Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask - Review

Hello everyone. Long time no blog post!!

So getting all the greetings out of the way and all that lets talk about this mask. This has to be one of my new favourite masks I have ever used. 

It's a charcoal mask that is suppose to clear pores and all that. It has a thick but smooth consistency. It spreads on the face easily but I just dampen my skin a little. that's just what I always have done before applying face masks. I just think it goes on even smoother than when it's on dry face...just my preference.

A little bit of this stuff goes a long way. I just use about a pea size amount or so for pretty much my whole face. It dries pretty quickly and makes the skin feel tight due to the fact that the mask has dried. You can hardly make face impressions, I guess that's how it would feel when you get botox? I haven't had it but I've heard that's the case? I don't know...anyways

I leave it on my face for about 10-15 minutes, and sometimes I just get busy with other stuff and realize I have had it on for almost 30 minutes haha. I noticed that this really helped with my acne. It kind of dried it up I guess so that was helpful! 

This mask could be hard to remove, let me tell you. I tried using my fingers and warm water but it took some effort and I am not patient enough so I suggest using a wash cloth or like me I use a thick hand paper towel and get it wet with warm water, get the mask off then rinse my face again to get rid of the residue of the mask.

Overall, I am very pleased with this mask and I will definitely repurchase it when I finish this tube which I think it will last me a long while. I have had this mask for about 4 months and I use it about once or twice a week and I'm not even halfway through. So it also last a long while as well. 

Have you tried this mask before? What are your thoughts on it?

Lots of love,
Dina

♥ 

Maybelline Color Sensational The Buffs - Review & Swatches

Today I am finally doing a review on the Maybelline Buff lipsticks. I was able to pick out a few of the shades that I thought would work best for me. There are ten shades and I have six of them.

I like the simple slick packaging but just looking at it, you can't tell the actual lipstick colour. the sticker on the bottom shows the colour of the lipstick. So while I like the packaging, I have to open it and see which one I have picked out. 

So this Buff lipsticks are the nude, natural line and so the colours are either a light brownish colour or darker. It is in the same colour family, at least that is the case with the ones I have.

• goes on smooth and creamy on the lips
• it could emphasize dry lips (exfoliate or apply lip balm before application)
• great pigmentation
• nice consistency / applies evenly
• slick packaging
• good for dramatic/heavy eye makeup looks (dramatic eye nude lips)
• wide selection for every skin tone and colour preference
• need reapplying after about an hour or two, that also depends on eating and drinking

Overall, I actually really do like these lipsticks! I never thought there would come a day that I would actually grab a lipstick or go for nude lips but my makeup tastes has been changing a lot. I used to be a lip gloss girl. I wouldn't use anything else other than lip gloss. Now a long time has past and I rarely reach for lip gloss. It is as interesting as it is weird.

Have you tried any of the Buff lipsticks? What are your thoughts on it?

Lots of love,
Dina
♥

Photos of the Month : August 2014

Hello everyone. I hope you all have had a good long weekend so far. The weather is pretty hot right now and I don't find it too pleasant to be outside. Hopefully it gets a little cooler. It's around 30 to 35 degrees Celsius and that is too hot for me...

But the hot weather doesn't mean that I don't have any pictures for you. I still enjoy taking pictures when I'm out and about... and I have a good few selection for you guys for the month of August.

It has been mostly cloudy this month and hot and sometimes rainy, so that doesn't give me a lot of opportunities to take good pictures. 

So lets just enjoy these two pretty flowers that are my two favourite pictures in this blog post. I love taking photos of flowers but these two are my absolute favourite. Looking at them, it just makes me really happy.. maybe I'm weird like that? anyways..

I hope you guys had an amazing month of August. It was pretty uneventful for me. Just normal life stuff.

Have an amazing long weekend and start of the week! Stay safe

Lots of love,
Dina

♥ 

Photos of the Month : July 2014

It has been a very long time since the last time I poster a "Photos of the Month" blog post and I really miss it. I just took a several month break, so to speak and I am back, hopefully fingers crossed, to be posting blogs and actually staying. No more breaks!!

Month of July was my birthday and also cottage month! haha I had such a great month of July with my family and friends and I am so thankful for everything and I thought to share some of the pictures I took during my cottage trip/vacation with you.

I love to do landscape/ nature photography and I love sunsets. The cottage we were staying at had such an amazing view and it got better at sunset.

The food was amazing, it was just a very relaxing and joyful month for me.

The cake was amazing as well. Who doesn't love a good chocolate cake? well, I know I do. I would just eat the whole thing since it was my birthday and all. DUH ;)

Short blog post, I know, I know but I like to keep my "photos of the month" blog post short. I just mainly want to share the photos and that is basically it.

I hope you guys had a good month of July.

Stay safe and happy :)

Lots of love,
Dina

♥ 

Summer Scents - Favourite Perfumes

Sephora Website Description : 

Lancome La Vie Est Belle (Life is Beautiful) - made with the most precious natural ingredients, it entwines the elegance of iris with the strength of patchouli and the sweetness of a gourmand blend for an incredible scent with depth and complexity.

Notes: Iris, Patchouli, Gourmand - Style: Free, Happy, Deep

My Thoughts: this one is my absolute favourite. I had tried a sample that I got from Sephora and wanted it really bad and my dearest friend got it for me for my birthday and I am really happy to have this perfume. The name really suits how this smells. When I spray this on, life feels beautiful. It smells amazing that's how I know to explain it!

Juicy Couture La Fleur - sheer veil of sparkling mandarin and wild berries, combined with luminous florals of lush honeysuckle, gardenia petals, and soft jasmine. A whisper of creamy gourmand reminiscent of the classic viva la juicy elicits an addiction that envelops the skin.

Notes: Wild berries, mandarin, honeysuckle, gardenia petals, soft jasmine, vanilla, caramel, sandalwood - Style: sheer, modern, addictive

My Thoughts: This perfume smells floral and very springy, but I use it in summer as well. It is sweet but not too sweet to make me feel nauseous. It last a long time on me when I spray it on. It makes me happy and fresh when I have this on and it feels like I'm in a field full of amazing smelling flowers on a springy day.

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy - combine of delicious wild berries with creamy vanilla and bright jasmine

Notes: wild berries, mandarins, honeysuckle, gardenia, jasmine, amber, caramel, sandalwood, praline- Style: tantalizing, teasing, tempting

My Thoughts: This smells sweet and chic but youthful at the same time. I really like this perfume especially for early spring when it is still a little chilly outside but works great in the summer as well.

Dolce & Gabbana - surprisingly coloured with liveliness of Sicilian citron, the happiness of granny smith apple, the spontaneity of bluebells, intensity of jasmine, freshness of bamboo and charm of white rose

Notes: sicilian citron, bluebell, granny smith apple, jasmine sambac, bamboo, white rose, cedarwood, amber, musk - Style: deep and true

My Thoughts: I have a very small bottle of this that I got with my points at Sephora. I like to use this on the days that I just want to smell fresh and kind of beachy. It smells you just came from a long day at the beach and you just showered, does that make sense? so yea sunny day showering at the beach maybe? haha okay.

I prefer body sprays over perfume in the summer time to be honest. It just feels more light weight and easy but I still like to have some favourite summer perfumes as well for a longer lasting finish.

What are some of your favourite summer perfumes?

Lots of love,
Dina
♥