Category Archives: Skincare

2015 Gift Guide: Skincare

December 14, 2015SkincareAveeno, Bioderma, Bite Beauty, Jealous Body, Skyn Iceland, The Body ShopChelle

2015 Gift Guide: Skincare

Skincare is one of those things that everyone uses, but most people don’t like to have to spend the money on it since it’s never especially cheap. Here are my picks for skincare items that I’ve especially enjoyed over the last year or so and some that I’ve even been given as gifts too.

Jealous Body makes gorgeous coffee scrubs in a variety of scents/flavours that are intended to target particular body needs (oily, dry, etc.). My favourite is the original Coconut* (review here), but I’ve also tried out the Grapeseed + Macadamia* (pictured above) and Cocoa + Almond* ones as well (second review here!). Each scrub is $18.95 CAD and will last you about 4-5 scrubs. Bonus? They’re a Canadian brand!

Bioderma Crealine/Sensibio Micellar Water

One of my most used products is the Bioderma micellar water (Crealine/Sensibio). I keep this in my bathroom and on my makeup table in our bedroom because it gets so much use! It’s great for removing makeup at the end of the day (not waterproof stuff though!) and for cleaning up makeup mistakes. Or even just for refreshing your skin at the end of the day if you’re feeling kind of greasy after the gym. I use this stuff CONSTANTLY! It’s average retail price is around $20 USD for the large 500 ml bottle.

My mom always used to put a bottle of Aveeno moisturizer in my stocking and I was always grateful for it. Since the daily moisturizer is about $25 CAD, it’s not an especially cheap product! While Aveeno is my favourite facial moisturizer, you can always pick up something that the person you’re gifting that you know they already love. That way they’ll have a backup when they run out.

This one is a relatively new discovery for me and it’s been a skin saviour as the temperatures drop in Toronto. (That being said, it’s mild as all hell today and it’s the middle of December. WHERE IS MY SNOW??) skyn ICELAND‘s Arctic Face Oil* is a deeply concentrated oil that will resuscitate your dehydrated skin and keep it healthy and plump throughout the dry months. (Full review here.) It retails for $40 CAD.

Bite Beauty‘s Agave Lip Mask (pictured above in Maple) is a gloriously thick lip balm that will heal your chapped lips while also tasting delectable. While the $30 CAD price tag is no joke, this item is definitely a splurge for a lucky someone. Good things DO come in small packages!

The Body Shop Body Butter in Shea Butter

And how could I have an entire gift guide focused on skincare without pointing out the wonderful options from The Body Shop? Their body butters are a favourite of mine and I’ve been through many a scent (Shea Butter, Pink Grapefruit, Satsuma, Virgin Mojito, their older holiday vanilla and cranberry scents, etc.) in my time. My ultimate favourite is the Shea Butter one (pictured above) and I just recently picked up a fresh tub for myself! They retail for $20 CAD each.

The Body Shop Shower Gel in Pink Grapefruit

I also recently picked up an ENORMOUS bottle of Pink Grapefruit shower gel from The Body Shop. Like the body butters, I have been through countless bottles of their shower gel and never once have they disappointed me. While the Pink Grapefruit scent is my personal favourite, they also have Fijian Water Lotus which is another one currently sitting in my shower as well. The grapefruit is nice and zesty, whereas water lotus is more aquatic and calming.

I hope that gave you some ideas! Let me know what kind of skincare YOU like to receive. 🙂

Items marked with an asterisk were sent to me for consideration.

Skincare Saturday: Introduction to ACURE Organics

November 28, 2015Reviews, SkincareACUREChelle

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I was recently introduced to ACURE Organics, a family owned and operated company founded on sustainable principles and accessible price points to steer people away from toxic chemicals. Each of their products is free from gluten, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, harmful preservatives and artificial colours and is never tested on animals. Their plant + food based formulas are clinically driven to provide optimal performance at a cellular level.

Let’s get into what I tried:

The ACURE Sensitive Facial Cleanser features a soothing blend of organic argan oil, peony stem cell and sunflower amino acids. It’s a gentle creamy cleanser that is intended for dry, sensitive skin that purifies and cleanses without drying your skin out. It wasn’t till I sat down to write this post that I realized just how true that statement is. Usually when I get out of the shower after having used my usual cleansers, I am just *dying* to get moisturizer on my face. This cleanser doesn’t leave me with that dry, tight feeling on the skin. I didn’t even know that was possible! The only downside with this cleanser is that it has a non-scent scent to it (you know what I mean) that isn’t to my tastes. However, since this cleanser is intended for sensitive skin, I can understand them not using any artificial scents.

