Bye Bye Empties, September 2019

October 7, 2019October 6, 2019 littlebeautyloves4 Comments

I seriously don’t know where September went! It was a strange feeling to have it turn to October so quickly!

I am looking forward to October since it’ll be Canadian Thanksgiving and Halloween! The weather is getting cooler but I’m still holding on that we will have a nice long Fall season and some sunny and mild days!

On to what I used up in September!

*Note: I’m on a no-buy this year. If I mention repurchasing an item, it just means that I really liked it and would buy again, just not in 2019.

Skincare

Fresh Sugar Lip Polish. I have a review of this lip scrub on the blog that you can check out here. I have owned this particular tub for a while so I think it’s time I threw it out. I have a polish from Bite Beauty and one from Lush that I wanted to use so I won’t be repurchasing this for some time.

Garnier Ombrelle 60 SPF Tinted Lotion. This is maybe my third bottle of this sunscreen that I’ve used up. You can read my review of this product here. What I like about this is that it’s a mineral sunscreen so it doesn’t absorb into the skin but rather sits on top of the skin and reflects UVA/UVB rays. I like the light coverage which I have really been enjoying lately. I am going to repurchase this.

FAB Pure Skin Face Cleanser. It wasn’t too long ago that I was raving about this face cleanser on the blog which you can read here. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this cleanser. It’s gentle, creamy, and effective. It leaves my skin feeling clean and hydrated. It’s perfect at removing tough makeup and great as a daily cleanser. I have a few other face cleansers that I need to get through so I won’t be repurchasing this one just yet!

Quo Miceller Water Facial Wipes. I received these wipes at an event and thought they were OK. They might be fine for everyday but since I like to wear mascara and liner I need my facial wipes to remove that easily. Unfortunately, I felt this was a bit too harsh for me and while I was able to use up all the wipes in this pack I won’t be purchasing another one myself.

