Makeup Most Wanted

09
Jun
2016

Dermalogica Charcoal Rescue Masque

dermalogica-charcoal-rescue-masque

Nothing beats a Dermalogica facial at the spa. You always leave with skin that feels amazing. This month, I learned that sometimes it’s best to leave the serious skin care products to the professionals.

I was really excited to try the Dermalogica Charcoal Rescue Masque. I love seriously deep cleaning masks and scrubs for my face. This one has volcanic ash. It doesn’t get much more serious than ingredients from a freaking volcano. It’s mean to clear up impurities and brighten dull skin.

When I applied this mask all over my face, I felt an instant tingling and tightening. All of the places on my face where I had little imperfections like acne tingle after just a few seconds of being cover by this black cream. I was glad that my skin was made of strong stuff because I feel like this wouldn’t be good if you have sensitive skin.

After rinsing the mask off, my skin was in need of a bit of moisture, like usual with masks. This time my face was quite red from the strength of the product.

It’s not often that I’m intimidated by a skin care product. This mask has made me think more carefully about products that I choose moving forward. I am usually pretty daring in the things I use on my face, but it’s also best to test out the strong stuff with the help of someone at the spa. I still would have tried this charcoal masque, but if I had sensitive skin this review could have gone a very different way.

08
Jun
2016

Too Faced Lip Insurance Glossy Quickie Review

categories: Makeup Collection, Makeup Reviews

Too Faced Lip Insurance Glossy

Nothing is more frustrated than losing your lip colour minutes after leaving the house. Glossy lip colours seem to be more of a culprit of this than matte products. Enter Too Faced, who clearly feel my pain. For some reason, I’ve had many lipsticks lately that just won’t last. When I start with the Lip Insurance though, they double their wear time. I’m not saying it they last all day, but it gives them a serious boost. I can just imagine what will happen when I pair it with an already amazing lipstick. For now, this is my lipstick saver.

07
Jun
2016

Travel Makeup Most Wanted

categories: Bath And Body, Fragrance, Hair Reviews, Skin Care, Skin Care Reviews

I am off on vacation. I will be spending a few weeks in Europe with all of the sun, rain and exciting adventures of England to look forward to. Here are some of the products that have made the cut into my suitcase for my trip:

Sephora Blotting Papers

Sephora Collection Blotting Papers – On my vacation there will be a lot walking, so I’m going to keep these little sheets in my purse to keep myself looking great no matter what happens with the temperature. They weigh practically nothing, so they don’t take any space in your bags. If you want to look great in all of your vacation photos, these things are crucial.

Caprina Fresh Goat’s Milk Soap

Caprina Fresh Goat’s Milk Soap – This gentle soap is naturally moisturizing, so when we are away there won’t be any worry of dry skin. I don’t really want to have to pack lots of extra body moisturizers, so this soap is hopefully going to be my saviour.

Mereadesso Face + Neck Cleanser

Mereadesso Face + Neck Cleanser – The packaging on this cleanser is great for travel. The packs are small and take up almost no space. The opening is even flat. These would be perfect for a backpacking trip where you have almost no space at all. It comes with an all-in-one moisturizer for added face care no matter where you are in the world!

cake-satin-sugar-hair-body-refreshing-powder-for-darkest-hues

Cake Satin Sugar Dry Shampoo – Nowadays, I never travel for more than two days without my dry shampoo. It really is a lifesaver. This year, I’m taking this powder one from Canada’s cake. I always feel weird about packing aerosol cans for some reason, so I like that this is a powder shaker. The sweet smell is also perfect as a body powder for an added bonus.

Demeter Pick-Me-Up Cologne Spray

Demeter Pick-Me-Up Cologne Spray – These tiny little fragrances from Demeter are amazing for travel. Put them on your key chain to take them wherever you want. I got little 3 mL sprays of Linen and Laundromat fragrance to freshen up no matter where I go. It’s small enough to even take in your carry on so you can smell great after a long flight.

