I Have Finally Seen The Light!!

I have been hearing and reading so much about how Batiste dry shampoo is amazing and works so well and to be honest, me and my very oily hair were quite skeptical. To be fair, I have tried the Tresseme dry shampoo for oily to very oily hair and it made it SO MUCH WORSE! And the Dove dry shampoo didn't do a thing, and the Lush loose powder dry shampoo just made my roots look grey and still did nothing. But I finally cracked after putting it in my basket and putting it back countless times over many shopping trips and bought it. And I was amazed. Now it didn't exactly put my hair back to "just washed" status but it did get rid of a lot of the oil in my second-day hair which was a large improvement. I'm not crazy about the scent but I find that pretty irrelevant if it does the job and it is doing just that. So I have finally come out of the dark ages and into the light of being able to have decent looking second-day hair. Yipee!

Until next time,

What's One Makeup Technique That You Struggle With (Or Have Struggled With) That Seams To Be Easy For Everyone Else?

Eye liner! Grr!

For me this is the step in my makeup routine that I dread. First of all, I have shaky hands and you can probably see how this could make clean eyeliner application a challenge. So it is nearly impossible, if not definitely impossible, to get a clean line especially while using liquid liner. And I know this is not exactly a problem but I have really long and pretty curly lashes so it makes it hard to see what I'm doing clearly and also forces me to put my hand at a weird angle while applying the eyeliner. I know I could just run my liner tool through my lashes but I don't like to feeling so I tend to avoid it. So my quest for the perfect eye liner, especially that gorgeous cat liner look, is still in progress.
But good news for those of you poor unfortunate souls like me, there are a few techniques you can use to get that definition of the eyes without looking like a 5 year-old did your liner for you :). First is tight-lining your eyes and lining your water line. For those of you unfamiliar with these techniques, it is when you line the upper and lower inner rim if your eye. You definitely want to use a water proof eyeliner unless you want to look like a raccoon but it is easy once your eyes get used to it. There is also the technique of purposefully making your eyeliner messy and smudging it out. Just use a pencil brush to do this on your upper/lower lash line or use a smudger tool if it is attached to the bottom of your pencil.
So that is the technique that I struggle with, what is yours?

 

Until next time,

I Dont Know What It Is About The Season But...

I cant get enough dark lip colors!
My statement lip is a wine/berry/burgundy color that accentuates my dark hair. I just cant help but feel instantly more sexy in a dark, bold lip. And for those who are as pale as me, which is pretty darn pale, it is a great way to accentuate your creamy skin. So don't be afraid of darker, vampy lips. You just need to find the right shade for your skin. Here are the dark lip colors I love to rock:

Some of these are more sheer but you can build the color and my camera also made them look slightly lighter than they are in person. So from left to right:

MAC's Frost Lipstick in Fresh Moroccan
MAC's Lustre Lipstick in Naked Paris
MAC's Satin Lipstick in Captive
Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in Copperglow Berry
Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in Sultry Sable
Cover FX's Tinted Anti-Aging Lip Glaze in Merlot
NYX's Mega Shine Lip Gloss in 143 Plum Net 

Until next time,

Dee's Winter Lush Essentials

Hey everyone
I personally love to have great smelling and nourishing bath/shower products in the winter because who doesn't first of all and also it gives me an excuse to take that extra 5 minutes under the hot water. And lets face it, when its -20 or colder, you want to stay under that hot water as long as possible. Unfortunately I've done this to the point where I only have 10-15 minutes to get dressed and get out the door :S. But here are my most used and loved Lush products for winter:

First and my personal favourite is the Lush holiday shower gel in Snow Fairy. If you love sweet scents you will instantly fall in love with this bottle of gold. It smells like a mixture of strawberry, cotton candy and bubble gum. Mmm mmm mmm-mmm-mmm lol I buy this every year and it is the first sign to me that the holidays are here. I tend to buy the medium sized bottle because although it smells delicious, in can get a little sickly after a while. But it is a winter must-have that I purchase every year without fail.    

Next is some kind of massage bar and this year they came out with a snow fairy scented one, heaven. I love how moisturizing it is and its nice that they have a shimmering core which makes your skin luminous. I have to admit, it freaked me out the first time I used it. It left a pink color on my skin and I was afraid that it would stain my skin but luckily, it washed away. Phew. If you are more of a bath person in the winter time, I would recommend You've Been Mango'd bath bar. It smells sooo good and makes your skin so soft that it is also a staple of mine but since I have been exclusively showering lately, I have been preferring massage bars.  

A year-round staple is a good bar of great-smelling soap. But in the winter, it is a must-have because some shower gels can dry out my skin but I find soap bars don't. I just recently purchased a new skin called Dirty and it a clean, mint smelling soap which is the blue one, and I find it really wakes you up in the morning which is a definite plus these days. Who doesn't want to go back to bed and curl up under a warm duvet or comforter and go back to sleep right? But my all-time-favourite scent is actually a combination of the soap Godmother and Sexy Peel. Mix these together on a luffa and you get the best of the sexy, warm scent of Godmother mixed with the bright and citrus scents of Sexy Peel. It is a gorgeous scent for any time of the year. Just go to your local lush store and hold them both up to your nose at the same time and you will understand :).

 

And last but not least, is a moisturizer but this is amazing because it is a conditioner for your skin, but you use it just like a hair conditioner. It is the Ro's Argan Body Conditioner and all you have to do is apply it to clean skin, leave to soak in for 30 seconds to a minute and rinse off. It leaves an oil that lasts on your skin and provides amazing moisture. And in the cold weather months, your body needs it. Now the scent is interesting, and not my favourite since it has rose in it, but it works. And bonus: you don't have to wait for lotion or body butter to soak into your skin before getting dressed and freeze to death, all you have to do is dry off :).

 

Those are my favourite Lush Products for this season but I would love to hear what yours are. So leave a comment with your favourite Lush products for this time of year or just your favourite products in general. Until next time

 

 

Quick post from Bee.

Sitting on my lunch break... Thought I would do a quick iPhone post!

It's that Time of year (finally! <3) where it starts to get colder and I start wearing full foundation again. I'm pretty excited to try a new one this year. Last year I wore the mattifying foundation from Chanel and I loved it. It had the softest prettiest fragrance, almost similar to peaches. But I don't know if I want to do a repeat, or try something new!! I only usually buy one foundation a year because I switch to BB creams in the summer, so this is a big decision! The other ones on my mind are the makeup forever HD foundation which I wore once (to Dee's wedding), the double ware foundation from este Lauder, and the Laura Marcie silk cream foundation. Decisions decisions!! I also want a nice settings powder and I'm considering the Dior powder which I've heard is amazing. Or the Chanel one.... :)

I'm also going to be getting a few skin care products as well. A new face mask, spot treatment, and cleanser. I know I want eradikate as the spot treatment... And that's as far as it goes... I know I want a really creamy, hydrating, yet good for oily blemished prone skin cleanser.. Too much to ask? Who knows... And then for the mask I think I may go to the origins line and get the charcoal mask. 

Either way I'm exited for my shopping coming up soon!!

Expect a hall when I finally make all my decisions!!

Love Bee <3

How To Properly Take Care of Your New Tattoo While Minimizing Your Risk of Infection

Hey guys,
We wanted to do a post that is both helpful and educational about tattoo aftercare. After you have decided on what you want your tattoo to look like and go through the commitment of getting it done, you don't want to waste your time, paid and money by not taking care of it properly. Since Bee has 1 tattoo and Dee has 5, we know what its like to go through the decision process, get the tattoo, and take care of it afterwards.

#1 Rule: Listen to your artist
Every artist has been specially trained to not only do the tattoo itself safely, but to also give instructions and advice for the after care of their work. So the best rule is to follow your artists instructions and these instructions can and will differ from artist to artist. But if you have lost the paper they gave you, you forgot what they said, or you want a second opinion, keep reading.

Disclaimer: we are not tattoo artists ourselves so we do not claim to know more than an artist since they have been specially trained and are experts in their field. We are however a nurse and a biologists specialized in cell biology and genetics, which gives us expertise in the skin as an organ and at the cellular level, infection, specifics on bacteria and the kinds of infection they cause, and also the risks and complications of infections. We have also gone through this process many times and have personally implemented these steps with great success and with no infections.

Step #1: Give your skin a break
Just after you finish your tattoo, you want to keep it covered for as long as possible. Your skin has gone through a lot of trauma by getting the tattoo and it needs some time to start the healing process before you start cleaning it. If your shop offers what's called secondskin then you can leave it on for a few days even. There are two approaches to healing a tattoo, the open air method and the covered method. These can go by different names but the steps are the same. Open air is when you clean the tattoo often and have it exposed to the air. The covered method is when you keep the tattoo covered completely until it is fully healed. We have personally only been instructed to do the open air method and that is what we will be talking about in this post.

Step #2: Cleaning
When cleaning a tattoo, you want to use a very mild cleanser. One that Dee has used for almost every tattoo is the Cetephil gentle facial cleanser. What you use to clean your tattoo does not have to be a body cleanser, it can be any gentle cleanser that will not irritate your skin and preferably contains NO fragrances as this will definitely irritate the skin and cause unnecessary pain. AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU EVER USE AN ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP!! We use the shouty capitals only to get your attention and to make sure you remember. I (Dee) am going to go on a biology rant but bear with me and it will make sense. Our entire skin surface is covered with bacteria but most of these bacteria are good for us and are harmless. What antibacterial soaps do is kill all of the weak, which are the good ones, bacteria. The good bacteria make up the majority of those found on our skin so when you use an antibacterial soap, you are essentially killing only the good bacteria because the bacteria that cause harmful infections are usually resistant to the soap. Now normally this isn't a problem because we don't have open wounds, but when you have gotten a tattoo, that is exactly what you have, an open wound. So using antibacterial soap will leave more room and opportunity for the bacteria that cause harmful infections to gain access to your open wound and start an infection. Your body was build to withstand and battle some infections but if they are too severe or are caused by certain bacteria that are resistant to medical treatment, it can cause irreparable damage and even death. So now you see why we wanted to use shouty capitals to get your attention. But enough with the rants for now :). But I recommend cleansing the tattoo twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Obviously if it is exposed to dirt or harmful substances, clean the area as soon as you can.

Step #3: Moisturize
After you properly cleanse your tattoo, you want to moisturize it. For this step you want to use something that has no fragrance. If you can get your hands on it, a product called Tattoo Goo is amazing. Shoppers Drug Mart recently started carrying it near me so check them out, it will be in the first aid section most likely. This product is specially made to moisturize fresh tattoos and creates a thin barrier which helps to protect your skin from the elements. It has a balm/wax texture that will warm up and melt in your hand and you only need a really thin layer. If you cant get your hands on that product, some shops will sell the cream they want you to use or popular options. But if all else fails, go with unscented Lubriderm. Depending on how your skin is or how large and detailed your tattoo is, its going to sting no matter how gentle your moisturizer is, especially in the beginning. Dee found that no matter what she used, her large tattoo on her thigh stung like crazy when ever cleansing and moisturizing it but it was simply because there was so much detail in the piece which meant more trauma to the skin. But if it does sting, it shouldn't be excruciating, it should be bearable. If it isn't bearable, you should consult your doctor. And above all else, you should adjust what you use with respect to how sensitive your skin is. If it is super sensitive I wouldn't recommend Lubriderm as the best option but Tattoo Goo or a specialty tattoo moisturizer first. You also want to make sure you are only putting a thin layer of product over the affected area. Your skin still needs to breath and you can apply moisturizer throughout the day. You never want your tattoo to get dry and tight, especially in the first few days.

Step #4: Protect
You want to protect your beautiful tattoo to prevent it from fading and being damaged in any way because you spent the money and went through the pain to get the piece done. First of all, if at all possible, try to avoid rough fabrics on or around the tattoo area. If it is unavoidable such as it is on your leg and you only wear jeans, try and put a barrier with a softer fabric or non-stick gauze pad. Dee had to do this with her thigh tattoo on a few occasions and just used first aid tape to keep the barrier in place. The tattoo will begin to scab within a day or two, and it is EXTREMELY important that you do not remove the scabs but let them come off naturally. If you remove the scabs prematurely, it will cause that area to scab again, pulling ink from the skin and fading the tattoo. You also want to always protect a tattoo from the sun by covering it until it is healed. And even after that, you always want to apply sunscreen at an SPF of 30 when ever it could be exposed to the sun. This will prevent fading as well.

Some helpful tips and tricks
- Always have a full stomach when getting a tattoo. If you have an empty stomach it will lessen your pain tolerance and the stress put on your body will actually lower your blood sugar and if you don't have enough food in you or sugar, it can cause you to lose consciousness, not to mention making the tattoo even less unpleasant.
- Bring a chocolate bar or some candy with you just in case. Depending on how long your session is, you might want to ingest more sugar.
- Bring both water and a drink that contains electrolytes with you. It is important that you stay hydrated at all times and having electrolytes (salt) is important. So bring a sports drink such as PowerAde or Gatorade with you. If you don't want to bring both, dilute your sports drink with 1/3 water.
- Take an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprophen an hour before going to your appointment. This will help with the pain and swelling.
- If you need a break take it. Artists are used to this and it is much better to take a 5 minute break than passing out. But do not take too long of a break. During the process you will build up endorphins that will help you deal with the pain. The skin can also become numb after a time and if you take a long break, your endorphins will drop, and the skin will begin to properly heal and when you go back to the tattoo, it will be exponentially more painful and you are at a higher risk of swelling.
- If you can, cleanse and moisturize the tattoo yourself, especially if you don't have daily access to someone who has had tattoos. First of all, it can help lessen the pain because you know what you are doing to yourself. And it is sometimes difficult for others to do the steps properly, especially with respect to being gentle with the cleaning, and only putting a very thin layer of moisturizer over the area.
- Do not use a numbing cream that has to be placed on the area before a tattoo begins. These types of creams only last a short time and when it eventually wears off, it will be at the most painful part of the tattoo process and because you haven't built up the endorphins to help you manage the pain, you are more likely to lose consciousness.

Here are a few pictures of Dee's tattoos

Hopefully this was educational or helpful to you, if not, we hope it was an interesting read. Until next time

 

 

 

Dee's October Favourites

Hey guys
I thought I would give videos a try and while the lighting isn't great yet, I am working on the settings. I hope you enjoy and if you want more videos in the future, please leave a comment and let us know.

 

 

Don't judge me lol, I'm new to editing so I couldn't make the screenshot look pretty. Awkward face it is haha. Well enjoy!

