12 Days of Giveaways: Day 10 with Clarins

Too make makeup? A lady can never have enough good makeup.

And that lady would be moi.

I have always been one of those little girls with scrapes on my knees, running around racing with the boys in my neighbourhood yet always scrupulously watching every single detail while my mom applied her makeup. I was so fascinated.

When I got my first little makeup set to wear and keep as a tween, I was thrilled!

As I grew up, I would experiment with different makeup looks (according to what looked good on me and what was trendy at the time) and as the years flew by I learned what a world of a difference good, quality makeup did for not only your appearance but your skin.

I was taught not to cover your natural beauty and features with makeup, but to enhance it. And that was the best advice anyone has ever given me when it came to makeup.

Clarins came into my world a few years ago when I began using their body creams and then gradually merged into their beauty line.

I couldn't live without my Clarins Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss now (well I can but you get the idea) -- I take it with me everywhere! I also LOVE the smooth feeling of their lipsticks and how beautiful the colours are.

The Joli Rouge Lipstick in Hot Pink is a current favourite!

Here are my 2013 Favourites!

If you are looking to treat yourself this Christmas or for that discerning beauty habitué on your list, you will find the perfect gift with Clarins.

To learn more about their luxurious products, visit: www.clarins.ca.

Courtesy of Clarins Canada, one of you my lucky readers will win all that you see above in my favourites! 

Prize includes:

Rouge Prodige and Joli Rouge Lipsticks ($27), Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour in Lovely Rose (beautiful for all skin shades!), Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Graphite ($42), Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour ($32), Body Lift Cellulite Smoother ($65). Wow!

To enter, leave me a comment below telling me which Product featured here you are most excited to try and why.

Open to Canadian Residents only.

Ends 12/12.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Happy 1 Year Anniversary GLOSSYBOX!

Attention Beauty Lovers!
We have yet another monthly beauty box subscription available to you, but this time we're getting a little more daintier, chic and high end.

So as you already know, I've done tons of Beauty Monthly Box Subscription reviews to date, all of which have not disappointed and offered a nice surprise for me. However, the GLOSSYBOX has raised the bar and perhaps stands as #1 of Beauty Boxes for me to date.
What I love (and can totally tell) about the GLOSSYBOX is that it was created by and for the chic and trendy woman.

Similar to the others, how it works is simple.
You join GLOSSYBOX online, choose your subscription plan and create your body profile.
Based on your profile, 5 carefully selected deluxe luxurious beauty samples are sent to you each month in a pretty keepsake box (more durable than it's competitors) and wrapped in pretty packaging.
I always hate opening the packaging when it's so pretty!

Usually the GLOSSYBOX is in a lovely pale pink keepsake box but this was a special box for their one year anniversary + Valentine's Day special Month.

Upon opening the ribbon, here was what came inside the Anniversary Box.

Right away I was pleased to see some Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips in there because my nose was in total of need it! No matter how often I care for my skin daily and exfoliate 1-2x a week, sometimes you really need a deeper cleansing strip to remove all the dead skin and blackheads.

 

Another product that instantly screamed out to me was the Anatomicals Shower Gel. Catchy name, especially because it really did smell like a rose bouquet.

 

 I am a lip gloss fanatic so I was very happy to see a sample of Givenchy's Gloss Interdit in No.3 Coral Frenzy. What a pretty colour for Spring!

The Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment is a product I'm definitely looking forward to trying out. I just recently coloured my hair for Spring and the it's in some need of a little extra TLC.

 

It's too bad the Crabtree & Evelyn Tarocco Orange Eucalyptus & Sage Ultra-Moisturizing Hand Therapy was only a small sampling satchet. It smelled delightful! However, a little birdie told me to stay tuned for a full-size of this product in an upcoming box! 

 

I'm not usually one to try out eye shadow if I am unfamiliar with the brand name as I've had a bad experience in the past, but once I tried out the (full-size) Essence Quattro Eyeshadow that I received in my GLOSSYBOX, I was quite impressed! The staying power is great and I didn't need to apply more than 2 swipes of a colour on my lids for it to show. 

This is the Oh-So-Cute Quattro Eyeshadow collection with pretty shimmery shades of Pink, White, Blue and Dark Midnight Blue/Black.

This is how the colours looks on my skin after just one swipe. Pretty vibrant, huh?

Other products included in the box was a Eucerin Hyal-Urea Anti-Wrinkle Day/Night Cream Satchet Duo and a GLOSSYBOX Cupcake Kit. How adorable are they?!

 I'm predicting some delicious red velvet cupcakes in the near future.

For only $21 a month (+ free S&H) and other great perks and discounts if purchased in bulk installments, I truly think this is a fun and worthwhile subscription for the beauty-loving lady that enjoys the indulgence and all pretty things.

You can cancel anytime you want.  For more information, visit them online at: www.glossybox.ca.

Cupcake, anyone?

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Springtime Farmers Market with Bath & Body Works Fresh-Picked Collection

Living so close to beautiful farmlands, what I always look forward to once Spring rears its lovely head are the Farmers Markets.
They hold them every Saturday and Sunday morning along the main street of the city where all the farmers gather with their goods and of course daily at their own farms.

The smell is what always gets me good. Fresh blooming Spring flowers and delicious berries of all kinds... what a tantalizing delight to my senses!

This month, Bath & Body Works is springing into action and offering that medley of goodness in their new Fresh Picked collection, which includes their scented candles and their hand and body care products.

I have a slight fetish for scented candles.
When I received a few of the new Fresh-Picked Scented Candles from Bath & Body Works, I was over-the-moon! I lit up the Lemon Mint Leaf and used it for my main bath and the scent literally felt like a drink of fresh lemonade with a hint of mint.

The strawberry was delectable but I have to say the Pineapple-Mango was my absolute favourite. AMAZING!
They burn for a while and the smell really fills your space unlike some candles where the scent would only gather closeby and then quickly die out after a while. The oils from the candle really hug your home and lingers without an overpowering nauseating smell.
That is so important to me having little ones in the home; I don't want to have a smell that will irritate them and these didn't at all.

Currently they have a fabulous special for their 3-wick candles for 2 for $22. That is a steal!
Each large candle is already $22.50. 
Go stock up on them. Definite must-haves in your home.

The collection includes:

• Garden Bouquet
• Pear
• Strawberry
• Market Peach
• Lemon Mint Leaf
• First Bloom
• Pineapple Mango
• Lilac Blossom

Their Anti-bacterial hand soaps was another favourite, specifically the Wildberries scent.
Unlike other anti-bac products, they leave a please and yummy scent on your hands. No hint of alcohol!
Each hand sanitizer retails for $5.50 each.

The collection includes:

• Fresh Picked Apple Blossoms
• Fresh Picked Apples
• Fresh Picked First Bloom
• Fresh Picked Garden Herbs
• Fresh Picked Garden Mint
• Fresh Picked Pears
• Fresh Picked Strawberries
• Fresh Picked Tangerines
• Fresh Picked Wildberries

To learn more about their Spring Products, check out their Spring Guide here.
And for more updates, visit them online on Facebook.

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It's a British Beauty Invasion with Soap & Glory

The Brits have arrived and they've brought some amazing face and body products along with them.

You know when you walk into a store looking for a specific product and then there's this super-awesome item that just catches your eye on the shelf courtesy of brilliant packaging?
Say hello to Soap & Glory and get your skin spring & summer ready!

I have always seen Soap & Glory products during my trips to Shoppers Drug Mart but because I'm pretty much loyal to a few of my body and beauty products, I've never given them a whirl.

Have you seen them before? They are hard to miss.
From pretty dark pink shades with vivid fonts, catchy titles like 'Sexy Mother Pucker' or 'Clean On Me' and images of Vintage Pin-ups, you'd pretty much be sold from the exterior alone.

I was ecstatic to be sent over a few Soap & Glory Favourites to try for myself!
I can honestly tell you now, I have found a few new favourites. This explains why I've been seeing this brand pop up in multiple Magazines.

Marcia Kilgore is the Saskatchewan-born, Alberta-raised entrepeneur behind Soap & Glory. Gotta love our Canuck-born masterminds. A mother of two married to a European and living in London, she finally focused on bringing her brand back home to Canada.
Now proud purveyor of an absolutely fabulous full range of beauty, body and bath-stuffs, Soap & Glory recommends putting your products on with happiness and abandon, because they believe while beauty absolutely matters, it doesn’t matter absolutely.


Best-selling and award-winning, The Righteous Butter Body Butter™ has already become my new indulgence.

 
Infused with softening shea butter and aloe vera and scented with their Original Pink™ fragrance.
Their fragrance is a fruity floral of Rose and Bergamot -- it's not overpowering at all which is good and the smell sticks to your skin so well even after hours.
What I also love about it is that even though it is a body butter, it's not sticky like many tend to get.
It goes on smoothly and it feels fresh, not too thick and not too thin (or watery) like regular lotion.
This retails for $18.00 CDN, 300 ml.

The Hand Food hand cream never leaves my desk!
I also purchased another to keep in my bag on the go.

It's a non-greasy, hydrating hand cream to help relieve dry, chapped hands and also leaves that fresh Original Pink scent. It's made with shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow. Yes, marshmallow! Just lovely. And it sounds good enough to eat. But you don't want to do that.
It retails for $10, 125 ml.

