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Lise Watier fall 2017 review, makeup look, and photos

November 6, 2017

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A little while back, a longtime reader asked me to review the new Lise Watier Ombre Velours Suprême in Maple Velours ($26 CAD) from the Lise Watier fall collection. My interest was immediately piqued: Maple is a unique burgundy shade that you don’t often see in eye products, much less cream-based eye products.

I set out to put together a makeup look with Maple. What I found, however, was that it’s best used on my colouring as a base. The warm, red undertones give depth to neutral and cool eyeshadows, which the Lise Watier Fall 2017 and Lise Watier x ELLE Fall 2017 Weekender collections have in spades.

Highlights of the Lise Watier Fall 2017 makeup collection

I was late to the party for this fall collection, but if you can still get your hands on these products… Here’s what I recommend (and don’t.)

The Weekender Eyeshadow Palette is stellar, with gorgeous rose gold & marble packaging. (I could go without the teal, but that’s just because I’m a curmudgeon and I’m over teal right now.) The Weekender Waterproof Eyeliner is also really interesting – it’s dark and intense. Good burgundy liners are hard to come by, so I’d definitely recommend snapping it up now if it caught your eye.

I’ve never been crazy about the Lise Watier Ombre Velours Suprême formula, so unless you’re hunting for a burgundy eyeshadow base, I’d skip Tan, Maple, and Nuage Velours. (Yes, even though I based this whole look around Maple!)

The Ombre Velours eyeshadows are blendable and sheer, but creamy formulas like these tend to decrease wear time for me. Nuage Velours is a cool base, though – it’s an icy blue-white that’s the polar opposite of the warming Maple.

I would also pass on the Havana Trio Glow palette and the burnt orange Weekender lipstick, but I really like the nude Rouge Gourmands. The packaging is beautiful and chic, and the sheer lipsticks are easy to wear. You only really need one of these sexy beige tubes, though – not all three!

Products used in this fall makeup look

Tags: /4. Makeup looks, Canadian beauty, Cheeks, Eyes, Fall/Winter 2017, Lips, Lise Watier, Makeup looks: neutral

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BonLook review: Spectacles on the cheap (and chic) | BonLook Myrtle, Illusion photos

October 31, 2017

Rae Chen

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There’s always one way that I know I’m really freaking excited about a new thing. When I start drafting a post that I’m super pumped for (something like this BonLook review), each version begins with a functionally useless “OK, SO–” like I’m gossiping with an old friend or about a new flame.

Okay, so: have you heard of BonLook?

The BonLook review: concept

BonLook is a new, Canadian glasses company that’s kind of like a Warby Parker. (They aren’t set up for home try-ons, but if you order a set of frames by mail and you don’t like them, you can return one set per order for a full refund.) The glasses are all designed by BonLook in Montréal, which means that there’s no middle man… so your new glasses are going to cost a heck of a lot less than they used to.

The company currently has locations throughout major centres in Québec and Ontario. I photographed the Toronto Eaton Centre location for my BonLook review, but they’re all this gorgeous! The stores are Instagram-friendly and spacious, with birch and black shelving paired with expansive white surfaces, marble, and mirrors.

BonLook Myrtle in Rose Dazzling review

Each pair of single-vision BonLook glasses feature anti-scratch and anti-glare coatings, and (get this)… They’re only $145. Canadian. Each. Including prescription lenses.

You can get your BonLook frames with additional lens types and treatments, too, including blue light protection, polarization (for your BonLook sunglasses), high-index glass, progressive and degressive lenses, and more.

My BonLook frames

Right now, I’m wearing the BonLook Myrtle frames in Rose Dazzling on a daily basis, and geez–I have never gotten compliments like this on an accessory before. (You can see them all over my Insta if you want more pics!) They’re fun and super hot (not my description), and they do that thing to my face that only really great frames do.

You know: the one where you’re not wearing makeup but your eyes have the look of wearing makeup because your glasses just accent your face that damn well.

BonLook Illusion in Blond Metal review

I also picked up a pair of BonLook Illusion frames in Blond Metal over the summer, but while I love them, I don’t wear them as often. They’re a Look, with 70s softcore vibes and the perfect not-quite-clear tint. (They’re also super lightweight, for anyone who gets migraines!)

