Julia Be Sharing

Sharing and reporting on pretty things and other tidbits

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Finally, Anti-Aging and Sun Protection for Hands!

One of the things my mom instilled in me for measuring beauty was observing one's hands. I know she isn't the first person to do so because I remember watching "Gone with the Wind" and the scene where Scarlett lies to Rhett about having been chilling comes undone when he takes a look at her rough, tanned hands always stuck with me as well! 

And as a daily SPF wearer and as someone who is SO regimented about sun protection, it always boggled my mind that there was no hand cream with SPF in it. Well, that was until I found "L'occitane Brightening Hand Care SPF 15" AND "Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Correcting Hand Cream SPF 15" this weekend! 

                                    I was all WHAAAAT?! This is amazing! I tried both and decided to go with L'occitane's hand cream since L'occitane is infamous for their shea butter hand cream formula! Also the "Brightening Hand Care SPF" is a part of their Immortelle line which smells divine and is packed with these flowers from Europe that is supposed to be the focus of their entire Immortelle line. 

So far so good, the cream isn't too thick (too bad because I really really love thick hand cream formulas) but it does the job. It lightly moisturizes and best of all, protects my hands from sun damage with added anti-aging benefits. I have a feeling I just found one of those products that is going be on my regular re-stock list. When I run out of this, I'll be trying the one from Clinique as well. I'm just glad companies are finally putting these SPF hand creams out! Hopefully in the near future, there will be more to choose from!

Ah, before I go, I should mention, the price was a bit of a downer. For 75ml of product, it was a bit steep at $33 CAD (for both products as Sephora) 

Julia Sharing :) 

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Nail Polish Application 101

I know. Who doesn't know how to properly apply nail polish right? But I found that there are better ways to apply and there are worse ways to apply. Depending on the consistency of the polish and its texture, your application technique can also change and unless you work with the texture and the consistency of the polish, you'll end up with a polish job that looks uneven and sometimes even bubbly as it dries. 

Another polish application mishap I see often is in the form of people who can't paint within the nail boundary and paint over the cuticles and surrounding areas. To avoid this, all you have to do is drop the polish a little away from the cuticle and push the polish closer as shown in steps 3 and 4. 

I know it's not rocket science but if you don't already apply this way, give this a try and see how much cleaner and easier your polish job can look! 

Julia Sharing :) 

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Spring Trend: Dolly Lips and Ombre Lips!

Ombre hair was the IT trend in 2012, so whats the new ombre?! Ombre lips of course for 2013! This is actually called "gradient lips" and are all the rage over in Japan and Korea (have been for the past few years actually). The Korean and Japanese ladies adore this look because it gives your face a "dolly" look. You know when dolls have tiny little lips with a hint of pink in the middle? Well this is basically that. 

To achieve this look, all you have to do is apply a little bit of lip tint (like benetint) right at the centre of your lips and lightly blend outwards but leaving the outer edges completely untouched by any product. 

If your lips are a little pigmented and they're darker (I have this- my lips are pretty well pigmented on their own), apply a TINY bit of concealer to neutralize and tone down the pigmentation of your lips before tinting the middle. 

I really love this look because it looks youthful, fresh, and like you're not really wearing makeup. I'm a huge fan of any subtle looks and this is the epitome of subtle lip colour.

The tint in the middle look is more popular in Asia but I'm noticing a different ombre lip trend here in North America. A more bold, more colourful and insanely eye popping ombre lips are all over spring makeup trends and editorials I've been reading. Instead of creating innocent dolly like lips, we're lining our lips with bold colours and blending that into different shades and even using more than two colours to create ombre lips. 

  The colour combinations and design choices are endless. You can ombre with more than one colour or make the ombre from top to bottom (like in the bottom left picture). I'm loving this spring trend! How fun, how pretty! 

Julia Sharing :) 

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No More Shoe-icide!

So mad that I bought a pair of shoes that were seemingly comfortable enough only to wear them out and have my feet literally dying and covered in blisters! To make matters worse, when I tried to take them back, the store said that since they have been worn outside, they aren't able to do anything for me. I'm stuck with these shoes that I can't wear because they hurt SO bad! 

