Maybelline Baby Lips Winter 2015 Limited Edition Review + Swatches on Dark Skin

 

 

    I spotted these lip balms at Walmart a couple weeks ago in a display and I picked them up. One of my first reviews on this blog covered Maybelline's limited edition baby lips collection for Winter 2014 and I can't believe we've went full circle and come back to this point!

     I picked up this lip balms for $3.97 or so at Walmart. I only picked up Mint Please, Sprinkled Pink and Spice it Up! There's a fourth shade called Cocoa Crush but it was all sold out so I never got a chance to swatch it!

      I'm not going to give an in depth review of Baby Lips because I've done that countless times on this blog so I'm just going to show you what these lip balms look like on someone with NW45 skin.

      Here's Mint Please. It was called Mint Candy in the UK and honestly I like that name better than this one! I love the little earmuffs on the package though. It's almost clear with a pale pink base. I really wanted it to be clear like all the other bloggers said, but it's got a white base in there that shows up on pigmented lips. Mint Please smells faintly of mint but doesn't tingle on the lips like other minty lip balms that I've tried.






















      This pink shade is Sprinkled Pink. It was called Sugar Cookie in the UK. Sprinkled Pink is a cool toned pink with silver shimmer. Sprinkled Pink smells faintly of vanilla.





















       The red balm is Spice it Up! It's called Sweet Apple in the UK and I love that name! Spice it Up! is a pink red shade. It's much more pigmented than Cherry Me from the original and permanent Baby Lips line. It smells mostly like cinnamon and ginger with a faint apple note in the background.

       So here's a swatch of all the shades side by side.

 

Mint Please swatched on lips. It looks fine in the picture but in real life it looks pale and completely washes me out. 

    

 

Sprinkled Pink swatched on my lips. This shade was a huge no-no. It sinks into all of my lip lines and I can never get an even application with this shade. This one left my lips much drier then the other ones and I'm guessing it's because this one has shimmer in it.

 

Spice it Up! swatched on my lips. Easily my favourite shade on the collection. It applies very evenly and smoothly and looks great on my lips, no sinking into lines or being patchy. It's deeper and more red in real life.

I can't wait to see what shades Maybelline will come out with for the Spring 2016 collection! 



Witchcraft Protein Hardener Review

This brand has been around for ages. My mother used this brand when she was trying to grow her nails and after years of torn nails I finally listened!

This product is $8.88 at Wal-Mart. It is a Canadian brand as well which is definitely something nice to know! I love supporting Canadian brands especially when they deliver outstanding products.


Claims from the Witchcraft website: Gives nails resistance, protects nails from daily tasks, and other damaging elements, stops nails from splitting and flaking. 
Contains essential amino acid found in brazil nuts and sesame seeds. 

The product is very runny and has a translucent blue colour that doesn't translate onto the nail at all. It has the typical nail polish smell and dries to an INCREDIBLY glossy finish. My nails look like I put a fresh coat of polish on all the time. It's fantastic.

My nail situation: I'm not looking for a miracle. My nails grow pretty fast so I'm not looking for a product that'll speed up growth. I'm looking for something that'll keep my nails from peeling and tearing.

The first week I applied two coats of this hardener the day I bought it and then I applied two coats of polish on top. As a base coat it works phenomenally. It kept my polish from chipping which is absolutely amazing because I work part-time at Canadian Tire (on the floor, no less!) so if my nails don't chip after the first day it's a miracle.

After a week of treatment my nails hadn't chipped or ripped or flaked and I was feeling pretty pleased.

Ten days in this happened. Then one day while I was working out my ring finger's nail just snapped and my heart broke! I wanted to quit but I said I had to give this hardener the benefit of the doubt and use it for at least a month.

The second week I took off the polish, moisturized my nails, wiped off the excess, and applied two more coats of the hardener and then added another coat for every day after. All of my nails have become longer, save for the ring finger which snapped off completley at work.

At this point I'm thinking of giving up, levelling all my nails and starting from the beginning but I want to see how much my non-broken nails grow with this protein hardener's help. If I get another split I was going to give up, no question about that and declare that this protein hardener didn't strengthen my nails at all.

The third week of treatment things just kept getting worse. Admittedly I hadn't been applying as many coats of polish daily as I should have been so maybe that was hindering development. My left hand looks good but my right hand has a wealth of problems.