Body Care

Bath and Body Works Sheer Cotton & Lemonade Shower Gel. A tried and true body product. I love BBW shower gels and this was great! I really enjoy the scent and it lathered up nicely (I like a lot of suds in my shower gels). It also worked nicely for bubble bath. I would repurchase this.

~~~

SOOOOOO I didn’t use up too many items in September but there were a couple of makeup items that I could have added to this month’s empties but I decided to use them up as much as I could for October.

What items made it to your empties in September?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Unboxing BoxyCharm, September 2019

September 23, 2019September 22, 2019 littlebeautyloves12 Comments

Price: $21.00 USD (+$5.00 shipping to Canada)
Number of items: 4-5 full-size items

Boxycharm is a monthly subscription box of full-size makeup, skincare and beauty tools. The theme for this month is “all access”.

PRICES ARE IN USD, CONVERTED TO CAD AT THE END

Violet Voss Essentials Eyeshadow Palette
MSRP: $29.00 US

This palette was designed for everyday use in a stunning mix of warm and cool-toned shades. I like the range of shades and colours in this palette and I think you’d be able to create a variety of different looks.

Even though I have a lot of eye shadows I think this one is definitely unique to what I have. I like that there are everyday shades like cream and dusty rose but also fun colours like plum berry and gold. This would be a great palette for travel.

Dr. Brandr Hydro Biotic Recovery Sleeping Mask
MSRP: $52.00 US

Oh, how I love a good hydrating mask! I’m really looking forward to having this around especially during the upcoming wintertime. This mask locks in moisture overnight to reduce redness and soothe the signs of irritation.

Moda Pro By Royal & Langnickle 5 Piece Eye Kit
MSRP: $27.95 US

I am so happy that I received this set in Boxycharm. I received a crease brush from this collection in a previous BoxyCharm that I enjoyed and even reviewed on the blog. You can read my thoughts here.

These brushes are so soft and the quality is super good, especially for the price. I should check out their website to see what other items they offer. The brushes I received are perfect for creating a multitude of eye looks. I’m most excited for the smudger and crease brush since these are the type I use the most.

Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator
MSRP: $26.00 US

What a beautiful highlight. Not only does this look so nice in the pan but it swatches like a dream. I’m really excited to start playing with this. The illuminator has a hybrid texture that applies like a powder but feels like a cream. It creates a translucent wash of colour that can be swept all over the face for a lit-from-within glow.

MAC Frost Lipstick in CB 96
MSRP: $18.50 US

This formula features smooth, medium buildable coverage, high pearl and a semi-lustrous finish. (Boxycharm.com)

Well, you’re telling me! In the tube this looks like a high frost orange but when I swatched it I got more of a peachy or pinky feel. This is such a gorgeous lipstick but I just know that I’m never going to wear it so I actually passed this on to my mom who was absolutely going to enjoy it more than I will.

My Thoughts

I was starting to get a bit bored with BoxyCharm but this box really hit it out of the park for me. I got a palette with colours I’m excited to use, an over night mask I need for winter, brushes I’m going to use regularly and an illuminator that I think is beautiful to wear as highlight! The only item I didn’t care for was the lipstick which I easily passed on to someone else. I’m super happy with this box and everything in it!

Total Value: $153.45 US ($203.05)

Did you get BoxyCharm this month? What did you get in your box and what are your thoughts?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Project Pan Monthly: August Roundup & September Items

September 16, 2019September 15, 2019 littlebeautyloves2 Comments

This post is going up later than my usual schedule. I have been using my September Items since the beginning of the month but I’ve finally gotten around to posting it.

For August I was again on the minimal makeup train. I really don’t like piling a lot of makeup on when it was super hot outside. I also feel like generally, I want to wear less and less makeup, especially foundation. I have recently started wearing BB Creams again. You’ll see below that I added a BB Cream to my September Project Pan. I did enjoy using my colourful eyeshadows though, so I’m going to continue to incorporate that. I think by the end of August I had used my products about 23/30 days.

In case you didn’t know, this is my Project Pan objective;

Project Pan Monthly

Each month I choose 4 items to use, sharing reviews of those products if they aren’t already on the blog. At the end of the month, I’ll share an update of how well I did and then list the items for the next month. The products are chosen from these categories;

One Eyeshadow Palette
One Lip Item (lipstick, lip balm, gloss, etc.)
One Face Item (foundation, highlighter, blush, bronzer)
One Random Item (can be another item from the categories above, or be something else like mascara, liner, skincare, body care, fragrance, etc.)]

August Roundup

Starting with the eyeshadow palette, I used my Smashbox Cover shot Palette during the week for fun one sweep eyeshadows for work. I loved using the shades on the right-hand quad because it has the golden and orange colours which worked a lot with the outfits I wore in August.

The orange blush got good use at the beginning of summer when I was really into wearing warm colours and I was wearing warmer bronzer. Towards the end of August though I started wanted to wear cool pink blushes that I have instead so this didn’t get as much use as I was hoping.

I was pretty consistent with wearing my Yves Rocher Foundation in August because I would mix it with my bb cream to sheer it out to make it lighter coverage. The shade was just right for my summer skin and I really love this formula. I was able to use about a quarter of the bottle which I think is great progress.

Lastly, although I didn’t use my Laritzy Lip Crayon as often, I still really enjoyed it whenever I did wear it. This felt more like a balm which made it very comfortable to wear. I, unfortunately, kept forgetting to put it in my purse so I would remember to reapply it during the day but if I did I’m sure I would have used up more of it.

My September Items

This month I’ve chosen;

One Eyeshadow Palette – Too Faced Just Peachy Mattes (reviewed here)
One Lip Item – Guerlain Hydrating & Plumping Lip Balm
One Face Item – Garnier SkinActive BB Cream 5 in 1
One Random Item – Nest Cocoa Wood Eau De Parfum

This month, I’m going to be focusing on pinks and peaches since I just feel like continuing the colour train from last month. It has been a while since I’ve used my Just Peachy Mattes Palette but I think it’ll really work with Fall vibes. Since I’ve was mixing my foundation with this BB CReam anyways I thought I’d focus on my Garnier SkinActive BB Cream. I received it at a beauty event thrown by ChichAdvisor and I’ve been enjoying it ever since.

I’m also going to be heading back to lip balms for September. I was tempted to pick a warm nude or brown shade for Autumn, but I figured that the season hasn’t justed just yet so I wanted to give my brighter shades one last go. Plus, it’s a balm so it’s very comfortable to wear. Lastly, I added perfume to my Project Pan. This one from Nest came as a set that I received on my birthday. I decided I would start wearing it more often since I loved this scent.

How is your progress been for Project Pan this month? What are you hoping to use up for September?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Bye Bye Empties, August 2019

September 9, 2019September 8, 2019 littlebeautyloves4 Comments

It feels like August flew by so quickly! There was so much that was going on that it really felt like all my days were filled with time spent with family and friends. At the beginning of the month I celebrated a friend’s engagement which was a lot of fun. I also had family visit from out of town so I spent a lot of time with them. I also went twice to the CNE! The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is put on the last two weeks of August. It’s a large fair with carnival rides, games and a lot of food! Since it’s close to my home I love going to walk around and take in all the sights.

The only sad part is that it means summer is coming to end and school is around the corner for a lot of students. So far September has been much cooler so it really feels like Autumn is not too far away which I’m not upset about because I love Autumn and I’m looking forward to bringing out my sweaters and boots!

On to what I used up in August!

*Note: I’m on a no-buy this year. If I mention repurchasing an item, it just means that I really liked it and would buy again, just not in 2019.

Skincare

The Face Shop Nutriganics Foaming Facial Wash. I absolutely love this face wash because it’s so gentle on the skin and effective at removing makeup and dirt from my face. If you want to see a full review of this, you can read it here. I have a lot of face washes that I need to get through but I would definitely repurchase this.

Yves Rocher Elixier. This serum is meant to help fight off the effects of environmental aggressors. I like this because it’s light and was great for my skin. I generally enjoy Yves Rocher skin care items and this is definitely one I would repurchase.

Body Care & Makeup Samples

Fresh Sugar Eau de Parfum. This is a sample I got from Sephora a while ago and I had used it after my shower. I enjoy this scent because it’s fresh and sweet. I don’t think I’d purchase a full size of this but I’m happy I got to try it.

Benefit Gimme Brow +. You know what’s funny? I have never purchased a full size of this product! I always seem to receive samples of this in monthly boxes or with purchases of Benefit products. I always use this when I want to quickly do my brows so I know I would purchase a full size if I ever needed to. I currently have another sample of this open so hopefully I won’t need to purchase one until the end of my no-buy

Lipsticks

The other day I went through my makeup collection and pulled out a bunch of lipsticks that I’ve opened and are more than two years old. Since they aren’t empty I didn’t think it was necessary to write down each one. A couple that I really enjoyed include Too Faced Sweet Peach gloss and the Estee Lauder Lipstick (in the center).

