Ouidad Ultra Nourishing Cleansing Oil Review

Hello everyone! Today's post is about a lovely hair product I found for $10 at Winner's. I've heard rave reviews about this product before and they are all true! First of all this is not a shampoo. It is meant to cleanse the hair without stripping it. Instead, it leave the hair feeling clean and nourished. I have naturally coarse, curly hair and this cleansing oil does leave it moisturized. I always used to struggle with finding products that would not strip my already dry and damaged hair. I love that this product is sulfate free and Ouidad does not test on animals. This product is meant for curly hair but would work on other hair types (I'm not too sure if it would be good for oily hair though). I feel like it makes my heat damaged curls more defined. I would like to try other products from Ouidad's line when I get the chance. Overall I'd rate this 4.5/5!

Thanks for reading! xx

Current Skincare Routine

Hello everyone and Happy Easter! Today I wanted to take a break from all the makeup posts and share some skincare products I use in my routine. I have had all of these products for a long period of time because I find it easier to share my thoughts on products I've been using for a while.You might notice while reading this that I don't have a facial wash in here and that is because I don't like to use one unless my skin is really oily or if i'm wearing makeup (I don't wear a makeup everyday). Before anyone gives me hell for not religiously using face wash, please keep in mind that everyone's skin is different and different products/methods work for different people, I try not to mess with my skin too much since it is very sensitive and easily irritated. My skin is also dry with a little bit of oiliness in the t zone. Also I usually only break out if it's my time of the month. I have always been kind of lazy when it comes to skincare and often forget to apply moisturizer and sunscreen (i'm working on that though). I was told that I didn't need to wear sunscreen growing up due to my background (for some reason many people I know look down on it- but i'm going to address this issue in another post) and I have definitely suffered skin wise from this.  When I was younger I used to lay out in the sun all day to tan and doing that and not wearing sunscreen I feel has aged me more. Nowadays, I still going out and enjoy the sun, but I just make sure to wear a baseball cap and apply sunscreen to protect my skin. Now that i'm done rambling about my skincare background, let's get on with the products!

I really love this Clinique skincare duo for dry/combo skin. I purchased this set for $15 at Sephora and it comes with the 7 Day Scrub Cream and the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion.I'm not sure if this duo is still available but there was also one for oily/combo skin. Even though the bottles are small, they have last me a few months. I would highly recommend both of these products to anyone with dry skin.

The next product I really like is the Apieu Pure Block Natural Sun Cream. Can we just take a moment to admire how cute Doraemon looks on the packaging? This is a Korean sunscreen with SPF45. I was worried at first that this would irritate my skin because I've gotten rashes and hives from some sunscreens I used in the past, but this one doesn't bother my skin. This sunscreen also has a fragrance for anyone who is worried about that. So if you're in the market for a new sunscreen, I suggest you give this one a try.

I also really love the green tea sheet mask from The Face Shop. It is by far my favourite sheet mask I have tried from there and it's only $2. It really hydrates my dry skin and I even got one of my friends with oily skin hooked on it! So I think this would work for all skin types. There's also alot of  leftover serum on this mask so I like to use it twice or I'll rub the excess on my neck and hands.

This next product is the most recent addition to my skincare regimen. It is the Ganique Paris Vitamin C Serum. I picked this up because vitamin c is great for fading dark spots and I wanted to get rid of some acne scarring. This serum pumps out as a clear gel that can leave your face sticky if too much is applied. I was kind of skeptical at first, since I'm the type of person who expects overnight results haha. I didn't see much of a difference in my skin after the first month (although I was not always consistent with the application) but it definitely works! My acne scars have started to fade so I will continue using this serum.

The last product in my regimen is Bioderma Micellar Solution. It is a non-rinse formula that can be used as a toner or to remove makeup. I like to use oil to break down my makeup and then use Bioderma to remove the rest. I don't know if it's because I have the formula for combo skin when my skin is currently more on the dry side, but I was not as impressed with this product as I initially thought I'd be. I've already gone through one bottle of this and am know on my second. I just had really high hopes for this product. I does get the job done in removing my makeup, but not as easily as some people have claimed. I find that it irritates my eyes and smells strongly of alcohol- even though it is alcohol free. Overall I would recommend this makeup remover but I would like to try more Micellar Water's too.

Thanks for reading! xx

My High End Beauty Wishlist

Hello everyone! I know I have been posting like crazy lately, but I didn't post for a few weeks after I first made this blog since I had midterms. I'm about to finish my first year of college so I'm going to be really busy with assignments,presentations, and exams for the next few weeks. Since I have alot going on at the moment, I wanted to put up the posts I've been wanting to make for while before my schedule gets too hectic. Instead of doing a review though, I wanted to just share my beauty wishlist with you all. I just compiled a list of high end products that I would love to try out. I'll be posting a drugstore version later on in the week as well. Let's get on to the products!

