Meme Box Special #71 Wish Upon a Mask

A few months ago I won a giveaway over at KalynLord.com for $30 worth of Meme points, which it turns out was just enough for one box. (Depending on the box, that is.) I have a serious love affair with masks so it was only natural that I pick this one, though there were definitely several contenders!

Meme Box is housed in a bright Barbie-pink box that is quite sturdy and I look forward to reusing once I empty it’s contents. It comes with the standard card that explains all you need to know about the products within which is particularly helpful with this box considering it’s all Korean beauty, which I admit I know next to nothing about.

My box was seriously packed to the brim – there are 5 full-sized products and one sample shoved in there so it’s literally packed to the brim. Love!

The first mask in the box is the Shara Shara Real Sauce Mung Beans Mask ($2 each). There were two of these single-use sheet masks in this Meme Box which I am really excited to try out!

Product Description: (from the included card) Mung beans have long been utilized as skin detoxifying and clarifying ingredients. They’re highly rich in proteins, vitamins, and dietary fibers, effectively nourishing and brightening up visibly dull, dehydrated skin.

It sounds like this is a bit like magic in mask form to me. I’ve also never used a sheet mask before so I’m intrigued to see if it works for me or not.

Onto product number two: Purederm Yogurt Wash-off Pack ($7). Each box gets a randomly selected scent (flavour? Featured ingredient?) from kiwi or strawberry  and I got the kiwi version. I’m secretly hoping it smells like kiwi’s because I am missing summer a bunch right now.

Product Description: A wash-off type pack made from yogurt extracts, collagen, Vitamin E and various fruit extracts. The kiwi pack helps control excess level of dead skin cells, while the strawberry pack helps balance out excess sebum and oil, both effective at maintaining a healthy, glowing complexion.

Oooooh from that description I am even more excited to try it out!

Who doesn’t love a good clay mask? It’s honestly one of my favourite masks and I am really looking forward to putting this one to the test. I love the packaging – the sturdy cardboard box that has a slight grip to it. Very strange, but very cool. The design itself makes me swoon: the colors, the classic shapes and style… not to mention that the pun of Claypatra (full size $17) is just delightful. The mask itself is housed in a plastic pot that is pretty standard to deluxe beauty samples.

Product Description: Banilla Co. Claypatra Mineral Salt Clay Pack is made of 100% pure mud extracted straight from the Dead Sea (consists of 32% of salt and minerals) effectively removes any excess sebum, oil, dead skin cells and external pollutants clogged up in the pores. The mineral-rich formula also delivers deep hydration and nourishment to dry, dull skin.

The Inoface Modeling Cup Pack (Chlorella) ($4) is a strange one. It’s a powder that you mix with water to create a mud for the mask – hence the spatula. It’s very messy as it is so I definitely look forward to getting rid of the powdery part of the mask.

Product Description: Experience home aesthetics with Inoface Modeling Cup Pack series which comes in 6 different types each catered to target different skin problems and conditions. Chlorella is effective in soothing and strengthening skin’s natural balance.

Product Description: A luxurious, one-step facial to rejuvenate, brighten and balance out uneven skin tone and texture for velvety smooth complexion, Real Aqua Velvet Sleeping Pack ($30) is lightweight and non-sticky in formula, quickly absorbing into dry, exhausted skin to form a protective moisture barrier that locks in the moisture within skin overnight. It contains niacinamide, adenosine, ice plant extracts, snail secretion and birch tree sap.

Snail secretion huh? That’s…strange. I mean, I’ve heard of it being used in skin products before but I guess I never really considered it before.

Product Description: Enriched with organic black rice extracts, organic rice bran, carrageenan, gold extracts, adenosine, collagen, glucose, rosewood oil and more, this Black Rice Hydrogel Eye Patch ($9) is all-natural and gentle to dry, sensitive skin. The hydrogel patches visibly diminish in its thickness as the nutrients packed inside absorb into the skin, firming and lifting up sagging under-eyes. Free of parabens, artificial fragrance and artificial colouring.

I haven’t had much luck with eye masks before but I am always interested in trying out new ones. Meme Box included 5 of these in my box so I look forward to being able to give this a good trial.

Value of Box: ~$56.00

Alright! This is a great value for this box, even though it may look like it’s a bit lacking upon first glance at the prices – especially considering I won the points in the first place. I am definitely satisfied.

Have you tried any K-beauty products before? I feel like this may have opened a new door for me and I’d love recommendations!

Review: Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Skin Therapy Oil

This post contains products that were sent to me for my consideration. Go here for my disclosure policy.