~~~

I didn’t use up very many items in August, however, I did clear out some old lipsticks. I feel like I need to go through my makeup collection more often and de-clutter a lot of the old stuff.

What items made it to your empties in August?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Five Eye Brushes I use A Lot!

August 28, 2019August 28, 2019 littlebeautyloves5 Comments

I own quite a lot of brushes. I’m sure that is a statement that a lot of us can agree to! LOL!

I’m sure we’ve all gone through so many brushes, ones that we bought thinking they would be perfect only to end up switching them for something else. It took me a long time to build the collection I have and although I’m happy with them I’m always trying new ones to see how they might make my makeup application better or easier.

I decided for this post to pull out five eye brushes that I enjoy using and share them. I have a few posts on brushes in my collection that I’ve reviewed and you can read them here and here. I still use all those brushes but since my collection is large I figured why not share more!

Here are five eye brushes that I use a lot!

Quo Eye Shadow Smudger Brush

This is the first smudger style brush that I ever bought and I’ve purchased more smudger brushes ever since! I think Shoppers was having a sale on Quo brushes at the time so it was the perfect opportunity to grab one and see how I liked this style brush. I love using this to apply shadow to my lower and upper lash line because it gives a nice smokey effect.

The bristles on this brush are short and dense which helps keep everything close to the lash line but the brush itself is really soft. I like that I can get really close to my lash line to frame my eyes. I also like that the ends are rounded so that I can move the brush around the curve of my eyes.

