First Impressions: Sephora Wonderful Cushion Foundation (POC/NC45)

Hello lovelies!

I can’t believe it’s been more than 2 months since I’ve last posted. After returning to Boston, I got overwhelmed with schoolwork and trying to make up for my academic pitfalls of last semester. Fortunately, progress has been made, and after my first midterm following spring break, I decided to treat myself to a Sephora visit.

For a while now, I’ve been on the hunt for a good foundation and entered the store with the goal of finding a good, light foundation that I could wear to class and would not melt when summer arrives. While I did get some liquid foundation samples to try later (more on that another post!), I was captivated by Sephora’s own Wonderful Cushion foundation!

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Comparison of Exfoliating Powders: NUDE vs. Boscia

Who doesn’t love a little scrub? For skin that may not be able to tolerate chemical exfoliants, finding a good physical exfoliator can be a challenge.

I recently became intrigued by exfoliating powders, which when mixed when water, create a foam that can then be massaged onto damp skin. It adds a level of versatility as you can adjust the level of exfoliation you want with the amount of water you add.

Using them is quite simple:

• dispense the powder into your hand
• add water (adjust to exfoliation level desired) and mix to create a foam/paste
• massage onto wet skin and avoid your eyes!
• rinse with cool water

At my local Sephora, I picked up samples of the following 3 exfoliating powders:

1. NUDE Skincare Detox Brightening Fizzy Powder Wash ($52 CAD/2 oz)
2. NUDE Skincare Detox GENTLE Brightening Fizzy Powder Wash ($53/2 oz)
3. Boscia Tsubaki Oil-Infused Exfoliating Powder ($45/2.11 oz)

This comparison will begin with a short discussion of ingredients, followed by my experience using them.

Planner Review: Day Designer 2016

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday! With a new year upon us, now is a great time to set new goals and changes for every aspect of life. Personally, I love to plan and make lists – although I still find the execution of my ideas to be more difficult! This year I decided to enlist the help of an agenda after years of forgoing one.

When looking for a planner, I had a few specific criteria that had to be met. First, I ideally wanted a daily planner as I like to lay out lists and need ample room to do so. Next, which was probably the most difficult criteria I had, I needed enough time to plan my weekends (#studentproblems!) I also wanted monthly spreads for a general overview with room to write within the squares. Finally, I like extra details in planners, such as the inclusion of a section for dinner/budgeting notes. My research resulted in me falling in love with the Day Designer Flagship Collection.

I’d been eyeing the Day Designer for quite a while now, but was hesitant about the cost ($59 USD). Since I knew I’d be in Canada for the first two weeks of January, I stubbornly struggled to find international shipping. After researching a few online retailers, the cheapest option to ship to Toronto was Belle & Blush. This specific shop also carries 2 exclusive cover designs (including one mini) in pink! The other flagship designs include black stripe, gold stripe and a floral pattern.

Below you can see I went with the full-size edition in the Black Spotty print. It is a hefty little thing, at 9″ x 9.75″ and 2 lbs. It came in a lovely green protective (albeit slightly dented) box.

I’ve Moved!

Merry Christmas!

Hello again, it’s been a while. I hope you all are staying warm and having a pleasant holiday with your loved ones.

So much has changed since my last post in August! Back in June, I took a visit to Boston to visit the school where I would be pursuing a master’s degree in fall. My first order of business in any city I visit is to get a view from above. Since my parents and I drove here (12 hours with a few pit stops), we decided to go up the Prudential Tower to see our surroundings. It was our first time in Boston, and I was surprised at how small the city is. What it lacks in size, it makes up in rich history, culture and architecture. Its roads were winding and its drivers “enthusiastic”. I was excited to be moving in a few months.

View from the Prudential Tower

Charles River

Summer flew by, and by the end of August I realized I had to complete the daunting task of packing up and moving. Fortunately Mother Nature was mostly on our side, and it was a smooth ride to Beantown. With the weather still beautiful, we decided to explore town a bit before returning to reality. I saw my first baseball match, ate at a diner for the first time, and walked through the magical library I’ve stared at in photos for too long.

Boston Public Garden

Boston Public Library

Courtyard inside the Library

Fountain

Jays vs Red Sox

August Beauty Haul (Sephora Event and 4X the Points)

The goods + samples + candy.

HELLO LOVELIES!

Earlier this month Sephora hosted a Beauty Insider Appreciation Week that led to the Epic Rewards promotion. Since it had been a while since I splurged at Sephora, I decided now would be a good time to do so and rack in some points (4X for Rouge!) at the same time. Instead of going the online shopping route, I decided to visit my local Sephora and attend the VIB Rouge Beauty After Hours event. It was my first Sephora event and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I brought my mother with me, who has traditionally been a drugstore kind of gal. We were at the Yorkdale mall for this, and I must say I was rather impressed. This location is usually rather packed and it’s near impossible to get an artist to help you. So imagine our delight when assistance was boundless! Plus there were some refreshments on the side to keep us full. There were some workshops happening at the back teaching you techniques such as how to do a halo eye, but we chose to shop instead. Since my mother was here to try some products for the first time, it was really nice that we were able to get advice without feeling rushed or pressured. She ended up purchasing more products than I did!

Anyway, onto the haul!

Our purchases!

Sephora Releases a Beauty Box Subscription!

In case you haven’t heard, Sephora will be launching a subscription service, called Play!, for $10/month. It begins this September in three US cities: Boston, Cincinnati, and Columbus. Service is expected to expand nationwide by 2016.

Each box will contain 5 deluxe samples, with each month’s products centred around a theme. Bonuses such as Spotify playlists are also offered.

September’s products:

• Sephora Collection Rouge Infusion in ‘Peony’
• Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner eyeliner in ‘Blacquer’
• Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Face Crème
• Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil
• Glamglow Supercleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser

It will be interesting to see how it matches up to Birchbox and Ipsy, which are also $10/month. I’ll be moving to one of the three cities it’s being offered in this year, but I’m unsure whether it’s worth trying. Many products, especially liquids, can have samples created in-store for free already. Plus Sephora already offers perks for certain points.

What are your thoughts on Sephora’s subscription service? Let me know in the comments!

Nisha xx

Sources:
Fashionista
My Subscription Addiction

Return to the Blogosphere!

Hi everyone!

After a two(?!) month unexpected hiatus, I am back. I can’t believe we’re in August now. It feels like May was just yesterday. I wish I could say I was busy on some exotic vacation in the Galapagos, but truth be told, I was at home, frantically preparing for the next step of my life. I did visit the city I’ll be calling home in a few weeks though! As well, I had a chance to re-visit some of my favourite spots in Toronto.

Over the next week, I hope to get this blog up and running. This month I’ll touch upon my Accutane progress, go over my current routine and review some purchases!

Until then,

Nisha xx

Spring in Toronto

Spring has to be one of my favourite seasons, and partially because my birthday falls in April. Moreover, Toronto looks incredibly beautiful when in bloom. Given how short our warmer seasons are here, I do my best to explore as much as I can. This is also probably my last spring in Toronto for the next little while, which made me even more eager to rediscover my city once more.

First, there were the cherry blossoms that bloomed in May. While the best place to spot sakura is High Park, Robarts Library at the University of Toronto was surprisingly wonderfully lined with them.

Sakura at Robarts Library

High Park on a sunny day

Closeup of the cherry blossoms

High Park on an overcast day

Bonus: Magnolia tree at High Park!

While taking a walk after work, we came across this statue outside the Toronto Courthouse on 361 University Ave which is supposed to represent a jury. Just south of the courthouse lies Osgoode Hall. While we weren’t able to enter the building that day, the garden was in full bloom and incredibly serene. I never expected to find such a space in the middle of downtown.

Pillars of Justice outside the Toronto Courthouse

The view across Osgoode Hall

My Accutane Journey: Month 2

Happy Saturday!

I am now into month 3 of my first course of Accutane, and I’ve finally reached a personal milestone: no breakouts for 1 week (and counting!).

It snuck up on me if I’m being honest. I was feeling rather glum as my second month began and I still had large cysts and incredibly uneven skin — tone and texture. After the larger bumps began to recede from their usual spots (side of nose, chin, in between my brows), I had one last breakout just below my eyes and spreading to my hairline. It was an unusual area for me personally, but at this point I just accepted my fate. After they cleared, I haven’t had another cyst since! Fingers crossed the remainder of my treatment is a smooth ride.

The products I’m using remain largely unchanged from last month:

makeup remover: Nivea Gentle Cleansing Wipes for dry to sensitive skin + REN Rosa Centifolia 3-in-1 cleansing water
cleanser: Avène Gentle Milk Cleanser
moisturizer: Avène Antirougeurs Jours cream + NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer
lip balm: TokyoMilk Dark Lip Elixir in salted caramel
sunscreen: Lancôme Bienfait UV SPF 50

My Accutane Journey: Month 1 (with photos!)

Hello stunner!

I really need to make a commitment to myself to create at least 1-2 blog posts per week. The past few weeks have been rather hectic, so apologies for the delay in this month’s post (it’s week 5 technically into my treatment at the moment).

I am very glad I took Accutane in the spring/summer because the humidity really reduces the effects of dryness. My lips are forever chapped, but at least the rest of my face and body aren’t that bad at all! The sun sensitivity though! One day out at the park and I got hideous tan lines on my feet (yes, brown people get tanned too). Despite wearing SPF 50 on my face and a load of makeup on top, my face still became as dark as I was in Peru last year… I consider this a small price to pay as I like that my face isn’t an oil slick in the heat!