Countdown to Christmas ♥

Officially,  one day before Christmas.. Woooo !! ♥ 

I wish you all  happiness and love during the holidays. May you be surrounded by your loved ones and enjoying your time spent together. 

This year marks the second christmas spent without my father and as hard as it is to imagine him not being around to enjoy the holidays together. I choose to focus on my loved ones that are still here as they are the people who bring me joy during this hard time of year.  

Share laughter, cherish memories and don't forget to tell the most important people in your life how much you love them. 

Happy Holidays  ♥

xoxo 

Review : Quo Konjac sponge

Konjac sponges are becoming increasingly more popular in the beauty world as many brands are making their own versions of this little gem and creating a demand for these sponges in the Western markets.

Although, they have only recently become popular outside of Asia, they have been used for approximately 1000 years in countries like Japan. 

* note: the root based plant (Konjac) can be used as a dietary supplement and a vegan substitute for gelatine (fun fact!) 

[Back to the matter in hand] 

The sponge is made from vegetable fibres and is entirely biodegradable. It is best suited for people with sensitive skin as it is a non-abrasive cleanser and exfoliator. It can be used alone or combined with a cleanser. I personally use it with my Philosophy Purity cleanser or my Michael Todd Honey and Oats cleanser.  When using it for the first time you will need to run it under hot water as you will need to cleanse it ( due to it being damp and having a jelly like feeling when it comes out of its package).  Before every other use, you will have to run your sponge under hot water to soften the sponge as when it hardens when it gets dry. The Konjac sponge needs to be replaced every 2-3 months as most sponge products tend to accumulate germs and bacteria that can cause breakouts. 

* The sponge also comes attached to a small string so you can hang it dry after each use.

Benefits : 

∙ Great makeup remover

∙  Great deep pore cleanser/ removes the dirt lodged into your pores 

∙ Gentle non-abrasive exfoliator 

∙ Skin feels smooth and renewed after use 

∙ Easy to clean/ very low maintenance. Simply rinse thoroughly before and after each use. 

∙ Very affordable

∙ Biodegradable/ Environmentally friendly 

Why do I love this product ? 

I have been using this product for the past 2-3 weeks and I have noticed my skin being noticeably smoother, clearer and less prone to break outs and impurities. I have very sensitive skin and this product has neither caused me irritation, inflammation or tenderness. I recommend this sponge to anyone who wants to cleanse and exfoliate their skin thoroughly without spending money on tools that are both costly and more high maintenance. 

The Quo Konjac Sponge retails for 5,00 (CAD) and is exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart/ Pharmaprix. 

A lovely box at my doorstep

About two weeks ago, I placed an order online on the Makeup Geek website. Today, as I was getting ready to leave my home to run some errands on my day off. I was surprised to see a lovely little package waiting for me on my doorstep. It always brightens up my day when my packages arrive in the mail. I get that tingly little feeling of joy, and I rush to open my package (even though I am fully aware of the contents hidden in that box) and spread out all of the products on my bed to admire them closely.

Today, was no exception, I opened my beloved little box to reveal its contents. In this package, were nine Makeup Geeks shadows in pan form, one box of Shadow Shields and Sugarpill's Burning Heart palette along with his was a handwritten note thanking me for choosing Makeup Geek. It is always appreciated when companies show that they appreciate their customers. 

As I am already familiar with all the companies which I purchased products from; Makeup Geek, Sugarpill and Shadow Shields, I would like to share my love for these ever-growing businesses with some of you that may not have tried their products. 

Makeup Geek eyeshadows; 

 eyeshadow pans: 5, 99 ( USD) 

 eyeshadow compacts : 7, 99 (USD) 

 ** There are 69 shades available in both pan and compact form. A lot of them are good dupes for MAC eyeshadows and they are a fraction of the price. I already own a dozen of the Makeup Geek eyeshadows in pans and they are all pigmented, although some of them are a bit chalkier ( not as creamy and smooth on application) than other shades. My personal favourites are Ice Queen, Bling, Fairytale, Sensuous and Taupe Notch. 

In today's package, I received the following eyeshadows; Twilight, Pretentious, Nautica, Drama Queen, Mermaid, Corrupt (dupe for Carbon by MAC), Purple Rain, Latte and Cosmopolitan (dupe for Expensive Pink by MAC). 

Swatches: (from top to bottom): twilight, pretentious, nautical, drama queen, mermaid, corrupt, purple rain, latte and cosmopolitan 

Sugarpill Cosmetics; 

Burning Heart palette: 33, 99 (USD) includes 4 color eyeshadows in Flamepoint, Buttercupcake , Love + and Poison Plum. 

I have never tried their pressed eyeshadows but I know their rising popularity amongst the makeup artist community. 

Products that I already own in my collection: 

Loose eyeshadow pigments in Goldilux, Lumi, Magentric and Paperdoll ( 11, 99 USD) 

* Amazing quality, extremely pigmented and they can be used a long lasting eyeliners if mixed with a mixing medium. Also note that their products are cruelty-free and some of them are even certified vegan.  

Can be purchased on this site: http://www.sugarpillshop.com/collections/shop ( they ship to Canada)

Shadow Shields:  

These products include 30 shields that can be used to protect your eyes from eye shadow fallout, prevent messiness (specially when creating the perfect smokey eye) and create really sharp edges for that smokey and daring look and they are great for using on yourself and on others because they adhere to the skin very gently and don't tug on your sensitive under eye skin when removing the shields. 

 Each box is 9.99 (USD) 

Can be purchased on this site: http://www.shadowshields.com ( they ship worldwide) 

For any of you interested in purchasing the products I mentioned in this post, you can also do so on this website: https://www.makeupgeek.com/store/

It decreases the cost of shipping if you order all the products from one site, and it just makes it easier. 

* ps. they ship to Canada (yay) and their shipping costs are actually DECENT (hallelujah, right?) 

Thank you for reading my very long and extensive post :) 

Hope you all enjoyed it!! ♡

First step

Welcome to my blog ♡

Where I will discuss all things beauty related from recent purchases to first impressions and in depth reviews. In the future, I may sneak in a few tutorials, that is if I feel at ease with the idea of it. 

Putting aside, this formal- like introduction, I hope you will enjoy my posts and continue to share my journey into the world of a newbie blogger and hopefully this blog will blossom into something really great. 

- We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open -  Jawaharial Nehru 

                                         Let me share my Wonderland with you ♡