I’m returning to my blog after a brief hiatus with a loving lately post!  It’s been a while since I posted one of these so I figured it’s about time that I shared some products that I’ve been loving and ones that have sadly disappointed me.  Let’s start with Beauty!

Beauty Favourites

Dessange Paris Purifying Clay Pre-Shampoo Mask

I’ve owned this hair mask for a while but only recently started using it regularly. I totally recommend this if you have oily hair/scalp like me!  I apply this to my roots before I shower, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, rinse and then shampoo as usual.  After using it I can usually extend shampooing my hair for another day or two because my hair doesn’t get as oily as quickly nor get as oily period.  The only problem is trying to find this brand here in Canada; it appears to be discontinued and the brand is not readily available in Canada, so I’m going to need to find an alternative when I run out of this.

Stila Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow (Kitten)

I picked this up at the Sephora sale back in April and since then it’s been my favourite thing!  Ultimately this is Polished & Inspired’s fault – she convinced me that I needed to try at least one of these and she didn’t steer me wrong.  This is a shimmery eyeshadow in liquid form and it’s one of the best I’ve ever tried.  The formula is beautiful, long-lasting and extremely pigmented; it applies easily and smoothly using it’s doefoot applicator after which I use a dense buffing brush to blend the edges out.  I love the simplicity of these – I can stick a matte shadow in the crease, this on the lid,  blend a bit and I’ve got a complete look.  I’ve definitely got a few more of these on my wish list although I’ll probably wait until the Fall Sephora sale to pick up others.

Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask

My skin has oddly transitioned from combination to outright dry which is kind of annoying; many of the products I used to use and love don’t really work for me anymore.  I’ve used this mask in the past and liked it but now that my skin is on the drier side I really appreciate it.  It’s super cooling, soothing and very moisturizing; I like to use this in the morning before I apply my makeup and I don’t bother rinsing it off – it absorbs so quickly it’s almost impossible anyway.  I’m currently making my way through a deluxe sample size of this but at some point I’m definitely going to pick up the full size.

Travalo Atomizer

If you travel and like to take your favourite fragrance with you, you need one of these.  For years I took either samples or rollerballs with me but I hated doing that – I never had samples of perfumes I liked and rollerballs have zero lasting power on me.  With this, I can pick the fragrance from my collection I feel like bringing with, fill it up and I’m good to go.  Filling it up is super easy; I just remove the spray head off the perfume bottle, insert the bottom of the Travalo on top, pump it till it’s filled and that’s it!   It takes up minimal space in my carry-on liquids bag and doesn’t leak.  Definitely the best $15 I’ve ever spent and my new favourite travel accessory!

Delia Organics Dose of C Eye Magnify Eye Gel

I received this eye gel in a Simply Beautiful Editors Box late last year; at first I didn’t feel like it was doing anything but like most skincare, after a month of regular use I started seeing results.  I don’t find this moisturizing enough to use during the day so I use it at night.  It’s gel formula is cooling and refreshing which I enjoy and I find I wake up in the morning with under eyes that are less puffy, plumper and smoother.

Lifestyle Loves

Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk

Last year I discovered that dairy reaps havoc on my skin which just about killed me – I’m a huge dairy lover.  While I haven’t cut out dairy completely, I’ve definitely scaled back my consumption and I’ve been on the hunt to find delicious alternatives since.  It took me a little while to adjust to drinking regular almond milk over plain old milk but I’m pretty much converted now.  This didn’t require any time to adjust at all because it’s SO delicious – I dare say it tastes even better than regular chocolate milk.  It has a richer chocolate taste but it doesn’t leave me feeling full and gross after having one glass (which maybe isn’t always a good thing calorie wise).  I love drinking this on its own, with some Bailey’s or in homemade iced coffee.  Totally recommend this if you’re looking for a dairy-free chocolate milk alternative!

Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Caramel Fudge Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

Another dairy-free alternative here!  I do like Ben & Jerry’s and have had their regular ice creams before but I honestly think that this flavour is the best one I tried, dairy or non-dairy.  The coffee flavour is subtle – I’d describe it as more mocha but what makes this standout is the ribbons of creamy caramel throughout, as well as the fudge chunks (which seemed to be coated in chocolate).  It’s so good that even Mr. PRL loves it (who hasn’t really been a fan of my non-dairy imposters)!

Halogen Modal Jersey V-Neck T-Shirt

I was on the again search this year for a new favourite t-shirt (more on that below) and I’m happy to report I found a very worthy replacement.  Just over a month ago we had our very first Nordstrom Rack location open up and after letting the crowds thin a bit, I paid them a visit.  I ended up walking away with 4 t-shirts, three of them being the Halogen brand and 2 of them being this v-neck style.  They are super soft, feel very well-made, wash well and most importantly are very comfortable.  They do run a little large but I like my tees to be a little on the looser, relaxed side.  Shortly after I purchased these I realized that these are the t-shirts that Makeup by Tiffany D raves about all the time but guess what?  Instead of the $43 they retail for at Nordstrom, I paid $9.99!  I picked up a navy blue and raspberry colour so I don’t expect you’d find staples like black or white at Nordstrom Rack but that’s fine with me.

Regrets

Simple Human Sensor Mirror 12cm Round

First off – do you know impossible it is to take a picture of a mirror?  Add in my mirrored makeup desk and I set myself up to fail.  Anyway, earlier this year I redeemed my precious Shoppers Optimum points for this mirror; I couldn’t wait to get it and start using it – I thought for sure I was going to have nothing but flawless makeup from there on in.  Sadly, that really hasn’t been the case – I’m so disappointed in this!  While it has some good features, I’ve discovered that looking at your face in 10x magnification really serves no purpose and is pretty pointless.  I actually have quite a few things to say about this so I’m going to save them for a full review – stay tuned!

The Balm Jovi palette

I did a review on this palette in my Monthly Makeup Focus for April and this might be the worst palette I’ve ever used.  Read more why here.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream

This was another pretty big disappointment; for the most part I’ve had some good results with Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost line but this one was a big fail.  This cream did nothing but suck the life and moisture out of my skin!  So weird right – it’s called Hydro Boost?  I’m not sure what’s in it but after using it for a few weeks straight my skin was so flaky and dry.  It didn’t matter if I used this alone or paired it with other products.  Once I stopped using this it returned to normal.  I’m really sad because I wanted to love this but it just doesn’t work for me. 🙁

American Eagle Soft & Sexy V Neck Tee

Okay I have to vent here for a moment – why do companies change things that are actually good and need to be left alone?  Last year I discovered these tees and fell in love with them – they had a perfect relaxed fit, were super soft and comfortable, and came in a variety of colours.  I literally had 4 of them in my closet.  This Spring I decided to pick up a black one and didn’t even bother trying it on, which was a huge mistake!  They’ve changed the fabric they use for these and it’s horrible!  It’s super thin and stretches out very easily and doesn’t wash well. On top of that they seemed to have adjusted the cut on these as well – the V on this is so low it’s borderline indecent if I happen to bend over.  So I’m sad to say, unless they go back to their old fabric, I won’t be buying these again.

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That about wraps up my favourites for the last 6 months – what have you been loving lately?