 

Until next time

 

Dee's Updated Skincare

Over the past few months I have been researching skincare and what products would be best for my skin type. I have to say, I went through Caroline Hirons's blog in a few days and she is amazing. She isn't a dermatologist but she is a registered facialist and gives great advice. I mentioned in my first skincare routine that I didn't have my skincare routine down but I was on the way there. While I still suffer from redness, I have been addressing my other skincare woes and I believe that I have a good routine so far. Today I will be going over the products I use and whether I use them at night or in the morning.  

 

 

The first thing I do is get rid of my makeup and cleanse my face. While a cleanser should be able to get your makeup off, if its doing that, it wont be able to actually cleanse your skin. So if I don't have a lot of makeup on or none of it is waterproof, I use the Bioderma solution on a cotton pad. If I have a fair amount of makeup on or I am wearing a mascara that is tough to remove, I use the Camomile cleansing oil from The Body Shop. Next is actually cleansing the skin, now if you don't have any makeup on or very minimal, you don't need to do the makeup removal step, you can go straight to cleansing. One thing that Caroline taught me and has made a huge difference in my skin is the fact that you should always cleanse your face twice. Your first cleanser can be something like the camomile cleansing oil or even the Bioderma but you want to follow it up with a good cleanser for your second cleanse. I like to combination of my Honey and Oat cleanser from Michael Todd first and my Number 1 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm as my second cleanse. The first cleanser lathers nicely while the cleansing balm is moisturizing and soothing on the skin.

 

 

After cleansing the face, you want to apply a mask if you wish. I am still in love with the Avocado and Mango mask by Michael Todd, it smells divine and is super moisturizing. Next comes toner and I am still using the Cranberry Antiox toner by Michael Todd. I then like to apply any spot treatment to the skin and allow that to work for a few minutes if I have any blemishes before going to the next step because I want it to be able to penetrate into the skin without other products blocking it. I then apply a pea sized amount of hydraluron by Indeed Laboratories all over my face but concentrating on any dry patches I have. This product is hyaluronic acid which holds up to 1000 times its weight of moisture so it will make your moisturizer more effective. I was advised that if you are using this product, you need to have a really good moisturizer, not a light one, because it is an acid. But if you have a good moisturizer it will benefit your skin.

 

 

Next you want to apply your eye cream. You might think that you should apply the eye cream after your moisturizer but no matter how careful you are, there will be product around your eyes which will prevent your eye cream from penetrating the skin and making it ineffective. If you find that you cannot find a good eye cream, make sure you are applying the product before your moisturizer because that may be part of the problem. At night I have been using a few samples of the Ole Henriksen  Ultimate Lift PM eye gel that I transferred to a small empty container, and in the morning I have been using both the Michael Todd moisturizing eye cream and a sample of the Origins Ginseng Under eye cream. So far, I have been liking the firming gel and will purchase full size once the sample is used up. I have not been using the Origins one for very long so I am still not sure if it is working.    

 

 

 

Next comes any serum you wish to apply to the skin, I am currently using up some samples of the Lancôme Genifique serum and I like it. Then it is time to apply your moisturizer. I have two, the Kate Somerville Goat Milk moisturizer and the Michael Todd Citrus Cream, depending on how my skin is acting and when I am doing my skincare routine determines which one I use. I also have a moisturizer facial mist, the Vitamine C facial mist by The Body Shop, that I use when I feel like I need an extra boost of moisture throughout the day.

 

 

So an overview of the products I use at night and morning:

 

Night:

Bioderma and/or Camomile cleansing oil

Honey and Oat Cleanser

Cleansing Balm

Avocado and Mango mask (twice a week)

Cranberry Antiox toner

Hydraluron

Ultimate Lift PM eye gel

Lancome serum

Citrus Cream

 

Morning:

Cleansing Balm

Cranberry Antiox toner

Hydraluron

Michael Todd eye cream (upper lid and corners of eyes)

Origins eye cream (under eyes)

Kate Somerville Goats Milk moisturizer

 

I hope you enjoyed this post

Until next time

 

 

Dee's Fragrance Collection

Everyone has their preferences for fragrances of any type but I thought it would be nice to show you my picks and when I wear each scent.

 

Tip:

For those with fair skin or acidic skin, try and find a fragrance that has citrus or other acidic fruits in the scent notes. I find that these kinds of scents wont clash with your body chemistry, which is when fragrances will smell great in the bottle or in the air but smell unpleasant in your skin. If you are uncertain whether you have more acidic skin check any white gold rings you wear often. If your skin is more acidic than normal, it will cause the band to slowly turn a slight yellow gold color fairly quickly. For example, my wedding ring and band will start changing color at the bottom of the band within 2 months. I am certain you could test this out with either a white gold necklace or bracelet as well. High acidity is often seen in fair skin tones but is not always the case, it really depends on the individual chemistry of your skin.    

 

 

This is Boss Femme by Hugo Boss and is my most worn scent. Bee actually introduced me to this fragrance and I was hooked ever since. Sadly they discontinued this fragrance but you can still find it on sites such as ebay and amazon. This scent to me is a balanced mix of sophistication and freshness and is my everyday scent and will last on your clothes all day. It doesn't last more than 5 hours on my skin but most fragrances don't.

