May Favourites 2014

This month I have been using a lot of new products but the ones that really stood out made it into my monthly favourites :)

1st Too faced chocolate bar palette, I put off buying this palette for so long but I'm so happy I finally caved because the majority of the shadows are buttery smooth and they smell good enough to eat! My favourite shadows that I've tried so far are triple fudge, salted caramel, semi-sweet, hazelnut and champagne truffle.

2nd I just seem to keep reaching for this next lip product and it is Revlon's Creme brûlée. This product gives you sexy Pamela Anderson nude brown lips. I just love how it makes my lips look plump and luscious.

3rd I usually hate foundation but when Judy from itstimewithjudy did a review on Cliniques stay-matte foundation I knew I had to try it because her skin looked natural yet flawless. Guess what? This made my skin look the same way! I don't have acne currently but this product helped conceal any redness and covered up my large pores yet my freckles were still visible so I didn't look like a cake face and the best part is I don't feel like I'm wearing makeup. Only down side is my skin still gets oily! I actually think Cliniques foundation for acne helps control oil a lot better however it doesn't blend as nicely, it has more coverage and the shade range can use improvement.

My final favourite is MAC's extra dimension skin finish in superb. This is kind of a dark highlighter in my opinion however it gives you that bam in your face sheen which I've been liking so if your pale like me then apply just a little and blend, blend, blend!


Hope you enjoyed this post I will try and have up a full review on the matte foundation with before and after pictures :)

5 skin care products you need

Everyone wants clear skin that glows but it usually doesn't come naturally. Luckily it really isn't hard to achieve. Bellow I will list types of products you should be using, I can back up what I list because several months ago I had horrible acne that would not go away but my skin has been completely cleared up with my new routine. The past couple of weeks I've had no acne and the past few months I haven't hade much acne and its usually gone in a day or two and barely.

First you need a good cleanser that's gentle but can remove your makeup. Cleansing oils are really nice. It's also a very soothing experience.


Secondly I like using a second cleanser just so no oil residue is left behind and I just feel like by washing your face twice your not only taking off any makeup possibly left behind but your really cleansing your skin.


Third step is to use a nice toner that will hydrate your skin and cleanse it. I like a moisturizing toner because I don't wear moisturizers I find that most of them don't work I rather just use maracuja oil if I really want to hydrate my skin and makeup wears better with just a hydrating toner underneath.

Fourth step as you may of guessed is to use a oil to moisturize your skin. This is great for night time however you can use a oil under makeup just apply a very small amount and allow time for your skin to drink it in. A nice oil will give you glowy skin and make your skin so soft.


Fifth step is one that you should do once a week and its to use a exfoliate, it can be natural, chemical and/or with a clairisonic but its a crucial step because you really need to get rid of the build up of dead skin and bacteria.

Hope you found those steps helpful. I really believe they are the key steps in my routine that keep my skin clear and glowing.






I've attached a photo with me just wearing a yellow translucent powder to take away shine and a bronzer to contour.

Neon nails for Summer

This summer I am really feeling bold colours on my toes. I like simple shoes so a bold nail polish really adds some fun to my feet. I am not a fan of my feet however painted toes make me not hate them as much lol

The polishes I'm wearing are China Glaze "Flip flop fantasy" and to add a little accent I used Formula X "Ornament" polish.

Kat Von D Monarch Eyeshadow Palette Review and Swatches

I have another quick review of a gorgeous new palette. I'm talking about the Kat Vod D Monarch Eyeshadow Palette. This palette is full of gorgeous neutrals. The pigmentation is excellent. The shadows are very buttery so you'll have to tap off your brush to prevent fallout because these shadows are just so smooth and easy to pick up.

My overall rating is a 10/10. This palette is excellent I really can't say anything bad about it. The quality is superb and the shadows are gorgeous and blend so beautifully. I highly suggest checking out this palette.

Mac alluring aquatic haul

Review & swatches coming soon!

Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette review and swatches

I'm keeping this review very brief. Overall the shadows are velvety smooth. About 3 colours were a bit meh and didn't have mic pigmentation and/or apply nicely. The palette smells sweet and lovely. There is a nice array of colours and textures.


My overall rating is a 8.5/10

This is a beautiful palette and I highly recommend you pick it up :)

imPress press-Manicure Review

I was kindly sent 2 packs of imPress nails from influenster to review. I'm reviewing one pack because its the same concept. All opinions are my own.


imPress press-on manicure claims to be fast & easy, last up to a week and give salon results. So did they live up to their claims?

