New Idealia Skincare Collection by Vichy - Review*


From left to right, we have the IDÉALIA Smoothness & Glow Energizing Cream in two formulas, dry and normal. The Dry formula is a lot more creamy, more emollient where as the normal formula is a bit more like a gel-like texture, still creamy but a more jelly like. Both of them are very moisturizing and absorbs very quickly into the skin. It has a very light fragrance of white flowers and tea that stays on the skin for a while and dissipates after about 15-20 minutes. It is formulated with blueberry rich in polyphenols and fermented black tea extract, IDÉALIA skin care gives the perfect dose of nutrients needed by the skin to combat stress and increase glow until the evening. Tests show that the cream is proven to even complexion, refine pore and smooth lines and retails for $45 each.


IDÉALIA Radiance Booster Serum is said to be infused with antioxidant citrus flavonoids, energizing adenosine and an illuminating liquorice root extract, to speed up the transformation of normal skin into smooth, glowing skin: first effects proven in 8 days. It is a clear liquid texture that is non-sticky and also absorbs into the skin immediately. Even with my oily skin this does not affect my make-up application, it does not make me extra greasy or anything. It has the same scent as the cream mentioned above. This retails for $49.95

Housed in the baby pink tube is the IDÉALIA Energizing smoothing and radiance gel-cream.  It is made for people with combination to oily skin (perfect for me), and contains a complex of natural actives to boost your skin's natural glow, even- out your complexion, pores, smoothing fine lines and gives you day long shine control. It also has an extract of fermented black tea to enhance the skin quality, while the absorbent microbeads take care of any excess sebum. I actually like to use this to mix with my Cover FX Custom Drops - it gives a beautiful tinted moisturizer look that makes my skin look natural. This is priced at $39.95

Last but not least, my favorite product of the whole collection which is the IDÉALIA Radiance Activating Night Peeling Care. Think of this as a liquid exfoliator!! It helps to get rid of excess dead cells and stimulates skin regeneration in order to bring back your natural glow - it gets rid of your dull skin! It contains 4% glycolic acid that helps to gently exfoliate the skin. This is even suitable for sensitive skin people to use everyday. Like the products mentioned above, it is infused with active extracts of fermented black tea and blueberry polyphenols, I apply this with a cotton pad every night on clean skin and I wake up looking brighter and more refreshed. You can apply a serum or night cream afterwards if you need to. This product is said to over time will help to even out dark spots and acne marks and even goes as far as to smooth out your wrinkles. It's like.. time reversal in a bottle! It retails for $39.95


Out of all the products, I highly suggest the IDÉALIA Radiance Activating Night Peeling Care out of the entire collection. 

Until next time, XO - M.

Dior Addict Lacquer Stick - Review and Swatches*


*DRUMROLL PLEASE* .... The Dior Addict Family has introduced a brand new member to it's ultra luxurious and classy family - introducing the Dior Addict Lacquer Stick. This is a new hybrid of half lacquer and half lipstick that is ultra pigmented, buttery smooth and just glides on effortlessly on the lips giving you a beautiful shine and hydration. Everything from the packaging to the way it feels and looks on the lips just screams luxury and let me just say this, I don't mind it at all!



They have also switched up their packaging from the original silver transparent casings to this gorgeous dark, vampy and purple tinted case. BEAUTIFUL!


I am so in love with the slimmer barrel of the lipstick - it fits perfectly on one swipe to the lips, the width, the slanted tip just deposits the product perfectly. 

With one sweep, it generously provides an almost liquid shine to the lip and tons of pigment. The shine is thanks to an exclusive Dior Combination of 5 ultra-light and nourishing oils as well as beeswax that guarantees long wear (said to last 6 hours).

When you apply this product to the lip, the way it feels is just so hard to explain, it almost feels like water, it's so smooth and it just feels like it melts instantly into your lips and just leaves behind a trail of beautiful color.  

 

The one feedback I have though with the packaging is that I wish that the name of the product was placed directly on the bullet itself - either on the handle or the end. If you had a few of these lipsticks and then you uncap them all, it's quite easy to forget which color is which unless you look them up online again (which I must say I did accidentally do this when taking photos).


