February 2015 Favorites

I feel like this month’s favorites is a mish mash of weird things. I started out the month loving making up and getting all dolled up, and then I got my wisdom teeth out and have yet to touch make up. There’s just a few goodies I’ve been loving this month, but quality over quantity… right?

Just a few make up goodies, we’ll start with those.

I have really been gravitating towards the Pixi Blush in the shade Purest Peach. This shade just does something for your complexion. It makes you look awake and alive and rejuvenated. It’s one of those blushes you can just slap on and not worry about over applying or looking like you’ve just gone for a 20 mile hike. There’s a slight pearlescence which is really beautiful. I’ve also really loved my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge for applying foundation. Mine’s starting to look a little worse for wear, but I really like the natural coverage and seamless blending. I got weirdly into winged liner, as well. An eyeliner pen just makes life easy, so the Essence Eyeliner Pen was a great addition to my monthly make up routine. I threw in the Lush Pearl Massage Bar for a couple of reasons. At the beginning of the month I started going back to the gym and words cannot express how sore I was after the first few work outs. So this massage bar came in handy when I asked my boyfriend to rub my sore legs. I also really enjoy using this massage bar as a solid parfume. it’s Rose Jam scented, so it just helps keep me smelling rosy and delicious all day long. I’m not a huge fan of the pink balls, but they fall out so all is forgiven.

The Yes to Tomatoes Blemish Clearing Facial Wipes were AMAZING after I got my wisdom teeth out. Especially the first two days when I didn’t want to bend my face over the sink and my face was really sore, these were like a little slice of heaven. They cleansed so well because I wasn’t wearing make up at all, they didn’t burn or irritate my skin, they just sloughed off all the oil so I could (very gently) put on a moisturizer and hit the hay. Quite some time ago I picked up the Avalon Organics Facial Cleansing Milk and I have to say I’ve really grown to like it as my skin as become less acne prone. It just gives your skin a glowing and healthy look. It’s super gentle but makes your skin feel nice and clean. Post-wisdom teeth showers were made beautiful with the Rose Jam shower gel, topped with Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner and Pearl Massage Bar… I just wanted to smell like a rose when I was feeling poopy. Last of all, and probably my biggest favorite was the Green Beaver Green Apple Lip Balm. My lips were so cracked and dry and peeling after getting my wisdom teeth out, and this lip balm just saved the day. It wasn’t until about 3 days after my surgery that I could actually smack my lips together, but damn was it nice to have this balm saving my lips.

A pretty tame collection here, but I have to say it’s nice to be back to blogging. I did a lot of pre-scheduled posts and I definitely am happy to be back to photographing and writing and the whole lot. I’m so amazed how March is like right on the door step!

Talk soon,

Xx Brianna

Pop of Pixi

I think one of my favorite things to buy, make up wise, is blush. For whatever reason it’s the most exciting thing to put on your face. A good blush can really awaken your complexion and brighten up your face. I recently picked up a great blush for summer time.

Pixi by Petra Beauty Blush in Purest Peach – $4.80 CAD

To quote Superbad “I just want to go to the rooftops and scream, I love [this blush]!” I am seriously impressed with this little pan. I was wandering around Target the other day killing time to avoid traffic after work, and I obviously found myself in the beauty section. I originally was eying a neutral eyeshadow palette but I thought to myself do I seriously need another? and passed. I was looking through the blush section of the Pixi display and they only had testers of two other shades, one felt a little chalky, and the other felt amazing. I decided to take my chances picking up the shade 02 ‘Purest Peach’ because my blush collection is seriously lacking in the peach/coral department.

The packaging is quite small, and you only get .02 oz of product. I can get over the small pan 1. because of the price, and 2. what I love about this blush is it’s so natural and brightening to the face. I always avoided peach toned blushes because I thought I would look orange, boy was I wrong. This blush has a natural tone to it that looks so beautiful on the skin. The consistency is amazing, really nice and buttery and smooth. I use my Real Techniques Blush Brush with this blush and it picks up the perfect amount. I don’t need to worry about picking up too much pigment, you can really slap it on without thinking about it.

For pale ladies like myself it gives off the most natural flush. The formula does have small amounts of shimmer, but that doesn’t bother me. I usually go for a matte blush, but the shimmer in this formula is really complimentary. This is the first powder blush I’ve used in a while, and I’m happy to switch back for this blush. I would also like to add that this blush has great ingredients. The blush is infused with rosehip extract, honeysuckle flower, and is paraben, talc and fragrance free. I really want to pick up the other shades, I think Rosy Rouge would be fantastic for fall.

Talk soon,

Xx Brianna

Pixi Polish

If there’s one thing that’s easy to hoard up, it’s nail polish. It’s so tempting every time I hit up a Target, Shoppers or London Drugs to pick up a few bottles. Next thing you know, you’ve got a huge stash of nail polishes with a variety of colours, formulas and finishes. Today I’d like to share some new polishes to me that are cruelty free.

Pixi by Petra Nail Colour – $8.00 CAD*

These little bottles are so cute! I find Pixi products at my local Target, and I have to say these polishes are very reasonably priced. Not going to lie here… I borrow these off my sister, but hey! Sharing is caring, right? Whenever I see she’s picked up some new beauty products that are cruelty free, I feel obliged to test them out, like quality control. I’m so thoughtful, aren’t I? My sister is on a huge natural kick, she’s done her research and listed out all the chemicals she wants to avoid, and these polishes made the cut.

When I first cracked open these Pixi polishes, I was confused. Each shade has a different brush. The bright pink colour is called ‘Vivid Coral’ that has a fantastic wide brush. The purple shade is called ‘Very Violet’ that has a super thin applicator. I’m a fan of the bigger wand, it makes application super quick. Just two swipes of the brush and you’re good to go. These polishes are ‘3 Free’ meaning they do not contain Toluene, Formaldehyde, or DBP. I really like the formula on these polishes, they’re a cream formula with no shimmer, which I personally prefer. The colours are very, very bright and lean on the neon side of colours. I find these polishes to last a good 5-7 days with a good base and topcoat. For the price, I think these are a great cruelty free option, and there’s tons of great shades to choose from.

As pictured above, two coats does the job nicely. One thing to note is these polishes dry matte. It’s really strange, but I feel like the matte aspect helps these polishes to dry incredibly fast. It’s really impressive. If you aren’t a fan of a matte nail colour, just add a topcoat and you’re set!

Talk soon,

Xx Brianna

* In case you were wondering, here’s Pixi’s statement on animal testing: “Pixi does not test on animals, nor do we have any other parties, such as suppliers, conduct any animal testing on our behalf. Pixi uses only the highest quality ingredients which have a proven safety record and are widely used in the cosmetics industry.”