My Top 10 Winter Essentials

So since winter is fast approaching, I figured I should write about the things I use during the colder months to help keep my skin happy. Here they are!

 This is Cliniques "Moisture Surge Overnight Mask". This is basically a thick moisturizer you can slather on when your skin is especially dry before you go to bed. The consistency is very thick, it absorbs slowly (hence the overnight thing) so I wouldn't use it unless it was before you went to bed, or if you were taking a day off and wanted some extra moisture. Personally I like to put it on and then read/watch Netflix etc etc before I sleep, since the consistency is a bit sticky and I like to let it absorb a bit before hitting the pillow.

 Avenes Skin Recovery Cream is made for extremely sensitive skin. I have used this after being sunburnt for some extra help, but it is equally as nice for when you've waited in the -10 weather for a bus to get home after a day of classes and your skin feels chapped, peely and downright unpleasant. Apply sparingly, a little goes a long way and I think it just gives your skin a bit of extra help with your regular cleansing and moisturizing routine.

 I was always skeptical about facial oils, I thought if you had oily skin your skin wouldn't require extra oil, but boy was I wrong. This little bottle of magic (Boscia's Tsubaki Beauty Oil) plumps up your skin, moisturizes it and keeps it incredibly soft. Again, a little goes a long way. I tap a couple of drops onto my fingers and pat it all over my face.

 Winter is the season for lips so chapped they want to fall off of your face. To combat this I use Lush's "Sweet Lips" lip scrub. It's basically sugar in a pot, and the directions are simple. Apply to your lips, rub them around, and lick off the sugar to reveal super soft kissable lips. They come in loads of different flavours; popcorn, minty-something, and cotton candy. I have the chocolate-something flavour and I think it's a nice little treat for your belly and lips. It's seriously delicious.

 After scrubbing my lips, I like to use a moisturizing lipbalm. Currently this Burt's Bees Ultra-Conditioning balm lives next to my bed and I think it's great. I've really been loving La Roche Posay's lipbalm also, but that's in my purse and almost finished, so I thought I'd show this one instead. It's very affordable, natural and definitely does the job.

 Dry skin is definitely a winter issue, but so are dry hands and feet. Soap and Glory's "Hand Food" is by far the best hand cream I have ever used. It smells heavenly and works so, so well. I have used up a little tube and moved on to this massive pump bottle that I keep beside my bed for all my hand and feet needs. I would be reluctant to use another hand cream after this one, it is excellent.

 Hair masks are a luxurious little step I think really helps during the winter months. This L'Oreal one isn't my favourite, but I always like to have one on hand to help with split ends, dryness, and brittle hair. It also helps with frizziness and although I don't think it's essential, hair masks do help replenish your hair with some extra moisture.

 During the winter when your skin gets dry and a bit flaky, gentle body scrubs help keep everything smooth and soft. I particularly like Soap and Glory's "The Scrub of Your Life" for keeping my skin soft, as it isn't too drying like other scrubs can be and smells delicious.

 If hair masks aren't your thing, a serum on the ends of your hair works well to fight frizziness and keep split ends at bay. A little goes a long way, and I know this because this bottle has lasted me for ages! The coconut smell is enough to win me over, but the formula doesn't leave my ends looking greasy which is always a bonus. I apply this to damp hair and let it work it's magic to keep my hair soft and smooth.

A comb is essential during the winter. My hair likes to fall out in the shower, so much so I'm surprised I'm not bald upon leaving. I've learned to comb my hair before I get into the shower, so any hair that's bound to leave can easily be removed from a dry comb, rather than from the bottom of the tub. Gross. I like this picture particularly because you can see where some of the prongs have snapped off, just to illustrate what a tangly mess my hair can be.

I hope you've enjoyed this winter essentials post, let me know what you like to use to keep your skin happy during the colder months!

Top 5 Autumn/Winter Nail Polishes

Now I've explained in a blog post a long time ago that I now only buy Essie nail polishes. It's nothing against any other brands/formulas/colours. It's simply because I would have far too many nail polishes if I bought anything that looked good to me. I love the Essie formula, how neat the little bottles look standing together, and they always release really nice colours in their collections, both permanent and seasonal. I will eventually do a post related to my entire nail polish collection, but for now I'm going to choose a few that I think are excellent fall/winter shades and why.