The shades I received from Left to Right are: 
1. Sauvage (924) - Dark Berry
2. Turn Me Dior (877) - Raspberry Red 
3. Tease (550) - Pinkish Nude
4. Underground (420) - Beige Nude

My everyday color is definitely Underground, the perfect "my lips but better shade" that can be applied without having to even look at the mirror. However, my favorite color out of the four has got to be Turn me Dior, hands down. It's a beautiful raspberry red that is just a perfect pop of color for Spring. Pair it with a bold liner and a nude lid like my pictures below, I can go from Day to Night with ease!


I honestly 100% recommend that you purchase at least one of these lipsticks - one swipe, even delivery and a high concentration of color that looks glossy and hydrated on your lips. It doesn't sink int o your lips and is just perfect. 

Until next time, XO - M.

QUO - The Spring Collection 2017*


QUO has been on a roll with their new releases this Spring - I had recently wrote about a post a few weeks ago, that you can find here - I was quite a fan of that line, so if you're interested in how the products are for this collection, and if you want to see what's housed in these gorgeous quartz like cases, then just keep on reading.

Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo - Before and After*


I had attended an event for Dermablend near the end of last year (yes I know I am quite late to review this post, but I swear I have a good reason) when they launched in Canada. I had attended the blogger/media preview and was even skin matched to the foundation color by an artist, however I don't know why but when I came home - the color was about 2 shades darker. I think that it was because the event was quite dark, so perhaps the lighting threw it off. Anyways - after my recent trip to the Dominican, I did become a few shades darker and knew that it was the perfect time to try this product out. 

Dermablend, is a brand of make-up that focuses on camouflaging any of your skincare concerns - if you take a look at their videos, they surprisingly cover any pigmentation issues or even tattoos with different formulas to their products - cream, liquid etc. As you can see from the pictures below, with a very thin layer of the Smooth Liquid Camo Foundation, it worked to cover any imperfections on the skin - the darkness around the chin, the eyes and smoothed out the canvas. 

  

In the pictures above, you have the bare face, a face with just the liquid foundation and then a full face of make-up afterwards - the tutorial for that make-up look can be found here if you're interested. 

My opinion of the product is that it does feel heavier than the regular ones I'm used to my foundations feeling light on weightless on the skin. This one, I really felt like there was a layer of something on my face and I got about 3 hours of wear from it before my T-zone started to get very oily to which I then just used tissue to blot off. This product offers medium coverage to begin with and is buildable to a full coverage foundation. It photographs BEAUTIFULLY though I must say - it gives you an airbrushed look to your skin - I did not use any photoshop or photo editing in the pictures above to the skin - I just simply adjusted the contrast a bit as the light was washing out the picture.

They have also introduced the below cleanser for the face, it's called the Long Wear Make-up Remover. This is a cream-like cleanser that does not foam up when used on the skin. The way I use this is I like to massage it onto my face and then wipe off with a face cloth or tissue. It works very well to remove any stubborn make-up and does not have any fragrance to it. It leave your skin hydrated and clean. I do however also like to follow up with a second wash with a gentle face-wash only because I just want to do a double cleanse to ensure everything is off, and personally I still enjoy the feeling of something that lathers and foams on my face. 

   

The key to the liquid foundation setting, is to pair and set it with the Setting Powder - it sets the liquid foundation (or cream/any of their products) and locks it in place. It gets rid of the tacky feeling and makes it transfer and smudge resistant. I love this powder and use it with other foundations as well on my day to day basis. I save the liquid foundation for my blog days or days when I just want a heavier coverage.

Until next time, XO -M.

Avon - Skin So Soft Aqua Express: Body Milk Spray and Moisturizing Gel Review*


After coming back from Dominican for my short getaway, I have to say I got pretty badly sun burnt in the one day of sun I got. Usually, when you're in the tropics and it rains, you get 10 minutes of hard downfall, and then the sun is out, however the entire first day was a complete drab. It rained non stop, it was windy and being that I was only there for 4 days, I was a tad worried! Second day, it was cloudy but the sun peeked through a few times (at least no rain!). Third day was GORGEOUS, not a cloud in the sky and it was just wonderful - my friend and I went to the ocean, we hung out at the pool and just spent most of the day outdoors. I guess I just didn't realize how badly the sun was damaging my body/skin as I was constantly in the water with the light breeze I didn't feel it. Well, after the longest intro (oops) I swear there's a moral to the story! That which is I was peeling BADLY. 

By the time I came back on the fourth day, I was really feeling the skin damage and I needed something to cool my sun burn and I remembered that I had the Avon Skin so Soft Aqua Express products that were sent to me earlier to review - PERFECT! Let's see how it went! To start, these smell beautiful, a very light citrus scent and contains wintermint oil.

I was sent the 1) Body Milk Body Spray - 350ml - $10 and 2) Moisturizing Gel - 200ml - $10.

 

The Moisturizing Gel is just as it says, it is a gel formula as you can see in the top swatch from the picture below. It contains a time-release formula that is said to boost the skin's moisture by 143%, leaving the skin feeling cool and refreshed. I really do agree that it feels refreshed - especially on my warm burnt (peeling) skin... so attractive, sorry! It completely calmed my skin down and I applied it twice a day. It absorbed very quickly and didn't ruin any clothing - especially if I put it on before bed. It wasn't tacky or heavy - wonderful!!  I really enjoyed the lightweight feeling of the product. 

The Body Milk Spray is a refreshing spray-on moisturizer that is quickly absorbed to smooth and soften your skin.  Even though it says it's a milk spray, it does come out in a very thin "milk-like" consistency that absorbs quickly to the skin and hydrates you. I wish that the container was a bit better though, when I had moisturizer on my hands, the wide container didn't allow for any grip, so sometimes it was hard to press down on the spray while holding on firmly to the product. I ended up having to put it on the counter, and pump down and spray it on the palm of my hand and apply it all over the body. To avoid this from happening I suggest that you pre-spray this all over the body first, before rubbing it all over. I do however believe that this product is worth it - at $10 it is an amazing steal and this will last a long time. This does not leave a tackiness on the skin and just sinks in immediately leaving no trace of it - your skin just feels very smooth and plump afterwards.

  

Overall, my thoughts is that you should buy it, if I had to recommend one over the other I have to say it's hard - the gel offers a deeper hydration as it is a bit thicker in its gel formulation and the spray is wonderful and lighter, it just needs maybe some grooves on the side of the bottle for the grip (however the product is still amazing). 

Until next time, XO - M. 

*this product was sent for my review and consideration, all opinions are of my own.

L'Oreal Hydra Genius Skincare Collection Review*


L'Oreal Paris Skin Expert Paris introduces Hydra Genius, a brand new line that features three new liquid-based moisturizers made for oily, normal-to-dry and extra-dry skin. It is inspired by Korean skincare and is formulated with Aloe Water and Hyaluronic Acid - both ingredients that provides you with continuous hydration, it lasts all day and feels lightweight on your skin and absorbs quickly.




First, we have the Micellar Complete Cleansing Water, formulated especially for waterproof make-up. This blue version is for all skin types, however they also have one for Normal-to-Dry skin and Normal-to-Oily skin. It is priced at $9.99 USD.

I really enjoyed this product and it did a really good job removing all the make-up from my face with a cotton pad. This also didn't leave behind any residue or film on my face, which is greatly appreciated. With this, honestly there have been days where I am just so completely exhausted I have just used this and wiped my make-up off and went to bed and it didn't feel grimy. 

Directly below, I have swatches of both the Mattifying Gel liquid for Oily Skin (top) and the Glowing Rich Liquid for Normal/Dry Skin. They both have a fragrance to them, but it does not smell like flowers, perfume-like or overwhelming - it has a very light and refreshing scent and helps make the skin look matte. The Mattifying Gel Liquid for Oily Skin goes on as a light gel and absorbs really quickly. My make-up went on effortlessly and I really enjoyed using this during the daytime. I also used the Normal/Dry Skin formula on my neck, chest and face as I just came back from the Dominican and I am peeling pretty badly. This worked to combat the peeling on my forehead and using this at night allowed for it to have enough time to penetrate my skin and for me to wake up having a more plumpness to the skin. 