Sephora Pro Featherweight Crease Brush

I use this brush a lot for my crease because I find that it’s soft but not so fluffy so it keeps product from blending out too much around my eyes. It keeps the look precise but still creates a seemless blend. I own a lot of blending brushes but I really like this one when I want to take time to blend out my eyeshadow.

What I love about this brush is that after so much use it continues to hold it’s shape. I love the domed tip which makes it really comfortable to use in the crease. I’m a bit bummed that this is no longer at Sephora and if I knew it was going to be discontinued I might have bought another one.

Artdeco Blending Brush

I featured this brush before on the blog in the post focusing on the brushes in my One Look, One Week Review Series. I mentioned that this brush is quite versatile and it continues to be a well loved and highly used brush. Recently, I’ve been using it a lot for cream shadows I have (ie. the Nudestix shadows) to blend out any rough edges. The brush is dense so it really blends out cream perfectly.

What I love about this brush is that one side is wide, while the other side is flat.

This allows me to use this to lightly blend out shadow in my crease using the flat side or to sweep shadow on my lid using the wider side. It’s even been used as a liner smudger and to blend shadow on my lower lid. It does everything I want a brush to do. Whenever I travel I take this brush with me because I can use it in a variety of ways. I plan on purchasing more of these types of brushes.

Inglot Large Eyeshadow Brush, 28 PO (I think?)

This brush has a special place in my heart because it was one of the first professional style brushes that I ever purchased and it’s held up all these years. I don’t think at the time Inglot had put the brush numbers on their brushes so I’m guessing it’s the 28PO based on their description online. I purchased this brush to help clean around the edges of my eyeshadow because it’s a super big and dense brush.

If ever my eyeshahow is starting to blend out a little too far on my eye and I want to blend out the colours I’ll take this brush to help clean it all up. The brush is also perfect as a shadow brush because it’s so big that I can definitly use it as a one sweep brush and be done with eyeshadow. I don’t use this too often because it is so big, but whenever I need a brush like this I’m also so happy I have it.

Luxie 111 Mini Flat Angled Brush

I received this brush in my November BoxyCharm as part of a four-pack brush set. I use all the brushes in that set but this one is one that I use most out of all of them and I use it specifically to apply eyeshadow to my lower lashes.

