September Luxe Box Review

In this months Luxe Box I received Pur Minerals' Mineral Glow, Moroccan Oil Treatment, Laura Mercier's Perfecting Water and Mereadesso's Face and Neck Toning Gel.

Last month I tried Pur Minerals Pressed Powder which I really liked. Their Mineral Glow Powder ($24) is an all over powder that is supposed to give a natural glow.  At first I thought this was a bronzer because when I first looked at it it seems pretty dark. But when I applied it I noticed it was more of a golden shimmery colour.  When applied all over your face it gives that "sun kissed", gohden goddess look.  And what's good is that, depending on how much you apply, it can be a very subtle hook or you can apply more strongly on your cheeks or where ever. Overall, I think it's a good product but I wouldn't say it's amazing and I'd probably recommend just getting a cheaper knock off at the drugstore.

Next is the Moroccan Oil Treatment ($42).  Like I said in my previous post I have frizzy, dry hair.  A few months ago I tried another argan oil product and did not like it at all.  It didn't make my hair any less frizzy or feel any less dry.  So I was very skeptical about this Moroccan Oil because it is essentially the same thing only more expensive.  And in this case the cheap knock off argan oil was definitely showed up by the more expensive Moroccan Oil.  My hair felt incredibly soft after putting it in and it felt super hydrated and barely even frizzed out when I let it air dry.  I normally only wash my hair every couple days and I find my hair will get really dry and frizzy at the ends.  Using the oil, even after 2 days my hair still felt really soft and smooth.

Laura Mercier's Perfecting Water ($38) is a toner mist that you apply before any moisturizers/serums and it's supposed to super hydrate your skin.  As a toner it works really well.  In the sample it didn't come in a spray bottle so I just put some of it on a cotton pad and you could see all the make-up and dirt my cleanser didn't even take off.  It does seem fairly hydrating and I used my moisturizer afterwords.  For me this product would be better to test once winter comes because my skin gets really dry and flaky during the day and this is supposed to keep your skin hydrated all day and helps cell renewal.

Lastly, Mereadesso's Face and Neck Toning Gel ($120). Obviously this isn't a product I really need because there's nothing to tone or tighten yet.  It also says you'll notice a difference after 3-5 days but since I don't expect much of a difference I'm just doing a first impressions review. The product has a very thick but smooth texture, not watery.  It does absorb really fast into the skin and my face felt a little tingly afterwards.  I applied it under my eyes where I have noticed a little loss in elasticity and there was a difference.  The skin snapped back quicker but I wouldn't say it's an amazing difference.  I will continue to use it for the next couple of days so if I do notice a huge improvement I'll let you guys know!

Also, my Luxe Box came with a Hershey Kiss inside of it :). It's cute things like this, plus their EXCELLENT customer care that make me really love Loose Button and their Luxe Box's.  For each month they send you an email asking if you want to take a survey on the products you received and you get entered to win a $50 Starbucks card! Overall, it's just a great way to get introduced to new products without the concern of buyer's remorse.

My Hair Care Routine

Well, I wanted to do my Luxe Box review for September, but leave it to Canada Post to lose an entire shipment. So, I'll do sort of a continuation from last week and do my hair care routine! This one I'm not too strict about because I'm always trying out different products.  My main issues with my hair are keeping it's colour, maintaining frizz and stopping breakage.  Because of this I usually rotate products between all these issues. I'll just tell you a little bit about the products and tools I'm using right now.

First off, the shampoo and conditioner I use is by Nexxus' Pro Mend.  I've been growing out my hair for a few years so my hair is prone to split ends. So far it's doing a pretty good job, the only problem I've found is my hair tangles a lot easier now.  They have other Pro Mend products as well so I'll most likely try those out sometime in the future.

 As soon as I get out of the shower I put in John Frieda's Frizz-Ease hair serum in Extra Strength.  I've tried a lot of frizz control products and I like this one the best. It really controls my hair and shapes the waves and curls really nicely if I have to let it dry naturally.

When I straighten my hair I really make sure I'm protecting it from the damage caused by heating tools.  The products I use are all from the CHI line because I love it so much! While my hair is still wet I use their Straight Guard styling cream to help control frizz from blow drying and flat ironing. Before I blow dry my hair I spray in their Keratin Mist. This is a strengthening treatment and I also like to spray it in my hair every morning to smooth and add shine to my hair.  Lastly, while I'm flat ironing my hair I spray their 44 Iron Guard thermal protection spray as I straighten sections.

Lastly, the flat iron I use is an Avanti Croc.  It's got digital settings, heats up in a matter of seconds and it doesn't fry my hair at all.  It's a wet to dry flat iron but obviously you can't step out of the shower and use it. But what's great is that even if your hair is still damp it locks that moisture in your hair instead of burning it like most flat irons do.  It's a great flat iron overall and I highly recommend it!

My Skincare Routine

I'll start off saying I'm not extremely diligent about my skincare routine but I do try to keep my skin looking nice. Also, my routine changes from summer to winter because in the summer I have super shiny oily skin and in the winter it's dry and flaky. So I'll breakdown each routine and give you a little info on the products.

A.M. - Neutragena's Ultra Sheer Daily Face Sunscreen (Summer)
         - Arbonne's Hydrating Eye Cream
         -Arbonne's Mattifying Powder (Summer)

The sunscreen is great because it's made for the face so it absorbs fast and it works well with make up. The eye cream also absorbs fast and doesn't heave a greasy mess like most under eye treatments do. The mattifying powder is used to suck up oil but needs to be applied throughout the day when you get shiny.




P.M. -Arbonne's Exfoliating New Cell Scrub /Mario Badescu's Acne Facial Cleanser
         - Mario Badescu's Cucumber Cleansing Lotion
         - Oil of Olay's Night Fortifying Moisturizer (Winter)

  

I think it's a necessity to exfoliate your skin at least a few times a week. So I usually exfoliate every other day and switch it with my cleanser in the summer time but in the winter I may only exfoliate once or twice a week because my skin is so dry.  Afper my cleanser I use a toner.  Toners are good for clearing and tightening pores and I highly recommend always using a toner after you wash your face. In winter I use a moisturizer because my skin gets really dry. I use a night one because my skin just gets too oily and clogged when I use one before putting makeup on.


 

I also like to use any kind of face mask at least once a week. I love trying out different face masks at Lush or ones I find at the drugstore. It's a nice treat to do for yourself.  Two of my favourite masks are Lush's Mask of Magnamity that clears clogged pores and tightens them, and Mario Badescu's Whitening Mask which evens out skin tone.  As well, I like to use Mario Badescu's Buffering Lotion for when I break out right before that time of the month ;)

And that's all! I try out a lot of different skin care products so the list and routine changes sometimes. But, these are products I keep going back to so I hope you enjoy them as well if you try them out!

August Favourites

My first favourite item I already discussed in my Luxe Box review. It's the Pur Minerals Pressed Powder. I've been using it constantly all month.  I love it because it takes two seconds to dust on in the morning and it's been great with the heat not having a heavy liquid foundation on.

From my last Sephora order one of the samples I received was Jack Black's Double Duty Face Moisturizer ($17).  I always have problems with moisturizers because my skin can get really oily and they tend to only enhance that and clog up my pores.  But, this stuff absorbs SO fast into my skin and almost leaves a matte finish on my face. I cannot rave about this product enough, I love it. Plus it has SPF 20 and has antioxidants in it to keep your skin looking youthful. 

Also this month I went to Shoppers looking for a new mascara to try out.  I just happened to pick up Physicians Formula`s Custom Eye Enhancing Mascara Duo.  I only bought it because it was on sale and I`ve heard a few makeup guru`s talking about it. Because I got it on sale I`m not sure what the retail price is but I believe it`s around $13.  Each tube has a black mascara and a coloured mascara that is supposed to enhance your eye colour.  I got the one for green eyes and the colour is green.  I`ve never worn a coloured mascara before and I must say it`s not as shocking as I thought it would be, it actually looks really pretty, especially if you`re playing with colours in your eyeshadow.  The black mascara is great too, it has a shimmer to it but no fall out.  There is almost zero clumping and it really separates, lengthens and curls the lashes nicely.  Probably my favourite mascara I've ever used.  The only downside is it isn't water proof, so any hint of tears and you have a runny glittery mess under your eyes. 

Lastly, I want to share one of my new favourite clothing sites, gojane.com!  I really like their shoes and tops and I even bought 3 pairs of shoes from them this month.  I love this site because they are always having great sales. I got all my shoes for 30% off. And for labour day weekend, starting today, they are having an up to 75% off site wide sale!!!! If you are a Hello Kitty fan then you'll be as excited as I am that this adorable purse is 30% off :) Also, one last tip if you buy heels from them, go half a size larger than you normally get. I had to exchange mine because they were too small.

Happy shopping!