Rose On and On

Hello! My name is Ashley and my latest obsession is all things roses.
Throughout the summer I have been collecting a ton of rose-scented bath and body products, many of which are from Lush!

(Does this photo not resemble Dr. Eggman from Sonic? No? Okay...)

Rose Jam is my absolute favourite scent from Lush. It is actually so popular that it's currently available as a shower gel, but for the holiday season only. I'll be buying the shower gel in bulk loads when it's finally available in stores but for those who are impatient you can find it on the Lush website! And anyone who knows of and loves Rose Jam as much as I do probably already has Ro's Argan as well. The two are a match made in heaven; sweet, rosy, and soooo luxurious. But for an epic(!!!) rosy pink bubble bath, I like to add Turkish Delight into the mix. I take the rose obsession to a whole other level, I know. 

My very latest rose-related pretty is the newly acquired Dipytque Eau Rose:


I went to Portland in July with a few blogger gal pals and with the intention of picking up Jo Malone Red Roses. Long story short, I came back empty handed because I couldn't choose between Red Roses or Eau Rose! Then I was struck with a big case of regret and non-buyer's remorse (it's a thing, even if I made it up!). However, as luck would have it, my best friend ended up going to Portland a few weeks later and helped me pick up my almost missed pretty! I'm glad that I chose Eau Rose in the end because Red Roses tends to turn rancid on me after only two hours of wear. Dipytque, on the other hand, does not. It doesn't last long (4 hours, maybe 5), but I appreciate the sweetness of Eau Rose and the fact that it isn't a straight up replication of a rose.

Last but not least, honorable mention goes to L'Oreal Colour Caresse Shine Stain in Rose On and On.


This lip gloss/stain hybrid doesn't smell like roses, but it did inspire the blog title so it deserves a shout out for that not to mention it is a very pretty lip stain! I want more now that I think about it... Anyway! I know it's been quite some time since the last post and I realize how rusty I am at the whole blogging thing but here's to trying it again! 


[Products in this post were purchased by me and all opinions expressed are my own.]

The Last Empties Post of 2012

Wooooah! Is it really the end of 2012? Time flies by faster and faster each year. It feels like it was just yesterday I was writing my first empties post of the year. Alas, here we are reading about the last empties post of 2012!


Starting off hair schtuff:
Kiehl's Olive Fruit Oil Nourishing Shampoo* smells lovely - light, sort of creamy - but that's all that I love about this shampoo. It makes my hair decently soft and tangle free but my scalp a dry, flaky mess.

I still love The Body Shop's Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter and I have another backup of it in my drawers. But, I think I'll try Essential's Ultra Honey Hair Mask at the start of 2013, just cause y'know?

The Alba Botanica Natural Hawaiian Shampoo in Colourific Plumeria is my favourite shampoo ever. Everyone has a signature scent and then there are the few that have a signature hair scent. I used to be very wishy-washy about my hair and used what ever smelled decent but now I strictly use this. The SLS-free shampoo foams up like regular shampoos but leaves my hair even softer and scalp not as dry nor itchy. It's THE shampoo for me!

The TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray has been sitting on my bathroom counter for years. There's actually two of them but one is missing, obviously. I hardly use this when curling or flat ironing my hair but when I do I don't find this makes a difference. Hair serums/oils do a better job of protecting, providing shine, and taming frizz.


Lots of cleansers:
My first forray into the cleansing oil was with the shu uemura Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O Advanced Formula. It took me two full years to finish and it wouldn't have taken so long if I didn't hate it so much. It smells awful and doesn't rinse off completely. The Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil is much more satisfying, that is all.

NIP + FAB Clean Fix Wipes are surprisingly good! It doesn't remove waterproof mascara but regular eyeshadow is fine. Though I must say it has stung my eyes on a few occasions but lucky not my face.