Warning: Rave review incoming.

I don’t think it’s a secret that I love facial oils, so when Palmer’s asked me to review their Cocoa Butter Skin Therapy Oil I jumped. I admit I have never used anything by Palmer’s before but I might have found my new favourite oil.

PREVIEW: Luxe Box Spring 2015

This post contains products that were sent to me for my consideration. Go here for my disclosure policy.

When I was subscribed to Luxe Box last year (Summer, Autumn) I really loved the service – I always got fantastic products that were worth much more than I paid. But with the wedding and moving and being unemployed it just meant that some things had to go and unfortunately Luxe Box was one of those things.

So you can imagine how intrigued I was when an email landed in my inbox asking if I wanted to share a preview of Luxe Box’s Spring 2015 goodies with my readers. Of course I agreed – I know that I love the service already so if I can share some of that love with you guys I’d do it in a heart beat!
But first a bit of a background on Luxe Box for those of you who are new to them:

• this is a seasonal/quarterly beauty box.
• like most beauty boxes you create your own profile that the “beauty experts” cater your box towards
• Shipping is free! Woohoo!
• You receive 7-8 beauty products in your box, usually one Loose Button brand item included. I received a fan brush and cooling gel eye pads (which I love) in my previous boxes.
• There are three membership options that you can tailor to your needs/budget, the most expensive being $26.
• You can upgrade your box to special “limited edition” boxes that often feature one brand or a specific theme.

Now for the fun part…the preview of what’s coming for Spring! *drum roll*

What looks to be a Loose Button dual ended foundation brush.

 

Vita Liberata tanning mousse. Not a fake tanner myself but some ladies will certainly enjoy trying this!

 

Eyeko Brow Gel. In a squeeze tube? Interesting. I love my Eyeko liquid liner though so maybe it’ll be good!

 

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer. *eye hearts emoji* I’ve been wanting to try this for so long. I was this close to buying it at Sephora during Black Friday sales…

 

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter. Haven’t tried this myself and I personally enjoy body butter in the winter over spring, but so many people rave about Soap & Glory that I would definitely be excited to test this out!

 

Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation. This looks like a pretty tiny sampler and the shade range certainly wouldn’t work for everyone, but I’m always up for trying new foundation formulas so I’d certainly give it a go! Plus I love those shade names.

 

I didn’t receive a stand-alone photo for the Klorane product but it looks like dry shampoo from what I can read.

 

What do you think, friends? I’d be most excited about the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer and the Soap and Glory Righteous Butter. Which product intrigues you the most out of the bunch?

If you think you’d like to give Luxe Box a try you can sign up here with my affiliate link.

PS: Do you like these kind of subscription box preview/spoilers posts? Let me know in the comments!

*Images courtesy of Luxe Box.

The Sunday Post: Meeting Zoe!

I just got back (well okay, about an hour ago) from an amazing afternoon hanging out and shopping with Zoe for the first time IRL. It was pretty much the best Sunday ever filled with lipstick and tea and ooohing over Josie Maran blushes that we forced ourselves to walk away from (and I later bought anyway…)

We both tried on MAC’s Miley Viva Glam lipstick and somehow it wasn’t like PINK on me, just kinda….pink. But then on Zoe it was definitely PINK. I would like to thank my natural lip colour for making this shockingly pink lipstick look not so shocking. 😉 I also picked up MAC’s Plumful lipstick and boy oh boy is it nice, guys. I don’t know why I waited so long for it to become part of my life. It is natural but with just enough purple for it to be exciting. happy sigh. I have a feeling it is going to be featured in a FOTD soon.

How has your week been, lovelies?

Review: Calgon Take Me Away Peppermint Marshmallow Hand Soap and Lotion Duo

This post contains products that were sent to me for my consideration. Go here for my disclosure policy.

Hello friends! I’ve been under the weather this week but I wanted to share a quick review with you today regardless. I received the Calgon Take Me Away Peppermint Marshmallow Hand Soap and Lotion duo (boy, get a load of that name) about a month ago and have been really enjoying it since then as you can see in the photo. It lives next to my kitchen sink so that I can pop some of the lotion on after I’ve done dishes or so that we can use something other than dish soap to wash our hands in the kitchen. It’s been quite lovely and I think I’m pretty much converted to the hand soap and lotion by the sink idea.

If you’re like me you might be thinking “Peppermint marshmallow? Gross!” But it honestly isn’t! It’s a very light scent that isn’t too sweet or too minty; the peppermint and the marshmallow really balance each other out nicely. It’s actually really hard to describe because it’s such a unique combination, but it’s refreshing and sweet at the same time while being very gender neutral. (Not counting the pink packaging, of course.)

Actually, after having another sniff at the lotion it smells a bit like an amusement park – maybe the pink has got me thinking about cotton candy, but I’ll take it!

Hydration-wise the lotion is like a light kiss for the skin. That was a weird analogy…but I hope that it gets my point across! Basically it is peeeeerfect for a quick dose of moisture throughout the day – plus it sinks in super fast making it the perfect beside-the-sink buddy.

Now the soap, the soap I really like. When the Calgon folks say gentle cleansing on the label they mean it – this hand soap isn’t stripping or drying at all so it’s very well suited for in the bathroom or the kitchen. Well, anywhere you use hand soap really. I can’t say anything bad at all about the soap, it’s just lovely and even forms up a satisfying lather in the hands, which is always nice.

While this product didn’t exactly take me away to a foreign destination or remind me of somewhere with much nicer weather than Halifax I have definitely been enjoying it – and I can definitely say I prefer it to other similarly priced (and some more expensive) soaps and hand lotions.

Have you tried any Calgon products? Let me know what I should try next in the comments!

 

CBB Guest Post: Beauty Resolutions with Megan Joy

Good morning, friends! I have a guest post today from one of my absolute favourite bloggers out there – Megan Joy! I met Megan through the Canadian Beauty Bloggers group and I am so excited to share this guest post today! Yay, welcome Megan!

Hi everyone, I’m Megan from meganjoy.ca. I’m so excited to be guest posting on Jodi’s blog today!

The theme this month is Beauty Resolutions so without further ado here are my beauty related resolutions for 2015!

 

This should be a no-brainer but alas I am one of those people who rarely wears sunscreen. In my early 20’s I figured that if I wasn’t going to tanning beds I was taking care of my skin. WRONG! Turns out I should have been wearing SPF daily anyway to prevent the wrinkles that I now have.

So many brands are adding SPF to their products now which is great. Everything from BB creams to moisturizers have it already built in. No more excuses, it’s going to become a daily part of my skincare routine from now on!

I’ve always been a “natural when possible” kind of gal but this year I’d like to take it further. I will never switch over to a completely natural makeup and skincare regimen but there is a lot more I could be doing. I recently started using DoTERRA Essential Oils and they have a million different uses. They are amazing when added to lotions or coconut oil to naturally heal and improve the skin.

I use the Clear Skin Topical Blend to help heal breakouts but there are so many other oils I could use to help get my skin in better shape. Lavender is amazing for soothing irritated skin, you can even add a few drops to your bath to help you relax.

You can never have too many pink lip balms right? Right??

I have admitted before that I have an addiction to lip products (as you can see). I’m not saying that I won’t buy anything in 2015, but I am going to try and focus on using up what I have before I splurge on something new. I had a habit of forgetting about a product and then buying something similar. I ended up having doubles of some things and way too much makeup in general.

Keeping my makeup organized is a great way to make sure I know what I have and I actually use it!

I’ll never shy away from a bold pink lip, but when it comes to red lipstick I am always super self-conscious wearing it. I’ve also had that purple liquid liner from Lush for 4 months and have yet to wear it. I have a hard time convincing myself to wear bold colours for day-to-day makeup looks but the truth is there are no rules when it comes to makeup! I could wear black lipstick and pink eyeshadow to the grocery store if I wanted to. Live your truth!

And so, 2015 will be a little more colourful. Or, at least my eye shadow will be!

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you want to see more beauty stuff and photos of my french bulldog you can find me on my blog, Twitter and Instagram!

An InLinkz Link-up

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The Sunday Post 8

Hello friends!

Korra and I are of a bit of a similar mind set today – peer out warily from inside our beds. I woke up with a sore throat and stuffed up sinuses so I have a feeling that my to-do list is going to be ignored and I’m going to be spending the day with a cup of tea and Netflix (or possible Yes Please by Amy Poehler…we’ll see!)

This week was pretty standard other than the announcement that Target is leaving Canada! I am super sad about it – I love Target, even if the distribution wasn’t very good. Everything is just so much nicer there than somewhere like Walmart – the design of stationary and clothing, the makeup selection, the homewares, the dollar section…I am going to miss it dearly once it goes.

How was your week, friends?

(PS – I have a guest post coming this week from Megan Joy – keep a look out for it! It’s a fun one!)

Acne Busters: Andalou Naturals

When I wrote the first “Acne Busters” post I hadn’t intended for it to become a series, but with my constant battle over the spots on my face, it just makes sense. I bought this clarifying 30 day trial set from Andalou Naturals about a month ago and have been testing it out ever since. I’m not certain it was a fair trial over Christmas with all of the sugar from the holidays, but Andalou didn’t disappoint me!

Step 1: Cleansing Gel

Cleanser is something that I know almost immediately if I’m going to like or not. Sure it takes a few weeks for the whole skin care system to show its full benefits but it’s that first few uses that really sells me on a product. This cleanser from Andalou Naturals didn’t disappoint – the gel formula means that it will cut down on the oil production on my combo skin but it isn’t so stripping that my skin screams out for hydration after use.

Step 2: Exfoliating Peel

I really enjoy the exfoliating peels that I’ve used in the past (namely the Peter Thomas Roth one) but this one really underwhelmed me. It didn’t really do much in the exfoliating department for me so it ended up being a fairly useless step for me.

Step 3: Pure Pore Minimizer Toner

I first used this toner about a year ago now and while I loved it I wanted to try new things. Coming back to it now feels so right. This toner is pH balanced so that your skin doesn’t freak out after you cleanse it and it tingles slightly which I expect is the “pore minimizing” aspect of it, though I haven’t noticed my pores getting any smaller. I would prefer this product if it came with a spritzer rather so I didn’t have to use cotton pads but that’s such a minor thing. I actually started to dump a small amount of product into my hand to pat onto my face so that I use less of the product – and it’s better for the environment.

I’ve already ran out of this small bottle of toner and repurchased the full size from a local shop here in Halifax.

Step 4: Oil-Free Moisturizer (Day) and Recovery Cream (Night)

Both of these moisturizers pack a serious punch. I usually use an oil underneath night creams but since starting this routine I haven’t needed one as often – I’ve gone from nightly to once or twice a week. I have no dry patches this year and because both are oil free it doesn’t aggravate my acne. I don’t know how much the recovery cream “recovers” my skin – it claims to decrease acne scarring but I haven’t really seen much of a difference in that regard, but I really like the moisturizer other wise. It’s got a good punch of moisture that does help to recover the moisture lost from the stripping Maritime wind, though I think I will probably only repurchase one of these. Likely the day cream even if it doesn’t quite have as much of a moisture packing punch to it.

All in all I’m a pretty big fan of this clarifying system from Andalou Naturals. I won’t be repurchasing all of the products in this starter set but I am definitely going to find the cleanser and one of the moisturizers in addition to the toner that I’ve already repurchased. I can definitely see the difference in my skin texture – those tiny bumps under my skin are few and far between and while I still have breakouts (thanks, sugar) they disappear a lot faster now.

One thing I will warn you about is that for for the first few weeks my skin had a frenzy of new breakouts, but I definitely think that was the system pulling all the gunk out. I actually liked that a lot – it showed that it was working and it really was cleaning out those pores.

What’s your favourite way to get rid of unwanted spots?

The Sunday Post 7

Good morning, friends!

This is what my Sunday looks like:

http://instagram.com/p/xuAWzbLQqz/

Korra has started to get more cuddly with me this week, which has been the best thing ever. This morning I was petting her and she pushed my arm onto the love seat and flopped down onto it. Basically it was the cutest thing ever. Except for the other morning when she actually curled up onto my lap!! She hadn’t done that before and it was only for about 30 seconds, but still!! Best.

I also started my new position as Part Time Stock Lead at American Eagle this week and it’s going so well. I am really loving it – it doesn’t have the stress of sales (I am really not a salesperson) and I get to organize while having a space that I am in charge of. It’s a good feeling.

Dylan and I also went and saw The Hobbit: Battle of Fives Armies last night and I was pretty underwhelmed. There were some great moments that I really wish they had expanded on and that there was less focus on the weird romance, but I digress. I really want the art book because wow the design was so pretty, yall. Gawgeous.

What was the highlight of your week?

2014 Favourites

I wasn’t sure about doing a 2014 favourites post because I’ve found so many awesome new (to me) products that I couldn’t even imagine narrowing it down, but I actually did it fairly easily once I started looking through my makeup. I tried to do “categories” in my head so I didn’t have 5000000 lip products in here and I think I managed to keep it even!

I first discovered the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation last summer and it has been a steamy love affair ever since. This is a seriously gorgeous foundation with a hydrating, long lasting formula that just glides on so easily. It is a light-medium coverage depending on how much you build it up and on light makeup days you can definitely get away without concealer – this coming from a girl who’s cheeks almost always love the spurt out spots. I fell out of love with it for about a month and a half where I experimented with MAC and L’Oreal, but honestly I haven’t found anything that beats this bad boy.

