Clinique Moisture Surge

Hey everyone,

This post is dedicated to one of my favourite moisturizers, Clinique Moistire Surge. Over the years I've owned two full size jars, and I've been through several travel sizes as well. I thought I'd do a full review today!!

Clinique's Moisture Surge is a moisturizer with a thick, gel texture which leaves a light feeling on the skin. It can be used day or night, and I've found that it is incredibly hydrating while still being light enough to wear under makeup. It really helps my skins texture and is very good with sensitive skin. It is my  go-to for very dry skin, and days when my skin is irritated, sun damaged, or just not having a good day. A 1.7 oz jar will set you back $47.00 CDN, so it's certainly not as cheap as other moisturizers by Clinique, but I've found I even prefer it to the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer- a product I've used for years.

One of my favourite times to use this product is when I'm travelling, specifically by air. It works wonders on dehydrated skins from airplane cabins, or just for dull and tired skin after time changes and lack of sleep. I used this religiously while travelling in Europe last May, and couldn't recommend it enough!

As mentioned above, the texture is a lightweight but thick gel. The texture I've found most similar to it, is the Origins GinZing gel, but the formulas do not compare at all. This is far more hydrating and certainly enough for both day and night, I sometimes even like to layer a tiny amount of the Clinique Moisture Surge mask over top in the evening if my skin is particularly dry. It hydrates my skin immediately and I see results the following morning.

Overall, I would really recommend this product for anyone who is experiencing dry, irritated, dull or tired skin. For people who travel frequently, pick it up at the airport for a significant discount and you will not regret it!!

I hope you're all having a wonderful day and enjoyed this post!

Thanks for reading,

Megan

Too Faced HangoveRx Primer

Hey everyone,

Firstly- sorry about no Tuesday post! Tuesday posts are going to be little additions whereas Fridays are for properly scheduled posts. I'm sure I'll have more Tuesday posts coming up here and there though!

Today I'm reviewing a product I bought on a whim after feeling a tad hungover on January 1st. It's the Too Faced HangoveRx primer which claims to give the appearance of a full nights sleep to skin that is tired or dull. I used to use primers very regularly, and then as they ran out I thought I'd see how makeup worked without them, and honestly I didn't notice enough difference to find that they were worth the cost. Products I felt made the most difference were silicone-based products, for example, Benefit's PoreFessional. I personally don't mind the feeling of silicone, but I know many people prefer a water-based primer without the slippy texture. I thought I'd try one out! Here's my review.

First impressions, the packaging is adorable. Too Faced always package their products so well, always practical and pretty.

The primer has a lot of claims, and here's what I think.
- Makeup did apply more smoothly, particularly base products like foundation and concealer.
- My makeup was ever so slightly more radiant. If anything my skin after just the primer was applied looked more radiant, but when layered with product I'd say it's a very minor difference than the actual finish of your foundation.
- My skin did look more hydrated and plumper, as well as feeling a lot more refreshed and comfortable. I'm glad it doesn't claim to feel more hydrated, because it doesn't particularly, but it did look better!
- This is the one I can't really get on board with. Yeah, if I apply any makeup I look like I got a hell of a lot more sleep than is realistic, but I cannot say this primer made any additional difference whatsoever.

Ah! Practical and pretty! The packaging has a pump dispenser with a lid (hallelujah!) and is so, so perfect for travelling. Sturdy enough lid and pump, but soft tube to ensure you can get all of the product and it won't get too damaged if stored in a full makeup bag! It isn't bulky and is very light and durable.

The primer itself is lovely to apply because of it's refreshing texture and delicious smell. It has coconut water in it to help with hydration and plumpness, but honestly I enjoy it for the smell mostly. It isn't overpowering and doesn't linger, but is a pleasant addition to my morning routine. I will say it layers over moisturizer very nicely and does make a visible difference to your skin without makeup as far as looking plumper and more hydrated. I do think this will be better for dry skinned gals, as it helps your foundation have something to adhere too, and it doesn't stick to dry patches. Oiler skinned ladies may find that this product isn't totally compatible with mattifying foundations because they do somewhat counteract one another.

Overall, I'm enjoying using this primer. It's refreshing, smells wonderful and does help my makeup and skin to appear more hydrated. My makeup does last longer and looks better for longer, something I've appreciated during this last week of -27 weather in Ontario. From the perspective of a dry skinned girl, I give it a thumbs up!

Thanks for reading,

Megan

Valentine's Day Nails

Hey everyone,

Sorry for this delayed post, I had one scheduled and realized it was almost Valentine's Day so I should write something more appropriate! Here's some nail art I did for this weekend using various pink colours and glitter. I hope you enjoy! 

The shades I used were all from Essie, from L to R we have "Gel Setter", "Blanc", "Muchi Muchi", "Mod Square", "Big Spender" and "A Cut Above".

For this nail look your will need a plate or surface you don't mind getting messy. I wrapped a plate in plastic wrap so that it wouldn't get any paint on it. You will also need a small brush and some nail polish remover.

I started by painting my nails white with a few coats to make an opaque background colour.

I then tipped out a small amount of each of the colours I wanted to use.

Using the small brush, I created little hearts all over my nail, starting with one colour for my whole hand and then moving on to the next. The best way for me to create the heart shapes was actually to draw in a "V" shape, the brush helped make this look more like a heart.

I decided to add glitter onto select hearts on different nails. I think this made it extra girly and valentines-y, and I was pretty happy with the result.

Here's the finished look!

And of course no Valentine's look is complete without chocolate.

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope your weekend is full of nail polish, chocolate and love!

Thanks for reading,

Megan

Dr. Weil for Origins: Mega Mushroom Skincare

Hey everyone,

I've been a big fan of Origins skincare for a while now and just recently ran out of a lot of my moiturizers. I'm a big skincare fan and hated being without it or not having much choice so I decided to purchase from a line I've never used before: Dr Weil for Origins' Mega Mushroom Skincare. There was a great gift set online from the holidays which included the majority of the range in sample/deluxe sizes perfect to try out the entire range.

It came packaged in a really nice cosmetics bag which made me happy, it's wipeable and a great size for travelling. The Mega Mushroom line is designed for sensitive skin and reducing redness, both problems I encounter quite frequently. So far I like the products, some more than others! 

The Mega Mushroom Skin Relief cleanser is a really nice, gentle cleanser. I like to use it in the mornings when I wake up because of its soothing scent and gentle texture. It's not designed as a deep cleanser or one that will remove makeup, so it's perfect for in the mornings.

The Mega Mushroom toner is a really nice soothing product that leaves a slight moisturizing residue on the skin. It's very light, making it a perfect toner for daytime that sits nicely under other face products and makeup.

The Mega Mushroom Skin Relief Serum has to be one of my favourite products from the range. It's a very light serum which I like to use in the morning and I find it's great if I'm breaking out or having issues with stress which tends to effect my skin quite severely. All of the products have a light scent, it's quite spa-like with an essential oils type smell but it might be irritating for some.

The Mega Mushroom Skin Relief Soothing Face Cream is a really nice thick cream that provides a lot of moisture. I'm very faithful to the Origins Night-A-Mins face cream and this one is quite similar but not as hydrating. It's a thick cream for daytime, and suitable for nighttime as well.

I've only used one of the little Mega Mushroom mask pods because I wanted to save them for travelling, but this mask is really nice. It's a leave-on mask, similar to the Drink Up Intensive mask by Origins, but is more soothing on irritated skin than it is just for hydrating. I think this product would be a great natural treatment to skin issues such as minor allergic reactions or if your skin is sensitive after using an acne product etc.

I hope you liked this review, all of the products are nice, I'm not sure if there's anything that particularly stands out for me though. I will certainly use all of them up and may repurchase if in time I see some more results. I think the Origins sets are a fantastic way to sample new lines and products and I would definitely check out their website versus shopping for their products on Sephora because they often have free shipping and provide lots of samples as well.

Thanks for reading,

Megan

Makeup Clearout: Foundations

Hey everyone,

A couple of weeks ago I began my Makeup Clearout series, focusing on clearing out my stash and providing miniature reviews on products I have either used up, or that I have no use for anymore. This week, the focus is on bases. From the Smashbox Tinted Moisturizer to Estee Lauder's Double Wear, there's a lot of variety even if there's only four products shown! I hope you enjoy it!

The lineup: (from L to R) Smashbox Sheer Focus Tinted Moisturizer, Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation, Revlon's Nearly Naked Foundation and Make Up For Ever's HD Foundation.

First up is the Smashbox Sheer Focus Tinted Moisturizer. This product was in a universal shade called Luminous, a shade that provided very sheer coverage and a glowy finish. I hadn't used the product recently, but remember loving it in the past summers and on vacation. It has an SPF of 15, worked wonderfully on my dry skin and relatively good lasting power. I have since noticed the product has been discontinued, so if anybody has some similar recommendations, please let me know. I don't think this product would be suitable for oily skin, or problematic or acne prone skin. I have used this when I'm breaking out, and although it doesn't irritate the skin, the coverage simply isn't high enough to cover redness, acne or dark circles.

The Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation is one that I've used for the past year, on and off. I must have had the older formula, because 1C1 Shell is no longer available. It's a cool-toned pale shade, similar to a MAC NC15-20. I did like this foundation for its lasting power and coverage, however I must admit now that my skin is clearer I find I prefer a lighter coverage, or something with a more glowy finish. This foundation could be quite cakey- I found it applied the best with a damp Beauty Blender. I would definitely repurchase this product in the reformulated line, I've heard much better things about it's white cast with flash photography and oxidizing, apparently these issues are much less apparent in the newer formula. I'm finding I can use up older more matte foundations by mixing with Becca's liquid Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone, and I don't think this foundation would be an exception. 

Another product that has since be reformulated- the Make Up For Ever HD foundation, now replaced by the Ultra HD Foundation. I had the shade 115, and although one of the lightest shades, it was still a bit yellow-toned for my face. This was incredibly disappointing after waiting for almost an hour at IMATS Toronto in 2014, but nevertheless I did enjoy many aspects of this foundation. The packaging and pump dispenser was great. Far better packaging than the Estee Lauder and Revlon foundations featured in this post. It was lightweight and portable, applied well and has decent lasting power. Many people have raved about this foundation, but I think it was very slightly overrated. A great, basic foundation, but after a while I found myself using other products in its place.

The Revlon Nearly Naked foundation was one I didn't use often after purchasing it- mainly because I think the coverage was too light for my acne prone skin. More recently I've been reaching for it very often, the shade 110 Ivory is a surprisingly good match for my skin. It has a decent coverage, light feeling on the skin and didn't ever look cakey. My main complaint about this product is the absolutely terrible packaging. What this foundation has in amazing satin finish and great drugstore price, it lacks in an awful pour-out bottle which wastes a lot of product. If this foundation had a pump, I think it would be a game changer, and one I would certainly recommend and repurchase!

I hope you all enjoyed another instalment of Makeup Clearout. Have a great week!

Megan

Essie Retro Revival Nail Polish Collection

Hey everyone,

Today I'm reviewing one of the latest collections from Essie called Retro Revival. It's a collection of polishes they had discontinued and were popular enough to bring back. I bought two of the shades, "Starry, Starry Night" and "Cabana Boy". I'm a long time Essie fan, you'll know this if you've been a reader for a while, but the polish formulas and finishes are almost always perfect, the brush makes it easy to apply, and the shade range is incredible.

Starry Starry Night is a deep blue with blue glitter suspended in the polish. It requires a lot of shaking before application, otherwise it can settle and start out a little thick. It's very similar to a shade from a holiday collection a few years ago called Leading Lady, which was a red polish with red glitter. The finish is beautiful and it's a unique shade, but I worry that like Leading Lady, it will dry out much faster than other Essie shades.

The Retro Revival Collection all feature gold stars on the brush of the bottle. This is the first time I've seen Essie alter their packaging for a collection so it's kind of a neat added detail. Starry Starry Night was originally released in 1997 and since it's been discontinued loyal fans have paid hundreds of dollars for the shade on eBay. Unfortunately some reviews I have read say this reformulation isn't quite as good as the original. 

Here you can see the colour a bit more clearly. Overall I think the colour and finish is very unique, and is a perfect way to dress up an outfit or make a statement with your nails without going all out with nail art. I think it applies relatively well for a glitter but I must say the wear time is poor. It chips very quickly and is very easy to just pull the entire colour off of your nail. This is both a pro and a con, a con because it doesn't last but a pro because it's the easiest glitter polish to remove yet! If I were to recommend this shade it would only be for its unique appearance, its application and staying power is disappointing, especially compared to other Essie shades.

Cabana Boy is a pearlescent grey/white shade with a more neutral-beige warm tone to it rather than a cool toned grey undertone. It's a very unique colour and finish and not really what I expected when I bought it. It has the usual Essie formula which is very easy to apply and has a decent lasting time, but because of the pale shade it does take about 3 coats to make the colour opaque. I do think some people would like to wear this shade in a more sheer way, but I prefer the colour to be more intense.

Again, it has the gold star detailing for the collection. Cabana Boy is a shade originally released in 2005.

I must say that out of the two shades Starry Starry Night is much more unique and would be a great option for somebody who already has a large nail polish collection, however, I will be getting much more wear out of Cabana Boy. I think the shade will look lovely in the summer, but is also a really nice shade for the winter months because of the pearly finish. The application and wear of this shade is far superior to Starry Starry Night but not as much of a showstopper.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know any other recommendations you have for Essie nail polish shades!

Thanks for reading,

Megan