theNotice: a beauty blog

Just a bit of a product ramble for you this morning, rather than a review! (It’s the first Monday of term; who can blame me if I don’t want to work?)

I’ve had a bar of LUSH Snowcake in my bathroom for — weeks, now. It spent most of December (and possibly part of November) in my “to test” box, travelled around from box to box to bowl to table… and finally, finally, weeks too late, I’m ready to review it.

(Tell me I’m not the only one that loves slicing soap.)

The thing about Snowcake is that, at first, I hated it. Hated. I couldn’t stand the way it smelled, with notes of rose, cassis, and benzoin, but I think I know why. It’s not the scent; not at all. It’s the weather.

Edmonton’s been unseasonably warm this winter, and to be honest, it’s rather put me off my usual cold-weather scents. I’m still reaching for my classic, springy Balenciaga Paris Eau de Parfum when I should (based on the time of year) be back in love with my winter favourites – Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur layered with Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille.

(And oh god, don’t even get me started on the obscene price points of those two. Both scents that I adore, but that I doubt I’ll ever own in anything more than small decants.)

Strangely, after sitting in my bathroom for a few weeks, I found myself seeking out the comfortable warmth of Snowcake. It’s a sort of creamy, holiday fragrance, based (according to LUSH) off almond marzipan and rose absolute. They sound like strange notes to be listed together, but — it works.

If you can still get your hands on a bar of Snowcake, and you’re a fan of almondy gourmands, I’d say give it a go. (Oh, and if you can’t find it, perhaps keep an eye out for Smitten, a rich hand cream that features the same scent.)

Keep reading »

Okay, so maybe, mayyyybe the title for this post existed before the post itself did. What can I say; a good pun’s a good pun! (And this one, well, it was too good to pass up.)

Anyhow: these are the products that I’m loving right now. For most of them, said love is highly dependent on the fact that it’s summer; for others, I just happen to be loving them while it’s summer.

Body products I’m loving

Emjoi Emagine epilator { $99 | review } and Johnson’s Baby Powder mini { $2 }

I’ll be honest: when it comes to hair, I have a lot of it. (Well, not so much on my scalp anymore, but… everywhere else, still!) I’ve landed the unfortunate combination of pale skin, dark hair, and chronic fatigue – so shaving everyday isn’t an option, but neither is ignoring hair removal altogether.

The cherry on top is that after a year of epilating, I can honestly say that I have finer hairs now than I did when I started. It’s a ridiculously boring task, but totally worth it in the end!

Upper Canada Soap Fruit Frappé Body Lotion in Pear with mangosteen { $12 | review } and Vaseline Cocoa Butter Vitalizing Gel Body Oil { $7 }

When it’s really hot out, I prefer to go with subtle scents that stay close to the skin, and body products do a great job of fitting the bill. The Fruit Frappé has a deliciously fresh, juicy pear fragrance, and the gel-oil has a wonderfully rich (but not too heavy) cocoa fragrance. They both make me want to eat my own arm, of course, but so far I’ve been able to resist. 

(Keep reading…)

So, how excited are you for the products being added to Marcelle’s Hydra-C line? Because I think it’s pretty darn exciting!

My skincare regimen is pretty much solid right now (might do a “what I’m using” post sometime soon, because I’m honestly loving everything sink-side right now) and I’m not sure which, if any, of these will be silicone-free, but all I can say is damn, Marcelle. That’s one hell of an intriguing press release you got goin’ there.

This August (which is approaching at an alarming rate), Marcelle will be adding four products to their Hydra-C line. All four (erm, and a half) will be paraben and alcohol free, and like the rest of the line, they’re aimed at the 18-28 year old market. They’re priced appropriately for it, too, which is awesome – they range from $12 to $23 each.

And did I mention, the Hydra-C line is orange? I don’t know why, but I’ve been really into orange recently in relation to skincare. (Erm, the colour, not necessarily the scent.) It just feels so fresh, y’know? *shrugs*

(The products…)

I’m going to start this review with a fact: I hate writing negative reviews.

Even more than that, though, I hate writing negative reviews for companies that I like. It feels a bit like I’m stabbing a friend with a dull, rusty knife in the back, and I alway feel guilty afterwards. At the end of the day, though, that doesn’t matter, so: don’t say I never did anything for you :P

(Is it just me, or is this week like, negative review week at theNotice? This one, plus the Lancome one from yesterday, and the Benefit one from Monday, and I think I’m doing a semi-negative L’Occitane one on Friday. Gah! Sorry for such a Debbie Downer week.)

The product: Diane Lai Fresh Daily Body Wash

Okay, well, let’s start off with the things that I like about Diane Lai, shall we?

I like the simplicity of the line (just three products so far), I like that they’re all free of parabens, phthalates, and silicones, I like that they’re made in Canada. I like that they’re marketed as being family-friendly, and that they use only BPA-free plastics, and that the products all target dry skin. I quite like the lightweight, lasting hydration of Rejuvenate, and I like that none of the products contain artificial colorants or fragrances.

But when it comes to Fresh, I really, really, really do not like the scent. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that I hate it. It clings to my skin after I come out of the shower, hangs around my bathroom for the entire day, and just generally gets on my nerves. It’s very grassroots-herbal, which is very much not my cup of tea.

While Soothe and Rejuvenate both feature a light, lavender fragrance, Fresh changes things up by bringing additional extracts into the mix: pine, ginseng, and coneflower (echinacea), to name a few. And, well, it just isn’t doing it for me!

The verdict?

With my weird fragrance ticks, Fresh gets a huge “never again!” in my books. But – well, I almost want to say that my review shouldn’t disuade you from giving the product a try (that is, if you can smell it in-store before buying), even though it’s thoroughly negative.

The reason why is simple: my weird fragrance ticks are just that, mine. Lisamarie (Beauty Crazed) said in her review that “the best part [about Fresh] is the smell,” describing it as that of “an expensive spa,” and Gaby (Gaby’s Beauty Blog) thought that Fresh would be great for sensitive skin because she “didn’t really notice a scent.”

So, basically – I didn’t like Fresh. I really, really didn’t. But… you just might ;)

(Ingredients…)

The product: Marcelle Essentials Cleansing Milk

The cleansing: When you feel like you’re basically just smearing lotion on your face, you don’t expect said lotion to take off all your makeup… but this does. (I mean, it doesn’t take everything in the entire world off, but you honestly can’t expect a basic cleanser to remove your waterproof eyeliner – after all, that’s what makeup remover is for, right?)

The ingredients:

The moisture: I wasn’t a fan of cleansing milks before this one, but after just a week or two of using this exclusively, I can honestly say that my skin is noticeably less dry and patchy than it used to be. Add on the fact that this is scent- and silicone-free, has absolutely brilliant packaging (I’m a sucker for a lid that turns to lock), and is just under $15, and you have a winner.

The verdict?

I’m a bit like a thirteen year old girl for this one, and it’s the cute boy in the back of the classroom. Yes, it’s boring, and no, I don’t get to have fun with the foam and the bubbles and the squeaky-clean feeling, but my skin’s just been so damn happy with it.

Anyhow, the only explanation* is that this is an absolutely fantastic cleanser, and it’s well worth loving if you have normal/dry skin or a combination thereof!

*Not true; the alternate explanation is that Marcelle’s laced this one with heroin and I’m literally addicted to it. Somehow, though, I don’t think the CFDA would have approved that ingredient list.