January Favourites - Makeup

Hey everyone!

I usually try to come up with witty or fun titles for my posts but there isn't much you can do for "January Favourites" so, straight and to the point it is! I haven't done a favourites post in a long time but I decided I should, not just for you guys but for me to see what I'm really consistently using. As you might be able to tell some of these products are "well loved" and not in the best shape but hey, it means they are great and getting used! So, lets start:

The first photo is things that I turn to on an everyday basis for my face:

1. Tarte Smooth Operator Illuminating Serum

2. MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Light Plus

3. Revlon ColorStay Foundation Normal/Dry in Buff

5. Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in Light

6. Lush Colour Supplements in Light Yellow

7. NYC Mosaic Colour Wheel in Translucent Highlighter Glow

I actually use the Color Wheel for a bronzer. You know you're pale when you use a product called "Translucent Highlighter Glow" as a bronzer.. haha

Favourite Blush:

Hard Candy Baked Blush in Living Doll

Favourite Eye Products:

1. Cover Girl LashBlast Volume in Very Black

2. Cover Girl LashBlast Fusion in Very Black

3. Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner in Black

4. Natural Beauty by Carmindy Concealer in All Over Brightener

Favourite Lip Products:

1. Yes To Carrots Berry Lip Butter (I like the Carrot one too)

2. LipFusion lip plumper in Clear

These were the products I really and truly reached for on a daily basis. There were many other products thrown into the mixed and even used often but these stood out. If you'd like a detailed review on any of these please let me know!

I'll say "Yes To" this balm!

Evening everyone!

I thought I'd share with you one of my recently re-found loves today. The other day my boyfriend asked me for a lip balm to use, so off to my drawer of lip products I went. While looking for something unscented & clear for him to use I came across this little tube of loveliness that I had forgotten about - well actually I came across two.

A while back, Yes To Carrots was nice enough to send me a package of products for review. They were incredibly generous sending me all the flavours of their lip butters and tinted lip balms along with a ton of other skin care products. I immediately liked these lip butters but for some reason they slowly moved to the back of my collection. These butters come in Mint, Berry, Carrot, Melon and Citrus but I gave away Melon, Citrus and Mint as stocking stuffers and Berry got stolen by my boyfriend and now permanently lives in his pocket. So, I'm left with Carrot, which was actually my favourite to begin with!

I usually don't expect lip balms in stick form to be as moisturizing as their counterparts in pot form but I was pleasantly surprised in this case. Oh, and the Carrot flavour doesn't smell at all like carrot, it's pretty much unscented. These balms contain a massive amount of moisturizing and soothing ingredients including: Coconut oil, Olive Oil, Beeswax, Jojoba, Sunflower, Shea butter and lots of fruit and vegetable extracts. These make your lips feel super smooth, moisturized and not heavy or waxy. Not to mention these are 95% Natural and USDA Certified Organic which is especially important for something you are most likely going to eat.

My only problem with these little guys is I have yet to find them for retail anywhere in Canada. If you know where they sell these please let me know!

Summary

Yes To Carrots Lip Butter - Carrot

$12.99 for 5 (Carrot, Melon, Berry, Citrus and Mint)

Available at: Yes to Carrots & Drugstores (US)

Disclosure: This product was sent to me by a company for consideration for a review. There is no guarantees that a review will be provided. All opinions are my honest opinion of the product. I was not paid to write this post.

Yes To Carrots! Super Rich Body Butter

Hi Ladies! Hope you are all having a great night! I thought I would share with you one of my new favourite finds! The people at Yes To Carrots were nice enough to send me this to try out in my cold Canadian weather!

First, a little background on my (body) skin - which yes, varies wildly from my face skin! I actually rarely use body lotion or moisturizer, but lately my skin has been incrdibly itchy and tight feeling so I've been reaching for moisturizers to soothe it! I generally don't get flakey skin, or skin that looks dry - just an overall tight/itch feeling!

As you can see, this is a super rich butter! I was nervous at first because I personally don't like the feeling of thick, greasy lotion on my skin (the main reason why I don't use it!). This is why I'm not a fan of The Body Shop body butters, much too thick and I swear I can feel them on my skin for HOURS! That being said, I still want great hydration and moisturizing properties, just no residue left on my skin!

I love the consistency of this body butter! It stays so thick until you rub it in, it just melts into the skin! It also absorbs so fast and leaves your skin feeling really soft and supple but with no residue or tacky feeling! I'm in love! It relieves my tight and itchy feeling skin instantly and keeps my skin hydrated for hours! I have gotten into the habit of applying this at night, when I shower, when I bath, when I get up lol ANYTIME really! I literally carry it around my house, its kind of sad! My boyfriend also likes this! It is a totally unisex product because the scent is just like a classic lotion (not like carrots hehe) and the packaging isn't girly so this is a great buy for everyone! This would also be great for kids because it is totally natural and gentle! 

As with all Yes To Carrots products, it is super natural and contains great ingredients like Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Carrot Oil and Sweet Almond, Jojoba & Olive oils. All of these are super nourishing and great for your skin! I love being able to use natural products, especially when applying them ALL over my body! Thats a lot of product that is going to be absorbed! Overall, this is fantastic and I want it again so badly! I'm already panicking about where I'm going to get my next tub because I'm not sure if I can get this in Canada! I feel like this is turing into an addiction... lol

Do you guys have some favourite body moisturizer? Have you tried this one? 

