February 2015 Lip Monthly - Beauty Bag Review

Lip Monthly is an inexpensive beauty box subscription focusing on lip products. It costs $10 a month + $3 shipping to Canada.

Lip Monthly describes their boxes as: 

For only $10/month, Lip Monthly helps you discover the best lip products on the market. Every month we’ll send you a unique box straight to your door and help you discover the best of Lip Glosses, Lip Sticks, Lip Balms, Lip Stains and much more.

Here is a look at the February 2015 Lip Monthly:

The bag also comes with a product card describing the theme and the products in the month's bag:

February 2015 BirchBox Canada - Beauty Box Review

Birchbox is the original sample beauty box and has been in the U.S.A. since 2010 - and this is only the 3rd month it has been offered in Canada. It is $10 a month + $4.95 shipping to Canada (you can save money by signing up for a year for $100 + shipping costs). Each month you receive 5 sample (or full size) products based on a beauty profile you complete.

Birchbox Canada describes itself as:
"Five personalized beauty samples delivered right to your door each month. It’s the best way to find the products you’ll love."

It should be noted that if you view the U.S. Birchbox - Canadian's receive different products. I hope this expands and we get access to all the products available to out American counterparts soon! I like that some boxes (such as Ipsy and Glossybox) offer the exact boxes to Canadians - I am hoping Birchbox does the same at some point!

Here is the February 2015 Birchbox Canada:

It looks like I have 1 full size item, but 2 of those samples look pretty small. 

Wine + Mask Wednesday Day (Pelee Island Gewurztramier + Innisfree Skin Solution Trouble Care Sheet Mask)

I'm really starting to enjoy these Wine and Mask Wednesdays - it is a perfect excuse to relax with an awesome face mask and a glass of wine! Nothing better!

I have been looking forward to trying these masks from Innisfree! 

Bath Time Box - New Canadian Subscription Box Review and Unboxing + Coupon Codes!

Bath Time Box is a new Canadian subscription box (started right here in Alberta - yay!!!). It focuses on products to help you rediscover bath time - I love soaking in a hot tub so this box sounds like it is right up my alley!! 

Bath Time Box is described as: 

"Designed and curated with the Bath lover in mind, each Bath Time Box contains 5 full and deluxe sample sized bath products carefully chosen to take your bath time to the next level.  Each box is carefully chosen with a focus on Natural and Handcrafted products. 

Delivered to you monthly, each box will hold an assortment of luxurious milk baths, scintillating bubble baths, invigorating scrubs, nourishing lotions and so much more."

Bath Time Box is $29.00 monthly + free shipping. (If you sign up for 3 months, it is $85, and 12 months is $335 + free shipping). 

Coupon codes:
MARCH20 - 20% off a month to month subscription
THREEFORFREE - with a 3 month subscription receive an All Natural Lip Lovers Gift Set: includes an extra large 2 oz Strawberry Lip Lovers Lip Scrub and a .25 ounce Lip Balm in assorted flavours (chocolate, strawberry, cherry, and peppermint).

If you want to purchase items from the box, you can go the Bath Time Box store: www.bathtimestore.com

February 2015 was the first Bath Time Box! Here is a look:

Looks like a great mix of goodies - I can't wait to dig in! 

Manicure Monday (half moon nails)

Time for another Manicure Monday! This week I am going to do half-moon nails! 

Here are the products I used for this week nails:

Skincare Sunday: Double Cleansing

While venturing in to the world of Korean Skin Care, I have completely changed my daily routine - but there are still a few things that I am still trying to figure out! One step that is still new to me is the idea of Double Cleansing! 

Double Cleansing is just that - a two step cleansing routine! This is actually a skincare regime that originated in Japan and was used by the Geisha. 

I was a little apprehensive at first at the idea of using an oil cleanser - it just seemed a little weird to me to wash your face twice! But, my oil cleanser only came in the mail about a week ago and the results are amazing! I have swapped to a nightly double cleanse routine! 

She's in the Glow describes double cleansing as:

"The process follows a simple formula: Cleanse first with an oil to dissolve the makeup. Then follow up with a soapier cleanser that removes leftover impurities and cleanses deeper into the pores. 

When left in the skin, those impurities can lead to a number of problems that we usually just brush off as “normal,” like wrinkles, dullness, acne, bumps and redness. Double cleansing is like the deep cleansing of skincare and not only prevents bad and aging skin, but it also allows for proper absorption of serums and moisturizers, making your skincare routine all around more-effective."

