I'm in the zone with this tone!

Hey everyone!

If you follow my blog regularly you probably know that I've been trying to go more natural with all of or most of my skin care products. I started doing this around the end of December and have been very carefully picking and choosing new products to add to my routine. One of my very first purchases was this Andalou Naturals Blossom & Leaf Toning Refresher. 

I have had a hard time finding a toner I like period so I was super surprised to find this product first. I don't like my toners to have any alcohol or drying ingredients, I just want them to be that something extra for after I cleanse and when my skin is feeling parched. 

This toner is completely natural and includes 84% certified organic ingredients. It includes aloe, fruit stem cells (which are common to all Andalou Natural's products), vitamin C, vitamin E, coQ10, vitamin B5 plus their BioActive 8 Berry Complex. On top of all that there is no harsh preservatives or ingredients that you can't pronounce.

This toner provides a refreshing feel and slight moisturization. If you had extremely oily skin I think this would be great to use as a lightweight moisturizer. I use it underneath all of my other skin care products and I have never been happier with a toner! The smell is pretty floral but I've grown to love it. I'm not a huge fan of spray on toners but I am getting used to them and you could always unscrew the cap and use this with a cotton pad if you wanted. 

Overall, I don't think I'll ever be without this product again! Its effective, all natural and it's affordable. Their other products are just as amazing! Right now I only own one other mask but I'm planning on purchasing more of their products very soon. I just spotted them at London Drugs this afternoon so now I have another place to get them!

Summary

Andalou Naturals Blossom & Leaf Toning Refresher

$12.00 (roughly) CAD

Available at: Health Food Stores, Andalou and London Drugs

Cover FX Even Has Skin Care Covered!

Evening All!

Today I have to share with you one of my favourite products of last year. It surprised me because I didn't think I would get much use out of this little gem as I have other eyeshadow primers (Too Faced, NYX, MAC) that I already swear by, but this particular primer isn't meant to extend shadow wear. 

This is Cover FX EyePrep FX, an anti-aging smoothing primer for the eyes. I was lucky enough to win a Cover FX gift package last year that included this and I actually initially gave it to my mom but then took it back when I found out she never used it!

This isn't like any other eye primer you may have encountered. Let's see why:

First, I was super happy to see that it was an airless pump instead of just a squeeze tube. I love airless pumps, I believe they are the best form of packaging to keep products stable and bacteria free. This dispenses the perfect amount of primer with one pump (I actually only use half a pump because I have a small eye area and it's more than enough for both eyes). 

Now, having used two of Cover FX's primers in the past, both the Clear Prep and Skin Prep, I expected a clear, silicon-y gel consistency but boy was I wrong!

This is actually a super dense and ultra hydrating cream consistency! It is actually completely silicone free and has great ingredients like glycerine, squalene and sesame proteins for moisture. This eye primer/cream works on dark circles, puffiness and fine lines while increasing hydration. It does this using ingredients such as Haloxyl which according to Cover FX, "works to loosen blood fragments underneath the skin around they eye" which is exactly what dark circles are and Eyeliss which helps to treat puffy bags under the eyes. It is meant to smooth the eye area for application of concealer so your fine lines and puffiness are less noticable.

Even though the package may state this is an eye primer, I find myself using this both day and night. It is literally the only product with enough hydration to calm my eczema and keep it from flaking and peeling. When I use this consistently my eczema actually doesn't even return!

Overall, I don't think I'll be without this product again. I'm addicted to the hydration it provides and I love that it has anti-aging benefits as well. If you're someone who has fine lines, dark circles or puffiness and are looking for a great eye cream - this is it. If you're someone who is looking for extra hydration and smoothing to give prolonged concealer & foundation wear around your eyes - this is also it.

Summary


Cover FX Eye Prep FX
$43.00 CAD
Available at: Cover FX & Shoppers Drug Mart & Sephora

Note: If you're going to purchase this I highly recommend getting the Under Eye Treat & Conceal Kit. It includes the primer, concealer and Clean FX Cleansing Mousse for only $23.00 CAD more.

[REVIEW] Consonant Ultra Firming Organic Eye Cream

Hey everyone,

Today I'm doing a review of Consonant's Ultra Firming Organic Eye Cream.  

I'm so excited to share this review with you, almost as excited as I was to receive this amazing product! As you may know, one of my New Years Resolutions is to go more natural (and organic) with my skin care routine - so this product is a "natural" fit. (Ha, that was a terrible pun but I had to!)

Consonant Ultra Firming Organic Eye Cream is an amazing mixture of butters, oils and organic extracts formulated to firm, moisturize and reduce fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles. Now, being 23 I don't have a lot of need for a "firming" eye cream but I do believe in good preventative skin care and am always looking for an amazing eye moisturizer - as I have extremely dry skin around my eyes. This eye cream includes some amazing moisturizers like shea butter, vitamin E and many, MANY different oils.

REVIEW 

This eye cream works amazingly for me! It gives me fantastic moisture around my eyes that doesn't dissipate during the day (even hours later I can feel the hydration around my eyes!). My eyes also look brighter, more rested and my dark circles are less noticeable. 

This cream also has some other things going for it. First, it comes in an airless pump - in my opinion the BEST kind of packaging to keep ingredients stable and dispense the right amount every time. It is also an all natural and organic way to look after your delicate eye area and can be used all the way up to the lash line because it is so gentle. The smell is also great - the only way I can describe it is "real".  It smells like natural ingredients that haven't been tampered with or masked by any synthetic fragrance. 

This cream is ultra rich but sinks into the skin in seconds, resulting in a great base for eye make-up or eye primers. 

I have to say, it's no wonder this cream won Chatelaine's Canadian Star Product award last year. It's an outstanding eye cream, all natural and organic and delivers results. What more could you ask for? 

Summary

Consonant Ultra Firming Organic Eye Cream

$36.00 CAD

Available at: Consonant & The Shopping Channel

Skin Care for the Season

As promised, this post will be my personal skin care picks for the winter season. As you may know, I have sensitive, breakout prone skin that is oilier in summer and drier in the winter. So, with it being full blown winter, it is now dry!

Trying to  counteract my dryness and increased sensitivity in the winter months without setting off my breakout prone skin can be a tough thing to do. This season, I seem to have found some great products that have been giving me great moisture without giving me excess oil. Thank goodness! Here is my complete list of products:

Let's start with my cleansing routine. I have made a pact with myself to break all my bad beauty habits this month, one of which is forgetting to wash my makeup off at night (so bad!). So, since my skin gets much drier and more sensitive I have switched a couple products from my summer routine.

1. Clean & Clear Soothing Eye Makeup Remover - I have never been one to use a separate product to take my eye makeup off, thats just another step and I'm inherently lazy. BUT I must say, once I started, my eyes were much happier! I am prone to eczema on my eyelids and I think makeup may have contributed. I also don't want to tug at my eye area anymore (another one of my beauty faux pas!) so this helps a lot. It removes everything without a greasy feel and is oil-free.

2. Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser - I love this cleanser. Its gentle, removes all makeup and doesn't leave my skin with that dry, tight feeling. It's also inexpensive so I can have one everywhere I need.

3. H2O+ Face Oasis Cleansing Water - This brand is relatively new to me, I've only been using it for about 3 weeks but its become a staple in my cleansing routine! I use this interesting cleanser in the morning and at night but in two different ways. This cleanser pumps out like water but once applied to the face it feels slick. Once you work it in it actually seems to soak into the skin. In the morning I only use this, I apply to my face until it is soaked in then add a little bit of water to my hands and continue to work it into a lather then rinse. At night I use it as a pre-cleanser and apply my Neutrogena cleanser right over top to make sure all my makeup is removed. This is a great product!

4. Clarisonic Mia - This never leaves my cleansing routine but I definitely use it much less in the winter. I find my skin gets extremely sensitive in the colder months so I only use my Clarisonic about 3 times a week as my exfoliating treatment. I also switch to the 'delicate' or 'sensitive' brush head.

My next step never and I mean NEVER leaves my skin care routine! To keep my breakouts in check all year I use Neutrogena's 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment. It is very gentle, has 2% Salicylic Acid to control breakouts and hydrates. It is a fluid/serum texture so its great for every skin type. Definitely a product to get if you have any breakouts and any skin type. 

Next I apply a hydrating oil-free serum. H2O+ Oasis Hydrating Booster is an amazing for acne-prone or combination skin. One pump of this dual phase serum and you feel incredibly hydrated without any greasy feeling. It sinks in quickly and adds a much needed extra layer of moisture without feeling heavy or greasy!  A new staple in my skin care routine.

Next up is my day/night creams (or should I say gels?). Both of these hydrating treatments by H2O+ come in a gel form, great for combination/sensitive acne-prone skin battling dryness. I use H2O+ Face Oasis Shine Neutralizing Gel during the day and H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Gel at night. Both absorb quickly, keep me hydrated and make my skin more plump without adding oil. I always steer towards gels or gel-creams for my moisturizers as a lot of the ingredients in creams and lotions can clog my pores. 

