My First 2020 Beauty Wishlist

Happy 2020, darlings! 2019 was a rocky year but for the most part, a very lifechanging year, I almost want to call it the “turning point” year. I hope you all are having a fantastic start to your 2020, wishing you endless love, luck, positivity and prosperity. May 2020 be an incredible year for us. Now, without a further or do, let’s hop into my wishlist and why I may be interested in these products. I know I’ve released quite a few anti-hauls but how about things I want to try out and purchase.

MILK GLOW OILS

I have a fascination towards MILK products simply because of the vibrant colours and compact sizes make them so attractive and travel-friendly. I’ve already tried a handful of their products and I’ve enjoyed a lot of them from the cannabis mask, eye patches, kush mascara, holographic and highlighter sticks. They have a lot of amazing products. The product I’ve been dying to try but wanting to clear out my existing blush collection is their glow oils. These are antioxidant-rich tinted oils that can be used on your lips and cheeks for that gentle pop of colour and sheen. As much as I adore opaque, bold makeup for parties, I love the minimal, simple everyday look because it’s so easy to achieve and looks effortless! The shades I want are Astro, glimmer and halo.

Available: Here

RMS LIVING LUMINIZER 

If you haven’t heard of RMS Beauty before they are a clean beauty option and they’ve been around for quite a long time now. There are a few products I am interested in their range however the one that stands out most to me is their living luminizer. This product is formulated with biuriti, jojoba and coconut oil. It’s specifically to enhance skin’s overall look without being sticky, greasy or glittery, it has this soft reflective quality to it. The only thing that turns me away from this product is the price, this is 50 CDN, which is insane if you ask me. I’ve spent a lot of highlighters but for shimmery ones and brands that I am familiar with. I haven’t tried anything from this brand before which makes me kind of nervous to drop 50 on the spot.

Available: Here

REPLICA FRAGRANCES

I’ve always been curious about these fragrances. Every time I’m at the perfume aisle at Sephora, I’m always ripping through the Marc Jacobs, D&G, Fresh section but I always forget to smell the Replica Fragrances. That, or I’ve smelled far too many fragrances and my nose is stuffed with a bunch of different notes. My local Sephora doesn’t have any coffee beans besides the fragrance shelves. They really should consider adding those because it helps clear your nose palate so you can smell new scents without the previous scents interfering with the new ones. The one I am most curious about from their range is The Fireplace one. It’s ironic that I’m curious about this one as I don’t really like a lot warm scents but this is a warm + spicy scent. The only warm scent I like is the coco cabana fragrance from the Sol De Janeiro. It’s also really popular in the beauty community and pretty much everyone I’ve spoken to about this product really enjoys it. I also believe that fragrance preference is an extremely subjective thing so it’s best for me to go out and actually smell it prior to purchasing it because let’s be real here, perfumes are not cheap so it’s smart to know what you like prior to purchasing it.

Available: Here

GLOW RECIPE BANANA SOUFFLE MOISTURE CREAM

I really like Glow Recipe products especially the Watermelon facial mist, avocado sleeping mask and the watermelon moisturizer. Their prices are kinda steep for what they are but I guess a lot of it has to do with the glass packaging because their packaging is definitely not cheap looking an I appreciate the thought and creativity they put into creating these fruity, ice-cube like products. This cream is formulated with banana and magnesium, these ingredients can promote skin healing, hydration to calm and balance sensitive skin. There’s also a beautiful blend of ingredients such as Centella Asiatica, chia, and turmeric, this lightweight moisturizer resets and replenishes skin for a healthy-looking glow.

Available: Here

Well, that’s it for now, my darlings! I’ll see you in the new post. Have yourself a wonderful day and enjoy the rest of your week!

 

 

 

 

Last-Minute Holiday Gift Shopping Guide

So Christmas is right by the corner, have you already done your holiday shopping or not yet? No worries! I’m here to help with that and today, I will sharing with some awesome beauty products and gadgets you can give to your loved ones. Ready? Let’s get into it! I have a lot of Amazon recommendations and you’ll be able to snag these goodies using prime delivery. When it comes to gifts, I always like to find thoughtful and cool gifts where I know that a person does not have but interested in trying/owning it. Remember, it’s not the value you put into the gift but more of the thought and love.