Upon a little internet search I found that there are a few remedies I can try to stretch the shoes a little bit so they would hurt less. As pictured above, all you'll need is; a hair dryer, a pair of thick socks and the shoes that hurt. And all you have to do is put on the socks and squeeze into the shoes and blow dry them. Repeat this process for about 2 or 3 times for a few minutes at a time. Try on the shoes without the thick socks and see how they feel! You'll find that the shoes will have stretched a bit giving you a tiny bit of wiggle room for comfort. 

Julia Sharing :) 

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Are Regular Facials Worth The Trouble (and MONEY)?

I personally don't think so. Facials are expensive at around $100 per treatment. I rarely get them but during a recent visit to a spa, I decided to get a hydrating facial that was recommended to me. Although it was good, I didn't feel that it was worth the $100 price tag and here's why.

The treatment itself consisted of applying an reapplying various products and a face/head massage. I noted that the therapist used products like the sheet mask, hydrating serums and other lotions. The therapist went through a series of applying-waiting-and removing. Being somewhat well versed in home remedies and masks, I found the process kind of like paying someone a lot of money to put stuff on my skin for me- with products I already have at home. Sheet masks for example are awesome and my go-to remedy when my skin needs a pick-me-up. But those I purchase for about $5 at a Korean shop. Facial massages are also amazing (especially when someone else does it for you!) but it is easy to apply very emollient lotion on the skin and massage in various directions to relax the various problem points around your face yourself! Just use light fluid movements in strokes that go from the centre of your face moving outwards. 

Sorry spa facials, while you're wonderful, we can do it ourselves. I'm a big believer in doing things I can do myself. For example, unless I'm getting shellac or something fancy done, manicures are done at home. Saving my money for things like good products I can use at home seems like a logical thing to do for me! Of course, it's nice to pamper and splurge once in a while but trust me, at home facials are just as effective and FREE. 

Julia Sharing :)

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Fave Rave: Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Serum

               I'm a pretty harsh critic when it comes to beauty and skincare products. I am ruthless and won't spend money on something if I deem it useless. And of course being a skincare junkie; I have spent/wasted a fair share of $$ on expensive miracle products based on their claims. So far I've not found a skincare product that I feel has worked for me EXCEPT Lancome's Genifique Youth Activating Serum. It goes without saying, I'm on my 5th bottle of this (that's pretty big coming from a chronic skincare/beauty product buyer). 

This is a serum that you apply before your moisturizer. The rule for layering skin product goes; thinnest to the thickest. I apply this first and pat to let is sink during my skincare routine. Just by looking at the ingredients list, this doesn't really seem to contain any miracle but somehow it works. 

Since I've started using this last year, my skin has become more even, less blotchy and smoother. I was never a big skincare person but once I started investing in some solid products like this serum, there's definitely been an improvement in the texture and quality of my skin. 

In case you're wondering what serums are; serums are usually gel like skincare products that are NOT moisturizing BUT due to their thin consistency, able to penetrate all layers of skin quickly. Moisturizers, due to their bigger molecules, only penetrate the top layer of skin. 

Serums are amazing for preventative and corrective measures against specific skin woes. I wanted something that would generally even my skin's tone and texture and Lancome's Genefique proved to be a winner! Loving this bottle of skin saver right now. 

Julia Sharing :) 

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Bare Face vs. Confidence

Travelling shakes up my daily routine both in life and in beauty for me. For my latest travel I was SO rushed during packing, I forgot to pack my mascara AND flat iron. TWO of my most needed beauty items. Since I saw it pointless to try and beautify without my top two weapons of choice, I made a decision to go bare faced (and no hair styling) for a week. 

I went totally makeup free for one week and it felt awesome! Sure I felt self conscious at times- like whenever I ran into super pretty and super fashionable people. But I think this little skin "detox" and an image "adjustment" week was great for my confidence. I'm a beauty junky and I usually never go out without some makeup on but this was SO liberating to go everywhere with NO makeup on! I found myself never looking in the mirror to see if my mascara was flaking or if my blush was fading away. I also found myself care free about going swimming and it felt really nice! 

Even my hair was style-free. I just let me hair be and though it didn't look polished or beautiful, it was nice to get to know it in its natural state. I got to see where I have subtle waves and kinks which I didn't know were there from daily styling! 

So which wins? Bare face or confidence? Both for sure since bare face brought confidence back. 

Julia Sharing :) 

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Spring Mani: Minty Tiffany Blue Manicure

So it's officially spring! With daylight savings and some spring rain underway, I thought it would be appropriate to update my nails as well! For the most of winter months, I've been loving dark tones and red hues. But it's spring and it's time to try on some pastels! Mint is the big winner this season as one of spring's biggest trend shades. On my nails is Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in #340, Mint Sorbet. The formula is opaque enough so two layers are more than ample with this polish. On my slightly tanned hands (fresh back from a sun vacation), it almost looks Tiffany Blue! What are you rocking on your nails this spring? 

Julia Sharing :) 

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Weird and Gross Beauty Fads

I was glossing over my Flipboard feed last night when I saw a picture of Anderson Cooper with WHITE BIRD POOP smeared on his face. Haha, I had to see what it was all about and also this got me thinking about other weird and gross beauty remedies! 

Bird poop facial

So Anderson Cooper tried this because apparently this is all the rage in Hollywood among celebs. And no, they didn't just make this up for the sake of being weird. This is a real beauty remedy that has its roots in Japanese Geisha culture. Geisha's are known for their perfectly fair skin and my haste google search shows that Tom Cruise is also into this! 

Pizza hut perfume 

Pizza Hut has a perfume! This is a gag that was initiated by Pizza Hut Canada (I know eh?!) and caught quite a bit of attention! I personally have never smelled it so I don't know whether it's the scent of meat lover's or good 'ol pepperoni. Another interesting thing about this perfume is that it isn't available for purchase, you have to go on their Facebook and state why you "desire" this. A pretty clever social media promo I think. 

               Placenta Chips

This one is SOOOOOOOOOO odd and also another Hollywood fad- January Jones did this. So placenta chips are basically dried flakes of placenta that people collect while giving birth. Some people think that placenta is THE fountain of youth (probably because babies live in it and they're well... youthful?). But doctors refute that placenta chips are good for one's body and skin. They say that placenta offers no nutrition and this is more of a symbolic "young wives tale". Ps. Placenta eaters will apparently not only eat make it into chips, but also into spread, and smoothie.

Honourable mentions: Bagel Head

This is a fad from Japan (but pioneered in Canada! huh?) where people inject their forehead to cause a swelling and then push down the middle of the circular swelling creating a bagel. I don't understand and I won't attempt to. 

People do weird things in the sake of beauty! I've tried quite a few different things that's made my mom's mind boggle but I'm drawing my line at these odd "beauty" fads. 

Julia Sharing :) 

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Beach Beauty Essentials!

I recently had a beach vacation where I spent a week in glorious Jamaica! Now I'm no novice to beach fun so over the years, I've developed a short list of must have's for fun in the sun. Of course there are some obvious items but read on to see what else you may be forgetting! 

(image: stylebomb.net)

SPF Products: This is a no brainer. I like having THREE different types of SPF products though. One for the body, one specifically made for face and one for the lips! I found that when I used SPF designed for body on my face, it was too greasy and I ended up looking like a shiny disco ball face in most pictures. Also I like having SPF 30 for the body (because I want my legs to be sunkissed) and SPF 50 for my face for extra added protection- since this is the last area of my body I want to expose to photo-aging! 

Wet-Naps: I usually have a pack of huggies or pampers wet naps in my beach bag. This comes in so handy if you're about to eat a snack and your hands are super dirty. This is also awesome for wiping your face and your lips after a dip in the ocean (or the pool) to wipe away any residue salt from your face which can sting if you have sensitive skin like me.

Sunglasses + CASE: Obvious I know but do you always remember to take a case with you? Once I took a pair of expensive shades to a beach without a case and it ended up getting so scratched up with sand and tumbling around in my purse with other knick knacks.

(image: wordandfilm.com)

A good book: This year, I read "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand and "Tao of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoff. Both were excellent and allowed me to sit long enough in the sun to get slightly bronzed legs. There is nothing worse than being stranded on the beach without a book for me. I feel like as we become older, we just don't get around to reading as much as we did when we were younger. So go ahead and pack a few good books too!

Hair Elastic: I know I know, super obvious but I forgot to pack hair elastics one year and had to spend my entire vacation with so much hair in my face, so tangled, so mangy and desperate for a hair elastic. 

And now for a list of things NOT to bring- I know, I want to instagram a picture of the beach too but I always opt to leave my iphone behind because so many things can go wrong and it would REALLY and TRULY such to lose all my pictures, contact info and everything else. Plus, you never want to bring anything valuable to the beach since it's not like you have a personal locker on the beach. You might just want to leave your things on your beach chair and frolic in the ocean without having to worry about theft. 

Make sure you pack some of these essentials next time you're getting ready for some fun in the sun! 

Julia Sharing :) 

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Fave Rave: Make Up Forever Aqua Brow

                           (photo: sephora.com)

Brows are perhaps the most important part of my beauty routine. I have thick brows but they don't extend far enough so I've always had to use some kind of a brow product to extend my brows beyond my arch to make them look complete.

Over the years, I have tried everything from pencils, waxes, powders among many many other things! Really, at the end of the day, once you develop a technique and get used to manipulating the tool that you best prefer, it's easy to create a natural looking pair of brows. The problem I was having though was that none of these items were long lasting. It wasn't uncommon for me to come home after work to smudged brows or fainted brow tails because pencils would fade and powders would rub off easily. 

Enter Make Up Forever's Aqua Brow: this is a gel type product that you have to use with a slightly stiff brow brush (I used MAC's 208 brush and it's great). I was introduced to this product at Sephora by a Make Up Forever specialist who swore by this product in terms its stay power. And she didn't lie! This really doesn't budge. 

I have tested this product on the back of my hand by applying a thick layer, waiting a few minutes for it to set and rubbing it around. And na da! It didn't budge! When I applied this to my brows, it set to a natural dry matte finish and didn't move around when I tried to rub it off with my hands. So far so good! I'm sure that it might move around and fade a little when I sweat or apply moisture to it but so far, the only thing that it comes off with is makeup remover. 

The real test was when I took this with me to a beach trip and it stood pretty well. Of course it rubbed away when I went swimming and got my face wet- coupled with a reapplication of sunscreen all over my face!  

Despite not lasting through the beach romp (I actually would be scared if any makeup however long lasting it is, lasts through a beach romp), I am a convert! Since this is a new format of brow application (I'm used to pencils and powders), it took a little bit of getting used to. Plus the colour (I chose #25 Ash) looked a little intimidating at first but once you load it up in your brush, you can control how intensely or subtly it applies (just use more or less product). 

If brows are important to you and you prefer to have well defined, full looking brows even through heat and moisture, give this a whirl! This really is the most natural looking method if that's important to you as well. 

Julia Sharing :) 

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What is Co-Washing?

                          (photo: thehairytruth.tumblr.com)

Recently, I have been contemplating cutting my hair because it's so lifeless, dull and long. And then I found out about this "co-washing" method for hair. Apparently ladies with curly textured hair have been doing this for a LOOOOONG time but this remained trade secrets. Apparently, it is starting to become mainstream with the help of popular products like Wen and L'oreal's EverCreme. 

So what is co-washing? Co-washing is washing your hair with conditioner and conditioner only and skipping shampoo altogether. I like this concept since my hair is dry and damaged and I am such a fiend for moisture for my hair. 

The method is super simple and perhaps easier than shampooing and deep conditioning. It's basically;

wet hair-massage conditioner into hair thoroughly- and wash/dry. 

A bit of search on makeupalley.com and google says that while Wen is a fine product for co-washing, it is expensive. Many MANY people suggested using Suave's conditioner for co-washing because apparently it lathers a little so you'll feel a little clarifying conditioning rather than pumping your hair full of slippery waxy conditioner and creating more build up. Some people have also suggested using a clarifying shampoo once a week or once every other week to get rid of the build up from conditioning and hair products. 