03
Jun
2016

Clarisonic Mia3 (Aria) Sonic Cleansing Device

categories: Skin Care, Skin Care Reviews

Clarisonic Aria Box
I’ve used a ton of skin care devices over the years and Stephanie has used even more. But somehow, I’ve never used a Clarisonic. We received the Mia3 (Aria) for our travel essentials series and I loved it so much that I decided it needed it’s own post. The Aria is a sonic cleansing device and to be honest, I don’t fully grasp what that means other than it’s supposed to cleanse your skin 6x better than using your hands.
Clarisonic Aria
The Aria comes with quite a few things, so let’s run those down first. In the box you get:
– the device
– sensitive brush head
– drying stand
– USB enabled Universal Voltage pLink® Charger
– wall adapter
– sample size cleanser
Charging the device it so easy (it takes 24 hours the first time!) and there are so many options for how you do it. I plugged mine to the wall and let it sit for a day. Once it’s charged, it’s supposed to stay charged for a long time and so far I haven’t needed to recharge it.
Clarisonic Aria Brush
Using the Aria is simple. Wet your face, wet the brush head, apply cleanser to either and go to town. It gives off a buzz every so often to remind you to move to a different part of your face. Make sure you take off every last bit of your eye makeup first because the water will drip and you’ll end up with a clean face with raccoon eyes. That’s talking from experience.
Clarisonic Aria With Cover
My favourite features are actually the stand, which makes it super easy to dry and store and the little cover that will help me travel with it without ruining the brush head.

Now most people are going to want to know if it’s worth paying over $200 when they could probably just use a washcloth. But in the time I’ve been using the Aria it’s worked better than anything I’ve used before, whether it be my hands, other devices or a washcloth. My face feels cleaner, I’m using less moisturizer and my constantly looks like it’s glowing. That said, it’s not a miracle worker. It’s not going to instantly banish all your blackheads or dry patches, but over time, it’s minimized mine. When it comes time to replace my brush head, I might grab a couple different ones to see if I get different results but the chances of me ever being without a Clarisonic from now on is slim to none.

02
Jun
2016

Makeup Most Wanted May 2016 : Alyssa’s Picks

categories: Makeup Most Wanted

I can’t believe this year is flying by and it’s already June (but it feels like July in Toronto). Here’s what I used the most in May.
Clarins Multi-Active Day and Night creams
Clarins Multi-Active Day-Night
I’ll be honest and say I don’t always follow the moisturizer day and night cream rules. I find them interchangeable for the most part and just go by what my skin feels like it needs. But the Clarins Multi-Active Jour (day) is just light enough for daytime while keeping my skin feeling really hydrated while the Multi-Active Nuit (night) is a little heavier for night but not as heavy as a lot of night creams are. Using both of them has really helped keep my combination skin moisturized while not letting it get greasy. These smell so amazing but if you have issues with scent, keep away.
Live Clean Multi Boost Shampoo and Conditioner
Live Clean Vitamin Multi Boost Shampoo
Spring is a weird time for my hair. It’s not as dried out, the humidity makes my frizz pop and my roots get a little oily. Live Clean’s Multi Boost line kept it looking healthy and it stayed pretty manageable. I would recommend this to someone whose hair falls into the normal category. It’s not quite enough for really dry hair and those with oily scalps might have some greasiness. I love that I can add vitamins to my hair though and that it’s sulfate and paraben free.
Clinique Pop Glaze Sheer Lip Colour + Primer in Sprinkle Pop
Clinique Pop Glaze Sprinkle Pop
I’ve been wearing most matte liquid lipsticks lately but on days when I don’t want to bother but still want a pop of colour on my lips, I reach for Sprinkle Pop. It’s a really pretty, medium bright pink that goes on super sheer but still leaves some colour. It’s not a traditional lipstick, more like a tinted lip balm that you apply like a lipstick. Even after the colour wears off, it leaves a slight hint of colour but tons of moisture. I can leave my lip balm at home when I put this one on. My lips are moisturized for hours.
Rimmel Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder
Rimmel Clear Complexio Clarifying Powder
With spring and summer come humidity and my skin ends up on the oilier end of the spectrum and I get seriously shiny. Rimmel’s Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder is one of the few powders I’ve tried that actually leaves me looking matte for a long period of time without getting cakey. I wish it came with some kind of applicator so I could throw it in my purse but even when I put it on before I leave the house I know I won’t look shiny for most of the day. It’s also supposed to minimize breakouts thanks to it’s Pureskin complex.
Maybelline Colour Tattoo Concentrated Crayon in Bronze Truffle

