Sweet treats with IPSY August!

I DID IT! I caved and signed up for my first ever beauty subscription and I am unbelievably excited. It was soo hard to figure out what one to try as there is such a wide range of ones to check out for beauty, fitness and lifestyle. I went with IPSY! With the cute decorative themed bags, wide range of products and affordable price this was the pick for me! If you don’t know anything about IPSY it starts off with a series of questions to see what your type of style is, as well as what type of products are your go to’s. Each bag is designed for that person, so not everyone will get exactly the same products, but a couple are staples for that month. There is also a theme for each month with a cute inspired travel makeup bag.

The theme for August is “Sugar Highness”. The bag is super cute and has a smooth texture, it reminds me of mermaids with the auqa green colours. I love mermaids, they are my spirt sister. We get 5 samples, some items they can be full-sized, and others are deluxe samples. Now let’s get onto the products!!!!

 

1. Trust Found Beauty Lipgasm liquid lip in shade “K, Bye”. I have never heard of this brand yet but what I like so far is that they are vegan and cruelty free, with the logos on the back of the package. A huge point in my books (I’ve been trying to be more cautious on wether or not the products I am buying are cruelty free). The colour is a browny-mauve colour, a beautiful everyday use colour. A great addition to my collection as most of my colours are pink. It’s not a matte lip, but more of a pigmented lip gloss. No fragrance to it, but I am excited to try it out and see what it is like.

   
   

2. Formula X mini nail polish in the shade “Dollparts”. It’s a pale natural pink, very soft and muted. It would need multiple coats to build up more colour. Not a shade for me as I am more of a bright nails lover, but still very feminine and cute. 
   
3. NYX Born to glow Liquild Illuminator in “Sunbeam”. This is just… ugh!! A good ugh!!. This was what I was most excited to find in my bag. I would say it is a deluxe sample with 13 mL, and who doesn’t love a good highlight! It’s a liquid cream based highlighter that is easy to blend with a finger and probably even more of a dream to blend with a beauty blender. Its a beautiful pinkish white shimmer, that could maybe dare I say be a dupe for Benefits High Beam?? At a way more affordable price you can’t that! I cannot wait to play around with this and make my face glow to the point it looks like angels are laying on my cheek bones!!! This would be perfect aid for any strobing techniques.

   
   

4. Dr.G Brightening peeling gel.This is a Korean based skin care product, which Korean skin care is raved about in the beauty world. They generally have the best products for wrinkles, bright skin, anti-aging and acne free. Basically their faces look like they haven’t aged a day over 15 and their skin feels like a baby’s bum. I WANT THAT!!! Now don’t get confused this isn’t one of those gels you put on leave then peel it off like a strip. With this product you massage the gel in circular motions onto dry skin, after you rinse your face thoroughly with water. The purpose of this gel is to instantly brighten the skin and eliminate dead skin cells with the vitamin E gel.

   
   

5. Symphony Beauty Makeup cleaning wipes. These makeup wipes are to moisturise the face while cleaning and brightening the skin. The package comes with 10 wipes that are acceptable for all skin types. It is infused with cucumber and aloe vera to leave the skin feeling soothed and refreshed. I don’t know about you but there is no better feeling then taking a nice cool wipe and putting it over your eyes. Whether it is just to cool them down if they are a tad puffy or to wipe of makeup. literally the BEST feeling. These wipes are paraban, sulphate, alcohol and cruelty free!! Going to be great to throw these in my purse for on the go or travelling, can never go wrong with a refreshing wipe.

   

Not too bad for this month’s products I am excited to receive next months to see the goodies but sadly that will mean that summer is over! NOOO!!!

Are there any great beauty subscriptions that you think are worth a try? Or if you are subscribed to IPSY did you get any different products then me? Let me know!!!

Until next time,
Steph xo

Fri-unday Favourites

Okay now this technically should have been up on Friday as it is Friday’s Favourite five, but something called work (ungodly thing) decided to be incredibly rude and get in the way. Can you believe that?? (if only we could all win the lottery and just chill together in a big pool with an endless about of fun floaties). Nothing will stop this going up even though it’s now on Sunday instead of Friday… but let’s dig down into this past weeks YES-es.

1. Coconut Lime Breeze Fine Fragrance Mist from Bath & Body Works $15 CAD

   Now.. a small disclaimer this fragrance has now been discontinued and only makes an appearance for their semi-annual sales in January and June, sometimes. *tear, tear* Let’s have a moment for me since this is my absolute fave and now I can’t get it!!! Don’t you worry your pretty head…I have a stash. Here in Toronto we are currently experiencing an extreme heat wave. Heat…I love… the humidity index of 79% to where the air is thick and your lungs can’t work…not so much. What I have found is that fresh fragrances that have fruit, citrus or clean notes will make you feel refreshed and cool. Scent and feelings correspond with one another…such as vanilla or amber for a warm cuddly fragrance, Jasmine or musk for more of a flirtatious feel. Thus during the summer I stay away from heavy EDT’s or expensive perfumes and opt out for a refreshing body spray where it is lighter. TIP: Place your body spray in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes when you go to spray it on you, the liquid will be cool and act as a cooling mist for your scorching skin. It works wonders!

   

2. Mediterranean Pasta from Aroma (approx $7)

   You may be thinking that this is some type of pasta dish. WRONG  my friends. It is the amazing duo of salad….and pasta. Yes…pasta and lettuce. You just simply can not beat the combo, mainly because I am a large lover of pasta. Its a simple arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, fresh feta, olives and red onion rings. In that they throw in warm fusilli pasta that has a light oil based coating with spices. A small container of an oil/vinaigrette mixture is given to add on top. It is delish and tricks you into thinking that eating carbs is healthy.

   

3. Aromatherapy Sleep Night Time Tea Body Lotion (Bath & Body Works) $14.5o CAD

   Yes another BBW product but I just had too. Why did you have to Steph, you ask?! Because….Night Time Tea is my ALLLL TIMEEEE favourite fragrance in body lotion. They discontinued it around 4 years ago and they just brought it back as a limited edition for the fall time. I screamed slightly when I saw it came back, some people may have judged but I do not care, just enjoy my excitement. This fragrance is a combination of orange blossom and sandalwood. Its a soft, pretty, just amazing fragrance. Its that fragrance you want to keep smelling over and over, comforts you and pulls you away from everything. If you are not familiar with the Aromatherapy line from BBW, its made up of 100% essential oils and consists of 4 categories each designed with certain fragrance notes that are to target those specific moods/feelings. Stress Relief (Eucalyptus), Sleep (Lavander), Energy (Orange), and Sensual (Jasmine, Blackcurrent). There is multi range of products from bath, to scrub, to body, to even candles.

   

4. Benefit’s Goof Proof eyebrow pencil $30 CAD

   I purchased this around 2 weeks ago give or take but it wasn’t until this week that I was using it consistently. Normally my go to eyebrow product is Anastasia dip brow pomade, but I found it too harsh for when I wanted a subtle make up look or when I only wanted to wear a bare face to work. I picked up the goof proof eyebrow pencil as it gives you the most natural fill in with out the colour being too harsh. I use the shade #1 which is their light/blonde shade. What I like the most about this pencil is the shape of the actual product tip, its in the shape of a diamond which allows you to create that sharp line while being able to have a full fill in. The other end has a spooly brush attached so you are able to brush the product through your hairs lessening or evening the pencil. It’s a super easy product to work with living up to the name goof proof.  This looks great on the days where you just want to wear a BB cream, mascara and make it look like you own a set of eyebrows (welcome to a blonde girls life).

5. The Chainsmokers and Don Diablo

   For the music portion of the favourites I have 2 songs this week that have had the replay button virtually abused and harassed. I am still coming off a Veld high, and currently experiencing slight withdrawals after seeing the Chainsmokers and Steve Aoki. Both closed their sets at Veld music fest in Toronto with new hit tracks that they were just releasing.
   Closer by The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey
   
   I love that this song features Andrew’s vocals who is one of the djs from this dynamic duo. It’s a song he wrote about his ex-girlfriend that he now regrets but this catchy cute song has quickly risen to the top charts of iTunes in Canada.

   What We Started (Feat. BullySongs) by Don Diablo, Steve Aoki, Lush & Simon
   
   It is such an upbeat, pump up make you feel good and ready to go out and take on the world song. If you give it a listen you will know exactly what I mean. It is far from any typical dance or EDM tracks, it is more slow paced with the lyrics then picks it up when it wants you to know you can basically achieve what you want and don’t let anyone stop you.

   Well folks that’s it for the favourites this week, hope this got you to listen or want to indulge some how. What spiked your interest this week? Would love to know.

   Until next time,
   Steph xo

Lush Haul

So I wandered into Lush the other day and oh boy is it ever a dangerous store (basically I want everything). Nonetheless we needed bath bombs, we were down to the last one and that just simply can’t happen. So I sucked it up and bought some bath bombs…and okay maybe a couple other things. Told you dangerous…I cringed at my total but COMPLETELY worth it. Lush is becoming one of my favorite stores quite quickly, what I love the most about it is that they’re completely vegan and fighting animal testing. They are so proactive towards fighting and supporting great causes that it is very heart warming. If you shop on their website they have every single ingredient listed, which when reading you are actually able to understand what each one is. Instead of going huh? That goes on our body?

I decided to share my haul with you guys in case you want to try something new for your bath or curious to see what caught my attention. Let’s get into it shall we?!!

1. Frozen Bath Bomb $8.95 CAD

   Let it go (obviously it had to start like this…accept it) in the bath with this fun and icy bath bomb. With the frosty blue and icy colors it will sure to give you a frost nip in warm water. The reason why I picked this one is that it contains grapefruit oil and I love grapefruits the citrus notes are absolutely amazing. It also has neroli oil and rose oil to give a nice relaxing and luxurious feel.

   

2. Sex Bomb $6.75 CAD

   This is your typical must try, famous, everyone and their mother has tried bath bomb. Yes..yes… I am only trying it out now.. but better late than never am I right??! This one is perfect if you are having a romantic night with your significant other or want to have the perfect “me” moment in the tub. With Jasmine, sage and ylang ylang it creates the aphrodisiac bomb of the bath bomb world. It sets the mood (if you know what I mean), and warms the muscles up. What’s nice about this one is that it contains soya milk which leaves your bath silk soft.

   

3. Lava Lamp $7.95 CAD

   Take a psychedelic trip with this one with a bright orange base and purple cocoa orbs to create a groovy swirl. Now I definitely remember having a lava lamp when I was younger and it had red lava so when I saw this I was like Uh YES..It’s coming home with me. Done. This one is a triple threat of citrus power with Sicilian mandarin, tangerine and orange flower. Nice and fresh

   

4. The Experimenter $8.95 CAD

   Alright so before this one I tried the intergalactic and it was the funnest/ prettiest bath I have ever seen. With colourful swirls, sparkles and a dark blue finished water to look like you are sitting in outer space. So when I noticed that this had a similar concept, my first thought was yes trying this out. It has crackling popping candy in it to create a fun start to the bath. To go along with the candy, it has the sweet candy smell made with fair trade vanilla and tonka absolute.

   

5. Ocean Salt Face/Body Scrub $21.95 CAD

   I first heard of this scrub from Mike’s sister, when she had it in the bathroom and went on about how she loved it. After smelling it and feeling the texture, it was a product that immediately went on to my wish list. So this time I bit the bullet and bought it. Now it is on the pricier side of scrubs starting at $21.95 for the smaller pot, but its the ingredients that makes it worth it. Jammed pack with a little bit of something for everything. If anyone has gone on vacation they know what wonders the sea water does for them. Sea salt instantly makes the body feel better and softer. Ocean salt is vodka & lime infused to brighten the complexion, and generated from fresh avocados & coconut to hydrate the skin. This scrub can be used for both the body as well as the face.

   

6. Mask of Magnaminty $25.95 CAD (125g)

   This is a repurchase for me, for like I think going on the 3rd time. It is and I do not joke the HOLY GRAIL of all face masks and my all time favourite product. You just can’t go wrong with it. I feel like this is the ultimate face masks that is perfect for all skin types, theres something for each one in it. Now there is two different formulas both equally the same although one is self-preserving and the other is not. You get a longer shelf time with the self-preserving formula and the best thing is that there is no additives in it. Basically the formula gets rebalance so there is no need to add any synthetic preservatives because it does it on its own! With this mask my face feels so clean and smooth. What I like the most is that the China clay and peppermint get that deep action when sitting on your skin to pull out all the dirt from your pores. With the peppermint it leaves your skin very refreshed. The granulated texture is created by aduki beans which acts as a exfoliant for any dry flaky skin. Last main component is vanilla absolute and honey, to calm and smooth the skin. This is basically a 2 in one, so I would not recommend using a face scrub or any rough cleansers the same day just to prevent your skin from becoming irritated.

Well that’s my lush haul hope you enjoyed it! If there are any bath bombs or other products that you love feel free to comment below for me to give them a check out. I always love trying other things that people rave about!!

Until next time xo
Steph

 

The First: “Friday’s Favourite Five”

Decided I’m going to do a segment called Friday’s Favourite Five, where yes you guessed it I tell you lucky friends what my five favourite items where during the week.(wow, I’m so original…haha) Most likely there will not be a specific category of item as I am all over the place, so look to see things like food, drinks, make up, songs…or maybe places who knows!! Now it will be my own personal struggle to not include ice cream every week…because let’s have a serious moment….that is just a LIFE necessity. So without further due, let’s see what I was liking this week shall we.

1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ($39.99 CAD)

   Now if you didn’t grow up with the Harry Potter series…What type of childhood did you have? This has got to be one of the most anticipated books. Me being the HP geek that I am raced over to pre-order it when I heard the news. This weekend the book was launched and I got my hot clammy hands on my copy. I started my wonderful relationship with this book by sitting in the walk-in doctors office for 2 hours head deep into the pages. Needless to say I managed to get some good reading in. In all I am loving the book so far, and the fact that it’s a script makes it so different and unique to the other books. All I can recommend is STAY AWAY FROM SPOILERS!!!!. (Tip: Check your local Wal-Mart or chapters, most stores are currently offering 40% off book cover price)

   

2. Sephora’s Liquid long-lasting eyeliner in #13 Fancy Blue ($15 CAD)

   This past long weekend in Toronto was VELD Music fest a two day music festival where some of the word’s biggest DJs come to perform. Now these festivals do not fall short of flower bras, gems glued onto the face, beaded bracelets, little clothing for those scandalous ravers and bright fun makeup. I decided to go in on the fun with a nice pop of colour for the eyes with this cobalt blue eyeliner. Here is how I styled it for each day, one as a main focus and the other a simple accent. I also used in on my BF’s sisters makeup for day 2 and she had tons of girls coming up and complimenting it

   
   
   

3. Tea with lemons slices

   I think it is a safe assumption to say that having lemon slices in any type of tea is very underrated. It could be my sick tendencies of wanting to nurse this hella annoying cough away but it is absolutely deeeeliiiissshh. The fresh citrus slices and I nice punch and kick to the flavour of your tea. I tried it in a green tea with honey to sooth my throat, as well as in a black orange pekoe tea cold with honey as sweetener (basically a makeshift iced tea)

4. AKON

   I have always been a fan of Akon ever since back in the days, all of his hits and collabs are always such catchy tunes. It’s been said that Akon is making a come back and releasing 4 albums (now don’t quote me here) in different genres. Well Hypnotized, Stick Around and Heatwave have been stuck in my head and on repeat basically everyday. With the catchy cute lyrics about love, and the tropical beats it gets you dancing around your room like a little girl again. Here are the links to give them a listen for yourself..I highly recommend it!!!
   Stick Around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgRpki59xOs
   Hypnotized: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxG8KDWCU3w
   Heatwave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx5khPvVdTs

5. Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid Lipstick in shade “CARINA” ($26 CAD)

   Soooo I need more shades of this liquid lipstick in my life. First of all it is not messy when applying it to the lip with the wand. Secondly, what I like most is the formula it’s so creamy and non drying to the lips. Unlike most matte lipsticks or liquid ones where you have flaking or dry lips, this one stays smooth the whole time. Now when it comes to reapplying: I managed to get through eating pasta, drinking wine, and multiple smooches before I realized a bit of separation in the normal areas of the lip (your corners, and middle of the pout where both lips meet). In all it is one of the best liquid lips I have tried and will be eyeing some new shades to add to my collection.

   

   
   Until next time…xo