 
 

Lastly, in the range they have the Comforting Balm Liquid for Extra Dry Skin. As the name suggests, this is a richer and thicker formula and is perfect for those who need that extra TLC. This was a bit too heavy for me, so I will be passing it onto a friend, but honestly when I applied this to my hand, it didn't feel heavy, it was light weight and it worked well to saturate my hand. I think that for you dry skin girls, especially since it's so cold right now it'll be great for you! 

These products have a suggested retail price of $23.99 and are currently available at mass market retailers, drugstores across Canada and on amazon.ca


Which product are you looking to try in the line? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, XO - M.

full face ft. new makeup and MUFE Star Lit Powders*


It's been a while since I did a full face of make-up featuring brand new products, I decided that it would be the perfect time now, as I do have quite a few new items sent to me for review that I should make use of. I had recently came back from the Dominican and with my tan, I was finally able to match the Dermablend foundation that I received from an event end of last year. Even though I was shade matched at the event, I'm not sure why I was given such a dark shade? Maybe it was the wrong one packed into my tote bag, but hey, it works for me now! I will be doing a review of that foundation soon, as the focus of this post is on the beautiful Make Up For Ever Star Lit Powders.

 The three shades I was graciously sent from left to right below, include 13 (ivory), 19 (ultramarine) and 02 (frozen gold). The swatches you see below are with ONE FINGER SWIPE. You can see how pigmented they are, especially the ultramarine blue. The minute I saw the blue, I knew I had to have it and was inspired to create a look (the one featured below).  These pigments are finely milled and buttery soft. If you are using them on your lid, I highly suggest that you use a cream base so that it has something to stick to - when I used the blue and didn't originally use any cream base, it did move around - however, the minute I laid it on top of a cream stick shadow base, it stuck and didn't budge. 

 
 

I applied Copacabana, a coral on my cheeks, used the M-646 from MUFE on my crease and S-920 on my inner half of the lid. I used no.19 the ultramarine on the outer half of the lid (as mentioned above) and on my bottom lash one, and buffed it out with M-646 to diffuse the harsh lines. 


Products used to create this look include:
1. Dermablend - Loose Setting Powder
2. Dermablend - Smooth Liquid Camo - Chestnut
3. Rodial Blusher - Copacabana
4. Esquido Lash Glue
5. House of Lashes - Fake Lashes from Sephora Holiday collection
6. Milani - Brow Shaping Clear Wax
7. MAC - Coquette (used as brow powder)
8. Bare Minerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick - Tutu
9.  NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - Black Bean
10. MUFE Starlit Powders - 19 (blue), 13 (champagne) and 02 (white iridescence gold)
11. MUFE Shadows in M-646 (light brown for crease) and S-920 (purple I used on inner half of the lid).

I typically only like to post 2 pictures of my look but  I had to post several just so that you can see how beautiful the blue is! 

 
Can we also take a moment to appreciate how beautiful the highlight is? I used no.13 on my upper cheekbones, and also I popped some no.02 on my inner corners as highlight.

I really highly suggest that you pick these up! Of course I would say pick up no. 19 the blue, but if you're not that adventurous, pick up no. 13 the champagne and you can use it as a highlighter and as an eyeshadow! 

Until next time, XO - M.

Pixi Beauty - Hello Rose! Kit - Review and Swatches *


It's been a while since I've reviewed anything from Pixi, you can see my last post here. This month's focus is on achieving that Spring Time glow with the Hello Rose Kit that's newly launched from Pixi Beauty. 

