Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask Review

When this mask first came on my radar - the one thing that intrigued me the most was the vibrant violet colour. It's not everyday that you see this colour in a face mask. 

So when I saw it at Sephora I made a impulse decision and picked up a tub! 

One thing I love about this mask is the consistency. It's very creamy when applied and dries down a bit but nothing that leaves your skin feeling tight. I use my fingers to apply all over my face while avoiding the eye area. 

I tend to use this mask once a week or before a night out. I leave it on for 15 minutes as directed and then follow up with my normal skincare once removed. I find that it does make my skin look brighter, making it look like "I got tons of sleep last night" - when I likely did not. I don't have any dark spots or uneven textures on my face, so I can't speak to that claim. 

Overall, I've enjoyed using this mask for the past few months. It's a great mask for an easy fix but the results are only temporarily. I'll continue using this and will probably repurchase down the line once I try out a few other masks I have my eye on. 

What are your favourite masks? Let me know in the comments!

DECEMBER 2017 LUXE BOX REVIEW

It's been a long time since I last had a subscription box. I found that I was getting products I never used or didn't really like. But when I received a promo email from American Express offering to purchase the December box, I thought I'd give it a go. 

This box had an assortment of products both high and low end. 

• Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Daily Serum: This is a deluxe sample size. I gave this product to my mom as I'm currently not using anti-aging skincare. 
• Deborah Lippmann nail polish in the shade Let's Go Crazy: Always love a new glitter polish. I was happy to receive this as Deborah Lippmann makes really good polishes. 
• Estate Lip Crayon in the shade Sweeter Season: I had never heard of this brand before receiving this product. The shade is nice nude/pink that applies comfortably on the lips. 
• Vaseline - Cocoa Butter: I have used this before but it's not my favourite. 
• Garnier Micellar Water: I've tried this in the past and had a reaction to it so I won't be using this product. 
• Glamglow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment: I've also tried this before and it's an ok mask. I'll use this up but this sample size looks like it only gives one use (the tube isn't full).
• Belief The True Cream - Aqua Bomb: This is a new brand to me. It's a gel moisturizer and because my skin prefer creams I gave this product to my sister to use.

Overall, this box didn't wow me. The products were ok - nothing that I was overly excited to try. I did like that it gave a mix of full size and deluxe samples. It was nice to try these boxes again but I don't think I'll continue ordering again. 

For Beloved One Hyaluronic Acid GHK-Cu Moisturizing Surge Cream REVIEW

Today's post is all about the For Beloved One Hyaluronic Acid GHK-Cu Moisturizing Surge Cream. I hadn't heard of this brand before being contacted to try out the product. I was lucky to receive a tub of this to try out. 

Find out my thoughts on this below! 

This cream comes in a 30mL tub and retails for $94.99 - very pricey for the amount of product. But the price must not deter too many people it was  as it was awarded the Best Moisturizing Day Cream over $40 in the 2017 ELLE Grand Prix Beauty Awards. 

First, I will say I have combination skin. My skin does tend to lean more on the dry side during the fall and winter months. I started using this during the day in the fall and it worked great under makeup. It left my skin feeling moisturized. Now as it got colder in Toronto, I found it wasn't doing the trick. So I switched it for another moisturizer.

Since I wasn't using it, this found its way to my mom's dresser. She loved it - so much, that it's now completely finished. She used this both day and night and it worked great on her skin. 

Overall, I think this would be a great moisturizer if you have normal or oily skin. If you have combo skin it will work for the day time but if you have dry skin I'd skip this. It's a great moisturizer if you're looking for a gel moisturizer that is lightweight and aborsobs quickly. 

If you're looking to pick this up, you can find it at T&T and online at yesstyle.ca.

*This is not a sponsored post.This post contains product(s) provided for review purpose. All opinions are my own and no compensation has been provided for this post.   

Tatcha Essence Review

I first heard about essences in 2017 when more and more companies started bringing them out. I was skeptical but wanted to try one out to see if I could see a difference. I opted for the Tatcha Essence as my first dip into the essence world. 

First up - what is an essence and why should it be incorporated into your skincare regime? From reading other posts, the main benefit of an essence is that it will soften the skin and open your pores to allow the next product you apply concentrate deeper into the skin and as a result, provide you better results. 

