Clarins Rouge Eclat in Pink Cherry (24), Hot Rose (23), Rose Praline (26), and Instant Light Lip Perfector 08 Review

Clarins has long been a favorite of mine in the lip product department. Long before I tested the Spring 2016 shades of the Rouge Eclat, I owned a few other shades (maybe one of them was Nude Rose 01?) which I loved but they have since expired and have been thrown out. So I was quite excited to test these out again! 

The packaging of the Rouge Eclat is pure luxury - a gold solid base where the lipstick is contained, and a lovely sturdy plastic cover. I love that there is no chance for the base of the lipstick to break off - this baby is secure! And I'm such a sucker for gold packaging, let's be honest. 

I don't know if it's the weather (-30C guys, like really), but I was a bit disappointed with the formula and found these dried my lips after a couple hours. I'm not sure why as they apply quite creamy, feel great on the lips and they even smell amazing. But for me, they simply weren't moisturizing enough. The color payoff of these is great, albeit a bit sheer. I'm personally a fan of more sheer lipsticks as I find they make my lips look plumper and younger - I'm definitely not on the liquid lipstick bandwagon. Even with its emollient and less opaque formula, which tends to wear off quickly, these lipsticks wore 4+ hours on me. 

Left to right in natural light, Pink Cherry (24), Hot Rose (23), Rose Praline (26) and the Instant Light Lip Perfector in 08

My favorite is Rose Praline (26). It's the perfect my-lips-but-peachier shade that goes with absolutely any makeup look. I think Hot Rose (23) and Pink Cherry (24) will be absolutely perfect for Spring with a lovely cat eye liner - I can just picture it. And with the warmer weather, maybe my lips won't feel as dry under these lipsticks.

The arrival of two new shades of the Instant Light Lip Perfectors created a bit of hype online! I knew I'd be getting my hands on the 08 shade as soon as I could and I'm so happy I did. It's a gorgeous berry shade that looks natural, but still pigmented on the lips. I absolutely LOVE this product. What amazes me the most is how moisturizing this gloss/balm hybrid is. I'm wearing this shade today, and my lips still have some product, and feel completely moisturized after 4+ hours of wear, coffee, water, a granola bar, and honeydew melon. That's kind of kick ass!

While I was a bit disappointed in the Rouge Eclat, I am completely smitten with the Instant Light Lip Perfector in 08. You absolutely needs this if you have dry lips but can never find a lip color that has the moisturizing properties you need. I'm pretty sure I'll have to buy the 07 shade before it's out of stock! Nay, I will absolutely buy it. It's also stunning.

* I have received these products for consideration, but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty. I did however purchase the Instant Light Lip Perfector myself. 

Clarins Spring Collection 2016 - Ombre Iridescente Review

Good morning friends!

It is absolutely hellish outside today. It's a little strange walking on thick ice, trying not to fall, while being lashed with rain, listening to the thunder roll. Yes, I live in Canada, but this is some weird weather even for us!

For review this week are the Ombre Iridescente from the Clarins 2016 Spring collection. I'll be reviewing other pieces from the collection next week so stay tuned!

First off, it has to be said, the Ombre Iridescente are stunning guys. Creamy, but intensely pigmented. Sadly, I'm missing Silver Plum but from testing them out, the other three in the collection are just as good.

It's hard to tell in this photo because of the lighting, but how adorable is it that the lids of these shadows correspond to the colour inside? I love it when that happens! And you know, metallic lids! The packaging is sturdy, easy to open, but closes firmly - there's nothing worst than faulty packaging on a cream product!

In artificial light. Left to right Silver Green 06, Silver Ivory 04, Silver Pink 05

In natural light. Left to right Silver Green 06, Silver Ivory 04, Silver Pink 05

I find these shadows, although described as a cream, are not really your traditional cream shadow. They are quite creamy in texture, yes, but they basically apply and feel like any regular shadow - maybe more like the texture of a Make Up For Ever or Urban Decay shadow. I find they apply and blend beautifully with fingers, but also work quite well with a brush.

Silver Ivory 04 is a gorgeous shimmery light taupe shade. Looking through my collection, Urban Decay's Verve is probably the most similar shade but Silver Ivory is a lot more warm. And for me, because it's so warm, it's a very easy shade to wear. I applied it all over the lid and popped a bit of a neutral brown matte shade in the crease and I was good to go for the day. I had no problem with the shade creasing during the day - it wore quite well. For the record, I always wear an eyeshadow base, and in this case, it was the Urban Decay Primer Potion.

