Skincare Review: Clean Start!

Hello lovely readers!
I've been promising you a skincare post for some time now. It's taken me a while because I don't like recommending something right away especially skincare products. It takes time to know if you like something and whether or not it has actually made a difference in your skin's appearance.

Fair warning- I do not have problem skin so I may not be the best person to review skincare. I don't get have acne or red spots. For the most part my skin doesn't give me trouble aside from the odd pimple every now and then (usually a stress pimple around finals). I also don't have a problem with oily skin or need to blot. My skin type is very specific, I have very dry skin which tends to look very dull and washed out. I tend to get really dry on my nose and forehead and I have some blackheads on my nose, behind my nostrils which I really hate.

I got the Starter Kit from a skin care brand called Clean Start from Dermalogica which basically has trial-sized bottles of five of their products and I thought I'd review it for you guys!

These are one-month supplies of five products from Clean Start. Including a spray toner, a morning moisturizer, night moisturizer, scrub/mask and a foaming face wash. You can buy this kit on their website, or in stores at Sephora. It retails for about $45. (It's not on the Sephora website for some reason). 

Hate to start on a negative but I did not like their day time moisturizer. However I can't blame them because the "Welcome Matte SPF15" was not formulated for dry skin. Obviously since it's a mattifying product, it says right on the bottle it's made for oily skin. It didn't work for me, but if you had oily skin you'd probably like it. 

I love "Wash Off" the foaming face wash! It's amazing. I usually hate foaming face washes because they somehow always end up in my eyes and it burns. Eugh. But I don't have that problem with this one. It foams but not as much as some others I have used. I really love the sharp citrus/lemon smell in this, it just smells so refreshing and clean. This product has lemongrass and orange peel oil in it, so I'm assuming that's where the smell is coming from. My face feel really soft and clean when I used this and it's made a dramatic difference to the dry spots around my nose and it got rid of the blackheads I had on my nose as well. 

"All Over Clear" is the toner in the set and it is just as amazing as the cleanser! It's new to me because I'm used to using toner by pouring it on a cotton pad and then rubbing it on my face but the Clean Start toner comes in a spray bottle which you obviously spray on your face.

*Toner in case you're wondering is a cleanser that you do not wash off your face. You apply it on the skin and let it sink in. It's used to cleanse the skin of any sweat or dirt that may have built up in pores and shrink their appearance. 

 It has the same smell as the toner as it also contains lemongrass. A lot of toners are filled with alcohol and they can really dry out your skin. This one has no alcohol and it's really refreshing and light. It also has extracts of Argan in it so it's not drying at all like some drugstore toners I've used. 

 Sorry to say I really did not like "Bedtime for Breakouts" which is the nighttime moisturizer. It's very runny and not at all creamy which is not good for my dry skin. This left my face still feeling really dry after using it. I get that I could use this only in spots with acne but it says right on the bottle it's made for use over the entire face at night. And for me, it just doesn't perform. I also really hate the smell of this. It's also a citrus smell like the others, but somehow more intense and sour. It kind of smells like a lemon that's gone bad. 

This might just be my favourite product of the bunch because it's effects are immediate and clearly noticeable. At first I was confused by "Ready, Set, Scrub" because it's described as a face mask and also a scrub. And I was like... ummm.... what? 

But stay with me. This product squeezes out like a clay mask and you apply it in the shower and let it sit on your face for five minutes or so. This has lemongrass in it like the face wash and toner, so it has the same light, refreshing lemon scent. The menthol in this product creates an awesome, refreshing tingling sensation on your face where your trouble spots are. So for example, I felt the tingling around my nose and behind my nostrils specifically. It's so weird/awesome, you can actually feel this mask opening and cleaning your pores. 

Then you rub it around with your fingers and there are tiny granules of silica that scrub dead skin off your face. As someone with dry skin, I was always drawn to really abrasive, chunky face scrubs because  I thought they'd be more effective at getting rid of dry, flaky skin. But this is definitely the most effective scrub and maybe even skincare product I've ever used. 

Overall:

3 out of 5 ain't bad in my opinion and here's why in a neat little pros and cons list. 

