Summer Essentials! Time For Make-up! (Part 4 Continued.....)

Hey there!

Okay, this is the second part of my make up essentials and the continuation of part four to my Summer Essentials Series! As I said in my last post, I decided to break this one down into three parts, and today's post is about the blush, bronzers, eyebrow powder, highlight palette, mascaras and eyeshadows I like to use during the Spring and Summer time. (The reason I mention the Spring time, is because I tend to carry over the products I like to use from Spring into Summer.) I'll break them down by order I put them on my face. (Again I don't always use all these products, it just depends on the day. Also this is what works for me and what I like; I'm not telling you to buy any of these things or that you have to use them, these are just my favourite Summer time products.) Without further adieu, let's jump into the make up!

After I put my Foundation on, I like to do my bronzer and blush (in that order) if I'm wearing either of them on any given day. I have been switching between two bronzers lately, one I like to use all over my face for a sort of sun kissed glow and the other I'll use if I want to sort of contour (I'm not a huge fan of contouring yet, I'm just not used to it and I don't think I'm all that great at it ha ha) The bronzer I use for all over my face is by Rimmel and it comes from the Sun Shimmer line (I have no idea if this was a limited edition or what, because I bought this a while ago) It's a three in one shimmering bronzer in the shade 001 Gold Princess. It's definitely a gold tinted bronzer, it's brighter than my other bronzer and I like the look I get when I lightly dust this all around my face. (on my temples, cheeks, jaw, neck and nose.) It has three different gold shades in it, a light neutral toned gold, a darker gold and a copper-y gold. This has shimmer in it (obviously you can tell from the name) so if you don't like shimmer or have acne prone skin, you may want to try a different bronzer. Next is a bronzer by Wet N' Wild and it is from the Color Icon line. It is in the shade 740 Bikini Contest. This is a darker copper-y brown bronzer, and with a very light hand I like this on my skin for a slight contour.(I really like to keep my make up looking natural, I'm not really into bold looks) Both of these bronzers last all day, and are really pigmented and bright, but only the Wet N' Wild one has SPF in it. (SPF 15) I don't really like a lot of bronzer, because I am so fair too much makes me look either kind of orange or muddy... I currently am only using one blush, and it's from E.L.F. it's in the colour Pink Passion and this is from their Studio line. I love this blush! It's so bright and just a beautiful vibrant pink. I feel like it looks great on my skin and would look nice on any complexion. I've heard this is comparable to Nars Desire; but the staying power on this blush is not very long... Over all I think it's a really great product even if you need to reapply it in the middle of the day, it's super pigmented and it's so affordable at only $3 CAD! Plus I feel like you get a lot of product for the price. (What's there to lose?!) I use E.L.F.'s Studio line Eyebrow Kit in the colour Ash. I use the lighter side when I want a more natural look; my eyebrows are kind of sparse, so just using the powder makes them look fuller but still natural. If I want something a little more dramatic, I'll use both sides for a really defined brow. This was also $3 CAD and I believe it comes in a few other colours. (I use their Eye Brow Gel to set my brows) Randomly, I decided to put my highlight palette in this section... (I probably should have put it somewhere with the eyeshadow but whatever...) I use E.L.F.'s shimmer palette in the colour Sheer/Sunrise. (I'm not sure why I put the name of that, since that is the only colour it comes in...) Again this was $3 CAD and is from their Studio line. It has four shimmer shade in it; a pearl colour, a kind of nude pink, a champagne colour, and a baby doll pink colour. These are very creamy and really bright and I love to pop one of these colours in the corners of my eyes and on my brow bone. It stays pretty long (unless you're like me and inadvertently rub the corners of your eyes...) and again is really worth the price!

Next is the eyeshadow! I have four kind of palettes (2 of them are just trios) one is from Cover Girl and the others are from Wet N' Wild. I am in LOVE with Wet N' Wild shadows!! They are so affordable and soooooo pigmented and they last all day! (I want to own them all ha ha ha! I'm pretty sure my hubby would not be thrilled with that idea!) They are smooth and silky feeling and they glide right on your lids. I find them to be more pigmented than some of the other drugstore brands I own. (like Maybelline and Cover Girl) I am using three palettes from Wet N' Wild: 381B Sweet As Candy (this is a trio and has a cream colour for the brow bone, a dark brown for the crease and a beautiful sort of dusty rose pink for the eyelid) 738 Comfort Zone (this is a six colour palette which I've heard that some of these shadows are comparable to some of the shadows from the Naked palettes and some from M.A.C. this has various neutral tones in it, browns, coppers, some greens and two really dark shimmer colours) 736 Petal Pusher (my favourite of the three! This one is another six colour palette this one has beautiful pinks and purples and two dark shimmer colours. It's such a gorgeous palette! P.S. pinks, purples and neutrals make my blue eyes POP!) Last is the newbie to my collection and it's a trio of neutrals from Cover Girl in the colour 105 Cafe Au Lait. Pretty basic, I love neutrals and I was looking for something really subtle that still looked really nice. This was a completely by chance purchase, it was all alone on a shelf  and I just had to have it! There are three colours: a sort of chocolate-y brown, a taupe, and a egg shell cream. these are not as pigmented as the Wet N' Wild ones, but they are buildable and they are really pretty colours with slight shimmer that just work great together. I'm really glad I found this one and I've been using it quite a lot since I picked it up.

