Best in Beauty 2014 - Hair, Skin, Bath & Body

2014 wasn't just about wearing a ton of makeup, so here's some of my nail, skin, body, and hair favourites. Also, if you haven't already, be sure to check out my 2014 makeup favourites here.

NAILS

< base coat > I've been using Essie First Base ($8.50, review pending) for every manicure for about a year. It's still going strong and non-gloopy. My nails aren't particularly strong or brittle but at least they're not yellow!

< polish > The Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polish in Soul Session* ($5.95) is the perfect pink nude for my colouring. It kind of sucks on it's own lasting 2 days or less (despite the "up to 10 days" claim) but stays for at least a week with the addition of the...

< top coat > Revlon Gel Envy Top Coat* ($8.39). I know this is meant to be used alongside other Revlon Gel Envy polishes but it actually prolongs the wear of all of my polishes in general. Miracle top coat right here.

SKIN

< cleanser > - the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil* ($44-93, review pending...) removes waterpoof mascara, full-coverage foundations, and everything in between with a couple pumps. I double cleanse with another face wash for good measure, but this is the star of the show when it comes to nighttime cleansing.

< makeup remover > - I'm on my second bottle of the Annabelle Eye Makeup Remover Lotion ($9.95), if that says anything about it. When I'm lazy but my makeup wipes can't take off waterproof eye makeup, a couple pumps of this one does the trick. Plus, it's non-stinging, non-drying, and oil-free. Huraahhh!

< mask > - After the whole CBB Mask-off, the Montagne Jeunesse Hot Chocolate Self Heating Mask* ($2) was my favourite. It's perfect for a cold winter night paired with a cup of hot chocolate. It's like warm chocolate on your face and hot chocolate to warm up your body. Double whammy. Since it's no longer in my stash (I need to pick up some more), there's a photo of my second favourite - the My Beauty Diary Brightening Pearl Mask ($1, review pending) 

BODY

< body moisturizer > - The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Body Butter ($20)... uhhh the scent, so delicious. There's nothing quite like the aroma of fuzzy peaches in a body butter. It's supposed to be "special-edition" but I think the body butter lords for not discontinuing it quite yet.  Not pictured because it's an empty, but I've popped in what I'm currently using (Glazed Apple)

< body scrub > - Second to peach scents are anything sweet and citrus-y. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub* ($20) is on point when it comes to citrus + brown sugar and does the scrub-a-dub-dub job like a charm. Not pictured because it's an empty!

< perfume > - I can't describe scents for the life of me but I've been really loving a sample of carven Le Parfum ($115 for full size). It's fresh and clean and a little sweet. For reference, here's the Sephora blurb: A burst of spontaneity and gracefulness are carried by neroli, mandarin blossom, and the delicacy of white hyacinth. This lighthearted floral bouquet is built around a hint of jasmine and ylang ylang, and touched by a whiff of sweet pea. White sandalwood and a precious wood harmony create lingering impression of rare purity. Can't say I can afford it at the present time at $90 a bottle but when I'm rich and famous I'll be bathing in it.  Not pictured because it's an empty!

HAIR

< shampoo/conditioner > - My hair was blessed during the four months I used the Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner* ($25 each). Featuring a rich lather resulting in sleek, shiny but not oily locks of luscious hair, I'm kind of sad I've moved on to less expensive (under $25) haircare products for the time being.  Not pictured because it's an empty!

And that concludes my favourites of 2014 :)

What were your fave hair/skin/bath/body products of 2014? 

Press samples and purchased products featured. Press samples denoted with an asterisk (*). 

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Best in Beauty 2014 - Makeup

A large collection of makeup and nail favourites for the last year is here! Favourites means products that I've tried, I've loved, I will continue to use into the next year, and once finished, I would repurchase (even with an overwhelmingly high price tag). Today, my favourite makeup products of 2014. Tomorrow, everything else!

