again but I’m off to try others as I haven’t used many.

L’Oreal Magic Lumi Highlighting Concealer in 860 Fair ($14-16/0.05 ounces)

While I don’t love the high (and noticeable) alcohol content in the formula or just how pink and uber-pale this concealer-highlighter brush product is, it converted me to the realm of these highlighting pens that brighten the area whilst adding some coverage in moments. I quite liked it for brightening, either on its own for less serious bag days or paired with a corrector underneath the eyes, on the nose, chin and the center of the forehead. The sheerer illuminating texture was great, though,for highlighting with a concealing product without looking too heavy handed or makeup-y and now I want to try out different products of the highlighting pen variety. It would be great for anyone uber-pale though as it might actually serve as a highlighter for them…

Use up anything as of late?
Maggie, x.

 

 

 

March 2015 Favourites

While for the consensus of others who make content detailing their favourite products of the month, the theme that they’re working with is the beginnings of spring, warmth and sunshine, my month was full of snow, more snow, ice, a storm or five and zero times when the temperatures rose above freezing. However, don’t despair now; in April, we’ve had a few promising days when it’s been a good five or six degrees and I’ve been convinced that the seasons are changing despite the presence of huge snowbanks everywhere you go around these parts. Anyway, my March consisted of more cold weather, a good amount of weather-and-personal-stupidity-induced skin irritation and subjecting myself to an unhealthy amount of stress, reading, essay writing and sleep-deprivation. Fortunately, I have not amassed a large quantity of items to share and declare my love to and I’m thinking this is a somewhat of a more interesting lot of products… don’t hold me to it, though.

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  • Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream ($20)

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Although I’m sure that my extremely irritable skin would have fared better with a fragrance-free moisturizer and with a product with more stable packaging, I was loving this soothing and nourishing margarita scented cream. Unlike just about every other scent with sugar in the name, it smelled more zesty than nauseatingly sweet and it moisturized without even stinging my eczema’d skin even though I was going through a flare up – thanks to my elevated stress levels and the problematic weather. I also adore how rich and concentrated the cream is and how it’s not just immediately absorbed into your skin, leaving the feeling and itchiness of dryness in its wake.

  • Paula’s Choice Resist Daily Smoothing Treatment ($30 US)

I didn’t receive my order from Paula’s Choice until the middle of the month, but given my love for the products – particularly this hydrating AHA-based exfoliant – I couldn’t hold back from including one. I love how this is formulated with a serum-like texture for added extra soothing action and moisture to my face and more than that, I love how it has effective AHA along with a small percentage of BHA to reap the benefits of gentle chemical exfoliation without irritating my skin further. Upon the first couple of uses, I could see the brightening and smoothing effects of the acids, even though they never leave my routine.

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  • Caudalie Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil ($55)

Throughout March, my face was extra dehydrated, irritated and sensitive because of my lovely stress response in my skin, the erratic weather/heating, my stupidly frequent use of a brand new retinoid product and my daily use of sunscreen on my sensitive skin – using this nighttime labelled oil before moisturizer in the morning and the evening has worked wonders to soothe, hydrate and help smooth the texture of my skin. It’s like a breath of fresh air for my skin and adds a bit of glow, which was helpful particularly under makeup.

  • Essie Cashmere Matte Nail Lacquer in Comfy in Cashmere ($9.99-11.99) | review

Despite the deadlines and general lack of extra time that I had available in March, I relied on painting my nails frequently as a means of relieving stress and it was almost always this greige polish that has the most interesting blue iridescence despite being matte. I reviewed it before, but in short it dries so fast that it’s kind of amazing but it unfortunately could chip pretty fast so I wore it with top coat. This aside, this has become one of my favourite polishes ever!

  • Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge ($8.99)

The fact that I was dealing with dry, flaking and irritated skin in March had me reaching for anything that promised to help foundation apply more seamlessly and highlight the whole skin situation less and the damp sponge application method seemed to fit the bill. I’ve tried a couple of these sponges and I’m rather a fan of this one because it expands drastically, gets appropriately squishy and has nice edges to get into the nooks and crannies of the face. It also leaves the face looking glowy too.

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  • MAC Amplified Creme Lipstick in Blankety ($19)

As I’ve mentioned before, my mom and I have this tradition where she lets me pick out a MAC Lipstick for Valentine’s Day and this year it took a bit of time before I headed to the standalone store so I didn’t pick up this slightly deeper pink-beige hued nude offering until the very end of February. I’ve actually been going for slightly smokier eyes lately and this lipstick definitely fits the bill but it has enough colour to it that it flatters when I’m not wearing loads of makeup. Before, I had been afraid that this classic shade would pull to brown/mauve on my pale lips but rest assured, it’s so good that it’s joined the ranks of my favourites. The formula is ridiculously good, too.

  • MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Chilled On Ice ($25)

When I was picking up my lipstick, I was struck by the desire to pick up another shade in MAC’s lovely cream shadow formula, and justified it because of all of the cream shadows I had seemed to be straddling the line of unusable. Although I’m not usually any sort of a glitter fan, I wound up going for this kind of white gold frosty shade that has gold microglitter running throughout. I’m pleased to report that this shade is pigmented enough to look nice on its own and that the formula of this cream shadow might be the best (even out of the paint pots), as it doesn’t actually seem to crease on me – or if it does, it creases the minimal amount like the NARS Pro Prime does. I’ve been wearing it as a base or as a base and my lid shade consistently.

MAC Chilled On Ice | MAC Blankety
MAC Chilled On Ice | MAC Blankety
What were you loving throughout March?
Maggie, x.

September Favourites

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Not to give into the whole cliché in totality or anything, but this was definitely one of those frantic and busy months because it was getting back into the whole university swing of things while being bogged down with that cold that won’t quit and the like. There may have also been a wee bit of stress going on – perhaps. Although this was definitely not a month with the most interesting beauty-related experimentation going on due to lack of time and desire to get out of bed, I’m quite pleased with the group of products that I’ve gathered here.

NARS ‘Pro Prime’ Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base ($29)

I’ve had this raved-about primer in my possession since mid-August and have been using it consistently since then but this month it has solidly found its home as my favourite eye primer to date. Now, I have not particularly oily but deep-set creasing-prone lids and this one has come the closest to preventing that whole creasing situation in general and definitely reduces the effects drastically. I find that it works best when applied in the thinnest layer to the lids before any sort of makeup is applied to the face because giving it time to set definitely makes it work for the better – and too much product can give it the opposite effect. Although, it’s marketed for oily lids I don’t find any sort of crepey lid situation happening which is rather pleasant and now that I’ve gotten a hang of the learning curve, I’m definitely impressed.

NARS Contour Blush in Paloma ($46)

So apparently I’m feeling NARS this month and I’m aware that I should apologize for including this contouring duo in two of these posts back to back but honestly, I couldn’t leave this one out as I’ve been using (and loving it) on a daily basis and I’m pleased to report that I didn’t merely include it prematurely last month on a buyer’s high. The rosy tan and ivory soft-matte duo is simply that good. As I mentioned last month (and a myriad of other times), this powder contains an easy-to-use neutral-toned contour powder to sculpt the face and an ivory matte highlighting powder that I have found useful for quickly brightening the undereye area, while preventing any sort of creasing.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner in Brown(Out) ($30)

I’ve mentioned my love for this seriously budge-proof and uber-creamy liner numerous times since snagging it as a point perk from Sephora in August and I’ve been reaching for the deeper bronzy shade loads as of late. I quite enjoy the shade of brown, particularly that it’s deep enough to provide enough definition for me – as I’m typically a black liner kind of girl – and that it’s the perfect thing to run along your upper and lower lashline when you’re running short on time and/or are lazy but want something on the eyes.

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L’Oreal Glossy Balm in Ginger Candy ($9-11)

I appear to have fallen in love with yet another one of those lip pencils with you guessed it, a nice and balmy formula but this one might just be my favourite in terms of comfort and everyday wear. I’ve worn this neutral warm-pink toned nude that reminds me of a slightly more pink version of my favourite MAC Lipstick in Patisserie more than half of the month and it lived in my bag. It’s not particularly long lasting but it’s such an easy moisturizing formula that I didn’t mind in the slightest.

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Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Nude-Ist ($23)

As soon as I heard that these had launched in Canada, I was desperate to try one after hearing my favourite British babes rave about them earlier but I deliberated once I saw that their price tag was actually higher than MAC around these parts. I’m glad I went for this true rosy shade when I spotted these at Shopper’s with a bonus points promotion, as it has the most comfortable and lightweight but long-wearing formulation and has the most unique hue that sits between a neutral hue and a bolder shade. I might not have worn it quite as much as the glossy balm, but whenever I’ve been tempted to go for more colour, this one has found its way into the mix. There will be a post on this soon, I reckon, and I’m wearing it on my lips here.

Caudalie Vinosource Riche Intense Moisture Rescue Cream ($40)

I know that six weeks of consistent use isn’t quite enough to give the true verdict on a moisturizer but I’m fairly certain that this lightweight but rich moisturizer has nabbed the spot of my favourite moisturizer that I’ve ever tried. It is supremely hydrating while offering a good dose of soothing action with some potent antioxidants in the formula and I can’t fault this one in any shape or form. It also glides over the skin without any sort of tingling on the most irritated and dehydration of skin. I wasn’t sure that the Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet could be topped but I’m glad to have been wrong.

La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP Anti-Irritant Anti-Scratching Lipid-Replenishing Body Balm ($29.95)

I’m deeply saddened that I’ve actually used up my first bottle of this gentle niacinimide-rich body cream in the last few days and that sure is a testament to how much I love this non-irritating body cream. It doesn’t have any sort of irritating fragrance or alcohol but like anything else, it will sting on opened or irritated patches of skin slightly but unlike other creams that I’ve tried this has helped to reduce the itchiness of my eczema as well as heal the damage. It also absorbs strangely fast and I’m not one to complain about that.

What were your top products this month?
Maggie, x.
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