My Illusions have a photochromic tint, but even though the BonLook sales associate assured me that they would only tint in direct sunlight… Uh. They totally tint in indirect sunlight, too. Which means that if I wear them at home next to my wall-to-wall windows, they’re lightly tinted until sundown.

The photochromic tint (transition lenses) takes about 15 minutes to fully un-tint, but offers 100% UV protection. It can be layered on top of a prescription lens.

BonLook review: Toronto Eaton Centre

My verdict on BonLook?

Getting a pair of glasses from BonLook isn’t as cheap as getting them from a shop like Zenni or Firmoo – but the quality is WAY better. My BonLook frames are of noticeably higher quality than my Firmoo glasses (which I do still love), and I definitely think they’re worth the price. The styles are more modern overall, and each set of frames is much more durable.

At $145 a pair including lenses, BonLook spectacles are a phenomenal deal. They’re easy to try on online, but the super chill, style-focused in-store experience really sets them apart. They’ve been my #1 product recommendation since the summer, and my Myrtles are the one thing I get asked about most often!

Tags: /Bonlook, Company Review, Fashion, Indie brands, Other, Toronto

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Easy fall cleaning & mandarin orange scent memories

October 28, 2017

Rae Chen

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*sponsored post

In the past few weeks, I have cleaned things that I literally didn’t think would ever be clean again. I’m not talking elbow grease and a bit of hope – I’ve wiped down things that have been off-white for so long that I just assumed they were off-white, only to find that they were still sparklingly radiant beneath a thin layer of grime.

Which, as I type it, is actually a horrifying thing to admit to this many strangers. But there you have it: I am a mess, and I’ve been trying so hard to keep all of my cleaning products green that my furniture has taken a bit of a beating as a result. (Also, the stylus for my drawing tablet. I was legitimately surprised to find out what colour it was originally.)

Pine-Sol’s Mandarin Multi-Surface Cleaner has been my go-to for pretty much all of my fall cleaning, and even though I know it’s not some fancy, small-batch, all-natural product… I kind of love it. It makes cleaning SO much easier on my joints, and I’m done in half the time. Plus, it leaves all of my surfaces smelling vaguely like those little orange candies that you’d find in jars as a child, which always puts a smile on my face.

I’ll be totally honest with you: I never would have tried Pine-Sol if their PR firm hadn’t sent over a few bottles, so thank you, blogging life. I’m glad that I tried these out. These three scents smell NOTHING like the acrid lemon cleaners of days gone by, and they take the muscle work right out of fall cleaning. I’m using them sparingly (only on days when I’m too tired for the green stuff), but man, they help a lot.

What scent brings back the best memories for you?

Tags: /Home, Product Photos

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Bordelle Art Deco AW17

October 26, 2017

Rae Chen

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If something terrible happens to me, can we please all just agree that I’m to be buried in Bordelle Art Deco everything?

(Plus like, actual clothes, I guess. Whatever.)

I’m feeling the pale mauve Bordelle Art Deco Collar & Garters so hard, and the 24k gold plated, geometric accents are just divine. Even the design of the garters is cool – the geometric shape hangs downwards if you’re wearing them alone, and faces up to clip to suspenders if you’re wearing a full set.

Slide your way through the highlights of this collection below.

[show_lookbook_widget id=”374556″]

Tags: /Fashion, Indie brands, Sex

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My Burberry Blush review, photos (AKA Francis Kurkdjian, I take it back.)

October 23, 2017

Rae Chen

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The product: Burberry My Burberry Blush Eau de Parfum

My Burberry Blush is a people-pleaser. It’s basic to the core, with soft, millennial pink juice and a hand-tied, blush pink gabardine knot. It even has pretty gold detailing and a damn horn-look cap.

And you know what? I’m usually a niche perfume snob, but I think My Burberry Blush is awesome.

The mood of My Burberry Blush

I wasn’t at all a fan of My Burberry or My Burberry Black, but I’m all over Blush. It’s one of my favourite perfume flankers ever, and I’m so darn smitten with it that I started misting it before I had even photographed the bottle, which never happens. I wore it for a solid week before the light was just right for photographing it, and I have zero regrets about it.

Blush is unabashedly fruity, with great sillage. It’s a happy scent, and it’s very youthful. Underneath the layers upon layers of sweet fruitiness, there’s a touch of soapiness and citrus that makes this scent smell “shower fresh.”

This is easily the most “feminine” scent that I have in my current rotation, but for some reason, it doesn’t make me feel too high-femme. Instead, it’s unpretentious and basic – in the best way possible. It smells less like a stuffy lawyer or a bouquet of white florals, and more like a badass who knows they’re awesome and doesn’t care who sees them with a unicorn Frappuccino.

The notes & making of My Burberry Blush

My Burberry Blush is described as a “sparkling and intensely feminine” scent, and it absolutely is. Everything about the press materials for this scent feels spot-on for me: Blush really does have a “confident, playful and energetic mood.” It was designed by Francis Kurkdjian and smells very much like one of his creations, but unlike Kenzo World (another one of Kurkdjian’s recent creations), Blush has intentionality. It knows exactly what it wants to be, and it doesn’t care who knows it.

The listed top notes for Blush include glazed pomegranate and lemon, and the heart notes are listed as geranium, crisp apple, and rose petal. The entire scent has base notes of jasmine and wisteria accord.

I smell an entirely different Blush when I mist it and smell the sillage vs. my skin, so I would definitely recommend wearing this around to test it. Don’t just smell it on paper, because it won’t capture the scent.

Against my skin, My Burberry Blush is a little sharp. Especially at the beginning, it smells overwhelmingly clean, with too-sweet fruity notes and hit of florals. A foot away from my face, though, the scent just sort of wafts up and fills my nose. It smells sweeter and softer, with more of an emphasis on the rose and less of an emphasis on the lemon.

The verdict on My Burberry Blush?

If you love soft florals and sweet scents, you need to smell My Burberry Blush. It’s an excellent rendition of a sweet, fruity scent, and it has that wonderful Kurkdjian twist of eccentricity in its very base. There is nothing “floriental” (ugh) about this perfume, and it lasts well throughout the day.

Blush is by far my favourite Burberry fragrance, and I would love to smell it around more next spring. It’s the only perfume that I’m wearing right now (everything else is a cologne), and I think it’s absolutely exquisite.

Availability: $98 CAD/$90 USD (50 ml). Available as of August 2017 at Hudson’s Bay, Sephora, Nordstrom, and Shopper’s Drug Mart. Also offered in a rollerball format.

Tags: /Burberry, Fall/Winter 2017, Fragrance, Product Photos, Product Review

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Kérastase Aura Botanica review, photos | Silicone-free & super luxe

October 19, 2017

Rae Chen

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The products: Kérastase Aura Botanica Shampoo Bain Micellaire, Conditioner Soin Fundamental, Oil Concentre Essentiel, and Oil Essence d’Eclat

There are very few haircare collections that can get me really excited, but the Kérastase Aura Botanica range takes the cake. The products are 98% natural, and they’re made from organic and responsibly sourced ingredients when possible. On top of that, all four products are silicone-free, and they’re luxe as fuck.

(Expletive needed.)

The Kérastase Aura Botanica packaging

Folks, this is where it’s at. I’ll talk about these formulas in a moment, but let’s get real: the packaging of the Kérastase Aura Botanica is the real reason why it’s so lustworthy. (If you’ll note, this post is totally getting tagged as a Gift Guide selection. December, you maniac; here I come!)

With gold detailing, dark red packaging, and delicate line art, the Aura Botanica products just feel luxe. The Bain Micellaire shampoo ($45 CAD) and Soin Fundamental conditioner ($50 CAD) bottles are shower-friendly plastic, while the two oils are packaged in thick glass bottles.

I always wish that Kérastase used flip-tops instead of screw-on lids, but I get that they’re aiming for a clientele that’s more dextrous than I. Screw screw-on lids, though. Flip-tops are where it’s at when your hands are slippery and you’re only half awake!

Kérastase Aura Botanica shampoo, conditioner, and oils review

I may be alone in this, but I always find Kérastase products to be just a little too drying, too. My ends get a little crispy with consistent use, and the shampoos always make my hair feel rough – everything gets so tangled that it’s hard to even scrub my way through to my roots.

But where the shampoo and conditioner lack finesse, the oils in this range are really quite cool. The Essence d’Eclat ($57 CAD) acts as a bi-phasic mist that moisturizes, prevents flyaways, and acts as a heat protectant to up to 230˚C. And the Oil Concentre Essentiel ($60 CAD) is a beast of its own calibre: it’s a little tough to wash out, but it’s designed for use as a pre-shampoo, a treatment (when blended with the conditioner), and a bath/massage oil.

Like other Kérastase ranges, Aura Botanica is really designed to be used as a whole system. You need that heavy conditioner and oil-mist to follow the shampoo, or you’re just going to be too dry. But despite my struggles with dryness, there’s something that’s truly standout about all of these products: the rich, spicy scent.

The Kérastase Aura Botanica verdict?

This luxe range smells just as rich as it looks, with spicy notes that fill the whole shower. I don’t love it as much as I adore the Matrix Biolage R.A.W. range, but everyone’s hair is unique! I have friends who hate the R.A.W. range (or, I should say, I had friends who hate it; obviously, we can’t be friends anymore now that I know they hate it) who I bet would love this one.

I liked the Aura Botanica shampoo and conditioner well enough that I plan on finishing my bottles, but I don’t think I’ll re-buy. They’re a nice way to spoil yourself (or someone else) if you have balanced hair, but I’d recommend focusing on the oils. They’re both quite innovative, and with those glass bottles… Man, they’d make a great gift.

Availability: Permanent as of June 2017.

Tags: /Hair, Kérastase, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Silicone-free, Spring/Summer 2017, The Gift Guide

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The Lipstick Bandits | MAC 3D Silver Glitter + starry lip look

October 16, 2017

Rae Chen

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It’s been forever since I posted a lip look. I was feeling some glitter and I wanted to do a thing with The Lipstick Bandits (check out the #lbrevival💄 tag on Instagram), though, so it’s that time again. I pulled out my old MAC 3D Silver glitter and some clear gloss, and I was off to the races.

Lip looks that are just chunky glitter in a clear gloss have always held my heart, and this is no exception. When I started planning this look, I actually had something else in mind – a really disperse, gold glitter look.

But seeing as not a single MAC or Sephora in the entire city carries chunky gold glitter (why?! How?!), my plans had to change. I checked all the theatre makeup shops and special FX shops, too, and came up totally empty-handed. It was weird.

Get the MAC 3D Silver lip look

This lip is simple. It’s a naked lip, covered in a blend of Shu Uemura Shupette Gold Pigment and Lise Watier Haute Lumière Crystal Lipgloss.

I’m running inexplicably low on clear glosses right now, so Crystal wouldn’t have been my first choice. The Haute Lumières pack beautiful, even pigment in a lot of their red shades, but I’m not crazy about how heavy they feel. The sweet, synthetic berry scent is weird to me, too – it’s a formula that photographs well (especially in colour), but there’s just something about it that feels “off.”

Patted through the clear, golden-sparkling lip is MAC 3D Silver Glitter, and placed into the gloss with tweezers are a few gold and silver stars from my old arts & crafts kit. (What? I was a child once too, you know).

I think, in retrospect, that I should have skipped the gold glitter – it was lovely in person, but glitter that fine tends to look a little like grain through a camera.

The rest of this look is simple, too: air-dried hair, a Rodial-based tinted moisturizer, and just a bit of NYX Blush in Raisin to contour. Throughout the entire ten-minute look (counting in time to set up and shoot, of course), there was only one difficult part…

The cleanup.

Tags: lipstick/Lips, Lise Watier, MAC, shu uemura, The Lipstick Bandits

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LUSH Halloween 2017 review, photos | Sparkly, spooky goodness

October 12, 2017

Rae Chen

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As I write this, I am waist-deep in a tub of LUSH Halloween products. I mean this literally: I woke up this morning to a stomach-clenching, full-body ache. So, after a bowl of chicken noodle soup, I hopped right into a tub full of crumbled Lush Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar and starting type typitty typing.

