October 2016 Faves + This Month's Sponsor

Oh, happy day! I always think of Sister Act when I hear or say that. Anyone else? Today is a happy day for me. I was able to get to Best Buy this weekend and purchase a replacement battery charger for my blogging camera. So happy to have my baby back in my hands and ready for action!

This month's sponsor helped cover some of that unexpected cost. If you look under "Sponsors" on my sidebar, you'll see the link to Beautiful Beakers. I'd love if you'd go show Stef a little love on her blog. She's got a great new post up about Benefit Cosmetics!

• Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Perfume - Favorite date night and evening scent. It lasts so long on the skin and the sandalwood notes make it perfect for cooler weather.
• ColourPop Cosmetics Wattles Super Shock Shadow - Review is coming. A rosy beige and if you like the Naked 3 palette, this works really well with that.
• ColourPop Cosmetics Gummy Bear Sculpting Stix - Review is coming. Such an easy highlighter to use! It offers you perfect control.
• Arbonne Cardinal Glossed Over - See swatch and review here. Great for the holidays!
• L'Oreal Revitalift Bright Reveal Dual Overnight Moisturizer - Review is here. I love the cooling effect and it does a nice job at hydrating my skin.

What have been some of your favorites this month? I hope you all have a wonderful Halloween! We're going to see an over-the-top decorated house not far from here. The guy has a mechanical dragon, a lively graveyard, flying witches, and more. He builds it all and adds a new item or two each year! It's amazing and he takes donations for breast cancer in honor of his late wife. Looking forward to seeing it and I will try to share it on Snapchat (wendybanner).

Happy Halloween!!

ColourPop Lippie Stix in Lumiere and Button

So about that whole ColourPop addiction thing that I mentioned in an earlier post? Yeah, that's still going strong. Here's the first post of my most recent order, where I show you my swatches of the Lippie Stix in Lumiere and Button.

I won't delve much into the matte formula of Lumiere, because I've already touched on that in my Contempo and Cami Lippie Stix post. Click on over to that post to see my thoughts and swatches of those two beauties! I will talk more in depth about Button, as it is in a satin finish.

Keep reading!

L'Oreal Revitalift Bright Reveal Skincare

I have torn my place upside down looking for my camera charger. No luck! It seems to be really good at hiding, but I can't wait for it to appear. Looks like I'm going to have to buy a backup charger this weekend. Until then, I'm using my secondary camera. Drat! Sorry if the quality is a little off until then.

I was sent the L'Oreal Revitalift Bright Reveal skincare line to try from Influenster. I am reviewing the Daily Lotion, Dual Overnight Moisturizer, Peel Pads, and the Scrub Cleanser. Keep reading to see what I did or did not like about the products.

The Moisturizers
Brightening Daily Lotion: This is the day moisturizer of the line. It's a decent formula, but it's nothing that special. It has SPF 30, which is a great addition but you can definitely smell it in the product. The packaging is excellent quality and I love the pump. It does not make much of a difference on my dry skin. I like to wear this when I am going to physio and it fits the bill. There is a slight glow upon application, but it does not last long on my skin. It's nice, but I have tried better.

Brightening Dual Overnight Moisturizer: I love the packaging on this one. It kind of reminds me of test tubes in a science lab. You squeeze down the pump and you get a dose of a serum and lotion. They work together to even skin tone and decrease the look of wrinkles. What I like is how cooling it feels on my skin. The Glycolic Acid helps to remove brighten and remove dead skin. Now with this, I do feel a difference. My skin does not feel as dry in the morning and my makeup goes on a little smoother. Brightness? I'm not too sure, but it is very hydrating.

The Exfoliators
Brightening Peel Pads: I love face wipes and face pads. Most of the pads I use foam up and you have to rinse off your face after use. You don't rinse after these. This is a pad saturated with Glycolic Acid for a straight-up method to slough away your dead skin. You can use these nightly and in a circular motion, avoiding the eyes. I choose not to use them nightly, because my skin is too sensitive for it. I like them after a day of wearing heavy makeup, because the little squares on the pads get to work and can catch anything your cleanser missed. My skin does feel clean and smooth, but I get the same benefits from other facial wipes and pads, some of which are cheaper.

Brightening Scrub Cleanser: I love the holographic label. That has nothing to do with the product, but it's pretty sitting on my bathroom sink. This is meant to be used day and night, but again I think that is too much for my sensitive skin. I optioned to use this at night while removing my makeup. The micro-pearls are a little much for me to use too often. Does my skin feel clean afterward? It does and a little softer. I like it, but I don't love it. It works well with the rest of this skincare line, but I don't think it is something that I might necessarily buy on its own.

For me, I think the Peel Pads and Dual Overnight Moisturizer are the winners in this line. If you have tried any of these products, let me know what you think of them!

**These products were sent to be for testing and reviewing purposes, courtesy of L'Oreal and Influenster. All thoughts and pictures are my own and there are no affiliate links.

Arbonne Glossed Over Lip Gloss in Cardinal

I have misplaced my camera charger and I only have one notch on my camera left. It was enough to get these pictures for this post. I am sure my fellow bloggers and photographers share my laments! I can use my phone or other secondary cameras if I really have to, but I'd really rather not. #firstworld blogging problems? You betcha. The pain, the agony!

Okay okay, I'm done overreacting. For now. I have better things to talk about, like this new Arbonne Glossed Over shade called Cardinal. I've talked Arbonne on here before and you can find those posts under my "arbonne" tag! Don't even get me started on my love of the Sheer Glow Highlighter. So good! This is my first time trying one of the glosses, so keep on reading to see what I think and to see my swatches of Cardinal!

Keep reading!

ColourPop Cosmetics Mile High Set

This is the last of my first ColourPop haul before I delve into my second and most recent order. Am I becoming addicted? Maybe a little. Ok, maybe a lot. I was afraid that you'd have to use your fingers for everything and I am such an anti-finger in products person. But I find the Super Shock formula to be just fine with synthetic brushes. Fingers provide a quicker application and you get to feel the really cool formula, but I'm just not for that every day.

To see my other posts from this haul: Lippie Stix (Contempo and Cami) post is here and Super Shock Cheek highlighters (Lunch Money and Smoke N Whistles) post is here.  Below are my thoughts on the Super Shock eyeshadows and swatches, specifically the Mile High set.

Keep reading!

SkinAgain Positive Energy Skincare: Vanish Cream and AHA Exfoliating Cleanser

This review has been long in the making. I was sent these products in July to try. Because I asked for a scar cream, I needed to allow a few months of use to pass before I could write this up. I had my knee surgery a little over a year ago and my bigger scar is still quite pronounced and will take more time to fade, so I am focusing this post on my smaller scar from the same surgery.

Here are my thoughts on the SkinAgain AHA Exfoliating Cleanser and the Vanish cream!

SkinAgain likes to focus on positive energy and each tube of product comes with a mantra to say while using it. Being into Yoga, I am really into that and taking part in my skincare routine already brings me into a zen moment. That might sound a little weird to some of you that do not partake in meditation or saying positive affirmations, but I promise you that it can make a world of difference.

The AHA Exfoliating Cleanser smells so fresh. I could smell it the minute I opened the box. The beads are Jojoba Oil and they exfoliate without damaging and tearing the skin. It is a quite gentle formula and my sensitive skin turns a little red but nothing that lasts. This does remove dead skin and makeup well. But I also use it on my scars before the vanish cream to prep the skin! It is also worth noting that it is sulfate-free.

The Vanish cream is for reducing the appearance of scars, cellulite, and stretch marks. Like stated above, I'm focusing on my smaller scar for this post. That is not to say it isn't working on my bigger deeper scar, but I think that one needs more time. It has faded a little and I have no doubt that it will keep doing so with continued use. It has worked wonders on my smaller one in just the three months that I have been testing it!

I will be honest when I say that I was not expecting much from this cream. Just another hyped up skin product with ridiculous claims, but boy was I wrong! My scars aren't going anywhere anytime soon and I am okay with that, but it's nice to see them fade a little more and be one with my skin. They still sit there ready for me to tell their story to the next person that asks, but they are no longer screaming to be heard. I highly recommend this cream if you have scars or stretch marks!

Both of these are vegan friendly and contain 3.4 fl. oz. of product. They offer free shipping to the United States, but they also ship to Canada, the UK, and Australia.

** I was sent these products for testing and reviewing purposes. All thoughts and pictures are my own and there are no affiliate links in this post.

Blog of the Month: October 2016

In September, Eithne from Tea & Nail Polish was my featured blogger. You can read that post and see other past featured blogs under the "blog of the month" label! Being my blog of the month gets you a designated blog post, a sidebar button, and a mention on my Twitter account. The sidebar button stays up all month long. I don't believe in necessarily making bloggers pay for advertising and I'd much rather show you blogs that I really enjoy reading. And I hope you end up enjoying them too!

This month, I have chosen Kathy from Along Came Kathy. She does a mixture of posts ranging from beauty, fashion, lifestyle, etc. She's a sweet gal who always has such pretty pictures to share. One of her recent posts about coconut oil is right up my alley, because I swear by that stuff (miracle product!). She listed many different ways to use coconut oil that may just be new to some of you! If you check out her blog, feel free to let her know I sent you.

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, so I'm pretty excited about having a long weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian (and honorary Canadians like myself) readers! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Fall Trends 2016

My favorite season is here! Two new Weeknd songs are on my Spotify playlist, pumpkin spice coffee is in my mug, and my sweaters are hanging up in my closet. My point? I'm a happy camper! And the best part? Fall fashion is back! Layers, plaid, cozy fabrics. Bring it on!

As always, I focus on the trends that I actually like or find wearable. Sure, that pink and yellow combo looked great on the runways. But in real life and on me? No thanks. I think fall is the easiest season to dress for and maybe that's part of the reason why it is my favorite, besides the weather and all of that holiday goodness.

• Plaid Overcoats - I have a plaid jacket in my closet and it is one of my favorites to reach for.
• Fall Florals - Small but still bold, this year. Original? No. Classic? Yes!
• Pumpkin Orange - Not just for your PSLs this time.
• Shearling Jackets - I want one every year and have yet to invest. They look so cozy.
• Hoodies - WIN. I love the current athleisure and comfort trends going around. Please don't leave!
• Gray Plaid - Sure, plaid is always in. But gray is where it is at this season.

What fall/winter trends are you most excited about? 

InstaMonth for September 2016

I love fall, I really really love fall. But the limited daytime hours and sunlight drives me crazy. It wreaks havoc with photos and my schedule. Autumn pros outweigh the cons for me, but that's a pretty big con for us bloggers. Right?! C'est la vie! (Also, totally can't say that without getting the B*Witched song in my head. Not a bad thing.)

Here are some pictures from my Instagram last month. I've been focusing on growing my account and I feel like it goes a lot slower for me than a lot of other bloggers. I don't want to compare myself, because I hate that slippery path. It can just be aggravating when you put so much of your time into something and you don't make the progress you're striving for.

My numbers constantly go up and down, because of people who enjoy the follow, wait for a follow back, and unfollow right after game. I hate this trend. With a passion. I look at the numbers of those that follow me and I can tell right away if they do it. And when I do follow back and they unfollow right after, I utilize the ol' block button. Why? Because they are almost always repeat offenders and I am so over it. I want legit followers and I want to be a legit follower that likes and comments, not just a number. Yes, numbers are important but not getting them like that. That method just really turns me off. Hopefully I'm not the only one who thinks that! To each their own, I just personally don't like or appreciate it. (P.S.- Please don't think I am all about the numbers. I just don't like this new method being used to gain followers. I am appreciative of each and every person that deems my account worthy of a follow. And I love following you back and commenting and liking!)

1. September brings darker colors. Yes, please! // 2. August favorites.

3. ColourPop highlighters are full of YES. (Smokin' Whistles and Lunch Money) // 4. Panera cinnamon roll and Starbucks PSL. Fall is here!

5. I'm a sucker for white packaging. // 6. ColourPop Lippie Stix in Contempo and Cami.

7. Thursday Plantation essential oils. Post is coming! // 8. Weekends are the best.

 9. Sephora's Brush Cleaner is my new fave way to clean my brushes. // 10. Fall essentials.

11. L'Oreal Revitalift. Post is coming! // 12. I won a cool contest through Pepsi to go to the World Cup of Hockey North America vs. Finland game. I got to sit in awesome padded reclining seats while enjoying food and the game. Even got on the Jumbotron! I chronicled all of it on my Snapchat. To keep up with other every day happenings, you can find me as "wendybanner" on there!

13. This blog turned nine! // 14. Blog planning.

15. My favorite shelf on my beauty bookshelf. (The others need help and lots of it right now.) // 16. My mom has sworn by this powder for as long as I can remember and now it's a mainstay in my collection. It makes me think of her and it is an excellent powder!

 17. Favorite fall MAC lipsticks: Patisserie, Capricious, and Velvet Teddy. // 18. ColourPop highlighters!

19. My most neglected palette. So sad. What is yours? I don't even think I've ever swatched it on here. I'll have to do that! // 20. September faves! Which I think is cheating now that I think about it. Pretty sure I shared this Oct. 2nd. Oops!

And that's that! Are we following each other on Instagram? We should! Hope you're all having a great week so far.