Love Letters and Lace

So excited to be doing Sample Sunday's again because I really enjoy getting into my box of sample products and testing them out! I was really intrigued to try this one especially because 1) it was a 2 step product 2) it's a fairly expensive product And considering I have super dry skin, anything claiming to boost moisture and quench my skin sounds pretty good to me! I'll get straight to the point. I was left pretty disappointed by these products. Of course, it was only a sample, so I can't speak to it's long term abilities, so absolutely take what I say with a grain of salt. However I noticed that my skin absorbed the (generous) amount of product I applied within minutes and my face felt dry and as if I had nothing on it within minutes. I'm sure being able to try this product for a few days would have more of an effect on me, but since I have very dry skin and like a moisturizer that makes an impact on my skin without needing to be reapplied multiple ti

I was looking though my stash of product samples and I got really excited when I saw this particular one. I have memories of using this particular cocoa butter cream years ago, when my mom had some while pregnant with my sister (this works wonders on stretch marks, apparently). I remember I used to love using this cream too because it smelled like a mixture of chocolate and marshmallows. Having tried it again, I can see why this is a well known brand for solving skin dilemmas such as stretch marks. This is a very hydrating cream while also being super comfortable. Meaning: your skin will be silky soft without ever having that sticky feeling so many super hydrating body lotions seem to have. Trying out this sample seriously has made me consider buying myself a bottle. This is such a great cream to have on hand in the summertime. Your freshly shaved legs will never be softer than when you use this afterwards! But the question you're probably all wondering... does it really/st

Okay, so lets talk deodorant. We all use it but we don't discuss it enough. I've never been particularly loyal to any brand of deodorant. I picked out a new one basically every time I ran out of the one I used before. I wanted to get into trying a natural deodorant but I had the two basic worries I think most people have when it comes to these kinds of products; 1) Will it really work? 2) Which one should I try? Luckily for me, I was sent the Natural Deodorant from the Green Beaver Company in a blogger box a little while back, so I didn't have to look too far. I decided to give it a shot, figuring I had nothing to lose. Okay, but, this stuff is AMAZING. Here's why: Firstly, Aloe Juice is one of the first ingredients in this deodorant, which means it feels super cooling when you apply it, which is so nice in the summertime! It's also a clear, gel-like formula, so no need to worry about white marks on your black clothes. Yes, please. I was a bit worrie

Hey everyone! Just stopping by today with a quick review on my new go-to foundation at the moment: an oldie but a goodie, the  Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation. I won't ramble on too long about this product because I definitely could, so here is what I've noticed with it in the time I've been using it so far: Coverage is medium but definitely buildable. Finish is natural , almost dewy but not quite.  You need to set it with a powder because it will stay tacky to the touch even after a while.  It has a light, fresh scent that goes away very quickly after applying it.  Didn't cause me to break out or any irritation to my sensitive skin.  It felt very hydrating and comfortable; GREAT for dry skin types   Definitely lives up to the long wearing claim; lasts well through heat, humidity, sweat, etc.  Very light feeling on the skin, you don't even notice you're wearing foundation.  Bonus: FINALLY a drugstore foundation with a shade light

If you have dry skin, you're probably not stranger to using oils (and if you are, what are you doing?? Get on the train). The Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil was the very first oil that I used on my face and I've been obsessed ever since. My favourite way to use this product is to mix in 2-3 drops into my daily moisturizer to add extra hydration. I've also applied it directly onto dry patches. It also works wonderfully on hair, cuticles and basically any dry area on your skin that needs some help. It has basically no scent, doesn't irritate my sensitive skin and doesn't break me out. Sound like a miracle product yet? It should, cause it pretty much is. Yes, it's on the pricier side of things, but you're getting a very high quality product and you can honestly feel the difference it makes in your skin, so for that, I can justify the splurge.

No Flash With Flash Hey everyone! Just a quick swatch of the Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in 'Static' for you all today! This is such a cool shadow to use for an easy, burgundy/brown smokey eye. Super creamy and blendable like all Colourpop shadows! What's your favourite Colourpop eyeshadow? Comment down below xo

As you all know, I have very dry skin which means I'm always testing out new products that may make my skincare journey a little bit more comfortable. I decided since I'm always testing out new products that I'll be sharing the best of the best of them weekly with you all, so those of you struggling with dry skin like me know what really works. If you have extremely dry skin like me, you know that the only thing that can soothe it is a thick, balm-like cream, which is what I found when I tried out the Lipikar Baume AP+ and the Nutritic Intense Riche creams from La Roche Posay. Now, let's keep it short and sweet because I could rave about these products all day. The  Lipikar Baume AP+ is a must have when your skin is having bad flare ups of dryness and just generally freaking out. This cream is thick but comfortable; your skin doesn't feel like it's suffocating under it. It also soothes any itchiness which is so relieving. The  Nutritic Intense Riche

