The Face Shop Real Nature Sheet Masks (Lemon, Avacado, Rice, Honey) Review

 

 

 

 

So I've recently fallen in love with sheet masks after trying a really nice one from Shopper's Drug Mart. So I went to The Face shop and picked up three different kinds of their face masks and for $2CDN each, getting a whole slew wasn't too bad.

Claims for the Lemon Mask: This mask illuminates your skin and gives you a flawless complexion! Enriched with lemon extract with brightening properties, it will even out your complexion in an instant!

 



Claims for the Honey Mask: Get radiant and illuminated skin in an instant with this Honey Face Mask. The honey extract, with its nourishing properties, reveals younger looking, invigorated skin.

 

 

Claims for the Avacado Mask: Improve your skin's suppleness and elasticity with this Avocado Face Mask. Rich in nutrients, the hydrating serum contained in this mask is perfect for dry or very dry skin.

 

Claims for the Rice Mask: The Rice Real Nature Face Mask offers you a dazzling, even complexion. Known for its brightening properties, rice extract helps reduce the appearance of age spots and illuminates the skin.

 

So all of these masks have virtually the same list of ingredients save for the addition of their respective extracts (ex. Lemon extract in the lemon mask, rice extract in the rice mask). I leave these masks on for the longest period of time I can and then remove them, patting the excess into my skin. The effect of these masks are all the same to me; my skin ends up looking moist, fresh and very even. 

 

One thing I really don't like about these masks is the high alcohol denatured alcohol content. Alcohol denat is extremely drying and damaging to skin but is often used in skincare to give a product a lightweight feel. When I figured out that these masks had alcohol denat in it I stopped using them.

 

So in short; they do leave my skin hydrated, and even looking - even if that result doesn't last very long - it's doing more harm then good. I can't recommend these for that.

 

Likes:

 

1. Hydrating

2. Makes my skin look even

3. Residue feels light on skin

 

Dislikes:

 

1. Large alcohol denat content

 

C- 

Farleyco.ca September 2015 Gifts with Purchase Review

   In August I made a purchase from Farleyco.ca and these were the two gifts I received for free with my purchase. No minimum. If you order from Farleyco.ca you will received these as well, no minimum purchase needed until October 31st 2015.

    X3 Coconut Burst Lip Balm claims: X3 Coconut Burst 100% Organic Virgin Coconut Oil lip balm is formulated to help moisturize, heal and protect dry, chapped lips. Nourished with Pure Argan Oil and Cocoa Butter, Coconut Burst softens and conditions to help protect even the driest lips.
 
    This lip balm retails for $2.99CDN. I didn't take a picture of the back of the package to show you the ingredients but this lip balm had a high concentration of coconut oil. Not only does coconut oil break me out but it feels so greasy on my lips so I knew I wasn't going to be too pleased with this lip balm. It smells incredible - exactly like pina coladas - but it was greasier then Maybelline's Baby Lips lip balm. My lips felt slathered in oil that was just slipping around on the surface and not penetrating to moisturize. Needless to say I didn't like this lip balm and I'm glad I got it for free. I definitely wouldn't repurchase it.

   Inecto Naturals Coconut Hand & Nail Cream claims: This intensive little hand and nail cream is a must-have. It conditions your nails, softens your cuticles and protects your hands leaving your skin looking bright and radiant all day. A little saviour for dry hands, this lightweight non-greasy cream will provide much needed relief. Infused with Pure Organic Coconut Oil your hands will be beautifully moisturised and silky smooth.

     This hand cream retails for $3.99CDN. This hand cream is really lovely. It's got a runnier texture then most of the hand creams that I've tried but it absorbs into my hands and cuticles so easily! My skin feels so hydrated after I use this cream. There's no fragrance in this cream but it still manages to smell so lovely. It doesn't smell at all like coconuts but smells more like vanilla cupcakes.
   
   There's coconut oil in it but there's something about the formula that manages to keep it from being greasy and slippery. I am in love with this hand cream and I find myself reaching for it all the time.
 
    My one criticism of this hand cream is the screw lid because after you've got this hand cream on your hands, it's difficult to close. It's not deeply moisturizing (if you have really dry hands you'll need something thicker) but my hands are in a good state right now so I don't mind. Aside from that I adore this hand cream.

   Out of these two I could only recommend the Inecto Naturals Coconut hand and nail cream because of how outstanding it is. I'm a definite fan!

Beauty Empties Edition #2

It's been a while since I've done an empties post but the time was right. The bag I use to hold all of these empty packages was so full it looked like it was ready to burst!

1. L'Oreal Ideal Moisture Day Lotion for Dry Skin: I used this throughout the winter when my skin was incredibly dry. I usually have combination skin but last winter my skin got so dry it was flaking. I loved how moisturizing it was on my skin! It was a very heavy moisturizer but it was great. And the SPF25 didn't leave my skin with an ashy cast. I'd repurchase for use in the winter or when my skin is going through a dry spell.

2. Essence All About Matt Finishing Powder: The powder itself was really great quality, truly translucent with this wonderful pore blurring effect. It mattified my skin right away but the packaging was incredibly fragile and it didn't stay matt all day. Wouldn't repurchase.

3. Dove Pistachio & Magnolia Body Wash: My favourite body wash of all time. I love the delicious warm, sweet, nutty scent and how soft and hydrated it leaves my skin. I adore this body wash!

4. Dial 7 Day Moisturizing Lotion for Dry Skin with Shea Butter: Not my favourite lotion. Had a generic lotion scent. Had a generic lotion feel. I didn't feel like it hydrated my skin that deeply. Wouldn't repurchase.

5. Rimmel Scandaleyes Xtreme Mascara: The brush on this mascara is absolutely fantastic (its in the same vein as the Maybelline Lash Sensational brush and the L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly brush) and helped to get my lashes looking long, think and defined really quickly. I didn't feel the need to build a lot of coats. Sadly this mascara dried out and got clumpy within a month.

6. Freeman Golden Grain Brightening Face Mask: This is an okay product. The gel was hydrating while it was on but didn't boost the brightness of my skin at all. It didn't help with the formation of dark spots either and that's mainly what I purchased for. Wouldn't buy it again as I've found nicer hydrating masks.

7. Freeman Charcoal and Black Sugar Polishing Mask: This is a fantastic scrub that really worked well to keep my skin soft and keep my blackheads under control. As a mask it didn't really stay on my face, but as I scrub I loved it and can't wait to repurchase this mask and get it back into my life! Once I stopped using it my blackheads returned in full force.

8. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream: This is so soothing on my skin. My skin is eczema prone so this really helped when I was going through a really horrible spell of eczema. It also works really well as a facial night cream that hydrates deeply without clogging. Love this stuff.

9. The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter: This body butter was really nice. It was very hydrating on my skin and had a divine melted butter consistency and it smelt like chocolate but still wasn't overpowering. I'd definitely repurchase this.

10. The Body Shop Blueberry Body Scrub: This caught my attention immediately because I thought it was so neat that it looked like blueberry jam. After a while the smell became cloying and I couldn't wait to finish this body butter. Wouldn't buy this again.

11. L'Oreal Sublime Soft Micellar Cleansing Water: My first micellar water and still remains one of my favourites. Click here to read my review. I still love this stuff!

12. Life Brand Clear Action Dual Action Moisturizer: This is Shopper's Drug Mart's dupe of the Clean and Clear dual action moisturizer. I much prefer the Clean and Clear one even though both seriously skimp on moisture and don't include SPF. I don't know if my tube was old or something but it smelt sour. Definitely not repurchasing despite the fact that it did help the acne spots I have, I've found spot treatments that work better.

13. Dove Clear Tone Deodorant: I found this on clearance at Wal-Mart and I know now why it's been on clearance; it doesn't work. It did a good job of keeping my armpits dry and smelling fresh but it didn't even the tone of my underarms at all. I didn't expect it to work so I wasn't surprised. I won't buy these again because they don't work.

14. Maybelline Baby Lips Christmas 2015 LE Ruby Star: The cool red colour of this lip balm was the only thing I liked about it. It was too greasy for my liking. Click here to see my original review of both Ruby Star and Winter Flush.

15. Maybelline Baby Lips Christmas 2015 LE Winter Flush: Didn't like the colour or the greasy feel. I reviewed this at the same time as Ruby Star.

16. Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Addis Ababa: I liked the mousse like feel this lip cream starts off with but then it quickly dries down. I actually liked how sheer this product was because then the colour wasn't too garish. Wouldn't repurchase as I didn't wear this lippie a lot.

17. Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Untainted Spice: Probably my favourite permanent nude lipstick ever. The colour is the perfect nude for my NW45 skin (It's nude but it's got enough colour to look almost MLBB). It doesn't make me look dead at all, and it looks surprisingly natural. Sadly the formula makes my lips feel numb so I stopped using the lipstick.

18. Essence Colour & Go nail polish in Sweet As Candy: I love this nail polish. It's a nice sheer pink that's great for a natural look or for using as a base for a French manicure.

19. Essence Colour & Go nail polish in Space Queen: My favourite glitter top coat. It also looks incredible over Sweet As Candy. It thickened up after a year which is definitely a first for any nail polishes I own. I really like this polish and would most likely repurchase.

20. Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Strike A Rose: Smells exactly like those sour rocket candies I hated getting in my pillow sack as a child during Halloween. The colour was really pink, cool and pigmented which made me really not like it at all as I didn't like the way it looked on me. Wouldn't repurchase.

21. Revlon Nail Enamel in Cherries in the Snow: I bought this colour mainly because I knew it was a vintage Revlon colour. I actually only like it on myself in the winter because during the winter my skin is paler and the polish doesn't look as bright and as shocking. I didn't wear it a lot and for that I wouldn't repurchase it.

Essie Gel Setter Top Coat Review

 

I've never been big on top coats but Essie's latest entry into the top coat arena piqued my interest. 

 



Claims from the Essie Canada website[sic]: everything you love about gels, but in a perfect top coat you can wear anywhere and everywhere. gel.setter tops any of your favorite essie colours with all the cushy rock-hard shine of a gel in a foolproof formula for your manis and pedis

 

  This topcoat retailed for $10 at Well.ca at the time I purchased it. The package advised me to use it with an Essie polish and I decided to give Essie the benefit of the doubt and used it with my all time favourite Essie polish Bikini So Teeny. But I fully intend to wear this topcoat with all of my nail polishes which are from a wide and varied variety of brands.

 

So I applied two coats of Bikini So Teeny and then one coat of Gel Setter. I even capped the free edge of my nails and usually I don't do that and I think that might have effected the wear of this polish. 

Here's a picture of my nails after a dried coat of gel setter. The shine difference is virtually the same but I find my nails are always incredibly shiny on day one and lose that luster the next day. The top coat wasn't thicker then a regular nail polish which kind of disappointed me because I did want that thick gel look but I'm also glad because the top coat dried quickly. 



 

Here's my nails after five days of wear, including work (After five days I was tired of the colour). I was seriously shocked. The chipping is there but minimal. Usually my nail polish chips after two days and it's extreme so this after five days was incredible. Considering the shine factor my nails stayed shiny right until the day I removed the polish. My nails looked freshly polished days after I polished them! I was really impressed.

 

In short; I really like this top coat. I love how shiny it keeps my nails and how it reduces the amount of chips I get. It might be pricey but it's definitely worth it.

 

Likes:

 

1. Keeps my nails super shiny

2. Extends the life of my polish

 

Dislikes:

 

1. Slightly pricey

 

A