First off the nails didn't even last a day when some of them started to fall off. Is this a deal breaker? Personally if I really like the look of something I'm willing to put in extra effort. In this case I could of used nail glue but that defeats the next point they made of them being fast and easy.

I found the nails easy to apply once you found your match however I would of liked them to be a bit longer. I think some constructive criticism is that most women buy fake nails because they want long nails which these do not provide. Once again this can be a basic fix for the company. They can sell short nails and long nails.

Lastly they claim to give salon results. Fake nails you get at a salon last much longer and the designs are usually a bit more unique. The other pack I got was a shattered effect but I'm pretty sure everyone from their mom to their cat already owns nail polish that easily gives that effect. More constructive criticism for the company is make more unique designs and you are probably better off using some good old fashioned nail glue because it works much better then the too sided "tape" that's currently used.


My overall review is a 6/10. I think this company has a lot of work to do if they want to be what women pick up instead of going to the salon. If you love a design I highly suggest using nail glue to get a few more days wear out of these. Nothing is worse then going out and looking cute and realizing you have missing nails.


Hope you found this review helpful :)

Eye Accents using Liner

  This is my new favourite thing ever haha

 Today I used black liner to draw a little heart under my eyes, personally I love it so I thought I would show it in-case anyone wanted to give it a try :)

Weigh In/How I got Fit!

 So my weight as of last August/September was about 143lbs. The past couple of months I have really started loosing weight and I even surpassed my ultimate goal briefly!

My weight now fluctuates from 127lbs-131lbs which is very normal especially for me because I can carry a lot of water weight at times.

 So How did I pull this off?

If you read my previous posts you would know that I exercised I believe for around 18mins, I tried to eat healthy but gave into cravings and I drank a lot of juice.

 I NOW exercise on average for 25 minutes, I eat a bit healthier and now I drink a bottle of water a day and 1 glass of juice.

 I was able to hit my goal weight by making small minor changes so if I can loose over 10lbs by such simple changes then you can too!

Julianna's 13/14 month update

Julianna's 13 almost 14 month update.

Accomplishments
-Climbing furniture ie her brothers chair
- Climbing up stairs
- Walking pretty good
- Can lead someone to what she wants
-Points to what she wants
- Can say (hi, bye, ya, nana, mama, dada, bear paw)
- Shakes her head no
- Claps

Favourite foods
- Herb and garlic cream cheese on bread
- Cheese & broccoli rice
- Yogurt even the tubes
- Bear paws
-Bananas
-Gummies

Schedule is about the same as my last update, she plays even more independently. She still gets up but we just bring her in bed, if helped our son transition into his bed in his room quote easily.

Favourite things to do
-Attack mommy when she sits in the ground
-Bath time
- Cuddle with daddy
- Swing at the park
- Play with her brother

Anyways that's about it I may add more stuff later :)

What am I planning on buying and reviewing this month?

1 A sephora favourites kit
2 Kat Von D monarch palette or Too faced chocolate bar palette
3 New body butter
4 New MAC Collection. Probably a gloss & shadow.
5 Clinique stay matte foundation
6 New clothes

I'm letting you know so you can kind of expect what reviews to see coming up. This week in busy so that's why I won't be shopping until the middle of next week probably. Devon is working at a new place so I had to reschedule appointments and the kids are having to readjust. It's the hardest on Julianna. I will try to have an update on her soon :)

Nars Orgasm Blush Review

I'm sure a lot of you have tried this blush so if your not interested in this review and you want to see some new products on the market then you can expect that next week. This week I'm reviewing some "basics".

I'm reviewing Nars orgasm because it is a very hyped up blush so is it worth the hype?

Pigmentation
It's dry. I wouldn't say super pigmented but in a blush that can make it much easier to apply and it's not powdery at all.

Application
It can be tricky to get it to build up and blend. This blush take patience.

How does it look?
I think it makes my pores stand out, I'm not a fan of the sheen or glitter but hey some people might like that. I will say it makes my cheeks appear fuller and to me that's not really a bonus...


Overall I rate this product a 7/10. It's ok but it's an expensive blush and personally I would never spend so much on it... For the price point I would expect it to be glowy and not emphasize my pores. I would also expect it to feel for buttery and less dry and take out the glitter it's not cute on anyone. Sorry not sorry..

If you do want to pick up something from Nars that's in the orgasm line I suggest the Nars illuminator. It's super pretty, pigmented and long lasting.


