Category Archives: Reviews

Skincare Saturday: What’s In My Shower Right Now

Taking a look at what's in my shower

Last weekend I showed you what’s on the counters and in my medicine cabinets in my bathrooms, and this week I thought I’d show you what I’m actually using right now on the daily in my shower!

Being a beauty blogger means that, above anything else, skincare is the thing that PR companies try to send you the most. As a result, it can mean having a huge backlog of items you want to get through, which is usually held up by the fact that we’re always in the midst of trying something out in order to review it. This is one of those rare occasions where I’ve turned down enough skincare over the last few months so that I can play catch up and finish up some products that were already in my stash just waiting to get used up! Because honestly, finishing up a product is really very, very satisfying!

Hair care and scrub
Hair care and scrub

Starting you off with some hair stuff, I’ve got the Gliss Hair Repair Extra Volume shampoo* and conditioner*. While this is supposed to give me more volume, my hair is so stupidly long right now that I don’t notice much of an impact. That being said, this is a perfectly serviceable set of shampoo and conditioner and I have enjoyed using them quite a bit. I did use up the Gliss Hair Repair with Liquid Keratin* set previously though, and if I had to choose between the two, I’d definitely opt for the Liquid Keratin one instead (comes in a black bottle with gold writing) as that one worked absolute wonders on my hair.

About once a week I’ll do a hair mask and lately I’ve been using the Phyto Phytoelixir Intense Nutrition Mask*. It’s intended for ultra dry hair, which isn’t necessarily me, but I do like the infusion of nutrients into my hair once a week since I am a daily hair washer.

And since it sits nicely on the hair mask, I’ve got a body scrub over on this side of the shower as well. As with the hair mask, about once a week I’ll use a body scrub and I’ve been working my way through the BVSpa Sugar Scrub in Pink Grapefruit*. Great scent and helps to slough off any dead skin.

Shower caddy holding all my shower essentials!
Shower caddy holding all my shower essentials!

The bottom half of the shower caddy is my section (David’s area is above since he’s taller) and I’ve got it stuffed with the products I use most in the shower. (Not pictured, a bar of Mary Kay Into The Garden soap* that’s lounging on the corner of the tub.)

I’m a bit fussy with shaving, so I’ve got a few items in here for that purpose. I prefer to shave my legs with the Schick Intuition Razor just because it’s SO EASY. I started using this razor in my 20s because my friend Alison tried it out and loved it, so I hopped on the bandwagon. Not having to lather up my legs with shaving cream before shaving them is glorious. The layer around the razor acts as the shaving cream and saves me so much time in the mornings. You will notice that you go through these a bit quickly and they are more expensive than using a regular razor with shaving cream, but for me the time savings is huge. That being said, I hate how the Intuition razor feels on my underarms (makes them itchy for whatever reason), so I stick to my Gillette Venus shaving gel (Violet Swirl here) and a Gillette Venus Razor for those areas. (Also great for the bikini line area and anywhere else downunder.) Since I am a natural blonde (yes, it’s true – I don’t dye my hair), I don’t actually have to shave all that often – maybe once a week for my legs and twice for my underarms.

Shaving details aside, I’ve got two face washes in here: the MyChelle Creamy Pumpkin Cleanser* and Marcelle Hydra-C Daily Radiance Scrub. The MyChelle pumpkin cleanser is to die for – it smells like a pumpkin spice latte in a face wash and I *love* using it in the fall! The Marcelle scrub is one I’ll use once a week on my face and sadly it does not smell like oranges – which is what I had been expecting from the tube! It’s an okay scrub, but I feel like it could use a lot more scrubby particles in the formula.

I’ve left my favourite till last: the Lush It’s Raining Men shower gel. Of all the shower gels I have tried in my life, this is hands down my absolute favourite scent. It’s a honey-caramel scent explosion in your nose! It leaves my skin feeling soft and wonderfully scented with those honey and caramel tones. My husband actually bought this bottle for me last year for Christmas and I’m only just now getting to use it (see, I told you the backlog of trying out products is intense) and I could not be happier. Love, love, love!

So that’s everything that’s in my current shower rotation – hope you liked seeing this slice of my daily life!

This post contains a mix of items that were sent to me for consideration as well as some purchased items. Items that were sent are marked with an asterisk. Some links are affiliate links.

Skincare Saturday: What’s In My Bathrooms?

