My first luxury bag purchase, was a Coach bag that I remember my husband (then boyfriend) took me to Yorkdale and treated me to a beautiful brown tote bag. Since then, they have evolved and expanded the range of products they offer - including now a perfume and a cologne. I was recently sent the perfume and cologne for both me and hubby to try out and if you're interested in learning more about the notes of it, then keep reading below. 

I recently received a few items from The Body Shop to test out and include in my skincare routine, and after some testing, I decided to share my thoughts with you ... if you're interested in my past Body Shop then click here. Onto the reviews....

Mary Kay recently launched two new Mineral Eye Color Quads in Shades of Jade and Berry Haute. I have created a look featuring each of the palettes below and as always, mapped out what I did and how as well. In addition, all products used in the tutorial are in the image above.

L'Oreal recently launched three new face scrubs to their skincare collection and I could not be more excited to try these. I am a big fan of exfoliating so being able to try new and innovative proucts as they come to the market, is a great opportunity. These scrubs retail for $14.99 cad each and can be purchased at your local drugstores. They are formulated with a blend of white, blonde and brown sugars as well as other ingredients, depending on which one you're using. I have been a fan of the L'oreal Skincare products as I've tried them out, if you're interested in reading about my past posts - please click here.  

CND, especially its Vinylux formula has been a favorite of mine for years - I have written various posts about them in the past (if you're interest click here to read them). This Spring, they have launched their Chic Shock Collection which features four super Spring worthy colors reminiscent of your favorite chocolate candy easter eggs...mmm.

Palmer's is a product that has been around for ages - my first experience with it was when my hubby (then boyfriend) would always smell like yummy coconuts and have super soft skin - to the point where I was embarrassed that his skin was softer than mine! He introduced me to Palmer's and told me that this was the only lotion that effectively kept his dry skin at bay and where the fragrance wasn't bothersome or caused any skin irritations. This was many years ago and since then Palmer's has come up with a few more products to their line. Below you will find my review of the three products that I was sent - I have sorted it in hydration level from oil to lotion to body butter. 

If you keep on reading below - you can also enter a giveaway where THREE lucky readers will also win the products mentioned in this post. This giveaway is in partnership with Palmer's and is open to Canadian Residents!

So for those of you who don't know, I recently welcomed the birth of my baby boy at the end of January :) While I was very nervous about the delivery/labor portion of the pregnancy, I have to admit the aftercare was equally as worrisome to me. The pain, the possible tearing as a result of delivery, etc were all thoughts that ran through my head constantly in the 9 months of pregnancy. I was also asked quite frequently what products I used after birth to take care of my Perineum tear at home, so I thought that the best way would be to do a blog post and share it with those who are curious! 

Products used: 

1. Always - Maxi Size 5 Extra Heavy Pads (unscented)

These pads were a godsend, I didn't bother buying any other fancy after birth pads as these were more than sufficient. I was told if I filled one of these pads more than once an hour, to go back to the hospital (ER) to be assessed. However, thank god I never did. These are essential as they are obviously thick enough and absorbs what is needed. In addition, the key element of these is that they are long enough. They cover you entirely from front to back so it will not irritate your stitches in any way. By week 3, I thought my bleeding had subsided so I converted to regular pads, which was a big mistake as when I slept the shorter pads did irritate the stitches and made it bleed a bit again. I changed back to these maxi pads and problem solved. Oh and of course, do not even think about wearing any cute or sexy undies - just bring out the granny panties and embrace the comfort of them!

2. Advil - Regular Strength & 3. Tylenol - Regular Strength

This concoction of medicine was recommended to me by the hospital on the aftercare sheet - the way they described it was two was for pain, and the other two was for inflammation, so together - take 4 every 4 hours (as required) could help mediate the pain and manage the swelling while on your path to recovery. In the first two weeks I did find myself having to take it every 4 hours, however by week 3-4 I gradually decreased in frequency and now by almost week 4 I take it about 3 times a day.

4. Squirt Bottle

This was provided to me by the hospital - in addition, they also gave me a sitz bath to use (which I didn't end up having to use at home as I found the Squirt bottle sufficient). You fill the bottle up with preferably warm water as hot water or cold water would be uncomfortable for your lady bits. Squirt the water everywhere after you use the bathroom to clean yourself, and then also focus on the stitches. Then pat dry, and follow with spraying the New Mama Bottom Spray below. 