< blush > Over 2014, I had a slight obsession with dual-purpose lip/cheek products. They're fast finger products that make getting ready in a rush easy. The slightly oily texture of the Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Cream in Endless Guava ($23) provides a sheer pink-red moisturized and dewy tint to both the lips and cheeks. The Shu Uemura Tint in Gelatos weighed in at a close second but it's on-the-lips performance is not nearly as great as Josie's.

< bronzer > I've already dubbed the New York Color Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny ($2.99) as my holy grail bronzer. There's no need to spend more than a few coins on a good bronzing powder.

< eyeliner > I emptied out the Shu Uemura Lasting Gel Eye Pencil in Black Brown* ($36, reviewed in other colours here) in 7 months after using it almost daily. Although I haven't reviewed it yet (because it's already gone), this one's on my to-repurchase list for a long-wearing natural upper lash liner.

< eyeshadow > The new formula of the Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow in I-514* ($25) kind of sort of amazed me. The cool toned brown with gold shimmer is my go-to for an all-over-the-lid shade. It was also my most read post of 2014.

< foundation > My first mid-priced foundation purchase of the Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + ($42) was well worth it. Though it's a little heavy to wear all the time, the impressively medium-buildable, matte-but-not-flat, long-wearing coverage is perfect for bad-skin days, special events, and photoshoots.

< highlighter > I'm still getting through the mini birthday sample of Benefit Watt's Up ($36, review pending) from 2013. The champagne-gold cream highlight worked well with my colouring, especially during the summer. You'll find it in a couple of my beauty looks and hopefully there will be a full review in the near future!

< lip balm > The EOS Visibly Smooth Lip Balm in Coconut Milk* ($3.99) has a permanent place in my school backpack. One - it's moisturizing without leaving a lot of residue. Two - it smells amazing but not overpoweringly so.

< lip gloss > I recently finished up the Almay Liquid Lip Balm in Just Plum* (~$6) and I'm on to a new tube of Cantaloupe. I always get compliments when I wear Just Plum. It's lightweight, slightly sheer but adds enough colour to look like you're actually wearing something. Not to mention, the gloss smooths over the lips, hiding all of my lip lines and dryness.

< mascara > I must have gone through at least 3 tubes of the CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara* ($8.99), since I've been following the three-months-then-toss-it rule. Even through my reviewing of much more pricey mascaras, the Clump Crusher has done my lashes good. It's everything I ever needed - no-smudge, non-clumpy volume, non-flaky, and all-day wear.

< tool> With the introduction of a sponge in my foundation routine, the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge* ($9.99) has been a game changer. Damp sponge foundation application provides no-cake, flawless coverage. The sponge is semi-damaged after 8 months, so I'm in the process of testing the famed arm-and-a-leg priced sponge dubbed *beauty blender*. 

After going through my big bad product directory, I'll have you know that I mentioned or reviewed ____ makeup items in 2014. It's kind of nostalgic, going back and sorting through all of this year's posts. Looking forward to what the beauty world has to offer in 2015!

Have you tried any of these products? What makeup items were you loving in 2014? 

Press samples and purchased products featured. Press samples denoted with an asterisk (*). 

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Empties #9 [End of Year]

Holy cow. It's been 4 months since my last empties post. I've been at school and using up a lot of things, beauty inclusive, so here's a big bad load of [67!!!] products I've finished and a few I'm tossing. 

I've got a new rating scale by recommendation from Ling of The Cosmetic Critic. 

(>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ // worthy of dance party (repurchase)   

^u^ ^u^  // pretty great (maybe repurchase) 

-_- // indifference (will not repurchase) 

I reviewed the Tresemme Keratin Smooth System Shampoo and Conditioner* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ back in July (loved it!) and finally finished up both the full-size bottles. I've got some samples kicking around in my stash. The Fekkai Full Blown Volume* -_-is a lightweight foam that smells delightfully of mangoes, but it didn't do much in terms of conditioning. The Vidal Sassoon Hydra Block Color Preserving Conditioner -_-came with the dye that I used to make my hair purple, just your typical conditioner that comes with box dye, so-so. I really enjoyed using the Dove Oxygen Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner ^u^ ^u^- fairly moisturizing but not overly weighty and made my hair feel nice and clean. 

