The Body Shop‘s body washes are one of those feel good items for me because I’ve been using them for multiple decades at this point. I remember being 14 years old and absolutely cherishing their body washes – my favourite scents were Oceanus (RIP) and Satsuma – and I felt like I was sitting in the lap of luxury whenever I used them.
The Body Shop Spa of the World Body Washes
It’s many, many years later at this point and I’m happy to report that The Body Shop can still do no wrong with their body washes! The scents may have changed over time (please, PLEASE bring back Oceanus!) but the quality is just as good as ever. It’s one of those products where if you know you like the consistency, then it’s all about choosing what scent works for you – because you will not find a dud in the mix!
Brittany Coast Algae and Balkan Juniper Body Washes
In recent years, The Body Shop has revamped some of their range and created a more luxurious product collection – their Spa of the World range. While the quality is the same as their other body washes, the scents are more modern, more spa-centric and they really do give you that clean, spa-like scent when you use them.
The two scents featured in this post are quite different from each other, but they really do embody the whole spa aesthetic that they’re going for with this range.
Brittany Coast Algae Body Wash: An aquatic scent with a side of green courtesy of the algae. I’d almost call it a “thick” water scent because of the algae. Lovely scent!
Balkan Juniper Body Wash: This one is one hell of a “bitey” scent (it’s got a bit of kick to it), but it’s my favourite between the two in this post. I think I must like the scent of juniper because I *really* like this one. It’s not a traditional body wash scent for me – this one isn’t subtle at all – it’s almost spicy, but in a clean way. Loooove this one!
Scents are a personal matter, so what I love may not be entirely up your alley, but if you’re interested in treating yourself to an at home spa retreat, then the scents in The Body Shop’s Spa of the World collection can definitely get you there! Let me know if you’ve tried any of this range out!
The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.
I haven’t a clue who the product creation person is behind The Body Shop, but they ought to be DAMN PROUD of creating this beauty of a product! Behold… the Countdown to New Year! holiday set.
The Body Shop Countdown to New Year! set
There’s a heck of a lot of people who go ga-ga for advent calendars even before December starts, but that fun all comes to an end come Christmas Day. What better way to keep the fun going than to have a Christmas Day to New Year countdown calendar??
The Body Shop Countdown to New Year! set
I expressed my amazement over this idea in my recent Holiday 2017 Skincare Sets video, but I also wanted to go a bit more indepth and open up all the boxes so you could see what was inside. Fundamentally, I think this is a GENIUS gift to give someone on Christmas Day. They can open up the “Christmas Day” box, and then they’ve got something new to open straight through until New Year’s Day!
The next few posts are going to be picture spoilers. As I only received this box a week ago I can’t give you any kind of review on the products encased therein, but I did want you to see what was inside in case you wanted to buy it as a gift for someone (or yourself, of course)!
Day 25 – Christmas Day
I personally feel like the could’ve started off Christmas Day with a bit of a larger product (more impact, you know?) but the first day you open this up you get a Vitamin E Moisture Cream (15 ml).
Day 26 – Boxing Day
Day 26 is a Glitter Dust in Pink.
Day 27
Day 27 is Hawaiian Kukui Rich Nurturing Body Cream (50 ml).
Day 28
Day 28 is the Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream (15 ml).
Day 29
Day 29 is a matte lipstick in the shade Sienna Rose.
Day 30
Day 30 is a headband with little bunny ears on it!
Day 31 – New Year’s Eve
Oh so appropriate for New Year’s Eve – you get a Glitter Dust in Gold!
January 1st – New Year’s Day
The last day, January 1st, is definitely the item I got the most excited about – there’s a full size Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask in there!
All in all, I think The Body ShopCountdown to New Year! set is so frigging smart. Having a new item to open every day after Christmas is really something special!
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
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 theirVanilla 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
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 QUOnail 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 DelectableHand Cream. Since I also wash my makeup brushes in the guest bathroom, I’ve also got a huge bottle of Johnson’sBaby Shampoo which is my go-to for makeup brush cleaning.
