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

CLOSED - Giveaway: Veet Puts The Spring Back In Your Step!

With Spring less than a month away, Veet wants to kick off the month of warmer weather and shorter skirts with a special giveaway. In honour of the season best known for rebirth and renewal, Veet would love to coordinate a contest themed “Veet puts the Spring back in your step” with a giveaway valued at approximately $100 of Veet product for one of my lucky readers.

Featured in the prize pack is Veet’s new EasyWax Electrical Roll-On Kit (that I have reviewed here), the latest must-have item in beauty technology. As you may know, the product offers a simple and innovative at-home solution for hair removal, complete with salon quality wax that warms up and dispenses directly from the device and is gentle enough to use even on the most sensitive of skin. But that's not all...

The prize:

• EasyWax Electrical Roll-On Kit
• Ready-to-Use Wax Strips for Face & Bikini
• EasyGrip Ready-to-Use Wax strips
• Hydro’Restor Hair Removal Cream 
• High Precision Facial Wax

Rules:

• This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only (sorry!)
• You have to follow Gaby's Beauty Blog (you don't need to have a blog)
• Giveaway/freebie "hunters" or blogs made solely for giveaways will be disqualified (my giveaways are to thank the lovely ladies who truly read my blog!)
• This giveaway ends on March 28 at  12:01 am.

To enter (mandatory):

• Fill out the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post

Good luck!!!

Please wait for the Rafflecopter form to load!

Veet EasyWax Electrical Roll-On Kit

Veet recently launched its most innovative hair removal product to date, Veet EasyWax Electrical Roll-On.
This warm wax hair removal system is the first at-home product of its kind to be available in the
Canadian market, delivering salon waxing results at home.

The pack contains: 

• Self-heating device and cap
• 50ml roll-on wax refill for arms and legs (Also available refill for bikini and underarm.)
• 12 non-woven strips
• 4 perfect finish wipes
• Base to hold the device
• Electrical cable
• Instruction leaflet

This roll-on kit is exceptionally easy to use, even for the first-timer, such as me! I have always been dead afraid of waxing for some reasons, and being blessed with sparse blonde hair, I certainly won't complain to have to shave once a week, and often less. Waxing always rhymed with mess in my head, but that was until I tried Veet EasyWax!

Using Veet EasyWax is as simple as plugging it in and the self-heating device will automatically heat the wax cartridge to the perfect temperature, removing the need to make multiple trips to the microwave or handle jars of hot wax. In the instruction leaflet, it is advised to place the plugged device on its base, and leave it connected for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, apply the wax to a small area first to ensure that the wax applies easily - if the wax does not easily roll onto the skin, let the device warm the wax for an additional five minutes. Eager to try my new "toy", I was disappointed to see that after 20 minutes, the wax was not melted and it came out of the applicator quite streaky. Following the instructions, I replaced the devide on its base for another five minutes, but still, I had the same results again!

After one hour - yes, one hour - the wax was finally ready. I must say my excitment had faded a bit but still, I went at it and applied the wax on my leg. The ergonomically designed roll-on applicator makes it easy to apply a thin layer of wax in preparation for waxing - I was actually surprised at how light and compact the device felt in my hand. I was disappointed again to notice that a lot of hair was left behind everytime I waxed an area, but I attribute this to the fact that I don't have any real experience with waxing.

When I was done, I used a perfect finish wipe to remove any wax residue (the wax can't be rinsed off with water) but the wipe is so oily, it's really messy! After using it, I had to try to remove the oily residues left behind... not fun.

Veet EasyWax is formulated with natural beeswax and the same ingredients used in professional salon
wax. The formula is gentle to use even on the most sensitive skin, and results in incredibly smooth skin
for up to four weeks.

Overall, if you are a noob like me when it comes to waxing, I would highly recommend this handy kit. It contains everything you need and it's really easy to use. Sure it's not perfect, but once you get the hang of it, I'm sure it gets better. 