I don't know if you can see it, but there are tears in the side of my nail, in the corner deep and far down. If it would tear, a good portion of my nail bed would have been exposed. There are two tears in the nail, so the polish isn't strengthening my nails at all.

There's a dent in my index finger's nail and then there's a rip in my middle finger. At this point I'm through with this treatment and I'm ready to level my nails and start anew with a new nail treatment. I really wanted to use this protein hardener for a full four weeks but I could see that it wasn't doing anything for my nails and I was wasting my time. This polish didn't strengthen my nails. It worked for ten days and then things all fell apart.

So I'm low scoring this treatment because it doesn't deliver on its promises of ending splitting, flaking and tearing.

Likes:

1. How glossy it is!
2. It works well as a base coat for polish
3. It temporarily strengthened my nails

Dislikes:

1. It didn't strengthen my nails for the duration of the period I was to use it
2. My nails felt as weak as usual

C

CoverGirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous Liquid Foundation 320 Soft Sable Review + Swatches

This foundation has been reputed to be a true drugstore gem in the online beauty community. Poor reviews of this foundation are few and far between. That, along with the fact that this foundation retails for a $7.97CDN caught my attention immediately. I'm almost done this tube of foundation and I'm ready to give you my verdict on it.

 Claims from the packaging: One simple step for a flawless, natural look that lasts all day. This formula blends easily to even skin tone and reduce shine all day.

Those claims are true! This foundation is so easy to blend into the skin, I barely have to do any work. Using fingers I can get a great finish, but when I use a blending sponge - like the Quo one I reviewed here - I get a flawless finish.

The left side of the back of my hand has a blended out swatch of the foundation on my hand. The right side of my hand has a drop of foundation, which is a really great match for my skin in the summer and the summer transitioning into fall. Shade 320 Soft Sable is a good colour for my NW45 skin when I've got a bit of a tan. During the winter and the winter transitioning into spring it's just a little bit too dark.

I'm proud of CoverGirl for a while they didn't have Soft Sable in Canada, the darkest shade they had was Tawny and Tawny is much lighter and much more golden. Though they could do better as Soft Sable is the darkest colour they offer and I know there are girls who want foundation who are darker than I am.

This foundation has no detectable smell which is always pleasant, I'm not a fan of scented foundation.

The foundation has a somewhat thick texture but spreads very easily on my skin. After about a minute the foundation sets into a satin matte finish. It's matte, but it's not a flat matte as CoverGirl's 3-in-1 foundation is. It gets dewier as the day wears on, but never gets super greasy.

I find this foundation keeps me matte in all areas aside from my nose which gets oily in two to three hours no matter what I do to it. The longevity of this foundation is really nice. When it fades, it loses its power to mattify and my skin gets dewy but doesn't break up and get patchy.

My skin is combination, slightly sensitive, and acne prone and I've never broken out from this foundation which is really nice.

This foundation feels so weightless on my skin and I love it! I love how this foundation has a thick and creamy texture, yet it feels like absolutely nothing on my skin. This foundation is as comfortable as a moisturizer all throughout the day.

In short, I really like this foundation because of the satin finish, how long it lasts and how weightless it feels. It's honestly one of my the better foundations that I've purchased and I'll repurchase it again, once I finish my grand tour of the foundation world.

I'd recommend this foundation to people who have slightly oily skin. I think it might be a little drying for people with dry skin. People with oily skin will benefit from it, but don't expect it to put a lock down on your oil, it'll keep it at bay but not for an extended period of time.

Likes:

1. Weightless feel on my skin
2. Blends really well
3. Lovely satin matte finish
4. Hasn't broken me out
5. Affordable

Dislikes:

1. I wish it would keep my oily nose under control
2. Needs deeper shades

A+



Milani Eyeshadow Primer Review

 

 

 

Some people don't think shadow primer is necessary. For people like me with oily lids, primer is a must. For a long time I really disliked wearing eye shadow because it would crease and look awful on me really quickly. I tried another eyeshadow primer from Essence - The I Love Stage shadow base - that did nothing to prevent creasing.

 

 

 

The most important thing to me with primer is one that will keep my lids from creasing. The second most important thing is that the primer keeps my eyeshadow from fading. The least important thing to me is having the primer make my eyeshadows more vibrant.