I never want to give up my facial treatments and masks during the winter so I switch to more hydrating forms of the same thing. I want to absorb the extra oil without over drying or making my skin feel tight. Once a week I will use a clay based mask to absorb debris and oil either C. Booth's Deep Cleansing Volcanic Mud Mask or Bliss's Steep Clean Pore Purifying Mask. Both of these are amazing masks and sound like they do the same thing but I use them for two different reasons. If I have slept in my makeup or feel really breakout prone I will use C. Booth's Volcanic mask. It does a great job of clearing out pores ('amazing' was the first word I used when I saw the results!) without leaving my skin dry. If I'm feeling a little 'clogged' but dry I will use Bliss's Steep Clean mask. It is much more hydrating but also helps with breakouts and oil. I use Bliss's Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask once a week as well (on a different day than the other mask) to give my skin radiance and an extra little 'boost' when it looks dull. I love this mask before a big day or event!

In the winter my skin has a tendency to get extremely itchy, irritated and red for pretty much no reason (fun!). I don't like using cortisone creams because they can thin skin with repeated use so I look for more natural alternatives for my itchy skin and eczema patches. This is B. Kamins' Bio-Maple Antipruritic Cream. It is great for general irritation and itching anywhere on the body. Whenever I have flare-up's I reach for this cream for a quick, soothing remedy. 

As I've mentioned a few times (understatement!) my skin gets red and sensitive during the winter. I love Clinique's sunscreens because they don't break me out and its just as important to use a sunscreen everyday in the winter as it is in the summer. I switch from Clinique's City Block SPF 25 in the summer to Clinque's Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base SPF 15 in the winter. I find them to be very similar in formulation with the Redness Solutions having a green tint to counteract my redness (the other is flesh toned). I like this added correction and it reduces the amount of foundation and concealer I have to apply afterwards.

When I'm feeling extra dry or every other night (which ever comes first) I apply Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream with Retinol. This is a richer cream (still not nearly as rich as a regular cream) with the added benefit of Retinol to help ward of wrinkles. I'm a big believe in "its never too early to prevent wrinkles" so I use this quite a bit and find my skin looks smoother and brighter when I use it religiously.

So, there it is. My winter skin care routine! I hope this helped you figure out your new routine and gave you some good tips for sensitive/combination skin. What are your favourite products for winter? Let me know in the comments section!

Be sure to check back for winter Body Care and Hair Care posts!

'Tis the Season..

Happy Holidays everyone! What a season of joy and good times - although its also time for cold weather, harsh heating and beating winds! These can wreak havoc on our hair and skin, so even though this is a festive time of year, lets make it a beautiful one as well.

Today I'm going to share some tips and my personal beauty routines for your body's "winterization". First, lets begin with some winter basics! Here in Canada, the temperature drops and with it goes the humidity (at least here in the west), so we need to account for not only the cold temperature but the lack of moisture in the air as well. Here are some great tips, in no particular order!

Top Tips

1. Use a humidifier - I learned the importance of this while living in Calgary, probably the driest place in Canada! Not only does the added moisture in the air benefit your skin and hair, it also benefits your lungs, sinuses and throat which is especially essential during cold and flu season. You can purchase "personal" humidifiers for as little as $20 so there's no reason to be without!

2. Boost your moisturizer (no matter what your skin type) - You can boost your hydration and moisturization in a couple ways. First, if your skin is normal to dry or extra dry, try a thicker, richer cream with added emollients and water binding agents. These can include glycerine, hyaluronic acid, natural plant oils and vitamins such as E. For oily or acne prone skin, adding a hydrating oil-free serum can be your best bet as well as an oil-free moisturizer.

3. Skip long hot baths and showers - I know, I know, I love them too but they are exceptionally drying for skin. If you must take a warm bath or a long hot shower be sure to use hydrating body washes or a bath oil. Many bubble bath formulas are very drying so if you want bubbles, try some bubble bars from Lush Cosmetics which incorporate hydrating oils with bubbles, or add a bath oil as well. Be sure to follow your bath or shower with a body oil or rich lotion.

4. Cut back on exfoliation - I love to exfoliate seeing as I have oily, acne prone skin but during the winter months, I find it can actually make things worse. With the drier air, my skin gets extremely sensitive so I switch to chemical exfoliants as opposed to scrubs. I also find I have to switch my Clarisonic brush head to the "delicate skin" option and use it a lot less often. If you find you have dry skin and it gets flakey, you may need to exfoliate but try a cream based scrub or daily chemical exfoliating cream. 

5. Wash your hair less often - To keep your scalp dandruff free and your hair from becoming dry, try to wash your hair a maximum of once every two days. This will keep your ends from drying out and your scalp from becoming itchy or flakey. Use a hydrating shampoo. Also, if you find your hair gets exceedingly dry in the winter (hello static!) use a deep condition mask every time you wash as opposed to just a regular conditioner. Follow with a leave in conditioner or oil. You can also use a hydrating treatment overnight once a week for extra benefit.

