Latest Instagrams!

This past little bit has been super hectic for me so sorry for the lack of updates! It was my birthday last Sunday (April 14th) and it was a quiet time spent with my family. It was perfect except for the part where I didn't win anything at the casino. 

1. I went for a walk in a quaint town and spotted these little purple flowers hiding under a tree. It was raining and they way to drops landed on each leaf was so perfect. 
2. I'm a sushi lover and the day after my birthday, I ended up treating myself to some match green tea bubble tea and some teriyaki chicken sushi. It's kind of an unconventional roll, but they're so good! 
3. Crystal Head vodka had been on my wish list for a long time now and I used my birthday gift cards to grab a bottle. I believe I just purchased it for the ornate bottle which I plan on turning into something cool when it's empty.
4. I'M GOING TO SEE TAYLOR SWIFT! OH MY GOODNESS! This is by far the highlight of my summer to come. I was so excited to buy tickets with my friend and I can't wait.
5. For the first time in my life I tried dragon fruit! It's almost like a kiwi fruit with less flavour. I actually really love the little seeds inside. It took me a few YouTube videos to fully understand how to eat and open this thing!
6. Lastly, American Eagle had a buy one pair of shorts and get the second for 10$ and as you all know, I can't pass that up. I grabbed these colourful blue and yellow shorts with palm trees on them. Totally something out of my comfort zone but they look so awesome on! Perfect for summer!

Review: Balea Face and Body Masks

I've been meaning to do a review on these for a while but never really got around to it. The LUSH guide will resume in a little while. I just need to spread out some posts and have a bit of variety. 

Also, sorry for the lack of posts. It was my birthday on Sunday and I was just spending time with my family and friends. It was a fantastic day and I thank everyone for their happy birthday wishes! Another year older!

Balea products have been a long time favourite of mine. They are usually sold in singles but as of late, I've been finding them in packs of five. So far, I've found two different packs of five. The one pictured above is for body while the other one that I received today, is for face. Balea is sold in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart. I'm unsure where (or if) they are sold in the States. If someone knows, feel free to leave a comment below. Balea pouches like these are usually 3 for 5$ and packs of 5 are 5.99$. 

Each mask is for a different part of your body. My personal favourite is the hair mask. It smells divine and makes my hair super soft. The hydrating face mask is another personal favourite of mine. I tend to use it a lot in the winter time when I have fairly dry skin around my nose and mouth area. Lastly, the smoothing body scrub. Perfect for those days when you find your legs dry and scaly. It contains coarse shells that massage all the icky stuff away. I've yet to try the pore refining mask and the warming foot balm but believe me, I'll definitely be using those up eventually! 

My mom surprised me with these today! She bought the Balea package dedicated entirely to your face. I've already used up the deep cleansing face mask! My skin is so soft and looks so bright and clean! 

If you haven't used any products like this before, I highly recommend you applying a small bit of product onto your arm and doing a test. The last thing you want is to have an allergic reaction to a product like this! 

Lush Guide: Fresh Face Masks

Now that you've determined what your skin type is and what your perfect cleanser is, you can also figure out the best face mask for your skin! LUSHs face masks are great for when your skin needs a little pick me up. Personally, I'm a lover of the Cupcake face mask. I usually use it once a week and I keep it in my fridge when not in use. 

Fresh Face Masks are like the name, made with 100% fresh ingredients! Since they are considered 'fresh', they are only sold in-stores. This means that if you don't live near a LUSH, you're out of luck. No worries! There are plenty of other amazing LUSH products that you can use!

• Cupcake
• Chocolate and mint is perfect for troubled teenage skin. Great for calming and toning down redness. It really is hard not to grab a spoon and start eating this sweet confection. My personal favourite! Recommended for those who have oily, troublesome skin.
• Catastrophe Cosmetic
• A great starter mask for those with normal skin. Maybe you don't need an extra helping hand but you just want to maintain healthy and glowing skin. Blueberries are packed with vitamins and the added calamine lotion makes any problems disappear.
• The Sacred Truth
• As you get older, your skin needs more maintenence and upkeeping. This mask is for those who have more mature skin. Eggs and shea butter help lock in mature skins precious moisture. 
• Love Lettuce
• Lavender and almond are perfect for those who suffer from dry skin. This mask will get rid of those icky little flakes and leave your skin smooth and soft. Honey is super moistursing and your dry skin will love to drink it up.
• BB Seaweed
• Sensitive skin? Look no further! BB Seaweed contains calamine and loads of exfoliating ingredients. This amazing mask will smooth your skin without causing you to break out due to harsh chemicals or bad ingredients. If you have sensitive skin, the best thing you can do is go all natural! Believe me! 
• Cosmetic Warrior
• If you find yourself breaking out and with oily patches and aren't afraid of a little garlic, add this to your arsenal. Cosmetic Warrior uses garlic and tea tree oil to their full potential. Both are amazing at clearing up blemishes, blackheads and tightening your pores. Your skin will be looking fab in no time.

• Brazened Honey
• Balance your skin with a little bit of everything. Almond oil moisturises while lime oil acts as an astringent. Perfect for those with combo skin. 
• Ayesha
• If your skin is tired, Ayesha will tighten and give your face a boost. Witch hazel has been used as an astringent for agents, so you know this mask will clear up those blemishes in no time.
• Oatfix
• Oatmeal is a great way to naturally ex foliate your skin. Oatfix is perfect for those with all skin types. Consider it a more formulated version of the ever popular oatmeal and banana face mask.

If I could give you all one tip, it would be don't turn away from these amazing face masks because of their appearance and smell. I'll admit, some of them aren't that pretty! But they will do amazing things for your face! Plus, if you bring back 5 empty, clean black LUSH pots, you'll get one for free! What are you waiting for?!

Lush Guide: Choose A Cleanser

I like to consider myself a Lushie. Now what is a Lushie you may ask? Well it can be defined as "a name for a person who is obsessed with the bath and beauty store Lush and knows all about the handmade, vegan, organic products and how to use them." I think this definition is pretty accurate! 

Lush is one of my favourite stores. Pretty much everything I use is from there! I think it's great that I can go to one place and find so many items that are not tested on animals, vegan friendly and all natural. But most of all, they work! I've decided to do a little blog series that I'm calling my Lush Guide. For those of you who haven't heard of Lush or maybe you just haven't shopped there, this guide will introduce you to some great products that are sure to help you and your skin out.

First off, I'm introducing you to cleansers. It's important to find a cleanser that you love because it is something you should be using on a daily or weekly basis (depending on the product). Your face gets beat up pretty badly each day by make-up and the elements so it's important to recognize that it does need some TLC. Your cleanser should match your skin type and it should not cause you to break out. It should leave your skin glowing, soft and feeling amazing. 

How do you identify your skin type? The little guide below will help you!

• Normal: Your skin produces oils at a normal rate. It looks plump, healthy and vibrant on a daily basis. You don't suffer from blemishes. The easiest skin type to care for. 
• Oily: Your skin often appears shiny all over. Your pores are often large and clogged. Oily skin types are prone to problems with acne and blackheads.
• Dry: Your skin does not produce enough oil. You may notice flakiness around the mouth and nose areas. It may feel itchy and look extremely dull. 
• Combo: Your skin becomes oily in the t-zone (forehead, cheeks and chin), while the skin around these areas is normal. You may break out from time to time but do not have a continuous problem with acne. 
• Sensitive: Your skin reacts to whatever it comes in contact with. Perhaps a certain product makes you break out, while others work fine. Your skin is bothered by products that contain perfumes, alcohol and various types of oils. 

While this guide can help you determine what type of skin you have, you can always visit a dermatologist and have them tell you exactly what is going on with your epidermis. Once you've figured out what you skin type is, match it with the product below to find your perfect cleanser!

P.S. If you match your skin type to normal, only use LUSHs Ocean Salt 2-3 times a week!

Must-Have Makeup (In My Opinion)

This has got to be one of the most frequent questions that I receive on all of my social networks. What is your favourite (insert product here)? Well, I decided to make a giant post containing some of my favourite products. Please be advised that these are not all of them. There are way too many to list and I would be here for days trying to describe them all to you. If there is a product that you don't see here that you would like to know what my favourite is, feel free to drop me a comment below! 

1. NARS Blush in Orgasm/Super Orgasm
2. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (I buy 2 - one for my makeup bag and one for my purse)
3. Benefit High Beam Highlighter
4. Maybelline One by One (I get excellent length without clumping with this one!)
5. Maybelline Colour Tattoo Eyeshadow (in Too Cool)
6. M.A.Cs Bronzer (in Golden)
7. Essence Kajal Eyeliner Pencil (super cheap, works amazingly)
8. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream
9. Chanel Perfection Lumiere Longwear Flawless Fluid Makeup ($$$)
10. M.A.C Lipstick (in Russian Red)
11. Urban Decay Eyeshadow (in Polyester Bride)

Pink & Green, Fresh Inspiration!

1. Creative place settings at a wedding in Bali. Loving how the naked light bulbs hang and illuminate the gorgeous set up. Image by Studio Impressions. 
2. Fresh avocado on a few slices of bread. Topped off with a lightly seasoned poached egg. The perfect lunch time treat.
3. Kale, avocado and grapefuit salad. One of my favourites. Kale has so many health benefits and is quite tasty. Find out how to make it yourself over at Pickles and Honey!
4. A favourite summer drink of mine (but it can obviously be enjoyed whenever) - sangria! Try the grapefruit version by Jessica over at How Sweet It Is!

Review: L'Oreal Colour Riche Lip Balm in 118 Pink Satin

Once again I find myself apologizing for the lack of posts! I've been busy the past few days with college stuff. If you've been following my blog(s) for some time, you'll know that I made the (big) decision to leave university and transfer to a smaller college for an entirely different program. I've transferred from European and Russian Studies to a Bachelor's of Human Services in Police Studies. Quite the change, but definitely something I'm looking forward to! 

I'm usually not a huge fan of wearing anything on my lips. I like to keep them naked and all natural. I don't know why, but for some reason I just hate the feeling of stuff sitting on my lips. Sometimes I walk into the drugstore with the intention of buying nothing and come out with everything that I don't need. This was one of those times. 

Indulge your lips with Colour Riche® Balm. This tinted SPF 15 lip balm provides a hint of luscious, kissable colour, smoothing lips for a full 8 hours of continuous hydration. Lips are softer and more supple all day long—and keeps conditioning even after it’s been removed.

When I read the little description of the product, the first thing that caught my eye was the fact that this contains SPF. As an avid snowboarder, I know all to well what it's like to spend a day on the slopes and come back with horribly sore and burnt lips. Most people tend to overlook the importance of wearing a sunscreen on your lips. I consider it an added bonus and something that I now look for in all lip products. 

I'm also a sucker for the whole sheer look. This balm is easily applied to the lips and goes on super smooth. I don't find it making my lips sticky or tacky in any way and unlike what I've read from other reviewers, it did keep my lips hydrated all day. In fact, after a few days of wearing it, I noticed my lips were significantly softer. 

I picked up the lightest shade possible, 118 Pink Satin. However, all of the shades in this range are super sheer and you won't get an overload of colour on your lips. This colour had some gorgeous small flecks of glitter scattered throughout. It also complimented my fair skin tone pretty well. 

This product reminded me of Yves Saint Laurent's Volupte Sheer Candy balm in Juicy Grapefruit. While I didn't find it as shiny as YSL, it was just as equally moisturising. A great alternative if you're on a budget. This little tube cost me 8$ on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart. Canadian Problems = everything is more expensive than in the United States. 

One little con that I've found with this product are the packaging. While it's super cute and classy, the little notch in the bottom of the cap can be a pain in the behind if you're in a hurry. I'm able to appreciate the fact that the lid doesn't slip all over the place in my purse, but it's just a pain to have to match everything up. 

The L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm comes in 8 different shades:

Pink Satin (above), Rose Elixir, Tender Mauve, Heavenly Berry, Plush Plum, Caring Coral, Nourishing Nude, and Caramel Comfort

Definitely go check this lip balm out if you're looking for something that isn't to heavy and won't overpower your lips. What's your favourite brand of lip balm?

Review: Essence All About Matt Fixing Compact Powder

Essence has been one of my favourite drugstore makeup brands for a really long time. I first discovered the brand when I was in Germany a few years ago. I remember bringing back a ton of items and rationing them all because I didn't know if (or when) I'd be able to find their products in North America. 

About a year after I got back from Germany, I was shocked to see an Essence set up at my local Shoppers Drug Mart. They had all of the products that I had been familiarized with in Europe. I'm pretty sure it was like a kid in a candy shop. I think I bought everything.

My most recent purchase was their All About Matt fixing compact powder. I've only owned this one for a few days, but it's already made it's way into my purse as a staple.

