Holiday Gift Guide Featuring Paul & Joe

Keeping with my holiday theme, I thought I'd share two cute products from Paul & Joe that would make perfect stocking stuffers. The packaging is too cute and they're perfectly sized for stockings and purses alike.

"Give the gift of hands of silk this holiday season with the Paul & Joe Silky Hand Cream. Naturally fragrant ingredients in the formula include citrus notes such as lemon, orange, mandarin and ginger, providing a bright and refreshing scent." /source/ 

Paul & Joe Silky Hand Cream ($17, 14g) is housed in a beautiful blue tube that's just so pretty to look at. It has a pleasant scent that isn't too strong and it doesn't linger for long. It feels silky upon applcation and it leaves my hands feeling hydrated.  This cream is perfect for winter!

Paul & Joe Eye Color CS in Caprice Girl 110 ($30) is a limited edition, two-toned neutral eyeshadow duo. It comes in a cute vintage style box with an applicator that's lightweight and portable. These two shadows look stunning together and swatch beautifully, however, they don't apply the same way on the eyes. I had to build them up a lot for them to show up (especially the lighter shade). Once on, they look stunning and wear for the whole day without creasing or fading. Since these shades are quite light, I like to pair them with a bold red lip for a look that wows.

You can find these and other Paul & Joe products online at beautyboutique.ca and in-store at select Shoppers Drug Mart's.

This post features press samples that were generously provided for editorial consideration. As always, all opinions are my own.

Dior Precious Rocks Holiday 2017

Each year, the house of Dior releases a limited edition Holiday Collection that you can't help but fall in love with. This year, Dior took inspiration from precious gems and teamed it with the rock attitude of the modern Dior woman. The result? Precious Rocks Holiday 2017

The Precious Rocks Collection features two 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palettes, one Nude Air Luminizer, 4 Diorific Matte Fluid Lip & Cheek Tints, 5 Diorific Rouge Khôl, a Dior Vernis Liner and 4 Dior Vernis. Today I'm sharing my thoughts on the Diorific Matte Fluids, Diorific Khôl and Dior Vernis.

"The sparkling, vibrant tones of Diorific Vernis nail polishes reflect the brilliance of precious rocks." /source/ 

Dior Vernis 745 Grenat

I've never used Dior Vernis (nail polish), so I immediately dove right in! The bottles are incredibly gorgeous and have a vintage flare that I seriously love. I do find the wand a bit awkward to hold, which in turn makes me slow down and focus more while I'm painting my nails. That's not necessarily a bad thing - I end up with a super clean mani because of it! The brush on the other hand, is fabulous! It's wide and rounded which is perfect for my naturally long nail beds. One coat is enough for opaque coverage and I get a solid 3 to 4 days before it starts to show signs of wear. What's more impressive is that I applied it completely solo; no base and no top coat!

"A Dior essential, Diorific Matte Fluid tints lips and cheeks with a matte texture in four exclusive shades." /source/ 

Diorific Matte Fluid Lip & Cheek Tints ($47) is, as the name suggests, a lip and cheek tint. It's available in 4 shades and today I'm talking about Charm #005 and Intensity #008. The bottles are so elegant and add a touch of class to my vanity. They're not ideal to travel with, but thankfully they wear long enough that that's not necessary!

Charm #005

This is a neutral shade that looks great on my lips, but even better on my cheeks! It has a typical doe foot applicator that makes lining and filling my lips an easy task. The finish is matte and it feels like a liquid lipstick opposed to a tint. It does cling to dry patches a bit, but a scrub and some lip balm will stop it from being obvious. Wear time is decent; a good 4-5 hours including eating and drinking.

I love to use it as a blush. I put a dab on my finger and blend it in gently. It dries quickly and leaves an incredibly natural looking flush. The amount of time it wears depends on what base makeup I'm using. To prolong its longevity, I reach for full coverage foundation as my base and set it with powder.

Intensity #008

This shade is a deep purple that reminds me of rich velvet. I found it took a few swipes to get even coverage on my lips. The finish is matte and it feels much like a stain - slightly drying, but nothing prepping with lip balm can't fix. It wears for quite a few hours before fading and it does transfer slightly. I didn't try this shade on my cheeks because it's a bit too avant garde for my liking, but that's just my personal taste.

Top-Bottom
Diorific Khol #991, Diorific Matte Fluid #008, Diorific Matte Fluid #005

"For the first time ever, Diorific is now available as a kohl for lips. Delivers intense color with a powdery, matte finish. 

Simply irresistible. Pure glamour. The faceted bullet makes applying lipstick almost magical." /source/ 

Diorific Rouge Khôl ($46) is available in 5 shades and I'm sharing my thoughts on Bold Amethyst #991 This shade is way prettier on than it is in the tube. It's a vampy, dark purple that looks almost blackened in certain lighting. I love the unique shape of the lipstick; it reminds me of a pencil and it applies so precisely. It feels creamy on my lips and not at all drying. I need more of these lipsticks. Seriously!

You can find these and other Dior products nationwide at Sephora, Hudson's Bay and Nordstrom.

Press samples were generously provided for editorial consideration. As always, all opinions are my own.

Ready. Set. Holidays! Shoppers Drug Mart Holiday Gift Guide

One of my favourite things to do is browse the aisles at Shoppers Drug Mart during the holiday season. I can always find something for everyone on my wishlist (myself included) and even better, the gifts are affordable!

Every year Quo releases a selection of gift sets with varied tastes in mind. From lipstick to brow products and brushes, there's something for every beauty lover!

The Matte Lipstick Bar ($20 CAD) is sure to be a hit with lipstick lovers! You get 8 deluxe-sized samples of liquid lipstick, ranging from nudes to bolds with a matte finish. The lipsticks are pigmented and long wearing, however, they're not transfer proof. They do feel a bit sticky until they dry down, so it's a good idea to blot after application. Alternatively, you can dust your lips with translucent powder.

Quo Beauty On The Go ($35) is perfect for the traveller in your life. This set contains 3 palettes that cover all the basics! You get an eyeshadow palette with 6 neutral shadows in shimmer and matte finishes, a palette with two highlight shades plus a blush, and a lip gloss palette containing 6 pigmented lip glosses ranging from nude to bolder. The only thing missing from this set is applicators. It would have been nice to get a brush for the gloss, but I'm sure we all have tons of those already 😜

The Quo All About Eyes Shadow Palette ($22) contains two matte base shades, 7 mattes and 5 shimmery shades. This palette is great for day-to-day looks as well as smokey eyes. This palette pairs very well with a nice bold lip. I recommend pairing it with the red liquid lipstick from the Matte Lipstick Bar for a classic Christmas look.

Contouring isn't going anywhere, so why not gift someone a chiseled complexion this year. The Quo Face Sculpting Palette ($22) has 3 highlighting shades and 3 sculpting shades in a mix of warm and cool tones. The powders are creamy, pigmented and blendable. I personally find it hard to get a contour palette that isn't too dark for my fair complexion, so I'm happy to see that this one is quite light. I'm also glad that it's a completely matte palette. If you're fair to light skinned, you're seriously going to loooove this palette!

Another fabulous stocking stuffer is the Quo Brow Essentials Kit ($10). It contains a dual ended pencil to shape and fill in sparse brows, a highlighting pencil and a brow gel. I am absolutely, positively, smitten with this set! The pencils are sooo creamy, pigmented and they blend so well! The shades are perfect in every way possible and look really natural (well the Brow pencil does lol). I'm seriously considering clearing out the stock at my local SDM 💸

Quo by ORLY Breathable 12 Days Of Colorful Healthy Nails Advent Calendar ($40) is a must-have for any beauty lover. This grown-up version of an advent calendar features 11 polishes and 1 treatment product. This is my first beauty advent calendar, and I want to savour it. Which means no spoilers! If you want to see what's inside, be sure to keep an eye on my insta stories in December 😉

If you're looking for a stocking stuffer, you should check out Quo by ORLY Marvelous Minis ($16). You get 4 colours that compliment each other beautifully. When you do the math, it works out to cost only $4 per polish which is a great deal. Fairy Godmother is such a gorgeous shade and I seriously can't get enough!

Last, but certainly not least, is the Quo Lip Gloss Ornament ($5). This cute little lip gloss comes housed in a small box that you can hang off of your tree (or put in a stocking). I'm seriously considering decorating my tree with makeup and this would be a great start 😉

Quo has 30 limited edition holiday items this year, so you're sure to find something to appease the makeup lover in your life. And don't forget, Shoppers carries all sorts of products ranging from food to electronics. You might just be surprised at how much of your holiday shopping you can get done there.

Have you picked up anything from Quo's Holiday Collection? Which items tickle your fancy? Lets chat in the comment section below 👇



*Press samples were generously provided for editorial consideration. As always, all opinions are my own.

Getting Hair-Free For The Holidays With no! no! PRO

Like many of you, I've seen the commercials for the no! no! PRO and wondered - does this thing actually work? With such a hefty price tag, I was hesitant to purchase it. I wanted to try it first.

The no! no! PRO is a pain-free alternative to shaving that promises to keep you hair free for longer - in some cases, permanently. Unlike traditional hair removers, the no! no! PRO uses thermicon technology (aka heat) to crystallize hair. You can use it pretty much anywhere you want to remove hair with the exception of your genitals (bikini line is ok - just nowhere near your bits) nipples, and near your eyes (no eyebrows).

The no! no! PRO comes with the device, 2 attatchments (small and large), buffing pad and mini brush to clean the device. Application is easy; glide the device in a steady motion against the grain of the hair, then follow with the buffing pad to remove crystallized hair. Sounds easy enough, right?

It takes a few minutes to get used to using the no! no! PRO. Constant, steady movements are required and it took me a few passes on my arm to get it right. The device will shine blue light when the correct pressure is used, and you will smell it when it's working. When the no! no! PRO is working, you will smell burning hair. Don't be alarmed; it's a normal part of the process! I'm not going to sugar coat it, it's a bit off-putting, but you get used to it. It's not painful but feels warm - I actually like the sensation!

Depending on the area I'm working on, multiple passes are needed. I will do a few passes, buff and repeat until the hair is thoroughly singed. Some hairs are completely removed while others are shortened. Not really noticeable and not a huge deal. You can shave them off, if they bother you. The process does take a while, so plan on doing it on your downtime. I use it while I'm watching tv.

After using it every other day on my arms for 2 weeks, I can see a difference in the amount of hair. It has definitely slowed down the growth! I'm excited to see what happens in the coming months and will update this post to share my results 😊

You can find the no! no! PRO in-store at Shoppers Drug Mart and online at nonopro.com use the code NONOYT5 to save 10% 

*Press samples were generously provided for editorial consideration. As always, all opinions are my own.

Shu x Mario Art of Hair Holiday Collection 2017

It's that magical time of year again when the air gets colder and the days get shorter. With fall in full swing and winter fast approaching, it's time to start thinking about the holidays. Although I loathe the cold, I'm a huge fan of the holidays. Mainly, because...shopping! As a beauty blogger and lover, I eagerly anticipate the limited edition sets. Often times you get more bang for your buck and the beauty of the packaging amplifies. This year I thought I would do something a little different, and share a holiday gift guide. Follow me on my journey as I review these beautiful holiday collections on the blog and social media.

Kicking off my holiday gift guide is Shu Uemura Art of Hair. Shu Uemura is known for thinking outside of the box, often bringing a unique approach to their collections. This year they teamed up with Super Mario Bros, creating the Shu x Mario collection. They revamped some of their Art of Hair products and adorned them with out favourite pixalated characters that will appease the kid in all of us!

"Shu Uemura Art of Hair collaborates with Super Mario for a limited holiday edition of our Cleansing Oil Shampoo for all hair types. This gentle oil shampoo gently cleanses while respecting the balance of the scalp. The lightweight cleanser provides radiance with a unique airy touch. The lightweight finish makes it perfect for all hair types, including those with oily hair. Safe on color-treated hair and silicon and paraben-free." 

/source/

First of all, how cute is that bottle?! Pixalated Mario looks like he's swimming up a pipe and I can't even deal! Packaging aside, this shampoo is amazing. The pump looks stylish and ensures you don't squeeze out too much. The shampoo has a light scent and lathers nicely. It deep cleans without stripping my hair and it leaves it soft, manageable and full of life. They weren't kidding when they said it's suitable for all hair types; it works on my hair (short, straight and fine) and on my daughters hair (long and curly).

"Shu Uemura Art of Hair collaborates with Super Mario for a limited holiday edition of our Cleansing Oil Conditioner for all hair types. This gentle oil conditioner softly detangles, giving hair immediate shine and radiance. The unique, lightweight translucent gel texture offers ultimate spreadability and absorption for a truly effortless conditioning experience. The lightweight finish makes it perfect for all hair types, including those with oily hair. Safe on color-treated hair and paraben-free."

/source/

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil Conditioner ($56, 250 ml) has the same pixalated Mario print, but with a solid cream coloured background. It too comes with a handy pump and I can't be more thankful for that. This conditioner has a thin texture but don't let that fool you into applying more than you need! It's incredibly hydrating so a little goes a long way. It's working pretty good in my hair, but even better in my daughters hair.

"Shu Uemura Art of Hair collaborates with Super Mario for a limited holiday edition of our Essence Absoulue nourishing protective oil. This nourishing and protective essence infused with camellia oil helps protect the hair fiber against dryness, frizz and uv damage while providing intense nutrition." /source/

Essence Absoulue ($69, 150 ml) can be used as a pre-shampoo treatment or as a leave in after washing and conditioning hair. It's formulated with camellia oil to soften and smooth hair. Camellia oil contains essentials lipids to deeply nourish and maintain the lipid balances of the hair fiber. Fun fact: Geishas used this to maintain the overall beauty of their hair! Sadly, this oil is too heavy for my fine hair. I can (and do) use it as a pre-treatment though. My oldest daughter uses it, and it adds so much shine and life to her curls when she uses it as a pre-treatment.

"Shu Uemura Art of Hair collaborates with Super Mario for a limited holiday edition of our Master Wax Styling paste, perfect for all hair types. This cream to wax formula offers powerful high hold styling with a high shine finish. The innovative texture allows for styling simplicity; easy to work and rework through the hair to achieve multiple styles and looks. Never stiff or greasy. Suitable for all hair types. " /source/ 

Super Mario Master Wax ($42, 75 ml) is perfect for slicked back styles, high hold updos, texturized blowouts and so much more! This cream to wax formula boasts high hold and high shine. I like to use it to smooth flyaways and hold the shape of my bob. It's easy to work with and leaves my hair in place without being greasy or stiff.

This collection is super fun and The products do exactly what they say they do - a definite winner in my books!

The Shu x Mario Art of Hair collection is available in Shu Uemura salons and online at shuuemura.ca

What do you think of this collection? Are you a fan of Super Mario? Lets chat in the comment section below 👇

*Press samples were generously provided for editorial consideration. As always, all opinions are my own!