During the hotter months, I like to change up my skincare by going for lighter-weight products that are gel-like in consistency and cooling. Introducing the Water Bank Hydro Essence ($51 cad /70mL) that you use in conjunction with the hydro gel (below). This is targeted for those with dryness, dullness, oiliness and uneven texture. It is a very lightweight serum that quickly absorbs into the skin and helps boost hydration and prevent water loss. It contains their Green Mineral Water which is extracted from kale, watercress and beet which brings a refreshing texture and instantly absorbs into the skin. It also does not contain parabens and phthalates. 

  Next, we have the Water Bank Hydro Gel ($50 cad /50mL cad) a cooling, non-oily gel moisturizer that is packed with antioxidants and hyaluronic acid that helps to hydrate the skin and bring moisture back to it without leaving a heavy layer or feeling on the skin after. This is good for people with oily, combo or normal skin and helps to combat dullness and unevenness. It is also created without parabens and phthalates and contains the amazing Green Mineral Water as in the essence above.

A very important thing to note is that it is essential to keep the skin hydrated even when your skin is oily and sweating in the summer months. Do not make the same mistake as I did in my younger years by thinking that because my skin is so oily that I could refrain from applying moisturizer as it would regulate my oil control. That is a big no-no. In fact it does the opposite, stripping and depriving your skin of its required hydration and moisture would actually cause the skin to create even more oils to help regulate moisture and create that protection which is the opposite of what anyone really wants. 

I have been a user of Laneige skincare items for years and continue to include them in my skincare routine! These are must-trys :) 

Until next time, XO - M.

Zoya's Summer 2021 collection, Dreamin' includes 6 polishes in a variety of formulations including cream, metallic and a neon matte. 

Desi - vibrant geranium coral (cream)

Polly - fruit-punch pink (cream)

Darla - Gerber Diasy pink (cream)

Skipper - milky purple neon (dries matte but apply a top coat to make it glossy)

Mateo - cool-toned pacific blue (cream)

Summer - blue mermaid shimmer with green/gold reflect

Of the shades that are sent, the ones I am gravitating to are Desi, Skipper, Mateo and Summer - what about you? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, XO - M.

I was recently sent the Zoya EasyNeon Collection and its fun and vibrant colors make it perfect for summer! It comes with six shades total and the below swatches are one with two coats. The brush for this polish is their z-wide brush which makes application even more effortless! My go-to colors here are Janie, Zelda and Oakley, what are some of your favorites?

Until next time, XO - M.

It will come as no surprise that this past year and a half has been unchartered territory - with that came alot of stress that really took a toll on my skin. For those who know me, know that I was fortunate enough to not have much issues with acne in the past. I would get a few hormonal pimples here and there, but never to the degree that I got it the past year. I had flare-ups all the time, some angry and cystic, and some that left some scarring on my face. It took me a long time to find a skincare routine that worked for keeping my pimples at bay and I thought that it's about time I shared it with you after I have been using these products above for the past few months+. 

To summarize, I have oily combination skin and products I have been trying out varies in price ranges. So if you're interested in reading more about it, then click on the link below.

Swatch shade descriptions:

Mara - nude 

Val - pastel grey blue

Kayleigh - pastel light grey

Ella - coral

Tweedy - true bold pink

Joyce - bright pink

Of the shades, my favourite would be Mara, Kayleigh and Joyce - what about you? 

Until next time, XO - M.

The Spring 2021 OPI Collection has launched which features 12 shades in total - I was sent 6 of them and I thought that I would swatch them for you so you can get a taste of how this collection is! The theme is centered around Hollywood and all their names as usual coordinate with them.

Bee-hind the Scenes - pastel yellow (cream)

Movie Buff - pale pink (cream)

Suzi Calls the Paparazzi - rose-toned pink (cream)

I'm an Extra - pale terracotta (cream)

Hollywood & Vibe - vibrant pastel pink (cream)

Destined to be a Legend - pastel grey blue (cream)

I'm Really an Actress - Red with Red and Gold Glitter (Metallic)

Oh You Sing, Dance, Act and Produce? - cornflower blue (cream)

Rated Pea-G? - rich emerald green (cream)

15 Minutes of Flame - fuchsia (metallic)

Award for Best Nail goes to .... - rich navy blue (cream)

Emmy, have you seen Oscar? - bright red (cream)

The other 6 are much brighter and rich shades to balance out the pastel spring hues of the ones I was sent. There truly is something for everything, and I am sure you will find something that suits you! The formula is solid, I would not expect anything less from OPI - all swatches are done with two coats of polish.

