SKINCARE | Leaders Green Collagen Eye Cream for Face

Press sample

Look at me! I am on a blogging roll! It's amazing what a few days of rest can do for the mind and body and though my physical body needed A LOT of recovery after FanExpo, I have been taking it very easy doing little chores around the house and remembering what it is like to feel somewhat human. One of the things that has been severely delayed since December has been my Leaders Cosmetics reviews. I have a number of fun things to showcase from this Korean brand and I think this is the week I finally catch up!

SKINCARE | #OOTD Beauty Skincare Routine

This is a sponsored post.

I am always excited to try a new skincare routine and as I have gotten older, I am naturally a bit more selective about what I put on my face. While I enjoy my luxury skincare items, efficiency, ingredients and results are still the priority and when it comes to all three of these, Korean skincare always seems to knock it out of the park in addition to being affordable! I was recently introduced to #OOTD Beauty, a vegan Korean skincare brand, with products catering to all skin types and ingredients that are both kind to the skin and planet. Whether you are dealing with dry skin, oily skin, or looking for anti-aging solutions, #OOTD Beauty offers a range of products that deliver visible improvements.

SKINCARE | The Sunday Riley Routine

Press samples

I first heard of Sunday Riley in 2015 when I was working for Tata Harper as Good Genes was a competing product to the Resurfacing Mask because of the way it gently exfoliates. Even after leaving Tata Harper, I never really thought too much about the brand not because I didn't like it, but I just didn't know enough about it for me to take a deep dive, especially because their products are luxuriously priced! In one of my last press events for 2020, the Sunday Riley team held a Sunday Brunch event in January 2020 to celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Rat and I have FINALLY used all of the products they gave us!

SKINCARE | Garnier BIO Collection - ECO CERT Skincare From the Drugstore?

It is the day after the US Elections and Trump is still a contender if you can believe it. I wrote a sad post like this in 2016 when he shocked everyone by winning and now it's 2020 and it's so much more disappointing because the vote is SO CLOSE. Even if Biden wins, it means that 50% of the USA think Trump is a good leader which is even more scary so though I rarely speak out about politics, this is such a no brainer that if there are readers, friends and followers who no longer wish to support me because I do not support Trump, I welcome the unfollowing! I haven't been able to stop watching the news since 8am today and I think my brain would like the short break so let's shift over to my home away from home - skincare. Namely the Garnier BIO line which is ecocertified, vegan, affordable and available at the drugstore!

Press samples

SKINCARE | My Summer Skincare Routine (Other than Sheet Masks!)

Gone are the days where I used to do single skincare product reviews! I personally have found round-ups a bit more helpful unless it's a single amazing product that can truly stand on its own because of the price, ingredients or mode of operation.  I also like seeing how people are using various types of products together and now that I am older and more proactive about my skin and health in general, I am hoping some of you might find my skincare routine interesting too! 

PR samples marked with *. All other products purchased by me. 

SKINCARE | Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask #KBeautyJune

I hesitate to talk about Laneige much on the blog only because this is a Korean beauty brand that has really exploded now that it is available in Sephora and I would rather feature KBeauty products that are not readily available here. Though there are a plethora of Laneige products that I have yet to discuss, I wanted to jump the gun with a product that I started using right away when it appeared at my doorstep - the Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask* because it is just a fascinating one!

PR samples, Affiliate Links

SKINCARE | Eliminate those Puffy Peepers with The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

I rarely feature eye creams for review even though I use them all the time mainly because I don't often see a huge difference between them that is worth writing an entire blog post about. I have also become oddly sensitive in the eye area with many eye creams making my eyes water upon initial application and tend to develop milia. I have a feeling this has all been due to getting older as my skin goes through its estrogen-depleting changes, but that being said I have found that keeping my eye care routine as simple as possible has been the ticket. Enter my first review of The Ordinary! I have been using Ordinary products on and off since the beauty world rocking launch in the summer of 2016 and after going through a couple of different products, I am finally ready to start talking about my favourites starting with the Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG (30mL/$6.70 CDN)!

SKINCARE | Racinne Ultimate Youth Power Eye Serum Review and Giveaway!

I know it seems like I have been using random skincare all at once with my last skincare review being just a few days ago, but believe me when I say that since June I have been reviewing a total of four different skincare lines. I have given about a month to each which is adequate enough for a review (depending on the type of skincare product) though I would ideally like two months with one brand if I can. I have been steadily declining more recent skincare reviews as my face is fully booked until the end of the year, but one brand that made my cut-off date was a brand rooted in Korean skincare science and that was Racinne.   

