Maybelline The Falsies Flared Mascara

The Maybelline The Falsies is quite a talked about drugstore mascara and I wanted to share my thoughts on the flared version with you today. I personally love Maybelline mascaras, they always offer great results at a great price and they usually perform as well as (if not better than) high end mascaras.

Maybelline The Falsies Flared promises volume and flared out lashes to increase the appearance of your lashes. I found that the formula gave me great volume, very decent length and coated each lash with very black pigment. The curved brush fanned out my lashes and it helped them hold a curl nicely all day long. The overall effect was an opened eye look that’s not too dramatic and actually makes it look like you have naturally amazing lashes. Don’t worry though, it gives enough drama to work for both day and night.

You can find the Maybelline The Falsies Flared mascara in any drugstore and it is quite affordable, being priced at around 7$.  

Innisfree Green Tea It's Real Squeeze Mask

Another day, another mask, to pamper myself on weekends I mostly rely on sheet masks because they’re quick and efficient. I recently tried the Innisfree Green Tea It's Real Squeeze Mask and was quite impressed with the results. It moisturized my skin quickly and it felt very refreshing, perfect after a long week. As usual, the mask itself was of great quality and did not rip when I unfolded it. The typical Innisfree green tea scent was as pleasant as always, it soothed my mind as the essence soothed my skin.

This one is definitely going on my must repurchase list. You can find it for 1.52$ on the Innisfree website. 

My Little Beauty Micellar Water

Cleansing your skin is one of the most important steps in your skincare routine and it’s the step I most look forward to at the end of the day. However, there are days when one is too tired or simply doesn’t have a lot of time to fuss with different cleanser: this is when micellar waters come into play.

To be honest I’m quite diligent with removing my makeup and I prefer to use a cleansing oil, but when I need to go to the gym or it’s very late, I really enjoy using a micellar water because they don’t strip or irritate my skin and I don’t need wash my face afterwards. To me this is crucial when I go to the gym at the end of the day because I don’t want to do a full skincare routine only to have to wash it off an hour later.

Back in October, I subscribed to My Little Box while I was living in England (more on that later) and I receive a bottle of My Little Beauty Micellar Water. This is a clear water that contains orange extract and aloe vera to gently remove your makeup and sooth the skin. I found that it removed both my face and eye makeup really well and left my skin feeling soft. I quite enjoyed its fresh scent as well, as it made cleansing my face more pleasant when I was in a hurry.

 Sadly whilst it did remove my eye makeup, it irritated my eyes a bit. I’m not sure if it’s because it contains fragrance or something else, but most eye makeup removers cause similar reactions since my eyes are quite sensitive. On my face though, I only had nice results.

At the moment, you can only find the My Little Beauty Micellar Water on the My LittleCorner website for 9 €, but I’m not sure they offer shipping outside of France. You can always email them (their customer service is great) and ask since they do offer their My Little Box to Belgium and the U.K. alongside France.  

The Victoria’s Secret Ultra-Moisturizing Hand and Body Cream

Using body lotion is not something I look forward to, however winter weather makes it crucial if you want to avoid dry itchy skin. For those days where a simple lotion just isn’t enough, I turn to the Victoria’s Secret Ultra-Moisturizing Hand and Body Cream. 

Unlike body butters or thicker creams, this one does not leave any greasy residue on my skin and sinks in very quickly. The avocado, sweet almond oil and honey it contains provide deep and lasting hydration when compared to typical body moisturizers, but the main selling point for me is its fragrance. I always get the Secret Charm scent (in all my VS body products) because its mix of honeysuckle and jasmine is heavenly. I love how Victoria’s Secret offers a very wide array of scents to choose from and since they often have mix and match promotions on all their body products, you can try out different ones or stock up for the different seasons.

You can find the Victoria’s Secret Ultra-Moisturizing Hand and Body Cream from any Victoria’s Secret store and online for 14$. 

The Bay's Olympic Mittens

One of my winter must-have every year is a new pair of mittens to protect my hands from the cold and add a touch of color to my outfits. For the past four years or so, the mittens from The Bays’ Olympic Collection have been winners for me. Every winter, they come up with a new design whilst keeping Canada’s color: red and white, and adding a touch of black to keep them fashionable. They are made of acrylic, giving a woollen look on the outside, but the lining is made of polyester. This combination keeps your hands warm and cozy without causing any irritation to the skin like woollen mittens can do.

With the purchase of these mittens, a portion of the profits goes to the Canadian Olympic Foundation to help support our athletes. This is a great way to support our athletes as well as adding a fashionable and useful accessory to your winter wardrobe.

You can find the Olympic mittens at The Bay for 10$ and they are also available online.  

The Downton Abbey Luxury Hand Cream Set

The Marks and Spencer’s Downton Abbey bath and body collection offers a great Luxury Hand Cream Set. Each one comes in a conveniently-sized tube and is decorated with patterns inspired from the TV show’s era and decor. The hand cream itself is great at providing instant moisture to your hands without leaving them feeling greasy. All 3 have the same lovely freesia and mandarin fragrance, a light formal scent that is fresh and not at all overpowering. This has proven to be a must-have on my desk this winter.

The Downton Abbey Luxury Hand Cream Set is currently not available on the Marks and Spencer’s website anymore but you might still be able to find them in your local store.

The Softest Robe

This Christmas, my mom surprised me with the softest most gorgeous robe from DKNY. Words cannot describe how comfortable and soft it is on both the inside and the outside. It always keeps me warm and the large pockets are super convenient. This robe also has lovely satin detailing on the sash as well as on the pocket with the DKNY logo. On a side note, it’s made of polyester, making it easy to wash. The best part however is that it is currently on sale for 59$ at The Bay and you can get it in either grey or pink.

I highly recommend you have a look in your local store but you can find it on The Bay website and I also managed to find it on the Selfridges website (though it’s not sale there) where it comes in grey, cherry and white. 

Innisfree Black Berry It’s Real Squeeze Mask

The weather in Canada has been very cold recently (-30ºc anyone?) and my skin is not pleased. To combat dehydration and dryness, I turned to my favorite sheet mask brand: Innisfree. I used the Black Berry It's Real Squeeze Mask which boasts moisturizing and firming properties.

The sheet is of really great quality, it’s not thin enough to rip easily but it’s also not thick to the point where it does not adhere to the contours of your face properly. Also the size and fit were perfect unlike some masks that are too round or large. Unlike most masks, the essence this one contains was milky and thicker in consistency than the traditional clear water like type. In terms of effects, my skin was left soft and well moisturized after use. It also really soothed my face and toned down any redness which was an unexpected bonus. As far as firming goes, I didn’t notice any significant changes, but my skin’s firmness is quite good naturally.

Like all Innisfree products, most of the ingredients are natural (you can find the ingredients list on the website) and it smells amazing.

You can find the Black Berry sheet mask for a little over 1$ on the new global Innisfree website, which offers great international shipping and offers. Also Innisfree currently has a buy 10 get 10 free promotion on all their It’s Real Squeeze Mask. 

Soap and Glory Scrub'Em and Leave'Em

Today, I have a very quick review for you all. After finishing my pot of Soap and Glory’s Flake Away, I decided to try Scrub’Em and Leave’Em. This one has a creamier base and contains little beads that gently buff away dead skin cells. I found it much more gentle than Flake Away which is great if you have sensitive skin, but I prefer something a bit more abrasive when it comes to body scrubs. However this milder option allowed me to use it as a daily scrub without over exfoliating my skin. Scent wise, it has a fresh floral fragrance that I found very uplifting in the morning, as it is less heady than the original Soap and Glory fragrance (the original is still my favorite though).

I got this mini travel size Scrub’Em and Leave’Em from Boots for £2.50 and you can get the full size for £8.00. In Canada you can have a look in your local Shoppers Drug Mart as they carry a selection of products from the brand.