 If I could afford all and any haircare, I'd probably pick something along the lines of John Masters Organics (available at the Cure Apothecary). The Spearmint and Meadowsweet Scalp Simulating Shampoo* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^is quite clarifying, great for removing dry shampoo buildup, and the Citrus & Neroli Detangler*(>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ smells like perfection and works quite well as either a leave-in or wash-out conditioner. The John Frieda Luminous Volume Shampoo and Conditioner and Full Repair Shampoo, Conditioner, and Replenishing Oil Elixir -_- were all so-so, nothing noteworthy. I'm pretty into the Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser ^u^ ^u^but I find it a little too hydrating for my hair at the present time. I also finished up a set of the Keratin Smooth. 

Lush D'fluff* ^u^ ^u^is an oddly fluffy shaving cream that smells like strawberries, LOVE! The Eco-tools Loofah* ^u^ ^u^worked like any other. I must have taken quite a few baths in the past 4 months because I finished the HUGE bottle that is the Baylis and Harding Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit Restful Bath Foam* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^. It creates big bubbles with a scent that lasts the entirety of my 20-minute bath. The scent is quite light, so I like to mix it with a citrusy bath bomb. The F. Miller Body Oil* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ (available at the Cure Apothecary) was a surprise favourite of mine. It's jam packed with a ton of good-for-you oils and sinks into the skin immediately, without leaving a greasy finish. 

I fell in love with the length that the Shu Uemura Petal Lash Mascara* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ gave my tiny little Asian lashes, plus it's the most pleasant smelling mascara ever! The Shu Uemura Lasting Gel Pencil in Black Brown* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^was also a winner... long-lasting (like the name says) and a fairly fine tip for close-to-the-lashline-liner. Without a doubt, the CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ is my holy grail. I really liked the staying power and pigmentation of the Lancome Artliners ^u^ ^u^ but the packaging went wonky and wouldn't close properly, making the product gloopy... so I'm letting them go. 

I'm so proud of myself for finishing both the Almay Liquid Lip Balm in Just Plum* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ and the Buxom Lip Polish in Dolly (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^. I rotated the two into my daily routine. They're both ultra moisturizing and smooth over dry patches and lip lines while adding a touch of colour. I've been saving the tiniest bit of the Marcelle Hydra-C Foundation (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^for a rainy day, since it's discontinued. I really enjoyed it - perfect colour match, medium coverage, and long lasting. I finally got through the The Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^. A little goes a very, very, very long way, it works like a charm to set under eye concealer and makes skin feel soooo smooth. 

The cap of the Marcelle Eyebrow Pen* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^fell off and got lost before I could review it fully. As for first impressions, the "universal dark" was actually cool-toned enough to match my jet black brows and added colour to sparse areas without looking fake. I used up the Annabelle Eye Ink* ^u^ ^u^ to the very last drop as an everyday liner but I couldn't wait to throw out the NYC High Definition Liner* -_-, as I found it to be a total fail. Also, I'm saying goodbye to the NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Cottage Cheese ^u^ ^u^, as it's super old (2 or 3 years) and I was mostly keeping it around for nostalgia's sake. 

The Body Shop Nutriganics Softening and Cleansing Gel* -_-worked well to remove face makeup but it stung my eyes like crazy (even though I tried as hard as I could to keep it away from my eye area). Both the Cetaphil Cleanser -_- and the Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser -_-were too gentle to fully cleanse my face. The Annabelle Eye Make Up Remover Lotion  (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^  has to be my favourite eye makeup remover I've tried thus far. Plus, it comes in a pump bottle! The Clinique All About Eyes Serum* didn't do much for my undereye area other than the short- lived cooling sensation from rubbing the rollerball under my eyes. The Kaia 24H Booster Serum ^u^ ^u^ was a super-fast absorbing oil-serum but it started smelling weird when I had a teeny bit left. I found the Pelle Beauty Stellar ^u^ ^u^ to be very multifunctional (and effective!) in my hair and on my face and body. The scent is a little strong for my liking but Stellar provided stellar hydration. I applied the Chantecaille Lily and Jasmine Hydrating Mask (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ to my irritated, itchy skin in the evening and woke up with soft, luminous and plump looking skin in the morning. Given the price, it was the miracle worker I had expected it to be and would totally pick up a barrel of the stuff if it was 95% off. 