 

 

Here are the claims on the back of the packaging. I bought it for $8.99 from Well.ca. It is sold wherever Milani is sold such as Loblaws, Superstore and select Wal-Marts. It says the shade number is 01 Nude as if it comes in other shades, but it doesn't. Perhaps Milani is planning to release other shades, like a primer with a shimmer finish or dark finishes for smokey eyes. The nude shade is completely invisible on my skin unless I over apply it. 

 

The directions on the back of the package are right; apply it to clean dry lids. I've tried applying cream under the primer and that compromised the wear of the primer. If I apply cream I wait until my lids are dry. 

What I love love LOVE about this primer is the fact that its a squeeze tube primer! When shadow primer has a doe foot I absolutely hate it. For me it always ends up applying way too much onto my lids. I hope Milani never changes the packaging on this like certain other brands that will remain nameless *cough Urban Decay cough*. 

 

 

Here's a dot of primer on my hand (much larger then what I would actually use for both eyes). On the right side of the dot is a completely blended in dollop of primer. It's basically sheer with the slightest hint of beige.

 

I've had this primer for several months now and I absolutely love it. Whenever I use eyeshadow, this is the first step in my routine. The shadow proved it's worth to me this August. I wore it for eight hours and during that time I was out in the heat, I was sweating, and when I came home I was amazed to see my eyeshadow was still uncreased. If I hadn't been wearing the eyeshadow primer, it would've been faded, and badly creased. After wearing the shadow for ten hours I noticed there was light creasing. My shadows don't fade when I use this primer!

 

Caveats with this primer: When I apply too much primer it makes my lids look ashy. In addition to that it makes my shadows difficult to blend because they just stick in place and won't want to budge.

 

All in all; I absolutely LOVE this primer. It works incredibly well and the price is lovely. I love using it and I love how well it works.

 

Likes:

 

1. Keeps my eyeshadow from creasing

2. Keeps my eyeshadow from fading

3. Dries invisibly on my lids

4. Doesn't irritate my lids

5. Has a squeeze tube!

6. Affordable!

 

Dislikes:

 

1. If I apply too much I get a white cast and it's difficult to blend but that's my own fault

 

A+

Colourpop Ultra Matte Lips Tulle & Bumble Review

 

 

 

These two liquid lipsticks were my first order from Colourpop. I was dying to try out the liquid lipstick phenomenon that was sweeping the blogosphere but I wanted to do it as cheaply as possible. That way if I didn't like the lippies, it wouldn't be too big of a loss. 

 

They sent me this cute handwritten note which I thought was a cute note. I don't think they handwrite the notes anymore, but they're still a really adorable thing to include in a package. These liquid lipsticks retail for $6USD and the price in CDN varies with how strong our dollar is but it'll be around $7.90CDN. 

 

 

I ended up picking up Tulle and Bumble. Tulle is on the left and Bumble is on the right. Tulle is a dark burgundy brown while Bumble is a brightened terracotta rose.



 

Bumble is really bright on my skin worn straight out of the tube without a lip liner. Remarkably bright. So bright I wasn't even sure if I liked it on my skin tone. After playing with it I realized it looks really lovely with a lip liner and a small bit blended with the liner. Bumble is much more opaque then Tulle. 

 

Tulle is my favourite shade out of the two without a doubt. When I first put it on, I was in awe. It's such a beautiful colour! It's almost like a matte MLBB on my skin tone. It's gorgeous. I don't need a lip liner. Tulle is less pigmented then Bumble and I feel like I have to work a little harder (not hard at all but in comparison to Bumble) to get an even coat.

Now about the formula. These things dry quickly (after about twenty seconds) and feel very weightless on the lips so initially after I put them on, they felt so good I didn't even know I had anything on. But later on in the fifth and sixth hours my lips were feeling really parched. After eight hours I just wanted to take these off entirely because the dryness was maddening. At the same time I'm primarily used to hydrating lipsticks and glosses so going from that into one of these was tough for me. Others who have a higher threshold for dryness might find these downright comfy.

They are transfer proof once they've set which is really lovely. My lips don't stick together once they've set. They feel really smooth and soft when I touch my finger against my lips.

Taking these off is easy if you've got oil or an oil based makeup remover. These don't come off with standard cleansing facial towelettes. I appreciate the fact that they don't fade away and the fact that the colour comes off easily at the end of the day.

I do like these as matte lip colours but I'm not a big fan of how drying they are. Of course I expected them to be because that's just how liquid lipsticks are.