Cool Gadgets

Facial Steamer

Alright, so this first item is more of a “luxury” item but you can gift this to yourself this or a loved one. It’s not expensive nor necessary but it is a nice addition to your beauty routine. A facial steamer can unclog and clean pores, enhances blood circulation, assists to remove skin toxins and has therapeutic qualities. No need to go out of your way to get the brand name facial steamers, those ones range from 200 to 300 bucks and they’re definitely not an item you should use every single day. Facial steaming can only be used once or twice a week, if you steam your face too often you will likely breakout from it because you’re opening your pores every time you steam your face so keep that in mind. The one I shared on amazon is available for prime delivery and also an affordable option compared to the Panasonic ones.

This one I shared has a good rating, comes in two different colours and it also comes with a FREE pimple extraction kit. I would use this carefully because you could potentially irritate and also damage your skin if these tools are used incorrectly. Please use the pimple extraction tool kit with caution and be gentle to your skin.

Available on: Amazon (Prime)

Smart LED Bulb compatible with WiFi, Google Home & Phone 

Technology is the future, my friends. If you have a smartphone and WiFi, you are set and you can pretty much customize your home for your liking and convenience. These light bulbs make incredible gifts because they are multi-colour, powerful and bright while you have the ability to control them using your phone or even google home. If you don’t know what google home is, you’re living under a rock. Pretty much everyone I know has one and they come in handy because with the command “hey google or OK, google” she is able to search up whatever you’re looking for, set an alarm/reminder, play music and you can even ask what’s the weather like for the week.

Available on: Amazon (Prime)

Stocking Stuffers (Budget-Friendly, Affordable Options)

Key chain covers

I’m sure all of us own our own pair of keys and we all know how annoying it can be when it comes to finding the right key to open our door, mailbox and etc. These key covers are so helpful because you’ll be able to differentiate from them. I’ve used these for years now and they’re so handy because you’ll know exactly which key is for what. They have these in cute designs and also plain coloured ones.

Available on: Amazon (Cute one) | Amazon (Plain)

 

Anything from Colourpop

I think they’re a really good makeup brand to start at if whether you’re a makeup noobie, someone on a budget or just appreciates makeup because their prices are quite unbeatable and super affordable. I think foundation and concealer can be tricky to buy for a family or friend because getting that accurate match is not always achievable so instead, I would recommend you to get their pan eyeshadow palettes, super shock single eyeshadows, coloured mascaras/eyeliners and even the fourth ray skincare line. They have a TON of affordable options for you try from so don’t feel so limited to only getting these that I listed.

Available on: Colourpop

Mini sets – beauty or skincare

These are fantastic gifts because you don’t have to commit to the full size and there’s usually a big variety to try out. Pretty much every beauty company makes mini size products for trial/travel reasons so you’re bound to find an amazing set for a reasonable price. Check out your local drugstore or even check your favourite beauty store websites to see if whether they have any or fantastic holiday discount deals.

I hope these options helped you out, I thought these were some fantastic choices for you, your friends or even your family. Please let me know if you’re interested in seeing more of these gift guides because this was really fun to put together. 🙂

[ANTI-HAUL] Vol. 3

It’s been a long while since I’ve done one of these and well, I can tell you guys one thing – all the things I’ve said in my previous anti-hauls are things I still stand by. I’ve purchased a ton of things in the past simply because I fell into the hype of things and they turned out to be products I don’t care for nor reach so I think it’s important to share these sorts of things to remind ourselves and others that we just might not want it as much as we thought we do.

Disclaimer: Some of the products I will be mentioning are owned by controversial people however, I’m only speaking about the products themselves, not the people behind them.

KYLIE SKIN (ENTIRE LINE)

I’m not even sure why I’m listing her on my anti-haul but I’ve tried her lip products in the past and quite like them. Would I repurchase them? Absolutely not, I prefer Colour Pop lippies and they’re super affordable compared to hers. There’s so much controversy over her walnut scrub when people forgot that Ole Henricksen has one out as well and there doesn’t seem to be any negative/backlash on that scrub; makes me question if consumers are just biased and use to bashing on celebrities. I also find it quite odd that she doesn’t have an oil cleanser/cleansing balm or even an SPF product. Anyway. I wish her the best for this skincare line.

HUDA BEAUTY NEON OBSESSION PALETTES

I would be lying to all if I didn’t admit that I was going to purchase the Neon Pink one. That was the very first one that attracted me from this line however I already own one of her mini obsession palettes in gemstone and also her desert dusk palette. They’re both nice products however I just don’t reach for them and I’ve tried better shadows. I would not recommend anyone to get her standard palettes. You’re better off getting the mini palettes because there’s quite a bit of product and usually really fun, neutral colours to work with.