Dot by Marc Jacobs is what I reach for in spring. Gorgeous packaging aside, it has a slightly floral scent mixed with berry and other fruit notes and is rounded off with a hint of vanilla and soft musk. It is a very well rounded fragrance with a little of everything that I cant seam to get enough of. It is versatile to be worn in any season but I find it is especially nice in late winter through spring.

This fragrance was featured in my fall haul and is currently my fall scent of this year. Killer Queen by Katy Perry is a scent that reminds me of fall. It has a warmth to the scent that is fresh because of the fruit notes but also has a kick of spice. For me, it is the perfect fall scent and has great lasting power.

Nina Ricci's L'Elixir is my favourite winter scent. It packs a lot of punch in such a beautiful bottle. One spray will definitely be enough but the scent is intoxicating. It mixes the sultriness of jasmine and musk with red fruit and lime. It is powerful but beautiful and is great for the colder months.

BCBG Max Azria perfume is a delicate and sweet fragrance that I often reach for if I want to wear something a little different. Funnily enough, my husband thinks I smell like skittles when I wear this. I think it is light and delicious smelling and would make for a great everyday fragrance, regardless of the time of year.

 

J-Lo Live is the first perfume I ever purchased and has been a staple in my collection ever since. This bottle has to be my 6th or 7th I've purchased so far so you can tell I love it. It is very fruity but has a warmth coming from vanilla and caramel. I don't think I would be able to live without this fragrance. It was my signature scent for many years.

The Clean brand of fragrances are amazing but the one that I purchase is Shower Clean (roller ball) and it smells just like the name describes. It is incredibly fresh smelling and I love it. I mostly wear it in the spring/summer but I also love it after a workout at the gym lol who doesn't want to smell fresh after that? The Simply Soap scent is one that I thought I would also love but doesn't smell nice on my skin. I actually love using it as a room spray, as a scent in my dresser drawers, and I sometimes use it in the linen closet. It has good versatility but I don't think it makes a great perfume.  

Fantasy by Brittany Spears. I think everyone bought this fragrance at one point when they were a teen. To me it smells of pure sugar in the form of cotton candy. While it doesn't smell bad, I find it is way to sweet for my tastes and so I don't reach for it often.

 

Beyoncé Heat Rush is my date night fragrance. There is something inherently sexy and sensual about this fragrance to me. It smells fruity at first but then notes of musk and amber come out and produces an intoxicating scent.

Daisy Eau So Fresh Sunshine from Marc Jacobs is by far the best scent I have ever found for spring and summer. It is a vibrant scent that is both floral and fruity, making it incredible for the warmer months. I was actually gifted this by a co-worker for helping out on a promotion and I almost cried because I couldn't find this perfume when I wanted to purchase it, it was sold out everywhere.

While in The Body Shop one day, visiting a friend that works there, I tested this scent out and instantly fell in love. It is called Indian Night Jasmine and it is what I would describe as a cozy scent. I have the Eau de Toilette and fragrance mist but I think I will soon invest in the perfume oil. I find that both these products don't have great staying power but I just cant get enough of the scent right now. I think this scent is great for any time of the year. My favourite way to wear it is when I have an evening shower, I will spray either product over my damp skin and go to bed. It is an incredibly comforting scent and helps me relax before bed.

I have three DKNY scents. The first one I purchased was the Be Delicious (green) a few years ago and while I don't reach for it often, I still do like it. I tend to reach for it more often in the last summer to early fall months. It is incredibly fresh and reminds me of the scents of picking fresh apples from an orchard when I was a child. I also have Red Delicious which is a perfume I actually regret buying. After an hour or so the scent changes on my skin and does not smell nice. I am currently using it as a room spray. The last one I purchased was a small bottle of the Golden Delicious scent. I like this fragrance because it smells a little more sophisticated than the other two and I have been really enjoying the fragrance so far.

 

 

If I could only pick 3 fragrances for the rest of my life I have to say I would choose Jlo Live, Boss Femme and Clean Shower Fresh.

 

But that is my fragrance collection so far and while there are a few more I would like to add, I am extremely happy with my selection right now. Now these are only my personal preferences and it would be awesome if you could leave a comment down below with your favourite perfume.

 

Until next time

Beauy buying tips

Hey guys,
We thought it would be a good idea to share with you our advice, tips, and tricks to make sure you are #1: investing in quality products, #2: not buying a product just because there is a lot of hype about it, and #3 not stuck with products that either don't work or actually cause damage. So here are our guidelines to getting the most out of your money and time when shopping for  beauty products.

#1 Do Your Research

The best thing you can do before purchasing a product you are interested in is doing research on it. This will help prevent you purchasing a product you hate or doesn't work for you. Often there will be reviews on any website the product is sold with ratings, comments, or both. Checking these out could give you a better idea of quality, formulation, and if it will work for your skin tone or type. A problem with reading reviews on websites is that a good portion of the time, those individuals that leave a review either love the product or hate it. Because of this, it is good to look to other sites for reference. And this leads into the next rule,

#2 Know Your Bloggers/Vloggers

If you aren't satisfied with the reviews you find, try going to trusted bloggers and/or youtube beauty gurus. A few blogs and youtube channels that you trust is crucial. If you don't already have a few select people that you trust with their opinions on products, try and find someone who has similar opinions to yourself on a few products, have a similar skin tone and/or type to you, and who gives in-depth, honest reviews of products not just whether they liked it or not. Even if you don't have a few channels you have subscribed to, you can often search for the product(s) you are interested in by just typing them into the youtube search and all the reviews of the product will come up.

#3: More Expensive Does Not Always Mean Better

In some cases, you get what you pay for but in others you get the same quality for a fraction of the price. Makeup is affordable at every budget with great brands such as wet-and-wild, NYX, and e.l.f. offering really affordable products that are of good quality. I believe in spending your money on a really good quality foundation and on your skincare but if you don't want to spend a lot of money on high-end blush/eyeshadow/bronzer/lipstick, then look to drugstore brands. Here are some examples of which drugstore brands make great products:
blush - NYX, wet-and-wild, e.l.f.
bronzer - NYC, e.l.f.
eyeshadows - wet-and-wild, NYX, Maybelline
lipstick - Revlon, Loreal
lipgloss - NYX

#4: Know Your Return Policies

If you purchase a product that you end up hating or you have a reaction to, make sure you know the return policy of each store you shop at. If you realize you bought a duplicate product or you already have a similar color, then most stores will give you a window of time where you can get a refund if the product isn't opened. If you have an allergic reaction to any cosmetic product, the store you bought it from legally has to return the product. If you hate a product, some stores will let you return it, especially if you are a return customer (more on that later). Other stores have amazing return policies where you can return products for the simple reason that you don't like it. A store like this is Sephora. They have am amazing return policy which makes us more confident buyers because if we don't like a product, we can exchange it for a different one or get our money back.

#5: Try It Before You Buy It

If you aren't sure about a product, you can always ask a beauty consultant to try it on you. Dee does this a lot with foundations because of her tricky skin and also because she is so fair. It really is a shame that some makeup brands just don't make fair-complexion shades :(. But almost any product you can try out in store. For those few that you can't or if your not sure if the lights don't show the true color on you, you can ask for a sample to try out at home. Now, there is a kind of etiquette when it comes to asking for samples. The main one is that you should make a purchase, even a small one, but it isn't a rule. We recently went into Sephora at West Edmonton Mall and a wonderful girl gave each of us three samples of skincare products without us purchasing anything. So if you make a purchase, don't be afraid to ask for samples, especially at Sephora because they can make you a sample of any liquid product. And using a sample at home with the rest of your daily products will give you a better idea of how you like it and will prevent you from wasting your money and time.

#6: Ask For Help

In every store that have skincare or makeup counters there will be specially trained individuals that are there to assist you in making the best purchases. Don't be afraid of asking for help, they know the products better than most and are able to answer most if not all questions or concerns you have. Some will be intimidated by sales staff because they can sometimes be pushy or seam like they just want a sale, but the trick is to find a consultant you like. Try different stores to see if you find any consultants you like or click with. Sephora is always a good choice because they are helpful and are usually really friendly and just want to help. The Beauty Boutique in Shoppers Drug Mart is also an excellent place to try if you live in Canada. The Bay also has some nice staff who are very helpful.

#7: The Benefits Of Being A Return Customer And Developing a Relationship With Your Favorite Beauty Expert.

There are some major benefits to being a return customer at stores and for specific beauty consultants. This is Bee's area of expertise, as well as biggest tip, as she sold cosmetics for years. Often, they can keep a log of the purchases you have made, making it easier to repurchase loved products. They will also get to know your preferences and are better able to recommend products that you will love as well as steering you away from products that just won't work for you. They will also be more accommodating when it comes to returns or exchanges as well as making samples for you or giving you gifts with purchase. They can also give you advanced notice on upcoming sales or exclusive events and will even put away products for you until you can come and purchase them. Overall, having a few key beauty consultants that you like and go to often to purchase your beauty needs will result in products that work best for you, and an overall great experience when purchasing.

#8: If They Have A Reward Program, Buy Your Products There

If you are going to spend the money on beauty or skincare products, and even fragrances, purchase them in stores with reward programs. Higher end products such as Dior, Benefit and Stila are almost always priced the same in all stores and so getting rewards makes them a better deal because you can use the rewards at a later date. Some great reward programs are the Beauty Insider card at Sephora which allows you to collect points on every purchase and when you reach certain thresholds you can use the points to get free deluxe samples or mini products to try out. Another amazing program is the optimum points card at Shoppers Drug Mart. This program allows you to collect points with purchase of almost anything in the store, not just beauty and skincare items, and when you reach certain amounts of point it is converted to a dollar amount that you can use against future purchases, possibly getting beauty or skincare products for free :D. And another great aspect to this program are point specials where you can get enough points for free product with one purchase and also redemption days where your points are worth more money. There are other programs such as The Bay's HBC points, but we are not familiar with this program. But the point is to purchase products at stores with reward programs to get more value for your money.

