Morning Skincare Routine!

Hey Everyone! 
Look what I'm going to talk about today! 4 products that I am obsessed with!

Finally, I've decided to step away from the make-up and talk about something super important. Skincare. In order to have your make-up sitting right, you gotta have your skincare game tight.
Yeah I just did a lame rhyme - I do that sometimes.
Anyway, Today I'll be doing my morning skincare routine and soon to follow will be my night-time routine!

To begin - I'll give you a little insight to my skin before finding this combination of products.
I would have an oily T-Zone that caused me to get MINOR breakouts once a month (we all know when, ick).
On top of that, I would experience some blackheads on my nose and chin, as well as a bit of dry skin around my eyes and cheeks.
In the last few years, I've been seemingly developing a sensitivity to certain products and began to notice small patches of eczema, so I've started paying attention to ingredients in products I use to wash and moisturise my skin and pay close attention to any products that cause undesirable changes.

TVAL Deep Cleansing Oil with Mandarin and Cedar

This is the first thing I do in the morning. Every morning. I know it sounds odd using an "oil" as a cleanser - but I swear this stuff is ridiculous. It has a faint cedar smell (which is nice and not overpowering like some cleansing products) and actually does feel like a thick oil. I just put a little on my fingers and apply it to dry skin and just rub it all in. After about 30 seconds, I just wipe it off with a warm, wet, facecloth until it feels clean. Your skin MAY feel a little "oily" at first, but I kind of like the moisturised feeling; yet that does fade go away after the next step.
Just to add; every second day or so, I wet my Clarisonic brush and use that after I've already rubbed in the cleanser. This just makes me feel like I got a really good deep clean and scrubbed all the dirt off. I then continue to wash it all off with a warm, wet, facecloth.







Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub

This product was in my June or July (I can't remember which) Ipsy bag. I have actually come to love this and will definitely be purchasing a new one when this runs out. I only use this about 2-3 times a week (usually the days I don't use my Clarisonic), but I love it. It is a black scrub with tiny gentle beads in it. I usually go for harsher scrubs that make me feel like I've actually ex-foliated my skin; however, this is very gentle and still leaves me with the same feeling as those harsher scrubs. There is no scent to this product at all and I've been hearing a lot about charcoal facial products lately, so I'm officially jumping on this trend.








TVAL Cucumber Aloe Toner

Another TVAL product. I actually disowned all toners for a while. They made my skin tingle and feel very tight and dry - which I thought was just a clean feeling. Turns out it was a drying feeling and I began hating it. I was an avid lover of the Body Shop Tea Tree Toner for such a long time because I also thought the ingredients weren't supposed to be so bad for my skin. After watching a Vlog by Hollyannaree (I'll link her below), I realized it actually has some harshness to it and I then gave that one up too.
After a while I started missing using a toner, I'm not really sure why, but I did. So, when I came across this, I had to give it a shot.
Amazing again.
This actually makes me feel like my skin is super clean, and not dry at all. There is no drying, tingly feeling.
I just apply it to a cotton pad and run it all over my skin. Seriously just feels nice on the skin.




L'oreal Youth Code BB Cream

So, oddly enough, my daytime moisturiser is actually a BB cream I picked up at Wal-Mart. I'm not a big fan of BB creams - yes I've tried a lot. I find they give an odd color to the skin, or no coverage, etc. This is the first one I've come across that I actually like. I have it in the shade "light", and although it is slightly lighter than my actual skin, it isn't a terrible match. This also offers decent sheer coverage that I enjoy on the days I don't want to use any foundation (sometimes my skin needs to breathe).
I also find that this does well as a daily moisturiser. I haven't experienced any dry patches since using this (although, as you'll soon see, night-time is all about moisture).
Overall, I really enjoy this to top off my morning skin care!







After finding this combination of products (as well as my night-time products you will soon see), and consistently been using them for about 3-4 months now my skin has drastically changed.
I have zero blackheads - anywhere.
I have gotten 1 (ONE!) pimple in 4 months. (I'm attributing that to my trip to Toronto as I find travelling really affects my skin, no matter where I go).
My T-zone can still get a little oily near the end of the day depending on the foundation I use.
Finally, the area around my eyes and cheeks no longer feel dry.

On a side note: TVAL has been mentioned here (and will be again for my night-time routine) and some of you probably don't know what it is. It's a local skincare shop that offers all-natural products for the face and body (I'll link their site below as well). They do let you purchase and ship products online. I have only tried a few things from them so far, yet so far I have liked them and hope to try many more in the future. (I like supporting local if I can :)). Also, just putting this out there- as much as I LOVEEEE the products I have from TVAL, they are purchased solely by me and are my own views (as is everything there). I don't want anyone thinking I have been paid or given free things in return for a good review - they simply are just products that I have been raving about because they work for me.


Links I promised :)

TVAL skincare
http://tvalskincare.com/

Hollyannaree YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/hollyannaeree/


Thanks for reading! Love!

-J

Mini Drugstore Haul!

Hey Everyone!

So I went to Walmart a little while ago and picked up some things that were totally new to me (and one not so new). I decided I needed to dive into the world of cream shadows so I picked up a few of those, a new lippy, and a basic eyeshadow trio. Here's what I got!

So the 2 eyeshadow pencils from Rimmel and CoverGirl are a very cream based stick and the Maybelline Color Tattoo is also a cream shadow. These are super new to me as I've tended to assume cream shadows will crease (even if others swear they don't), so I've strayed away from them.
I also have never tried a CoverGirl Smoochie before; I've heard mixed reviews so I figured I would just try it out for myself.
The Wet and Wild eyeshadow Trio are not new to me, but these colours I just couldn't resist.
So I've had these products for a little while now, so I'll do a mini review of each of them! :)

Rimmel Scandaleyes and CoverGirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencil

 
I put these both together because of their similarity, but I'll still go over each individually.
Rimmel Scandaleyes has been known for their eyeliners (particularly the nude shade for the inner rim - love it). While at Wal-Mart I came across these shadows and swiped the tester across my coffee cup for colour. As much as I loved it, I was still sceptical. After walking around for about 20 minutes, I realized I was holding my cup in the exact place I swatched, and the colour wasn't moving. That was it for me. I ran back to purchase it. I have to say, I'm not disappointed. I absoloutely love the consistency of this shadow. It goes on extremely smooth and the colour can be worn very deep and concentrated (shown above) or blended out for a softer look. When worn concentrated the shadow has a bit of a sheen type finish, but if blended out it becomes a bit more matted (with a teeny tiny bit of sheen). I don't find it does any creasing throughout the day (I always use an eye primer), and it never rubs off. Definitely a new favourite.
The CoverGirl flamed out was purchased because the colour looked outstanding. It's such a beautiful goldenish toupe that just catches the light beautifully and it has a shimmer-sheen finish. It really makes my eyes pop. It also goes on very smoothly and feels great on the lids. However; I do find that this has a tendency to crease just a little bit after a few hours (even with a primer). What I started doing is using a powder shadow on top just to set it (one of similar colour of course) and it seems to stay put a little better. That being said, I do still prefer the Rimmel for longevity.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal

This was the third cream shadow I decided to get. I figured if I was going to do this, I may as well do it right. I've heard a lot about this shadow in the colour "Bad to the Bronze", but I actually cannot find it anywhere. It is literally always sold out in every Wal-Mart and drugstore I walk into. So I thought I would try another colour from the line to test out. As before - the colour is what caught my eye. It's a very soft champagne that makes a great base or inner corner colour. I actually was also very surprised by this. The shadow didn't crease or budge all day and the shimmer in this really caught the light and brightened up my eyes. I've actually found myself using this almost daily since I bought it. As with the other cream shadows, it also goes on very smoothly and feels just creamy on. After these three products, I'm really going to have to expand my cream shadow collection. I am thoroughly impressed.

Wet and Wild Shadow Trio

 

We've all tried these Wet and Wild shadows before. They're amazing and we all know it. The color pay off is incredible and very saturated, they have a super smooth and buttery texture, and they're under $5. You actually can't find anything better at the drugstore for that price and I am obsessed with them.
Therefore, it is no surprise that when I saw this colour trio I just had to have it. These shades are actually some of the prettiest I've seen so far; my favourite had to be the bottom taupe/grey shade. The top and bottom shade are very shimmery, while the middle brown has a hint of glitter (not overpowering by any means). I've actually been using these with the Maybelline Color Tattoo Studio (above) and creating such a pretty fall look. The Color tattoo in the inner corner and out to the middle of the eye; the bottom colour in this palette on the outer corner and blended into the crease; then the middle colour in the outer V corner just to deepen it up. Put a little of the taupe underneath and some black liner smudged in the upper lashes and you're done! (I can post a tutorial of that if you guys want to see it!!)
No matter how you use this pallet, the shades are absolutely beautiful for the Fall and a great transition into Winter.

CoverGirl Smoochies

 

So, I've heard mixed reviews about these and I kind of see why. I'm glad I have one, but I'm glad I have JUST one. I like a red lip - a lot, but I'm also practical that I can't have my favourite long-wearing pin-up red every single day. So This is a good alternative as the colour is very sheer yet buildable. The swatch above is actually what it builds up to, so just one swipe probably won't get you much colour on your lips. My lips are also pretty pigmented so I need decent coverage to see a little results. They do feel very nice on the lips, almost like a lip balm, but I find that feeling fades pretty fast and my lips actually end up feeling a little drier than before I put it on, so I find myself reapplying often just to get the smooth feeling back.
It's nice to have this just to stick in my purse and go and not need a mirror to apply etc.. but I also have other lip products that are similar and perform better- either colour-wise or moisture-wise. Personally, I would prefer my Lip Butters (yes I'm still obsessed with them haha); I find they give amazing colour pay-off and incredible moisture all day!


Sooo there you guys have it! My return to blogging!
Overall, I was very impressed with everything I mentioned here, except the CoverGirl Smoochie (which isn't terrible, just not amazing).
I hope you guys enjoyed reading this and that it was worth the wait!
If there's anything you guys want to see; tutorials, product reviews, skin care, first impression, my ipsy box, etc.., just let me know!

Thanks for reading! Love!

-J

I'm Back

Hey Everyone!
Just wanted to get a little personal here for a minute. I've been missing from the blogging world for about 2 months now. Life got crazy hectic and I unfortunately had to take a little break. I finished up my Business degree (convocation is next month! woo!); I started a new Big-Girl job; and I've been settling into the new apartment (feels like the décor work is never done).

After finally sorting through all of this - I am back.
As you can tell, I have pretty much overhauled the site - New Everything :)
There are now links and feeds for my other social media sites! Seriously, check it out >>>>
Instagram and Twitter are usually the first places to see any new purchases as well as any OOTD and just general daily fun.
Tonight you will get my first official beauty related post and I am suuuper excited about it! :)
On a side note: I've also been considering starting a small secondary blog on the side that is not beauty related, but more life related. I'm not too sure what I might post there- probably just little daily tidbits and thoughts as they run through my head; things I like/dislike etc. If I decide to do that I'll definitely let you all know and link it here!

Thanks for reading! Love!

-J

Au Natural Hair!

Hey guys!!

I thought today I would show you what products I use to style my hair naturally.
I actually have pretty curly hair, so sometimes it can be a bit of a problem with either frizz, or days it just doesn't want to curl itself properly, etc... You curly hair people know what I'm talking about here. Depending on the weather, I may let it dry naturally (usually only happens on hot summer days), or use a hair dryer to speed up the process when its colder out or I'm in a rush and don't want to look as if I just exited the shower. Having thick, curly hair means it takes hours to dry naturally unless its at least 25+ degrees outside.

To begin, here are recent pictures of my hair left alone. In these, I let my hair dry naturally (it's actually still a bit wet as you can see). At the end of this, I am going to show you guys a quick picture of how long my hair actually is when I blow-dry it straight and what I use for that - the length difference is crazy. (Click to enlarge these).

This all starts in the shower. To be honest, I've never noticed much difference between a "curl" shampoo and any other formulation, so I just use whatever I have on hand - lately thats been the Clear for Color and Damaged hair. Maybe I just haven't found any curl shampoo/conditioner combo thats great yet - but of the ones I've tried, my end results do not differ. When I'm in the shower I brush the conditioner through my hair with a wide tooth comb; when doing this, I make sure to comb my hair the way I would part it. When rinsing my hair I try not to tangle it up or anything a whole lot- Basically, my goal is to not have to brush/comb my hair once I get out of the shower. This helps my natural curls stay in together and not separate them too much.
Next, I just squeeze my hair with a towel to get any excess water out (my hair retains water really well, so this is crucial). I part my hair and depending on how I am going to dry my hair (naturally or not) depends on what goes on my hair.
Here are the products that I use.

Catwalk Curl Collection Curlesque creme
AG Re-Coil Curl Defining Creme
Pantene Mousse for curls, hold level 4
Hair Dryer Diffuser

Drying my hair naturally
Separate my hair into 4 sections (one on each side and 2 for the back). Apply very small amount of AG Recoil to hands, rub together, distribute onto section- repeat with each section. This is seriously the holy grail for naturally curly hair. It makes my curls even curlier and I can not rave about this stuff enough.
Afterwards, I apply a small (quarter sized) amount of Catwalk Curlesque to my whole head and just crunch my curls a little to encourage them to twist more. Thats it!
The reason I apply both products when letting my hair dry naturally is that I find my hair can get a little separated and frizzy without the Catwalk, but my curls are as bouncy without the AG; therefore, I feel I need both. I don't apply the mousse when I dry my hair naturally as I feel it leaves my hair hard and crunchy.

Drying my hair with a hair dryer
When drying my hair with a hair dryer I first apply the AG Recoil as I previously explained. After that is when I put a palm-full of Pantene Mousse all over my hair. Stick the Diffuser onto my hair dryer (EXTREMELY important) and flip my hair upside-down while drying it. I find flipping my hair over adds more volume to the roots. I always put my hair dryer setting to low (so yes, this can sometimes take a while) and carefully hold pieces of my hair so the blowing air doesn't cause the curls to separate too much (this is why the low setting is so important, otherwise it will end up frizzy). When its dry, I give it a shot of cold air with the hair dryer to seal it all in and voila! Done-Zo.
The Pantene Mousse doesn't leave my hair crunchy when I use a hair dryer - I can't really explain why; maybe because it's being tousled around more.

Just for fun
Here's how long my hair actually is when it is blow-dried straight (no flat iron was used in this).


All I really did for this was apply a small amount of Carols Daughters Smoothing Blow Dry Creme (smells like chocolate- yumm) and put a concentrator on my hair dryer. Section the hair off in 4 sections again, and use a paddle brush to follow the hair down the brush with the edge of the concentrator.



















Well! There you have it!

If you guys have any questions about the individual products, or want to see how I "Unnaturally" curl my hair for daytime or a night out, let me know!!

Thanks for reading! Love!

-J

June Favorites!

Hey guys!

Today I am going to tell you about the things I have been loving for the month of June. We have had pretty miserable weather here so far this month - it has been cold and rainy for the most part, but it seems to be heating up a bit so I anticipate some of these products will no longer be used next month (more on that later). For now, I'l try to do some mini reviews as I go so lets jump on in! Also, I apologize for the quality of the pictures this time; it's already the 3rd of July so I really wanted to get this post up, and its 10:00 at night here so there is no natural lighting (I'll try to do better next time- promise).

 Lots of Goodies :)

 So, As you can see, I couldn't pick just one lippy this month. All 3 are from the same line, the Maybelline vivds collection, but I absolutely could not narrow it down to 1. This entire line of lipsticks is amazing! I purchased one and have kept going back for more colors ever since. The three colors I narrowed it down to for my favorites this month are: Hot Plum, Shocking Coral, and Fuchsia Flash.

These three colors give the best of all shade choices for summer: Magenta, Coral, and a hot Pink. Although these colors may seem like they might not be wearable for daytime, I actually even wear mine to work (at a bank) and get complemented on them all the time. The lipsticks are super creamy, and I find the staying power to be much better than a glossy balm but not as drying as a stain. I do have to reapply after eating or drinking, but other than that I have had excellent success with the quality of these.
They are super bright and perfect for the summer.

Next up, we have my Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer in Brightener. This is a definite must have for me this month as it has been such a hectic/busy few weeks for me and I feel my eyes show my lack of sleep. This concealer has a hint of salmon in it which I find works amazing for dark circles. I apply it under my foundation so I can have a thicker layer of product, while my foundation then covers the color and helps it blend into my skin. I have actually recommended this to a few people now who have come back to tell me how much they love it.

Next we have my CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation in Medium Beige. I've been grabbing this every day for quite a while now and its definitely still on top for me in June. I like this because it offers great coverage without feeling caked on or heavy, and it doesn't melt or get oily throughout the day (definitely a plus now that the weather is improving!) The pump applicator makes this really easy to apply so you always have the right amount of foundation (no wasting, yay!) and it seems much more sanitary than sticking your hands into a bottle or pot to get the product out.

This is the Milani baked blush in Rose D'oro. I have been reaching for this mostly because it has some shimmer and gives an amazing glow to the cheeks for summer. It is almost like a light bronzer with hints of gold and rose tones into it. On the cheeks, this makes me feel glowy and dewy. I usually just apply this with a large powder brush directly to the apples of my cheeks for a bit of added color.












Ok. Here is the part where I get to my favorites for the month of June, which probably won't be favorites for next month. First, we have my beloved Benefit They're Real! Mascara.

I just raved about this a few weeks ago (see previous posts) so I won't get into much detail on that again here. However, I am now discovering that because it isn't waterproof, it actually smudges in humidity. I wore this a few times this week and ended up with black around the top of my eyelid because the heat. As much as I love this mascara, I think this next month will be different - however, for June, I was obsessed.

The last product that loved for June, but probably wont be loving much for the rest of summer is the Maybelline Line Stiletto Liquid eyeliner. This has been the best liner I have found recently and I love how matte the black is. The applicator also makes this really easy to apply and get a nice wing line with. The problem I think I might have is similar to my mascara, it isn't waterproof. Although I think this is available in waterproof, I didn't purchase that type, and the non-waterproof version just starts to smudge on my lashline in the heat. That being said, I love the eyeliner enough that I will have to run out and purchase the waterproof version to try for next month. If it acts the same as this one, with the added benefit of being waterproof, I'll love it even more. :)

My favorite scent this month is Lola by Marc Jacobs. This scent just seems so light and fresh to me. I am actually terrible at describing scents, so I'm actually just going to quote what is written on the Ulta website for this particular perfume.
"A warm floral bouquet. A long-lasting fragrance that wraps the skin in sensuous florals.
Topnotes - Pink Peppercorn, Pear, Ruby Red Grapefruit
Midnotes: Rose, Fuschia Peony, Geranium
Drydown - Vanilla, Warm Tonka Bean, Creamy Musk"

Again, that was totally copy and pasted from the website. :)










The last 2 things I have are not makeup, but definitely essentials in my routine. Every single night I have been using both Ponds Cold Cream for normal to dry skin, and Olay Fresh Effects Long Live Moisture in Satin Finish moisturizer.

This stuff is seriously insane amazing, why have I not heard more about this? I know this product is pretty ancient and maybe our mothers used it, but they had a point. Ever since I began using this at night my skin has gotten so much softer! I just put a loonie size amount all over my dry face and neck, rub it in, then wipe it off with warm water on a facecloth and every last bit of makeup is gone. I don't even know what this stuff is supposed to claim to be doing, but for me it is an amazing makeup remover and moisturizer. Definitely recommend everyone getting into this. Also, if you're afraid this might clog your pores (because it is quite a thick consistency), I wouldn't worry too much as I haven't had a single breakout since I started using it. I'm not claiming it stops breakouts, just that it doesn't cause them on me.

After I use the Ponds Cold Cream, I move on to my new favorite face moisturizer. Olay Fresh Effects Long Live Moisture in Satin Finish.

This is a very light lotion for the face and neck that has a very satin/pearly finish to it. the pump is perfect for ensuring the perfect amount of product for your face and it works well at hydrating the skin. I like the little bit of added hydration this gives me after the Ponds Cold Cream, and leaves my skin feeling and smelling very fresh and clean.














So, there you have it! All of my favorites for the month of June! If you guys want to see longer reviews or have any questions or comments about how these products work just let me know!

Thanks for reading! Love!

-J