Onto eyeliner! I'm pretty boring with my eyeliner.. I mainly go for black and I really am trying to go outside the standard colours with brighter ones, but I'm pretty lazy and usually just reach for black... Depending on how I feel, and how much time I want to spend on my make up, I'll either use a gel liner or a pencil liner. I prefer the gel liners to all the others, because gel liners last forever, they don't smudge, and they are super pigmented. I'm currently using Maybelline's Eye Studio Gel Liner in Blackest Black. (I like my liners to be really dark ha ha ha) It comes in a little pot, but you get so much product! This one has lasted me a really long time... The pencil liner I'm using right now is by Essence and it is a Kajal Pencil in 01 Black. It's a pretty standard black pencil liner, it works great in the water line and for tight lining under the upper lash line, it only costs $1.49 CAD, but this smudges like a mother on my upper lashes.. I'm not sure why, I use an eyeshadow base and all that jazz, but I guess pencil liners just don't like my upper lash line ha ha. I haven't tried locking it in with a black shadow yet, so maybe next time I'll try that and see how it goes.

Last but not least is mascara! I have four, but depending on my mood I'll either use one, two or three. They are all by Maybelline and they are from the Volum' Express line. If I just want something natural and I'm not wearing a lot of makeup, I like to use the Rocket mascara, and I can't remember what colour I got this in and I can't read what it says because the stupid little sticker is so small.... I got this in Waterproof, I like to wear a waterproof mascara especially in the Summer and especially when it's super humid outside. This mascara is pretty awesome and I know there are so many people raving about it, and that's because it's just so amazing! It doesn't clump, you can layer it on and it lasts all day! I didn't find it too much trouble to take it off with my make up remover wipes, so that was a plus. If I'm going for something a little fuller, I like to use the One by One mascara and the Mega Plush mascara. The One by One really does a great job at separating my lashes; and by its self, it's not the best mascara. Paired with the Mega Plush however my lashes look so long and full and they don't get clump-y! I never used to mix my mascaras and the first time I did this combination even my hubby noticed it! (He definitely has no interest in anything related to make up so I thought that was a big win!) If I really want to be dramatic, I'll use those two and pair them with the Colossal Cat Eyes mascara. This one can get kind of clumpy, so I usually just put one layer on... I think next time I'll pair the One by One with the Colossal and see what I get... (they are all in the darkest colour I could find: Very Black and Glam Black and I think the Rocket mascara is in Brown Black.. It comes off a lot more black than brown though....) 

That's it!!

What are your go to Summer make up products? 

Do you like to layer up your lashes with different mascaras too?

xoxoxo

Summer Essentials! Prep and Prime Time.. (Part 4)

Hi all!


Welcome to Part 4 of my Summer Essentials Series!

I broke down my make up essentials into three parts; because after looking at all the products I like to switch between during the Spring and Summer seasons, I decided not to bore you all to death by having you  read a super long post if I crammed all the products into this post... Today is all about what products I use to prep and prime my face to get it ready for my make up. I included foundations I like to use and also an eyeshadow base and what I use to take all my make up off. Through these three posts I will show you the different products I like to use and switch between, but I don't always have a full face of make up and I don't always use everything I'm going to be showing. I sometimes go out without any make up at all, it just depends on how I'm feeling, what I'm doing and how long I have to get ready. It gets really humid here during the Summer, so a full face of make up is not always ideal... Like I said in my very first post, I am still pretty new to the world of make up. That being said, I am not an expert, I will never claim to be and this is just what I do and these are the products I use... I also do not own any high end make up, I've always been a drugstore make up kind of girl. I would like to try some high end products but I don't see myself buying any in the near future, just because I've learned that a lot of drugstore products are very comparable and sometimes better than the high end brands... I've learned a lot from watching beauty gurus on Youtube. (Remember, just because it costs more, that doesn't mean it's better!) Okay then! On to the products! 

First up is moisturizer. I always moisturize my skin before I put my make up on; like I said before I have super dry skin, and we all know that flaky foundation is not attractive.... (it's also really annoying and a big pain in the butt) To start off, I'll wash my face with warm water and then pat it dry. I then use my Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Cream (for dry skin) and I'll lightly rub that onto my face and neck. After that's dry, I use a primer. (Yes even though I moisturize, I always use a primer.. I found that it works a lot better for my face, than just moisturizing alone... If you have oily skin, I wouldn't recommend doing this.) I switch between two primers, one I like better than the other, but I need to get another one of the one I like because it's almost out... The one I like better is by E.L.F. (Eyes Lips Face) and it is the Mineral Infused Face Primer. I believe this one is only $3 CAD and what a steal! It really smooths my skin out and my foundation glides on so effortlessly. (E.L.F. Cosmetics are usually sold at Target, however the Targets here in Toronto that I have been to don't sell them) I have to buy my E.L.F. products from their website and even with shipping costs, they're still mega affordable. I've heard that this primer is comparable to the Smash Box Photo Finish Primer, I don't own it so I couldn't say for sure. I do know that I love it and it makes my foundation look so flawless. The other primer I have been using is by Hard Candy and it is the Sheer Envy Primer. This cost me about $8 CAD at Walmart. It has lasted me quite a while; and it smooths out my skin, makes my foundation glide on and keeps it looking flawless throughout the day like the E.L.F. primer. The downside to this is it feels kind of greasy and you really have to wait for it to dry before putting on your make up or it'll just slide off your face...