I wore Silver Pink 05 in a similar way as Silver Ivory - all over the lid with a warm brown in the crease. It was so easy to blend and looked beautiful on the lid. For those of you who do not like rosy shades on your eyes, I'd suggest skipping on this one. It's quite pink and without an inner corner highlight, darker crease shade and a bit of eyeliner, it can make you look a bit tired. To be fair, I wore this one when I was ill, and it probably wasn't the right shade to wear on a day where your nose is red from using a full box of kleenex. I've been really into rosy shades lately so I was particularly excited to try this one and it ended up being my favorite.

I wanted to wear Silver Green 06 in a different way than the two others to see how versatile these Ombre Iridescente shadows could be. I applied Urban Decay's Pistol (a greyish shade) shade all over my lid and dabbed Silver Green in the middle of my lid and inner corner. Again, I had the Urban Decay primer potion underneath this concoction. It looked beautiful. I'm really not one for green shadows since I have blue eyes, but I loved this. It gave a bit of a twist to a smokey eye! However, this did not wear well on me and I experienced creasing towards the inner corner by the end of the day. I don't think layering this shadow on top of another gave it a good surface to set. Maybe this product is more of a cream formula than I thought? I suspect anyone with non-oily eyelids will not have a problem with this.

Overall, I think these are worth the price. At C$25, it doesn't break the bank and you get a long wearing, easy to apply shadow. I know I don't have it to review, but I'm seriously lusting after Silver Plum and suspect it is probably the most versatile, one shadow and go, shade of the bunch. In case you'd like to see a another review, which includes Silver Plum, check out this one from Temptalia. Second to that, I'd suggest Silver Ivory 04, as it's beautiful on the lid, and quite versatile as well. Honestly, you can't go wrong with these. And if shimmery shades are not your thing, Clarins does offer the same shadow in a matte formula - I haven't tried them, but a quick Google search indicates them being reviewed quite well!

* I have received these products for consideration, but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

Guys, this stuff is amazing.

I'm not sure if it's whether we changed the light bulbs in the bathroom for SUPER bright ones and I can now see properly, or my skin is just changing with the weather, but I truly feel like it's been at its worst for about a month. It's been dry and the texture of my skin is bumpy. Not fun at all!

So to help fix these issues, I looked for a face oil that wouldn't clog my pores and would be suitable for oily skin. The Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil seemed to fit the bill.

The oil feels quite light when added to the skin. In fact, it feels light enough to layer a night cream on top - saying this, I only wear this at night as I think it would be too heavy for my skin during the day. I bought the version for Oily or Combination skin, but it's also available for Dry Skin, and Dehydrated Skin. And yes, there is a difference, as Caroline Hirons explains.

The oil smells amazing - a little bit like citronella, but in a good way. That said, some may find the smell a bit overpowering. It does fade a bit after application, but if you're very sensitive to scent, this may not be for you. Truth be told, Clarins is a brand that generally have quite scent heavy products - I personally love it, but others may not.

The bottle comes with a dropper. I love this because it ensures no oil is smeared anywhere and my bottle stays clean. I'm a bit of a neat freak, so this makes me happy. There's nothing more annoying than grabbing an oily mess of a bottle.  I use about 2-3 drops depending on how much my skin needs it. The oil takes a few minutes to sink into my skin, and after about 5 minutes, I layer my night cream over top. My skin looks so refreshed in the morning. To be fair, I don't use this every day as I think it would be too much for my skin, but it makes such a difference on the days I use it.

If you're new to oils and are looking for something to freshen up your skincare routine, I think this is a good option. At $54 in Canada, this isn't cheap, but luckily a little goes a long long way.

Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Toner - A Review

A few weeks ago, my lovely significant other complimented me on my skin. I thanked him, and then started babbling about what I've changed in my skin care routine which he gracefully listened to even if he had no idea what I was talking about. Truth is, I have never liked my skin very much. It's problematic - acne, blackheads, oiliness, scarring are usually the norm. However, about 6 months ago, I told myself I would start taking care of it better. And that new initiative started with the Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Toner.

