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Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System Review

I purchased the Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System about a month ago now and I am loving it! My skin has never felt cleaner. It actually gets rid of all the makeup, dirt, oils, etc off your face...it is fantastic. I have not used the Clarisonic so I cannot compare the two. When you purchase this product it comes with the 2 speed cleansing handle, one brush head, and an exfoliating cleanser. The cleanser that it comes with it good but I don't use it everyday because I find it too rough on my skin. I just use whatever cleanser I want with it and it works great. Even though this will remove everything on your face, I suggest removing all your makeup first and then cleansing with it. This product only costs $29.00 CND, which I think is a great deal! I would definitely recommend this product!

The ABC's of Parabens

This controversial issue has been going on for a few years now and I wasn't aware of it until recently. I started noticing product labels saying 'Paraben Free' and I had no idea what a paraben was but I figured it wasn't good if companies were promoting the fact that their products didn't contain any. So I decided to do some research and figure out what exactly a Paraben was. I am not pleased with what I found out.

Basically a Paraben is an inexpensive preservative that cosmetic companies are putting in their products in order for them to have a longer shelf life. There are 5 different kinds of parabens: Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Methylparaben, and Propylparaben. These parabens can be found in literally everything we use on a daily basis including, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, mascara, eyeshadow, foundation, lipsticks, and the list goes on.

The issue concerning parabens is that they have been found in cancerous breast tissue and they have been linked to accelerated aging (wrinkles). The parabens are said to cause estrogen-like activity, promoting breast cancer. Obviously this is not good which is why companies are making products paraben free. However, we still need to be careful because some companies are mixing a few parabens together and naming it something completely different. Phenonip and Germaben II are two that I am aware of.

How do you know if your product contains parabens? Look at the ingredients label and 90% of the time they will be listed near the bottom.

This information is very discouraging because the majority of products contain parabens. Even though we cannot say that parabens do in fact cause cancer, it is still better to be safe than sorry.

L'Oreal Colour Radiance Protecting Detangling Spray Review

This post is a review of a recent product I picked up as well as a comparison to the product it replaced!

I purchased this product because I ran out of what I usually use, the Joico Daily Care Leave-In Conditioner. I really liked the Joico leave-in but it is slightly expensive. When I was in the grocery store I saw the L'Oreal detangling spray for a fraction of the cost of the Joico one and it was almost for the same amount of product, so I decided to pick it up. I love this product. It works the same if not better than Joico and it costs more than 10 dollars less. It is also for colour treated hair so for me that is a bonus! I will definitely be re-purchasing this product!

Other Pros:
- Smells better than Joico
- You can use the L'Oreal on dry hair as well to refresh it in between shampoos

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Review

I am so picky when it comes to nail polish! I used to always purchase high end brands until I came across the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure line. I was looking for a colour similar to Commander in Chic and I couldn't find one so I picked it up. I loved it! I have purchased quite a few more since then and I am really impressed. There is a good range of colours and the brush is angled so its easier to apply the colour to your nail. There is 0.5 fl oz per bottle (same as OPI & China Glaze) and they are between $6.00 and $7.00, depending on where you go.

Here are a few of my favourite colours:

Commander in Chic

Pat on the Black

Thinking of Blue

Back to the Fuchsia

April 2011 Favourites

Here is a list of my favourite products from April 2011

Nail Polish:

Essie Turquoise & Caicos

OPI Modern Girl 

paired with

OPI Extra-Va-Vaganza! (on one finger)

Sephora by OPI Techno Girl

Paired with

OPI Teenage Dream (on one finger)

Blush:

MAC Full Fuchsia

MAC Fleur Power

MAC Well Dressed

MAC Summer Rose

Eyes:

MAC Satellite Dreams

MAC Beautiful Iris

Lips:

MAC Play Time

MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 (Lipstick and Gloss)

MAC Snob

MAC Candy Yum-Yum

Products I Regret Buying

Here is a list of products I wish I never purchased...

1. Tarina Tarantino Pearl Glow Primer
- This primer smells so bad...I don't know how to describe the smell but it is not good. The product doesn't wow me enough to move past the scent. This is a big negative in my books!

2. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Black

- So many people hyped up this mascara so I bought it and I regret it. I tried using it for a week straight but it just doesn't do anything for my lashes. 

3. OPI Nail Polish in Van-Covered in Snow

- I loved this colour when I purchased it but it dried out so quickly that it wasn't worth the money.

4. NARS Orgasm Illuminator

- This was another product that was hyped up and was a disappointment. It doesn't do anything for me at all. I do keep this in my kit because it looks better on darker skin tones...so I guess this one wasn't a complete waste 

5. Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion 

- I owned the Covergirl Lash Blast (Orange container) before I purchased this one and I loved it. This one was a disappointment. The formula must be different in the Fusion because the brush is exactly the same.

6. NARS Eyeshadow in Strada

- I hate that I didn't love this shadow. It is gorgeous in the container, and even when I swatched it. I thought it was amazing so I bought it. It is purple with small gold glitter in it but the glitter doesn't show up on your eye once you apply it. :( 

7. Coastal Scents Brush Set 

- I have quite a few of Coastal Scent's Brushes and I've really liked all of them so I decided to buy a brush set from their website. The brushes were not even comparable. They're too rough and they don't hold the product very well. I would not recommend this brush set but I would recommend the Italian Badger brushes that they have on their site.

What are some products that you regret buying?

Terminator Photoshoot

Earlier this week I did a Terminator inspired photoshoot with the talented Derrell Ho-Shing. Here is a pic from the shoot. Let me know what you think!

Check Derrell out here:

Derrell's Website

Derrell's Blog

Most Reached For Products

These are the products I reach for most

Primer - Lancome La Base Pro Perfection Maquillage
I got a sample of this primer a little while ago and I really like it. The texture of it feels a lot like the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. This primer definitely helps my foundation last longer and I will be purchasing it once my sample runs out.

Lipstick - MAC Snob

This is my go to lipstick! I wear it almost everyday.

Lipgloss - MAC English Accents (Give Me Liberty of London Collection)

I wear this gloss on top of Snob. They are almost the exact same colour. I love this combo!!

If I was going to wear a Red lip my most reached for combo is the Viva Glam Cyndi Lipstick and Lipgloss.

Foundation - NARS Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc

I absolutely love this foundation...I wear it everyday!!

Eyebrows - MAC E/S in Embark

Right now my hair is a red/purple colour so Embark eyeshadow matches perfectly

Mascara - Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black

I have never been able to find a mascara that I like enough to repurchase until I used this mascara.

Eye Shadow Primer - MAC Painterly Paint Pot

I have tried quite a few eye shadow primers and they all work great but I like this one the best.

Setting Powder - MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium

I always set my foundation with this product. It doesn't make me look powdery and it's very natural looking.

Eyeliner Pencil - MAC Eye Kohl in Smoulder

Favourite black eye pencil!

Contour Powder - MAC Beauty Powder Blush in Personal Style

Personal Style is very light but it works great as a contour colour for me...its more natural looking on me compared to something like Harmony.

Blush - MAC Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl (Give Me Liberty of London Collection)

I love this colour on my skin!

Setting Spray - Fix +

This spray does NOT make your makeup last any longer but it does set everything.

Eyeshadows - MAC Shroom, Femme Fi, All That Glitters, Omega, Cork, Woodwinked, Copperplate, Satin Taupe, Sketch, Embark, Prussian, and Carbon. These are the eyeshadows I reach for the most.

Makeup Look

This look is inspired by the MAC Colour Ready Collection from a while back. It is just a more wearable version. I hope you enjoy!

Products Used:

Eyes

- MAC Painterly Paint Pot

- MAC Gesso (Inner Corner)

- MAC Sweet and Punchy (Lid)

- MAC Contrast (Liner top and bottom)

- MAC Smoulder (Water line)

- MAC Shroom (Brow Highlight)

- MAC Embark (Eyebrows)

- Any Black Mascara

Creature Design

I took a creature design course as part of my program at Complections International Academy of Makeup Artistry. I got this idea from my Boyfriend because his favourite comic book villain is Venom. Here are some photographs of the creature I made.

This is the image from the photoshoot