Until next time, XO - M.

Guerlain has recently launched their brand new matte lipsticks that feel luscious and comfortable - KISSKISS TENDER MATTE, available in 15 shades and retails for $48 each (price subject to vary from vendor to vendor). The lipsticks are housed in a chic and sleek glossy black component that has a beautiful weight to it. Everything from the formulation to the packaging screams luxury and I LOVEEEE it!! 

Below are the three shades that I have received and have swatched both on the arm and on my lips for you to see how they are. 

Of the three shades sent, my favorite would have to be 775 a true red followed by 940, the cherry red which is a shade darker. These lipsticks truly glide on effortlessly and they are all comfortable on the lip, non-drying, and is pigmented - one swipe is all it took!

What are your thoughts on these lippies? I already checked the Sephora site and some shades are already sold out, so really go and buy yourself at least one .. or MORE to try out!

Until next time, XO - M.

I've been using Quo Cosmetics since I was first wearing makeup, I still remember my first purchase from this brand, it was a cream bronzer, blush and highlight palette and I loved it so much. Fast forward now to 2020, they have relaunched their entire collection, repackaged it and reformulated it as well. I was recently sent their collection to try out and since it's been a hot minute from my last makeup tutorial I thought why not take the opportunity now! I have these beauties swatched below and I will also list out what products I've used to create the looks below.

Here is a classic before and after shot of my face - left, super tired panda circle eyed mom and right, my "effortless" clean-ed up look! To create this, I used the:

- Quo - Brow Defining Gel 

- Quo - Sheer Lip Paint (Poised)

- Quo - Pump Up The Volume Maxi-Volume (Black) 

- Quo - Golden Glow Primer 

- Quo - Skin Perfector (Golden Hour)

- Quo - Blush (Rose Water)

- Quo - Featherweight Cream Blush (Angelic)

- Quo - Cosmic Cream Shadow (Dark Matter)

- Quo - Liquid Precision Marker (Jet Black)

The only product that I used that isn't Quo is the foundation, concealer, lashes and Brow pencil (as one wasn't provided)

Below are the face and eye products that were used to create the look as well. The liquid liner is black and opaque, pigmented and can do a thin or thick line equally. The Cosmic Cream Shadow blends out like a dream and stays put all day and also layers wtihout getting caught and patchy. The Skin perfector powder is a beautiful diffused highlighter and the Golden Glow Primer is DEWY. It is like a liquid highlight so use with caution, I would not just use this directly on its own as a primer as you will end up looking like edward cullen when the sun hits - haha! I actually mixed this with my foundation and it was perfect! Lastly, the Blushes are buttery and pigmented as you can see the swatches are only one swipe. 

I decided to include swatches fo the three lipsticks for you below (oh and yes I did go darker, say goodbye to the blonde balayage hair). I used a lipbalm under the lipstick to give it a bit of shine and I really have to say its beautiful. You can see how truly pigmented they are and it only took one swipe.

Which products are you looking forward to? Have you tried anything from Quo yet? 

Until next time, XO - M.

I was sent the Transitional 2020 collection from Zoya to swatch recently and if you know me well, this is right up my alley, purples... lilacs.. pinks.. my favorite! The collection is called Naturel 4 and I have swatched all six of them below for you, which one is your favorite shade? 

Evelyn - a cool soft pastel pink in a cream finish

Cami - a pale mauve pink with a cream finish

Barrett - taupe violet cream

Vivian - dusty grape cream

Adeline - deep fig eggplant purple cream

Marlowe - a duochrome rose-gold finish with and a jewel-toned blue base 

My favorite shade in this collection would be Adeline (I've been wearing it daily) and Barrett.

Until next time, XO - M.

Every Christmas, I always love to keep my eye out on the brow value sets from Benefit Cosmetics and this year the Magnificent Brow Show that is available for purchase at Shoppers Drug Mart, Sephora and TSC.ca. It comes in 4 shades (2 - Blonde, 3 - Light Brown, 4 - Medium Brown and 5- Deep Brown), it also contains 5 full sized items and retails for $66 (combined value of $160). This is such an incredible deal and you best get a hold of it if you're smart!