Likes:

1. Great range of colours
2. Sets quickly
3. Feels weightless on lips
4. Long lasting
5. Transfer proof

Dislikes:

1. Drying
2. If blending with a liner I've got to work really quickly!

A-

Colourpop Super Shock Cheek Pearlized Highlighters in Most Necessary & Tasty Review

 

 

 

I placed my second order from Colourpop as a little reward. These highlighters are what really caught my attention with Colourpop's brand but I waited so long to try them for reasons I can't understand! I was lusting after Most Necessary for a long time and added Tasty after a little research. These retail for $8USD so currently it'd be about $10.53CDN.

 

 

Colourpop doesn't really have any claims regarding these. They are $8USD for one. In the picture above, Most Necessary is on the left and Tasty is on the right. According to Colourpop's website Most Necessary is described as a "soft copper with rosy gold highlights" and Tasty is described as a "candy coloured coral with multi-dimensional pink and copper duo-chrome finishes." I think these descriptions are spot on for both of shades.



 

These have no smell to them. They feel bouncy and cushiony like Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blushes only these feel wetter. When I blend them out with my finger they get this powdery feel to them, so they have that cream to powder feel. They might look very sparkly in the pan but once they are blended out they give the most beautiful, creamy sheen to my skin.

 

These highlighters feel very weightless on the skin and provide more of a glow then harsh, chunky sparkle.

 

 

 

Here are two unblended swatches on the back of my hand. Most Necessary is on the left with Tasty on the right.

 

I apply and blend these using my fingers. Generally I don't like to use my fingers but these just call for fingers or at least a dense sponge. Brushes only give my skin a sheen, no colour. I don't get any of Tasty's beautiful coral warmth when I use a brush. Applying with a finger and blending with a brush yields somewhat better results but the blending doesn't look as good compared to times when I use my finger. Blending with a blending sponge is one option but fingers are the tools for the job when it comes to these products.

 

I really love both of these a lot! They look so great with any blush I pair them with (Tasty is especially delicious over a coral blush) and look really glowy and lovely on my dark skin. I love the fact that Colourpop came out with so many shades so that a huge variety of skin tones can find multiple colours to create a beautiful looking highlight. 

These highlighters don't emphasize my pores but that could also be due to my application method. I keep my highlighting to the highest part of my cheekbone and farther back from the apples of my cheeks so the product doesn't end up too close to the more porous region of my face.

 

I find these highlighters last all day. After an eight hour day the highlight has faded slightly but has not disappeared.

 

All in all I really like these and I'm really glad I purchased them!

 

Likes:

1. Beautiful, flattering colours

2. Great staying power

3. Doesn't emphasize pores

4. Provides a sheen, not disco-ball glitter

 

Dislikes:

 

1. Can't be applied with a brush.

 

A

Quo Blending Sponge Review

So I wanted to buy a beauty blender but of course I didn't want to buy something for nearly $30 ($26CDN without tax, so with tax it'll even out to $29.38CDN) if I didn't like it. I've seen this cute little purple guy hiding out in the aisles at Shopper's Drug Mart so I decided to give it a try. And for $5CDN how bad could it be?

This sponge revolutionized my life. Okay, I'm exaggerating but only exaggerating slightly. I will never apply liquid foundation any other way. tt

So this sponge works the same way as the Beauty blender. You soak it with water, squeeze out the excess and use the tool to apply and blend makeup.

Here is a picture of the sponge but it's drying, it gets much smaller then this once it's fully dry. I've read reviews online about people buying knock off beauty blenders and hating them because those sponges don't expand when they're wet. Thankfully this one does. It swells up and gets really large and soft.

Also I've never experienced any bleeding of colour with this sponge.

When I bounce it against my skin it feels really soft and . . .well . . . bouncy! I think bouncing this sponge on my face is the most enjoyable way to apply foundation. In addition to feeling soft - it's not scratchy at all - and providing a little enjoyment this thing does a fantastic job at blending foundation onto my skin.

And applying foundation doesn't take as long as I thought it would. Once this sponge is full of water its surface area expands and I can cover a large area of my skin with my face.

Also this bouncing method is extra refreshing in the summer. The coolness of the damp sponge on my skin is lovely.

Sometimes I squeeze a dollop of foundation onto the back of my hand and then dip the sponge into it and bounce it onto my face. I find when I do that, I end up applying more foundation when I need. What I do is dot the foundation all over my face and then blend with the sponge. The result? The most natural looking, perfectly blended finish. At first my skin looks a little wet but once the foundation sets, my skin looks incredible. My skin looks as flawless as a doll's. I was amazed. My mind was blown at how well this sponge could blend foundation.