There are currently three foundations I switch between and a powder I like to use to set my make up. The powder I use and currently love is the Maybelline Fit Me! Powder. I'm in the shade 110 Porcelain. (Yes I am super pale ha ha but the 105 was actually too light! LOL) Looking at the product; it has some shimmer in it, but I don't haven't noticed it when I wear it. It's a sheer powder and it doesn't make you look cake-y the way some other powders I've tried do, also if I have a dry patch on my skin it doesn't accentuate it. (YEY for that!) I also have the matching Fit Me! Foundation, also in the shade 110 Porcelain. I LOVE this stuff! I think it's my new all time favourite foundation. It has SPF 18; and it doesn't smell bad, it sort of has a sunscreen scent but nothing overpowering. It's a liquid foundation; but it doesn't have a pump, so I just dot it on my face with my fingers and then buff it out with a flat top brush from E.L.F or a make up sponge. This foundation matches me quite well and it doesn't really oxidize the way some others do, which ends up making me look kind of orange... It blends so nicely and covers up any redness I have. (I usually have some redness around my nose, especially when I'm having some really bad allergies that day) It's not heavy and I like that I can build it up from light to medium to full coverage depending on how my skin is that day. The next foundation I use is one that everyone RAVES about and to me it's not my favourite, but I do love the coverage I get. I'm talking about the L'oreal True Match Foundation. It has SPF 17 and doesn't really have much of a scent to it. I have the shade W2 Light Ivory, and perhaps next time I'll go for either W1 or I'll try a shade from the cool or neutral lines, because when this foundation oxidizes on my skin it makes me look kind of orange... (it looks worse if I'm wearing a gold tinted bronzer) It does match my skin and is almost the same colour as the Fit Me! though..... I still like it because it's a full coverage foundation, which is what I go for when my skin is breaking out due to those evil period hormones... If I use my powder to touch it up, that usually fixes the orange problem pretty well.... I guess I have mixed feelings with this foundation, but I am willing to try another colour and give it another shot, and ofcourse I am going to use this one up because it was quite expensive for a drugstore foundation.. It was like $12 CAD... Right now on Well.ca this foundation is going for $17.19 CAD [CRAZY!!] (that sucks because back home this foundation is like six or seven dollars plus I have a discount card for the drugstore.....) Just goes to show you that the same products can vary in price range in different places... Onto the final "foundation" and I don't really consider this a foundation because it's a BB Cream, but I threw it in the foundation category because it's essentially a foundation... I use the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in the lightest shade.. I don't like the colour range for a lot of these BB Creams because they don't cater too well to the really fair complexions.. I tried the Garnier BB Cream back in December; and people are raving about it right now, but that was a complete fail for me.. It's far too dark and just makes me look orange... I'm not sure if they have changed their formula since then, but I am VERY skeptical about trying it again; unless they have one in a light shade and not a light/medium.... This BB Cream matches my skin pretty well though and it's great for days when I only need a little coverage or some SPF (it has SPF 30 in it) and unlike the other two foundations, this has a very light coverage, it's also so lightweight and doesn't sweat off in the humidity. 

Onto concealers! I don't usually need to conceal very much unless I'm breaking out... I use the Maybelline Cover Stick in Ivory to cover any blemishes. It's a thick and sticky type of concealer, so it works well at hiding any breakouts. I don't use it under my eyes though, because it will just crease and accentuate my lines... Instead I use the Garnier Skin Renew Roller under my eyes. I love it for brightening my under eyes and it gives a tingly feeling that helps wake my skin up. (I use this especially when I look super tired) Last in this concealer category is my Essence I Heart Stage Eyeshadow Base. This product makes my eyeshadow pop and it also keeps it on all day without smudging or creasing. I find it covers up the veins on my eyelids and makes the eyeshadow blend so nicely. I only recently got this product but I have been using it everytime I wear eyeshadow and I don't really know how I lived without it! (Added bonus was this product was only $3.49 CAD! I am loving Essence Cosmetics and I can't wait to try more of their products!)  

Last I like to moisturize my lips and I usually just use what ever chapstick or lip balm I have near by, right now I have an EOS balm (I can't remember the flavour) I'm not in love with this lip balm, I feel like it's not worth the hype or the price... It does moisturize your lips, but it dries out fast and I feel like I'm reapplying it every five minutes..( it does the job when I'm getting ready to put lipstick or lip gloss on though) I love my Blistex lip blam in the berry flavour, it has SPF 15, it smells so yummy, and it reminds me of my childhood because my Granny always used to wear it and still wears it; so I guess it reminds me of her too ha ha.. To take all my make up off I use Neutrogena Hydrating Make-up Remover Wipes. (the ones in the light blue package) I've tried quite a few different wipes and these are hands down the best; they don't irritate my skin, they don't burn my eyes, and they take off all my make up effortlessly (even waterproof) and I only need one towel. After I'll wash my face with warm water, pat it dry and then moisturize before bed.

These look a lot darker than they really are.. The lighting today was terrible...

That's all for the Prep and Prime Time! 
Hopefully this wasn't too long and I my thoughts weren't too scatter brained!

What is your go to Summer Foundation? 

xoxoxo

Stitchy World! My Plush Making Adventures

Hi!

Today I thought I would let you know about my Etsy shop. I call my brand Stitchy World and I made a Facebook page and an Instagram account for all things plushie related. I post works in progress and finished plushies and other random things that have to do with my crafting adventures. 


Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/stitchyworld 
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/stitchyworld
Instagram: @stitchyworld or www.instagram.com/stitchyworld


I am going to be doing my very first give away on my Facebook page! If my page can get 50 likes I will do a give away, so if you are interested in a chance to win a cute plushie hand made by Stitchy World go like and share my page!

Summer Essentials! A Rainbow of Nail Polish! (Part 3)

Hi all!


This is part three of my Summer Essentials Series and today's post is all about nail polish! I started collecting nail polish I would say maybe two years ago? I would pick up a colour I liked here and there and it sort of grew from there! The only way my nails will grow out is if I have some sort of polish on them, other wise they break or chip or flake and it's really annoying.... I tend to go for bright colours during the Summer (no brainer right?? well I used to wear any colour anytime...) which you can do, but I feel like bright colours just add to the Summer feeling! I have a rainbow of colours that I like to wear from Spring through Summer and I like to mix and match my fingers to my toes (sometimes they'll match and other times they will be completely different) Whatever I'm in the mood for when I get to painting my nails is what I'll do. I have twenty four... Yes that's right twenty four nail polishes that I like to wear between Spring and Summer... To save time and your eyes from falling out of your head trying to read what very well could be a small book, I'm just going to list the brands, colour names and what colour they are and post a few photos so you can get the idea of what they look like. I swatched all of the colours onto a piece of white paper so you can see the actual polish. (I figured that would be helpful somehow....) I get all of my nail polish from the drugstore or places like Walmart... There is one that I received in my May Ipsy Bag, and one that I got in a Loose Button Box, other than that they are all affordable and are pretty good products in my opinion.


Let's get started!

(I will post the brand, then the colour name, and lastly the colour it looks like to me)

•  Wet N' Wild- 414A Red- bright red
• NYC-224 Times Square- this is a neon coral colour more on the orange side
• Pure Ice-617 Flirt Alert- hot pink
• Maybelline Color Show- 190 Coral Crush- this is a bright coral colour more on the pink side 
• Essie- Lights- neon pink  (I got this in a Loose Button Box)
• Wet N' Wild- C420B- bright shimmery pink 
• Pure Ice- 796 Peony- bright Barbie pink 
• NYC- 238 MoMa - a magenta colour however, I feel like it comes off more pink on the nails
• Revlon-185 Lilac Pastelle- very light shimmery baby doll pink colour 
• Sally Hansen (Diamond Strength)- 260 Pulled Sugar- a pearl colour with a hint of pink and it is a very shimmery polish (I mainly use this to put on top of pink polishes for some glitter)
• NYC- 294 Lexington Yellow- neon yellow
• Sally Hansen (Insta-Dri)- 450 Lickety-Split Lime- neon lime green 
• Maybelline Color Show- 965 Urban Utopia- I thought this was more like a turquoise colour, but it seems more on the green side than blue when it's on your nails...
• NYC- 206 East Village- Shimmery blue-green 
• Pure Ice- 277 Home Run- mint
• Zoya- Neely- lighter mint (I got this in my May Ipsy Galm Bag)
• NYC- 296- Water Street Blue- bright teal- blue
• Revlon- 092- Blue Lagoon- very light shimmery robin's egg blue
• Pure Ice- 273 Bikini- powder blue 
• NYC- 247 Prince Street- medium purple with a slight shimmer (although you can build it to a dark purple by layering it)
• Sally Hansen (Complete Salon Manicure)- 409 Good to Grape- plum purple 
• Pure Ice- 279 Jail Bait- dark grape purple
• Sally Hansen (Gem Crush)- 07 Lady Luck- magenta coloured base with chunky multi-coloured glitter
• NYC- 276 Big City Dazzle- multi-coloured glitter

        

Swatches of each colour in the order on the list 

That's all! I hope that wasn't too long ha ha!

What is your go to Summer polish??

xoxoxo

Summer Essentials! Must Have Summer Scents! (Part 2)

Hey there!

Welcome to part two of my Summer Essentials mini series, today I am going to share my must have scents for the Summer!

I have a pretty decent sized collection of body sprays (mostly from Victoria's Secret) and I have a few perfumes as well, but I can't tolerate strong scents... (I have an allergy to some perfumes, I get a terrible headache and I can't breathe too well... It sucks but what can I do right?) I prefer body sprays to perfumes anyway; they're way cheaper, you can layer the scent with lotions and body washes and you don't have to worry about putting on too much, because the scents are usually pretty subtle. I've never been a signature scent kind of girl, if I wear a scent for too long or too often I tend to get bored of it and it doesn't smell the same to me any more. I have always had some sort of Vanilla scent in my collection though, because it's my all time favourite scent to wear. Summer to me is all about fruity and tropical scents, but I always have my Vanilla scent ready to go all year round because like I said it's my all time favourite scent and I just love it so much. Any way on to my top favourites for the Summer! (I have narrowed it down to ten....)

Since I already mentioned Vanilla let's start with that. Right now I have Warm Vanilla Sugar from Bath and Body Works. It smells just like its name sake and I love it! I had a favourite Vanilla scent from B&BW back in 2007 called Fresh Vanilla; that one was a pure and fresh Vanilla scent, and the one I have currently is more warm and sugar-y smelling. Unfortunately they discontinued my favourite scent and to buy it online now costs quite a lot. [insert sad face] I hope one day they will bring it back along with Tangerine Spice; that was my very first B&BW scent that my mom bought me when I was in 6th or 7th grade and it started my love of body sprays.

My travel sized Warm Vanilla Sugar next to what very little Fresh Vanilla that I have left

The next scent I love and is like summer in a bottle (to me at least) it is a Tropical scent and it's from Victoria's Secret. It's called Cocoa Butter and it is a Sensuous Escape Deep Nourishing Body Mist. I feel like Cocoa Butter, Shea, and Coconut are all very Summer-y scents and are basically what Summer would smell like if you could make the season into a scent. 

This next one is a warm floral and fruity scent, that I believe first came out in the Winter time, but I just love the fruity scent it gives off that I will be using it this Summer! The scent is  Be Enchanted from Bath and Body Works. It has a berry scent to it with a warm sugar-y after note and I just love it, I originally bought this scent for my mom for her birthday when it came out and I tried it one day after I gave it to her and loved it! Naturally I had to add it to my collection! 

Those were my warmer scented body sprays, now onto the tropical floral and fruity scents! The first is a Victoria's Secret scent and is called Endless Love; this scent has apple blossom and ylang ylang in it. It has a light fresh fruity scent to it, and doesn't have an overpowering floral smell; (I find that some floral scents are too overpowering and they cover up any other scent in the body spray) this is one that I picked up more recently, so I haven't worn it too much. I feel like I've had this scent in my collection before, because it smells so familiar. (I don't think it was from Victoria's Secret though...) I like this as a daytime scent, where as the other ones I mentioned I tend to wear both day and night.

Next is another VS scent and I believe this one was a limited edition one so I can't tell you exactly what notes it has, but to me it smells like tropical flowers and hints of pineapple, mango and maybe strawberry or guava... The scent is from the Aloha Pink collection and is called Tropical and Juicy. Again this is more of a scent I would wear for the day time, it's a really nice balance of floral and fruity and isn't overpowering when you spray it on.

Bombshell by Victoria's Secret is probably my all time second favourite scent, I loved it so much I got the Summer Edition Scent! The original Bombshell has a blend of purple passion fruit, Shangri-la yellow peony and vanilla orchid. The Summer Edition scent seems to have been a limited edition, so I'm not sure what the notes are exactly, to me it's pretty similar to the original, and the only real difference is that it has a citrus-y kick to it. Which is what makes it a Summer scent compared to the original, but I still wear the original because it has good Summer memories attached to it and I first picked it up during one Summer.

I have another Pink scent, this one is from the Pink with a splash collection and it is in the scent Sweet and Flirty. This one has sugar berry and pink grapefruit, and it smells so delicious! This scent is perfect for Summer, and it also has some pretty awesome memories of Summer's past connected to it, which besides its yummy berry scent is another reason why I love it.

I have a scent that I normally wear in the Spring time, but it some how became a Summer favourite as well. It is Cucumber Melon from Bath and Body Works. This scent is so fresh and clean smelling, and it has a light melon scent with the clean fresh kick of cucumber and I love it for Spring time, although I've started wearing this in the Summer when I don't feel like wearing a lot of fragrance but still want a fresh scent. (If that makes any kind of sense at all ha ha ha) I also love this scent in the anti bacterial hand soap, because it just smells so clean. At first, I would have never thought of pairing cucumbers with melon, but it combines together quite beautifully and makes a delicate yummy scent!

Last but certainly not least is my current favourite from Victoria's Secret (I may like this even more than Bombshell) and that of course is Mango Temptation! I have every product this scent comes in and I am OBSESSED with it! It has mango nectar and hibiscus; which makes it a floral fruity scent, although to me all I smell is the fruity goodness of the mango and I honestly can't get enough! If I had to pick only one scent to wear this Summer, my pick hands down would be this! I am currently on my second bottle and the other one I only got maybe two Summers ago.. It's AMAZING!!

OKAY! I think I got them all! ha ha ha sorry if this was ridiculously long and you're now looking at me like "why the heck does she need ALL of those scents for three months of Summer?!" I just love to mix it up and use different scents depending on my mood.

What's your favourite Summer time scent that you can't go without??

xoxoxo

Summer Essentials! Skin Care Edition (Part 1)

Hey there!



Welcome to part one of my mini series called Summer Essentials! This was originally going to only be one post, then I looked at all the nail polish I use in the Summer and I decided why not expand on it?? This mini series is all about the "essential" things I use during the Summer!


Summer is finally here and that means it's time to get outside and play in the sun! Which also means it's time to really take care of your skin; since after all it protects you and all of your precious organs. I have EXTREMELY dry skin, and at times it can be quite miserable. I also have a very fair complexion... (Not kidding I'm as white as paper all year around and I only go two colours: really white or really red..) Needless to say sun protection is a HUGE deal to me! I don't want to get burned and I don't need to look like a leather hand bag by the time I'm forty... I never saw the appeal in baking in the sun for hours anyway. Not to mention Skin Cancer is definitely NOT something I want to expose myself to willingly. (like baking in the sun or not wearing SPF) I don't care how light or dark your skin is, you are still at risk of sun damage and skin cancer, so ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear SPF please!!! (My hubby is brown and I always make him wear sunscreen if we're out in the sun for prolonged periods of time.) Okay, so enough about that! Let's get into my Summer Essential Skin Care Products!

First we need a good razor (which isn't pictured here...)
I recently started using Men's razors.. That's right, I said MEN'S razors. Men's razors are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than Women's razors, because they are designed to shave tough skin, stubble, and they are made to get a very close shave. They for the most part always have five blades, where Women's razors have anywhere from two to four and sometimes five blades. They just work better for my legs than Women's razors. It also means I don't have to shell out extra money any time I need a razor, I just steal a blade cartridge from my hubby! (Mwahahahaaha) Nah he doesn't care, and why should he? It means that I will have silky smooth legs just for him! (not really but let him think it's all for him, I can't stand furry legs and it's too hot in the Summer to be wearing long pants all the time)

Next we need to exfoliate! (You want the smoothest legs and body ever right??) Plus if we are going to be self tanning we have to get rid of those dead skin cells!
I love the Mango Temptation Body Scrub from Victoria's Secret. It smells like a tropical paradise and its a sugar based scrub, so the granules dissolve after you scrub your skin then it lathers up and it doubles as a body wash so you can shave. Mine is almost gone so I must get more! (Mango Temptation is my current favourite scent from VS) I also use a facial scrub maybe once a week or when ever I feel like my face needs it. I love St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub, unlike the other scrubs I've used, this has walnut shells in it instead of the usual beads of soap. Which makes it a pretty effective scrub and it makes my face feel super soft and fresh!


If I'm not self tanning (which I usually don't and I haven't in the last few years) I only exfoliate my entire body once in a while and I'll usually just use it on my legs when I shave, because of my dry skin I don't want to irritate any dry patches. I have to have a fruity scented body wash, because Summer time to me is all about fruity scents! I am currently using a body wash by Olay called Fresh Moisture Cleansing Body Wash in the scent Silky Berry. This stuff smells soooooooooooo yummy! (added bonus, it was the cheapest body wash at Walmart! SCORE) It claims it "won't dry your skin, leaving it fresh, beautiful and more hydrated than soap" I'm not sure how true that is, I've only used it like twice since buying it and even if that were true I still always moisturize my skin after I shower.

Leading me to the next important essential, Body Lotion!
I had and used all of the Mango Temptation Body Butter I got for Christmas from my mom; which made me quite sad, because it really did a good job hydrating my skin during the Winter. My new love for the time being is the Garnier Intensive 7 Days Conditioning Lotion, I have the Cocoa Butter scent for dry, dull skin. It smells like Summer to me and it keeps my skin pretty hydrated. It is creamy and fast absorbing, but it can leave your hands feeling kind of greasy, so I normally use a different cream for my hands. I'm using a Nivea Hand Cream for dry hands. The Macadamia Nut Oil scent isn't the best, but you get used to it. It does the job and keeps my hands nice and soft.


Face Moisturizer is another really important product for me to have; not just during the Summer, but all year round... I've tried a few different kinds, and nothing was very note worthy or miraculous like they all seem to claim.. Recently I needed a new moisturizer; so I opted for one of the cheapest ones, which thankfully for me turned out to be the BEST moisturizer I've ever used! It is now my all time favourite and that moisturizer is the Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Cream for Dry Skin. I've never tried any kind of gel creams before this one, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It was only $10 CAD so what could I lose right? It has grape seed oil and vitamins A & E, it smells nice and has a cool refreshing feeling when you put it on your skin. It comes in a decent sized jar and the one for dry skin is a pink gel. I am really loving this and I am currently on my second jar. I use it basically twice a day, some days I miss because I'll forget or whatever (goldfish mind sometimes) but it lasts a fairly long time. The first jar I had, I bought maybe three months ago and I really slather it on ha ha ha so it does last a pretty long time. It's the only moisturizer that has ever really made my face feel hydrated. I use another kind of moisturizer when I'm not going to wear make up and when I don't want to put sunscreen on my face. (I hate the greasy feeling they leave....) I use Neutrogena Healthy Skin Face Lotion; it comes in a small white bottle with a pump and it doesn't smell that great, but honestly I just use it for the SPF 15 it has so I have some protection when I don't feel like putting anything heavy or greasy on my face. 

Okay, speaking of SPF, as I said before it's ALWAYS important to wear sunscreen when going out in the sun. I'm not really picky with my sunscreen, I usually go for SPF 30 or 35 and I usually get Neutrogena, because that's the brand I've just about always used my entire life. I was at Target about six weeks ago and I like to always look at their travel size products, because it lets me try different products without having to pay tons of money for a full sized item that I may or may not like. I picked up a sunscreen, because the Neutrogena Sport one I had was left back in Denver when I went for my cousin's wedding last Summer and I had yet to pick up a new one. The sunscreen I picked up was the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Sunscreen with SPF 30. It smells AMAZING! Not like sunscreen at all, it has moisture ribbons in it to keep skin hydrated and it works pretty well and it also has UVA and UVB protection like most sunscreens. I haven't spent long enough out in the sun to reapply this, so I can't say how well it works yet, but Summer is just beginning and I should be going out and doing more things pretty soon. I just picked up a full sized bottle of this sunscreen, and I keep the travel version in my purse. (I always carry sunscreen with me now, because a couple years back my hubby and I went to the zoo, and I forgot my sunscreen and I also forgot to apply it before I left the house and lets just say I will NEVER be doing that again. Luckily my arms were the only thing that burned, unfortunately it was a pretty severe burn and it hurt pretty badly for a few days before I started peeling like snake shedding its skin..... T.M.I maybe? It also itched something awful but I tried my hardest not to itch...) ALWAYS WEAR SPF AND ALWAYS REAPPLY IT WHEN NECESSARY!! I really can't stress that enough....

Last but not least, some sunless tanning products. I don't really use self tanners, because I usually forget to keep up with it or I don't want to keep reapplying it for a week before I see any kind of tan. Also some sunless tanners I've tried made me look really orange and fake, and I'd rather be white as paper and natural than a living Oompa Loompa... I do want to try Million Dollar Tan, I've heard some good things about it. I just need to get around to eventually ordering it... The last sunless tanning lotion I used was the L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Luminous Bronzer. This is a lotion that gives you an instant glow and its also a buildable lotion, so if you wanted more than a "sun kissed glow" you could build it into a tan. I haven't really stuck with it long enough to see any real "tan" but it does give you a kind of glow and it has some shimmer in it. The only down fall is the smell... It definitely smells like a sunless tanning lotion...It doesn't bother me enough not to use it, but if you can't stand the smell, maybe go with another brand. It's also not bad for the price, I think it was something like 8 or 9 dollars. Another sort of sunless tanner I have is from St. Tropez, I received it in my May Ipsy Bag. It is an Instant Glow Body Lotion, just like the L'Oreal one. This lotion however washes off, so it's only temporary but I feel like you could build this up if you didn't like how your skin looks with just one layer. Also this one doesn't smell like a sunless tanner, it has a really nice scent to it. I haven't given this a full go yet, but it does give my skin a nice glow when I tried it on my arm the other day. I might prefer this lotion to the other because there is no upkeep and I can use it when ever I want a slight glow and I know that I can always wash it off if I don't like it. (I once had to walk around for a week with super orange legs because I used a sunless tanner that turned out pretty badly....)

Wow that was a long post!

What are your Summer Skin Care Essentials??

xoxoxo

Currently Reading.....

Hey again!

Okay, so I LOVE to read! I think my parents passed that habit on to my sister and I, because we are all a big bunch of book worms! ha ha My dad always read to us or told us stories before bed every night, and both of my parents were always reading especially in the Summer. I read all year round, but since the weather is so much nicer now that it's Summer, I tend to want to read a lot more! It's so easy to pick up a book and go hang out some where outside and enjoy the sunshine and escape into the world of whatever book you're currently reading. I'm into mostly Thriller, Horror, Murder/Mystery type books and some of my favourite authors include: Stephen King, John Sandford, James Patterson, and Dean Koontz... (there are obviously many many more, but they are escaping my mind right now..) At any given time it wouldn't be uncommon for me to be reading anywhere from 2-5 or more books... (that might seem confusing, but I usually start reading a book as soon as I buy or receive a new one) Right now I'm in the middle of reading five books not including the Bible. (Yes I read the Bible, Yes I am a Christian, Yes I LOVE Jesus with all of my heart and NO I am NOT a judgemental closed minded lunatic who hates on people with different views from my own and shoves religion down peoples throats...) I just wanted to put sort of a disclaimer in here, because two of the books I am currently reading are Devotionals and I wasn't going to leave them out for the sake of not offending anyone or for the fact that I might get hate for what I believe in; because they are two books that I'm reading right now and the point of this blog was to write about what I'm currently reading...

Onto my current reads!

First up is The Shining by Stephen King. I LOVE Stephen King and The Shining is one of my all time favourite movies! Yet I have never read the book.. (I know right?!) I finally decided to pick it up; and obviously I love it so far, because truth is that the book is ALWAYS better than the movie. We all know that some authors can take a whole chapter to describe one room, and a movie is usually only two hours long, so naturally they would have to condense the story down. If you live under a rock and have NEVER heard of The Shining... WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU??!! Ha ha ha just kidding! The Shining is about the Torrance family and Jack (the father) who is an author by trade gets a second job at the prestigious Overlook Hotel (that has a very colourful past as Jack will soon discover) as the off season care taker. He decides to take his family (Wendy and Danny) with him, because he will be living in the hotel for the Winter season. His son has a special ability which the head cook calls shining, and without giving the whole plot away and ruining the book for you, he can see and hear things others can't. Its a supernatural and psychological thriller that only the master of Horror Stephen King can bring, and it is easily on the top of my list of all time favourite books written by him.

Next is a series that I am starting to get into... I have been a long time Resident Evil fan; I've seen every movie a zillion times and I own every game. When I found out that there was a series of books based on the video games I HAD to get them! The first book of the series is Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy and  is written by S.D. Perry. This book follows the first RE game and is centred around  Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Albert Wesker and the other S.T.A.R.S (Special Tactics and Rescue Service) members. It's pretty cool to dive a little more into the characters and learn more about who they are, because you don't get to see all of those more personal things while playing the game. This book is about the mission to the Arklay Mountains and the infiltration of the Umbrella mansion and the outbreak of the T-Virus; so if you're familiar with the games at all you know this is basically the story for the first RE. It's an interesting read, and I can't wait to add the other books to my collection. (I currently own the first and second books)

Next is a book from a series that I have been OBSESSED with for as long as I can remember! I am currently re-reading the series in order, because I originally read the books as I acquired them. (what ever ones I could get my hands on I bought and immediately read) I am on the fourth book of the series. The amazingly wonderful series that I am completely obsessed with is of course the Prey series written by John Sandford. The Prey series is all about the life of the rugged, incredibly sexy, ridiculously wealthy, no nonsense, does it his own way and doesn't care what you think Lucas Davenport. I swear if this man were real I would make it my life's mission to marry him! ha ha ha (if only I were joking....) THANK  YOU SO MUCH John Sandford for giving me an undeniably weird obsession with a fictional character.... (As if I needed another reason for people to think I'm weird.. HA HA) Any way! The book I'm reading from this series currently is called Silent Prey. It is sort of a "sequel" to the previous book Eyes of Prey, because it is about the killer who was caught in that book and he escapes from prison and it's up to Lucas to play cat and mouse with the deranged former Pathologist and Surgeon Dr. Michael Bekker. (The other books are still all about Lucas, but there are a few books that carry over killers and therefore can be referred to as a sequel. It isn't too important if you read them in order or not, because John Sandford kind of re-explains important details.) This series always has you on the edge of your seat and I can never put a Prey novel down once I start; and they are always the first books I start to read whenever I get new books! This series never gets old to me and I'll be re-reading it for a long time to come.

Last are the two Devotionals I'm reading. They are both by Pastor Charles Swindoll. I've listened to Chuck Swindoll's sermons since I was like three years old. (No joke, my dad told me I always used to turn the television off and turn the radio on and tell him it was time for Bible study) I now listen to them on Podcast. He is very kind hearted, inspirational and at times very funny, it's always a comfort to me to listen to his sermons, no matter what they are about really, because it feels like home to me. Plus there is nothing more soothing to the soul than the inspiring words of God. If  I've had a bad day or I'm angry or upset about something I'll get into my Bible study and almost instantly, I'll be fine again. The Devotionals I am reading are called: Living the Proverbs: Insight for the Daily Grind, and the other is: Living the Psalms: Encouragement for the Daily Grind (This is an e-book I am reading on my iPad.) Without getting too deep into it, these books focus on the book of Proverbs and the book of Psalms specifically, it is a daily devotional that is broken down by weeks. Each new week looks at a new Proverb and Psalm, then the next seven days are spent breaking down that specific piece of scripture and they talk about what certain parts of the scripture mean and how they relate to our lives and how we can implement them and deal with the "daily grind" while still having a strong relationship with God. I feel like it's always important to know that God is always there for you, no matter the situation and you can always turn to Him for guidance and unconditional love if you're feeling lost or alone.

What are you currently reading??

Is there a series out there you think I would enjoy reading??

xoxoxo

Summer Days... Nature In Our Own Backyard!

Why hello again!

Summer officially arrived on Friday June 21st, and it hasn't really felt like a true Summer yet here in Toronto. We have had a few beautiful sunny days, but we've also had a lot of rain and thunderstorms. I do love rain, don't get me wrong, however I want my Summers to be full of sunshine and blue skies! That being said we had a GORGEOUS day and my hubby and I enjoyed it by hanging out in our backyard soaking up the warm sun and watching the birds fly around looking for food in our garden. I am definitely looking forward to many more beautiful warm sunny days this summer! (although as I type this it is absolutely dreadful out side.. Dark grey skies and sporadic rain... BOO) It's times like these that make me miss the beautiful California sunshine... (I'm not trying to say that it never rains in California, because it most certainly does! We do get a lot more sunshine on the West Coast though....) Any way, I love how beautiful, lush, and full of life our garden gets in the Spring and Summer time, it's really relaxing and quite tranquil to just sit out on the swing and watch the squirrels and birds roam around. The backyard is probably the most favourite place in our house; everyone loves to spend time out there, as they should! (ha ha) My mother in law loves to spend time in the garden, (she's out there every single day) so every Spring/Summer she goes wild and plants a variety of beautifully vibrant flowers. (We also usually always have some kind of flowers around the house) I love taking photos of the new flowers we have, because I just love the life flowers can bring into a space! I have always had a love and admiration for nature, but think my appreciation for flowers happened when my Granny started her rose garden; she always had the most beautiful roses I've ever seen! She has a smaller garden now, but the garden at her old house was something amazing to see! Okay, let's get to the fun part, the photos!! 

I'm not sure what kind of birds those were, but there were a lot of them all over the place! We think they may have a nest in our pear tree..

I hope you're having a beautiful day where ever you are!

Do you garden or have a favourite place to relax?

xoxoxo