Holiday Gift Guide 2012

Holiday Gift Guide for the Beauty Addicts

1) Flowerbomb Gift Set - $110.00

2) Dior Holiday Travel Brush Set - $62.00

3) Yves Saint Laurent Holiday Set - $65.00

4) NARS Express Yourself Cheeks Set - $75.00

5) Dior Manicure Set - $62.00

6) Lancome Le Curler Set - $36.00

7) Clarins 7 Wonders Set - $48.00

8) Laura Mercier Artist Palette For Eyes - $48.00

9) Soap & Glory Set - $65.00

10) Laura Mercier Souffle Body Creme Sampler Set - $60.00

11) Clarisonic Mia2 - $149.00

12) MAC Guilty Passions Lip Gloss Set - $32.50

13) Dior Grand Bal Lip & Eye Palette - $85.00

14) Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Essentials Set - $50.00

15) GHD Style & Finish Kit - $225.00

Happy shopping everyone! 

xoxo 

S. 

Clarisonic Mia

There are thousands of reviews on the breakthrough in the skincare industry know as the Clarisonic. This is my personal version and it's pretty simple: GET IT!

One of my all time favourite presents was for Christmas of 2010, when my husband gave me the greatest gift of all (well besides his love), he surprised me with a Clarisonic Mia! I had wanted to purchase one for years, but never truly believed in the hype and reviews that it had received. Little did I know, this single  device would change my life and my skin forever. It has been a year and a half since my first use and I cannot, for the life of me, cleanse my face without it. I use it once a day, mostly during my morning shower, and enjoy ever second of it. My skin feels refreshed, clean, smooth, and rejuvenated after every single use. With a touch of my favourite cleansing Milk (Lancome Comforting Milky Creme Cleanser), and water I am immediately transformed to a mini spa, where my skin is the guest of honour and my inner beauty addict delighted. The pre-programmed timer allows me to fully cleanse my face without over exfoliating. 

Now I am well aware that this luxury does not come cheap, nonetheless, it is worth every single penny and more. It is my belief that there is no price on beauty, and even though there are limits to everything a little self indulgence never hurt anyone. If you cannot afford to purchase it right away... then by all means save up for it. Remember, companies such as Sephora, Ulta, and Amazon are constantly running promotions that help even the savviest budgeter.  I promise it would be the best investment you ever make as far as your skin is concerned. 

xoxo

S.

Beauty Tip #1 - Exfoliate Daily

One on the most important and life changing beauty tips that I have learned in the past three years is the crucial role that proper daily exfoliation plays in the clarity, glow, and anti-aging of our face. Exfoliating helps get rid of the dead top layers of the skin, which then allows serums and moisturizers to better penetrate the skin. This simple task in my daily beauty routine has made a world of difference in my way my skin looks, feels, and most importantly delays the signs of aging. I am lucky and young enough not to deal with visible wrinkles, serious pigmentation, or excessive acne. However, I do have mild redness (not really rosacea) due to sensitivity and dryness. Our skin is know to repair itself at night, this is why during my morning shower I make sure to exfoliate my face using a Clarisonic Mia face cleansing system, along with a gentle cleanser (Lancome Comforting Milky Creme Cleanser). In the evening, once I completely remove my make-up, I wash my face using an gentle exfoliating face cleanser (Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Facial Cleanser), and then continue with my nightly beauty regimen. Note that I only use gently exfoliants for daily use, however for a deeper exfoliation I use a stronger scrub with coarse and fine sea salt once a week for deeper cleansing (Lush Ocean Salt). This extra step in my beauty regimen is a priority of mine and an advice I give to every single woman I know, especially the one's who compliment on the clarity, elasticity and glow of my skin.

xoxo

S. 

P.S. I will review each beauty product I have mentioned in my upcoming posts. Keep in mind that there are multiple wonderful products on the market today that work with each individual's skin type and beauty concerns, these are simply some of my personal favourites which I find work great with my skin type and needs.