All About Matt comes in one transparent pressed powder. No puff is included to apply it onto your face but I've just been using a spare makeup sponge. The container itself is fairly large and thick. I'm pretty sure that this product is meant to withstand the wear and tear of being in your makeup bag and purse. Although the packaging may be simple, the product really does live up to it's name. 

My routine for using All About Matt usually starts half way during the day when I find my forehead and t-zone kind of oily. Instead of applying more powder foundation to cover up the mess, I just pat on some of this product and the shine disappears! The nice part is that it doesn't make you look pale or alter the colour of your foundation. This powder reminds me of those blotting papers that are designed to remove all the oil from your face. It's awesome!

There really isn't much to this fantastic product. It won't break the bank and it only costs 3.99$! Way cheaper than any other compact makeup that I can think of. If you live in the United States, you can find Essence products at ULTA. If you live in Canada, you can find the products at select Shoppers Drug Marts. If you visit the Essence website, they list all of the places that stock and sell the brand! 

Weekly Instagrams

The first week of April has been the perfect introduction of what is to come this Spring! My birthday is coming up on the 14th and I've been treating myself multiple to little indulgences lately! 

• I had been lacking in the LUSH department lately so I decided to take a trip to my local LUSH store. One of my all time favourite products from them is the Cupcake Fresh Face Mask. It's chocolate and mint and works wonders on all of those red spots and icky little pimples I sometimes get. I also grabbed two Twilight bath bombs (couldn't resist). 
• I was able to pick up my Cartier Love ring yesterday and it is amazing. By far one of the highlights of my month. I purchased a size 8 and it fits perfectly on my middle and index fingers. I purchased the rose gold one. It's actually quick thick and sturdy, something I love and need. 
• Cravings for sushi are always occurring and I didn't have the time to go out to an all you can eat sushi bar, so I picked these up at my grocery store. They were cream cheese, salmon and cucumber and were so refreshing. I love salmon any way so this was definitely the perfect (healthy) treat!
• Somehow I always find myself at the mall when I'm bored! It was just such a horrible and icky day and I needed to get out and spend it doing something fun, like shopping. You can read all about the things I bought a few posts back. 
• With Spring comes my favourite flowers, tulips. These yellow ones were calling my name at the grocery store. A tip for making your tulips (or any flowers) last a really long time is to cut the stems, on an angle every few days. By doing this, I can make a bouquet of flowers last as long as 3 weeks! 
• Lastly, my Michael Kors watch was delivered. It's in rose gold (latest obsession) and matches my ring perfectly. I've been on the hunt for a perfect simple everyday watch and this is definitely it! 

#trending sneaker wedges

They're all over the place and I want to know, do you think they're here to stay? Are they #trending or not? Sneaker wedges offer the best of both worlds. The comfort of a sneaker with a heel! These are some of my favourite pairs on the market right now. P.S. The ALDO ones are amazing and happen to be my favourite! If you know me, you know I can't say no to studs! 

Little Shopping Haul

I really need to learn how to save money because I'm honestly horrible at it! I always find myself at the mall when I'm bored and it's not a good habit whatsoever. I did snag some really great items while I was there and these are just a few of them! 

Aerie was having a 40% off everything including clearance sale and my mind goes crazy over those. I picked up this Brooke lightly lined bra for 17$. It's this pretty summer blue colour and if you know me, you know I have a massive bra addiction. However this morning, I found it lying on the floor and my cats had decided they liked it too. All is well and the new bra made it out alive. 

I've also had my eyes on these earrings from American Eagle for a while and finally they went on sale and I grabbed them for only 9$. I've been obsessed with anything rose gold lately and I'm not a huge fan of large earrings. These are just right. 

H&M was actually really awesome this time around. I feel like they go through phases where they put out some awesome collection and then a not so great one. The new concious collection is great and I suggest you all go and check it out. I picked up this sleeveless shirt for 7$ in neon pink. I'm a huge fan of sleeveless shirts because they're so easy to just plop on and go on with your day. I also purchased two new rings. The double headed skull ring is so cute! Both skulls have two black stone eyes. The set also included the double spike ring on the right. It reminds me of the Cartier Juste a Clou collection a bit and I think that's why I was so drawn to it. 

I also picked up some makeup which I'll do another post on! All in all it was a great shopping trip. I picked up a cheap purse as well to hold me off until my Speedy comes! What are some items that you are lusting over right now?