Marcelle Hydra-C Facial Exfoliating Gel is the first Marcelle product I have come to dislike. It's not a bad exfoliator but it's just too gentle for my liking. There's much more gel than exfoliating beads but this makes it great for everyday use if you have normal skin. 
L'Oreal Youth Code Foaming Gel Cleanser, Clearasil Rapid Action Face Wash, Caudalíe Instant Foaming Cleanser, and Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser - these cleansers are "meh". I mainly used the L'Oreal and Clearasil cleansers to wash face clothes and makeup brushes. The Kiehl's cleanser is gentle and non-drying which is great but the Caudalíe foaming cleanser is the exact opposite. 


Onto the body:
This can of h2o+ Oasis Mist is fairly old. It served its purpose well and a repurchase is likely in the future. The mist is much finer than the Avène Thermal Spring Water or Evian facial spray. Also, the h20 didn't die out 3/4s into the can like the Avène spray did. Though, the packaging has changed so maybe I won't like it the second time around. 

Yes, that is TWO Cake Milk Made Velveteen Hand Cremes that you're seeing. It's tricky to finish hand cream quickly because I rotate four tubes at a time. I keep one at my desk, one at my bedside table, one in my car, and another in the washroom. Milk Made sinks in quickly without that icky, greasy look and feel in the winter. However, it's a bit heavy for the summer. I still highly recommend it and I've gifted it to many friends over the years!

Lush's The Jilted Elf Shower Jelly didn't make a return this year for Lush's holiday collection but this tub is from 2011. The scent is very warm and spicy, not something I go for normally, but it's perfect for the holiday season. If Lush had made it into a shower gel instead of a jelly, I would have finished it sooner. The Jell-O like soap is too flimsy in the shower and even when frozen it won't be solid like a bar of soap. Miranda on the other hand   is perfect and a permanent product. The soap doubles up as an exfoliator and smells fruity but not too sweet.

eos Smooth Sphere Lip Balm has been talked about enough and Kiehl's Creme de Corps as well. There's too much hype surrounding both items. The lip balm is too light and doesn't hydrate the lips for very long and the body lotion is too heavy. It certainly moisturizes the skin but at the cost of greasy feeling skin.


Samples & Sheet Masks:
My Beauty Diary Sheet Masks (count: 4) and samples packets (count: 11).
And now it is time for the BIG round up combining all the empties counts throughout this year:
Jumbo = 3 (1 jumbo = 2 full size) = 6
Full size = 38
Deluxe Samples/Travel Sizes = 31 (5 deluxe samples = 1 full size) = 6.2
Samples = 44 (10 samples = 1 full size) = 4.4
Masks = 20 (10 = 1 full size) = 2
Tossed = 9

Total? A million! Okay, maybe not a million but 56.6 isn't as impressive... I've changed how I calculate deluxe samples and sample packets so my total is less than last year's but whatever. The important thing is that I've emptied a lot and I will continue to do so in 2013!

How about you? Were you an emptying machine this year? Have any plans to be one in 2013?

Spotted: L'Oreal, Maybelline, Physicians Formula, Revlon

I've been waiting for Friday since Monday and boy was the wait long & tiring. Now that Friday is here..... it's time to CELEBRATE with some new blog posts!
F.Y.I. - School started this week & I've already fallen asleep in Math... On the 2nd day. The next 13 weeks are going to be up & down for me, I can already tell.

Before I get into some serious blogging, here are some new drugstore spottings!
(All products and brands mentioned were spotted at various Shopper's Drug Mart locations.)
1) L'Oreal Studio Secrets Professional Magic Smooth Soufflé Makeup - $22.99


2) Maybelline Super Stay 24HR Lip Color - $11.49


3) Physicians Formula:
Happy Booster Bronzer/Blush - $21.99
Mineral Wear Glow Pearl, Mineral Wear Loose Powder - $18.49

Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio (!!!!!) - $16.99


4) Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss - $11.49


And that's it for now...

Have You Hit Pan Recently?

As the title asks, have you hit pan recently? I can't say I have.. I've only ever hit pan on one makeup item of mine and that was ages ago! I'll share more about that later.
Since reading posts like Operation Use It Up! by Haru of Rouge Deluxe and *Monthly* Empties by Shela of Confessions of a Beauty Guru, I have been inspired to dedicate posts on my used-and-abused or finished products. It's a twist on Project 10 Pan as I haven't completely finished every product on one list and some items aren't even on a list to be checked off. A majority of these products were just accidently finished!