Because the brush is angled, it fits perfectly under my lower lashes and applies shadow really close to my lower lash. By being able to apply a thin shadow under my lashes I keep my shadow looking sleek. I really enjoy this brush. I don’t think I would have thought to purchase this on my own, but after receiving it and trying it out, it has really improved my eyeshadow application.

~~~

These are some of my favourite eye shadow brushes. I plan to share more of my favourite brushes for my eyes and face on the blog since I have so many that I really like and I’m curious to know what are some of your favourite brushes too!

Let me know what brushes you use a lot for your eye shadow application.

Lots of Love,
Dal

Unboxing BoxyCharm, August 2019

August 26, 2019August 26, 2019 littlebeautyloves10 Comments

Price: $21.00 USD (+$5.00 shipping to Canada)
Number of items: 4-5 full-size items

Boxycharm is a monthly subscription box of full-size makeup, skincare and beauty tools. The theme for this month is “totally”. It feels like a nod to the ’90s for me.

PRICES ARE IN USD, CONVERTED TO CAD AT THE END

Becca’s Hydra Mist & Refresher Powder
MSRP: $39.00 US

BoxyCharmAugust20195

This powder sets and refreshes makeup. It creates a mist-like sensation on the skin because it’s 50 percent water and glycerin. I’m actually really excited to try this powder because I’m really hoping it’ll work on my dry skin.

Wander Beauty Glow Ahead Illuminating Oil
MSRP: $42.00 US

BoxyCharmAugust20192

This is a beauty elixir that is formulated to deeply nourish and prime the skin before makeup and to refresh while on-the-go. It has age-defying oils helps to restore skin’s moisture barrier while you a youthful glow. I’m interested in this primer/oil type of product and look forward to testing it out!

Tarte Cosmetics Big Ego Mascara
MSRP: $23.00 US

BoxyCharmAugust20196

This is an ultra-black, vegan mascara that lifts your lashes and delivers a fully-loaded flutter for up to 16 hours. I’ve tried multiple mascaras from Tarte including the Tartiest Lash Paint Mascara and the Lights, Camera, Splashes Mascara that I absolutely love them. This had really good reviews on BoxyCharm website so I’ve got high hopes that it’ll give me a lot of volume.

Ace Beute Glimmer Shadow Duo in Cotton Candy and Iced Latte
MSRP: $25.00 US

BoxyCharmAugust20194

These are described as high pigmented shadows with a creamy texture. They provide bold colour in one swipe without fallout, creasing or fading. I think the shades are really pretty but I was turned off by the packaging because it just looks like makeup I would get at Claire’s. Either way, it’s the product that counts so I’ll see how they work!

Steve Laurant Lip Liner in Uptown
MSRP: $15.00 US

BoxyCharmAugust20193

This lip liner matches closely to the colour of my lips which will allow me to re-shape, re-size & re-define my pout like it’s described it will do and last up to 7 hours. I really like more natural lip liners so I’m happy to have one that isn’t a red or pink tone. I am actually really excited to give this a try!

My Thoughts

This month’s box has a lot of great items that I’m looking forward to trying especially since the face products are made for dry skin. I’m excited about the lip liner and the mascara as well since they are products I use quite a bit.

Total Value: $144.00 US ($191.86 CAD)

Did you get BoxyCharm this month? What did you enjoy from your box?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Project Pan Monthly: July Roundup & August Items

August 6, 2019August 5, 2019 littlebeautyloves2 Comments

I have been keeping my makeup extremely minimal in July since it was a pretty warm month. There were some items in my July Project Pan that I used so much and then there were some items that I hardly touched at all! I think it’s partly because I didn’t anticipate it being as warm so I was really not in the mood to wear a lot of makeup that would melt off. I’ll break it down more in my July Roundup below. All in all, I used my items about 24/31 days.

In case you didn’t know, this is my Project Pan objective;

Project Pan Monthly

One Eyeshadow Palette
One Lip Item (lipstick, lip balm, gloss, etc.)
One Face Item (foundation, highlighter, blush, bronzer)
One Random Item (can be another item from the categories above, or be something else like a mascara, liner, skin care, body care, fragrance, etc.)

July Roundup

Let’s start with the eye makeup items I chose for this month. It was so easy for me to use the three Nudestix products I have in the photo above because they were great as one and done shadows or applying two for a slightly more done up look. The bronze tones were prefect on my slightly tanned skin and went with a lot of my summer outfits.

When it came to the lip item, I used Pulse the most this month. I also used it quite a bit as a blush because it was a nice natural shade on me. As much as I wanted to use the dirty little secret lip liner it just wasn’t something that I was reaching for at all! I think it’s mostly because I was happy with Pulse on it’s own so I always forgot to add lip liner.

Now, as much as I thought the Clinique Powder was going to work perfectly for me in the summer, it just didn’t work on my dry skin. It actually made me feel really dry and itchy and I didn’t like that at all. Even though it was very warm my skin remained super dehydrated so this got immediately tossed to the side in my project pan. I’m tempted to toss this out only because having my skin feel itchy after applying it made me a little nervous about using it.

My August Items

This month I’ve chosen;

One Eyeshadow Palette – Smashbox CoverShot Palette in Ablaze (reviewed here)
One Lip Item – Laritzy Cosmetics Lip Stix in Wafer
One Face Item – Yves Rocher Flawless Skin Foundation
One Random Item – Sephora Blush in Apricot Sheen

I thought I’d stick with a warm palette for August as an ode to summer! I know warm toned orange/red/gold palettes like Ablaze are not as popular as they were two years ago but I still love these colours so I’m sure I’d get good use out of it. (If you want to see the inside of the palette, check out the link here since it seems I totally didn’t upload the photo of the open palette for this post). Same goes for the Sephora blush I’ve included for this month. I bought this blush on sale and I don’t think Sephora carries it anymore but it’s a gorgeous warm blush with little flecks of golden sparkle. It looks really pretty and dewy on and I think with the eye shadow palette it’ll look really good.

For this month’s lip item I decided to include the Laritzy Lip Stix I received in my Topbox. I enjoy the texture of this lip crayon. It’s very smooth and hydrating and the colour is a beautiful nude which will also work with a lot of the looks I want to create using the Ablaze palette. I’ve included my Yves Rocher Foundation since the colour is a bit darker which is working for my complexion now. I mostly use it around my eyes and the centre of my face for a very light amount of coverage.

Here’s hoping I get good use out of these items for August! I have already used these this 3 times since the start of the month so that’s really good so far!

How is your progress been for Project Pan this month? What are you hoping to use up for August?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Bye Bye Empties, July 2019

August 3, 2019August 2, 2019 littlebeautyloves5 Comments

Happy Saturday! I feel like I rarely post on the weekends but I finally got around to taking some photos so I figured why not! Also, happy Civic Long weekend to those who have Monday off! I love long weekends in the summer!

It had been a gorgeous July! The days were hot and beautiful and I enjoyed it so much. I’m really excited for August and enjoying more of this summer especially since there are a few things that happen around the city that I enjoy – Food Festivals, here I come! I didn’t use up too many products this month but I’ve also been changing up my skincare and makeup routine for the summer which meant that a lot of my usual products are on a break.

Now on to what I used up!

*Note: I’m on a no-buy this year. If I mention repurchasing an item, it just means that I really liked it and would buy again, just not in 2019.

Skincare

Victoria Secret Shea & Vitamin E Shower Gel. VS have some nice smelling shower gels and I really like them. The scent Cabana Breeze has an ocean/vacation scent and whenever I used it I would be taken back to my trip to Jamaica. They lather up quite a bit which makes taking a shower feel like a standing bath. I also love using them in my bubble bath because they do make so much thick bubbles! I would definitely repurchase these shower gels over and over again.

L’Occitane Almond Shower Gel. I used to be into this shower gel but after a while, I got bored with it. I really like super sudsy shower gels and this isn’t like that, or at least it stopped being that way after a while. It just doesn’t get super foamy. It’s weird but I almost feel like the formula started getting old and it wasn’t as nice as it was for the first couple of months I had this. I still enjoyed it for prepping my legs before shaving, but as a shower gel on its own, it lost its lustre for me. If you want to read my original review of this product you can here. I don’t think I’d repurchase this product.

NeoStrata Glycolic Renewal Smoothing Lotion. I included this product with a short review in a haul I had back in March 2018. You can read it here. Although I really enjoyed this product it’s been over a year that I’ve had it so I’m sure it’s time I just toss it out since I don’t think it’s as effective as it once was. I used this about half-way. I’m not sure I’d repurchase this.

Haircare

Head & Shoulders Conditioner in Smooth & Silky. Every few months I add another Head & Shoulders product into my empties. If there is one product that I repurchase over and over again it’s this. I really enjoy how well it cleans my hair.

Makeup

Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil. This product got old before I used it up but it’s because I haven’t been using pencil liners for quite a while now. Lately, I’ve been using either eye shadow or my Nudestix Crayons to create a smokey liner on my eyes rather than a sharp line or wing. This guy is ok, it is a deep intense black and I like that it’s a twist up liner. I used this a lot in my waterline which is another reason I am throwing it out since I want to get into the habit of using new items for delicate areas such as my eyes. I won’t be repurchasing this anytime soon.

Cover FX PowerPlay Foundation (sample). I love picking up sample foundations to test out before I commit to a new foundation. I got about four applications from this foundation and I really liked how it looked. It feels really light on my face but provides a good amount of coverage. I would purchase a full-size of this.

