October IPSY Glambag - First Impressions

I was so happy to get my ipsy glambag in the mail today, and I was even happier when I opened it up to see what was inside!

I've been subscribed to ipsy since May, and I have to say, I think this month has been my favourite bag so far.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the ipsy glambag, it's a monthly mail subscription 'box' ($10/month if you're in the US and about $14/month if you're in Canada) in which you receive five beauty products. The products range from sample sized to full sized, and you most definitely get your moneys worth, or more!

***You can subscribe to ipsy by following this link: http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-hgsmbzd8udy6tho ***

My favourite product in this months bag at first glance are the La Fresh Oil-Free Face Cleanser wipes.

This product came in a typical wipe packet with 10 wipes. A pack of 30 wipes retails for $9.99 on the La Fresh website.

These wipes smell absolutely ah-maze-ing!

I particularly liked this product right off the bat because the wipes are biodegradable and compostable, and it claims to have a formula that is 99.25% natural.

I'm almost out of my OLAY wipes and was looking to try something new, so these came at the perfect time!

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My second favourite product at first glance is the bigsexyhair Blow Dry Volumizing Gel.

This product came in a sample sized 1.7 fl oz. (50 ml) red plastic bottle, typical of other sexyhair products I've received through ipsy. A 8.5 fl oz. (250 ml) bottle of this product retails for $16.95 on the sexyhair website.

Now, it's not very often that I get excited about hair products, but I've been trying out different products for volume lately because my hair is flat and lifeless, so I'm really excited to give this product a try!

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The third product that I am excited to see in this months bag is the Nourish Organic Deeply Nourishing Coconut & Argan Body Lotion.

This product came in a 1 fl oz. (30ml) sample tube. An 8 fl oz. (236 ml) tube of this lotion retails for only $11.99 on the Nourish Organic website.

The lotion feels amazing on my hands, and doesn't leave a greasy residue at all! Something about it reminds me of the Indian Coconut Nectar Lotion from Pacifica which is an all-time favourite of mine. I can definitely see myself purchasing this product in the future.

Oh! and did I mention? It's 100% Natural. USDA-Certified Organic. Bonus points!

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Next, the BUXOM Full-On Lip Polish in the colour Dolly.

This product came in a very generous sample size of 0.07 fl oz. (2 ml) tube. A 0.15 fl oz. (4 ml) tube of this gloss retails for $23.00 through Sephora.

This is a lip-plumping gloss. I enjoy the tingling sensation of this gloss, and the colour works perfectly with my skin-tone!

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Lastly, my bag contains a ZOYA nail polish in the colour Giovanna.

This product came in a full-sized bottle of 0.5 fl oz. (15ml) which retails for $8.00 on the ZOYA website.

In general, I find myself pleased with the product, but I'm not a huge nail polish fan. The colour is gorgeous though, so I am going to wear it!

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I hope you guys enjoyed this first impressions review!

Don't forget to CLICK THIS LINK if you'd like to subscribe. You'll definitely get your moneys worth!

The Dating Site Reality - What Commercials Don't Tell You

We’ve all seen the commercials - the testimonies of those so-in-love couples who met online and ended up happily married.

You might think that the majority of guys you come across on these sites are going to be obese, socially awkward guys who are too lazy to actually go out into the world and meet someone. Instead, I’ve found the reality of this to be the complete opposite.
I know this is something you would think to be a given for a guy on a dating site considering he dished out the money and time to join the site in the first place, but that’s not always the case.
These guys are pretty harmless, they’ll follow all the site prompts to talk to you but never show interest in wanting to actually meet-up.

The reality of this is that the chances of this happy-ever-after happening to you are very slim. I have been using online dating sites (I won’t point out which ones) for a little over a year now and have realized that they need some serious debunking. 

** I'd like to note here that I wrote this article in January of 2013 - I've now completely given up on dating sites. **

Here are a few of the most commonly accepted views towards online dating that I think need a reality-check:

Just because he’s on a dating site doesn’t mean he’s lazy.