With brushes or my fingers I can get a nice finish but it never looks as perfect as when I use this sponge.

Cleaning this sponge is a breeze, especially if I wash it directly after use. I pour baby shampoo into my hand, and form a lather, then rub and squeeze the sponge, and then rinse. I don't apply shampoo directly to the sponge.

 Using the method above I can get my sponge stain free which is incredible as my makeup is dark. Once all the product is out I prop it up sideways on one of my BBW Fine Mist lids to air dry. The sponge shrinks back down to it's original size after about 48 hours of drying indoors. It sounds difficult, but trust me it's easier and quicker then washing brushes, well to me it is LOL!

It took me a while to really get the hang of using this sponge but once I learned how to wash it and how to use it to get the best finish I was in complete and total love. I don't think I could ever go back to applying foundation with a brush or my fingers and even if I could I don't want to LOL! And the fact that this thing is $5CDN? I'm head over heels.

Likes:

1. Gives my skin a flawless finish
2. Blends foundation quickly
3. Expands to a large size when damp
4. Feels very soft on skin
5. Is very fun to use
6. Easier to clean then a brush

Dislikes:

None! I'd be nit-picking! Maybe I'd like to see it come in other colours? That would be real cute!

A+

Make Up For Ever Chromatic Mix Oil Base 15 Brown

 

 

   If you're an NW45 like me (or darker) you know there are no shortages of foundations that are lighter then our skin tone, especially when it comes to the Drug Store. This is something that Maybelline continues to do. The darkest shades of their foundations are always a touch too light or too golden for my skin tone.

   I decided to give up on the drug store and start buying high end foundations. While I was browsing the Sephora website I happened upon the Make Up Forever Chromatic Mixes. After trying to figure out which colour would safely deepen my foundation without making it too grey I settled on the brown (Sephora Canada says they're online only but I found mine in-store so check your local Sephora if you're interested in buying) I picked the oil base because MUFE says the oil based one is meant for foundations with oil or silicone bases and all of my foundations are silicone based.

     This Chromatic Mix retails for $17 for 13ml at Sephora. MUFE's claims: Chromatic Mix is a liquid pigment that can be mixed with any type of oil or water product base to create your perfect color, and meet each and every need.

Here's the Ingredients List because I couldn't find one online: Aqua (water), Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Neopentyl, Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Talc, Mica, C1 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), Phenyl Trimethicone, C1 77491 (Iron Oxides), Sodium Chloride, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Lauroyl Lysine, Glyceryl Caprylate, Methyylpropanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Myristoyl, Glutamate, Chlorphenesin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Propylene Carbonate, Biosaccharide  Gum-1, Parfum (Fragrance), Butylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Benzoic Acid.

    I was afraid the brown wouldn't be deep enough but it's really perfect. Brown is a pigmented, cool chocolate brown. It's deeper then my natural skin tone so it'll work great with all of the foundations that are too light. The texture is thick and creamy and the liquid is incredibly pigmented. The bottle and amount of product seems small but the product is incredibly pigmented so you don't actually need a lot to adjust your foundation.

    It mixes very well with my foundations without changing the texture or the finish. I haven't worn it long enough to test it's longevity but I will update this post with the results later on.

   

 

   The foundation I used here was Maybelline's Better Skin Foundation in #95 Coconut. The top swatch is the foundation mixed with a single drop of the MUFE Chromatic Mix in Brown. The bottom swatch is the foundation just by itself. As you can see the foundation in the top swatch is much cooler and darker while the bottom swatch is very yellow and lighter.

   So all in all this pigment does exactly what it I wanted it to; to adapt my foundations and give me a better fit. Now I don't have to buy a new foundation when the summer comes back and I can try a couple drug store foundations that I ruled out as being too light (like Maybelline's Matte + Poreless!)

 

Likes:

 

1. Perfectly adapts my foundations

2. Doesn't change the texture or the finish

3. Not too expensive

4. Very pigmented

 

Dislikes:

 

1. I'd like a larger size!

 

 

A+

Beauty Empties #3

 

    I didn't have to wait long to accumulate these empties! Usually I keep my empties for more then a month to make sure I have enough to show you guys but this is just for September. Looks like I had a very productive month.

