face Archives - Page 16 of 19

Amie Morning Clear Facial Wash

November 26, 2014

After being introduced to a few Amie products in September, I have quite liked all the products in the line so far. If you haven’t read my previous post on Amie products, Amie is a UK-based skincare company that has recently launched products in Canada. For now, Amie products are exclusively available at Shoppers Drug Mart locations, but I haven’t been able to find any of the Shoppers locations that I go to. I think maybe because they have just recently launched, they are slowly bringing it to all the stores? Also, am I the only one that finds the Shoppers website hard to use? I tried to search up which locations sell Amie products but it was giving me a difficult time like always… I guess I’ll just try my luck by visiting the stores in person, hopefully each Shoppers will carry Amie products soon!

Amie’s morning clear purifying facial wash claims to be a “moisturising facial wash that removes all dirt, oil, and makeup leaving skin beautifully soft and refreshed. Mayblossom and elderflower help control oiliness and prevent blemishes while orange blossom and raspberry tone and refresh. Natural moisturisers ensure skin is not dried out.”

unnamed (4) — Looks the same as the facial wash, amirite?!

First impression: The packaging and design of the bottle was the same as the previous Amie products I tried, so nothing new there. The colours of this tube are also the exact same as their hydrating daily moisturizer which added to the confusion. It may not seem that confusing but trust me, when you are half awake at 7 am on a Monday morning, things can get tricky (that or I need more sleep).

Compared to Amie’s exfoliating daily wash, this facial wash had a very creamy texture. In fact, the first couple of times using this was a bit strange to me because the texture was exactly like moisturizer, and I felt like I should just be applying this on my face as a cream rather than washing it off with water.

My favourite part of this facial wash, and what made it stand out for me was the scent! My goodness, if Amie ever came out with a perfume that smelled like this facial wash, I would be their first customer. The facial wash had a very flowery and girly scent to it. After washing my face, the scent stayed on for awhile and was quite noticeable, the boyfriend could smell it as well.

This product was also purposely sent to me in the upcoming winter season, as it is supposed to protect your skin against the cold. After a few days of usage, I noticed that my skin was a bit softer. I’ve been suffering from very dry skin lately, which was very surprising because my skin tends to be the opposite- very oily!! I’m pretty sure this facial wash played a vital role in moisturizing my skin, it doesn’t feel as dry and look as flaky anymore. One of the main ingredients in this face wash is cacao seed butter (no, I don’t mean cocoa) which contains a very high amount of antioxidants and is really moisturizing as well. I probably wouldn’t use this when it starts to get warm again because it’ll just make my face extra oily. But in the current weather, it brings a good balance to my skin. Yay!

unnamed — My Amie haul from September- Click to read!

Another great thing about this product is that it is free from parabens, sulphates, mineral oils, petrochemicals, products that have been genetically modified, and animal extracts. Amie also does not test on animals. All products are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, and their formulas contain high-quality plant and botanical ingredients. No, they did not pay me to write that! 🙂 It is also 100% soap free but to be honest, I’m not sure what kind of pros are involved in that so I’ll have to contact Amie and get back to you LOL. If you know, please leave a comment and enlighten us all.

Well, another great and moisturizing product from Amie! Have you seen any Amie products in your local Shoppers Drug Mart? Please let me know in the comments down below!

Thanks for reading!
-Carmen

This product was sent free of charge in exchange for a product review. Opinions are my own and are not altered by the requests of Amie.

Update (12/2/2014): After asking Amie what the benefits of a soap-free product are, it means that the ingredients in soap (Sodium Laureth Sulphate and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) have a high pH level since it is an alkaline/base (remember your high school chemistry? haha). Therefore, it can disrupt your skin’s natural acid balance due to it’s high alkalinity, which can leave skin feeling dry and taught (I personally hate that feeling). In case you didn’t know, acid and base are opposites. For example, Tums stomach pills are high in alkalinity because when you have a stomachache or heartburn, the acid in your stomach increases, so the Tums balances out the acidity. Hm, the things you learn beauty blogging!

If I had a million dollars… (Fall 2014 Beauty Wishlist)

November 21, 2014

It’s holiday season again, my favourite time to buy and stock up on makeup products. Every time this year, I love going into Sephora and seeing what type of holiday gift sets or products they have. Of course, this year is no different and there are so many beautiful products already released/being released. I just wanted to share my top three dreamy picks this holiday season so we can all marvel and stare longingly at their beauty while wishing we all had these. I probably won’t be buying all of these because I don’t have that much money, but a girl can dream and virtually share their beauty….

3. La Belle Carousel – Too Faced

I first saw this in my one too many visits to Sephora and fell in love with the packaging. To be honest, when I first saw this, I didn’t even know what type of products were in here… I was just very captivated by the packaging and the way it was marketed. I loved the romantic and classical look of the packaging…and come on, who doesn’t like carousels? Too Faced made the packaging so dreamy and beautiful. Upon further glance and investigation, I found out that it contains a variety of stunning eyeshadow shades, bronzers, blushes, and their Better Than Sex mascara.

Realistically speaking, I wonder if it is hard to re-package it to its original carousel shape after opening. Because of this reason, the carousel doesn’t seem too practical but it is certainly perfect to marvel at. But at $59 Canadian, you pay a hefty price for something that is just a pretty, novelty piece of decoration. Even if you used it everyday, I highly doubt that you’ll have the time and patience to restore it to its original beauty and should probably stick with their regular makeup palettes. Which is why when I rationally think about it, I know I’m better off without it and probably won’t get it… but it is so pretty to look at!

2. Naked on the Run – Urban Decay

Number two on my list is the new Naked palette, Naked on the Run by Urban Decay. Each holiday season, Urban Decay releases a makeup palette and this year, it is the Naked on the Run. I guess they got tired of releasing Naked 1, Naked 2, Naked 3…haha! It hasn’t even been released yet but every time Urban Decay posts a picture of this on Instagram, my face looks like the heart eyes emoji. I love the shades and vibrancy in my Naked palettes, and I’m sure these will not disappoint as well. I also love their eyeliner, and have yet to open the perversion mascara. This palette would be perfect to bring around as it holds an eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, eye shadow, blush, and bronzer! This product is more practical than the carousel. Can’t wait for the release!

1. Modern Muse – Estee Lauder

To be honest, I fell in love with Estee Lauder’s new Aerin fragrance first but after I was told that it was only sold in one exclusive location in all of Vancouver, I walked around the Estee Lauder counter and saw this. I remember being introduced to this at the 2014 fall media preview event but it didn’t have that much of an effect on me as the Aerin fragrance did, I still really liked the scent of Modern Muse though. Fast forward two months, we were united again and as I sprayed the tester on the piece of fancy cardstock paper, I found myself slowly forgetting about the Aerin fragrance and liking this one a lot. It is described as “lush floral woody” and I would be lying if I said I knew what that smelled like. In my own words instead, it had a very light, floral scent to it that I could see myself wearing quite often. My favourite part of the scent was the jasmine notes in it. I love jasmine tea more than any other green tea, so naturally I was drawn to the strong jasmine and flowery smell. I’ve been thinking about getting is for a few weeks now, and I’m probably going to buy this very soon because I can’t stop thinking about it.

There you have it! The top three beauty products I am currently lusting over right now. I probably won’t be getting the Too Faced carousel because it’s pretty impractical, it’s just nice to look at! What are your top 3 wants right now?

-Carmen

My Makeup Story Tag

November 14, 2014

I have been tagged by the lovely blondebeauty13 to do “my makeup story” tag! I’ve seen this going around the blogosphere for awhile, so here are my two cents on it. Thanks for the tag and keep reading to see who I’m passing this on to.

1- How old were you when you started makeup?
I have been around makeup since I was born, pretty much. There is a professional (well, as professional as Sears photography is haha!) picture of me when I was four years old, on my mom’s lap with noticeable vibrant, deep red nail polish. My mom loves wearing makeup and I guess that’s where it started for me.
I began playing with makeup in Grade 7, so around 12 or 13 years old? That was back in the days of school dances, we would get ready in the school bathroom. Anyone else remember buying things from Claire’s?! I remember receiving an eyeshadow palette from Claire’s, a boutique chain catered especially towards preteen girls. The eyeshadow set was something similar to the one below, but with 6-8 colours only 🙂

2- How did you get into makeup?
I’m not too sure, makeup is something that has always felt natural to me. I don’t wake up everyday dreading putting on makeup, in fact, I really enjoy it. Probably sometime around the first time I started wearing makeup, I began to read a lot of those embarrassing teen magazines that I feel a bit ashamed of now… haha like J-14, M magazine, and Discovery Girls. If anyone read those, please let me know so I feel less embarrassed… I would always go to the library and read magazines like those/novels until the library closed, I was usually the last kid to leave the library. Here’s an issue of J-14 from 2005, back in my prime reading days LOL.. From there, it progressed to Seventeen magazine which I subscribed to for a majority of my high school days. How embarrassing… Why am I admitting to all this publicly…
3- What are some of your favourite brands?
Urban Decay is my favourite brand right now, I love all their products. I also like Benefit, Bare Minerals, and Kat Von D. For drugstore products, I like Revlon, Maybelline, ELF, and L’Oreal.

4- What does makeup mean to you?
To me, makeup is really fun and enjoyable. Makeup shouldn’t be a mask that you hide under, but instead, as something that enhances your features. Makeup makes life more colourful (literally, hehe), and brings together a lot of people whether it’s through Youtube, beauty blogs, or just in person.

5- If you could only wear four products on your face, what would they be?
Eyeliner, mascara, liquid foundation, and eyebrow pencil.

6- What is your favourite thing about makeup?
I love how you can change up your look and dress up. I love how makeup has the power to transform your mood and empower you, and gives you confidence. Also, this is a bit stupid but I really appreciate the packaging and marketing of all beauty products. I admire the design and advertisements of the beauty industry, but that’s probably my Communications (in-process) degree talking. I saw this at Sephora the other day and fell in love with the packaging.

7- What do you think about drugstores VS high end?
I like both, but obviously I can’t afford all high end products which is okay. Drugstore products are becoming more and more innovative, and there are a lot of drug store products that work just as well as high end brands. Just because you can’t afford high end makeup, that shouldn’t limit you to not wearing makeup.

8- What is one piece of advice you could give to a beginner?
Practice makes perfect. No one is born knowing how to create the perfect eyeliner wing/cat eye/ eyebrow shape. See the picture below, we all have been there before at some point LOL. Also, always wash your face and remove your makeup before going to bed to prevent bad breakouts and infections! No bueno =(

9- What is one makeup trend you never understood?
Hmm… this took awhile for me to think about. Heavy lip liner 5-10 shades darker than your actual lip/lip stick. WHY??? Why Britney why? LOL!

10- What do you think of the beauty community on YouTube?
It has transformed the way we view makeup. Great makeup techniques can be taught by the everyday girl, which is very encouraging. It’s so accessible that anyone with an internet connection can learn how to do makeup. I’ve spent many many hours watching beauty videos and vlogs!

I tag (in alphabetical order):

You are also welcome to share your makeup story even if you aren’t tagged, I look forward to reading everyone’s posts! However, please do not feel obligated or pressured to do this if you don’t want to, I won’t be upset or offended 🙂

Thank you for tagging me blondebeauty13, click her link to read her tag!

-Carmen

Minnie and Mickey Mouse Costume DIY

October 21, 2014

Ha! This is probably the most ironic post I’ll ever write because I am probably the worst 20-something year old crafter, drawer, diy-er in the world. I seriously can’t be bothered by craft instructions, nor do I have the patience to sit for hours on end sewing or gluing piece by piece.

As for drawing? I have NO talent in that department whatsoever either. In Grade 9, our class was playing Pictionary and my poor classmate thought I drew a banana. Guess what it was? A SNOWMOBILE. So yes, I am extremely lacking in the arts and crafts department.

Which is WHY, as I was saying…that it is ironic that I’m writing this post. The boyfriend and I were Mickey and Minnie Mouse last year, and our costumes were made with things that you probably have lying at home.

I love dressing up for Halloween, but I’m a firm believer that your costume shouldn’t cost you a leg and arm (Halloween pun intended) and if you look around enough, you might just have parts of your costume collecting dust in your closet!

Also, please keep in mind that this is not going to be a step by step tutorial, but rather, just briefly showing you what we did, and hopefully inspire you if you’re planning on being Minnie or Mickey Mouse this Halloween.

Materials used:

Foam board, dollar store
Cheap cotton gloves, dollar store
Old Minnie Mouse head piece, thrift shop
Scissors, home
Hot glue gun, general store
Headband, dollar store
Paper (for Mickey mouse only)

We didn’t have a hot glue gun so we had to purchase one (figured it was worth the investment in the future anyways), but that was where the bulk of the money went for this costume.

In total, both headbands and materials cost under $20, considering that one of these in the Disney store cost $20 minimum, not bad!

For the Mickey Mouse ears (for the boyfriend), I found a template similar to this, which we then traced onto the black foam. The boyfriend then cut out the foam, positioned the cut outs where it looked appropriate (not too wide apart, but not too close either) and glued it together on the headband.

We got a bit of dried glue on the back of the ears, as you can see :(. Just to warn you though, the quality up close in real life won’t look that good. But we figured that for the price we paid, it was worth the sacrifice. Plus, the pictures are going to last longer, and the ears turned out pretty decent in photos!

I ended up finding an old children’s size Minnie Mouse set from the thrift store for $5. I simply snipped the ears and bows off, and glued it onto my headband. Perhaps you could find one lying around as well, or you can buy/make a red bow and then paint white dots!

Oh yeah, the headband set that we bought came in a set of dark blue and black, which is why mine is dark blue. But once I put it on, my dark hair blends in with it and you can’t tell that it’s blue.

For the gloves, we used the remaining pieces on the foam board and cut out the raindrop shapes and hot glue gunned it.

As for the clothes, due to my love of polka dots, I had this dress from H&M lying around from the summer time. I also had a pair of yellow flats which worked perfectly for this costume!

I had to go out and buy a cardigan, but it’s very versatile and doubles up as office appropriate attire.

For the boyfriend, he bought a pair of cheap red pants from the men’s section at Forever 21. He ended up cutting oval pieces from paper, which he then taped onto the pants. I remember that this didn’t turn out so well. From the 5 minute car ride, the tape wasn’t holding out so we had to stop at Shoppers to buy better quality packaging tape.

It would have been better to hot glue gun or sew white fabric on.

As for the makeup, I kept it relatively simple and placed a lot of emphasis on fake eyelashes and blush. Minnie has super long lashes, so I doubled up my falsies and placed them only on the outer corner of my eyes, to give it more of a cartoon effect.

I wanted to look extra girly and add more of a cartoon effect, so I put on a lot of blush. It’s hard to tell in those pictures though! Of course, I had to draw a button nose with eyeliner as the finishing touch.

As a bonus, I also got to wear my Halloween costume two months later to Disneyland!

I hope that this post was a bit helpful during the Halloween costume planning season! Half the fun is thinking of, and preparing the costume, am I right?

What are you going to dress up as for Halloween this year? Or, what have you dressed up as in the past?

Thanks for reading!

-Carmen

Amie Natural Skincare Products Review

September 27, 2014

I was approached from UK based Amie skincare line to review some of their skin loving beauty products! I was quite excited as they have just released their products into the Canadian beauty market last month, selling them exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart.

To give you a brief history behind this brand, Amie was founded by an ex-Estee Lauder executive, who created these products in hopes to help her daughter’s puberty-troubled skin. As a result, Amie products are made for consumers with sensitive skin, whether it is dry, oily, prone to breakouts, whatever. There are also no harsh or irritating ingredients in any of their products, and are made from an average of 95% natural ingredients. I also have “swatches” of each product at the end of this post so keep on reading!
My products arrived in this cute, plastic travel bag. Immediately, I fell in love with the cute and colourful packaging! I was also able to smell the lovely scents of the products after opening the bag. Judging from how good the products smelled when I didn’t even open them, I was quite excited to actually try them out.

I also ended up bringing the plastic bag on a weekend getaway, and kept the bag in the shower the whole time. I loved how it was waterproof and very durable. The smudge on the white part of the bag was from my foundation, which accidentally leaked on the roadtrip – not a packaging fault from the company!
I had recently finished my favourite matte seaweed moisturizer from The Body Shop, and was looking to either re-purchase it or try a new product. Perfect timing! This is Amie’s matte finish moisturizer ($12 Canadian), which claimed to control oiliness and shine, while softening and hydrating skin. Out of all the Amie products, I liked this one the most as it really did combat the oiliness in my face for over 10 hours and left my skin looking dewy! I didn’t have to dab the oil off my face at work. I suggest this product if you suffer from oily skin like moi.
This is Amie’s deep cleansing mask ($12 Canadian), which claimed to purify pores, and combat both oiliness and blemishes. I must warn you that this product burned my skin at initial contact, due to the strong peppermint in this. I was actually worried that I was having an allergic reaction to this product, but my face eventually calmed down after 5-7 minutes of applying this. Afterwards, my skin felt really cool and light (again, due to the peppermint probably), and really refreshed. I would recommend this if you want to brighten up your skin, if it looks a bit duller than usual.
Up next is the radiant dawn exfoliating daily wash ($10 Canadian), which claimed to deep clean pores and exfoliate skin, leaving a clear and radiant complexion behind. I really enjoyed the scent of this product, and it had a gel texture with tiny microbeads. It was very gentle on my skin, and for that reason I didn’t feel that it deep cleaned my pores. I loved the smell of this first thing in the morning, it felt really refreshing and really woke me up. Overall, a decent daily face wash but probably not suitable for deep cleaning pores.
The last product I received was the hydrating daily moisturizer ($12 Canadian). Since my skin is more oily, I preferred the matte finish moisturizer that I talked about above more, as this one did leave my skin feeling a bit more oily. I would recommend using this if you have a normal skin type, and just need a simple, everyday moisturizer.
As promised, here are some “swatches” of the product. I wanted to give you guys an idea of the texture and consistency of the products. The matte finish moisturizer had the thickest consistency. The deep cleansing mask had more of a paste-y texture to it, and was not as wet or easily spreadable. The exfoliating daily wash was very gel-like, with tiny, non abrasive micro beads in it. This one had an amazing smell 🙂 Lastly, the hydrating daily moisturizer was your standard moisturizing cream.

Pros:

Free from parabens, sulphates, mineral oils, animal extracts
Catered towards sensitive skin and works well with combating oily skin
Vegan and vegetarian friendly
Great, light smelling scent

Cons:

May be hard to find at Shoppers Drug Mart; I searched some of my local stores online and they did not carry it
Products are a lot cheaper in UK than Canada
Amie website is a bit confusing to use, some products are missing descriptions

All in all, I really enjoyed all the Amie products and don’t really have anything negative to say about them. They are all definitely affordable, and the packaging is so cute. For the amount of natural ingredients each product has in them, and how gentle it is on skin, Amie products are definitely worth a try!

Check them out at Amie skincare or Shoppers Drug Mart!

-Carmen

The products in this post were sent to me free of charge from Amie, and I was not paid to write this post. Everything in this post is my personal opinion and was not altered by the request of the company.