Fabulous Finds - Yves Rocher's Holiday Limited Editions

 The wonderfully generous ppl at Yves Rocher recently sent me another AMAZING  box of products to try a couple of weeks ago.  It's so funny, I'll be honest until they first started sending me things to sample and review I was not at all familiar w/ their makeup line (I don't even know if I knew they had one).  Now, several of their products have worked their way into being mainstays in my daily makeup bag!  Plus, their prices are totally reasonable.

So now onto the new stuff...okay, they sent me SO MANY things.  So basically, I'm just going to touch on a few of my favs...and talk about a few things I think could be improved (hey there's always room for improvement ;) ).

First off, I'll touch on one of the first things that's now going on my face the Perfect Primer.  I really like this primer.  It doesn't feel heavy on my skin and it doesn't roll or make my skin feel too slippery like some primers can.  I feel like it does smooth out my skin and "prime" it for foundation.  What I like most about the "Pinky Complexion" primer I received is that I feel it really gives my skin a nice glow (but not shiny glow), just brightens it up which is good w/ Winter coming when my skin starts to look dull.  I notice on their site they have an "Apricot Complexion" as well...I'd definitely be interested in trying that one out too!  Plus it's only $14 which for a primer is a steal!  One thing I would say though is that this primer is probably only for light to medium skin tones.  I don't think it would really work on girls darker than that.

Speaking of glow I also received a couple of illuminating/highlighting products...and I really liked them both!  First, there is the Illuminating Pearls - which is a little container of different pastel coloured balls or "pearls" that you swirl your blush brush into and then sweep onto the areas you want to highlight - cheekbones, chin, brow bone etc.  If you've always wanted to try the Guerlain Meteorites Powder for the Face but couldn't bear the over $60 price tag definitely look into Illuminating Pearls which is a much more affordable at just under $14.

The other illuminator is called Radiant Glow Fluid Foundation.  Now I definitely wouldn't say use this in place of foundation but it would be good to mix a drop or two of it w/ your foundation to give you skin a nice glow and beat that Winter dullness.  Also, I think it would look beautiful in photo shoots on camera.  It's not overly sparkly like a lot of highlighting products and just creates a nice glow to the skin...plus I  know a lot of artists these days are trying to rely less on powdered products and get their results w/ more cream or liquid based products in which case this product would be great.

Now onto lips!  I was given 3 lip products to try.  First I got the Moisturizing Cream Lipstick in Velvet Red. Now we all know I LOVE my red lipstick and I can definitely see this shade being a universally flattering colour.  Sort of similar to a MAC Russian Red but not quite as blue/red or bright if that makes sense.  It feels great on the lips.  I don't mind a matte lipstick but for those that do you'll be happy to know this isn't matte and does have a slight sheen to it but definitely not glossy and definitely not for the faint of heart as the colour is intense! But it is creamy and it feels nice on the lips!

I also really like the Sexy Plump Volume Gloss I received in Taupe Rose.  It's a great nude gloss to either wear alone or layer over your fav. nude lipstick.  Sometimes I find nude colours can be a bit too nude or brown but this one is balanced out nicely w/ just a touch of rose so it doesn't wash you out or make your lips look to nude.

The final lip product I received was the Gloss in Cashmere Pink.  I really like how Yves Rocher's gloss do not feel sticky on the lips at all!  In fact they feel really nice and smooth.  I just wasn't crazy about the colour they sent me w/ this one.  It was a bit too light pink for my tastes as I think I would have preferred the more flashy Pomegranate colour but there are a lot of woman out there that I think would actually love the Cashmere Pink colour as a great, sheer light pink gloss.

I also got sent some Yves Rocher brushes which was a really nice treat!  I really LOVE the foundation brush they sent me and it's quickly become my go to foundation brush in my makeup kit on set (I don't really use a foundation brush on myself).  I've actually never even been a huge fan of foundation brushes but this one may just be changing my opinion on that front.  Again, very affordable at $14!  The powder brush is also a good brush if you're looking for a bit of a stiffer powder brush...definitely not a super fluffy brush but again it all depends what you're looking for in a brush and what the job calls for...sometimes you want stiffer sometimes you want fluffier!  I also really like the retractable lip brush - great travel lip brush and great for reapplying those perfect red lips w/ my new Velvet Red lipstick ;)

Now they all can't be winners, I think the product was I was least impressed w/ was the Sexy Pulp Ultra-Volume Mascara.  I'll be honest it just didn't give me the volume I wanted even after 2 or 3 coats.  Now, I will admit I do like a full lash (even during the day) so maybe this would be a good mascara for someone who wants a more natural lash but when  you call something ultra volume I expect ultra volume and this mascara just wasn't delivering that in  my books :(  My fear is that I'm now addicted to the overly expensive Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara I reviewed a couple of weeks ago lol!

The next product isn't a complete flop...in fact the product itself isn't bad.  It's just WAY TOO MUCH fragrance!  The product I'm talking about is the Velvety Loose Powder.  I actually like it for a loose powder but boy does it have a strong perfumy fragrance.  I don't even mind fragrance in my makeup products but this one I find rather strong...and there are a lot of ppl that can't use or don't like fragranced makeup products so I def. think this would not work for them.  Like I said I actually like the product but just wish the fragrance wasn't so strong as I think it could offend or turn away a lot of ppl!

So overall some really great stuff in this collection and definitely worth checking out if you've never heard of or tried Yves Rocher's makeup line before!

Colder Weather = Dry Skin

 As the weather gets cooler I find my skin (and my client's skin) gets dryer and dryer.  The cold winds and cooler temperatures wreak havoc on not only my face but also my hands.  So when Yves Rocher sent me their complete Hyrda Vegetal line to try out I was more than up for it!

What's great about this line is that it has creams, cleansers and lotions for both Normal to Combination skin and Normal to Dry skin.  Sometimes when it comes to richer, hydrating creams ppl who have oily or combination skin fear them b/c they think it's going to make their skin greasier or shinier.  In fact I've actually found a lot of ppl who think they have "oily" skin in fact have combination or severely dehydrated skin and what they actually need to do is exfoliate and moisturize their skin b/c it's so dry it's actually overcompensating and producing more oil if that makes sense.

All the creams and face washes have a nice fresh scent to them.  Nothing overpowering...very fresh and light but if you HATE scents in your product this is something to be aware of.

Both the Gel Cleanser and the Hydrating Cleansing Milk did a good job of cleaning my skin and leaving it feeling soft and smooth...esp. when used in correlation w/ my Clarisonic Mia ;)









There are two face creams:

24H Intense Hydrating Gel Cream and 24H Rich Hydrating Cream.  The first one mentioned is for Normal to Combination skin and the second is for Normal to Dry skin.  I actually had reason to try both of these creams extensively.  I would use the first one normally but I actually got a chemical peel on my face early last week which left my skin quite dry and peeling for a few days afterward and the 24H Rich Hydrating Cream was exactly what my skin needed to calm and soothe it and also help w/ the dryness and peeling.  It was very gentle on my skin as well b/c it didn't irritate it after the peel or anything which is important when choosing skincare after a clinical skin treatment.   I should also mention that both products didn't leave my skin feeling heavy or greasy even though they are both richer hydrating creams.  A lot of times when you start using heavier moisturizers I find it can clog your pores or feel really heavy on the skin and neither of these did that.

To round out the system there is also the Instant Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer which is great for an instant plumping and moisturizing on those fine line prone areas and the Hydrating Toner...which is the only thing I'm not that crazy about b/c alcohol is listed as one of the top ingredients...this is true for a lot of toners but it's also drying to the skin...so I can't say I'm a fan.

So if you're someone that suffers from dry skin and are looking for an affordable skincare system I'd definitely say check out Yves Rochers Hydra Vegetal skincare!

Yves Rocher - Taking A Bit Of Summer With Me Into Fall!

Several weeks ago I received an amazing package from the wonderful ppl at Yves Rocher with a whole assortment of products from their Tribal Attitude and Monoi Collections.  As you can imagine I have a lot of makeup and tend to try out a lot of different products but overall I keep w/ the same handful of products for my everyday use.

 But I have to say I was pleasantly surprised w/ the Yves Rocher products having not had much experience w/ them before.  There are actually a couple of really stand out products in these collections that have actually worked their way into my daily makeup routine!  Trust me this is actually a big deal!

I'm not going to go into extensive detail about all of the products they sent me b/c there were a lot but I am going to touch on my personal favs and what makes them so great to me.



I'll start w/ the Tribal Attitude Collection.

Shimmering Bronzer - Terracotta - For those that don't know I'm a big bronzer fan.  In fact just a couple of weeks ago a facialist commented how surprised she was at how pale my face actually is when she took off all my makeup lol.  The thing is all the acne products I use on my skin plus my daily use of SPF (so important) has left my face quite pale and white...esp. compared to my body.  Therefore bronzer is a necessity in my daily makeup routine!  I really liked this bronzer...it's slightly shimmery but not crazy sparkly like a lot of bronzers.  It gives a nice colour..not too orange or dark and it blends really smoothly into the skin and a little product goes a long way.

Shimmering Lips - Sienna Red - As we all know I'm a big fan of Red Lips!  But in the Summer or for casual day wear I'll admit I like to keep it a little more glossy and not as matte or heavy.  I've been wearing this lip gloss non-stop since I got it.  It's really smooth, light weight, moisturizing and glossy and not at all sticky...which is so annoying w/ a lot of lip glosses but it also has a great colour pay off esp. when you consider it's a gloss.  So I can get a pop of colour but still feel moisturized and smooth!

Pearly Water - This is a golden pearly, shimmery liquid gel that's great for your shoulders, decollete or legs...esp. for a sexy night out when you want to glow and catch some sparkle in the light.  It says you can use it on your face too but I have to be honest I would use extreme caution in doing so and only use it on areas you want to highlight like your cheekbones or brow bone.  It is quite sparkly and a common mistake I see girls making is using products like this (or sparkly bronzers) all over their face...you don't want to look like a disco ball after all!

Liquid Eyeliner - Believe it or not I've never really bought a liquid eye liner before.  In the past I've always used creams, gels or eyeshadows w/ mixing mediums when I wanted to get that crisp, clean, precise look that liquid liner gives.  The reason is I can't really carry liquid liners in my kit b/c I can't use the brush from the tube one multiply ppl.  So when I got this product it was really fun to experiment and play w/ esp. b/c it's a really gorgeous, vibrant teal/blue shade...which if you've been watching the Spring/Summer 13 runway looks you'll know vibrant shades of blue esp. on the eyes have been all over the runway!  So why not be ahead of the curve and start wearing it now ;)

Nail Polish - I also got two little mini bottles of nail polish which I'm specifically mentioning b/c I love the mini size!  I don't know about you but I NEVER get through an entire bottle of  nail polish before it goes bad b/c well there are just so many different shades...so why not just get mini bottles...they are more affordable and less wasteful - Win/Win in my book!



Now on to the Monoi Collection.

Eau des Vahines Eau du Toilette  - I've mentioned this before but I'm a big fan of scents that have a sort of tropical, coconut or vacation feel to them so of course pretty much anything from the Monoi collection is right up my alley.  This is a really nice scent if you too like sensual, tropical, coconut fragrances.  It's not over powering and is definitely more on the youthful side plus it's paraben free which is always a good thing!

Traditional Gardenia Oil - Really nice oil product for things like dry hair or dry skin.  I esp. like it for dry legs which is definitely a problem for me in the colder mths!  It also helps to make your tan look deeper or more radiant so great for those trying to prolong that Summer bronzed look into Fall.

Also not part of the Monoi or Tribal Collections but still Tropical and Delightful are the Travel Size Shower Creams I got in Pineapple-Coconut Smoothie and Mango-Passion Fruit Smoothie!

Make sure to keep a look out for my upcoming review on
the Hydra Vegetal Skincare & Shower line...great for keeping your skin hydrated and soft in this upcoming cold and windy mths!