Hey everyone! So I've officially been doing the Blogilates Beginner's calendar for 2 weeks now, and I'm having a lot of fun doing it! I'm always challenged, but I feel like comparing to myself 14 days ago, I'm already stronger. The great thing for me, doing this calendar, has been that it kind of forces you to get up and be active. You really don't have to think hard about it, it's all planned out for you, just need to stick with it. For those of you thinking about doing this, I really recommend it! I'm already so much more motivated to work out every day, I feel a lot stronger and more energetic every day and I'm loving it. Today's my rest day and I'm thinking of maybe working out for fun now... Today's recipe was the Berrylicious Microwave Minute Muffin, which is actually such an interesting idea. I edited the recipe to be more tasty to me, because the basic 3 ingredient recipe sounded a bit like eggy oatmeal to me. For those wo

You guys.... can we take a second to talk about the Coastal Scents single eyeshadows (aka Hot Pots)? I didn't have the highest expectations for them, considering how affordable they are (and I mean AFFORDABLE), but wow... quality, pigmentation and blendability is on point. Bottom line: if you're on a budget, you need some of these in your life. I recently picked up a TON of them (I owned 3, and bought another 12 or so during their recent sale) and I've decided to swatch them all for you because I'm just so in love. Today we're swatching Atomic Apricot! (side not: can we appreciate the name? How cute and very fitting) Definitely keep an eye on Coastal Scents because when their single shadows go on sale, they are $0.99 each... Crazy right! Look forward to even more swatches coming soon! xo

If there are two things I love, it's: 1) Trying out sample sizes of new products, and 2) Trying out a good hair mask So how could I go wrong here? Answer: I could not, because this product is the bomb.com. Okay, cheesy expressions aside, I have really thick and dry hair, so I adore deep conditioning masks. This one in particular I was a bit unsure about, since my hair is not necessarily damaged and needing repair, it's moreso just dry and (often) out of control. I only got one use out of this sample, because, again, I have very thick hair, but believe it or not, just in that one use, I saw a difference! No joke, my hair was softer, less frizzy and easier to manage just after this one use. Amazing. So, I'll definitely be purchasing a full size of this product because if it could make a difference in just one use, then this is a product I want in my routine for sure. Happy Sunday everyone!

Hey everyone! So I'm back to reviewing products from my sample stash and I was SO excited to try this one out, considering how hyped up it was. This product has made it's way around the beauty community and everyone raves about how good it smells, so I was pretty excited to give it a shot. This stuff has the most exotic, unique scent I've honestly ever smelled. To be honest, I don't think I could even describe it. It's the most sexy combination of sweet and spicy, you need to smell it for yourself if you haven't. The cream itself was very light but absolutely provided moisture to my skin which I loved. Not greasy at all, almost whipped in consistency. It also leaves a really nice shimmer all over your skin, so you basically glow like a goddess when the light hits you. This is definitely not an every day moisturizer (considering firstly the price and the fact that there is shimmer in it), but a great luxury item to have for when you're going out. I

 Hey guys! So I was lucky enough to be sent the Revlon Mega Multiplier mascara for free from Influenster in return of a review, and I've been so excited to try it out! I'm always up to try a new mascara from the drugstore. The package claims that the product will give you an "oversized lash look" which obviously intrigued me a lot. However as you'll see in the close up pictures further down, the product didn't really give me that false lash effect. I really enjoyed the packaging itself. The black part is a sleek, matte texture similar to what you see on Nars packaging, and the top is a vibrant blue plastic. I was definitely drawn in by the wand of it. One of my holy grail mascaras is the Essence Lash Princess mascara (and it's only like $5, pick it up, friends) and it has a wand nearly identical to this one. So first impressions were promising for this product. The Final Verdict I think that this is a great mascara for every day lashe

 Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know about my persistant journey to find the best drugstore purple eyeshadows. This journey is what lead me to pick up the L'Oreal Colour Riche Eyeshadow Quad in 'Stacked Heels'.  The shades in this quad are right up my alley but of course purple shadows are not easily done, so as stunning as they look in the pan, they don't quite translate that well on the eyes. As you can probably see in the picture, the shadows are a bit stiff and powdery, which definitely affects the pigmentation. The white shade in the quad is also on the chalky side. I still think that this palette is workable, and with some patience and work, you can make a beautiful look with this quad. It will just take a bit longer and more product to build up the desired pigmentation. So, overll, is it my holy grail, hidden gem purple eyeshadow of the drugstore? Not really. But still something I see myself occasionally using.