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
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 AveenoPositively 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 TherapyHeel Care is VITAL to me. I get heel cracks and this is the only product that will heal them.
BiodermaMicelle 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 SchoolEgg 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 BumSea Spray*– I love using this during the summer to give me some crunchy, salty beach waves!
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
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!
SekkiseiEnriched 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 No7Beautiful Skin Cleansing Oil: It works really well at breaking up makeup, but I do notttt like the smell of it.
MarcelleGentle 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!
MACCleansing Oil: Tiny baby sample I got with one of my orders.
Ensuite bathroom – medicine cabinet
And the last two shelves… phew!
CliniquePep-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.
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).
KorresWild 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 JacyntheEau 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.
EmbryolisseEmulsion Hydra-Mat*: This stuff is WILD. Super moisturizing but also mattifying. I don’t know how that works, but it does!
BiodermaHydrabio 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.
PhilosophyTake 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.
EmbryolisseEclat 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. 🙂
This month ended up being a lot more spendy than I was anticipating. It’s the start of the makeup holiday season (YAYYYY!!!!!) and there’s a lot of exciting products coming out now and in the near future!
Too Cool For School – Egg Mousse Soap ($15 CAD)
I’ve heard a little bit about the brand Too Cool For School and was intrigued by the fact that they use a lot of egg products in their skincare. I was low(ish) on facial cleansers at the time so I decided to pick up their Egg Mousse Soap one in a recent Sephora order because I “had to” get to the $50 free shipping mark. Of course, now I’m overburdened with facial cleansers and this one has moved to the back of the pile. Oops!
Bite Beauty Luminous Cream Lipsticks in Musk, Fig and Retsina ($28 CAD for all three)
My whole reason for placing a Sephora order was that Bite Beauty was doing a flash clearance sale on their old Luminous Creme lipsticks. I had just recently finished up Fig (an all time favourite shade of mine) and was planning to repurchase the shade anyway so I figured this would work out well. The trio came with Fig, Musk and Retsina. I actually already own Musk and Retsina, so I figured I’d put those lipsticks in giveaways!
Houses of Lashes Adhesive ($11 CAD)
The last item in my Sephora order was the House of Lashes lash adhesive! I was hunting for cheapie products to add in to my Sephora order to make the minimum spend for free shipping, and Megan (who knows I’m a huge House of Lashes fan) pointed out that Sephora was now selling their lash glue. I was OVER THE MOON. Not only is the price tag good ($11 CAD), but now I don’t have to order it from the US and risk a customs fee! This is currently a backup as I’m working my way through another tube of the very same adhesive.
I just swatched this palette for Swatch Sunday, so you may be aware that Tanya of I, Redhead sent me this tartePin Up Girl palette!
tarte Pin Up Girl palette
I hadn’t bought the palette when it came out in 2014, but Tanya knew I was a fan of tarte‘s blushes so she sent her backup my way! I am so, SO grateful to her for sending it to me – it was a really lovely gesture. And I love the formula of tarte‘s blushes so I’m always happy to add another bunch of them to my collection!
tarte Grav3yard Girl Swamp Queen palette ($59 CAD)
I’ve watched Grav3yardgirl for a few years now, and while I did find her personality a bit of an acquired taste (seriously, how can anyone be that peppy/vibrant/loud all the time??), she’s become one of my favourite YouTubers to just idly watch. I always find myself giggling with her in her videos and it’s nice to be able to tune in to someone who seems to be very comfortable in their own skin (with or without makeup!). However, I held off picking up her collaboration with tarte because I didn’t need another eyeshadow palette.
