Faves Friday!

Of course when I decide to do Faves Friday every two weeks, there's so many products that I want to feature. Here's what I've narrowed it down to.

Sappho Liquid Foundation in Leisha - review here - This is just the best liquid foundation that I've come across. When applied with the beautyblender (that black sponge above), it just provides a beautiful natural finish that covers all of the redness and most of the acne scars on my face.

Pure+Simple Face Colour in Soleil - review here - Peach/orange/coral blushes are not ones I tend to reach for. I find they bring out the redness in my face BUT, I randomly decided to use Soleil and fell in love, hard. It's a beautiful peachy shade that just makes my skin look incredible and glow.

NBW Healing Balm for Burns, Scrapes & Rashes - review to come - NBW is a Canadian brand that we carry at my work. My boss basically forced me to take this home to see if it would help heal the contact dermatitis/eczema/whatever it is that's on my fingers. WOWZA! This stuff has seriously been helping. Within minutes of applying, the redness disappears and the dry patches soften. Between no longer using powdered gloves and this, I swear my fingers have almost completely healed.

That's all! What have you been loving lately? With Spring around the corner, I'm sure you've been feeling extra cheeky with makeup. Shareeee your faves with me below :)

Faves Friday! - New Series

My attempt at doing a Faves Friday every Friday has already started off poorly. It's Saturday, as you all know, and that's that. I will be better prepared next week, promise!
Anyway, I will be doing a weekly faves in place of a monthly one because I was big time slacking on those. I also think it's easier to remember what I've been using and loving weekly vs. monthly. Every week I'll choose the top 3 products that I've been loving, excluding this post as I'm covering the last two weeks, and tell you why. Blah, blah, blah. Shall we just start now?

One Love Organics Vitamin B Active Moisture Cleansing Oil & Makeup Remover - review here - This stuff is amazing! It removes makeup beautifully without drying out my skin AND having to do a double cleanse. 

Skin Essence Organics Nourish Moisturizer Serum - review here - I have mixed feelings on this product, but do find it moisturizes incredibly well. I've been loving it mixed with the next fave.

Tamanu Oil - review here - I'm almost running out of this bottle and will NEED to repurchase whether it's still #NoBuyJanuary or not because it's a staple for keeping my skin happy. Skin Essence mixed with this has been very nourishing, especially with the extreme weather killing my skin.

*Therapi Orange Blossom No. 3 Honey Moisturizer - review here - What a beautiful moisturizer! I have been using it morning and night for an extra moisture boost. It's great alone, when my skin isn't so dry, but has been working even better with oils underneath or mixed in. It creates a beautiful base for makeup and deeply nourishes at night. 

*Pure Anada Pressed Foundation in Very Fair - review here - This foundation is amazing. My cheeks have been tomato red and this works to cover that up without having to apply too much. I'll use this shade if I'm doing a full face of makeup and Light on "no makeup" days. Love applying it with the EcoTools bronzer brush.

*Sappho Concealer in Neutrality - review here - This neutral pinkish shade has been working well under my eyes. I finally gave up my favourite Origins concealer and while this isn't as good, it works. Neutrality makes me look more awake and polished.  I apply it with the Real Techniques domed shadow brush. Oh Sudz is on my radar though!

That's what I've been loving for the last 2 weeks. What have been some of your faves lately?

*PR Sample

October and November 2013 Favourites!

I totally forgot to do an October favourites. Luckily, I've been loving the same things for the last 2 months. 

REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask - review here - This mask has been a staple with the weather getting so cold. I've been using it twice a week to remove any dead skin and find it revives my skin. It's really helped brighten my complexion and reduce breakouts. Love!

Andalou Naturals Illuminating Toner - review here - mmm, smells soooo good. Aside from the scent, it works great as a toner, cleanser on no makeup days, makeup setter, and skin refresher. It doesn't irritate or dry out my skin. Both my mom and I love it!

Corpa Flora Éclat Citrouille Antioxidant Night Cocktail - review here - This oil is magical. It transforms my skin over night. I wake up with brighter, softer, more even toned and radiant skin. I even find it calms any redness or irritation that I may have. I haven't been this excited about an oil since I discovered tamanu and sea buckthorn.