So there you have it! Considering co-washing and cheaper alternatives before running out and cutting your hair or investing in an expensive hair product. 

Julia Sharing :)

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Best and Worst Hand Creams!

I'm a dry skinned gal so that has me constantly searching for the perfect hand cream that will hydrate and also smell nice (I'm particular about scents! Especially if it's something I'll be applying quite a few times a day). My perfect hand cream should be a little thick, extremely hydrating and also wouldn't make my hands feel gritty or residue-y after it has absorbed. Here is a list of some hand creams I've tried recently and how they performed for my dry hands! 

                             Bliss 

B-. I like Bliss products, they smell really nice (subtle and never over-powdering) and the texture of this hand cream is beautiful. It's like this whipped body butter texture that goes on really smoothly and seems to promise much. But alas, when it absorbed, it made my finger tips feel gritty and like I had stuff on my hands making me want to wash my hands because my hands felt "dirty". I kept it around but put this on my elbows instead of hands. 

                  Kielh's 

B. This had an overwhelming minty smell and this is marketed as a "salve" rather than a cream. And upon first application, this seemed really promising too. Except when it dried and absorbed, it was kind of like the Bliss hand cream. Left my hands feeling like I had a film of "dirt"! 

                           Fruit and Passions Hand Butter 

A. I never ever go into Fruit and Passions but walked in one day because I needed some liquid hand soaps and this caught my eye. I bought two (basil something and also lime something) and loved how they were scented. Very subtle and pleasant, nothing overpowering! And to my surprise, the butter applied extremely smooth and hydrated very well. Once absorbed and dried, it left my hands feeling supple without any weird residue-y feelings on my finger tips! A winner and a recipient of Elle Beauty Awards as chosen by their readers as well!

JR Watkin 

A+. Absolute favourite of mine. This comes in a few scents and my favourite is the lemon cream one- this one literally smells like lemon pound cake! For some reason, I've only been able to find the lavender one lately which makes me sneeze whenever I apply it. Regardless, the formula is rich, thick and dries down to pure hydration- thanks to Shea butter. No weird "dirty" feeling finger tips! Next time I come across the lemon butter one of this, I'm buying like 10! 

L'occitane 

B+. Another famous Shea butter formula in a hand cream. L'occitane's hand cream is a little inconvenient to apply because it comes with a twist cap that is really really tiny. Their hand creams come in a wide array of scents and they all smell divine! However, the formula is a little thinner than I'd like for my dry hands and it also leaves that odd weird gritty feeling on my finger tips which has me wanting to apply more every few minutes. 

                                 Glysomed 

A. This one is the one currently sitting on top of my bedside table. The ingredient that makes this hand cream so moisturizing is Glycerine (which is pretty much a cure all) and although this cream leaves a slightly greasy feeling on my hands, I much prefer slippery fingers than weird gritty "dirty" feeling ones. A good one in a pinch because it's so easy to find at any drug store. 

Julia Sharing :)

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Men's Cosmetics, Yay or Nay?

(image: scform.com)

It's now no secret that men are also into things like skincare and grooming products, but what about makeup? I was killing time on Facebook a few days ago when I saw that one of my Korean male friends posted a picture of his new BB cream- A Korean BB cream made for men! I know then men in Asia (Korea and Japan) have been using powder products and foundations for a while but I wasn't sure that there was a market for brands! This was a bit of a paradigm shifter as I know that my male friends here in Toronto would probably never admit to wanting to wear makeup. 

Well, no I take it back, I know that some guys will reach for a stick concealer to hide acne spots and I even know of someone who has YSL's touche e'clat to subdue his dark circles after a night out. So why is it that men in Asia are more accepting about beautifying then men in North America? Maybe because of the different beauty standards between the two continents? Or maybe because androgyny is more mainstream? 

