Tag: L’Occitane


Jul
2018

Makeup Most Wanted June 2018

categories: Bath And Body, Body Care, Cruelty Free Makeup, Hair Reviews, Makeup Most Wanted, Makeup Reviews, PR Sample, Uncategorized

It seems like the weather in Toronto went from winter to middle of summer in two days. As a result June was hot and sticky and the products I loved the most definitely reflected that.

Live Clean Mineral Clay Rebalancing Shampoo

Like my skin, my hair goes a little crazy in the summer. My roots get incredibly oily and itchy and my hair just dries out. Live Clean’s Rebalancing Shampoo has done a really good job of keeping my scalp itch free while moisturizing my ends. The combination of three mineral clays (Kaolin, Montmorillonite and Bentonite) along with apple cider, witch hazel and tea tree have really succeeded in balancing out my head where other products have failed. There’s a matching conditioner that I use along with it but the shampoo is really the star.

L’Occitane Citrus Verbena Moisturizing Body Foam

I really look forward to the new verbena products that L’Occitane releases every summer and this Moisturizing Body Foam might be my favourite yet. I’ve used a few body foams in the past but nothing that’s ever blown me away or seemed like more than a gimmick. L’Occitane’s version however is both cooling and extremely hydrating. It’s like a hair mousse in texture and a little goes a long way. The iconic L’Occitane verbena scent is perfect for summer (and keeps the bugs away) and it’s really easy to throw in a bag if you’re going to the beach or on a road trip.

Beautycounter Color Intense Lipstick in Brunch

I’m generally a matte liquid lipstick person but in the summer I like things a little lighter. This lipstick has insane colour payoff, I got full coverage in one swipe and even when I blotted it down a bit, I still have a ton of colour. There are eight Color Intense shades but my favourite is Brunch, a tawny pink with a hint of coral that comes out when it blots down. Beautycounter calls this long wearing and while it’s a lot better than some creamy lipsticks, you’ll definitely have to reapply. That said, this lipstick is incredibly creamy and comfortable and there’s peppermint oil in it that keep your lips feeling cool. And I love that Beautycounter doesn’t have a whole lot of crap in their products.

Invisibobble Magic Mermaid in Ocean Tango

Onto another one of my all time favourite products. I love Invisibobble so much that I haven’t used another kind of hair tie in about a year. These keep my hair secure and I don’t get headaches from them like I do with other hair elastics. For the summer they’ve released the Magic Mermaid collection that changes colour in UV light. There are two shades; Ocean Tango (light blue to dark blue) and Coral Cha-Cha (pale pink to hot pink). I love the Ocean Tango colours and even though I can’t see it changing colour, it’s fun to know that it does.

Body Fantasies Hearts & Daisies

When the weather is hot, I tend to like a body spray over a perfume since they’re generally lighter. And just in time for summer, Body Fantasies have released Hearts & Daisies, a light, fruity and floral scent. With notes of green apple, pink peony, daisy and creamy woods, this is a great summer body spray.


Mar
2018

L’Occitane Solidarity Balm 2018

categories: Bath And Body, Makeup Most Wanted, PR Sample, Skin Care, Skin Care Reviews

Happy International Women’s Day! I’ve started to really look forward to this day every year, not just because it’s all about celebrating women but also because it means L’Occitane’s Solidarity Balm is coming. Each year, L’Occitane releases a shea butter balm in a different scent for under $10 (it’s $7 CAD) and all the profits go towards women in Burkina Faso. This year the program for Women’s Leadership in Burkina Faso has three goals:

1. Writing a better future
L’OCCITANE has helped more than 10.000 women to learn how to read and write since 2008. It also supports the education of 450 girls for four years at secondary school.

2. Boosting ambitions
L’Occitane has allowed 8,000 women to benefit from micro-credit since 2009.

3. Revealing leadership
L’OCCITANE launched the “L’OCCITANE pour Elles” program, in 2016, to boost entrepreneur women’s actions and scale up their business.