6. Exfoliate your body - This may sound like it contradicts point  number 4 but body skin is different than facial skin and for you to be able to get the full benefit of your body cream, you need to exfoliate first. Again, don't over do it. A loofah or puff is usually good enough paired with a hydrating body wash. For extra dry patches, use a gentle scrub. This will help you get the full potential out of your body cream.

So, those are my top tips for the winter season! Do you have any more to add that you swear by? Let me know down below! :)

Check back for my personal picks for the season!

New Skincare for a New Climate.

Hello again everyone, I've missed you all! I've had a few big changes in my life since I last posted (months ago, terrible me!) and one of them was moving Provinces. I recently (in May) relocated back to my home town in British Columbia where the climate is much different than Calgary, where I had been living for the past 3 years. This is proving to be hard on my skin so I've been on the hunt to find what my skin needs now and share what has been working for me in the recent months.

First, a little background on the climate I've come from and am now living in. Calgary was extremely dry and generally cold. Where I live now in British Columbia is also relatively dry (as I am in a technical desert region) but still no where near comparable to Calgary, as I am now back living near a large lake. In Calgary I suffered with very dehydrated skin that was also exceedingly oily. Sounds like a contradiction, but is very common. I would't apply moisturizer for fear of creating more oil on my skin leading to more breakouts but I didn't realize that my skin was creating more oil because it was so dehydrated. After finally figuring out what my skin needed, I moved to a completely different climate. Here in BC my skin has been very balanced over the summer months. The humidity is ideal and I have not suffered with much excess oil or breakouts. The only thing that seems to aggravate my skin recently is air conditioning, which can dry out my lips and skin. 

As the weather here is still in the mid 30's (Celsius) I have yet to switch to a "fall routine". But for these summer months I have found a few products that I couldn't have lived a day without. Here is a list of those great summer finds:

Cleanser

Marcelle Hydra-C Self-Foaming Cleanser

Clarisonic Mia

Treatment

Neutrogena 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment

Fusion Beauty Illumifill Line Filling Luminizer

Exfoliants/Masks

Colbert MD Microdermabrasion Pads

Alba Organics Papaya Enzyme Mask

100% Pure Brightening Scrub/Mask

Eye Cream

Morning: 100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream

Night: Bliss All Around Eye Cream

Moisturizer

Morning: Clean & Clear Pore Perfecting Moisturizer SPF 15

Night: 100% Pure Red Wine Resveratrol Nourishing Cream

Sunscreen

Neutrogena Water Light SPF 60

Lips

C.O. Bigelow My Favourite Night Balm

Korres Lip Butter

Fusion Beauty LipFusion

Lush Lip Scrub

So there you have it. Some of my year round favourites as well as some great summer finds! I know my routine will be changing soon to compensate for the cooler and drier fall weather so there will be more skin care updates to come!

Colbert M.D. - Intensify Facial Discs

Happy Sunday ladies! I hope you are all having a relaxing day! I'm stuck in my house because of the huge amount of snow that hit Calgary yesterday and has kept up today - Boo! (I'm not actually stuck I just don't want to go outside haha) So, today I decided to give my self a little at-home facial and relax. As I was doing my facial, I realized I hadn't told you all about this amazing little product, so here it is!

These are Colbert M.D. Intensify Facial Discs. I hadn't heard about this brand until recently (I had heard about the Doctor himself but didn't know he had skin care products). The lovely team over at Colbert M.D. sent me these discs in consideration of a review and I must say I am incredibly happy to review them! 

Colbert M.D.'s philosophy is simple - "Daily Nutrition for the Skin in three easy steps" (this is an extra step, so the fourth). The products promote the natural healing and repairing process to get your skin back in tip-top shape. I will tell you I haven't been using these in conjunction with the other Colbert M.D. samples - I have just been using them with my current skin care routine. 

First, these come in a luxurious glass jar. I love it when packaging is pretty and simple enough to leave out on my counter or vanity! These pads are a combination of enzyme exfoliation and "microdermabrasion" - double the benefit! They contain Bromelain (pineapple enzyme to break down dead skin cells) and Lactic Acid which is a gentle natural exfoliator. I love the idea of having two different types of exfoliation in one simple step! Personally, I feel like my skin doesn't exfoliate itself as much as it should - I always have clogged pores and dull skin so I live for exfoliating products! These pads are also super simple to use, you just take one out, gently rub it on your face for 60 seconds, rinse and your done! 

I had to show you this picture even though it is really gross! These are the pads before and after use (left - before, right - after). The most impressive part is that this is after 60 seconds of use on cleansed skin! And when I say cleansed, I mean cleansed! I hadn't worn makeup in two days and had used my Clarisonic skin care brush a total of 4 times before using this pad (once immediately before)! Those are all dead skin cells! Yuck! But wow, this really does show how effective these are! 

