2011 Beauty Reflections:My Best Products Of The Year

Ha! I get to use my blog title in a post title. It's the little things that amuse me. ;)

Declaring something as my favourite product is hard for me to do, which is why I don't do it very often.

But, at the end of the year it's time to think back and reflect on what products we really, really loved. For me this means products that I adore so much that I can't imagine being without them.

My Best Products of 2011!

1. Dior Aurora Bronzer

HOLY GRAIL BRONZER. Probably the only item that I will award HG status too. I have never been able to use a powder bronzer to get a natural looking tan before I picked up this one. It's so amazing and I wish I had picked up 10 of them. I sure hope Dior brings it back, or makes something even more awesome if that's even possible.

  2. Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadows

Ok, this is probably another HG item for me. It's one of the few eyeshadows I can wear without a primer and won't crease on me. So easy to use, so beautiful-I need more! I have 2 shades, this one and champagne #8 and would love to own them all. Maybe someday!

3. Prive Hair Products

These shampoos and styling products are amazing and work so well for my hair. I'm going to need to order more! 

4. NARS Yachiyo Blush Brush




Ok, maybe this one isn't fair since I just got it as a Christmas gift, but seriously this blush brush has changed my life. Really pigmented blushes that I love but were so hard to use are now no match for my NARS Yachiyo. I no longer have to worry about looking like a clown!

  4. KORRES Quercitin & Oak Anti-ageing Eye Cream



This is a fabulous eye cream. I can't believe what a difference this has made in such a short time. I wake up with my under eyes feeling moisturized and refreshed looking. I love this stuff.

5. Burberry Russet Blush





If I had to pick one blush as my favourite blush, then it would be my Burberry Russet Blush. This blush is amazing and I always go back to using it no matter what other pretties have seduced me. It just sculpts your cheeks into supermodel cheekbones, blends beautifully and goes with everything.

6.  BareMinerals READY™ Eyeshadows



This eyeshadow formula is AMAZING. I need to get more of them! They blend so beautifully and are so pigmented. LOVE.




That's pretty much it! My Best Products of 2011 and the products I will ALWAYS use no matter what, or at least until they run out which will happen to my Dior Aurora Bronzer eventually. I will cry when that happens. Seriously. No joke.

2011 has been a great, yet sad year for me. Sad, because I lost my dad this year and miss him dearly. My mother passed away 15 years ago, so it's really weird to not have parents any more. Oddly enough I now feel like a grown up. I don't like that feeling.

On the other hand, it's been a great year because I have made some beautiful friendships and have had some memorable experiences! Some great moments of 2011 have been:

- my London, Paris, Rome trip was the trip of a lifetime!

- felt so proud watching my daughter graduate from High School

- quit my stressful job

-bought a brand new car

- being in the Lipstick Bandits and getting to know all those lipstick fiends- I heart every one of you!

- doing the Cartoon Saturdays EOTD with Larie@Eye Heart It

- had loads of fun doing Halloween Makeup with Vonnie@Socialite Dreams

-got to meet and hug Dani@Call It Beauty, Ashley@Makeup Kismet,
Larie@Eye Hear It and Monika@Raocaille Writes

- found my long lost Big Sis Eugenia@ Ommorphia Beauty Bar

-found another true blush fiend that has a collection that rivals my own in Paris B @My Women's Stuff

-had the most EPIC conversation about LOTR, PEZ and Orlando Bloom with @MakeupMorsels and Xiao@Messy Wands

-making friends all over the world through blogging!

And a big Thank You to all of you who read my little blog. I appreciate it so very much and look forward to improving Beauty Reflections in 2012!

Monthly Misses December 2011

Wow, it's the end of December and the end of 2011! Seriously, this year flew by!


1. Lise Watier Flash Radiance Vials*

 Yeah, this did nothing as far as I could tell. Too bad really. You know I love you Lise Watier Cosmetics, but I'm not about to pay $27 for seven of these. 

2. OPI Muppets Collection Fresh Frog Of Bel Air*



I was super excited to try this polish as Kermit The Frog is one of my heroes! But this glitter polish takes too much work to get on-this is three coats and I think you'd need about FIVE to make it nice and opaque, plus it's a glitter so taking this off is WORK. Plus it's just a little weird looking to me. Something about it just doesn't look right to me.

3. Soap & Glory Trick and Treatment



I got this at Boots in London. Boy I wish there was a tester because there's no way I would have picked it up. This is just straight up gold sparkle!

All this did was HIGHLIGHT my purple circles?  NO THANKS. I can do without drawing any more attention to looking dead tired every day of my life thank you very much.

See what I mean?




4. MesmorEyes Full Lashes and Eyelash Adhesive*

These were...well..weird.
Apparently, each lash strip is knotted and feathered by hand to give a natural appearance and weightless feel. Sure they feel great, but since there is no strip I found it hard to get the glue on, and to get them on my lash line. Then it was hard to cover the knotted ends with eyeliner after. They didn't really give much difference in appearance to my lashes either, but I have pretty good lashes.
The lash adhesive was ok, but rather hard to remove. I don't like when I can't get glue off my eyes. Freaks me out.

That's it for this month!
Tomorrow will be my Best of 2011!

Sometimes Swatching Can Fail You- Guerlain Rosee Du Printemps Sculpting Blush

The same time I used my Shopper's Optimum Reward Redemption to get that  free Guerlain Eyeshadow Quad, I also got one of their blushes (also for free). I mean, I HAD to get a blush, right?

Right.

But I was in a hurry that day. I picked that eyeshadow quad because I had done some previous internetz research like a good beauty junkie. But I didn't check out any Guerlain Blush reviews.

So I grabbed Guerlain Rosee Du Printemps Blush 4 Éclats Sculpting Blush. Without swatching it.

 

When I got this pretty baby home and swatched I was a tad disappointed.


It was so light! So pale! So pale pink. I picked this shade because it had rose in the name, and rose blushes I love. But pale pinks and me don't usually get along. I know a lot of people really like MAC Well Dressed blush, but it just doesn't do much for me.

Guerlain Rosee Du Printemps Blush was so pale in colour, that I didn't even think it would show up on mycheeks.

Boy, was I wrong.

I love it! A lot!

I don't know how it does it, but Guerlain Rosee Du Printemps Blush not just shows up, but manages to kind of sculpt my chubby cheeks as well. Guess that's why it called a sculpting blush! I dipped my brush just in the pink colours, skipping the ivory pink because I was afraid it would lighten the blush too much. The texture is really soft-your brush will kick up some product when you dip it in. But man, does this blend beautifully! And you can build it up in intensity too, which is what I did and it still looks natural. It seems to melt into your skin and give you a natural, beautiful healthy glow. There is no way I thought it would look like this on me from my swatch. And it lasts all day too. The only thing I'm not crazy about is that it has a slight violet flowery smell to it, but at least it goes away upon application.

Guerlain Rosee Du Printemps Blush taught me a lesson I won't soon forget: A swatch can't really tell you how a product will perform and end up looking on you as well as trying it on can. It helps to swatch for sure-but sometimes you can be surprised by something!

Have you ever been disappointed by a swatch, but them amazed at what the product looks like on your face?

Beauty Confessions #3: Beauty Product Pet Peeves

image by luigi diamanti/FreeDigitalPhotos.net(click on photo for portfolio)

I am a makeup junkie. Beauty addict. Whatever you wanna call it. I love my beauty products!

Since I use A LOT of products and have tried A LOT of stuff, I like things to work well. The way they're supposed to, ya' know? I just expect this by now in my makeup journey. I hate it when beauty products don't even perform close to how they should. And since it's the end of the year, I figure it's time for a little rant!

I'm allowed, right?


Here's a few of my Beauty Product Pet Peeves:

1. Nail Polish that chips in one day- really? One day? I mean, I don't expect polish to be like armour or anything, but one day? And even with a top coat on? Irks me.

2. Lip Balms that dry out your lips- WTH? I thought lip balms were meant to put moisture BACK into your lips, not suck out every last bit of water. I think it's an evil conspiracy of some kind frankly.

3. Sticky Lipgloss-I just won't go there anymore. Nope. Find some other person that likes to have flypaper lips, because this old lady is DONE with that.

4. Crusty Hairspray- Yes, I understand that on the can you say you're an extra hold formula, but WHY do you have to glue my hair to my head? Not cool. I can't even brush my hair out! And then you have the gall to leave flakies behind too? We can no longer be friends I say.