The scent of the Solidarity Balm this year is apricot and while last year’s violet is still my favourite, this one is a really warm, happy scent. I literally use these balms on everything from cuticles to scrapes to random hair frizz. I currently have the cold from hell and I’ve been using on the chapped skin around my nose and my dried out lips. These last forever too. I still have a lot left of last year’s and even a little from the year before.

For $7, you’re going to want to stock up here, especially if you love this year’s apricot scent. So far I haven’t seen them repeat themselves scent wise. And you can help other women while you’re saving your own skin.

I can’t wait to see what scent comes out next year.


Sep
2017

Fall Skincare Most Wanted

categories: Makeup Most Wanted, Skin Care, Skin Care Reviews

Fall is my favourite time of year but it’s also the trickiest time for my crazy combination skin. I get greasy and dry patches all at the same time. It’s also not really time for a heavy duty moisturizer but my lightweight one just doesn’t feel like enough. Here’s how I’m changing up my skin care for fall this year.

Nivea Creme Care Facial Cleansing Wipes

There’s nothing I like more than a facial wipe but I’ve noticed some of them are drying out my skin a little more, now that it’s slightly less oily. Enter Nivea’s Creme Care wipes. These are super soft, get every bit of my makeup off and yet don’t leave my skin dried out. I would even go so far as to say they’re comforting. I’m going to be using these all winter.

m-61 PowerGlow Peel

The word peel has always terrified me in terms of exfoliation. My skin is so sensitive that burning is always a fear in the back of my mind but at the same time, I love trying new things and I figured if I had a bad experience with these, I could always hand them off to Steph. To my absolute shock, not only did these exfoliating wipes, not burn, they barely even tingled. The glycolic and salicylic acid wipes also have vitamin K, bilberry and chamomile and are meant to help reduce pore size, reduce the appearance of fine lines, help dry patches and basically just even out your skin tone. Boy, do I love when things work as promised. My dry patches are way smaller, my skin is more even and my pores, well, they’re never going to look great, but they look a little better.

L’Occitane Pivoine Sublime Overnight Perfecting Mask

On nights that my skin needs a little more, something, I use this overnight mask from L’Occitane and wake up with brighter, smoother skin. To say this mask is perfecting is kind of a perfect description. I’ve even used it mid-afternoon to get nicer looking skin for a night out. You can buy these individually or in a six pack but you really don’t need a lot. I can get three or four uses out of a pod and just tape it shut until I’m ready to use it again.

Tarte Pout Prep Lip Exfoliant

With fall comes more liquid lipsticks and my lips are pretty much a mess, thanks to certain ones I’ve been testing out. Eventually I’ll do a lip scrub post but lately the only one working for me has been Tarte’s Pout Prep. It gives me a really good sugar scrub while the maracuja and shea butter moisturize. I’m pretty sure I’m going to need to stock up on these for winter.

Olay Age Defying Hydrating Gel Moisturizer

Finding a good moisturizer for fall always seems to be an issue for me. Either they’re too moisturizing in spots or not enough in others. So far, Olay’s gel moisturizer is doing the job really well. It’s lightweight and oil-free, which is great for the oily parts of my skin and the hyaluronic acid is good for the drier parts. Will I be able to use it into winter? I’m not sure yet. But considering September in Toronto still feels like summer, this refreshing gel-cream will last me a while.


Apr
2017

L’Occitane Terre De Lumière Eau De Parfum

categories: Fragrance


L’Occitane is one of my favourite brands, but I’ve always had a hard time finding a perfume that I love. With the exception of a limited edition holiday scent from a few years ago, none of them have really been my thing. When the package with Terre De Lumière arrived, I was definitely excited, especially since my initials are engraved on the back of the bottle. But when I first sniffed the bottle, I wasn’t quite as sure. Terre De Lumière is a gourmand fragrance with notes of honey, almond and lavender that’s supposed to evoke the feeling of France’s Golden Hour (the time right before the sun sets).


