Summer Essentials

I know, I'm a bit late on this, but I really wanted to share with you ladies the products I reached for the most this summer because some are really little gems!

I have always overlooked after-sun lotions because I'm lazy and I figured out that a normal body moisturizer would work just as well but Burt's Bees Aloe & Linden Flower After Sun Soother completely changed my mind! It was not until I got a really bad sunburn on my chest, arms and belly - I forgot to re-apply sunscreen after going swimming - that I realized how this product was a miracle worker - my sunburn was completely gone within only two days and my skin never showed signs of sun damages! I was expecting this lotion to be liquid and runny but no, it's more on the thick side but still, it sinks right into the sin and it feels so refreshing, and I like the light pleasant herbal scent.

I recently introduced you ladies to my new blog series, Project Farewell Casper, in which I share with you my fake tan adventures, and St Moriz Dark Instant Self Tanning Mousse was the second self tanner that I featured. It was tons of trouble to find a UK seller willing to ship to Canada but all of this hassle was really worth it in the end as this self tanner provides a gorgeous natural deep brown tan, exactly what I was looking for! I hate how it barely lasts three days on me even if I make sure to moisturize twice a day but I guess you get what you pay for.

I recently ordered XEN-TAN Deluxe Tanning Mitt from Apothica because I hated how streaky and patchy St Moriz applied when I used gloves, and as much as I love it because it allows the self tanner to go on soooo smoothly and it makes the whole process a lot easier and quicker, I was a bit disappointed at how cheap the mitt looked... I was expecting it to look like this but mine  does not have the writting and it's not very velvety...

The main reason why I was never keen on depilatory creams or lotions is because of the scent - isn't it awful? If you are able to forget that smell for about 3 minutes, you might actually really enjoy Veet Hydro' Restor Hair Removal Cream*. I absolutely fell in love with the thick texture that was easy to apply on the skin, and the spatula really comes in handy to quickly remove the product without mess. I was actually very surprised to see that the smoothness really lasts longer than shaving - I could see the hair slowly growing back on the third day. I'm also very happy with the results because my legs were soooo smooth and the hair removal cream absolutely didn't dry them. I didn't even feel the need to use moisturizing lotion after! 

With my super straight hair, I was a bit sceptical about Marc Anthony Beach Spray at first but I must say the results are actually pretty decent. This product does add body and texture to my straight hair while also extra definition to my layers. I was surprised to be left with manageable and touchable beach hair after using the Beach Spray.

I'm really happy with Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration sunscreen lotion product because, having dry and eczema-prone skin, being outdoors in the summer sun can really dry out and irritate my skin even more, but the new product line brings sun protection to a whole new level, with the luxurious hydrating ribbons that leave my skin feeling silky soft. I love how this sunscreen lotion goes on clear, light and non-greasy. Oh, and let's not forget that delicious signature coconut fragrance!

Let's not forget about sunglasses, of course! These are my super old aviator sunglasses that I got at my local flea market a looooooong time ago - I think I was in high school! I wore them to death as you can see, they went with me on all my trips, from Wildwood to Quebec, and I think I'm actually due for a new pair as they barely stand straight anymore! Should I get some other aviator sunglasses? This pink silver mirror shaded pair is so cute, although these black Ray Ban are a classic. Maybe I should consider some Ray Ban? My boyfriend has a pair that looks like this one but I really like the "prints" on the frame of this Ray Ban RB4105 Folding Wayfarer 710/51 - which brings me to Wayfarer, hmmm... Have you seen something as cool as these
Spy HELM KEN BLOCK EDITION HHCU131? OK, not really my style... I prefer these Tom Ford, which have a little retro vibe.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Rouge Artist Natural in N2 Iridescent Beige and N19 Iridescent Icy Pink

My first foray into MAKE UP FOR EVER products were the new Rouge Artist Natural lipsticks and let me tell you that it did not take much time for me to fall in love with these ultra creamy and moisturizing babies that provides light coverage with a soft, shiny finish, which is exactly what I'm looking for in a lipstick in the summer! I have found these to be quite buildable for a more intense but never overpowering look.

