Weekly Medley #8

Oh, sweet baby jesus, the weather here has been temperamental. It went in between hovering around freezing, taunting us with the knowledge that there is something coming that we call spring that does not require the warmest coats possible, and then gong back to blowing snow in all directions and staying at -10 plus whatever windchill going on. So the weather has been sort of unpredictable – understatement – and while I’m thankful that my skin hasn’t gone nuclear as a result (it has before) of all this cold-weather craziness, my skin has been a bit more dehydrated and irritated than usual, my eczema all broken out and my lips, once again in that wretched state.

In terms of the face, I turned to my rosehip oil from the brand, By Nature, and it sorted the irritation out, soothing the skin and providing intense nourishment. Note: I really need to stop being so lazy and remember to use this oil more as it’s a godsend.

Midway through the week, I finally succumbed and purchased the La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume, willingly shelling out the sixteen bucks for the healing balm that I knew was missing from my life. True to its claims, it’s a multipurpose balm that has been a dream for soothing my lips and eczema patches. Because it’s not specifically designed to only be used on the lips, it does not have that typical lip balm texture, instead being a thick cream that can leave the lips looking ashy, but nevertheless it outperforms all other balms I’ve tried. It’s more of a nighttime treatment for sore chapped lips, if you ask me, than one to slap on pre-makeup. And it helps with eczema and all of its itchy glory without burning on contact. Can you tell it has this girl’s skin singing its praises?

Although you can probably gather that things are not exactly springy in my world, I found myself reading and rereading Lisa Eldridge’s “Lighten Up! It’s time for a foundation refresh”. From listening to the awe-inspiring makeup artist, I’ve learned the most on the makeup front, so her post debunking the mystery of the truth behind BB/CC creams slash revealing her lighter foundation picks was a breath of fresh air.

Continuing with that whole ‘spring is coming’ thing, Joanna’s “Spring Makeup Bag Contents” caught my attention. For one, I forever love reading these posts because I’m impaired at the whole putting together a small makeup bag thing but am interested in the endeavour nevertheless and secondly, the lovely and gorgeous, Joanna, has one of those blogs that you find yourself accidentally scouring through the archives of for hours.

Is it spring for all of you yet?

Maggie, x.

beauty review skincare The Body Shop The Body Shop Aloe Protective Restoring Mask

Unheard & Underappreciated #3: The Body Shop Aloe Protective Restoring Mask

It’s been an awful and crazy last few days, I’ll leave it at that. On a more positive note, there’s always miscellaneous beauty products (thankfully) to make these times a little more bearable. This is one of those products and for the life of me I cannot figure out why this isn’t raved about more – I know it’s the first moisture mask that I’ve tried but it’s become an integral part of my nighttime skincare routine.

Aloe Barbadensis Gel, Octyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Lanolin, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Levulinic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, p-Anisic Acid, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Water

As for basic details, The Body Shop Aloe Protective Restoring Mask retails for $22 CDN (and it seems like promotions are always available as well) for a generous 3.4 ounce/ 100 mL container and in a nutshell, I adore it for its ability to sort out dehydration issues and soothe irritated skin. The formulation is quite simple yet effective so not much is lost with the jar packaging and for those of you with as sensitive skin as I do, the formulation is a safe one, completely without any sort of fragrance or drying alcohols, etc. Although the texture of the product feels quite goopy (because of the aloe) and thick on the skin, it absorbs into the skin quite quickly and by morning it will be completely absorbed and thankfully it doesn’t feel uncomfortable on the skin.

After using this for over a month with great results about three times a week, I’m pleased to report that it made a significant difference in sorting out my dull and dehydrated skin. Immediately after applying the mask, the skin looks more radiant and bright but after prolonged use I found my skin to be much more supple and notably less dull. Also, this is a godsend on my easily irritated skin and I’ve found it to be great on inflamed breakouts after they’ve reached that painful and irritated stage.

While it may not be a groundbreaking product by any means, this has become an essential to my skincare routine, soothing the skin and adding that extra bit of moisture to combat my perpetual dehydration. It helps my skin to avoid that state where my face is red, itchy and flaky, so I suppose the claim that it helps to repair the skin’s natural barrier is true. I can also tell you that it’s a good night of sleep in a jar — when I wear this it’s impossible to tell that I’ve hardly slept the night before. Now this has got me curious about the whole world of these overnight moisture masks……….

Have you tried this mask or another moisture mask? What were your thoughts?

