It's Catherine's Birthday!!!

My baby turns 15 today!

Last night I told Catherine that 15 years ago I wasn't feeling so good! Heck I was in the middle of labor and was scared not knowing what to expect. I mean of course I was expecting her but ya know... We got to the hospital at about 2:00 am, yup the classic middle of the night hospital trip! Six hours later or so, no drugs, no nothin', I ended up not having to push because she did the work and came out almost like a cannonball. In fact, as she was starting to make her appearance, André and I were alone in the room! He left in panic to get the doctor who thought she wouldn't be born for at least another two hours...

That girl wanted to make her entrance into the world memorable and she did!

As much as she was a daddy's girl this past year she's become a mommy's girl. I don't know what life has in store for her but for now she's the best there is. She's grounded, smart and thankfully not as impulsive as I was. Oh and she's beautiful too!

It breaks my heart that her father is no longer with us to see her become a beautiful woman but I have to tell myself there was a reason for it. Make her stronger to face life? I sure hope so. I know he left a big part of himself in her so at least there's that.

This year one of her gifts is in a way a wink to my dad the sailor whom she's never met. For a while now she's been loving anchors! I don't think there's any particular reason for that but she's been liking everything that's got some sort of Navy/sailing reference and so I got her a bracelet with an little anchor as a charm.

It made her happy and wearing it she mentioned my dad. That made me happy.

Happy birthday Sweetness! Love you forever!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo......................................................


Image source, here.

The Body Shop All-In-One BB Cream...

Recently I fell in love with Dior Hydra Life BB Crème (reviewed, here) but on hot days it's a little heavy and so I'm not looking for an affordable tinted moisturizer with SPF, BB cream or whatever the denomination cream for summer I decided to give this one a try when it was 50% off. At $10.00 instead of $20.00, why not?

The Body Shop All-In-One BB cream...

A cream that transforms from white to beige with the warmth of the skin, I chose the color 01 the second lightest shade, noted as suitable for light skin tones.

The Body Shop website description:

Our new All-In-One BB cream transforms from a white cream to suit your skin tone. Pigment-filled capsules burst when applied to the skin, releasing the colour inside. Just blend for a perfect match and an even, undetectable finish. It’s make-up and skincare in one.

• Adapts to your skin tone
• Light to medium coverage
• Even finish
• 24-hour hydration
• Non-clogging

Texture and coverage...

First off I wouldn't call this a BB cream but more a tinted moisturizer since it doesn't have that cake frosting texture these base products usually have. It's sheer, too sheer in fact and applies streaky! This means I have to even it out with a sponge and, well, I end up with almost no coverage once I'm done!

Too oily for my combination skin there's no way I could go for a second layer especially since it oxidizes a little, something that hasn't happened to me in years! Even using a ton of powder, after about an hour of wear my skin still feels sticky and I can see my skin is more orange and that's a no no for me. After two hours or so I'm left with no color whatsoever! It doesn't stay on my skin and I'm not even that oily!!!

Too sheer, feels oily, oxidizes, disappears...

Would I recommend The Body Shop All-In-One BB cream? Sadly I don't think I can.

The nail in the coffin for me is the no SPF!

Truly when I purchased it I didn't notice the lack of sun protection and even at half price I would have skipped. I guess I was too busy looking at the Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder, reason why I went to The Body Shop in the first place and boy am I glad I like that one reviewed, here.

I guess The Body Shop All-In-One BB cream could probably be fine over a sunscreen on someone with dry skin but for me it wouldn't work plus, I want a one step product for everyday. The reviews are mixed about this product but many do like it so if you think this could be an option for you do try to get a sample first.

Me, I'm looking for a one step option to moisturize, color and protect. The Body Shop All-In-One BB cream isn't for me. For now, even if it does feel a little heavy on warmer days, Dior remains my go to.

Reviews:

Makeup Alley: 3.2 / 5 lippies for 45 reviews.
Beauté-test: 3.2 / 5 stars for 44 reviews.


Do you have a one-step-go-to product for mornings when you want to be quick about it, which is it?

The Father's Day Post...

My dad was responsible for me being interested in so many things, especially history as I've stated in a review last year, here. A man with many flaws his biggest quality was being a hard worker and I truly thought I was way too young when I lost him at 25...

I was his pride and joy!

Me and my dad.

Too young? That's until Catherine lost her dad, three months before her 14th birthday...

She was his pride and joy!

Catherine and her dad.

It's great that there is a special day for fathers but do grab every chances you get to let them know how you feel.

Mike & The Mechanics, The Living Years.

Have a great week everyone! Hélène xoxo

L'Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes Waterproof Mascara...

To find a mascara that will hold the curl all day... Is it too much to ask for, is it an impossible concept?

Wait till I do a round up post of all the ones I've tried in the past twelve months or so... Crazy, just crazy!

Since so far I just can't seem to be pleased with any of the ones I use in rotation except for Dior Iconic reviewed, here, I figured the next step would be going for a waterproof formula. This is something I wanted to avoid because they usually are such a pain to remove. I know, I know one simply has to use a bi-phase eye makeup remover but I always end up with "clouds" in my eyes which equals in irritation. 

Anyways, I guess a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

L'Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes Waterproof...

This picture I posted on Instagram last week.

On special at less than $8.00 when I purchased it last week, it was a bit of an impulse buy. For some reason I thought it would be if not improved at least similar to the original Voluminous Waterproof which I've repurchased several times over the years but with a new packaging. 

Not quite! Actually I should say, not even close!

The brush is made of plastic and is a little reminiscent of Benefit They're Real! but maybe a little less scary, less spiky looking and the wand is slightly more solid than L'Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess reviewed, here. I must admit that I prefer this brush to Excess, it's shorter and easier to work with. I believe the main problem with this waterproof version is the container's opening. Tight, it doesn't leave enough product on the brush. It separates lashes beautifully but leaves barely any color on then and this translates into no volume, no volume at all!

Remember, it's called Voluminous! On the package it also said "Multiplied Maximized Volume"

Top, Voluminous Million LashesWaterproof 

Bottom, Voluminous Million Lashes Excess

As mentioned, I've used the original Voluminous waterproof in the past and was always pleased with it except for the fact that it truly was a pain to remove but this one sadly, is not really an improved version. Separation and some length, yes but volume, forget it unless you're prepare to spend at least ten minutes applying coats after coats of it.

I tried it as a "base" to separate my lashes thinking that as a first coat it might help hold the curl better but not so. At the end of the day it didn't make any difference and was as anticipated, hard to remove. 

Would I recommend L'Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes Waterproof? Sadly, no.

Unless you have gorgeous long and full lashes that only need a little definition to begin with, this one won't do much for you unless you're prepared to apply five coats or more! It does receive some rave reviews but for me it just didn't work.

Reviews:

Makeup Alley: 4 / 5 lippies for 140 reviews.

Beauté-test: 3.1 / 5 stars for 90 reviews.

I guess should have stuck to the original L'Oréal Voluminous Waterproof formula! :(

Have you ever been disappointed by "improved" versions of old favorites?

Guerlain Rouge Automatique in Tonka Impériale...

My first! My very first Guerlain lipstick!

In my 20s Guerlain's makeup wasn't that attractive to me and I admit, I was a little puzzled by the Terracotta like, why would anyone use a powder to fake a tan?

Erm, I guess I was a little clueless! To think that now I just can't live without bronzer!

As for lipstick, it's always been Dior and Chanel with a little Lancôme and some Estée Lauder. For about ten years now I've strayed but I'm slowly getting my lipstick mojo back! Got a few Dior, a Givenchy, lusting over a Chanel but my most recent purchase is a Guerlain...

Guerlain Rouge Automatique in Tonka Impériale...

This may not have been the best choice for my first Rouge Automatique because in all honesty the color is a little frosty for my taste but I must say that I'm enjoying the formula a lot and it's the perfect no-mirror-required lipstick! On the sheer side it still leaves enough color to bring life to my lips but if you have a dark pout to begin with you may want to skip that one because all you'll probably get is the shimmer. Mine are medium tinted and so Tonka Impériale gives them just enough kick to look more "polished".

The bullet is a beautiful shimmery bronze reminiscent of some special editions Terracotta releases and what I like about it is on my lips it does pull a little plum which is what I was hoping would happen with La Laque Couleur in Tonka Impériale... *sniff* :(  I reviewed it, here.

About the name, what are tonka beans you ask?

Tonka beans are the seeds of Dipteryx odorata, a tree native to northern South America. The inch-long, black, wrinkly seed has a hard shell, but when grated on a Microplane, it smells sweetly like vanilla, for which it's sometimes used as a substitute, and almonds. (Tonkas also lend that sweet smell to perfume and pipe tobacco.) Though popular in other countries, in the United States tonka beans cannot be used in food, because they contain coumarin, an anticoagulant that can be toxic in large doses.

Image and text from The Perfect Pantry.

Now I definitely have to make a special stop and sample this...

Here is Guerlain's description...

Tonka Impériale is well-named indeed: a subtle blend of balmy scents, rich in contrasting facets, with accents of honey, gingerbread, almond and tobacco. An astonishing construction that blows hot and cold between the uplifting top notes and the sweet, pervasive fullness of tonka bean. Alluring and surprising, this cult ingredient gives the fragrance a rare and memorable personality. 

I do think this would be lovely in winter when one wants to feel all comfy and warm! Oh and by the way it's one of  Sara's from Color me Loud favorites! Have a look at what she had to say about Tonka Impériale in both it's lipstick and nail polish form, here.

Bottom line...

Although I do like the formula a lot, Guerlain Rouge Automatique in Tonka Impérial is not what I would call a must have. The color is a little old school like "been there done that" with it's frosty finish but I think that if you enjoy getting a bit of a tan in the summer this would be an easy no fuss lipstick to own. As mentioned there's a Chanel lipstick that's been calling my name recently but I know that I'll be getting more Guerlain, I just know because it's that nice to wear!

Have you tried Guerlain's Rouge Automatique formula? Which color is your favorite? 

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder...

Is it just me or is The Body Shop's makeup often overlooked? I'm one of those who doesn't know much about it and so recently after reading a post by Monika of Rocaille Writes, I really wanted to try their bronzer. Imagine that, a bronzer, MEEE? :D

Right after I finished reading I went to their website to see all their makeup was a 50% off and so the next day I went to a store. The deal was only online!

I turned away!

One frustrating detail about The Body Shop is their website specials rarely translate to their stores and I never buy online so I decided to forget about it. This week I stopped by a store and boom! The 50% on makeup was on!

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder...

It comes in four neutral matte colors and I must admit, I'm pretty impressed by the texture of 02 the one I chose but I wouldn't really qualify it as a bronzer unless one has very fair skin. For a natural sun kissed glow, 03 and 04 would definitely be more appropriate especially on darker skin tones.

So, 01 and 02 are in my opinion a little pale to be called bronzers but perfect to give a light natural and even satiny glow to the face and for those who don't take any sun in summer or don't like bronzers in general, these would be perfect. This may sound surprising but if you've been salivating over either one of the two lightest shades of Chanel Les Beiges compacts but don't want to make your wallet angry, these are almost dupes once on skin, really they are! The big difference is they will give a somewhat more opaque coverage, almost between a finishing powder and a powder foundation.

The texture? Extremely soft, almost creamy with hardly any fall out and at first I thought it was a bit hard and wondered if I was picking up any powder with my soft no name blush brush but I was. Impressed is what I was! Such a beautiful finish!

I've used it as a base over my BB cream and as a finishing powder and it gives just enough of a color boost to give me an all over lite glow.

Would I recommend The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powders? Yes!

A pretty "powder-not-powdery-finish", it's soft and like I said, satiny and since the two lighter shades have no orange undertones I do believe they're suitable for pretty much any carnation. I like 02 on my neck to make it look less pale without enhancing the fact that it's starting to go down if you know what I mean. A regular bronzer is too harsh and Chanel Les Beiges in N°10 (almost identical although a smidgen more pink to Honey Bronze in 01) too light to make much of a difference on that area at this time of year.

The two lighter shades of Honey Bronze 01 and 02, would work well as finishing powders on medium skin tones and give a nice healthy color on the fair and very fair who'd rather not tan or are maybe a little intimidated by a more traditional bronzer.

Oh I almost forgot to mention the fact that it controls oil pretty nicely. Using it as a finishing powder in the morning I don't have to reapply for at least three hours and these days it's pretty good if you ask me. Now of course that's if the temperature doesn't come into play. If it's hot and humid, forget about it, nothing will stay on my skin!

The compact, although not as sturdy as Chanel is rather nice and I wouldn't mind taking it out in public for touch ups if it came with an applicator. For some reason there are two different compacts, one which is plain and the other, the one I purchased with a nice reflection of hexagonal honeycomb for which bees are so famous.

Regular price, $20.00, got it for $10.00!!! Now that's a sweet deal for a whopping 11g. By the way, Chanel Les Beiges in N°10 is $60.00 for 12 g. Talk about a nice cheap thrill! Oh and yes, I would recommend even at $20.00!

If I didn't already have so many bronzers I would have purchased all four, really I would have!

Do have a look at Monika's entry where she compares The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder to others she's tried, here.

As a little perk I also got the Honey Bronze Shimmer Lip Gloss which comes in the cutest container in the shape of a bee hive!

Have you tried any of The Body Shop's makeup? Anything else I should look into?

The Sunday Post, Vol. 22...

I went to a bank yesterday...

After having lost my bank card on Friday I had no other choice than to stop by a branch to withdraw money. I called ahead of time to inquire about opening a new account to get a card faster to avoid having to carry a lot of cash but apparently these days you must make an appointment to do that and their book was full!!! I still went to the branch and ended up waiting 45 minutes!!! There were two bank clerks and about fifteen people waiting. Taking a number and having to sit and wait felt as if I was at the DMV!!!

Let's just say I'll make sure not to ever lose my bank card again!


This week's makeup love...

Let's make it different and go for what I keep in my purse these days...

Diptyque Do Son, Chanel Les Beiges N°10, Shiseido Sun Protection Compact, Clarins Éclat Minute in 05 Candy Shimmer, NARS Tolède and Rikugien, Guerlain Rouge Automatique in Tonka Impériale, Rouge Dior in Charnelle. Now there's also a small beat up sample size bottle of Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse (oh how I wish Nuxe made a nice small size like Caudalie) and some Hello Kitty Band-Aids. :)

Nails...

Dior #575 Wonderland on my fingers (received many compliments) and Dior #338 Mirage on my toes!

New additions...

I stopped by The Body Shop to take advantage of their 50% off makeup special and purchased their BB Cream, a Honey Bronzer in 02 and a cute lip balm. Also, before they ran out, I just had to go to Chanel for Le Vernis in #619 Pink Tonic! Oh and notice I found my old pair of Gianfranco Ferré sunglasses! Woot!

What I have my eyes on...

Chanel Joues Contraste in Sakura! Yup it's back on my list! I tried it this week and it's the prettiest soft pink with gentle shimmer ever!!! A small size Caudalie Huile Divine to keep in my purse or maybe two, since the one I have at work is almost empty. Then there's a little somethin' somethin' from Guerlain that will make it's appearance on the 15th that I just may "have" to get...

For your viewing enjoyment...

Even if you're not a perfumista you may still appreciate J'Adore Le Parfum Le Film. The flowers, the flacon and the jewels as the finishing touch! I have used many samples of this Dior fragrance in it's eau de parfum version but this presentation makes me want the perfume! Narrated by Charlize Theron, the images are truly beautiful!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaL_S7Yi6ic

Have a great week everyone! Hélène xoxo

Crazy, just crazy...

I'm so sorry but this week has been the craziest so far...

What does this mean? Well I'll be jumping from one Sunday Post to another Sunday Post! Well almost since I did post a review of Diorshow mascara.

I got plenty of products to review, several drafts written and pictures taken but my head is so full of stuff I just can't seem to be able to finalise anything.

This week on Tuesday I finished work and the metro was out! Got home at 9:00 pm! The next morning I got to work at 9:30! Two hours after leaving home because... the metro was out AGAIN!!! This just killed me and killed my week...

...To make matters worst... Today I lost my DEBIT CARD!!! This is how I pay for everything!!! I had to cancel it and since I only have $30.00 on me, tomorrow I'll have to stop by a branch of my bank and open another account in order to get a card faster than the one they're sending in the mail. This is the solution I had to come up with myself since the customer service person I spoke to on the phone couldn't come up with anything aaaaannnndddd she so hung up on ME!!!

I mean I was asking her for solutions and since she couldn't come up with any she hung up on me. I was floored!

By the way I realised I had lost my card as I was about to pay for a nice pair of SHOES!!!

I mean come on, could this week be any worst!!!

So please don't go anywhere... regular programing will resume shortly...

*Takes a deep breath*

Dior Diorshow Mascara...

On my quest to find the perfect non waterproof mascara for my lashes I've stumbled upon a few that I would consider repurchasing even though they're not quite what I would qualify as HG.

The most notables until now...

Dior Iconic, so far is The One! Sadly the brush is a pain with it's tight bristles. I get about six weeks of use out of it, after that due to the fact the formula thickens a little, the brush becomes hard to work with.