Recommended by the ever famous skincare/blogger/expert Caroline Hirons, I thought it would be exactly what my skin needed. I has glycolic, salicylic and tartaric acid - in other words, it's meant to exfoliate your skin chemically. Guys, this product is life changing. Since introducing acid toners into my skin care routine, my skin is so much nicer. I use other similar products than the Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Toner in my skin care routine, but the Clarins is my favorite. Here's why:

• It smells amazing. Some might not like fragrance in their products, but I love the scent of this toner. 
• It doesn't make my skin feel oily or greasy. Sure, I only apply this a few times a week, at night, but I will never enjoy the gummy/oily feeling of some products on my skin. Either absorb, or go away. This toner skins in beautifully and faster than say, the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads, also an acid toner. 
• When I apply this at night, I wake up with refreshed skin. Refreshed is probably the best way I could describe it as "glowing" seems a bit excessive. But my skin generally looks really good the morning after application.
• A little goes a long way. Seriously, a very small amount on a cotton pad is plenty.

I've used maybe... 1/4 of the bottle, and I've been using it regularly for about 6 months (and by regularly, I mean a couple times a week). Not bad! If you're looking to jump on the Acid Toner bandwagon, I highly suggest you give this product a try. It is quite pricey at $36, but oh so worth it. Don't forget, glycolic acid can make your skin sun sensitive, so use sunscreen!

Clarins Multi-Blush Cream Blush in 03 Grenadine and 02 Candy - Swatches and Review!

Clarins has never disappointed me when it comes to blushes. One of my favorite blushes is their Blush Prodige in 02 Soft Peach. But today, we're taking a look at their new for Spring Cream Blushes. I was sent shade 03 Grenadine, and 02 Candy for review.

First off, the packing of these blushes is pretty much perfect. The blushes are quite small, compact and have no excess packaging. On top of that, the blushes have a mirror which makes them perfect for carrying around in your bag to add a hint of color to your face or lips during the day.

I have tried applying the blushes with my fingers and with a brush, and both work fine. I prefer using a flat top blush (I used a Sonia Kashuk one) as I do find it easier to build up the color that way. At first, I thought the compact size of the blush would make a brush application difficult, but it wasn't at all.

Both blushes do contain a bit of shimmer, but it's quite hard to tell in my swatches, and on my cheek when applied. I'm not a big fan of shimmer in blushes, but didn't find the shimmer in these blushes to be of concern - I only noticed it in certain lights, and it was actually quite flattering!

The texture of these blushes is quite different than any other cream blushes. They are very much soft to the touch, rather than creamy, but I wouldn't describe them to have a cream to powder finish. They are much creamier than powder blushes, but not quite a cream - they are somewhere in between I suppose.

On the left is 03 Grenadine, and on the right is 02 Candy.

I think both colors are lovely on the cheek, but my heart is set on Grenadine. My oh my, what a gorgeous color. It truly mimics my natural flush, and make me look like I just went for a brisk walk. It's absolutely gorgeous. Candy is also gorgeous as a color, but has a rosier tint than Grenadine. Both had no problem staying on my skin all day, with or without a foundation base. I do find them to be a bit drying on the lips, but I have naturally dry lips, and it's nothing the addition of a balm can't fix.

If  you're looking for a new cream blush, I suggest you pick up Grenadine. It's such a stunning color, and I think it would suit a lot of skin tones. This shade will definitely be a Spring/Summer staple for me! The blushes don't seem to be up on the website yet, but they are expected to be released for Spring 2014.

* I have received these products for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.

Clarins Joli Rouge in 737 Spicy Cinnamon - Review & Swatches

Clarins make some of my favorite lipsticks. I'm already a fan of their Joli Rouge and this fall offering is no exception. The packaging of the Joli Rouge is gorgeous. I love the weight silver metal and that the shade color is reflected on the bottom - it's just so fun to even photograph it!

The Clarins Joli Rouge is meant to have a long-wearing, but moisturizing formula. I've reviewed the shade Baby Rose on the blog before in case you're interested.

Swatched heavily on my hand.

I wasn't sure I'd like Spicy Cinnamon at first - the color is not something I'd pick out for myself, mostly because it looks a bit brown in the bullet. It even looks quite brown on my hand swatch! However, upon application on my lips I was smitten. Just look a this perfect autumn shade!

Please excuse the post-work face.