1. Softsoap Spring LE French Macaron Body Wash: I mainly bought this because I'm in love with French Macaroons (isn't everyone?) but this doesn't smell anything like macarons. In fact it smelt exactly like Softsoap's usual Milk and Honey body wash. It's a nice body wash - moisturizing, creamy, doesn't dry out your skin - but I wouldn't purchase this again.

2. L'Oreal Sublime Soft Micellar water: I review this micellar water every time I have an empties post. I definitely adore this micellar water and I can't wait 'til it goes on sale so I can stock up!

3. Olay Essentials Sensitive Skin Lotion: I was using this lotion as a night cream and I didn't really like it. It was hydrating but didn't afford me the deep hydration I want for night time.

4. Clean and Clear Brightening Cleanser: I said I wouldn't buy this cleanser again but there it is! My mom accidentally bought it and she lost the receipt so we didn't bother trying to bring it back. I like how well it removes makeup but it's a drying cleanser that's full of extra additives for those colourful bursting beads that don't do anything. This cleanser doesn't brighten my skin at all. I'm not repurchasing this.

5. Sephora Sleeping Masks (Honey, Lotus and Rose): These are absolutely fantastic. At five dollars a pop and a generous size (I get 7 uses out of each mask) these are my favourite skin care pick me ups. I love how fresh and hydrated my skin feels when I wake up. And they don't stain my pillow or make my face sticky! I've even noticed a slight decrease in my t-zone oil thanks to these. These all had similar effects on my face; nice dose of hydration and a boost of evenness and radiance the next morning.

6. St. Ives Even and Bright Scrub with Pink Lemon and Mandarin: This is a nice scrub with a nice smell. I like a more abrasive scrub to really buff away dry skin and clogged pores. My skin always looks more even after I use this scrub, but the effects are temporary and very fleeting.

7. Degree Women Dry Spray in Clean: Great spray deodorant. It didn't feel like it was working - I'm used to my stick deodorant - but it really works. It kept me dry and smelling great. And it lasted me nine weeks - and I used it daily - so it served a good purpose.

8. Thayer's Unscented Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel Toner: Great toner, horrific smell. Smells like Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB cream which smelt sour and acidic. I loved how hydrating and refreshing this toner is. I loved it so much I purchased the Rose Petal version of this toner to use.

9. Mane 'n' Tail Carrot Oil Crème: This is such a nice leave-in conditioner. In the summer my hair was texturized and I used this to hydrate my thirsty hair. It smells so delicious; exactly like carrot cake. It's got this hydrating, light texture that didn't weigh down my strands or cause them to revert. But lately I haven't been able to find the crème in stores but when I do find it, I will repurchase it!

10. Clean and Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser for Sensitive Skin: It's a nice cream cleanser but nothing revolutionary. Didn't leave my skin as dry as a foaming cleanser but didn't leave my skin as comfortable as well as my current cleanser (Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Foaming cleanser). I won't repurchase this.

11. Now Solutions Sweet Almond Oil: This oil was a gateway oil for me into the world of oils. I bought this back in 2014 and it's lasted me until now. This is an excellent oil that feels so silky on the skin and didn't break me out when I used it on my face. I used it as a moisturizer on my extra dry bits, as an all over body moisturizer, as a moisturizing treat for the bath, as an ingredient in my DIY leave-in conditioner sprays, and the list goes on. Definitely going to repurchase a bottle of this stuff.

12. Maybelline Dream Wonder Liquid Touch Foundation in 90 Coconut: I bought this foundation in the winter and it worked well for me because I was paler then I am right now. I reviewed this foundation here. I liked how light this foundation was and how well it blended in but it really dried out my skin with prolonged used because of the alcohol denat in there. Wouldn't buy it again.

13. Hask Hair Oil in Keratin (Silver Cap) and Monoi (Peach Cap): These saved my hair this summer. I used this as a daily treatment when my hair was out of braids and texturized. These vials of oil might look small but each one last me a full month (I used the monoi oil up to three times a week). You don't need a lot of oil to work it through your hair and that's what makes these vials last so long. I definitely loved the monoi oil more - smells exactly like pina colodas! - and it's not as drying as the Keratin protein one (which is good for strengthening but you're not supposed to use high protein hair products too often).