I was curious to see if this would work. In October/November I started noticing my skin was getting this one dry patch that wouldn't go away with the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. I would have to put on a salve on top of the dry patch at night to ensure it didn't appear below my makeup. This is also the same time that I started reading more on essences. So I thought this would be a good time to test out an essence.

I picked up the Tatcha Essence as it also included anti-aging properties. It was definitely a pricey item and I picked it up during Sephora's sale. When I first picked this up, I only used it at night. The Tatcha Essence feels like water. I apply a few drops on to my palm and then press onto the skin. After about a minute, I'll go over with my moisturizer. After using this for a couple days I noticed my dry spot disappeared. That was the main test that actually showed me results that this was actually doing something. 

Since then, the weather in Toronto has been very very cold and my skin has felt it. I now apply this morning and night before my moisturizer. I find that midday my skin does get dry but I think this is mainly the cold weather and the lack of water I drink throughout the day. 

Overall, the Tatcha Essence has been a permanent skincare product in my regime and I'll continue to use it. I do enjoy using the product and hope to see more lasting effects with future use. 

Have you used essences? What have been your results and which one do you recommend? 

Glossier Review: Favorites & Products I'd Repurchase

Glossier has been on everyone's radar in 2017. I first discovered Glossier when I heard about them in my favourite YouTubers' videos. When I first heard about them they hadn't started shipping internationally yet. Once they started shipping to Canada and did their Toronto pop-up my Glossier collection grew significantly. 

Below is an overview of my thoughts on the products I've tried out. 

Let's do skincare first. The first product that I knew I had to order was the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. I had to try this from all the hype it has received. After testing this for a some months now, I do like this cleanser. It's a great choice for a second cleanser once all your makeup has been removed. It's super gentle and I love how it doesn't strip my skin of moisturizer after use. I'll definitely be ordering another bottle.  

I now have combination skin but more on the dry side during the past couple of months so when deciding between Glossier's moisturizer's I opted to try the Priming Moisturizing Rich. This is a thicker cream moisturizer that I would only use at night time. It was an nice moisturizer but it did't leave my skin as soft feeling as my First Aid Beauty moisturizer does. I always opted for the First Aid Beauty moisturizer over this so I won't be picking up another tub. 

The last skincare product I've tried is the Moisturizing Moon Mask. When applied it goes on transparent which is great if you're using this while on a plane to keep your skin moisturized. I've used this for the time noted (20 minutes) and overnight. It's a nice mask but I'm not over the moon about it. I will continue using this but I haven't decided if I will be repurchasing. 

When Glossier had their pop up store in Toronto earlier this year, I stopped by to test out the different shades from their makeup range. One of the products I wanted to swatch was the Perfecting Skin Tint. Since I had a bit of a tan, I picked up the shade medium. This skin tint gives very very little coverage. I didn't think I'd be a fan of this but I actually really like this product. I liked using this on everyday for work and even during the weekends. It's so light it feels like you have nothing on but gives your skin a nice sheen to it making it look healthy. I'm now too pale for the shade medium so I'll need to pick up the lighter shade to continue using this product. 

Another favourite of mine are the Cloud Paint blushes. These cream blushes apply very easily (I tend to use my finders) but also are pretty opaque. I have the shades Puff and Haze and both are great colour choices. I definitely want to pick up the other two shades to try out. 

When I first heard about the Generation G lipsticks I thought I would pick up the shade Zip. But once I got to try them out at their pop up store, I much preferred the shade Jam. This shade is a dark berry colour but because it's sheer it's a lovely shade for everyday. These lipsticks are moisturizing and feel wonderful on the lips. I usually have this in my purse on an ongoing basis.

Now my favourite product from Glossier - Boy Brow. I love this brow gel. I use the clear shade and it's super easy to groom my brows but also holds them in place without getting crunchy. I'm already on my second tube and need to order a third ASAP. 

There you have it! All the products I've tired out from Glossier. I'm slowly working my way through the entire range and definitely have my eye on a few other products I want to order next. What are your favourite products from Glossier? 

2017 MAKEUP | SKINCARE | HAIR FAVORITES

2017 has come to a close and this year I've discovered some amazing products that have been on constant rotation. 

First up, let's talk about makeup. Early this year I had the chance to go to the states and managed to check out Ulta to finally pick up the IT Cosmetics CC Cream. I finished up that tube and I'm onto my second tube. The hype is well deserved and it's a great cc cream but has the finish of a foundation. It medium coverage and lasts throughout the work day. This is my daytime foundation as it allows me to skip the SPF step. Thankfully, this is now available in Sephora Canada!

To add some glow to the skin, my new favourite is the YSL Touche Eclat Glow Shot Liquid Highlighter. This was a late discovery in the year as I picked it up for my trip in September. I love how compact this highlighter is for travelling. I tend to use this during the daytime as it provides a glow that isn't overly dramatic. 

The Becca Bronzer is an everyday product for me which has surprised me. I'm very pale and bronzer usually does not work on me. I love that Becca has come out with an wide selection of bronzer shades that suit even my pale skin (I use shade Bali Sands). This bronzer provides my skin with a subtle amount of glow and colour. 

Too Faced Baby Love blush continues to be a favourite in 2017. This is the only blush I've ever hit pan on and will probably be the only blush I finish (2018 goal). This is my go to blush when I don't know what to wear but want a defined blush. It works for both day and night and is on regular rotation in my makeup routine. 

Another new discovery for me was the brand Lilah B. I first heard about this brand when ttsandra featured them in a video. She had good things to say about their quads and I'm ever willing to try anything she recommends. I picked up the Eye Quad in shade nude, even though it had a pretty hefty price tag. I don't wear eyeshadow regularly but when I do I usually opt for this quad. It's super easy to use and I tend to use the light brown and shimmery brown for an easy eye look. If I'm not using the Lilah B. quad, I'm using Burberry's shadow in Pale Barley. I use this all over the lid and blended into the crease. One shadow and I'm done. Super easy and quick makeup has been the theme for 2017. 

For my brows the only two products I use are the Hourglass Brow Pencil and the Glossier Boy Brow. These two products make my brows defined but not overly done. I love that the Hourglass pencil has a thicker tip that lets me do my brows quickly in the mornings. The main reason I love the Glossier Boy Brow is that it keeps them in place throughout the day without them feeling crunchy. 

I didn't have a lipstick favourite for 2017 as my go-to lipsticks change on a monthly basis. I like to switch things out of my purse every month or so to try to use up my lipstick collection. One lip product that has remained a favourite for 2017 (actually I've been using this for over 10 years consistently) is the Nivea lip balm. I only use the clear version and this is the only thing that keeps my lips moisturized. I've definitely become addicted to it and no other lip balm I've tried compares. I'll continue using this for another 10 years at least. 

A new fragrance discovery for me in 2017 was Black Tulip by NEST. I tried this on a whim in Sephora and fell in love. I've been using a rollerball for now but when that finishes I'll switch to a full size bottle. LOVE this. 

Now lets talk about the skincare favourites. One of my skin saviours this year has been the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. I use this on my face and my hands during fall/winter. This is the only cream that works during the winter for my hands. Even though I use this on my hands, it's light enough to use on my face morning and night. I've gone through numerous tubs of this and even picked up the Black Friday special size of 12oz. that I'll be cracking into once my current tub is done. 

Another cult product for me is the Philosophy Purity Cleanser. I've lost count of how many bottles of this cleanser I've gone through. I use this in the shower as my first cleanser to get rid of all my makeup. I use this to remove my eye makeup as well without any irritation. Previously I would use this as my first and second cleanser at night but now mainly use this as my first cleanser only. I'm experimenting with other cleansers at the moment so I tend to use those as my second cleanse once all my makeup has been removed. 

Final skincare favourite is The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil. I just finished my previous bottle of this and started a second. I love this as a spot treatment. I don't get many pimples but this is the only product I use once I get them during the time of the month. 

Let's talk about hair now. I don't use styling products as I'm super lazy with my hair. On a daily basis I will use the Bumble and Bumble Invisible Hairdresser's Oil on my ends. It's a great oil that leaves my hair feeling soft without weighing it down. 

My last 2017 favourite was discovered in the spring. My hair gets super oily if I don't wash it so I always need to use a dry shampoo if I skip a hair wash. Finding one that doesn't leave a residue is also hard with dark hair. I heard about the Moroccanoil Dry Shampoo for Dark Tones and picked up a bottle to try it out. I loveee this dry shampoo. It gets rid of any oil and keeps my hair looking fresh throughout the entire day. It also smells AMAZING. I only use this on second day hair as I can't go three days without washing my hair. 

There you have it. The products that have been on constant rotation in 2017. 
What are some of your favourite products?