I wasn't a fan of the Up and Up (Target) Cotton Rounds -_- or the Walmart Cotton Rounds -_-. They fell apart pretty quickly. The My Beauty Diary Pearl Powder Mask (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^has been one of my favourites for brightening/whitening the skin. I didn't find the Borntree Tea Tree Black Head Nose Pack*  -_- to do anything for my nose, other than feel slightly slimy yet moisturized. 

I love snacks. The Brookside Chocolate Acai with Blueberries, Coffe Crisp, Pretz, Ice Breakers Duos and Frost are all worth the repurchase. (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^

I also finished up a box of mango slices and President's Choice Decadent Chocolate Chunk Cookies (YUM). (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^

I'm tossing some expired contact lens solution (I seldom wear contacts), some JVC Gummy Headphones that are dead in one ear, two broken hair bands both from Goody and two no-name pens that are dried out. 

Yeah... my fingers are out of breath from all of those empties. I also threw out a bunch of expired makeup that I'm too lazy to write about, so there's that decluttering that happened. 

What have you finished up this year? 

This post contains press samples and purchases. Press samples are denoted with an asterisk (*). 

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Amie Bright Eyes Very Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

Amie is a natural skincare line from the UK that recently launched at Shopper's Drug Mart. I reviewed several of their skincare products here and found the products to be mild and mediocre, with few results. If anything, what I look for in a make up remover is to be mild, so the Amie Bright Eyes Very Gentle Eye Make Up Remover seemed like a good pick. 

Amie Bright Eyes is oil-free and contains 98.9% natural ingredients including cornflower and chamomile to hydrate, soothe, and refresh. It has no "water-proof removal" claims but says that it removes all traces of eye makeup which I presume to include waterproof makeup, too. 

I couldn't find the Canadian Dollar price of the Amie Bright Eyes, but on the website it says that it's £4.95 (likely $7-10 here in Canada), which is comparable to other drugstore eye makeup removers (Almay, Maybelline, Neutrogena). 

I tested the Amie Bright Eyes Very Gentle Eye Makeup Remover on some of the my most long-wearing beauty products including the CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipstick in Hot Passion, Make Up For Ever Aquamatic in ME-50, Make Up For Ever Artist Liner in M-80, Shu Uemura Drawing Pencil in Brown, and Kat Von D Immortal Lash Mascara. 

The first three swipes were a bit unimpressive. Most of the mascara and the MUFE eyeliner were removed but most of the lipstick, Shu liner and MUFE Aquamatic remained clinging to my arm. 

After three more passes, remnants of the MUFE Aquamatic, Shu Liner, and lipstick lingered on my arm. Also a few noteworthy things, the remover has a pleasant light baby powder scent and doesn't leave a greasy residue and, more importantly, the formula feels refreshing and agrees with my sensitive eyes.

All in all, the Amie Bright Eyes Very Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is, in fact, very gentle. Perhaps, gentle to a fault...it doesn't remove extremely waterproof products. However, I've tested it on days where I've worn a light dusting of eyeshadow, pencil liner, and mascara and the Amie Bright Eyes seems to remove everything. This eye makeup remover isn't for those who wear heavy eye makeup, but if you wear a little this and a little that and have sensitive eyes, this one's perfect for you. 

What's your favourite gentle eye makeup remover? 

Press samples featured

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Rimmel Wonder'Lash Mascara with Argan Oil

New from Rimmel is the Rimmel Wonder'Lash Mascara with Argan Oil ($8.49 CAD). It's yet another mascara that claims to leave lashes feeling conditioned, soft and supple (re: CoverGirl Full Lash Bloom Mascara), which gives me the feeling that conditioning mascaras are the next "thing" in beauty. 

The Rimmel Wonder'Lash Mascara with Argan Oil is available in three variations - Black, Extreme Black, and Waterproof. The mascara is housed in a shiny brass tube, of which is probably the most luxurious drugstore mascara packaging I've come across. Think, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette packaging (fingerprints included). 

The brush is a large, flexible plastic wand with tons of tiny bristles. While the large brush is great for grabbing on to every lash, I always end up getting mascara on my eyelid and the wand is way too clunky for my bottom lashes. 

After playing around with the Rimmel Wonder'Lash Mascara with Argan Oil, I'm liking it a lot! The performance is pretty great AND my lashes do feel soft during and after use. The Rimmel Wonder'Lash is everything I look for in a mascara with the wonderful addition of soft, flexible, non-crispy lashes. 

Does it lengthen? Slightly. Does it volumize? Yes. Does it clump? After 3 coats. Does it smudge? Slightly, after 8 hours or a nap. Does it droop? No. 

Have you tried the Rimmel Wonder'Lash Mascara with Argan Oil? 

Press sample featured

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What I Got For Christmas 2014

Hope you had (or are having) a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! I actually received all of my gifts prior to Christmas Day, so I was able to prep this post before all the hustle and bustle of Christmas and Boxing Day. A few Secret Santa's, as well as a couple gifts to myself made for a very merry Christmas. In addition to these goodies, I also received the monies from family and lots of love from friends :) 

This year, I participated in three Secret Santa's. For a $10 limit with a school club, I wished for and received the Shisedo cotton pads (because useable gifts are the best gifts!). For another school club with a limit of $30, I got a book that I've been meaning to read - Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami with an adorable little bookmark. Finally, for the Canadian Beauty Bloggers Network $30 Secret Santa, from the lovely Courtney of La Belle Sirene Blog, I got the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - After Dark Stained Gloss Test Tube Set, which I'm beyond excited to try. 

  

Holiday sales mean that I'm obliged to treat myself a little. From the Sephora Black Friday sale, I picked up the Bite Beauty Lush Lip Trio which includes the Bite Beauty Lip Lush Lip Glosses in Rambutan, Currant, and Strawberry. Since online orders require purchases of $75+, I caved and finally purchased the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, which has been sitting in my Sephora cart since it was released. I justified it with the need for free shipping and by telling myself that if I use the palette every day for a year, it'll be totally worth it. 

Then, Sephora sent me a $15 off $50 coupon for being aweseome (being a Beauty Insider), and with that I stopped in-store for the Boscia Makeup Breakup Cleansing Oil and also repurchased the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder Foundation, this time in Natural Beige, a perfect colour match . 

With my online order, I received a load of 12 samples including the Benefit Stay Flawless 15-hour primer, Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil, Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Face Polish, Cover FX Calming Primer, Nude Perfect Cleanse Omega Cleansing Jelly, Jurlique Purely Bright Radiance Serum, Lancome Advanced Genifique, Laura Mercier Foundation Primer, Radical Skincare Skin Perfecting Screen, GlamGlow Dualmud Power Cleanse Treatment, and Living Proof Satin Hair Serum. 

On Christmas Eve, my grandparents brought over gifts that my aunt sent in from NYC - a box of books. The book for me was Sweet & Vicious: Baking with Attitude by Libbie Summers. Can't wait to try out some of the recipes. From my uncle, a gold camera necklace that doubles as an ACTUAL film camera. It's the Diana Baby 110 Gold, which comes with a 24mm and 12mm lens. I purchased some 110 film, which was quite the $$ to acquire, but I can't wait to test it out! 

Thanks to my wonderful family, all my Secret Santa's and Sephora for making my spend my university meal money on makeup. Want to see a review of something? Let me know! 

No press samples here, just purchases and gifts. 

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Memebox Special #45 Chocolate Mania

A box chock-full of chocolate-scented products? Genius. So good, I want to eat everything inside. This is perfection for the chocolate lover. You're likely already familiar with Memebox - individually-priced and carefully themed Korean beauty boxes. The Memebox Special #45 Chocolate Mania retails for $23 USD + shipping, which is a ridiculously good deal considering that the total value of 8 full-size products in the box is $88. 

