Cake Beauty: Deep Affection Set

Over the past few weeks, my hands have been super dry and cracking. But more recently, they have been on the verge of bleeding. I tried a lot of hand creams and oils but nothing really worked so I decided to try cake beauty line, which is known for its hand creams. It is a Canadian brand, which is available at Sephora, Target and Shoppers Drug Mart.

I picked up Cake Beauty's Deep Affection set from Sephora for $38+taxes. It comes with a hand cream and a body balm, which individually retails for $22 (100ml) and $26 (236ml) respectively, so this set isn't a value set but just two good products packed together in a cute box. However, I feel it is still a better deal than the other set that comes with three hand creams (30 ml each) for $30 because not only this set  has almost three times more product but both the heavy cream and the body balm works really well for hands. 

Even though, it is not a value set but the bright pink sturdy box makes it a perfect gift for all age groups as everyone needs something extra during these winter months. 

Heavy Cream Intensive Repair Hand Balm: This is an amazing product with delicious vanilla-cake-bakery-kind of scent. It may sound too good to be true but it honestly made a difference after just two uses. The consistency of the cream is very thick and it holds the shape once squeezed out of the tube. However, in-spite of the richness of the formula, the product soaks into the skin instantly. 

Heavy Cream Intensive Body Balm: Just like the hand cream, this balm has an amazing scent which is comparatively a little sweeter and even more delicious. The consistency is somewhat different as it is a body balm but still equally moisturizing. I have tried it on my hands and it works really well and that is what I am planning to use it for. 

Both the products are formulated without parabens, mineral oils, phthalates, petrolatum etc. and with 20% shea butter, thus they have long term skin benefits. Overall, it is a great duo which can be given as a luxurious Christmas gift to anyone or as a treat to oneself.

Have you tried Cake beauty? What are some of your favorite products from this line?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

December 2013: Ipsy Bag

I finally received my Ipsy Bag in the mail yesterday. All the products are centered around the celebration theme. Everything came in a black patent leather bag, which is quite nice and chic. 

I kind of liked this months bag for the most part except one product i.e. the bombshell stick. 

Pop Beauty Eye Shadow Trio in Naturally Bare: I am glad that I got this neutral trio instead of the smokey one. I am not a huge fan of the giant floral design on the compact. Actually, I find the Pop Beauty packaging quite gaudy in general and this trio isn't any exception. All three colors are shimmery and have decent pigmentation. However, the darkest shade is disappointing because it took several swipes to build up the swatch. Since I have it so I'll use it but these days even drugstore eye shadows have raised their bar so I have no desire to repurchase or to try other versions of this line.However, it is a full sized trio so I am glad I got to try it. 

NYX Lipstick in B52: I love NYX lip products and own several lipstick shades from this line. I always wanted to get this shade so I am glad I got it in this bag. It is a beautiful deep mauve shade that is very smooth and creamy. 

Be a Bombshell The One Stick in Girl Crush: This has to be the worst product out of all this month. It goes on very unevenly and feels somewhat crumbly. It is packed with lots of gold glitter and the color blends into nothing leaving specks of glitter all over the place. Usually, I try to utilize everything I have but this is something that will go straight in the trash. 

Nicka K New York Nail Polish: This has to be one of the most beautiful nail polish bottle I own that deserves to sit on the vanity. The polish itself is a gorgeous deep red shade but has very strong pungent smell like those of cheap polishes. Also, unfortunately it doesn't have a name on it. Nonetheless, I am glad I got it because I absolutely love the bottle and the coppery bronze lid. 

Demeter Snow Roll On Perfume Oil: Firstly, I am really happy that it is an actual usable roll on tube rather than the tiny sample. Secondly, I really like the soft scent. I know it may sound odd but the scent makes me feel somewhat nostalgic, it takes me a few years back but I don't clearly remember when and where? I have been continuously sniffing it so that I can recall something and calm down my curiosity but it is not helping :(. 

Overall, I really liked this bag for the size and variety of products. The only thing that is not even worth trying is the Be a Bombshell stick, other than that, I feel everything else is usable. 

Are you a subscriber? What did you get this month?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

NOTD: Deep Berry & Sparkly Rose Gold

This past week, we finally got the first snow of the season in Toronto and to celebrate that I pulled out my deep dark nail polishes. I love using glitters along with dark colors as they not only add a dimension to the look but also accentuates the dark tones. 

I absolutely love this berry and rose gold combination, and as always I used the colored polish under the glitter to tie up everything together. Also, it aids in the glitter removal later. 

The colors that I used are Maybelline Express Finish in Berry Fancy (2 coats) and Julep Nail Color in Jane (1coat). I really liked this line of Maybelline polishes but unfortunately, it has been discontinued. However, you can use any dark berry color. The Julep nail polish is a full coverage rose gold glitter which goes on opaque in just one coat. However, unfortunately Julep glitter polishes get somewhat goopy in the tube after a while. 

The Julep polish is on sale in a set for $14.99 right now along with three other glitter polishes. So, if you are interested then I would highly recommend you to pick it up now. 

How do you spice up your regular manicure?

Thank you for taking to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

Purminerals Bare It All Collection + Benefit Hoola Bronzer Dupe

 A few weeks ago I was browsing through the makeup section of Shoppers Drug Mart and came across this Purminerals Bare It All kit. I always pass by Purminerals but never actually thought of trying it but this kit seemed to be a perfect option to get an idea of a couple of their makeup items. However, I didn't buy it instantly because  it retails for around $36+taxes and the packaging felt somewhat cheap. But when I came home I kept thinking about it so I went to the Purminerals website and was completely shocked to find the same kit for just $25. Thus, I picked it up with another skincare kit that I'll review after trying it for a couple of days. 

One great thing that I noticed about Purminerals website is that they constantly have promotions going on so you will never have to pay the listed price. In addition, this brand is exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada and Ulta in United States, but due to the price difference I would recommend Canadian beauties to shop online.

The Bare It All kit includes a black felt tip eyeliner, shea butter lipstick, contour/highlight powder duo and mineral blush. 

Pure Black Precision Eyeliner: This is an average felt tip black eyeliner. The tip is easy to maneuver and the color is nice and deep but not very long lasting.

Contour/Highlighter Powder Duo in Uncover: First of all, the packaging is sleek but very cheap and plasticy type that is prone to breakage. There is a full round mirror and no wastage of space for extra applicators. The highlighter is a very finely milled beautiful pinkish champagne shade that provides the most gorgeous glow without any shimmer. The contour shade is a true soft brown shade, which is actually not that pigmented but very very close to Benefit Hoola bronzer (I'll post a new comparison picture soon as I lost the original one). Overall, I really like this product except the plastic lid. 

Mineral Blush in Peep Show: I own a lot of blushes but this has to be the most stunning pink blush in my collection. I fell in love with it the moment I used it for the first time. It does not have any shimmer but a beautiful glowy sheen to it which gives a healthy flush to the cheeks. However, I do not like the lid part as it a blank plastic piece that doesn't have a smooth finish or a mirror. Nonetheless, I would definitely like to try some more colors from this line. 

Shea Butter Lipstick in Au Naturel : This is a browny mauve lipstick. It isn't the most pigmented or intense lipstick but is quite moisturizing and feels somewhat like a balm.  However, it doesn't even last for an hour straight. Also, just like other products the lid is very cheaply made. 

Overall, I absolutely love the contour/highlight duo and the mineral blush, but don't really care about the eyeliner and the lipstick. So, if Purminerals comes out with another similar kit I would buy it for just those two products. 

Have you tried Purminerals? What are some of your favorite products from the line?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!