*Sappho Liquid Foundation + BeautyBlender - review here - The combo here is a match made in beauty heaven. The foundation is great but, it's even better (for my skin) when applied with the beautyblender. Provides the perfect amount of coverage while giving a luminous and very natural finish. Anytime I wear makeup, this is my go to.

Alima Pure Mauna Loa Bronzer (not pictured) - review here - Bronzer has been a staple since my vacation in October. It has helped darken my foundation to match my body. Even though I've lost most of my tan, I love how it warms up my face without looking like I rubbed dirt all over. Hands down my favourite bronzer.

Wedderspoon 100% Raw Manuka Honey - no review - Manuka honey is so delicious and I'm not sure how I've lived so long without it. In the last couple of weeks, I've also used it as a mask and what a difference it's made!! This just might be a new staple in my skin care routine. DIY Body Butter - no review/not pictured - The beautiful Shauna, from Natural Beauty Junkie, actually made this body butter and I've been wanting to try it since. I've already made it twice, exactly as the recipe says, and am going to make it again because I just ran out. It smells like chocolate and moisturizes like no other! I've actually seen it lighten the stretch marks behind my knees as well. Kale Pesto - no review/not pictured - SO good! I add more lemon than the recipe calls and sometimes add a little parm to make it taste more like pesto.  Banana Protein Bake - no review/not pictured - This is my new favourite breakfast food. I make it Sunday night and it lasts all week. It keeps me full for several hours and, if I'm super lazy, I'll eat it for lunch or dinner because it's packed with goodness. I have made some substitutions to the recipe though; 4 mashed bananas in place of maple syrup and eggs, quinoa instead of rice, and chopped walnuts instead of almond flour. The mashed bananas keep the bake moist and it also masks the awful taste of the vanilla rice protein that I use. I top it with plain greek yogurt, berries, a drizzle of manuka honey and I'm good to go! Bam! *PR sample.

Sappho Liquid Foundation in Rachel Review

After having this foundation since April, I'm finally getting around to reviewing it. Sorry guys. Sappho is a great Canadian company, created by MUA JoAnn Fowler, that uses natural ingredients. I've already reviewed their concealers, pressed shadows, and blush and it's no secret that the products are wonderful. This *Liquid Foundation is no exception and I've fallen deeply, deeply in love.

Description: Preserved with essential oils and chock full of antioxidants, this liquid mineral foundation suits someone with a medium or very slightly tanned skin tone. The yellow in this foundation counteracts redness . Free of dimethicone, your skin can breathe, so you don't feel as though you are wearing foundation, yet you have great coverage—heaven! Vegan. 30ml.

Liquid foundation has never been a love of mine, mainly because I find it can look super cakey. And I must admit that when JoAnn colour matched me, using the Sappho foundation brush to apply the foundation, I wasn't impressed. Well...I was because it covered all of my imperfections, but for someone who doesn't normally wear full coverage foundation, it looked like cake face. Enter the BeautyBlender. This magical sponge has helped me fall in love. It applies the foundation flawlessly, creating a buildable light to medium coverage that's just enough for everyday wear. The foundation evens out the complexion by reducing any redness and blurs out imperfections like acne and acne scars. It gives the skin a luminous finish that looks incredibly natural. The ingredients are so pure and healing. Go ahead. Scroll down and take a look, I'll wait. Rooibos, calendula, neem, lavender, chamomile? Like really, does it get any better? The essential oil blend give this foundation a herbal scent that may be a bit much for some. I personally don't mind it and find it dissipates throughout the day. Rachel has worked well for me when I have a tan, and after my vacay I just darkened it up with bronzer. When I'm lacking sunshine, it's a tad dark but totally workable. A shade between Rachel and Leisha (shade lighter than Rachel) would be perfect. You can see a comparison of the two on Pure Makeup Blog. There are 3 things that may discourage you from trying this fantastic foundation: 1. There are only 8 shades. 2. It's $52 CAN for 30ml. 3. There is no pump. To that I say: there are samples available, a little goes a long way, and hopefully there will be one soon! I'm head over heels in love with this foundation and would definitely pick up another bottle once I run out. I've been wearing it every single day for the last 2 months and still have 2/3 of the bottle left. 

UPDATE Dec/13: Pumps are now available!

Retails for approx. $52 CAN for 30ml. Can be purchased through Sappho Cosmetics, their retailers, and Amazon.

What are some of your favourite liquid foundations? Would you give this one a try?

I obviously applied wayy too much lol.

Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Juice, Simmondsia chinensis (Organic Jojoba) Oil, *Titanium Dioxide, Aspalathus linearis (Organic Rooibos) Extract, Calendula officinalis (Organic Calendula) Extract, Emulsifying Wax, Camellia sinensis (Organic Green Tea) Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Iron Oxide, Mica, Zinc Oxide, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary Extract), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Stearic Acid, Limnanthes alba (Meadowfoam) Oil, Daucus carota sativa (Carrot) Oil, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Boswellia carterii (Frankincense) Essential Oil, Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Essential Oil, Cistus ladaniferus (Rockrose) Essential Oil, Cedrus deodora (Cedarwood) Essential Oil, Lavendula officinalis (Lavender) Essential Oil, Anthemis nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Essential Oil, Konjac Glucomannan (Mannan), Citric Acid.

*Product provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Sappho Cosmetics Single Pressed Shadows + Blush Review

My plan to write several Sappho reviews, in a row, failed miserably. I already did a review of their fabulous concealers back in June, go read that one first :). There's long been debates (in my head) about whether loose shadow is better than pressed. Personally, pressed is just way more convenient and easier to travel with. Grab and go people, that's what I like. I was pretty excited to see that JoAnn had sent me a customizable palette with several shades of her pressed shadows + a vegan blush.

Bottom L to R: Norma (gold), Turtle (pale pink), Raven (black), Beckitt (green), Chloe (pewter), & TUTZ (blush)

Description

Norma: This soft hilighted gold eyeshadow pairs beautifully with our new deep plum shade Patricia. Use as a lid color  or under brow accent. Subtle and sexy.

Turtle: This mixed pink ivory eyeshadow can augment any makeup

Raven: Raven is a deep pigmented black with the slightest touch of dark blue. Used wet as a liner or dry as a shadow or liner this color is a must for every kit.

Beckitt: Light and airy greens are one of this season's biggest trend. Beckitt is a gorgeous  shimmery sparkly green that looks great against sun kissed skin in the summer and looks festive in the winter.

Chloe: This satiny pewter shade is fantastic for day makeup, and especially great if you want a smoky eye that is not harsh but adds just the right amount of drama to make a statement!

TUTZ Pressed Blush: Introducing our new VEGAN TUTZ BLUSH. Bring light and life to your face with this soft pink blush with a slight blue undertone! To create this blush, various amounts of carefully selected inorganic minerals are ground together, then mixed with almond oil and pressed into a cake. These minerals are of the highest quality and therefore have great depth of pigment, colour and tone.

I'm going to start with the customizable palette, it's alright. It's not the best quality, but I do enjoy the transparent cover that allows me to see what's in it. It also closes pretty tightly, which means that I don't have to worry about it opening while traveling. Is it something that I would drop more than a few bucks on? No. I can appreciate that it's available though, instead of assuming that everyone has a magnetic customizable palette at home. 

Now, the shadows themselves are really nice and their descriptions describe them perfectly...except Raven. I do find they vary in pigmentation intensity though, they're not all amazing across the board. They apply very smoothly given that they feel ever so slightly chalky, they can be built up, and are easy to blend. I'm not sure how long they wear because shadows don't last very long on me, unless I'm using a primer like Urban Decay or Tarte. TUTZ is a vegan blush that is soooooo, so pretty! It's a plumy pink that can be worn with so many different looks, sheered out for a wash of colour or built up for a more dramatic cheek. It also applies really smoothly and is easy to blend.

L to R: Norma, Turtle, & Raven

L to R: Beckitt, Chloe, & TUTZ

My absolute favourite shades, from this palette, are Norma and Chloe which pair beautifully together or alone. Chloe is a stunning pewter shade that I've never seen before and it's the most pigmented of all the shades. Turtle is nice as a wash of colour to neutralize any lid discolourations and it's matte, perfect for lazy days. It would also be perfect for mature women that don't like to wear much makeup. My mom really likes the way Turtle looks on her. Raven was disappointing for me, it's not very pigmented at all. I basically had to build it up below so that you could actually see it. I think this batch might be a dud because it can't even be used wet. I do sometimes apply it on the upper lash line, over liner, just to help the liner last longer. Beckitt is a very pretty shimmering green that I very rarely wear on my lower lash line for a pop of colour. If you love to wear colour, Beckitt would be a perfect shade to start with because it truly is a stunning green. 

All in all, I think both the shadows and blush are worth checking out if you want to treat yourself. Chloe is one that is a must in my collection now. 

Retails for a steep $20 CAN/shadow and $24 CAN/blush.  You can purchase them from Sappho Cosmetics or one of their many retailers across Canada.

Have you ever tried Sappho's pressed shadows? Which shade appeals to you more?

L to R: Norma, Turtle, Raven, Beckitt, Chloe & TUTZ

Ingredients

Norma: Mica, Laurly lysine, Capryl/Capric Triglyceride , Zinc stearate, Zinc oxide. Certified organic Simmondsia Chensis (jojoba oil), Certified organic Argania Spinosa kernel oil.

May contain =/- iron oxides, (CI 77489, CI 77492, CI 77499) Titanium dioxide ( CI 77891) Manganese violet ( CI77742) Ultramarines ( CI77707), Ferric ferrocyanide ( CI77790) Tin oxide ( 77861)

Turtle: Mica, Laurly lysine, Capryl/Capric Triglyceride , Zinc stearate, Zinc oxide. Certified organic Simmondsia Chensis (jojoba oil), Certified organic Argania Spinosa kernel oil.

May contain =/- iron oxides, (CI 77489, CI 77492, CI 77499) Titanium dioxide ( CI 77891)Manganese violet ( CI77742) Ultramarines ( CI77707), Ferric ferrocyanide ( CI77790) Tin oxide ( 77861)

Raven: Mica, Laurly lysine, Capryl/Capric Triglyceride , Zinc stearate, Zinc oxide. Certified organic Simmondsia Chensis (jojoba oil), Certified organic Argania Spinosa kernel oil.

May contain =/- iron oxides, (CI 77489, CI 77492, CI 77499) Titanium dioxide ( CI 77891) Manganese violet ( CI77742) Ultramarines ( CI77707), Ferric ferrocyanide ( CI77790) Tin oxide ( 77861)

Beckitt: Mica, Laurly lysine, Capryl/Capric Triglyceride , Zinc stearate, Zinc oxide. Certified organic Simmondsia Chensis (jojoba oil), Certified organic Argania Spinosa kernel oil.

May contain =/- iron oxides, (CI 77489, CI 77492, CI 77499) Titanium dioxide ( CI 77891) Manganese violet ( CI77742) Ultramarines ( CI77707), Ferric ferrocyanide ( CI77790) Tin oxide ( 77861)

Chloe: Mica, Laurly lysine, Capryl/Capric Triglyceride , Zinc stearate, Zinc oxide. Certified organic Simmondsia Chensis (jojoba oil), Certified organic Argania Spinosa kernel oil

May contain =/- iron oxides, (CI 77489, CI 77492, CI 77499) Titanium dioxide ( CI 77891) Manganese violet ( CI77742) Ultramarines ( CI77707), Ferric ferrocyanide ( CI77790) Tin oxide ( 77861)

TUTZ Pressed Blush: MICA,LAUROYL LYSINE,CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE,ZINC STEARATE,ZINC OXIDE, SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS ( certified organic JOJOBA) OIL), Certified organic ARGAN OIl (ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL).MAY CONTAIN +/-:IRON OXIDES (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492,CI77499)TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891)ULTRAMARINES (CI 77007)

*These were sent to me by Sappho for my honest review.

Sappho Undo & Neutrality Concealer Review

Back in April, when I went to the Green Living Show, I had the opportunity to meet the wonderful JoAnn Fowler (Founder & CEO of Sappho Cosmetics). I can't say enough good things about her. She's sweet, funny, sassy, personable, passionate, smart, and naturally beautiful. I swear I wasn't paid to say any of that! She wasn't even wearing makeup that day, not that she needs it, and still looked great. She was kind enough to send me a bunch of stuff to try out and I will be doing reviews in bits, instead of all at once.

JoAnn is a Canadian born makeup artist that has been in the business since 1989. She works in both film and TV, and when I met her at the show she was working on the TV show Arrow (which my boyfriend and I both watch). JoAnn started her makeup line with a need for clean, natural ingredients that are not only good for the skin but also versatile for daily wear and great for use in photos, TV and film. Her formulations "surpass the European Union's standards for safer cosmetics", which takes the guess work out of hunting for clean makeup. I mean, the ingredients are incredible.

Review time!

I feel as though beauty lovers are always on the hunt for the best concealer and we all have a preference for specific textures. For example, I love a liquid, water-like textured concealer. I find it works best at not caking and clings less to dehydrates/dry patches. Some people love a cream or creme or mousse textured concealer, to each their own. The Sappho concealer has a creamy texture, which definitely scared me at first.  So texture, textured, textures, I wonder how many more times I'll use those words.

Description of Undo (yellow): This mineral concealer with a light yellow base is good for counteracting redness on skin. Made with almond oil, it moves with the skin, minimizing the appearance of wrinkles. Incredible for pale skins or those who favour the winter colour scheme. Gluten and dimethicone free. Not vegan. (Beeswax)

Description of Neutrality (neutral): The best of the best concealer for anyone with a medium to light skin tone. Preserved with essential oils, this concealer moves with the skin. It's our biggest seller! Not vegan.

These are great! I put my hesitation aside and gave them a go, now I reach for them daily. I sometimes use Undo, sometimes Neutrality, sometimes both together, depends how adventurous I feel that day. Undo is an obvious yellow based concealer while Neutrality is, well, neutral. I would even say it leans a little more on the peachy pink side. The coverage is definitely buildable with both. The fact that they're so small can be a pro and a con; pro because they're so, so easy to travel with and take up little to no space, and con because they're $27 CAN for a little 5g jar. Mind you, the ingredients are so pure that I'm not sure a larger jar would make sense. It would probably go bad before being all used up. I have tried using the neutral shade for under my eyes, and it works really well at concealing my blue/purple veins. While the coverage is great, it does crease rather quickly. Creases less when I set it with a powder though. It's bound to happen, nothing a little finger tap can't fix. They also can look a little cakey on dry patches, but that tends to happen to me with any creamy textured (there we go again with that word) concealer or foundation that I use. They both blend out really nicely with a brush and with my fingers, I'm sure a damp sponge would work as well. As for wear time, if my skin hates me and has several blemishes then a touch up is required mid-day. On days when my skin is pretty good and only has minor redness/imperfections to be covered, it lasts all day (6-7 hours). I take off my makeup asap, so I'm not sure if it would last even longer. While Undo and Neutrality are in the "high end" price range, a little does go a long way and they outperformed my expectations. I prefer Neutrality to Undo, only because it can be used under my eyes as well as all over my face, so that is the shade that I would purchase when I run out and recommend most.

Both retail for $27 CAN for 5g jars. Can be purchased through Sappho Cosmetics and a bunch of other retailers across Canada.

Which concealer shade would you be interested in trying most?

I applied too thick a layer of Neutrality & didn't blend them out completely so that you could actually see them still

Undo Ingredients: Prunis dulcis (sweet almond) oil, titanium dioxide, apis mellifera (beeswax), palm christi oil, butyrospermun parkii (shea) butter, theobroma cacao (cocoa) butter, iron oxide, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) oil, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) oil, oenothers biennis (evening primrose) oil, persea americana (avocado) butter, tocopherol (vitamin e), rosa mosqueta (rosehip) oil, aloe barbadensis (aloe) oil, zinc oxide, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) oleoresin, azadirachta indica (neem) oil.

Neutrality Ingredients: Prunis dulcis (sweet almond) oil, titanium dioxide, apis mellifera (beeswax), palm christi oil, butyrospermun parkii (shea) butter, theobroma cacao (cocoa) butter, iron oxide, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) oil, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) oil, oenothers biennis (evening primrose) oil, persea americana (avocado) butter, tocopherol (vitamin e), rosa mosqueta (rosehip) oil, aloe barbadensis (aloe) oil, zinc oxide, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) oleoresin, azadirachta indica (neem) oil.

Green Living Show Toronto 2013 Pictures

As those who follow me on Twitter may know, I was at the Green Living Show in Toronto over the weekend. It was so much fun! There were so many booths to help you live a green life whether it be food, beauty, fashion, home or pet related. I didn't take too many pictures because I was literally overwhelmed, but I did take some of my favourite booths.

First stop, Giddy Yoyo. How can one resist chocolate at 10 am? I'm not normally a fan of dark chocolate, but this stuff was sooo delicious. They use natural, organic, fair trade ingredients and best of all, it's all raw! My boyfriend ended up picking up two bars (a banana and an orange flavoured), I think they were bars, which I happily helped him eat.

Bee 23 was next and aside from the beautiful owner, Michelle, the packaging totally suckered me in! It's so friggen cute. Michelle's passion for her products blew me away. It didn't sound like a sales pitch at all, it just sounded like she wanted to tell me about her company and how proud she if of it and the products within it. That, in itself, made me want to buy something (and I did).

Michelle

MarieNatie was a small booth, which I almost walked right by, if it wasn't for the beautiful makeup set up. It was really wonderful to meet Marie in person and chat a little. I picked up a gloss, although I wish I had picked up another one, but I had to quickly get out of there before I bought everything that she had on her! The products are so pigmented, great quality and beautiful.

These two beautiful ladies are from Sappho Cosmetics. Sappho is a natural cosmetic line with beautiful products and rave reviews on the liquid foundation. JoAnn Fowler is the creator of the line and a makeup artist herself. She's A-MAZING! Honestly, I had so much fun talking with her and hearing about how exciting her life is (regardless of whether she agrees on the exciting part). The booth was getting pretty busy but I managed to chit chat with the awesome girls there and JoAnne herself. She actually did my makeup. Jealous? You should be!

The lovely JoAnn (left) & (right) Kayla (who is bomb.com as well)

Botany Co. Eyewear is a really cool company that's straight out of Ontario (that's in Canada eh, for all you non Canadians). They make sunglasses out of bamboo wood. What!? You can't get any greener than that! Courtney is the founder and she is also, as you can see from her smile below, super enthusiastic about her product. She has some bad ass shades and she knows it. I'm definitely contemplating picking up a pair!

Courtney

Cocoon Apothecary is one I've reviewed on my blog before. It was nice to chat with Lane and find out more about the products, including how to properly apply the mud mask. Apply it to a wet face ladies and gents! They were giving out samples, I should have picked up more but, I only picked one up.

Lane sent me a better picture of the booth but for some reason it keeps showing up upside down, this one will have to do.

Last, but not least, Ground Soap. I love soap and was totally excited to check out this booth. The bars are massive and smell fantastic, I picked up two. Angela, the creator and owner, is really outgoing and (here's that word again) passionate. My boyfriend and I had fun chatting with her, hearing how she got her start, and smelling all of the bars over..and over..and over again. Her soaps can be used on the body, face and hair which is great for when you're travelling.

I can't remember what kind of bird this was, hawk? eagle?, but my boyfriend thought it was cool. There were also snakes....*squirms*. I swear one of the snakes kept looking at me, I had to walk away and therefore couldn't take any pictures.

There were a few booths that I missed due to all the excitement and overwhelming feelings over seeing so many green brands and products, such as Green Beaver and Health Hut. You can find a full listing of the exhibitors here.

Hope you enjoyed seeing my day at the Green Living Show. Haul to come! xo