Attached below is a photo of the before and after of what my brows look like when I use the Benefit Good Proof Brow Pencil. That is my go-to favorite one that I've been using for a very long time and continue to repurchase. I love the triangle tip that goes from thick to thin so you can angle it how you wish to fill in the bulk of the brow and then use the thin tip to draw in the individual brow hairs. I then like to take the 24-HR Brow Setter to set the brow hairs and the small brush helps to get the smallest hairs and set them into place without giving it a crunchy texture afterwards. On days I am lazy, and just going for a natural look, I will only use the Gimme Brow that is a tinted brow gel and just run that through my brow hairs to fluff them out, give it some color and illusion of thickness and I'm ready to go!

 

Below is the list of all 5 brow products that come in the set - it is a great set that is perfect for anyone who wants to test out what brow products work for them and which formulation they want to work with, whether it be a gel/pomade formula, a thin tip pencil or the triangle angular one I spoke about above. Lastly, the two brow gels also let you see which one you gravitate towards, a small tinted one or the bigger traditional brush. 

It has been almost two years since my last empties post, so I have accrued alot of items to share with you all. As always, I will post the name of the item, a brief and quick round-up of my thoughts and whether or not I would repurchase it. I would say that this is about 80% of my empties? there are some that I have just tossed and forgotten to save, so below you will find a combination of baby, hair, skin, cosmetics and other misc products. Buckle up, it's going to be one long post!

Are you looking to add some luxury to your skincare routine? the Abeille Royale Collection from Guerlain is exactly that, not only in the elegant and ultra luxe packaging they offer in their skincare but also the ingredients that they use. I have been a user of Guerlain for many years and you can see that through the history of my blog, as far as back to 2014 when I had the chance to meet the amazing Dr. Frederic Bonte, head of research at Guerlain who taught us the intricate process and story of their bees who produce the honey and royal jelly that is the core of its ingredients in Abeille Royale to minimize signs of aging on the skin.

This product aims to firm up your skin as well as bringing out your radiance. Formulated with the Abeille Royale technology, it helps to repair the skin, restore firmness and elasticity, wrinkles, dullness and also eliminate imperfections and reduce large pores. This serum also contains Black Bee Honey from the Island of Ouessant  and Royal Jelly, their pride and joy ingredients. You apply this to the face and neck twice a day before your face cream and use the upwards motion from neck and chin to face and from nose to chin and then up to forehead. 

This oil contains Ouessant Black Bee Honey and the famous Royal Jelly and works like a serum and oil together to help plump and smooth the skin while adding moisture. It absorbs quickly into the skin and feels absolutely weightless and the scent itself is also a very light honey like scent that is divine. The result is baby-soft skin as well as a radiance and glow that honestly I have not been able to achieve with other products, like I've mentioned above, I have been a user of Guerlain for so many years, I sing its praises to my friends, colleagues and family and I will continue to use it in years to come. I like to take 2-3 drops of the oil directly on my fingertips, gently rub together to warm it and then apply in upwards massage motions to the face from the neck and jaw - make sure you shake the bottle before use. The upwards massaging technique helps to stimulate the muscles to increase firmness, and also by massage upwards it helps to prevent premature sagging of the skin. 

This fortifying lotion is 25x more concentrated in royal jelly due to microencapsulation and helps the skin protect itself from stressors and pollution while hydrating it and providing radiance to it as well. It contains 98% naturally derived ingredients and with each use your skin gets stronger. I like to use this after I have cleansed my skin - I put a few drops on the palms of my hands, gently rub together and then pat on the skin and neck by going palm to finger on my face and going in slow rocking motions so that I am not aggravating it. After this, I follow through with the rest of my skincare routine. 

If you are interested in trying out the skincare from Guerlain, I would recommend doing so during the holiday season as there are some great gift sets out right now like the Double R Age-Defying Serum Set as well as the Age-Defying Oil Set. With both you get a chance to try out five different products and get a feel of just how wonderful they are! 

Words cannot describe just how much I truly love Guerlain and I am so thankful they have sent me the items above to try, as mentioned before I have used Guerlain skincare and makeup since 2014 (or a bit before) and I will continue to use it for years to come. I am sure that if you try it yourself, you will be converted as well and be just as big of a fan as I am. 

Until next time, XO - M.

