Sample Sunday | Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Antioxidant Infusion Essence

Happy Sunday!  Today's sample of the day is Elizabeth Arden's Prevage Anti-Aging Antioxidant Infusion Essence.

An essence is basically a powerful blend of antioxidants which treat skin on a cellular level.  They help improve skin texture,  tone and fight wrinkles and fine lines.  They are a very important step in Korean skincare yet remain a bit of a mystery to the western world.

Essences are applied morning and night after cleansing and toning.  Most essences are liquids and can be applied with a cotton pad/ball or by hand.  Personally I find that you waste a lot by using cotton so I prefer to use my hands.  How does one apply a liquid with their hands?  Easy.  Pour a bit onto the palm of your hand and carefully splash it on while tapping it in.  Remember your Dad applying after shave?  Just like that!

Arden's Prevage Anti-Aging Antioxidant Infusion Essence claims to infuse skin with instant hydration and antioxidants.  It is said to boost skins moisture levels both instantly and over time leaving skin feeling soft,  smooth and conditioned.  Luckily I received a generous sample of it so I was able to get quite a few uses out of it.

I found that my skin soaked it right up. By the time I replaced the cap it had absorbed into my skin.  My face definitely felt hydrated,  smooth and ready for serum and cream.  I didn't experience any irritation or breakouts and my skin has been looking a lot more even and feeling smoother since using it.

Having said that,  without testing this for at least a month I can't say whether or not it truly works.  I do feel like it's a promising product and I will be purchasing the full size.

Have you tried this essence?  How about the Prevage line in general?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

My All-time Favourite Foundation | Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup Swatches + Review

This post is seriously overdue! I've been using DW for almost a year now and I have nothing but positive things to say about it!  I have tried other foundations since purchasing DW for the first time back in September but I always return to Lauder.

I was initially matched at Sephora to the shade 1N2 Ecru and although it worked well for me,  I have since switched over to the warm range.  I love the fact that there are three ranges (cool, neutral and warm) and within that there are intensity levels. This allows for greater flexibility in finding your perfect shade.

As far as coverage goes,  it's literally photoshop in a bottle!  It can conceal blemishes,  scars and any other imperfections you want to hide.  I have succesfully covered minor acne scarring as well as redness on my cheeks with this stuff.  Seriously,  say bye to your concealer because you won't be needing it anymore! It doesn't take a lot of layering to build coverage either.  In fact, less is more!

To get a flawless finish I recommend applying it to a well cleansed and moisturized face.  As with any foundation, a solid skincare regime will make for easier application,  blending and reduce the likelihood of it clinging to dry patches.

Secondly,  use a good quality foundation brush to apply it.  If you want flawless,  full coverage you definitely want to use a brush. If you want less coverage (medium) than use a beauty blender.  Another important thing to note is that it sets quickly so you need to move fast when blending otherwise you will have an uneven finish.

If you're like me and don't/can't be bothered to touch up your makeup all day you will appreciate the fact that this is long wearing. And by long wearing I mean it's not coming off until you choose to take it off.  I have gotten 15hrs of wear with this foundation and it still looks as good at the end of the day as it did in the morning.  Heat, humidity and water are no match for this stuff.  Seriously,  you can steam your face and it won't budge (although I wouldn't recommend it.)

Although primer and powder aren't necessary,  I do recommend using a touch of blush or bronzer to avoid looking 'flat'.

I've swatched some of the light to medium shades for you to check out!  The top arm is swatched indoors (artificial light),  middle is in natural light and bottom is in direct sunlight. These are heavy, unblended swatches and the shades from left to right are : 3W1, 2W2, 2W1, 1W2, 1W1 and 1N2.

And here's a photo of me wearing 2W1 which is my perfect summer shade.  I know I don't look the happiest here but I'm not miserable,  I promise.  Just a little over heated ;)

Have you tried DW?  If so,  what do you think?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Sample Sunday!

It's been a long, hot weekend here and I've
been attempting to organize my beauty products.  While doing so, I stumbled across a ton of samples.  From single use to deluxe I'm up to my ears in samples.  I've decided to work my way through them and have a weekly post dedicated to it.  Fun right?!

So without further ado,  I bring you the first installment of sample Sunday!  This week it's a shampoo and conditioner duo by North American Hemp Co.

I tested the Soak it up moisturizing duo and although the samples were fairly small (15 ml each) I was able to get a few uses out of them.

They're both scented nicely and a little went a long way.  After using the shampoo my hair felt hydrated enough that I could probably skip the conditioner.

The conditioner left my hair that much more hydrated and very manageable.  After drying my hair smelled great,  was shiny and not weighed down at all.

This is a line that I would definitely purchase in the future!

Have you tried any products from North American Hemp Co? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

bellápierre Cosmetics Gel Lip Liner Review + Swatch

Hi lovelies! As promised, today's post is all about bellápierre's gel lip liner in shade number 3 cinnamon.  It has been hot and humid here in Toronto the last few days and I couldn't think of a better time to put this liner to the test!

According to bellápierre's website, this gel liner is waterproof, long wearing and hypoallergenic.  It is formulated with pure minerals,  natural waxes and antioxidants. It comes in 4 shades and is meant to be worn either alone or under mineral lipstick.

In the spirit of honesty,  as much as I love this shade, I have had nothing but issues with this lip pencil.  When I went to use it this morning it broke.  Not a little,  the whole tip.  So frustrating.  After sharpening it (not an easy task) I went to swatch it for you all.  Broke again.  More than a little irritated I go to sharpen it again.  Then I notice that the end of the pencil is missing...now incredibly frustrated I search the floor.  Can't find it.  I decide to look in the cap (which I put on the end of the pencil prior to sharpening) and find it stuck in there.  Surely enough,  it's lodged and won't come out.  Grr....

Anyways,  this time the pencil held a small point and I was able to swatch it.  It is a beautiful plum brown and is quite creamy yet waxy enough to hold its shape and apply evenly. It applies smoothly and doesn't transfer much.  It is definitely waterproof and even a little soap proof.  As far as wear goes,  it dries quickly and is somewhat hydrating. Once set it is smudge proof and long wearing.  It lasted most of the day through heat, humidity and lots of ice water.  I wore it for a solid 5 hours before it started to wear off,  which may have had something to do with the fact that I ate.

I see a lot of potential in this pencil and it's a shame that mine is broken.  I haven't used any other liners from bellápierre so I'm not sure if this is a common complaint or my pencil is just broken.

Have you tried any cosmetics from bellápierre?  I'd love to hear your thoughts below!

Another Winner! July's Topbox rocks

This post is a wee bit late and I apologize for that. It's been a very hectic summer with the kids and I've been spending lots of time outdoors - yay!

Anyways, today's post is about this month's Topbox and let me tell you it's a good one!

As a thank you for being patient during the pending Canada Post strike/lockout they added an extra item at no cost to us and I'm not complaining ;)

I decided to opt in for the monthly beauty surprise and I'm glad I did!  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the beauty surprise let me explain.  For an extra $10+tax you receive a full sized product added to your monthly subscription.  It could be anything from makeup to hair care and is anywhere from 10 - 90% of the retail cost.  As always the anticipation is priceless!

This month I received

• Clinique's Pep Start eye cream
• bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Get Ready
• bellápierre cosmetics gel lip liner in the shade cinnamon (full size)
• North American Hemp Co soak it up shampoo & conditioner
• Glow For A Cause's facial nourishing cream (added beauty bonus, full size)

I paid $24.85 in total for this box and received $109 worth of products!  I'm going to review these products separately in the next few days so stay tuned!

Do you subscribe to topbox?  Would you like to?  Feel free to use my referral code by clicking here or message me to bypass the waitlist ;)

NeoStrata's Skin Resurfacing Duo

Exfoliating your skin is an important part of any skincare routine.  In order for your skin to glow you need to slough off those dead skin cells.  If done right you'll be left with radiant skin,  if done wrong you can be doing your skin more harm than good (breakouts,  skin tears and more).

There are many different forms of exfoliating (masks,  peels, physical exfoliants, etc) and finding what works for you is key.  Today I'm going to share with you one of my personal favourite exfoliating systems,  NeoStrata's Skin Resurfacing Duo. Here's a brief description as found on NeoStrata's website

"Ideal for a quick fix for dull skin concentrating on more resistent dry skin areas. This duo will give you quick results with no downtime."

This product is marketed for all ages and skin types.  It's a two step process where you use both crystals and an activator. These are the instructions provided both on the website and directly on the packaging.

