Author Archives: Mary S.

Simple Eye Make-up Remover Review & Pictures

Simple Eye Make-up Remover Review & PicturesLife is complicated. Your skincare shouldn’t be.

For me, I am the most interested in stripped-down skincare that doesn’t have bells and whistles. Instead, I want it to perform like a winning racehorse.

While for most beauty products, I’m swayed by the packaging and different scents or colours, when it comes to skincare, I’m a strong advocate that simple is best.

Especially when you have sensitive skin like I do, fragrances and harsh ingredients don’t often play well. So when the Simple skincare company’s PR reached out to me and gave me the opportunity to try some of their products for the first time, I was totally on board!

What I like about Simple skincare is that they’re found in the drugstore and at some grocery stores, making them easy to not only find, but also to get on sale at price points that make the products accessible to more people of varying socio-economic statuses.

But, you know me. It’s not all about the dollar! When it comes to skincare, I’m willing to pay top dollar (within reason), if it’s significantly effective that I notice a difference. And if I get the results for a drugstore price, that’s even better!

The Simple skincare brand is new to me, even though when I posted an Instagram photo of some of their products that I was testing out, it was pretty interesting to see that a lot of people really loved the brand and raved about products they enjoyed using. (Clearly, when it comes to drugstore skincare, I’m not in the loop as I am with nail polish and makeup!) 😉

I was very curious to dive into this bottle of Simple Eye Make-up Remover. It was also good timing that PR sent it to me exactly when I finished the very last drop of my other remover!

I’ve been testing out this eye makeup remover daily for about a week now, and I have some strong opinions about it because in addition to having sensitive skin, my eyes are also sensitive. Since Simple skincare claims to be the “Sensitive Skin Experts”, they had a lot to live up to!

Come see how this product fared!

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Batiste Dry Shampoo Wild Review & Pictures

Batiste Dry Shampoo Wild ReviewI used to be the type of person who always had to shampoo my hair on a daily basis or else I felt gross and oily.

My hair is naturally curly/wavy, so it’s on the dry side, and because I heat style it with a blow dryer and flat iron it straight all the time, it gets fried more often than it should.

Washing hair every day and also applying so much heat isn’t good for my hair. And I can’t just let my tresses air dry because then I resemble a frizzy poodle. 😉 Plus I am very picky about what I put in my hair – basically I only use 100% organic argan oil that soaks in and doesn’t leave any residue.

I’ve read that not washing your hair daily is healthier for your hair because it prevents the good oil from being stripped too often, which is what can make your hair look and feel dry.

But going even a single day without washing my hair made me very uncomfortable because near the roots, where the oil tends to be the worst, it just feels nasty.

I also read that the more you wash your hair and strip the oil, it can actually train your scalp to produce more oil! But, if you wash your hair every couple of days, it could reduce the amount of oil production.

So, I gave it a go for about 2 months. I’ve been washing my hair every 2-3 days instead of daily, and I have definitely noticed a difference. My hair doesn’t get as oily near the roots as quickly as before, and it’s the icing on the cake that getting ready in the morning is faster. (Note: Yes, I shower on a daily basis. It’s only my hair that I avoid washing daily. Haha, just wanted to make that absolutely clear!)

But I wouldn’t be able to skip washing my hair without a dry shampoo. I’ve went through 2 cans of a Joico dry shampoo that I received in my swag bag when I attended the Contessa Awards, which I blogged about before. But the really strong generic salon hairspray smell really put me off.

It wasn’t until I tried the Batiste Dry Shampoo (Wild) that I finally found an effective dry shampoo with a pleasant and mild scent that I feel comfortable using on a regular basis.

The Batiste Dry Shampoo comes in a wide variety of scents, but I decided to ‘go wild’, partially because I’m a fan of cheetah/leopard print, but also because it’s highly recommended by Leighannsays. She’s one of the few YouTubers I subscribe to, and I trust her honest and candid opinions. I love her carefree personality, great sense of style, and solid beauty-product knowledge. Her videos are fun and funny, which will leave you smiling! (If you haven’t already checked out her channel, click the link above and subscribe – you’ll love her, too!)

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Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure Glitz & Glamour Swatches & Review

Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure Glitz & Glamour Swatches & ReviewYou’ll remember that on Instagram and some other social-media platforms, I shared with you photos of me wearing Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure (Glitz & Glamour) here and here!

I always keep my nail shape very natural, which for me is rounded. But, I admire the square and squoval tips on other nail blogs. So, this was a fun way to test-drive square nails without committing.

(Rest assured – I won’t be converting my nail shape to squares. I’ve actually learned to appreciate my natural, rounded nail shape more, even if they’re not as trendy as squares. But, when I feel the need to sport something different, I’ll just reach for another pack of Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure nails!)

The imPRESS nails are the very first press-on nails that I’ve ever worn, so it was a new experience for me. And I was surprised by how easy and smooth the whole process was. (They’re ideal for those very busy days when you don’t have time to paint your nails or do nail art, yet you still want something fun.)

Plus they come in tons of different designs, so there’s a look to suit your style.

In this post, I’ll show you lots of swatches of them on my nails, and I’ll go into detail about how they wore, as well as share some tips that you may find helpful.

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Bundle Monster Sun Kissed Nail Plate Collection Press Release

Bundle Monster Sun Kissed Nail Plate CollectionHappy Friday, everyone!

Today, I have for you a quick little post to share some information I received earlier this week regarding the brand new Bundle Monster Sun Kissed Nail Plate Collection, which will be available on their official website.

While I don’t have any images of each of the 10 plates in the collection, I still thought some of you who love to do stamping nail art would be interested knowing that new designs are coming out in early September, which is just a wink away!

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Zoya Autumn Swatches & Review

Zoya Autumn Swatches & ReviewZoya Autumn is part of the Ignite Collection, which I’m very excited about because it’s fiesty and reminds me of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg!

I think this nail polish is appropriately named because it definitely screams fall to me. It has that warmth to it and some zing like a touch of ginger.

It’s one of those colours that’s very easy to sport because it’s not bright or crazy, yet it’s far from dull or boring.

There’s a ‘sizzle’ about this one, and the sparkle dances on your nails, which is fun to see!

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Blog News: My Bold Nail Art Tutorial Featured on PromCanada.com

PromCanada SwatchAndLearn Nail ArtWhen you want a completely customizable design that makes a statement that ends with exclamation points, try out my Bold Nail Art Tutorial Featured on PromCanada.com!

(You can click here to see the original article on Prom Canada, or continue reading this post for the tutorial.)

It uses just two different nail-polish colours, and it’s very quick to paint, so it’s not only ideal for a prom look, but for any time when you want your nails to be bold and really pop.

The pink I used is Nicole by OPI LeaPink for Joy (from the Seize the Summer Collection), and the gorgeous, shimmery purple is Nicole by OPI Back in My Gloria Days… (from the Modern Family Collection), which lends a sharp contrast, while still creating a girly manicure.

If any of you decide to try it out, please tag me on social media, so I can see and share with my readers!

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Zoya Yuna Swatches & Review

Zoya Yuna Swatches & ReviewYou know how Ludacris yells, “LUDA!”? Well, when I first laid eyes on Zoya Yuna, for some reason, I read it as “YUNA!” like Luda! 😉 No, I can’t just read it normally.

This polish is all kinds of amazing. I can’t think of any nail polish I already own in my ever-growing stash that’s exactly like this, so it’s pretty unique. That’s a hard feat, considering that there are soooo many gorgeous nail polishes on the market. Kudos, Zoya!

This polish is an interesting dusty slate blue with golden-green sparkle. I looked at it for the longest time, and sometimes I thought the sparkles were golden, but contrasting the blue, they sometimes looked a little green.

Regardless, Zoya Yuna is really interesting, and I like how when you first glance at it, it’s unassuming and subtle. But when you take the time to look deeper, that’s when you see the sparkle, and it whispers sweet nothings! 😉

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