This set includes:
1) Glow Booster in PinkPearl – sheer pearly pink, 
2) Beauty Blush Duo (Rose Gold) – Sheer pink sheen white gold highlight, and lastly the
3) LipLift Max (Sheer Rose)

 
 

How to use the kit, as recommended on their site: 
Step 1: Apply Glow Booster to the skin or add it to your base to create a beautiful sheen
Step 2: Use blush to add colour to the apples of cheeks and the highlight to achieve a glowing finish from the Beauty Blush Duo
Step 3: Wear the lip plumping gloss alone or over your favorite lip color

Thoughts on the kit:
My favorite product would have to me the Glow Booster - it gives a beautiful golden pink sheen to your skin. You can either mix it into your foundation to give a dewy finish, or you can pat it on your cheekbones for the highlighted look. If you want to make an even bigger impact, you can add some extra powder highlight over the Glow Booster on your cheekbones.

The lip plumping gloss, though a plumping gloss, does not burn your lips and tingle like a lot on the market that I know of. It is however a little tacky so your hair will get caught in it :) I really liked the mauvey tone of this gloss it allowed for the look to be like a "my lips but better" feel.

The blush in the duo pan in my honest opinion is a bit disappointing to me personally (even though I believe you get a full size product), as you can see in the swatches above, it is VERY faint in color so it didn't show up on me. That is with a few swipes too. I know I do have a tan since I came back from vacation, so it might work for the paler skin girls. The highlight side of the duo pan though is GORGEOUS and that is really pigmented! I swatched the highlight first, then the blush, and then the blush and highlight together on the bottom. You can see that the blush does end up washing out the color of the highlight a bit when blended together so I think the true beauty is to just use the highlight on its own.
I do believe that this kit allows you the chance to try out a variety of products offered from Pixi Beauty at about $10 cad for each product.

Until next time, XO - M


GLISS™ Hair Repair By Schwarzkopf - Extra Volume Collection Review*


New to Canada, GLISS™ Hair Repair by Schwarzkopf is a global leader in hair-repair innovation for more than 60 years and is available in several countries around the globe. With nearly 200 MILLION products sold worldwide each year, GLISS™ is NOW available in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores.

GLISS™ Hair Repair products are designed to help restore dry hair, breakage and split ends; colour-treated, tinted and highlighted hair; and fine, lifeless hair that lacks volume. The brand’s unique liquid keratin formulas have been shown to provide visible results in lab tests for colour retention, reducing breakage, adding volume, strength, softness, shine and manageability.

Did you know that hair is comprised of 80% keratin? it is a protein that gives hair its structure, strength and elasticity. Damaged hair loses keratin, resulting in a severely weakened hair structure. GLISS™ formulas contain hair-identical keratin that helps repair the hair from the inside out.

They have a series of products/lines that addresses different hair concerns - they are: 
1) Gliss Ultimate Repair 
2) Gliss Ultra Moisture 
3) Gliss Color Guard 
4) Gliss Oil Nutriitve and 
5) Gliss Extra Volume (which is what I was sent). 

I decided to go with GLISS™ Extra Volume as once again for those who are followers of my blog, will know that I have constantly battled wtih hair that is lack volume and prone to thinning. The site mentions that this collection is designed to provide long-lasting volume and strength for fine, flat, lifeless hair and it is enriched with Collagen Complex to repair inner hair damage and lifts hair from root to tip. The result is said to give your hair a natural, weightless volume and bounce. It is available in Shampoo, Conditioner, and Lift-Up Spray. 

GLISS™ products are now available at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores across Canada at $9.99 (suggested retail price).



GLISS Extra Volume Shampoo


I cant even begin to talk about how much I LOVE the scent of this product - seriously, I love it so much that I actually want to bottle this into a body mist and spritz it all over me. I am NOT exaggerating at all.

This product is a gel-like formula, it is clear and you only need a little amount to work up a good lather. It leaves your hair weightless and feeling clean without feeling stripped or the opposite, having gunk in your hair.




 GLISS Extra Volume Conditioner

This conditioner is thinner in consistency and is not thick like a mask. It detangles your hair and washes off easily. It coats the hair to leave it manageable and easy to style. There is no built up residue afterwards either.




GLISS Extra Volume Lift-Up Spray

I like to apply this directly to my roots before I blow dry my hair. I use two squirts max though and then gently massage it over my scalp. I find that if I use 3 or more, I do feel the product on my hair when it is dry. It has a sticky-like texture if too much is used.

This works well to oompf the roots and leave it very voluminous.

Overall, I do agree that it helps to boost volume, my hair stayed voluminous all day and didn't get greasy mid day or become deflated. The only problem though, which is weird, is that I found myself loosing alot more hair when I showered and I could see it accumulate in the drain. So that is the weird part - the fact that I'm loosing more hair, BUT the finished product was very voluminous. For now, I am sticking to the conditioner and the root lifting spray and it seems to be working well. 

Until next time, XO - M. 

February 2017 Favorites


I can't believe that my last favorites post was in October 2016, I was meaning to do a 2016 year end favorites but I honestly just didn't get around with it - and I think it's a bit too late now to do a year in review favorites.. oops! Life and scheduling just got too hectic and I slipped behind... oops.. sorry! 

I'm trying to limit my monthly favorites now to just 10 items - I think that it forces me to really narrow down what I really enjoyed using - and also allow me to cover both skincare, haircare as well as cosmetics. 


My list of items include:
2. OUAI - Dry Shampoo Foam
3. Holista - Tea Tree Oil
6. Rodial - Eyeshadow Palette
7. NARS - Velvet Lip Glide - Bound
8. Sephora - Daily Brush Cleanser
9. Tarte - Amazonian Clay 12-hour blush - Paaarty

I have broken them down by category to make for my reviews easier to navigate:

COSMETICS:
 
Cold weather means dry lips that are prone to cracking and peeling (so attractive). While this is a luxury product, I do enjoy it very much. the larger granules in this scrub, plus the bullet lipstick formula means that I do not have to dig my finger in a pot (unhygienic) to apply it on my lips. I have tried other brands in bullet form before, however the sugar bits are too fine for me to feel like it is doing anything substantial. I feel like this one truly works, even after using it once (meaning immediately) as it buffs away the dead skin and leaves a subtle pink tint. This product isn't fragranced like 

Dior - Nude Air Luminizer Powder in 003
Buttery, smooth and pigmented - this product gives you a golden glow that makes you look ethereal and highlighted. You can either use this to add a subtle glow to your cheeks, or build it up to pack a punch.

Rodial - Eyeshadow Palette
I love this palette and used it in this look so please head on over to that post to see my thoughts.

NARS - Velvet Lip Glide - Bound
The name of this product is exactly the description of it - it is velvety and glides on the lip. This is a perfect dusty rose nude color and looks gorgeous with any look. I haven't stopped wearing it since I bought it!

Tarte - Amazonian Clay 12-hour blush - Paaarty
I've been pairing this blush with the NARS bound lip glide - they compliment each other perfectly in the rose nude aspect.

Guerlain - La Petite Robe Noire Black Lashdress Mascara
I wrote a review about this mascara here - this is one high end mascara that I will definitely repurchase! follow the post link to read all about my thoughts.


MISCELLANEOUS:


Holista - Tea Tree Oil
I have been using this now as a spot treatment for any breakouts and it's been working really well or any type of skin irritation in terms of bites.


I bought this during the VIB Rouge event last month and have been using it every other day to spot clean my brushes. It does have a oil-slick like finish to it which conditions the brushes as it cleans. But this stuff really works. One spray and I can generally get one eye brush clean. I typically need 2-3 pumps for a face brush. I will continue to repurchase this.


HAIRCARE:

I use this on my damp ends before I blow dry my hair and I really like the scent as well as the protection it gives to my ends as I blow dry my hair and straighten it at likest 4-5 times a week. It does not leave a residue or weigh your hair down which is an added bonus.


This is a very innovative product and I was quite skeptical as to whether it would work. It is a mousse formulation that you dispense onto your hand and then apply and work through your hair. It honestly does help you with second day hair and to get rid of the grease, however this product you MUST work in small quantities - if you use too much you DO feel product buildup. It's a fine art of balancing and finessing the right amount. But when you do, you feel refreshed, look like you just got a blow out and looks fabulous!


What have been some of your favorites this month? I'd love to hear from you!
Until next time, XO - M.