~~~

Like I mentioned above, I didn’t use up too many items for this month but I did clear out some things that were old or weren’t getting a lot of use in my collection of stuff.

What have you used up for July?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Unboxing BoxyCharm, July 2019

July 26, 2019July 25, 2019 littlebeautyloves4 Comments

Price: $21.00 USD (+$5.00 shipping to Canada)
Number of items: 4-5 full-size items

So before we get started I just wanted to say that I’ve been debating cancelling my BoxyCharm and trying out FabFitFun for a year. It’s not that I dislike BoxyCharm, because I absolutely enjoy this subscription, but I really want to try something new. If you’ve tried FabFitFun I’d love to know what you think of it.

Boxycharm is a monthly subscription box of full-size makeup, skincare and beauty tools. The theme for this month is “Au Naturale”.

PRICES ARE IN USD, CONVERTED TO CAD AT THE END

Elemis Superfood Vital Veggie Mask
MSRP: $35.00 US

This is a mask that nourishes, smoothes and brightens, for softer, smoother, more radiant skin. It has avocado and broccoli seed oils to help support the skins moisture barrier. I love moisturizing masks for the cold months especially so I look forward to trying this.

Butter London Natural Goodness Eyeshadow Palette
MSRP: $32.00 US

I am really loving the packaging of this palette. It’s small and sleek, with flowers and jewerls all around the edge. It feels very sturdy so I can image it being a good palette to take on the go.

Except for the blue shade, a lot of the other colours are great for everyday. I think I would get really great everyday use of this.

Luxie Gaea 3 Piece Brush Set
MSRP: $30.00 US

These brushes came in a recyclable envelope and the brush handles are a natural wood with pink on them. I think they are really soft too which it what I’ve come to expect from Luxie brushes. The ones that I’ve used before have all been really good. This set uncluded the Luxie Large Eye Blending Brush (25), The Precision Crease (246), and The Foundation Brush (510).

Luna By Luna Lip Gloss in Venus
MSRP: $18.00 US

I wasn’t too sure about this lip glos when I first opened it because it looked like it would be very sparkly, after swatching it on my hand and trying it out and it looked really good on.

Koh Gen Do Spa Cleansing Water Clothes
MSRP: 17.00 US

These cleansing wipes remove waterproof makeup and impurities while nourishing skin with mineral-rich cleansing spa water. Now, I use makeup removing wipes all the time and always find it difficult to remove waterproof makeup with them, especially mascara but I’m always willing to give these a try and see if they are any better! I love using makeup removing wipes so I’m always happy to receive them in my BoxyCharm.

My Thoughts

This was a decent box and I like a lot of the items I recieved. I think after over a year of subscribing to BoxyCharm I am ready for something new though.

Total Value: $132.00 US ($173.72 CAD)

Lots of Love,
Dal

Review, Vasanti Cosmetics Brighten Up! Exfoliator

July 10, 2019July 10, 2019 littlebeautylovesLeave a comment

A few weeks ago I shared a review of the First Aid Beauty cleanser that I have been enjoying as my gentle daily cleanser. You can read it here. I mentioned that every few days or so I also use an exfoliating cleanser for a deep cleanse and today I’m going to be sharing that review. Currently, I’ve been using Vasanti Cosmetics Brighten-Up Exfoliator.

Vasanti Cosmetics reached out to me back in April to try out their Vasanti Brighten-Up Trio and I was very excited to test them out. I had used other items from Vasanti before and I’m always happy to support Canadian brands. I’ve been using the product ever since receiving them two months ago.

What It Is

An exfoliator with micro-crystals. This papaya and aloe enriched exfoliator will remove dead skin, reveal a radiant complexion and fight common skin concerns like dull skin, dark spots, acne scars, wrinkles & more. (vasanticosmetics.com)

Price

$29.00 CAD (70g) I use a very small pea-sized amount of this product so I think it’ll last me a while.

Application

I took this on vacation with me to use with the moisturizer and serum booster (more on them in a little bit). I still used an everyday cleanser but every third evening or so I would use this to wash my face. I lathered a pea-sized amount between my hands and gently massaged this over my face. Since this has micro crystals I always ensured that I was gently applying this. I also found that the more water I used to dilute the product the better it worked on my skin. More water helped to loosen the formula and convert the dense cleanser into a soft and liquid cream which helped glide the crystals over my face.

The texture of the crystals is very fine and sand like but if you aren’t careful I can definitely imagine it irritating the skin because the crystals are very gritty. This is also why I used it every few days rather than every day. I have always loved physical exfoliators but if you don’t then this product is definitely not for you. I also don’t think it would be good for sensitive skin. I don’t have sensitive skin, but I was still very careful with how I applied this product. Since I mostly use physical exfoliating cleansers, it’s how I’ve always been with those types of products.

I mostly focused around my nose since that’s where I find my skin needs the most attention. I would then massage this over my forehead and chin and spread whatever remained over my cheeks. I find that starting from the middle of my face and moving outwards is the best cleansing method for me.

Since this is a physical exfoliant, I always made sure I thoroughly rinsed my skin. Nothing is worse than putting on moisturizer with leftover crystals (ouch!). After rinsing my skin I applied the Boosting Serum and then the Moisturizer.

After a couple weeks, I started to notice a difference in my skin. It wasn’t as dull and looked a lot more clear. My nose area especially was clear. I usually have a hard time reducing the appearance of blackheads on my nose, but this really helped to diminish their appearance. My skin felt really soft and I found that it was much smoother. I hardly break out in the first place but it just felt like my skin was looking a lot more vibrant.

Glow-Boosting Serum and Amplify Moisturizer

While using the Brighten-Up Exfoliator I also made sure that I was testing out the Glow-Boosting Serum and Amplify Moisturizer, all are part of the Brighten-Up line. I think that the combination of the three really made a difference on my skin so I wanted to talk about them as well as they are part of my skin care routine.

Glow-Boosting Serum

The serum is supposed to help give you glowy skin. After cleansing, I would shake the bottle to the oil and serum together and place one or two drops on my hands and massage it over my skin. It has Arbutin which has anti-oxidant and anti-ageing ingredients to help reduce dark spots and shadows. It also has Abyssinian oil to hydrate the skin and aloe vera to soothe the skin. For my dry skin, this serum is a dream because it’s pretty moisturizing. Sometimes I just wear this and it’s enough for me. Serums that I’ve used in the past can be more gel-like so they quickly dry onto my skin but I don’t feel like they do much. This guy, however, leaves me feeling moisturized all day. It’s a pretty thick serum.

Amplify Moisturizer

I really like this as an everyday moisturizer and I use it with both my everyday cleanser as well as the Vasanti Exfoliator. This is infused with aloe, vitamin C, and arbutin from bearberry leaves to keep your skin hydrated and protected. It’s very light-weight too which is why I enjoy this for every day. Even during the day if my skin is feeling extra dry I will apply this to re-hydrate it. Since it’s really thin I don’t feel like I’m wearing a lot of products if I then add my sunscreen over it. It works very well on top of the Glow-Boosting Serum, so I do enjoy wearing these two products together.

My Thoughts

Since I love physical exfoliators I know that I’m probably going to repurchase this product myself when the time comes. I feel like I see a difference in my skin and I like that this has been working really well for me.

Have you tried this product? Do you use physical exfoliators?

Lots of Love,
Dal

littlebeautyloves

I like Makeup and I blog about it!

Author: littlebeautyloves

Bye Bye Empties, September 2019

Skincare

Body Care

Unboxing BoxyCharm, September 2019

PRICES ARE IN USD, CONVERTED TO CAD AT THE END

Project Pan Monthly: August Roundup & September Items

Project Pan Monthly

August Roundup

My September Items

Bye Bye Empties, August 2019

Skincare

Body Care & Makeup Samples

Lipsticks

Five Eye Brushes I use A Lot!

Quo Eye Shadow Smudger Brush

Sephora Pro Featherweight Crease Brush

Artdeco Blending Brush

Inglot Large Eyeshadow Brush, 28 PO (I think?)

Luxie 111 Mini Flat Angled Brush

Unboxing BoxyCharm, August 2019

PRICES ARE IN USD, CONVERTED TO CAD AT THE END

Project Pan Monthly: July Roundup & August Items

Project Pan Monthly

July Roundup

My August Items

Bye Bye Empties, July 2019

Skincare

Haircare

Makeup

Unboxing BoxyCharm, July 2019

PRICES ARE IN USD, CONVERTED TO CAD AT THE END

Review, Vasanti Cosmetics Brighten Up! Exfoliator