The EasyWax Electrical Roll-On Kit is available at a suggested retail price of $29.99. Refill cartridges for legs/arms and bikini/underarm are also available for the suggested retail price of $13.99. Veet® products are available at drug, mass merchants and grocery stores nationwide.

*This product is NOT cruelty-free

Disclaimer: One or more products were sent to me for consideration to review. I am not affiliated with this company and the fact that the products were free absolutely does not influence my opinion.

Mail of the Week (February 20 - March 2)

New TRESemmé Split Remedy products I have been incredibly lucky to be spoiled rotten by TRESemmé - when they asked me if I would like to try some of their new products, I never expected them to send me the whole Split Remedy line! I have heard about this line but I'm not sure I have seen it in stores around here yet. The Split Remedy products claim to repair up to 80% of the split ends you have in just three uses - wow! I'm not sure I have ever been disappointed by TRESemmé products (although I have a love/hate relationship with their Fresh Start Dry Shampoo) and I do think they are amazing quality for the price so I can't wait to try all of these products!

New Veet EasyWax Electrical Roll-On Kit I was delighted to come home this week to this big box filled with Veet goodies wrapped in pink silk paper! I had not heard of this new product from Veet before and it's very exciting to me because I usually don't wax just because of the mess it makes - and OK, maybe a bit because of the pain too! - but this product promises a mess-free wax. I can't wait to try it!

BH Cosmetics products I have never tried anything from BH Cosmetics for some reasons, so of course I had to jump on this opportunity! It has also been brought to my attention that I rarely post about makeup products on my blog... I know, but I think my true love is skincare. I personally tend to favour great skin instead of having to hide flaws with makeup, but that's just the way I see it. I promise, I will try to feature more makeup related products on here as well!

Here is what I was very kindly sent from BH Cosmetics:

• Liquid Eye Liner in Black
• Waterproof Eyeliner in Frost
• Waterproof Eyeliner in Midnight
• Lipgloss in Wine & Dine
• Lipgloss in Office Queen

L - R: Black, Frost, Midnight, Wine & Dine, Office Queen 

Tints of Nature Conditioning Permanent Hair Colour in Natural Darkest Brown If you have followed me through my hair dye adventures, you may know that I'm seeking cruelty-free alternatives but it's much harder than I though. Tints of Nature is a natural, vegetarian, cruelty-free (of course!) and ammonia-free hair color which retails for $18.99 a pack.

Mini Kleenex box Awwww how cute is this miniature tissue box? I don't even want to use it up! You can still send a pack to someone and receive a free sample of new Kleenex Cool Touch for yourself here.

Coupon for a free Liberté Greek yogurt They had a promotion on Facebook and I'm so glad I was able to snatch one! Liberté is my favorite yogurt, and honestly, is there something better than greek yogurt?

♫ Wild Ones - Flo Rida ft. Sia

CLOSED - Giveaway: Getting Yourself "Holiday" Ready‏ With Veet!

The holidays are a time for shopping, dining and of course, juggling multiple cocktail parties! And whether playing hostess or attending as a guest, women always want to look their holiday best. 

Veet, the leader in at-home hair removal solutions, offers a range of easy-to-use products that will keep legs, arms (and more!) sexy, smooth and hydrated for the duration of the winter festivities. Veet also carries high-precision facial wax that will help define brows for a photo ready face. 

Within a few minutes as part of a regular beauty regimen, skin is beautiful to the eye, smooth to the touch, and hairless for weeks.

If you have enjoyed my previous review of Veet products, here's your chance to win a Veet gift basket containing about $100 worth of product!

The prize:

• Ready-to-Use Wax Strips for Face
• Ready-to-Use Wax Strips for Face & Bikini
• EasyGrip Ready-to-Use Wax strips
• Hydro’Restor Cream 
• High Precision Facial Wax (includes instructions on how to achieve perfect brows for the holiday)
• A pink stocking 
• A basket to hold the items

Rules:

• This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only (sorry!)
• You have to follow Gaby's Beauty Blog (you don't need to have a blog)
• Blogs made solely for giveaways will be disqualified
• This giveaway ends on December 27 at  12:01 am.

To enter (mandatory):

• Fill out the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post

Good luck!!!

Please wait for the Rafflecopter form to load!

Veet Gets you Ready for the Holiday Season‏!

The holidays are a time for shopping, dining and of course, juggling multiple cocktail parties! And whether playing hostess or attending as a guest, women always want to look their holiday best. 

Veet, the leader in at-home hair removal solutions, offers a range of easy-to-use products that will keep legs, arms (and more!) sexy, smooth and hydrated for the duration of the winter festivities. Veet also carries high-precision facial wax that will help define brows for a photo ready face. 

Within a few minutes as part of a regular beauty regimen, skin is beautiful to the eye, smooth to the touch, and hairless for weeks.

Salon Precision High Precision Facial Wax $13.99 for 15 mL

Veet® High Precision Facial Wax with Aloe Vera for moisturization is designed for women who don’t want just beauty but also perfection. The easy application of this professional quality wax will free you of facial hair. It is ideal for shaping eyebrows and removing the hair from the upper lip. 

Simply spread the wax onto the area where you want to remove hair, to efficiently remove it and leave your skin smooth and beautiful for weeks! And for more complicated areas, you can use the precision stick to achieve amazing results.

I've always wanted to try waxing my eyebrows to get that perfectly sharp shape but I was always too scared so at first I wasn't sure if I should accept these products to review or not, but after watching a couple of videos on YouTube, I decided that I had to give it a try, at least once in my life!

In the Salon Precision Facial Wax package, you get a tube of wax, 20 re-useable mini-strips, a precision stick and instructions. I personally don,t really care for the precision stick as I find the tip of the tube to be quite precise itself, but tis stick would definitely come in handy if you don't have a lot of hair to remove.

I was actually surprised at how simple the wax is to use. You simply pop the tube in a cup of hot water for 1 minute and it's ready to use! I have only tried the wax on my eyebrows but you can also use it on your upper lip and chin.

L - R: before and after

I'm not quite sure if I really like the results, I guess I was expecting a more sharp shape, but because it was my first try, maybe I need to keep trying and get used to it? I was also expecting the whole process to hurt like hell but I didn't experienced any real pain, just a slight discomfort when I pulled the strips - perfectly bearable! When I was done, the waxed are was a little red but it didn't hurt at all.

You only need a very small amount of wax at a time so I think this little tube will last a long time (it says 20+ full face treatments on the packaging). The strips are also re-usable and I find they are super easy to wash.

Veet Face & Bikini Wax Strips $8.49 for 20 strips

It’s a girl’s best kept secret, facial and bikini hair removal in a flash. Now you can get to the root of it with Veet® Facial and Bikini Wax Strips and Perfect Finish Wipes. They’re the best way to get rid of those hairy patches that just seem to appear from nowhere! 

Veet's small wax strips are great for targeting those hard-to-reach areas of your face and bikini as well as touch-ups around the body. Just smooth a strip onto your skin, remove with one swift movement and sweep over a Perfect Finish Wipe to remove any traces of wax residue. 

Our skin strips are designed for hair as short as 2mm, so you never have to wait for your hair to get "long enough" to wax. Just wax and go!

I won't be able to properly review these face & bikini strips because I'm having IPL done on my bikini area - meaning that I'm not allowed to wax or do anything that will pull the hair out - but I had my mother try them out!

Because the strips are small, it's easy to decide exactly where you want them to go, and she was also surprised to see that they hurt less than regular strips. My mother used 4 strips for her bikini area, and she said they stick well to the hair and she didn't need to go again and again on the same spot.

