Weekly Tip : Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

This week's weekly tip will be about cleaning your make up brushes.  Cleaning your make up brushes is a hygienic step that most people miss, but it's a very important one!

What you'll need :
A Bowl
Hot Water
Soap (I personally use liquid soap for sensitive skin)
A Towel
Your Makeup Brushes

How To Clean :
1. Fill your bowl with hot water and your choice of soap.
2. Submerge your brushes in the water and scrub (you may need to change the water once or twice).
3. Empty your dirty water, rinse out the bowl and fill it with clean hot water.
4. Rinse off all of the soap (this is important as soap residue can irritate your skin) on your brushes.
5. Towel dry your brushes and leave out to dry over night.

How often should you clean them ?
This really depends on how often you use each of your brushes, however a good rule of thumb is to clean them once a week.  You want to make sure that you rid your brushes of left over makeup and any bacteria to keep your skin as healthy as possible.

How do you guys clean your makeup brushes ? Let us know in the comments below!
-xx Sally

July Favourite's

Here's my July Favourite's Video!  You can watch it here, or you can view it on our Youtbe Channel here. I hope you guys enjoy!  Also be sure to leave your July Favourite's as a video response, we'd love to watch them! 

-xx Sally 

July Glossybox Canada

Hey Everyone! My July Glossybox just arrived at my door and I had to write up a quick post to show you the joy I found inside! For those who are not aware, Glossybox is a monthly beauty subscription, for $15 a month you receive a box full of beauty goodies, many of which are full size and well worth over the $15! For a product junkie (like myself) I highly recommend it, it allows you to try out new products without breaking the budget! 

Now that you have an idea of what the subscription is, lets get into what came in this months box!

01 - Zoya Nail Polish: I was extremely happy to see this in the box! I have been waiting for a nail polish for a while (I may have a bit of an addiction) and this was the perfect find. I have never heard of Zoya before but I just put it on my nails and its wonderful. The coverage is wonderful and the colour reminds me of Models Own Beach Party, but I only needed barely 2 coats! This product retails for $8 and I got the colour Arizona (Oh I forget to mention this is a full size product!)

02 - Alessandro International: This is a heel rescue balm, now I received a foot product before and never used it, sadly my feet have been feeling neglected and maybe this is a calling for a pedicure? I could always throw on a coat of the polish as well. Anyway, this product is 30 mL and a full size, which is 100 mL, retails for $19.95.

03 - John Frieda Go Blonder Spray: I have heard about this product, and I have only used it once, it recommends using it 3-5 times before seeing results, the only thing that bothers me about it is it works with heat, it actually says the more heat the blonder... however I fried my hair not to long ago, resulting in a pixie cut to save it... so the LOTS of heat worries me. But we shall see. This is another full size product and retails for $13.99.

04 - Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer: I actually own this product already and love it, so another one is always welcome. I got the shade Plum which is a little darker than I'd go for everyday wear BUT if I ever go out or in the fall it'll be perfect. The shimmer is almost like a balm which is also ideal to keep those lips kissably smooth. This is another full size product and retails for $5.99.

05 - Dove Softening Creme Body Wash: I love Dove body washes. This one smells divine and I used it in the shower today and my skin is thanking me for it. I am definitely adding this to my showering routine. This is another full size product (way to go Glossybox!) and retails for $5.99.

06 - Beautysoclean Sanitizer Wipes: I can see a makeup artist loving these up. However I am not too concerned about my product with this, if I ever doubt them I tend to throw them out (pink eye and such) however this would be perfect for my mascara brushes to give them a new lease on life. These are a few samples but a full pack of 48 wipes retails for $12.50.

All in all a good box. I was over the moon for the polish, so I was sold the minute I laid eyes on it. If you'd like to subscribe to Glossybox (which I highly recommend you do right now) please follow the link here. This is my personal favourite beauty box and they allow you many chances to receive a free box! Which is a nice added bonus!

Do you already subscribe to Glossybox? What'd you receive in your box?
-xx
Kelsey

July Glymm Box

Hi everyone!  Here's my video on my July Glymm Box, you can watch it above, or on our Youtube Channel here.   To learn more about Glymm's Beauty box, check out their website here! 

Products Mentioned 

Salt Scrub

H2O Hydration 

PM Anti-Age

Social Butterfly Hair Perfume 

K-Pak Reveitaluxe 

25% off all Glymm Nail Polishes Coupon 

Glymm Beauty Bag

*To learn more about the products in my Glymm Box, view their products here. 

-xx Sally 

Make-up Tutorial - Summer Date Night

Hey Everyone! So I am very excited to share my first makeup tutorial with all of you. I had the day off today and it is very rainy outside so I decided I would play around with my makeup and filmed a tutorial. I am very happy with how it turned out, and I hope you enjoy it. My best friend Jessica helped me figure out a name for it and we decided to call it "Summer Date Night". Also if you do this look please send me a photo on our twitter because I would love to see it!

Here is a list of products that I used for this look:

Spa Resource and ELF brushes
MUA "Immaculate Collection" Eye Shadow Pallet
Maybelline Stiletto Liquid Eyeliner
Annabella Black Eye Shadow
Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara
Garnier BB Cream in Light to Medium
Boxx Concealer in Melina
Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder in 120
Pur Minerals Bronzer
Pandoras Face Blush in St. Tropez
Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brulee

The majority of the products are drugstore products, aside from a select few that I got in my glossybox. I greatly enjoyed filming the tutorial and writing this post so if you would like to see more tutorials please send me requests because I would be happy to do them!

Have a wonderful day!

-xx
Kelsey

Getting To Know Us

Hey Everyone!

So Sally and I filmed a little video (and by little I mean 15 minutes) for all of you so that you could get to know the real us. We combined the 13 personal questions TAG and the about me TAG, to get all the questions for our video. All the questions will be listed below the video, as well as links to our songs and youtubers! Enjoy!

Links from the video:


Songs:

Let's Get Lost by Bat For Lashes and Beck

You and I by Ingrid Michaelson

Kingdom Come by The Civil Wars

Rain is a Good Thing by Luke Bryan

Youtubers:

Fashionrocksmysocks

Essiebutton

Sprinkleofglitter

Giogoshow


Zoella280390

Fabulousonabudget


Hope you enjoyed this video and we would love to see you do it as well. So please leave it as a video response or link it in the comments below!

-xx
Kelsey

June Glossybox Canada

Hey Everyone! So yesterday evening my Glossybox came in the mail and I decided I would do an unboxing for you. Sadly because of siblings maxing out the internet I can only do a blog post for you and no video. But don't fret I'll explain everything for you.

If you are new to Glossybox, Glossybox is an online subscription that you sign up for and each month they send you a box filled with beauty goodies. If you are a product junkie this is the perfect thing for you. It is only $15 (Canadian) and the boxes are worth a lot more than you pay. So far my boxes sit around the $50-$60 mark which is an amazing value. If you would like to sign up please click here.

Now into the box!

This month's box contained some exciting stuff, but I don't think it was my favourite box so far. However, the products I did get are amazing and I am NOT at all disappointed. Below will be a list of the products and a bit about what they are, and my thoughts on them.

Bioré 4-in-1Revitalizing Cleanser - this is a cleanser that also acts as a make-up remover which I think is really neat. This product is a full-size product and retails for $9.99. I gave this product a try last night and the only complaint I have is it smells very chemically which I don't find appealing, but I will give it a go.

Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion SPF 55 - I have been using Neutrogena sunscreen on my face for as long as I can remember. However I don't tend to be using it lately because the tinted moisturizer I use has an SPF in it. So I decided to give this to my mother. A full size of this product retails for $15.99.

Wella Professionals Ocean Spritz - Wella is a brand that has shown up a lot in the beauty boxes, which I don't mind since I like their products. I tried to give this a try but I need to spend more time on it since my hair is very short, it can get a little less sexy-beach and a little more electrical shock, which isn't ideal. This product is full-size and retails for $16.99.

Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex - this is a wrinkle cream to reduce fine lines as to hydrate the skin. Being 21, I don't really need an anti-aging product so I gave this to my mother as well. A full-size of this product retails for $30.99.

Covergirl Flipstick Blendable Lip Duo - this product has one end that is a shimmer and one that is a colour so that you can blend it together to create many different lip looks. I got the shade 800 Whisper, which is a gorgeous pink colour (see swatch above). This is a full-size product that retails for $12.50.

Gillette Venus Embrace Razor - I love Venus razors, the only problem I have with them is the price. The refills get quite expensive, which isn't ideal when you are on a budget. So this little razor was a nice treat for me. This is a full-size product and retails for $13.43.

Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips - Sally did a review on these a little bit ago, and I haven't used them in a long time so this will be a nice treat. This was a bonus item in the box and those are always nice little surprises that Glossybox puts in their boxes. A full-size of this product retails for $9.99.

Well there you have it. The box is definitely worth every penny, and each time you get one it is almost like a little present each month. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone! 

Do you subscribe to Glossybox? If you do did you get anything different in your box?

-xx

Kelsey

Weekly Tip : Easy Curls

This week's weekly tip is going to be about how to get easy curls.  Now this works best if you have natural waves in your hair (which I do).  However my straight haired friends do not worry, this should still work for you. :)

This hairdo actually starts the night before, and requires little heat! 

1.  Have a shower, and apply your favourtie post shower serum (Mine is Moroccan Argon Oil) and towel dry your hair. 

2.  After put your hair up into a bun (two if you have thick hair) and leave for about an hour. 

3.  Before you go to bed make sure to loosen your bun for comfort. 

4.  The next morning take out your buns and loosen your hair with your fingers.

5.  Touch up your curls with a curling iron and apply your favourite hair spray!

And you're done!! I love doing these kind of curls in the summer especially because with the warm weather I don't have to be using a lot of heat on my hair.  Do you have any tips for getting curls with little to no heat?  Leave your suggestions in the comments below!

-xx Sally 

Essie Nail Polish Collection

At the beginning of year my good friend from school (Breanne) introduced me to Essie nail polishes.  And ever since then I've become addicted to them!  I have to say they are the most amazing nail polishes I've ever used.  They retail for around $9 (Canadian) and they are worth every penny.  Where I work I use my hands a lot and am constantly opening and closing boxes, tasks which normal nail polishes won't stand a chance against.  However Essie nail polishes are able to hold their own and won't chip for over a week!  Their only down fall is in order to get the desired colour, three coats are required.

Colours (In order as pictured above.) 
Ballet Slippers - This pink colour is perfect a delicate nail colour.
Waltz - The perfect white for french manicure.
Merino Cool - In the mood for purple?  Try this deep purple.
Trophy Wife - Feeling bold?  This is the colour for you!
*Want to see Essie's full range of colours? View their website here.

Even if you're on a budget, these are perfect nail polishes to invest in.  Their amazing colour and chip proof power makes them my go to polish.  What's your favourite nail polish, or favourite colour by Essie?  We'd love to hear about them and give them a try!
-xx Sally

June Glymm Box!

The other day I received my June Glymm Box, and I have to say I'm a lot more happy with it than my BeautyBox5 one (you can read my review of it here).  For those of you who don't know what Glymm is, it's a beauty box based in Canada (specifically in Montreal) and retails for $12.  You can visit their website here.  For your box you fill out a beauty profile for your specific needs which is really great.  Each month includes 4 - 6 deluxe samples (and sometimes full versions).  They also include a card saying where you can get all the information (prices for full size, what's in the products, how to use them, how many uses you'll get out of each sample and ordering) on their website, which I've used to put the price points below! *All prices are in Canadian Dollars

Glymm Makeup Bag - This is what all of my products came in!  I thought it was a really cool way of presenting your products in something you can use later on.  This bag retails for $12.

Vitamin and Sea Perfect Skin Solution - This small sample size can be used up to 5 times and is supposed to help keep your skin looking vibrant.  This product full size (45mL) is $68.

La Fresh Nail Polish Remover - They've included two wipes which are good for two uses.  For the full size (18 wipes) it costs $10.

Harmony Duo Lipstick - It's a tube with lipstick on one end and lip butter on the other, and is supposed to have long lasting colour.  This was a full size product, which retails for $20.

CB's Smoothing Marine Cream - The sample is good for 10 - 15 uses and gently cleanses your face.  The full size of this product of 50 mL is $115.

ItlsDream Fragrance - The sample is good for 35 sprays and is supposed to have a fruity-floral-woody combination.  The retail price for 60mL is $54.

Price of the Box : $12
Value of the Box : $32 +

I've also filmed a video on this box which you can view here.  I'm currently looking forward to getting my next box in July and can't wait to see what they've included! What beauty box service is your favourite?
-xx Sally

Pamper Yourself

The first thing that I think of when I hear the word "pamper" is going to a spa and spending lots of money.  However it doesn't have to be like that! Last night after getting back from Niagara, cleaning my room and doing laundry I was feeling a bit worse for wear, and in need of some TLC.  But due to lack of funds I wasn't about to go and book a spa day!  So instead I created my own "spa" here at home!

Granted my "spa" wasn't anything extraordinary, but it did make me feel a whole lot better!  After a hot shower I slipped into some comfy sweats and lit some candles.  While enjoying the calming atmosphere in my room I read some Vogue and gave my self a french manicure (not that hard to do!).  Finally I finished it off by watching Midnight in Paris (I love this movie to bits!  If I could move anywhere in the world it would be Paris! I've only been once but it was love at first sight!).

Taking time out of my busy week to treat myself to things I don't normally do always makes me feel amazing.  It's really important to spend some time doing things for you and doing things just because you want to.  And what you do doesn't really matter, it could be taking a nice long bath, reading a book, or doing some yoga - just do it for you!

So next time you're feeling a bit tattered around the edges, set some time aside to spend pampering yourself!  Have a wonderful evening.
-xx Sally

May Favourites

My May Favourite's Video is finally up on Youtube after several failed attempts.  You can watch it here or on YouTube. Below is a list of the products and items I mention in the video.  

Beauty 

Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara 

Walmart Stipple Brush 

Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart (090)

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh 

Hair 

Head and Shoulders Smooth and Silky Shampoo and Conditioner 

Moroccan Argon Oil 

Paul Mitchell Smoothing Serum 

Body 

Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser 

Fruit of the Earth Coco and Shea Blended Body Lotion 

Jergans Natural Glow

Fashion

Scarfs with my Tiffany's Key Necklace 

Movies 

The Avengers 

Captain America 

Iron Man 

Thor 

Books 

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin 

Hope this gives you all an idea of some good products to try out!  What are your May Favourites ?

-xx Sally 

May Glossybox Canada - Unboxing

Hey Everyone!
So on a very hot Monday evening I received my Glossybox and filmed. It literally came the day before my birthday! What a wonderful birthday present! Sorry that it may be a little fast paced but it was insanely hot!! Hope you enjoy the video and be sure to subscribe to the Glossybox :)
All links will be provided both below and in the down bar in the youtube video!

Want 10% off your first box? promo code GLOSSY27 on check out after clicking your referral link to save 10% !

Want your own glossybox? Click here: glossybox sign-up

Want to follow them on twitter? Click here: glossybox_ca twitter

Stay Beautiful!
-xx
Kelsey

7 Deadly Sins of Beauty Tag

Hey Everyone!
So I decided I would film a video for all of you and I decided I would do the Seven Deadly Sins of Beauty Tag. It was a lot of fun and I'd love for all of you to do it as well! Please watch the tag and leave me a video response if you make videos or even a blog post! :) Link me in the comments to your tag because... I tag all of you lovelies!!

Here are the questions:

1. GREED: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?
2. WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?
3. GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products?
4. SLOTH: What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness?
5. PRIDE: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?
6. LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?
7. ENVY: What items would you most like to receive as a gift? 

-xx
Kelsey

Daily Skin Care Routine for Oily Skin

Hi guys!  I filmed a video today on my daily skin care routine for oily skin.  I quickly talked about the products that I like to use (I'll list them all below for you) on a regular basis.  I like to stick to a routine as I find it really helps my oily skin.

Products I Mentioned : 

Baby Life Sensitive Baby Wipes $4 

Soap and Glory Scrub Your Nose In It $14 

Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser $10 

Life Cleansing Toner $5 

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips $8

Aveeno Fresh Essentials Daily Moisturizer $20 

Aveeno Fresh Essentials Night Cream $25 

Walmart Stipple Brush $6

Water Bottle $10

Hope this has helped any of you out there with oily skin!  I know that it can be a real drag and frustrating when you're prone to pimples!  But fret not, find products that work for you and stick to a routine!  Sticking to a routine is one of the best things (besides plenty of water and sleep) that you can do for your skin.  If you want me to do any specific product reviews be sure to let me know!  And if you have any product suggestions or tips for oily skin, I'd love to hear about them!  Have a good skin day! 

-xx Sally 

April Favourites

I was planning on posting this a while back but I wanted to do a video for it and I needed to find time to film. Sadly because of a series of unfortunate events I didn't have much time to do so. Anyway here is the video for April favourites! Please go and like and comment and enjoy!

-xx
Kelsey

April Glossybox - Canada

So it's that time again! Glossybox time! I cannot tell you how impressed I am with this team. I have been doing a lot of research about other boxes and even people's general review on customer service and I want to send a huge hurray for Glossybox. Sure, they have the odd complaint but they handle it beautifully and I think that says a lot about a company. They're also always chatting with fans and beauty conasours. I often strike up a conversation with them and they're amazing to deal with. I believe that customer service often can enhance a product huge! Now onto the actual product review!

1. Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer - This is a full sized product and I could not be happier! I have always been a HUGE fan of Aveeno but often I can be a little cheap and end up not buying it because of it's cost. The product retails for $22.99 and they include a full size bottle in the box. Since the box is only $15 it's already worth it. Now for the actual cream, I adore it, doesn't break me out and evens out my skin tone which is something I yearn for.

2. Elizabeth Grant Skin Care Shower Gel - Another full size product retailing for $20. I have never used this shower gel before and I got the scent Golden Angel, which is slightly stronger than I normally wear but it has a nice floral scent that I will definitely be trying tonight!

3. Wella Brilliance Conditioner Fine to Normal - This conditioner smells absolutely amazing. And from the card it says it contains diamond dust for an incredible shine. I have fine hair and it is also coloured and I am very excited to give this conditioner a try. A full bottle retails for about $13.99 and the sample looks like I could get 2-3 washes out of it, keep in mind my hair just got past my ears in length so if you have longer hair, you might go through it quicker.

4. Wella Brilliance Treatment Fine to Normal - About 9 months ago I chopped off all my hair because I killed it from too much colouring and heat styling (I will be doing a hair story soon) so I am a huge fan of these sorts of products. I am constantly trying to find a new treatment to keep my hair healthy. Again I think I might be able to get about 2-3 treatments done and a full bottle retails for $13.99. If it does a good job, I am definitely purchasing a full size bottle.

5. Marcelle Xtension Plus Mascara - Ironically I ran out of mascara this morning so this is perfect timing! In my review for "Benefit They're Real" I said I wasn't too fussy with mascaras and that still holds true. I tested this one and it does lengthen and adds volume so it's job is done, and I find the formula doesn't clump too easily, which I enjoy. Again another full size product which is amazing and it retails for $12.50 in store, which is a reasonable price for mascara.

Bonus - As a little bonus they threw in a sample of Marcelle BB Cream Beauty Balm, I think it'll be a 1 or maybe 2 time use but I am excited to use it since I have hopped on the BB Cream bandwagon. This retails at $22.95 so a little more expensive than Garnier but if I feel like I like it a lot better I may consider switching. All in all a nice little bonus.

My final verdict is... this box was pretty awesome and I am extremely excited about it. It is definitely well worth its $15 since 3 of the products make it already a $55 dollar box... how insane is that!? Anyway if you'd like your very own Glossybox (which is definitely recommended if you're a product junkie like me) you can click the link here.

Also feel free to follow them on twitter (you can get there by clicking here) , if you'd like to chat or ask them some questions. Tell them lbdgirls sent you. Also follow us on twitter and feel free to chat with us, we love hearing from you all!

Hope you enjoy and if you'd like any in depth product reviews let me know and I'll put them up as soon as possible!

-xx
Kelsey

Manicure Minute

I am a huge fan of doing lots of creative things with your nails. But lets face it, doing a lot of those designs on your dominate hand are tricky so why not start small? I change my polish probably once a week and own over 25 nail polishes. I hate when my nails chip so when that happens I take all the polish off and either repaint them the same colour or change it up a bit. Lately I have been trying some cleaver designs and I gave this one a go today. A simple ombre-esque polka dot design really makes your nails pop!

The colours I used were:
Teal: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in 480 The Real Teal ($3)
Silver: Borghese Rapide B040 Chroma ($11)
Top Coat: Essie Good To Go ($8)

If you'd like me to do a little tutorial on how to get this little simple but cute manicure let me know and I will post one as soon as possible!

Pamper yourself and have fun while doing it.
-xx Kelsey

March Glossy Box - Canada

My Glossybox for March has arrived! For those of you are unaware of what Glossybox is, they are a company that sends you five moderate to full samples of different beauty products for only $15 a month. For more information definitely follow them on twitter: @glossy_ca or visit their website: glossybox .
Now let's get started!
1 & 2: PANDORA'S FACE BLUSH: This blush in the colour St. Tropez. It is a faint fuchsia that isn't too pigmented but adds a really nice flush colour to the face. The blush retails in stores for about $18 and is definitely a nice colour to take into spring. For more info about Pandora Makeup follow them on twitter: @PandorasMakeup.
3&4: BAILEY LIP GLOSS: This lip gloss is in the colour Berry and judging from the colour of the gloss in the tube seems very dark, however once it is swatched on the lips or hand as shown above it is a really light plum colour that can be built up if needed. What I really loved about this gloss is it wasn't sticky and it didn't dry out my lips which is my main problem with other glosses. The gloss retails in stores for $28.
5: SEBASTIAN RE-SHAPER HAIRSPRAY: This is a strong hold hairspray, that from what I can tell does it's job. I am not too picky when it comes to hairspray so I do not have too strong of an opinion. I do however like that it is a convenient size for travelling. The hairspray retails in stores for $19.95.
6: AVEENO LOTION: I have always been a strong fan of Aveeno products because I find they work. Canada's weather is very unpredictable which can result in very confused skin. I always carry an Aveeno hand lotion with me and it always does it's job. The lotion retails in stores for $11.99.
7: EVIAN FACIAL SPRAY: I have always been curious about this product and I have spotted it many of times in Sephora and now I finally had the chance to try it out and it's wonderful. Within a few seconds of spraying it on your face you feel refreshed and hydrated. I definitely look forward to using this product in the morning to brighten up my face. The spray retails in stores for $7.
8: ALGEMARIN FOAM BATH: This was a little bonus gift from Glossybox and I haven't had a chance to try it out yet but I am looking forward to it. It's a bath foam that is made from extracts of seaweed, algae and mineral salts. This will be nice to sit back and relax after a very stressful week. The foam retails in stores for $23.95 for 750 ml.

Glossybox is a wonderful subscription and I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes to try new products but doesn't want to commit to paying full price. You definitely get more than your money's worth which is always an added bonus!
If you'd like to ask me anymore questions about the products listed above, or anything in general please feel free to comment below or tweet me @lbdgirls.
-xx Kelsey