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Saturday, August 31, 2013

Calgon Ageless Bath Exfoliating Mineral Scrub and Soak Review

Calgon Ageless Bath Exfoliating Mineral Scrub and Soak Review

 his product is such a treat to use! I am really addicted to this stuff because it works and smells amazing (it has a very sweet and perfume-y scent). The granules are not extremely harsh, but at the same time, there are not too gentle that it disappears before you can even massage it into your skin. This product also doubles as a mineral soak, and though I have never used it in a bath I imagine that this would just be divine given the lovely scent. I don't look for much in a body exfoliator but when a product like this is 2-in-1, effective, and has anti-aging claims (that it's filled with vitamin E and collagen), I can't say no!

As you can see from the picture below, there is a bit of separation between the mineral oil and the granules, which I know some people prefer not to have this in their exfoliator, but I don't mind it. I think also could be intentional because if you wanted to use this for a bath/mineral soak, you can drain more of the oil into the bathtub. 

For all these reasons, and because it is only about ~$7 CAD for 24oz of product (I purchased mine at Shoppers Drug Mart and will be repurchasing), I highly recommend this exfoliator. I do suggest that you give this a whiff before checking out though, because the scent is quite strong. I really do not see the need to shell out more than $10 on a body exfoliator, especially when you got such a great, inexpensive option like this for Calgon!

Calgon Ageless Bath Exfoliating Mineral Scrub and Soak Review

Price: ~$7 CAD
Where: Shoppers Drug Mart
XO Nicole

Monday, August 26, 2013

Featuring Rosehip PLUS Rosehip Oil

Rosehip Plus Rosehip Oil

Maybe I am late on the bandwagon, or maybe rosehip oil is the new oil that everyone is raving about? Regardless, I heard the benefits of this and decided to pick it up when I spotted an organic, cold-press bottle of this at Winners. Take a look and see how rosehip oil could be potentially for your skin. (I haven't used it yet for long enough, but I can say that the smell is not too lovely.)

Rosehip PLUS Rosehip Oil

Rosehip PLUS Rosehip Oil

Rosehip PLUS Rosehip Oil


XO Nicole

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Featuring Clarisonic Acne Cleansing Brush Head Value Pack


Clarisonic has come out with a brush head value pack that can be purchased from Sephora. There are a few different kind of sets:

  • Deep Pore - excellent for oily or large pore skin types
  • Sensitive and Deep Pore - 3 sensitive brush heads; 1 deep pore cleansing brush head
  • Acne - excellent for acne-prone skin types
  • Sensitive - excellent for sensitive and troubled skin types I decided to go with the Acne Cleansing pack because I wan
I opted for the acne brush head because I am still dealing with some acne here and there, and I thought that it would be better to have something more gentle for everyday use. I wanted to show you in this post how Clarisonic has slightly changed their packaging by adding a fun pop of (bright) colour and new label to remind you to change your brush head. Also they have listed this as a "limited edition" item on the Sephora website but it's been there for quite some time now... I would pick it up before it is gone forever.



Price: $75 CAD
Availability: Sephora

XO Nicole

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Real Techniques Blush Brush Review

Real Techniques Blush Brush Review

Real Techniques' blush brush is a large, tulip-shaped brush. This is a unique blush brush because of the large size and shape, but I think these two characteristics are what makes applying blush with the brush such an easy task. The tapered shape allows blush to be deposited where you want it and the large size comes in handy for quick and easy blending. This brush, as with all the other brushes from Real Techniques is super soft. I definitely recommend this blush brush. Even if you find that it is too large for blush, this would still be lovely to use as a setting powder brush.

Real Techniques Blush Brush Review

Real Techniques Blush Brush Review

Real Techniques Blush Brush Review

XO Nicole

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Featuring Sephora 500 Point Perk Summer Kit


I usually save my points until the end of the year because the 500 point perk is usually a more luxurious brand (think Dior, see my post here), but the point reduction for this kit lured in. Plus, there's a few months left before the end of the year to replenish the deficit (wink!). This kit is pretty complete - they did a good job thinking about the whole routine. First off, sunscreen and moisturizer, followed up with a nice primer (I was most excited for this Hourglass primer!), and BB cream. A mascara and a brow gel is also included. The only thing I could find to criticize is the makeup bag - I would have chose something that is brighter and maybe something that is made out of a waterproof material that would be perfect for bringing to the beach/pool.


Sephora 500 Point Perk Summer Kit

Sephora 500 Point Perk Summer Kit

XO Nicole

Sephora Haul (Illamasqua, Peter Roth Thomas, Becca)


Everything was telling me that I had to place this Sephora order! The major selling point was the limited time offer (ie. that weekend only!) in which the 500 Summer Kit point perk was reduced to 200 points. Click here to what was inside!

Illamasqua Hollow was in stock (you have no idea how many times I've received a back in stock notification only to come home to it being sold out that very same day).

PETER THOMAS ROTH Therapeutic Sulfur Masque Acne Treatment Masque - I desperately needed a new acne cleanser, mask or treatment. I ha ve REN'a clay cleanser in the basket but decided to put some faith into the mask for clearing my breakouts. Both these items were about $40 so I had to pick one. Plus, I'm always hesitant to spend a lot on cleanser.. or anything that almost immediately goes down the drain. If the mask doesn't live up to my expectations, I will definitely be giving the REN cleanser a go.

BECCA Luminous Skin Colour Ultra Sheer Foundation SPF 25+ - I have been using BB cream and tinted moisturizer for the whole summer so I wanted something that would give me a luminous glow. I went with this product because I thought its sheerness would be perfect for mixing with foundation/tinted moisturizers, etc.





XO Nicole

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Perfume Review


Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Perfume Review

After searching high and low for a new scent for the summer, I caved in and opened this bottle that I had hidden in my makeup stash. I couldn't find a scent that I fell in love with and since I knew that I liked the scent enough (from previous samples), I though I might as well use it. 

I don't care too much for the packaging - it's pretty and simple but once you're done all the perfume, it won't look nice as a display. Another thing to note is that the perfume looks pink in Lancome's promos/ads, but it is actually a peachy orange shade in real life (as you can see from my photos).

I think this perfume is good for the summer but it might be too sweet for your liking if you prefer fresh scents. I see this also being lovely for the fall because it has a warmth to it. At first, La Vie est Belle smells very sweet but once it dries down, it becomes warmer and a bit "powdery". This actually reminds me a lot of Viktor&Rolf's Flowerbomb.

The biggest downside to this perfume is that it does not have any lasting power whatsoever. I have the 50 ml bottle and have been using it everyday since the beginning of June and I have about ~30% left. I constantly have to refill my travalo because I constantly have to keep reapply this perfume throughout the day! As with any other perfume, I recommend you guys smelling it first, but this one especially. I would recommend spraying it on yourself to see if you like it enough to buy it, knowing that you would probably need to bring an atomizer with you everywhere you go. I really do like this scent but I just wish it had some sort of lasting power. 

Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Perfume Review

XO Nicole