Giveaway & Review: MaskerAide Face Masks

Looking for the luxury of a spa visit in the privacy of your own home? At only $4.99 per mask, MaskerAide’s line of seriously fabulous face masks will pamper your skin with affordable facial treatments that compliment any skin care routine.

Sheet masks are made from thin fibre sheets that are cut to the contours of the face and soaked in serum. This concept allows for the ingredients to penetrate the skin, stimulate blood flow, and relax facial muscles.

I was lucky enough to try all six of the super-hydrating facial sheet masks that MaskerAide launched in September 2012. The masks showed up in a pearly box with the company’s logo and tied to perfection with a pretty pink bow. I am so happy with them that I want one of you to try them too so there will be a giveaway at the end of this post.

MaskerAide’s sheet masks are perfect for those of you who have sensitive skin like me or are very particular about the ingredients that you apply to your skin. Each of the company’s masks is free of parabens, harsh dyes and pigments, mineral oil, artificial fragrance, glycerine, and benzophenone. They are also eco friendly, vegan friendly, recyclable, and biodegradable—perfect for every skin type!

The Argan Oil based serum in each mask contains a special mix of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and nutrients to target specific skincare concerns or mishaps.

I found the entire experience of trying these masks very relaxing. After having the mask on for a little while, the fabric began to heat up a bit from the warmth of my skin and it felt like the serum was being absorbed by my skin. My skin was left very smooth and moisturized from each mask, and felt very light, fresh, and clean. I did not have to worry about skin irritation or washing the mask away once the 20 minutes had passed. None of the masks felt oily or sticky and I simply patted the remaining serum into my skin after removing the mask and proceeded with my usual skincare routine (applying moisturizer, eye cream, lip balm, etc.).

Three of the masks have a cream based serum and the other three feature a clear serum.

The masks with the cream based serum include:

Beauty Rest’ore – this mask is infused with Argan Oil, Super Fruit Extracts, Green Algae, and Vitamin E to repair skin in need of a beauty rest. While I love all six masks, this one is my favourite as I have been more than lacking in the sleep department and my skin is paying for it. The morning after using this mask, my skin felt very refreshed and less puffy.

I Don’t Wanna Grow Up – hydrating and age defying ingredients such as natural Ylang-Ylang Oil, Argan Oil, Vitamin E, Hydrolized Collagen and Elastin allow this mask to help diminish fine lines and give your skin a youthful glow. At this time, I don’t have many fine lines so I cannot speak of the masks’s effectiveness in that category; however, my skin was very glowy after using it 

Weather Warrior – the soothing and calming ingredients in this mask (Aloe, Green Tea, Witch Hazel, Argon Oil) repair skin that has been damaged by UV rays, wind, and extreme cold. Although it is still Fall, it has been quite cold and windy here. This mask felt very cooling on my wind-damaged skin and left it feeling calm and smooth.

The masks containing the clear serum include:

All Nighter – the All Nighter is another mask that is perfect for those of you who are not getting enough sleep. Natural Peppermint Oil, Aloe, Argan Oil, Heartleaf, Honey, Super Fruit, and Cactus Extracts awaken, cool, and de-puff tired skin. I enjoyed the fresh cooling feeling of this mask and the clear serum was very hydrating.

Detox Diva – this mask contains natural Geranium Oil, Seaweed, and Green Tea Leaf extracts to minimize pores, absorb impurities, and protect from toxins and free radicals. Chinese Plum, Strawberry, and Lemon Fruit Extracts exfoliate skin, while Argan Oil and Honey hydrate. I think that this mask is a great alternative to a harsh scrub. My skin felt clean after using it, not irritated.

Pre Party Prep – this mask is to be used before getting ready for a big night out. Natural Argan Oil, Orange Peel Oil, Super Fruit Extracts, Rice Extract, and Honey prime and smooth the skin. I think that this would be the ideal mask for creating a smooth canvas before applying foundation. I do not use foundation so I cannot comment on its effectiveness in that respect. However, it did leave my skin feeling smooth and the serum felt very light weight and pleasant on my skin.

Overall, I am very impressed with these masks from MaskerAide. While it is a Canadian company, maskeraide.com ships worldwide.

GIVEAWAY!

Although I used all the masks that I was sent to try, I managed to collect a few more and will be giving away three masks (Pre Party Prep, All Nighter, and I Don’t Wanna Grow Up) to one of my followers.

If you are interested in winning, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

RULES

1. You must use the Rafflecopter form to enter this giveaway.
2. You must be a follower of this blog in order to be eligible to win the giveaway.
3. You must be at least 18 years of age or have permission from your parents to enter.
4. This giveaway is open internationally.
5. There will be one winner of this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~Beauty Writer

October Glymm Box

This month’s Glymm Box came with a pretty pink bag in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness month. The company also sent a pink ribbon for members to wear.

After a disappointing September, the October Glymm bag was a bit more impressive with larger samples and even a full size product.

The first two items are for lashes and include Femme Couture’s  Lightning Lash mascara and Lash Card’s mascara shields. While I find it impressive that Glymm has sent a full size mascara, I will save it for a giveaway since I am still very happy with my Buxom Lash. As for the mascara shields, I don’t think that I have any use for them since I always look down when I apply mascara and don’t get any smudges. 

The next two items are not unique to this month’s box because we received them a few months ago in a different (syringe-like) packaging. The H2O Hydration is an anti-aging moisture that my sensitive skin would prefer that I avoid. I may try the Sun Whip SPF 25 as a sunscreen for my hands since I don’t trust it on my face.

Miss Jessie’s Baby Buttercreme is another product that I cannot use as it is formulated for curly hair and my strands are of the straight variety. It seems like an interesting product though and I’m sure that one of my curly haired friends will love it. It’s also a good size sample and is a full size travel product.

The last item is a mini bottle of Johnson’s baby oil. While I don’t use this product regularly, I think that it will come in handy as a winter moisturizer. Glymm sent this product as a preview for its upcoming creation, Glymm MaMa.

I attempted to film my monthly Glymm unboxing video but for some reason my camera only caught half of it so my next, and last Glymm video, will be next month for the November box.

Now that I have cancelled Glymm (and will likely be cancelling Glossybox due to its price increase), I would love to hear your recommendations for other subscription services. I’m already subscribed to Topbox and cancelled Luxe Box.

Is there anything else out there worth subscribing to at the moment?

~Beauty Writer

September Glymm Box

I was not going to blog about what I received from Glymm in September. I was very unimpressed and planned to cancel my subscription right away. However, I delayed cancelling because I was patiently waiting for a nail polish order that I placed on glymm.com. I have now finally cancelled my subscription and will be receiving my last Glymm box in November.

Since I took photos of my September Glymm products almost a month ago, I thought that it was time to post them before writing about the October box.

The September box came with four different yet equally unimpressive samples. The first items were waterproof makeup remover wipes. Since I do not use or own waterproof makeup, I will not be using these. The next two products are an organic shampoo/conditioner duo. These products left my fine hair very weighed down and my blowout lasted only half the time that it normally does. The fourth, and most impressive sample in my opinion is the body lotion. It has a pleasant scent and I’m always on the search for new body moisturizers. I only wish that this was a larger sample because it is probably only good for one use. The last product is a skincare item that Glymm included in a previous box. My skin is very sensitive so I do not try skincare samples. Someday, I’m hoping to find one of these deluxe sample subscription services that sends makeup only and no skincare. 

The September Glymm bag is a cream-coloured version of the black bag that was sent in August. It does not have a patch with the Glymm logo and it is made of a sticky plastic material.

Overall, this bag does not make me regret cancelling my subscription. In September, I did not even film my monthly Glymm video because I did not feel that the products were worth filming.

For those of you who do not know what Glymm is, it is a service similar to Loose Button, Birchbox, Topbox, Glossy Box, etc. which offers monthly boxes of deluxe size product samples. Current subscription services are $12 monthly, $70 for 6 boxes, and and $120 for 12 boxes (prices include shipping).

What did you  think of the September Glymm box?

Butter London Haul from Glymm.com

After receiving my September Glymm box, I decided that it would be best to cancel my subscription. I had accumulated quite a few Glymm points over the last year and wanted to use them before my account was closed.
As a nail polish lover, I knew that I wanted to spend all of my points on Butter London polishes. I placed an order for five bottles on September 17 and was planning to wear Teddy Girl to a wedding in early October.
Two weeks passed and my order still had not shipped. I contacted the company more than once and was told that my order would ship the following week. A couple more weeks went by, and so did the wedding (I wore Essie’s Fiji instead). Glymm finally confirmed that my order would be shipped on Monday, October 15, but could not explain the delay.
I finally received the package on October 18. It contained my five polishes, in perfect condition, and a free gift for the delay.
Check out my photos below to see what I received. Swatches and full reviews of each polish will appear in future posts.
Have you ever purchased from Glymm.com? What were your experiences?

Principessa Beauty Cattiva Diva Silky Hand Cream

Butter London Primrose Hill Picnic

Butter London Toff

Butter London Jaffa

Butter London Teddy Girl

Butter London Quick Change Artist Duo – Queen Vic

October Topbox

This month’s box was a bit disappointing. Only three of Topbox’s October samples fit into the “deluxe” category. 
Like the last two months, the October box did contain a makeup product which was very nice and something that I have not tried before.
For those of you who do not know what Topbox is, it is a service similar to Loose Button, Glymm, Birchbox, Glossybox, etc., which offers monthly boxes of deluxe size product samples. Topbox currently offers its services across Canada for $10 per month with no shipping costs. For more information check out topbox.ca

Glitzy Fall Nails: Zoya Monica + Daul

Despite this weekend’s gloomy Fall weather, I decided to honour my favourite season with a little glitz. As soon as the leaves begin to fall, I reach for my darker purples. My newest is Monica from Zoya, a dark, soft blue-toned purple with a glossy cream finish. “Glossy” is an understatement as the incredible shine visible in the photos below is from the polish itself and no added top coat.


Monica came out in Zoya’s Designer Collection for Fall/Winter 2012, and was released at the same time as the Diva Collection which features Daul, the glitzy polish used in this look. Zoya describes Daul as medium red-toned purple base with heavy purple and gold iridescent metallic sparkle. The glitter is in no way chunky and has a fine, glass-flecked texture.
To create this look, I applied two coats of Monica (even though one coat was enough), and two coats of Daul. In my opinion, the way Monica’s purple base peeks through the overlay of golden glitter is Fall at its finest. This unique combination reminds me of the yellow-orange harvest moon hovering low in the night sky. It’s a classy look that is perfect for parties but wearable for everyday with its subdued sparkle. 
I wore this look for two days on the weekend and received numerous compliments on my polish. I can’t wait to try other shades in Zoya’s new fall/winter collections. I will have more swatches and full reviews on each of the shades that I purchased in future NOTD (Nail of the Day) posts.
What’s your favourite Fall polish combination?
~ Beauty Writer

My Top 10 Essie Nail Polishes

I decided to take on a difficult task and pick my top 10 polishes from four of my favourite nail polish brands (OPI, Essie, Zoya, and China Glaze).
Today’s post features 10 of my favourite Essie polishes. My picks range in shade from pastel pink to rich red, and vary in finish from creme, to shimmer, to flaky glitter.

Which shades from Essie are on your top ten list?

My Top 10 Essie Nail Polishes

Essie East Hampton Cottage and Mint Candy Apple

Essie Curve Ball and Topless & Barefoot

Essie In Stitches and Russian Roulette

Essie Neo Whimsical and Van D’Go

Essie Fiji and Shine of the Times