These also have a cute little design where there is a tab on the back so you can get a good grip and really exfoliate the face with no problems! These discs are amazing! My skin feels so smooth after I use these and stays smooth for days afterwards (which is pretty rare for me)! So far, I've been using these about 2 times per week (you can use them 1-3 times per week) and it works perfectly for me! Another great thing about these is they cause no irritation whatsoever and you cannot "feel" the exfoliation as it's occurring! I know I've used many different Glycolic & Lactic treatments that really irritated my skin and made it super red and sensitive afterwards so I was so glad to see that my skin was not irritated or red at all after using these! 

I am incredibly impressed with these - this is one of those products you discover and never want to be without again! (Which may be a problem for me because they are pricy and I may never be able to afford them again haha) These are $52 USD for 20 pads but trust me, they are worth every penny! I can't say enough about these, if you need an exfoliator, you need to try these pads you will not regret it!

I'm looking forward to trying out my other samples after having such success with these! :)

Zeno Hot Spot - Review

Hey ladies! Today I have a review that I am really excited to share with you! As you may know from reading previous posts, I purchased the Zeno Hot Spot Blemish Clearing Device with my Shoppers Optimum points a few weeks back. I was very curious to see how this little pocket sized gadget would work on my random breakouts so I have been using it as directed for the past few weeks.

First, I'm going to give you a little background on myself and the product. I have oily skin, prone to blemishes (not excessive, more random) of the smaller variety. Those little annoying white bumps or blackheads that are hard to get rid of and hard not to pick at. This device is focused for use on larger, inflamed blemishes with no visible white head. I do get random blemishes like this and they are often very hard to treat and take forever to go away! That is why I bought this, for the random, annoying and difficult blemishes that need extra treatment.

Since I bought this I have only had two blemishes that fall into the aforementioned category. (Wow, writing university papers sure changes the words I use in blog life haha Good word though, I like it!) You are told in the instructions to place the metal tip onto the blemish without applying force and leave it there for the timed two and a half minute treatment (Which is harder than it sounds, two and a half minutes is a long time when you aren't doing anything else lol)! After that, you leave your blemish alone and hopefully you will see a difference in the next two hours or so (as the package states). If you don't see an improvement after the two hours, you can use it again for a two minute treatment.

Double click to enlarge

For my blemishes I only had to use it once on each one. I used it both times at night before going to bed so I can't say much about the two hour claim. I can however say that my blemishes were either completely gone in the morning or had drastically reduced so that makeup could help the rest! I was shocked and am hoping that these two blemishes were not "flukes" and that it will continue working how it is because the results were fantastic! Another thing I like about this is that its, in a sense, natural. All you are using is heat to help with your blemishes as opposed to harsh chemicals such as Benzoyl Peroxide (which I have insane reactions to so I can't use it!) I will admit, I was skeptical when first trying this - who would have thought gentle heat could do so much? Well, it can!I would highly recommend this to anyone that suffers from the occasional difficult blemish that needs extra treatment. If you have moderate acne, I'm not sure if this would be right for you as the Hot Spot only includes limited treatments (80) and if you have many blemishes it may not be as cost effective as other methods. 

Zeno has a newer product out called Heat Treat which I am also extremely interested in! It is more of a preventative measure, check it out here. (PS it's only available for retail in the US - you have to order it online to Canada) I'm really intrigued by this device since I've had my success with the Hot Spot, hopefully I will be able to test and review it soon as well (financial situation dependent lol).

Disclaimer: I purchased this with my own money - well, own Shoppers Optimum Points haha. I am not affiliated with the company and none of the links are affiliate links, they are only there for your information. I was not asked to do a review of this or any other products mentioned in this post. 

Shiseido Prize from Beautystat.com!

Hey ladies! This has been on my "blog to-do list" for a while now and I'm finally getting to it! Back in early December I won a giveaway from BeautyStat.com and Japanese Beauty Brands! I received my package in early January (I was away for a lot of December so I'm not actually sure when it arrived haha) and was SO excited to try it out!

I have had really good experiences with the Shiseido products that I've tried (although it is very few - Shiseido is a pricy brand!) I am a big fan of their Pureness line for oily/blemish prone skin - their makeup removing wipes are FANTASTIC and come in a great container! For this reason I was really excited to be able to try something new from their line!

What I Received

- Shiseido Bio-Performance Super Refining Essence

- Shiseido Benefiance Instant Treatment Eye Masks x2

- Shiseido Nourishing Mascara Base (Mini) (Not Pictured)

- Shiseido Instant Eye & Lip Makeup Remover (Mini) (Not Pictured)

- Faux Patent, Red, folding Shiseido Makeup Bag (Not Pictured)

Boy, did I feel spoiled when I got this! The Refining Essence alone sells for $88 CAD! Not only did I get luxurious products, but they are working absolutely great on my skin! I sort of expected to get something for wrinkles or something super moisturizing that wouldn't work well with my skin. I was SO beyond happy to find an exfoliating treatment that also lightly hydrates and in no way makes me breakout! 