Makes sense to me! And note: prior to double cleansing, still use a make-up remover on your point make-up - mascara, lipstick, etc. Double Cleansing is not meant to replace make-up remover, just to dissolve the remainder of the makeup! 

Step 1 of Double Cleansing is a Oil Cleanser, and Step 2 is a Foaming Cleanser. Here are the products I am currently using:

• Skin Food Black Sugar Cleansing Oil
• Skin Food Egg White Pore Meringue Foam

2015 Color of the Year Make-up: Marsala Lips

I think it's really neat, that every year there is a designated "Color of the Year"! I have decided that I will do a monthly post with the color of the year - make-up, nails, etc! You can view my past Color of the Year post's here.

2015's Color of the Year is Marsala - and is described as a wine red with brown roots! It is not a color I normally wear, so it will take me a bit out of my comfort zone to try it! 

This month I thought I would demonstrate a Marsala lip using only a lip pencil! My first rule of doing any dark lip is to first use a lip scrup - make sure your lips are nice and smooth!


Here is the lipliner I used:

NYX Slim Lip Pencil in "Burgundy" ~ $3.50. This was very easy to apply and went on very smooth! I simply lined my lips and lightly filled in the rest - top off with a light chap stick and wa-laa - Marsala lips! 

Wine + Mask Wednesday (Cono Sur Pinot Noir + Lush Fresh Face Mask)

I just read that today is International Wine Drinking Day - I'm not sure if that's actually factual or not, but my Wine and Mask Wednesday post will fit in really nicely today if it is! 

I have been super excited to review this mask, so let's pair it with a nice wine and get in to it!

February 2015 Topbox Review - Canadian Beauty Subscription + Benefit Rollerlash Mascara Review

TopBox is a Canadian Beauty Box Subscription - for $12 CDN a month with free shipping (I pay $12.60 each month with tax), you will receive 4 deluxe sample size or full size products. You fill out a beauty profile and generally receive products based on what you have identified in the profile. Also, every month you have the option to wish for a "prive" box. A prive box is a box that focuses on one brand or product for the whole box.

TopBox is a Canadian company and only ships to Canada. The only downside to subscribing to TopBox is that there is a wait-list that can take a month or two to get off of.

For February, I "wished" for the Benefit Prive box - they are going to include a new product and a not yet released product! A "wish" for a prive box is not a guarantee you will get it! 

Here is my February TopBox:

Yay! Benefit Prive Box! The new, un-released product is a mascara! 

February 2015 Ipsy Glam Bag - Makeup Sample Subscription Review

Ipsy is one of the inexpensive beauty bag sample subscriptions. You receive 4-5 deluxe sample size or full size products each month. The cost is $10 US (+ $4.95 shipping to Canada). 

Ipsy is generally make-up products with a mix of skin, nail, and hair products based on a beauty profile you complete. There is usually 12-18 products that are selected from each month! You can view your "glam room" online that tells you all the products you will receive each month (I really like to keep it a surprise so I don't check ahead of time!) You also receive a make-up bag each month with your products.

Here is a look at my February Ipsy Bag:

The theme of this month is IpsyLove - which fits with Valentine's Day this month! I love that everything is very pink!!

Manicure Monday - Scratch "Dragons Den" Nail Wraps

Sorry this is a little late on a Monday - I have been busy working on Save the Dates all day!! So, this week's Mani is going to be a little easier - nail wraps!

I have loved "Scratch" nail wraps - they go on so easy and the best part is they come over with nail polish remover just like regular polish! 

Here are the products I used for this week's Mani:

Skincare Sunday - My Morning Korean Skincare Routine!

I thought since I started my Skincare Sunday posts with my Nightly Routine, it made sense to to the second post with my daytime routine - trust me, there is no way that I can do that many steps in the morning! (plus a lot of products are sticky and might not look great during the day!)

I will just include my pre-makeup steps for you! You can view here where I interpreted my day-time routine! 

If you are interested in viewing my Korean nightly skincare routine first, you can check it out here!

Step 1: Cleanser 
There are two types of cleansers I like to use in the morning: gentle gel/cream cleansers, or light exfoliating cleansers (I usually use these about once per week, and a gel cleanser the rest of the week).
I would save the foam and oil cleansers for nighttime when your skin requires a deep cleanse! 

Here are the cleansers I currently use in the morning:

• Beauty Without Cruelty Facial Cleanser
• Tatcha Polished
• Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser

This Beauty Without Cruelty gel cleanser is awesome - it is my go-to morning face wash! When I want a gentle scrub in the morning, I use the Tatcha and the Suki!

February 2015 Mask Genie Subscription - 5 Mask Pouch Review

Mask Genie is a newer all mask subscription service - January 2015 was the first mask pouch sent out! I didn't catch wind of this subscription until the end of January, so I had to wait until February to try it!

Mask Genie offers 2 different pouches:

• 5 masks for $12
• 10 maks for $22

Both include shipping costs!

This subscription is a little different - you do not have a re-occuring subscription, you just email when you would like the next month! They do not have a subscription website, it is through the Facebook page. Some people may not be comfortable signing up for a service through email, and I would not regularly recommend it, but viewing the Facebook page and the reviews, I believed it was legit! 

I ordered the 5 mask pouch, and it shipped early in the month. Here is a look:

It comes in a cute little organza bag - there is no product card, so I will have to look up the products. MaskGenie also does an un-bagging youtube video to show and explain every mask she puts in the pouches!

Wine + Mask Wednesday (Thornhaven Wine + Mediental Snail Aquaring S.O.S. Solution Mask)

Time for my second installment of Wine + Mask Wednesday!

Let's dive right in! 

Manicure Monday (Conversation Hearts for Valentine's Day!)

Ahh, almost time for Valentine's Day! 

I thought this year I would try a candy related manicure! And my inspiration is Conversation Hearts! I love these candies and thought they would make such cute nails!! 

Here are the products I used for this week's Manicure Monday:

Skincare Sunday - My Nightly Korean Skin Care Routine

Welcome to my first Skincare Sunday! I thought it would be fitting to do a few posts about my routines and eventually get in to my favorite products!! 

My longest Skincare Routine is my nightly skincare - this is sometimes 10+ steps! (But in the end it is so worth it!)

Thanks to Memebox and a few other boxes I found along the way - I have drastically changed my skincare routine - from 2 steps to 10 steps! I like the Korean approach that as long as it takes you to get your face  ready in the morning, it should take you just as long to care for it at night! 

So this is my interpretation of the 10 step Korean Skincare Routine (you can view Beauteque's 10 step routine on their blog here and Into The Gloss's interpretation here - both have been helpful to me!). 

Step 1: Make-up Removal 
It is important to use a gentle remover or wipes, especially to remove eye make-up prior to washing your face! Be gentle and don't pull too much - this step is helpful so you aren't scrubbing or pulling too much while cleansing!!

Here are the make-up removers I am currently using (of course this doesn't mean these are the best products, just what I like/have):

• Benefit They're Real! Remover
• Purederm cleansing tissues

Wine + Mask Wednesday! (Elephant Island Pear Wine + The Face Shop Sparkling Wine Face Mask!)

Who doesn't love Wine Wednesdays?! I personally love nothing better (well, almost nothing better...) than relaxing with a face mask on and a glass of wine in hand - so I thought, why not combine 2 awesome things into 1 weekly post?! So, here is the start of Wine + Mask Wednesdays! Now to be honest, I'm neither a wine nor a skincare expert - these will simply be my opinions! 

I'm pairing a wine mask with a yummy wine! 

January 2015 Beauty Box Comparison ~ Ipsy vs. Birchbox vs. Beauty Box 5 vs. Topbox

This is the second month comparing the 4 inexpensive Beauty Bag/Boxes!

Here is my chart breakdown comparing Ipsy, Topbox, BirchBox and Beauty Box 5:

There was a huge difference in all 4 boxes/bags this month! Here is a closer look at what I loved (and disliked) with each subscription:

Manicure Monday (triangles accent nails) + Monthly Manicure (valentine's hearts!)

It's February - time for Valentines to be everywhere!!! I actually really don't celebrate Valentine's day, but I love all the hearts and cute stuff that comes out at this time!!

So, I decided to carry the Valentine's theme to my Monthly Pedicure!

Here are the products I used:

January 2015 Lip Monthly - Beauty Subscription Bag Review + coupon codes

Lip Monthly is an inexpensive beauty box subscription focusing on lip products. It costs $10 a month + $3 shipping to Canada.

Lip Monthly describes their boxes as: 
For only $10/month, LipMonthly helps you discover the best lip products on the market. Every month we’ll send you a unique box straight to your door and help you discover the best of Lip Glosses, Lip Sticks, Lip Balms, Lip Stains and much more.

I don't get these boxes often as I'm not huge on lip products - but I'm willing to give it a shot to try some new products!

Here is a look at the January 2015 Lip Monthly Beauty Box:

Lip monthly comes with a product card detailing the products: