It’s that time of the year when my skin starts to dry out and I reach for facial oils to help boost the moisture in my skin, so I thought I’d test out the Indeed LaboratoriesSqualane Facial Oil this time ’round.
What the heck is Squalane you ask? Good question, because before I started typing this out I had no idea either. It sounds like an object I had to calculate the size of in high school math… but it’s actually derived from sugarcane. Bet you didn’t see that one coming!
This intensely hydrating plant-derived, 100% pure squalane is sustainably sourced from sugarcane. Squalane oil is hydrating, soothing, non-comedogenic, non-irritating and suitable for all skin types (from dry to sensitive to oily and acne-prone). It diminishes the production of excess oil and has powerful anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties.
Indeed Laboratories Squalane Facial Oil
The brand suggests using 1-2 drops on freshly cleansed skin, morning and night. In practice, you’ll need to use more than 2 drops to cover your whole face. I use about half of the dispensing dropper and rub the product onto my face. It feels lightweight and not thick, which is a huge blessing as I hate the feel of super thick oils that just sort of sit on top of the skin. The Squalane oil does absorb at a relatively fast rate, but you’ll still feel a hint of it after a few hours which is why I don’t recommend wearing it underneath your makeup. This is strictly a night oil for me, and rest assured that you won’t see the oil on your pillow case either.
I’ve found this oil to be hydrating in the longterm too. Sure, it feels great right away, but I’ve noticed a difference in the hydrating effects over the course of the next few days as well which is great. It’s also not an expensive facial oil too – the Indeed LaboratoriesSqualane Facial Oil only $19.99 CAD at Shoppers Drug Mart! Considering most oils will set you back about double that, I love seeing a great product priced so reasonably!
The product featured in this post was sent to me for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.
Ole Henriksen is a brand that I have heard talked about constantly for the last few years on YouTube, blogs and social media. But they had always been a brand that I had avoided simply because the price tag was far beyond what I want to pay for my skincare. I like my drugstore items – they’ve always served me well, and better yet, their prices are on the low end of things. I can be so VERY cheap when it comes to skincare.
So when I initially received the Ole HenriksenGlow Cycle Retin-ALT Power Serum from PR, I essentially rolled my eyes and put it to the back of my cupboard figuring I’d get to it when I ran out of all of my other serums. (I hadn’t asked for the product by the way -it just showed up completely unannounced in my PO Box.) But then, a few weeks later, two more products showed up – the Pore-Balance Facial Sauna Scrub and the Cold Plunge Pore Mask – and I was like “well okay now I’ve got three products, let’s turn this into a “I try Ole Henriksen for the first time”.
And oh my god.
Now I know what everyone is talking about. These aren’t cheap products, but I’m falling desperately in love with the brand and I’m both excited and a liiiiiitle bit scared at the same time.
Trying out Ole Henriksen’s Cold Plunge Pore Mask, Glow Cycle Retin-ALT Power Serum & Pore-Balance Facial Sauna Scrub
After photographing all three products a few weeks ago, I added all three of them into my routine immediately. I wanted to see what exactly this was going to do to my skin.
I first started out with the Pore-Balance Facial Sauna Scrub ($34 CAD/$28 USD) in the shower. I practically squealed with delight the first time I used it – this is a hot/cold scrub and those are some of my absolute favourites to use! When you first apply this to your skin it warms your face up, and that is so, so delightful in the morning! After you’ve rinsed it off it starts to cool your face down a bit – loved this sensation! I also appreciated that the exfoliating bits in the product are just that perfect size I love – not huge and coarse, but also not minuscule either – they’re just right. The scent on this one smells faintly of those Halls cough drops, but with a hint of… lime? Citrus something? Either way, it’s super soothing and I was so happy with the scrub.
Once out of the shower, I started up with my usual skincare routine of toner, then serum. The Glow Cycle Retin-ALT Power Serum ($70 CAD/$58 USD) is freaking PURPLE! PURPLE! I can’t quite put my finger on what it smells of, but it’s a sweet yet fresh. Be careful not to waste this product though – you really only need half a pump to cover your entire face. This serum contains AHAs and bakuchiol (a natural alternative to retinol) and claims to fight the signs of aging by targeting fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots. While I can’t say I’ve noticed a difference in my fine lines, I can confirm that my face does look oddly brighter. Not massively, and I doubt anyone would notice but me, but I have seen a positive difference. AND? This serum works fantastic under moisturizer – I had no balling up or pilling like I do with some other serums.
Those colours??? HOLY WOW!
We’re getting to the Cold Plunge Pore Mask in a moment, but can we just take a look at these colours?? I often find skincare unbearably boring. It’s all white or clear, and often doesn’t have fun scents. I had no prior knowledge that these products were colourful, so imagine my surprise and delight when I swatched them (lol swatching skincare) for this post. Teal! Purple! Speckled grey!
Wearing the Ole Henriksen Cold Plunge Pore Mask
And finally, the most exciting product – the Cold Plunge Pore Mask ($44 CAD/$36 USD). I had seen people wearing this bright teal mask on Instagram before, but I had no idea that it was THIS product by Ole Henriksen. Do you know how much fun it is to apply a bright teal face mask? A LOT of fun. More fun than any other skincare I’ve ever tried (except maybe a pore strip… those are so satisfying)! A little goes a long way with this one too – put a dollop on the back of your hand and then smooth it on to your face and let it sit for 15 minutes. This one smells more like a traditional clay mask with an added hint of freshness. The mask is quite cooling on the skin with a hint of tingling. I like to actually feel like my masks are doing something, so for me to have that cooling, tingling sensation is very much appreciated. And the best part? My face was noticeably smoother after taking the mask off. I’ve used a lot of skincare in my life and this one just *felt* different after it was all said and done.
So consider me converted. I’m incredibly impressed with Ole Henriksen skincare products and I’m currently looking at what else I want to try on Sephora’s web site. One thing to note is that not all of their price tags are on the high side. The serum is definitely up there at $70 CAD, but the scrub and mask are more reasonably priced at $34 and $44, respectively. And yes, I am actually considering buying a $70 serum once I’m out of this one – THAT’S how much I enjoy it.
I like that not only do I notice a difference and feel like these products are working on me, but they also make skincare fun again. They have great scents and fun colours, which may not matter to most people, but it does have a huge impact on me.
I never, ever thought there would come a day when I was excited about holiday hand soaps – but I’m 35 years old and here we are! And I am definitely pumped up about these Live Clean holiday hand soaps!
Live Clean Holiday Hand Soaps
In previous years, Live Clean only had the two soaps – Holly Belly and (my favourite) Vanilla Peppermint. While Holly Berry isn’t really in my preferred scent palate anymore (bit too fruity for me), I’ve been loving Vanilla Peppermint for years and years, and always look forward to busting it out in our guest bathroom.
So this year, I was taken by surprise when I saw Trysh over at Prairie Beauty Love post about their new Gingerbread Latte scent over on her Instagram and I was like whattttt is thissss????
New Live Clean Gingerbread Latte Hand Soap!
So now it’s a few weeks later and I’ve received the hand soap their fab PR team, and it’s already on proud display in my guest bathroom. I love not only the look and style of the bottle, but the scent as well. It’s a warm and creamy yet spicy scent that is super appealing to me. I’m so happy that they’re expanding their scent range for the holidays and I would absolutely love to see all three hand soap scents available as body washes as well!
I know finding the holiday hand soaps can be a bit of a challenge, so I’ve rounded up all of the places I’ve been able to find them online. Trysh was able to find hers at Walmart in stores, but I haven’t spotted them anywhere just yet. So, my fellow Canadians, here’s where you can get them online:
well.ca is selling all three holiday hand soaps for just under $5 each
walmart.ca is selling all three holiday hand soaps for just under $4 each
terra20.com is selling all three for just under $5 each
Hopefully you’ll be able to find them in stores (try Loblaws, Sobeys and Pharmasave as well!), but if you can’t wait, try ordering from the places above. Happy (holiday hand soap) hunting!
The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.
Winter is around the corner, and while I’m cold weather lover (yes, I do in fact frigging LOVE snow!), I must admit that my skin does get fairly parched during my beloved months. So of course I’m going to try to combat that by reaching for my hydrating Live Clean body washes and body lotions.
Live Clean Body Wash in Coconut Milk, Argan Oil & Vanilla Oatmeal
Live Clean has plenty of body wash scents, but I’ve picked three of my favourites for this post. The Argan Oil (middle) one is definitely the most moisturizing out of all of the Live Clean products I’ve tried, so it’s an absolute must for me. Second to the Argan Oil scent is Vanilla Oatmeal (super cozy and warm – I love this scent so much!) and Coconut Milk. While Vanilla Oatmeal may be a typical cold weather scent as it smells somewhat akin to Christmas baking, I realize that not a lot of people may associate Coconut Milk with the winter, but for me it’s a wonderful refresher in the morning when I need something a bit different from all the thicker scents I gravitate to in the winter!
Live Clean Body Lotion in Coconut Milk, Argan Oil & Sensitive Skin
Once you’re done cleaning yourself off in the shower, we all know it’s time to moisturize our body… but do we always really do it? Honestly, for me the biggest problem is usually that moisturizers come with a twist off or pop off lid, and that drives me bananas when I’m fresh out of the shower. Thankfully, the Live Clean body lotions are a pump top which makes it as mess free as you can get. No more struggling to get the lid of a bottle off with wet hands and/or gooping up the side of the tube because your hands are covered in lotion. (I *cannot* be the only person with this problem!) I chose corresponding scents to match the body wash, except for Vanilla Oatmeal because Live Clean doesn’t yet make a lotion in that scent (but I heard it should be coming in 2019!). Instead, I opted for the Sensitive Skin Unscented Lotion because there’s a lot of people out there with sensitive skin and scented lotion sometimes causes more problems than good. If that’s the case, then the Sensitive Skin option is the one you want to be on the lookout for if you’re picking these up yourself!
If you’re curious about the brand, know that Live Clean was not only founded in Canada, but continues to be developed and manufactured here as well. Their products are minimum of 97% plant based and natural ingredients, have biodegradable ingredients with a vegetarian formula and are never tested on animals. AND? The suggested retail price for each item in this post is around $8 CAD!
Giveaway!
Live Clean is being their usual awesome selves yet again and have offered to do a giveaway based on the products I chose for this post!
One lucky person will win:
Live Clean Argan Oil Repenishing Body Wash
Live Clean Coconut Milk Moisturizing Body Wash
Live Clean Vanilla Oatmeal Soothing Body Wash
Live Clean Argan Oil Replenishing Body Lotion
Live Clean Coconut Milk Moisturizing Body Lotion
Live Clean Sensitive Skin Fragrance Free Body Lotion
Giveaway Rules
This giveaway is open to Canadians only.
This giveaway starts on November 3, 2018 and runs for one week.
One winner will receive the prize pack pictured and described above.
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.)
Few things feel as luxurious as a heavy glass tube of one of The Body Shop‘s face masks – which make them a perfect treat for your skin on a day you want to treat your skin.
The Body Shop Face Masks – Chinese Ginseng & Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask and the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask
The two masks I’ve been using off and on for the last few months are their Chinese Ginseng & Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask and the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask. I use one of those soft flexible masking brushes to apply them to my face (it’s basically a small spatula) after I’ve washed my face, and then wear them for roughly 15 minutes.
Wearing the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask
The Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask is 100% vegan and is infused with bamboo charcoal, green tea leaves and organic tea tree oil. It’ll draw out impurities and refine the appearance of pores for healthy-looking skin. It’s probably the most fun to wear (between the two in this post) just because it’s got little leafy bits in it and it changes colour from brown to dark brown as it dries on your face. It also tingles a little bit which I really appreciate in a skincare product because I like to know that SOMETHING is happening!
Wearing the Chinese Ginseng & Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask
TheChinese Ginseng & Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask is inspired by Chinese traditions of blending ginseng extract, rice extract and sesame seed oil into a creamy exfoliating face mask. They do recommend using it 2-3 times a week, but I really don’t mask that often – for me it’s a once every two weeks kind of thing (which means I may not get the intended results). This is one of the more comfortable face masks to wear as it doesn’t dry down and there isn’t any stinging sensation on your face. It promises to improve your complexion by making it brighter-looking and more supple, and I do get a teensy bit of brightness out of this mask, but I really don’t use it as often as they suggest so I doubt I’m getting the full impact. Still… it’s fun to use for a little bit of at home pampering!
Do you have a favourite mask by The Body Shop? Let me know!
Products featured in this post were send to me for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.
