Ghosts of Beauty Products Past #2

It feels like I just wrote the original Ghosts of Beauty Products Past post, you'll probably see some repeat offenders that I just can't get enough of, I'll post them but won't go into too much detail so if you want to see what I really thought of them you can refer back to the original post!

Hair Care

It seems I've been finishing off a lot of products that have been on the go for a while now so I'm super stoked to share some of these gems with you guys! Everyone knows my love for Batiste dry shampoo so I won't go into that, BUT I've finally finished some of my favourites that I've been using for about a year now.

Difiaba Hydressence Conditioner:  I've been using this conditioner for over a year now and I adore it! It's super hydrating without leaving your hair feeling heavy, has the most amazing scent and is perfect for any heat junkie, styling addict or just general hair abuser that needs a little help getting those locks looking luscious again, this will definitely be a repurchase. You can find it here!

Difiaba Luminessence Hydrating Serum: This is an amazing treatment I use once a month, a combination of hair care and aromatherapy. I follow up my shampooing with a vial of the hibiscus scented hydrating serum, comb through and leave for five minutes before rinsing. For $36 here you get enough to last you a whole year! I've already placed an order for more.

Skin Care

MAC's Lightful Cleanser and Lightful Softening Lotion are staples in my skin care routine so clearly it's not a surprise to find them in another GofBPP post...

Delarom Revitality Cream: I used this cream for three months and when I first talked about it back in my What's My Age Again? post I thought I could never live without this cream but since finishing it off I'm not so sure I still feel so strongly about it. While I did notice a slight improvement in the fine lines on my forehead whilst using this product, I've found that since I've stopped using it my Keihl's Powerful Strength Line Reducing Treatment does just as good of a job at keeping the lines at bay, if not better and only for a fraction of the price! Needless to say I will not be repurchasing.

Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm: This is a product I have yet to mention on the blog because I've been so on the fence about it and I still can't decide if I like it or not even after finishing the pot and here's why: the thermal mud is packed full of mineral rich goodness and because it's a cleansing balm it makes removing make up and cleansing the skin a piece of cake which is what everyone wants after a long day, is it not? So then you
may ask why aren't I head over heels in love? Well for starters it's £46.00 for a 50ml pot that barely lasts a month, which if it did amazing things for my skin would make it a little easier to justify but the fact is it just doesn't. I wanted to love this product, I've tried so hard to love this product, but in the end, I just can't. It's definitely worth a try (and if you're curious you can find it here) but it's not something I will be repurchasing. 

Body Care

Nuxe Huile de Prodigeuse: This is the third bottle of this glorious oil that I've finished off in the last six months and I've already cracked my fourth. For a full review of this product click here.

The Body Shop's Body Butter in Coconut and Chocomania: As far as I am concerned there is no other body butter in the world, or at least none that can compete with the Body Shops, I've already restocked my cupboards with four more of these bad boys!

Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Body Lotion in Sleep:  I talked a little bit about this guy in my Night Routine post, and since finishing it I've realized two things about it; 1. It's not the most hydrating lotion and 2. The scent was way more relaxing than I had noticed, since finishing I've found my mind doesn't relax quite as quickly, hopefully my Aromatherapy Associates Relax Body and Massage Oil shows up soon so I can go back to sound sleeping!

Caudalie Divine Oil:  I first mentioned this in my recent post about beauty oils and when I wrote that I mentioned it was heavier than Nuxe's and almost sticky, but since switching it to an evening use only product, I've fallen in love. It hydrates scaly spots on my legs, tames parched hair and smells just heavenly. You can get your hands on a bottle of your own here.

Hand Care

Tokyo Milk's Tainted Love Hand Cream: While it smelled absolutely amazing it wasn't the most hydrating for my seriously dry hands, I think in the future I'll stick to the perfumes from Tokyo Milk because those never disappoint. 

Sanoflore Miel Nourricier Hand Cream:  I mentioned this in my January Favourites post after returning home from a romantic weekend in Paris with the boy. This was definitely a gem that I stumbled upon whilst ravaging the French pharmacies and am glad to have someone back in France to mail me some when it runs out because woah man is this stuff awesome! Smells amazing, super hydrating and calming if your hands are sensitive like mine and just all around amazing! There may be a tube of this sitting in my goodie box waiting for the next giveaway.... just sayin.