Those are just a FEW of my Beauty Products Pet peeves. I could go on, but I'd rather hear what you all have to say!

What are YOUR Beauty Product Pet Peeves? Share!

Julep Maven Winner!

Congrats Marla! Check your email! Thanks everyone for entering!

Color Oops! Hair Color Remover Wipes

My daughter has red hair. BRIGHT red hair. She gets it dyed at the salon(roots especially), but as you all know, red hair fades really fast. I can't afford to take her every 2 weeks to get the colour refreshed, so I do it at home for her. I use a vegetable based dye called Special Effects in the shade Hot Lava, which is non-damaging plus it lasts a long time!

I'm not a hair stylist by any means, so let's just say I tend to get a bit of red on her ears, her forehead, her neck-it would be a heck of a lot easier if her hair wasn't so dang long! And since her skin tone closely resembles the colour of elmer's glue, the red is kind of umm...noticeable. Oh, and in case you think I only get hair dye on her then you are mistaken! How it gets on my own hands and arms even though I wear gloves is beyond my comprehension. I must be extra-skilled I tell you. Yup.

To say that I was kind of excited to try out Color Oops! Hair Color Remover Wipes that Farleyco Canada sent me is an understatement.


 

Color Oops! Hair Color Remover Wipes really work! They easily remove any dye stains with no skin irritation as they contain aloe vera plus they doesn't smell funky at all. Usually things that remove colour smell blech, but these are ok!

Color Oops! Hair Color Remover Wipes would be great to take along to the salon also to remove any stains you may get on your face there. It happens! Trust me. I know. I have a huge widow's peak, and sometimes I leave the salon with quite the Eddie Munster hairline, which is NOT a good look unless it's Halloween.

Tracy's Hairline

You can pick up Color Oops! Hair Color Remover Wipes at  farleyco.ca for $5.99 CAN, and they can also be found at London Drugs and Rexall.

Disclamer: I was sent this product to review by PR/Company. Love it or leave it, but my review and opinions are my own thoughts and words, thank you very much. 

Lipstick Bandits Sparkle!

The Lipstick Bandits are back! Yay! This time, we want to show you our fave New Year's Reds, with some sparkle added in for extra fun!

 I decided I'd show you a red that ANYONE can wear. It's red for those of you that are too scared to wear red. It's a happy red, and that makes it perfect for the holidays!

 Meet MAC Cockney.



MAC Cockney is described as a  sheer, yellow red (Lustre)with some slight red shimmer.
Because it's a lustre, the colour is buildable and the more you put on, the redder it becomes on the lips.

This is probably the most easy wearing red I own. I think MAC Cockney would be perfect for the red lipped shy because it's a not so Holy Moly You Got Red Lipstick On kind of red.

I also think it's perfect for a party, because it's not a fussy red, meaning you don't have to line your lips, painstakingly apply your fussy red with a lip brush, and then stand there all night too scared to eat or drink because you'll ruin your red lip. I HATE THAT. You can put MAC Cockney on without a mirror if needed! It's that easy of a red.

Now, if the orange red of MAC Cockney doesn't scream party! to you, then I have a solution.

A sparkly solution.

Just take a sparkly pink liglgoss (the more sparkle the better!) and put it in the middle of your lips and BAZINGA! MAC Cockney becomes a more berry red that sparkles for the New Year!

MAC Cockney is a great party lipstick for everyone as you can see! It's perfect.





Now, here's all the other Lipstick Bandits with their Sparkly Red Lipsticks! Go check them out!

• Arianne (Glitter Geek)
• Danielle (Bloomin' Beauty Blog)
• Jen (My Funny Valentine)
• Larie (Eye Heart It)
• Makeup Morsels
• Paris (My Women Stuff)
• Rae (theNotice)
• Rocaille (Rocaille Writes)
• Xiao (Messy Wands)

Have we convinced you to try a great new festive red sparkly lipstick? 

The Lipstick Bandits strike again!

An Eyeliner To Wear During The Zombie Apocalypse: Milani Infinite Liquid Eyeliner

Here we go again, another product claiming to last 24 hours: Milani Infinite Liquid Eyeliner.

WHY? Is it because New Year's Eve is coming up soon? Even if you have a social life unlike my old self here, I doubt you'll be partying with your eye makeup on for 24 hours, non?

Whatevs, just know there is no way I'll ever be able to or WANT to test out whether these products last 24 hours or not. This old lady needs her beauty sleep! WITHOUT eyeliner on I may add!


 

I think the practical me is channeling Elvis and has left the building when I shop for makeup lately. The useful/wearable shades like black and brown seem to disappear and my eyes gravitate towards and buy colours I normally would never wear! Yeah, I'm blaming it on my eyes this time!

But this blue! I mean, look at it! It's so WOW. And BLUE.


I like blue. :)

Infinite is the name of this shade and it's a bright medium blue with a slightly metallic finish/sheen.

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD. This does not budge. Not. One. Bit.

I don't like the brush it comes with-it's kind of big, plus it can get goopy. I suggest using your own eyeliner brush for a neater application. It also takes a bit of time to dry-the thicker the line you apply, the longer it takes to dry. But when it dries, it sure stays put!

You are going to need some kind of oil-based makeup remover to get  Milani Infinite Liquid Eyeliner off. And it will take awhile, so pee before you take your makeup off. :)
 Just sayin'.




Here it is in action, with some more proof of why gold eyeshadow looks weird on me.

I wholeheartedly approve this for the Zombie Apocalypse Makeup Bag. But, I'd get the black instead of Infinite, as it will be more useful and universal of a colour than this. Unless of course, you only plan to pack coloured eyeliners in your Zombie Apocalypse Makeup Bag and forgo any eyeshadows. Hey-it's up to you really!

I'm acquiring quite a few products for my Zombie Apocalypse Makeup Bag. I know I'm going to be prepared! How about you?

Have you tried Milani Infinite Liquid Eyeliners? Are you scared too?

A Blush Fiend's Ultimate Weapon: NARS Yachiyo Blush Brush

My husband is awesome. He embraces my makeup addiction. He listens to me yammer on about makeup, and even supports the addiction by shopping for me when he travels.

So, it's not surprising that he KNOWS what would make an awesome present for a blush fiend:

  The NARS Yachiyo  Blush Brush.  AKA ULTIMATE BLUSH FIEND TOOL.

 

 I feel COMPLETE now.

First off, how GORGEOUS is this baby? Apparently, this is a traditional Japanese brush based on the Kabuki theatre and Geisha makeup brushes. As you can see, the brush head is dense, with the end slightly tapered. This allows for the most precise application of blush, bronzer or highlighter onto your cheek. I can now apply blush high up on the cheeks to give me a lifted look. This brush plus my beloved Burberry Russet blush and I'm telling you it looks like I've lost 10 pounds!

The NARS Yachiyo blush brush is AMAZING during the application of a really pigmented blush. As a pale blush fiend, there are just some pigmented blushes that are quite tricky for me to apply without looking like a clown. But with the NARS Yachiyo, I no longer have to worry as it seems to pick up just enough pigment and diffuses it into a beautiful glow. It also works with less pigmented blushes, you just need to go in a few more times is all. It will build up the colour to the intensity you desire and blend it out PERFECTLY. The NARS Yachiyo KNOWS what to do. How does it know?

I now have the perfect tool for a blush fiend! I'm so glad my hubby got this for me. It's quickly become my most favourite brush EVER- MY PRECIOUS (as I sit here and pet it lovingly).

How was everyone's Christmas? I hope you all had a wonderful day with your loved ones!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Best version EVER of the Hallelujah Chorus you'll ever hear I promise! That's my present to you.
MY kind of Christmas music! :)

Big Hugs to you all! Eat lots! Hug lots!
Have a great day!

Cartoon Saturdays: Snow Miser From A Year Without A Santa Claus EOTD

One of my favourite Christmas Cartoons is The Year Without A Santa Claus. It's not shown a lot, but if you ever get a chance to see it, it's a pretty good one!

 My favourite character in it is Snow Miser. Here he is:

CLASSIC! Mr. White Christmas himself. The guy I curse at EVERY YEAR, because you all know how I feel about snow!

But, ya gotta give this guy credit. He's so suave and stylin'. 

Although, I don't know about you, but if I had minions that were little clones of me I'd be kind of creeped out. I don't think the world can handle any more Tracies. (is that the right plural?)

So, here's my icy Snow Miser inspired EOTD for you! I wanted to try for a really icy look. I took these pics outside so you could really see the icy blueness.