5. Earth Mama - New Mama Bottom Spray (old formula/packaging) vs the new packaging

The reason I suggest the old packaging is because of the bottle itself - ergonomically it is better to hold, you will be using this a few times a day (basically after you shower, or use the washroom) so having a slimmer bottle to hold to dispense the product is just easier than the chubbier one. In addition, the squirt strength is better on the old bottle than the new one - the older one has a more targeted spray vs. the new one that is in my opinion too fine of a mist. Sometimes you can't even feel whether or not you have actually sprayed it, and with it almost feeling like it's going to slip out of your hands, I couldn't be bothered constantly trying to figure it out. I ended up emptying the contents of the new bottle, to my older original packaging bottle. If you can locate the older formula/packaging I suggest you at least purchase two. I went through two bottles myself. 

TIPS on self-care at home:

1. Limit all squatting activity - I found that even when I had to squat to put the boots on my dog, I really felt the pulling of the stitches which was not pleasant. Instead, I changed to kneeling and it made the world of a difference. 

2. If you feel the need to use it obviously use your sitz bath. I was given one by the hospital but I didn't actually have to use it. I just made sure to always wash my area with the squirt bottle everytime after I used the bathroom. 

3. Wash yourself down there - when I showered, I diluted the soap and then gently washed my area then rinsed it. The reason for the dilution is so that the soap comes off easier but still has its cleansing properties. The last thing you want is to be aggravating it with any harsh soaps or spending longer than needed down there irritating it. 

4. When getting up and down or in and out of your car, just slow down - don't rush, it's not a race. Hold on to something and gently pull yourself up. You never realize it, but rushing = pulling = irritation. Trust me, it only takes you a few more seconds. 

5. Lastly, don't be afraid to look at  yourself down there. You need to see if it's healing okay, see if there are any signs of infection so that you can get it looked after ASAP!

Until next time, XO - M.

*Please note that items mentioned in this post are what I used to recover from my Perineum tear from labor. Your hospital/OB/nurse may recommend other products for you to use :)

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

This Spring, Urban Decay has released a few new goodies that I will be using in my tutorial below. In addition to some new setting sprays and mix-in facial oil, they also launched a limited edition collaboration with Kristen Leanne, a beauty influencer to create quite a big range of make-up. If you're interested in the full line, then click here. My make-up tutorial and post/review today will be narrowed down to a few specific items that I am personally interested in :)

The products from her collection that I will be using include:

1. The Beauty Beam Highlight Palette - $45 cad 

This is a beautiful highlighter palette that caters to all skin tones. It has a light champagne color, one a shade darker, and then a bronzed tint one. Even if you find that one or two of them may be too dark for you, these can easily be used as eyeshadow! They are super buttery, pigmented and blendable. This is actually something that showed up on my skin when used with a brush and I love it. It picks up just the right amount the product without any kick-off and applies seamlessly to the skin and is buildable. 

2. The Daydream Eyeshadow Palette - $35 cad

This is a true matte shadow palette and is very versatile - create a warm neutral everyday look and easily transition that to a darker smokier eyelook. The shadows are pigmented, buttery smooth and there isn't alot of fall-out. 

3. Vice Lipstick - Bun Bun (Comfort Matte Formula) - $22 cad

The UD Vice Lipsticks have always been a favorite of mine, they just glide onto the lips effortlessly and does not tug at the lip or settle in fine lines. Even as a matte formula, it just sits comfortably on the lip and feels weightless. 

*all these products are swatched directly below and also used in the tutorial.

All products featured in below is what was used to create the make-up look:

Primer: Urban Decay - Rebound Collagen-Infused Complexion Prep Priming Spray

Foundation: Laura Mercier - Flawless Fusion mixed with Urban Decay Drop Shot Mix-In Facial Oil

Concealer: Urban Decay - All Nighter Waterproof Full-Coverage Concealer (Shade Light (Neutral))

Blush: Clinique - Cheek Pop (Heather)

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay x Kristen Leanne Collab - Day Dream Eyeshadow Palette

Brows: Wet n Wild - Ultimate Brow Retractable (Medium Brown)

Eyeliner: Tarte - Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner 

Highlighter: Urban Decay x Kristen Leanne Collab - Beauty Beam Highlight Palette

Setting Spray: Urban Decay - All Nighter Pollution Protection

Lashes: Kiss Lashes

Lips: Urban Decay x Kristen Leanne Collab - Vice Lipstick (Bun Bun)

Breakdown of what was used in the shadow palette to create the eyelook is mapped out:

What was your favorite item from the Kristen Leanne Collab? would love to hear your thoughts! 

Until next time, XO - M.

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