Category Archives: Skincare

Skincare Saturday: Soap & Glory Original Pink

August 10, 2019Reviews, SkincareSoap & GloryChelle

Soap & Glory Original Pink

I’ve been quite a fan of Soap & Glory for what feels like a very long time. Their Breakfast Scrub (with maple scent!) is my absolute favourite body scrub ever and has been for a number of years now. Their Sugar Crush range with the delicious sweet lime scent is also really good and fun to use. And I’ve dabbled a bit in their Original Pink range… but I wasn’t aware that they had THAT many products with that scent profile!

Soap & Glory describes their Original Pink scent as being a “fruity-floral, summery fragrance with rose, peach, strawberries, bergamot and a twist of citrus”. Honestly, I don’t think my nose can handle putting all of those scents together, so for me, the overall scent is what I’d call a thick creamy scent with a hint of freshness. And oddly, it reminds me of Christmastime, but that’s because I think I first tried out the Original Pink range in December many years ago.

Let’s take a peek at the range that’s sold at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada:

Soap & Glory Original Pink - Hand Food, Heel Genius and The Righteous Butter — Soap & Glory Original Pink – Hand Food, Heel Genius and The Righteous Butter

Starting off with the moisturizing products, we’ve got:

Hand Food: A hydrating hand cream that doesn’t feel too thick or too thin. It gives me the right amount of moisture without being greasy. I’ve used up a full bottle of this one before!
Heel Genius: I’ve long lamented the fact that I’ve got crummy heels – they crack and can look gross AF unless I keep them moisturized. This not only works on heel cracks but helps to moisturize your whole foot and keep those cuticles in order too. I often only think to put this on my heels, but I really need to focus more on getting my toe cuticles in better condition… because between soccer and running… I don’t exactly have the nicest feet!
The Righteous Butter: A body butter packed with shea butter and aloe vera to help smooth out any dry patches on your skin. This one is slightly thicker in consistency when compared to Hand Food.

Soap & Glory Original Pink - Clean On Me, The Scrub of Your Life, Flake Away and Fizz-a-ball — Soap & Glory Original Pink – Clean On Me, The Scrub of Your Life, Flake Away and Fizz-a-ball

And to keep you clean and smelling like their Original Pink range, Soap & Glory has the following to offer:

Clean On Me: This one initially threw me for a loop. I had used their Peaches and Clean face wash before, and assumed that Clean On Me would the same kind of product (probably because the names are somewhat similar). Turns out this is a body wash, although I’m sure it can be used on your face too since it’s so creamy in texture.
Peaches and Clean face wash: Soap & Glory *really* know how to do body scrubs. They’ve nailed down the perfect consistency: gelatinous but thick in texture with just the right amount of scrubby bits to deeply exfoliate your skin. I love this one so much!
Flake Away: Another body scrub/polish that is basically identical to The Scrub of Your Life. Aside from the visual difference (Flake Away looks less gelatinous than Scrub of Your Life), they perform identically. They’ve both lovely, so pick your preferred format of delivery: Flake Away comes in a tub whereas The Scrub of Your Life is in a squeeze tube.
Fizz-A-Ball: A bath bomb for those who’s just like to bask in a bathtub with the scent of Original Pink in the air!

And there we have the latest round up of products I’ve tried from Soap & Glory! I’d used some of their Original Pink products before, but I didn’t realize the range was so extensive. How about you… are you a fan of Soap & Glory?

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.

Skincare Saturday: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Additions

July 13, 2019Reviews, SkincareNeutrogenaChelle

Neutrogena Hydro Boost

I’ve sung the praises of Neutrogena‘s Hydro Boost skincare many, many times. It’s a range I’ve come to rely on year ’round. It’s not only good for the summer months when you want something hydrating but not too thick on your skin, and it’s also SO hydrating of a range that even though it’s thin in consistency, it can still get me through a cold, harsh winter. And really… that kind of versatility in a product range is absolutely key.

I’ve reviewed the Hydrating Cleansing Gel before, but it’s always worth mentioning a second time. It’s marketed as a makeup remover as well, but I only strictly use it as a face wash. The Hydrating Cleansing Gel is a lightweight gel that washes away any grubbiness on my face with little work. I’m also not left feeling like my skin is dried out when I get out of the shower either. It’s hydrating enough that if I forgot to apply moisturizer that day (it happens!) it wouldn’t be an issue.

I was initially a little bit confused by the Multivitamin Booster. Like… what is it? Aside from fun to look at, that is. (I love the little suspended bubbles!) At its essence, the Multivitamin Booster is a serum (so, apply this after your toner). It has purified hyaluronic acid which helps to improve your skin’s moisture barrier against dryness. The little suspended balls of product are actually rather mushy, and they dissolve as soon as they’re pushed through the dispenser onto your hand.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost - Water Gel Sunscreen and Body Gel Cream — Neutrogena Hydro Boost – Water Gel Sunscreen and Body Gel Cream

Two enormous favourites here: the Water Gel Sunscreen and the Body Gel Cream.

The Water Gel Sunscreen is really, really lovely. I’ve been wearing it when going out for a run in the sun, and to play soccer, and I can happily report that it doesn’t slip and slide all over the place. Which means it stays put on my skin despite profusely sweating under that dang hot sun. I’ve dealt with a few sunscreens over the years that have dribbled into my eyes in the heat, and I just don’t have the patience for that. The Neutrogena Water Gel Sunscreen stays put and keeps me from getting burnt – love, love, love!

And finally, the Body Gel Cream. I believe this is their latest addition to the Hydro Boost range and I was SO excited to try this out when I saw it being added to the range. I really love the Hydro Boost range not only for the effects it has on my skin, but also for the scent. It’s a deliciously watery, aquatic scent, and having that in a full body moisturizer was making me a really happy camper! I do find the moisturizer has a little bit more stick to it than the rest of the range though. I don’t find this sinks into my skin completely for several hours, so I do end up with my sweatpants sticking to me a little bit after I’ve applied this to my legs. That being said, the hydrating effect along with the scent definitely beats out any slightly stickiness, so I do really quite like this stuff!

Have you tried out any of the Neutrogena Hydro Boost range? If you have, what were your thoughts on the products?

The Neutrogena Hydro Boost range can be purchased at ulta.com, walmart.com or on shoppersdrugmart.ca.

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.

Bite Beauty Agave+ Lip Care Review

July 3, 2019SkincareBite BeautyChelle

I’ve got some new lip care goodness from Bite Beauty to natter on about today! Bite has rebranded and updated their Agave range to become the new Agave+ line. They’ve changed a few of the formulas to ensure that they’re all clean, cruelty-free, gluten-free and vegan!

The first item I was keen to try out was the Agave+ Daytime Lip Balm. Several months ago I had run through a full bullet of this in it’s previous formula, so I was anxious to see if the new formula did anything different to my lips… and thankfully, it was the same as ever! If anything, I’d say this one is slightly more emollient. I can use this at night or during the day, and it does wonders to restore my lips. As it’s labelled a “daytime” balm, it’s not nearly as thick as it’s nighttime counterpart below.

Bite Beauty Agave+ Nighttime Lip Therapy and Agave+ Weekly Lip Scrub

Bite has also launched their Agave+ Nighttime Lip Therapy and Agave+ Weekly Scrub. I still have the older formula scrub in my arsenal, and I’ve been using it… but I like this one more. The Agave+ Weekly Lip Scrub formula is less watery in comparison to the older one which makes it easier to get on your lips and scrub it around. The sugar particles feel thicker, but it’s likely because there’s less goop in the base (which I appreciate). I’m not a regular lip scrub user, but when I use this it does leave my lips feeling soft and supple.

And finally, my absolute favourite product out of this Agave+ range is the Nighttime Lip Therapy. I have occasionally struggled with some of Bite‘s agave lip masks over time (unfortunately the Candy Cane and Original formulas dehydrate my lower lip and cause flaking, whereas the Maple one works really well for me), so I was worried that this one may react poorly on me. To ensure nothing went sideways with this review, I used this balm nightly for three whole weeks so that I could be confident in saying that this product wasn’t doing anything terrible to my lips… and I am so happy to report that this balm is fabulous! It’s a thick, luxurious balm that I look forward to putting on my lips every night before bed. The smell is also incredible – rich, sweet and has a faint orange scent to it too.

Both the Lip Scrub and the Nighttime Lip Therapy pots come with a seal on the inside and a little spoon to help you scoop up the product. I found this helpful for the Lip Scrub, but opted to throw them away for the Nighttime Lip Therapy since it was just easier to apply with my fingertips. If you’re someone who doesn’t love sticking your finger in your potted balms though, you’ll definitely love this added feature.

Final Thoughts

I’m so glad this whole range did wonderful things for my lips. Whenever a brand updates a formula I get a bit nervous that it’s going to react differently on my lips. While I liked everything quite a bit, my favourite item was definitely the Agave+ Nighttime Lip Therapy. That stuff is GLORIOUS!

The Bite Beauty Agave+ Lip Care range can be purchased on sephora.ca or on sephora.com.

Products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.

Skincare Saturday: Nivea Urban Skin Detox Range

May 25, 2019Reviews, SkincareNiveaChelle

Nivea Urban Skin Detox

Trying out new Nivea skincare products get me excited because I’ve found that the brand always seems to satisfy my skin. Nivea has recently launched their Urban Skin Detox range, and right off the bat I was loving the updated packaging. It not only has their staple navy blue, but also bright pops of green for a little extra pizzazz. The intent of this range is to defend your skin against pollution, stress and other aggressors while maintaining moisture.

The first item I tried out as the 3-in-1 Clay Cleanser. This isn’t just a normal cleanser though, it actually has small exfoliating bits in the mix. Interestingly, Nivea says that this can be used as a mask, but I really only ever found myself using it as my morning face wash. I found the texture to be quite thick once you squeezed it out of the tube, but spread very easily onto the skin. The little scrubby bits in the product are quite tiny and very spaced out. They worked well to exfoliate my face, but it was more of a gentle scrub than a deep, down cleanser (which is fine! Makes it good for daily use.). I love, LOVE the smell of this – it’s fresh, and clean without any real hint of that clay (which I don’t love the scent of traditionally).

Nivea Urban Skin Detox Mattifying Peel-Off Mask and Purifying Clay Mask

With this range they’ve also released two masks – a Purifying Clay Mask and a Mattifying Peel-Off Mask.

Nivea Urban Skin Detox Mattifying Peel-Off Mask

I love any kind of peel off mask, so I was keen to try this one, although I must say that the idea of a mattifying peel off mask was a bit odd to me. The mask uses organic green tea and black rice and forms a peel-off film that removes dead skin cells and refines the appearance of pores. While I did find my face looked slightly more matte after removing this mask, I didn’t notice any long lasting matte effects on my face. I did find that this mask dried down much faster than most peel off masks I’ve used in the past which is much appreciated.

Nivea Urban Skin Detox Purifying Clay Mask

I had a lot of fun with the Purifying Clay Mask! This one smells delightful and gave me an immediate tingly feeling as soon as it made contact with my skin. I really like when I can FEEL like skincare is working, so a mask with a tingle effect brings me great joy. What surprised me about this one was that they encourage you to wear it for only about 5 minutes. That’s some fast masking!

Nivea Urban Skin Detox Night Gel Moisturizer and Day Moisturizer

The products I ended up using the most were definitely the Night Gel and Day Moisturizers. Both come in a tub and have quite a gelatinous cream texture.

The Day Moisturizer… wow… you need so little product with this one. I found if I over-applied the product I would get a little bit of balling up on my face. So apply this sparingly because it spreads out very easily and you need very, very little to cover your entire face. I found that this one left me with a bit of dewy glow even after a few hours of application.

The Night Gel Moisturizer was definitely my favourite. It’s a touch thicker than the day moisturizer, but not excessively gloppy. It was fantastic for applying at bedtime because it was super hydrating without being too thick. There’s nothing I dislike more than putting on a super heavy moisturizer and then having my face stick to my pillow at night. This one was glorious!

In short, the whole Nivea Urban Skin Detox range is a lot of fun and quite effective. For me, my top picks were the Purifying Clay Mask, the Night Gel Moisturizer and the Clay Cleanser. I love that the products had a new fresh scent for Nivea, and that they easily incorporated into my usual skincare routine.

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.

Skincare Saturday: BLAQ Meteor Shower Shimmer Scrub (DO NOT BUY THIS)

May 11, 2019Reviews, SkincareBlaqChelle

This is the WORST product I have *EVER* tried in my history of trying out beauty products over my entire life and I’m simply making this post in the hopes that it reaches someone before they spend their money on this for themselves or for someone else. Or maybe you got this product as a gift and were going to use it.

DO. NOT. USE. THIS. PRODUCT. The BLAQ Meteor Shower Shimmer Scrub is absolute trash.

I was intrigued because it’s a shimmer scrub and I’m easily suckered in by anything glittery and holographic like the packaging on this one. The instructions indicate that the scrub will turn your skin grey but that you shouldn’t worry because it’ll easily rinse off with water. WOW WHAT A LIE THAT WAS.

Behold… my leg in the shower:

This is after I'd scrubbed it into my leg and tried to rinse it off. — This is after I’d scrubbed it into my leg and tried to rinse it off.

This was after trying to rinse it off with just hot water. No dice.

You can actually SEE the beads of water repelling off my skin in the picture above. This is because there’s some kind of oil in the product that makes the black gunk adhere to the skin… essentially locking it in place and forming a waterproof casing on my leg. IT’S LIKE FREAKING TAR.

So I used another sugar scrub to remove it. And my loofah. And soap. And body wash. It was barely moving, and I was fifteen minutes into scrubbing!

This is after scrubbing for fifteen minutes with another scrub and a loofah and more soap to try to get it off.

I finally stopped scrubbing, got out of the shower and started towelling off with the hopes that my towel would help me out with removal. All of these different methods of scrubbing did remove the bulk of the product, but I was still left with lightly grey tinted legs. I look FILTHY. Like I’d been rolling around in mud at the soccer field for the last two hours.

This is it CAUGHT IN MY HAIR FOLLICLES on my thigh.

And to make matters worse? It locks into your hair follicles. The shot above is a close up shot I took with my phone of my thigh. Can you even believe what you’re seeing? That black grit has gotten into my hair follicles!

I’m ENRAGED. In all of my years of trying beauty products (not just in my blogging “career”) I have never encountered a more GARBAGE product than this one. Not only did it stain my skin, but it also ruined my shower loofah (I’ve since thrown it out), stained my bath tub grey (it’s day later and I’m STILL trying to get it out) and all of my towels had to be laundered. How this pure shit of a beauty product made it out of QA testing and out on to the market is an absolute travesty.

DO NOT BUY THIS. DO NOT USE IT. DO NOT GO ANYWHERE NEAR THE BLAQ METEOR SHOWER SHIMMER SCRUB.