The sponsored swag bag at the VBB meet up covered all my bases - nails, makeup, and skincare. Stephen from Nail Polish Canada provided two nail polishes by Soulstice Spa; a vegan, cruelty-free, Big 3-free nail polish brand. In my bag was Odessa and Montreal but today I'll only be featuring Montreal.
Soulstice Spa names each polish after a city or place across the world. Montreal is a rich deep purple that is absolutely fitting for the colder seasons. Whether or not the colour matches the city, I think it's a cute idea and the fact that Montreal is a one coater (two if I'm sloppy) melts my heart even more.
Montreal; 2 coats
The downside is the drying time (a full hour) and signs of tip wear show by the second day. A quick-drying top coat fixes the problem easily but it's something to think about.
Overall, Soulstice Spa is a good brand to look into if you're interested in vegan polishes. At $8.50 a pop, it's not the greatest pricing but obviously not the worst. It's worth the investment especially if you're sensitive to certain ingredients.
* Product in this post was provided in the Vancouver Beauty Bloggers Swag Bag. I am not obligated to write a review nor compensated. All opinions are my own.
I found your present under the Christmas tree in the mail box a week ago and now I'm itching to know who you are and what's inside this lovely package....
It's a daily struggle trying not to rip open my present but I can do this! Only 18 more days to go...
Thank you Secret Santa!
If there's one makeup product I don't own much of, it has to be lipsticks. They aren't my favorite makeup to play with but of course that doesn't stop me from hoarding them...
The Stash:
Count: 14.
In my defense, most of my lipsticks were free! But maybe 14 is a lot for a gal who doesn't wear lipstick often. And no thanks to the Lipstick Bandits, I now want to expand the stash. Thankfully I've got willpower... No really, I do! I'll be sticking to tinted lip balms and stains from now on. They're just so much more easy going!
Now it's your turn, tell me your lipstick count. No judgement here, promise!
My love for gel moisturizers will never die. I believe everyone should have at least one favorite/holy grail-status gel moisturizer that works all year round. My holy grail was the Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief but that's all changed because of Marcelle's Hydra-C 24H Energizing Hydrating Gel.
F.Y.I. Marcelle is a Canadian brand garnering a lot of attention lately. I'll admit the brand hasn't been high on my "to try" list but their hydrating gel has converted me. They'll also be the first Canadian brand to launch their own BB cream!
But first, let me draw you in with the Hydra-C 24H Energizing Hydrating Gel (what a mouthful!). Marcelle's hydrating gel contains cucumber, green tea extracts, Vitamin C and E; all good ingredients you should find in any moisturizer. The formula is refreshing and lightweight but the texture isn't a runny which I prefer. I find firm jelly-like moisturizers plump up my skin better. The bonus(es)? The gel is non-sticky, non-greasy, and unscented. This makes it the perfect 5 minute moisture mask and I can use it to top up on make up on drier days without ruining it.
Price wise - $23.95 - it's not great but more affordable than my previous holy grail and it works just the same. Thus, I won't be going back to Clinique Moisture Surge, ever.
Bottom Line:
Marcelle is always going on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart and London Drugs but don't hesitate trying this jar of gel-love at full price. I promise you won't find anything better, highly recommend this one!
Ingredients
* Product in this post was provided in the Vancouver Beauty Bloggers Swag Bag. I am not obligated to write a review nor compensated. All opinions are my own.
Disclosure
Make-Up Kismet is a personal blog written and edited by myself. This blog was created to share my experiences with whom ever reads it.
All reviews posted are written by me and are my honest opinions. All products reviewed are purchased by me for personal and/or review purposes unless stated otherwise. Each person is different, as are our experiences. With that said, I cannot be held responsible for any unsatisfying reaction to a product I review or recommend.
Photos on this blog are either from Google, other Bloggers or, my own. I try to depict all products as accurately as possible. I may edit photos for this purpose.