Another favourite for the bath would have to be Flake Away™ Peach Seed Powder and Sugar Body Polish. With sugar & sea salt to scrub away dead cells, peach seed powder for gently polishing and grape seed oil and shea butter for nourishing and moisturizing.
I loved the feeling of my skin after I used this. Followed by the Righteous Body Butter and wow your skin is totally spring/summer ready!
Retail price is $18.00, 300 ml.

And ladies, you do not want to miss out on their lip-pumping, super-colour gloss, Sexy Mother Pucker.

With Superfill™ lip plumping spheres and LIPSWELL™ microcirculation boosting technology, this gloss is sure to pretty that pout.
I tried it on over my lip stick and after a couple of seconds felt the tingly, cool sensation. It lasted about 10 seconds than slowly faded away.
I already have naturally full lips (thank you genetics), but I did see the difference (and definitely felt it!).
I have had a few other friends of mine rave about Sexy Mother Pucker being a favourite of theirs.
They have 4 different colours: Clear, Candy Gloss (this is the one I used), Half Naked and Yummy Plum (I like this colour!)
Retails for $15.00 CDN, 7ml.

I can go on about all the products I received; I was thoroughly impressed!
Although it was an impressive line-up, I will have to say, aside from the Hand Food, I found the price a little more than I would like. Knock off a couple of dollars on each item and I'm totally sold.
But I will say that they do not skimp out on the amount and size of their product -- you get a lot and you don't need a lot which I guess is a contributing factor to the price.
Try it for yourself next time! You may find a few new favourites too!

Currently, you can only find and purchase the Soap & Glory products at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores. Looking forward to seeing them expand!
You can learn more about Soap & Glory online at: www.soapandglory.com/ca.

I'm giving my readers the opportunity to win a Soap & Glory Prize Pack which include:
The Righteous Butter Body Butter™, Sexy Mother Pucker XL extreme plump collagen lip shine and a Hand Food Hand Cream {ARV $50}.

Enter via rafflecopter below. Good luck!

*This contest is only open to Canadian residents.
Ends 2/25.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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What's your Signature Fall Scent?

Time to start diggin' out our favourite Fall fashion items in the back of the closet or better yet, go shopping for some new ones! But aside from clothing, hair, and makeup (all which should definitely be changed up come Fall/Winter), what about our perfume?

Your fragrance says a lot about who you are -- whether you are shy romantic or the life of the party.

Some women choose a signature scent and wear it regularly, no matter what the occasion or season of the year. Other women prefer to have an assortment of choices in their perfume collection and they choose a particular scent according to their mood, the occasion or just on a whim.

Fragrance is a very personal and individual thing. One person's favourite is another person's headache. Make sure when buying new perfume to test it on your skin. What smells good on another person, will not smell the same on you. This is due to our own body chemistry and natural scent.

I'm real big on switching up my scent to accommodate each season. 

Perfumes react to the environment and will behave differently according to the time of year.

Unless of course you have a favourite perfume that is perfect for both the Warmer and Colder months.

Examples of that are: Dior J'adore, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Lancome Hypnose, Burberry Brit, Vera Wang Princess, amongst many other great choices.

Here are my favourite perfumes by Season:

Spring/Summer: Roger et Gallet's Rose

I discovered this scent in Paris and fell in love. There really is no other perfume like French perfume. They really know their scents.  I have a very sensitive nose and have a tendency to get nauseous over strong odours, especially when traveling in the car. So because of that, I have to stick with subtle floral or citrus type perfumes as they are better on my nose.

Fall/Winter: Stella McCartney's Stella and Guerlain's Champ-Elysées

These two are my top signature scents in the colder months. I love Stella for it's fresh and pretty scent which isn't too light that it fades away. It smells amazing on my skin.

Champs-Elysées is my only winter scent. I love it so much! I was given it as a gift from my hubby a few years ago and have only worn it since. I've "smelled" around but never have I replaced my Winter fragrance with anything else. It's a beautiful, unique scent with a powerful (but not overbearing) statement.

Aside from perfumes, body butter's and cream's are also imperative.

I am big on Vanilla and Almond (and some coconut) smelling cream's.  Here are my all-time favourite body butter's (I only use body butter's -- much better on the skin & less water content than lotion).

The Body Shop`s Almond Body Butter

My ultimate fave body butter! 

Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar
A yummy yet pretty scent for the skin.

Yves Rocher`s Noix de Coco Body Cream and Perfume combo (have to have them together!)

This is one coconut smell that I`m a huge fan of. It smells extremely lovely and settles so well into my skin. I love the scent of the lingering fragrance. If you haven't smelled this before, I highly recommend it!

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