BODY SHIMMER PRODUCTS

There is way too much buzz on body shimmer products from Patrick Ta to ABH and Huda Beauty. Guess who’s not buying those products? -points at self- I get the whole idea of wanting to look like a shimmering, glowing goddess for summer but if anyone who knows me, I am pretty much anti-tanning. Although I respect those who enjoy tanning, I’m not a fan of it. You will likely see me hide under shades, wearing pants/mostly long sleeves and holding a UV umbrella. I know, I’m quite extreme but this is coming from someone who is a hermit and also doesn’t want to tan.

ANY COLOUR SPRAY TEMPORARY HAIR DYES

I know this is a fun concept, I get it, however, I don’t think it’s worth damaging your hair. Remember when hair chalking was a thing? I don’t think this is any different from hair chalking. What it is basically depositing pigment into the hair and it washes right off. Sounds harmless right? Wrong. The U.S. FDA announced that “the products may contain ingredients such as dyes or colorants, chemicals, and preservatives, which are not allowed and may cause allergies and adverse reaction on the scalp, head, eyes, and skin.” I’ve had my fair share of moments dying my hair whacky, bold and fun colours but those days are over for me. I think if you want something temporary, just wear a wig. I personally would never put an aerosol can with hair dye in it anywhere near me. It most certainly wouldn’t be healthy to breathe in.

If you liked any of the products that I mentioned in today’s anti-haul, please continue to enjoy them. This is just my personal take in what products that simply don’t interest me.

Anyway, that’s it for today, folks! Until next time. 🙂 Please feel free to share what things you will be anti-hauling this month/year.

 

 

[REVIEW] LANEIGE BB CUSHION WHITENING

Good morning, dear friends! I hope you’re having a fantastic week so far. This week’s item I will be reviewing is a bit different from what I usually review. This is a cushion compact by the brand Laneige. This product was kindly gifted to me through Meibe Korea in exchange for a review. Meibe Korea has a fantastic range of products to choose from both skincare and beauty. They also include the cutest freebies in their packages.

Cushion Available on: Amazon|Meibe Korea (US)|Ebay

Refill: Yesstyle

What is a cushion compact?

Cushion compacts are basically foundation mixed with various essences, serums, and even SPF to form and a multi-functional face product that serves multiple purposes. You get your sun protection, a bit of skincare and coverage in a compact form. Once you are finished with the product, you just purchase a refill. I know some brands do not offer refills, which means you have to repurchase a whole entire new cushion to replace it. K-Beauty normally does offer refills for their cushions.

Ingredients

The ingredients may vary by the shade colour so I’m only just referencing off the one I own, which is shade #21.

WATER / AQUA / EAU, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, ZINC OXIDE (NANO), ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), PEG-10 DIMETHICONE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (NANO), CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL DICAPRYLATE/DICAPRATE, NIACINAMIDE, LAURYL PEG-9 POLYDIMETHYLSILOXYETHYL DIMETHICONE, ACRYLATES/ETHYLHEXYL ACRYLATE/DIMETHICONE METHACRYLATE COPOLYMER, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, DIMETHICONE, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, DISODIUM EDTA, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, MAGNESIUM SULFATE, MICA, MANGANESE SULFATE, METHYL METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, SODIUM CHLORIDE, STEARIC ACID, SILICA, ASCORBYL GLUCOSIDE, ACRYLATES/STEARYL ACRYLATE/DIMETHICONE METHACRYLATE COPOLYMER, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, HDI/TRIMETHYLOL HEXYLLACTONE CROSSPOLYMER, IRON OXIDES (CI 77491), ZINC SULFATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, CHENOPODIUM QUINOA SEED EXTRACT, TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, PHENOXYETHANOL, POLYSORBATE 80, POLYPROPYLSILSESQUIOXANE, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, FRAGRANCE / PARFUM, IRON OXIDES (CI 77492), YEAST EXTRACT / FAEX / EXTRAIT DE LEVURE, IRON OXIDES (CI 77499)

Shade Range:

Now before you complain about the limited shade range, this seems to be quite common in Korea where they tend to only offer 2-3 shades and that’s because it’s marketed for Korean people in Korea. I really appreciate Laneige for putting the extra effort and are gradually expanding on their shade range. This particular Whitening cushion line has a total of 12 shades; the lightest shade is No. 11 Porcelain and the darkest is No. 37 Cacao. In comparison to western beauty foundations, a 12 shade range is obviously little but it is a start especially for a Korean brand. If you compared this range to other K-Beauty brands, you would agree with me.