I'd describe the color as a rusty warm (shimmerless) red. Somehow, even if warm colors don't generally suit my skin tone, I think it's pretty flattering! I can see myself wearing this with a simple cat eye liner and a taupe blush. It's quite a unique shade - I definitely don't have anything like it in my collection. It kind of reminds me of NARS Autumn Leaves from last year's fall collection, except warmer and less shimmery. I don't have it to compare sadly!

The formula of the Joli Rouge is moisturizing, and applies quite glossy. However, because of this formula, it's not very long lasting, which is something this lipstick claims to be. It lost some points here. However, I do appreciate that the formula wears off evenly and doesn't leave a stain of color around my lips. Personally, I almost never look for long wearing lipsticks anyway, so it didn't bother me that this lipstick didn't wear too long. I'd rather re-apply than get the dry-lip effect of most long-wearing lipsticks, ya know?

I'll definitely keep this baby in my fall lip stash along with my berries and reds! I think it's a nice twist on the usual colors you see for fall. Are you into these types of lipstick colors?

* I have received this product for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.

Clarins Be Long Mascara - Review, Sweat Test & Lash Discussion

While I generally am a drugstore mascara gal (faves being Annabelle's Le Big Show and Cover Girl's Lash Blast), I do believe some higher end mascaras are worth the purchase sometimes. Example - I love the Make Up For Ever Smokey Lash and the Clinique High Impact Extreme and would re-buy them in a heartbeat. They are on the less expensive end of high end mascara, but are still expensive if you're generally used to buying $5 mascaras.

When I tried the Clarins Be Long mascara, I was surprised. It didn't have anything I usually look for in a mascara, but I loved it instantly. I usually love big mascara brushes, but the Be Long brush is small and plastic. I also usually look for mascaras with heavier formula since I love voluminous lashes, and the formula of the Be Long is thin, but buildable. The funny thing about this is that everything I thought would work against this mascara was what made it truly remarkable. I loved that smaller brush was able to reach the small lashes at the corner of my eyes, which was made even easier with the slight angle to the brush. That's something I have a hard time to achieve with a bigger brush. The formula of the mascara was lengthening and thickening even with its thinner consistency. It doesn't clump whatsoever which makes it super easy to add a second coat. In fact, before the first coat is even dry, you can easily build a second coat without clumping.

I thought it might be interesting to add that on top of lasting on my lashes all day without any flakies, it lasted through a 1 hour moderately sweaty boxercise work out. If it passes the sweat test, that's GOOD.

And if this wasn't good enough, it's super easy to remove. Some of my favorite mascaras are a pain to remove. Yes, they give thick lashes, but thick lashes come with a lot of product, which means pain in the ass makeup removal. The Clarins Be Long mascara achieves thick lashes with minimal product, which means an easier removal process. And less product wasted as well!

This product is meant to give lashes some serious length, and while my lashes are already pretty long, I do find it lengthened them even more. Honestly though, I'm more impressed by its overall performance than by its lengthening factor. It delivers things I never knew I missed in my regular mascaras - the angled, small brush and the easy to build formula are both characteristics I will keep an eye out for in the future.

At a price point of $27, this mascara isn't cheap. But if you don't mind spending money on a makeup item such as mascara, I definitely recommend this gem.

* I have received this product for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.

Finally, the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 06 Rosewood Shimmer

I say finally, because I've been meaning to (re)try the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector for a long long time.

See, the story starts about 4 years ago, when Clarins first came out with the Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector (or some version of it). I, being a budding beauty addict, decided to purchase this delicious smelling product only to find myself having an allergic reaction to the product. I was so upset because it was one of my favorite products at the time - but my swollen, peeling lips were or the opinion that it just wasn't going to work.

Fast forward to today: my lips are no longer sensitive to products. Sure, once in a while, I get a flare up, but it seems to be simply because my lips are too dry to handle pigmented lip products. And I get the feeling that because I didn't apply much balm 4 years ago, the flare up was probably caused by my lips' dry condition.

So when I was given the opportunity to try out the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in their new shade 06 Rosewood Shimmer, I was really excited to give it another go!

Let me just say it: this product is amazing. I think most of you already suspected this since it is usually well reviewed by beauty bloggers.

For me, the Lip Perfector was very moisturizing. My lips are very finicky and most lipsticks or glosses dry them up. When I applied the Lip Perfector before work in the morning, by lunch time, my lips were soft and moisturized. Usually, I'd be dealing with a dry lips situation at lunch, no matter what product I applied. That gets huge points from me.

I also really like the smell of this balm. It might be too much for some people, but for me, it has a pleasant caramelly scent. And fortunately, it tastes just like what it smells like - not plasticky at all. Not that I eat my lip products or anything, but it's never pleasant to accidentally lick your lips and taste your lip product. You know what I mean.

I chose #06 Rosewood Shimmer of Clarins' newly released shades (the other two are Petal Shimmer and Candy Shimmer) because it seemed like the perfect "my lips but better" shade. My lips aren't very pigmented, so I usually tend to go for beige-nudes when I look for a "my lips but better" lip product. Anything pink just doesn't look natural on me. Well, my predictions were right. This is truly the best looking "my lips but better" I have ever found. See the comparison below!

Rosewood #06, on my hand. From the swatch, you can't tell that there is micro fine shimmer in the gloss. I had to really look for it to find it - it's not visible when applied.

See? It looks so natural!

Of course, this being a non-sticky balm/gloss type product, it doesn't last very long on the lips. I'm not too bothered by this fact because I can re-apply this product easily without a mirror, sitting at my work desk. However, if you absolutely hate to re-apply, this might not be for you.

I'm very happy with this product. Finding a product that doesn't dry up my lips is hard enough, but the Clarins Lip Perfector get bonus points for being my perfect "my lips but better" shade. I know I'll be using this one a lot.

Have you tried the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector? What do you think of it? 

* I have received this product for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.

Clarins Double Serum, and introducing Mom the Reviewer!

A while back, I was invited by Clarins to try out their newest skin product: the Double Serum: Complete Age Control Concentrate.

My skin is extremely sensitive to products. The wrong foundation or primer, and my skin can have a full-on break out. I have acne-prone skin, and have a tendency to have a couple of active breakouts at a time. Sometimes my skin is happy, and I barely have any problems. Lately though, my skin hasn't been so easy to tame. I'm still dealing with scarring from the last breakout which I am trying to help by using Hydraluron (more on this little miracle later). I did not want to risk aggravating my breakouts by testing this on my skin.

Why didn't I test a product that claims to be suitable for every skin type? Well, honestly, because it is full of mineral oil.  I'm not really one to scan my skin products and read every single ingredient - I'm not familiar enough with skin care ingredients to understand them and their function. But I knew mineral oil wasn't good (I trust Caroline Hirons and her rant) and can result in clogged pores. And my skin just wasn't in a state to be messed with.

However, because I did not want to pass on the opportunity of reviewing something for this blog, I asked my mother to test this product out and give me her views on it!

My mother has combination skin. She's not very sensitive to products and her main concern is wrinkles at this point. Disclaimer: she absolutely loves this product. At the time I'm writing this, she has tested it over a couple months, and is 3/4th of the way through the bottle. She uses it once in the morning and at night, dispensing two pumps for each application - one pump for the face, and the other for her neck. Any excess left on her hands is massaged in, and she claims it has helped her hands stay softer. I actually ran into a Clarins rep who gave me that helpful tip, which I then passed on to my mom.

Like I said, my mother has been very impressed with this product. She claims it has made her skin softer, and plumper. She says that her pores have tightened up. Looking at her skin, I agree with this claim - I find my mom's skin to have more of a soft focus finish. She likes the light scent of the product, and doesn't find it irritating or harsh. And she also loves that the pump system is easy to work with - it dispenses the exact right amount for her to use.

My mother did notice her skin to be a bit oilier by the end of the day, but didn't mind correcting this by using a bit of powder after her foundation. At 4 pumps a day rate, the product also used up quite quickly. It's not cheap ($85) and can be expensive to replace every few months.

All and all, my mother loved this product. The mineral oil didn't bother her skin one bit, and I wouldn't be surprised if she purchased it herself after she's done with the bottle.

Bottom line: know your skin. If you're skin isn't sensitive, perhaps this is a product you should try - it definitely had positive effect on my mother's skin with long term usage. However, if you're picky about ingredients in your skin care regime, I'd check the label of the Clarins Double Serum to make sure you're okay with it.

Hope this was helpful for you! And thanks to my dear Mama for testing and reviewing this product for me!

