L’Oreal Revitalift Bright Reveal

October 15, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

Hi guys! Quite a few weeks ago now I was sent the L’Oreal Revitalift Bright Reveal products that you see above complimentary by Influenster for review. I’ve been using them exclusively for the past few weeks and I’m at a point where I’ve developed an opinion on them that I’m ready to share!

I followed the routine that Influenster suggested in order to get a grasp on how well these products work:

Now, let’s take a look at each individual item!

L’Oreal | Revitalift Bright Reveal Brightening Scrub Cleanser

My normal routine does not include exfoliating every day as it damages the skin, however, to follow the suggested routine, I gave it a shot. Over time I did not notice any damage to my skin, though I have gone back to my usual once or twice a week routine now that I’m done testing. The granules in this scrub feel fairly gentle and are used sparingly in the scrub, so you’re not getting as deep (or harsh) of an exfoliating as you would with say… St. Ive’s Apricot Scrub. The cleanser itself is almost gel-like so it tones down the harshness as well. My skin felt clean and smooth after using this nightly. The only thing I didn’t like about it as it was a bit difficult to get all the granules off my face while rinsing.

More specifically, the active ingredients of this are Perlite and Glycolic Acid to exfoliate your skin’s dullness and impurities to assist in improving texture and complexion. As I said earlier, my skin does feel smooth after using this.

L’Oreal | Revitalift Bright Reveal Brightening Peel Pads

The next step in this routine is to use the Brightening Peel Pads. These pads, I found were saturated with just the right amount of the product so that you could feel it on your skin, but the pads were not dripping. I appreciated this as you would not want to get this in your eyes! You use the pads in a circular motion on your face to chemically exfoliate your skin. I found this was great as it got what the scrub missed!

The Brightening Peel Pads contain 10% Glycolic Complex which is what gently exfoliates the dead skin cells away. It’s said to resurface uneven skin. I don’t have a lot of issues with uneven skin so I can’t really comment on this claim. But, you can see on the pads that it does exfoliate, and I found it picked up what the very gentle scrub missed. Continue reading →

September Favourites: Makeup, Skincare & More!

September 30, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

Hi guys! September came to an end just as quickly as it began, it’s hard to believe we are now into fall and my favourite holiday, Halloween, is just around the corner! Even though this also means we are getting closer to dreaded winter (yes, I said it), we can at least chat about my September Favourites! There has been a few products this month that I have been using lots and obsessing over!

Makeup

Urban Decay | Vice Lipstick in 1993

I picked up this lipstick as part of my Sephora haul in August and it quickly became a favourite. This shade just screams “fall” to me so it’s no surprise I wore it a ton in September! This lipstick even made my list of top 5 lipsticks for fall! I’m not going to say too much about it since I did talk about it in that post but I just had to include this in my September Favourites.

Urban Decay | All Nighter Liquid Foundation in 0.5

Another pick from Urban Decay! I picked up this foundation as well during my Sephora haul in August so I’ve been using it for over a month now. It’s a touch too late for my skin at the moment, but as fall and winter sets in, it will be perfect! Right now I’m using a bit of bronzer to make it work and occasionally mixing in a darker foundation. But, with that said, I love this foundation! It definitely is long-wearing and keeps me matte. You need to work quickly to blend it in, but the end result is a flawless looking face! It creates such a wonderful canvas for the rest of your makeup. Love it! I’ve got a swatch of it over in my Sephora Haul post if you’re interested!

Skincare

Nivea | Purifying Toner

I never really used toners in my skincare routine until now. I went to Shopper’s Drugmart about a month or so ago to pick up a new night cream and I ended up leaving with this as well. This toner is meant for those with oily skin like myself. It is enriched with ocean algae and hydra IQ to tone and purify skin to remove oil and impurity build up. This reduces excess sebum and prevents shine. What I love about this product is that it does all of that and doesn’t excessively dry out my skin. My skin feels balanced and hydrated. I’m glad I added this to my daily routine so this definitely belongs in my September Favourites!

More!

Marc Anthony Hair Care | Coconut Oil Curl Cream

I bought this before I went on vacation to bring with me as my only hair styling product. I’ve loved Marc Anthony products for curly hair for awhile so I had high hopes and was confident this one would work out. Boy, am I ever glad I was right! As promised, this product fights frizz which is something I am prone to. After applying it to damp hair and letting it air dry, I am left with soft, defined and healthy looking curls. This product is infused with biotin and I actually do feel an improvement in my hair after using it exclusively for a month (as I’ve continued to use it since I’ve been home).

Those are my favourites for September! I’d love to hear what your favourites were so feel free to let me know in the comments down below!

xoxo,

Robyn

You can also find me here…

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Empties: Q3 2016

September 28, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 1 Comment

Hi guys! It’s been awhile since I’ve done an empties post! I don’t use up products often enough to do monthly posts so I’m going to switch to a quarterly format. Perfect timing since we are wrapping up Q3! So, let’s take a peak at what I’ve used up this past quarter!

Skincare

BioRepublic | Cucumber Breeze & Pomegrante Crush Sheet Masks

I love using sheet masks, I think they are just so fun to put on and then sneak up on my husband. I didn’t really see a noticeable difference with my skin, but they do feel rather moisturizing. Would I repurchase? Probably not, I’m sure there are better sheet masks out there. I got these in an Ipsy bag, so I enjoyed them but not enough to actually buy them myself.

GlamGlow | YouthCleanse

I got this as a sample at some point from Sephora, so another item that I didn’t actually purchase myself. This was a nice product to use as you apply it like a mask, but then immediately foam up the leftover product on your hand and then massage your skin before rinsing. Would I repurchase? I just can’t bring myself to spend the money on GlamGlow. The full size product is $43.00 CAD, I could buy at least two lipsticks with that! I didn’t see enough of an amazing difference in my skin to justify the cost.

Caudalie | Eau Micellaire

This was the quarter of using up samples! I took this with me on my road trip as micellar water is a part of my daily face cleansing routine. Would I repurchase? Another no! It did a great job so I’m not knocking the product, but I like my Garnier SkinActive Micellar water just as much and it is much less expensive.

Garnier | Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream

When I ran out of my Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Night Cream (which I’ve talked about in previous empties posts), I decided to pick this one up to change things up! Would I repurchase? Hmm… maybe. I think I like the Anti-Wrinkle Firming Night Cream a bit more. Though, to be honest, I didn’t notice much of a difference between them. But, I prefer the scent of the other one.

Makeup

L’Oreal | Infallible Pro-Matte in Classic Ivory

Another one bites the dust! I’ve talked about this quite a bit in previous empties posts so I won’t go into much detail. Would I repurchase? Yes! I already have actually as this is my favourite matte drugstore foundation!

Urban Decay | Naked Skin Concealer in Light Neutral

This has been my go-to concealer ever since I picked it up! I’ve talked about this a lot in various posts, YouTube videos and favourites posts so I won’t say much about this one either. Would I repurchase? Yes! I already did! I love the formula of this concealer and the shade is absolutely perfect for me! I did also recently pick up the Too Faced Born This Way concealer, and while I’m really loving the formula of it, the lightest shade is a bit too dark for me. It matches my skin but, I prefer a concealer that is a bit lighter so that I can highlight a bit. I do like to mix them though!

Revlon | Dramatic Definition Mascara

I did a full review on this mascara here! Would I repurchase? Yes and I already did! I have given quite a few drugstore mascaras glowing reviews this year but this is the first one that I repurchased. Normally I have an urge to go out and try another new one, but when I was ready to throw this one out, I really felt that I needed another one to replace it!

Hair Products

fave4 | Texture Takeover

I used this quite a bit when my hair was a bit shorter and had more layers to it to add some volume and texture. I got this in a Birchbox quite awhile ago but didn’t really have a use for it until then. Would I repurchase? Hmm, maybe. It worked really well, but I’m sure I could find another texture spray that would work just as well. If I saw this locally I would pick it up though, I just wouldn’t go out of my way to hunt it down.

Curl Keeper | Original

This purchase was inspired by the one and only StashMatters as she has mentioned it quite a few times! I purchased this with my Birchbox points before they left Canada so I just got the travel size. Would I repurchase? Yes! I really enjoyed the way this kept my curls defined but without being frizzy. I am pretty sure I have to order it from Amazon so I haven’t repurchased yet. I’m actually really enjoying another hair product right now that I’ll be posting about later on this week in my September Favourites so keep an eye out for that! But, I think I’ll grab another bottle of this eventually!

Batiste | Dry Shampoo

I’m pretty sure I used up a few of these during the past quarter, I just forgot to keep them. Would I repurchase? Yes, I definitely have a few of these on-hand at all times! I feel like I will always have this product in my empties posts!

So, those were my empties for Q3! Did you finish any amazing or not so amazing products this past month? Let me know in the comments down below!

xoxo,

Robyn

You can also find me here…

YouTube | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

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Vichy Idéal Soleil

July 16, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 3 Comments

Hi guys! Vichy Canada & Chick Advisor were kind enough to send me three products from the Idéal Soleil line to test and review. Given that I spend quite a bit of time outside in the summer, I was really excited to give these a try! Sun care should be a priority during these hot summer months so finding products that you enjoy using is a must.

Vichy | Ultra-Light Lotion SPF50

The first product that I tried was the facial lotion. It has a very light and runny texture, but it absorbs immediately into the skin. Moments after applying it I felt my face and I couldn’t even tell that I had even put any on. It didn’t feel greasy or anything on the face so I was able to apply makeup over it with no issue. My makeup wore the same as it would any other day. Continue reading →

2016 Empties (So Far)

April 8, 2016April 8, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 7 Comments

Hi guys! It’s been awhile since I’ve done an empties post so I thought I would gather up the empties that I have been hoarding… I mean collecting… over the past few months and chat a bit about them. You can find my last empties post here! There is a few repeats this month from my last post, it just goes to show what I use the most!

Skincare

Neutrogena | Oil-Free Eye Make-Up Remover

I really enjoyed using this eye makeup remover, it does a great job at removing everything including waterproof mascara. You don’t need to use much of it so it generally lasts a few months. Would I repurchase it? Well, I did repurchase it, and I do use it from time-to-time but I have primarily switched to the Garnier Micellar Water to remove all of my makeup. Continue reading →

March Favourites

March 30, 2016April 2, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 6 Comments

Hi guys! Where did March go? I feel like I just posted my February Favourites and it’s already time to post my favourites for March! I’m really enjoying the video format for these favourite posts now that I am becoming more comfortable with filming. I hope you’re enjoying this format as well!

Continue reading →

Review: St.Ive’s Green Tea Scrub

March 9, 2016March 6, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 11 Comments

Hi guys! Today I’ve got a skincare review for you. I recently purchased the St. Ive’s Green Tea Scrub in my last Drugstore Haul so after using it for a few weeks I am ready to tell you what I think of it.

This scrub has a very interesting texture. It is as if a clay mask and an exfoliating scrub combined into one. I find it is very gentle to use and does a great job at keeping my pores clean. As well, it helps buff off any dry patches that this lovely winter may have caused. The exfoliation factor chart on the back labels it as moderate (on a scale of gentle, moderate and deep). I still find it quite gentle though but I do not have sensitive skin.

Continue reading →

First Impressions: Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water

February 3, 2016February 2, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 14 Comments

Hi guys! I’m finally jumping on the micellar cleansing water bandwagon. I’m pretty late to the party but I finally decided to try out the one that Garnier put out (and it was on sale!). I chose the formula that claims to remove waterproof mascara so that I could really put it to the test. I’ve enjoyed all the Garnier skincare products that I’ve used so I was excited to give this one a try!

This Micellar water is alcohol-free. It cleanses your skin without needing to rub or rinse by lifting away dirt, oil and makeup with its micelles. It’s a watery liquid that feels a bit slippery but does not contain oil and it does not have a scent. Continue reading →

January Birchbox Unboxing

January 15, 2016January 14, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

Hi guys! My January Birchbox arrived yesterday which is always an exciting moment! However, I constantly spoil them for myself by checking on the Birchbox website to see which items they are sending me. Why do I do that to myself? As my husband pointed out, after he said “you already know what’s in there don’t you?”, it is much more fun to keep it a surprise. I’m going to have to do everything in my power to avoid temptation next month and truly keep it a surprise!

This month’s box came with stickers to customize the front of the box so I chose “ambition”. This year I’m going to work harder and I’m going to aim higher. I am going to set my goals and I’m going to work hard to achieve them. I’m going to spend more time working on this blog and my YouTube channel because they make me happy. Continue reading →

November Birchbox Unboxing

November 13, 2015 / thecorkedreader89 / 11 Comments

Hi guys! I received my second Birchbox today which is for the month of November. It was a nice surprise when the mailman dropped it off because last I checked it was scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. This month was another month of excellent choices!

Here is what I got in my November Box: