Category Archives: Brands

I’m Not Lazy, I’m Efficient: Weleda One-Step Cleanser and Toner Review

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Here’s the thing: my skincare regimen takes too long. Cleanser. Toner. Serum. Moisturizer. Oil. Sunscreen. When you’re running late in the morning, that adds up.

When I end up sleeping in because of a late night Sherlock marathon, I really need to streamline my skincare routine.  Recently, I have been loving how easy and quick Weleda One-Step Cleanser & Toner ($24) takes care of cleansing and prepping my skin for my daily lotions and potions.

As the newest member of the gentle cleansing line, the 2-in-1 formula is what you get if the Gentle Cleansing Milk and the Gentle Refining Toner had a baby. At night, after taking off my eye makeup, I moisten a cotton pad with it and run that all over my face. It’s not recommended for the eye area, but I quickly do it anyway (live on the edge, babe!) with my eyes closed. Then I rinse that off with water.

You don’t get any sudsing action with this cleanser. It looks and feels watery like milk. But it is effective. On heavy makeup days, I use it as my second cleanser and it doesn’t dry out my skin. On normal makeup days this has become my cleanser of choice. It leaves my skin clean and hydrated, and takes off the last bits of eye makeup left behind by makeup remover. This is a great cleanser for those with normal to combination skin.

Weleda One-Step Cleanser & Toner is available online; Whole Foods Market; natural independent health food stores; Planet Organic Market; Nature’s Fare; Noah’s Natural Foods and Rexall Pharma Plus stores.

Now that you’ve heard what I think, would you like to try it for yourself?

Giveaway (Canada Only)

You have a chance to win a huge prize pack containing a 1-year supply of the Weleda One-Step Cleanser & Toner PLUS a Weleda facial care collection best suited to your skin-care needs.  You can pick one of the following:

  • Almond Soothing Facial Care: for sensitive skin
  • Iris Hydrating Facial Care: for moisturizing and balancing very dry to normal to combination skins
  • Wild Rose Smoothing Facial Care: for skin that’s experiencing its first lines
  • Pomegranate Firming Facial Care: for mature skin

All you have to do is answer the following questions in a comment:

What do you do to save time in your busy day? And what do you do with that free time?

Don’t forget to mention your chosen Weleda skincare line in your comment.  After you have commented, for additional entries, you can tweet about the contest once daily.

Contest ends on Saturday, April 21 at 12:01 AM Eastern Time.

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Toronto: This Earth Day Weekend, Be Good to the Earth and Go Shopping at Pure + simple!

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If you love to shop at Pure + simple as much as I do, then you don’t want to miss their Earth Day weekend specials on April 20 – 22 in all spa locations!

Ditch Your Car and Receive 15% Discount

Get your pretty self to the store by walking, taking public transit, or bicycling and get 15% off on your entire purchase. You must show your transit pass, TTC transfers, bike helmets to get the discount. And if you took your walking shoes out for the day, the discount will be based on an honour system. Don’t even try to explain that those five-inch heels are your “walking shoes.” ;)

Double Your Credits with the Bottle Reuse Program

Do you have a bunch of Pure + simple bottle empties lying around? Instead of getting $1 credit, each glass bottle and Martina Gebhardt porcelain jar returned gets you $2 towards your next Pure + simple brand product.  If you’re like me and have built your own mini Pure + simple store on your vanity (holla at your girl!), then you might even get your next purchase for free!


My empties = $10 off!  YES!!!

Combine the Specials, Save More!

Sounds awesome, right?  What’s even more amazing is that these specials can be combined, which means you can save more $$$ while being an angel to Mother Earth. :)

I really appreciate what Kristen Ma, co-founder of Pure + simple is doing for the good of the environment: “As a small, local company, we believe that every little bit counts and this is the message we are trying to convey.”  Not only because of their incredibly effective, all-natural products, I am proud to support the brand for its eco-friendliness.

Are you going to shop on Earth Day weekend, April 20 – 22?  I am planning to bike and take my empties for a new big bottle of my favourite day moisturizer, Pure + Simple Skin Drink.

YSL Summer Collection 2012: Mascara Volume Effets Faux Cils, Golden Gloss, La Laque Couture Reviews, Photos, Swatches

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Mascara Volume Effets Faux Cils Waterproof in Nº 4 Majorelle Blue and La Laque Couture in Nº 4 Corail Colisée

From the bronzes of the Terre Saharienne and Pure Chromatics, we move on to the bright pops of colour from this collection.  I LOVE COLOUR. /fangirl moment


Mascara Volume Effets Faux Cils Waterproof in Nº 4 Majorelle Blue

I dedicate Mascara Volume Effets Faux Cils Waterproof in Nº 4 Majorelle Blue ($36) to 18-year-old Tracy of Beauty Reflections, who wore blue mascara all the time. :)  This is for you, Tracy!  The waterproof formula and brush keep my lashes separated and curled all day long, without smudging or flaking.  The pop of bright blue is just so. much. fun.  I’m a fan!


Golden Glosses in Nº 51 Golden Shell (bottom), Nº 54 Golden Sand (top)
(yes, that’s my cat in the background) 


Golden Glosses in Nº 51 Golden Shell (top), Nº 54 Golden Sand (bottom)

The Golden Glosses ($34) from this collection range from shimmery bronze to pale beige.  They have the same fragrance as the Rouge Volupte line — artificial mango? — which I am not really a big fan of.  But I do like the formula itself; they are light, non-goopy and non-sticky. The coloured base is semi-sheer, so that makes them excellent lipstick toppers, but at the same time, they work well on their own. I like that they are packaged with a brush applicator.  I always find lip brushes feel more luxurious than the usual doe foot applicators.

Nº 51 Golden Shell is a rosy bronze with a serious amount of pink and gold sparkles.  Nº 54 Golden Sand is pale shimmery beige.


La Laque Couture in Nº 4 Corail Colisée

I’m all about coral this spring, and the new La Laque Couture in Nº 4 Corail Colisée ($27) is perfect.  I’m going to keep this review short and sweet: this has the best brush and formula. Ever. Two coats using the wide brush give me streak-free nails with high shine.  You need it.  The rest of the La Laque Couture line are coming out in June.


Wearing Nº 4 Majorelle Blue Mascara, La Laque Couture Nº 4 Corail Colisée, Golden Gloss Nº 54 Golden Sand

I don’t think my modelling career is going to take off any time soon… :)  Any products catch your eye?