Softlips Cube 5-in-1 Lip Care Review

With all the hype of eos's sphere-shaped balms, Softlips has recently launched their own specially shaped balm - the cube. It is a 5-in-1 formula and currently comes in three flavours; Pomegranate Blueberry, Fresh Mint, and Vanilla Bean. I am a sucker for new lip balms, so naturally I had to try this one out too. I was sent Vanilla Bean for review through Divine.ca's Review Program. 

SoftLips Cube 5-in-1 Formula:
Hydrates: formulated with Shea Butter to restore moisture
Replenishes: with antioxidants Vitamins A, C, E
Smoothes: rich emollients leaves lips silky and soft
Protects: with SPF 15
Adds Shine: for perfect radiant finish

Active Ingredients: 
Dimethicone 2% – (Skin protectant) 
Octinoxate 7.5% – (Sunscreen)
Oxybenzone 3% – (Sunscreen)

Inactive Ingredients: ozokerite, petrolatum, octyldodecyl olivate, ethylhexyl palmitate, octyldodecanol, myristyl myristate, myristyl lactate, squalane, brassica campestris/aleurites fordi oil copolymer, cetyl alcohol, flavor, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, stearyl olivate, myristyl laurate, myristyl alcohol, BHT, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, menthol, neopentyl glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, PEG-8, retinyl palmitate [Vitamin A], sodium saccharin, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate [Vitamin C], tocopherol [Vitamin E], tocopheryl acetate [Vitamin E]

When first applied, the cube balm feels minty fresh on the lips. It feels nice to relieve any dryness or pain caused by cold weather (or lip picking.. a super bad habit of mine). It has a yummy true scent of vanilla bean, and tastes good too. The formula is light and slippery and adds a subtle shine to the lips. It does not feel sticky on the lips which is a huge factor for me when purchasing lip balms.

 It's great to see this contains an SPF as well. I have too many lip balms that don't, so they aren't as ideal to wear if you are going to be directly in the sunlight. The cube balm is great for daytime wear, but comfortable enough to wear while you sleep as well. I don't like that the packaging is a bit bulky for the size of the balm itself, although, it is smaller than the eos sphered-balms. The balm also tends to rub against the inside of the top lid which bothers me, and feels like I'm wasting a bit of product. The packaging is very cute, and the lid gives a satisfying 'click' when closed. As with all creamy lip balms, I find that you have to re-apply every 2-3 hours, but I am usually too lazy to do this anyways and try to wait it out as long as possible! I find it decently moisturizing, but I feel a bit of dryness once it wears off. This could just be my lips though; I get major chapped lips all the time. 

Overall, I still prefer my Epic Blend lip balms over this as I feel like they moisturize my lips much better and don't leave them feeling dry at all. But this is definitely an alternative for someone who loves eos but wants to try something new that contains SPF as well. Softlips Cube 5-in-1 Balms are available online on well.ca for $5.99 (currently sold out), and local drugstores. The price seems to vary from $3.50 in the US to $5 and up in Canada.

I received this for review through divine.ca's review squad for review. All opinions are my own and are never influenced :)

Sephora VIB Sale Haul

I'm probably what you can call a 'sale freak', and try to avoid purchasing things that I know go on sale, or that I don't necessarily need yet until there is a sale! I actually didn't need anything from Sephora until I saw an email for their VIB Sale (heh). I also purchased a few things from their Friends & Family sale a week earlier, with a coupon I got from a lovely group member in a Facebook group I belong to (thank you Emm!) so I've just combined everything into this post.

A delay was actually put on my VIB order because of such high volume of orders, but I was credited 250 points as courtesy. I still received the order faster than anything I ever order from overseas, so it was really no problem for me.

tarte Brazilliance Skin Rejuvenating Maracuja Face And Body Self Tanner: This seems like a great replacement for my Clarins Golden Glow Booster that I am running out of. It was cheaper and the tan seems to last longer in between use. I like to mix it with a moisturizer for easier application.

tarte Clean Slate 360 Creaseless 12-Hr Smoothing Eye Primer: Haven't gotten a chance to really test this out, but I have no doubts about it. Love tarte packaging and these are actually some of my first few tarte purchases.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard: This is the lightest yellow shade of the Nars Concealer collection and quite dark for the lightest shade. The swatches online look lighter than in person, but I will have to give it a go in the daylight to see if it'll manage to blend in with my skin. I have heard nothing but good things about these concealers though.