• Con: The two moisturizers didn't work for me.
• Pro:  I absolutely fell in love with the three other products and have in fact already repurchased the full sizes. Pro: They made a marked improvement in the appearance of my skin and  I didn't even have bad skin to begin with. 
• Pro: Even my boyfriend noted that skin looked better without me asking him. 
• Pro: Got a super cute, reusable water bottle with my purchase (this one doesn't really count, I know).
• Pro: I use this skin care more regularly than I have ever used any other skin care from the drugstore because it's a routine at night to use all three products so there's less chance of forgetting to do it. 
• Pro: I also really like that all the products in the Clean Start line are made without using artificial colours. fragrances or alcohol. 
• Con- The full sizes are pricey. Very pricey. The full sizes of these products range from $20-$25 each which kinda sucks. 
• Pro- the trial-sized bottles were supposed to be a month's supply. I have had the set for two months now and I still have haven't finished anything from the set. So these full sizes are going to last me forever. 

Is it worth the hefty price tag to me? Definitely. 

But if you're still unsure I would suggest buying the trial kit at Sephora and trying all five products out. If you don't like any of it, return it and get your money back. You've got nothing to lose right?

So I hope you liked this review and as always, thanks for reading!

-Tash <3

Ombre Orange/Coral Nails!

Hello blog readers (the few of you there are)!
I have a nail post for you today! I have a makeup haul and review coming up shortly with some products from The Balm, but it turns out that post is a little more labour intensive than I thought it would be.
So for now, a nail post it is!

Ombre Nails! Quick note about them: they are not easy. You could go the route where you pick one polish and dilute it with some drops of white polish so it gets paler for each nail. But it turns out I have so much freakin nail polish I had four orange/coral colours that actually created a really smooth gradient. I used the same colour for both my thumb and index finger. This isn't the best pain job I've ever done, but it sure is difficult to paint your nails four different colours. Give me a little credit. 

 From left to right: Wet'n'Wild Heatwave, OPI Special Request

Wet'n'nWild Club Havana, and Essie Tart Deco.

They're in the same order on my nails.

It's a really cute, bright and fun look for summertime! Not to mention it goes with the whole ombre trend that's kind of happening in fashion (I think...). 

Hope you enjoyed this idea for summer nails.

Thanks for reading

-Tash <3

The nail polish that launched a thousand ships...

Holy shit. It's been forever and a day since I visited the blogosphere.
But here I am. Let's do this.
Summer is totally here (I mean not officially, but in my book as soon as it's slightly warm- summer).
So of course you all know I had to break out the summer nail polishes.
Here's one of my favourites for the summer by OPI.

Readers, meet Melon of Troy. Yes, this polish from OPI is actually called "Melon of Troy" - so cute.

It's obviously a melon-coral colour and its got a decent amount of shimmer mixed in. Not glitter, but a subtle shimmer that's gorgeous and makes the polish really reflective. 

The shimmer in this polish makes it somewhat more difficult to apply and it did take me 2-3 coats to get it completely opaque.

But c'mon. The end result is so totally worth it. C'est la vie, non?

Just a Few Things...

• Despite the fact that my real obsessions lies with makeup, this blog is like 90% nail polish. How did that happen? Oh right, nail polish is 100, 000% easier to photograph. 
• I do however have not one, but TWO makeup hauls photographed and they will be up shortly. Not to mention a skincare post as well. 
• I got some new palettes from the UK (mentioned above) which are SO SO beautiful. I don't even want to use them they're so beautiful. God, I'm such a hoarder.
• Revlon came out with some REALLY cute cream blushes in their summer collection. They look awesome. Can't bring myself to actually use them yet... *sigh
• Every summer it's insane how much nail polish I collect. I just love summer colours.
• Mad Men season finale was this past Sunday. So sad! I love that show so much. I think I may do a Joan inspired look soon
• Stupid boyfriend's taking summer school (by choice) and he never sees me. Thus, you have a blog post!
• Got an iPhone recently. Instagram: tashasingh10

That'll be all from me this time. As always, thanks for reading,

-Tash <3

Stila Eyeshadow Palette: Review

Sorry about the hiatus people. School is just murdering me already...

So let's not talk about it and get straight into the review shall we?

I recently picked up the new "In the Moment" eyeshadow palette from Stila. I have owned Stila eyeshadows before and they were just "meh" for me. For example, I have the so described "cult classic" eyeshadow in "Kitten" that everyone and their mom is supposed to love. I wasn't loving it. 

However I couldn't resist this new palette. It's the "In the Moment" palette and it has 10 eyeshadows total, some really great neutral, wearable shades and some really beautiful purples as well. The lid of the palette is magnetic and the case is very sleek and portable. 

The palette is $51 and it's available in stores Sephora or online at Sephora.com.

The shadows are great quality. All are very pigmented and they're very soft, almost creamy textures which makes them great to work with. 

From left to right (top row): Instinct, Impulse, Glance, Improvise, Catalyst

From left to right (bottom row): Desire, Wonder, Spontaneous, Whim, Captivate

I'm not sure if these shades are sold individually or outside this palette but I thought I would include the names just in case.

This palette also comes with a full-sized smudge stick in "Tetra" which is a very beautiful dark plum eyeliner with a light purple shimmer.

I have tried the smudge sticks before in "stingray" (black), "purple tang" (black with purple shimmer) and they are SO worth it. They are creamy, soft and some of the most pigmented liners I have ever tried and they are the automatic, twist-up kind which I love. Seriously, this palette is worth it for the liner alone.

A downside about this palette (if you care about this kinda thing) is that of the 10 shades, only 2 are matte colours- desire (light, pinky beige) and glance (deep purple). I personally don't mind that because the shimmer on some of the other shades is so subtle you barely notice it.

This is the inside cover of the palette. A quick google search tells me that Sarah Lucero is a makeup artist with Stila. 

This palette also comes with a "lookbook" which is a little book that shows you how to create six different eye looks with the palette. I thought it would be interesting to re-create one and see if the look actually turned out any good. Surprisingly, it did. The looks in the book are easy to do and range from subtle everyday looks to darker, smokier looks.

I chose to recreate the first look in the book called "wide eyed wonder" - it's the most wearable, subtle look suggested. I chose it because I was doing this before class one day and didn't want anything to overdone. I tweaked it to my own tastes so it's a little different from what it says in the book.

*Note: try not to judge the eyeshadows based on these photographs. I took them in bad light and only after many hours of wear. The "whim" colour in my crease is actually much darker but it gets washed on in the photos. Sorry!

I applied "wonder" all over my lid and blended "whim" in the crease of my eye.  

I blended out the dark brown colour with a skin tone shade (which would obviously vary for everyone).

I used "desire" lightly as a highlight on my browbone and in my inner corner. 

I also went back with the "wonder" colour but I used MAC Fix+ and used it wet right in the middle of my lid to make the colour stand out.

I used the "tetra" smudgestick that came with the palette for my liner.

I'm not positive but I think was wearing MAC "prep and prime" for lashes with L'oreal Million Lashes on top.

Overall: This palette is amazing quality and while $51 may seem like a lot, it's really a great deal.

10 shades divided by $50? Even a journalist can do that math, that makes each shade only about 5 dollars (not to mention you get a full-sized liner for $1).

If you're new to makeup and want a palette with neutrals that also offers some colourful options- this is a great place to start.

If you're kind of a makeup junkie like me with a huge collection, you don't necessarily need this palette but it is very useful and travel-friendly.  

Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for reading guys!

-Tash <3

Holiday Gift Guide 2011!

Hello everyone,
Unless my 9385589837 other posts about it haven't made it obvious, it is the holiday season!
Which most likely means you're going to spend some time shopping for gifts, which to be honest is such a pain the ass. So, if you're looking for some ideas for what to get the woman in your life, this might be a good place to start :)
I figure I'll sort the items by store or brand that way they're easy to find when you're out shopping.

Lush
Lush has a great selection of pre-wrapped gifts and their Christmas selection has so much variety. If you aren't familiar with Lush already, they make bath products like body wash, soap, shampoo etc. but they also make some really amazing bath stuff like bath bombs (balls of powder product that fizz and make your bath water silky) and bath melts (melt in your bath water super creamy) and bubble bars (make huge bubbles in your tub and makes your water silky).
 They have wrapped Christmas gifts at every single price point which is a nice plus so if none of the ones I link (ones I've tried or like the best) suit you, go to their website and you can find exactly what you want.

Christmas Tweets: $29.95

Courtesy of Lush.ca

This gift comes with a great selection of bath bombs, soaps, creams and bubble bars. It's a great price to try out a lot of Lush bestsellers and some limited xmas stuff too.

Christmas Candy Box: $45.95

Courtesy of Lush.ca

I got this box as a gift last year, but apparently they completely changed what's in it this year! Also, it was $10 cheaper when I asked for it last year. However, this year's box is just as good, filled with a lot of Lush goodies you could fall in love with.

Comforter Bubble Bar: $9.95

Courtesy of Lush.ca

A bestselling bubble bar that I have repurchased many, many times. It's big enough to use two or even three times. It smells like candy and bubblegum and sweetness. It makes your bathwater pink and silky with huge bubbles. Just break some off and crumble under the tap while filling the tub! :)

The Melting Snowman Bath Melt- $5.95

Courtesy of Lush.ca

I love this little guy! He smells fresh and clean, slightly like vanilla. It melts in your bath and makes the water creamy and so soothing. Plus he's so cute! But hurry, this guy is limited edition for just this year.

Cinders Bath Bomb- $4.95

Courtesy of Lush.ca

This smells like fresh citrus, very clean and bright. My boyfriend actually loves this one. It's great for any guy who plays sports and soaks in a tub to relax injured or tight muscles. There's nothing girly about the scent and it makes the bath much more moisturizing for his skin. Think about it ladies.


Sephora
If the girl you're shopping for is a beauty junkie like me, pay real close attention to this section- everything will be a hit with her.
*Note: all prices are in US because I can't be bothered to figure out the exchange rate. Sorry loves!

NARS- Yorokobi Super Orgasm Set: $39

Courtesy of Sephora.com

Filled with NARS best sellers all in their famous shade "Orgasm" -- any beauty lover would be overjoyed to get a blush, nail polish,  and lip gloss in this dazzling peachy pink shade with gold shimmer.

Urban Decay- Maripose Palette- $39

Courtesy of Sephora.com

Urban Decay quality and pigmentation is the absolute best and this palette comes with 10 beautiful shades that can make a gorgeous neutral look, a smokey evening look or a bright, colourful summer time look. It's so versatile and useful, I love mine. Any makeup junkie would really enjoy this.

Urban Decay- Naked Palette: $48

Courtesy of Sephora.com

The absolute blockbuster, bestseller from Urban Decay. This palette went out of stock for almost a full year constantly because of the high demand. And while I know $48 is pricey- if  you're looking for a more luxurious gift, this is ABSOLUTELY worth the money! I love mine and use it regularly.
*I know Naked2, the second naked palette has already come out. But unfortunately it doesn't hit Canadia Sephora's until late January. You could order online though. I still prefer the original one, better colours, better variety.

Sephora- LashStash: $45

Courtesy of Sephora.com

This boxed kit is great because you get to try out so many different mascaras for a great price. It also comes with a makeup remover and 2 full-size products. Sephora also has boxed kits like this for lip products and bestseller items.

Sephora- Collector's Edition Fragrance Sampler for Her: $75

Courtesy of Sephora.com

I know that $75 is kinda "ouch" on the wallet area but this is a great value. This kit comes with 10 fragrance samples (that come in mini versions of the actual bottles!) and it also comes with a coupon to go back to Sephora and get whichever of the 10 perfumes you liked the best! A great idea for someone looking for their perfect scent.

Your girl isn't into makeup?
Try getting her some gourmet tea! Tea makes a great gift that is personal and unexpected. Teavana and Teaopia are both great places you can go to get gourmet teas and great tea making accessories.

Not a fan of tea?
Maybe she's into fashion. Try Etsy, It's an online store and everything they sell is a one-of-a-kind piece. Meaning you can tell your girl, no one else will ever have something exactly like it. And it's really afforadable with great selection of clothes, accessories, housewares and cool vintage pieces.

I hope this gift guide was helpful for someone out there!
I will have another baking post coming up soon on my red velvet cookies with cream cheese filling. They are delicious and really simple to make. AND they are even vegetarian, so if you are or know a vegetarian this will be a great cookie recipe to share. :)

Thanks for reading!
-Tash <3

Holiday Nails (Post #2)- Chestnuts About You!

I am so proud of myself- for keeping up my blogging lately.
I SHOULD be doing homework right now, but that seems to be the only time I can effectively blog-
when it's really important for me to be doing something else.
I thought I'd share a quick post in my "Holiday Nails" series.

This polish is also from the Sephora by OPI holiday collection called Glimmer Wonderland and it's called "Chestnuts About You" which is such a cute name, I had to name the entire post after it.

I love this nail polish! It's a beautiful gold that shines pink. 

It applies beautifully because it's a very smooth polish, semi-thin polish.

But even though it's thin, still only took me two coats to get it opaque.

Despite being a pink-gold colour, this is actually really great for everyday wear. Whereas my first holiday nail post was very dramatic, this is a really beautiful almost neutrally type colour that you could wear all year, not just around the holidays.
Plus, without all the chunky glitter from the last post- this lasts about 94709482943 times longer without chipping.

Just a Few Things...

• I found out today that my friend Breanne, has read some of my blog posts, so YAY someone is actually reading these!! Hey Breanne, if you're reading!!! :)
• I'm considering doing Blogmas (where you blog everyday in December) which is crazy because I know I will fail, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't try... right? 
• I seriously need to replace my digital camera. The lens won't even open properly anymore, geeeez.
• Nail polish photographs so much easier than makeup, holy crap.
• Is it cheating if I blog some pictures of makeup looks I did last year but never posted? I don't think so... :s

Holiday Nails (Post #1): Gold Rush

Hello makeup-lovers,
I am dutifully trying my best to keep this little blog-o-mine going. It's not easy (as is probably obvious from the time of night that I'm writing this) but nevertheless I'm trying.
I thought I would do a quick holiday nail polish post.

I get into Christmas and the holiday season SUPER early and dear god, it irritates anyone and everyone who knows me. Seriously, the second week in November, we had our decorations up at my house and I broke out the festive nails! I love festive/holiday/Christmas themed nails. I would say maybe a quarter of my entire nail polish collection. which has become rather large (maybe a nail polish collection blog?) is either a holiday colour OR it came directly from a holiday collection.

I decided I wanted to go all out with my nails and do a gold base with a glitter overlay just on the top parts.
I think it came out really nice!
I used two OPI by Sephora colours.
The base gold is called "Keep Me on my Mistletoes" and it's from the OPI Glimmer Wonderland Collection 
The gold glitter polish is "Only Gold For Me Top Top Coat" which I believe is a permanent colour.

I only did the glitter right near the tops of my nails so

 it almost looks like a glitter french manicure! 

Tip: Try not to create a harsh line with the glitter. Fade it downward.

Both these polishes are very smooth and opaque.

 You barely need two coats of "Misteltoes" to get the job done.

It has a smooth, shiny formula. It's gorgeous and subtle worn alone. 

The glitter top coat spreads nicely (for a glitter polish) and is surprisingly easy to work with.

Just a Few Things...

• I know all my posts have been super quick, short posts lately. However I do have a post coming up soon about the things I got from the MAC Glitter and Ice Holiday Collection! 
• Makeup swatches are difficult to photograph because I blog at night and have zero suitable lighting.
• I forsee many more festive/holiday nail posts- I do love my Christmas colours (I have another one already photographed).
• Picked up the holiday issue of Chatelaine and I think I will try out some of the recipes :)
• I have no idea what to get my dad and Jon (my boyfriend) for Christmas, boys are so hard to shop for. Poo.
• I am so close to being done this semester. So. Close. 

Thanks for reading!
-Tash <3

Nail Polish of the Moment + Great deal!

Oh it's so late, but I just needed to get this up before I crashed tonight.

My absolute favourite nail polish right now is "Special Request"  from Sephora by OPI.

Gorgeous coral-orange colour.

It's really more of a summer look but I just couldn't wait to wear it! 

Not to mention that this colour plus several others are on sale right now at Sephora.com. 

The sale is also available in Sephora stores but the selection of colours is much smaller.

Regularly, a bottle of Sephora by OPI nail polish will run you about $12 plus tax in Canada.

But they are half price for a limited  time. :)
The way I see it, if you use nail polish it makes sense to stock up when there's a great sale. Nail polish is one of those rare things in the beauty world that doesn't usually succumb to time or expire.

Go get yours while they're still available!

It comes up as more orangey in the pictures
but the true colour is closer to coral

After a week of wearing it with no top coat, I was pleased to see minimal chipping. It takes two coats to get the colour in the bottle- which is very good in my opinion.

OPI is my favourite brand because the formula makes putting on nail polish just that much easier. 

Happy shopping,

Tash <3