If I Could Only Have One | Vasanti Blush in A Charmed Life Review

Last year, I had a series called "If I Could Only Have One." This referred to if I could only have one of a particular item, which one would I go with. I hadn't completed the series yet, so I am continuing with this post. I actually didn't have "the one" yet for a blush, but now I do! So, of course, I have to share it with you.

I picked up this Vasanti blush in A Charmed Life on a whim at Lisa's Cosmetics Warehouse sale in Markham, Ontario. It was $12.99 but retails for approximately $30. There are 7 grams of product in the compact. There is also a nice mirror inside.

I almost didn't buy it because I already own so many blushes, am I ever glad that I did! I've never owned a blush that could liven up my face in so many ways! If I knew how much I was going to love it, I would have purchased a backup!

This blush imparts the most beautiful glow to my skin and seems to give a lifted look to my cheeks. It's unbelievable! The shade is very natural and kind of hard to describe. I don't look "made up" at all with it on, just the best version of myself. I can actually skip bronzer and highlight with this product. It's like a blush, bronzer, and highlight in one.

The swatch shown is in natural daylight with no filter. You really can't see the beautiful glow until you apply it to your face. I mix the 2 sides, they don't look much different from each other to me anyways. 

I'm not sure how this shade would look on deeper skin tones but if you have fair to medium skin, this shade should work really well for you. 

This product contains lotus, orchid, and evening primrose to nourish the skin. It's also made in Canada.

After trying this blush, I definitely want to try more from this brand! 

Happy almost Friday! 

New! Cetaphil Hydrating Night Cream with Hyaluronic Acid Review

Featured Product:
Cetaphil Hydrating Night Cream with Hyaluronic Acid 48 grams/ Approx $12 USD

I haven't used Cetaphil products since I was in my 20's when a dermatologist recommended this line for my problematic skin. Now, over 20 years later, I was given the opportunity to test out their new Hydrating Night Cream with Hyaluronic Acid through Topbox Circle. 

About:

Cetaphil Hydrating Night Cream nourishes skin to provide intense overnight hydration for normal to dry skin. Formulated with HYALURONIC ACID, olive extract and a pro-vitamin E, A & C complex, this creamy moisturizer rehydrates skin and boosts moisture reserves to protect skin from dryness for 24 hours. This rich, non-greasy night cream leaves skin feeling soft, smooth and supple.

• Made with hyaluronic acid and olive oil
• Dermatologist tested
• Non-comedogenic
• Paraben and fragrance-free
• Hypoallergenic
• Suitable for sensitive skin

I wasn't expecting much but a good basic moisturizer. Boy was I wrong! 

The packaging is pretty simple and had I not received a sample, I probably wouldn't have tried this. This night cream has blown me away! It has to be the most hydrating night cream that I've ever used, without being greasy or heavy. It takes care of my dehydrated like nobody's business!  It has not broken me out and it's so soothing. My skin feels like glass, so soft and smooth and the hydration lasts forever! 💦💦💦 It contains hyaluronic acid which I have used before but not with results or effects like this! This product actually works better at combating my dehydrated skin than expensive spa products! I love it so much that I'm also using it during the daytime as I can't get enough of how wonderful my skin feels when I use this product!

I am completely sold on this night cream and will definitely purchase it and use it in conjunction with my serums, Retin-A etc. 

Note: I use a little beauty spatula to keep things sanitary. 

You can learn more about this product and purchase it HERE.

Not sponsored. I received this product free for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Huda Beauty 3D Highlighter Palette in Golden Sands Review + Swatches!

I always love getting new makeup to play with. I mean, what makeup junkie doesn't!? So of course, I was excited when I got this new Huda Beauty 3D Highlighter Palette in Golden Sands.

I was skeptical about this palette for several reasons. 1. I already have highlighters that I love, do I really need more!? 2. I thought it was possibly just a lot of hype as are a lot of new makeup products these days thanks to social media. 3. I thought it would probably only work for younger skin, not my late 40's skin! 4. I thought that this Golden Sands palette would be too dark for my complexion.

Well, this palette proved me wrong on all of my concerns.

Let me start by saying this palette is huge and should last for a very long time. Pan sizes are listed below.

It contains 4 shades, one of which is cream based:

• Fiji - 7.5 grams (cream shade- creamy soft gold)
• Seychelles- 8 grams (soft gold with warm undertones)
• Tahiti- 8 grams (sun-drenched bronze)
• Zanzibar- 8 grams (a coral cove inspired pink with golden shimmers)

About: 3 Dimensional highlighter palette melted cream + powder. A luxury blend of light reflecting pearls, buildable glow, effortless blendability.

This Palette retails for $45USD on Huda Beauty's website. It is made in Italy and this brand is cruelty-free. 

From Huda Beauty's website:

The ultimate Insta-Glow is now in everyone’s grasp. Inspired by Huda’s hack of layering oil with powder highlight to amplify her glow, this palette is packed with 2 different textures:

– the Melted Strobe, a pearlescent creamy formula enriched with Karite Butter to create a flawless lit-from-within canvas for layering powders.

– 3 light catching pressed pearls staggered in complimentary tones to give you a sculptural, 3D radiance.

It turns out that these shades work beautifully on my light-medium skin tone and I'm currently at my palest as we are in the middle of winter here in Canada.

I have been using this palette all week now. The only shade that I haven't been using much is the cream shade (Fiji). I've been using all the other shades daily and I find that with very little effort, I end up looking like I have a beautiful bronze glowy look, which is right up my alley. All of the shades go on smoothly and blend effortlessly. The end result is a beautiful glow from within look. The products just meld into the skin, and none of the shades emphasize my texture issues. 💗

I love using the bronze shade (Tahiti) on my eyelids. My favourite shade is the pink shade (Zanzibar) which gives a very youthful and glowy look to my cheeks. I find that it gives my cheeks a bit of a lifted look, more plumped I'd say. Being in my late 40's, I really appreciate that. Which brings me to another feature that has me loving this palette, none of the shades have any glitter! 🙌 Can I get an Amen! Lastly, the highlight shade for my skin tone (Seychelles) is just beautiful! When I wear the pink shade from the palette, I don't use the highlight shade as I have enough glow for my liking, but I do use it with my other makeup products and it's gorgeous as a highlight. Of course, you can layer these shades and go to town if you like!

Swatches (top to bottom): 

• Zanzibar (pink)
• Tahiti (bronze)
• Seychelles (soft gold)
• Fiji (cream highlight)

I am thrilled with this multi-purpose palette. I just love the glow that it gives my skin. It looks like I put in a lot of work to achieve the looks that I get but it really is effortless. This palette is absolutely perfect for aging skin unlike overly shimmery highlights or ones with glitter. It brings a very youthful glow to my skin and I love it! I think it would be a good palette for many different skin tones. If you DO like glitter then this probably isn't the palette for you. If you want to look like a glowy bronze goddess, young or old, you should definitely give this a try!

Huge thank you to kaitiejalbert on IG for sending me this beauty! xo

What other Huda Beauty products do I need to try? Please let me know your recommendations in the comments and keep in mind my aging eyes and skin. 🙎ps. I do have the Mauve Obsessions eyeshadow palette (review to come).

The weekend is almost here! Hope you all have a great one!

This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own. 

#hudabeauty

Tag, You're it! The Blogger Interview

This is my very first tag blog post. I was tagged by the wonderful Nerida at Space of Beauty to do the Blogger Interview Tag.

How did you get into blogging?

It's ironic because I never knew what a blog was. I had heard the term before but had no idea what it was. I worked for one of the biggest airlines for over 17 years and believe it or not, we were not allowed Internet access! I know, barbaric!  So, I only had Internet when I was at home (which wasn't much) and I would basically check emails, use google and that's about it. 

After I took a package and left my job, I found myself on my computer a lot. I had always searched for product reviews, but now, I suddenly discovered the world of YouTube and blogs, plus Twitter and Instagram! It was a whole new world for me. I was amazed at this massive online community of people who also had a love for all things beauty, fashion and health. 

I never actually considered starting a blog. It was as spontaneous as you can get. I couldn't sleep one night and I was bored and restless, so I just decided right then and there to start a blog, and i did. I didn't know what I was doing, but I just went with it and had a lot of help from google.

What advice would you give to beginner bloggers?

Well, I am a beginning blogger. I've only been blogging since March of this year, so I still have a ton to learn. But, I have definitely learned a few things in the months I've been blogging. Here are a few suggestions.

Don't try to be like any other bloggers, just be you. Take inspiration from others but put your own spin on things and let your own personality shine through.  We are all unique and special in our own ways. 

Schedule time to blog. When you're starting out, blogging can be overwhelming, especially in the beginning when you are setting up your blog. If you're not careful you can end up working late into the night and wearing yourself out. As they say, your inbox will always be full. So, set aside a specific amount of time to work on your blog and then shut the computer down. Even if you have a lot more work to do, write it down and get back to it with a fresh mind the next day.

I had no idea how much time blogging takes, I definitely developed a respect for bloggers when I found out how much time and effort it takes. I suggest to either set a schedule for  when to blog and post, or just write when you are inspired. I do have somewhat of a schedule but I prefer to blog when I'm inspired. I don't enjoy the process if it's forced. Do what works for you!

Bring readers back. Create some series with some of your posts and link back to other posts in your series. For example, you could do some sort of challenge or favourites where you would post weekly or monthly on the topic. This is not only fun (IMO) but also gives your readers something to come back for. 

What would be your dream campaign?

At this time, I can't think of a dream campaign. I'm just happy to be doing what I enjoy and doing it on my own time. I love being my own boss for once and being able to create anything I want. I really appreciate that having a blog gives me a platform to be heard and to share information with others. 

In the future, I would love to work with socially responsible companies in the health, fashion, and beauty industries.

Do you have a plan for your blog?

My only plan for now is to continue blogging for as long as I'm enjoying it. Who knows where it may go, if anywhere. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the creative process, and along the way I've been getting to know some of the nicest people I've ever met, even if it is through the interwebs.

Thanks again for tagging me Nerida!

I would like to tag:

fabulousandfunlife 
katscolourings  and raincouverbeauty

Anyone who wants to do the tag is more than welcome, I tag you!!

Amy