Ipsy Glam Bag - August 2013

I continue to be impressed with the items I receive each month in my Ipsy Glam Bag, August was definitely no exception! As usual, I received five items and a cute cosmetics pouch. The items are as follows:

• Michael Todd Pumpkin Nutrient Rich Facial Mask - I love Michael Todd products. I've found that my skin responds much better with natural skincare, and therefore, this line of all natural products has been my go-to for the past several months. However, I had not yet purchased this pumpkin mask (I love their Kaolin Clay Mask), so I'm really excited to try this one out. The size of the sample is so big! Very nice.

• Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick - I received the shade 69 which is a deep red (see swatch below). The lipstick is extremely creamy and feels quite luxurious. I have been wanting to pick up a couple of these, although this would not have been the colour I picked out, but it is still nice to give it a try.

• Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer - I think I first tried this primer over ten years ago when primers still seemed very new and exciting. Back then I thought they were a bit of a gimmick, but now, I am a believer and use one almost everyday. This is a very nice primer, and I'll take this mini with me when travelling for sure.

• Pixi Beauty Lash Booster Mascara - Who doesn't love a mascara sample? I can usually get several weeks out of a sample size mascara. Actually, I haven't purchased a mascara since last year because I'm trying to use up the massive collection in my drawer. Interested in giving this a try.

• Mica Beauty Eye Shadow in Bronze - This is a loose pigment eyeshadow. It is a gorgeous colour (see swatch below). I'm sure I have tons of similar shadows in my collection, but nonetheless, this is really pretty and I love it.

Swatches of Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in 69
and Mica Beauty Eye Shadow in Bronze

So, I repeat myself every month, but I loved my bag again!

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!

Empties - Skincare

This is the last of my empties posts for now - skincare. I had the most empty bottles in this category, but for the most part, I got rid of duplicates. I've tried so many different brands over the years, but I'm starting to realize that my skin responds the best to the more natural products. I tried Juice beauty when a sales person at Murale recommended it to me and just loved it. But since I am never content, I thought I would try the Micheal Todd line after hearing so many good things about it all over the internet. And I really am enjoying the products. I've repurchased several times now. 

Simple facial cleanser - this was a sample of a gel-like cleanser. I found it very good for removing makeup and I like it a lot. Would consider repurchasing to use for removing makeup prior to treatment cleansers.

Bioderma Sebium H2O Micelle Solution - this is an amazing cleansing water. It is so handy to have for lazy nights as you can just swipe a couple of moistened cotton pads over your face and all makeup is removed. I already have a backup.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - this is a really lovely facial spray. Has a great spa-like feel and I enjoyed using it, however I might try L'occitane next as I believe it doesn't contain alcohol as Caudalie's does.

Biore Warming Anti-Blackhead Cream Cleanser - this was received in a Glossybox. I used it up, but I didn't love it. Actually, I think I have another in the drawer that I received free as well. Won't be repurchasing.

Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum - this is a really nice product. It is for both anti-aging, as well as blemished / oily skin. I really enjoy using this and have purchased it several times (this was in both the tube, and the glass bottle with the dropper in the picture above).

Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser - I also really liked using this cleanser from Juice Beauty. This was the first time I used facial products with organic ingredients and my skin reacted very nicely with it. 

Michael Todd Kaolin Clay Mask - this is an amazing mask. I use it every week, sometimes twice a week. My skin feels amazing and so clean after using it. I believe the Kaolin Clay is very good for removing excess oil from the skin, I don't know the exact science, but I've seen Kaolin Clay as an ingredient in a lot of products that I enjoy using, so I think it works very well for oily skin types.

Michael Todd Charcol Detox Cleanser - this is my current cleanser, and I have a backup as well. I love it. My skin feels so clean after using it. I'll continue to repurchase this I'm sure.

Michael Todd Antiox Serum - I'm trying to incorporate more anti-aging products into my routine, so I picked this one up. It contains DMAE and Alpha Lipoic Acid. It is quite a nice serum that also provides moisture to the skin. I don't usually use a separate moisturizer, so I find this serum very nice. These days, I'm alternating this with the Antioxidant Carrot Serum.

Philosophy shower gel in Eggnog - this has been a favourite of mine for several years. Every holiday season I try to pick up a couple to last me for the year. I love the scent. It so delicious - exactly like eggnog. The pumpkin pie version is also great.

Tan Towel On the Glow Self Tanning Moisturizer - I use this in the summer as my body lotion. It gives a nice subtle tan that builds after a few applications. I think I purchased this from Hautelook and if I saw them again on there, I would pick up a few more tubes. Otherwise, I'm not really sure where it can be found. Several years ago, Shoppers Drug Mart sold Tan Towel, but I haven't seen it there in ages.

Soap & Glory Clean on Me Shower Gel - this lasted me forever! At 480 ml, it is a huge bottle. I like it, but I did start to get a bit bored of the scent. I need variety!

Vitabath Blood Orange Shower Gel - this was another product from a Glossybox. It was very nice, with a strong citrus scent. I have seen this brand sold at Shoppers Drug Mart, so sometime down the line, I may pick one of these up again.

Ok, so that was a lot of empties, but I'm done!

Thanks for reading!