Lancome Effacernes Waterproof Concealer in Light Buff: Tried this twice and I'm loving it already. You don't need much, it blends easily and feels so matte on the skin once dried! I didn't think it covered my dark circles as well as it should but more testing will be done :)

bareMinerals bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation in Bare Cream 05: I bought this on a whim. I haven't tried anything from bareMinerals since their powder foundation first came out and wanted to give this new product a try. The colour was almost right, a bit too yellow, but the texture of this foundation looks terrible on my skin and enhanced my dry spots! Maybe I'm not applying it right? I didn't buy the brush to go with it, and I heard that is the key to this foundation... *sigh*

Nudestix Lip + Cheek Pencil in Mystic: I had to swatch this right when I got it! There is so much hype about these sticks. I'm impressed with the texture and colour payoff, but dislike the taste and scent. I dislike the taste of regular lipsticks and with the high price I would have thought this would have had a better or more fruity flavour to it. 

Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Palette: I managed to snag this palette on sale for $19. I have no idea what Pulp Fiction is about, but since it's such a highly rated movie I've been thinking about watching it. I do however, loveee the neutral matte shades, and after lightly swatching, I'm really impressed with the pigmentation. This palette is so perfect for me because all I ever really use are a highlighter shade, browns, and blacks. I'm surprised I didn't pick it up when it first came out. 

St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse: Last of my order, is the St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse. I ordered the 120ml first to try it out, and ended up getting the large 240ml size as well. I've recently begun to use self-tanner a few times a week to feel more confident and get over my paleness. I have to say, I don't know why I didn't try the St. Tropez sooner. I tried out different brands thinking they would be better but this is definitely my favourite, and I can see why they price it so high. The only thing I forgot was to get a mitt... after both orders... but luckily I have one that came with a different self-tanner.

I got a ton of freebies with my orders! 3 packet samples are from the Friends & Family Sale, and the rest of the goodies are from the VIB Sale. I unfortunately didn't get the samples I had chosen, but it isn't a big deal as I hate packet samples anyway. I am obsessed with UD eyeshadows, so I finally got to use 500 points on the Urban Decay Urban Obsessions Palette. It was also my birthday last Wednesday, so I finally got the Make Up For Ever Beauty Insider Birthday Gift, featuring a mini mascara and mini lipstick. Sucks to have a late birthday because your Sephora birthday gift comes a month before they bring a new birthday gift out..

Are you a Sephora BI, VIB, or VIB Rouge? What did you pick up? I'd love to see everyone's VIB Haul posts!

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Infusion Review

Estee Lauder's Advanced Nighy Repair Eye Serum Infusion Synchronized Complex II is a serum designed to improve damage around the eyes. It claims to fight all key signs of eye aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness, dark circles, dryness, and uneven skintone. 

•  Ophthalmologist-tested
•  Dermatologist-tested
•  Won't clog pores
•  Fragrance free

I love that it is free of fragrance because I want something as safe as possible for my eye area. It also contains Estee Lauder's new ChronoluxCB Technology, which works to repair the appearance of damage before it becomes permanent. It supports the natural synchronization of skin's repair and protection processes. 

Continuous Repair: Supports skin's natural repair process. When used everyday, works to repair appearance of past damage caused by environmental assault such as UV light, smoke, pollution and environmental stress. 
Continuous Prevention: Neutralizes up to 90% of environmentally generated free radicals before they can damage skin's appearance. Soothes daily irritation and builds reserve of anti-oxidants and lipids to help replenish skin's natural protectants. 
Continuous Hydration: Delivers high levels of Hyaluronic Acid to attract more moisture.

To start off, I actually won this through one of Dave Lackie's contests on Twitter. He gives away prizes multiple times a week so go enter! It comes in a 0.5 oz/15 ml bottle with an easy-to-use pump. The formula is milky and spreads onto the skin easily, while absorbing quickly. I've been using this daily since March (minus a month or so where I've tested other eye creams), and it feels like I still have a significant amount left. I usually use about less than half a pump for both eyes.. a little seems to be going a long way! It doesn't feel greasy or look too shiny once absorbed into the area. 

You can apply it in the morning, at night, or both, and it is ideal to be used under an eye cream. Funny because the whole time I've been using this, I clearly didn't read the bottle and I've been using this alone thinking it was an eye cream itself because it works so well. 

I only use it at night but I've tried and it does work fine under makeup if you want to use it in the daytime. To apply, I rub and pat it all around my under-eye area as well as eyelids. It has gotten into my eye before and the sting was very mild compared to many other products that have got in there!

Morning after applying Estee Lauder's ANR Eye Serum (Completely unedited)

I notice it helped slightly with puffiness but did not notice a difference in dark circles (to be fair.. my sleep schedule is very odd). I saw an improvement in the look of my fine lines, but of course they didn't completely disappear. I feel a lift in my hooded eyelids and just an overall improvement in appearance and texture, especially the morning after I've used it. Above is a photo of my eye the morning after. I wish I could provide before/after photos but I unfortunately forgot to take any. 

