Event: L'Oreal Luxe Beauty Blogger Holiday Party!

I'm really lucky to know so many wonderful people in the beauty world. When I entered the beauty blogging world almost 6 years ago, I didn't know what it would mean for my life. I'm very thankful that I get to test out products for free, blog about them, and get invited to swanky events. I have a healthy addiction to products, but that's not why I blog. I really do love to write and connect with other beauty fanatics.

What do you get when you put a group of beauty bloggers in one room? A bunch of lushes who pose endlessly in front of a camera, hilarious photos, and giddy excitement and squeals over products. 

PR powerhouses and sweeties, Isabelle and Kristina, hosted a beauty blogger holiday party on behalf of L'Oreal's Luxe brands like YSL, Giorgio Armani, Shu Uemura, Biotherm, and Victor & Rolf. This event was the first time in almost 2 years that I've attended one. I made a point to make it out for this one because Isabelle and Kristina have been amazing and I finally wanted to put faces to their lovely names! Plus, I got to hang out with some of my favourite beauty bloggers and friends some I haven't seen in years!

Reviews to come of the amazing products that we received - all I can say is that these holiday collections are a must-have. It was some serious swag! I'm so forever grateful!! 

Check out pictures from the party courtesy of L'Oreal and my Crackberry. Thanks again for one of the most fun events I've been to!

Say wha??? Naughty or nice? I guess I've been a very nice blogger!

Blogger babes Lisa from Beauty Crazed, Elaine from Toronto Beauty Reviews, and Stephanie from Blush Pretty.

The gorgeous Isabelle showing us the new lovelies from Armani. Uh, hi can I tell you how much I love the Maestro Foundation????

The stunning and bubbly Rema from The Burgundy Book. Isn't that hot red lippie from Armani amazing??

I loved Julie, the MUA doing Elaine's makeup! She did my makeup too. On Elaine she gave her some Old Hollywood glama - gorgeous! And there's preggers Steph photo bombing! 

Add caption

Prettiest gifts I ever did see! The lovely Kristina and Arianne from Glitter Geek.

Splurge worthy. Love these shadow palettes that can be worn wet or dry!

The adorable Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura collection.

Here we go trying to come up with a sexy pose. I could not "smize". Tyra would be disappointed.

Charlie's Angels? Sexy right?

Aww aren't we a pretty group? Back row: Jessica from Beautizine, Isabelle, Lisa from Beauty Crazed, Elaine from Toronto Beauty Reviews, me.
Middle Row: Christine from Perilously Pale, Arianne from Glitter Geek, Steph from Blush Pretty.
Front Row: PR rep (opps don't know her name!), Rema from The Burgundy Book, and Kristina.

Save Your Skin: Body

Save Your Skin: Body by makeupjunkie13 on polyvore.com

Life has been crazy the last couple of weeks, but crazy in a good way! Well, it's time to get back to gabbing about beauty again! I will have to update you on all the awesome things I've been up to but that will have to wait for another post. 

Now where did we leave off? In my last post, it was all about saving the skin on your face but we can't forget your body!

Give your skin some lovin' this winter with some of my latest faves!

1. Korres Guava Shower Gel ($22 CAD): I'm not really a shower gel person, but you might as well start it right. I'll use a body scrubs and the such, but shower gels I usually just pass on. This one, however, I could not pass on because - well - it's Korres! I'm already a fan of the Guava Lip Butter so it was a given that I would love the shower gel too. The scent is just lovely and not overwhelming at all. It has a creamy texture and leaves your skin feeling hydrated and smooth. At $22, consider this a luxurious shower gel but the size is larger than the average shower gel at 400 ml. 

2. Korres Jasmine Body Butter ($33 CAD): I have body butters in every corner of my room - one on my vanity, one on my nightstand, and a few in my makeup bins. Korres body butters feel ah-mazing on the skin. It applies very rich and creamy but doesn't leave a greasy feeling behind. My skin feels moisturized for hours. Jasmine is a light flowery scent and thankfully doesn't conflict with the Guava shower gel. The size is very decent and comes in a squeeze tube which I prefer. I definitely want to add more to my collection especially the Guava one!

3. Biotherm Beurre Corporel Intensive Moisturizing Body Butter ($37 CAD): Don't be fooled by the simple packaging. I was pleasantly surprised I would love this so much. Ok, I don't particularly like dipping my fingers, but it's just so creamy and smells citrus-y divine. My boys love it every time I wear this - the scent is very comforting. Oh and yes, my skin feels wonderfully soft! It helps restore hydration into the skin overtime. A little goes a long way so this tub will last you a while - at least until the flowers start blooming again!

4. George's Special Dry Skin Cream ($6.49 - 14.99 CAD): You know the term "don't judge a book by its cover"? This applies here. I love hearing stories about skin care lines that were whipped up in their very own kitchen. It's probably a product I would pass in the store, but thankfully I was able to test drive this cream. This stuff really works especially for severely dry skin conditions. George's products do not contain Urea, Lanolin, or Parabens and are specifically made to be hypoallergenic and fragrance free. I've talked about my son's eczema before and this is the only cream I've been using on him for the last few months. It has replaced all other creams I've used. His skin has been eczema-free and we haven't had to use his medicated cream once. I also use this on my dry, cracked heels and hands - works wonders! It feels greasy when first applied but quickly absorbs into the skin. 

