I feel as if I haven’t done a beauty favourites blog post in a long time. It’s time.

I thought I’d take a break from picking out some wedding Thank You cards which are also long overdue on mailing out to our friends and family. My birthday weekend, we ventured out to San Francisco, perched my husband’s camera on a sturdy tripod and sat on the edge of a wharf with a view of the Golden Gate bridge in the background. We got a few great shots of ourselves, which I’ll hold of on sharing until I’m done with the cards. You can have a sneak peek of what it might turn out like, due to the cell phone pic The Guy snagged of us. Poor Alfie looks uncomfortable.At times, I’m glad that we didn’t have to stress about minor things such as invitations, flowers, decorations and whatnot. But at the same time, I wish we had of done it that way. Then I think, who really remembers those details other than the bride?

At the end of this summer, we are heading back to Newfoundland to have a small wedding reception in my parents backyard. I’m not sure whether to e-mail out invites, or to order fancy designed invitations and send them via snail mail. Any thoughts?

Better get crackin’. I did end up ordering some personalized M&M’s to have at our reception, that went with the theme of our Christmas wedding: red, gold and white — simplistic. I’ll talk about that in another post soon.

. . . . .

 All prices are shown in USD.

Dior DiorShow Mascara — $25
This mascara gives tons of volume without the clump. My only complaint with it is that it’s dry from the get-go and reminds me of a 2 month old Smoky Lash from MAKE UP FOR EVER. Mascara should be thrown out between the 3-4month mark as bacteria can build up but I don’t think my Dior mascara will last that long. However I do have a tip for you, if you’re willing to try. Put a 2-3 drops of contact lens solution into the mascara bottle to wet the formula and it’s good as new.

Dry Bar dry shampoo — $20
Amazing aerosol dry shampoo that works for brunettes. If you spray it too close to your hair it will create a blob of white. Obey the directions and you’ll be set. I love this so much I use it on the days I wash my hair, to give it more volume and texture.

Eau de Lacoste perfume — $65
As you know I’m a huge fan of Philosophy Living Grace perfume as it was my Wedding day fragrance. As much as I love that scent, I try not to wear it as an everyday perfume since I don’t wish to ever get sick of it, because it holds a special memory now. Lacoste perfume is a nice replacement for it, for now. I received this from the PR company and I picked it out of a list of perfumes to review as I gravitate towards anything labelled as a fresh, clean scent. The bottle is very modern yet classy, with the clear to gradient white bottle, shaped a little light a light bulb if you ask me. I’m terrible with describing scents, but if you know and like what sort of fragrance I go for, then you’d most likely enjoy it also.

Benefit Porefessional — $31
I’m finally using up my beauty samples from when I was subscribing to so many monthly beauty box subscriptions, and I’ve been leaving Porefessional in my make-up bag to use. I’m surprised at how amazing this is. As a face primer newbie, I’m hooked on it. I don’t use it every day because I think I’d like to reserve flawless skin for special occasions, I plan on getting the full sized once I run out.

Philosophy Miracle Worker with retinoid pads — $74
After washing my face at night, I use one of the pads all over my face and the back of my hands before moisturizing. Retinoid has many benefits as it boosts collagen to reduce fine lines, and most importantly (to me) a speed cell turnover to even out discolouration. I am on my 3rd tub (bought the last two, received the first one for review) and I don’t think I’ll stop buying it for a while. I’ve noticed a tremendous change in my skin since using this and I’m kicking myself for not taking before photos The redness on my cheeks have faded. I feel incredibly comfortable walking around without a stitch of makeup on my face (and not the “no make-up make-up look”) either.

Lacoste L.12.12 — $69
The Guy was lucky enough to get sent the men’s Limited Edition L.12.12 by Lacoste… and he smells incredible. Not that he didn’t before, he rarely wears cologne. This one reminds me so much of his Old Spice deodorant. Very manly but clean, super sexy. He could wear this product daily if he wanted to. It has a unique twist, there’s a hint of citrus and spice to it. The packaging mimics his old school days of when he used to play Tennis on the regular. The Blanc scent is not limited edition, but the bottle is. Getting a bit deeper here, the textured panel running down each side reminds me of the tennis raquet, and the neon yellow flacon is the colour of tennis balls. The L.12.12 bottle mimics the sport of tennis itself, with the textured panel running down each side, reminding us of a tennis raquets threads and the fantastically bright yellow flacon was designed that way as it draws on the tennis ball, which is Lacoste’s renowned heritage.

How often do you wear perfume/cologne?

Have you tried any new beauty products lately?

What is your favourite mascara (and why)?