Estée Lauder Sumptuous, an excellent formula combined with a good brush, this one is at the top of my list. Goes on smoothly, keeps the curl and doesn't flake. 

Benefit They're Real!, superior to Estée Lauder (in summer) but the brush now annoys me a little and the formula crumbles under cold Canadian temperatures.

Clinique High Impact, good formula, easy to work with brush, this one almost made it but for some reason on some days it doesn't hold the curl. 

The latest contender?

Let's think for a minute that maybe, just maybe all the Dior mascaras have the same formula but in different containers with different brushes... Yes there are companies out there that do this! Notice how some can launch up to three "new" mascaras a year?

Dior Diorshow Mascara...

As mentioned Diorshow Iconic has an amazing formula so could it be possible that it and Diorshow share the same mysterious recipe but with different brushes?

Sadly no!

Diorshow I was told was developed for last minute back stage "oomphing" up lashes and that, it does beautifully. It thickens and lengthens in two coats, dries fast and will definitely achieve great results on someone who already has lots of naturally curly lashes. Yes ladies, they are out there those who need neither mascara nor a lash curler... don't you hate them? 

Nah just kidding! :)

The brush of Diorshow, although huge, works nicely with the formula and unlike Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara, the product gets evenly distributed on the brush when you take it out of the container. On the picture below you can see there is less mascara on the tip of the Diorshow brush (top).

How does it perform? Read on...

It gives me long thick lashes with no clumps, resists the heat of my lash curler (remember I heat mine with a hair dryer otherwise I get no curl) but for some reason on some days the curl can last up to nine hours while on others I'll get barely two! This puzzles me since I always do the same thing and no, this doesn't happen on hot humid days so I have no smart explanation for this.

On me, it flakes!!! Weird again since this doesn't happen every day just like the curl doesn't hold the same from one day to the next... 

Is my Diorshow Mascara possessed?

Well probably not but it sure is a little cray cray, unstable I mean. Friday it did great and lasted an entire work day but Saturday it did poorly! Same weather except maybe I was outside a little more. When it flakes it doesn't do so in a discrete fashion but instead with big specs so I sometimes end up with black spots on my cheeks!!! Oh and it smudges a little! Now this is something I didn't expect. It does so very lightly in the outer corners of my eyes. I know it's Diorshow because these days I pretty much always wear the same eye makeup but with different mascaras and this happens only with this Dior offering.

The reviews...

After having written the above paragraph I decided to go have a look at some of the reviews on MakeupAlley, just the first two pages because there are 3026 in all... One confirmed something I was puzzled by, thinking it was a problem with mine only but apparently it's happened to others. After a while the wand doesn't screw back on properly and I get the feeling that if I force it it'll break and so it's the weirdest thing which has never happened to me and quite unimpressive coming from a luxury brand.

Makeup Alley: 3.5 / 5 lippies for 3026 reviews.

Beauté-test: 4 / 5 stars for 903 reviews.

Do I recommend Diorshow Mascara? Not really.

In the reviews there are many who swear by this mascara but I can't. Sadly I found it too unstable which is a description I never thought I would give a mascara. Some days are good while others not so much. Great dramatic look that can last and entire day or only a few hours, flakes here and there and a bit of smudging...

The fact that the brush is huge makes it unsuitable for short lashes.

I took my sweet time before writing this review because I wanted to make sure, sure I wasn't imagining things. I wore Diorshow on it's own as well as over other mascaras, namely Iconic, Benefit, Clinique and MUFE for that bit of extra oomph effect. It did that well but the flaking and smudging also happened in those instances. In other words, I really did put it to the test this past month and although it's working a little better now due to the fact it's dried up a little, it's not a formula I'll repurchase. 

If you've never tried a Dior mascara, best steer clear of this one which is $31.00 and either go for Diorshow Iconic or Diorshow Overcurl which is pretty much the brand's best seller and gets the most love from my bloguerette friends.

Now you do know there's a new one coming out don't you?

This little beauty is now available through Sephora's website though I haven't seen it in the store yet and goes for $32.00. The brush does remind me of Benefit's but from other pictures I've seen, appears to be a little thinner which I think will make it easy of use on most eye shape as well as on shorter lashes. I sincerely hope it's as good as it looks!

Do you use different mascaras in rotation or do you always go for the same one?

The Sunday Post, Vol. 21...

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