And here's my little minions with their EOTDs haha:




I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS EVE!

I'm going to go wait for Santa to show up on the Norad radar. I love doing that every year and seeing the little animations created for Santa's journey!

Don't forget to visit my cartoon buddy Larie@Eye Heart It to see her Frosty The Snowman Look!

I Finally Found A Gold Eyeshadow I Like!

I have been searching for a gold eyeshadow that I like and that looks good on me.

I have decided that there are NONE. They just look too, well...gold. Maybe I don't really like gold?

But, I found a compromise. It's expensive though.

I DON'T CARE BECAUSE I LOVE IT.

It's Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill in #1 Blast of Blue.

 

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill in #1 Blast of Blue is a mix of navy blue and a metallic gold that creates a blend of the two that is perfect for someone like me who can't wear gold without looking..weird. It's a dirty, smoky gold and the only way I like my gold eyeshadow I've decided! Yes, it's sparkly, but at this time of year I don't mind so much! I enjoy wearing sparkle now.

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill are pretty much the only shadows I can wear without a primer first. Even the L'Oreal dupes don't last like these do on my oily lids. I wish they did, but they don't for some reason.
 I love that I can just use my fingers too. Easiest makeup product to use ever. This is the best formula for me, the best eyeshadow for me, and if I had loads of money I'd get them ALL. For now, I'm eyeing the red and black one #2 called Lust Red.

I think I'm over my light eyeshadow kick now. Definitely. I've KILLED it. Hahaha!

My First Guerlain Eyeshadow Quad-Les Fumes

Ahhh, the beauty that is Guerlain. The PRICE that is Guerlain! I nearly choke every time I find out the price of a Guerlain product. CHOKE.

So what I do is save up my Shopper's Optimum Points for extra redemption time, and then make a beeline straight to the Guerlain Section. FREE GUERLAIN is just as good as FREE DIOR!

I have never tried their eyeshadows, so my eyes and I decided it was time and picked this palette of four shades called Les Fumes.




I know, it's full of TAUPE. What else did you think I'd get?




I dare say this is probably the perfect palette for me, if the pigmentation was a bit better. For how much this costs, you expect the shadows to be WOW. Although, I find when the pigmentation is lighter like this, it's way easier to build up your look. It just takes more time. The shadows do blend nicely I have to say!





Guerlain Les Fumes is perfect for a very neutral, sophisticated eye and I do like it.

But is it worth the high price tag?

I say nope. I'm glad I didn't have to pay for it. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a gorgeous palette, but if the pigmentation was just a little bit better then I might consider actually paying for another. Maybe. But then again, probably not. There are such great brands out there now that don't cost NEARLY as much as Guerlain does.

At least my curiosity about Guerlain eyeshadows has been satisfied, so thank you Shopper's Optimum Points Program. You gotta love Optimum points. Best rewards program hands down.

Are you a fan of Guerlain eyeshdasows?

Everybody done Christmas shopping yet?

Nothing Says Christmas Like A Green Eyeshadow! How about Two Green Eyeshadows?

I like green eyeshadows, but I rarely wear them. When I wear green eyeshadow, people usually say: Wow I like your makeup! I guess that's ok sometimes to hear, but I'd rather hear: Wow! You look good today! So yeah, that's why I don't wear green eyeshadow a lot. It's just so noticeable on my light skin and eyes and it's the first thing people see on me.

But, boy I LOVE me a good green eyeshadow for Christmas! I know a lot of people wear golds and silvers for the holiday, but I'm more literal I guess, so this is when I pull out my greens!

I have two green eyeshadows that are my absolute faves and both of them happen to be from NARS.

NARS Misfit Duo

The first one is NARS Misfit Eyeshadow Duo.(Excuse the messy look of them, as they have been used a few times already!) That emerald green with a touch of gold in it is GORGEOUS.

NARS Blade Runner Duo

This one is NARS Blade Runner and the forest green with a gold shimmer reminds me of a Christmas tree! And paired with that mahogany brown, just absolutely perfect.

Both of these NARS duos are really great too. The shadows are soft, pigmented and blend like a dream.