SKINCARE | Ecocertified and Canadian with Zorah Biocosmetiques!

My mother-in-law is a big fan of natural products. She may not be quite as religious about skincare as I am, but I always like her recommendations because she is a more educated consumer and is particular about ingredients. She also MAILS me newspaper articles about skincare products. It's really quite cute because she used to do it with my husband all the time and when I received my first newspaper clipping I knew that I was truly part of the family (it was all about Korean skincare)!

For those who are unaware, my husband and in-laws are from Montreal so it is probably the one Canadian city that I make a point of visiting about every year or two. After visiting Montreal in the dead of winter twice in a row, last year I decided to visit in August in the heat and humidity. My birthday was also the month before, so my MIL held on to my gift until our visit which turned out to be my introduction to Quebec and 100% plant-based brand Zorah biocosmetiques. She knew that I loved green beauty and so got me the Maeva Body Cream which I ended up really enjoying!  

SKINCARE | Live Clean Fresh Face Routine - From Cleanser to Night Cream and All the Steps in Between!

I am always wary of blogs that seemingly go through a ton of skincare when we all know that it takes at least 2 weeks to comfortably get acquainted with the products and ideally 4-6 weeks to really know if the products are really working for you. Though I have reviewed what I feel to be quite a bit of skincare in the last few months, many of the reviews are from last year as I take awhile to compile my thoughts. I make a ton of notes along the way because I know I will forget so let's go back to last year shall we?

SKINCARE | La Prairie Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Eye Cream Review

It has been about 6 months since I last mentioned La Prairie (here) and ever since my first experience with a number of their products, I have been itching to try more. I immediately fell in love with the Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal (CSIC) Dry Oil. I also enjoyed the CSIC Cream moisturizer. How I happened upon the La Prairie Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Eye Cream* (20mL/$350.00 CDN) was my seemingly odd reaction to the Essence of Skin Caviar Eye Complex. La Prairie was generous enough to send me a "second chance" at eye cream and I was determined to make sure it worked! I made sure there was no lactose in the ingredients list and then started my new eye care journey!

MAKEUP LOOK | Elizabeth Arden Sunkissed Pearls Cream Eye Shadow Stylo in Bronze Pearl, Freshwater Pearl and Blue Pearl Review & Swatches

I feel like there are a lot of Spring collections that are totally wearable for summer with the Elizabeth Arden Sunkissed Pearls Color Collection being no exception. The collection consists of a Sunkissed Pearls Bronzer and Highlighter ($48.00 CDN), a Lip Gloss Trio ($28.00 CDN) and a trio of Cream Eye Shadow Stylos* ($26.00 CDN/each) inspired by the mysterious colour tones of the sea and a little bit of shimmery iridescence.

I have a thing for eye shadows in stick form as they make my mornings MUCH faster so when I saw this collection, I immediately gravitated to the eye shadows. I mean, I know I must have literally a thousand bronze shadows, but these were just too awesome to walk away from! With jojoba oil and aloe allowing for a comfortable formula, these two ingredients also soothe and soften the eye area for easy application.

MAKEUP | Mary Kay Paradise Calling Collection Whipped Eye Color in Tiki Hut and Seafoam Review with Swatches

The Paradise Calling Collection from Mary Kay feels so much more like a summer collection to me than one for spring with product names like “Tiki Hut” and “Tropical Mandarin”. There were a few things in the collection that really caught my eye, but the Whipped Eye Colors in Tiki Hut* ($18.00 CDN) and Seafoam* caught my attention because I just wanted to touch them because they look just as tempting as fresh snow in their little pots! Promising to be lightweight and easily blendable, these cream shadows can be as sheer or as opaque as you would like.

*NEW PRODUCT* MAKEUP REVIEW | Benefit Cosmetics–Puff Off!

Every time Benefit Cosmetics comes out with a new product, I am faced with both excitement and curiosity. Regardless of the product, we know the packaging will suck us in like a black hole so I have been trying to be more objective. Just released on Boxing Day in Sephora, Benefit’s Puff Off! ($35.00 CDN) promises to instantly “iron out” puffiness and fine lines with an innovative undereye gel and precision tip applicator.