Hope you found this review helpful.

I'm going to have some fun new things to show you next week so stay tuned!

Quick & Easy Yummy Lunch for Picky Eaters

I decided to talk about one of my absolute favourite easy to make lunches. I'm a very picky eater so I think this will be a great meal for picky eaters that are adults or children. You can add to this of course, I didn't have lettuce but I would of used some if I did.

2 slices of bakery slices cheese bread from a loaf
2 slices of tandoori chicken
1 slice of Swiss cheese

Toddler girl Fashion

I picked out a few outfits for my daughter so I decided to post them as inspiration :) I will also be posting one for toddler boys soon so if you have a son stay tuned for that :)

Why I don't support Paula's Choice

I recently entered a contest that was based on photo creativity. I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging but my photos were probably the most creative. The 5 winners were announced and what do you know 3 out of 5 photos weren't creative at all think a cheesy grin and holding up products and most of them were wearing makeup. There was also another lady that was brave enough to post a before picture of her with severe acne and a after shot and once again she did not win.

I'm disheartened because I thought Paula's Choice represented natural beauty but it seemed more like a popularity contest.

I will purchase basics from them but I don't support brands with double standards and say you can win a contest a certain way and not stick with it, because of this I probably will not review more of their products because I can't support a brand that runs popularity contests.

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Toner

Let me first start off and say Paula's Choice has a fantastic range of toners however it can be a little intimidating. I recommend contacting them if you feel unsure.

I chose the Skin Balancing pore-reducing toner because it claims to be weightless and minimize pore size, prevents signs of aging and it eliminates dry skin.

So does it hold true to those claims?

I've been testing this product for about 2 months maybe more... I have not noticed a difference in my pore size. My skin actually had a bit of trouble adjusting to it for a month. Around my nose gets very red, dry & itchy sometimes and it was at its worse for a month but it did adjust to it and I can honestly say I adore this toner.


Why?

It just makes my skin feel so clean but it also moisturizes my skin. I can just use this toner without a moisturizer and my skin is fine and looks great. When I get a breakout this really soothes it and it doesn't feel as irritated.

My overall rating is a 9.5/10. I highly recommend checking out this toner. The ingredients in it really treat your skin the way it deserves to be treated.

Hope you found this review helpful. I've just been really loving most of Paula's Choice products the past few months so you can defiantly expect to see more reviews on other products and no I am not sponsored I just like to share by favourite products so my readers can decide if they want to give them a try :)

Jergens BB BODY REVIEW

I heard a lot of hype about this product. People where saying it made their pores look smaller and their skin look better so I had to put it to the test!

Bb body claims to hydrate, illuminate, even, firms and corrects.

Out of all of the above I would say it does keep my skin hydrated as it feels soft and comfortable. As for illuminate and evens I have to say all lotions offer this as they moisturize your skin and that makes it healthier and will give you a sheen to your skin and it will overall make your skin healthier and your skin will have a faster turn over rate however that doesn't mean you may notice a huge difference in scars or freckles ect...

As for firms and corrects you won't notice a difference there. When most women think of lotion firming they think of less "jiggle" the only way to get rid of that is diet and exercise and even then it's normal to have a little jiggle.

Lastly by correct I think their talking about cellulite. The only way to get rid of cellulite is through diet and exercise, cosmetic surgery and I'm a firm believer in massaging helps too because cellulite is caused by fat build up in areas. This lotion does contain a bit of dha which will give you the tiniest bit of colour and darker skin has been proven to lessen the appearance of cellulite however in my opinion this product doesn't give you enough colour to really make a noticeable difference.


Considering all of above my rating for this product is a 6/10.

This is a nice lotion however they could of done so much more with this product!


My personal opinion on how to make great bb body cream is to first start off with some great natural hydrating ingridents like coconut oil or Argan oil. BB products are suppose to nourish your skin. Next skip the silicone. A lot of people are sensitive to it. Instead replace it with something more soothing like oatmeal. To get illuminated skin they should of added in a very soft pearlescent shimmer and to help with cellulite caffeine would of been something to factor in and more dha.

I'm sure more companies will be coming out with BB body creams and I hope to see better ingredients and results. Jergens had a great idea but the components fell short.



Hope you enjoyed this review. I'm doing less blogs because I try to write about stuff that's really worth reading about and I believe my reviews or other blogs turn out better.

Here are some pictures. The one with the blob of lotion is a before ie it hasn't been rubbed in. This is the medium to dark colour.