 Here is "Chinchilly". It's a greige colour, a grey beige that I was given last Christmas and it took me until this summer to finally break out. Grey-beige isn't a pretty colour, in fact, it's pretty ugly. But on the nails this colour looks so neat and sophisticated, it's quickly become one of my favourites and I think it's perfect for the fall season. It wears well, it looks so neat (not streaky at all), and has a nice gel-like shine to it.

 This is "For the Twill of it". Can't say I understand the name choice, but this colour is entirely unique. I believe it launched in Essies 2013 fall collection, so you may still be able to buy it. It is essentially an iridescent grey with hints of green and purple which catch the light and change colour depending on how you're looking at it. This colour is so unique I had to include it, it's perfect for something festive but subtle.

 Next up is "Stylenomics". This shade of dark, dark green almost looks black, but in daylight there is definitely a hint of green and it is such a nice shade! It makes your nails look like you've just had a manicure, the dark shade can easily cover any stained nails, and what I like best about dark shades like this is that it looks awesome on shorter nails.

 Essie's "Good as Gold" is a staple festive shade. It was part of a limited-edition collection which has made it into their permanent line. It isn't a glittery gold, it's more like a metallic finish which makes shiny nails a bit more grown up. I really love this nail polish in the winter because I like wearing black clothes, and this gives my outfit a sophisticated pop of colour.

 Finally we have "Leading Lady". This shade was part of Essie's Holiday 2012 collection, so I don't think you can get it now. I love this shade because it's basically a ruby slipper in a bottle. The red glitter is suspended in a dark red colour, so it isn't just patchy glitter you put onto your nails. It looks so festive and pretty for a Christmas or New Years party, but I would recommend painting before you leave, because unfortunately this colour chips within a couple of days.

Here are some swatches of the colours. It makes "Stylenomics" look a little more green than in the bottle and shows the iridescence of "For the Twill of it". 

I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know what your favourite fall/winter nail polish shades are! 

Boscia Luminizing Black Mask Review

I got the Boscia Luminizing Black Mask as a 500 point perk from Sephora not too long ago. I didn't really think about what I was choosing, so I just picked this up without any research.
The mask describes itself as "an innovative peel-off mask that helps boost skin clarity and minimize the appearance of pores".

I've used this mask twice before (the sample goes a long way) and I think I've got one more use out of it, although it won't be as thick as it should be. I don't know if I've seen a reduction in pore size, I typically don't really think too much about my pores as they aren't a big issue for me, however, I do notice my skin being softer and more luminous after application. I mainly enjoy using masks for the pampering feeling, dedicating time to myself to relax, and the 30 minutes directed (or 45 minutes I use) to let the mask dry completely on my face before the best part- peeling it off.
Although the mask looks ridiculous on your face, the peeling off is a lot of fun and pretty therapeutic.
The mask retails for $41.00 CAD on sephora.com

Washing My Makeup Brushes

Washing makeup brushes is a painful experience. It takes a super long time, especially when you have as many brushes as I do. I loathe knowing the time is coming to give my brushes the dreaded deep-clean. I do use a spot cleaner, mine is one by Quo which you can find at Shoppers Drug Mart, but for the deep clean you can use a special brush shampoo, or I like to use the much cheaper alternative that is baby shampoo. It is very gentle, and makes sure the brush bristles don't dry out or even worse, fall out... all over your face, and then you have to pick stray hairs out of your foundation before a big night out.

 Here is the mess of dirty brushes I have neglected for so long.

 Here is the baby shampoo I use to get my brushes squeaky clean!

 To begin washing my brush, I dampen the bristles under running water. Never fill up a sink and wash in the water- you won't be cleaning anything and you might even get a suspicious break out from all of the bacteria on your newly washed brushes. I wash the brushes with the bristles pointing down, if you get water into the ferrule/handle it will loosen the glue and you will lose bristles much faster than if you just wash them properly.

 Then I apply the shampoo into the palm of my hand. I use the palm of my hand so you can see the makeup coming off, use your fingers to help clean a brush, and also by the time your finishing up your hands will be wrinkly enough to really give your brushes a deep clean. Probably my least favourite part.