I kept hearing so many great things about Carmex Lip Balm Original Jar and being a lip balm junkie, I just had to try it. At $1.98 at Walmart, it was pretty hard to resist! I think I withheld for so long because I was afraid that camphor and phenol could make my lips react (what usually happen with lip-tingling formulas), but so far, I have nothing to report except that this is an amazing lipbalm that I don't have to re-apply every second and I'm so glad I finally decided to give it a try!

I have never been a fan of waterproof mascaras, but Anastasia came out a very clever solution -  Lash Genius, which is a clear waterproof topcoat. I tested this product while swimming at the beach and also under the shower. If I only blink to get the water out of my eyes, Lash Genius stays put perfectly, but if I rub and insist on the lashes, it will start to show signs of fatigue - I noticed some of my lashes stick together, but then again, nothing dramatic!

*Please note that this product is NOT cruelty-free

Disclaimer: Sponsored post

What Am I Bringing In Camping?

It's that time of the month again, when a couple of my friends and I head to our favorite camping, Camping Ô Cascades in Rawdon, for the week-end! Well in my case I will be staying one day because of work but that's OK because when you party so hard on day 1, you just feel like sleeping all day the next day!

I have seen a couple of those festivals posts on the blogosphere lately and I like to see what people bring with them in such events, so I thought, why not share with you what I'm bringing with me in camping? It's nothing much really, just a couple items just in case.

Let's start with the most important thing for me - sunscreen! I chose to bring these Beyond Coastal samples that I reviewed recently because they are a handy travel-size, they are natural and cruelty-free, and because they are moisturizing, I don't need to pack a separate body lotion. I also like hoiw the Face Stick is fuss-free, I can just smooth it on, put on my sunglasses and I'm ready for a day of lounging at the beach!

Another essential for me - lipbalm with SPF! I recently bought Carmex Cherry Flavoured Lip Ointment on sale for an unbelievable $1.99 because I loved the Original Carmex Jar so much. This one just smell yummy and to be honest, the fact that it has SPF in it is just my excuse to buy yet another lipbalm in my already overflowing collection.

Maybe I don't need to carry an extra body lotion with me thanks to my moisturizing sunscreen, but a face cream is something I can't go without. I chose to bring Elemis FreshSkin Softly Softly Daily Moisturiser and Elemis FreshSkin Dreamy Sleep Night-Time Moisturiser not because they are the most amazing moisturizers I have tried, but because of their handy travel size. My skin is a bit dry at the moment because I recently had a reaction to what I suspect to be ground up beetles AKA carmine in one of my eyeshadows and I'm not sure these moisturizers will do the job really well but I guess they will be OK for one days.

Least but not last, I call these items my "fresheners" because we all know what happen in camping - there are not always showers available so you have to count of a few products to keep you looking - and smelling - presentable.

Personally, I can't touch my face or food without cleaning my hands beforehand and last year, I absolutely forgot to pack a hand sanitizer and let me tell you, I was mortified. But have no fear, I have learned from my mistake and I have packed Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer with Moisturizers that I have found at a Dollar Tree when I was in Wildwoods some years ago.

I don't remember if I brought my toothbrush with me last year but I really doubt so, and I don't think it would have a been a good idea anyway so I decided to simply bring Scope Outlast Mouthwash instead, which must be one of my favorite mouthwash. Oh, and just look at that super cute travel-size bottle - awww!


I know I won't be gone for long but I figured out I would take Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo with me just in case - greasy hair is never acceptable, not even in camping! ...OK, the real reason is that I'm not a huge fan of its heavy floral scent and I want to use it up as fast as I can.

I was super lucky to receive a bottle of Evian Facial Spray in my GLOSSYBOX swag bag last week, and I thought that coupled with Kaia 100% Natural Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloth, they would do an OK job at making me look fresh, and not ungover.

Finally, to help me smell relatively good, I found that I had this super cute sample of Lady Speed Stick Infusion Strawberry Splash* laying around and because it smells sooooo yummy, I figured it would be a shame not to take it with me! I'm also bringing Bath & Body Works Mini Fragrance Mist in the scent Sweet Pea (not pictured), which must be my absolute favorite Bath & Body Works fragrance.