Most of the guys you come across are so into keeping physically fit that they don’t have the time to go out and meet people. They’re so focused on their appearance and their huge ego that they don’t take the time to go out, socialize, and be ‘normal.’ The result of this is that if you actually get to meet one of these guys in person for a date it will be difficult to find a time that suits them because they are at the gym whenever they aren’t at work (and forget about Saturday nights, that precious male-bonding time means the world to them – as if they haven’t spent enough time with their buddies at the gym all week,) and they will be lame in conversation because the only thing they have to talk about is how much they benched this week and blah, blah, blah.

Sorting through the endless profiles that list ‘keeping physically fit’ as a passion can be tedious to say the least.

Note: I don’t have anything against keeping healthy and exercising and all that, but when it becomes an odd obsession that takes over all aspects of your life, that’s a bit much.

Just because he’s on a dating site doesn’t mean he’s willing/ready to commit.

A lot of guys sign up because they don’t really know what they want. They see all of their friends pairing up, getting married, having kids, etc. and they figure they should do the same, even though they might not be ready yet. They figure online is the best way to meet someone because at least they can say they’re making an effort to find someone to settle down with, but it’s not really what they’re looking for.

Just because he’s on a dating site doesn’t mean he’s got it all together – Mr. Desperate.

The reality of these sites is that sometimes you meet a Mr. Desperate. Mr. Desperate will go through the online communication portion of the ‘meeting stage’ with you rather quickly, and will have no hesitation in asking you out for the next evening.

In my experience, Mr. Desperate is the kind of guy who’s willing to be with any woman. You don’t even need to have that much in common, or enjoy your date. This guy will assuredly text you that same evening as your date letting you know how amazing you are and what a great time he had even though you awkwardly sat there for two hours twiddling your thumbs and trying the think of things to talk about with this creature, and two vodka and cranberries later you’re so desperate as to fake a sick grandma call to get out of the date.

Mr. Desperate is usually fresh out of a long-term relationship and just afraid of facing the realities of the single world and being the big, scary ‘A’ word… Alone! So, don’t be too harsh on this guy, let him down easy. Just explain to him that you two can keep it friendly but the compatibility just isn’t there for any kind of intimate relationship.

So ladies, when signing up for a dating site, don’t set your sights to high and go into it without any expectations. If you happen to meet your Mr. Right, then good for you! But don’t expect that just because you’ve dished out your dollars and spent countless hours perfecting your profile, that you’re going to find your prince charming. If anything, online dating is great for getting some dating experience and learning what you want/don’t want in a special someone.

It’s all about the experience. Never settle for less than butterflies, and never forget how wonderful you are!

The Post Break-Up Friendship: A Do or a Don't?

“We can still be friends…”

The infamous line that we’ve all heard at the end of a break-up speech. It’s meant to warm the heart for a few minutes and soften the blow to the fact that you, my friend, have just been dumped; but should we take this line literally? What if he really does want to be friends? What if by being just his friend he’ll realize how amazing I am and want to get back together with me? Is taking the line “we can still be friends” literally a break-up do, or a break-up don’t?

Does he really want to be your friend post break-up?

I’m sorry ladies, but the answer is ‘no’. A man knows when he’s hurting your feelings, he only says he wants to be friends because, in that moment, he’s trying not to seem like the ‘bad-guy’ he’s being.

Taking up his offer for a post break-up friendship will only push him further away, it will make him uncomfortable and eventually irritated with that fact that he’s probably seeing you more now than when you were even together!

If you stay friends with your ex, you're giving him nothing to miss so you’re actually slimming down the possibility of you two getting back together. With a clean break he will, and take my word for this ladies, he will wonder about you and how you’re doing, especially if you refrain from using your Facebook status as a diary–he can see that you know!

Your ex wants to wonder about how you’re doing so stay on the down low when it comes to your social media updates, aka, don’t act overly happy but also don’t post about how sad and heartbroken you are, keep it in a neutral area. Men love a mystery, and if you don’t act too broken or needy post-breakup he’ll wonder if he was really all that great in your eyes in the first place.

Remember ladies “we can still be friends” is just the ice on the break-up burn. You shouldn’t take it literally, especially if you plan on trying to win him back. You're better than that anyways, it’s his loss really.

Don’t ever forget how wonderful you are!

8 Great Products for Dry and Eczema/Acne Prone Facial Skin

Happy Thursday everyone!

Over the past couple of months I've really been sticking to a routine that I've been finding works for me when it comes to my facial skin so I figured I would share!

So, here's a list of 8 great skin-care products that I use on my face daily to keep my dry and eczema/acne prone skin at it's best...

These Quo Mini Eye-Makeup Remover Pads are something I use almost daily to remove my eye-makeup at night. My eyes are a big problem area for me because my facial eczema seems to concentrate around my eye area. These pads are great because they don't sting my skin or my eyes and they aren't harsh at all. Usually one pad per eye does the job for me. This size comes in a pack of 30.

Every night, after I've used my eye-makeup remover pads, I like to use one of these Olay Wet Cleansing Towelettes for Sensitive Skin to remove the rest of my makeup. I find these wipes are great when I use a facial cleanser afterwards, but if I use them on their own they tend to leave a sticky feel on my face. I also find that these wipes are no good for use around my eyes as they tend to sting. The main reason I've stuck with this brand of facial wipe is because others I have tried (i.e. the Balea Cleansing Cloths from Shoppers) have caused me to break out in a really bad rash. Given that Olay products have never irritated my eczema (I also use Olay products for my body skin-care) I've decided to stick with these for now as they serve their purpose well enough.

Noxzema is a classic when it comes to facial skin-care - you've probably seen it in your grandmas medicine cabinet. Nonetheless, the Noxzema Deep Cleansing Cream is a great and affordable option if you're looking for a cleanser that won't dry out your skin. I use this cleanser both in the morning and at night after using the Olay wipes. I love the cooling and calming effect of this cleanser from the eucalyptus oil. I find it keeps my skin hydrated and removed any dirt and oils from my face nicely.

Sometimes, if my skin is feeling extra dull, I'll sleep with a layer of this on my face and wake up to a super soft and smooth face!

This product is a newcomer to my routine. The Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Astringent is a great alternative astringent for people with dry skin. Basically, I bought this product because I was finding other astringents way too drying and harsh. I also didn't like the alcohol smell of other astringents. Although the smell of this astringent is strange and takes a bit of getting used to, it doesn't dry out my skin at all and I've actually noticed a big difference in how inflamed my blemishes get. I still get some blemishes, but they don't tend to be getting as swollen up or as sore since I've been using this product. I use this astringent both morning and night after my facial cleanser.

Depending on how dry my skin is on any given day I will use at least on of the above moisturizers. I tend to lean more towards the Cliniderm Soothing Cream when my skin is really dry, and the Life Brand (equivalent of Cetaphil) Moisturizing Lotion on days when I don't feel like I need as much moisture. However, I will always use the Cliniderm around my eye area in the day no matter what.

The Equate Brand Vitamin E cream is something I use mainly at night when I will use it all over my face, but I will also put an extra layer on over the Cliniderm if my Eczema happens to be flared up because I find it really helps heal it quickly.

Last, but certainly not least, is good old Vaseline - a staple in everyone's household.

I like to use Vaseline in the morning on my lips. I also like to use it at night around my eyes, on my lips, and on my nose because my nose tends to get dry and flaky. I don't find Vaseline very practical for daily use as it is thick and sticky, so I like to stick to only using it at night, with the exception of using it on my lips throughout the day.

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Thanks for reading! I hope this was informative. :)
Keep checking back for my suggested products for dry/eczema prone body skin, along with much, much more!