Ultrabland

I'm sure everyone remembers when the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm made its rounds on Youtube. However, I seemed to get the vibe that while everyone loved it, it wasn't a product they were ready to purchase for themselves. Cleansing balms are generally very expensive, even Lisa Eldridge says she only used her Eve Lom balm once a week. And yet despite their price tag, Caroline Hirrons and everyone else down the skin care ladder, praise their benefits. I was intrigued by cleansing balms initially, especially because it seemed that there weren't many on the Canadian market: Clinique and the Eve Lom (if you want to order it from Sephora). But, when Caroline mention the Ultrabland, I knew I had found the affordable cleansing balm that would fit into my regime.

Korean Beauty Haul

Ever since I'd heard of Asian skincare, I've been intrigued and fascinated. The idea that everyone follows such a complicated routine, the fact the products and ingredients are so different to what is sold here in Canada and most important the price range of the products. I had tried sheet masks before but this time I wanted to experiment with different products. I'd been seeing Memebox come up quite a bit recently as a Korean beauty box that delivered to the States. One of the things that really stood out were these super affordable serums, each with their own active ingredient. They weren't complicated and claiming to do a million things but one main ingredient. It kind of reminded me of Skininc where you can custom make yourself a serum based on active ingredients just like these. I was sold immediately and that prompted an order with Yes Style.

Makeup Removing

Everyone raves about micellaire water and bi-phase eye makeup remover, but which makeup remover do you really need and what s best for what? While I haven't tried every option on the market, I think I have a good idea of what product works best for what and hopefully that can give you a good idea of what product you need.

Body Shop Haul

As I promised in my empties post, there will be many hauls coming. I can be so frugal and so having to buy everything all at once really stresses me out. As such, my hauls will probably just be coming in small doses.

Empties #1

This summer I decided I was going to stop buying skincare every time I decide that my skin needs something different. Consequently, all my skincare is beginning to run out at the same time. Before xmas, my toner ran out and I promptly bought the Keihl's Ultra Facial Toner and since my new skincare additions, my skin has feeling amazing. So stay tuned to lots of empties and hauls in the weeks to come.

Boscia Tsubaki Beauty Oil

Since I received a sample of this oil from Sephora last winter this has quickly become one of my favourite skincare products. The primary ingredient, Tsubaki Oil has supposedly belonged to Japanese beauty rituals for centuries. It cost 57.00 CAD for a 1.7 oz bottle (I'm more of a metric girl but it really is a lot for your money).

Christmas Beauty Products 2014

If you read my new years resolutions, you'll know that one of my goals is to focus on skincare rather than make-up. I kept this in mind when I wrote my Christmas list. I think sometimes when you read beauty blogs you think you need every neutral palette that looks beautiful (I mean those are all shades you're going to use right!?) etc. but I find when I take a step back I should only really be buying new makeup products as I run out or to fill in a gap. So I made my beauty list small and precise.

Healing Blemish Scabs

While I definitely suffered from hormonal acne as a teenager (something that has been managed with medication since I was 17), I suffer from something of a ghost limb when it comes to my past skin condition. I do still get the occasional spot and have blackheads and whiteheads on my nose and chin as well as milia around my eye areas. The problem is that rather than leave these spots (so minuscule that I only notice them when I press my face into the mirror), I pick them as if I was still a teenager covered in spots. Nowadays, this is instigated by stress, something to which my friends all say "Oh yeah, I'm always unconsciously picking at them while studying." What I do is take a study break to stand in front of the mirror and very consciously take my stress out on my face. This happened very recently prior to my exams, the last night I was visiting my parents and I had to spend the entire next day in downtown Toronto covered in makeup (but still not enough to cover the "milia spot" I shouldn't have picked because you can't!) feeling self-conscious. If you are a picker like me, here are some of my tips to heal the scabs left from picking blemishes.