Luckily, once I sprayed it on, I was much happier. It’s a warm scent but not heavy or overpowering and because it’s an Eau de Parfum, the staying power is pretty fantastic. It’s also not one of those perfumes that’ll make people choke in an elevator (assuming you don’t use half the bottle at once). Two quick spritzes and I’m good for the day. This is the kind of fragrance that’ll be great for summer nights. It’s not too strong but it definitely makes a statement.

As far as I know, Terre Le Lumière isn’t limited edition, or maybe I’m just hoping it’s not, because I really love this perfume more the longer I wear it.


Mar
2017

L’Occitane Solidarity Balm 2017

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


Today is International Women’s Day and just like last year, L’Occitane has released another Solidarity Balm that goes right along with it. This year’s balm is Shea Butter Violet and it smells amazing. I was first introduced to the yearly Solidarity Balms last year with the rose scent. I literally use this stuff for everything; lips, cuticles, scrapes, chapped and broken skin. I haven’t found a limit to what I can use it for and I still haven’t finished last years. I love nearly anything rose scented so for me to love this violet scent even more in unprecedented.

What I love even more about the actual balm is that L’Occitane will use 100% of the profits to fund NGO’s projects to support women’s leadership in the world in partnership with UN Women and the L’Occitane Foundation. Not all of us can or will participate in women’s marches around the world but we can all try and spend $6 on this balm to try and support other women.

You’ll probably want to pick up more than one though because the Solidarity Balms are amazing and you’ll feel like you’ve contributed a little.

You can find the Solidarity Balms on sale on the L’Occitane website.


Jan
2017

Most Wanted Winter Skin Relief

categories: Bath And Body, Hand Cream, Makeup Most Wanted, Skin Care

My skin takes a serious beating in the winter. All the forced heat indoors and extreme dryness outside, I get extremely dry, cracked skin. Even the combination skin on my face dries out completely during winter. These products have saved my skin this year and given me some major relief from dryness.

Dr. Roebuck’s Ultimate Hydrating Serum
Dr. Roebuck's Ultimate Hydrating Serum
This serum has an almost gel-like texture and a few drops goes a long way. It absorbs into your skin instantly and doesn’t leave you with that greasy feel that you can get from some serums. I definitely feel a moisture boost when I use this one and when you add your moisturizer on top of it, it’s amazing. This is the only Dr. Roebuck’s product I’ve tried but I like it enough that I want to try more.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Deep Moisture Balm
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Deep Moisture Balm
When this first showed up, I was convinced it would be too strong for my combination skin. I mean, the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial was almost too strong for me and this sounded much richer. But I had a week where my skin was so dry, nothing I had was helping, so I tried this out and it worked. The texture is a little like butter, fairly thick and spreadable. But it absorbs much quicker than I expected. Plus the moisture lasted hours and hours. I don’t need to use anything else for a full 24 hours when I use this. I also didn’t have any issues with my sensitive skin and it didn’t make me break out, but if you’re concerned, get a sample first.
Aveeno Gentle Scent Skin Relief Body Wash and Lotion in Chamomile
Aveeno Gentle Scent Skin Relief Body Wash Chamomile
The skin on my body gets much more dry than the skin on my face and I’ve used numerous things over the years that didn’t really help. Aveeno’s Gentle Scents line comes in Chamomile and Coconut options and the Chamomile smells amazing. It’s not a strong scent but it’s really fresh. The body wash doesn’t make my skin feel stripped of moisture and is soap and dye free and allergy tested, so it doesn’t irritate my skin. The addition of Colloidal Oatmeal gives you a boost of moisture. The matching lotion has the same scent and absorbs quickly and isn’t greasy. The combination leaves my skin feeling hydrated and way less itchy.
L’Occitane Intensive Hand Balm
L'Occitane Intensive Hand Balm
I honestly don’t know how many L’Occitane hand creams I’ve gone through over the years and I was convinced that nothing would work better on my dry, cracked hands than their classic Shea Hand Cream. Well when this hand balm arrived, it was clear I was wrong. This is quite a bit stronger than the hand cream but not much thicker. It takes a little longer to absorb but in under a minute, I can go back to whatever I was doing. I find if I use this before I go to bed, I don’t have to use hand cream until the next afternoon and it’s healed the cracked skin in my hands and cuticles. It might be a couple dollars more than the regular hand cream but if winter is killing the skin on your hands, it’s worth the money. I would actually go so far as to say, if you only buy one thing for winter skin, L’Occitane’s Intensive Hand Balm is what you need.


Nov
2016

Most Wanted Beauty Advent Calendars

categories: Gifts, Holiday, Makeup Most Wanted

I’m the kind of person that loves the little samples I can get at Sephora or when I’m ordering things online that let’s me try new products and while I’ve never used traditional advent calendars before, I love the idea of beauty advent calendars. You can try products or brands that are new to you or just use them as travel versions of your favourites. These are our Most Wanted beauty advent calendars of the year.
L’Occitane Advent Calendar 2016
loccitane-advent
This is the advent calendar that got me interested in the idea of these and people completely lose it over L’Occitane’s advent calendars every year. It’s full of 24 mini versions of everything from their cult fave hand cream to shower oil to shampoo. This one will definitely sell out everywhere, so if you can find one, grab it.
NYX Wanderlust 
nyx-wanderlust-advent
If you’ve never used NYX’s Soft Matte Lip Creams, this is the way to try them out. This kit comes with twelve mini versions as well as twelve eyeshadows. Don’t like the shades? They’ll make great stocking stuffers or little add-on gifts for your friends.
Charlotte Tilbury World Of Legendary Parties
charlotte-tilbury-world-of-legendary-parties-advent
I’m so in love with the Charlotte Tilbury makeup I already use but I still have a fairly long list of things I still want to try. Most of those things are in the World Of Legendary Parties calendar. Filled with twelve travel-sized versions of products like Magic Cream, Wonderglow, Legendary Lashes, lip products, eye products and more; this is a great (and very luxe) way to introduce yourself to the Charlotte Tilbury world.
The Body Shop Ultimate Beauty
body-shop-ultimate-beauty-advent
The Body Shop has two advent calendars this year; the Beauty Advent Calendar and the Ultimate Beauty. Both come with 24 bath, body and makeup goodies but the Ultimate Beauty just seems a little better to me. There’s everything from shower gel, makeup remover and nail polish to bath gloves and a muslin cloth. It’s literally everything you’d need to pamper yourself head to toe.

I know you’re supposed to open one advent calendar window a night, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll be grabbing everything at once.


Aug
2016

L’Occitane Verveine Moisturizing Body Mousse + Fresh Body Mist

categories: Skin Care, Skin Care Reviews

L'Occitane Verveine Moisturizing Body Mousse and Fresh Body Mist
If there’s one L’Occitane line I love the most, it’s the Verveine collection. I’ve always loved the scent of verbena and they just keep adding new products to the line. Like last summer’s additions, this year’s are equally refreshing in the crazy Toronto heat wave. We tried two of the products; the Moisturizing Body Mousse and the Fresh Body Mist.

The Moisturizing Body Mousse is extremely hydrating and cooling (and really fun to use!) but you’re definitely going to want to avoid touching your face for a while or wash your hands really well right after you apply it because it can make your eyes sting. That’s really the only downside though. Right after you put it on, your skin feels soft for hours and there’s no stickiness and it dries instantly.

The Fresh Body Mist is equally refreshing and an really light, fresh scent. Unfortunately, the scent doesn’t seem to last very long on me. It almost disappears as quickly as I spray it, but I do enjoy how refreshing the scent is when I use it. The bottle is small enough that you can throw it in your purse and use it as often as you want.

If you’re looking for ways to get refreshed, this line is a good place to start.


Jun
2016

Most Wanted Summer Skin Care – Alyssa’s Picks

categories: Skin Care, Skin Care Reviews

My combination skin is pretty nuts and I have to change my products along with the seasons. Once summer hits, my skin gets oilier but the dry patches never fully go away, do I need to find products that are a little lighter that combat both issues. Add in the fact that I’m extremely pale and sunscreen gets it’s own post.
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths
cetaphil-gentle-skin-cleansing-cloths-all-skin-types
My skin isn’t as sensitive as I expect when it comes to skin care, except in summer when allergies are added onto all my issues. These cleansing cloths are the most gentle and effective way I’ve found to take off my makeup. They’re soap and fragrance free and do a better job getting my makeup off than most cloths. I get zero irritation around my eyes and it doesn’t leave a chemical taste in my mouth when I’m taking off matte lipstick. You don’t have to rinse after these and my skin doesn’t feel dried out. Just clean.
L’Oreal Hydra-Total 5 Ultra-Soothing Micellar Water
L'Oreal Hydra-total 5 ultra-soothing micellar water
I didn’t have a great experience when I tried the Hydra-Total Ultra-Even collection and it’s clear that I should’ve been using the Ultra-Soothing routine because my skin likes it so much better. This micellar water does a great job cleansing my skin. I wish the bottle was a little easier to squeeze but you don’t need much of this one anyways. It’s a great makeup remover but I’ll use something else to take off stubborn mascara first. Follow it up with the matching toner and you’re good to go.
L’Occitane Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Toner
loccitane Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Toner
I love toners. I find them refreshing and they’re an important part of balancing my skin out but finding a good one that’s alcohol-free is a challenge. L’Occitane’s Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Toner is a great addition to my arsenal. It gets a lot of stuff that cleansers leave behind while leaving my skin balanced and refreshed but not dried out. I don’t love the peony scent but it’s light enough that I can ignore it.
Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Active Brightening Oil
Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Active Brightening Oil
First off, I love anything rose. So a rose oil, with actual rose petals in it? Yes please! Luckily this oil actually does something other than look and smell pretty. The sun and heat really make my skin kind of dull and sunscreen build up makes it feel not so great sometimes. This oil really sinks into my skin and gives it a ton of hydration while brightening up my skin. It also doesn’t leave me great at all.
Philosophy Take A Deep Breath Oil-Free Oxygenating Gel Cream
Philosophy-Take-A-Deep-Breath Oil-free oxygenating gel cream
I usually switch to a gel cream moisturizer in the summer because they’re a lot more cooling and more suited to combination skin. Take A Deep Breath might be hitting my top five moisturizers ever. It absorbs almost instantly and leaves my skin really hydrated but feeling like there’s nothing on my face. My skin actually looks a lot better since I’ve been using it and this moisturizer smells amazing. I actually want to use it more often because I love the scent so much. I already have a travel size version of this one put away for my trip next month.


Mar
2016

Products For A Cause With Lush And L’Occitane

categories: Skin Care, Skin Care Reviews

Lush and L’Occitane are two companies that are known for giving back. Lush’s Charity Pot is a permanent product where the proceeds to go to different charities and L’Occitane has different causes they donate to each year. Right now, they each have a product out where the proceeds go to good causes. You’ll want to grab both of these before they run out!

Lush Hand Of Friendship Soap
Lush Hand Of Friendship Soap
Canada just accepted 25,000 Syrian refugees and 100% of the proceeds from Hand Of Friendship (minus taxes) will go to Lush’s Friendship Fund that supplies the relief to their most pressing needs. Hand Of Friendship is a sweet smelling (cherry blossom), highly moisturizing soap that lathers really well. I had to cut mine up to make it easier to use and I love the hand design so much I was really sad about it.

L’Occitane Solidarity Balm
Solidarity Balm Ultra Soft Balm
L’Occitane launched their Solidarity Balm just in time for Women’s Day on March 8th. 100% of the proceeds to this balm will finance NGO programs for women’s leadership in Burkina Faso with the support of the L’Occitane Foundation and it’s program ‘Women For Burkina.’ The balm itself it pretty amazing. Rose scented and full of Shea, this balm is perfect for lips, cuticles, hair or anywhere that your skin is dried out from winter. Considering it’s only $6, I’ll be stocking up on these.

I love when companies match products we’re going to buy anyways with giving us a chance to give back and these two are pretty amazing.