Overall:

• Texture: 5/5 – Easily glides on the skin, does not cling onto dry patches or emphasize texture on the skin. It looks extremely natural and gives you the appropriate coverage and a glowy appearance to the skin. The coverage is between a medium to almost full coverage; I do like how you are able to control the amount you apply on your face.
• Scent: 5/5 – There isn’t a noticeable scent for this, on the ingredient list it says that there is some fragrance but the dosage is relatively low because it is featured on the lower section of ingredients.
• Price: 4/5 – I think the price is fair for what you are getting, very standard cushion pact pricing and it will always vary where you purchase this product from. There’s a lot of stores that sell Laneige products so the chances of you seeing this are quite high.
• Performance: 5/5 – The two notable ingredients I noticed that were in this cushion was green tea extract and also niacinamide, both are fantastic ingredients that serve different purposes. They’re able to soothe the skin and also brighten the overall appearance. I love the results I get from using this cushion because it gives the skin a really beautiful appearance to it without looking overdone/cakey. It looks and acts like a 2nd layer skin and leaves you looking so luminous. The longevity of this cushion is good and lasts me between 6 ~ 8 hours; be sure to pack a powder pact in case you need to blot.
• Packaging: 5/5 – It’s pretty looking! Simple and has a fun rainbow cover to it. The cushion pattern is neat and applies well on the puff. The puff is one of the better puffs I’ve tried. You can also use a makeup sponge such a beauty blender.
• Overall: 5/5 – I would repurchase this and I would recommend anyone to give this a go. Back when I was using foundation, I didn’t know the purpose of cushion pacts because they just seemed so gimmicky, waste of product and no value to them but boy, I was terribly wrong. There’s just something about cushion pacts being able to allow you to achieve that “my skin but better” type of look. A lot of foundations tend to make the face look so flat and that’s why a lot of people seem to like to follow up with contour. For cushions, I don’t really feel like I need to contour or even highlight (wow, who is she?). If you’ve been following me long enough, you would know that I absolutely am obsessed with highlighters and my collection of highlighters is kind of ridiculous but I’m proud of it!

TIP: When searching for specific shades online, be sure to type on the search toolbar the TYPE of cushion you want and also your shade. eBay has a lot of coupon deal events that happen on a bi-weekly basis so keep an eye out for those and save, save save. If you have not already, sign up for ebates to save while you shop online.

 

Skin Update & Skin Congestion

Hello friends, today I wanted to bring up a really important topic in skincare that I don’t hear about enough. I’m sure most of us have been through it.

My skin has been acting up this past holiday break due to poor diet, environmental changes and Canadian winter season dryness. We came from having freezing cold weather to having warm spring-like temperatures. My skin has taken a huge toll from these changes. I’ve often had issues where my skin was so dehydrated and dry where it could flaked up and start bleeding. This time around, it was just itchy and congested. When my skin is in this state, I don’t apply on just any skincare product on my face because my skin will often reject it. I have to carefully select which products are appropriate for my skin and are able to soothe the inflammation down.

A month ago, I went on here to review the JKosmmune Beta Glucan Toner mist and it is still my favourite toner mist. If you’re interested in hearing my thoughts on this product, feel free to search up “JKosmmune” on the search bar to find my blog post on this product.

As some of you may know, I’m a huge fan of hot showers. Now now… I know how terrible and drying it is for the skin but I cannot help myself sometimes! It feels nice and I prefer showering in hot water over showering in cold water anyway.

I always leave this mist in the washroom because it’s very accessible for me. After every shower, I would quickly mist this toner all over my face evenly to restore, rehydrate and reduce the redness in my skin from the hot shower I took. It works wonders and my skin drinks it up so quickly.

This toner mist is simple because it only consists of 10 simple ingredients and has a shelf life of 9 months. Most products have preservatives which increases their shelf life however Jkosmmune made this toner with mild ingredients and compatible for all skin types (yes, that includes extremely sensitive skin). It’s special and star ingredient is beta-glucan.

Beta-Glucan is a fantastic ingredient to maintain skin’s texture, plumpness and is able to promote collagen growth. It aids the skin as a healing agent from rashes, wounds and also sun exposure.

If you’re interested in this product, please check out Jkosmmune Official Website to purchase a toner for yourself. I highly recommend this toner for anyone who suffers with skin inflammation and most importantly, redness.

The reason why I wanted to revisit this product is because I wanted to share my positive experience with it and I will continue to repurchase this product because it works and I strongly believe in this product. I hope my experience has helped you decide whether you would like to try this mist because it’s truly a fantastic product.

My favourite moisturizer to pair with this toner mist is the drunk elephant lala retro moisturizer. It is quite expensive so I’ve been patiently looking for an alternative because drunk elephant pricing is quite steep for my budget.

Until next time, friends!

 

Disclaimer: I was given this product in exchange for an honest review. All views and thoughts of this product are my own. What may work for me, may not work for you so please keep that in mind.

 

[REVIEW] Skinfood Gummy Bear Hand Cream in Cherry Chocolate

Skinfood Gummy Bear Hand Cream – Cherry Chocolate (45ml)

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Good afternoon ladies and gents, I hope we all are having a wonderful Thursday. Don’t worry, Friday is right by the corner. Today, I’m here to share my thoughts on this hand cream I got recently in the mail. It’s pretty adorable, huh? I do recall seeing this hand cream available in multiple different scents about 1-2 years ago? I thought these were completely sold out but I was lucky enough to stumble across an eBay seller who sold these. They weren’t cheap, I do recall paying about 12 Canadian dollars for it. These range from 8 Canadian dollars to 12 Canadian dollars. It really depends on where you decide to purchase these.

The scent reminds me of a Milky, Cherry creamsicle, I don’t really smell the chocolate/cocoa notes. As you can see in the photo, my hand is outrageously dry, doesn’t matter whether it’s fall, winter, spring or summer, my hands will always somehow be dry. I have been really neglecting my hand care so I should really get back into habit using hand creams when needed.

The first thing I noticed for texture was that this it’s not watery, thin nor is it too thick. It has a perfect combination of the two making it extremely easy to massage into the skin. You don’t need a lot of it to moisturize your hands and you most definitely can layer it if needed. It doesn’t give you that thick white cast on your hands when you apply too much which is nice because, at times, I tend to accidentally dispense out more hand cream than needed.

Texture: 5/5 – This is my ideal texture I would like in hand cream. A hybrid between lightweight but not watery and not thick where it’s difficult to spread.
Price: 3/5 – A bit on the pricey side for a standard hand cream but at least the packaging is adorbs.
Packaging: 5/5 – Super adorable, compact and iconic! Who doesn’t know or love gummy bears?
Moisturizing: 3/5 – I think this is a standard hand cream, it’s most definitely not heavy duty enough for dry, cracky winter hands
Scent: 3/5 – This scent could be better, I wish it smelled more like cherry chocolate because it really reminds of a cherry milkshake, cherry creamsicle or even creme savers hard candy!

I would probably recommend this anyone who collects cosmetics and loves cute packaging. It’s definitely something you can do without but great for those who collect these sorts of things.

 

Thanks for dropping by to check out my review~ Til next time, friends.

[REVIEW] Innisfree Jeju Orchid Fluid

Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a wonderful start to your weekend. I’ve been meaning to do a review on this product from time but I haven’t gotten the opportunity to until now. This is one of my favourites to use for my night time routine and I will share why! This product is part of the Innisfree Jeju Orchid line and this particular line is specifically for anti aging. The Jeju Orchid products were formulated to reduce wrinkles, evening out skin tone, nourish the skin, pore care and elasticity. This is my FAVORUITE line of all skincare products because not only it is affordable, every product has a generous amount where it will last you a long time and also is very effective+gentle on sensitive skin. I have sensitive, combination and acne-prone skin so I have to be very cautious of what products I apply on my face. There is a light fragrance to these products however I have not noticed my skin getting irritated or getting inflamed from using them.

Innisfree Jeju Orchid Fluid

Initially, I was confused about what exactly this product might be because I don’t own anything like it. It has a very thin, water-like consistency but yet disperses very evenly on the skin and is nourishing. I usually shy away from these types of consistencies simply because they don’t usually do much for me however this product surprised me how well it absorbed onto my skin. This gives me very similar results the Laneige sleeping pack does. See the photo below of how the consistency of the product looks like:

how it looks evenly applied:

Overall thoughts: I personally really loved this product. There was absolutely no tacky residue and I found this product fine underneath makeup. It didn’t make my makeup shift, oxidize or change the overall look of it. This is all around an amazing product and can be used during the day time, underneath makeup, regular skincare and also a sleeping pack! If you have never smelled any of the orchid line products, you have to when you get the chance!

Available on: eBay | Yesstyle | Amazon

Thanks for reading, I will see you next time~

Cheers!

 

*some links listed are affiliate links