                            (image: mrmfashion.blogspot.com)

Consider the Korean term; FLOWER BOY. Flower boys are men who are pretty and they are viewed as symbols of beauty in Korean society. This is a new genre of aesthetics for men in Korea and has nothing to do with sexual orientation and some girls prefer these flower boys to big burly men. 

I'm a beauty junky so I encourage my boyfriend to groom and to take care of his skin but I know not to push it! He'd never ever go for wearing any kind of make up on his face because he's not comfortable with the idea and probably thinks it's effeminate. I would be very interested to see if this trend is something that is going to fly here in North America- and if it does, it would be super interesting to see which of my guy friends would be the first to go for it! 

Julia Sharing :) 

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Travel Proofing Your Beauty Items and Security Limits

                                (image: fitnessmagazine.com)

Ah yes, travels and vacation are what I live for. When I first started travelling, I wasn't so well versed in packing my beauty things and would just go super minimal- like a bottle of SPF and a face cream. Which resulted in me coming back from an amazing vacation with bad skin. One year, I came back from Mexico with horrible acne all over my face and super dry flaky skin which got me to step up for packing beauty essentials for travel. 

Packing beauty products for travel isn't always the easiest. Who wants to carry full sized shampoo, conditioner, serum, cream, eye cream, foundation, mists...- ok let's stop here, this can get very long. 

                        (image: idealmagazine.co.uk)

Step 1 to being an efficient traveler with all the essential beauty products is making sure you always stash away all those beauty samples. I know you might feel like they're junk and they might be cluttering your vanity but trust me. Put them aside whenever you receive them as a gift with purchase or at Sephora checkouts. They come in very handy for any short trips! 

Step 2 is figuring out the items that are very essential since you don't want to overpack! I have mine down to; face cleanser, serum, eye cream, face cream, SPF and lip balm for skincare. The list gets a little longer when it comes to makeup; foundation, cream blush, brow pencil, mascara, a small eyeshadow palette, and a couple of lipsticks. Believe it or not, I can make all these things fit into a 1 quart clear plastic bag- compact right?

Step 3 is liquid proofing your beauty items. How crummy would it be to arrive at your destination to find your oil cleanser leaking in the make up bag- this has happened to me! arg. What I do is separate all liquid products into one pile and put them into individual zip lock sandwich bags. This way, if they explode, they won't take the rest of the team down with them. 

Step 4 is making sure you place your well packed beauty items in between clothes- just place them in the plushest part in your luggage. Some beauty items come in plastic and some come in glass- whatever container your beauty friends come in, make sure they aren't going to be feeling too much of the tumble during your travel. 

(image: ebay.com)

Some travel smart tips to remember 

- If you are planning on being efficient and going the carry on route, make sure none of the liquid products are over 100ml. You will have to check your bag or have them thrown away if any liquid exceeds the 100ml limit. 

- Make sure you put your liquid products in a clear 1 quart plastic bag for agents to inspect- some strict agents will insist on going through all the contents if you don't have your liquids ready in a clear back for them to inspect easily. 1 quart plastic bag is the limit for ALL your liquids according to the TSA guideline.

- You can purchase pre-packaged travel sized goodies at Sephora as many MANY brands have their own little travel kits. OR you can head on over to the nearest drug store where you can purchase empty travel sized containers to scoop and pack your liquids and creams (cheap and reusable option!). 

One year, I had to leave a Shiseido cleanser (I had searched a few different department stores to find this particular product because it wasn't available in Toronto at the time) at La Guardia in NY because it exceeded the liquid capacity and I was only carrying on. The sadness was... overwhelming! So if you're carrying on, remember to stay under the limit. If you're checking your bag, you CAN go over the 100ml or 1 quart limit- just remember to pack your liquids well so they survive the tumble! 

Julia Sharing :) 

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Down Under Beauty: Lucas' Papaw Ointment

(image: iheartcosmetics.co.uk)

A friend of mine recently travelled to Australia and brought me a little red tube of magic- Lucas' Papaw Ointment! When she gave it to me, I was DYING for a hand cream because it's winter here in Toronto and I had forgotten my hand cream at home. Though this looked like vaseline, I applied a little bit of this product all over my hands out of desperation and that was it! I was sold. My hands were instantly moisturized and feeling comfortable. Like I said, it looks like Vaseline but unlike Vaseline, it didn't sit on top of my skin feeling greasy and slick- it absorbed right into the skin and I had instant relief. 

She mentioned to me that this is the Australian cult beauty item that everyone asks for whenever she travels down under. I asked what this was made from and she said Papaw (Papaya). And yes indeed, this is made from fermented papaya fruit and apparently has been the Australian beauty favourite for YEARS! 

I love discovering beauty rituals and products from all over the world and this one was such an unexpected surprise. The label on the tube says to use this for any chaps, burns, and other skin irritation including sun burns and bug bites (kind of a like how Asian people use tiger balm for everything and how Canadians use Aquaphor for all their skin issues). I have about a million uses for this product, I carry this around and put this on my lips, around my nose (I have allergies and my nose gets dry!), on my elbows, dry patches on my face, under my make and even on top of my make up- it doesn't mess up my makeup when I rub this around to get rid of flaky patches at work! 

I did a google search in anticipation of running out of this in the near future and it looks like you can purchase this from several online shops -even Amazon! If you need a heal-all, fix-all product that is going to boost your beauty arsenal I say this is it. Give it a try! It was made by an Australian botanist more than a 100 years ago and still going strong. 

Julia Sharing :)

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New Favourite Brand: Caudalie

(image: curiousbeauty.com)

About a week ago, my lovely boyfriend treated me to a spa day at one of the newest spas in Toronto; Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie. I have always seen Caudalie products at places like Murale and Sephora but it's easy to dismiss a brand or a product in a sea of beauty items that I'm already loyal to. Besides, Caudalie is something that I hadn't heard too much about so it always went ignored. But I knew that it was a reputable brand with a strong focus on natural, organic ingredients catering towards people with sensitive skin- their big thing is actually "vinotherapy". So of course when I went to the spa, I was so excited to try all the products they had in the change room and the treatment rooms.

My first impression of this brand was that it smelled like HEAVEN. Everything was scented super subtle, very natural (nothing overpowering or offensive) and very delicate. I got to try a bunch of Caudalie stuff and I was surprised at how mild, gentle, and effective (not to mention how aroma-therapeutic everything was) the products were! I ended up picking up a few of my favourite and I was even more surprised at how affordable they were! Some items from Caudalie I bought and currently obsessed with are;  

(image: tienda.jeperfumes.com)

Fleur De Vigne Energizing perfume 

This was a little than $40 and I loved how natural, none offensive, subtle and FRESH this was. I spritzed a few pumps after a shower and at first it was a little sharp with citric notes but it dried down to a very soft, very delicate clean scent like grapes and grapefruit. I couldn't stop smelling myself- and of course couldn't leave the spa without my very own. 

(image: sephora.com)

Divine Oil 

Holy Grail! I love dry oils. They're amazing because they absorb right into the skin with ALL the moisture and hydration you need without leaving you greasy. And this oil really is divine (such a correctly named product!). It smells of subtle woody and is absolutely exquisite. Made up of grape, extra virgin argan and sesame oil, the use for this oil is endless. This is made for face, body AND hair- and who wouldn't want this all over from head to toe? Just head on over to Sephora's website and check out the accolades from hundreds of reviewer also in love with this oil. 

(image: hqhair.com)

Cleansing Water 

This is a no fuss facial water that you can use to gently tone or to remove make up (using a cotton pad). I love this because it's versatile and SUPER mild. If you have sensitive skin, you will love this Face Water. This sits on top of my vanity because I like to use this as soon as I come from to remove most of my face make up in the gentlest way possible until I'm ready to wash my face before bed time. 

If you have sensitive skin, or if you like your beauty products as natural (natural and organic ingredients) as possible, you should give this a try. It's a French brand and I'm a little bit in love. As for the Miraj Hammam Spa, it was probably the most gorgeous spa I have been to in Toronto so far. Go and try the Caudalie stuff and drink the Moroccan mint tea! It's all very AWESOME. 

Julia Sharing :)