Maggie, x.

beauty favorites favourites makeup Maybelline Barely Blushing reviews Revlon Nearly Naked skincare The Body Shop Urban Decay Naked 3

February Favourites

If January was all about the haze that comes with stress and exhaustion, February was definitely a continuation on the same spectrum, with the same constant anxiety and perpetual exhaustion but also with the complication of sleeping troubles (obviously deprivation ensued throughout the month and the threat of fast approaching deadlines that forced me to turn my stress into something productive. And although I love winter, it has to be said that I’ve been suffering through the drab and dreary winter blues, I’m afraid to say.

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette ($62 CDN)

When I heard about this palette and saw pictures and videos featuring it for the first little while, I was not particularly impressed or planning to buy it but as time went on and I did more research, I had an itch that it would be a worthwhile purchase for me and man it was. This is one of the rare palettes that I can use to create a myriad of different combinations that I like without feeling compelled to reach for another palette – unless its for my eyebrows obviously. This wasn’t something I considered when I decided to buy the palette but the three matte shades are the hidden treasures of the palette, the workhorses in a sense. The rosy-taupe, Limit, works wonderfully as a transition shade on me, the darker rosy brown, Nooner, is one of my favourites for adding depth to the crease and Strange, the slightly pink-toned cream shade, highlights the eye without adding any extra shimmer. I’ve been rotating between using Burnout, Buzz and Trick on my lid and have been enjoying Darkside in the outer corner as well as Blackheart to deepen things up even more.

Sally Hansen Kwik Off ($5 CDN)

Even after contemplating this all month, it shocks me that I’m becoming one of those girls who talks obsessively about something as mundane as nail polish remover yet here I am. This is the easiest way to remove nail polish ever. I keep this on the floor next to my bed and I can remove my polish effortlessly without truly moving. You just have to lazily swirl your finger around through the fluid-filled sponge and then you are done. What more could you ask for?

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation ($11-12 CDN)

After trying this foundation at the beginning of the month, I haven’t been able to take it off my desk since. Although I rotate through a few others, this has to be a new favourite of mine as I easily wore it most of the month. It’s a nice and lightweight foundation that can go on sheerly with a small amount of product applied with the fingers but it provides weightless medium coverage combined with my loved Real Techniques Buffing Brush while looking light and dewy on the skin. I appreciate that this foundation has that lightweight look and feel without being full of drying alcohols and I have to say Shell has been an impressive match on me. This is one of the few foundations I can go to if my skin is an irritated, dehydrated and flaky mess without worrying about it making the texture look worse. From what I’d heard I thought this foundation was one that offered more of a natural finish than a luminous one and I was going to pass it up but then I heard Lily Pebbles describing it as glowier and I decided to pick it up when it went on sale for ten dollars and a dime or two.

The Body Shop Aloe Protective Restoring Mask ($22 CDN)

I’m not ashamed to admit that when I picked this up towards the beginning of the month, it was an impulsive buy, resulting from stress-shopping so I wasn’t expecting much so I was pleasantly surprised by my love of this after expecting very little from it. It’s an ultra-gentle fragrance-free overnight masque that feels sort of thick and gooey on the skin that seems to be absorbed quickly and results in less dehydrated and dull skin in the morning, making the skin look rested when I’ve hardly slept at all. I’ve been using it 2-3 times weekly since picking it up and I have to say it consistently helped calm my skin, made it look more luminous and helped makeup to apply smoothly. The ingredients are pretty basic but they are effective for truly hydrating the skin. I recommend trying this out (or at the very least some sort of moisture mask) if dehydration is a skincare concern of yours.

MAC Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish ($35 CDN)

This has received a great deal of mention from me here lately (in my weekly post from last week, for instance) but this has remained the blush that I’ve reached for day after day and for once it’s actually available as it’s being repromoted with MAC’s A Fantasy of Flowers collection. The texture of the blush is finely-milled so it sits in synergy with the skin and really helps to illuminate with its coppery coral bloom of colour that is not overly shimmering on the skin. This is one of those blushes that I put on and look instantly alive. If you tend to be a fan of corals and haven’t tried this one out, I recommend giving it a look before it’s gone. I don’t say these words often, but the cult-product is completely worth the hype, however I do have a thing for coral blushes…

Pantene Curly Hair Series Curl Shaping Gel ($6-8 CDN)

When I picked this gel up a month ago because if you have hair that’s on the curly end of the spectrum and wear it that way, a gel can be a lifesaver for definition and control of your curls but if like me you have hair that soaks up product and you have a whole lot of hair, it can get expensive going through higher end gels that I know and love and I was in great need of a nice one that didn’t break the bank. I generally associate Pantene with weighed down and silicone coated hair so I was surprised when I found out it was silicone-free while not being drying on the hair, providing a good deal of hold – but in my opinion not the extreme hold advertised. This gel gives really nice curl definition on my fine strands that I would classify as wavy-curls while keeping my dry and tangly hair in good condition. After being unhappy with my hair for a good couple of months, when I began using this a dramatic difference was seen for the better. It doesn’t weigh hair down in the slightest, I’m glad to say, while still being kind on the hair.

Maybelline Blushing Beige Lipstick ($9-10 CDN)

Lip products rarely seem to be featured in my favourites posts and it’s not because I don’t love them but rather is that I don’t tend to commit to wearing one over a long period of time but I’ve been wearing this one from the new ‘The Buffs’ collection frequently this month. The formula is comfortable on the lips while still having good longevity and it has that cream finish that I adore. Blushing Beige was one of the shades I recently reviewed and although it’s a true nude colour in depth, the warm pink-peach undertones keep the shade flattering on the lips and away from the concealer lips end of things. This shade is a difficult one to describe and in light of this, below is a picture of it on my pale lips.

What have you been loving this month?

beauty Canada chapped lips Essentials Fresh Cherry Sugar Lip Treatment Fresh Sugar Lip Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Cherry lip balm makeup redlips review skincare winter

Unheard and Under-Appreciated #2: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Cherry

It completely astounds me that I don’t hear much about these Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments as the tinted balm kind of products keep on increasing and increasing in popularity and these have got to be the best formula if this shade is anything to go by. After enjoying the sample of the regular lip balm and enjoying it tremendously for actually helping to heal and hydrate my chapped lips, I asked for a tinted one for Christmas and surely enough this one appeared underneath my tree and although it may not be a product I rave about frequently it’s one of those rare lip products that also has significant skincare properties as well – it performs well as a balm regardless of it’s pigmentation but it does well on that front too unlike the rest that I’ve tried.

The Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Cherry retails for $26 CDN at Sephora, contains SPF 15 (with avobenzone and octinoxate) and 4.3 grams of product while promising to be a hydrating and nourishing lip balm while still providing a tint of colour. I’m one who tends to be a skeptic about products achieving their outlandish claims but I think this tinted balm does more than it even claims to do. It nourishes damaged and sore lips very well in the way that an effective balm only can while providing medium-buildable colour payoff that actually sticks around on the lips for 3-4 hours with some eating and drinking here and there without smearing or wearing off unevenly.

I’m someone who suffers from uncomfortably sore dryness on any sort of skin and in the winter here, I’m slapping on the lip balm like my life depends on it (and using the good stuff) and my lips are still sore and a bit chapped. The formulas that promise to provide moisture and colour that everyone and their cat raves about (Revlon Lip Butters anyone?) are just not cutting it, as my lips have gotten to that point where even these comfortable formulas are not sitting nicely and they need intense nourishment to soothe the less than ideal bits and without sacrificing the longevity and pigmentation, the Fresh Cherry Sugar Lip Treatment delivers. The balm feeling on the lips lasts for the full duration that the product remains on the lips and even when the product has faded, my lips are left feeling nourished which is extremely rare for me. They feel heavenly on the lips, just like a lip balm but without the waxy feeling of the lip butters etc.

The Cherry shade is a fairly bright cherry-red (as the name would suggest) that seems to lean brick red on me with neutral-warm undertones. Although the treatment first applies somewhat sheerly, they quickly are built up to full on colour. This is everything that I had hoped that the Revlon Cherry Tart Lip Butter would be but wasn’t — much more saturated with pigment, without shimmer while being intensely more moisturizing and forgiving on sore lips. This seems like the perfect shade to wear to class as it provides the nice red tone that adds life to my face in the mornings, requiring no maintenance while still moisturizing the lips very effectively.

the Fresh on the top with a sheer layer, the Revlon on the bottom built-up

I’m afraid to say that this balm is worth the hefty price tag and I foresee myself picking up a few more shades in the foreseeable future. The only thing I can find to criticize in the product is the size of the bullet — as it does not taper to a tip, it can be difficult to apply due to its strong pigmentation – but I really can’t complain on any grounds.

What are some of your favourite under-appreciated products?

Maggie, x.

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Weekly Medley #4

This has been one of those weeks that requires limited elaboration so I’ll try to spare you my usual meaningless lengthy blabber. I’m pretty much in the same kind of zone as any other University student, stressed to the maximum with more work to do than she can handle. On top of this, I haven’t really been sleeping (at all) due to the stress of this and to be honest, I haven’t really been going for anything elaborate beauty-wise, as you can probably imagine. To be honest this has been one of those weeks when it’s a struggle to pull myself out of bed in the mornings.

After trying the much talked about Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation ($11-12 CDN) last week and using it on the daily since, I’m pleased to report that’s a foolproof slap er on kind of foundation that successfully masks the dreaded sleep-deprived and stressed face with minimal effort – and when you have about three minutes before running out the door, it can be applied with the fingers somewhat attractively in maybe thirty seconds. Score.

Generally speaking, I am a magazine fanatic and there’s always one that I’m subscribed to at any given time and at the moment it’s Elle Canada, which I subscribed to on a whim and I’ve been particularly impressed with the newly released March 2014 issue. While remaining on the affordable end of style/beauty magazines, it has interesting style and beauty content while still containing interesting and relevant nicely written articles as well. It can be difficult. It’s one of those rare magazines that seems to be written for those who have graduated from high school but do not quite have their lives sorted out yet for the next twenty-or-so years. This month featured a pull-out Spring/Summer 2014 Beauty Trend Report and as one would expect, I was all over it – I’m not a person who necessarily chooses makeup and other beauty products based on trends but I do like to see some inspiration, especially on dreary days like these. I particularly enjoyed the article titled “The Hits” that detailed ten spring fashion essentials.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve noted that I have been running dangerously low on mascara – not a hyperbole – and after dropping into Walmart last week and seeing this on for eight or so dollars I picked up the L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess Mascara ($9-10 CDN) and I’m really loving it (even though it is not dried out yet!) thus far. I tried the original Voluminous Million Lashes years ago which I liked for big lashes but found rather difficult to remove. I like that it’s not a particularly wet formula so with the synthetic brush you can achieve perfect separation with buildable volume and length without the potential of clumping. This one is also foolproof on the lower lashes, even without taking some of the excess off of the wand. However, it’s not difficult like waterproof mascara to remove but it is more difficult than most mascaras (such as my long-love The Falsies). But I note I naturally have long curled lashes that are much too wimpy for my taste so I don’t need a mascara to perform miracles per se….

A few weeks back I was enticed into picking up some products at The Body Shop and along with the body milk I picked up the Aloe Protective Restoring Masque ($22 CDN) – however it’s on sale on the site at the moment for $13.20 if you’re interested – in all honesty because I was feeling nostalgic wanting to try a product back from the line I used back in the day and for ages I’ve been wanting to venture into the overnight moisturizing masques but I’ve been non-committal. I’ve been using this a few times a week for the past few weeks and let me tell you, I could tell the difference right away – and that is not something I can say about a lot of skincare products. The tub is completely unhygienic and would be completely inefficient if it contained high concentrations of active ingredients but it is extremely economical, containing 100 mLs of the goo-like substance. It smells unenticing but I could not be more thrilled as it has not been fragranced-to-the-nth-degree as per usual at these natural sorts of stores (I might possibly be making reference to Lush here) but it’s not awful, but rather smells slightly medicinal like the gentlest unfragranced products. It has the texture of goo and is ultra-concentrated with moisture that stays in the skin after it has drunk it up. For the first half hour or so, the mask feels kind of tacky and gooey on the skin (due to its first ingredient aloe vera, I would hypothesize) but then the skin ‘drinks it up’. In the morning, I consecutively woke up dewy-looking and luminous skin that was quite soothed. It really helps to take down redness and irritation (particularly from breakouts I’ve noticed) and keeps the skin plump and hydrated even after it is washed off. And makeup sits so much nicer on the skin the next day, I’ve found.

Ummm, in terms of post and video obsessions there’s one clear standout in my book: The Drugstore Beauty Chat with Lilly Pebbles on Anna’s channel (Vivianna Does Makeup). I always love their “beauty chat” videos as they are entertaining to watch, amusing yet helpful at the same time. I love the laid-back style of them and I’m constantly cracking up while watching one and this one was no different. There were some great additions to my wishlist as a result of watching but I couldn’t be happier. I just loooooove when these two get together and make these.