I’ve talked about it at length before, but let me start out by reminding you that I love/hate Lush. On one hand, I LOVE some of their products, and their limited edition collections are always the bomb dot com. (Their Gorgeous moisturizer rocks my world, and I use Sympathy for the Skin pretty much constantly.)

But just like any other company, Lush is a corporate machine. They make a ton of money off of their hippie image, but at the end of the day – their products contain a crapton of artificial fragrances and dyes. So, as with any of my Lush reviews, please take this with a grain of salt.

Because these products are great. They’re just not as natural as some media outlets would have you believe.

Lush Sparkly Pumpkin, Pink Pumpkin Bubble Bars

Why I hate change (aka why I love Lush)

The best thing about covering a Lush collection is that it’s so. Damn. Easy. It usually takes me 1-4 months to turn around a review, but with Lush, I can get it done in a day.

Why? Because, for the most part, their products are just variations on a concept. If you love their bubble bars, you’re going to love ALL their bubble bars, provided that you like each scent. If you love their bath bombs, you’re going to love ALL their bath bombs, with varying degrees of initial squee.

(Plus, they’re all so brightly coloured that they’re easy as heck to photograph and edit. Lush products will pop against anything.)

I personally love it when companies pull this kind of marketing, because it makes shopping–and especially shopping online–super easy. Once you know what you like, you can enjoy it in a plethora of ever-changing forms.

Lush Pumpkin, Lord of Misrule, and Monster’s Ball Bath Bombs

The Lush Halloween 2017 collection

The 2017 Lush Halloween collection contains a lot of super cute items, like the Ectoplasm Jelly Bomb and Bewitched Bubble Bar. Each piece runs at about $7.95 apiece; a little less for soaps, and a little more for shower gels.

I’m most excited for the berry-scented Bewitched Bubble Bar (aka that adorable cat face), but I haven’t gotten to try it out yet. (My partner is fascinated by the idea of a black bath, and begged me to wait to use it until he could watch it bubble up.)

Lush Holiday 2017 review

In the meantime, I’m focused on the Pink Pumpkin and Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bars, which are super hella glittery and feature a floral bouquet and a juniper-citrus blend, respectively. From there, I’ll be moving onto the Bath Bombs (I have Pumpkin, the green Lord of Misrule, and the adorable Monster’s Ball pictured here), and at some point, finally moving onto the soaps – which, I must admit, are my least favourite part of any Lush Halloween collection.

I die for some of Lush’s soap scents, but like the bath bombs and bubble bars (which get a pass for being so damn enjoyable), the formula is just too drying for my skin. I usually end up leaving them out when guests are over, or gifting them to friends. Someone’s gotta enjoy them, right?

Lush Hedgewitch and Magic Wand Soaps

Finally, to round out this post, there are two non-bath products from the Lush Halloween collection: one that I’ve tried and loved, and one that’s new to me. The Lush Goth Fairy Shimmer Bar is back again, and has as much fruity, silvery glitter as ever, and the Black Rose Naked Lip Scrub is a gentle, waste-free sugar scrub in a buttery base. (Murumuru butter, illipe butter, extra virgin coconut oil, and jojoba oil, to be precise.)

What do you have your eye on from the Lush Halloween collection this year?

Tags: /Fall/Winter 2017, Grouped reviews, LUSH, Other, Product Photos, Product Review, Skincare

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Bijoux Indiscrets Maze X-Harness & Suspender Belt review, photos | Light in leather

October 9, 2017

Rae Chen

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*This post was sponsored by Beyond Delights. Images by Sean Trayner.

What makes a shop stand out from the crowd has to do with a lot of things. There’s their ethical standards, for starters, and the owners themselves. There’s also their disclosure policies, and their willingness to support small businesses and bloggers. And then, of course, there’s their selection.