AVON has recently launched their LYRD ARTISAN Eau de Parfum Sprays, both gender neutral and crafted by master perfumers using the finest ingredients to create a unique and unexpected blend - these can be worn alone, or layered together. They retail for $75cad/50ml and curently on their site it is on sale for $60cad**

On the left is the LYRD Artisan Santal Musk Eau de Parfum that is described to be warm and exotic. 

This year for the Holidays, Zoya brings us the Intriguing Collection which features 12 shades in various finishes like glitter, cream and shimmer. Personally, I find that these shades are a great transition from fall into winter seasons with a variety of jewel tones and richer deeper shades as well mixed with a beautiful pearl and gold. 

A breakdown of the shades are below from top row down, left to right:

Lottie - champagne pearl with glitter

Nico - champagne gold pearl with silver shimmer 

Eunice - chartreuse metallic green

Soko - poinsetta wintery red cream

Koley - metallic pink toned red

Beverly - burgundy cream

Isti - wintery steel blue with a textured PixieDust royal blue

Meredith - sapphire blue with icy blue glitter reflects 

Nisha - deep royal metallic purple toned blue

Regina - dark emerald metallic

Avi - rich eggplant purple cream

Brett - charcoal indigo cream

My stand-out shades in this collection are Joley, Meredith, Nisha and Regina - what are yours? 

Until next time, XO - M.

This month, I bring to you from Belif, the Youth Creator - Age Knockdown Bomb, which is an anti-aging serum to help combat fine lines, wrinkles, enlarged pores and loss of elasticity of the skin. I always tell people that it is never too early to use anti-aging products (I started in my late twenties), I learnt this from my mom and grandmother. It is easier to help prevent, vs. trying to treat afterwards when you see crows feet developing around your eyes. This is a great product, it is light weight, absorbs quickly on the skin and has that wonderful spa-like scent that I love from belif products. I will be a continued user of this product and even gift some to my girlfriends and mom as well for Christmas. Lastly, I loved how hydrated my skin felt afterwards, so layering this in the colder months with your moisturizer would really help protect the skin from the elements. If you are interested in trying this product out, you can purchase it at The Face Shop or Sephora Canada - also! Sephora has their sale right now - the 10%/15%/20% depending on which tier you are, so what better time to try a new product out while being able to save a few dollars!

Until next time, XO - M. 

I have previously tried some products out from KORRES and have reviewed them here on the blog, if you are interested in revisiting them, please click here. For those of you who are not aware, KORRES products are created from the cleanest, most natural ingredients. They are made in Greece from pure botanicals and they strive to protect your skin and the planet simultaneously. To learn more about the history of the company and their products, please click here, it is definitely a fascinating read.

I was graciously sent the above 5 products to try out, if you're interested in learning more about each item, and to see what my thoughts are then keep on reading below:

1. Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cleanser

This is a gentle cleanser that helps me remove any traces of makeup left on my skin while leaving it feel hydrated which is very important to me. This would be perfection for the colder months, especially winter in my opinion! It cleans my skin efficiently without the need of a second follow-up cleanser. I have used this before and will definitely stay on my regular rotation.

2. Pomegranate Triple-Dose Resurfacing Mask

This mask has been a saviour in my battle with mask-acne that took over my face in the past few months. This is a natural resurfacing mask with AHA, BHA and Pomegranate enzymes, all exfoliators that help to cleanse the skin while promoting cell renewal. It also contains Salicylic acid, Kaolin clay and White Willow Bark extract to control oil production on the face, and treat those nasty pimples and flare-ups. To use, you massage this onto the face and leave on for 10-15 minutes and is to be used 1-3x a week. 

3. Black Pine 3D Eye-Lift Super Serum

This sleek black packaged product houses this magical serum to help combat my dark panda eye circles. One pump is all it takes for both eyes, and you should use it to massage around the entire eye area. It contains Black Pine Extract which works to combat fine wrinkles, eliminate wrinkles and lift sagging upper eyelids. It works to brighten and lift the eye area to make you look more youthful and less tired.

4. Apothecary Wild Rose 15% Vitamin C Spotless Serum

This serum contains two products - a 10% wild rose oil and 15% vitamin super C to brighten and even out skin tone, the second product is a 5% dark spot correction complex to target skin discolouration and dark spots. This product is perfect for those want to brighten their skin, and as previously mentioned, even out any skin discolouration on their skin.

