EVENT | Getting Face Mapped at Dermalogica #FaceMapNation

Way back in April of this year, the Dermalogica launched a worldwide skincare campaign called "Face Map Our Nation" using Dermalogica's zone-by-zone approach to skin analysis. The Dermalogica Institute in Vancouver hosted a face-mapping event that I unfortunately could not attend because I was in Calgary for work, but the folks at Faulhaber were kind enough to book me in last month so I could experience a face mapping session!

SKINCARE | PMD Personal Microderm Device Review

As I have gotten older, I have become more and more open to trying new skincare techniques and tools. After having my first microderm abrasion experience earlier this year (here) and loving the results (but not really the price), I set out to emulate what had been achieved from that one microderm session. Although it isn't feasible at times, I do read what the celebs do to keep their skin looking Hollywood-fabulous despite the amount of partying and other "habits" they get up to. The PMD Personal Microderm* ($159.00 USD) is a skincare gadget I kept reading about before every red carpet event and was a YouTube favourite. With the holidays and soon to be NYE and Chinese New Year, having "skin on the glow" is more than welcome in this season of non-stop activity!

MAKEUP | Guerlain L'Or Radiance Concentrate Makeup Base Review

I will admit that ever since I saw "Austin Powers in Goldmember", I secretly say "I love gooold!" whenever I use any products containing actual gold. When it comes to luxury, there are select brands that stand out because of their packaging, ingredients and in this case, use of actual 24 karat gold flakes! The Guerlain L'Or Radiance Concentrate* (30mL/$81.00 CDN) has been around for awhile and though I am relatively new to Guerlain this is one of their most well-known makeup primers. Earlier this year, Guerlain revamped and repackaged both the L'Or and Parure Gold Foundation (review coming!) and though I have not used the previous versions of either of these products, hopefully I can shed some light on what they are like now!

NAILS | Dior State of Gold "Seeing Stars" with Mystere and Gris-Or #ManiMonday

Oooh, four Mani Mondays in a row! Who says you can't start beauty resolutions early?! I will try my utmost to have these done every week and whenever I see nail polish on my nails I really am happier! Dior's limited edition State of Gold collection included four polishes, two of which I have already reviewed (here) and now here are Mystere* ($33.00 CDN) and Gris-Or*!

MAKEUP | Getting Glam for NYE with KISS Looks So Natural Lashes in "Sultry"

At the beginning of last year, a number of CBBers made beauty resolutions for 2015 and one of mine was to master the application of false lashes (see my post here on Lipstick and Lullabies). Well, I'm still not quite comfortable enough wearing false lashes in my everyday makeup life, but I did make a point of wearing them in most of the makeup looks I posted this year. They really do open up the eye so much! This past year I have had the opportunity to try a couple of different styles and brands of lashes and can safely say that I have formed some opinions on what works for me and what does not.

What has held me back from flat out purchasing lashes is how expensive some pairs are! Lashes can range from $25-$50 and even though they last up to 25 wears, it still feels like a lot of money to shell out on something that seems so fleeting and can feel a little uncomfortable. I didn't think to look to the drugstore until I was sent a few pairs of lashes from KISS last year. I actually used them in a few of my makeup looks when I wanted to enhance my eyes subtly (here, here and here). As much I love wearing lashes that are wild and out there, realistically speaking I want my lashes to feel like my own and they need to be comfortable if I am to survive a whole work day or NYE with them! 

SKINCARE | Farmacy Beauty New Day Exfoliating Grains Review

I first saw Farmacy Beauty in Sephora Bellevue back a few months ago and was instantly captivated by the wooden caps and its "green beauty allure". I am cautious of brands that claim to be natural and green and I hate it even more when writers, editors and *gasp* even bloggers use the terms so loosely. No, we are not scientists (though I have the degree), but sometimes we say that a brand is "natural" because the press release says it is. When Farmacy Beauty came to Sephora online and then as a review opportunity on Brandbacker, I thought this was the time to look into the brand more closely.   