My mother didn't need the Perfect Finish Wipes as the wax was easy to wash away in the shower.

Overall, these wax strips are great when you are in a rush and they will leave you hair-free for as long as four weeks!

Be sure to check out Veet website for more awesome products and also follow them on Twitter and "like" them on Facebook!

*Please note that these products are NOT cruelty-free


Disclaimer: One or more products were sent to me for consideration to review. I am not affiliated with this company and the fact that the products were free absolutely does not influence my opinion.

Mail of the Week (November 21 - 25)

My prize from Danielle's Wet n Wild Holiday giveaway: I'm super happy to have won this amazing prize as Wet n Wild always comes up with interesting products for the Holidays, but of course, we never get them here in Canada. The minute I saw this eyeshadow palette on Danielle's blog, I fell in love! The shadows are all super pigmented and gorgeous, and brown and gold shades are my favorite! As for the nail polishes, I would grab all of them if I could as I'm a sucker for glitter nail polish! Here's what Danielle included in my package:

• Wet n Wild Coloricon Baked Eyeshadow Palette in Baked, Not Fried
• Wet n Wild Coloricon Nail Color in 24 Carats
• Femme Science Body Cream sample
• Chanel Chance Eau Tendre Eau de Toilette sample

Thank you so much for this amazing prize Danielle! =D

Veet Face & Bikini Wax Strips and High Precision Facial Wax* : I've been very kindly sent these two products to review but I can't tell you much about them because I have a little surprise coming up for you! I won't be able to properly review the face & bikini strips because I'm having IPL done on my bikini area - meaning that I'm not allowed to wax or do anything that will pull the hair out - but I will have my mother test them instead. As for the High Precision Facial Wax, I'm very excited because I've always wanted to try waxing my eyebrows but I was always too scared!

Crest 3D White Vivid Toothpaste* : Because of my addiction to caffeine, my naturally yellow teeth tend to turn even more yellow and I haven't found yet a whitening product that works at removing all the stains. Despite my previous negative experience with Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips, I agreed to try this toothpaste and report back after two weeks, because it's claimed to provides up to 80% surface stain removal for a whiter smile in 14 days.

Nexxus Pro-Mend product samples: I absolutely don't remember signing up for these but I can't find them on the internet anymore so I guess the offer is over. I don't think I've heard of this line before but it seems interesting as it's designed to help split ends. I received samples of the Daily Shampoo, Daily Conditioner and Targeted Leave-In Treatment Creme and they also included a $3 coupon.

♫ The Legend of Zelda Rap - Smosh

*These products are NOT cruelty-free

Mail of the Week (August 8 - 12)

Marcelle and Annabelle products to review: I've been spoiled once again by the lovely Isabelle from Groupe Marcelle (thank you so much!). This lady sure knows how to please me! Here's what she kindly sent me:

• Marcelle Hydra-C Radiance Energizing Hydrating Gel
• Marcelle Hydra-C Radiance Perfect Fusion Make-Up in Ivory
• Marcelle Lux Eye Dust in Bronze Millionaire
• Marcelle Lux Eye Dust in Supersonic
• Marcelle Waterproof Eyeliner in Blue Lagoon
• Marcelle Waterproof Eyeliner in Imaginary Mauve
• Annabelle Studio Smudge Paint in Tar
• Annabelle Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencil in Grapeful
• Annabelle Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencil in Cocoaloco
• Annabelle Studio 4SHOW Eyeshadow in Eye-Candy

I'll be sure to let you know what I think of all of these products - I'm especially excited about the Smudge Paint and the Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencils!

Karmin G3 Salon Pro Professional 100% Pure Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron: I was absolutely amazed to win Sarah's giveaway as I was in the need for a new flat iron  because a) I've had my current one since high school and b) my mother has started to "steal" mine everyday and it annoyes me quite a bit to be honest! Here's the description of the Karmin G3 Salon Pro from HairTools.ca:

With New Advanced 100% Pure Tourmaline Ceramic Plates. The first iron with this advanced technology. These new plates allow your hair to slide through the plates without catching or pulling on your hair. plus the results are amazing.