I love the original Colour Tattoo shadows but I hate applying them for my fingers. From the first time I tried the Concentrated Crayon, I was hooked. You get the same colour payoff and staying power as the pots but it’s so much less messy and you can throw it in your purse for touch ups. Bronze Truffle is a great shade that takes me from day to night. I use a little in the morning and layer on more at night for more intensity. I have a couple shades of the crayons and this one is by far my favourite.

01
Jun
2016

New Shower Most Wanted

categories: Bath And Body

I am upgrading my shower time with these new products right now!

Olay Moisture Outlast Body Wash

Olay Moisture Outlast Body Wash – I’ve never gone through a body wash as fast as this. Everyone in the house was obsessed with it the second it made its way into the shower. This Olay shower wash is jam packed full of moisturizer, which makes it perfect for dry skin any time of year. The creamy wash has a soft powdery smell. It seeps right in giving you the smoothest skin that you can ever imagine.

Hair Recipes Shampoo

Hair Recipes Shampoo, Conditioner & Treatment – I love the natural philosophy of Hair Recipes. It all stems from the idea that the best products for your hair are the ones that you can find in your own kitchen. Bringing in the philosophy of homemade hair products, these shampoos and conditioners feature ingredients like avocado, carrot and, the one I tried, egg yolk. This shampoo and conditioner combo left my hair feeling manageable no matter what I did with it after my shower. My favourite part was the Macadamia Oil that I received as well. No matter whether I used it on wet hair after my shower it left my hair feeling soft and looking amazing! It’s my new favourite secret weapon.

Nuxe Shower Oil

Nuxe Shower Oil – I love shower oils, but the name of this product is a bit deceiving. While it may be made of mostly oils, this body wash is more of a gel. While some people are going to hate the very perfumed scent of this oil, I am in love with it. The reason is that it reminds me of my grandmother and her bathroom when I was a child. I don’t know what this wash is scented with, and I don’t think I want to know. I love the mystery of it. It just smells like Grandma to me. It’s an added bonus that it also leaves my skin feeling so soft with a hint of that comforting smell. I lost my grandmother about a year ago, so this was a nice treat.

Clairol Nice ‘n Easy CC+ Colorseal Conditioner

Clairol Nice ‘n Easy CC+ Colorseal Conditioner – If you have ever dyed your hair at home, you have probably fallen in love with the little conditioner that comes in the box. For some reason, no other conditioner ever seems to compare to that tiny little tube. You always try to make it last as long as humanly possible. Well, stop trying to squeeze out the last drop! Clairol has finally packaged up something just like that little tube that you can buy all on its own. This CC+ Conditioner helps to seal in that colour while conditioning your hair to the ultimate softness. Thank you for listening to us all!

Clarins Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream

Clarins Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream – For something a bit different in the shower, I wanted to throw in this face exfoliator. This has been a staple in my shower for a few weeks. I love exfoliating in the shower. It’s the way that I know I can keep myself on a routine. This Clarins exfoliator is especially gentle on the skin. This is great for an everyday cleaner with an extra bit of power. You don’t have to wait to use it. I’m not crazy about the lotion-y smell, but it works enough that I can ignore it!