Zamian Super Gold Cacao Pack, Shara Shara Tempting Avocado Chocolate Massage Cream, Neogen Code9 Gold Cacao Cream, Missha Cacao & Cream Facial Scrub, Skinfood Cacao Hand BAlm, dearberry Miss Mona Lisa Eyebrow

Above is preview swatches of the products...by the looks of it, products range from dark chocolate to white chocolate...I'm going to gloss over my evaluation of the scent because EVERYTHING smells like chocolate and it's pretty great. Let's see what's inside: 

1. Zamian Super Gold Cacao Pack ($22) 

Pamper your skin with Super Gold Cacao Pack infused with a blend of 99.9% gold and cacao powders – a beauty formula widely loved by Kings and Queens for its highly effective skin smoothening, firming, and nourishing results. 

Looks like a dark shade of ... poop, quite unappetizing but it's the most chocolate-y smelling of the entire box. I have yet to experience the firming effects of this product, but a first impression use of this 10-20 minute mask product left my skin feeling smooth and nourished. 

2. Missha Cacao & Cream Facial Scrub ($12) 

A soft, cream-type facial scrub formulated with real cacao extracts to gently peel away any dead skin cells, blackheads, and whiteheads clogging up pores while maintaining skin’s moisture level well-balanced. Plus, who doesn’t want to try a scrub resembling cookie & cream!

Missha is a familiar sounding, trusty Asian brand! This looks exactly like melted Hershey's cookies and cream chocolate.  The cacao pieces aren't too large or rough but it but the entirely physical exfoliator removes dead skin with ease. I'll be adding this into my regular exfoliating rotation. 

3. Neogen Code9 Gold Cacao Cream ($30) 

An intensively moisturizing and nourishing facial butter cream specifically formulated to target those with super dry, sensitive skin suffering from severe dehydration and rough, cracking skin texture in the winter times. Its key ingredients – gold, cacao seed butter, mango seed butter, shea butter, and olive oil – are all naturally derived and thus gentle enough to be used by all skin types. 

A lighter scented chocolate product, the Neogen Code9 Gold Cacao Cream is most definitely on the moisturizing side of things. It's fairly lightweight, given that it's targeted towards those with drier skin. It sinks in quickly and leaves skin feeling soft. The one thing that bothers me to no end is that the gold ingredient in the cream translates to visible gold glitter. Which is my absolute favourite thing to have on  my face ... not. 

4. Shara Shara Tempting Avocado Chocolate Massage Cream ($11) 

Replenish and rejuvenate skin with richly nutritious blend of avocado oil, cacao extracts, and banana extracts. Shara Shara Tempting Avocado Chocolate Massage Cream will deeply nourish, firm up, and smooth out rough, sagging skin, bringing back a healthy glow to your complexion. 

At first, I thought this to be a body cream, but it's actually a wash-off face product. To use it, you apply the cream on your face and massage for 5 minutes. I find that self-massaging for 5 minutes is a bit tedious but the results are worth it, because who doesn't want supple skin. The moisturizing effect isn't optimal for my very oily skin, but this will come in handy in the deep of winter. 

5. Skinfood Cacao Hand Balm ($5) 

The Cocoa butter complex delivers deep moisture & nutrition care to dry, rough-textured hands. 

A brand that I'm mildly familiar with, this is probably the product is the box that I will get the most use out of. Cold winters call for high-performance hand creams, and I'm quite happy with this one. The texture is different from other hand cream/balm products I've tried. It's slightly bouncy and not as sticky as a hand cream which is nice because it absorbs quickly into the skin without leaving an oily residue. 

6. Binucook Cacao Choco Pie Soap ($6) 

Scented with a delicious chocolaty goodness, Binucook’s hand-made Cacao Choco Pie Soap looks and smells of real choco pie (a popular chocolate snack in Korea) and works to deep cleanse as well as maintain skin’s moisture/oil balance. 

This guy looks EXACTLY like a chocolate dessert. But beware, it's actually SOAP! No special feelings towards this particular soap, though it does smell delish! 

7. Purederm Choco Cacao Collagen Mask ($2) 

A facial pulp mask made from high concentrates of cacao and collagen extracts. It’s gentle on skin, delivers an instant moisture surge and works to improve skin elasticity for a healthier complexion overall. 

I used this moisturizing mask after exfoliating with the Missha Cacao & Cream mask. The Purederm Collagen Mask has a light choco scent. The sheet is quite thin and not overly wet or dripping with serum. The mask fit my face well, as there were slits on the sides to wrap around the edges of the face. The result were good but not particularly unique or spectacular - moisturized, non-sticky skin. It seems like Purederm is actually available at Walmart (in Canada). So realistically, this mask is quite accessible for me! 

8. dearberry Miss Mona Lisa Eyebrow 01 Choco Brownie

Frame, structure, and stylize eyebrows with this easy-to-use auto-pencil. It features a colored tip to trace the eyebrows and fill in sparse areas. The formula features a beautiful no-smudge finish, and long-lasting hold. The result? Perfectly groomed brows and completely enhanced eyes.  

Upon opening this eyebrow pencil, a half of the pencil broke off. I applied it to my brows as directed and the colour was way too warm (my hair is jet black) and washed it off immediately. I put it away for a few days and picked it up again to test the longevity. Unfortunately, the rest of the pencil fell out and all I'm left with now is a spoolie. 

I'm a tad overwhelmed by all the chocolate stuff. This is a delightfully scented box (nearly good enough to eat). Everything smells like cocoa butter and chocolate.  Most of the products were skincare (and I'm drowning in skincare) but nothing says relaxation like a luxuriously scented chocolate-scented scrub or mask. The box looks like it's sold out, but if you want to smell like a bar of chocolate, Memebox sells some of these products on their website. 

If you're interested in purchasing a Memebox, check out these codes valid until December 31, 2014 :) 

$5 off 30: OH3XZG

$5 off 3 boxes: MEMEBUNDLE3

$8 off 4 boxes: MEMEBUNDLE4

Free shipping on orders over $70: FREESHIPPING

20% off any USA SHOP order: GIVETHANKS

Do you like chocolate scents? 

Press samples featured

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Inglot Nail Enamel in #202

FLAKIES! FLAKIES! FLAKIES! SNOWFLAKIES! There's nothing quite like a flakie polish, especially when blue flakies look like sparkling pieces of snow. Lately I've been loving the Inglot Nail Enamel in #202 ($12) top coat over any and every base colour. #202 is part of Inglot's Nail Enamel Dream Collection - iridescent sparklies and glitter top coats for all. 

The Inglot Nail Enamel in #202 is a blue-purple flakie polish with a red-yellow iridescence. It's really hard to capture in photos (hopefully this GIF helps - GIFs always help) but it looks amazing in real life. 

Claims of perfect application, durability, high gloss, short to medium drying time are all true. It makes so-so polishes last up to 3 days longer, it's super shiny (and the flakies are super sparkly) and it dries quicker than the average polish. On top of that it's 4-free of touluene, formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, and camphor. 

Yep, so I've established that this is one heck of a flakie polish. I haven't really tried anything like it and it's perfect for a little glitz and glam for this holiday season. The only caveat is the price, which is slightly more expensive and for such a small bottle but I can look past that because I love the look of this polish 

What's your favourite flakie nail polish? 

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Last Minute Gifts from the Body Shop

Today marks two days until Christmas, so if you still have gifts to buy, then the Body Shop is a great place to shop for everyone on your list (because everyone needs skincare, body wash, shampoo, and fragrance). 