With these 8 tips, you can become a savvy shopper and get the most for your hard earned money.

Good Luck!!

Out With The Old, In With The New: Hair

Hey guys,
I have to say, I loved this idea when Bee made her post so I decided to do one of my own but for my hair straightener.

So lets start with the old. When I was 17, my mom bought me a Coriolis hair straightener for Christmas. I was so excited because this was the first hair straightener I had ever owned and it was red :D my favourite color. For the first 5-6 months I thought it worked really well, until the on/off switch started to malfunction. The on light would flicker on and off which meant there was a wiring problem. So back it went and my mom exchanged it for the gold one in the picture below. Now, this has lasted me almost 5 years which is great, but it was so expensive and I think it wasn't worth that much money. It doesn't smooth my hair very well and it took 6-7 passes on one small section to get it straight enough. It would also catch and rip pieces of hair out of my head if I didn't brush it 3 times before trying to use the straightener. It also really sucked at curling hair, even though it was marketed to be able to do this easily. And when I attempted to do this, it would catch half way through the piece of hair and cause my hair to be straight until the every end, where it would curl. I also found that the temperature it was supposed to reach each time got lower and lower as the years went by. So although it did last a long time, it had crappy performance, even in the beginning, and it took so long to do my hair that most days I wouldn't bother with using it. 

 

And here is the new. So over the last couple of years, I had been seeing Bee use her Chi digital control straightener and marveled at how quick she could do her hair. I even had the chance to test it out on my own hair now and again and it made my hair look beautiful. So one day, when shopping at West Edmonton Mall, Bee and I hopped into Rain, a hair supply store and hair salon. They had the original Chi on sale but I ended up getting the temperature control one that you see below on sale for 50% off (thanks Bee! she talked about how she got hers on sale so the manager lowered the price :D). So I have been using this product for the last few weeks and I am blown away. It glides over my hair like a dream and doesn't catch at all, which is a huge improvement in and of itself. It gives my hair the most gorgeous shine and instantly smooth any frizz. And best of all, with having bangs now, its super easy and quick to make my bangs behave in the morning. So a few more features that are helpful with this straightened: it takes no time to heat up and with the digital temperature read-out, you know when its at the right temperature. The fact that you can control the temperature also gives you the option to use less or more heat, depending on the style you want and your hair type, which helps to prevent unnecessary hair damage. I am loving this hair straightener and I actually enjoy doing my hair in the morning which is a nice change. I haven't tried to curl my hair with this tool yet so I can't tell you if its easy or not or how the curls turn out but if I do, I will leave a comment below to let you guys know.

 

I thought this would be a good time to share with you my favourite hair spray and it is the Sebastian Re-Shaper hair spray. I hate it when my hair gets crunchy or feels really un-natural and this stuff is great for giving good hold without that yucky crunchy feeling. Now, you cant go and spray a huge amount all over your hair or it will get crunchy, like almost all hairsprays, but spray a light mist over the parts you want to hold in place and your good. When I curl my hair, I tend to curl it then brush it out to give that soft wave effect and I love using this product for that. I spray a little on the curls once they cool and continue curling and once my whole head is done, I brush it through with a paddle brush and then lightly spray some more all over to keep it in place. This is also a great product for keeping those fly aways and baby hairs in place. I actually spray this lightly on a teasing brush and gently brush over the top of my hair and it works great, especially when my hair is already up. Overall it is a great staple to any hair product collection because it has great hold, is versatile and it smells good which is always a good thing :D.

 

 

 

Fall Haul

Hey guys,
Sorry for the long absence, but being in school unfortunately means that it is time for chronological crisis management and that seamed to have started early this year. Had to do a nerve-wracking presentation in front of all of my professors. How scary is that? Well its over now and I can hopefully get back on schedule :D.

So lets dive into the embarrassingly large fall makeup haul I have for you.

 

Lets start with the face:

First is a fall/winter staple of mine, Stila's 10-in-1 BB cream. I love this stuff for days when I'm in a rush to get to school but I still want to look nice. It evens my skin tone and is moisturizing, which is really helpful on the cold, dry days of winter. And for me I don't need to powder my face after applying this, it stays in my face all day.

 

Next is a high-coverage foundation to make my skin look like perfect porcelain. I haven't been much of a full-coverage girl when it comes to foundation because I haven't been able to find one that doesn't cake up on my dry spots. But since I have dramatically improved my skin with a new skincare regimen, I have been able to find a foundation that works on my skin. And let me just say, I was sorely disappointed in the fair to light shade ranges of most makeup lines. It took going through 5 different lines to be able to find one that was light enough and had the right undertone to match my skin. The girl that was helping me at Sephora was amazing, she was determined to find me the perfect foundation and I think we succeeded. We chose the Naked Skin foundation by Urban Decay and I do have to make sure I moisturize before applying this product but once I do, it blends beautifully and disguises any redness I have :D.