Apply Crystals. Massage gently for 1 minute. Apply Activator over Crystals. For sensitive skin, mix both products in the palm of hand before applying. Massage gently for 2 minutes. Rinse. Can be used 1-3 times weekly on face, neck, décolleté and hands.

I don't have particularly sensitive skin so I use it following the two step directions.  I also like to use the extra product on my hands to exfolitate them as well ;)

The crystals are very small and have a nice light scent to them.  A little goes a long way and I find them to be quite gentle.  The activator is a clear gel that's fairly runny. When applied on top of the crystals they react and turn white in appearance.  Its actually pretty neat to watch!  After the allotteded time is up, you rinse the duo off with warm water.  It's very easy to wash off unlike some exfoliants that just don't want to budge.

As soon as the product is rinsed my face feels instantly smoother and looks radiant. The first few times I used it my face was a bit 'pink' from the friction but it quickly dissipated after I applied my serum and cream.  Since using this regularly (3x a week) I have noticed that my skin is much healthier.

You can purchase it at most mass drugstores (I buy it at Shoppers) and it retails for around $75.  This duo will last quite a while so although the price may seem steep at first,  it will give you many uses.

Have you tried the Skin Resurfacing Duo? Would you like to?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Dave Lackie and Givenchy's #ArtofPerfumery Event

As some of you may already know,  I recently won a seat at one of Dave Lackie's coveted VIP follower dinners.  This dinner was for Givenchy and was aptly named #ArtofPerfumery.  I've been in love with Givenchy's fragrance house ever since my Mom bought me my first bottle of Very Irresistible when I was a teenager.  Having the opportunity to attend this event was not only exciting but very special to me!

The event was held at the Arcadian Lofts in beautiful downtown Toronto.  I ran into a few of my lovely Twitter friends in the lobby and seeing as we were all early,  we decided to wait for some of the other guests to arrive.  With a small group in tow, we headed for the elevator and made our way upstairs.

Connie,  Grieta and myself

Connie and I

At the entrance to the event we were met by a woman with a beaming smile and a tray full of delicious looking cocktails.  There were three to choose from,  all spins on Givenchy fragrances. Drinks in hand, we stepped into the room and what I saw was almost too beautiful for words!

The first thing that hit me was the scent!  The air was ripe with the aroma of roses and the subtle scent of fragrance.  It was as if I had walked into a garden!  Alongside the flowers were carefully placed bottles of Givenchy parfums, colognes and scented candles.  Live Irresistible,  Very Irresistible,  Ange ou Demon,  Dahlia Divin and Gentleman Only to name a few!  There were even a few tables with candies and chocolates!!!

Our gracious host Dave came over to welcome us and chat. I'm sure most of you are familiar with his generous giveaways,  Cityline appearances and infamous #protips,  but there's a lot more to him than that.  Always smiling and upbeat,  he makes you feel special and welcome.  There's no beauty question he won't answer and if he doesn't have the answer,  he'll search for it.  Whether asking his pal Nina Westbury or contacting a brand, he's sure to help you out.  There's a reason #DavesBabes has become a hash tag!

 
But back to the event...

I mingled with the guests a bit before securing a seat up front.  I wanted to be as close to the action as possible!  We were soon asked to take our seats and the wait staff came by to check for any dietary restrictions (you really get the VIP treatment at these events!) I was lucky enough to be seated next to the lovely Maria aka Best Day Blogger and we chatted while eagerly awaiting our dinner.

I could go on for days describing the meal but I think I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!  And yes,  it all tasted as good as it looks! Especially that pecan pie!  Yumm!

As we finished our desserts Dave and David spoke to us about both the art and history of perfumery. I never realized just how competitive the fragrance world is and how seriously perfumers take their jobs.  Stories about Givenchy's history,  Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn's relationship and the famed L'interdit were told and we all sat listening in awe.

I was lucky enough to speak with David Titheridge both before dinner and after the presentation.  I was blown away by how charming,  friendly and down to earth he is.  We spoke about the brand, social media and the role bloggers play nowadays.  It was a pleasure speaking with him and I have to admit he motivated me to take my blog to the next level!

At the end of the night we got to take home a fabulous gift bag with a gorgeous rose.  Inside the bag we received a bottle of the recently launched Live Irresistible EDT,  a mini bottle of Dahlia Divin and a beautiful makeup case.  I will be posting about these wonderful fragrances very soon so stay tuned for that!

I had an amazing time that I won't soon forget and I am forever grateful <3