I met one-half of the Beyond Delights team while I was at the Woodhull Sexual Freedoms Summit in August*. Between workshops, panels, and blogger hangouts, Narine introduced herself and her burgeoning business to me, and we chatted about putting a feature together for you this fall. EDIT 09/10/17 – see notes at bottom.

Well: the feature is here, and it has been an awesome convergence of good things, in the fullest sense of the word.

Makeup: Make Up For Ever Water Blend Foundation, Marcelle Translucent Loose Powder, and Make Up For Ever Pro Light Fusion in 01 Golden Pink. Colour: shu:palette eyeshadows, Ardell Individual False Lashes, and Burberry Lip Colour Contour Pen in 01 Fair.

The Bijoux Indiscrets leather look

One of Beyond Delights’ main brands is Bijoux Indiscrets, a sensual, playful designer of what can only be described as “passion products.” The Barcelona-based Bijoux Indiscrets makes everything from skin jewelry to stick-on masks, as well as the harness and suspender set featured in this post.

(Hey, do you remember that time I wore a stick-on mask for theNotice? I forgot about that thing!)

Pictured: Bijoux Indiscrets Maze X-Harness. Dynamite dress (similar). Geox Inspiration Stiv boots.

The Beyond Delights team sent over a couple of Bijoux’s Maze products, and they couldn’t be a better representation of the Beyond aesthetic. They’re sexy, vegan-friendly, and cruelty free, and are offered at an affordable price point.

I’ve been focusing my attention first and foremost on the Bijoux Indiscrets Maze X-Harness in Brown ($64.99 USD), which fits up to a size 12. It’s made from a recyclable polyurethane, and features lovely little details in gold. My one caveat about the Maze collection is that it runs large, so my advice would be to purchase these if you’re in the size 6-12 range. I’m 5’2″ with a 34″ underbust, and I had to punch extra holes in the suspenders and triple-loop the harness to get them to fit.

The other vegan product photographed here is the Bijoux Indiscrets Maze Suspender Belt ($44.99 USD), which turned out to be a little hard to photograph. (I’m not saying there are nudes, but… there are nudes. They may or may not end up on social.) It’s a simple, functional harness that’s comfortable to wear, and it blends in seamlessly under a fit-and-flare dress.

Pictured: Bijoux Indiscrets Maze X-Harness and Suspenders. BonLook Myrtle frames in Rose Dazzling ($145 CAD). Dynamite dress ($39.95 CAD). Geox Inspiration Wedge boots.

Anyhow, here are some feelings

These photos were taken by Sean Trayner, and I always get a little caught up in them when I open them up. You can see all of my awkward bumps and lumps in them, and it’s just – it’s so weird for me. I asked for permission to clean up the images when they got to me, but in the end, I chose not to.

So here’s what I actually look like, cat hair and all. In the green dress, you can see my arms (which I’m convinced are chubby) and my thighs (which I swear, look like sausages in thigh-highs). If you look closely, you can even see the underwire of my bra, and the scar that Tuna left me when he fell off of the range hood.

My favourite photo from this shoot, however, is the one below. I love this shot because I hate it: it’s a beautiful image of a person that I don’t particularly like. It catches all of the flaws that I couldn’t tuck away, from my acne scars to my awkward neck wrinkles and my bumpy arms.

I am very, very uncomfortable with the photos in this post, and I kind of love that I am. I feel exposed. I’m a romantic at heart, and I always feel like the images someone takes of you are a representation of how they see you. This is the me that other people see, and for whatever insane reason, they think I’m smart and attractive and have value and stuff.

Which, as my imposter syndrome would have you believe, is crazy. So stop doing that, you guys. You’re going to make me stop deflecting my feelings or give me self-confidence or something.

Pictured: Bijoux Indiscrets Maze X-Harness with BonLook Illusion frames in Blonde Metal ($145 CAD).

And, finally… About Beyond Delights

Beyond Delights is a new, online boutique that stocks exclusively high-end, body-safe sex paraphernalia. Their aesthetic is really sexy and sultry, and all of their shipping is done discreetly.

» Use code TheNotice10 for 10% off most products at Beyond Delights!

