Beauty - sparkleshinylove

Roxymandy December 8, 2015

Review of Laura Mercier Silk Crème Oil Free Photo Edition Foundation

Last month when I ran out of my Yves Saint Laurent LE TEINT TOUCHE ÉCLAT Illuminating Foundation I decided to try something new! I loved this foundation, but at times found the look to be a little too dewy for me. I am prone to oily skin, so dewy isn’t always the best look for me.

At the recommendation of a beauty expert at Sephora I decided to try Laura Mercier’s Silk Crème Oil Free Photo Edition Foundation. The only Laura Mercier item I had tried in the past was their tinted primer which I liked, but it wasn’t something I bought again just because I always forget to wear primer.

This foundation was completely different then the YSL formula! It was very very matte. It was a totally different look, and I really liked it! I didn’t see my oily t-zone break through the foundation which can often happen. It mattified my whole face which was amazing.

I found the colour I chose matched my skin very well. So well it was hard to see exactly where I had this foundation on.

It is actually a very watery foundation which I was surprised by since it was so mattifying. I would need to shake the bottle with each use which I was not used to. Normally I would just pump my foundation and go, but with this one I would need to shake and then squeeze it out of the bottle. If I didn’t, often times water would run out of it. I would forget sometimes and get this watery mess on me, but once I shook it the formula mixed well.

The coverage was long lasting as well. It claims to offer 12 hours of coverage, and I believe it to be true. It was so comfortable, and seemed to last all day.

Laura Mercier’s Silk Crème Oil Free Photo Edition Foundation claims to also be photo-ready. I think it looks very well in photos, and hides imperfections well.

Is it my forever foundation? Maybe! I love to switch things up, but I found this foundation was one of the more flattering ones I have tried.

To learn more about this product, please visit their website here, and you can purchase it from Sephora here.

Roxymandy November 10, 2015

Review of the Ellebox

Ellebox is a pretty fabulous concept. It’s a subscription service which gives you a box each month full of comfort and wellness goods, along with your choice of tampons and/or pads. That time of the month is never fun, but Ellebox makes things much more bearable!

A portion of the proceeds of these boxes support local women’s initiatives in Vancouver where Ellebox is based.

Ellebox was kind enough to send me a sample box, and I was so excited to see what was inside. I was not disappointed!

You can choose a mix of tampons and pads, or just one type of product along with other preferences. You can choose a box with just the necessities like tampons and/or pads, or a more personalized comfort box with tea, chocolate, and other goodies. There are also brand options as well.

I am totally that girl who realizes the day of her period that I have seven empty tampon boxes but no tampons at 11pm at night on a Tuesday. This literally happens to me each month and I learn nothing each time it happens about better preparation for the next month!

I can’t tell you how much easier my time of the month was once my Ellebox arrived! I had an arsenal of supplies delivered to my door, along with chocolate, tea, a Serenity Now aromatherapy mist, and a body butter. Soon you can shop these samples on the Ellebox website as well.

Ellebox is one subscription that truly makes life a little easier since you can schedule your arrival of the box depending on when you need it each month.

For more information visit www.ElleboxCo.com!

Roxymandy October 30, 2015

Review of the Cube Scented Bouquet in Precious Jasmin from Lampe Berger

As a Lampe Berger Ambassador I am lucky enough to try out all of the new fragrances and product launches.

This new product is my favourite so far! The new Cube Scented Bouquet is a gorgeous glass cube filled with fragrance, topped with a bouquet of black sticks. It looks like a pretty perfume bottle which I love! It’s very elegant looking, and so neutral looking it would fit in anywhere in your home. It retails for $25 which is a great price point.

Once you unscrew the cap you can add or decrease the fragrance according to the amount of sticks you use.

The sticks are made with an engineered polymer so they won’t discolour the fragrance as well.

Each box contains the cube filled with 125ml of fragrance, and 8 black sticks for scent diffusion.

The scents include Ocean Breeze, Vanilla Gourmet, Soap Memories and Amber Powder, my scent Precious Jasmine, plus many more.

You can refill the cube by purchasing one of the scented bouquet refills which are 200ml as well. The Precious Jasmine scent included fruits like peach, apricot, orange blossom, and peonies, carnations and jasmine flowers.

I really loved the look of the cube. It would be such a pretty addition to a powder room, desk or living room. It could compliment any decor because it’s so neutral, and I liked that I could adjust the scent easily.

For more information on the new Lampe Berger Scented Bouquet Collection featuring the Cube Scented Bouquet, visit their website here.

Roxymandy October 27, 2015

Speeding Up My Morning Hustle with Jergens Moisturizer for Wet Skin

If I could name one thing that I need the most lately, it would be more time. I also really need more shoes, but more time is actually something I desperately need more. “I need more hours in the day” is something I mutter to myself at least a few times a day.

I work, I blog, I go to the gym and play soccer, I spend time with friends and family, and I have a toddler. In between all of those major things, minor things like shaving my legs or making dinner are treated like a bonus if they’re done at all!

My mornings are especially hectic, and I am sure not a morning person. I actually wear sunglasses on my way out of the house, and it’s still dark outside. I am not a happy, chipper person in the morning, and I am notoriously late.

Once I had my son, his school drop off took away more of my precious little time in the morning. I literally have to bribe him to get him into my car and off to school every morning! My latest trick to get him to hurry up in the morning is to leave a different toy in the car each day. There is a new surprise waiting for him each morning, and even though they are toys he already has, he is excited to get outside and see what’s out there.

My mornings are crazy, so anything to help make things easier at the start of the day is welcomed.

When I was given the opportunity to try out Jergens Moisturizer for Wet Skin and was told it would save me time in the morning, I was excited to give it a try.

The directions said to apply it after showering, but before drying off. I was to apply it to wet skin, and there was no need to rinse it off. I just had to pat myself dry with a towel, and voila!

I was a little skeptical on how this would work, but I gave it a try. Lately I have been so behind schedule heading out the door I often leave with my skin looking and feeling a bit like a crocodile because I haven’t had time to apply lotion.

I was so moisturized after my shower and quick application of the Jergens Moisturizer for Wet Skin that I could just throw on my clothes and go. Moisture was locked into my skin, and it only took me seconds to apply for an all-day lasting effect.

I was a little worried that the Jergens Moisturizer for Wet Skin would get on my clothes or wouldn’t dry properly, but it easily absorbed into my skin and I was ready to head out the door fast.

I tried both the Green Tea Oil and Coconut Oil Wet Skin Moisturizers, and both had a great scent but I am partial to smelling like a coconut so that was my favourite.

On the weekend when I could fit in time for a bath, I used the Moisturizer for Wet Skin and I was instantly moisturized – there was no need for another layer of anything.

Overall I was impressed! I saved time, I was happy with the scent, and the product absolutely moisturized my skin all day.

My morning routine stepped up a bit, and I’m happy I’ve saved myself some much needed time.

Learn more about Jergens Moisturizer for Wet Skin here!

This blog post was sponsored by Jergens® but the opinions are all my own.

Roxymandy October 5, 2015

Shopping All Things Beauty With Look Fantastic

Most of my disposable budget suprisingly isn’t dominated by clothing purchases, but instead by beauty products. Hair, makeup, skincare – something is always running out, not working for me anymore, or suddenly there is a new product I have to try and can’t believe I ever lived without it.

Look Fantastic is an online beauty boutique with everything from hair and beauty products, fragrance, nails, health, home and organic, and even blow driers and straighteners. It’s a British-based boutique, and they have over 400 brands available so there is an incredible amount of choice when shopping.

Look Fantastic offers free gifts with purchase and member rewards, so shopping with them can be, well, rewarding!

Every day that I log onto their website I seem to find a new offer or gift with purchase option available!

They have a curated section from the beauty team at Elle Magazine on the website as well so you can check out tested and highly-rated products, and they even offer free world-wide delivery.

I recently tried out a few hair care products from Look Fantastic, and they were all from brands that I hadn’t tried before.

The first was Macadamia Rejuvenating Shampoo.

It’s excellent for dry, damaged hair which is unfortunately the category mine falls into (I’m a little obsessed with my hair straightener), and it’s designed to add moisture and protection using both macadamia oil and argan oil.

It was the kind of shampoo that makes you think for a second that maybe you don’t even need to condition! It made my hair super soft and smooth, and it felt clean and light.

I followed my new shampoo up with TIGI S-Factor Health Factor Conditioner which specialized in protecting hair from damage, and repairing what damage was already done.

The conditioner’s formula included Shea butter for added shine and a healthy look, and vitamin E plus other rejuvenating oils to help protect hair by locking in moisture.

It conditioner not only had a great fresh scent, but it left my hair nice and soft as soon as I rinsed it out. I left it on my head for two minutes in the shower before rinsing for best results.

Finally I tested out an amazing treatment called Louise Galvin Treatment Masque for Fine Hair. This stuff was magic in a bottle!

It’s meant to be used twice a week, but if your hair was extremely dry it could be used as a daily conditioner. I felt twice a week was perfect for me, and this stuff made my hair feel totally amazing!

I would towel dry my hair and leave it in for 10-20 minutes, then comb it through, and later rinse. This is when I would have the best results – my hair would look and feel amazing for a couple days! It wasn’t greasy or oily at all – it just provided mega conditioning and completely hydrated every hair on my head.

When I was pressed for time I would leave it in for as long as I could while showering, and it still provided great results. I highly recommend this product if you have dry hair – it will absolutely hydrate you!

Being introduced to some great new products that really worked was very interesting, and I would love to shop the site again. So many products are not offered on Canadian shelves, so seeing and being able to shop such a huge selection was great.

It’s nice to see what else is out there on the beauty market compared to my corner of the world, and the world-wide shipping option from Look Fantastic makes it easy to get your hands on some great products.

To shop the the website yourself, visit them at www.LookFantastic.com. Be prepared to blow your beauty budget for the month!

Disclaimer: These products were provided to me for review, but my opinions are fabulously my own.