The first set of products on my list are from Too Faced. I love their packaging and I also love that Too Faced is cruelty-free. As some of you may know their Summer 2016 collection just dropped which features the Sweet Peach Palette, a Sweethearts Blush in Sparkling Bellini, and the Sweethearts Bronzer in Sweet Tea. I've also been wanting to try the Mr.Right Brush, PB&J Palette, Bon Bons Palette, Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara, and the Little Black Book of Bronzers.

I'm also interested in trying the eyeshadow palette and the highlighter palette from the Tarte Rain forest of the Sea collection.

Two other newly released products from Tarte than have caught my attention is the Tarteist Blush Palette and the Lippie Lingerie Matte Tints.

I've also wanted to get the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette for quite some time.

Estee Lauder has also released the Multi Cheek Palette which looks beautiful.

I've been meaning to get the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Blushed Copper since it released last spring. I recently had the chance to swatch it in store, and I think it would look really great used as an eyeshadow. This Becca Luminous Blush in Snapdragon just came out recently and I believe it is still only available for VIB and VIB Rouge at the moment. It is a beautiful coral colour.

I came across the Tom Ford Soleil Contouring Compact and the Sheer Cheek Duo recently on Sephora's website. I have not looked into any reviews of Tom Ford products before because I've never had access to the brand and because they also have a high price point.

I have heard great things about the Givenchy Prism Libre. It is a powder that also colour corrects. The photo above is the limited edition Chinese New Year packaging.

Sephora Collection also has some products that i'm looking into purchasing. The first being the Pantone Universe Conceal and Correct Palette. This palette comes in two shades for light and dark skin tones. I like that you can customize concealer shades because my complexion changes throughout the year and having a concealer palette would be easier than buy different shades of concealers. I also would like to get the Paint it Pink set since it contains a beauty blender as well as several other products. The Brow Thickener also looks like it would be a really great product. Last but not least, is the Minnie Mouse collection! It's not out yet but I want to get the brushes and the palette once it drops.

Another brow product that I want to get my hands on is this Clinique Just Browsing Brush-On Styling Mousse.

If you read one of my last post's you would know that I tried out the |Buxom Full on Lip Cream in Sangria and loved it! This set has a bunch of mini Buxom lip glosses for $74. I might pick this up during Sephora's spring sale.

Another lip set I want to get is this one from Fresh. I've tried the rose lip balm before and I absolutely adore it. The colour is lovely and it's very moisturizing. The only downside to these lip balm's is that they break easily due to their soft texture- but that won't stop me from repurchasing them in the future (cause they're actually that good).

The last lippie on my wishlist is a lip tint/lip gloss duo from Chosungah 22 in the shade Cashmere. I heard about this one through the youtuber Meejmuse. I don't just love Korean lip tints, but Korean makeup in general (now that I think about it, I could probably post a Korean beauty wishlist too). 

The last things I want to talk about are fragrances. I want to get the Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Blush Eau de Toilette Spray and the Daisy Dream Blush Eau de Toilette Spray. I also got a sample of Escada Agua Del Sol Eau de Toilette Spray from Sephora and have been in love with the scent ever since then.

Thanks for reading!xx

Laura Mercier Minis

Hi everyone! I hope you all are having a lovely Easter weekend with your families. A while back Sephora had a promotion for VIB and VIB Rouges to get a cheetah print makeup bag and some Laura Mercier minis. The promotion was temporary but the makeup products I was able to try are permanent so I wanted to talk about them.

I've never really been a big fan of cheetah print but this makeup bag is just adorable and the products it came with were just the icing on the cake. Of all three products I have to say that I love the foundation primer the most. There are a few different versions of the primer and I got to try out the radiance one. It looks great under foundations with more of a matte finish since it gives your skin a nice glow. I also like the lip gloss in the shade Bare Naked that was included. It is more of a nude colour that you could pretty much put over most lipsticks since its not too pigmented. I love that it has that vanilla Mac lipstick scent as well. I found the lipstick in the shade Audrey to be my least favourite product of the three. Personally I don't find the colour of it to be very flattering on me. So if you're thinking of giving Laura Mercier products a try, I'd suggest checking out her radiance primer if you want a nice glow to your skin.

(L-R: Radiance Primer blended out, Audrey Lipstick, Bare Naked Lip Gloss)

Thanks for reading! xx

Buxom Full on Lip Cream in Sangria

Hello Everyone! I picked up my first Buxom Lip Cream in the shade Sangria a while back and i'm glad to say I really like it! So I stumbled across this on Sephora's website a week before I purchased it and was interested in it because it was called Sangria which instantly made me think of Blake Shelton (I can't be the only one who wants to try products for reasons like this-but honestly I love Blake even though this product and his song is named after an alcoholic beverage). I couldn't find any reviews or swatches online for the limited edition shades. Needless to say I swatched this on my hand in store a week later and fell in love with the beautiful berry red colour. I had heard great things about Buxom's lip glosses before but I didn't even realize that this was a lip plumper when I purchased it. Luckily the plumping effect doesn't make it uncomfortable to wear as it just leaves a slight tingling sensation on my lips. The lipgloss applies with a doe foot applicator. I've never really been an avid fan of lip gloss but I like the formulation since it's not too sticky or uncomfortable to wear. Overall I'd rate this 4.5/5 and I would repurchase Buxom Full on Lip Creams! Pick it up if you can get your hands on it! Thanks for reading! xx

Drugstore Product Reviews

Hello Everyone! So I have been trying a lot of different drugstore products since the year has started and I wanted to review some of them today!

