It has been almost two years since my last empties post, so I have accrued alot of items to share with you all. As always, I will post the name of the item, a brief and quick round-up of my thoughts and whether or not I would repurchase it. I would say that this is about 80% of my empties? there are some that I have just tossed and forgotten to save, so below you will find a combination of baby, hair, skin, cosmetics and other misc products. Buckle up, it's going to be one long post!

It has been a while since I've visited the blog here and for that, I apologize. It has been a crazy past few weeks as I'm sure you are all aware with COVID-19, juggling my full time job with motherhood meant I just had to let something go temporarily which was my blog. I am looking to come back a bit more often now though and do some posts - they will most likely be product reviews vs. make-up tutorials but let's just take it a day at a time and see what happens! 

I was sent this collection of hair products from AVON called Propoli Thera and I immediately gravitated towards it as I am a huge fan of honey in my skin and haircare products. Not only do these products smell amazing, but they work at providing me with volume in addition to moisture - a double win in my books. I have been holding out on dyeing my hair at home as my hair dresser frowns against it when she's trying to balayage my hair she can immediately tell if box dye has touched my hair as it impacts the way the dye or bleach works. However, the grays took over the hairline and I couldn't take it anymore so I had to just dye it - out of absolute desperation. 

Propolis is a tree sap that bees combine with their own beeswax to use as a coating for their hives. The products in this collection contains minerals, vitamins, amino acids and antioxidants to help restore weak and brittle hair with the use of Honey and Royal Jelly. 

Of course, box dye strips your hair and with my already bleached ends I needed some TLC to work its magic on my ends. The Elastine Propolithera Hair Mask helps to pack your hair with moisture and mend those split/dry ends and it is Sulfate Free and Paraben-Free for those who are curious! Apply to the mid - end sections of the hair and let it sit for 3-5 minutes and rinse off. I use this after shampoo and conditioner and I use it once a week and it is more than enough for me as I do have thin hair - they do recommend a use of 1-3x a week. As you can see from the image below, the mask is thick and creamy, an absolute dream! A definite must have in my books and works better than some salon products I've tried that charge 2-3x the price. 

Below I took a up-close shot of the shampoo and conditioner for you - these are from the damage repair line and hey it does exactly what it says. These froth up very well so I would say one pump was sufficient for me for my mid-length hair. Oh - speaking of pumps.. can we talk about the fact that they thought far ahead to include PUMPS for you to dispense the products? I was so impressed! The shampoo has micro glitters swirled within it, not sure if you can see it - but hey I mean it's not like you see it when you massage it into your scalp but it sure is pretty. The packaging is a win in my books with its cute honeycomb shaped bottles it just makes it all so aesthetically pleasing. 

As of today's date, I can't speak to the future, these products are listed 2 for $34!

 

Until next time, XO - M

Postpartum hair loss, it's a real thing that I struggle with... and with my already pre-existing thin hair, the amount of hair that I'm losing from postpartum as well as everyday stress is really taking a toll on me. As a result, I find myself willing to try any type of hair product that promises hair growth, volume or both? Let me know if you ever find a product that does that!

I was recently fortunate enough to be sent the brand new Joifull collection by Joico to test out which features the: 1. Volumizing Shampoo 2. Volumizing Conditioner and 3. Volumizing Styler. These products are said to give you big, bouncy and volumizing hair with a styler that will not leave your hair feeling crunchy or sticky.

Design.ME Hair has recently sent me three brand new items to try and man, I am hooked on two of them! The items sent over to try from left to right in the image above include:

GLOSS me ($24cad)

Alright, I normally loathe hair serums but man this stuff is good. It is lightweight, non-greasy in the sense that you do not look like you haven't washed your hair in a few days. It smells amazing, and absorbs quickly. It is formulated with oils, proteins and essential fatty acids and vitamin A,C and E to help strengthen the hair. It also contains cannabis sativa seed oil, it does NOT contain THC so fear not! This is the oil that is derived from the hemp plant so that means it is legal. This product is free of sulfates, salt, paraben, gluten and is cruelty free and vegan. 

PUFF me ($22cad)

My thin lifeless hair is truly obsessed with this product. I spray it into my roots and it gives texture and volume and some extra oompf and body. The best part is that the hair is still workable, it is not too stiff or tangled feeling which is amazing. I use this also to finish off my waves and I actually get an extra day out of the curls even if I sleep in it. LOVE! This spray also has UV protection just in case you want some extra protection!

BOUNCE me ($22cad)

This product is meant for those with curls as it is targeted to give you hydration from the Argan Oil formulation. It provides frizz control, helps the strands feel soft and smooth and even offers up to 400 degrees F in heat protection.

This product is free from sulfates, salt (sodium chloride), paraben, gluten, has no artificial colors and smells divine! I can smell it through the bottle. I gave this away to my son's daycare teachers to share with them, hopefully one of the teachers with curly hair will take it home with them! I have dead straight hair so why not pass it on :)

So as you can guess the two products I am obsessed with is the hair serum (GLOSS me) and texturizing spray (PUFF me), I highly recommend these two!

Until next time, XO - M

*products were sent to me for consideration, all opinions are my own.

Live Clean has added two new products to their haircare collection ~ Super Fruit Waters Quenching Curls Shampoo and Conditioner. It is formulated with a certified organic blend of watermelon, papaya and aloe leaving your hair super soft and tamed. The one great thing I love about Live Clean products is that it is made with quality ingredients and on top of it all they are free of: phosphate, paraben, silicone, phthalate, DEA, SLS, and petrolatum free.

The scent is impeccable. it is refreshing and juicy. It has a very light-weight formula, I only have to use about a nickel size on the palm of my hand for my medium shoulder length hair. I use a bit more of the conditioner, about a quarter-sized and work it from the middle to the end. 

My hair did feel very hydrated after, I do not have curls so the curl-friendly portion of this product wouldn't be applicable to me. Regardless, like I said, the shampoo and conditioner left my hair feeling cleansed, hydrated and not dry nor was there any residue leftover. 

Until next time, XO - M.

*products were sent to me for consideration, all opinions are my own. 

Do you have a sensitive scalp and want to find an affordable product that works? The Garnier Whole Blends Oat Delicacy line offers a collection of products that are gentle enough and helps nourish, cleanse and hydrate. The products have a very gentle powdery soft fragrance of oat milk and rice cream, it is relaxing and doesn't overpower or overwhelm. 

Oat Delicacy Shampoo

This shampoo is a creamy formulation that lathers beautifully. You only need about a nickel size on the palm of your hand and I find that it is enough to cleanse my medium length hair. It cleanses the scalp well and doesn't leave behind any residue nor does it feel stripping. 

Oat Delicacy Conditioner

The conditioner works well to detangle the hair and smooth everything out, it has the same scent as the shampoo and I typically like to use a bit more of this product than the amount of shampoo just because I want to make sure my bleached ends get some extra nourishment.

Oat Delicacy Dry Shampoo

This dry shampoo works amazingly well to suck up and absorb any oiliness in the scalp. I spray it in the roots, let it sit for 2-3 minutes and then massage it in. It adds a bit of volume, texture while refreshing the hair. It does not leave behind a white residue (make sure you massage well) and it helps me go an extra day between washes. 

Oat Delicacy Gentle Rinse-Out Mask

Once or twice a week, I like to go for the extra hydration and treat my ends to a hair mask. I take a dollap of the mask, and massage it from mid to ends of my hair and let it sit for 5 minutes or so. I typically apply this, then wash my body and face and then rinse everything off together. This mask works wonders and I no longer purchase expensive hair masks anymore as this honestly works just as well at a fraction of the price. 

Have you tried this line from Garnier? What's your favorite Garnier hair product? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, XO - M.

*products were sent for my consideration, all opinions are my own.

Cake has graciously sent some haircare products my way to help me address my hair woes - my flat...lifeless and lack of volume postpartum hair. For those of you who have been following my blog, you'll know that the journey I have with my hair is still an on-going battle. I am constantly on the search for a product that will work for me and help me achieve some oompf and vavavoom factor. 

If you're interested in my thoughts on the products that I have tried out, then keep on reading below!

If you are looking to get some major volume in your hair, then the Dream Big Volume collection from Marc Anthony True Professionals is for you. If you have been a follower of my blog, you will know that I have always had thin hair, and being postpartum and suffering hair loss while already having thin hair to begin with, you can imagine my dilemma. 

When I was sent this collection recently, I immediately incorporated it into my shower routine. I have used this enough times to be able to give a fair review I believe, so if you're interested in reading my thoughts then keep on reading below!

As always, their products are: Plant derived * With Certified Organic Botanicals * SLS Free * Petrolatum Free * DEA Free * Paraben Free * Silicone Free * Phthalate Free * Phosphate Free * Dye Free * Pure Vegan * Never Tested on Animals * Package Recyclable * Contains Biodegradable Ingredients * Hypoallergenic * Dermatologist Tested

Klorane has recently launched a brand new line up of hair products specifically aimed at those with dry hair, or in need of hydration (especially in the cold winter weather). Having just balayaged my hair, I have started feeling the effects of it on my hair, especially the ends where they have been bleached. I was really interested in trying this out on my hair to see how they did.

The Mango range includes a nourishing shampoo, detangling conditioner, leave-in cream (that can also be used as a styler) and an intensive mask.  They're made with 96% natural ingredients, are eco-friendly and contain recyclable packaging. It is silicone and paraben free and is said to deliver results as quickly as after the first use. 

I was recently sent a few new items to try from Schwarzkopf Professional and after using it a few times, I have my review of the products below. 

Near the end of 2018, I decided to balayage my hair - with it, I knew would come alot of upkeep (especially since I am a brunette) and so began my journey in finding the products that I know would work for me. I think that I have narrowed it down to my tried and true so far, so if you're interested in knowing what they are, then keep on reading below.

In the past 5 months, I am quite proud of the amount of products used up. As usual, I have separated my review in different categories for convenience - facial wipes/puffs, cleansers and moisturizers, body products, haircare, makeup and miscellaneous. 

OGX is a brand of hair care products that I have been using for a while now, and you can read more about my past reviews here. Recently, they have collaborated with the famous YouTuber Nicole Guerriero to launch three limited edition scents - Mistletoe Wishes, Midnight Kisses and Ice Berry Queen in both shampoo and conditioners. Being both a fan of OGX products as well as Nicole Guerriero, I knew I had to try these ones too!

Design.Me Hair has developed some brand new products to add to their existing roster - introducing the brand new Dry Shampoo Sprays (for Blonde/Pastel Hair & Darker/Brunettes) as well as a Dry Shampoo Foam, retailing for approx $22 cad each - these are great to use a dry shampoo for combating that second day oily hair, or for me what I have been using the sprays for is actually as just a hair refresher. Nothing bothers me more than having washed my hair, styled it to go out for a meal or run errands and it ends up smelling less than fresh. I spray the brunette one in my hair when I get home, tousle it a bit and it helps deodorize and refresh! I have previously tried the Puff.Me spray from Design.Me before and I wrote about it in this post if you're interested, if you're looking for a great texturizing volume spray that isn't housed in an aerosol container than you may consider looking at that.

Vichy Canada introduces their brand new range called Dercos Densi-Solutions, which is aimed at those who have experienced or is experiencing loss of hair mass. I for one, know that this is so applicable to me as I am currently post-partum. This topic touches so many people, in all age groups so I hope that this blog post will be able to introduce you to something that could potentially help you in the long run. These products could help those of you who have noticed that your hair seems to not be covering your scalp as much as it did before, it is weaker than it used to be or that it is less thick/dense as it used to be, for me I really notice this especially when my hair is in a ponytail, it seems to be 3/4 of its width and it's so defeating. Below I will provide more information on the three different products in the range, so if you're interested in learning more than keep on reading.

It's time to round up some of the products I've used up in the last 3 months and I've sorted them into categories below - skincare/bodycare, foundations/primers/concealer, mascaras, misc and makeup. Keep on reading below to see what I will repurchase again and what I really enjoyed. 

I have never shared my pregnancy story with you all, perhaps I will at one point or another ... however, I thought that I could share my postpartum journey with you as I am going through it right now. As this is my own personal experience, please keep in mind that nothing below is meant to be insensitive to others - it is what I have personally experienced and how it has made me feel. I've talked to a few new moms recently who have also shared the same views/frustrations so I thought that someone else would probably read this and have felt or is currently feeling the same way at some point as well. Also, keep in mind that I had to narrow it down to just the main points so far, I can't share every single thought... so here goes....

1. Breastfeeding vs. Formula ~ I was one of those women who never had her milk production come in. I don't want to hear that I haven't tried hard enough, because I have. I tried lactation cookies, teas, soups and other concoctions. There was lots of frustration, guilt and overall anxiety about how I couldn't produce milk. My doctor even told me, sometimes it just doesn't happen to some women and you are one of them... and even my mom was asking why I was torturing myself to try to do this. Early on, my baby was losing too much body weight and was really battling jaundice and was told that he's not being fed enough.. so I finally turned to formula. My pediatrician said 15 minutes per boob and then the rest, top him up with formula - at a certain point if you're not producing enough milk and your baby is just working hard to suck nothing out... they are just burning more calories than they are absorbing. That made total sense to me ~ I am here to do what is best for my baby. That is my number one priority. 

What is really frustrating is those who (whether intentionally or not) like to express their opinions on formula feeding vs. breast feeding. How they never know what it's like to ever have had to use a bottle or wash one... how they're baby is only ever breast fed and how they're so lucky to have enough breast milk. I guess it's just knowing who you're talking to.. and knowing that each person has their sensitivities right? It's almost like now I completely get why it's so bad to ask people "when are you planning to have kids?" ~ How do you know that they're not trying? How do you know that they're not experiencing difficulties? How do you know that its not a choice that they're not having kids? Sometimes, it's better to just keep comments to yourself....there's no need to compare yourself to others. 

2. Unsolicited Advice ~ If you have to begin your sentence to someone with - here's some unsolicited advice for you... chances are, don't finish that sentence and don't bother saying what you have to say, especially if you are so distant from that person. 

3. Having an off day or days ~ We all have bad days there's no doubt about it, but just because I am a new mom, it does not automatically translate to postpartum depression. I completely agree that Postpartum Depression is a very serious topic that has to be discussed and there should be more transparency about it, however what I am talking about is just how being a new mom... and if I am just having a rough few days and you can see that I am having it, it should not directly translate to me having depression and thereby someone suggesting that I need help for it. I had someone very distant to me read on my instagram post that I was having a rough few days ~ and then began the "unsolicited advice on what I should do as a new mom and how I should address my depression before it gets worse". I don't think that is truly the way to handle something like that.. especially not via a DM on Instagram. 

4. Hairloss and Swelling ~ I was fortunate enough to not experience any swelling during my pregnancy, but approximately 1 month postpartum my ankles began to swell so badly that I couldn't even sit or stand without the skin in my ankles hurting when it folded because it was so swollen. It almost felt like the circulation was cutting off when I sat down. The hair loss is no joke - just when you think that the huge chunk you have lost during the shower in your drain is it, you then blow-dry your hair and the entire floor is covered with hair once again. That beautiful hair you have grown during pregnancy is now all on the floor and you have just about enough to make your very own cousin IT from Addams Family. That does stop though, now that I am 5 months postpartum it has finally slowed down and I see the baby hairs growing. 

5. The return of the period ~ I actually got my period back 4 months postpartum and yes it did suck after not having my period for about a year. What makes it worse is when people ask you if you got your period back yet and they say oh wow that sucks, I don't know how it feels like because I didn't get back for a year and a half. Sigh...no...just.. don't do that ...repeatedly to someone. It's not nice.

6. Getting intimate again... ~ when the time comes that you want to get intimate again after you have had your baby, know that things will definitely be different. Your lady bits went through alot during childbirth so sometimes, you may not be too loose but there are also cases where when you are stitched up, you have been over corrected. 

For those of you who are moms... what have been some of your postpartum experiences? 

Until next time, XO - M.

I have previously written about Jouviance before, it is a Canadian skincare company that is developed by dermatologists. This summer, they released their Coconut Melting Balm which I have been using for so many things on both myself and baby! It is an amazing multi-tasking product that can be used as a body moisturizer, baby butter, belly balm, lip moisturizer, hair mask and serum, hydrating night mask and I even use it on my eczema patches on my hand and my dry cuticles. 

All of the methods of use above are pretty self explanatory, but on baby I like to use it as a diaper balm to prevent diaper rashes! It is also suggested that it can be used as a massaging component for the baby. It is safe for use for babies (clearly) as well as pregnant women on their baby bumps to cure any dry and itchy skin from the stretching and to help address or prevent some stretch marks.

As you can see below, the product is housed in a very generous plastic container that holds 220ml of product and is priced at $45.  The ingredients include: Coconut Oil (50% cold pressed, non-hydrogenated, non-deodorized), 50% coconut oil of first pressure and deodorized by steam, essential fatty acids, Vitamin E, Pro-A, B3 and phytosterols. It also includes Hyaluronic Acid which I have constantly raved about on this blog - it is said to give the skin moisture and helps with fine lines and wrinkles by gently plumping it. 

For those who are interested, Coconut Oil is organic, vegan, high-quality and gmo, cruelty and phthalate free. 

The one thing I extremely appreciated was the scent. I really dislike super artificial smelling coconut products or ones that smell too waxy. However, this smells like fresh coconut cream almost - its natural, and has not been messed around with. 

The balm melts really quickly onto the skin and does not leave a thick layer behind. When using it as a moisturizer, I prefer using it at night right after I shower, before I hop into bed. 

This is a highly recommended product to purchase! It is worth every penny considering it is so multipurpose.

Until next time, XO - M.

*product was sent to me for review, all opinions are my own.

Postpartum hairloss is no joke, just when you thought that the tough part is over, you know the labor, delivery and recovery from the tear or c-section, you have another wave of things to encounter postpartum. For me, it included some minor swelling in my ankles (which is weird because I never had any swelling during pregnancy) and the worst of it for me is the postpartum hair-loss. My friend Jamie from Girl Loves Gloss and I were sharing our journey through this and we both agreed that it was quite traumatizing. CHUNKS of hair would fall out during the shower and my silver drain cover would turn black with hair once done. When you think that you've lost enough in the shower, you go to blowdry your hair and the same amount of hair falls out again, the entire bathroom floor is covered with hair. So all in all you feel like you can create cousin IT (from Addams Family) with the amount of hair you have lost during one shower. What is supposed to be a relaxing shower has now turned into IM GOING BALD frantic moments with a wave of anxiety. Needless to say I was on a hunt to find some products that would help me out through this ordeal and I think I've narrowed it down to the below items that have helped me through the roughest parts.

Lastly, there is the L'Oreal Serioxyl Line that again is a step system that includes a shampoo, conditioner and treatment. For additional assistance, there is the Serioxyl Denser Serum to be applied every evening directly to the scalp. This system is quite similar in terms of steps to the Nioxin above, except that in the kit, the L'Oreal line has a serum as Step 3, and Nioxin has a mousse. It is up to personal preference then to which you prefer. This product worked well, it reduced some hair loss but I found it to be a little drying to the hair shaft itself. 

Out of the four products above, the way I would rank them would be LUSH, OGX, Nioxin and then L'Oreal. My must buys would be LUSH and OGX :)

Do you have any products you use to prevent hairloss? I'd love to hear about them!

Until next time, XO - M.

*Products were sent to me for review, all opinions are my own