Hi everyone, So if you've spent a little time on my blog before, you know I struggle with a lot of issues with my skin, mostly eczema related. Finding a good cream to help you out is always very hit or miss, but I love trying out new products in hope of finding a good one. I was definitely very excited to try out the Calendula Intensive Skin Recovery cream from Weleda since I've been trying to steer myself towards more natural products to help out my skin and replace my steroid creams for good. This cream surprised me - in a good way. It did not necessarily do anything miraculous for my eczema, but I noticed that while using this cream, my skin was healing much better than before. There was one particular rough area on my ankle that had been causing me issues for MONTHS and nothing would make it better; not even hydrocortisone. I used this on it for a week, and the difference was immense. After 2 weeks, it was completely healed. All this to say, I really do think this

Hey everyone! Lets talk empties; the products I finished up in the month of May. I love these kinds of posts because 1) you know you're getting a good review of a product when the person has completely used it up and 2) there's just something so satisfying about a fully used up product, isn't there? I didn't finish too many products this month, but I'm still pretty pleased about what I did use up. -Benefit 'Porefessional' Primer (small/deluxe sample size) This primer was just okay for me, and I likely won't repurchase it. I'm someone who enjoys more hydrating primers, so this sillicone feeling type of primer isn't always my cup of tea. -Essence Lash Princess Mascara Ugh, I love this stuff so much. How can a product so damn affordable be this good? I already repurchased this! -Annabelle Skinny Brow Liner This was a decent brow pencil. Definitely a really good affordable option if you don't want to spend a fortune on brow products

Welcome to the first ever Sample Sunday! I have so many (so, so many) sample sizes of products and I've always wanted to review them, but it felt kind of out of place, since I only really get to try the product a handful of times, depending on the size of the sample. So I decided to start Sample Sundays, where once a week I can give my first impressions of whatever sample sized product I try out. Those of you who are not new to my blog know that one of my top skincare concerns is my dark, dehydrated under eye area. So for this reason, I LOVE getting samples of eye creams, since I still haven't found my holy grail, cure-all, problem solver eye cream yet. This eye cream had me very intrigued since I've never really tried anything from Caudalie before. I also became even more intrigued when I saw how much a full size of this product costs; $110 for 0.5 oz! So it was one of those odd scenarios where I had extremely high expectations but also hoped I wouldn't fall in lo

Hey everyone, long time no talk. I'm in the midst of my final exams so I've been pretty dead to the world, but I promise I've been trying out a TON of new products so stay tuned for reviews! 😀 So, I hadn't tried out a new foundation in ages until I picked this one up, and I knew from the first time I used it that I NEEDED to review it. It was so hyped up so I had pretty high hopes from the start. I'll start off by saying that I was so impressed by the shade selection on this foundation. There are 20 different shades which is pretty great for a drugstore foundation. I'm so happy I was actually able to find a light enough shade for my skin which tends to be an issue with some foundations at the drugstore. What I Noticed:  Medium coverage , but definitely buildable It smells like paint... thankfully the smell fades away but yeah, paint smell .  No pump but you get the product out with a paddle type thing that works pretty well Fairly long lasting bu

As soon as spring rolls around, my makeup looks tend to shift to the more pink side of things. I've really been loving the monochrome makeup trend these days because rosy eyeshadow and pink lips are right up my alley. If you're like me and you love these kinds of looks, here are my favourite makeup products that you need in your life, like, yesterday. Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette I whip out this palette for almost every eyeshadow look I ever do. It is just a must have. Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette I waited on picking up this palette for a long time but I finally bit the bullet and went for it. Obviously I love it. If you're like me and you love pink-toned makeup looks, don't hesitate on picking up this palette. Maybelline The Blushed Nudes Palette  If you're looking for a more affordable palette that still packs a punch, I highly recommend the Maybelline Blushed Nudes palette. The metallic shades in this are so freaking gorgeous, it blows my mind.

 It's that time again; new month, new batch of products I've been loving. I tried out a lot of new products this month so I had a really hard time narrowing this list down to an acceptable size, but I decided to go with the products I've used on a near daily basis throughout the month of March. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Granite I was on quite a brow product hunt last month. I wanted something that could effortlessly fill in sparse areas without making my brows look too dark or too clown-like. This product is honestly so fool proof and looks so great. You can build up the pigmentation as well, so you can choose to go for a natural , subtle look or a full on Instagram style brow all with one product! Nyx Dewy Finish Setting Spray As a setting spray, I thought this product was good, but not good enough to keep me using it on a daily basis. I recently started using this to dampen my Beauty Blender and my foundation and concealer have never looked better ! It

Hi everyone! I wanted to do some kind of haul since I bought quite a lot of new makeup this month, so I figured I'd just do a monthly haul showing you everything I picked up this month! Let me know if you like these and maybe I'll make it a monthly thing! During the spring break, I made a little road trip to the US where I got to pick up some drugstore products that we don't have here in Canada, specifically Wet n' Wild and Milani. The CVS I went to didn't have the biggest selection, but I'm still really excited about the things I picked up! From Wet N' Wild I picked up the PhotoFocus Foundation , which I've heard great things about. I'm most excited about the highlighter I picked up in the shade 'Boozy Brunch' . I mean, how gorgeous does that look???  I also picked up two of the Liquid Catsuit Matte Liquid Lipsticks in the shades Nudist Peach and Give Me Mocha. You can see swatches of them on my Instagram here ! The Milani sectio