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!

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 been using the above products to help my skin transition into the colder weather and I have to say these items have been key in calming down the break-outs I was getting before. Near the end of the hot summer season, my skin started freaking out and I was trying to find different ways to tame it, and I think the above products really did that job for me so of course I had to share it with you guys.

I have previously in detail written about my skin routine/regiment, the steps involved etc, so this blog post will really just focus on products and why I like them!

Exfoliators:

1. Fresh - Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash - $42cad

This exfoliator starts off with very granular exfoliating bits (sugar) that melts away when massaged on the face. It says it can be a face wash but I do not go near my eyes with this (just in case). I use it on my t-zone area especially around my nose and I find that it does a really good job keeping my black heads at bay. It doesn't dry out my skin either and has a very light almost citrus scent.

2. OLEHENRIKEN - Pore Balance Facial Sauna Scrub - $37cad

This is my favorite facial scrub I have ever tried. It warms upon contact and legit feels like a spa experience in a tube. It does an amazing job clearing out any congestion or black heads in my problem areas and also helps regulate the oil production. LOVE LOVE LOVE, I want a lifetime supply of this!

Cleanser:

Belif - Aqua Bomb Jelly Cleanser - $34cad

This is a very light weight gel cleanser that helps rid my face of all traces of makeup while hydrating it at the same time. It does not strip the skin or leave it feeling squeaky and dry/tight. This is suitable for all skin types and has a nice consistency to it, not too runny which means you won't use too much. I use about a dime size each time so this will last me a while!

Toner:

OLEHENRIKSEN - Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner - $37 cad

To truly rid my skin fo black heads and any uneven parts/discolouration this has been a life saviour. It contains witch hazel water to brighten and refine the skin, and ingredients like lemon, sugar cane, licorice root, chamomile to soothe and condition the skin.AHA (glycolic and lactic acid) help to gently exfoliate the skin to reduce the dark spots I mentioned above, fine lines and wrinkles. Give me a litre bottle and a pump for this baby. I need it!

Serum, Lotion and Eye Cream:

Dior - Hydra Life Deep Hydration Sorbet Water Essence - $95

Very gentle scent, light weight and hydrates the life out of my skin while being thin and absorbs quickly therefore not prolog-ing the rest of my skincare routine. I usually use one pump and gently massage it to the face in an upwards motion.

Jowae - Moisturizing Light Cream - $30

I recently wrote a post about Jowae products and how they have been such a pleasure to work with and agrees with my skin. This lightweight cream melts onto the skin, absorbs quickly and allows me to then proceed with my makeup application effortlessly. 

Fresh - Black Tea Firming Eye Serum - $95

This is pricy I have to admit but it works! It is super light-weight (notice a theme? I love light-weight products that don't make me feel greasy or heavy). I use one pump on my fourth finger and share it with the other fourth finger and gently pat on my panda eye bags. It helps to keep the area moisturized, improves on any look of tiredness/sagginess and just makes me look more put together, less like I only sleep 3-4 hours a night.

Have you tried any of these products out? How often do you change your skincare routine?

Until next time, XO - M.

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

Did you hear the news? Belif is now sold at Sephora! This is so exciting ~ and with that, Sephora is carrying exclusive items from Belif that you can't find elsewhere. I was recently lucky enough to be sent the Pore Cleaner collection (above) and if you're interested in learning more about it, then keep on reading below!

From left to right, we have: 

Pore Cleaner Foam Cleanser ($25cad) ~ as the name suggests, this is a foaming cleanser that has a very light whipped consistency. It is said to help balance the skin's pH levels while helping you remove dirt and makeup. Ingredients consist of dandelion root extract, known for its soothing properties, and rosehip, apple mint and eucalyptus to help control sebum production on the skin without irritating it during the cleansing process.

Pore Cleaner Bubble Foam ($45cad) ~ this is my favorite product of the three, it comes in a push top bottle that dispenses gel initially and it slowly bubbles to a foam and you feel it subtly bubbling on your face (nothing too crazy) but it feels like it's actually lifting the dirt from your face. It contains the same rosehip, apple mint and eucalyptus ingredients from the Foam Cleanser above. In addition, it contains moringa oil extract known for its detox properties. 

Pore Cleaner Moisturizer ($40cad) - this is a light weight watery gel moisturizer that is an all in one product. It combines toner and essence with the moisturizer and helps to reduce pores and sebum production. It contains dandelion root extract, rosehip, apple mint and eucalyptus (like the Foam Cleanser). This sinks into the skin really quickly and can be used both day and night without feeling heavy or affecting your makeup application. 

Belif is a brand of skincare that I have been using for quite a while now, if you're interested in reading past posts, you can find them here. I highly suggest that you try their products out because I'd love to know what you think!

Until next time, XO - M.

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

Summertime is in FULL swing and it's hot, humid and icky outside. We've had some crazy heat waves lately and honestly, anything above 32 is gross, especially when it's humid and then it feels like closer to 45... we had a few of those days! I'm sure you know that it is important to keep yourself hydrating by drinking tons of water, however do you know that you have to keep your skin hydrated externally as well? In comes the Aqua Bomb from Belif. I've written about this product several times on the blog, so if you're interested in reading about it, just search the side bar! 

Until next time, XO - M.

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

Mother's Day is fast approaching and I am so excited this year because it will be my first year celebrating it as a mom! I gave birth to my baby in the end of January and it has been the most rewarding experience yet. For those of you looking for some gift ideas for your mom, check out this beautiful pink set from Belif.

It features their ever best selling Aqua Bomb (full-size) and the First Aid Transforming Peel Off Mask with a mini Bergamot Toner. These three products will be perfect for your mom to create a spa-at-home experience. It would actually be really fun for you to do it together with your mom!

Head on over to your closest Belif location and grab one :) I know that they will love it for sure. The gentle and cooling formula of the Aqua Bomb is perfect for the summer months now, it's not too heavy nor sticky and will provide you with the perfect level of hydration. 

Until next time, XO - M.

*product was sent to me for review - all opinions are my own.

With Spring just around the corner, the focus of my skincare is on hydration and radiance. I rely on the above products to help achieve my own personal skincare goals and thought I'd share my routine with you :) As always, I have a daytime and nighttime routine as I truly believe that you have to tailor your skincare to what you will be doing - i.e. will you be wearing makeup? if yes, use products that work well with it without compromising the longevity of it OR will you be asleep? then use richer products that can take time to sink into the skin and work its magic.

Daytime Routine:

Cleanser - Dior - Lotion to Foam Fresh Cleanser

Waking up in the morning, your face is relatively clean so I don't gravitate to any heavy duty cleansers. I like this one from Dior as it is a foam formula, it's light weight and works well to refresh my skin and leave it cleansed and ready for the day. It feels hydrated and does not feel stripped at all, the scent is also lovely!

Toner - Clarins - Toning Lotion with Iris 

The last time I used this product was in highschool and university and I loved it - I remember the scent of it so clearly, it's amazing. What I really like about this toner is that it is alcohol-free, so that you do not have to worry about this stripping your skin of its moisture or making your skin feel tight or giving you any irritation. It contains Iris and Sage to soothe the skin and this works great with those with oily skin as it helps to reduce surface oils and reduce those nasty big pores on my nose and black heads. 

Facial Oil - Guerlain - Abeille Royale Youth Watery Oil OR Pai - Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil

These two products could not be any further from the price point spectrum one at $125 vs $40 -

The Abeille Royale uses the best of Guerlain-exclusive ingredients which is the Ouessant Black Bee Honey and Royal Jelly. This product acts like a serum and oil in one but feels like a lotion, meaning it absorbs so quickly the skin and does not leave behind any greasy texture of weight to the skin. I like to use this in the morning especially for this reason. This helps to smooth, plump and revitalize the skin and leave your complexion glowing and soft - it works great also for when you have to apply make-up on afterwards. 

The Pai Rosehip oil contains high levels of Omegas to help regenerate the skin - it's great to help reduce the appearance of damaged skin and fine lines and works both on the face and body. 

Eye Serum - Lancome - Advanced Genefique Yeux Light Pearl Eye Illuminator Youth Activating Concentrate

I love the applicator of this product, it is a massaging 360 applicator that is cooling to the touch and helps to instantly refresh my eyes and depuff them, making me look less tired right away. With the late night diaper changes and feedings, this has been a god send with helping with the panda eye circles. 

Moisturizer - Belif - The True Cream Aqua Bomb

see below image

In the image above, on the left is the Aqua Bomb and the left is the Moisturizing Bomb. The Aqua bomb is lighter in consistency, almost gel-like and the Moisturizing Bomb is more of your traditional cream formula. Both formulations are light-weight and sink quickly to the skin without leaving behind any tacky sticky residue, nor do you feel the product on your face. I prefer the Aqua Bomb in the mornings as the gel-like consistency is even quicker to absorb and it works with my make-up application right after. 

Night Time Routine:

Cleanser - Eve Lom Cleanser

If you want to feel luxurious and like you are at the spa, this is what you need. It has a blend of four aromatic plant oils that leaves you with glowing and smoother skin. As it is a balm texture it really helps to deeply cleanse your face and remove all traces of dirt and make-up from the skin. It helps to de-congest your skin and drain the toxins while exfoliating, toning it as well when you use the muslin cloth that comes with it to cleanse. What I personally like to do is take a dollop of this and warm it up in my palms and apply it to the face. I then take the Foreo cleansing device and use it on my face together with the cleanser to ensure that every bit of this product is really being massaged into my skin. To remove the product, I then use the muslin cloth that it comes with to wipe away the product and then follow it up with warm water. 

Toner - Clarins - Toning Lotion with Iris 

see above

Peel - Lancome Visionnaire Crescendo - Progressive Night Peel

As mentioned above, I like to do my "heavy duty" skincare routine in the evenings and this product is exactly what I mean. This is an overnight peel that helps you to fight signs of aging - wrinkles, enlarged pores and just your general tired looking skin. This is a two step process that lasts about 28 nights - you begin with formula 1 which contains AHA from fruit acids to stimulate skin cell renewal. It also contains Quinoa Husk Extract to gently help exfoliate the skin. Then, after 14 nights you use Phase 2 that contains a combination of Salicylic Acid to help even out your skin complexion and Glycolic Acid to smoothen the skin's surface. I found that this product worked well to combat my oily-combo skin - especially in that t-zone/nose area. I also think that this product would be great for those who have acne prone skin or have any unevenness or minor scaring as the glycolic acid would work well to combat it. 

Eye Serum - Lancome - Advanced Genefique Yeux Light Pearl Eye Illuminator Youth Activating Concentrate

see above

Moisturizer - Belif - The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb 

see above image

What is your skincare routine like? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, XO - M.

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

Ah Korean Skin Care, I love it so much! I had always heard about the brand Belif that is sold at The Face Shop - it is a brand that uses time-trusted apothecary and Korean skincare science and utilizes superior and natural ingredients. They carry a wide range of skincare products from face masks, cleansers, moisturizers to body products. 

I recently had the opportunity to try out three different products from Belif, the 1) Cleansing herb water - $29 cad 2) Peat Miracle Clay Mask - $49 cad and 3) First Aid Anti-Hangover Mask - $39 cad. 

If you are interested in my thoughts on the products and how they worked for me, then keep on reading below...