HOLIDAY | Lush Christmas Part 2

I know, I know I promised a Part 2 and I'm only doing it now on Boxing Day! As all of us Lushies know, today was the the Lush Christmas BOGO and even though I got up at 7am, I was still too late for many of the gift sets. However, I do have a few Lush favourites that I hoped some of you managed to pick up by the multiples because they are THAT GOOD.

HOLIDAY | Avon in My Stocking!

There are so many stocking stuffers to choose from that I'm pretty sure people have MULTIPLE stockings at this point! Yesterday, I shared on Instagram just one of many stocking stuffers available through Avon (here) and today are the rest! One thing people don't know is that Avon has a lot more than just beauty products! I myself own a lovely pair of coral shoes and a bag so don't be surprised if you see other Avon products that are outside the beauty realm in 2016!

NAILS | Merry Christmas Glitter!

I am over the moon that Korean beauty brand, The Face Shop has firmly made its way into Canada! With pricing and quality that frankly rivals a number of luxury brands, The Face Shop continues to wow me. One product that I have been particularly impressed with is their Trendy Nails nail polishes and at $4 a bottle, I would highly recommend them to anyone!

HOLIDAY | Burt's Bees from Head to Toe!

It's Christmas Eve and you probably should be done all of your shopping, right? Well, just in case you haven't OR you if just like reading about more tempting beauty things (raises hand), I've got a few more holiday gift ideas from none other than Burt's Bees! Burt's Bees has become such a fixture in my life that I almost forget how much I need to have their Peppermint Beeswax Lip Balm in my life! To this day, it is what I crave the most after I come out of the shower and my lips need some protection. It is truly peppermint perfection! Burt's Bees does make a number of other products though and I can vouch for every single one of them as I have used everything from their hand cream to mosquito repellent!

For people like me that need to have that Peppermint Lip Balm like a drug or prefer a healthy shimmer of colour, trios* ($9.99 CDN each) have been created to either keep you well-stocked or well-covered in the colour department! The Cool Collection of Kissable Color contains the shades: Watermelon, Grapefruit and Apricot. All semi-sheer wearable shades for anytime of day each with that same addictive tingly peppermint twist. I love them all!

BEAUTY BOX | December Birchbox Review + Holiday Idea!

I have talked about Birchbox numerous times over the year and I reiterate that they were the first of the beauty subscription boxes and while MANY subscriptions have come and gone, Birchbox still remains - and at $10 CDN/month + $4.95 shipping. $10 was the magic number 5 years ago and while other subs have slowly hiked their prices, Birchbox has kept theirs at that magic number. I have been so entrenched in this beauty world that sometimes I forget that there are still people that don't about subscription services such as Birchbox. If you are still looking for a gift that keeps on giving, let's take a look at Birchbox!

MAKEUP | Dior State of Gold Diorific Matte Lipstick Review with Swatches

Talk about ending the year with a bang. I just about died when I swatched the Diorific Matte Lipsticks! I am still not completely sold on matte lipsticks, but these ones have come oh so close to swaying me.

HOLIDAY | The mark. Sparkle Collection

"All that glitters is not gold" or in the case of the mark. Sparkle Collection, it sure is! I think most of us are like crows when it comes to sparkly things which is why my brain goes into complete overdrive during the holiday season! With companies like Avon around, there will never ever be a shortage of gift ideas for ANY occasion. Long before beauty blogging became such a big thing, I was (and still do!) flip through the Avon catalogues of my local Avon rep, dog-earring pages of things I want to buy and the Sparkle Collection is definitely "dog-earrable" for anyone who loves the glitter of the holiday season!

MAKEUP LOOK | Pur Minerals Love Your Selfie Palette Review & Swatches #PURselfie

I did not "officially" start wearing makeup until I was 20. I say that because I dabbled with lipgloss and blush all throughout high school, but the thought of colour-matching myself for a thick, cakey foundation did not sound appealing to me at all. Even the word "foundation" sounded like so much so I just never bothered with it until I started looking at mineral makeup which looked both natural and easy to apply. Pur Minerals was always on The Shopping Channel a couple of years ago and the way they used that chisel brush to blend foundation was amazing! The models had flawless skin and the price for a compact fairly reasonable (around $30 CDN). Since then, I have gone through 2 compacts and always have one to spare! 

Pur Minerals has recently repackaged and I suspect reformulated their products because they are quite a bit better than before! Eyeshadows are smoother, more pigmented and lip glosses smell and feel better on the lips. This relaunch has definitely made me take another look at what Pur Minerals has to offer!

NAILS | Feeling Glittery with the OPI Starlight Collection #ManiMonday

Due to a 50 hour work week and seasonal gatherings, today's episode of Mani Monday will be a brief, but sparkly introduction to the OPI Starlight Collection. Inspired by the celestial, this collection is filled with MUCH glitter, shimmer, textured finishes and even a holo! As it is a holiday collection, there is still a classic red and wine shade, but as I will show over the next few posts, the other shades will be the ones to catch your eye!

HOLIDAY | Massive LUSH Love Part 1 #LushChristmas

At this time last year, I was pretty chill. I chose to work part-time for the first time in my life and was using the excess energy to develop Cosmetic Proof. Fast forward to now and I'm back to 45+ hour work weeks and just breathless from trying to keep up with all of these AMAZING holiday releases! I have some pretty epic Lush stuff to share with you all and I have split it into two posts so that all of my wild ramblings are somewhat digestible.

Ah, Lush is not Lush without their work-of-art bar soaps! The classic Yog Nog* (100g/$6.95 CDN) is one that I bought last year and can never get over how comforting I find the nutmeg scent. It is a very festive scent and reminds me of marzipan and almonds. It also feel deliciously creamy against the skin. During the Lush Christmas event this year, we were all introduced to two new soap additions: Old Father Time* (100g/$6.95 CDN) and Reindeer Rock* (100g/$6.95 CDN) which again both smell fantastic! OFT is made with sage, thyme and redcurrant and be sure to grab a piece with the gold "cogs of time" on it. It just looks prettier :-) Reindeer Rock is made with lingonberries and smells tarte and juicy. It is the perfect Christmas soap!

NAILS | Star Wars Stormtroopers Love Christmas Too!

You know, I knew timing was EVERYTHING when it came to posting these nails, but by the time I had finished them at 12am last night, it was far too late to blog about them hence the premature sharing of what has been delightfully termed "Seasonal Stormtroopers" on the Faulhaber Instagram. All around the world, people are lining up for the opening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and while I have done Star Wars-themed nails before (here), the Christmas season calls for a little something extra. I also have a bit of a sense of humor and while this manicure may not be "pretty", it sure makes me laugh a little. Stormtroopers need love too and as I have said before, you can turn ANYTHING into a holiday mani as illustrated below!

For my base, I took out my trusty Essence - Wild White Ways* and painted two opaque coats. Though I have used a black striper in the past, I opted for black acrylic paint to draw the Stormtrooper faces followed by Essence - Fame Fatale* for the Santa hats. I dotted on the fluffy white trim and outlined with black acrylic paint for extra definition.

How many of you are Star Wars fans and waiting in line to see this movie?

CHRISTMAS | Stocking Stuffers from the SEPHORA Collection aka Little Treasures of Delight

Don't get me started on Sephora. That whole place is a friggin' stocking stuffer. While stockings used to be filled with typically inexpensive treats to tithe you over until the "big gift reveal", that does not seem to be the case anymore! At this point, my stocking is worth a small fortune with all the makeup it could hold! No retailer does stocking stuffers better though and if you have waited in line at Sephora's Beauty on the Fly section, I'm sure you have picked up a few extra things mainly because smaller thing are much cuter. Brands actually COMPETE for these coveted spots in Beauty on the Fly because they know we will buy all the things! Well, now you don't need to be in line because I'm going to show you some fun things to both hang on your tree and fill someone with glee!

BATH & BODY | Lush "Secret Santa" Gift Box

Back in November, Lush held their holiday media party at the West 4th, Kitsilano location where we got an inside look at how fresh face masks and bath bombs were made. On top of making my own Stardust bath bomb we were also allowed to select a gift to place under the tree. Obviously, I did not wait until Christmas to open my Secret Santa Gift Box* ($18.95 CDN) because you all need to know what's in here!

I chose this gift box mainly because I love the reusable "gift wrap" and the print is so festive and cute! Inside is the Dashing Santa* ($5.95 CDN) bath bomb scented with mandarin and bergamot oil. I just used this last night and his golden shimmery boots make him spin around when you place flat in the tub! It is truly a hoot and a half!
 

Next up is the Peeping Santa Bubble Bar* ($6.95 CDN) which is scented with strawberry and made with hand-churned shea butter and cocoa butter. Lush bubble bars are always so creamy and always leave my skin soft. My Peeping Santa fell apart in transit and actually has only one eye making him QUITE the peeper.

There is more Lush goodness to come, but have you had a chance to relax with some goodies from Lush this holiday season?

NAILS | Winter Penguins #ManiMonday

It is Monday and though I don't often get the Monday morning blues, today I am feelin' it. It's a good thing I have five little friends to cheer me up and hopefully anyone else who is feeling the post weekend blues. It has been awhile since I painted animals on my nails, so what could be a more apt choice than penguins for the holiday season! Using this pin from Pinterest, I followed the steps and then added scarves at the end for some Christmas cheer. I don't normally use Pinterest, but now that I am back in the nail art it has been the best way to get ideas to share with you all!

MAKEUP LOOK | SEPHORA Collection Ombre Obsession Eyeshadow Palette Review & Swatches

I am a VIB Rouger as many beauty bloggers seem to be despite the amount of product we have whether it'd be from PR or personal purchasing. We love beauty and while I initially shopped at Sephora for other brands, I started paying more attention to the house SEPHORA COLLECTION brand when I was working as a vendor in-store. The Sephora product selection has grown incredibly and there are certain products that I will actually buy multiples of (Sephora brushes!) because I have been so impressed by the quality.

The holidays are the best time to sample what Sephora has to offer because there are a TON of master palettes with everything from lip to eye to cheek and nail products. Since I love them eyeshadow palettes, the SEPHORA Ombre Obsession* ($43.00 CDN) would have been something I would have swatched right in the store because the palette is so pretty to look at! 

FASHION | SOUFEEL Christmas Charm Bracelet Review

I feel like every post in December is pretty much a gift idea for Christmas. It is such a funny time to blog because I feel like every post needs to be centered around the holidays and while I will do my best to throw in bits of normalcy with the Christmas posts, today is all about Christmas! Back in the spring, I reviewed a SOUFEEL sterling silver charm bracelet (here) that I was VERY impressed by in terms of quality. Every charm had the characteristic 925 sterling silver stamp of authenticity and both the charms and the bracelet were solid and not hollow. There is always a charm for every occasion and even though I'm not a huge charm bracelet gal, if you were to have a look at the Christmas charms SOUFEEL has right now, you will find yourself wanting shiny miniatures of everything you value in life. 

NAILS | Festively Sophisticated with Dior Nail Vernis in State of Gold and Passion

Let me just say that I cooed audibly when I painted my nails with the limited edition Dior State of Gold polishes throughout this manicure. For the holidays, Dior repackaged and went gold and vintage with their lipstick cases and nail polish bottles. While the lipsticks are coming very soon on the blog, I started with my soft spot - nail polishes. There are some polishes that just scream "I have to be elegant" and the rich red of Dior - Passion* ($33.00 CDN) is just that. Of course, the holidays are nothing without some glitter which is where Dior - State of Gold* comes into play!  

MAKEUP LOOK | Dior State of Gold 5 Couleurs Limited Edition Blazing Gold Palette

Looks like something happened with Fall and I missed the boat with talking about Dior’s Fall Cosmopolite collection just being crazed with life, but I absolutely HAVE to talk about Dior’s limited edition State of Gold holiday collection! Reinterpreting Christmas with shades of grey, baby pink, grey-green and of course red, State of Gold reinvents the holiday season with festive sophistication. Eyeshadows and nail polish are usually my favourite parts of any collection and Dior’s 5 Couleurs Palettes for this season rank in my top 5 Dior palettes! What I love about Eternal Gold* ($70.00 CDN) and Blazing Gold* ($70.00 CDN) is how festive and yet UN-festive these shades are. Oftentimes, Christmas is about glitter, glitter and more glitter, but these two palettes are surprisingly wearable outside the holiday party season. 

NAILS | Picture Polish – Big Bang by La NPA Mouton Swatch

I will warn you that this post right here is just straight up porn. Nail porn, that is! Some polish colours are just too pretty to mess with and such is the case with Picture Polish – Big Bang* by fabulous French nail blogger La NPA Mouton. This is a complex colour which makes the name “Big Bang” make a whole lotta sense when you see how much is going on! In what I can only describe as a grape holographic purple with multi-coloured shards of glitter, this polish is opaque in 2 coats. I had no issues getting the glitter out of the bottle and it glittered beautifully under the light as most holo polishes do.

*Start the nail porn*

HAIR | Remington UV Baked Ceramic Hair Dryer

2015 was the year of HAIR for me. I have never used so many different hair products and hair tools in my entire life! I have a whole new appreciation for those who work in the hair industry because it is all still a black box to me. When I hear the brand name Remington, I trust it right away. My first straightener 15 years ago was from Remington and I used it for all of my university YEARS before it finally crapped out. Hair dryers have been in my life for a shorter time as I was a fan of air-drying my hair, but now I take my showers later, my hair is longer and I have come to despise sleeping with wet hair. My old hair dryer was quite heavy and the KISS Tornado (review) sped up my dry time, but left me with frizz. The Remington UV Baked Ceramic Hair Dryer* ($29.99 USD) promises quick dry time, less frizz and more shine thanks to UV baked ceramic technology baked into the dryer grill. It’s also pretty and purple – my favourite colour.

NAILS | “You’re a Mean One…Mr. Grinch” Holiday Nail Art

Say what?! MORE HOLIDAY NAILS?? Yes, I’ve had some time at home on my days off to zen out and do some creating. I was actually planning on doing something far less time-consuming, but after browsing the infinite depths of Pinterest, I stumbled across a few Grinch designs (like this one by Nancy MC) that were too tempting to not try! Most of us are familiar with the works of Dr. Seuss and the impact his books have had. I’m going to assume that most of you reading are familiar with the moral of the story and the rough sketch illustration style of Dr. Seuss.

Press samples

HOLIDAY | Mary Kay Bath & Body Collection

This is OFFICIALLY my FIRST holiday post five days into December and I’m okay with it. Yes, the Christmas collections started making their way into our lives back in October, but as I feel like time flies quickly enough in the year, holiday posts will now be inundating Cosmetic Proof though I will try to pepper this space with bits of “normalcy” and regular blog reviews if possible! It’s getting to that time of year where time is of the essence and though I have a ton of holiday items to share with you, some might just leak into January 2016…

Let’s start off Christmas with some sweet (literally!) bath and body delights from Mary Kay! For a limited time this year, Mary Kay has released a number of ready-wrapped gift sets with deliciously-scented goodies with oh-so-cute-packaging perfect for stocking stuffers!

NAILS | #ManiMonday with the Holiday Minions!

It is the second week of December and we are officially in the throes of the holiday season! My Christmas tree finally went up over the weekend (not decorated yet) and now I am feeling the crunch of the Christmas countdown both at my day job and with the pile of holiday reviews I have yet to do! Ever since the Essence Gel Nail Polish challenge of last month awakened my love for nail art, I have been on a nail art kick with wanting to tick off as many bucket list items as possible by the end of 2015. While there are certain limitations when it comes to holiday nail art, I have since discovered that you can pretty much transform ANYTHING into holiday nail art including minions. Trade those blue overalls for red and green, give these little guys some Santa hats and we’re ready for Christmas!

LIPS | Softlips Luxe Lip Moisturizer in Silky Shea and Creamy Coconut + GIVEAWAY!

My obsession with lip balms has now intensified with the new Softlips Luxe Lip Moisturizers* ($4.67 CDN) that I first spotted exclusively at my local Wal-Mart. I kid you not, I have probably 5-6 of the original super slim cigarette style Softlips lip balms and love the combination of menthol and flavour. I reviewed last year’s ultra cute cube packaging (here) and continue to use them both to this day. Just like the Softlips Cube, Softlips Luxe has a 5 in 1 formula containing hydrating ingredients such as shea butter, coconut and sunflower oil while smoothing out the roughness of winter-chapped lips. Both scents smell wonderful, but I’m sure you all knew that! 

Personally, I don’t find these overly hydrating, BUT you know what these are PERFECT for? Priming the lips for lipstick! They smooth the lip surface while soothing any dryness I may be feeling, but does not leave my lip colour slip-sliding around. While I prefer the twist-up lipstick style to the Cube (which has slipped out of my hands a few times), my husband wanted to point out that though he liked the Creamy Coconut scent, he felt very girly carrying this around and prefers to use this at home as opposed to work where he may be judged. I definitely see his point.

Now it’s giveaway time! ONE lucky winner will win the following prize pack valued at $50:

·        1 Softlips LUXE lip moisturizer Creamy Coconut: $4.67

·        1 Softlips LUXE lip moisturizer Silky Shea: $4.67

·        1 Softlips CUBE lip moisturizer Fresh Mint: $4.99

·        1 Softlips CUBE lip moisturizer Peach Mango: $4.99

·        1 Purse Mirror: $10.00

·        1 Cosmetic Bag: $20.00

Terms of the Giveaway

• Open to Canada only!
• Giveaway ends on December 11th, 2015 at 11:59pm
• The winner will have 48 hours to reply once they are contacted
• Do not follow only to unfollow (I have a VERY good memory!)

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MAKEUP LOOK | ARTDECO Mystical Forest Collection Review & Swatches

Even though it’s December, it’s technically still Fall according to the calendar so I cannot resist squeezing in one more Fall-inspired look! How I wish ARTDECO was in more Shoppers Drug Marts in my area so that I didn’t have to wait one whole year since posting my last ARTDECO look! My last review was for a summer look with the Miami Collection (here) so the Fall Mystical Forest Collection is going to look quite different! We’re doing more smoky eyes today, but with some Fall wine shades thrown in to give the look a bit more dimension. The full collection features earthy nudes, warm beiges, smoky greys and of course the characteristic dark berry shades of Fall all inspired by a misty autumn day in the woods.

Press samples

NAILS | Holiday Escape Sunset Nail Art with LACC Nail Colour

There will be holiday nail art soon enough, but before we start with the red, green and glitter let’s pretend it’s summer again or for those of you in sunnier places as we speak this set of nails is dedicated to you! I am proud to debut my first set of nails using La Couleur Couture aka LACC Nail Colour! Founded by Vancouver-based Farima Hakkak, this vegan 10-free (formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, camphor, formaldehyde resin, xylene, parabens, phthalates, fragrances and animal ingredients) nail polish company caught my attention when I first started getting into nail polish because it is pretty much as healthy as you can get when it comes to nail polish. While I don’t ever expect nail polish fumes to replace oxygen, every harmful ingredient we can eliminate is a step I’m willing to take. Farima unexpectedly CALLED me over the summer to talk non-toxic beauty and I won’t lie that I completely fangirled for 5 minutes on the phone before sounding like a normal human being again.

Now, for the nail polish. Farima was sweet enough to leave me with a couple of my favourite colours which will ALWAYS be spring and summer shades. After painting two coats of the very pale creme mint green 1976 as my base, I sponged on the bright pink 1953 to create my holiday sunset. 

With a fine nail art brush, I used black acrylic paint to paint the French tips, palm trees and all other details.

For a nail polish that is 10-free, application was pretty nice! Colours were bold and while 1976 was took two thicker coats for full opacity I was super pleased with the intensity of 1953. Wear-time was just like any other polish – a few days for me before I noticed any significant chips.

LACC is sold at select Shoppers Drug Mart locations, Nail Polish Canada as well as Curlique in Vancouver.