• 360 swivel cord so you can easily manuever around without the cord tangling
• Variable temperture control up to 450Fwhich 
• Allows you to select the perfect tempurtare based on the hair type. If you have thick or curly hair you need an styling iron that reaches 450f.
• Professional high grade heating element that allows the iron to heat up quickly and to be used continuously without burning out during your styling.
• Dual voltage so you can bring your iron to other countries. great for traveling
• Slim handle design, no more bulky handles that make it hard to hold, with the slim handle it fits perfectly in your hands and is light to use.
• Curved plates that allow you to not only straighten your hair but you can also curl and style your hair in so many other ways. Thats why we call it a styling iron not a flat iron.
• 3 year warranty so you can rest assured that you new investment will last. if you have any problems just contact us and we will send you a replacement free of charge with no questions asked. 

I don't think I could have asked for a better flat iron (not to mention that it's hot pink)! Thank you so much for this amazing prize Sarah!

Veet EasyGrip Ready-To-Use Wax Strips sample kit: Veet were giving away this kit on their website some times ago. Don't want to miss another cool offer? Be sure to follow me on Twitter and "like" my Facebook page!

Sigma F45 Buffer Brush: Just like the majority of beauty bloggers out there, I'm part of Sigma Beauty Affiliate Program. Of course, the best part of being an affiliate is their awesome incentive program - which is way less awesome now that it has been updated, in my opinion. Previously Sigma provided complimentary products for all affiliates, regardless of their number of followers, subscribers or fans. However, this was a promotional period for the program that has now come to an end, which is very sad because now you have to have at least 1000 blog followers (or 5000 YouTube subscribers) to be able to redeem a complimentary product - not to mention that I personally think the products are way less interesting (I was aiming for the Synthetic Face Kit but it looks like I will have to do with the Cleansing & Polishing Tool). You can have a look at the new categories here. Anyway, it's just my opinion - I'm not complaining because I was lucky enough to have the chance to receive a complimentary Travel Kit in the past and now this Buffer Brush.

Now it's time to announce the winner of my Veet giveaway...

Taygan! Congrats!

Don't worry if you didn't win this time, my Sebastian Professional giveaway is open until Saturday at midnight!

♥Rain over Me - Pitbull ft. Mark Anthony

CLOSED - Giveaway: Veet Gets You Ready for Summer Giveaway

As summer is finally here, beauty regimes become more frequent. Men and women are getting ready to wear those beach shorts or short skirts. With Veet, summer beauty is just one quick step away! Veet EasyGrip Ready-to Use Wax Strips or Veet Hair Removal Cream with Hydro’Restor give you smooth and hair-free skin for up to four weeks.

If you have enjoyed my previous review of Veet products, here's your chance to win a Veet gift basket containing about $100 worth of product!

The prize:

• EasyGrip Ready-to-Use Wax Strips with vitamin E & almond-sensitive formula
• EasyGrip Ready-to-Use Wax Strips with velvet rose fragrance & essential oils
• EasyGrip Ready-to-Use Wax Strips with aloe vera for dry skin
• Hair removal cream with Hydro’Restor with aloe vera
• Hair removal cream with Hydro’Restor with velvet rose fragrance and essential oils
• Hair removal cream with Hydro’Restor with shea butter and lily fragrance
• Veet beach towel
• Straw beach bag

Rules:

• This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only (sorry!)
• You have to be a follower of Gaby's Beauty Blog (you don't need to have a blog)
• Blogs made solely for giveaways will be disqualified
• This giveaway ends on August 10 at midnight 

To enter (mandatory):

• Fill out the Google document form at the bottom of this post

Extra entries (optional):

• Post my giveaway on your blog, either in a blog post or in your sidebar, and include the picture above and the link to my giveaway +5
• "Like" Gaby's Beauty Blog on Facebook +2
• Follow me on Twitter and tweet about my giveaway (be sure to include @GabyFauchon and the link to my giveaway) +2

Possible entries total: 10

Good luck!!!

This giveaway is sponsored by Veet.

Summer Beauty is Just One Quick Step Away With Veet!

As summer is finally here, beauty regimes become more frequent. Men and women are getting ready to wear those beach shorts or short skirts. With Veet, summer beauty is just one quick step away! Veet EasyGrip Ready-to Use Wax Strips or Veet Hair Removal Cream with Hydro’Restor give you smooth and hair-free skin for up to four weeks.

I was recently kindly sent some Veet products to review that I've been using for the previous two weeks and I think it's about time I share my thoughts with you.

Hydro' Restor Hair Removal Cream ($9.49 for 200ml and $16.99 for 400ml)

What would you do to give your skin a smooth moisturized feeling that lasts? New Veet® Hair Removal Cream with Hydro’Restor™ works in as little as three minutes to deliver smoothness that lasts up to twice as long as shaving. Unlike razors that can sometimes cause drying and irritate the delicate surface of the skin, the new Veet Hydro’Restor™ formulation is designed to work close to the root of the hair and contains ingredients to help restore skin’s natural hydration levels. 

Key Ingredients and Benefits 

• Works in as little as three minutes for smoothness that lasts up to twice as long as shaving
• Designed to work close to the root of the hair, skin stays noticeably smoother for longer than shaving
• Unlike shaving, that can sometimes dry the delicate surface of your skin, the Hydro’Restor™ formulation contains ingredients to help restore the skin’s natural hydration levels

I remember the last time I used hair removal creams - it was a looong time ago - and the main reason why I was never keen on those products is because of the scent. Isn't it awful? I was given the opportunity to try Suprem' Essence Hair Removal Cream With velvet rose fragrance & essential oils and Hair Removal Cream Dry Skin Shea Butter and Lily Fragrance, and let me tell you - I was thrilled to try those delicious smelling products!

I was quickly disappointed though because the advertised scents can't completely cover the true scent of hair removal creams - you know, that awful chemical scent that almost make you want to throw up? Yep, that's what I'm talking about.

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!

EasyGrip Ready-to-Use Wax Strips ($13.99 for 20 strips and $16.99 for 40 strips)

Get beautiful, touchably smooth skin – in one easy move at home with the new Veet® New EasyGrip™ Ready-to-Use Wax Strips for Legs and Body. Each strip acts like a liquid during application and coats short hair on legs and underarms. The inspired ergonomic design means the strips are ideal for both seasoned waxers and first time ‘wax virgins’ looking to achieve satin-like, smooth skin—that lasts for up to four weeks. 

Each strip acts like a liquid during application and coats short hair on legs and underarms. Ready-to-Use Wax Strips leave only smooth and silky skin. 

Key Ingredients and Benefits 

• Perfect smoothness that lasts up to 4 weeks
• Varieties for dry skin (containing Aloe Vera), sensitive skin (containing Vitamin E & Almond), and Suprem’ Essence (containing Velvet Rose and Essential Oils)
• EasyGrip™ tab ensures easy peel-off for better technique

- a more intuitive centre point grip 

- more gripping room

- allows for strip removal directly against hair growth

I had the chance to try EasyGrip Ready-to-Use Wax Strips With Vitamin E & Almond - Sensitive Formula, and I will not lie - at first, I was absolutely afraid to try them! I've always been kind of scared of waxing since my first experience and I tend to shy away from it in favour of razors and depilatory creams. I remember trying ready-to-use strips only one time in my life and I almost imediately forgot about them because they were not effective at all, failing to remove all of my leg hair.

I was brave enough to try these strips and I must say I was quite pleased with them. The EasyGrip tab is great - it has a rounded edge that really makes it easier to grab the strips and remove them properly. I like that each strips can be re-used abouth three times until it completely lost its stickiness.

The residue left on my legs by the wax has to be removed by oil - water won't do. That's where the cleansing wipes come in handy, even though I was not able to completely remove the wax only with them

Overall, I would not recomment these strips for every day use because one pack barely lasts for more than two half leg treatments for me, so it can get quite pricey, but it's great to pack in your bag for a holiday or if you are in a rush.

Disclaimer: These products were sent to me for consideration to review. I was not paid for this review,  I am not affiliated with this company and the fact that the products were free absolutely does not influence my opinion.

Mail of the Week (July 3 - 8)

My prize from Tass' giveaway: After having heard so much rave about the Posie Tint, I'm happy to be able to try it for myself! Here's what Tass included in the package:

• Benefit "That Gal" Brightening Face Primer
• Benefit Mini Benefit Pose Tint
• Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow

Thank you Tass! (:

Veet products to review: I was kindly given the opportunity to review some new products for Veet - just in time for summer!

• Suprem' Essence Hair Removal Cream With velvet rose fragrance & essential oils
• Hair Removal Cream Dry Skin Shea Butter and Lily Fragrance
• EasyGril Ready-to-Use Wax Strips With Vitamin E & Almond -  Sensitive Formula

peta2's zombie survival pack: peta2 has a very cool campaign going on at the moment called Flesh is for Zombies. Yes, according to them, if you eat meat, you are a zombie! I think it's cute and funny, and a great way to raise awareness (:

Biotherm Aquasource sample: Biotherm Canada was offering free samples on their Facebook page some times ago, but now the offer has ended.

Dove Nutritive Therapy Nourishing Oil Care sample: Dove was offering a sample of  their new Dove with weightless Nutri-Oils on their Facebook page some times ago. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and "like" my Facebook page to be in the know for more great promotions like this one!

♥ Dirty Dancer - Enrique Iglesias ft. Usher & Lil Wayne

Mail of the week (and last week)

Mail of last week (July 5th - 9th):

De'Longhi 2 Cup Espresso/Cappuccino Maker from CSN Stores: In this post, I told you that I have been approached by the Promotions Team over at CSN Stores for the second time because I have been selected as CSN Preferred Blogger. I was offered the opportunity to review one of their products. Back then, I chose to do a review on Perfect Petzzz Golden Retriever Puppy, but I had to change my mind because the people from CD3 Inc told me they would love to send me a Perfect Petzzz Golden Retriever to review. So, as I wanted to buy a cappuccino maker for some times now, I figured out this would be the perfect opportunity. Stay tune for my upcoming review!

Tena sample pack: Luckily, I don't experience bladder weakness (yet!) but I will use those samples as pads. I was sent:

• 2 Ultra Thins Moderate Absorbency pads
• 2 Ultra Thins Heavy Absorbency pads
• Information leaflet

August 2010 issue of Glamour magazine

Playtex Gentle Glid On-the-Go Pack (4 tampons): Samples are no longer available.

Pantene Color Preserve Volume Hair Solutions Shampoo and Conditioner samples (50 mL)

Veet Easy To Use Wax Strips sample pack:

• 1 large body Veet Easy to Use Wax Strip
• 1 small facial Veet Easy to Use Wax Strip
• 1 perfect finish wipe
• 1 coupon offering $1.00 off any Easy to Use Wax strip

Samples are no longer available. 

The coupons I ordered from Save.ca for my friend Sara.

b°liv Off With Those Heads Blackheads Sebum Gel sample

Mail of the week (July 12th - 16th):

Perfect Petzzz Golden Retriever: I was contacted by the people from CD3 Inc to review a Perfect Petzzz Golden Retriever. I'm so excited as I've been wanting one of these for such a long time! It's adorable!

 Lacoste Love of Pink fragrance sample: Go here for a sample.

August 2010 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine