This week I'm obsessed with... BYOMA Sensitive Retinol Oil!

I am a big fan of all the benefits of retinol but have a hard time finding a retinol product that my sensitive skin will tolerate. There was a NeoStrata one that I used to love so of course it was discontinued and I have been on the hunt for something comparable ever since. To my delight I have found something not just as good as but actually  better with:

 

BYOMA Sensitive Retinol Oil - 50ml - $24.99 - an ultra-soothing, lightweight oil-based retinol for sensitive skin and first time users that absorbs quickly into the skin. With a proprietary barrier lipid complex - that helps restore skin barrier; hydroxypinacolone retinoate (Vitamin A) and Squalane - to improve skin's tone and texture without stripping - giving it all the benefits of a retinol with none of the drawbacks. Consistent use results in softening the appearance of fine lines, blemishes and pores, while brightening dark spots and evening skin tone. It's the perfect addition to your night time beauty routine - just note that even though it is meant for sensitive skin you should still start slowly - a couple of times a week and work your way up to every other day.

 

You can also feel good that it is part of the Thoughtful Choices at Shoppers Drug Mart lineup - it has no animal testing and is formulated without parabens, phthalates, SLS, SLES, triclosan, formaldehyde, formaldehyde releasing agents or hydroquinone.

And if you aren't familiar with the BYOMA lineup or are looking for skincare to go back to school or even on a trip check out:

 

BYOMA So Hydrated Set - $29.99 - contains a mini cleanser, mini gel cream and mini hydrating serum all in a cute little case that fits seamlessly into every backpack. This trio of dermatologist-approved hydrating essentials are the building blocks for the ultimate hydrated and dewy skincare routine and, are soap-free, non-comedogenic, alcohol and fragrance-free, as well as vegan and cruelty-free, making it perfect for school. Included are: Byoma Creamy Jelly Cleanser - 15ml - offers intense hydration and is perfectly pH-balanced. Infused with antioxidant-rich licorice root and green tea, it rejuvenates and brightens the skin, leaving it refreshed and clean; Byoma Hydrating Serum - 30ml - delivers a strong moisture boost with a dynamic blend of squalane and glycerin. This powerhouse duo effectively prevents water loss, ensuring long-lasting hydration; and deeply hydrating, lightweight Byoma Moisturizing Gel-Cream - 15ml - is made with Niacinamide and Green Tea that brightens the skin and reduces redness while supporting the skin barrier function for hydrated and healthy skin. 

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -

Show your PRIDE with help from Shoppers Beauty, Quo Beauty and Jean Paul Gaultier!

You know I loves me a sample set so I was all over this special edition Pride one: Shoppers Beauty All You Need is Love Beauty Bundle - a carefully curated set, containing 6 minis and 2 full-size products valued at over $140. 

This gift set includes deluxe sample sizes of: Urban Decay Vice Lipstick, Too Faced Shadow Insurance Revamp Beautiseal Blue Light, Stila All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Intense BlackL, It Cosmetics Superhero Voluminizing Mascara, Clarins Lash & Brow Double Fix' Mascara and Lancôme Blush Subtil in Rose Fresque - along with a full sized R.E.M. Beauty Midnight Shadows Lustrous Liquid Eye Shadow in Fembot and Vasanti Astro Highlighter in North Star. And comes in the most adorable heart-shaped, rainbow, paper pinata type box - too cute!

Quo Beauty is helping celebrate Pride with another cool limited-edition Pride Collection with bold and playful beauty products and accessories that inspire vibrant looks and celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and you can feel good with your purchase knowing that Shoppers Drug Mart will contribute 10% of sales of the Quo Beauty Pride Collection up to a maximum $30,000 to Pflag Canada, which helps provide peer support, education and advocacy of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community

 

There is lots to love in the collection but a few of my faves include: Love Is Love Eyeshadow Palette - $25 - featuring 9 high impact shades to create bold looks that show your Pride. Along with a cream base to intensify the colour and lock in your look.

Water-Activated Eyeliner - $16 - in Electric Sunset and Twilight Haze - with super high-pigment and vibrant colours to add a really fun look to your liner! 

Rainbow Maker - $10 - makes it super easy to draw a rainbow anyplace on your face or body!

Brow Stickers - $6 - peel and press gems that make it easy to add bling to your eye look!

Jean Paul Gaultier Classique & Le Male Pride Edition - 100ml EDP - $172/ 125ml EDT - $146 - Be free to be your true self! With these new PRIDE editions, Jean Paul Gaultier is campaigning for freedoms alongside The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in New York, a fervent defender of the right of every individual to assert their identity and be accepted as they are. This shared commitment honours the activist artist Keith Haring and his famous manifesto mural "Once Upon a Time," painted in 1989 on the walls of the Center. A powerful symbol of the liberation movement that began twenty years earlier with the Stonewall riots. Inspired by its black-and-white depictions of passionate scenes, PRIDE bottles reclaim the liberated beauty of our bodies and resolutely spread the same message of diversity and tolerance for all. 

 

Everything here available while they last at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Shoppers Beauty Bundles!

If you love a sampler set as much as I do be sure to check out your local Shoppers Drug Mart right now for several bundle options including the one the skincare junkie in me loves the most...

 

Shoppers Beauty Skin Protect Beauty Bundle -  $70 - a curated kit chock full of 15 deluxe samples that will help protect skin and act as a barrier against environmental aggressors like sun damage, pollution and blue light - valued at over $175 including: Biotherm Cera Repair Barrier Cream with Ceramides, Clarins Hydra-Essential Silky Cream, Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+, Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Daily Serum, Estee Lauder Nutritious Melting Soft Creme/Mask, It Cosmetics Confidence In A Cleanser Cleansing Gel, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream, Lancôme Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Serum, Nudestix NudeSkin Citrus-C Mask & Daily Moisturizer, Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask To Clear Pores, Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate, Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer + Hydrating Primer, The Body Shop Edelweiss Daily Serum Concentrate, Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray and Lise Watier Sublimessence High Hydration Probiotic Serum. 

 

Each sample contains enough product to be able to try it out for a week or two to give you get a good idea of how well it works for you before springing for the full size - so far the Estee Lauder mask and The Body Shop serum are on my to-buy list! And if your skin leans more towards the sensitive, there is also a Shoppers Beauty Derm Sensitive Skin Beauty Bundle for $45 full of products to nurture and soothe.

 

If you want to try the latest and greatest products of the year then check out the Shoppers Beauty Viral Trends Beauty Bundle -  $70 - containing 10 beauty products: 1 full-size lip oil, and 9 deluxe samples including: Butter London Mellow The Yellow Nail Brightening Treatment, Buxom Power Line Plumping Lip Liner, Clinique Almost Lipstick In Black Honey, Drunk Elephant B-Goldi Bright Drops, Kylie Cosmetics KyLash Volume Mascara, Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder Ultra-Blur, Narciso Rodriguez For Her Eau De Toilette, NARS Laguna Bronzing Powder, R.E.M. Beauty Essential Drip Lip Oil (FULL SIZE!) and Virtue Labs Virtue Healing Oil. 

 

Or if you are looking to spread the beauty love grab a Shoppers Beauty 7 Days of Love Beauty Bundle -  $55 - which contains 7 Hearts, 7 Beauty Products and 7 Notes of Gratitude to Express Your Love - whether you gift it to one special person in your life or unpack the gift set and gift it to 7 special people in your life! Each heart contains one deluxe sample of the following: Lancôme Lash Idole Mascara; Smashbox The Original Smooth & Blur Primer; Too Faced Deluxe Lip Injection Extreme In UC; Lise Watier Waterproof Eyeliner Brun Noir; NARS Orgasm Blush 1.2g; Shisiedo ModernMatte Powder Lipstick; and Nudestix Mini Nudies Matte All Over Face Bronzer - SunKissed. You can also feel good that 10% of the proceeds of this Beauty Bundle will go towards supporting Shoppers Foundation For Women's Health - which is committed to fostering health equity for all women in Canada in collaboration with over 360 charities by increasing awareness of women's health issues and ensuring equitable and accessible care so all women in Canada can live healthier lives.

 

Available now at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -

Great Gifting - Eye Studio Sampler

Eye Studio Sampler - $42 - includes deluxe samples sizes of 9 of the most popular mascaras for you to try including: Clarins Mascara Supra Volume 3.5ml, Smashbox Super Fan Mascara 5ml, Clinique High Impact Lash Elevating Mascara 4ml, Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara 6ml, Lancôme Hypnose Drama Mascara Black 4ml, Lise Watier V Element Volcanic Minerals Mascara 5.6ml, Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara Black 2ml, Pür Cosmetics Fully Charged Mascara 5ml, Benefit Cosmetics Badgal Bang! Volumizing Mascara 0.1oz.

And once you've had a chance to try them all and decide which is your favourite, exchange the enclosed gift certificate for a fulled sized version of it!

Available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Cute Alert - The Body Shop Mask Sampler Set!

The Body Shop Mask Sampler Set - $30 - in a beautifully packaged gift set that includes 9 100% vegan masks:
3 x 5ml Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask
3 x 5ml British Rose Fresh Plumping Mask
3 x 5ml Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask
and a super-cute bunny headband to keep the mask out of your hair with the added bonus of making you look adorable!
  
A great little stocking stuffer for beauty addicts (buy one for yourself too of course)!

As an added bonus, when you buy this gift, it will help fund the Peace Play Project in Lebanon for a year, providing play and activities in a safe place for Syrian refugee children.

Available now at The Body Shop stores across Canada and online at thebodyshop.ca.

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... L'Occitane Signature Advent Calendar!

L'Occitane Signature Advent Calendar - $69 - with beautifully illustrated packaging containing 24 irresistible beauty products including:

- 35ml Almond Shower Oil
- 10ml Almond Delicious Hand Cream
- 50g Almond Delicious Soap
- 5 ml Shea Light Comforting Cream
- 20ml Almond Milk Concentrate
- 7.5ml Arlésienne Eau de Toilette
- 50 g Arlésienne Perfumed Soap
- 35ml Aromachologie Shampoo
- 35ml Aromachologie Conditioner
- 35ml Aromachologie Relaxing Shower Gel
- 35ml Cherry Blossom Shower Gel
- 35ml Cherry Blossom Shimmering Lotion
- 30ml Citrus Verbena Shower Gel
- 40g Aromachologie Revitalizing Sugar Cube
- 10ml Peony Flora Hand Cream
- 30ml Shea Butter Shower Cream
- 30ml Shea Butter Body Lotion
- 10ml Shea Butter Hand Cream
- 10ml Shea Butter Foot Cream
- 3ml Shea Butter Lip Balm
- 25g Shea Butter Milk Soap
- 25g Verbena Leaf Soap
- 30ml Verbena Body Lotion
- 10ml Verbena Hand Cream 

Available now while they last at L'Occitane boutiques across Canada and online at loccitane.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Avon Beauty Boost Face Masks

Avon Beauty Boost Face Masks - 6 x 8g - $30 - a 7 piece boxed set that includes 6 targeted masks along with a bonus 15ml Super Booster Serum that maximizes each mask's benefits.

Masks include:

Brightening Mask Clay - glow with green tea and vitamin C
Detox Mask Clay - purify with charcoal and green clay
Soothing Mask Cream - gently calm with aloe vera
Moisturizing Mask Cream - hydrate with hyaluronic acid
Firming Mask Gel - tone with green coffee and honey
Energizing Mask Cream - revitalize with ginger and caffeine

Apply the serum first and then use your choice of mask alone or mix and match to target specific areas of the face with different masks.

My favourite is the energizing mask - the perfect way to perk up the skin after a night of tossing and turning!

Available from your Avon rep - 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Fragrant Friday - Beauty Boutique Fragrance Mini Coffret & Certificate For Her

Beauty Boutique Fragrance Mini Coffret & Certificate For Her - $97 - the perfect way to sample 7  sensational fragrances, take them all for a test drive, then submit the enclosed scent certificate for a full-size bottle of your favourite one!

Choices includes: Issey Miyake L’Eau D’Issey Pure Spray, Versace Eros Pour Femme Eau De Toilette Spray, Lancôme Trésor La Nuit Eau De Parfum Spray, Giorgio Armani Sí Eau De Parfum Spray, Chloé Chloé Eau De Parfum Spray, Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina Spray, Mugler Angel Muse Eau De Parfum Spray.

Need a gift for the boy? There is a men's version as well that includes: Giorgio Armani Code Profumo Eau De Parfum Spray, Givenchy Play Eau De Toilette Spray, Burberry Mr. Burberry Eau De Toilette Spray, Versace Pour Homme Dylan Blue Eau De Toilette Spray, Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Profumo De Parfum Spray, Versace Eros Pour Homme Eau De Toilette Spray, Calvin Klein Eternity For Men Eau De Toilette Spray.

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutique locations across Canada and online at beautyboutique.ca.

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... L'Occitane Advent Calendar!

L'Occitane Advent Calendar - $59 - with a deluxe beauty essential sample for every day of December leading up to Christmas! Including: 35ml Relaxing Shower Gel, 10ml Dry Skin Hand Cream, 10ml Pivoine Flora Hand Cream, 25ml Cherry Blossom Shimmering Lotion, 10ml Roses et Reines Hand & Nail Cream, 30ml The Vert & Bigarade Shower Gel, 20ml Milk Concentrate, 10ml Ultra Rich Face Cream, 10ml Amande Delicious Hands, 30ml Ultra Rich Body Lotion, 35ml Shampoo Dry and Damaged Hair, 30ml Jasmin & Bergamote Shower Gel, 35ml Cherry Blossom Bath & Shower Gel, 25g Soap with Verbena Leaves, 4ml Verbena Refreshing Cloth, 30ml Ultra Rich Shower Cream, 35ml Shower Oil Cleansing and Softening, 30ml Verveine Shower Gel, 10ml Foot Cream Dry Skin, 7.5ml Cherry Blossom EDT, 10ml Cooling Hand Cream Gel, 30ml Essential Water, 30ml Gentle Toner, 50g Delicious Soap.

Along with the Advent Calendar, L'Occitane has lots of gifts sets available that are perfect for holiday gifting - and for every Collection Gift Set sold in store and online from December 1st to 25th, $10 will go towards Dress For Success - a global nonprofit organization that helps women achieve their professional goals through career-advancing services.

Set including in this initiative include:  Shea Butter Collection Set - $78, Lavender Collection Set - $78, Verbena Collection Set - $78, Almond Collection Set - $78, L'Occitan Collection Set - $78 and Divine Collection Set - $195.

Available now at L'Occitane boutiques across Canada and online at www.loccitane.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Great Gifting - The Body Shop 24 Happy Days Advent Calendar

The Body Shop 24 Happy Days Advent Calendar - $99 - explore a wonderland of treats hidden inside  the 24 drawers that are filled with everything from skincare, bath and body care to fragrance and makeup along with inspirational messages - along with a secret gift in day 24!

And you can feel especially good about giving this gift, The Body Shop has partnered with international charity WaterAid and with the purchase of every specially selected gift you will also be giving a day of safe water to a family in Ethiopia !

Available now at The Body Shop stores across Canada and online at www.thebodyshop.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Great Gifting - Birchbox Monthly Women's Subscription

Everyone has that person on their list, you know the one that is simply impossible to buy for - no matter what you get them they are  just never happy - so this year, why not give them the gift of surprise with a:

Birchbox Monthly Women’s Subscription - every month a box filled with beauty samples will arrive at her door and since he’ll never know what will be in it, every month will be an exciting beauty adventure!


Choose between The Now Trending Box filled with in-the-know upgrades or The Customer Favorites Box which includes some of the highest-rated, most loved samples - either way the box will contain five customized samples based on the recipient's Beauty Profile - and you can't beat the price: $45 for three months, $80 for six months or $160 for a year.

To start a subscription for that (e)special(ly aggrevating) someone check out: https://www.birchbox.ca/shop/gift/index/subscription. 

- Lisamarie -

Vegan Cuts Beauty Box Subscription - earth friendly beauty delivered right to your door!

Beauty box lovers that like to be green will be happy to know that you can now get your beauty sample fix while trying out all the latest and greatest in earth-friendly beauty with Vegan Cuts - the easiest way to discover cruelty-free brands without committing to full-size products or prices. Each month you'll receive a delivery of 4-7 new products to try, ranging from unique cosmetics to luxurious skincare.

November's box included a full sized Mullein & Sparrow All Natural Tinted Lip & Cheek Balm, travel sized Shorganics Citrus Bar Soap, full sized The All Natural Face Eyeshadow Crayon, sample of La Mav Wrinkle-Smoothing Antioxidant Rich Nightly Repair Nectar and travel sized Evolvh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo - sadly I did not get the LUSH Baked Alaska Soap that everyone else seemed to have received so booo to that! What I love about these sample boxes is I always discover something new and exciting that I never knew existed but am happy to find and in this case it was:

Demes Butter Me Up - $17.95 - in 3 scents: Cherry - with cherry flavour oil, Tangerine Vanilla - with tangerine essential oil and vanilla flavour oil and Mint - with peppermint and lime essential oils - offers moisture for any chapped or dry areas including lips, elbows, cheeks, legs and heels - made with shea butter, cocoa butter, candelilla wax, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, vitamin e and flavour/essential oils - in a stick format so it's easy to apply. Available at spas and online - find locations here.

The box will run you $19.95 a month with free shipping if you're in the States - the downside to it is if you are Canadian - shipping is another $8 or if you're international - shipping is another $15 - which makes it kind of pricey for a  few samples...

For more information or to sign up for a subscription go to: http://www.vegancuts.com/beautybox

- Lisamarie -

All I want for Christmas is... L'Occitane 13 Desserts of Provence!

If anyone out there is racking their brain trying to figure out the perfect thing to gift me with this Christmas then may I suggest:

L’Occitane 13 Desserts of Provence - $68 - with 13 delightful surprises revealed behind each door including: 

50 ml Shea Body Lotion; 50g Shea Verbena Soap; 10ml Shea Hand Cream; 30ml Verbena Shower Gel; 30ml Shaving Gel; 35ml Aromachologie Shampoo; 10ml Pivoine Flora Hand Cream; 15ml Almond Supple Skin Oil; 8ml Divine Cream; 7m Arlesienne Eau de Toilette; 30ml Immortelle Essential Water; 50ml Neroli & Orchidee Body Milk.

Available at L'Occitane stores across Canada or online at www.loccitane.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Birchbox comes to Canada!

Canadians who have up to now been sad at our countries lack of Birchbox-iness can cheer up - Birchbox has now arrived in Canada to bring us the latest and greatest in beauty and lifestyle products!

$15 a month will score you 5 personalized beauty samples send right to your door - and if there's something in the box you love - you can go right to the online store to pick up the full-size version of your sample and earn reward points towards future purchases.

Over the whole sample subscription thing? Not to worry you will still love Birchbox for their curated online shop - with over 600 products and 50 brands to choose from - where you can get your hands on all kinds of beauty brands that are otherwise hard to find such as Cynthia Rowley, Tocca and theBalm!

To give you an idea of what to expect, the first box contains: Amika Nourishing Mask, Benefit High Beam, Color Glum Gold Struck Nail Polish, Harvey Prince Hello fragrance and Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator.

I like that the box also comes with a card telling you exactly what's in it, what  full size product would cost me and how to use it!

For more into, to sign up for your subscription or check out the online shop at www.birchbox.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Great Gifting - The Body Shop Beauty Advent Calendar

It's that wonderful time of the year when all our favourite brands start to offer up their holiday gift sets! So be sure to check back every Monday at 10am from now until Christmas to see which one I am lusting after this week - right now it's:

The Body Shop Beauty Advent Calendar - $50 - Countdown to Christmas in skin-loving style a special beauty surprise behind every door, from best-selling body and face care to iconic fragrance, plus their latest additions: Glazed Apple, Wild Argan Oil and Colour Crush Nail Colours - for 24 days of body loving joy!

Available at The Body Shop and online at www.thebodyshop.ca.

- Lisamarie -

The Shopping Channel Summer Beauty Tote is back - and more beautiful then ever!

The Shopping Channel Summer Beauty Tote - $29.99 - If you love to try out the latest beauty products, there's no better time than now! With a summer-inspired tote with some of the best beauty products that will help give you a lift, get you glowing and invite you to try something new!


Brimming with beauty products from brands you love or will love to try, this tote includes four full size:

177 ml - Copaiba Resin Volumizing Elixir
30ml - Elizabeth Grant Vitamin C Superfruits Concentrate
38ml - Skinn Cosmetics 24HR Wrinkle Repair Balm
200ml - Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash

and 10 deluxe sample size products:

59ml - Nick Chavez Color-Saver Sulfate Free Shampoo &  10ml - Color-Saver Paraben-Free Conditioner
15ml - Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer
IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil 
1.5g - Sheer Cover Perfect Shade Mineral Foundation in Medium
15g - Royal Apothic Moisturizing Body Creme
50g - L'Occitane Verbena Extra-Gentle Soap
Tan Towel Self-Tan Towelette
Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream
Pur Minerals Big Look Extreme Mascara

In addition, you will receive a savings card to save $30.00 on the purchase of any full-size product from inside the Summer Beauty Bag - so basically it's like getting the bag for free! (Act quickly; the Savings Card expires August 31st, 2014!) Even better: you'll have a one in five chance to receive a surprise item in your tote from L'Occitane, Lisa Hoffman, MicroPedi or Silk'n!

Available while they last (and they won't last long) at The Shopping Channel - www.theshoppingchannel.com.

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Josie Maran Escape To Morocco Holiday Lights & Brights Set

My favourite time of the year has arrived - that wonderful period of time when the stores are chock-full of amazing gift sets - if you like to try new products, this is the time to do it - you'll find all kinds of sets of travel sized yummies at super prices! For starters I've got my eye on:

Josie Maran Escape To Morocco Holiday Lights & Brights Set - $35 - a four-piece set of Josie Maran’s bestselling color essentials including 100% Pure Argan Oil Light - a featherweight version of the original that moisturizes deeply, absorbs quickly and is lightweight enough to wear under makeup, Argan Illuminizer to add luminosity to face or body, Argan Color Stick in Spice for adding sheer colour to the cheeks and lips and Argan High Gloss Lip Quench in a new, limited-edition shade Pink Honey - a super moisturizing gloss with argan, jojoba and buriti oils for deep lip nutrition.

Available at Sephora and sephora.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Great Gifting - Ciaté Mini Mani Month

Ciaté Mini Mani Month - $69 -
change your polish every day of the month with this rainbow of color and texture sensations.

This holiday calendar countdown includes a playful mix of mini Paint Pots, glitter sprinkles, caviar pearls, salon quality treatments, cute nail gifts, and some hidden surprises along the way. With 18 of Ciate’s favorite creme shades and 7 textured manicure toppers, you’ll be entertained all season long.

The shades of Paint Pots Nail Polish include: Snow Globe, Boudoir, Hoopla, Hopscotch, Sugar Plum, Fit For A Queen, Candy Floss, Amazing Gracie, Pepperminty, Encore!, Starlet, Chinchilla, Members Only, Play Date, Ivory Queen, Main Stage, Pillow Fight and Tweed and Tails.

Along with 3 Caviar in Metallic Pearls Silver, Metallic Pearls Gold, Pearls Midnight in Manhattan and Pearls Cupids Arrow; Glitter in Twinkle Toes and Sequins in Dallas Dolly.

The best part is that it's set up like an advent calendar with little doors that you open to reveal that day's surprise - way better then the cheap chocolate you usually get in one of these!

Available at Sephora and sephora.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Beauty Box Five - not just your same old beauty sampler!

Does the world really need another beauty box? Maybe not but I don't think having a choice is ever a bad thing!

Like other sample subscription services, Beauty Box Five sends 4-5 beauty samples to your door each month - they say "of your favourite brands" in their advertising but more accurate might have been "interesting brands you've probably never heard of or tried" - of course it could just be that I don't get out enough!

Out of the 5 products that arrived in my first box I had only heard of two of the brands:

Demeter Roll On Perfume Oil in Cherry Blossom - I already know and love Demeter and the Cherry Blossom is very pretty - floral and a little fruity - it's the perfect size for tossing in your purse too!

Model Co Lip Shine in Tease - I know the brand but have never actually tried it before - I like the mirror on the tube which makes it easy to apply it anywhere and it's a very feminine shade, perfect to pair with a smoky eye!

Bodyography Makeup Primer - an oil-free, anti-aging primer that promises to erase the look of fine lines, prolong the wear of your favourite foundation and help revent collagen breakdown.

Coolway Boost - infuse your hair with moisture and lock in that straightened style before you even get out of the shower!

The Brush Guard Variety 4 Pack - keeps your brushes from getting damaged when you travel.
Out of the new to me products, this one was my favourite - such a good idea! I have a bad habit of throwing my brushes in a makeup bag when I travel and they always end up all bent and weird - this will totally save them!

The box will set you back $12 a month and this one really is a great way to try some brands and products you probably never would otherwise! For more info or to order go to: www.beautybox5.com.

- Lisamarie -

GlossyBox celebrates turning one with a GlossyLove Box!

Hard to believe that it's already been a year and GlossyBox knows that the best way to celebrate is with a pretty box full of luscious products, including: Givenchy Gloss Interdit No. 3 Coral Frenzy, Essence Quattro Eyeshadow, Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips, Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment, Anatomicals You need A Blooming Shower! Rose and Jasmine Body Cleanser, Eucerin Hyal-Urea Anti-Wrinkle Day/Night Cream Sachet Duo, Crabtree & Evelyn Tarocco Orange Eucalyptus & Sage Ultra-Moistrizing Hand Therapy Sachet and, what's a party without cake, a Glossybox Cupcake Kit!

The mixture of products is what tickles me about these boxes - the Givenchy Gloss is a perfect spring shade and the small size makes it perfect for the tiniest of bags, you can't have enough Biore Pore Strips and then I get to try new brands like the Anatomicals Shower Gel and the Macadamia Oil and I always love to discover a new citrus scented product like the Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Cream!

With various other sample boxes coming and going it's nice to see Glossybox is still here and intends to stay!

If you haven't had your Glossybox experience yet, it's time to get yourself signed up - go to http://www.glossybox.ca to join in on the fun!

- Lisamarie -