5. Greek Yoghurt Nourishing Probiotic Gel-Cream

Lastly, this is a repeat product for me, their gel-cream has a whipped like texture that is rich yet light weight and melts instantly into the skin. It is said to keep the skin hydrated for 48 hours and will not clog the pores. The yoghurt properties help to deliver a healthy glow to the skin.

Until next time, XO - M.

*products were sent to me for consideration, all opinions are my own

I was recently sent a selection of the OPI Holiday 2020 collection for swatching and review, and of course I had to share it with you! To note, there are twelve shades total in the collection, but I was sent six of them to share with my readers!

Naughty or Ice? - an icy glitter champagne shade

This Gold Sleighs Me - true metallic gold

Snowfalling for You - pearlescent light peach toned pink

This Shade is Ornamental! - pearlescent darker rose pink

Gingerbread Man Can - a neutral brown mauve pearl

Dressed to the Wines - dark wine berry pearl 

Of course, I had to share with you the matching base and top coat that will help elevate your at-home manicure to be one of salon quality.  The Infinite Shine base and top coat are my always must haves as it allows for my polish to go on smoother, and for it to stay for a week on my nails without chipping. To help my polish dry in record time so I can go about my day, the Drip Dry helps to dry it quickly and finally, the cuticle oil nourishes my nail beds. 

Of the six sent to me, my favorite shade would have to be Dressed to the Wines, it is the most perfect shade for the holidays and you bet I will be wearing it all the time! 

Until next time, XO - M.

The weather in Toronto has definitely signalled that Fall weather is to come, the nights are cooler, mornings are crisp and it's the perfect time to transition into the Fall wardrobe - bring out the leggings, sweaters and scarves. OPI has graciously sent me their Fall 2020 collection for review and swatching and these colors just really and truly sum up what you would expect for Fall with its variety of tones. 

There are 12 shades in total in a variety of formulations, cream, metallic, glitter and I am LIVING for them all. This time I was sent two variations to try, their Infinite Shine (in silver cap bottles) and their Classic Lacquer (black cap bottles). Keep scrolling to see all these swatched as well as a brief description of the colors/shades, it is also important to note that I used two coats for each swatch.

Have Your Panettone and Eat It Too - pumpkin orange cream 

Fall-ing for Milan - bronze nude polish with copper gold-hued shimmer

This Color Hits All The High Notes - light blue polish with pearlescent hues

My Italian Is A Little Rusty - chestnut earth tones

Galleria Vittorio Violet - pearl-like amethyst purple

Addio Bad Nails, Ciao Great Nails - pale lavender with darker purple shimmer

Suzi Talks With Her Hands - slate grey cream polish

Duomo Days, Isola Nights - cream based, denim blue

OPI Nails the Runway - granite grey shimmer with copper and blue toned shimmer reflect

Drama At La Scala - cream based dark teal

Complimentary Wine - rich burgundy - almost jelly like in formulation

Leonardo's Model Color - multi-dimensional purple glitter

Of all the polishes swatched, I have so many favorites - I think I love them all to be honest but if I was really forced to choose, they'd be:

- Have Your Panettone and Eat It Too

- Fall-ing for Milan

- Galleria Vittorio Violet

- Addio Bad Nails, Ciao Great Nails

- Suzi Talks With Her Hands 

- OPI Nails the Runway 

- Leonardo's Model Color

What are some of the shades you're loving? 

Until next time, XO - M.

In addition to the above stated views on the ingredients and products, they have a fantastic view on their packaging of products as well. They are committed to repurposing, reusing and recycling which includes using recyclable boxes and paper in your shipment. The cardboard is made with 100% biodegradable cardboard derived from sustainable forests and all printing is done with 100% eco ink from vegetables. 

With a company that has such strong values on maintaining their integrity in their ingredients as well as reducing their ecological footprints, what isn't there to love and admire about this company? 

One of their popular items, this is a rich in texture but yet light-weight upon application cream. It is very soothing when applied and contains Kiwifruit, rich in Vitamin C which helps to brighten and reduce the appearance of fine-lines while moisturizing at the same time. This item is fragrance free and is suitable for all skintypes. Fun fact: One jar of this eye cream is sold every 60 seconds on average - wow! 

If you're interested in trying out some Antipodes products , they are available for purchase at The Bay, Well.ca and Amazon.

Items I'm excited to try out in the future include:

Until next tine, XO - M.