Let me know! XOXO

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! 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! 

Yes To Tomatoes - Daily Clarifying Cleanser

Hey everyone! Hope you are all having a great weekend! I just got home from Bridesmaid Dress shopping which was an amazing experience (my first time being a bridesmaid!) and we ended up ordering some gorgeous dresses! Anyways, lets talk about what you came here for, this is my Yes To Tomatoes Daily Clarifying Cleanser. 

Not long ago, the Yes To Carrots company was nice enough to send me some of their products to sample. I must say I was very excited as I love their Yes To Cucumber Facial wipes! 

A little back ground info for those of you who don't know me and my skin. I have oily/combo skin that is acne prone. It's actually quite amazing, I never thought you could have dry and oily skin at the same time, but you can... Oh yes, you can! Anyways, this makes it especially hard for me to find skin care products that won't make one issue worse while making one better. For this reason, they sent me to Yes To Tomatoes line to control my oil and breakouts. Check out their website to see which line is best for you - Yes To Carrots!

As you can see this is a clear, foaming cleanser. It is a very light foam as there is no Sodium Laurel Sulphates in it, the foaming properties are sugar derived. Here is what Yes To Carrots has to say on the website about this cleanser:

"You won't be able to stop yourself from staring in the mirror, turning from cheek to cheek and checking out that gorgeous glow radiating from your clean skin! Yes To Tomatoes Facial Wash maintains your skin's pH balance while removing excess oils and impurities, purifying and refreshing your beautiful complexion. Go ahead, spend a little extra time in the mirror checking yourself out - you're balanced, beautiful, and beaming!"

I find it hard to find a cleanser that will get rid of all the excess oils on my face, as well as not leave my skin feeling excessively dry! This one does a good job of that, with my skin never feeling tight after and it feeling thoroughly clean!

Pros:

- 99.6% Natural (wow)
- Petroleum, SLS & Paraben Free
- Doesn't dry out the skin
- Contains natural fruit acids to exfoliate
- Contains Antioxidants
- Very gentle around the eye area
- Gets skin very clean

Cons:

- Personal Preference - I don't like the smell, but it isn't overpowering
- I can't buy this again because it is not available in Canada :(
- Smallish bottle - I want more!

Overall, this cleanser is great. Many of you may not think too much about your cleanser as your skin may be normal or combination and it doesn't matter too much to you. To me it is essential to have the correct cleanser! I get excessively dry skin around my eyes from harsh cleansers but the rest of my skin is very oily and needs something to cut through all the oil. In the winter it is even harder because I get dry patches in my oil slicks. Fun. But, this cleanser doesn't both either one! It gets rid of the oil while leaving light hydration, but nothing you can "feel" afterwards, no residue! I definitely recommend this if you love natural products that are equally as effective! I will continue to use this and hope I can get my hands on some more! :)

DON'T FORGET:

Click Here for full Ingredient List.
Click Here to check out Yes to Carrots on Twitter!
Click Here to view Yes To Carrots Facebook Page!

Yes To Cucumbers! Facial Towelettes Review

Facial Cloths

Hey ladies! Hope everyone is having a lovely Wednesday, only two days until the weekend! Anyways, I have a new review for you! After reading some great reviews on the "Yes To" line (I'm sorry, I can't remember where it was from or else I would link it! I read so many blogs! haha) I decided to give it a try!  Heres what I got:

Yes To Cucumbers! Facial Towelettes - Heres what they have to say on the website:

"Whether you're out and about, or hanging at home, we want to make sure you don't get the runaround when it comes to keeping your gorgeous face clean. Yes To Cucumbers Natural Glow Facial Towelettes gently remove dirt, sweat and makeup without the need to rinse! It's an exfoliant, detoxifyer and rejuvenater all wrapped up in one on-the-go biodegradable wipe, keeping you free and fresh-faced."

These come in 30 packs (or travel packs of 10), which isn't huge (good because they wont dry out) and isn't small (good because I don't want to buy them every 10 days haha). It has a little dispenser that lets you get at them like a tissue. These cloths are also HUGE, I would honestly say they are almost double the size of most wipes (in specific, my Shiseido ones.) Lets get to the pros and cons:

Pros:

- Huge cloth size

- Great, fresh/light scent

- Remove all makeup

- Gentle enough to use around eyes or on Sensitive skin

- 98.7% Natural

- Don't leave a "sticky" feeling that some makeup removing wipes can

- Soothing ingredients that calm redness

Cons:

- Price: Not really an issue, but a little pricy at $8.99 (on sale at SDM plus 10x the points!) for 30 wipes

Overall, I think these are fantastic! Some of the best makeup removing wipes I've ever used (and I've used a lot because I am SUPER lazy at washing my face at night, plus I remove my makeup with a wipe before I cleanse!) I've stuck to Shiseido Pureness wipes until now, these are my new full time, permanent makeup removing towelettes! Will I repurchase? Yes, yes and yes! And highly recommend these for ANYONE as they are great for all skin types! I know this is a short post, but its because I love these and have little bad to say about them! I really want to try some more products from the "Yes To" lines but find them very limited here in Canada! :( Hopefully our selection will be expanding soon! :) Let me know what you think of this line! Love it? Tried these?