SKINCARE | 5 Lip Serums

Last year I really enjoyed doing this series of posts involving roundups of five products as I enjoy reading mini reviews from time to time and oftentimes for certain products I am rotating them and never sticking to the same thing especially when it comes to lip products. Some days my lips need extra nourishment and other days I need to prep them for lip colour (less often now). Regardless, I have been slowly amassing a collection of effective lip treatments that I enjoy using for specific purposes ranging from hydration to plumping.

Some press samples provided

HOLIDAY | Fresh Body and Skincare Sets (That You Can Colour!)

How many of you just ADORE all things Fresh? Remember when those glorious Sugar Lip Treatments were the ONLY lip balm you needed especially in the shade Rose? I honestly cannot believe how much the brand has grown since I first started using it in 2011 and I am so pleased that the products have only gotten better and more innovative. Fresh has a multitude of value gift sets available for the holiday season featuring their Sugar Lip Tints and most popular skincare so let's dive into what I had my eye on!

LIPS | Fresh Sugar Lip Polish, Lip Serum Advanced Therapy and Nude Lip Treatment

With matte and long-wearing lippies becoming a mainstay in the colour cosmetics department, “lip care” has become as essential as having a skincare routine. Close-up lip swatches have us critiquing the latest lip selfies and I will be the first one to admit that I DO NOT DO lip selfies. My lips aren’t full or remotely symmetrical so I tend to leave the close-ups to the pros, but that being said, I have recently started to treat my lips with a bit more TLC especially when I am in the sun or about to wear a matte lip colour since no one likes flaky lip bits. When it comes to great lip colours with SPF, Fresh Lip Treatments still reign supreme in my books and have been my go-to for the last few years. I had yet to try a whole Fresh lip routine in its entirety, but have recently added two new players to my lip-lovin’ game: Fresh Sugar Lip Polish* (17g/$26.00 CDN) and Fresh Sugar Lip Serum Advanced Therapy* (10mL/$41.00 CDN). 

MASK MONDAYS | Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask vs. Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask Review

Well, there was a mistake on my end with scheduling and I must have clicked the wrong day! This WAS supposed to be up yesterday, but just pretend for now that it’s Monday again!

I remember a few years ago when Fresh was just getting onto everyone’s beauty radar and nowadays if someone tells me they don’t know about the Fresh Lip Tints I assume they’ve been living under a rock. I then remind myself that not everyone on the planet lives and breathes beauty products. Fresh has been taking the Sephora skincare world by storm now that both are owned by parent company LVMH. One area they are amazing in is their masks. For awhile, it was just the Brown Sugar, Rose and Black Tea masks, followed more recently by the Honey Mask. What Fresh didn’t have in their repertoire was a sleeping mask until earlier this year with the release of the Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask*($108.00 CDN/100mL). I had sneakily used its predecessor, the Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask ($108.00 CDN/100mL) through the mask trio set as an overnight mask though that proved to be tricky because of the texture. What are the differences between the two seeing as how they both have black tea ferment in them? 

BATH & BODY | Relax with Gels, Oils and Masks from Fresh

Yes, this can also be considered a Valentine’s Day post, but really there is never a bad time to indulge in the sensorial wonderland of Fresh. I feel like Fresh has been in my life for so long when really it has only been 3 years. I am a Fresh Tinted Lip Balm junkie like most Sephora savvy shoppers, but I also regularly use their fragrances. I remember getting a single Fresh Sugar Lemon soap and hoarding it like crazy in the shower because I never wanted it to disappear. Well, now I have more items to selfishly keep all to myself and use for as long as possible! When it comes to bath time rituals, evening is when I force myself to slow down and take care of myself even though I’m not always consistent about it. In addition to my multi-step skincare ritual, my bath time one is now getting to be just as important if not necessary to maintain sanity.

Fresh | Sugar Lip Treatment in Ruby with Swatches

I think most of us are familiar with Fresh because of one product – the Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment. Coming in so many tints, these have been the ONLY tinted lip balm that I have used that actually give decent colour. It’s not just a MLBB tint, but a true display of colour that actually feels like a lip balm. The newest addition to the lip treatment family is the Sugar Ruby Tinted Lip Treatment ($26 CDN) that is the first lip treatment containing mineral pearl particles for an iridescent finish that is pretty perfect for those upcoming holiday parties (too soon!).

Jayne’s August Favourites

I actually had quite a number of favourites for August, but I feel like if I list too many it gets somewhat confusing as each item loses its “pedestal-like” status as a “favourite”. I have some gems that I have definitely been consistently reaching for over the last month and possibly even now in September so they must be pretty awesome.