tarte Grav3yard Girl Swamp Queen palette
But as all good makeup lovers are apt to do… I caved. I was particularly drawn to the Dogman and Sassy Bun shades and it was always in the back of my head that I was going to be supporting a YouTuber that I already enjoyed watching. So I picked up the Swamp Queen palette and I’ve been enjoying it so far. It’s not a total knockout palette, but there are some really, really lovely shades in here! If you’d like to see this palette in action, I did do a video tutorial featuring it which you can see right here:
The Body Shop mini body butter in Frosted Plum (free – gift)
I got a few cast off products from Julie – I don’t know what it is, but I’ve become such a hoarder with skincare products. I feel like I want all of the body butters, creams, lotions, etc. and when someone’s like “oh you want this?” I’m like yes yes yes, and then I throw it in my closet… only to realize I already had it. So ridiculous. Anyway! This is The Body Shop body butter in Frosted Plum which was limited edition around from around the holiday season. Not sure if they’ll be bringing this one back this year!
Bite Beauty Kale and Squid lipsticks (free – gift)
Julie also ended up with duplicates of Bite Beauty‘s Kale and Squid lipsticks so I said I’d give them a shot. Although they look black in the tube, one is a very dark green (Kale) and the other is a dark navy (Squid). I’ve not worn them yet, but I’m excited to put together some looks with them and see how best they wear!
Milani Amore Metallic Lip Creme in Matte About You (free- gift)
A few weeks ago, Shawna surprised me and handed me this Milani Amore Metallic Lip Creme in Matte About You. She had tried all of the shades about and decided this would work better on me – and who am I to say no to that? I haven’t tried it yet, but be sure to check out her post on these Milani lip products because she’s got some great swatches!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Sweets ($40 USD)
I’m becoming a diehard for the Anastasia Beverly HillsGlow Kits you guys… it started with Gleam. And now I’ve purchased Sweets… and I’ve recently ordered Moonchild now too. These freaking highlighters are just so lovely and exciting that it’s really, really hard to resist them!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Sweets ($40 USD)
I’ve been particularly loving Sassy Grape. I had no idea I needed an iridescent purple highlighter in my life, but I now I realize I do! Also, rather amazingly, I was sent TWO of these Glow Kits when I only ordered one. Since this was shipped to the US, and then brought back to Canada for me (thanks Shawna!), I wasn’t going to bother shipping it back to ABH since paying for return shipping is kind of stupid when it was their mistake in the first place. INSTEAD, you guys will profit off it because I’ll be doing a giveaway for it in the next month or so. Why so far away you ask? Because there’s ANOTHER giveaway I already have planned for my YouTube channel tomorrow to celebrate 1k subscribers!
Neutrogena Hydrating Wipes ($8.99 CAD)
I’ll never understand why these NeutrogenaHydrating wipes are so much more expensive than the regular Neutrogena ones… BUT they are my absolute favourite, so I always wait till they go on sale before I pick them up. (They’re usually priced around $13 CAD!)
Too Faced x Nikkie Tutorials – The Power of Makeup ($68 CAD)
We all know I’m a Too Faced junkie at this point – so I’ve just accepted that I’m going to end up buying every palette they release, regardless of whether or not I’m dying for the shades. So, I picked up the Too Faced and NikkieTutorials collaboration “The Power of Makeup” mid-month.
Too Faced x Nikkie Tutorials – The Power of Makeup ($68 CAD)
I’ll be brutally honest about this… I love watching NikkieTutorials, and I love Too Faced, but this collaboration has left me totally underwhelmed. There’s nothing about this eyeshadow palette that screams “Nikkie” to me. The purple mascara is a weird choice – even if she says it’s her favourite colour, I can’t think of a time when she’s ever used coloured mascara. The eyeshadow shades are a weird combinations for her (in my opinion) and they swatch really poorly (swatch post coming soon). I’m glad it came with a black Sketch Marker because I do quite enjoy that product (my review on other shades cane be found here) and I am happy to own the glitter “Gliterally” – although, if you remember the Too FacedGlamour Dusts… this is the exact same as Blue Fire. Sadly, I didn’t collect them all so I don’t have a full size of Blue Fire, which is why I’m happy to own this one.
Anyway, all this to say, I haven’t actually put this palette on my face yet, so maybe I’ll like it more in when I actually use it… but yeah… not my favourite release by Too Faced sadly.
And that’s it… anyone else getting super excited about the upcoming holiday palettes and collections? September/October is the BEST time of the year in the makeup world as far as I’m concerned! 😀
Another month passes, and another crop of beauty products ends up in my collection!
Laura Geller trio (free – gift)
A while ago, my friend Sara sent me a trio of items from Laura Geller because she knew I was lusting over the Guava blush. That same trio was also for sale with the shade Plumberry alongside a different lip gloss and a different shade of Spackle. Natalie was at Nordstrom Rack in the US telling me about all of these deals and I demanded she pick one up for me! I was supposed to pay her for it but she keeps insisting it’s a present! <3 Those vivid swirl blushes though… holy heck man. So freaking gorgeous.
Mary Kay Into The Garden products (free – swap)
Next up are some swap items that a bunch of us Canadian Beauty Bloggers did the night before Gen Beauty! I really, really love the scent that Mary Kay used in their “Into The Garden” spring collection, so I snapped up the foot scrub, the fizzy foot balls (which I really just use as a bath bomb) and the soaps all in the same scent!
OPI – Is This Star Taken & Super Star Status (free – swap)
My love for silver glitter polish with rainbow holographic bits knows no bounds (they’re my year round toe nailpolish colour of choice) and no one wanted these, so now they’re mine! 😀
The Body Shop – assorted (free – swap)
I’m also eternally in love with The Body Shop‘s different shower gels and creams and it seems us bloggers have far too much of them! So I got a few varied products in Satsuma, Shea Butter and Coconut!
The Body Shop – assorted (free – swap)
I also snagged some minis of the Frosted Plum scent which I hadn’t gotten around to picking up during the holidays. I love these little ones for travel.
Too Faced Love palette (free – swap)Too Faced Love palette (free – swap)
I know the Too Faced Love palette doesn’t really have great reviews, but since I’ve become quite the collector of Too Faced products, I wanted this one regardless (there’s a reason why I didn’t spend my own money on it though…). I’ve photographed and swatched it for an upcoming Swatch Sunday and holy heck guys… so much shimmer. Almost too much really. This palette is definitely one of my least favourites by the brand… but hey, every brand has their dud product!
Biore – Baking Soda Pore Cleanser (free – swap)
I always come out of these swaps with an incredible amount of body products and face cleaners. No one wanted the BioreBaking Soda Pore Cleanser, so it came home with me. Since I don’t have skin that reacts to hardly anything at all, I can pretty much gobble up all the cleansers and creams that don’t work for other people!
Too Faced – Born this Way foundation in Porcelain (free – gift)
My friend Natalie had received this Too FacedBorn This Way foundation in a shade that didn’t work for her (Porcelain) so she offered to give it to me. I was SO excited – I had never used this foundation at the time and I kept hearing everyone rave about it. And now that I’ve use it, I get the hype! I also posted a full review of this foundation this past month, and you can check that out here.
Smashbox Be Legendary lipstick in LA Sunset (free – gift)
Another gift from a friend! This time Zoe mailed me the Smashbox Be Legendary lipstick in the shade LA Sunset. Like most bloggers, we all get to review a ton of things, and while we may like the formula, we often acknowledge that a particular shade isn’t quite for us. Zoe felt this was more a “me” shade (doesn’t hurt that I was cooing over it!) and sent it on over. I wore it this past week and loved the crap out of it. You really cannot go wrong with these Smashbox lipsticks – the formula is so comfortable and the shades are beautiful!
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Luminous Blush in Snapdragon ($41 CAD)
And finally, the one item I actually ended up buying this month… the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Luminous Blush in Snapdragon. I was so excited by this blush that I actually already got my review of it up last week! Snapdragon is the kind of coral shade that I want on my cheeks all summer long. Love, love, love!
Of course… Gen Beauty also happened in May! So if you’d like to see what I also picked up there, you can see that in this video:
