Beauty Favourites

Hello lovelies,

The saying "beauty is skin deep", definitely speaks true to me! Despite having just had twins and the fact that I am a house rat, I still want to take care of my hair and skin. Being able to pamper myself as being a busy mom of three, is a priority that I sure as heck take advantage of! With that being said this post is all about my current beauty and hair favourites!

Skincare:

Talking about skin deep, I love my charcoal mask (not pictured) and rose water toner.
The charcoal mask is gentle on the skin and is not like those peel off masks that everyone was using last year. It leaves my skin feeling soft and clean and it doesn’t hurt when you have to take it off!

I use the rose water toning spray after my mask and I must say that I LOVE the smell. Because, it is infused with rose water it helps get rid of redness and it also leaves my skin feeling refreshed without leaving a sticky residue.

Makeup:

My fav eye shadow palette of all time that I use almost everyday is my Urban Decay Naked2 palette. It has the perfect neutrals for any eye colour and I shouldn’t say this, but I have had it for YEARS and the pots have yet to diminish!

My favourite blush of the moment is the Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Risque. The shade matches my skintone both with and without a tan, allowing me to use it all year long. It also blends out really nicely and you can use to create a soft subtle amount of colour for minimal makeup days or build on it when you want a “full face”.


My secret weapon for glowing skin is... are you ready for it....??? Organic virgin coconut oil. I use coconut oil for so many beauty purposes! I use it to remove my mascara vs a wipe to prevent my lashes from being pulled out of my eyelids. I also use it to remove my makeup when I run out of makeup remover. Coconut oil is also a great natural moisturizer for the skin. Another way that I use it is under my eyes to help prevent wrinkles and diminish my dark circles.
When picking a coconut oil to use on your face and/or body, ensure that it is organic and virgin. You don’t want it to have any preservatives or added ingredients.

Hair Products:

I have been using the got2be smooth smooth operator on my hair for years! I love this product for getting rid of frizz and it is also a heat protectant. I use it on towel dried hair and either let it sit or blow dry my hair. If I am blow drying my hair, I will also add it to my ends once my hair is dried and before styling.

Garnier dry oil is another product that I have been using for a couple of years. After the shower, and when my hair is towel dried I apply a very small amount to my ends to help prevent breakage. You do not need a lot of this product, as too much will weigh your hair down and also make it feel greasy.

Nails:

I recently started using the Quo sponge nail polish remover and I will never go back to using a regular bottle! The sponge makes it so convenient and easy to use and I never have to worry about pouring out too much or spilling it, which is amazing. It works fast and I have had it for four months now and it has still yet to dry out. Highly recommend!!!

For top coat I have been using the Essie Gel top coat and it keeps my polish on for up two weeks, which has never happened with any other top coats that I have used.


What are some of your favourite beauty products? Is there anything you think I must try? Comment below I would love to hear from you!

As always, thank you for reading and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram if you aren’t already. Also, click on the subscribe button on the top right of this post to be notified every time a new blog is published!

xoxo
annpaige

Review: Covergirl Flammed Out Mascara

Hello lovelies,

The Covergirl Flammed Out Mascara has been out for a little while now and I finally got my hands on it. I just got the chance to try it the other day and I wanted to do a review for all of you. I got it in the colour 300 very black blaze.

Product Claims:
- 3x the volume for big bold long lashes
- The hourglass wire brush sweeps lashes up and out for buildable volume.

I have very light and pretty long lashes, so I always look for something dark that provides volume, because I already have length. The first thing I noticed about this Mascara was the wand. The shape conforms perfectly to my lashes and makes it easy to cover every single lash with product. The wand also provides even distribution of the product making my lashes voluminous from corner to corner.  As you will see in the picture below, this Mascara definitely lives up to it's "3x the Volume" claim. The Mascara provides gorgeous volume and length without being clumpy or sticky.  It is also easy to take off at the end of the day.  The packaging alone makes it hard not to gravitate towards this product in the store.

You can find the Covergirl Flammed Out Mascara at all drugstores with a retail price of $ - $.

Rating: 10/10

Would I try this product again?
Yes!!!

Would I recommend this product to others?
Girl, go get you some!!!!
(Totally took that line from EG!!!)

Have questions or comments about this prodcut?  Leave them below!!!!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope that this post was helpful, if you are in need of a new mascara, or if you weren't sure if this was the right product for you; until now ;) !!!!

Until next time....

xoxo
annpaige

New in fashion & hair

Hello lovelies,

The weather this past week has been really ugly in Ontario, so I haven't really gone anywhere other than work and haven't been inspired for outfits. With that being said I thought it would be a great time to show you all some of the new goodies that I have gotten lately. I don't really go shopping often and this time around I have quite a few things. Some are gifts and some are things I just needed to get and I wanted to try new products instead of re-buying the same products.

The one thing that I am so excited about in this post is the shoes that I got. All three pairs I bought at Ardene and they were only 3 for $10. Regular price they are still really cheap, only $14.50 each. I have worn two of them so far and I am really happy with the quality. They are so comfortable and durable too. Being on my feet all day at work makes it hard for me to find comfortable shoes, but so far they are all more comfortable then shoes that I have paid 10x the price for.If you have an Ardene near you run there now, they have so many cute styles. (Tip for shopping at Ardene, power centre locations have a much wider variety than most mall locations and the stuff is much cuter too). You can find some styles "here" on their website too, but they have soo much more in store.

All of the jewelry was a gift from my boyfriends mom, that she bought back home in the Philippines. I am so in love with the gold one that has the pink jewels, I wore it in my last Valentine's outfit post.

The coloured pearl earrings are all so cute and they are all pastel, perfect for the Spring.

The purse was also a gift. She bought a bigger purse and this little one came inside of it. This would be perfect with almost any outfit, since it is a neutral colour.

I needed to get more bleach and toner(wella t18) for my roots and I wanted to try a new bleach, so I picked up a new one and I love it. I've never used quick blue before and i have wanted to try it for quite some time now, so my roots wouldn't be so bright this time around. This stuff works really well and I would recommend it to anyone who does their own hair. (Comment below if you want a full review).
While at Sally's it was also time to renew my membership and they had a promotion going on for the month of February. When you renew you get to pick a free Ion or Silk Elements product worth $8.99 or less. I picked this Silk Elements cholesterol conditioning treatment. I have used it once so far, right after doing my roots and it made my hair so silky smooth.ble

I also needed a new face moisturizer and have heard a lot about this beauty brand "simple", so when I saw it at wal-mart I thought why not give it a shot. This moisturizer is really gentle and I like it a lot.

I have been eyeing this chanel t-shirt for, forever at Rickis and I had to cave. It was the last xs and at a cost of only $22.50 it is now mine. The material is so soft and the colour around the bottle is actually all sequins. To all of my international readers, Rickis is only in Canada and does not have international shipping, sorry :(. But you can find tees like this in so many places now such as "here" and "here"
At Rickis I also got this adorable hair bow for only $2.99, it is so cute! ( find similar bow here) If you are in Canada and don't have a Rickis near you check out www.rickis.com.

That is everything that I have gotten and please bare in mind that this is a collective haul over the past week or so and I am in no means bragging about anything that I have shown. This post is merely just a way to show you all some new products that I have and am loving and that you may want to check out for yourself.
If you want a review on any of the hair or beauty products shown then please leave a comment below and I will for sure do a more in depth post about them.

What are products or items are you all loving right now?

I hope you all enjoyed this post and the weather near you is better than mine lol. Have an awesome weekend and I will see you all in my next post!!!

xoxo
annpaige

Bye bye FRIZZ!!!

Hello lovelies,

I have thin hair, but not very frizzy hair, mind you that can all change after blow drying. I always dry to let my hair dry, especially since I bleach it, I don't want to put my hair through any more damage. Having said that there are always times that don't allow me to air dry and I have to blow dry my hair. Here are some of my favourite hair products that I use after every shower and before every blow dry.

As soon as I get out of the shower I let my hair stay up in a towel for as long as possible, while I do my makeup or pick out my outfit. The first step after taking my hair out of the towel when my hair is still damp is to apply a generous amount of göt2b's crazysleek flat iron & blow dry lotion. I love this product because it has keratin in it and it also doesn't leave my hair feeling heavy. It also has a heat protectant so it is perfect for smoothing and protecting my hair.

The next product I use is the Garnier Fructis color shield double care leave-in conditioner. This leave-in conditioner is my fav ever!!! It is supposed to be a detangler and my gosh is it ever. It has acai and grape seed oil which helps to smooth out my hair for brushing. It also has UV filters in it which is great for platinum blonde hair (helps keep those yellow tones away, that the sun can give) and really any dyed hair because it won't get damaged by the UV rays!!! I also love this product for everyday use when my hair is looking a little dry.

The next product I love to use is the göt2b oil-licious triple oil with argan, white grape and marula oil. This is an amazing product for my ends, to help keep them healthy. When using this product you only need about a dime sized amount and that covers all my hair. Just pour a little in your hands and heat it up with the warmth of your hands and apply where needed. I do avoid the roots and I apply from the top of my ears down. This is another product I also use on a daily basis with dry hair if my ends are looking a little dry.

Here is a before and after of my frizz ball hair to my nice and smooth hair.

I hope this little hair "tutorial" helped some of you and that you found some new products that you as we'll can try. Please leave any and all comments below!!!

*göt2b products were sent to me from vervegirl and göt2b. All thoughts and opinions are my own, I was not paid to do this review, I really do love all of these products!!*

check out more from vervegirl at www.vervegirl.com


xoxo
annpaige

My platinum journey - brunette to platinum blonde (before and after)

Hello lovelies,


Looking back at all of my posts, my bleached locks to ash blonde hair (which I have now deleted due to the quailty) post, is still one of my most read posts and it isn't even very informative. With that being said I thought it would be a great time to give you all an update and explain my full journey with pictures for those interested and who may also be trekking on the same journey as myself.

Last year in the summer and I guess fall/winter as well my hair was quite dark from dying it. My hair was a medium to dark brown and I wanted a change, so in December I went to the salon. I told the hair dresser I wanted gorgeous golden blonde hair like Kristin Cavalari and that did not happen at all.

My hair was an orange colour, mind you the lighting makes it look much nicer then it was. Not being happy with the results, I took matters into my own hands and bought a boxed dye. I bought a a dark ash blonde dye - Garnier #71 dark ash blonde - and I got a really nice dirty blonde colour.

To maintain and lighten my hair (because I wanted more of a light ash colour and also get rid of the orange tones) I started to use Joico color endure purple shampoo and conditioner once a week and left both in my hair for 15 minutes in the shower. I would and still do my roots about every 5-7 weeks. Back then when I would do my roots I would do everything (all of my hair) with a boxed dye (L'Oreal Excellence cream AA01 ultra light ash blonde), making my hair lighter every time. I would also tone my hair after dying, using wella color charm T18 or T14 (alternating each time). The Joico shampoo and conditioner worked amazing and lasted me about 8 months. When I ran out I started to use "light blue" purple shampoo and that also worked pretty well for a drugstore product (from shoppers or Walmart).

Still wanting my hair to be even more platinum I went out and purchased clairol shimmer lights purple shampoo and it is so comparable to my Joico shampoo that I used to use, but less drying on my hair. I now leave the shampoo in my hair for about 5 min (longer than 8 will turn my hair a purple/silver colour). For conditioner I now swear by the Organix brand sold at wal-mart and shoppers. I don't stick to a specific Organix conditioner, I get a different one every time and I leave it in my hair for 5-10 minutes, or longer if I have time. This conditioner makes my hair tangle free and so silky smooth every time, I LOVE it!!! In the summer (because my hair wasn't light enough) I did an over all bleach (L'Oreal extra bleach blonding kit #205) and my hair went to a Barbie blonde. To get rid of the brasiness I just kept on using my purple shampoo (shimmer lights) every time I washed my hair.

More recently now when I need to do my roots I have started to use bleach and the bleach I am currently using is the Ion color brilliance Creme lightener with ion 9% 30v developer and I leave it in for approx. 70-75 min. I leave it in a bit longer because my hair does not take to dye very easily (after such a long amount of time my roots are still a golden colour, they don't ever really get to that pale yellow, with bleach alone). After that I condition and blow dry, then tone. I now prefer the T18 toner and after bleaching I leave the toner on my roots for 30-40min and then I add it to any parts of my hair that need a little pick me up for the rest of the 20min.

So this is the before (brown) and the after (platinum). In total the amount of time it took me to get this colour was approx. 9 months (August). (Sorry there are so many pictures, but I wanted to show my full journey and the products I have used along the way).

I hope that this post has helped any of you trying to go blonde, or that it has given you some helpful tips if you are already blonde. I will also do a post next week with my everyday products that I use to maintain and keep my hair healthy. Thankfully I have never had my hair snap or get damaged and I usually only trim my hair once every 4 months or when needed.



