Sephora Holiday Sale Haul

I’m still having trouble with my acne, at first it was clearing up then all of sudden it keeps getting worse, any recommendations will help ! 😣 Cetaphil - Cetaphil Gentle Foaming Cleanser epielle - Black Charcoal Peel-Off Mask The Ordinary - AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution Sometimes I would use .. The Ordinary - Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% but if I don’t I would skip it and use .. The Ordinary - Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%

Ok I’ve made a few changes to my routine and sometimes I keep switching a few things in and out depending on the day.... I start with The Ordinary - Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution which I love. I think glycolic acid is an important ingredient to have in your routine for oily skin and wrinkles and even acne too. I always use insta natural - Zinc Vitamin C Serum but I go between also using insta natural - Age Defying & Skin Clearing Serum which I love for acne, insta natural - Dark Spot Corrector I don’t notice a huge difference with this but it has great ingredients or insta natural - Skin Brightening Serum, Anti-Aging that has alpha arbutin to help brighten dark spots or hyperpigmentation. So I alternate with those! Love using COSRX - Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence to have a dewy glow and helps with skin texture and pigmentation issues I’ve recently added The Ordinary - Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% to help with acne and oily skin and love it too. I top with a thin layer of Clindamycin gel and then moisturizer which I alternate also between a few different ones. BEEKMAN 1802 - Bloom Cream Daily Probiotic Moisturizer has great ingredients but a funky old woman smell I do not like, thank goodness I only have a sample size.... Honest has a great soothing moisturizer I’ve tried and also ARBONNE has a great calming moisturizer as well as a lightweight jelly moisturizer I go between. Then I do a few drops of The Ordinary - Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% and I’m done. I usually let it sit for awhile or at least a good 5 minutes while I do my eye makeup and eyeliner before I use any face makeup but I love the texture of my skin so far using this all together.

2020 is coming to a close. I think we are all very hopeful for a better 2021. 2020 has been challenging year. But, as hard as it has been for me having a newborn & a toddler at home during two lockdowns now (Ontario is officially locked down today again), it has also given me LOTS of time with my kids, a HUGE appreciation for stay at home moms, and appreciating all the things I took for granted like seeing friends & family at Christmas. Here’s my @cherie2020 Top 5 1. Product My favourite has been SUNDAY RILEY - Good Genes Glycolic Acid Treatment I received it in a sample bag from Sephora and was blown away by the results. It’s a 7 % lactic acid treatment in a milky serum consistency. It also contains licorice root extract. You really can notice it smooth & brighten your skin in 3 minutes! I haven’t bought the full size yet. It retails for $112 CAD for 1oz. But when my sample runs out I think this one is worth the money! (The sample is .25oz and I’ve been using it once a week for about 6 weeks and I might have one use left) 2. Trend Does Vitamin C count as a trend? I only started my skincare journey 6 months ago. I didn’t really know anything about skincare ingredients. Now I’ve bought two Vitamin C serums, an eye cream, and face wash! Vitamin C is powerful antioxidant that helps give you brighter, tighter, and overall more radiant looking skin. I definitely have noticed a difference since starting use to Vitamin C serums! VERSED - STROKE OF BRILLIANCE Brightening Serum SUNDAY RILEY - C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum(haven’t started using) OLE HENRIKSEN - Banana Bright Eye Crème OLE HENRIKSEN - Truth Juice Daily Cleanser 3. Best Look My best book would have to be my everyday 5 minute natural make-up look (see earlier post). Before I started my skincare journey in the summer, I was maybe washing my face in the shower and putting on lotion. Definitely no make-up. I looked tired and dull. Now I take care of my skin, so even without make-up I look brighter and I also take 5 minutes to put on a little make-up, even if it is just to walk the kids to the park and it makes me feel a lot better about my appearance. CLINIQUE - Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator Broad Spectrum SPF 25 SEPHORA COLLECTION - Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer Milk MAKEUP - Lip + Cheek CLINIQUE - High Impact Lash Elevating Mascara CLINIQUE - Just Browsing Brush-on Styling Mousse 4. Favourite Creator on Cherie I might be biased because I won a great giveaway from her, but I really love following @JadesJourney I really enjoy her intersection between skincare and wellness. Check her out! 5. Something I learned The biggest thing I learned this year is not only can I find the time everyday to take care of my skin but that I look forward to it! Happy New Year!

If you’ve been following me, I’ve done two posts on clean skincare and ingredients to avoid. I started looking at my current skincare line-up to see if the “dirty dozen” chemicals were in my products. Surprise, almost every product had something. Now I’m going to take a look at my make-up bag. I don’t wear a lot of make-up, so my make-up bag is pretty minimalistic. Dirty Dozen: 1. DEA / MEA / TEA 2. Coal Tar Dyes 3. Phthalates/ Perfume / Fragrance 4. Sulfates 5. PEGs 6. Formaldehyde releasing preservatives 7. Hydroquinone 8. Parabens 9. Petrolatum/ Paraffin 10. Siloxanes 11. Talc 12. Triclosan CLINIQUE - Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator Broad Spectrum SPF 25 ❌ contains PEGs SEPHORA COLLECTION - Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer ❌ contains PEGs CLINIQUE - Chubby Stick Baby Tint Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm ❌ contains coal tar dyes SEPHORA COLLECTION - #Eyestories Eyeshadow Palette ❌ contains talc Milk MAKEUP - Lip + Cheek ✅ clean CLINIQUE - High Impact Lash Elevating Mascara ❌ contains PEGs ❌ contains coal tar dyes CLINIQUE - Moisture Surge Lip Hydro-Plump Treatment ❌ contains Petrolatum ❌ contains PEGs CLINIQUE - Quickliner for Eyes Intense ❌ contains coal tar dyes smashbox - Photo Matte Eyes Palette ❌ contains coal tar dyes This makes me want to buy clean cosmetics! What’s in your make-up?

One of my favourite things of the Allure Best of Beauty Awards is when a drugstore product wins a category! It makes me try a new product that I would have never considered. I’ve been fighting frizzy hair and thinking about what expensive shampoo & conditioner I needed to buy to tackle my messy hair. I have thin, curly / wavy hair. I rarely have time to style my hair. 99% of the time I let my hair air dry. Most days my hair ends up in a messy bun because somehow that looks less messy than the frizziness of my curls. I bought MOROCCANOIL - Curl Defining Cream because of its great reviews online. It was $38, a little expensive for a hair product. It definitely helped with frizz, but wasn’t the miracle worker I was hoping for. In steps the Allure Best of Beauty 2020 winner for curly hair shampoo & conditioner, #Herbal Essences - Potent Aloe + Mango Shampoo[products]#[FiveStars] #Herbal Essences - Potent Aloe + Mango Conditioner[products]#[FiveStars] Available at my local drugstore for $10.99 each and I found them on sale for $5.99 🙌 They are rich in mango that has Vitamin A & C to strengthen and nourish hair. Aloe helps hydrate the hair. The shampoo & conditioner are free of parabens and sulfates. I noticed an immediate difference after using this shampoo & conditioner. My hair was shiny, smooth, and had volume, something I really struggle with having thin hair! In my photo above I washed & conditioned my hair with Herbal Essences, added one pump of the Moroccanoil, and let my hair air dry on a walk to the park. These are my new holy grail shampoo & conditioner! No need to spend $30+ on a fancy shampoo. And no need for any styling!

I have very typical soft hair. In the past, I could maintain my hair for a short time after styling. Particularly for curly/wavy hair. Generally speaking, it may take others a year to straighten, but my hair is so soft that it will straighten in a few months. This makes me very distressed. What if it makes curls last? Let our style look good forever, which is the effect we have been pursuing. MOROCCANOIL - Curl Defining Cream $14 This is a product in a small package. It is a gift that I give after purchasing other products. But I found it to be surprisingly useful. Moroccanoil Curl Defining Cream separates, defines, and conditions to bring out the best in naturally curly hair. In addition to increasing bounce and movement, the nourishing argan oil-infused formula combats frizz and imparts shine for curls that look and feel silky smooth. Through soft, touchable grip, it provides lasting curling effect. One of the most popular products in the Moroccanoil Curl Collection, this all-in-one solution replaces the need for excessive curl products. Fragranced with the signature Moroccanoil scent, an exotic blend of spicy amber aromas and sweet floral notes. After washing and drying your hair, wet your hair with one or two pumps. Evenly distributed. This can separate and define curly hair while nourishing it. The texture of the product is white emulsion, with good smell and rich fruit flavor. At the same time, these smells are so durable that you can even use them instead of perfumes. Not too much, just a little, massage with the palm of your hand, and spread it to your hair. If you want to pursue a fluffy effect, you can blow your hair after using it. After using this small package, I will definitely buy it again.

Ok even though we don’t experience cold temps in SoCal during winter (today was 72 degrees and sunny) the humidity levels definitely drop, which leaves my lips dry and often chapped. Fortunately for me, I have a thing for lip balms. Here are the ones that I currently have on rotation: 🌞 Daytime - SPF is important for your lips too: Jack Black - Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 extremely minty, but creates a great barrier to trap moisture. SPF 25. sun bum - Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 30 really love this one when I’m at the beach (yes we go to the beach in February.) It smells like coconut sunscreen and reminds me of summer BBQs at the beach. SPF 30. Neutrogena - Revitalizing Lip Balm SPF 20 this is a tinted lip balm (I get the Sunny Berry color.) The shade is the perfect wash of color, smells like berries, hydrates well, aaaand SPF 20. CAUDALIE - CAUDALIE Lip Conditioner probably my favorite for daytime, even though it doesn’t have SPF. I mostly wear this one indoors (quarantine has me inside constantly) but what I love about this is it actually feels like a conditioner for your lips. It’s very lightweight and really sinks into your lips. 🌚 Nighttime - apart from the LANEIGE - LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask CARMEX - Comfort Care Colloidal Oatmeal Lip Balm smells (and tastes) delicious and is the perfect mix of conditioner and moisture retainer. The only draw back is it can dry out and get hard easily. Warm it up a little in your hands first 😉 BURT’S BEES - Vanilla Bean Lip Balm my go to at night. So smooth and goes on effortlessly, this little tube is great at preventing moisture and water loss while you sleep. Tell me what your favorites are, I always have room in my lip drawer for more 😈

Here is my very minimal college student night time routine! I put these on every night after I wash my face and tone. I listed the products in the order i apply them(: ✨ Fourth Ray Beauty Rainfall - This is a 2% hyaluronic acid serum. It has a nice light cucumber scent and applies nicely and not sticky. I highly recommend this product as I have used it for over two years. I love how easy it is to apply and even use it whenever my face feels slightly dry. ✨ Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask - I use this lip sleeping mask every night and find it very nourishing. It helped my lips a lot especially now that it is colder. It has a lot of product so it is definitely worth the price. The only downside it that it is not easy to apply so it may not be as sanitary if you choose to take it outside of your house. ✨ Base Butter Radiate Face Jelly - I recently started to use this product. It is a gel moisturizer and plumps my skin. It also has a nice scent. However, the consistency is very strange for a gel moisturizer and has little white specks in the product. I may have had a bad batch that was not mixed well enough but will continue to use as it leaves my skin plump. ✨ Grande Lash Enhancing Serum - I LOOOVE THIS. Would rate over 5 stars if I could. It leaves my lashes suuuuper long and does not itch whatsoever. ✨ LilyAna Naturals Retinol Cream - I have been using this retinol for almost two years now. I am mainly using this product to target acne rather than anti-aging. It contains very little retinol which is great for everyday use. I mainly apply this to trouble areas but can be applied to the whole face. ✨ Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment - I think it is a light consistency for an eye cream. It fits me very well as I am in my early 20s and do not need a very thick eye cream.

Before the snow hit in the north east, I had to hit up Marshall’s so I had some new products to play with. This shopping trip I found makeup products from Becca and Milk to try out. As with any trip to Marshall’s it’s hit or miss with products and shade ranges, so I know this foundation is a bit too light, but the undertone was right. There were also a few other things I wanted, but their packaging was open and the products were clearly touched. So let’s dive in to what I used for this look (3rd pic, I don’t use any filters/beauty mode). Milk MAKEUP - Blur Stick I like the powdery finish it leaves on my skin. I’ll have to use it a few more times before I decide how much I like it. BECCA - Ultimate Coverage 24 Hour Foundation I’m generally not a fan of full coverage foundation. But this does not feel heavy or caking on my skin (yes, it’s a shade too light). I applied it pretty lightly, but you can easily build this up to you preferred coverage level. BECCA - Limited Edition Hydra-Mist Set & Refresh Powder I was pleasantly surprised by this powder. I usually only use powder lightly under my eyes o set my concealer, but this was so light that I used it all over my face. It did not settle into my fine lines or make me look dry (aging skin). I applied with a velour puff and used a fluffy brush to remove the excess. Milk MAKEUP - Lip + Cheek I’m a big fan of cream products and the fact that this does double duty, lips and cheeks, makes it a winner in my book. Milk MAKEUP - Kush Waterproof Mascara I’ve been dying to try this mascara (if you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know I’m on an unending hunt for the perfect mascara). But I couldn’t justify the price tag if it was just going to end up in the “meh” pile of mascaras I already have. It gave a great first impression, but I’ll have to use it a few more times before I decide to invest in a full sized tube. For under $40, I got to try some high end products that are usually out of my budget. I love Marshall’s for exactly this reason! What is your favorite Marshall’s find?

Milk Makeup is a brand I’ve been dying to try. But it is not in my budget. So when I got my hands on these mini products for under $20, I couldn’t wait to play with them!! Milk MAKEUP - Vegan Milk Moisturizer after one use, I like it, but it’s something that I’ll have to use all of before I decide for sure. Milk MAKEUP - Blur Stick easy to apply. Didn’t have to use my fingers. Milk MAKEUP - Lip + Cheek love!! I enjoy a cream blush, and the fact that it does double duty as a lip gloss is even better. Milk MAKEUP - Kush Waterproof Mascara this is the product that I’ve been most excited to try. The brush is quite large and it applies the mascara nicely without clumping. What’s your favorite Milk product?

I was looking for The Ordinary Lactic Acid treatment but couldn’t find it in Sephora, and I was recommended the Kate Somerville - Liquid ExfoliKate Triple Acid Resurfacing Treatment instead, and I’m so glad I picked this up! Claims: A clinic-inspired leave-on exfoliating treatment gentle enough for daily use. Liquid ExfoliKate® is clinically tested safe for sensitive skin and improves the look of pores while smoothing skin texture and evening skin tone for radiant, younger-looking skin. I’ve been using this treatment 2-3 times a week for about a month and I’ve found that the bumps and closed comedones on my face have subsided. I feel like this treatment does a good job of removing dead skin cells, allowing my other treatments (Tretinoin and Azelaic Acid) to penetrate my skin even more. My skin has become significantly smoother and brighter since starting to use this. Note: I have been using my Tretinoin and Azelaic Acid treatments every day for about 6 months so my skin is very used to it and not sensitized, thus allowing me to use the exfoliant and those treatments together in one routine. If you are new to exfoliants or retinoids or any other actives, exercise extreme caution because your skin could become really sensitized after using these. You should only use these actives together if your skin has become accustomed to the actives. Sometimes I wake up with some dead skin coming off my face, and I just wipe it off with a wet washcloth. While this is a triple acid exfoliating treatment, I find it to be pretty mild on my skin. It doesn’t irritate my skin, but is still effective at creating a smooth surface. Ingredients: 10% Triple Acid Blend (Glycolic, Malic, and Lactic Acids) Phytic Acid with Pumpkin, Papaya, and Pineapple Enzymes Peptides, Honey, and Tea Extract I love the ingredient list because it has different AHAs blended with soothing ingredients! Application: The company suggests you apply this as a toner by saturating a cotton pad and applying before your moisturizer. You can certainly do it this way, but I usually like using it like a serum by using a dropper and applying it in drops directly on my face and then rubbing it in. It does have a pretty runny and thin consistency, so just be careful not to let it slip off your face before rubbing it in when using a dropper. Both application techniques work just fine! I usually only use this at night so as to avoid extra sensitization to the sun. I apply this in conjunction with my hyaluronic acid and niacinamide serums. Overall, this is a great addition to your skincare routine if you’re looking for a gentle yet effective exfoliating treatment! Let me know your thoughts!

Do you ever walk into Sephora thinking you’re gonna buy one thing, and you end up walking out with 5 more products than you intended? Well, that was me today! I went in to get a lactic acid serum, and I walked out with so much more, sorry wallet! I got a variety of products, from a brow gel to a highlighter palette to a whole set of sample mascaras! These are all brands that are new to me, so I can’t wait to try these out! Like and follow for more coming soon!