Korres is available at Shoppers Drug Mart and Sephora locations across Canada. George's Cream is available at Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Mart locations across Canada. 

What do you use to save your skin from the harsh winter? 

Products were sent for editorial consideration and I truly love them. 

Beauty Review: Clean Face In A Flash!

I really try to keep to our nighttime routine. I really do - try. After the kids are tucked into bed, cleaning up is the last thing I want to do and sadly that includes my face! As a makeup artist, I always tell my clients "sleeping with your makeup is a no-no". I guess I should practice what I preach! Before Baby Z, I can honestly say I washed my face 90% of the time. The other 10% I blame on a late night out with too much wine (yup, that is a rare occasion). Now, I'll only clean my face if I've worn makeup that day - I know, I'm ashamed! I've said too much.

Clean Face In A Flash! by makeupjunkie13 on polyvore.com

Thankfully, beauty brands make handy cleansers called wipes and cleansing waters that clean your skin in a flash. I can remove makeup, tighten my pores, feed my skin anti-aging nutrients without using water (which means no mess around the sink - such a pet peeve of mine). My skin can breathe in some fresh air again. Yes!

Korres Pomegranate Cleansing and Makeup Removing Wipes For Oily and Combination Skin ($16 CAD): Korres is one of my all-time favourite all-natural beauty brands. I love the pomegranate wipes. The wipes leave my skin feeling refreshed and they effectively take off my makeup, although I usually take off my mascara with a separate remover. One little wipe can remove impurities, tighten pores, and give antioxidant protection. Cleaning your face takes less than a minute to do! If you're lazy like me, keep these at your bedside. 

One pack holds 25 wipes which won't last long if you use these often. It's a little pricey for a small pack, but you get what you pay for which means it's formulated WITHOUT parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, petro-chemicals, phthalates, and GMO. It would be great if Korres comes out with a bigger pack! Now available at Shoppers Drug Mart locations across Canada. 

Biotherm Biosource Total & Instant Cleansing Micellar Water ($26 CAD): Who knew something that looks like a toner could actually cleanse your face? Another quick cleanser, Biotherm's contains Thermal Plankton Cellular Water and is paraben-free. It feeds your skin nutrients rich in minerals and vitamins. It cleans fairly well but sometimes I feel like I need to use two cotton pads to make my skin feel really clean. My skin looks radiant and even feels soft after. It's not as convenient as a wipe because you need to use a cotton pad, but it gets the job done fast. There's a lot of cleansing waters on the market and more continue to come out. It's pretty pricey compared to some others, but Biotherm is not a drugstore brand. Bioderm's version is on my 'want' list and I believe it's slightly cheaper. But if you want something that's a steal, try Marcelle's. 

What are your favourite quick cleansers? Are you guilty of not taking your makeup off every night? Be honest! :)

Products were sent for editorial consideration and I truly love them. 

Fall Beauty Review: Now My Baby and I Have Something In Common - Baby Soft Skin!

Dry, flaky skin can give me a pouty face - okay, my baby and I have two things in common. It's starting to get nippy out which means snow season is rearing it's blustery head. My skin is typically dry and flaky in certain areas and mostly dehydrated. To avoid the sometimes uneasy transition from summer to winter, I've been one step ahead prepping my skin since the summer time. Besides trying to down gallons of water a day, my moisturizers have been my skin savior.

I've been really loving skincare products from Biotherm. In the summertime, I used Biotherm's Aqua Source Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel For Normal to Combination Skin ($45 CAD) religiously. I just loved how light-weight it felt and how fresh it left my skin. It was hydrating enough to keep flakes at bay and even added radiance. It's perfect for skin that is dehydrated, but I felt it worked really well for oilier skin types. It is very hydrating, but if use an appropriate amount works great for oily skin. It doesn't feel heavy and gives you a clean feeling. I even used this on Monica from Beauty Parler on her wedding day! She chose this over my usual Embryolisse which she felt too heavy for her.

As your skin transitions to the colder months, you should always switch up your skincare to something a little heavier. My skin can't get enough of the newest moisturizer from Biotherm. Skin Vivo Uniformity SPF 15 Renovating Anti-Age Moisturizer ($70 CAD) targets all skin irregularities that can make your skin look older (amen!): dark spots, redness, dull tone, roughness and loss of elasticity while protecting skin from harmful UV rays. The texture feels so luxurious on the skin and literally melts into it. At the same time, it doesn't leave a heavy residue. I love how luminous and smooth my skin looks after. I gotta toot my horn a little - my skin is looking fantastic! Really it is! I never have to worry about flakiness popping up throughout the day.

Ever heard of needing your "beauty rest"? If you didn't know, sleep time is your skin's time to repair itself. That's why at night, I don't mind lathering my skin with a richer moisturizer. Clinique's Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturizer ($44.50 USD) is a creamy yet light-weight moisturizer that gives your skin a healthy radiance. You wake up with your skin looking smoother, luminous and pores seem visibly smaller! I really love it. It claims to make your skin smoother over time. I've been using it since August and it really does.

Keep in mind, these are creams in a container so to avoid bacteria from mixing into your moisturizer use a spatula instead of your finger. Obviously all are more expensive than your drugstore brand but I believe in investing in good skin care. Makeup is only one aspect of making your skin beautiful!

What do you use to get your skin baby soft? Have you used any of these moisturizers?

Products were sent for editorial consideration and I truly love them.