Guest bathroom
Guest bathroom

I think we’re all a little bit curious as to what products people keep – be it in their bags, showers, makeup collection, etc. – so I thought I’d take you on a quick tour of my two bathrooms and the products I keep on the counters and in the medicine cabinets.

Sidenote: There’s a lot of PR products in here and most of them I’ve reviewed in the past. I’ll put a star (*) beside each product that was sent to me so you’ll know!

The first bathroom is our guest bathroom and, out of the two we have, it’s the one we use the least (which means it stays clean the longest!).

Guest bathroom - sink area
Guest bathroom – sink area

I like the idea of keeping a fairly clean counter in the guest bathroom (our ensuite is much different) so I don’t have a ton of stuff on display. Tis the season for Live Clean holiday hand soaps, so I’ve got their Vanilla Peppermint hand soap* out for use. I also keep the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Lotion* out in case someone is feeling dehydrated and needs a skin boost.

In my opinion, no bathroom is complete without Q-tips and cotton rounds, so those are there as well!

Guest bathroom - medicine cabinet
Guest bathroom – medicine cabinet

It’s a little bit empty inside the mirrored medicine cabinet, but that’s fine by me! I’ve got a handy Febreze in there because no one likes to leave a bathroom feeling ashamed (more specifically… in someone else’s house!) and honestly that Febreze is about six years old at this point. Those things last forever!

I’ve also got some QUO nail polish remover – I always opt for the hydrating ones if I can find them. Some more lotion in there – Avon‘s Skin So Soft Aqua Express* (love the smell of this one!) and the Be Delectable Hand Cream. Since I also wash my makeup brushes in the guest bathroom, I’ve also got a huge bottle of Johnson’s Baby Shampoo which is my go-to for makeup brush cleaning.

Ensuite bathroom
Ensuite bathroom

Time to move on to our ensuite and this one is a lot more jam packed with products! Once again with the Q-tips and cotton rounds, but this time I’ve got a Bath & Body Works hand soap in Crisp Morning Air which is one of my favourite autumnal scents.

Ensuite bathroom - counter
Ensuite bathroom – counter

To the right of the sink is a lineup of products that I use daily… or that I try to use up (namely some of the hair stuff).

  • The Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Cleansing Pads* are one of my favourite quick face washes. The pads come soaked with face wash and have a textured side so you can really scrub at your face.
  • Dermal Therapy Heel Care is VITAL to me. I get heel cracks and this is the only product that will heal them.
  • Bioderma Micelle Solution in Hydrabio* – an absolute daily necessity for me. Helps to clean up my makeup mistakes and great for removing any makeup or oil residue at the end of the day.
  • Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Soap – I usually wash my face in the shower (where I keep another face wash), but if I’m not showering that day I’ll reach for this face wash. It’s kinda neat – it foams up like shaving cream, and thankfully does not smell like eggs!
  • Infusium 23 Leave-in Conditioner*: LOVE this stuff. I was a huge fan of the shampoo and conditioner, but I used those up a while ago. So now I’m finishing up the leave-in conditioner which I spray on my hair when I’m out of the shower. Helps detangle my very-much-in-need-of-a-haircut, far-too-long-hair right now!
  • Sun Bum Sea Spray* – I love using this during the summer to give me some crunchy, salty beach waves!
  • Living Proof Instant Texture Mist – Not a huge fan of this one, so I’m trying to use it up. I much prefer the volumizing cream.
  • Sunsilk Thermashine leave in conditioner: This is actually a bottle of water that I use to wet my hair if I got a kink in it and need to re-style it. I miss Themasilk/Sunsilk though. They were my absolute favourite hair brand through the 90s and 00s.
  • Pantene hairspray – I’m not fussy when it comes to hairspray so I just buy the biggest can out there and it lasts me forever since I only use it when I curl my hair.
Ensuite bathroom - medicine cabinet
Ensuite bathroom – medicine cabinet

Straight into the medicine chests!  There’s a hell of a lot in here, so I’ll keep it brief. I’ll also only be mentioning the products that are mine (which uh…. is most of them).

  • Secret Deodorant: Spring Breeze is my favourite scent and I haven’t strayed from it in about a decade!
  • Sekkisei Enriched Lotion*: Using this as my daily toner. It seems fine, but I don’t notice much of a difference in my skin. I do like using toners for some reason though.
  • Lierac Hydragenist Spray*: I don’t use this super often, but it’s a great hydrating spray when you need an extra boost.
  • Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Oil: It works really well at breaking up makeup, but I do notttt like the smell of it.
  • Marcelle Gentle Makeup Remover for Sensitive Eyes: The BEST makeup remover in the world, hands down. Been using this for more than ten years and they had better continue to make this throughout my entire lifespan!
  • MAC Cleansing Oil: Tiny baby sample I got with one of my orders.
Ensuite bathroom - medicine cabinet
Ensuite bathroom – medicine cabinet

And the last two shelves… phew!

  • Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream*: I use it… but I have no idea if it’s doing anything like removing wrinkles. It does help to rehydrate my eyes if I’ve worn makeup too much that day though.
  • Bioderma Hydrabio Gel-Creme*: Super moisturizing. I tend to put this on on days where I don’t wear makeup.
  • The Body Shop Drops of Youth – Youth Concentrate Serum*: Just trying to use this serum up. It’s okay, but it tightens my pores and I’m not a huge fan of that sensation.
  • tarte Lip Facial* and Mary Kay Satin Lips*: Two lip scrubs I just pulled out but haven’t used yet (just finished my Lush one the night before).
  • Korres Wild Rose Face Oil*: Almost done with this one and I really like it! It’s lightweight so you can wear this one throughout the summer as well. I usually apply it a few times a week at night.
  • Maison Jacynthe Eau Florale de Lavande*: I’m not huge into lavender, but the scent of this is refreshing and soothing. I occasionally mist my face with it in the mornings for a boost.
  • Embryolisse Emulsion Hydra-Mat*: This stuff is WILD. Super moisturizing but also mattifying. I don’t know how that works, but it does!
  • Bioderma Hydrabio Creme*: Feeling seriously dehydrated? This is the moisturizer for you! I only apply this at night because it’s SO thick and does’t play well under makeup.
  • Philosophy Take A Deep Breath*: This is a lovely gel cream that is my current daily moisturizer. It works really well under makeup, smells nice and is hydrating.
  • Embryolisse Eclat du Regard*: Super buttery eye cream that I’ve used a handful to times, but will be in full rotation when I finish up the Clinique one

Phew! That’s it! When I thought of this idea for a post, I hadn’t really stopped to consider just how many products I have in my bathrooms! Hope you liked the quick tour of the products I’m currently using on the daily. 🙂

Post contains affiliate links.

Skincare Saturday: New Soap & Glory Launches at Shoppers

New Soap & Glory products!
New Soap & Glory products!

Although Soap & Glory has been at Shoppers Drug Mart for a long while (look for it near the end of the bath aisle, sometimes on an endcap!), the selection can end up being a little bit limited (and I’m still waiting on the full makeup range!). They’ve recently added a few more items to their range and I was more than happy to test some of them out.

Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub & Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Plumping Gloss
Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub & Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Plumping Gloss

Let’s start off with my absolute favourite products!

The number one new item I tried was the Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub ($18 CAD). This stuff is absolutely UNREAL. And maybe it’s because I’m Canadian, and this scrub has a maple scent, but the Breakfast Scrub is absolutely to die for. It smells edible (it’s not though – so don’t!) and it works like a dream. This has actually become my new favourite body scrub (sorry Tree Hut – you’ve been upstaged!) because the combination of the texture (dense but spreadable and plenty of exfoliation to leave you feeling smooth) and the scent makes this top notch in my book. If there’s only ONE thing I could encourage you to try out in this post, it’s the Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub!

The Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Plumping Gloss ($14 CAD) is going to be for those looking for a little more plump in their lips. I know not everyone can handle the feeling of topical lip plumpers (and I’m not especially sensitive to them so keep that in mind) but this one in Spun Sugar felt a bit different from the ones I’ve tried in the past. It doesn’t burn, but it almost feels like my lips are constantly moving? It’s a bit of a hilarious feeling… almost like the product in the gloss that causes the plumping is jumping around for fun on top on my lips. It does plump mine a little but nothing too extreme, which is good in my books! I do notice the sensation disappearing after about thirty minutes, so you’ll need to reapply if you want to feel that active plumpness happening on your lips.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Lotion & The Fab Pore Daily Micro Smoothing Moisture Lotion
Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Lotion & The Fab Pore Daily Micro Smoothing Moisture Lotion

I’ve started using The Fab Pore on the daily as my morning moisturizer and I was really impressed with the performance of it. Not only from a “kept my face hydrated” perspective, but also because it performed really, really well under foundation. (And when I was done trialing it for the week or so for this review, I went back to the moisturizer that was currently in my rotation and quickly realized just how BADLY that one performs under foundation, so heck yes to The Fab Pore!) Part of the performance may be chocked up to the ingredients which help to mattify the skin and tighten your pores.

The Sugar Crush scent isn’t new to Soap & Glory‘s range, but it is one of their most sought after scents. I believe it was previously only available as a body butter, but now it’ sin the more fluid body lotion($16) format with a pump top (thank you!). The Sugar Crush scent is slightly intriguing to me: with a name like Sugar Crush you’d expect it to me syrupy-sweet, but that’s not at all what it is! It’s more of a lime scent with a sugary edge. It’s one of the more unique fragrances out there simply because no one really makes lime-scented products!

Soap & Glory Body Spray in Original Pink and The Fab Pore T-Zone Cloths
Soap & Glory Body Spray in Original Pink and The Fab Pore T-Zone Cloths

And lastly, we have the Soap & Glory Body Spray in Original Pink and The Fab Pore T-Zone Cloths.

The Body Sprays ($10 CAD) come in Original Pink (pictured), Smoothie Star and Sugar Crush. The Original Pink scent is identical to Hand Food scent (which I think is the original smell? I see it now in Sugar Crush-scented, but I’ve only tried it when it smelled this way). For me, this is a bit too much as a body spray – I like when my moisturizer smells this way (and I LOVE Hand Food), but I like to keep that scent localized to my hands. If you’re a huge fan of the Original Pink scent though… then more power to you and get to spraying because the scent is very consistent with the hand cream!

It feels funny to end this review by mentioning a product I haven’t tried yet, but hey – here we are. I’ve got way too many packages of makeup wipes open right now and don’t want them to dry out so I’ve avoided opening The Fab Pore Triple Action Purifying T-Zone Cloths. ($10 CAD). Interestingly, these wipes are not fundamentally geared towards makeup removal – these seemed to be advertised as wipes to help purify and clean your face while also tightening your pores. If you’ve tried these out, let us know how you feel about them in the comments!

And that’s everything brand spanking new by Soap & Glory in Canada! I’ve been using their products for years and am never disappointed. I am so, SO glad to have discovered my new favourite scrub in this roundup of products!

For those of us in Canada, Soap & Glory can be purchased at Shoppers Drug Mart and some of their products are available online via beautyboutique.ca. If you’re in the USA, you can find a wide array of Soap & Glory at ulta.com.

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration. Affiliate links are included.

Skincare Saturday: Aveeno Shower Routine

Aveeno Shower Routine

This post is sponsored by iHerb.

Aveeno is always a failsafe brand for me, so it’s no surprise that their products are constantly in rotation in my bathrooms. Whether I’m using a toner, applying a moisturizer, washing my face or having a shower, it’s safe to say that Aveeno is involved *somewhere* in my routine year ’round!

Aveeno Nourish + Strengthen Shampoo and Conditioner
Aveeno Nourish + Strengthen Shampoo and Conditioner

I’ll be focusing on an Aveenospecific shower routine for today’s post so you get an idea of what products I love from them. On this particular day, I happened to have come back from running a half marathon, so I was not only weary, but also in desperate need to use products that I was supremely comfortable with (because running 21.1 kilometers is not only physically stressful, but emotionally as well!).

Sudsing up my hair with some Aveeno shampoo
Sudsing up my hair with some Aveeno shampoo

After hopping in the shower and letting the hot water warm up my body and soothe the aches of running long distance, the first thing I do is soak my hair and plop on some shampoo, suds it up, rinse it out and apply some conditioner. While I don’t have fragile hair in general, I still wash my hair daily so I prefer something with a strengthener in it which is what the Aveeno Nourish + Strengthen range provides. Both the shampoo and conditioner work in tandem to make sure my hair is strong and can hold us to heat styling on the regular.

Revitalizing or soothing? You choose!
Revitalizing or soothing? You choose!

My favourite part of showering is getting super clean and scrubbing away any of the grime and sweat from my day. And of course, having run for 2+ hours, I was super salty and sweaty so I was extra desperate to get all fresh and clean. Aveeno has more than a few body washes, but I’ve been rotating between the Daily Moisturizing Body Wash and the Positively Nourishing White Peach and Ginger Body Wash. While I love the White Peach and Ginger for a revitalizing scent boost (which is especially good in the mornings!), on this day I was needing something to soothe my senses so I opted for the Moisturizing Body Wash. Both body washes lather up well with a poof and smell wonderful on my skin.

Aveeno Positively Nourishing Comforting Whipped Souffle
Aveeno Positively Nourishing Comforting Whipped Souffle

Once out of the shower, it’s time to put some moisture back in my skin that has potentially been scrubbed away. Aveeno‘s Positively Nourishing Comforting Whipped Souffle moisturizer packs a hell of a moisturizing punch for my skin. Not only does it feel great but it also sinks in quickly which means I’m not fighting to pull on my clothes after my shower. You know that feeling… super sticky greased up moisturizer skin trying to pull on pants? Yeah, it’s not fun, and thankfully there’s none of that with this one!

I ordered these Aveeno products via iHerb – both shipping and delivery were quick and efficient. They send out your order the day of! And that’s not just on products I’ve ordered via sponsored posts either – I’ve ordered products that I needed outside of posts like this and the shipping notices have gone out without hours of me placing an order. That’s easily one of the things I appreciate most about iHerb – fast shipping alongside low prices!

iHerb in particular carries over 80 Aveeno products (see some of the other ones they carry in this previous Aveeno-centric post of mine) and they can ship to over 160 countries. They also have customer support in 10 different languages as well.

If you’re a new customer to iHerb, you can get $5 off your Aveeno order of $20 or more by signing up here!

Skincare Saturday: Embryolisse – Now Available at Shoppers Drug Mart!

Embryolisse now in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart!

Embryolisse is one of the brands that I always asked my mom to bring back from her vacations to France. I didn’t care what she brought back (although I often told her the Lait-Crème Concentré was my favourite) just so long as she gave me some new products to try by them!

So imagine how happy I was when I received an e-mail letting me know that Embryolisse would be available at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada starting in September! No longer did I have to wait for my parents or brother to come back from Europe with my Embryolisse goodies!

There’s a lot to check out by them, but let me make some recommendations:

  • Lait-Crème Concentré: Made infamous by the pixiwoo sisters, this nourishing moisturizer is suitable for all skin types. While I use this to moisturize, it can also be used to remove your makeup and as a cleanser! This is hands down my most repurchased high-end moisturizer – I’ve gone through probably about ten tubes of this. It’s super hydrating and doesn’t take forever to sink into your skin. ENORMOUS favourite (which you can tell, because this was the only moisturizer I brought with me on my trip to Bali and Australia in September!).
  • Hydra-Masque (not pictured above): I already have a full review of this moisturizing mask on my blog from 2015 (read that here), but in short, this is a dry skin saviour. It’s packed full of hyaluronic acid, natural plant oils and vitamins A, E and F to help regenerate the skin’s barrier.
  • Émulsion Hydra-Mat: I’ve never been one for a mattifying moisturizer, but it was sent to me so I gave it a shot. My mind was BLOWN! This is a lightweight moisturizer that feels hydrating but leaves a velvety finish on my skin that actually helped my foundation. It took about 1-2 hours longer for the oils in my skin to come through in the foundation on a regular day of makeup wear. I was amazed!
  • Lotion Micellaire: I always have micelle solution in my skincare rotation and this one is just as excellent as all the others I’ve tried. You can use this to tone your face, but I prefer to use this as the last step in my makeup removing routine. I never find these can remove ALL of the makeup on my face in one pass, so I prefer to use an oil-based cleanser to break everything down, and then I’ll run a cotton pad soaked in this product and clean up everything was left behind. You don’t have to rinse your face after using this, so it’s a wonderful last step for me!
  • Eclat du Regard: Oh wow! I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one since it’s labelled as an “express cooling and refreshing eye care” product. But this little baby stick is filled with the softest, most buttery textured eye cream I’ve ever felt. It goes on your skin like butter, but melts in rather quickly so you’re not left with some kind of residue. You can apparently use it under makeup, but I liked to use it before going to bed at night.

So that’s my roundup! So far I only see the Lait-Crème Concentré listed on beautyboutique.ca but there should be more coming soon. Let me know if you’ve tried out Embryolisse before and what your thoughts are!

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