July 2014 Favourites

I cheated a little on my favourites this year as I skipped June partially due to being really busy at work and also because I just didn’t have anything THAT interesting to share with you. I’d like to think that after two months I have a few products that are worth a mention and who knows, maybe they’ll make it to your favourites lists as well!

Sephora Sinnage | Regrets, Debts and Makeup Sets

I joke, I would never go into debt for makeup and it scares me to think that there are some people who do! The title just sounded so snappy that I couldn’t resist! I purchased the first set of items when there was a VIB Celebration Bag as a Gift with Purchase and ended up doing another purchase online shortly before my wedding as I was afraid I would run out of my favourite MUFE foundation! I am now waiting for VIB week so that I can do my last round of sinnage for 2013!

Sephora | Round #1

August Empties!

I think I was just wondering around my shelves of product unable to stick to one thing which has resulted in the fewest number of empties to date! Then again, some are better than none right? So, let’s get started!

July Favourites

We are already halfway through the summer, isn’t it crazy? We’re seeing clothes and beauty collections for the Fall season and summer is on its way out according to the retail world! I was on vacation for half of July so my makeup routine was fairly minimal by sticking with items that got me out the door in no time flat!

1. Biotherm Lait Corporel Anti-Drying Body Milk

I have reviewed the body butter version of this before which I love for winter, so the body milk version is much lighter in consistency therefore making it much more comfortable to use in warmer months. It absorbs quickly into the skin and still has that glorious orange scent that I love. It seriously smells like real oranges!

2. Juice Beauty Lip Gloss in Pink

I received this in May’s Ipsy Bag and it is lovely! It smells like my favourite thing…oranges! I have been layering this purple gloss over my pink-toned lipsticks and have been loving the results! It doesn’t stay glossy for very long on me because it’s not one of those super sticky glosses, but it’s such a pretty purple that I don’t mind having to reapply.

3. Julep Mighty Nail and Cuticle Serum

This sleek-looking tool arrived in my April Julep Maven Box and what I love about this serum is that for nail pictures, it takes away the visual dryness of my cuticles without leaving an oily finish that might show up in pictures. It dries so quickly that my nails are photo ready in a matter of seconds. I wouldn’t use this if I needed an intense blast of hydration though. For that, I would stick to good ol’ greasy cuticle oil!

4. Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Mascara

I talked about this mascara in my review of MUFE’s new Smoky Extravagant mascara and what I love about this mascara is that in addition to volume, it looks like I have many more lashes than I do when I wear it! The formula is very smooth and does not clump at all unlike that of Smoky Extravagant.

5. Fresh Brown Sugar Eau de Parfum

You can probably see from the picture that I barely have any left because I have been using this rollerball to death! I love how different the scent is and for those of you who love Fresh products, you can guess that Brown Sugar smells just as amazing as every other Fresh product! It’s light, sweet and refreshing. I promise, you will love it!

6. & 7. Clinique Chubby Stick for Eyes in Ample Amber and Fuller Fudge

This was my first foray into the Clinique Chubby Stick world and even though I wasn’t wowed by the application of all the colours, these two browns were my favourite. These are much smoother than the Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Shadow Pencils and with primer, can last a whole work day. I use Ample Amber on the inner corners and first 2/3 of my eyes and then finish the outer corners with Fuller Fudge while blending the two. Together these have made the perfect natural eye duo for me!

8. Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat

Other than my LED story from my tuxedo nail art post, this top coat is actually quite amazing. It dries in minutes and leaves a crazy shine behind!

9. Lise Watier Sun Smart Tinted Universal UV Shield SPF 30

I have been LIVING in this for most of the July and whenever I’m out and about now. This gives me the protection I need while giving my skin a beautiful bronzed colour. It also evens out my skin tone and gives me skin the most flawless appearance!

See you next month!

May | 2013 Empties!

Here I am with my May empties midway through June, but I get such a kick out of these posts! I was explaining to my “real world” friends about these posts and how we all love them and they were like “What? You and your blogger friends collect empty bottles and store them for a month and then show the Internet?!” I guess it is basically me showing all of you my cosmetic garbage! Anyway, it’s the coolest garbage ever so here’s what I managed to get through last month!

Sample Sundays–Round 7!

Time for another exciting round of Sample Sundays! This time around, I’m focusing more on bath and body products as I am STILL working on the face products from Round 6 that are taking eons to finish.

1. Fresh Seaberry Restorative Body Cream (65mL)

2. Burst Organic Beauty Bar Coconut and Vanilla Love Bubbles Body Wash (1oz)

3. J.R. Watkins Lavender Hand and Body Lotion (29mL)

4. Molton Brown Vitalising AB+C Bath and Shower Gel (50mL)

5. Unknown White Tub of Body Lotion (30mL)

6. Burst Organic Beauty Bar Blueberry and Vanilla Rich Island Butter (1oz) (Ugh, I hate the scent of fake blueberries so this is something I might try to finish first!)