30
May
2016

Quo By Orly Summer 2016 Collection

categories: Mani Monday, Nail Polish

Quo By Orly has really been impressing me lately and as good as their neon summer collection was last year, this year’s is even better. When two of four polishes are one-coaters, you know you have a winning collection. Get your sunglasses on, these polishes are bright.
Purple Sunset
Quo By Orly Purple Sunset Swatch
Purple Sunset is almost a neon radiant orchid and it’s so pretty but bright at the same time. Two coats went on perfectly and I didn’t have any issues at all.
Coastal Cruisin’
Quo By Orly Coastal Cruisin' Swatch
Coastal Cruisin’ is a blindingly bright orange and while I’m not a fan of the sudden influx of orange polishes lately (when did that become a thing?), this one is great for summer. This was a one-coater but you can do two if you want even more opacity.
Sun Daze
Quo By Orly Sun Daze Swatch
This is quite possibly the bright neon yellow I’ve ever worn but the formula was pretty lumpy. It dried down well enough but it took a little work. If you wear this one, prepare for people grabbing your hands.
Pink Bikini
Quo By Orly Pink Bikini Swatch.
This one-coat wonder is my favourite of the bunch. It’s neon, it’s pretty and it has great wear time. I had zero issues with this one and I’ll definitely be wearing it again.

Considering neon polishes are notoriously hard to work with, I’m so impressed with this collection and if you want seriously neon nails this summer, you need to pick up this collection before it’s gone.

Quo By Orly is available at Shopper’s Drug Marts across Canada

27
May
2016

New Soaps From Lush

categories: Reviews, Soap

Lush Soap Bars
Stephanie and I both have a huge love for soap, especially Lush soap. So when I found out they were introducing five new ones, I was pretty excited. They recently discontinued a couple of my favourites (I’m not over it yet), so I was hoping to find a new favourite. I got the inside scoop when I recently had a chance to go on a tour of the Lush factory a month ago but now that they’re available online, I get to talk all about them.
Layer Cake
Lush Layer Cake Soap
Every colour in this soap is made from a different juice (grape, orange, blueberry, pineapple and raspberry), hence the layer part of the name. Obviously this is a really fruity soap that’s colourful and fun for everyone.
Respect Your Elders
Lush Respect Your Elders Soap
Respect Your Elders has a really gorgeous elderflower and elderberry scent that’s light and fruity. It smells close enough to my discontinued Godmother soap, that this might make my new favourite list.
Maypole
Lush Maypole Soap
I honestly would’ve never thought to combine peppermint oil and maple syrup in anything but the combination is surprisingly delicious. The mint balances out the maple sweetness, while the maple stops the peppermint from being too strong.
Serendipity
Lush Serendipity Soap
I overloaded on lavender scented everything a few years ago and can’t really tolerate the smell of it most of the time. For some reason though, I love Serendipity. Maybe it’s because they use real lavender or maybe because it’s mixed in with chamomile, either way, this is the most calming soap I’ve tried in a long time.
Outback Mate
Lush Outback Mate Soap
If you’re missing Demon In The Dark (who isn’t?), Outback Mate might fill at least part of the void. Made with eucalyptus, lemongrass and peppermint, this will leave you both refreshed and smell amazing. I had a chance to help make one of these and I took some pictures so you can see all the hard work that goes into it.

If you don’t have a favourite Lush soap yet or are looking for a new one, you now have five more options to try.

