Category: skin care

Thursday Favourites: May 21st

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Hey y’all!

This week I wanted to share with you all a skincare product that’s relatively new to my lineup, but has quickly become a staple in my daily routine. I’m talking about Herbivore Botanical’s Lapis Balancing Oil — one of the many facial oils Herbivore offers in their skincare line. I had been itching to try Herbivore’s skincare products for a long, long while now (as many of you already know, I’ve been a fan of their body products for a while now). However, I sometimes find it difficult to work new products and brands into my routine — why mess with a good thing, you know?

I finally got my chance after receiving a sample of a different balancing oil from Sephora, which I ended up loving. I decided I could use a balancing oil in my regular line-up. And since I knew I wanted to add this oil in the future and change up my routine, why not give Herbivore’s version a try to see if I loved their skincare as much as I love their body products?

Initially, I purchased this product in a sample size from their little “True Blue” skin clarifying duo, so I could get a sense of what this product was like before committing to the full-sized bottle (which is HUGE, and I love how long I know this is going to last me). The duo also comes with a sample size of their Blue Tansy resurfacing and clarifying mask, so I got to try out both at once. When it came to the Blue Tansy mask, it was my first time using BHA products on my skin — and I personally was just so-so on it. I know others love this mask, and if you’re looking for a good BHA exfoliator, I’d still recommend giving this one a shot — it just wasn’t for me. The Lapis Oil, on the other hand — well, it was pretty much love at first use.

Balancing oil, in comparison to other facial oils out there, is meant to reduce redness and blemishes in the skin. As the name suggests, it is meant to help balance out excess oils — making it great for combo skin. Ever since I’ve starting using this oil, I’ve basically been able to kiss any remnants of my past combo skin goodbye — this oil helped neutralize both dryness and oiliness in my face to just leave my skin feeling normal in the mornings. As well, it really helped with redness in my complexion (particularly around my nose, where I always had redness no matter what I tried).

What I love most about this oil in particular, however, is how sheer and non-greasy it is. As far as oils go, it’s incredibly lightweight, and by the morning I always find it’s completely absorbed into my skin. It should be noted that I mix it with my other all-time fave facial oil, Biossance’s Vitamin C + Rose Oil, so I don’t actually know how this product is as a stand-alone. However, the two of these combined every night help reduce any redness in my skin, keep it blemish-free, build up my skin’s natural barrier, add radiance and keep my skin looking firm and beautiful. As well, these products mix together super well and have no problem absorbing by the next day. Together, this products have really upped my skincare game. If I had to choose my favourite part of my evening skincare routine, applying oils in the final step is 100% where it’s at.

If this sounds like the facial oil you’ve been needing to add to your daily line-up, be sure to check it out at Sephora here!

I hope you’re all doing well, and hopefully it’s starting to feel a little summery wherever you’re at right now. This May has been crazy hot for Vancouver, but honestly I’m kind of enjoying it — it’s a little much sometimes, but I love being able to go outside in my summer clothes and enjoy some fresh air for once. After the last few months inside, I kinda really needed it. (And for those of you still under stay-at-home orders or who just need to relax and get their life back in order, stay tuned for my post this Sunday on Spring Stay-At-Home Self Care!)

Much love,

Meredith

Thursday Favourites: May 14th

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Hey y’all!

Soooooo……. it’s finally happening. For those of you who’ve been following my blog for a while now, you’ll probably already know what this post is about. I have one certain product that has made it’s way on to countless self-care, best product and gift lists without ever having an official post all to itself. Seriously, post after post I find myself mentioning this product — its ended up being mentioned in more of my posts over the last year than I can even keep track of. However, when I tried this product for the first time ever almost exactly a year ago, I wrote a sort of mini-review and it made me feel as though I had already covered it. For a while, I thought giving it a slot in my Thursday Favourites segment was a little redundant. However, it’s become clear over the last year of my blogging journey that not only does this product deserve a post of it’s own on account of how much I rave about it constantly, but at this point the original post was shared so long ago that I’m sure you could all use a little refresher. Plus, with both some improved writing skills and a much deeper familiarity of this product under my belt, I’m hoping this post will do it more justice.

If you haven’t already figured it out, the product I’m referring to is Herbivore’s Crushed Amethyst Body Polish — a staple in my collection and one of my all-time favourites. This was the product that launched my Herbivore obsession, and finally gave me a holy-grail body exfoliator after years of constantly testing and tossing different products with no success. I never had an exfoliator I had purchased more than once — every one I tried had either been too expensive, ineffective, hard to find or just kind of meh overall. Each time, after I used one up, the hunt was on for which one I would try next, which for someone who exfoliates regularly, got pretty exhausting.

While I mentioned in my original post that after just one (yes, seriously) use of Herbivore’s body scrub not only was I in love, but I was fairly certain I was sold on it for life, I don’t think I really realized how true that was. But now, nearly a year later, a brand new jar just arrived in my latest Sephora order and I’m just as excited to start a fresh jar as I was when I first tried it. This stuff is hands down the best body scrub I’ve ever used — but don’t feel the need to just take my word on it blindly, because I’m about to tell you all the reasons why.

First of all — the actual scrub aspect of this product is amazing. The scrub particles aren’t too big that they’re ineffective or painful, but aren’t too small either. Never once has this product left me with little scratches all over my body, which I can’t say for every exfoliator I’ve tried. However, something I really love most is that the particles don’t really dissolve — something I’ve noticed with many other body scrubs is how the “scrub” element melts away as soon as the product mixes with water — meaning you have to use a lot more of the product to get the job done. As Herbivore’s Body Polish is actually made with real crushed Amethyst, the scrub doesn’t melt away, meaning you waste less and get your money’s worth.

Another thing about this product that has me obsessed is how HYDRATING it is. Something that I find to be an important aspect of an exfoliator is ingredients, such as oils, that soak into your skin as you use the product, which help both to keep the exfoliator from being too harsh and leave your skin feeling soft AF. My skin has never felt softer than it does fresh out of the shower when I’ve just used my Amethyst scrub — between how effective it is at exfoliating away everything it should and how incredibly hydrating and absorbent it’s ingredients are, my skin feels baby-smooth every time.

Lastly, I just wanted to give a little shout-out to how amazing this product smells!!! Because I’m absolutely obsessed with the scent. This product smells EXACTLY like lilacs, which is one of my all-time favourite scents. It’s fresh and calming, and for myself — very nostalgic as it reminds me of the lilac trees outside of my home in Toronto. For those of you who aren’t crazy about scented products, don’t worry — it isn’t super strong. It’s not anything overwhelming or heavy, just the lightest amount of perfume that really makes this product absolutely heavenly. (Plus, everything Herbivore makes is both vegan and cruelty-free, so you really can’t go wrong).

If this sounds like the body scrub you’ve been needing, you can check it out online at Sephora here! As well, Herbivore also carries a Coco Rose body scrub if that sounds like something you’d prefer. However, as someone who’s tried both, I’d definitely the Amethyst scrub — the Coco Rose’s scrubbing particles are much finer and dissolve a lot more easily, plus I MUCH prefer the scent of the Amethyst scrub. Not to say the Coco Rose isn’t fantastic as well — but between the two, the Amethyst scrub is the clear winner to me.

I hope you guys are all doing well! I’m finally starting to feel like I’m beginning to get back into a good rhythm with blogging, so hopefully I’ll be more active again soon once I get ahead on my blogging schedule. Just in time, too — we’re going to start lifting restrictions in BC soon! Fingers crossed I’ll be able to keep up all the good habits I’ve started once we start to return to normal life.

Much love,

Meredith

Thursday Favourites: May 7th

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Hey everyone! Happy Thursday!

So, as you may recall from last week, I posted the first part of my new double-cleansing routine. So today, naturally, I’m sharing the second part of my routine: my all-time favourite water-based cleanser!

For a couple years, I never had one go-to cleanser that I felt I really loved. I had a couple of really great ones, but a lot of the time they came from places that were hard to access and repurchase from (ie. my facial aesthetician in Toronto) or were a little pricey compared to other products out there. Ultimately, I never had a cleanser I repurchased more than once or twice.

However, just over a year ago now, I received a bottle of Tula’s Purifying Face Cleanser in my Spring 2019 FabFitFun box. I always rave about how much I love the products I receive in each box, but this one really stands as a perfect example — because if it weren’t for FabFitFun, I never would have tried it (or even heard of it, for that matter).

I love this face wash for so many reasons. First of all, it’s a probiotic cleanser, which I hadn’t heard much about before I received this product. What probiotic cleansers do, in essence, is cleanse your skin and remove dirt (as any cleanser should), while also balancing the bacteria on your face. It sounds weird if you’ve never tried it, but my skin has looked so much cleaner and brighter ever since I began using this face wash, and I’ve also had a lot less problems with my often combination skin type. This cleanser really worked to balance out my skin and leave it glowing and beautiful.

Another thing I love about this cleanser is just how gentle it is. It doesn’t strip away your skin’s natural oils or dry me out — in fact, it leaves my skin feeling hydrating and fresh. A lot of skin oiliness comes from harsh cleansers clearing away all of your skin’s natural oils and balance, causing your skin to double it’s efforts and produce more — but this cleanser is gentle enough that I’ve never once had to worry about that, while still removing all the dirt and impurities from my skin every night.

The last thing I love about this product is how BIG it is. It’s absolutely huge! My first bottle lasted me nearly a whole year with regular use. There’s no worrying about constantly having to repurchase with this product, which I love. I’m absolutely sold on it, so I don’t feel the need to experiment with other cleansers — so I’m totally fine with taking a whole year to use it up. It really makes my life a little easier, not having to worry about it.

The only problem I have with this product is that they don’t actually sell it within Canada just yet. However, if you’re looking to give it a shot, you can always buy it off of Nordstrom — the shipping fees are a little crazy, but since this cleanser is super affordable compared to most at just $28USD a bottle, I considered it worth it. (If you’re in the US, you can always get your hands on it super easily directly off of Tula’s online store!).

Now, I know skincare is super subjective and just because my routine works for me doesn’t mean it’ll work for everyone. For reference, my skin is overall a little dry but can also be combination as well. If your skin is similar, or if these products sound like they’re something that would work for you, hopefully these reviews gave you a good idea as to what these products are all about!

I hope you’re all having a great week! Stay tuned for my upcoming post this weekend, where I’m going to be detailing all of my favourite spring trends this year!

If any of you guys have used these products, or were curious about them/looking for a new skincare routine, drop a comment below! I’d love to hear all about what works best for you. As well, if you’re hoping to try out FabFitFun for yourself to treat yourself at home while social distancing, click here and use the code SPRINGLOVE to get $10 off your first box with my affiliate link!

Much love,

Meredith

Thursday Favourites: April 30th

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Hey y’all!

Happy last day of April — it’s been a long month, but we’re finally almost through! 2020 has certainly been a strange year so far, but hopefully May will bring good news and good weather and we can all start to feel a little normal again.

But back to the topic at hand — today’s product! This week kicks off a bit of a two-part segment I wanted to share on the face wash products I use. I’ve recently gotten into double cleansing and I have to say, I’m really into it. I was always worried before I tried it about it damaging my skin somehow or being too time consuming to keep up with every night. But when I finally took the leap and gave it a shot, all my worries about it melted away — not only did it really not add much time and effort to my skincare routine, but the oil cleanser I decided on was non-striping and so far hasn’t effected my skin negatively in any way.

When I was choosing which cleanser I wanted to use, I decided to go for Shu Uemera’s Anti/Oxi Skin Refining Cleansing Oil. If your going to start double cleansing, the general idea is to choose an oil/balm type cleanser as your first product and a water-based cleanser as your second. This way, the oil-based cleanser can break down any makeup and dirt, keeping them from clogging up your pores. As well, oil cleansers work surprisingly well to balance the oils in your skin, meaning that (unintuitive as it sounds) it works great for those with oily skin as well. From there, you’d use your regular water-based cleanser based on your skin’s specific needs, which will help remove any stubborn remaining particles from your skin and ensure you’ve washed away all the oils from the first cleansing.

I chose Shu Uemura as I’d actually used one of their cleansers before, a couple years ago. It had been recommended to me by someone at Sephora, and while I really liked it, I was always a little unsure if I was using it properly. Double cleansing wasn’t a concept I had heard of at the time, so I used it as my sole face wash. I shied away from using too much product as I was worried about making my skin oily (spoiler alert: it never happened) and ultimately ended up switching to a water-based cleanser a few months later.

However, since I was already familiar with the product and I knew it was one that worked for me, I decided to give it another go. This time, I had a lot more confidence that I was using the product correctly, and so far it’s been working out better than I expected. While I admittedly haven’t actually worn makeup once since social distancing was enacted (yet…I wrote this post about a week in advance of posting and I’m hoping to have some time to practice my makeup skills over the next few days) the few times before that I used this product to remove makeup it seemed to work out well. By the end of my second cleansing, all traces of makeup seemed to have been wiped away. Now, I’ve only gotten to test this cleanser’s makeup removing abilities about three times, but when I try it out some more I’ll be sure to report back and update you all on if it works as well as I remembered.

On top of that, this product has been doing a great job of keeping my skin clear and blemish-free. I have had a very stressful couple of months and even with all my stress and occasionally opting to get right to bed and letting my nighttime routine slide, my skin hasn’t looked much worse for wear. The cleanser itself is super lightweight and rich, so while it does everything that an oil-based cleanser should do it isn’t particularly challenging to wash off and my skin certainly hasn’t gotten any oiler since I began using it. For reference — my skin is somewhat combination, but overall it’s definitely on the drier side, in case you were considering if this product would work for your skin’s specific needs.

If you’ve been looking to try double cleansing out for yourself and think this product sounds right for you, be sure to check out Shu Uemera’s Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil at Sephora! (They also have five other oil-based cleansers, so if you want to try the brand but are looking for something different based on your skin type, they have plenty of options.)

Are any of you guys fans of double-cleansing? I’d love to hear about what products you used, and what the results were when you tried it. Stay tuned for next week’s post, where I’m going to be sharing my holy grail water-based cleanser, which has been a staple in my skincare routine for over a year now.

Have a great week, you guys! I hope you’re all as excited for May as I am — while life is super unpredictable right now, take some time to write out your goals for the month to help keep you on track! If you’re feeling a little lost on how to do this, feel free to check out my post I shared on bullet journaling and keeping track of your life during Social Distancing!

Much love,

Meredith

Thursday Favourites: April 23rd

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Hey y’all!

Today I wanted to share with you a little product that’s been an absolute lifesaver for me. You guys already know how obsessed I am with FabFitFun, and how I’ve discovered so many products from it that I’ve incorporated into my everyday life and routine. Today, I wanted to share one of those products with you, and why I love it so much.

The product in question is Murad’s Rapid Collagen Infusion, which I received in my spring box back in March. This product immediately got my attention, as collagen is such an important aspect of skincare and I was looking for a holy-grail skincare product to add collagen into my everyday routine. And, spoiler alert! — I finally found it, because this stuff is absolutely dreamy.

First of all, this stuff smells amazing — it has a nice, light scent that I have a bit of trouble placing my finger on. It’s very refreshing, though, and really helps me feel awake when I apply it in the mornings.

But most importantly, this stuff WORKS. I’ll admit that, obviously, I’m not that old, and wrinkles and fine lines aren’t much of an issue for me yet. However, this serum filled any that I had right in and has even helped my dark, puffy under eye area — which you guys all know is something that I’ve been struggling to fix. Not only that, but the lightweight cream formulation of this serum absorbs quickly, leaving your skin feeling fresh, and not greasy like some serums can.

If this sounds like the serum your skin has been needing, you can find it online at Murad here!

As well, if you’ve been wanting to grab a FabFitFun box of your own, click here and use the code SPRINGLOVE for $10 off your first box with my affiliate link!

I hope you’re all having a fantastic week! Drop a comment below with how you’ve been keeping yourself busy with social distancing — I’d love to get some fresh ideas! This week has been huge for me catching up on my blogging, as well as getting back in touch with friends now that my finals are over.

Much love (and stay safe out there!),

Meredith