7. Fortune Cookie Soap Whipped Cream in Honey Dew Me (30mL) (Too good to not use right away!)

I will also try to use a boatload of foil samples including the new Double Serum from Clarins which the sales person gave me four samples of!

Happy Sunday! I cannot wait for the long weekend next week!

December 2012 Luvs

I have thought about doing an all-time favourites post for 2012, but it was just too difficult to narrow it down to just a few products! Generally, I think it’s safe to say that if a product showed up in a Luvs post, it’ll be a favourite for awhile!

Sample Sundays–Third Edition

This segment of Sample Sundays is coming to you a little bit late because as I suspected, I was a quite optimistic in the last edition of Sample Sundays and it took more than two weeks to get through even half of what I had chosen! Let’s see what’s on the sample menu this week!

Sephora Sinnage!

One corner of my bedroom is currently home to “things I have purchased and have yet to blog about”. Do any of you have one of those corners? It both excites and scares me a little! This particular round of sinnage is the result of about 2 months of lusting and when I think about it, is full of things I love and would use.

July Luvs

Summer has finally made its way over to BC and there have definitely been certain products that I have been constantly reaching for that either protect, refresh or just make getting ready quick and easy.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 30

After receiving a sample of this in my June Glossybox and finishing it in two uses, I knew I had found a sunscreen I liked. I like my sunscreens to be unscented so this was the number one thing I liked about the Neutrogena’s version and I didn’t feel like I was wearing sunscreen. It wasn’t sticky and felt like a thicker moisturizer. I picked it up in a lower SPF because I’m never out in the sun for very long.

Smith Farms Marshmallow Face Cream

How could I not mention this as one of my favourites for the month?! I won’t delve into this face cream too much as I’ve already done a fairly extensive review on it, but if you are looking for a truly all-natural face cream, this is a fantastic one to try! It’s great for all skin-types and thanks to mallow root, leaves your skin feeling softer.

Yes to Cucumber Soothing Facial Towelettes

I picked these up on a Shoppers Drug Mart run last month because I had always been curious about the entire “Yes To…” line, but wasn’t ready to dive into their skin care just yet. These facial wipes have been so refreshing to use as the weather has warmed up, especially when stored in the fridge! These facial wipes contain cucumber extract, aloe and sea salt and smell as good as they feel on the skin. I should add that there will be a slight burning sensation due to the sea salt. This is also a paraben-free product.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 in Rose

I received this full-sized version as a birthday present from a co-worker before picking up my birthday gift from Sephora and fell in love with first how delicious this smelled and then how moisturizing it was! This has been great for summer because it has SPF 15 and gives your lips a light and natural-looking tint. Along with Fresh perfumes, I can now add these lip treatments to the list! I have a feeling I will have all six tints in my possession by the end of 2012!

OPI Nail Envy

I have been on the hunt for a new base coat with a nail strengthener in it and Nail Envy has been quite good. None of my nails have been splitting this month which is an improvement staining hasn’t been as much of an issue when using darker nail polishes. I’m sure there are tons of good base coats out there, but this is the first one that I’ve tried in my search and it has worked well for me.

Urban Decan Naked Palette

I have been a little hesitant in mentioning the Naked palette as a favourite because we have all heard and read so much about this God-given Urban Decay product! I purchased the first edition when it first came out a few years ago and have never looked back. This is a fantastic palette of neutrals and I find myself using “Sin”, “Half Baked”, “Smog” and “Toasted” the most. Whenever I just want a quick and healthy bronzed look, those are the four eye shadows I use. This palette and probably the Naked 2 should be in every girl’s makeup collection!

Wow, and that’s another month of favourite products for July!

How Fresh Are You?

Hello!

Lately, with the warmer weather I have really been liking the lighter scents for perfume and my all-time favourite scents are from fresh! I have heard fantastic things about their makeup which I have yet to try, but it was really their fragrances that caught my attention a couple of years ago. Since then, I have been slowly adding to my fresh collection and now I have Sugar Lychee, Sugar Lemon, Strawberry Flowers and Brown Sugar. I have been eyeing Hesperides Grapefruit which sounds absolutely divine! Each of these fragrances are so light that you can layer them with each other and not have them smell overwhelming in the slightest! You will probably have to reapply during the day as the scent does fade quite a bit. My favourite is probably a tie between the Sugar Lychee and Brown Sugar.

I love sweet fragrances and if you do too, definitely give any of these guys a sniff!