Product Review | Physician's Formula Eye Booster Instant Lash Extension Kit

You've probably all heard about the Younique mascara ; a set that uses mascara and fibers to give you out of this world lashes. I've never been drawn to it. My lashes are naturally pretty long and thick, so a good mascara is really all I need for dramatic results. Plus I'm lazy, so the thought of going back in forth with two products is not appealing. I also heard, from people who don't like it (which are rare) that it gets EVERYWHERE, including IN your eyes. I was sure this would happen to me, and I'd like to keep my eyesight please!

That being said, the Younique mascara I believe is around $30 and I'm pretty sure you have to get it through one of their representatives. Ain't nobody got time for that!

When I saw the Physician's Formula Lash Extension kit at the drugstore for $15, I thought maybe I should get off my lazy ass and at least try that one. Easy access and half the price? Okay, I'll give it a chance.

WARNING! LIFE changing DIY lash extensions....Okay there Physician's Formula. As you can see the claims are pretty bold, and of course they took a model with blonde lashes but that are actually long and full...Clearly the results are more "shocking" this way!

As mentioned, the kit comes with a tube of mascara and a tube of black fibers. The packaging is really cool, and the mascara itself I knew I would like on it's own right off the bat, so nothing to lose right? Here's a little close up of everything:

So it all looks very shiny and exciting, but let's walk through the process and results shall we?

Product Review | By Terry Baume De Rose Lip Gloss Set

I literally have had this By Terry Baume De Rose Lip Gloss Set since Christmas, but I've hesitated to showcase this because it's so expensive... It's a splurge item for sure. Is it really worth the money? Weeell, we'll get to that. 

Product Review | Too Faced Sugar Pop Palette

This one goes out to all my color lovers out there! 

We all know that nudes and mattes are all the rage lately, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm a fan. I'm comfortable in nude. I feel polished in nude. I feel sexy in nude. I'm still talking about eyeshadows here...Truth is, I haven't really played with colors much since high school. A pop of color here and there sure, but I've always shied away from very colorful palettes.

But something about this Too Faced Sugar Pop Palette kept making me wonder; should I go for it? I love the name, I love the colors, I love the packaging! Being on a lucky streak with the brand (Chocolate Bar Palette, Natural Matte Palette) and wanting to branch out, I took the plunge. Look at this beaut'!

This palette is the exact same format as the Natural Matte, so again great for traveling and same dealio, you get 9 shades (3 big, 6 small) for $36/45$C. They are also "separated" in 3 looks, by row. So here are the swatches for each "look" :

Top 10 Under 10 | Affordable Beauty

To follow up my Top 5 Under 5, sometimes some drugstore gems are just a tad more expensive, so I thought I'd do a Top 10 Under 10 to showcase even more affordable beauty! 

These were really hard to pick as I feel I could easily do a top 20, but that's less catchy! I could do a part 2 in the future...Or is that cheating? 

Anyways, here's a top 10 of products under $10. Again in no particular order...

1. Maybelline Mascaras - As you may know, the Lash Sensational is my life right now! But even before this gem came out, I was always a fan of the Volume Express mascaras. My last favorite was the One by One. I've rarely had a "miss" with Maybelline mascaras actually.

2. Maybelline Color Tattoos - To no surprise, these are some of my favorite eyeshadows, ever, all categories combined. Effortless, pigmented, long lasting. Seriously the most impressive drugstore product I've ever used. I think...Whatever I LOVE them! Here are some swatches of two new ones from the spring line :

Product Review | Milani Rose Powder Blushes

So I know I mentioned the Tea Rose shade in my March Favorites, but I really wanted to dedicate a whole post to the Milani Rose Powder Blushes because man oh man do they deserve it.

This collection offers only 3 shades ; Tea Rose, Romantic Rose and Coral Cove. Naturally, I got all of them... 

Top left : Tea Rose, Top Right: Romantic Rose, Bottom : Coral Cove

Product Review | Wet n Wild Petal Pusher Palette

To keep with the "affordable" palettes, this one is next level cheap. But don't let the price fool you! Much like their trios (which I mentioned in my Top 5 Under 5), Wet n Wild delivers with quality shadows at a ridiculously good price.

I thought I would showcase this bad boy because in the array of desirable palettes, these can get overlooked. It's all about balance giiiirl! Plus these shades are great for spring! Purple lovers rejoice, here is the Wet n Wild Petal Pusher palette :

Product Review | L'Oreal La Palette Nude 1&2

Alright! The drugstore has really been stepping up it's game in the eyeshadow department and is really getting with the program of giving us palettes with lots of shadows! Not just trios or quads. And the hype is REAL with these palettes. Everyone and their mamas been talking about it! The thing that's painful about "Hyped up" drugstore items, is that there's no official release date; you gotta wait till you spot it near you. It's the hunt. I can't explain the feeling of finally finding the L'Oreal La Palette Nude 1 & 2 (clearly my life isn't very fulfilling? haha). But then I remembered : Shit. Last time hunting got me going that crazy I ended up with the Maybelline The Nudes palette (review HERE), and my dreams crushed. But I swatched these when I got home, and things were looking up.

Liebster Award

Alright, so today's post is a little different! I've been nominated for a Liebster Award by the lovely Ophelia from Shut up, Ophelia . So thank you! From what I understand, this is just a fun way to discover new bloggers, and give exposure to smaller blogs!

