April/May Favourites

I can't believe we're at the end of May! It's been a whirlwind of a month, but definitely one of the best in 2012 by far :) After two weddings and a trip to Poland, I think my life is finally returning back to normal.

Since I haven't blogged for a month, I figured I'll put together a few of my April and May favourites into one posting. I realize that usually my posts are pretty detailed, but because I'm so anxious to write this - please leave me a comment if I've missed something.

1. Lancome's Flash Bronzer - Tinted Self Tanning Leg Gel

 
Because I was in one of the weddings in May, I really wanted to give my legs a bit of colour. Since I had sworn off tanning booths, I did some research in an attempt to find the best self tanning lotion.

After reading user reviews from Sephora's website, I decided to give Lancome's Flash Bronzer a try. I absolutely love it. If you follow the instructions, you won't experience any type of streaking or darkness around your knees and ankles. The colour doesn't come off orange at all, and honestly pretty much it's fool proof... except I might have put more on one leg than the other :/ 

I usually dread doing things like this, because I think it's time consuming. BUT to my pleasant surprise, it actually takes less than 5 minutes to give my legs two coats. I read in some of the reviews that it doesn't smell like most self-tanning lotions - well... it does, but it's a small price to pay and the smell isn't too strong. For $38, you get 125 ml of product. It is quite pricey, but you don't need a lot. I use about 2 quarter size amounts for 1 full leg and the colour pay off is good. You can definitely build up the colour by layering it on. If you want colour quickly and most importantly safely, I highly recommend this product.


2. Lush's Buffy Body Butter

I am absolutely in love with my Buffy bar - SO much that I've already re-purchased my second one. For those of you who've read my blog, you know I suffer from two things: dry skin and laziness. I like to save as much time as possible, and this does the trick. Not only does it leave my skin moisturized all day (no need to lotion up after), but it exfoliates as well, making your skin super soft and smooth. 

This bar comes in two sizes: Small (95 g) for $11.95 or Large (200 g) for $22.95. I've re-purchased the small size only because it fits perfectly in the body butter tin that I bought. The heat and steam of the shower can cause the body butter to melt. I highly recommend storing it in a tin to avoid wasting the product. 

As much as I love this, you do have to accept one thing - it leaves a mess in the shower :( The bar is made out of ground aduki beans and almonds. The remnants are large enough so that they don't quite disintegrate in the hot water when you rinse the product off. If your drain sucks, be prepared to give your tub a quick wipe. I am however willing to make the sacrifice because I love the feeling it leaves my skin. To compromise, I alternate between this and my...


3. Eucerin's Skin Calming Body Wash

I was first introduced to this product by my boyfriend's mom. She had asked me to pick it up for her when I went over to the States, and so I decided to try it  myself. 

This is an oil-based body wash made from all natural omega oils. I have to admit, it doesn't smell the best, but it really works to relieve my itchy dry spells. I looked everywhere for this in Canada, and recently found it in the special body care section in Walmart - where you find eczema creams and body washes. I can't remember the exact price, but on well.ca (where shipping is free anywhere in Canada), a 250 ml bottle costs $9.59. It's not the cheapest body wash, but if you suffer from dry skin, it's great. For a body wash that's an oil, it actually lathers quite nicely - even with just a little bit of product :)


4. Garnier's Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller (Sheer Tint in Light)

I've had this for awhile, but recently started using it again. I wanted something light and natural to cover the slight darkness underneath my eyes. 

Generally, I struggle with under eye concealer sometimes, as I often find the formula too dry. Garnier's Skin Renew Eye Roller totes that it's a 2 in 1 product that hydrates and refreshes the look of tired eyes while using tinted mineral pigments to cover up dark circles. I'm going to have to agree! 

The product is definitely the most light weight I've put underneath my eyes - in fact, I can even touch up mid-day for a quick pick-me-upper and it won't look cakey. Although it's not toted as a concealer, I think it's a great every day concealer for me - especially in combination with my BB cream. I must say this: the product is quite sheer - I would not recommend this as a concealer if you have really dark circles. Fortunately this suffices as a concealer for me because the darkness around my eyes aren't too bad. This product comes in light and medium. If you don't want any colour, they do have a non-tinted formula of this product. The price ranges depending on where you buy it, but generally they're about $12 at Walmart.


5. May's Glymm Goodies

Of course, the month that I'm super busy, I didn't get the chance to blog about my May goodies from Glymm. I'm not going to go into details, but I was pleasantly... no, more like ecstatic to find that my Glymm Box had turned into a Glymm Bag this month! 

Not only can I find a million ways to use this bag (I absolutely adore the colour), it was also filled with an assortment of deluxe samples that included eye make-up, fragrances, eye/lip serum and hair conditioner.

I got an email from Glymm this month letting me know that they are raising the subscription price from $10 to $12 a month. However, they are honouring the $10 price for existing subscribers (yay!) Great job this month Glymm! Good for you for going green! :)

April's Luxe Box

I liked how April's Luxe Box reflected Daffodil Month - it was a pleasant surprise to see the Daffodil pin included in the box. Since the Canadian Cancer Society holds a special place in my heart, I really loved the special touch.

For the month of April, I received:

• Essie Nail Polish in She's Picture Perfect - full size, SRP $8 - I was already expecting an Essie polish as it was my "First in Line" product pick. I love nail polish and even though I have a very similar colour, I like how there is an iridescent finish to this lilac purple
• Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Shampoo & Conditioner - My samples were 50 ml each. It came with a card that congratulated me on being selected to try this new product. Full size bottles retail for $6 each at 375 ml.
• Bobos Remi Leave-in Conditioner - The sample was a good size with 2.7 ounces. I've never heard of this brand before, but am excited to try it. A full size bottle is 10 ounces for $10.
• Yves Rocher Gentle Eye Makeup Remover for Sensitive Eyes -  I received 50 ml as a deluxe sample.The full size product (125 ml) retails for $6.

Final Thoughts 
 As much as I loved the nail polish and the sizing of each sample, I was disappointed in some of the brands that were included in my Luxe Box. Did I misinterpret the beauty box subscription to think that I was going to sample luxury brands? If you look at the SRP, none of the samples exceed $10. Although this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just not what I'm looking for. I did end up cancelling my subscription after receiving this box - although my last box will still come in May. As per my previous post - this was a take it or leave it subscription box for me, and finally... I've decided to leave it.