I recently had the opportunity, through Chick Advisor, to try out the Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep and the Vichy Idealia Life Serum. If you click the above two links, you will find that the Skin Sleep was rated 94% out of 304 people and the Life Serum was rated 91% our of 231 reviews. That says something about this product.


Vichy Idéalia Skin Sleep is:

• formulated with hyaluronic and glycyrrhizic acids, caffeine, Vitamin B3, and omega-rich repairing oils for hydration and a healthy-looking skin tone
• paraben-free and hypoallergenic
• tested on sensitive skin under dermalogical control
• suitable for all skin types
• delicately scented with jasmine and green tea fragrances for a relaxing and calming effect as you are preparing for sleep

OMG!! *insert hyperventilation* - for those of you who know me, would know that  I am absolutely in love with Charlotte Tilbury cosmetics. I have always wanted to get my hands on them, but having to order from the US, and paying customs and duties, on top of taxes, was just a tad too much for me. To my excitement, Charlotte Tilbury has finally launched in Canada in Toronto (Holt Renfrew on Bloor), and I was able to go check out the display. Please note that this isn't their actual full display I think, they just laid out the products for clients to test out and pre-order. They are currently taking pre-orders for the whole line, which you can pick up later and you can actually only currently purchase the Magic Cream, Wonder Glow and the Goddess Skin Clay Mask right now.

The sales associate told me that Charlotte's make-up team will be there on the week of June 22nd ,to do 1 on 1 personal mini-makeovers. Charlotte herself will be appearing June 24th from 6-8pm. He also told me that for those of you who cannot make it to Holts, you can also order from them directly - you can call them, and they will give you a quote. Alternatively, you can always order on Charlotte Tilbury's Canadian site now. They have now made it accessible for Canadians.

I've included some pictures of the products so far below, let me know what you are most interested to try, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

1. Tom Ford - Orchid Haze Palette
2. Lancome Miracle Cushion Foundation - Shade 4
3. Elf Complexion Brush - for bronzer and light powder application to set my makeup
4. Morphe Brush - my perfect blending crease brush, I picked this up at IMATS for under $5.
5. Clinique Colour Pop Blush - Heather
6. Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick - Pink Me Up
7. Cover FX Cover Drop Foundation - G40



8. Chanel - Tan de Soleil - Yes this product is expensive, but honestly it takes you forever to use it up. I have had this for a year now, and I haven't made a dent. This is really a good investment product. It gives you a beautiful summer glow without looking orange.

I was able to finish up quite a few products this month, there was only 2 products that I just gave up on and threw away because I recently found it at my parents, which means I haven't used it in about 3+ years so it's time to part ways and say goodbye. To see what I loved and disliked - please continue reading. I'll also let you know whether I will be repurchasing them as well below.

1. Dior Show Mascara - samples
Will not be repurchasing, of the Dior line, I like the Iconic Overcurl the best

2.  Maybelline Great Lash - Lots of Lashes
Will not repurchase. I HATE this line, the original was way better this brush was massive, it was fat on one end, and thin/pointed in the end, it barely got between my top and bottom lashes and the long bristles did nothing to build or separate my lashes.



3. Temptu Hilighter - sample
Will not be purchasing, it gave too much of an iridescent sheen that was kind of greenish gold and silver.

4. Seche Vite Quick Dry Topcoat
Will not repurchase as you all know my holy grail top coat is the Nails Inc Caviar Top Coat. It does not become thick overtime as quickly as the Seche Vite does.

5. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Basecoat
Will not repurchase. It was a good base coat, but does not live up to the claims of hardening my nails. So far I'm liking the Nails Inc Kale Basecoat or the Seche Vite fortifier basecoat.

6. Philosophy - Animal Cracker Shampoo, Conditioner and Shower Gel
Will not repurchase. This was such an impulse buy for me because I had a $10 gift certificate at The Bay plus it smelled divine but really it wasn't worth the price tag.

7. Urban Decay Perversion - Sample
May repurchase, but I want to see what else is on the market since new ones always come out.

8. Sephora - Eyeliner Pencil (purple)
Will not repurchase. Got this as a 100 pt perk. It was not smooth and did not work well.

9. Diorskin - Nude Foundation
May repurchase depending on what other types of foundation come out in the market. This was really good, sheer to medium coverage and gave you a nice dewy finish.

10. Saje - Tree Scents
Will repurchase. Love this for my diffuser! I'm on my 3rd one now!

11. Clarins - Instant Light Perfector - Sample
Will not repurchase. This was kind of like the Temptu sample, gave too much iridescent glow, not my cup of tea, I like a sheer shimmer like the Guerlain liquid meterorite primer.

12. Sephora - Soothing Cleanser Milk
Will not repurchase. It was good when it lasted, I got it on clearance during the VIB Sale in November, however it was too oily feeling and left my skin with a film. I prefer cleansers that make me feel refreshed and tingly.

13. Revlon - Lip Butter
Will repurchase, but at a later time. I have too much lip products right now. This offers a sheer, but buildable, color on your lips.

14. Graydon Skincare - Hair Smoothie
Will definitely repurchase. I actually ended up getting a litre bottle. It has helped me grow alot of baby hair and added volume to my roots. A little goes a long way, don't be fooled. When I first used this, I used 2-3 pumps thinking it wasn't working because it doesn't have your typical conditioner texture where it's slippery.

15. Bath and Body Works - Garden Herb Handsoap
I bought lots of backup of this because for me, it is very difficult to find a scent that I like at BBW. I find most smells too sweet and packs too much of a punch. I prefer the calmer, lighter and cleaner scents.

16. NARS - Radiant Creamy Concealer
May repurchase. I understand the hype of this product, it is really good - however there's alot of other concealer products I want to try to see if I can find my holy grail product. The next one I want to get is the Cle de Peau one.

17. Stila - retractable eyeliner
Will not repurchase. It wasn't creamy, it wasn't purple enough, it just didn't work for me.

18. MAC - Margin Blush
May repurchase, however, being a blush hoarder and lover, my heart just commit to one blush.

19. MAC - Studio Sculpt Concealer
Will not repurchase. It was too thick and creased.

20. Turqoise liquid liner from Ipsy Bag (forgot the brand)
Will not repurchase, the turquoise liner was patchy and wasn't pigmented. It was sheer and took alot of layering, in which case it bunched up and looked horrible. Also, the smell was quite chemically.

What were some of your empties? I'd love to know!
Until next time, XO - M.

I decided to play around with some color and turned to my Makeup Geek shadows to create this purple plumy look. I finished it off with a purple liner and lots of mascara. What better time than now in the summer to incorporate colors to your look.

For my face - First, start off with a clean and freshly moisturized face. I primed my skin with Too Faced Primed and Poreless, especially around my nose as I have more evident pores there. I tried out the Lancome Miracle Cushion  that day, I'm in the color no.4 - for those of you who order from Sephora, you will see that they offer a broader range of colors and their codes are identified differently then The Bay. I was told that this was due to the US method of coding their colors, vs the Canadian. The Canadian has a smaller range. The concealer of choice today was the NARS - Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger. To set the undereye, I used the Laura Mercier - Secret Brightening Powder. To bronze up my skin, I used the Diorskin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder in 002 Sunlight. I applied it on my outer forehead, and lower cheeks. My blush is the Clinique - Cheekpop in Heather. It's a beautiful dusty rose pink, it's sheer yet buildable and no matter how much you put on, it'll never look cakey.

For eyes - I used all Makeup Geek shadows to create this eye look: Vanilla Bean all over the lid, Frappe on my crease, Twilight on my outer 2/3 of my lid and darkened the outer V and crease with Sensuous.

The Eyeliner was L'oreal Silkissime - Plum and my Masacara was Maybelline - Lash Sensational Mascara. It is a very good dupe for the Benefit - Roller Lash, and the cost of the Maybelline is only about 1/4 of it especially if you find it on sale.

Lips: was the lipstick from the Fifty Shades of Grey Makeup Forever Give Into Me Set.

I had to find a way to organize my makeup brushes at home and picked up the CosmoCube from Sephora during the VIB Sale a few weeks back. The only problem was, that my brushes kept tipping over or gathering to one side of the holder, and I wanted them to hold upright. I had always found pictures on Pinterest and online about acrylic beads, but no matter what I did, the only places that I could order from, were from the US and shipping to Canada cost a dime and a leg. We were talking close to $100 for acrylic bead vase fillers. 

Summer season is upon us, which means it's time for open-toed shoes and flip-flops. From first hand experience, I know that visiting a salon once every few weeks to get that pedicure might not be budget-friendly to everyone (including myself), so I found a few items that have allowed me to obtain the same results at home.

I used to go to a salon to get a pedicure because I dreaded dealing with my dry heels, and would never be brave enough to buy one of those blades to use on my heels (like they do at the salon). I figured, there had to be a better, and healthier way. I heard that the more you use a blade to scrape/slice off the dead skin, the thicker it grows back.

After trying a few different products - I have found my essential 4 items that I want to share with you all.
1. Heel to Toe - Callus Softener ($8.69)
Heel To Toe Callus Softener gel gently softens and removes calluses leaving feet smooth and free of rough calluses. Use between pedicures to keep that fresh from the spa look and feel.

2. Heel to Toe - Foot File ($1.99)
Use the Heel to Toe Pedicure Foot File for the removal of dead, dry skin and calluses. Perfect for use at home or at the spa to leave feet soft and smooth. Use on wet skin only!

3. Heel to Toe - Peppermint Soothing Scrub ($6.99)
Heel To Toe Peppermint Smoothing Scrub is an intense exfoliator to smooth and soften even the roughest skin. Infused with peppermint oil, this easy to use scrub exfoliates dry and rough skin leaving feet feeling soft, smooth, and refreshed.

4. Flexitol - Heel Balm for maintenance (approx $15.49)
Flexitol Heel Balm (112g) contains 25% chemically synthesized Urea in a highly concentrated, moisturising and emollient base. Recommended for adult skin only. Extremely effective in the treatment of very dry and cracked skin on the heels and balls of the feet. Recommended to patients by health professionals including dermatologists, chiropodists and diabetes educators.

The Heel to Toe products are available for purchase at Sally Beauty Supply and Flexitol is available for purchase at London Drugs, Walmart, NailPolishCanada.com and select Loblaws, Lawtons, IDA, Guardian and others. In total, you're looking at $33.16 + taxes for the products, which you can use repeatedly. That is the cost of one pedicure!

The process is really quite easy. I usually do this near the end of my shower, when my feet has been exposed to the water for 15-20 minutes. I squeeze some of the Callus Softener onto the Foot File, and begin to file the ankle area, and the sole, arch etc. When doing this, make sure to occasionally feel your ankle with your hand to see if there are any rough or hard patches left and focus on that area. Do not work too hard, you do not want to damage your skin. Use your own discretion when doing this - you know your own limits. Work one foot at a time. If your heels are bad, it will take about 2-3 times to make them soft. After both of your feet are filed, I would rinse it off with warm water.

Afterwards, I squeeze some of the Peppermint Soothing Scrub, and use my hands to rub it all over my feet, top and bottom and around the ankle. The tingly feeling is amazing, makes it feel refreshed when you're done and dry. Again, wash off the product after you exfoliate.

Dry your feet and body and apply some Flexitol or an ultra rich balm or lotion to your feet and you're ready! :)

Hope you found this post useful! I've been doing this myself at home every week now, and I do not find the need to go get a pedicure!

Until next time, XO - Miranda.

I know this post is a bit late, but I still wanted to share last month's drugstore haul with my readers. I was up in Muskoka visiting family, and I picked up the Wet n' Wild Palette, NYX shadow crayons, a lip liner, 2 soft matte lip creams and a sparkly roll on pigment.

At the Walmart, I picked up the Real Techniques Core Collection - thought it'd be a good set to travel with - it contains all of your main essential brushes required to do a full look on your face. It comes in a black travel case, in which you can flip over - tighten the string, and it becomes a stand-up porfolio (like in the picture on the box) and it keeps things very hygenic. I love it!! At Walmart, it was $19approx and at Rexall, it was about $25 - a big price difference. Something you might want to consider when you are shopping around for it.

Back in Toronto, I was at the Loblaws Superstore and picked up the Dr. Bronner's Pure Castille Peppermint Soap to clean my makeup brushes. I will be sure to post a review on my thoughts of this product after I have thoroughly tried it out. I decided to go with a clean peppermint scent so that if the scent lingers on my brush - it won't be something I didnt like.

Finally, at Winners I picked up the Thickr Hairspray - I tried it out in store, and I love it. I have really thin hair, and this actually helps by acting as a texturizing spray. You can use this on your hair, damp or dry. It is very similar to the Bumble and Bumble Texturizing Dry Finish spray that is around $35 - so at half the price and double the volume, I really can't complain! The only difference I felt was the scent of the BB one is better.

What have been some of your hauls lately? Please share them!

Until Next Time - XO, M