 

For the NARS Misfit look, I first took Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Covet and covered my lid with it as a base. Then, I took the emerald green shadow and covered my lid and took it under my lash line as well. I used my Tarina Tarantino Hyperliner in Glamorous Thief and lined my upper lash line. Then I used the light ecru colour from the Misfit Duo as a highlighter and a light gold shadow on my inner eye corner. Then I used my Tarina Tarantino Sparkicity Pure Opal Glitter all over for some Christmas sparkle!

 For the NARS Blade Runner look, I used the dark forest green all over my eye lid, and the mahogany shade on my lower lash line, with Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Lucky on my lower waterline and in my inner corner. I used a tiny bit of the mahogany shadow on the crease, and then just a neutral shade as a highlight under my brow. A thick line of eyeliner was then added.Then, I used my Tarina Tarantino Sparklicity Pure Bronze Gltter over the forest green. It added so much dimension to the green that it looked like a piece of shiny Christmas ribbon in person! The only thing I would have changed for this one would have been to added some major falsies, but I still really liked it.

 

There you go! My two favourite Christmas Green Eye looks!

What colour eyeshadows say Christmas to you?

Holiday Gift Idea: Cake Vanilla Snow Woman Glistening All Over Trio

Cake Beauty has some really great Holiday Sets this year!

I bought Cake Vanilla Snow Woman Glistening All Over Trio for my daughter, so Shhhhhhh.... don't tell! But I thought I'd open it up to show you the insides before I wrap it up!



The set includes: Vanilla Snow Woman Glistening Body Wash, Vanilla Snow Woman Glistening Body Mousse & Pink Icicle lip gloss!



Vanilla Snow Woman Glistening Body Wash contains coconut oil, glycerin, and Vitamin E so it won't dry out your skin in the shower. The Vanilla Snow Woman Glistening Body Mousse is packed with coconut oil, mango butter, aloe vera, and macadamia nut oil to moisturize skin and leave it shimmering! And the Pink Icicle Lip Gloss hydrates and smoothes lips with pomegranate extract and rosemary oil. It looks really pretty and sparkly to me!

I thought it was such a cute gift for $30 CAN and picked it up during a sale at Well.ca. You can't go wrong with anything from Cake Beauty as far as I'm concerned. EVERYTHING they make smells so good and works so well!

Ok, I better wrap this one up before she gets home!

Have you ever tried anything from Cake Beauty?

Essie Very Structured And Holiday Chocolate Go Hand in Hand

Yeah, I'm just getting to wear Essie Very Structured, even though it came out in the Fall.

What can I say? I'm a little slow!

Essie Very Structured is described as a Burnt Sienna. Since my daughter draws,  I happen to see a lot of sienna around the house and yup, depending on the light, this does resemble that stuff!

In this picture it kind of looks more of a milk chocolate to me-a really shiny, belgium chocolate bunny actually. Is it Easter yet?


The formula is great with two coats being opaque and drying time is pretty decent.

I kind of like Essie Very Structured even though it does bring out the red in my skin tone. It's different and unique and boy I wish it smelled like chocolate! Wouldn't that be awesome? I know it's not a very Christmasy shade, but Holiday Chocolate polish is plausible, right?

Ok, I'm done talking about chocolate now. WHO am I kidding? I'm never done talking about chocolate!

What's your favourite Christmas Chocolate? We always get a box of chocolate from Bernard Callebaut for Christmas! I can hardly wait!

Yia Sou! Get To Know KORRES This Holiday Season! Quercitin & Oak Anitageing Eye and Night Creams

When KORRES Quercitin & Oak Anitageing Eye and Night Creams arrived at my door, I figured it was fate.

I have been looking for a night cream to use. KORRES seems to know what I need!



Now, the first thing I thought when I saw this was: What the HECK is Quercitin and Oak?

Quercetin & Oak is a clinically proven natural alternative to Retinol. Quercitin is an antioxidant from the bark of the oak tree that boosts the enzyme Protease which acts as a natural mechanism performing two critical functions that keep skin acting healthy and looking young:
• breaks down and eliminate damaged, toxic skin proteins that cause signs of ageing.
•  recycle amino acids, the building blocks needed to create healthy proteins of collagen and elastin, which are what's needed to keep skin looking young.

KORRES Quercitin & Oak Anitageing Night Cream, you had me at RETINOL ALTERNATIVE.

I've tried prescription Retin-A and retinol products in the past, and they irritate my skin beyond belief. My skin becomes angry, red, scaly, dry- and I break out even more! Same thing happens with glycolics. I've had two glycolic peels, and the first one was 30% strength and my skin was ok with that. The next one was 40% and my skin was irritated for 2 weeks after, plus I broke out like a teen in hormone overload. Yeah, no more of that thank you very much!

But what's a girl my age to do? I still want to fight off wrinkles, and retin-a/retinol is one of the best ingredients to do that!

KORRES Quercitin & Oak Anitageing Night Cream seems to be the answer!

The ingredient list is a tad longer on this one!

Ingredients:
Water (eau), Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Triheptanoin, Behenyl Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Beeswax (Cire D'abeille), Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Lecithin, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sucrose , Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Galactoarabinan , Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance (parfum), Serine, Arginine, PCA, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Alanine, Disodium EDTA, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, Threonine, Sodium Gluceptate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Glyceryl Oleate, Quercetin Caprylate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Lactic Acid, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Mourera Fluviatilis Extract, Quercus Robur Bark Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract.


I've been using it for a week now, and my skin feels softer and looks brighter (using the Wild Rose Serum in the day is also helping with that!). KORRES Quercitin & Oak Anitageing Night Cream is INCREDIBLY moisturizing and hasn't broken me out once, or irritated my sensitive skin. It's really thick, but I like that in a night cream. I like feeling that it's there, ya know? But no worries, as it does sink in and won't grease up your pillows! It does have a smell though-a kind of herbal scent(there's my scent describing skillz hard at work again), but I kind of like it. I like herbal-y smells!





KORRES Quercitin & Oak Anitageing Eye Cream has pretty much the same ingredients, with the addition of Rhodiola rosea extract which helps prevent the appearance of dark circles and eye puffiness. The eye cream is a three-in-one treatment that helps minimize the appearance of undereye darkness and puffiness while leaving the eye area looking younger, firmer, and feeling more elastic. It's lightweight and hydrating without feeling heavy, which is great for an eye cream. If eye creams are too heavy they give me milia. So far, none to be found! I like using it a night, but it's suitable to use in the daytime as well.

You can now find KORRES at most Shopper's Drug Marts, and of course at Sephora. But if you happen to be in the drugstore picking up your prescription or getting some milk, and you STILL haven't got that special someone something for Christmas yet....you see where I'm going? GONE are the days of only being able to pick up a can of Pepsi or a pack of gum as a gift at the drugstore! Get some KORRES!

Disclamer: I was sent this product to review by PR/Company. Love it or leave it, but my review and opinions are my own thoughts and words, thank you very much. 

To Swatch Or Not To Swatch? That Is The Question

I forgot to tell you all about this!

A couple of weeks ago, I was at a Rexall Drugs, wanting to take part of a 50% off makeup products for face promotion they had going on.

I really wanted to try theBalm concealer, as it seems to be a favourite one of many fellow beauty junkies.

So, I started swatching to see what shade would work best for me. I chose the light. Done!

But of course, I wanted to get some other things as well to take advantage of the sale. I shop beauty like I think most people do. When a product catches my eye, I stop at the sample and swatch it to see what the texture feels like, and to get an idea of how it will work on my skin.

Now, the SA(who was an older lady, btw) kind of kept checking on me. She looked rather uncomfortable. Now, it's not like I was swatching EVERYTHING in sight-I don't do that. I'm not a swatch monster by no means. Finally, she couldn't take it any more and came up to me with a white piece of paper. She asked me to please stop swatching onto my hands, and to use this white piece of paper instead because of the germs that were possibly in the testers. She didn't want me to touch them onto my skin.

HUH???!!! 


Now, I know there are germs in the tester. I used to work at Sephora(part-time to feed my addiction), and every time someone would dip their finger in a product and go straight to their face with that finger I'd cringe.
Or when young girls use the mascara testers and put the mascara on.
Or when someone would use the eyeliners.
All cringe moments for sure.

After I swatch makeup testers from any store, I always use hand sanitizer(whether the store's, or my own in my purse) to disinfect my hands after.

So I was very confused by this woman's policy. They have hand sanitizers at Rexall to use.

I didn't know what to say. I had never been stopped from swatching before. So I took my concealer to the front cash register, paid for it and left.


What do you guys think?

Do you swatch the testers on your hands when makeup shopping? Or do you just buy your makeup by how it looks?

To swatch or not to swatch-that is my question!

Julep Maven Review and Giveaway!

Maven-an expert or connoisseur.

I like that word. I want to be a Maven!

 Have you guys heard of Julep Maven? I hadn't actually. So I thought I'd share with you what exactly it's all about!

Julep Maven is a monthly subscription service, but it's a hand, nail and foot care brand that offers nail polishes and other related care products delivered to your home. Julep Maven is POWERED BY GIRLFRIENDS and donates $1 from every Nail polish to organizations that empower women.


Now THAT's my kind of Maven.

 How does the Julep Maven membership works?

For just $19.99 a month, you’ll receive over $40 worth of customized nail/hand/foot care products (full-sized) each month packaged in a Sneak Peek Box-it's red!
You get 20% off all julep.com purchases and Free shipping on ALL your purchases!
You can also skip any month or send your box to a girlfriend as a gift – free of charge. You can cancel your membership at any time.
Each box also comes with a sample surprise and delight element so you can try something new!

 Want to be a Julep Maven?

Take a Julep Maven Style Quiz ! It will determine your style profile which could be American Beauty, Classic with a Twist, Boho Glam, It Girl, or Bombshell. Then view your Style Profile and your customized Sneak Peek Box with products that best fit you. If you like what you see, then just sign up for a Julep Maven subscription!

After the first box, you will get a preview email every month to notify about your selected products and if you don’t like what you see, you can ask to receive another “shelf pull” of different products. HOW COOL IS THAT? I wish all monthly beauty subscriptions did that.

 I was sent a "Classic With A Twist" Maven Box and I LOVE IT. It is perfect for me!

Of course, this came in a box! A red box to be exact! 

I received 2 nail polishes: Michelle which is a deep navy, and Whitney a mushroom grey beige
A Julep Facial For Hands Glycolic Scrub
A sample of Julep Glow on, an age defying hand brightener
A sample of Julep Everyday SPF 30 Hand Cream



These polish colours are great! Almost opaque in one coat! They are on the thin side, so be careful not to apply too much. They dry quickly which you know I like. Excuse my short nails, but they all kind of broke off wile I was traveling a couple of weeks ago.



The Glycolic Scrub is really great and isn't too abrasive, but leaves my hands nice and smooth after using it. And the hand brightener is awesome as well and helps your hands look fresh and not dull! The SPF 30 Hand Cream is fantastic and I love that it has sunscreen in it. It's important to protect those hands from the sun as well!

Like what you see?

The nice people at Julep Maven have offered my readers a special offer! If you sign up to be a Julep Maven and use the code BEAUTYREFLECTIONS at checkout, you'll get your first Julep Maven Box for just $9.99!

They have also kindly offered to host a giveaway where one of you can win your OWN Julep Maven Intoductory Box!

All you have to do is follow Beauty Reflections on GFC and Bloglovin' and Facebook.  The others are for extra entries. You have to be a resident of Canada or the USA to enter.

The contest will run until Dec. 28th, and I will draw the winner and announce it on Dec. 29.

Good luck everyone!

A Beauty Blogger's BFF-The OttLite

Winter. It's hard on all of us. But to us Beauty Bloggers, it really hurts!

You see, most of us believe it or not, don't blog 24/7 or make a living at blogging. It's our hobby! And this hobby becomes quite difficult to upkeep in the winter due to the lack of daylight. We go to work when it's dark, and when we come home it's dark. There's no time and not enough light to take lovely pictures! I don't think employers would approve of us taking pictures of beauty products at work.

I found an answer to help end the dark days of blogging while shopping at Costco. My little eyes spied this pretty little number:  The OttLite Natural Daylight Desk Lamp

OttLite helps you see details clearly and makes colours appear true to life.

So now, if I feel like snapping pictures of my new favourite lipstick at 8:00 pm, I can. I love it.

Right now, you can get the  The OttLite Natural Daylight Desk Lamp at Costco for $19.99. I've already convinced some of my fellow bloggers to get one!

Oh, and you don't have to just blog to enjoy an OttLite Natural Daylight Lamp. If you have other hobbies besides blogging like knitting, or embroidery, or models, then using an OttLite will help reduce eyestrain. They are a really great investment!