26
May
2016

Kérastase Discipline Curl Idéal Collection

categories: Hair Reviews

I’ve been a huge fan of Kérastase’s Discipline line since it came out over a year ago, to the point that I hoard my bottles because I’m scared of running out (this stuff isn’t cheap!). Now Kérastase has added to the collection with their Discipline Curl Idéal line that includes a mousse, cleansing conditioner and styling cream and masque. I got to try three of those and my obsession has only grown.
Cleansing Conditioner
Discipline_Curl_Cleansing_Conditioner
The Cleansing Conditioner is unique in that once it’s sat on your hair for a few minutes, you emulsify it and get a bit of lather, something that’s generally missing from cleansing conditioners. I find this hydrating enough on it’s own and my hair feels clean after but I only use this once every few washes. It leaves my hair extremely soft and I definitely notice less frizz.
Mousse Curl Idéal
Kerastase_Discipline_Mousse_Curl_ideal_150ml_3474636349944
I stopped using mousse a long time ago because even though it’s great for curls, the crunchiness really bothered me. This one however really isn’t crunchy. I was able to run my fingers through my hair once it air dried without an issue and it left my waves really defined.
Oléo Curl
Discipline Oleo Curl
This is my favourite of the three. It’s a styling cream that to me, also doubles as a leave-in conditioner. It’s pretty thin and the bottle has a twist off cap, so you’re going to want to hold it upside down when you open it or you’ll have it running out everywhere (trust me, you don’t want to waste it on your counters). It leaves my hair really soft and doesn’t dry hard. I generally only air dry my hair and this works wonders for frizz and keeping shade without weighing my hair down.

You can mix these with the original Discipline line or use them on their own but either way you’ll have the softest, frizz-free curls ever.

25
May
2016

Trust Fund Beauty Spring/Summer 2016

categories: Nail Polish

I always look forward to opening up a package of new Trust Fund Beauty shades and when I got the first part of their new spring/summer collection, I was basically thrilled with the shades. There are nudes and brights and shimmers and basically everything you could want in a collection. As usual the formulas were amazing but the brushes weren’t consistent. Some were long, thin and round and some had more of a paddle shape. But I didn’t have any issues with either one.
Why You Mad Tho?
Trust Fund Beauty Why You Mad Tho
According to the website, this used to be called Daddy Issues. Whatever its name, this pale lilac is gorgeous (and sold out right now) with a ton of blue shimmer. Three thin coats was perfect but I couldn’t get a photo to show off how pretty it really is in sunlight.
Going Commando
Trust Fund Beauty Going Commando Swatch
Going Commando is basically what you’d expect from that name, an almost white nude. Two coats was pretty sheer but if your nails are long enough, it’s almost a fake french manicure. Three coats took me to opaque. My index finger in the photo is three coats, the rest are two.
Game Changer
Trust Fund Beauty Game Changer Swatch
Game Changer is a really bright coral orange and it’s a great pedicure shade (I’m wearing it right now). Two coats was perfect.
Adult Content
Trust Fund Beauty Adult Content Swatch
Adult Content is a pretty light pink that reminds me of silk. Two thin coats were great but you’re definitely going to have brushstrokes.
Dirty Thoughts
Trust Fund Beauty Dirty Thoughts Swatch
I don’t generally love microglitter polishes but man do I love Dirty Thoughts. There’s gold and green and hints of purple and lots of other things and it’s not a pain to take off. Again, two coats was perfect but you could use one as a topper on another shade if you wanted.
Vodka With A Twist
Trust Fund Beauty Vodka With A Twist Swatch
Two coats of this lime green neon and you’re going to want a margarita instead of a vodka. But this shade is insane, it’s so perfect for summer and it’s actually more flattering than I expected it to be. This is not a shade I’d ever pick on my own but I ended up really liking it.
What’s A Budget?
Trust Fund Beauty What's A Budget Swatch
Trust Fund calls What’s A Budget? a sea-foam blue but it definitely veers into turquoise territory for me. Two thin coats and I was sold. I’m going to be using this one a ton this summer.
Skinny Jeans
Trust Fund Beauty Skinny Jeans Swatch
Trust Fund does great blue polish and this bright cobalt fits right into that. It looked good with one coat but had a lot more depth with two. Added bonus, no staining!

I’m obsessed with Trust Fund’s spring/summer collection so far and I can’t wait to try the rest.