Divine Essence Organic Rosehip Oil Review

Featured Product:
Divine Essence Organic Rosehip Oil- 30ML / SRP $15.49CAD

I am beyond ecstatic to have finally found a Rosehip Essential Oil that doesn't break me out!  I added Divine Essence Organic Rosehip Oil to my current skincare regimen by adding it to my serum, before I moisturize, and my skin is loving it! It's really amped up the moisture in my skin and my skin looks much brighter.

Rosehip Oil is one of the top essential oils for anti-aging, so I've always wanted to add it to my skincare routine but every time I tried one, it made my skin breakout so badly. I'm so happy to finally be able to incorporate this wonderful essential oil into my skincare routine. 

Rosehip oil is also great for rosacea-prone skin, dry, damaged skin, reducing stretch marks and scars, and as an after-sun treatment to soothe sunburns. Rosehip oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and is very healing and regenerating to the skin.

This product is #organic #vegan and #crueltyfree .

Available at @welldotca and currently on sale! But, it's very reasonably priced, to begin with!

Not Sponsored. The product was provided for editorial consideration. All opinions are my own.

#aromatherapy #carrieroils #organicbeautyoils #aromatherapyexpert #naturalremedies #hydrosols #floralwater #buycanadian #msquaredbrands

New Essence Sheer and Shine Lipstick Review: Cute Nude & Candy Love!

I was at my local Shoppers Drug Mart the other day and whenever I'm there I always have to check out the Essence makeup display to see if they have anything new. That's when I saw their new Sheer and Shine lipsticks and I couldn't resist, so I grab a couple to share with you. 

They had 9 shades to choose from and a nice range of colours from nudes to pinks and corals and deeper shades. I went for the two nudes that I knew I would get the most use of and it's a pretty safe bet that they'll suit me too. 

I picked out #02 Cute Nude a nice sheer pinky nude and #12 Candy Love a sheer light berry toned pink with blue undertones.

 Cute Nude (left) Candy Love (right)

Here they are swatched in daylight. Cute Nude is the paler colour and Candy Love is pinker.

The swatches here have been built up with a few swipes. One swipe would be much more sheer. Either way, you will not end up with an opaque lipstick look, which I'm not a huge fan of on myself.

I find that they are nice and moisturizing and they don't leave a stain. They are easily built up to get more colour (as pictured). They don't last too long as they have a balm-like texture. I find these are great everyday lipsticks to throw in my purse, and these are the kind of shades you can just slap on and go! They also don't settle into lip lines. I love them both but I like Candy Love a little bit more as it has more colour and I find that blue-based pinks really suit me.

If you have aging or even just dehydrated lips I think you would really like these. Same, if you have a lot of lip lines as I do and you can't pull off all the matte lip looks. I think this type of formula and these lighter colours are good for creating a more youthful look on the lips. 

I'm really liking these and at only $3.49 you really can't go wrong. I'm generally a nude and pink lips kind of person, but if you want something a lot darker or deeper they have that too, they just won't be opaque. And, did I mention that Essence is cruelty-free!?

Have you tried any of these new lippies? If so, how do you like them?

Amy

xoxo

Paula's Choice Lip & Body Treatment Balm #Review

I have a tiny haul to share with you. I wanted to get this out there while the Free shipping and sale are still going on. Right now, Paula's Choice is having 15% off best sellers (the product in this haul was included) + free shipping on everything, and if you spend $65 or more they will send you a free eye shadow palette (code: GLAM15).  Oh, and you always get to choose up to 3 free samples with your order (mine are pictured above). If you want to score this at a real bargain, right now you will get 15% off plus free shipping, and if you've never ordered from PC before just add something else to bring your total to $15 and you can use a referral code to get $10 off your order, making this cost about $5 which will also include whatever other item you chose to add!  # for great deals.

Note: If you miss this sale, never fear, Paula's Choice is always having new sales as you will see in my upcoming haul. You can also sign up for PC emails to find out about the deals as they happen. They will also send you a discount code for your first purchase which you can stack on top of your $10 off!

I've heard so much about Paula's Choice over the last couple of years. I had a $10 off code from a blogger, so I finally bit the bullet and placed an order (that order will be featured in an upcoming haul). But, for now, I wanted to share this little order I placed for their Lip & Body Treatment Balm.

I have horribly dehydrated lips and I pick and bite and peel away at them, it's such a horrible habit that I need to break. I am definitely addicted to lip balms and find myself applying them all day and night. I've used Carmex, Aquaphor (those were the heavy-hitters for me), as well as numerous other balms including organic one's. Despite trying what seemed like everything, I was still looking for my Holy Grail lip balm.

The Balm (pictured above with cap off) is a solid balm and quite hard in consistency. It's also a generous size at 0.5oz. Once you warm the product up with your finger it applies easily and is not too thick, but it's very emollient and hydrates nicely. I've had this product for a week and I definitely would say that this product is the best lip balm/ treatment I have used so far. It is definitely the longest lasting, so I am not applying it every 5 minutes, more like every few hours. Since my lips don't dry out since I've been using this, I've reduced my picking and peeling of my lips. I am hoping that this will help me break that horrible habit for good. Only time will tell though.

As it states, this treatment balm is also intended for use on the body. It could be used on dry cuticles, elbows, heels, you name it. Because it's contained in a pot where you have to stick your finger in it, I prefer to only use it for my lips. I wish Paula's Choice would put this formula in a stick form. But, I would definitely purchase this again. Even with what I think is a high price tag for a lip balm I think it's worth it and I can tell it's going to last for a really long time.

Here is some info from Paula's Choice website:

This long-lasting, emollient balm offers on-the-spot relief for dry, rough, chapped lips, or anywhere on the body.

• Eczema
• Dry/Very Dry Skin
• Targeted relief for dry lips, cuticles, feet, hands
• Creates a protective barrier allowing skin to heal
• Balm is substantial, but not overly thick or waxy

Product Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Petrolatum (emollients), Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax (thickener), Lanolin, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters (emollients), Beeswax (Cera Alba), Ozokerite, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, CoperniciaCerifera (Carnauba) Wax (thickeners), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Jojoba Esters, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil (plant emollients/oils), Bisabolol (soothing agent), Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (stabilized vitamin C/antioxidant), Tocopheryl Acetate (vitamin E/antioxidant), Trihydroxystearin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene (thickeners). 

Overall, I give this product 2 thumbs up! I can't wait to get my other order from Paula's Choice and see how those products fare. After this experience, I'm having high hopes for them. I will definitely share my haul with you when my order arrives, it's much bigger than this, so stay tuned. ;)

I now have a referral link that I can share with my readers that will give you $10 off your first order (minimum $15 purchase). Once you've placed an order, you will receive your own referral link that you can share as well.

Click here if you would like to use the $10 off referral link.   (note: this is an affiliate link and we will both benefit).  Of course if you'd rather find another referral link I understand, but if you use my link it is definitely most appreciated.

Paula's Choice is also Cruelty-Free which is hugely appreciated by me!!

Have you used Paula's Choice? If so, what are your favourite products?

Amy

XX

Laneige Advanced Water Science, Water Bank Gel Cream #lovingLANEIGE Review

I'm a total skincare junkie! I have been for years. So, I was really curious when I heard, after much anticipation, the Korean skincare line Laneige had finally arrived in Canada!

I was even more excited when I found out that I was fortunate enough to be able to give one of their products a test drive through influenster! If you are not familiar with Influenster, I highly recommend them if you're interested in trying out products for free! All you have to do is test the products out and give your honest opinion about your experience with the product. Influenster has much more than beauty products too, they have food and drinks, pet supplies, games, you name it, they have it.

Anyways, back to Laneige. Over 20 years of research has gone into the making of these products. They have a really nice range of products on Sephora's website and I'm pretty much drooling over all of them!

The product that I got to test out and will be reviewing here is the Water Bank Gel Cream, it can be found on www.sephora.com. I didn't get to choose a product from their line, instead, I filled out a questionnaire about my skin and they matched me to the right product for my skin type based on my answers.

Here is some info from Sephora's website on the Water Bank Gel Cream:

What it is:
A cooling, non-oily gel-cream that immerses skin in moisture for 24 hours.

What it is formulated to do:
The six hydrating ionized minerals—zinc, potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, and manganese—in hydro ionized mineral water replenish and lock in moisture while winter cypress polysaccharide extract soothes irritated skin. Cooling and ultra-light, its silky texture makes it the perfect choice for warm climates and oily skin, absorbing instantly and delivering 24-hour essential hydration, protection, and revitalization.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Phthalates

What else you need to know:
This product is dermatologist tested and non-comedogenic. LANEIGE does not test ingredients or products on animals.

The above are features I already look for when shopping for new skincare. Now, onto my experience with the Water Bank Gel Cream!

My Review

A peek inside

My first impression after unboxing the cream was great based on the sturdy, high-quality packaging. And, it came with a little spatula to keep the product sanitary. Talk about attention to detail, I really appreciate things like that. But, it's really what's inside that counts! I had never read any reviews on this product, so I went in with a completely open mind. Excited, I began using the product the day that I received it, of course.

A quick bit about my skin type: I have combo/oily skin that is very dehydrated, aging, reactive, and acne-prone. I know, quite the combo!

The product has a nice light fragrance that is very pleasant. It has a gel-lotion-like consistency. It layers well with my serums and other products, and I could immediately feel a cooling sensation but more importantly, a hydrating feeling on my skin. It plumped my skin nicely and gave it a more youthful look. I found it very soothing to my dehydrated and reactive skin. I did not have any irritation or acne breakouts. The hydration definitely lasted all day. This product also performs well as a base under my makeup as it is not greasy at all, yet it's super hydrating!

After using it for a few weeks I could definitely see that my skin's overall appearance was younger looking. But, the biggest testament to this product happened when I saw a friend that I hadn't seen in a few months. He accused me of "having something done." When I swore I hadn't he said I "at least had some Botox done." I told him I just started using some new skincare, I swore that was it! He didn't seem convinced but I didn't really care because I was just happy that I apparently looked that good! Or, at least that much better! I think it's often easier for other people to see changes in us than it is for us to see ourselves. I knew my skin had improved, but I didn't know to what extent until my friend accused me of "having something done." It is the first time in my life that I've been accused of that! Now, I want to try every product in the range. I mean, seriously! Like, have a Laneige bath or something. hehe

By the way, I did tell my friend that I'm not against Botox. I told him that I was just afraid to put toxins into my skin as it's obviously going to be absorbed by my body, and I don't know enough about what that might cause... but that's a whole other story.

Has anyone else tried any products from Laneige? If so, which ones have you tried, and what was your experience? I think I'd like to try the serum and sleeping mask next! :D

I received this product free for trial purposes. All opinions are my own.

Amy

xx

Simple Skincare Micellar Cleansing Water: Hype or Love at First Swipe?!

I've heard a lot of hype over the Micellar Cleansing waters lately. I had yet to purchase one and I was lucky enough to win Simple Skincare's Micellar Cleansing Water in a blog giveaway recently. 

I had heard about the one by Bioderma for some time and just recently started hearing about other brands, some more affordable, coming out with their own Micellar Cleansing Waters.

Since I've never tried this type of cleanser before, I have nothing to compare it to but I definitely don't need that to be able to determine whether or not this product works.

The product:

-no artificial perfume or dyes
-contains no animal derived ingredients
-is non-comedogenic
-is hypoallergenic
-no need to rinse
-hydrating
-198ml bottle

I was pleased to find that there is no fragrance and this is suitable for sensitive skin. I saturated a cotton pad as instructed and wiped off my makeup at the end of the day. Not only was this effective but it was so gentle and soothing to my skin and didn't bother my eyes. It says you can gently wipe around closed eyes, but not to get in your eyes (most products, even eye creams, say this.) I definitely agree with the hydrating claim. I have dehydrated/combo/oily skin and this didn't dry out my skin at all, it left it very comfortable. Oily skin gals may not even want to use a moisturizer after.

Love at first swipe? My initial reaction when I first tried this and looked at the cotton pad was "Woah, does this thing have some kind of superpower?!" I was shocked at the amount of makeup on the cotton pad. I flipped the cotton pad over once it was full of makeup and used the other side. Afterward, I took a makeup wipe to see what was left on my skin and there was practically nothing left behind! I also put makeup wipes to the test to compare; After using a makeup wipe to take off my makeup, using both sides, I then took a cotton pad with the Micellar Water and there was a lot of makeup left behind by the wipes. This was a great way to compare and really spoke volumes. Now, some may prefer to follow up with a quick wash after using the Micellar water, but you can definitely just use the Micellar water, especially on those lazy/tired nights.

I am pleasantly surprised and really impressed by the gentleness and effectiveness of this as a makeup remover. I find the Micellar Water to be more gentle and more effective than any makeup wipe I've ever tried! Plus, I kept looking at the bottle and thinking, I have a feeling this is going to be more cost-effective than using makeup wipes too! It looks like it's going to last for a long time, the level is barely going down and I really saturate those cotton pads. And, being that this product is also fragrance-free and more gentle and effective than my wipes, I think I've found a replacement for the wipes! (I think I can hear my skin thanking me now!)

I'm so glad that I was lucky enough to win this product in a giveaway as I'm not sure I ever would have bought into the hype of the Micellar Cleansers and purchased one. I can definitely say that I am SOLD! And, I'm a tough sell! 

Now, if only they'd come out with this Micellar water in a pre-packaged wipe! Maybe it's out already and I haven't heard, but I think that would be great for travel. ;) ;)

This retails for approximately $6.99

Here is a link to the Micellar Water on Simple Skincare's website if you'd like to get more information: http://www.simpleskincare.com/our-products/product/micellar-cleansing-water.html

Have you tried this or any other Micellar Waters? What's your experience?