(From L-to-R: Daiso Cleansing Foam, L'Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser, Vera Wang Flower Princess Perfume, LG Say Lavender Body Wash, jojoba oil, Caress Tahitan Renewal Silkening Body Wash, Nexxus Therappe Luxurious Moisturizing Shampoo)
           *Not pictured: John Frieda Hair Serum – Thermal Protection Formula*

I feel unaccomplished compared to Haru and Shela but this will have to do. I really dig Shela's spin on Project 10 Pan but I'm trying to be tougher on myself & I don't mean to say Shela has it easy because she doesn't. My mind always strays and I never manage to focus on one product at a time. The only part of my routine that sticks is moisturizers, eye cream (one for day & one for night) and toner (nightly only). Body care like shampoo, body wash, body lotion, shaving cream.. it's constantly changing. Although I should mention, I've been sticking to one shampoo recently to help my dandruff but it hasn't done jack.
Onwards to less (or more) babbling! I don't have much to say about the products I've finished as I didn't really a majority of them but like Haru & Shela (and many other bloggers) I will add comments and or mini-reviews.

My favorite product of the bunch and the one I'll actually miss is the Vera Wang Flower Princess Perfume. Flower Princess is  limited edition (not the orginal) and I believe is the first LE Princess perfume created and then followed suit was Rock Princess to Glam Princess. I don't think it's one of the popular Princesses because I can no longer find it in perfume boutiques or Sephora.. I do have a back-up bottle but since I can no longer find it in stores, I do not want to use it! On the bright side, I can now try another perfume guilt-free.

The most disliked products of the bunch: Daiso Cleansing Foam and L'Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser. I used the L'Oreal cleanser to clean makeup brushes after I hit the half way mark. It wasn't a bad facial cleanser but I disliked the smell mostly. I should have never bought the cleanser from Daiso as I have no clue what the ingredients are and if anything were to happen, who would be to blame?? I used it wash makeup sponges and face clothes. It's heavily scented and drying, I blame the SLS.Now that I look back, 5 out of the 8 products I have finished contain sodium laureth sulfate.
The LG (Life is Good) Say Lavender Body Wash was purchased at a local Asian supermarket (T&T). I paid $7.99 for the whole bottle with a bonus refill pack that I gave to a friend. I'm glad I gave the refill away as I got bored of the scent so quickly.. All it is, is a light,milky-lavender. After finishing off the LG body wash, I finished the Caress Tahitan Renewal Silkening Body Wash shortly after. I've repurchased this body wash in the same scent over two times now. It's tropical yet sensual and I love the exfoliating beads. My skin is much smoother and softer after using it but I won't be repurchasing it anymore as the scent is no longer as enticing as it once was.
 Note: Caress is unavailable in Canada. I purchased this at Target.
Snuggled in between the two body washes is a bottle of jojoba oil. I love jojoba oil as I can use it for everything! I added a spoonful to my body washes and lotions, shampoo and a few drops to facial moisturizers. I find it very moisturizing but I cannot rely on it alone. I have to use it in conjuction with other products to sink into my skin well.

Next is the Nexxus Therappe Luxurious Moisturizing Shampoo. I ordered a sample of it off of the Nexxus website and I really enjoyed the scent. In conjuction with the Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner, it made my hair light, soft and smelled like almond milk and a hint of baby powder. I really don't know how to explain scents but it was a niceeee! If it had done anything for my dandruff, I would've bought a full size.

Last is the John Frieda Hair Serum – Thermal Protection Formula. I use this to protect my hair from the UV rays, heat-styling and frizzing. I love it and you need it! It costs a bit much for a drugstore product ($9.99+) but it promises salon-quality results. All I need is one pump or a nickel size amount for my hair (a little past shoulder length). One bottle lasts 3-6 months depending on how much hair you have. I love the smell, the shine it gives my hair, the protection it promises and gives! I looove it and highly recommend it!

Lastly.. oh wait I'm done! But before I go, I wanted to show my one & only "hit pan" product. I have a lot of makeup for a person who rarely wears makeup so this was/is a big accomplishment (for me atleast). I don't know how I hit pan on this particular item as I hardly use its kind but I did. So here we have it..........................................: 

                                N.Y.C. New York Color Matte Bronzer in Sunny (720C)

I hit pan for the very first time on my very first bronzer! You can buy this at almost any drugstore for no more than $3. Dulce of DulceCandy or DulceCandy87 on Youtube raves about it constantly so eventually, I caved in and bought it too. I'm glad it was my first bronzer because it's quite affordable and it doesn't make me look orange or muddy. A very good bronzer but very bad ingredients. For the low price, the ingredients are expected to be poor but I need to treat my skin like it's a Goddess or else it'll turn on me! I won't be repurchasing it again but if you want to try a bronzer, do try this one!

Sunday is nearly over and I hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was uneventful but I did go to the airport today to see my father off. He'll be gone for awhile but I'll cope, aslong as he comes back safe and sound (with loads of gifts too!).

Cheers,
Ashley.

A Blog w/ Pictures!

I promised a few posts ago I'd post more pictures on my blog, not just stock photos. Anyhow, I didn't want to title this post as "haul" because I don't like that word... (I don't like a lot of words). I'm not purposely flashing my purchases, I just want to share with everyone my great finds. Believe me, these purchases were bargains I couldn't resist.

I don't remember how many times I've mentioned this but I'm from & currently residing in Vancouver, B.C. Most beauty addicts here in Canada (or even B.C.) don't realize that NYX Cosmetics IS available here & not just online. NYX Cosmetics can be found at Rexall Drugstores and Save-On Foods grocery stores(some, not all). I only recently learnt that Save-On's has NYX Clearance baskets with items all for a $1. So here's what I found about a week ago at Save-On's:

I bought 7 Chrome Eye Shadows (pigments) & 4 Triple Shadows For Sexy Babe's Eyes Only! (trio palettes) for myself, all for a $1 each. I bought a few for my friend's birthday too but those aren't pictured in case she reads this post & thus ruining her surprise!
F.Y.I - NYX is a drugstore cosmetic line that is said to be comparable to MAC & other medium-to-high end cosmetics. For $1, the NYX eye shadows I bought were well worth it and I would pay full price for them if I had to! Both the pigments and pressed e/s are plenty pigmented but foiling them makes them even more amazing (with regular water!).

Then at Wal-Mart on the same day I bought the Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover Lotion - Hydrating, I also bought the Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Color in Just Peachy (903C). I'm not the type to wear lipsticks or lip liner but the color looked nice & it was no more than $4(??).

I wish it was as pretty on my lips as it is in the tube. The formula also doesn't work with my lips. I'll write a review on it later but this was a no-go for me :(
My Wal-Mart trip wasn't a complete bust however! I also picked up Revlon's new Top Speed nail polishes in Jaded (320) and I absolutely love it! I prefer this to Revlon's Minted nail polish & China Glaze's Re-fresh Mint. I was supposed to do a comparison review but I keep screwing up my nails before I can take pictures!
And after ages of waiting for Bioré to go on sale (anywhere!), London Drugs was having a sale on Bioré products and a BOGO Free deal!