There are no words.

How was your week and what have you been loving?

Maggie, x.

holed up in the library again and indeed, I do wear glasses and warning I’m not actually wearing foundation here

beauty Clinque Acne Solutions Mask favorite lululemon MAC Tenderling makeup reviews roundup skincare Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette week weekly roundup

Weekly Medley #3

This week was when I admitted to myself (finally) that it was imperative that I get the ball rolling with schoolwork and the like. This was not particularly fun. Everything has been adding up and has transformed into some sort of psychological claustrophobia inducing mass. Unlike my school experience last semester (and the year before), it’s not a week or two of debilitating chaos that is messing with my mind but it’s constant long-term work that requires dedication, focus, attention and organization. Note: I would not say that I possess said skills in quantifiable amounts. Alas, – I’ve always wanted to say that in a post – I’m aware enough to be doubtful that I will survive the crunch if some sort of sorcery doesn’t occur now. Main point of this ramble: This week has been pretty focused on products etc. of the grab and go variety and quick destressing fixes.

During weeks such as these, I come to really appreciate my enjoyment derived from reading posts and watching videos (of the beauty variety of course) – this becomes quite apparent. Being as scatterbrained and unfocused as I am, I’ve taken to listen to videos while putt-ing (horrible golf reference) through my required readings (or at least most of them) and writing my papers holed up in the library and this has been rather productive method for me, oddly enough. I always adore Lisa Eldrige’s (otherwise known as the makeup goddess) videos – she’s an amazing makeup artist who has a great minimalistic aesthetic, is incredibly informative and has the most soothing voice – buuuuut I had a marathon watching her videos sneakily in the unpopulated corner. It’s a few years old but Lisa’s Minimal Makeup Tutorial – Rosy Flushhas to be one of my all-time favourites that I rewatched. She epitomizes gorgeous yet effortless makeup, need I say more?

Everyone reading this knows her blog, I’m sure, so this likely won’t be majorly interesting but Anna’s “My Edinburgh Edit”was an especially interesting post this week. She looked effortless and gorgeous in the post (anyone else noticing a theme here?), the post was impeccably laid-out as always and who doesn’t enjoy a daily face post, especially one written by the trustworthy and amusing Anna?

Early this week, my skin did this thing where it breaks out in more than a few irritated and inflamed bumps and this is hardly surprising considering how stressed I am at the moment. I have the misfortune of my skin depicting my inner state. Thankfully I knew better than to overdo the spot treatments and irritate things further (I can’t even quantify the number of times I’ve made this mistake in the past…) and instead I pulled out the trustworthy Clinique Acne Solutions Oil-Control Cleansing Mask ($26 CDN) and it worked better than expected when I slapped it on before bed. My skin was not irritated afterwards and the morning after there was a remarkable decrease in inflammation and the underneath the skin pesky bumps. I’m not usually one to rave about masks but this one earned its mention here.

I cringe at the very thought of including this but even though I’ve rambled about it all week, The Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette ($62 CDN) deserves its mention as I’ve worn it every single day this week and more than that, I have been pleased with it each and every time. It’s one of those practical-yet-elusive all-inclusive palettes that create really nice eye makeup with minimal effort. It provides the warmth that prevents me from looking like a zombie (the brain hasn’t felt like shutting off enough to let me sleep for six hours as of late). The shades are cohesive and really suit my warm-toned skin and blue eyes.

a satisfying eye combination featuring the palette in question

I don’t give the MAC Powder Blush in Tenderling ($21/25 CDN) enough credit as it has been a godsend for me lately. It’s that neutral blush that looks like nothing to write home about in the pan that adds both shape and warmth to the face at once with its light rosy brown matte hue with you guessed it warm undertones. It’s a blessing to have as it’s a shade you can ‘pop’ on without even having to think about it – yes I’m aware that I spend entirely too much time watching British beauty videos.

On a more random note, I’ve been adoring my Lululemon Wonder Under Leggings ($82/92 CDN) this week – not that I don’t constantly adore them; I do wear them most likely more often than socially acceptable… Before you write me off as delusional listen to this: they are as gloriously comfortable while still remaining socially-acceptable and are a less depressing alternative to rocking the sweatpants. You throw them on with some nice tall boots, a long cardigan and top with a scarf haphazardly brought to the mix and bam you look pulled together while in the optimal frame of mind to be productive. Wearing these while working in the library legitimately made a significant difference in terms of my ability to function this week. Sometimes the effort of wearing pants is beyond you and at such times these leggings are a lifesaver.

What have you been loving this week? I’m always open to new products to justify purchasing!

Maggie,x.

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Weekly Medley #1

I’ve always enjoyed reading weekly favourite posts and videos of the same variety but I’ve thought that my selections would be a little boring and repetitive as I’ve not an unlimited supply of beauty products and thought better of the whole idea. However I’ve noticed that there are products that I’ve been wanting to talk about without donating an entire post to the effort that seem to go unmentioned and thus the weekly medley was born.

The Beauty Staples

A few weeks ago I picked up the Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Creamy Cleanser and it has really impressed me with its balance of gentleness and efficacy; without containing fragrance and stripping detergents, it removes makeup – not of the most waterproof variety of course but double cleansing will remove all of my face products on the regular. This cleanser is affordable and easy to use with its pump dispenser and lightweight texture.

The gorgeous luminous Maybelline Master Hi-light Bronzer in Deep Bronze that I recently reviewed has blown me away this week. It’s a rosy copper that warms up the face, adding that elusive glow without adding a lot of obvious colour to the face. The texture of the product is smooth and it sits seamlessly on even my dry patches.

Even though it’s a nuisance to remove and requires frequent sharpening, I’ve gone back to using the cult favourite Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Perversion , but as I’ve said before it’s not my favourite for my inner rims because of the impossible to remove factor in my dry eyes and it’s gel consistency isn’t the easiest to apply but I love it on the upper and lower lash lines because of its intensity and ability to be smudged out without moving. Whether I’m going for a smoky eye or a subtle one, I’m someone who benefits from liner and this has been constantly reached for this week, even over my beloved L’Oreal liquid liner. *GASP*.

Blog & Video Recommendations

This week I rediscovered Lily Pebbles and stalked her recent blog posts and had a marathon of her videos that I’ve already seen but feel compelled to watch again. She’s one of my favourite beauty bloggers and she also makes the best laid-back beauty videos. If you don’t watch her videos or read her blog, she’s amazing and I highly recommend checking her out on both platforms. She’s one that I always trust for opinions on items prior to purchasing.

In terms of individual posts, Amelia Liana, the writer of the blog liana-beauty.com, brought out her “Glowy Not Sweaty” post this week and as always with her, it was fun to read and look at and she looked gorgeous – in the loads of posts I read and loved this week, this was the clear standout. You know how I feel about looking glowy….

Blogging Thoughts

I was rather proud of myself blogging-wise this week, putting up not only one review but putting up to. I’ll keep my shameless self-promotion to a minimum and link my review of the aforementioned Maybelline bronzer here.

General Life Update

The whole blizzard episode may now be over but it’s been freezing here, snowing constantly and the like so I can safely say that I haven’t been robbed of the authentic winter experience this year. Getting back into the whole school thing hasn’t been easy strangely and with the change in routine I’ve been perpetually exhausted but I’m pleased to report that I caught up on my sleep this weekend. This week I have been living in flannel pyjamas and I’m not ashamed that I wear them as much as I can possibly get away with. I’m afraid anxiety has gotten the best of me this month but there’s no remedy better that snuggling up in bed with a good cup of tea, book and makeup to stare at.

How was your week and what have you been loving?

Maggie, x

acne amazing beauty chemical exfoliant drugstore exfoliant indeedlabs Indeeds Labs Pepta-Bright Pepta-Bright peptabright review reviews sensitive skin serum Skin skincare Skincare products

Indeed Labs Peptabright (spoiler: in a world of lacklustre products, it’s brilliant)

Skincare products can be difficult to judge as they’re not something that you’re measuring the results of for merely the time the product is sitting on your skin. I’m aware I’m not having my most articulate moment here but I refuse to give up on this post that is long enough overdue as it is. Retry time. Skincare is difficult to review fairly because its effects are more difficult to judge because they tend to be long-term, rather than merely covering-up the skin they aim to improve the skin itself and said difficulty is why I don’t write many skincare reviews but I feel confident enough to provide my verdict on the Indeeds Labs Pepta-Bright, as I’ve been using it since October and have seen results without making any other significant changes to my skincare regime. The serum retails for $40 CDN (at Shoppers), 25 GBP (at Boots) and can be picked up in the states as well in Walgreens. Long-story-short this is a brightening cream serum containing 30 mLs of product in a compact white tube.

The official description of the cream-serum, taken directly from the box is as follows:

Our promise is to deliver the most advanced peptide based skin brightening treatment. Pepta-Bright is a combination of 7 powerful active ingredients which target 7 biological factors. This cream-serum is designed to improve the appearance of hyperpigmentation, age spots and uneven skin tone. The unique formula is lightweight yet rich in texture. Pepta-bright helps to reduce the intensity of dark spots while promoting overall skin clarity and brightness, leaving a luminous and radiant complexion. You’ll be surprised by how fast you will see results!

From my previous research and trial and error along with checking the always-helpful cosdna, there does not seem to be any overly harsh or commonly irritating ingredients in this offering – but as always everyone has different skin but mine is incredibly sensitive especially to drying alcohols and I’m pleased to report there are none. This serum is essentially a chemical exfoliant with lactic acid as its active ingredient with a hydrating base containing glycerin. It’s as intense as promised but gentle at the same time (not an oxymoron, I promise) in the sense that it’s free of harsh additives yet it’s a concentrated chemical exfoliant so you’re getting a whole lot of bang for your buck. It doesn’t irritate my easily irritated skin but it can tingle uncomfortably on skin that is already irritated.

In my trial of chemical exfoliants in the last year, I’ve learned that results are not immediate but with continued use dramatic results do occur. I’m not going to hide my bias toward this product; with continuous use since the beginning of October, it’s become one of my very few hero skincare products. Now I can safely say that it’s provided dramatic results that I’m happy with but I didn’t really see results until two-three months of use regardless of how frequently I applied the product, yet the results were dramatic when I could see them. It’s a testament to this products effecacy that since the results have become visible to me I’ve also received lots of compliments on my skin from friends that I see on a daily basis and this has been the only variable in my routine.

You can probably extrapolate my general skin condition and concerns from what I’ve said here but I thought further detail would be helpful; I have dry, dehydrated and easily irritated skin prone to redness, congestion, clogged pores, scarring and all sorts of lumps and bumps. In other words, my skin is naturally uneven and dull, lacking clarity and this has tremendously helped. The most dramatic difference has been in the decrease of those annoying clogged-pore bumps on my forehead, cheeks and chin but I’ve noticed fading of the scars that always accompany my breakouts as well as a more radiant and even complexions. As most products seem to be, Pepta-Bright is marketed with almost-otherworldly claims (“the most advanced”, anyone?) but I think it actually does achieve on said claims. If you suffer from dullness, unevenness and the like, you need this treatment. It’s made its way into my nightime routine 3-4 times per week and I cry when I think about it leaving anytime soon. Take this from a skeptic and cynic like myself, this falls into the magical baby unicorn tears category.

left: without face makeup when I started using right: makeupless after five months of use — left: without face makeup when I started using
right: makeupless after five months of use

Have you tried this or anything similar? I’m always open to recommendations!

x, Maggie

beauty college lifestyle nomakeup notes oil skincare snow tea winter

Baby, It’s ‘Blizzard’-ing Outside

It’s not every day that one has to trek to school during a blizzard when every other school (post-secondary or otherwise) has been cancelled with good sense. Being a Canadian, I don’t exaggerate about blizzards but even I have no choice but to admit that there is one going on, freezing blowing snow, howling winds and all. Now I diOun’t actually make it out the door with makeup on so I could leave insanely early and actually arrive at the cursed institution but I’m remedying that at the moment because I clearly have a problem and am acting out of character with perhaps the cheesiest post title I’ve done to date. And okay so school was eventually cancelled and I’m finally home after the adventure but of course nothing is ever easy.

When you’re subjecting yourself (particularly your face) to these kinds of elements (particularly if your skin is as sensitive and dehydrated as mine), your skin will protest if you think the usual skincare basics will be adequate. On days like these, I try to load up on the soothing and gentle products. This morning, I used my recent addition, the sister product to my old flame the Extra Gentle Cleanser, Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser ($10-13 CDN). It’s among the gentlest of cleansers with one of the pumps that gives the right amount of product and has that light and rich Cetaphil texture while being much more gentle and hydrating on the skin. On the less related note, it removes makeup better than it’s predecessor and the average cleanser, I’m pleased to report. On harsh winter days like these, it can be wise to skip out on the typical treatments in the morning and focus on protecting your skin against the elements and my current pick was the lovely-but-not-quite-as-perfectly-gentle-and-soothing as the fragrance-free Kiehl’s Stress Rescuer, Ren Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream ($66 CDN) which I’m happy to report is very hydrating and is soothing unless applied on the most irritated skin with the inclusion of beneficial antioxidants and anti-irritants high on the ingredient list. The moisturizer is lightweight but rich and leaves a flattering luminosity to the skin that sits well under makeup. To end the skincare tangent of mine, an oil can serve as that extra-protective soothing layer and for me at least, with the combination of the other two has miraculously prevented my red itchy and painful skin. Okay so I was short on time this morning so this step didn’t actually happen but I do love the By Nature Organic Rosehip Oil ($26) with it’s rich dry-oil texture.

Even if you’re not one of those avid tea-lovers, tea is essential on stormy winter days like these. I’m not hugely fussy about the particular details about the said hot beverage but it’s necessary nevertheless. I’m not usually a fan of anything decaffeinated but I’m enjoying my cup of the nice and wintry Celestial Seasonings Cinnamon Apple Spice Herbal Tea. If you’re anything like me and adore spiced beverages and baking, this is for you. In weather like this it should be law to accompany the tea with wearing comfy flannel (mine are from aerie) and snuggling underneath blankets – with a magazine of course. Lately I’ve been enjoying Elle Canada, but regardless of what magazine you have kicking around it’s necessary to haphazardly flip through it all warm and cozy. It shouldn’t be a surprise that I love magazines and this one is nice as it has actual content to pair with the fashion and beauty bits.

Now that I’m back home, unable to leave the warmth of the blankets I’m snuggled underneath and muster the effort to apply makeup to the face that I will later have to remove so the previously mentioned makeup didn’t happen. You know how it is, I’m sure.

What have been your winter staples?

Maggie

beauty Bioderma dry skin lazy lifestyle nails skincare week winter

A Day in the Life: Lazy-But-Productive Sunday

the workstation feat. comfy attire – aside: Lululemon leggings are heavenly

I don’t know about you, but I’m addicted to reading beauty blogs (pretty much a given considering that I write one) and my greatest addictions are ones that incorporate their lives into the mix as well, without completely veering off from beauty-related territory – Suzie’s Hello October, Amelia’s Liana Beauty and Alix’s I Covet Thee, to name a few.

I feel compelled to warn you that I have an extremely boring life and rather rarely do anything interesting so lower your expectations before reading further. For years, as I’m such a procrastinator, Sundays have been that day when I have to be productive but endeavour to do so in the laziest way possible. My general life philosophy is rather lazy and you might have already guessed that I write the majority of my blog posts on my bed and take a good number of my pictures without having to move. You caught me.

On the agenda today is the usual readings and assignments that I should have already done, thinking about cleaning the catastrophic state of the room and blog post writing and/or planning and doing something to fix the state of my nails – It’s screwing with my mind writing a blog post about blog post writing.

the authentic "no-makeup face" — the authentic “no-makeup face”

Skin; while mine is nowhere even close to the realm of flawless, I have been receiving compliments on mine in real life and can easily say it’s the best I’ve had since I turned thirteen and I’ve been planning on doing a full-on skincare update for some time now but I never seem to get around to it. I thought I’d share what products I’ve been grabbing in the morning religiously.

I’ve been cleansing with the gentle but annoying to use on account of it’s lid, Bioderma Hydrabio Cleansing Milk ($25 CDN) in the mornings (although I use it on occasion at night as it removes makeup well) and I like it. It never makes my sensitive, easily-irritated skin angry looking afterwards and for that it might deserve a gold star. Unless my skin is particularly sore (which thankfully it is not at the moment) I use the most gentle chemical exfoliant, the Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion ($16 CDN) that (along with my nightime chemical exfoliants, Peptabright and the Neutrogena one) I attribute the increased brightness and radiance in my skin to, as well as the radical reduction in the pesky chin breakout bumps and the clogged pore situation on the forehead. It works without irritating the skin whatsoever so my naturally-flushed skin is less flushed than it has been in ages believe it or not. The skincare trio was completed by slathering on a good layer of the soothing but not heavy Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer ($42 CDN). Sometimes I add an oil for good measure, but this is how it’s been in the mornings and I’m happy with the results my routine has given me. Following with the laziness theme, I can’t be bothered to apply makeup – and this is a sign of skin improvement.

winter is not my friend when lighting is concerned

Now I fear I must conquer the frightening sight that is my neglected nails and move onto the more difficult stuff. x

most frightening application of Essie Sand Tropez and my latest love in tub form