The first thing I need to point out about the ACURE Coconut & Argan Oil Cleansing Towelettes is the fact that they come with 30 towelettes and not the typical 25 that every other brand seems to do. Thank you ACURE, THANK YOU! 30 makes way more sense since it’s akin to a calendar month. I’ve never understood the 25 (or worse, 20) towelettes packages and they kiiiind of infuriate me. Anyway, moving on. These towelettes are all-natural, biodegradable and can be used to remove makeup, sweat, dirt and environmental toxins. Unfortunately, these didn’t really work all that well to remove my makeup, particularly when it involved eye makeup. Even when I was wearing non-waterproof cosmetics, I still found that this couldn’t remove the bulk of what I had on my face. So instead, I’d opt to use these more as a quick refresher on the go when I’m not wearing a lot of face makeup.

I’ve saved my favourite product for last! The ACURE Coconut Dry Oil Body Spray is soooo freaking nice. It’s an ultra-lightweight and easily absorbed dry marula + argan oil spray for the body and hair. The scent is mostly coconut oil, with a hint of suntan lotion (that’s the best way I can think to describe it – there isn’t actually any sunscreen in this product!). It’s the kind of product you can spray all over your body to add some hydration back into your skin. While it reminds me of a beach vacation, this can definitely be used all year long to keep your skin in good condition. The dry oil does leave a bit of a residue (let’s be honest here, all oil does), but it’s not so much that you feel greasy or sticky. Love this one!

Final Thoughts

For a brand I knew nothing about, ACURE definitely proved their worth to me. Although I wasn’t keen on the towelettes, the face cleanser and dry oil spray definitely impressed me. It also worth noting that these products are priced very reasonably – the most expensive item in this review was $12.99 USD (dry oil body spray) and the cheapest was $6.99 USD (towelettes)! Certain ACURE products can be found Target and online at target.com, and the whole range can be found on ACURE Organics site acureorganics.com

The products in this review were provided by PR for consideration.

Skincare Saturday: skyn ICELAND Arctic Face Oil

November 21, 2015Reviews, SkincareSkyn IcelandChelle

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The older I get, the more I’ve learned to appreciate oil and what it can do for me. Particularly on the face! Sometimes a moisturizer, no matter how thick and nourishing, just isn’t enough to keep my face as hydrated as possible.

I’ve started using skyn ICELAND‘s Arctic Face Oil over the last few weeks. That sounds freaking amazing doesn’t it? ARCTIC. FACE. OIL. Like I’m suddenly splashing polar bear water on my face or gone skinny dipping beside some icebergs. (Just me?)

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I really couldn’t phrase this better myself, so here’s what skyn ICELAND has to say about their product:

Arctic Face Oil, composed of 99.9% Camelina Oil, is naturally sourced and cold-pressed to retain maximum nutrients. Extracted from the resilient Camelina Sativa plant, which thrives in sub-zero temperatures, it has a unique composition of 9 Essential Fatty Acids which enables it to survive in harsh weather. Most importantly, the Omega 3:6:9 ratio of this oil plays a critical role in normal skin function making this blend exceedingly curative and rejuvenating to skin. A natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, it also soothes, calms and protects skin.

The Arctic Face Oil comes in a 30ml/1 US fluid ounce glass bottle with a dropper top. This makes for fairly easy dispensing, although I will say that I feel the dropper only ever really gets 60% full. I basically use whatever I can squeeze into the dropper to cover my entire face whenever I’m wearing this product.

My Thoughts on the Arctic Face Oil

Although the scent of the oil isn’t enthralling (it’s not awful, just rather plainly oil-scented), this is a phenomenal way to infuse hydration into my face. I haven’t had to use it in conjunction with moisturizer because it’s THAT powerful. I tend to apply the Arctic Face Oil a few times a week after I’ve gotten home from work and taken my makeup off. I find this especially nice on days when I wore foundation and feel the need to rehydrate my skin. Although I have applied it before my makeup for the day and suffered no ill effects (for example, my makeup didn’t start sliding around my face even though I’d just applied oil to my face), I still prefer to apply it at night so it has more time to absorb into my skin without packing makeup on top of it.

I did find that although the oil didn’t sink completely into my skin immediately (which I honestly quite like), it also didn’t make me feel like a grease pit. It feels like your skin got plumped up from hydration. It’s a good feeling! So, if you’re looking for something to help soothe and heal your dried out skin this winter, skyn ICELAND‘s Arctic Face Oil may be something to consider. I know I’ll be using it constantly, that’s for sure!

This post features a product sample that was sent for consideration.

