May Favorites 2014

Hi everyone and welcome to what I hope will become a monthly instalment on my blog : favorites!  Every month I will share the products I have been loving and explain why these products are simply amazing and deserve to be mentioned.

Let's get started...

Real Techniques brushes
I absolutely love these brushes. They are inexpensive, synthetic, really soft and work amazingly at applying makeup.  Simply put, they are the perfect makeup brushes.  Plus, they were created by a you tuber and purchasing these brushes supports them instead of a huge corporation, which is always better.

Victoria's Secret Bombshell Eau de Toilette
Since I was in France for seven months, I wasn't able to bring all my perfumes with me.  One of the ones I decided to leave behind was the Bombshell eau de toilette from VS.  I thought this scent was more of a summer fragrance and since summer is right around the corner, I figured it was finally time to whip it out. It's described as a "glamorous blend of purple passion fruit, Shangri-la peony and vanilla orchid", which if you ask me, sounds delicious! Every time I have worn this scent, I have gotten compliments, which is always a good sign that the fragrance suits me. If you have a chance to go to a Victoria's Secret store, go check out their fragrances, there'll definitely be something there for you.

Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Cream
I had ordered the Sephora favorites kits with many deluxe sample sizes of the bestselling skincare products.  One of these was the Dr. Jart+ BB cream.  I decided to give it a try earlier this month and was very very very happy with the results.  It give pretty good coverage, especially for a BB cream, it lasts ALL DAY, and it does not irritate my skin.  Pretty much the perfect product in my eyes.  I'll definitely be purchasing the full size of this stuff once I run out.  The only downfall is that it only comes in a single universal shade, which is pretty light, so if you are quite tan or dark-skinned, this won't be for you.

 (Musk)

(Lychee)

Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipstick Duo in Musk and Lychee
I picked this little coupling at Sephora in the middle of the month and I absolutely love it!  The duo has a perfect nude shade for my skin tone, and a darker pinky brown that's great for nights out and will also be a great Fall and Winter color.  Both shades are very pigmented, it only takes one stroke to coat the lips and the formula is very moisturizing, which is always a good thing.

MAC Peach Blossom Lipstick
Along the same lines as the previous product, this lipstick is a nude that will go with anything.  It's creamy and adds just the right amont of color, without washing me out either.  A definite must for the summer since it's also more on the coral side. I am a bit obsessed with MAC lipsticks, and will probably never have too many, but this is a classic, everyday shade that will probably run out quite rapidly.

Ren ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser
Earlier this month I got it into my head that I needed to add a toner to my skincare regimen and decided to purchase one from Origins, unfortunately it made my skin very irritated and unbalanced and left my skin in dire need of some TLC. So I went back to Sephora and was advised to try the Ren ClearCalm 3 Clay Cleanser, because it wouldn't strip my skin, but would still help fight blemishes. I was sold. The first time I used it, I felt as if my skin let out a sigh of relief, it was so soothing and my skin has been happy ever since.  It's not cheap, but to keep my skin happy, I'm glad to pay the price.  Plus, I haven't used much of anything else since I've been using this cleanser, it's a true miracle worker. I definitely want to try more products from Ren !


There you have it folks, my first monthly favorites post!

Let me know what you have been loving :)

xx

Mon séjour en Italie!

Bonjour à tous et à toutes!  Voici mon deuxième "post" en français sur mon blog!  J'ai décidé que ça serait une bonne idée de refaire mon article sur l'Italie, mais cette fois-ci en français bien entendu.

Ma bonne amie Patricia et moi avions décidé de prendre des petites vacances et de passer un court séjour en Italie, plus précisément à Cinque Terre (cinq terres) .  Les cinq terres sont Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, et Riomaggiore.


Journée no. 1: Après-midi à Milan, pizza, et souper tardif à Cinque Terre

Nous nous étions entendue pour se rencontrer à Milan, donc c'est là qu'on est arriver chacune de notre côté. Tout de suite nous avions très très faim alors ce fut en route pour la place de la cathédrale (il Duomo) pour voir cette majestueuse structure et pour trouver un petit resto où déguster une bonne pizza à l'italiano.

(Il Duomo)

(Délicieuse pizza dégustée à Milan, par contre ce ne fut pas la meilleure de la fin de semaine)

À la fin de l'après-midi, nous avons repris le train en direction de Cinque Terre.  Nous avions réservé une chambre dans une auberge à Monterosso al Mare.  Nous sommes arrivées vers 21h ce soir là donc nous avons manger rapidement puis nous sommes allées nous coucher.

Deuxième journée : Pluie, mets italiens, petite randonnée

Le matin de notre vraie première journée à Cinque Terre n'était pas des plus merveilleux car il pleuvait et il faisait froid, par contre, cela n'a guère gâché notre avant-midi car nous nous sommes promené et avons beaucoup mangé :)

(Monterosso sous la pluie)

La propriétaire de l'auberge où nous sommes restée nous avait suggéré le restaurant d'un de ses fils pour dîner, donc c'est là que nous avons mangé.  Le repas était très bon et assez bon marché.  (Pour voir des photos des plats allez me suivre sur Instagram).

L'après-midi nous avons finalement vu des rayons de soleil apparaitre et nous avons pu se promener sur le sentier qui relis Monterosso à Vernazza (la prochaine terre).  Nous n'avons pas eu la chance de faire le sentier au complet à cause d'écoulements de terre, mais le petit bout de piste que nous avons pu découvrir en valait largement la peine.

(Vue de la Méditerranée depuis le sentier entre Monterosso et Vernazza)

(Moi sur le sentier)

Ce soir là, nous avons mangé des trofies dans un bon petit resto à Monterosso, puis c'était le temps de se coucher.

Troisième journée: Portovenere, Vernazza, soleil!

La troisième journée se commença très bien, car le soleil brillait et le ciel était clair et bleu.  Nous avons décidé de prendre le bateau et se rendre jusqu'à Portovenere, question de pouvoir visiter un peu plus la région.  Le trajet en bateau fut très amusant et cela nous a donné des superbes vues des autres terres de Cinque Terre.

(Corniglia vue depuis le bateau)

Nous sommes arrivée à Portovenere juste avant midi, donc nous nous sommes promenée dans les rues étroites du village pour trouver un endroit où manger.

(Rues étroites de Portovenere)

(Portovenere)

Après dîner, nous avons profiter du soleil et de Portovenere avant de devoir reprendre le bateau et retourner à Monterosso.

Sur le trajet de retour, nous avons fait une courte visite de Vernazza.

(Citronnier à Vernazza, ces fruits sont partout en Italie, et pas seulement dans la cuisine)

(Moi à Vernazza)

Nous sommes retournées à Monterosso après une superbe journée à Portovenere.  Nous avons mangé une très bonne pizza pour souper et nous nous sommes couchées tout de suite après.

Le lendemain c'était le temps de reprendre le train et de retourner à la maison.

Ce fut un voyage formidable et je recommanderais l'Italie à tout le monde, c'est certainement un pays à voir!

Dites-moi si vous avez déjà visité l'Italie, et quels endroits recommanderiez-vous?

Merci!

Ipsy April 2014 : Beauty Rocks!

Last summer I decided to give a beauty subscription service a try.  After watching several Youtubers unbox several different beauty boxes, I chose to go with Ipsy.  The value always seemed really good and for $14/month ($10 in the US), you just can't go wrong.

What is Ipsy? It's a monthly subscription service that sends you deluxe samples and full size beauty products.  The value of the box is always higher than the amount you paid, which is always a good feeling.  It is also customized just for you.  When you join Ipsy, they make you take a quiz to see what kind of products you like, or don't like, what skin and hair problems you want to deal with, etc.

This month's theme was Beauty Rocks! and here are the products I received in my bag:

1) Caylin Tinted Lip Balm in 12. Apple Pink

This tinted lip balm is actually really pigmented!  It's a lovely nude/coral shade that is absolutely perfect for summer! The packaging is also quite cool, a little bulky, but I'm not complaining.  The top section is actually a brush that can be used to apply the product, and I think it's a good quality tool as far as applicators that come with products come.

2) Such a Tease Eyelashes in So Seductive

These lashes are simply gorgeous! They feel really nice and appear to be quite good quality.  They are also cruelty free :) 

3) Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil in Black Velvet

These eyeliners are quite well known in the beauty community as being amazing quality and having a really good staying power.  I had never tried any of their liners, because the price is a little cheap and one can easily find drugstore alternatives for a fraction of Urban Decay's high prices.  So, I was quite excited to get my hands on one of these and get the chance to try it out.  I tried it on my upper lash line and in my water line and both stayed put the entire day.  I can't really say anything bad about this product.

4) St. Tropez Gradual Tan Anti-Ageing  

I have yet to actually try this product due to the fact that it isn't quite summer yet here in Montreal, and that the rest of my body is still pasty white. But I'm excited to give it a go and see what all the St. Tropez hype is all about. I swatched the product on the back of my hand, it blended well and did not irritate my sensitive skin, so this stuff seems promising.

5) City Color White Gold mousse eyeshadow

Before receiving this in my Ipsy bag I didn't even know that mousse eyeshadows even existed.  There's a first time for everything, so now I get to try this revolutionary product and see what is so special.  It is very pigmented and the colour is true to its name, a white gold. Love this stuff and will be great for summer nights out. 

Overall, I have always been really satisfied with my Ipsy bag and would recommend this service to anyone.  Unfortunately though Ipsy only ships within the US and to Canada, so if you live anywhere else, it's unavailable to you.  

Let me know what you guys got in your Ipsy bag! or if you are subscribed to another service, let me know what you think :)

xx

Easter weekend in Italy !

Let me start out this post by saying how good it is to finally be able to post on my blog with my computer, the last couple posts were made with my iPad, which meant the quality was lacking.

But now I am reunited with my computer, which I had spilt tea on and had stopped working and I was without it for about two months (it didn't take that long to fix, but I had to send it back to Canada while I was still in France... anyway a long boring story).

Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the trip!

I had never been to Italy before and have always wanted to go, so when my friend Patricia suggested we spend Easter weekend in Cinque Terre, I jumped on the occasion.

Day 1 : Traveling to Cinque Terre via Milan

We spent a really quick afternoon in Milan, because that is where we

decided to meet up, and then we took a train together from there to Cinque Terre.  All we did in Milan was see the Duomo quickly from the outside and eat some pizza.

(Piazza del Duomo, Milan)

(The pizza I devoured in Milan)

Then we took the train from Milan to Monterosso.

The first day we arrived around 9 pm, so all we did was eat then we went straight to bed.

We stayed in a lovely little Bed and Breakfast in Monterosso al Mare, which is the first of the Cinque Terre (five lands).  The other four are Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.


Day 2: Rainy day, eating, short hike 

The following day we woke to a rainy Monterosso, but that didn't stop us from walking around, taking some pictures and eating A LOT of delicious italian food.  The woman who owns the B&B where we were staying recommended we try her sons' restaurants in Monterosso, which we did and thoroughly enjoyed :)

(if you would like to check out some pics of the food I ate while in Italy, go check out my instagram, I posted many food pics there from my trip)

When the sun finally made an appearance in the late afternoon, we were able to go on the hiking trail and make our way towards Vernazza. We didn't go all the way to the other land, but we did walk for about half an hour and were able to take in some wonderful views of Monterosso and the sea.

(A view from the hiking trail )

(Me on the hiking trail)

(Monterosso al Mare)

Day 3: Boat trip to Portovenere

On our third day in Cinque Terre, the sun was out and it promised to be a beautiful day.  We woke up early and bought our boat tickets to Portovenere, a slightly bigger coastal town a little east of the Cinque Terre.

The boat trip was really fun and I would recommend it to anyone, because it is the best way to get a good look at all of the five lands.  If you have enough time, you can even get off the boat and visit the other lands, except for Corniglia, which is only accessible by train.

(Corniglia, now you see why this town isn't accessible by boat)

(Manarola)

(Riomaggiore)


In Portovenere we walked around and fully enjoyed the lovely sun and warm weather.  We had a delicious lunch of focaccia sandwiches.  They were so good that we ordered a third one to split.

(Portovenere)

(Boat in Portovenere)

(View of the Cinque Terre coast and the sea from Portovenere)

After lunch we walked around some more and at the end of the afternoon we took the boat back to Monterosso al Mare, but we made a pit stop in Vernazza first.

(Vernazza)

That evening we had another yummy meal in Monterosso (pizza and wine), and went to bed, because the next day we had to get up early and take a train home.

Quick tips: 

1) Water is not given out for free in restaurants, you always have to pay for it.

2) Be aware of an extra fee for sitting and eating in a restaurant.

3) Try the gelato!


I really enjoyed my weekend in Italy and I really hope to get the chance to visit the rest of this beautiful country.

Products worth the hype. #1

Beauty blogging has become quite popular and it seems that there are an infinite amount of them on the web these days. That means that there will be many products being reviewed and gaining a certain popularity among them.  Some of these products are worth all the hype they are receiving, however, some really are not.

From makeup, to skincare and more, here are the products I have purchased due to an overwhelming popularity in the beauty blogger world, and whether or not I found they deserved the title of "best product ever".

Urban Decay Naked palette (the original)

Urban Decay is very well known for having amazingly pigmented and overall good quality eyeshadows. A couple years ago they came out with a do it all palette for everyday wear, then was born the Naked palette. There are 12 shades in the palette that range from light champagne shades to dark coppers and browns.  All are very pigmented, blend beautifully and last all day.  The price is the only down side ($60), as it is with many high end makeup item, but if you are a sensible person, unlike myself, and you only purchase one neutral palette that can work for everyday and on a special occasion, then the UD naked palette is the one for you. I've had mine for over a year now, have used it almost everyday and haven't hit pan on any shadow yet. 

M.A.C lipsticks

(From left to right: Rebel, Pink Nouveau, All Fired Up)

(From left to right: Fanfare, Please Me, Lady Danger)

Everyone seems to know the names, finishes and shades of the M.A.C lipsticks. The packaging is sleek and classic.  They even look great displayed on your vanity table. Over the past year or so I've become quite a M.A.C lipstick junky.  I've accumulated 6 shades and I love every single one.  A great advantage of the Mac counters is that the salespeople will actively help you find a shade that suits you, and that means cleaning 5 to 10 lipsticks so you can try them on and decide which shade of pink goes best with your pale winter skin.  Some find Mac lipsticks to be too drying, but I disagree.  All you need is a moisturizing lip balm and you're good to go. These lipsticks last very long on the lips, which is always essential and the colour payoff is always on point. A M.A.C lipstick costs $18, but in my mind they are worth every penny. 

Benefit Gimme Brow

(I have the shade light/medium)

It took me a while to start doing my brows on a daily basis, don't ask me why, it just didn't seem important to me. Then one day I decided to groom them properly and apply a brow powder and the result was amazing. It really does frame your face and makes you look that much more put together. Even if all you have on is some concealer, mascara and lip balm, doing your brows changes your entire appearance. Ever since I made that life changing discovery, I was on the prowl for the best brow product, and let me tell you I found it.  Benefit Gimme Brow is a miracle in a tube. In a couple sweeps your brows can go from unruly messes to sleek, human eyebrows. 

There you go, a first post on the products that get a lot of buzz and in my opinion deserve it. More posts like this will come later ! 

Hope you all enjoyed  :) Leave a comment with products you find are worth the hype, or maybe that aren't.

The makings of a good hair day

For quite a while I've had the same style and a very laissez-faire attitude when it comes to my hair. I thought that my naturally wavy hair looked good without any effort. I'd shower at night, sleep with wet hair and wake up with beachy, unkempt waves.

The problem was when I'd straighten my hair. I wouldn't use heat protectant, honestly, up until a year and a half ago, I didn't know the stuff existed. I also get highlights done once in a while to maintain my preferred hair colour, which means more damage.

Here are my tips and fave products that have helped my hair see the light. 

1) Dry Shampoo

One of the best ways that I changed my hair for the better is by limiting washes. I used to wash my hair every day or every other day, but now I can easily last three even four days without washing my hair and it is so much better since I've cut back on shampoos.

I have only ever tried the Batiste Dry Shampoo, so I cannot really say if other brands are better or worse.  But one can safely assume that if I am sticking to one brand, it means that it does what it claims and that it's just plain good.

2) Oils

You might be thinking, "oh no I cannot put oil in my already oily hair", but times have changed and oils are welcome and they do not make hair more oily, over washing is what makes hair more oily, because by constantly stripping your hair of its natural oils, your hair goes into overdrive and produces more oil.

I have tried a few brands and have found some gems amoung the wide range of products available these days.

First, I have to mention the simple product, 100% pure coconut oil.  This stuff is all natural, can be found almost anywhere and is very inexpensive.

Next, there is a dry oil that I have loved for a couple months for smoothing and adding shine after styling. It's the Bamoo smooth kendi dry oil. This oil also has some heat protecting properties, which is great for an all-in-one product.

Then, there are two oils I like using alternately when I step out of the shower with wet hair.  These are the Ojon Rare Blend Oil and the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse. I love applying an oil to my hair when it's damp to help protect and repair it.


3) Heat protectant

This is a product no one should ignore.  I have been using the L'Oreal heat protectant spray as it is the one I was able to find while living in France, but I cannot say that it is my favorite heat protectant ever.  I much prefer the Tresseme one, which is also much cheaper.

4) Masks

Applying a deep conditioning mask to my hair once a week has become one of my favorite rituals and my hair absolutely loves it.  My two favorite products of the moment are the Lush H'Suan Wen Hua and the Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque.

The Lush product is to be applied before washing and can stay in the hair anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours.  It nourishes the hair and then is washed out in the shower, leaving the hair soft and shiny.  It is also quite an affordable product.

The Macadamia natural oil mask is to be applied on clean wet hair and stays there for up to 7 minutes.  This masks smells divine and the results are just as wonderful.  The downside is the price, at $33 it can scare away many people, but I say that it is worth the price, and it lasts quite a while (I've had mine for over 6 months and there are still a few applications left).

5) Brush

Brushing your hair can cause breakage and it can also hurt quite a bit.  Finding the right brush is no longer an issue.  I've found the miracle brush: The tangle teezer has become my do-it-all hair brush.  It is gentle, yet gets the job done.  I can use it on dry or wet hair and it always works wonders.  I will never use another brush ever again.  

There you have it! Some of my favorite hair care products that help me keep my hair healthy. 

Hope you all enjoyed :)