Of course, I'm not forgetting headache pills and a few other essentials when you are heading in a week-end of party. I'm off for a 40-minute drive now so have a nice week-end ladies!

*Lady Speed Stick Infusion is NOT cruelty-free

Shopping: Shoppers Drug Mart, Uniprix & Dollarama

I don't post "hauls" very often because the truth is that I try not to go shopping too often because 1. I hate shopping, 2. I try not to waste my money on things I don't really need and 3.I try to use up the products I already have at home. The problem is that one of my little pleasure is to look at the store flyers we receive at home every Wednesday or Thursday, and of course, something always caught my eyes, which happened again last week...

Revlon Lip Butter in Cupcake on sale $3.99 Shoppers Drug Mart always has these special deals every weekends that last only for Saturday and Sunday and of course, I could not resist to go swatch the highly raved about Revlon Lip Butters at my local Shoppers right after the job.

I have been a good girl though and I left with only one - after much hesitation between Cupcake, Cotton Candy and Strawberry Shortcake - I finally opted for Cupcake, which is a very pretty pale pink with blue undertones. These Lip Butters are usually  around $9, which I personally think is completely insane for such a little quantity of product that barely lasts 2 hours on the lips... but yes, Cupcake is extremely buttery, pigmented and it doesn't dry out my lips.

L - R: swatched lightly (one swipe) and swatched heavily (direct sunlight)

I'm not showing you more picture because I plan to write a post about this product very soon.

Carmex Cherry Flavoured Lip Ointment on sale $1.99 I recently purchased the Original Carmex Jar purely because of the hype and I guess it works OK but nothing miraculous as it's still not able to completely heal my extremely dry lips, but after wondering on Twitter what was the difference in formula between the jar and the squeezable tube versions, I have been told that the Carmex in the tube is creamier and thicker, and I have to agree. No, I absolutely did not need yet another lipbalm in my collection, but I figured out that because it has SPF in it, it will come in handy this summer.

Nivea Visage Natural Beauty Beautifying Eye Care $2 I love Dollarama because you can find great products from known brands at a really nice price, and I was going there with my mother for food but of course, I couldn't help myself from sneaking up in the beauty section to have a quick look, and I was surprised to find Nivea there!

For some reasons, I always had in mind that Nivea tested on animals, but after much research, I'm happy to report that I was wrong, fortunately! I don't think I have really tried something from Nivea before and I don't really know why, maybe because none of their products really appealled to me and because they tend to be a bit on the pricey side for drugstore products. Yes, I already have a ton of eye creams in my stash, but do you know how pricey eye creams can be? I personally like to apply a more thick and moisturizing eye cream at night an another one to brighten my undereye area during the day, and I think this one from Nivea is great for this as it's a bit pearlescent.

What Am I Bringing To Toronto?

If you follow me on Twitter, you may know that I was incredibly fortunated to win Ubisoft Just Dance Superstar Contest! The prize consists of a trip up to four people and includes two nights stay in a luxury downtown Toronto hotel (Hyatt Regency Toronto), limo service, spending money, four tickets to a concert or a show and four copies of Just Dance 3 Ubisoft video game. There was no concert or show available on the dates I could go (damn you school!) but instead, they have set up a VIP treatment for my friends and I in a nightclub - complete bottle service and a private booth! I can't wait!



I thought it would be interesting to show you what I bring with me to Toronto. Normally, I would not even have bothered with makeup and all that stuff but the thing is that we will be interviewed and the Just Dance camera crew will follow us around while we shop on Queen Street West so hey, a girl gotta look good!

Avon True Color Eyeshadow Single in Night Sky, NYX Eyeshadow in Sensual, e.l.f. Mechanical Eyelash Curler, Avon Ultra Color Rich Lipstick in Pout, Marcelle Power Volume Mascara, Joe Fresh Style Duo Concealer in Light, Wet 'n Wild Brow & Eye Liner Pencil in Taupe, Sigma E55, Sigma E40, EcoTools Angled Eyeliner Brush.

Marcelle Concealer Palette in Universal Beige, Too Faced Leopard Love Complexion Perfection Kit, Marcelle BB Cream, Leopard Gold Color Retractable Makeup Brush from BornPrettyStore.com

Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo, CHI Silk Infusion, Calvin Klein Forbidden Euphoria Fragrance roller ball sample, Carmex Original Jar, Burt's Bees Beeswax Lipbalm

The Body Shop Shea Body Butter, Elemish Freshskin Peachy Perfect Gentle Face Wash, Elemis Freshskin Softly Softly Daily Moisturizer, Elemish Freshskin Dreamy Sleep Night-Time Moisturizer, KORRES Quercetin & Oak Antiageing & Antiwrinkle Eye Cream, Marcelle Essentials Cleansing Water (in a Klorane travel bottle)

Everything goes in that super cute makeup bag (:

I realized that I don't have many travel size products because I tend to use them up first instead of having them laying around because I don't travel much and when I do, I don't bring tons of stuff with me. I don't have any mini format body cream, and this is the only really important product to me, so I'm stuck with that jumbo The Body Shop Shea Butter LOL! I also tried to bring multi-tasking products such as Too Faced Leopard Love and Marcelle BB Cream but overall I think I did great as I stuck mainly with essentials.

I can't wait to go shopping, spending money that you didn't work for feels so good, doesn't it? Instead of making a list of things I want, I made a list of places to shop at and I'll see! I was thinking maybe some MAC lipsticks even though there's none in particular I really want and some LUSH Valentine's Day stuff! I know I will be given a gift card to shop at H&M with a personal stylist and that's where the Just Dance camera crew will follow me around (so exciting!) but I will have some cash left to spend however I want (:

My friends and I will fly to Toronto today at 1:00 and I'm so excited! I will be sure to take tons of pictures =D

Shopping: Walmart

I went to Walmart in search of some dog food for my 8 weeks old Yorkshire Terrier puppy but that was a waste of time because I was already aware they didn't have a huge selection, but it has been a long time since I last checked so I figured out I had nothing to lose. I had a clear idea in my mind of what I wanted to feed Peach (as in Princess Peach, from Super Mario!):

• food that isn't owned by a company that conducts cruel tests on animals (companies to avoid: IAMS/Eukanuba, Hills Science Diet, Purina, Pedigree and their divisions)
• food that contains chicken as the main ingredient (yes, dogs are carnivore; no, I won't feed her vegetarian food because I'm vegetarian myself)
• food that contains no by-products
• food that is affordable

I figured out the only alternative was Walmart store brand but after a quick look at the ingredients, I quickly realized they were all crap (would you feed your dog food with corn as the main ingredient? WTF?). I finally decided to have a look at Mondou (why didn't I think of that sooner?) and the super nice SA pointed me two brands (exclusive to Mondou and without cruel animal tests) that would fulfill all of my demands (I finally opted for Vetdiet). Mondou is great because they don't sell animals in their stores and they even have a cool rewards program that lets you exchange points for cash rewards (:

In the meantime, I figured out I would have a look around while I was in Walmart...

Original Carmex Jar $1.98 I keep hearing so many great things about this lip balm and being a lip balm junkie, I just had to try it. At $1.98 at Walmart, it was pretty hard to resist! I think I withheld for so long because I was afraid that camphor and phenol could make my lips react (what usually happen with lip-tingling formulas), but so far, I have nothing to report except that this is an amazing lipbalm and I'm so glad I finally decided to give it a try! Now I'm lusting after the cherry version... Oh, and do I really have to mention that Carmex is not tested on animals? (:

g21 by George long sleeves striped pulls on sale $9 each (instead of $14) I know, I should not have a look at the clothes everytime I'm in Walmart because I always find something interesting and affordable! Can you believe there was only one XS of the black and grey shirt left? But hey, I really needed long sleeves tops because I'm always freezing! Oh yes, you may have noticed that I have a thing for stripes =P