* I have received this product for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.

Lipstick + Winter = Why I'm now a Lipgloss Convert

Winter sucks. It just does. When you need to start wearing waterproof mascara because your eyes water in the (-31C) bitter cold and wind, it's too much. My dry lips haven't been enjoying lipstick with this cold. Lipstick has been flaking off, and my lips peel every time I use it. I've never been much of a gloss wearer, but since my lips can't handle lipstick lately, I've kind of converted.

Here are some of my favorite lip glosses of the moment

From left to right, we've got: Marcelle Creme Lux Gloss in Rouge Velouté, Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Creme in Cherry Flip (recently reviewed here), MAC Cremesheen in Partial to Pink, Clarins Color Quench Lip Balm in Peach Nectar, Marcelle Creme Lux Glossy in Spicy Nude (reviewed here), and Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Creme in White Russian. 

Of these, I place my Buxom glosses and the Clarins as the most moisturizing. The prettiest shade goes to Marcelle's Rouge Velouté (seriously gorgeous on!) and the my favorite nude gloss is definitely Marcelle's Spicy Nude. MAC's Cremesheen in Partial to Pink is a great year-round neutral pink gloss - and it smells delicious. I've been wearing these un-layered, on their own, for the past month, with a light foundation, groomed brows, blush, and water-proof mascara. Eyeshadow is often skipped because my eyes water too much with the wind we've been having. We're all familiar with tailoring makeup to heat and humidity, but makeup in winter is a whole other story!

Lesson of the year: winter sucks. Do yourself (and your lips) a favor if you live in a wintery place right now - whip out your lip glosses, and apply generously. Bonus points if the glosses are moisturizing. Winter: 3 points (-31C weather, 30 cm of snow on Saturday, 25 cm of snow tomorrow), Annick: 1 point for lipgloss. Can winter be over soon please?! How do you change your makeup routine for winter?

Clarins Joli Rouge in #712 Baby Rose

Lucky for me, I have a Clarins counter literally 2 minutes from my home, which is extremely convenient when I need a quick beauty pick me up. I'm already a fan of Clarins, so it was easy for me to pick out a soft pink from their Joli Rouge range. I left with #712 Baby Rose, a neutral light blue-based pink. 

 I really love the packaging of the Joli Rouge. It's weighty and compact. Plus, it's shiny!

Swatched, on my hand.

Applied on my lips. I find the color quite flattering on my skintone! Plus, it looks great with a smokey eye.

Left to right: Korres Liquid Lipstick #13, Clarins #712 Baby Rose, MAC Creme Cup

I decided to swatch my lipsticks for fun to see if I had any matches. MAC's Creme Cup is obviously the contender but Clarins' Baby Rose is significantly more moisturizing.

I think this may become my go-to every day lipstick! It's smells delicious, doesn't dry my lips out, and can basically be applied without a mirror. It's not long wearing, but I think that's the compromise I make with lipsticks when I don't want them to dry my lips out!

Do you have a go-to, no fail, goes with everything lipstick?

July favorites!

My July favorites are all over the place. I've been loving being more minimalistic with my makeup, usually leaving the house for work with a light base, brows done, blush, mascara and a balm. What has happened to me? Well, in short, the heat. Minimum effort has been my motto, but I've embraced it!

I've been using my Nuxe 24H Moisturizing Body Lotion a lot on my legs. I love that it sinks in immediately and doesn't leave a greasy residue. I also love that it has an easy to use pump, and it smells amazing. The smell is quite strong though, so I'm not wearing this to work. But this is another Nuxe winner for me!

I've been using MAC's Cremeblend blush in Posey a lot this past month, simply because I find it lasts longer on my skin than powder products, and its peachyness warms up my complexion. It is incredibly easy to use (I use a stippling brush) and doesn't slip off like some of my MAC powder blushes.

Not too sure why but I've been really enjoying my face brushes! Those include the Quo Bronzing Powder Brush, the Real Techniques Powder brush, and the MAC 129 blush brush. They are all incredibly soft, easy to clean, and do not shed. Well, let's be fair, the 129 does shed a bit, but I can live with it since it applies blush beautifully!

I've also been using my Clarins Instant Light Brush-On Perfector pretty much every day this month. Because my dark circles aren't extremely pronounced, this has been great at illuminating my under eye area, especially when I'm only wearing mascara. I've also been using my Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow in 4E as a quick base under a lighter eye shadow, and my Maybelline Eye-Studio Master Precise Pen Eyeliner for a quick cat eye flick. I'm especially impressed with the Maybelline Eyeliner Pen for its durability on the eye during hot and humid weather and how easy it is to use. I'm definitely not buying the MAC version again - I prefer the Maybelline version by far.

For a refresher and as a toner, I've been using the Caudalie Eau de Beauté pretty much every day. I don't want to give away too much because I will be posting a review on this shortly, but it has been very good to my skin!

And lastly, for lips, I've been using L'Oreal's Color Riche Balm in Pink Satin. While this isn't pigmented at all, it was quite moisturizing and gave a hint of shimmer on the lips, perfect for home/beach uses. Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Spicy Honey has been an often used quick option for when I'm stepping out the door and need a quick wash of color on my lips.

Ouuffff... that's a lot more favorites than I thought I had! What's been on heavy rotation for you this month?

Clarins Blush Prodige in 02 Soft Peach Review

I suppose June must be a month of buying my most wanted because I had been contemplating this blush for a while when I decided to purchase it a few weeks ago through Murale. The color name says it all - the fact that it was peachy and very soft in tone really appealed to me after the repetitiveness of the bright coral cheek colors for summer. I wanted something that didn't require a super light touch. I wanted something that wouldn't be too bright. And I wanted something that would go with everything. I think Clarins' Soft Peach fulfilled most of these and I'll tell you why!

The blush came in this gorgeous little pouch. I'm totally going to keep it. It's adorable.

The packaging is gold and has a massive mirror in it. It makes it great for traveling.

As you can tell from this picture, but not necessarily the swatches, is that there is a soft shimmer running through the blush. This barely shows up on my skin which makes me very happy. Since I have large pores and oily skin, I tend to stay away from shimmery blushes.

This is a heavy swatch of the product, and as you can tell, it has a peachy pink tone.

I've got Soft Peach on my cheeks here.

I mentioned that my swatch was heavy - that's because the product isn't uber pigmented à la Sleek or Nars. I personally find this refreshing in a swarm of super pigmented blushes - I name it my lazy day blush. When I don't feel like blending like a mad-person or being super careful and I'm in a rush, I use this. Even if I use a lot of the product on my face (3-4 dabs in the blush as oppose to a 1/2 dab in a pigmented blush) I don't find it looks cakey at all. I suppose it's true that less pigmentation means more product used, but I'm alright with this - I'm loving having a "lazy" blush. It has a great finish on the skin as well - almost like a soft focus. I find peachy blushes can look too orange on my skintone but this isn't the case with Soft Peach - it simply looks healthy. I love it.

If you want something easy to use, and neutral enough to go with any type of makeup, I'd say go for it. If you're used to your very pigmented blushes, I'd say skip it. Even better, swatch it before you buy so you get an idea of the product!

Do you have any "lazy" blushes that require absolutely no thinking? 

Murale haul for me!

They other day, I ordered from Murale since they had a massive Shoppers Optimum points bonus, and well, I wanted a few things from their website! What I like about Murale is that they are Canadian - they ship from Canada to Canada. The downside is that they don't have a great selection on their website. For example, they have a lot of Estee Lauder products, but don't have the Pure Color lipsticks. Kind of a pain. They have a good selection of face and body products though - including brands that are quite difficult to find around there. And, they have an amazing selection of samples to choose from.

I'll show you what I got!

Caudalie Eau de Beaute (!), Clarins Blush Prodige in 02 Soft Peach (been wanting this for the longest time) and YAY, Shiseido Perfect Rouge in Sweet Pea! For samples, I chose a B.Kamins lipbalm tube, a tube of NARS Orgasm Illuminator, Clarins Creme Autobronzante, and Skyn Iceland Night Cream.

Look how cute the packaging is!

This box is going to hold some nail polishes in the future!

Items, up close.

Overall, I'm very happy with my order. It was shipped quickly and arrived in a few days. I'd definitely order again. However, my chances or ordering steadily from this website depends on whether they'll keep adding items to their online stock! Get Bobbi Brown already!

Happy Canada day! Hope you're having a good weekend! Mine gets better after today and SEPHORA! So (un-proportionately) excited!