The Body Shop Glazed Apple Body Butter ($20) 

A new scent this holiday season, the Body Shop has released a plethora of Glazed Apple products including bath sprinkles, body polish, lip balm, fragrance oil, bath jelly, hand cream, and more. I opted to review favourite product from the Body Shop - the Body Butter. The Glazed Apple Body Butter looks and feels just as amazing as others I've tried - smooth, hydrating, thick and creamy. As for the Glazed  Apple scent, I expected it to be a bit more bright and punchy (like the scent of green apple) but this Glazed Apple scent is more subdued and sugary. 

The Lip and Cheek Doll  ($15) 

The Body Shop Lip and Cheek Doll is the perfect stocking stuffer for any beauty lover. The special edition Geisha doll packaging is adorable while the product inside (the Body Shop Lip and Cheek Stain) is a bright, warm red with subtle hints of golden shimmer running through it. On both the cheeks and lips, this dual-purpose product can be worm as a natural flush or can be built up for a bolder look. 

The Body Shop Strawberry Premium Selection ($45)

Give a loved one this entire set or separate the set into smaller gifts. The Body Shop Strawberry Premium selection is pre-packaged in a gorgeous red box wrapped up with a silver bow. Inside, there's the Strawberry Body Butter, Strawberry Body Polish, Strawberry Body Mist, Strawberry Lip Butter, and a Red Mini Loofah (a total value of $59!). Personally, I'm not a fan of the Body Shop's Strawberry scent but this set will be going to a home that I know will appreciate it much, much more. Luckily, the same set also comes in Olive, Pink Grapefruit, Satsuma, Shea, Wild Argan, Moringa, Coconut, and Mango, for those of you who like a bit of selection. 

And there you have it! Three quick gifts from the Body Shop - a body butter, a makeup item, and a set. The Body Shop has on-going sales, so the prices of these items are likely less than the full retail prices shown here. Plus, if you wait until Boxing Day, you can stock up! 

Do you have all your Christmas shopping finished or are you a last-minute person? 

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Christmas Tree Nail Art

Likely the last of my super simple Christmas nail art endeavors, here's a little Christmas tree accent nail. I was inspired by my Christmas tree decorating that I did with the boyf. (see on Instagram here). I've finally moved back home. So, there's access to my full polish stash, which means there's a bit more than red, white, and black involved in this one. 

As per usual, I used Essie First Base as a base coat to protect my natural nails. Then I painted all of my nails with Covergirl Golden Opportunity*. I free-handed a triangle shape with the tip of the polish brush using a green, Revlon Posh. Then I dotted on some lights with the back of a makeup brush with OPI Solitaire*, another dot for the top of the tree with Ciate Big Yellow Taxi. Next, I topped the tree with Orly Mermaid Tale*, a green glitter for extra dimension. Lastly, I sealed in the deal with the Revlon Gel Envy Top Coat*. 

This Christmas tree was SUPER easy to create. For something more detailed, check out Jayne's close up Christmas Tree Mani here. 

What do you think? Would you wear a Christmas Tree on your nails? 

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NYX Collection Noir Liquid Black Liner

EYELINER MONDAY! The NYX Collection Noir Liquid Black Liner (~$5.99) is a "pro-artist favourite" that claims to deliver intense, smudge-proof, dance-proof, black colour. 

The brush tip is tiny. While a precision applicator is appreciated, it takes forever and ever and ever to build up a thick winged liner with the puny brush. The formula is super black in a single swipe of the brush (hence being in NYX's "Collection Noir" line). For some reason, the liquid takes longer than normal to dry so you've gotta keep your eyes closed for a good 20-30 seconds or you risk getting strange liquid liner marks in your crease. After the liner dries, it stays put all day long. It's not waterproof but it doesn't move unless you rub your eyes. 

While the NYX Collection Noir Liquid Black Liner is an amazing product, I don't find myself using it often because I don't typically have time to wait for my liner to dry. I'm more of an apply-and-go type of gal. That being said, when I do have time, the look of the ultra-black, long-lasting formula is definitely worth the wait. 

Have you tried the NYX Collection Noir Liquid Black Liner? 

Received in a swap. This is part of my eyeliner monday series - where I review a different eyeliner every...Monday. :) See more eyeliner reviews here. 

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