Softlips LUXE Lip Moisturizers (Review & Giveaway)

November 18, 2015SkincareSoftlipsChelle

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It’s hard for me not to fall continuously in love with new lipbalms. There’s always new packaging, new scents and new brands. And as an avid lipstick wearer, I’ve got to keep my lips moisturized somehow!

Softlips LUXE lip moisturizers in Silky Shea and Creamy Coconut

The most recent additions to my collection are the new Softlips LUXE lip moisturizers. Last year they came out with the CUBES, and this year we have the LUXES.

What They Say

Hydrates – with nourishing butters & coconut oil
Replenishes – with antioxidant vitamins A, C & E
Smoothes – Rough, chapped lips with light-weight and non greasy formula
Protects – Moisture barrier that protects against dryness
Adds shine – for a perfect radiant finish

What I Say

The Softlips LUXE balms are a very soft lip balm formula. INCREDIBLY soft. They melt onto my lips like butter! Although the product comes in a white bullet, both flavours went on my lips clear (bonus! No whitecast!). They’re quick and easy to apply thanks to the bullet and they leave a behind a moderate sheen that’s fairly typical from a stick balm.

I’ve been wearing them overnight to test them out and I do notice that they seem to heal my lips inordinately fast when they’re a bit chapped. For example, I didn’t apply any balm before bed last night, woke up with rough lips this morning, applied some of the LUXE balm (I’m writing this on November 8th by the way) and within thirty minutes my lips are almost back to normal. I was a bit shocked since I wasn’t expecting fast acting results like that!

If you’re looking to pick these up, it seems the Softlips LUXE can only be found at Walmart with a price tag just shy of $5 CAD.

Giveaway

Softlips was kind enough to sponsor a giveaway for my Canadian readers. Read on for detail and the entry form.

Softlips Prize Pack

1 Softlips LUXE lip moisturizer Creamy Coconut
1 Softlips LUXE lip moisturizer Silky Shea
1 Softlips CUBE lip moisturizer Fresh Mint
1 Softlips CUBE lip moisturizer Peach Mango
1 Purse Mirror
1 Cosmetic Bag

Giveaway Rules

This giveaway is open to Canadians only.
This giveaway starts on November 18, 2015 and runs for two weeks.
Please be aware that all entries will be double checked to ensure fairness.
Once the winner has been contacted, they will have 48 hours to provide me with their mailing address. If the winner fails to respond within that time frame, I will pick another winner. (And so on.)

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post features press samples and a giveaway provided by PR.

Skincare Saturday: Dermalogica Precleanse

November 14, 2015Reviews, SkincareDermalogicaChelle

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Today’s skincare post features Dermalogica‘s Precleanse, a makeup remover that’s intended as step one in a two step cleansing process.

Fancy names aside, Precleanse is a makeup remover with an oil base. The idea behind Precleanse is that you use it before your regular cleanser in order to make your skin extra squeaky clean. I know plenty of people do that, but I’m more of a “remove makeup and moisturize” kind of person.

Dermalogica Precleanse is a clear, oil-based makeup remover.

Precleanse has a “deep-cleansing oil that melts impurities and makeup from [the] skin. Thoroughly melt[s] away layers of excess sebum, sunscreen, waterproof makeup, environment pollutants and residual products that build up on skin throughout the day with skin fortifying Borage Seed, Kukui and Apricot oils”.

I’ve found the best way to use Precleanse is to squirt a few pumps into my hand, rub my hands together and then rub it all over my face; focusing heavily on the eyes since that’s where I apply the bulk of my makeup. Once I’ve rubbed it around and it’s started to break apart my makeup, I’ll splash a little water on my face and start using it as more of a destructive cleanser. Continue rinsing until it’s removed everything, then pat dry. (Sidenote, applying it to a cotton round and then applying it to my face worked WAY less efficiently than my hands did.) Because it’s an oil based remover, it also won’t leave your skin feeling dry – huge bonus for me!

Final Thoughts

As far as makeup removers go, the Dermalogica Precleanse is a solid choice. My preference for a remover is always going to be an oil-based one because they can rip through anything you’ve put on your face. I know oil removers aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they certainly are mine!

The only downside for me is that the bottle will get oily. As you’re pumping up the oil through the spout some of it will escape through the crevices and ooze out the side. That’s not THIS product’s fault though as I’ve had this occur with almost every single oil I’ve had that’s come with a pump dispensing mechanism.

The Precleanse oil has a slight savoury smell, akin to rosemary and tea tree oil, that I love. However, it’s formulated without artificial fragrances , colours or parabens so I expect that it wouldn’t aggravate those with sensitive skin. If you’re looking for a makeup remover that will cut through everything you throw on your face, the Dermalogica Precleanse will definitely deliver!

This post features a press sample sent for review.