I was given the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette two Christmases ago now and I have seriously loved it ever since. It is my most loved palette (with the exception of Wet n Wild’s Comfort Zone) and I keep finding new and exciting makeup looks to do with it. It’s just the palette that keeps on giving!

I have never really been a perfume person, but I picked up the Clean mini rollerball trio set during Sephora’s Black Friday sale and instantly fell in love with Cotton. It smells exactly like clothing that has come out of the dryer and I could honestly just sit and sniff the rollerball. It has a decent wear time, though I think it would be better in spray form. Possibly my favourite thing about this perfume is that it isn’t heady – it doesn’t lodge itself into my nostrils and slowly give me a headache. I’ve found my Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black does that sometimes which is such a shame because it’s another lovely scent…

I have loved the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask for ages – I think it was one of the first high end masks I bought, and I instantly fell for it. I’ve been out for a while, though, and once again picked up the Origins mask trio set during Sephora’s Black Friday sale and fell in love all over again. I am definitely going to need to pick up the full size when I use this up.

I ran out of Urban Decay’s All Nighter Setting Spray in the summer and told myself that I didn’t need to repurchase it because it didn’t really do much anyway, but once I was out of it boy did I notice the difference in the wear time of my makeup! My blush and bronzer disappeared almost immediately, but foundation didn’t last nearly as long either…basically this is a staple that I can’t get enough of.

Makeup For Ever Smokey Extravagent Mascara was part of Sephora’s birthday gift in 2014 and I just loved it! Both products from that gift set are in these favourites because I seriously haven’t stopped using them and this might end up being the first full-size high end mascara I end up buying.

The second half of Sephora’s birthday gift for 2014, Makeup For Ever Rouge Artist Natural in Copper Pink is the perfect MLBB on me. It is a gorgeous pink with just a hint of a brown (hence the copper pink moniker) and it glides on super smooth, leaving the lips nice and moisturized. I’m going to be one sad beauty blogger when I inevitably reach the end of the bullet.

I may have forgotten to include Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate in the photographs for this post, but I definitely haven’t forgotten about it all together. This oil is so hydrating and refreshing for the skin – I wore it nightly for months and my skin was so plump and perfectly hydrated. It was especially wonderful during the cold Alberta winters where the wind liked to try to suck every last lick of moisture out of my skin. The Midnight Recovery Concentrate put the moisture right back in.

Burt’s Bees Lip Balm in Pomegranate is another winter saviour that I have sadly run out of. It is one of the most moisturizing lip balms in the drugstore and it has a very slight tint that makes your lips just look good.

Do I need to say anything about NARS Creamy Concealer? This is a cult favourite for a reason – it is a hydrating, full coverage concealer that manages to cover blemishes and make your skin look glowing all in one package.

The beauty sponge was all the rage in 2014 thanks to the Beauty Blender, which I have yet to try, but I do have the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and I can definitely see what the hype about these egg-sponges are all about. The Miracle Complexion Sponge blends foundation like nothing I’ve ever used before and at just about half the price of the Beauty Blender you really can’t go wrong.

This year was the year of tarte Amazonian Clay blushes for me. I first fell in love with Blushing Bride (which is pictured) which was my wedding blush and then I bought the Pin Up Girl blush palette and fell in love all over again. These blushes pack a serious pigmentation punch that truly do last for hours (though I can’t say it’s 12 on me). I definitely think I’m going to be exploring more shades in this gorgeous range in 2015.

I have raved about Sephora Matte Lip Cream in 01 before on Up the Rollercoaster and if you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ll know that I originally bought it in 2013, but I really fell for it this past year. It is such a fantastic red shade that I think would really suit anyone, and the formula can’t be beat. It’s moisturizing but matte and stays on all day. It seriously doesn’t budge. It’s going to be a sad day when I run out of this lip cream!

I waffled on whether to include Revlon Brow Fantasy Duo in Dark Brown because I feel like I use it more out of laziness than anything, but I do reach for it every single day. It is so easy to use – the dual pencil and gel ends make it the lazy girls best friend and the product stays put all day without fail. I just wish there was a little more product to it…

I reviewed Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze in November and used it for just about two months straight after that. It’s just so easy to slap on in the mornings and because it has a bit of a sheen to it you can make it look you put more work into your makeup than you really did with the right smudging.

Boy that was a lot to get through! If you stuck around, you’re da bomb! What were some of your favourite products from 2014?