The first thing i'm going to talk about is the Real Techniques Core Collection. I put off getting these brushes for ages and I think this is a good set of brushes for the price. My favourite brush in the set is the Buffing Brush- however I still prefer using the Real Techniques sponge to blend out my foundation because I prefer the finish it gives. The set comes with four brushes, a buffing brush, a pointed foundation brush (that is too small to use to apply foundation), a contour brush, and a detailer brush. I like to use the detailer brush to highlight my inner corners. I don't contour often so I don't get alot of use from the contour brush but I still think this set is a great value and is worth picking up. I would rate it 3.7/5.

Next I'd like to talk about the Rimmel Wake Me up Foundation. I picked this up after hearing rave reviews of this foundation for dry skin. This foundation is extremely affordable considering its drugstore price point. I find that I have to use primer in order for this foundation to look decent on my skin or else it looks sort of mask like and accentuates texture. I also feel that it is best applied with a damp sponge. As long as my skin is primed, I find that it does have a nice finish on my skin but I have a few gripes with this foundation. First of all, Rimmel in general has a terrible shade selection for foundations and concealers. It's really unfortunate that some brands don't cater to all skin tones. I have this foundation in the second lightest shade called True Ivory and even though I'm not that fair, I still have to mix this with a lighter toned foundation. The next problem I have with the foundation is that it contains small shimmers. This has to do with the brightening claim that the foundation has. I guess they added shimmer in order to make the skin look more lively and glowy? I knew that there were small glitters in this foundation before I purchased it- but alot of the reviewers who mentioned the shimmers said that they were undetectable on the skin.  In reality, it makes you look like a Twilight cast member in direct sunlight. I couldn't figure out why people kept staring at me on the bus and I now know its because my face was a glitter bomb. The effect does wear down after a while and I don't look as glittery but it still isn't very flattering if you;re in direct sunlight after the initial application. I have found though that by mixing this foundation to help custom my shade, the glitter is toned down alot. The last gripe I have with this foundation is the wear time. I knew it wasn't very long lasting from the previous reviews I saw but don't expect this foundation to last you all day or in the heat. It does start to fade after a while especially where I have the most redness on my face. I felt like the setting spray I used wasn't really able to help prolong this foundations wear time. Overall I would rate this foundation a 2.5/5. It's not too bad if you can find your shade, but I probably won't repurchase it.

Next up is the Physician's Formula Butter Bronzer. I heard about this pina colada scented bronzer through Kathleenlights. She was raving about the neutral tone of this bronzer and how nice it looks on the skin. I also really like this bronzer but I definitely think Physician's Formula should come out with more shades for darker skin tones. This bronzer comes in two shades and I have the darker shade of the two that is literally called "bronzer" (haha very clever Physician's Formula). Although this is the darkest shade, it still runs very light and may not show up on most skin tones as you can see from the swatch above. It comes with a sponge type applicator that is found in the compartment beneath the product along with a mirror. Physician's Formula also claims that this bronzer is infused with Murumuru butter that melts into the skin to help lock in moisture. I do find alot of claims of makeup products to be kind of gimmicky so I cannot attest to seeing any of the "hydrating benefits" that this bronzer claims to have. Overall I would definitely recommend this bronzer for anyone with pale-light skin and hopefully additional bronzer shades will be released. 4.5/5

I also tried the Maybelline Lash Sensational Luscious Full Fan Effect Waterproof Mascara. I like this mascara alot. I'm really not very picky with mascaras- as long as they don't flake off, I'm fine. Believe it or not I find that many mascaras give the same effect on my lashes so I've enjoyed most of the ones I've tried. I do like this mascara for my upper lashes as it doesn't flake off throughout the day, nor does it weigh them down. I also love it for my bottom lashes since the wand is fairly small. I would rate this 4/5.

I have been enjoying Hard Candy's Fast & Fabulous Setting Spray as well these past few months. I use it quite often and still have alot left in the bottle. It really does prolong my makeup and I also like using it to apply eyeshadows wet. I'd give it a 4/5 since it might be a tad bit drying for those with dry skin.

The last products I'd like to talk about are two nail polishes I've been enjoying. One is from Essence in the shade 03 i'm lost in you  and the other is from Revlon in the shade Romantique. I prefer the formula of the Revlon one slightly more but both apply well and look beautiful.

Thanks for reading! xx