Get Clean With Soap and Glory and St. Ives

I'm a big fan of drugstore beauty. First of all it's the beauty I grew up with. Most girls get their first black eyeliner and their first pink nail polish from drugstores, not high-end department stores. Secondly you can get some awesome deals on products that actually work! If you're a money savvy chick like me drugstore deals can mean Christmas comes more than once a year!

In yesterday's post about bronzing I mentioned that it's a good idea to exfoliate before applying a self-tanner so that you get even, streak-less coverage of the product your using. Here are two awesome drugstore beauty finds that help you shed those dull, dead skin cells to reveal the healthy new skin underneath:

1. Soap and Glory's Flake Away

This is a reeeaaal nice moisturizing body scrub from Soap and Glory. Key word: moisturizing. Some scrubs can leave you feeling smooth but dry but not this puppy! I love this brand's uber 50s kitchy-style packaging and product info! It's adorable!

The texture of this stuff is quite thick which I like because it allows you to concentrate and then spread out the product. If you exfoliate in the shower you know only too well the problem with sugar scrubs: they can dissolve before you've had a chance to do any real buffing! Luckily Flake Away combines sugar and sea salt which I find to be a pretty good combo. The salt does a way better job of standing up to water because it has stronger molecular bonds than sugar! That`s my science fun fact for the day! This jar is $10 for 300ml which is a wicked deal because it's going to last a while!

2. St. Ives Apricot Cleanser

I have been hearing the merits of St. Ives Apricot Scrubs for a while now but I never got around to trying one out myself. But now that I`ve been using this one for about two weeks I`m hooked! I like that I can use it daily and it leaves my skin clean, smooth and moisturized. Note: I have fairly oily skin so I can use it every day but if you have dry/sensitive skin consider picking up the regular scrub (ie not deep cleaning) or using it less often. It about a $6 product so I can say it's worth every penny! One more thing regarding this scrub: it does contain two natural exfoliants (corn meal and ground walnut shells). A cosmetician once told me not to use scrubs containing natural exfoliants because the particles often contain sharp edges that may scratch or damage your skin. I have no beef with corn meal as it's very finely ground but before trying this product I wouldn't have liked the thought of rubbing ground walnut shells on my face. However the ground walnut shells are very spherical and are more like the microbeads found in other scrubs.

How was your Tuesday? Did any of you make it into the drugstore/beauty counter for your makeup fix? What did you get?

Sarah xoxo

Glow Big or Go Home!

As quite a fair-skinned girl I have always been afraid of bronzer. It just seemed like such an enigma to me! How do you choose a shade that'll look natural? How can you possibly blend it enough so it doesn't look like you were playing around in the dirt? These were all questions I would ask myself every summer when the topic of magazine articles and commercials turned to beautifully bronzed skin.

This year was different. I decided to throw caution to the wind and pick up a bronzing pallette. I'm here to tell you that bronze (or at least a light bronzy glow) can be done on fair skin tones. Here are 4 products I think would work well on any skin tone to achieve a pretty summer glow.

1. Clinique Self Sun Body Daily Moisturizer

After a long Candian winter of wearing layer upon layer of clothing my skin (espcially my legs) could glow in the dark they're so white. I've tried a few sunless tanners in my time to get a natural glow but they were all either too fast acting or not effective at all. Enter Clinique's Self Sun. It's a gradual moisturizer that builds up a really natural looking tan. I like the light/medium version (Clinique GWP!) so I can get just a touch of a tan. It's easy to apply and leaves my skin incredibly moisturized. It's nice because you can control the depth of your tan by applying it day by day until the desired shade is reached. Just remember to exfoliate before hand to ensure a smooth application.

2. Marcelle Multi-Colour Bronzing Pressed Powder in Bronze Celebration

This pallete was my facial bronzer introduction. This is the pallette that let me know I could do it! It's a multi-coloured palette featuring 5 stips of shimmer colour from a sun-kissed pink to a deep brown. Though I haven't used it this palette looks comparible to the Bobbi Brown Beach Shimmer Brick and is suitable for the girl on a budget! This palette cost me about $15 where the Bobbi Brown pallete is $38! I like to mix all the colours and brush them on my cheekbones for the perfect bronze shimmer or use the colours on their own to create different beachy eye looks. 

3. Clinique Blushwear Cream Stick in 01 Glow Blush

This is a blusher stick I got in a Clinique GWP a while back and I had never used one before. Basically you just apply a few swips to your cheekbones (and any other areas that would naturally get the sun like the bridge of your nose and chin) and then blend until the colour looks natural. This hasn't been my favourite product because I find it a little hard to blend and because I think the colour is a little dark for me. But I still think it's an interesting product to try if you prefer cream blushes to powder blushes or if you find they work better on your skin.

4. Clinique Up-Lighting Liquid Illuminator in 01 Natural

This is yet another Gift With Purchase from Clinique. Can you tell I like the brand?? So if you're looking for more of a glow without the bronze an illuminator, or highlighter, is the way to go. So far this is the only illuminator I've used but I've loved the results. It's such a nice touch to any look and just adds a healthy glow to your features. I liek to apply it up on my cheekbones and on my brow bone to make my eyes stand out. You can also apply it to the space between your upper lip and your nose to make your lips look fuller.

Hopes this helps all of you get that special summer glow! I think I've also reiterated the awesome power of GWPs from brands you already love. You get to try new products you might have otherwise overlooked (or ignored due to their pricetags). How was your Monday? Did you have a busy start to your week or did you take it easy today?

Sarah xoxo

Prim and Proper Sunday With Benefit's Instant Brow Pencil

Happy 4th of July to my State-side readers! How'd everyone's weekend go? Was it super relaxing or were you totally productive. My weekend was a little bit of both which is exactly how I like it.

Now, if I asked you what you thought your best facial feature was, what would you say? Your eyes? Your lips? Your impossibly high cheekbones? Would anyone say their eyebrows?? Ah, eyebrows; we have a love-hate relationship with them don't we? They provide the perfect frame for your face but only after plucking, waxing and some serious taming. But what about when you pluck too much? You remove a few too many hairs and suddenly it looks like one of you brows went on a hunger strike while the other ate a whole cheesecake and is now a little bloated! :)

The answer for filling in brows? Benefit's Instant Brow Pencil! I got mine at Shoppers for about $25.

I got mine in the light to medium shade because I wanted my brows a little darker (to look right with my red hair) but still look natural. This pencil's sort of waxy and deposits just the right amount of pigment! Plus it comes with a neat-o spoolie (kinda like a mascara wand) which smooths out the colour and your brows to make them perfectly polished!

As you can see this pencil's already been pretty well-loved. It needs a good sharpening. This pencil is seriously fool-proof and for a first-time brow filler like myself it was perfect. I would highly recommend picking it up! What do you all do to keep your brows in tip-top shape? Are you a waxer or a plucker and have you ever tried a pencil before to fill them in? Also what sort of makeup hauls did you ladies bring home this past? Let me know about your beauty purchases!

Back to work tomorrow. A little bitter sweet as it's felt like a loooong 4 day weekend but I'm also not crazy about the prospect of a few long days next week.

Sarah xoxo

Go Nude With Smashbox Sheer Colour

Is the weather as lovely where you are as it is here in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area)? It's hot and sunny today and at around 10:30am this morning I decided to take our furry house guest for a walk around the neighborhood. By the end we were both panting but I think it was nice exercise! What're your plans for today?

I thought I'd begin this post by wrapping up my review of the Smashbox Beauty Bliss kit. The last piece in this kit is a product I've mentioned before on my blog. It's Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss! It smells lightly of vanilla, with a slight shimmer (to go along with the other products in this kit) but it's also very neutral.

The colour is called Lovely Lips and that's exactly what you get when you use it! It looks sort of beige in the tube but on it's very flattering. Like the other Lip Enhancing Glosses by Smashbox the applicator is a little lip brush which I personally happen to love but it isn't for everyone.

And so ends our Beauty Bliss kit week-long review! If neutrals are your thing this might be right up your alley! Think you might rock this kit?

Sarah xoxo

5 Ways To Score Free Beauty!

 We're all looking for the perfect beauty products. Products tthat work, have pretty packaging and fit our budget. Do you dream of free products raining from the sky? Do you dream of testing products before you buy them. Well then fellow beauty enthusiast, this post is for you. Here are 5 ways to get completely free or deeply discounted beauty:

1. Redflagdeals.com
This first website was discovered by my dad a few years back. You see I have inherited a love for free products and coupons, whatever they may be for, from him. Ever since he started sending me emails telling me about free samples of cleansers to cereals I have been checking this website daily. This website links you to manufacturers websites currently offering free samples of their products. As an example I recieved a sample of Veet wax strips last week (haven't had a chance to try them out yet) plus $2 off coupon should I decide to buy the product. Sample from Red Flag Deals are a great way to test a product before you buy and to save on things you already buy such as femine products. Since it's a Canadian site you'll never have to frown and say, "Oh, it's only available in the States", again!

2. P&G BrandSampler
Procter and Gamble make all sorts of products from Olay to CoverGirl to Pantene. Every season they offer a Brand Sampler - a box delivered in the mail full of sample-sized products you've chosen such as shampoo, face cream, fabric softener, floss, and razors. This is a seriously good deal. I'm a recently grad of the University of Guelph and during my poor student days I lived on these samples! Again I visit the Canadian website but I'm pretty sure they have an American BrandSampler promotion as well so if you live in the US you're in luck!

3. Gift With Purchase
This is a big one for me and many of the department store brands offer seasonal firdt with purchases every year. Heck, it seems like every time I step into Sears there's another promotion going on to catch my interest! Clinque expecially has some awesome gifts 4 times a year and you only need to spend $26.50 to get it! If you shop a department store brand such as Clinique, Estee Lauder or Elizabeth Arden often Gift With Purchase Specials make so much sense! They can also act as a nice introduction if you're new to a brand but try to resist buying products for the sake of the gift if you really don't need it.

4. Lush Product Samples + Events
 Are you all familiar with Lush? It's a British brand focusing on making naural, minimally packaged products with the most heavenly scents! Famous  for their bath bombs and bubble bars they also stock a wide range of cleansers, moisturizers, soaps, shampoos and every other bath-time product you can think of. I love them for their products but also their generosity with samples. If you're talking to one of their knowledgable staff members about trying a certain product they'll often offer you a sample to see if it's right for you. This isn't something unique to Lush: I find if you ask for samples at the Beauty Boutique at Shoppers Drug Mart or even at you're local beauty counter they'll often have something to give to you. It helps if you're making a purchase to begin with but you don't necessarily have to buy something. Check the Shopper's website often for free offers! Do the same with the Lush website (or better yet join the mailing list) because they host a plethora of events every month and they often give free goody bags to their attendies!

5. Save.ca
Save.ca is a website providing coupons for your favourite products that are delivered to your door a day or two after you order them online. Embrace coupons people! They're out there for a reason and why should you have to pay full price on things you buy often? There are coupons for beauty products and food and it's an especially helpful website if you have children. Another positive to Save.ca is that the glossy coupons you recieve in the mail are taken more readily by cashiers. I find staff at grocery and drug stores are wary of print-out coupons due to their ability to be easily duplicated.

Hope this helps you stay gorgeous inside and out without breaking the proverbial bank!

Sarah xoxo

Get Ready For Your Close-Up With Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer and Bionic Mascara!

Welcome to Friday: the gateway to your weekend! What are your plans for this weekend people? I'm looking forward to some relaxation as well as a big old helping of getting stuff done. I started my day off this morning with *ahem* a very 'personal' wax (if you know what I mean) and I plan to get a lot of laundry done this afternoon. We also have a houseguest this weekend - my boyfriend's family dog, Ozzy! He's about 8 years old but still acts like a playful cuddly puppy (without the occational puddle on the floor).

For the longest time I never used to wear foundation. I had the same experiences most girls do; the formulas I used were too heavy, too cakey and too mask-like. I wanted my skin to look natually flawless, I didn't want to cover up my own features completely! Then I discovered Clinique's Superbalanced Makeup and I fell in love. I'm a huge fan of all things Clinique and Superbalanced Makeup doesn't let tthe brand or the consumer down! It's light-weight but offers medium coverage and at $25 for 30ml this stuff will last forever! No need to be tempted to buy cheap drugstore brands when Clinique offers such an outstanding product for a mid-range pricetag!

So I'm thinking, "How could this get any better?" Well ladies I'm about to tell you how. Two words: foundation primer. Okay, okay I'll admit I'm not the first chick to discover foundation primer like some rare jewel in a long-forgotten ancient mine but believe me, it has been some discovery! I've known about the existence of primers for some time now but I had ruled them out simply because I'm 21 years old I figured what do I need a primer for when I have no fine lines or wrinkles to smooth out? Well it's not just about reducing the appearance of wrinkles it's about smoothing over pores (mine are medium sized I'd say) and getting your makeup to stay put and stay fresh all day! The primer goes on so smoothly you can hardly feel it and it leaves no residue and no negative indications of its presence on your face. When you go to apply your foundation/powder/blush/etc. it provides a fresh canvas for the product to stick to and in my opinion, makes makeup application easier.

The 15ml tube is considered travel size but the Beauty Boutique lady at Shoppers said it'll last me about 6 months! I can believe it because you only need a pea-sized amount to prime your entire face. While Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer is an important 1st step in beautifying your face, don't forget about the importance of the last step in doing your makeup: applying mascara.

Bionic Mascara does a good job of separating and defining lashes though I haven't noticed an increase in volume or length. It gives the eyelashes a natural look so if that's what your going for this may really work for you! The tube provided in the Smashbox Beauty Bliss kit is travel sized just like the primer but this doesn't bother me much because a) I have never finished an entire tube of mascara in my life and b) I stand true to the 3 month toss out rule of mascara so I don't think I'll ever finish one.

Hope your Friday is going well and that you get a chance to enjoy the summery sunshine!

Sarah xoxo

Smashbox Beauty Bliss: Three Celeb Sightings!

Happy Canada Day! If you're a US resident or you're international, Happy Thursday! How is everyone today? What'd you do to celebrate? I celebrated by cleaning (something I secretly love to do) and hanging around the campfire with the man's family. It was a relaxing day until we went to get into our car when a swarm of paparazzi ambushed us! You see, I was wearing my Smashbox Eye Shadow Trio in Celeb Sighting and they must've thought I was Sarah Jessica Parker or something. When I took off my over-sized sunnies and they saw I wasn't actually a famous person they stalked off leaving me in my best "no-pictures-please" pose.

I started reviewing the Smashbox Beauty Bliss kit a few days ago. Celeb sighting is a trio of soft, pretty colours with just enough sparkle. To me the whole kit exudes easy, summery, daytime glamour that could easily be vamped-up for evening with some eyeliner and a bright lip.

 

 It's three shadows are sandy beige (for the whole lid), a glimmery forest green (for the crease), and a soft pink (as a highlight for the brow bone). The colours are very smooth and are easily blendable. They fit in very well to Smashbox's line of quality cosmetics!

The green pan looks a little brown in these pics but believe me, it's green. Because these colours are so neutral I think it's a really wearable pallette and I recommend patting them onto the eyelid as opposed to sweeping to get more vibrant pigmentation.

So far I'm quite pleased with this kit. It's offering a really pretty, summery daytime look that's flawless and glowing. The value ain't bad either! I have tomorrow (Friday) off work as well (woot woot 4-day weekend!) so I'll keep you updated on the other products and more! Enjoy your nights ladies and I'll give a little preemptive TGIF shout-out for tomorrow!

Sarah xoxo