So more like a tag sorta thing that goes a little something like this :

1. Thank and link the person who nominated you.
2. Answer the nominator's 11 questions.
3. Nominate 11 small blogs who have less than 200 followers. You should believe that they deserve this award and include their link in your post.
4. Create 11 new questions for your nominees to answer. Notify these nominees via social media/blog

So if you want to get to know me more and discover new bloggers, stay tuned as I answer Ophelia's questions!

Skin Rescue | Sensitive Skincare Routine

If you remember in my Honey Skincare post, I mentioned having a skin freakout at the time, and it wasn't the first time. When my skin is having a reaction or is just exceptionally sensitive/irritated/dry and just a plain ol' hot mess, I need to cut all the crap and go back to basics with my skin care. Treat it like the sweet delicate flower it is not! No scrubs, no harsh treatments, no-nonesense. Bonus : It's all super affordable! Let's keep this one short and sweet shall we?

Simple Foaming Cleanser - I'm also a big fan of their Moisturizing Facial Wash, which would be a great option too, but for some reason when my skin is acting up, I prefer the foam. I guess maybe it feels less heavy on the skin? Probably just in my mind. Bottom line, this gently, but efficiently washes away all the dirt and grime off your face, without stripping it dry, irritating it more or anything! Quite frankly it's a good all around cleanser for anyone/anytime...

Updated Night Time Skincare Routine

To follow with the skincare theme this week, I present to you my updated night time routine!

As per usual the MOST important thing in your routine (and in your life, I mean, seriously.) is to take off your makeup. "But I'm too tired!", "But this, but that", ENOUGH! Get your shit together and get your ass to the sink. Apparently, I'm feeling aggressive this morning, but it's for your own good. Oh and we're only human, so  I know once in a while we will slip and sleep with our makeup on, but I can address the "morning after" fix in another post. Besides, you wouldn't need it anytime soon right? Cause you'll take off your makeup right? Good girl.

Ok seriously though, more often than not, if I'm wearing makeup, I will use an oil cleanser to remove it. Some people might just double cleanse with their cleanser, or simple use the oil as a one step thing, but I like to oil cleanse and then cleanse with my regular cleanser. As mentioned, on lighter days, I love to just use a micellar water instead, and then cleanse. Both these methods should remove most of your eye makeup (if not all), however, if you find yourself with any kind of residue, I just quickly go back over with a gentle eye makeup remover. 

Updated Morning Skincare Routine

It's been a minute since I wrote my last morning skincare routine post. I've since then changed climates and kinda skin types as well. For reference; when living in the harsher conditions of Montreal, I had acne prone/combination to oily skin. Right now, I'd say it's just combination (I've dealt with drier times, but things are settling down now) with the occasional breakout. Also, acne scars, even tone/texture are concerns of mine.

I also mention skincare products here and there, so it's important to me to be using all products for several months before I can actual say they are part of a routine. So here is what's been working for me lately!

Soap&Glory Face Soap and Clarity Vitamin C Facial Wash - I've spoken about this in my February favorites, of course Sephora would decide to no longer carry this brand, after I've fallen in love with many of their products. Rumor has it, they are going to go back to drugstores, so we shall see. On the bright side, I won't be running out of this bad boy any time soon. For my fellow Canadians, you can find the brand in most Pharmaprix/Shopper's Drug Mart stores.

Product Review | Physician's Formula Touch of Glow Foundation

Alright, I mentioned this in my Spring Beauty Picks. But I partially regret I did...

Why? Because right off the bat, it sucks ONLY for one thing but one major thing for a lot of people. Color selection is a bust. This foundation only comes in 2 shades ; Light, Light/Medium.

Okay, not that we've gotten the nasty out of the way, we can talk about the good for those who are lucky enough to pull off one of these shades.

Also, if you think about it, BB creams usually don't have a much wider range either...But this is really a foundation. However, it is a somewhat sheer/light diffusing formula, so it can reach more skin tones than you might think even just with those 2 colors.

I am in shade Light (obviously), and to be honest I was scared it was going to be too dark when I received it. And I saw the color right away as I received it with foundation literally all over the packaging because it had leaked in transit. I was mad at Ulta and was prepared to be disappointed. But a quick clean up and I was in good spirits again.

It comes with this small little buffing brush which I actually don't hate. In fact, I quite liked using it. I did test out the application of this foundation with different tools, and this brush with different products... I LOVE using this little brush with BB creams. But I prefer using this foundation with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush from the Core Collection.

I use one pump of this, and here are the results:

Champagne or Beer? | Bioderma vs. Simple (Cleansing Waters)

Up until recently, Bioderma Sensibio H2O was difficult to get in the US. Now it's gotten a big launch here and you can get it on Beautylish.

In the motherland (Canada), I was able to find it in pretty much any drugstore and never went without it. I have talked about it about previously in my Night Time Skincare Routine. I still had a large bottle with me when I left, but as time went on, I ran out!

Photo from : www.bioderma.com

I was debating just getting it online, asking a friend to ship me some or tough it out until next time I was home. And then I thought to myself, why not just try something new? 

I am a HUGE fan of the Simple Skincare line and when I saw they came out with their cleansing micellar water, holy jesus was I excited. It was like a sign from the heavens. I picked it up on sale too and I just knew in that moment, somewhere (maybe up there) someone loved me.

Bottom line ; I paid $6 (198ml) for the Simple, whereas the Bioderma is around $14 (250ml). However, depending where you are, and if you get a bigger size of the Bioderma, the gap might not be as big. But my reality right now is that Simple gives the better deal.

Now what is a cleansing water/micellar solution?