I really enjoy the fact that all of the products stocked at Beyond Delights are phtalate-free, and I love that their toys aren’t sorted into gendered categories. Each product is listed simply as it is (for instance, Shop -> Vibrators -> Bullet Vibrators), and product descriptions include terms like “up to a size X” instead of “one size fits all.”

I’ll be honest with you, however. The Beyond Delights team is pretty green, and they have a lot of learning to do. We struggled through a few bumps in the road getting to this post (they sent me 18 emails hammering out the details, which is a volume that I have never once come across in my 10 years of blogging), but that presents a unique opportunity for growth.

So tweet them. Email them. Experience the store for yourself, and let them know your thoughts – because, hopefully, they’re ready to learn.

What’s one thing that you love about yourself?

—

*Thank you again to Chaturbate for the summit scholarship, and to all of the amazing supporters of our crowdfunding campaign to get more POC bloggers to Woodhull! ❤️

EDIT 09/10/17: This post mistakenly listed Beyond Delights as a POC-owned business, as Narine mentioned that she and David identify as both Armenian and ethnic. However, this post has been updated to reflect the fact that Armenian-Americans are in fact legally considered white in the United States (as of 1909).

Tags: /4. Makeup looks, Bijoux Indiscrets, Bonlook, Fashion, Indie brands, Makeup looks: neutral, Sex

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No7 Youthful Replenishing Face Oil review, photos

October 2, 2017

Rae Chen

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The product: No7 Youthful Replenishing Facial Oil

You guys, I have had a rough fall. I missed two or three posts last month due to sheer exhaustion, and honestly, I’m already struggling with October.

Despite how I’ve been feeling, this face oil is honestly kind of getting me through. I mean, sure: it’s not fixing all of my problems, and it doesn’t have any analgesic effects. But it puts a smile on my face every time I use it, and it’s left my skin GLOWING–like, straight up glowing–despite how tired I am.

Why I’m so into the No7 Youthful Oil

I mean, that’s easy: it’s really good. It smells like a $100 face oil (for a quarter of the price), and it feels silky-smooth. I’ve been using 3-5 drops every morning and night for the past month, and I’ve honestly seen my skin change in that time.

I nabbed this at a No7 event while I was in Toronto this summer, and it must have been meant to be. The brand didn’t do a big push for Youthful when it came out, so it’s kind of flown under the radar – but you guys. It is GOOD. My skin was looking a little peaky when I got home, with some crepiness around my eyes and mouth, and that has all but disappeared in the past month. I’ve been getting hella compliments on my skin recently, despite an allergic reaction and some mild chemical burns (thanks, Nair), and it’s gotta be coming from somewhere.

The No7 Youthful Face Oil formula (aka why I love Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides)

The No7 Youthful formula is a surprisingly basic one. It’s a light oil, comprised mainly of Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides and jojoba oil, and I fell in love at first touch. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is my favourite skincare ingredient of the moment – it’s a thin, fast-absorbing emollient that features prominently in my all-time favourite face oil. It has a ridiculously long shelf life of 48 months, and it’s an effective carrier for fat-soluble actives, too.

In other words? Oils like this one don’t need to use any silicones or parabens. They’re shelf-stable on their own, and will have a similar silky effect (and reliable delivery system) to a thin, fluid silicone. Formulations like this one (but with more actives) are common in brands like Clarins and L’Occitane – so if what you’re looking for is good skincare on a budget, then I hope you’ve been paying attention.

The No7 Youthful Replenishing Face Oil verdict?

Do I think that the No7 Youthful is the holy grail for anyone with ageing skin? Well… I wouldn’t take it that far. It’s a little light on the active ingredients, and I’m not sure how long-lasting the results will be. But do I think it’s some seriously good shirt for anyone like me: anyone with dry skin, or skin that’s starting to mature.

“Replenishing” is the keyword here. If your skin needs a bit of replenishment; a bit of extra oomph, then this silky goddess will be perfect for you.

Availability: $25 CAD/$22.99 USD at Shoppers Drug Mart (Canada) and Ulta (US).

Tags: /Extremely dry skin, Moisturizers, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Silicone-free, Silicone-free moisturizers and serums, Skincare

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