Holey Butt'r:  This product is designed for stretched earlobes, which is why I have it but it is good for so much more! It contains a blend of Karanji seed oil, Jojoba seed oil, Soy butter, soy wax, Candelila wax and Neem seed oil which are a potent blend of moisturisers and emollients to hydrate and heal dehydrated and stressed out skin. I like to put this on my elbows, knees, knuckles, heels and anywhere else feeling particularly crocodile like.

Make Up

L'Oreal Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara:  I mentioned this in my February Favourites post as it was something I picked up from Boots on a whim whilst in Brighton back in January and I'm so sad I didn't pick up another because now that this one is done I can't seem to find it here back in Canada or anywhere online, we all know I'm queen of online shopping, and I'm struggling to replace it. There is a mascara shaped void in my life now...

MAC's Studio Fix Powder in NC15:  This has been a staple in my make up bag since I was about 13 but since my skin shifted more to the drier side I had been avoiding using it, now that I've got my skin back under control, a light dusting of Fix powder with a fluffy MAC 187 Duo Fibre Face Brush over top of my Jouer Matte Moisture Tint creates the perfect finish.

Bath and Shower

LUSH's Snow Fairy Shower Gel: I've ranted and raved about this stuff multiple times so if you want to see more about why I love it you can check that out here and here.

Soap and Glory's Sugar Crush Body Scrub: This stuff is amazeballs. Like seriously. I went into raptures here about my nostalgic love for this product and why I was so happy to see it back in Canada. If you're looking for a good scrub look no further!

Tokyo Milk's Tainted Love Shower Gel: This faired much better than it's hand cream partner I mentioned earlier in the post; it has that amazing combination of dark vanilla bean, orchid and sandalwood that lingers after the shower is over.

Pure Potent Wow Muscle Soak Bath Salts: If you lift heavy weights you're going to feel it the next day, and since I'm constantly lifting weights or running my muscles are always aching and sore and this stuff definitely helps me keep moving. I'm always trying out new bath salts so the chances of repurchasing this aren't very likely but if you're someone that enjoys a good bath on the regular these are a must try!

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Monthly Favourites: April 2014

April was a good month for discovering new treasures even though I tried to reign in my spending habits, it seemed I finished off a lot of products I had been using regularly and moved onto to something new that I'd squirreled away.

Skincare

I finished off my Delarom Revitality Cream earlier this month so I reached for the Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate that's been sitting in my skin care drawer since Paris back in January. This is the perfect spring cream because it's lightweight while still super hydrating AND it doubles as a primer, no wonder all the beauty bloggers call it their holy grail.

Tarte's Maracuja Oil has bumped Fresh's Seaberry Moisturizing Facial Oil from my morning regime to my evening regime as Tarte's oil is more readily absorbed and lightweight than Fresh's making it the perfect base for a flawless foundation application.

First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Cream this stuff is seriously amazing. I picked it up from Sephora on a whim (again, I just can't say no to miniature products!!) and it's the only thing preventing my hands from falling apart right now. For some reason at the change of every season the backs of my hands breakout into a dry, itchy, painful rash (it's seriously gross, and I put my hands in peoples faces for a living!!Eek!) after only a couple days of using this the rash dissipated into a massive dry patch and then a few days later was gone altogether, after lingering around for almost 3 weeks prior to using this cream.

Make Up

I was super excited to try Jouer's Matte Moisture Tint after seeing Estee talk about it in her videos for what seemed like months I ordered it (in the colour Linen if you're curious) as well as the Luminizing Moisture Tint (which I for some reason ordered a colour WAY too dark and looked like an Oompa Loompa, I have no idea what I was thinking when I ordered it...) and I've been wearing the matte moisture tint every day since it arrived. It gives great coverage without being too heavy, the added SPF is really nice and it's a natural matte which I always find much more flattering than a full on matte. It can be worn on it's own for a nice glow or you can set it with a light powder if you're looking for a more matte finish, I find the coverage so great I rarely need concealer.

My other staple this month isn't new to me but the use for it is and it's a life saver! You've probably heard all about the MAC Prep + Prime Highlighters and how they're great for a natural matte highlight, blah, blah, blah. But do you know what they're really awesome for? Colour correcting, especially if you've got dark purple circles under your eyes! A light bit of the Bright Forecast highlighter applied will counteract the purple so that when you apply your concealer afterwards you get an even better coverage! The colour you use will depend largely on the undertone in your under eye circles and your skin tone, but for a fair gal like myself with purple bags this is the best trick ever!

Fragrance

Bittersweet No.83 from Tokyo Milk's Dark Femme Fatale Collection is the best chocolate scent ever, usually artificial chocolate smells just that, artificial. This has a rich dark cocoa base that gives you a dark chocolate scent without the cheap alcohol smell that many others are full of. I've been using this every day for probably three weeks now, so so very in love.

Life's Bits and Bobs

Life: Got away to Columbia, MD for a couple days to see the boy and had a wonderful time playing tourist in Washington, DC.

Tea of the Month: Midsummer Night's Dream by David's Tea, the only way to describe it is it tastes like love, try it and you'll understand. To the lovely gal at the David's in the Toronto airport that introduced me to this tea and dried my tears during a missed flight and boyfriend missing sadness induced meltdown, thank you for everything and for dealing with my crazy like a pro.

Book of the Month: Lady Catherine and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon clearly when I saw a book with Downton Abbey in the title at Costco last month I had to pick it up, what can I say, I'm obsessed. What I didn't expect was what I got from this book, a non-fiction written by the current Countess of Carnarvon from the archives of Highclere Castle (what is Downton Abbey in the show) as well as first hand stories from those who knew the family well. Sometimes the true stories in this book are even more dramatic than those fictional events in the television program! And the Countess' writing style just makes the book so easy to devour.

Netflix Obsession of the Month: Well considering they put the third season of Downton Abbey up that was binged watched clearly and then keeping with the current trend of British period dramas I seem to be enjoying I also watched Mr. Selfridge which was based off the real life events of Harry Selfridge the American the founded London's Selfridge Department Store. 

Blogger/ Vlogger of the Month: I couldn't pick just one this month but I figured since they were friends it could count as one, right? Lily Pebbles who you can also find on YouTube here, and her lovely friend Vivianna from Vivianna Does Makeup who is also on YouTube.

What were you lovelies loving this month?

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Top Ten Beauty Products On the Fly!

As you are reading this I probably have JUST touched down in Baltimore, MD after what can only be explained as an epic pinballesque plane ride across North America and as I am spending the next four days on a mini vacay visiting the boy I figured it was only suiting that the next couple of posts be about beauty on the go.

This is my top ten 'must haves' that were the first items packed into my make up bag, if you guys would like a full view into what made it into my make up kit and skin care stash for this trip let me know and I'll be sure to post some photos on instagram for you guys!

Top 5 Skin Care Products

I'm super lazy when it comes to taking my make up off at the end of the day which is why I can't go anywhere without my Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Skin Refining Cleansing Oil. You just massage it into your skin and it removes everything including waterproof eye make up and then you rinse it away, or if I'm SUPER lazy I use a damp muslin cloth to just wipe it off.

Considering this is my third tube of Lightful Cleanser by MAC I think it's safe to say I'm not going to leave this behind. You can read more about why I love this particular cleanser here. I always love trying new things and considering I've been reaching for this stuff over and over again for the past six months it must be pretty freaking awesome.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate is pretty much liquid gold, even if I don't get a full 8 hours of sleep my skin always looks like it has! You can read about my initial response to this skin care voodoo here.

The only thing drier than the skin on my face is my scaly alligator legs so clearly I'm not about to go off gallivanting without my Body Shop Body Butter, right now I'm obsessed with the Chocomania scent because, well, chocolate.

Ok so the last one isn't really skin care but I won't tell if you won't tell! I can't go on vacation without at least one fragrance. As you may have seen in my March Favourites I've been loving my Fragonard Fleur de Vanille perfume because the combination of warm rich chocolate and vanilla tones is perfectly balanced by softer, fresher tones like ylang ylang and rose making it the perfect transition scent for spring!

Top 5 Make Up Products

Ok so this might be a little bit of a cheat but it is technically only one item and that is my personalized 15 eyeshadow pallet from MAC. This is perfect for traveling because while it's predominantly neutral shadows there's enough variety in the pallet that I can create a completely different look every single day.

Jouer's Matte Moisture Tint has cut down the time it takes me to get ready in the morning by quite a bit; for a tinted moisturizer it has pretty good coverage meaning I can usually forgo concealer except for maybe a bit under my tired eyes and because it dries matte I usually skip the powder too. That pretty much makes it a no-brainer for traveling since you can save space in your make up bag and cut down on time getting ready before you head out to explore and the added SPF is always nice too!

Have I mentioned how much I love Essie Button yet in this blog post? No? Ok well this girl can seriously recommend no wrong! Aside from recommending the above tinted moisturizer I also picked up the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12- Hour Blush in "Glisten" after listening to her rave on about them and it's the perfect spring colour; it's peachy with a teeny bit of shimmer and just makes you look fresh.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't use my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion and if I'm taking 15 eyeshadows with me I better take a primer too!

And due to the sheer ease of application, one of my new Patentpolish Lip Pencils by MAC in the shade "Teen Dream" has also made it's way into my make up bag. It's the perfect traveling lip product because you can easily apply without a mirror, it's not sticky so you don't have to worry about your hair getting stuck to your lips if it's a windy spring day and let's face it, I'm obsessed with oranges right now anyways!

What are some of your favourite things to take when you find yourself adventure bound?

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IT'S A GIVEAWAY!!

AND THE WINNER IS: Kelsey Anderson! Check your email for further instructions! Thanks everyone for entering and supporting my wee little blog. 


So I'm probably more excited about this than you guys haha! I've been threatening a giveaway for months when the Facebook Page hit 50 likes and as of right now we're still a couple away from that goal, BUT I decided to go ahead and do this as a thank you for the massive amount of support everyone showed to my Food, Beautiful Food post.

I've been collecting bits and bobs for so long I actually have THREE boxes worth of stuff for this giveaway which means that once a winner is selected I can create your own little box of goodies based on your personal wants and needs. I decided to only show you one of the three boxes so that I could still keep some of the surprise.

In your winning box you will find a collection of full size products and deluxe sample sizes of some of the more pricey products I wanted to share with you guys. These products may have appeared in my blog previously (I'd be glancing at my monthly favourites posts for January and February to get some ideas of what you might be seeing...) or may be a completely new surprise!

Brands you may see in your box include:

Fresh

MAC

Sanoflore

Yves Rocher

David's Tea

Kiehl's

My Beauty Diary

Etude House

Bison

FaceQ

Dermal

LUSH

L'Occitane En Provence

The Body Shop

and more...

All you have to do to enter is click the link below and follow the instructions:

Enter the Giveaway!

Top 10: Wishlist Items

I've had quite the busy weekend so today's post might be a little bit different from the norm; instead of reviewing products I've tried I'm going to share with you my top 10 items I would purchase if I had an unlimited budget, they shipped to Canada or other obstacles that keep them from within my reach didn't exist. This is totally a shopping list as well FYI as I will most likely cave and buy these things as funds become available.

1. Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing Balm

I have seen so many bloggers talk about how amazing this stuff is and I've been dying to try it; you can get it here for $59.50 with free international shipping so it's not a budget breaker and it's definitely something I will be trying in the very near future but I've got to work my way through some of the cleansers I've already got in my skin care cupboard, there's just no more room for anything new! 

2. Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules

With a price point of $121.50 here and no shipping to Canada this fragrance seems determined to elude me! I am a bit of a perfume hoarder, I'll admit it. I've loved perfume since my mum bought me my first bottle of Calvin Klein's Obsession for Her (found here for $75 +$10 S&H) when I was 14 -it's still one of my favourite fragrances - and my collection has grown uncontrollably since. So when I heard of a perfume that blended my love of fragrance with science (also a total science nerd) I kind of freaked out and do what I do best, googled the shit out of it! 

"Escentric Molecules' Molecule 01 is created solely from the aroma-chemical Iso E Super, traditionally a perfume basenote that adds allure to a scent, which works as more of an effect than a fragrance. The scent has a subtle, velvety, woody note which will meld with your natural pheromones, vanish, then re-surface after some time, making it totally individual and personalised to the wearer. You will rarely smell this fragrance on yourself, Molecule 01 perfume is more about the effect it has on others."

UGH!!! I need this in my life clearly. I could write a Top 10: Wishlist Items on just fragrances alone I'm sure so for this particular fragrance to make the cut clearly I'm willing to sell a kidney or something to get my hands on this stuff.

3. Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist

A mineral water mist inspired by the first recorded perfume original created for the Queen of Hungary during the 14th century?! You heard me; a facial mist inspired by the first known perfume, need I say more? With orange blossom, rose and sage water this stuff smells divine and is supposed to make your skin look phenomenal but with a price point of $86 here I'm having a hard time convincing my budget I need to replace my $10 Avene Thermal Water Spray that I still enjoy. I'm saving this one for when I've had a particularly rough day and need some skin care retail therapy, because a fancy mist can't make you feel anything but special.

4. Costes Scented Candle

Scented candles are right up there with things I love and go through like they're water and when one has a review describing it as "Sexy, mysterious, sensual, addictive, vintage class, unique." It definitely grabs your attention; with notes of Black Musk, Bitter Orange Skin, Rum, Mahogany and Paprika this isn't your run of the mill scented candle. It is the signature scent of the Costes Hotel in Paris, France; if you haven't heard of this hotel follow the link to see how elegeant and refined it is, this scent captures the image of the hotel without a doubt. It can be found here for $93 with free international shipping.

5. Astrid & Miyu Secret Box Subscription

                                      Photo courtesy of: brushupandmakeup.blogspot.ca/

So Ipsy Glam Bags and Birchbox Supscriptions are pretty cool but as a gal that has issues picking out jewelry that I'll actually wear I love the look of the Astrid & Miyu subscription boxes. It's  £39 + FREE UK & EU Delivery for a subscription and they send you out a box with three handpicked pieces of jewelry that were chosen for you based off a style survey you complete when you sign up and you get a box three times a year. They currently only ship to the UK and the EU but if you're lucky enough to live there you can find out more here.

6. Therapie Himalyan Detox Salts

"A blissful cocktail of therapeutic Himalayan mineral salts, powdered Amethyst & essential oils of Lemongrass, Juniper & Geranium; these pink crystals work to balance pH levels & positive/negative ions, to help the body establish equilibrium. The Amethyst has a high mineral content, to heal & clarify problematic skin whilst counteracting the electro-magnetic energy we absorb from modern day gizmos. Add to this blood purifying & anti-inflammatory properties & discover that heaven is a bath soak." Enough said. You can find them here for $69.

  7. Oskia Rose De Mai Massage Candle

We've already established I love scented candles and who doesn't love a massage? While $64 for a candle does seem pretty steep it's a wonderfully scented candle that turns into a nourishing hydrating body oil, seems pretty rad to me. Even if you don't have someone to give you a good old fashion back rub sometimes just massaging in a nice rich oil to your dry skin is enough to make you feel like a million bucks. This can be found here. 

8. Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Bath and Shower Oil

I have so many issues falling asleep at night there's not enough sheep in the world for me to count. I've seen numerous people talking about this and how they're nearly passing out in their bath tubs they're so relaxed, combine that with how luxurious a bath oil feels I need to give this a try! It can be found here for $73.

9. Cattier MASQUE ARGILE ROSE & MASQUE ARGILE JAUNE

I tried so hard to find these whilst in Paris (ask the boyfriend who I had trained to spot the green pharmacy crosses from a mile away) but could not find anywhere in store and can't seem to find anywhere online to order them. The pink clay mask is supposed to be amazing for sensitive skin and the yellow for dry, I have both of those and love clay masks only seems like a perfect fit! I now have someone in France willing to ship me anything I'm looking for so I may see if he can find these and I'll report back to you guys!

10. Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint

I am all about avoiding foundation now that I've got my skin to a place that I'm happy with it I want to show that bad boy off! So when I heard this mentioned in a couple YouTube videos my interest was peaked so I hopped on CultBeauty to see what they had to say... "A light, water-resistant foundation to unify skintone, a luminiser that re-creates the dewiness of 18 year old skin, SPF 20, anti-ageing anti-oxidents and a fragrance-free moisturiser to keep your face looking and feeling great all day, that also works on hyper-sensitive skins. " So what you're saying is I pretty much need this to live?! You can find it for $55 here.

These are some of the things I've been lusting after for the last little while, let me know what's on your wishlist, chances are I'll feel the need to add it onto my forever growing list! If you've tried some of these items or know where I can find them online (that'll ship to Canada - I swear we're not a postal vortex!) let me know.

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