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

May Topbox

Let me start off by saying that Topbox has been on fire lately!  I haven't been pleased with Topbox this year until last month. They have really stepped up their game and I couldn't be happier.  So without further ado let's get into it!

This month I received a novex hair care keratin treatment,  pur~lisse tinted bb cream,  face shop collagen mask and makeup for ever aqua lip pencil.  Sounds good right?!

Typically hair masks don't do it for me. I have very fine hair and they just weigh my hair down.  This one did not.  It left my hair feeling soft,  looking shiny and not weighed down at all.

The pur~lisse bb cream is tinted and thankfully I've started faux tanning otherwise it would be too dark for me.  It is on the heavier side and a bit too much for summer (I have combo skin).  I applied a bit of bronzer and that helped prevent a mid afternoon slide.  The coverage is light and leaves skin looking dewy.  I like it but I doubt I will purchase it as I prefer more coverage.

The mufe pencil is fantastic!  It is easy to work with,  pigmented and in my favourite shade,  red! 

I haven't gotten around to using the face shop mask yet but I haven't really come across a face shop product I didn't like ;)

I am very happy with this months topbox and I'm excited to see what next month has in store.

If you're interested in joining topbox and would like to bypass the waitlist I can help you with that ;)

Stayfree Challenge

I was recently invited to take the Stayfree Challenge and I am very excited to share my results with you!  I know periods aren't the most exciting thing to talk about,  but as women we all get them,  used to get them or will get them and it's something we can all relate to.

Remember those commercials where an all too happy woman pours a blue liquid onto a pad to show you just how absorbent they are?  The commercials that always seem to play around dinnertime?  Well I got to do just that and believe me it was actually really fun!  I took a ton of photos of the process and in this case they speak louder than words.

I was provided with a placemat that had two spots to hold the pads,  three Stayfree pads,  two blotting papers,  two acetate sheets and two 5ml bottles of blue dye.  I had to provide a pad from the brand I currently use and a large book.  I decided to be ironic and use my "What To Expect:  The First Year" book ;)

So let's dive right in!  I removed both pads from the wrapper and stuck them to the placemat.  As you can see they are very similar,  almost identical in appearance.  I set my phone timer to 30 seconds as per the instructions and removed the blotting sheets, acetate sheets and opened the blue liquid.

First up,  Stayfree!

I poured the blue liquid onto the pad and waited 30 seconds.  As you can tell the liquid pretty much stayed in the center of the pad.

I placed a blotting sheet over the pad and an acetate sheet on top of it.  Then I put the book on top and pressed down gently for 5 seconds.

Are you ready for the big reveal?!

No transfer at all.  Nothing.  Not a single mark on the paper.  Pretty impressive!

Now moving onto the competitor.  Right off the bat I noticed the blue liquid did not stay in the center of the pad.  In fact it immediately spread and splashed out onto the placemat.  Not a good sign!

30 seconds later I place the blotting sheet, acetate sheet and book on top and pressed down gently for 5 seconds.

Big reveal number 2!

As you can see there was a fair amount of transfer onto the blotting sheet,  which didn't surprise me after seeing what happened immediately after I poured the liquid onto the pad.

Obviously we had a clear winner,  and that winner was Stayfree!  I have been using the competitor (Playtex) for the past year and although I found them to be good,  I feel like Stayfree will be even better!

I received two spare Stayfree pads and I will be testing those out within the next few days (TMI I know).  I am excited to see how well they hold up in real life.

Have you taken the Stayfree Challenge? Have you used or plan on using Stayfree? Let me know in the comment section below!

*I won the opportunity to take part in the Stayfree Challenge through beauty infinitums  blog.  Although I wasn't compensated for this post, my post does enter me into another contest to win a gift card.  The results of the challenge are truthful and do not effect my chance of potentially winning the prize.