 I swirl the brush around in the palm of my hand until the pigment has left the brush. I repeat if necessary, and then run it under clean water just to make sure there is no residue.

 I lay my brushes on some paper towel, or a regular hand towel, and make sure the bristles are over the edge of the counter. This means any excess water can drip down and avoid harvesting bacteria in your clean bristles. Also, your brushes won't take nearly as long to dry.

 Once I've finished washing a batch I make sure all of my bristles have been somewhat shaped to how I want them to be when they're dry. If you leave them to dry in strange shapes, they will stay that way until you wash them again, and sometimes the weird shapes last longer.

Here is my result. I didn't count them, and I don't want to. My hands are wrinkly and I smell like a baby. I've left them on a towel to dry and they should be dry by tonight- or at least the smaller ones should. Bigger brushes take a bit longer, especially dense ones, so I wouldn't recommend washing brushes if you need to put a face full of makeup on within 24 hours.

Thanks for reading, happy washing!

My Morning Skincare Routine

Hello!
So I've been updating my skincare routine a lot lately, as the weather gets colder (a lot colder in Canada), my skin wants to peel off and shrivel up until there is nothing left. Because of this I need to drink about 100 glasses of water a day, and also use moisturizing products like there's no tomorrow.
Here is what I've been using:

 The above products are the things I use daily, every morning and I have noticed make my skin smooth, soft and glowy.

 To begin, I use Clinique's "Take the Day Off Cleaning Balm". This is by far the best cleanser I have ever used, ever. It's a balm texture, hence the name, and is essentially a fragrance-free lard-like substance that you smear everywhere until it's melty goodness has oiled up your face, and then you gently take it off with a washcloth. The description certainly doesn't do it justice. I use this both in the morning and evening and the results are incredible. The balm takes off makeup too, but I'd hope that you don't have makeup on your face when you wake up. Anyway, this cleaning balm is fantastic, gets every last bit of dirt off of my face and when I take it off with my washcloth I get a built in gentle exfoliation. It doesn't leave an oily residue, there is never the feeling of dryness which I get after any other cleanser and my face doesn't feel at all tight.

 I sometimes follow with my Bioderma, a cleansing water which takes off any remaining dirt. Again, this product can be used on any skintype and is incredibly gentle even with the most sensitive of skins. To use I just put a small amount onto a cotton pad and swipe it all over my face.

 Next, I use Vichy's Aqualia Thermal hydrating serum. I just use one pump and put it all over my face to add a bit of extra moisture. This stuff is great, and it's almost time I bought a new one.

 After my serum I use another serum, this one being Hydraluron. Hydraluron has the largest amount of Hyaluroinc acid allowed in a drugstore product. Essentially, this product absorbs extra moisture, so when you apply if under your regular moisturizer you get much more from your product and extra moisture for your skin. I've used this for a few months now and I love it. A little goes a long way, and it means I can use less moisturizer too.

 This moisturizer is a favourite of mine. The Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel is a great moisturizer that doesn't leave your face feeling sticky or oily and is an excellent base for makeup. It definitely isn't a night cream, and I would only use it in the morning. I've gone through about 3 of these, as well as several mini's while traveling and I think I will always have one of these around. Clinique's fragrance-free products are great for sensitive skin, but please don't ever use their toners... full of alcohol and leave your skin feeling like a prune.

 As a final step, if I need extra moisture and if I'm having a no-makeup day, I use Tartes Pure Maracuja Oil. I use a couple of drops from my fingertips and pat it all over my face. I don't rub this in, I just pat so I get a bit everywhere and I'm not moving all of my previous products around too much. It's excellent, and I'll be purchasing a full size soon.

Finally I use Bobbi Brown's Hydrating Eye Cream. This is my first real eye cream, I've used a gel in the past but my little eyes have never received such moisture before! I have a mini size from a Sephora 500 point perk, but a little goes a long way. I put a tiny amount on my ring finger and gently tap the product under my eye and around the eye socket up towards my brow. I keep tapping until there is no product left and I really, really like it. The full size is very expensive, but I know this will last a long time before I have to purchase another.