Something about this eye cream seriously makes me feel gorgeous the next day! I don't know what it is, but when I use this, my eye area looks much more refreshed and brighter in comparison to other eye creams I've tried. I have issues with my eyes because I have hooded lids and I feel a major lift the next morning whenever I use this. 

It retails for $65 US, but for Canadians it is $75 CAD on Sephora.com. At the high price of $75, I cringe at the thought of having to purchase again but I would definitely consider it. I wouldn't mind splurging on a product that is made for an area so important such as your eyes. It's an area that can change your whole appearance, and once damage is done, it is hard to reverse. 

How much would you dish out for a good eye serum, or cream?

Salon Grafix Conditioning Cleanser For Oily or Flat Hair Review

When I spotted this conditioning cleanser by Salon Grafix, I wanted it. The price was cheap, it had a sticker that said 'similar to Wen Hair Care', and it seemed perfect for me because I am ALWAYS looking for volumizing hair products that work. I found it quite a while ago from a Walmart Superstore in Buffalo, NY, but pretty positive they don't sell it in Canada. It retails for $7.99 in the states however I think I picked it up for around $5-6.

A couple great things about the Salon Grafix Conditioning Cleanser is that it has a unique scent called Sugared Melon Mint, and it is sulfate and paraben free. That means no stripping of your hair's natural oils, but also means no lather. 

The bottle suggests to use 4-8 pumps for longer hair. I find myself using about 8 or more just because it doesn't lather which really bothers me (eek). Shampoos that lather are usually really satisfying for me and I don't feel that with this.

My hair does feel clean after it is washed out and after it has dried. I do notice a bit of volume, and my hair does feel a little less heavy. But my hair feels a bit dry and by the end of the day it is flat again.. and just doesn't feel clean. I have to use a regular shampoo the next day to get that clean feeling again. I'm not even totally sure if it works to get out the impurities out of my hair even after testing it for so long. 

I would not purchase this again and would prefer to find something that doesn't require me to wash my hair the next day. I usually wash my hair every other day or every 3rd day if I'm lazy. I'd like to see how this compares to the Wen line (I've never tried Wen before!). I also want to note that I bought this to replace a clarifying shampoo so my expectations may have been a bit different considering this is a cleansing conditioner. 

Again it retails for $7.99 and you can find it at stores in the US such as Walmart, Ulta, Walgreens, and drugstore.com. I'm not sure if they still produce this exact one because it isn't on their website, but they have 3 other versions for dry or damaged, severely damaged, and normal hair.

Moisturize with Kiss My Face

With winter coming, something that we can never get enough of, is moisture. I like to have my skin hydrated and feeling smooth, without being too oily or sticky. With the weather changing, we need to find affordable products that will last and won't dry out our skin. I use these four moisturizing products from Kiss My Face to moisturize my lips, feet, and body.

Kiss My Face products are:

Paraben-free

Phthalate-free

SLS free

Free from dyes and synthetic colours

pH-balanced

Mineral oil free

Petroleum-free

Olive & Chamomile Soap (4 oz. for $2.99 usd, 8 oz. for $3.99 usd)

A natural cleansing and moisturizing soap, made from pure ingredients and contains chamomile to calm and soothe. The ingredients are very minimal although this does contain fragrance. It has a strong minty chamomile scent that could be smelt throughout my room with the packaging still on, however, the scent is not as powerful after used in the shower and washed off. There is not much of a lather which I dislike, but it is a very slippery bar and rinses off quickly. However it doesn't leave my skin feeling dried out at all . I would definitely recommend those with dry skin to try this. The 8 oz. soap bar is huge but clearly a better value. It is annoying and difficult to hold because it's so large, but it will get much easier to use when it shrinks down to actually fit in my hand.I do see the bar lasting for quite a while. See the rest of their natural olive oil bar soaps here.

Ingredients:
Sodium Olivate (Saponified Olive Oil), Water, Chamomile, Sodium Chloride, Fragrance

Pomegranate Acai Moisturizer ($11.95 usd for 473 ml)

The Pomegranate Acai Moisturizer smells amazing! Very fruity and natural. The texture feels whipped and there is a bit of an iridescence to it and goes onto the skin white but disappears once rubbed in. There is added fragrance but it is a natural fragrance (says the ingredients). It is very lightweight, isn't sticky, and absorbs into the skin quickly. It contains antioxidants: pomegranate and acai, plus moisturizing agents: olive oil, aloe vera, shea butter, and essential oils from grape seed and coconut. The moisturizer comes in a variety of other scents like Peaches & Creme, Coconut, and Lavender Shea. You can view the full collection here. They do stock a smaller size of this, 6 oz. for $6.99, but the 16 oz. for $11.95 seems like a much better value.

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Stearic Acid, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Esters, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Fragrance (Natural), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Sodium Phytate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Panthenol, Polysorbate 80, Xanthan Gum, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Extract, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Oil, Natural Fragrance, Squalane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Borate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Titanium Dioxide



Peppermint Foot Creme ($8.95 usd for 118 ml)

The Kiss My Face Peppermint Foot Creme is designed to leave feet soft, smooth and healthy. It actually smells sort of artificial to me but the website states that it has no artificial flavours or fragrances (maybe what I'm used to smelling is artificial, so natural fragrances smell odd to me..) It feels cooling on the feet and is not greasy. It works well applied at night but it is so light that I feel comfortable applying it in the daytime too. I love the texture of the cream but I am not a fan of the scent. 

Ingredients:
Aqua, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Vegetable Glycerin, Emulsifying Wax NF, Ceteareth-20, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Oil, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Leaf Extract*, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract*, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract*, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Butter, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Xanthan Gum, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Polysorbate 20, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Potassium Sorbate * Organic

Organic Sliced Peach Lip Balm $3.49 usd

Kiss My Face's lip balms are a new addition and contain certified organic ingredients. They come in 6 different flavours, or a 'sporty' mint flavour. Kiss My Face lip balms are all natural with no artificial fragrances or flavours. The one I have here is 'Sliced Peach' which smells lightly of peaches but wasn't as yummy as I was expecting (both the flavour and taste). But once this lip balm glides on I instantly feel a thick layer of protection on my lips. The waxy transparent layer it provides instantly helps relieve my dry and sensitive lips. Despite the flavour not being my favourite, I like the moisture it provides and will definitely be using this throughout the winter.

Ingredients:
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil*, Cera Alba (Beeswax)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Brassica Napus (Canola) Oil*, Flavor Extracts*, Flavor Oils*, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil*, Rosa Rubiginosa (Rosehips) Seed Oil*, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Extract* *Organic

It really is hard to believe that Kiss My Face's products contain mainly natural ingredients. They smell so great and the scents are so strong. I'd prefer the packaging to be a bit more unique, I think that would help their products to stand out more. My favourite product and scent has to be the Pomegranate Acai Moisturizer, it smells amazing and feels great on the skin. I would definitely pick up another moisturizer if I were able to test-smell it in store. Kiss My Face is available in Canada at physical retailers such as Whole Foods, and at Kensington Market in Toronto (The Big Carrot, Essence of Life). They are also available through online retailers like well.ca, amazon.ca, and on their official website kissmyface.com.

These products were received for consideration. All opinions stated are my own and are not influenced by any affiliates.

Halloween Look: Fallen Angel

Happy Belated Halloween! I know it probably gets tiring seeing so many Halloween looks (especially, after halloween...) but I had to share this one! I hadn't had enough free time to actually sit down and create a Halloween look before Halloween (okay, it was also due to laziness), but I really wanted to create something this year! I chose to recreate Julia Graf's Fallen Angel Halloween look this Halloween because it is something that can be done so quickly, and with standard makeup that most of you might have at home. 

Makeup: 

Anastasia Chocolate Dipbrow Pomade (Brows)
Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation 115* (Foundation)
Covergirl Tru Blend Concealer Fair*
Illamasqua Cream Pigment Hollow (Contour)
Kat Von D Star Studded Eyeshadow Book* (Shades: Violator, Fascination Street, Gothica, Black Star, Anti-Star)
Lashes from Nigel's Emporium (From IMATS 2013)
L'Oreal Lacquer Liner Blackest Black (Winged Liner)
Maybelline Color Tattoo Too Cool (Silver flicks in between winged liner)
Nyc Sunny Bronzer Revlon Mauvelous 003 Powder Blush*
Rimmel Scandal Eyes Eye Shadow Stick Witness White (Silver flicks in between winged liner) Smashbox Bb Cream Eyes Light (Under-eye concealer)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (Eyeshadow primer)
Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner Deepest Black (To waterline the lines and outer lips)
Prestige Waterproof Lip Liner True Red (For the inner lips)

Brushes:

Bdellium 708 (Silver Flicks), 762 (Brows), 781 (Black Eyeshadow), 964 (Blush)
Beauty Blender (Foundation)
Coastal Scents Angled Eyeliner Brush (For Winged Liner)
Real Techniques Buffing Brush* (Foundation), Multi-tasking Brush (Bronzer), Detailer Brush* (Lips)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Brush

I actually didn't end up doing much for Halloween. I had a few ideas with friends but we didn't end up going through with them. The weather was terrible in Toronto!
What did you do for Halloween and what did you dress up as?