14. Bath and Body Works Pumpkin Pecan Waffle Nourishing Hand Cream (Fall 2014 LE): This was a great concept but I didn't realize how weird it was going to be to walk around with hands that smelt strongly of maple syrup! The texture on this hand cream was so rich and creamy but the smell drove me up the wall. This would've been better as a candle.

15. Live Clean Baby Shampoo and Wash: I picked up this little sample size to wash my makeup brushes and it did a fantastic job. Had a great smell and rinsed my brushes clean and left them soft. I don't like it as much as my Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo but it's a nice option.

16. Nyx Retractable Lip Liner in Cocoa: One of my favourite lip liners. I've got four of these stocked up. The tawny colour is just perfect for altering lipsticks. Love this colour and I love this formula. It's pigmented and glides on so creamy with a lovely matte finish. I will buy this liner as long as Nyx makes it.

17. Bath and Body Works Caribbean Escape Pocketbac: I really like the fresh, coconut smell of this pocketbac. I love having this on the go and using it to keep my hands clean.

18. Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes Mascara: This is my Holy Grail mascara. This is the fourth tube of this mascara that I've used. I love the small wand and how easy it is to maneuver on my lashes. The formula is so dark and smooth. This mascara just makes my lashes so plush and long.

19. Maybelline Baby Lips Crystal in Pink Quartz: My favourite baby lips ever. I love the slight pink flush and soft pearly shine it gave my lips. The smell is delicious too; like juicy raspberry. I wish it had SPF in it (and was a thicker and less greasy) then it would be my Holy Grail lip balm.

My Little Barefoot Venus Haul

   Barefoot Venus caught my eye because of their adorable vintage pin-up girl packaging and the hydrating claims their bath goodies promise. I've been scoping out the brand for a year and after much consideration I ended up ordering a few things from Well.ca. My goodies arrived today and I just wanted to share them with you guys.
    

 

    This beautiful tin houses Barefoot Venus' Bath Soak in the scent Ginger Snap. Smelling it dry it smells more of cinnamon and ginger with a bit of sweetness. I hope the egg nog notes come out when I'm actually taking a bath. I've included a picture here of the actual product itself which is a white powder. The opening does get messy easily but it's not a substantial amount of product and only occurs when I open it (as opposed to leaking all the time) so I'm not too bothered.

    This bath soak has some pretty nice claims and some impressive looking ingredients. For seductively soft sweet-scented skin, just add your little indulgence to steamy running water. Slip in and let the cocoa butter filled water tickle your fancy and velvetize your skin. This bath soak is filled with cocoa butter, shea butter, sweet almond oil and Vitamin E. Sounds hydrating! I know my skin gets extra chapped come winter, so anything that can hydrate my skin sounds heavenly to me!

 

     Now when it comes to these Bath Bliss' I could never find a picture of how these products actually looked! All I ended up seeing were snapshots of the packaging! I didn't know if the bath bliss was a solid object like Lush's bath bombs or if it was powdery like the bath soak. But now I know.

 

    There's the Vanilla Shake bath bliss right there. It's a powder packaged in a little bag. I haven't smelled it yet but I'm looking forward to trying it. Claims? Everything is sweeter when creamy mango butter melts into a sinfully scented bath, leaving  your skin totally irresistible. Being naked has never felt so Good! These are made with mango butter and sweet almond oil which also sounds seriously hydrating.

    Ginger snap is described as "a blend of rich, smooth eggnog and warming ginger are swirled together for the ultimate holiday fragrance". From what I've smelt it smells more like ginger and cinnamon. This season 10% of proceeds from the Barefoot Venus Ginger Snap line will be donated in support of Autism Awareness.

      I haven't yet smelled the Vanilla Shake bath bliss but it's described as "warm Madagascar vanilla growing in berry patch strawberries". I love vanilla scents so I'm looking forward to using this bath bliss.

     Maple Blondie is the newest scent from Barefoot Venus and I think it's a nice homage to Barefoot Venus' proudly Canadian Heritage. Barefoot Venus says Maple Blondie is "Autumn maple, perfectly paired with buttery vanilla and a hint of dark espresso." Sounds delicious! I'm not sure if this scent is limited edition or permanent but I'm guessing it's not because there is no mention of it being limited edition.

     All of these products are very affordable with the Bath Bliss' being $5.50CDN and the large Bath Soak tin being $12.99CDN. I'm always excited to try Canadian bath and body products, especially when they've got such great ingredients. So I'll be back with a review once I've tried them!