I don't think I ever did a post like this, but I thought it would be a nice idea to show you the products I'm currently using. As you will tell I like pink!

L'Oréal Colour Riche Vernis à l'huile in  Jardins des Roses

This has been my favourite this winter. The polish apply well and the colour is glossy. It doesn't last that long though, but nothing does as I work with cash register and dishes all day. :(

Lise Watier Rouge Sublime in Amour

I like its dusty rose colour, and the formula is creamy. A good pinky neutral lipstick!

Marcelle Kohl Eyeliner in Black

This is not my favourite, but then again my favourite has been discontinued. It is ok, it applies well, but does not last long. 

L'Oréal Colour Riche Vernis à l'huile in Dimanche Après-midi

This is my seconde favourite colour. I will probably wear it more during springtime and summer though! Isn't the name if this colour lovely?

Maybelline Lash Sensational Luscious 

A nice mascara, the wand is not too big so I don't poke my eyes everytime I apply this. 

L'Oréal Visible Lift Blur in Soft Berry 

A cream blush that comes in a tube, it is handy when I'm on the go and don't want to carry my brushes with me. The colour is intense though, and a little goes a long way if you don't want to look like a clown!

Marcelle Velvety Eye Shadow + Primer in Primer Rose

I wear a lot of pink eyeshadow so this primer is the perfect colour as my base. I can also use it on its own.

Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara

I'm almost finished with this one, but I'll probably buy another one at some point. Apparently it's the best selling mascara in the world! 

Annabelle CC Instant Perfecting Base

If you want a little coverage and a natural finish, this product is for you. If you need more coverage, I wouldn't suggest this, as it will not hide your blemishes. 

Jouviance Hydra-Color Duo in Elegance

Jouviance is probably my favourite makeup brand. I've tried almost all their lip products, but I have to say it took a while before I tested the eye shadow. And they don't disappoint. I got the elegance duo as it seemed to me to be the most original color in the offering and I love pink eyeshadows.

L'Oréal Colour Riche Eye Shadow in  Paris Beach

When I want something a little more neutral, I go for this one. When I was younger, I used to put a similar colour on my eyelids and I like the look of it. It really makes brown eyes pop ;)

Was is currently in your makeup bag? Any similar products than mine?

I can't believe my latest Empties post was about a year ago! I had collected the items for a while, but after not remembering about many of them, I just decided to start all over again.

Giovanni Teat Tree Triple Treat Shampoo and Conditioner

Oh I love love those! I posted a review about them here. I am now trying the 50:50 balanced range, but I can tell for now that  I prefer the Tea Tree one. 

Philosophy Peppermint Bark Shower Gel

I got this in a Christmas gift set with other shower gels and a few lip glosses. It's a nice shower gel,   the scent is really christmassy though and I'm not to fussed about peppermint during the rest of the year. 

Bioré Charcoal Pore Strips

I've talked about those a lot already, it's a staple in my skincare regimen. I don't like the original ones though. 

Becca Creme Blush in Amaryllis

I liked this blush, the colour is perfect and the creme formulation is easy to work with. The only downside is that creme blushes tend to attract all the fuzz that can be in your brush.

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo

It was an okay dry shampoo, I don't have much to say about it. 

Batiste Dry Shampoo

I don't like this one, I prefer the Blush scent or other brands. It seems to leave a white cast that weirdly the Blush scent doesn't leave. 

Bath & Body Works Sleep Lavender Vanilla Body Wash

I Liked the smell it is really calming and the gel is fine. The packaging was leaking though. 

So that was 12 finished products! Hopefully I'll be more assiduous with my Empties in the next few months! 

I'll let you in on a secret. Since my teenage years, I've been obsessed with my hair. It's been a love/hate relationship and we've seen ups and downs together. But it was not all in vain, as I can now say I have normal hair, as opposed to the greasy mess I had when I was in that ungrateful period that was high school and teenage years.

Here are the products that help me keep my mane in a presentable state!

Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Shampoo and Conditionner

I've already talked about this combo in a review. Tea tree is the perfect ingredient for those who struggle with oily everything. I've been using these for almost a year and I've now tried another range from Giovanni (the 50:50 one) but I prefer the Tea Tree Triple Treat. I'll finish the 50:50 and then I'll be back on it. I even converted my mother on Giovanni products, as she's been struggle with frazzled hair after chemotherapy.

I find Giovanni products at Loblaws, Winners or natural product stores.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Blush

Well technically it's not my favourite dry shampoo, as I prefer the Klorane one, but as it is expensive ans is never on sale anymore, I turned to Batiste. Now, I hate the original Batiste. But I like the Blush version. It's not just about the fragrance, I find that the original leaves a white cast and is more difficult to work into the hair. But the Blush one is easier. And then you don't have that problem with Klorane. Oh well!

In drugstores.

Argan Oil

You've been living under a rock if you don't know the buzz that has been around organ oil in the last 5 years. It has been used for centuries by Moroccan women to moisturize their hair and body but the the mainstream beauty industry has taken it over and put it in their products. Of course, it is just a buzzword for them but the authentic organ oil is the way to go. If my hair need a bit of shine, I put a tiny bit in my hands, rub them together and apply on my hair. Or you can use it as a mask. 

In natural product stores.

Herbivore X Urban Outfitters Rose Hair Perfume Mist

I love rose scented products. And sometimes I want my hair to smell like them. This is perfect to give my hair a little bit of scent. It is not overpowering, and it is a good thing, as I feel I would struggle with migraines if so, as I am sensitive to scents.

At Urban Outfitters.

Rich Pure Luxury De-Frizz and Shine Mist

Yeah, I know, you'll say "A product that uses organ as a buzzword." But it actually is the third ingredient on the list so it's no added there as an afterthought. It is really good to leave the hair feeling silky and smelling luxurious. I found this bottle in France, at the famous CityPharma, but I also found this product at Winners, so decided to include it in this list. I also could've include Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, but this product is harder for me to work with and I would recommend to those with dry hair.

At Winners.

Biosilk Silk Therapy

This will be the most controversial product on the list because it contains silicone. But I've been using it since my late teens and I've tried other similar product without the silicone and it's just not the same. I've never really had problems with buildup, so I continue to use it, but I know it could be harmful to the environment. I am still on the lookout for an alternative though.

There you have it, my favourite haircare products! Let me know what are yours!

Another haul,  I know but I just wanted to show you those little things I bought because why not?

I got the pink pen holder and the Gemini candle (how cool is that?) from Dollarama. It's been hit and miss lately, but you really have to go around different stores, because they have different things. I noticed that the ones in New Brunswick has different things than in Quebec, probably because they have things with sayings in English and maybe Law 101 prevents them to sell them here?

I also got the Essence Matt Matt Matt lipstick in Wow Effect and the Annabelle Chrome in Rose Gold from Shoppers. The latter I got fro free because of scanning code of practice. Yay! I also got a pack of hangers fro free from Wal-Mart that day for the same reason! :)

Speaking of Wal-Mart, nothing exciting from there, besides the aforementioned hangers (kind of boring) and the post-its. Since I got a new desk, might as well be equipped!

From the Atlantic Superstore I bought a bottle of Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Conditioner. It was on clearance, probably they won't carry the brand anymore. I was a shame they didn't have the matching shampoo, as I really like them (see my Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat post). 

I also got a pair of panties. Because I need some, stupid muffin top!!! Do you have any tips for getting rid of that? Please share if you do!

What's more exciting than a haul! These few items are the one I bought last week, but if I'd listened to myself, I would have bought more than that! But hey! I now have an apartment and other bills to pay! 

So here's my loot:

Roger & Gallet Rose Hand & Nail Cream

A few years ago, I wrote a post about rose scented products, saying that the scent wa growing on me. And I still like it, I think it is elegant and fresh. That's why I got this hand cream. I've never really tried Roger & Gallet before, appart from their soaps. I hope it's going to be on parr with the L'Occitane one, which are my favourites! It has shea butter in, just as the L'Occitane's so there is good hope!

L'Oréal Colour Riche Eyeshadow in Paris Beach

I remember when I was in university, I really liked the look of vanilla eyeshadow on dark brown eyes, completed with black eyeliner. When I saw Paris Beach, I remembered that, and decided to try it again, more than 10 years later!

L'Oréal Nail Colour in Greycian Goddess

I wanted a new nail polish and I hesitated between this one and a colour from the Vernis à L'huile collection, but then I wasn't sure if I had it or not, so I decided to go with the safe option, knowing I didn't own Greycian Goddess yet. I'll probably try it tomorrow, as I have an interview. Fingers crossed!

Marcelle Rouge XPression Velvet Gel in Pink Blossom

I already tried this one on Sunday and I like it! It's a bold pop of pink and perfect for a classy  yet simple makeup. 

Have you picked up anything interesting lately? Some essentials that I should try?

I've been on the lookout for a shampoo and conditionner that doesn't leave my hair greasy for the past year. I've tried a few, and the best I came up with was the John Frieda Brilliant Brunette, which I think is now discontinued. 

I came across a review of these Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat shampoo and conditioner on Annie Jaffrey's favourite videos. Since it contains tea tree oil, I thought it would be good for greasy hair. See, tea tree oil is known to purify hair scalp. It also contains peppermint, menthol and chamomile. Tea tree oil has a scent that can be polarizing. Though I think it can be an acquired taste, as I find myself liking it more as I grow older.

These remind me of a Paul Mitchell system I used when I was young. Contrary to the Paul Mitchell one though, the Giovanni doesn't sting the scalp as much. It does have a tingling sensation, and it stings a little when the product drips on the actual skin, but this is nothing I cannot stand.

It does leave my hair feeling fresh, and it stays fresh for a few days too. I usually wash my hair twice per week, but lately, with other shampoos, I had difficulties to keep it that way. And I don't want to wash it more than that, because I believe that the more you wash your hair,  the more it gets used to it and you then need to wash it more frequently. 

On the design side, I like the way the bottles look, and I enjoy how easy they are to open. The shampoo can be told apart from the conditioner as the leaves on it are green (conditioner's are yellow). That tip could have been a little bit more enhanced, though, as the colours are similar. 

I found Giovanni products at the Superstore (Loblaws) for around 12$.

Have you try these? What is your favourite haircare brand?

Even though I haven't posted an updated Empties post in a few months, I still collected my products as usual. Before I have another month's worth of empties, I better now show you what I finished in the past few months!

BBW Purr Fect Potion Gentle Foaming Hand Soap: I love Bath & Body Works Foaming Hand soaps, this one was good for Autumn, as it has Cinnamon Spice in it. It is not too spicy though, as it also contains vanilla. I will keep the container for next Halloween!

La Coupe Moisture Refresh Dry Shampoo: I bought this at Dollarama and didn't really like it. Don't know if this one was a bad batch or what, but it was not dry at all!

Jealous Body Scrub: I loved this scrub, I did a review on it. I might not purchase it though as I think it can easily be DIYed.

Dove Go Fresh Anti-Perspirant: I love the scent of Dove products, but sometimes, they overpower other perfumed products I might wear. This one is the case. It smells fresh, which is great for the underarms, but then that is all I can smell, When I go out, I want to smell like my perfume, and have a more subtle deodorant. I bought this one is a pack of two, but I don't think I'll repurchase this particular Dove deodorant.

L'Occitane Rose Petals Hand Cream: I try to make this one last a while because the scent is limited edition and it's my favourite from L'Occitane yet. I'm sad to let this go, but I still have a few of those handbag sized hand cream, they moisturize, but are not too greasy: they sink in fast.

Bioré Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips: I used these quite regularly and they are my favourite pore strips. I have tried the original ones in the past and didn't see any difference but the charcoal ones are magic! Mesmerizing in a gross way.

Cattier Rebalancing Cleansing Gel: I liked this one as I love Cattier products. I bought it in France last year and when I first used it, I had breakouts, which I thought was because of this gel but then I used it again a few months later and I was fine. I guess the breakouts were caused by pollution. I haven't found it here in Canada, not sure if it is available at all, but if I see it I will repurchase. 

Orgnx Leave-In Conditioner: I liked it. I bought it on clearance and I think it is discontinued, but I would repurchase, and it smelled fruity, which I enjoyed. 

COLAB London Dry Shampoo: I love the scent, sophisticated but not too overpowering. I used to like it, but after finishing the bottle, I don't think it is the best dry shampoo. I have other scents, but this one is my favourite.

London Bath and Beauty Mini Shaver: It took me a while to take the plunge and shave my face with these little razors. I have lots of hair, and my face is hairy as well. To the point where my face just look dirty if I don't do anything. Used to wax, but then my skin started t be sensitive and breakouts. Shaving is just a god-sent. I wish those razors would be easier to get a hold of. I still have a few, but would repurchase when I see them in store!

So,.. wait for it... 38 empties! I did good. What about you?

It's been such a long time since I blogged!

I know I can say that I was busy (two full time jobs until a month ago), and that I wasn't really inspired. To be honest, in the last few months I haven't been into beauty so much, first my skin was so oily that I stopped putting makeup on because it was just useless, it would slip away after 30 minutes.

But in the back of my mind I missed blogging and liking the girly stuff. Hopefully I am back for good now!

A few weeks ago, TRESemmé contacted me to try something new from them. I said yes right away because I've had problems finding good haircare in the last year.

One of my client at the hotel is a professional haircare rep and one day I asked him what drugstore brands I should look for if I wanted good but affordable products. The first one he told me (and the only one I remember, come to think of it) was TRESemmé. Said it used to be used by hairdressers before it went mainstream. Now I have a problem with that because it seems that all brands claim to be used by professionals, and I don't really mind the claim, but since it came from him. I trust it more.

So, TRESemmé sent me their new Beauty-Full Volume range,* which includes a Pre-Wash Conditioner, a Shampoo and a Hair Maximizer. It also has a Mousse and a Hairspray.

The range is based on the reverse shampoo concept, which consists of using the conditioner first, and then the shampoo, so the hair is not weight down by the conditioner. This helps with the volume and body giving. This was my first try with the reverse shampoo technique.

The products smell nice, in that "shampoo" scent. It may be a little too strong for some. The shampoo contains SLS, which might be off-putting for some too. But it does what it says on the package. It gives volume. Personally, I don't need volume, so I don't usually buy volumizing products, but it worked. 

The downfall is, my hair tend to be greasy way more quickly than usual with this. If you have oily hair, I wouldn't recommend.

Packaging-wise, I like that the Shampoo bottle is bigger than the conditioner one. I usually do more than one shampoo, but only one conditioner round, so I always end up finishing the shampoo first. It's also nice that each has a different bottle colour, which makes it easier to tell them appart while showering. 

And here we have another month of empty products! As usual, I have a lot of soap bars, and a few other things!

Yves Rocher Jardins Du Monde Grapefruit from Florida Shower Gel: I love Yves Rocher Shower Gels. They have a good variety of scents and they're good products. I loved the scent of this one for summer.

Klorane Dry Shampoo: This is my favourite dry shampoo, along with the Colab ones. This was a sample size, but I also get the full size sometimes, when they have a promo on them. They are quite expensive, at around 12-15$. Right now I have a few Colab bottles, but would repurchase this at some point.

V05 Hot Oil Hair Treatment: Found this in my stash and decided to use it as my bleached hair was dull. I used to love this product a lot, but it seems that on my bleached hair I didn't see the results for 1 use, but when I had long hair it helped with knots.

Eyeko Hydrogel Eye Patch: I always feel weird with those gel patch things. It always seems that the product is left in the sachet more than on the patch. Those seem to be discontinued.

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Face Gels: Same thing for that.

Amie Skincare Spring Clean Mask: I loved this mask, it feels fresh and if you have oily skin you know the bliss after a refreshing mask! It also smells really nicely of lime. The only thing I'm not fond of is the buttery texture, which feels weird for a make.

Giorgio Armani Si: Loved this perfume sample, I considered buying the full size when I was in Quebec City, but then I spent too much so I decided against. Might be purchasing at some point in the future.

So I finished 15 products, which is good!

This Magic Nail Polish Remover from Bourjois is a staple in my beauty stash. I bought it a few years ago in London, as Bourjois is not well stocked here in Canada and even so, I think they only have makeup. 

If you are not familiar with this product, it is a pot containing a foam soaked in nail polish remover. The foam has a hole in it, in which you dip your nails one at a time, wiggle a little and it's clean when you take it out!

Now, as I said, I've had this one since a few years and it's still going strong. But there are a few things I'm doing to get the most out of it, as I cannot repurchase easily. Here are the tips I have for you:

Don't just wiggle your nails in the hole. I also wiggle my nails on the outer foam, the part that is sitting next to the pot, as opposed to the middle hole. This prevents nail polish buildup on the foam, which makes for a cleaner removal.

On that note, when you feel the foam might be too stained from the polish buildup, take it out, flip it around, and put it back in. Be careful, as the foam is soaked in nail polish remover, and you can make a mess. I did this over the sink.

If you don't have any Bourjois stockist near you and love the idea of the Magi Nail Polish Remover, try out Gemma's DIY Nail Polish Remover Jar.

Otherwise, you can buy it on ASOS, for around 10$.

Have you tried the Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover? Any tips on this products or how you remover your polish?

A few years later I received Loverdose in a goody bag for an event I win tickets to. It is a perfume I would never have chosen for myself, but I'm glad I received it, because now it reminds me of London.

That same year I kinda went crazy shopping the boxing weeks sale at Boots and I bought a perfume set with Ghost Deep Night. This one had leaked in the set so I used it first and it was a great discovery. I since bought the full size, and this one also reminds me of London. 

Last year in Paris one of my friends gave me a perfume set of the Ricci Ricci scent. I already had it in sample form many years ago, but never really got to purchase it, even though I did like it. Then, this reminds me of that city and my friend Aurore :)

And then again last year when doing my internship in Paris I received the Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire, that I had been wanting all Winter long. it now reminds me of Christmas and Paris, really what's not to love? I remember spending loads of time in Sephora and Marionnaud checking out the Christmas kits and trialling this perfume and its Couture declination to see which I prefer. I think I prefer the Couture one, but this one was a gift so couldn't say anything, but one day I'll probably treat myself to the Couture one!

Writing this post, I noticed that a lot of them has top or middle notes of rose, with base notes of patchouli, amber and sandalwood. I was trying to figure out what was the common ingredient to them, but there isn't, I just think amber is the one most recurring.  Which is funny because I always thought amber gave me headaches. But I think sometimes pairing can really bring out the best in something, which I learnt a few years ago when visiting Neal's Yard Remedies. 

I love the fact that some of them seemed to chose me rather than me choosing them. Sometimes life brings us nice surprises!

 Do you also link events or people with your perfumes? Which are your favourites this season?

September was a good empties month! Oh the joy of having finished products! Only in our spoiled parts of the world....

These empties is part actual empties product and part things I'm just getting rid of. I've bought a lot of stuff this summer, not necessarily beauty, as I hadn't bought anything for 2 months (good!), but I feel I need a declutter. Yep. We bloggers all go through this phase right now it seems.

Décor Maison 3025 White Peach Candle: This one smelt so good in the packaging, and it's cute as well, but unfortunately, the scent throw is non-existent. And there is also lot of soot. I'll be keeping the mason jar for sure! 

Marcelle Ultra-Gentle Cleansing Gel: I liked this cleanser in the colder month but I feel I should've got something more stripping for this summer, as my face was so oily! I might re-purchase this at some point in the future for Winter months, but right now I have a few cleansers to go through. I've talked about this in my Morning After post. 

Dove Clinical Protection Original Clean: Along with my face not behaving, I had my armpits being naughty and regular deodorant didn't make the cut. I like to use this one when this happens, as the scent is fresh, and works well with my scent. I once made the mistake of buying an apple scented deo, gosh the mix was awful!

L'Occitane Dry Skin Foot Cream: Can L'Occitane do wrong in terms of creams? I love the product, and this one was no exception. Even though I prefer the Soap & Glory on for my feet. 

BBW Perfect Beach Day PocketBac: Sometimes at BBW you have samplers to sniff Sometimes you don't. In that case, it's trial and error. This was the error part. I thought it would smell nice, but it's too strong, if I apply that before taking a bite it was making me nauseous. Will not repurchase this scent. 

Vera Wang Lovestruck Floral Rush:  I got this sample in a Loose Button box. Not my kind of scent, too floral, but I used it during summer anyway. I'm glad I can now concentrate on my chypres and fall perfumes.

L'Oréal Hair Expertise Color Radiance Shampoo: This was an ok shampoo, I now have blonde hair (ombre) and I'm kinda new to that and not sure this is this good. It smells nice though, lie candy.

So for September, it is 19 products out!

Are you in de-clutter mode as well? If so, do you have any tips to share?