*disclaimer - I am not a professional, these are only tips and tricks that I have acquired along my journey. I am not telling you what is right or wrong for you and your hair. Please consult a professional for the best products for your hair type, if your are unsure*



Thank you all for reading and if you have any questions or I have missed something please leave a comment below.



xoxo
annpaige

Hair heaven; holy grail hair products

Hello lovelies, Having dyed platinum hair and not to mention thin/fine hair, it ishard to find products that work for me. My hair is quite fine and using heavy products can really weigh my hair down. Two of my current holy grail hair products are: got2b rockin' it encore fresh dry shampoo - I love this dry shampoo. I have never had greasy or oily hair, I typically wash my hair at most 2 times a week and this really helps me. I admit that I don't really like the smell, but it goes away after about 30 min and the smell definitely makes up for how great this product works. I use this product usually twice a week and spray it on my roots, rub it in then brush my hair and it feels so soft like I just washed it.

fructis color sheild double care leave in conditioner - I typically use this after I shower and my hair is still wet and it helps to detangle when combing. I also sometimes use it after I spray my dry shampoo. I used to use my fructis sleek and shine argan oil serum religiously, but lately I have found myself running to this product more. It has grape seed and acai and it just makes my hair so soft and silky. When using this product you don't need a lot and that's why I love it. What are your holy grail hair products? On a side note still about hair... The other day my boyfriend and I were at party city and of course I had to try on some wigs. What do you think of my funky hair colours?

I hope you all have a great weekend!!! xoxo annpaige

Product Review: Bleach

Hello lovelies,

I have been wanting my hair to be a lighter blonde for a little while now and it was root touch up time so I decided to try a new product.
L'Oreal Feria
Extra Bleach Blonding
Intense 1 step Lightening System colour 205





If you have dark brown - black hair I would not use this product, go to Sally's and buy each product needed separately.

The box came with two packages of lightening powder, 20V creme developer, one bottle of shimmering oil and conditioner to rinse everything out.

Because the box only came with a 20V I had to use my own 30V knowing that the 20V wouldn't work.

I mixed the two bleach packages with the creme developer and added the whole bottle of the oil and mixed everything together. Because my roots were dark I started to apply the bleach to my roots first and left it for 40 min and then applied to the rest of my head for 30min, with a total of 70min. I waited until my hair was a pale yellow without leaving it on for too long.

After bleaching I toned my hair with wella colorcharm T18 and it got rid of most of the yellow tones. Now once a week I am using my purple shampoo to gradually lighten my colour more to a lighter platinum colour. I am currently using Light Blue Shade purple shampoo from my drugstore, but have run out and I am going to start using Clairol Shimmer lights.
(pictures were taken before using purple shampoo, so my hair looks more platinum now than in these pictures)

Overall a good product if your hair is a dark blonde to light/medium brown because the 20V wont lift your hair enough if it is a darker colour.
For my next root touch up instead of using this product I am just going to buy bleach and more developer and use that instead, because its much cheaper in the long run.


I hope you all enjoyed this review and that it was helpful for anyone trying to lighten their blonde hair or to go blonde.

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xoxo
annpaige

April Favourites

Hey lovelies!!!

Here are some of my favourite items from this month, that I either bought or just really love right now.

First is my Garnier Fructis Sleek and shine hair spray with bamboo extract. I love this product!!!! I spray it all over my hairstyle, run my fingers though it and it lasts all day with no crunch!!!

Next is my (also Garnier Fructis) sleek and shine hair serum. It has avocado and argan oil making my hair extremely soft. I use after blowing or straightening and everyday to give my hair a soft and silky touch. Miracle product also gets rid if frizz!!!

Number 3 is this new contouring blush palette I just bought from Covergirl in number 220 purely blush. It has three different shades one that's a rosey colour, a pinky blush and the other closer to a skin tone. I love this because it's all of the colours I need, plus it's compact.


Vera Wang princess is now one of my fav perfumes!!! I got a bunch of samples from an event I went to and I love it!!! It's soft and flowery and also very sweet. If you haven't tried this perfume try it now!!!


Garnier Fructis curls and shine thermo protectant spray. I don't curl my hair very often and that's not why I bought this product. I bought it because I love Garnier's product line and you don't have to curl your hair to use this, but I'd you do then it helps. I use this every time I wash my hair and need to blow dry it. It makes my hair so soft and I rarely have breakage on my ends now, since I started using this product.

Last but not least Rimmel moisture renew lipstick in 340 Lily Extase. I am in love with this lipstick, as you have seen me wearing it in my last few posts. It has a bright fuscia colour and it is so perfect for spring and summer. Amazing colour if you want to try red but not fully commit.


Thanks for reading everyone!!!!
Hope you all have an awesome day!!!!

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Love you all!!!

xoxo
annpaige

Pics & hair help!!!!

Hey lovelies!!!

Just wanted to share a couple of pictures I took today. On the weekend I did my roots (when I dye my root I dye everything so the colour matches) and toned my hair, so my hair has more of an ashy grey tone and I love it!!!! My only problem is my roots are still a yellowish colour even after toning and I left the toner in for almost an hour.
What I do?!?!?! Anyone have any suggestions????

Here are some pics I took today.


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xoxo
annpaige