WEEK 5: The Mud Mask + Final Results! | Montagne Jeunesse Mask Off Roundup

Drumroll please..................My apologies for the delay. The grand finale of the Montagne Jeunesse Mask Off is here! First thing's first, here's how the lovely Canadian Beauty Bloggers felt about the Mud mask - I'll keep it short because I know you want to see the results ;) 

Comfort - 3.43/5

Cooling - refreshing. - Exquisitely Chic

the dead sea spa mud mask did not have folds on the mask to help fit over the face. it was sort of slimy and the minty feeling was too intense. - A Beautiful Zen (on the Dead Sea Mud Spa Mask)

Aroma - 3.58/5

It had a definite berry smell, which was pleasant. - Workday Ramblings (on the Superfruit Mud Mask)

It didn’t really smell like much, just a bit like the beach. But it wasn’t at all strong or overpowering, very subtle, which I liked. It wasn't unpleasant or anything, just not much there. - Ivory Avenue 

Results - 3.75/5

My skin felt very soft and the pores on my nose were noticeably smaller right after removal. - Workday Ramblings

For a mud mask, this was surprisingly gentle on my skin. It felt tight when it dried but it didn't create too much dryness on my skin afterwards. - Swatch and Review

Ease of Use - 3.63/5

Much cleaner than I thought a mud sheet mask would be. There was no mud all over the place. It all stuck the mask and stayed there when I pulled it out of the packaging. - Cosmetic Proof

Easy to apply, but takes a while to remove when using just water and hands. - Chantal's Corner

Price and Availability: $1.99 at Walmart, Value Drug Mart, Familiprix, Lawtons Drugs, and Farleyco.ca

The results are in. 

And the Oscar for _______ goes to... 

• Chocolate for Most Comfortable (4.47 out of 5)
• Chocolate for Best Smelling (4.93 out of 5)
• Scrub for Best Results (4 out of 5)
• Mud for Easiest to Use (3.69 out of 5)
• Scrub for Fan Favourite. The Scrub gets an honourable mention as it was the most loved, despite losing to Chocolate by less than .5 of a point! 

In summary, below are the final scores! 

1. Chocolate - 15.6
2. Scrub - 15.13
3. Mud Oil - 14.08
4. Mud - 14.38
5. Peel Off - 13.86

What's your favourite kind of mask?

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Revisiting the Revlon Shadowlinks in Greige, Taupe, Eggplant & Java

Back in Fall 2013, the Revlon Shadowlinks were released. I reviewed the colours Cobalt and Lemon (see my initial thoughts here). Through the Revlon Selects program, I received 4 more shades to test out. The Revlon Shadowlinks in Greige, Taupe, Eggplant, and Java landed on my desk and I thought I'd see if my feelings towards these shadows have changed. 

For one, the packaging is cool. The product comes individually (~$3.99 each), you choose the colours you want, then, you can click them together to create a customized palette. The shadows come in 3 different finishes - pearl (shimmer), satin (slight shimmery sheen), and matte (no shimmer). 

Greige is a grey-beige taupe (matte), Taupe is a... you guessed it...taupe (satin), Eggplant is a deep amethyst purple (satin), and Java is a deep, warm brown (pearl). I chose colours that I typically gravitate towards - simple neutrals and darker pops of colour. 

The texture of the shadows is neither rock hard nor buttery smooth. While I like the colours in the pan and when heavily swatched (left), the product is sheer and not easily buildable on the eyelids and when blended (right). The shadows aren't terrible, but you'll need to pack the product on top of a good primer in order to get colour payoff true to the pan. 

On one hand, you can easily customize your own palette with tons of brights and neutrals in a variety of finishes. On the other, the product doesn't deliver in terms of pigmentation. 

Would you sacrifice quality for variety? Or variety for quality? 

I received these items as a member of Revlon Selects. Opinions are my own.

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Mamonde Real Skin Founder in 02 Natural Beige

Most foundations I've tried and enjoyed previously fall along the lines of (1) sheer, lightweight BB cream or (2) super flawless matte foundation. The Mamonde Real Skin Founder in 02 Natural Beige ($27.99 on ibuybeauti.com) is somewhere in between the two. Apparently this product is all the rage in Korea, so I thought it might be nice to see what the hype is about. 

So, what the heck is a "skin founder"? Well, here's a little word math for you... Foundation + Powder = Founder... and the Mamond Real Skin Founder is born! The thin coverage of a foundation, and the lasting power of powder. According to Mamonde the Real Skin Founder contains Edelweiss, gold and pearl extracts for a soft, glowy radiance. 

The product comes in a large, bulky yet sleek-looking, refillable compact similar to the likes of the Face Shop Screen Cell Cushion. It also comes with a sponge-puff for easy application. The only difference between the two is that the Skin Founder is not a cushion foundation. Instead, it's more along the lines of a compact cream. 

The Mamonde Real Skin Founder is available in 2 shades - 01 Light Beige (for NC15 to NC25) and 02 Natural Beige (for NC25 to NC35). Unfortunately, 02 Natural Beige is the correct undertone but appears to be slightly light. This foundation shade is much better suited for me in the winter. 

There's a light "skincare" scent to the product, which is only noticeable during application. From there, it's scent-free and hasn't broken me out thus far. 

In terms of results, I'll start off by saying this stuff makes my skin look like I woke up flawless. It makes my skin look near-perfect and naturally so. It's medium and buildable to full coverage with a very slight radiant finish. The lightweight creamy texture is very easy to apply, as it smooths over the dry patches on my nose but at the same time, it doesn't appear to be overly dewy or wet. 

The only gripe I have of this product is that it doesn't wear away gracefully. After 6 hours, the foundation breaks up and begins to look patchy on my nose and forehead. It's not what I expected considering the beautiful, radiant finish that it gives my skin immediately after application. I guess I'm just super oily. 

Overall, the Mamonde Real Skin Founder is very unique in texture and formulation, definitely the kind of product I haven't seen this from other brands. My only wish is that it would stick around for just a few hours longer on my skin. Though this one isn't for me, I can see why there's so much hype around the product. I'm sure it will make someone with dry or normal skin very happy! 

Would you try the Mamonde Real Skin Founder? 

This post was originally written for beautifan.com. Press samples featured. 

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FOOD: Organics Live Grocery Delivery in Kitchener-Waterloo

Think of your favourite beauty subscription, increase the box size by tenfold, switch out the makeup and skincare for fruits and vegetables and what do you get? The Organics Live Grocery Delivery Service (and a blog post full of fruit and veg photos). 

This summer, I'm testing the waters by trying out a grocery delivery service. Getting a box of unknown produce is my way of being adventurous and cooking with new ingredients! I'm not picky, so I like surprises. 

There are a plethora of options - boxes for 1-2 or 3-5, fruits only, fruits and veggies, biweekly or weekly. I ordered the Small Box (for 1-2 people) bi-weekly for $37. You can opt out of the program the Sunday before delivery day of the week (Tuesday for KW). 

Organics Live also delivers to Guelph, Cambridge, and Toronto. You can sign up using the code FRIENDLY for 50% off here. 

The items in the box are totally random. The only certainty is that you have the option of opting out of 5 items and they will replace it with a similar item of equal value. I didn't want apples (I'm mildly allergic to them if they're not in a pie), kiwi, rhubarb, coconut, plums and turmeric... One of the items must have been apples this week but there was a little note in the box explaining that I received extra grapefruit instead. 

In the box: 

• Carrots x 8
• Eggplant x 1
• Cabbage x 2
• Beets x 4
• Red chard x a lot
• Green onions x a lot
• Pears x 2
• Mangoes x 2
• Grapefruit x 5

I already roasted these gorgeous carrots with a little paprika and garlic powder. I snipped off the tops and saved them for later. I'm going to try my hand at cooking with them for the first time! 

To be roasted! 

To be roasted, as well! Apparently the leaves taste like kale, I'll be testing out that theory! 

The Good: Produce was neatly packaged in a large cardboard box. The fruit and veg seemed to be of high quality (no damages or bruising). Customer service is excellent - as soon as I signed up, I was given a short call to confirm my subscription and delivery date. The variety of items was pretty great and nothing that I didn't want. The apples were appropriately substituted with another fruit. 

The Bad: Majority of the produce was not local or Canadian, as indicated by the tags. I'd prefer to support local growers through this kind of thing, rather than receiving more exotic items like grapefruits and mangos from Mexico or the US. Also, $37 is more than what I'd pay for groceries during a regular week ($30 including veg, fruit, and meat) but I also receive more than I'd consume in one week. I understand that with this service I'm getting delivery + organic produce, which justifies the price for me. 

Overall, the convenience of grocery delivery is very appealing to me as a student. Additionally, the surprise produce helps me to step outside of my cooking comfort zone. I'm interested to see how my next box (in two weeks) will differ from this one. 

If you're interested, feel free to use my referral link to try it out here! with the code FRIENDLY for 50% off your first box. :) 

Do you eat organic? Would you try something like this? 

This post includes referral links. 

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Piet Mondrian Nail Art with a Twist

Piet Mondrian was a Dutch painter best known for his minimalist paintings consisting of perpendicular black lines coloured in with yellow, blue and red. I didn't have a primary blue cream polish, so I improvised. With glitter. What sensible person wouldn't? 

 

I started off with two coats of a white polish. Then, I drew horizontal and vertical perpendicular lines without any particular rhyme or reason.  Next, I filled in a few of the boxes with a red or yellow cream polish or the blue glitter. The glitter was a bit messy to work with (as per usual) so I attempted to cover any blue glitters that went outside the lines with black nail art pen.  Lastly, I finished everything off with a fast drying top coat. 

A little word of warning, the Sally Hansen Nail Art Striper was not as thin as I expected it to be and I found the polish wasn't entirely opaque. I found that the trick to making the striper  thinner lines was to apply less pressure onto the brush. 

Products Used: 

• CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Lacquer in "Ever Reddy"*
• Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in "Porcelain Party"
• Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Striper in "Yellow" and "Black"*
• Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Pen in "Black - round"* 
• Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Glitter*
• Sally Hansen In Heart Nail Art Big Shiny Top Coat*

Overall, I enjoy the simplicity of Piet Mondrian's compositions. However, it didn't translate quite so simply onto my nails, but having a work of art on my fingertips makes me feel all artsy fartsy inside.

Press samples featured

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Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream in Fair to Medium

I don't think I'm sure what BB is supposed to be anymore. "BB" stands for beauty balm (I think...), which could mean a plethora of things. In the case of the Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream in Fair to Medium ($37), it's Instant Beautifying Moisturizer (in other words, skincare's fancy lingo for "tinted moisturizer"). Despite my confusion, I have come to enjoy this product. It feels weird to say so because lately I've been preaching the matte look - intense coverage with no glow in sight... but warmer weather is here and I'd rather not sweat my face off under a pancake layer of foundation. Instead, I find myself reaching for skincare/makeup hybrid products like this one. 

The Pure Thermal Planktons make a comeback in this product and like the others in the Aquasource line, the BB cream is similarly hydrating, lightweight, and illuminance-boosting. Not different from other BB's far and wide, Biotherm's has 7 claims: 

1. Hydrates up to 5 layers of the epidermis 
2. Evens 
3. Illuminates 
4. Corrects 
5. Smoothes 
6. Protects (SPF 15)
7. Perfects

Believe it or not - in one way or another, the Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream delivers on every single one of these fronts to some degree. The product is very hydrating and adds a"lit-from-within" kind of radiance. It's dewy but in such a subdued way that I don't mind. As for the coverage, it's very light but smooths over acne scars and the redness on my nose without concealing it all together. My under eyes could use a bit more coverage but after that, I'm confident about wearing this product on its own. 

There are two shade ranges - Fair to Medium and Medium to Gold. The colour match of "Fair to Medium" is not important because the BB cream is so sheer that it doesn't really matter. As far as I can tell, it's a good fit. 

There are no oil-control or long-wearing claims because this isn't that kind of product. However, those two are my biggest concerns when it comes to base products so they should be discussed. By the 3rd or 4th hour, my T-zone definitely needs a little pressed powder or blotting sheets. The correcting and perfecting qualities last, at most, 5 hours, but it wears away well without weird separating or dry patches.

Obviously, this product would be better suited for someone with normal or dry skin and minor imperfections, but it's workable, even for those with oilier skin. 

Overall, I'd say that this product is 60% skincare and 40% . With a little blending, the BB cream almost immediately disappears into the skin like a moisturizer for a fresh no-makeup-makeup look. If you're looking for something with a bit of coverage and lots of hydration and skincare benefits, give the Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream a shot.

Also, if you're interested in how I match this BB cream with other products for a fresh-faced look, check out my post on the Fashion Magazine Beauty Panel. 

Do you prefer light or heavy coverage foundations in the Spring? 

Press samples feautured

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Etude House My Jelly Lips Talk in Plum JOR203

Lately, I've been loving orange. In particular, sheer orange. With today's array of lipstick, balm, and gloss combinations and options, the Etude House Sweet Recipe My Jelly Lips Talk in Plum JOR203 ($13.99 on ibuybeauty.com) is just another fish in the sea of sheer lipsticks.

Perhaps the difference between this and others is the classic and cute Etude house packaging, along with the strange jelly formula that glides over your lips with ease. Despite the name sounding lost in translation, the name "My Jelly Lips" is pretty darn accurate. The texture of the lippie is weirdly jelly-like. It's not as thick balm nor is it like a creamy lipstick. It's more slippery and slick but not wet like a gloss either and it's extremely comfortable on the lips. Furthermore, not surprisingly, the sheer texture results in a lack of staying power. 

For some reason, this product appears ridiculously bright and intimidating in the tube but translates to something much sheerer when worn on the lips. It's a pop of colour without being ostentatious about it. The name of the colour was also totally lost in translation. JOR203 is also known as "plum". Dearest Etude House, plums are not orange, so I'm a bit confused. Other colours in the line include Lychee (JPK001), Strawberry (JPK002), Orange (JOR201), Mango (JOR202), Lemon (JBE101), Cotton Pink (JPK003), and Grapefruit (JPK004). 

Ignoring my dislike for the colour name and product name, the Etude House My Jelly Lips Talk in JOR203 is a fabulous product. It's not better or worse than my other sheer lippies but it gets the job done in a colour that I love. 

Have you tried the Etude House My Jelly Lips Talk? 

Press samples featured. Originally posted on http://www.beautifan.com/

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