I initially wanted to use $2 off coupons I had saved but London Drugs coupon policy does not allow stacking. (The BOGO deal was through London Drugs in-store coupon *sigh*) Another catch was that the "free" item had to be the 
Bioré PURIFY Steam Activated Cleanser. Conviently, a week before the sale I knew there were certain Bioré cleansers that came with a free razor or John Freida Frizz-Ease Hair Serum. In the end, I bought two different cleansers so I got two Bioré PURIFY Steam Activated Cleansers free, plus two John Frieda Frizz-Ease Hair Serums! My total was $23.27 for 6 products & divided evenly, I paid $3.87 for each product. I know I have a lot of cleansers left to finish but I also use my facial cleansers to wash my brushes and face cloths! I'll run out in no time....
Ontop of the abundance of cleansers I got, I also bought more nail polishes. Revlon recently released previously limited edition nail polishes onto their permanent display. I bought Minted & Gray Suede for $2.99 each as it was on sale but I haven't tried them out fully yet.
I can't explain why but London Drug was having a massive clearance on beauty products & I found quite a lot of great beauty products on sale but still a little too expensive for my taste.  The whole L'Oreal Passport to Paradise Collection was on clearance; nail polishes for $2.99 and eyeshadow quads for $5.99. I bought a nail polish in Ocean Breeze (606) from the Passport to Paradise but I also don't like this one. The first coat leaves little streaking but during the second coat, the formula gets goopy making it hard to apply. Atleast the second coat leaves a very opaque blue nail! I never quite liked L'Oreal nail polishes, they separate in the bottle too quickly and are waaay to thick. Lastly I bought Seche Porcelain.. I don't know why but I can't return it so I might swap that too. I couldn't take clear pictures of the nail polishes or find stock photos so... I'm sorry!

I think I've gone on for long enough anyway so I hope this was an interesting read for someone! Happy Weekend, hope no one has a dentist appointment tomorrow like I do! :(

Project 10 Pan - Facial Cleansers (& Masks/Exfoliators)

Uuuhh so I haven't been posting a lot lately. I'm terrible but atleast I'll apologize... I'm sorry!
So I'm back for the night with another P10P (Project 10 Pan) post. This time, I'm doing a mash up of Facial Cleansers and Exfoliators. I know a lot of guys n' gals hate P10P but I LOVE IT!! While I enjoy using 10 of my most cherished and hated products, others can't stand it & give up! I won't give up this fight, oh no I won't! When I do P10P I notice how much I have and how little I need in actuality. It keeps me from buying "back-up's", "spares", "extras" and things just for the heck of it!
Anddd because of of my No-Buy Oath, it's really boosting my resistance in shopping! I feel it is reaaaally helping my addiction but my friends just laugh it off..

With no further introduction, here is my list for Project 10 Pan Facial Cleanser (& masks/exfoliators).

1) The Body Shop Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser

2) The Body Shop The Body Shop Cucumber Cleansing Milk

3) L'Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Cream Cleanser

5) Clinique Liquid Facial Soap

6) Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel

7) Freeman Beauty Good Stuff Organics Smoothing Facial Scrub

8) Freeman Beauty Good Stuff Organics Revitalizing Facial Mask

9) St. Ives Mineral Clay Firming Masque

10) Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It

It will take a fair amount of time to finish this project but I'm going to be dedicated as H***!!

I'm also thinking of doing reviews after I finish each product... but since I feel I have no readers, I'll wait for comments asking for them. Or I could just do a review for the heck of it & maybe someone will find my blog unexpectedly! I believe in destiny hence (makeupkismet) so instead of advertising myself 100%, I'll wait & see how many people eventually find me.
I'll confess, I did something bad! A few weeks ago I passed by The Body Shop to pick up their new deodorant and also grabbed the Passion Fruit Facial Cleansing Gel from their Originals line. While that goes against my No-Buy Oath, I'll have you know... I am shameless! The consequences of my actions are NO STARBUCKS FOR A MONTH. That's right, all of July I will NOT be sippin' on a delicious iced caffeinated beverage :(
I can still have my Tim Horton's Ice Cappucino but it's not the same as a Caramel Frappucino, which makes me want some Starbucks even more (sighhhh)!
The bright side is that balance IS restored because I am super close to finishing 1) The Body Shop Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser and 3) L'Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Cream Cleanser! Please note that I use the L'Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Cream Cleanser to wash my make-up brushes aswell as my face. I need to get rid of the product & I don't have a brush cleanser at this moment, so sue me! It's not cheating.. it's a loophole ;)

I think I've covered everything I had to for this post. I'll do a review for Aloe cleanser in my next post because it kind of excites me (even though the product itself is boring...). HA!

Bye-bye for now,
Ashley.