 

Here is the newest addition to my blush collection. It is the Rockateur blush by benefit. And I first fell inlove with it when it saw it was a rose gold color and I fell madly inlove when I saw how beautiful and natural-looking it was on my skin. It warmed up more on the skin and just gave my face a nice flush of color. Definitely one of my all-time favourites and it has been the only blush I have been reaching for over the last few weeks.

 

Now the eyes:

 

First, I got a new primer for my eyes, Stila's Prime Pot in Taffy. I think it is more tacky than Urban Decay's Primer Potion and it has more pigmentation which hides any veins visible on my eyelids. So I tend to reach for this when I am using a pigment or a shadow that I know has a lot of fall-out but I still reach for my primer potion. So over all, I like it but I still love my primer potion.

 

Can you see a trend of brands today? Here is another product from Stila, called the wet-to-set eyeshadow trio in safari. I was drawn to this palette because the three eyeshadows are beautiful when worn together but are also easily incorporated into other eye looks in combination with other shadows. I think this is a lovely compliment to any makeup collection because of how versatile these shades are. They are also formulated for being used wet, so to do this, I dampen my brush with Mac's Fix+ and it intensifies the color payoff of these shadows.  

 

I also picked up a Lancôme single shadow in designer metallic. It is a beautiful olive green color that has a sheen to it but doesn't have any glitter particles in it. And I haven't tried any of the Lancôme eyeshadows before so I thought I would give it a go. I also got it for free using points so stay tuned for our beauty shopping tips to figure out how you can get free products like this.

 

I have been on the hunt for a nice warm toned transition color for my crease when I came across this shadow, Mac's shadow in soft brown. With fall officially here and winter on its way, I love to use darker and warmer colors on my eyes and I needed a good transition color to help blend them together and this color is perfect. Its gives my crease some definition and color to it without being too dark. Love it :D

 

I have heard bloggers and youtuber's rave about the color of Mac's pigment in tan so I had to check it out. This is the first pigment I have ever bought from Mac and I have to say I am impressed. This pigment gives the most beautiful rose gold color which really makes the blue in my eyes pop so I am itching to try some more colors. Just be careful, a little goes a LONG way with this product and if you pick up too much, it can go all over your face so either use it cautiously or do your eye makeup before your face.

 

When passing by the new Bobbi Brown limited edition fall collection, Bee and myself couldn't help ourselves. The palette spoke to both of us. It has buttery matte browns and one shimmery champagne color and one glitter. I have to say, I prefer the matte colors, they have great pigmentation and blend nicely when there is a shadow underneath them but it is sometimes difficult to blend the deeper shades without shadow underneath them. Also, the champagne shimmer shade has almost no pigmentation and the glitter shade looks beautiful but when swatched, all you get is the glitter, no color. So over all its a decent palette but only for the matte shades.

 

But, while at the Bobbi Brown counter, I started swatching their individual shadows and I fell in love with two shades that I don't have in my collection. The lighter one being Heather Mauve and the darker being Black Plum. I have been looking for a nice grey-toned shadow to use when doing a classic smokey eye but most greys end up looking funny on my eyes because of my skin tone, but this one has a hint of mauve coloring which makes my eyes pop. The Black Plum color is so buttery and pigmented and blends like a dream. I love using these two together.

 

You have already seen this pencil before in my exploration of Urban Decay post but since I have been using it a lot lately, I thought it deserved another shout out. I have been using this as a pop of subtle color on my waterline when wearing a gold or bronze eye and it makes the blue in my eyes pop. I've also been loving using it smudged out as my shadow in the lower lash line to change up a look.

 

Next up lips:

I am a huge lover of darker, vampy lips in fall and winter and I have recently discovered how nice Revlon lipsticks are so I decided to pick up some new shades. The left shade is number 470 Copperglow Berry and has a pearl finish. This shade is perfect for the fall because it gives you a deep color without being totally red or berry colored. It is also great for those who want to experiment with darker lips. The shade on the right is number 646 Sultry Sable and is a Crème finish. This has great pigmentation and has a more natural finish on the lips but isn't matte so its not drying. Be sure to wear a lip liner to prevent feathering.

 

And everyone needs a fall scent and this is my new favourite. This is Katy Perry's perfume called Killer Queen. It has a fruity scent with a hit of spice at the end which is perfect for fall and how gorgeous is this packaging?! And a tip for those with fair skin tones like me: sometimes it can be difficult to find a fragrance that smells good on your skin but this is because pale skin tends to be more acidic than those with olive skin tones and as a result, we have to compliment that. The best way I have found to picking out perfumes that smell nice is to go for ones with a citrus note. It will compliment the acidity of your skin and wont change the scent profile of the perfume as much. Hope this helps :).

 

So this is what I have purchased over the last couple of weeks with fall in mind. Hopefully this gives you some ideas. See you next time!

 

 

P.S. Oliver, my wonderful ginger kitty, wanted to come and say hi while I was writing this post! Isn't he adorable? lol

 



 

and Oliver :P