I have been using the Refining Essence since I received this gift (about 3 weeks) and couldn't go a day without it! It makes your skin look radiant and glowing as well as hydrated without any breakouts. The best part about this serum is I saw a difference almost immediately in my skin (within the first two days!)

The texture is super soft and contains some silicones to give it a smooth feel! It absorbs quickly and thoroughly (like a serum) and is perfect for oily/congested skins like mine! I'm in love with this but am dreading the day that I have to buy a new one for $88 CAD!! But believe me, I will need to buy another one when I run out! 

PS - I have yet to try the other products - reviews to come! :)

Make sure to check out BeautyStat.com & Japanese Beauty Brands for reviews, blog posts, contests and prices! 

Disclaimer: I won these products through a random draw giveaway. I was not asked to review them or to promote their sites in my review but I think you should check out both because I personally love them! None of the sites are affiliate links - they are only there for more information or if you want to check them out :)

Going Gadgety! - Zeno Acne Device

Good Morning - again! I really have been catching up on my blogging and doing two or even three posts a day! I really am trying to limit myself but once I get on a role, I'm on a role!

This isn't a very long post - more of an introduction to a new product I just picked up, and have yet to use yet! 

First off, I suffer from pretty mild, occasional breakouts (which is what the Zeno device is intended for). It is also only intended for the red, inflamed blemishes, not the tiny white ones. Thanks to my Shoppers Optimum points and bonus cards and coupons, I was able to pick this up for $4! haha It runs $44.95 CAD for 80 uses (which I think will be MORE than enough to last me a good year or longer!) There is also a larger version that features changeable tips so you never have to buy a new device, just new tips but it runs $155 CAD. (on sale at SDM for $99 right now though!)

Anyways, this is a really cute little (PINK!) device that (as pictured above) you place on your blemish for the treatment time - 2.5mins - until it beeps and you are done. It heats up to kill all the acne bacteria in your skin and get rid of the blemish. Depending on the severity of the blemish you can treat it up to three times 4-12 hours apart. I'm pretty excited to try this out (although I have no blemishes right now, figures lol) because I only get occasional ones and if it helps with those I will be more than happy!

This little gadget has a bunch of indicator lights as well as an on/off button. It has four lights that tell you how many treatments you have left (Example, 4 lights = 60-80 treatments) as well as a power indicator light. It automatically shuts off after the treatment time and beeps every 30 seconds to let you know it is working.

I have high hopes for this little guy and will keep you updated on my progress! Check back for another "Going Gadgety" post on my new Clarisonic Mia! 

Have you tried this? Will you try it? Let me know!

Best of 2010 - Skin Care

Hello Ladies! I'm back with another "Best Of" collection for 2010. First, I must say that these products are all ones that I either repurchased or have been using for most of the year (with two exceptions). With that being said, everything in the photo above I use everday so I felt they deserved a spot in my "Best Of" skin care post!

First up is a product that I couldn't go a day without! This is Neutrogena's 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment. I have repurchased this item more times than I can count! I have breakout-prone skin that is combination, and am always looking for something that will keep my blemishes from popping up! This is an absolute staple in my skin care routine! It helps with blemishes as well as hydrates your skin without any greasy feeling. It is a really light gel texture, smells like cucumbers, and absorbs almost instantly! It works because it has a higher concentration of Salicylic Acid than most products (at 2%, most are at 1%) which clear the pores and prevent them from becoming blocked. If you are like me and have allergic reactions to Benzoyl Peroxide, this is an amazing alternative or additive to your routine! If you have any breakouts, blemishes or blackheads this is definitely a must-buy! It is also very inexpensive. Depending on where you go you can pick this up for as low as $7!

Next up are my coveted serums that I use every day and night (in conjunction with my Hydrating Acne treatment)! First up are Isomers Copper-P Serum and Vitamin C & E High Potency Serum. These are both super hydrating while still being water based and offer different benefits to the skin. The Copper-P serum is said to help with repairing the skin faster and the Vitamin C & E helps during the day by combating free-radical damage with high amounts of antioxidants (great to use under sunscreen for extra protection!). I use the Copper-P at night and the Vitamin C & E during the day - two little drops goes a long way! (By the way, Isomers is a Canadian company! You can find them on The Shopping Channel or on their website!) They really do help your skin and are great for those with oily or blemish prone skin because they add nutrients and vitamins without adding a heavy layer of cream or lotion! Another amazing serum, thats great for hydration, is Mario Badescu's Herbal Hydrating Serum. This absorbs lightening fast and leaves your skin feeling super moisturized without any extra oil or greasy feeling. A must have for any skin type!

Here is my all time favourite mask of 2010 - Biore's Purify Self Heating Mask. I used and bought a crazy amount of masks this year but this one really stood out to me! Maybe it is the individual packaging, maybe its because it heats up on contact or maybe its because it works SO well to deep clean my skin without drying it out! Whatever it is, I love this mask! I find myself using these almost twice a week to deep clean and exfoliate. When you apply this mask it heats up to "open" your pores and get all the dirt out. I'm not sure that works, but it sure feels nice and relaxing! Second, it has really smooth grains in it so when you wash it off you can exfoliate too! This mask is only supposed to take one minute to work (it turns blue to let you know when its done) but I tend to leave it on for a whole bath and let it work its magic! These are a little on the pricy side (Not technically - I got mine for $6.49) but that was only for the 8 individual masks which works out to 81 cents per mask - which is kind of expensive. I don't mind paying that for the great job they do though! :)

Next up is Olay Complete Lathering Cleanser and Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes. These were both my go-to cleansing products for this year! First off, the Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes saved my face from having to go to bed with makeup on MANY times! I'm often way too lazy or tired by the end of the day to take my makeup off - therefore, cleansing wipes are a life saver for me! The best part about these ones is that I can use them around my super sensitive eye area without having any reaction. They also remove makeup better than most wipes I have use AND are natural! I'm addicted to these, I've already gone through two packs since October! Next is Olay's Complete Lathering Cleanser. This is a great super gentle cleanser with vitamin E so it won't dry out your skin but still gets it thoroughly clean. The funny thing about this is I bought it once at Wal-Mart and haven't been able to find it anywhere since! I hope I can find it again, if I do I'm going to stock up!

Last but not least is eye products. Here I have 100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream and CoverFX Anti-Age Smoothing Primer. I know what you are thinking, "That CoverFX one is a primer, not an eye cream!", technically, yes BUT it has such great effects that they recommend you use it at night too, which I do (as an eye cream!). Its really hydrating and locks in moisture like nothing else I have tried! My eye area still feels really hydrated in the morning! My go to day eye cream is 100% Pure's. I did a post on this in November showing my before and after - I couldn't believe how much it took down puffiness in only 5 minutes!! This is also all natural and organic and you NEED to try it out if you have any puffiness! Through this year I also used MAC Moisturelush eye cream (the container went Back2Mac!) which I loved for the subtle illuminating effect it gives! I also had a sample of Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment that I still desperately want but can't really afford - and often forget about lol!

Overall, there have been many more products than just these go through my routine this year - but these are the ones that made me stop and take notice! An honourable mention goes to my new Clarisonic Brush that I got for Christmas - hopefully it will make it in my "Best Of" 2011! :)

Yes To Tomatoes! Daily Balancing Moisturizer

Morning Ladies! Hope everyone is having a good Sunday so far! I'm taking a break from my finals studying and thought I would throw a little post on here! :)

As you may know, a while back the people at Yes To Carrots! were nice enough to send me a bunch of products to test out to help with my crazy winter skin! (Oily/dry/dehydrated/breakout prone - you name it, I have it!)

They sent me mostly the Yes To Tomatoes! line to help with my oil control and breakouts, while still nourishing and hydrating my skin. This is the Yes To Tomatoes! Daily Balancing Moisturizer. Here is what the Yes To Carrots! website says about this moisturizer:

"We know you juggle many aspects of life on a daily basis, hydrating and balancing your skin shouldn't be one of them! Let us tend to your needs with Yes To Tomatoes Facial Hydrating Lotion. Rich in antioxidants and powerful sebum (acne-causing oil) absorbers, it both moisturizes and balances, keeping your complexion carefree. So, go on, give up the balancing act and try something more fun, like the trapeze!" 

Having oily, breakout prone skin, I'm ALWAYS nervous to try a moisturizer. My face is generally greasy enough and I don't need more! That being said I know hydration is essential for any skin to be healthy and it can even help with breakouts to have a hydrated skin. So.. I of course gave this product a test run!

I love the packaging of this moisturizer. I really dislike putting my fingers into "pots" and "jars" because of the hygiene factor (especially scary when you have breakout prone skin). Also, air-tight pumps keep the ingredients more stable by not introducing them to air and bacteria!

As you can see this is definitely a cream consistency. (Nervous!) It is fairly thick and rich - BUT this cream spreads and absorbs well. I will be very honest on how this feels on my skin. After applying (less than one pump worth) I can still "feel" it on my skin and it does feel a little thick. I'm not sure if I can really say anything because I'm not used to wearing moisturizer so this is probably how it is supposed to feel! haha Even though this feels like a thick, rich cream - it leaves the skin looking matte after application with no excess oil or grease, just hydration. Here are some pros and cons:

Pros:

- Ultra Hydrating
- No oily/greasy feel
- Calming/soothing
- Does NOT cause any clogged pores!
- 98% Natural
- Petroleum, SLS & Paraben Free
- Antioxidants
- Packaging - Air-free pump


Cons:

- Thick Consistency - Stick it out because it has great benefits!!
- Smell - as with all the Yes To Tomatoes! products, I'm personally not into the fragrance but its nothing overwhelming!
- I can't get it in Canada! I'm seriously going to stock up on everything Yes To Tomatoes! Everytime I go to the states! lol

Overall, my skin has also looked continuously better since I started using this particular product range - I haven't been using anything but the Yes To Carrots/Cucumbers/Tomatoes! line! Even my facialist said my skin was looking great and asked me what I was using different!! :D I have found that using these all natural products has really helped my skin in the past few weeks and has made me realize the importance of not using anything too harsh on my skin to combat my blemishes - I think those drying products only makes it worse!

If you are struggling with blemish prone/oily skin that is dehydrated you need to get a moisturizer even though your mind is screaming "NO DON'T DO IT!" - it will really help I promise!! :)

This is an amazing moisturizer that I am so happy I tried out because it has made such a difference in my skin! The whole Yes To Carrots! brand has not disappointed me in the least! I have more reviews to come so be sure to stop back! Thanks for reading! :)

Don't Forget to Check out Yes To Carrots! here:

Click Here to Follow Yes To Carrots! On Twitter

Click Here to check out Yes To Carrots! Facebook Page

Click Here to see Yes To Carrots! Full range of products

Yes To Tomatoes - Mask

Good evening ladies! I hope you are all having a great night! I'm just squeezing in this post between my paper writing and finals studying so it may be shorter than usual (but probably not! lol) I also can't say that there will be many posts in the next couple weeks! As much as I will try to squeeze them in I have a ton of studying to do! 

So if you haven't already noticed I have a weak spot for masks! I love pampering myself and laying back in the tub with a good cleansing/oil absorbing mask! The people at Yes To Carrots! were nice enough to include this mask in my package that they sent me and I was VERY excited to see it!

Clay masks are my favourite types of masks! I have really oily skin so its great for controlling my oil and breakouts! I also have sensitive skin that is prone to rashing or getting dry patches from anything too harsh (Hello Benzoyl Peroxide..) so its hard for me to find a good oil control/acne control product to help me out! 

Here is what the Yes To Carrots! website has to say about this mask:

"Time to treat yourself. Totally treat yourself. To Tomatoes. Yes To Tomatoes Facial Mask is a total deep pore treatment that refines, purifies and even moisturizes your skin, while keeping your complexion clean, clear and balanced. Filled with potent anti-oxidants that fight free radicals, and bursting with powerful sebum (acne-causing oil) absorbers, you'll be tickled red with this tantalizing treat! Go ahead, take the time to treat yourself, your skin will thank you!"

I am in LOVE with this mask! I don't know about you guys but most of the time clay masks make my skin incredibly itchy when they are on and I can't stand to keep them there for very long! But with this mask, I find myself wearing it for much longer than I should! (Shhh!) It doesn't dry to the point where it irritates your skin and makes it really tight and uncomfortable. It just dries enough to get the extra sebum off your face and clean it out!

I'm really trying to go natural with my skin care lately. I've been seeing much better results when sticking to nourishing, natural products as opposed to my harsh acne products. My skin has actually gotten better and has much less blemishes, and I'm not even using "traditional" acne products! Who knew?

Here are my pros and cons of the product:

Pros:

- 99.6% Natural

- Deep Cleansing

- Petroleum, SLS & Paraben Free

- Doesn't dry out the skin

- Leaves skin feeling hydrated without greasiness

- Comfortable to have on!

- Contains antioxidants

Cons:

- Smell - same as cleanser, not enough to stop my use! 

- Availability - I can't buy it in Canada :(

I barely have any cons on this product! It is one of THE best masks I have ever used! I'm super picky about my masks too because I hate the super drying ones but they still have to remove excess oil and do the job! I love that this mask contains lots of antioxidants and nourishing ingredients instead of just being a plain clay mask! I've been incredibly impressed with my Yes To! products! I still have many more to come so keep checking back!

Click Here to Follow Yes To Carrots! On Twitter

Click Here to check out Yes To Carrots! Facebook Page

Click Here to see Yes To Carrots! Full range of products

Don't Forget to Enter my Too Faced Giveaway Here!