Bliss - Super Minty Body Butter

I think I'm in love. I actually found this in Winners, of all random places, and when I smelled it I just couldn't put it down. It's minty, no doubt about that, but not that intense, bitter mint. More of a subtle, sweet mint.I'm guessing there's a bit of vanilla in there too.

The consistency is thick, since it's a butter. It's a little hard to get out of the tube, but once it's out it melts beautifully into the skin and, surprisingly, doesn't leave as much of a greasy residue as I expected. I love the scent and it lingers on the skin -but it isn't overwhelming, nor does it seem to come off on anything I touch like some scented products.

This is great to use straight out of the bath when you're having one of those days and just need something a bit extra special. I also love using it as an intense foot lotion and find it does a great job of really moisturizing feet that need a bit of TLC.

It's limited edition, so you need to get it while you can! The only place I've found it other than Winners (I haven't seen it there again since purchasing it) is Feel Unique - it's part of a set on there. I'll be reviewing the accompanying Soapy Suds Body Wash + Bubbling Bath shortly!

Sleek - Oh So Special Palette (658)

L-R Top Row: Bow, Organza, Ribbon, Gift Basket, Glitz, Celebrate

L-R Bottom Row: Pamper, Gateau, The Mail, Boxed, Wrapped Up, Noir

If you're a neutral shadow girl, like me, this is the palette you need to get right now. Every single colour is gorgeous, but none of them are over-the-top. This is a great daytime look palette - one of my faves is to use Gateau on the lid, Wrapped Up in the crease and Bow to highlight the inner corner. I'll usually add some of Celebrate or Noir on top of a kohl liner to thicken up the lashline or create a bit of a smoky finish. Super easy, and beautiful every time.

I swatched without base so you can see how the shadows hold up on their own - with base the colours pop even more. I love that this palette has a mix of matte and shimmer - similar to the Naked Palettes from Urban Decay. There's enough variation in colour and finish to create endless looks and really have some fun playing around.

If you're in Canada (or the US, probably) you can pick this palette up on the Sleek website, or, of course, on eBay. It's dirt cheap and the quality is fantastic. Two thumbs up!

Fushi - Argan Oil

Argan Oil is pretty big these days - in everything from hair treatments to skin serums to lip balms. So I decided to find out what all the fuss was about. Rather than buying one of the uber-expensive, trendy, brand-name Argan treatments, I went on Feel Unique and picked up some pure, organic, cold-pressed oil - at a fraction of the cost.

It comes in a large glass bottle (ambered to protect the oil from spoiling quickly) that you can either pour from directly, or transfer into a smaller bottle. You know it's good quality because the bottle includes instructions for how much to take internally, not just how to use it on your skin (for all the details on its medicinal uses, visit the Fushi website). But, of course, it's the external benefits I'm interested in.

Part of what makes Argan Oil such a power player in the beauty market is that it contains high levels of vitamins A and E, both of which help fight the free radicals that contribute to signs of aging. Not only that, but it actually stimulates the skin cells and helps to regenerate them at a faster rate. Sold on it yet? No? Well it also feels fantastic as an overall moisturizer for any trouble spots on the skin and provides deep nourishment to help them become soft, supple skin again.

But one of the things I like about it is that it can be used for a bunch of different purposes. Much like dry oils, you can use Argan Oil as a moisturizer for dry skin or skin irritations, on your cuticles, as a facial treatment for dry or dehydrated skin - you can even use it in the ends of dry hair to help condition and smooth it. And while it is an oil, it isn't as heavy as some of the oils I've encountered and it absorbs relatively quickly. One word of caution, however - a little goes a very long way, and it can leave hair looking a bit stringy, even if used only in the ends, so it's better used as a hair treatment before washing rather than a leave-in.

If the Moroccan and Argan Oil trend has you curious, I'd recommend giving this a try. Not only is it much, much cheaper, but it's completely pure and of excellent quality. Great deal.

La Roche-Posay - Effaclar Duo

La Roche-Posay's Effaclar line is intended for those who are prone to breakouts and/or have oily or combination skin. The line has everything from cleansers to spot treatments to moisturizers, but this product is more of a treatment serum.

The product website lists the benefits: 

Effaclar Duo has been rigorously formulated to act on the 2 major clinical signs of acne prone-skin:

• Acne pimples: its formula dries and helps clear up acne pimples and allows skin to heal.
• Clogged pores: its formula penetrates pores to prevent acne pimples.

I just use it under my regular moisturizer (at night, in the morning or both) whenever my skin is having a teenage flashback. Though it is a blemish treatment, and though it does contain salicylic acid, I find that it's much more gentle than most others I've tried. It doesn't cause any dry patches or skin irritation and doesn't burn, sting or cause my skin to feel tight when applied.

This is an important point because I've found most blemish treatment products focus only on drying up the blemishes and removing excess (or all) oil from the skin, entirely overlooking the fact that blemished skin is usually irritated and sensitive. So you have to choose between either dealing with the blemishes and making the overall condition of the skin more angry and aggravated, or soothing sensitivity and ending up with more blemishes. I didn't believe a product existed that addressed both issues simultaneously, but here it is!

It's quite a thin, serum-like consistency that spreads easily and absorbs into the skin instantly. Which is great, because you can put it on under other products. The scent is lovely and subtle as well - another thing I usually can't say about blemish treatment products.

 I've been using this for hormonal breakouts, and the first morning I woke up after using it, I could see visible improvement, and it seemed to help reduce the number of new breakouts with continued use. Obviously I'm not the usual target audience for blemish products, being in my early 30s, but hey, we get breakouts too and it's great to find a product that doesn't cause other skin problems. Two thumbs up!

From the French Pharmacie: Physiogel - A.I. Crème

This cream is intended for sufferers of eczema, psoriasis or any other skin condition that leaves skin itchy, delicate and very, very sensitive. It's hypoallergenic, scent-free and incredibly hydrating and soothing. This appeals to me because even though the sun is making an appearance, it's still chilly out there and my sensitive, overly dry skin needs some TLC.

I originally heard of this in one of Bubzbeauty's videos - and on her blog - where she claimed it works wonders on her irritated skin. She won't use anything else. 

According to the product website, A.I. Crème is for:

•     itchy, irritated and dry skin, such as in atopic dermatitis
•     sensitive baby and children's skin

It's also:

•     hypoallergenic: no fragrance, preservatives, dyes
•     contains skin-related lipids, rejuvenate the skin barrier
•     provides the skin with long-lasting moisture
•     no emulsifiers, no further drying of the skin
•     itchy, irritated, inflamed skin is soothed

I don't have any specific skin complaints at the moment, so I can't speak to its efficacy in treating severe skin irritations, but I always have sensitive skin and love anything that will soothe and moisturize effectively without being too heavy or perfumed.

I've only used this a couple of times so far, but I really like it. It's quite different in texture to any of the other moisturizers I regularly use. When I apply it to the skin, it glides on effortlessly and almost seems to multiply as I massage it in. I was surprised at how little I needed to cover my entire face in a generous layer, and I love that there's no tugging or pulling during application which is great considering it's a cream for such sensitive skin!

You can definitely tell that it's there, and skin remains tacky for a little while after application, but it's not overly heavy or uncomfortable. It feels a bit like Embryolisse Baume Riche though perhaps a tad more sticky - and, like the Baume, it absorbs fully by morning if used as a night cream. I wouldn't recommend using it in the daytime if you plan to use foundation, because it does take awhile to absorb and I feel like it would make skin look a bit too oily and cause foundation to move around. But if your skin is very irritated and you can't wear makeup anyway, there wouldn't be any harm in putting a light layer on during the day as well.

I'm pretty impressed with it so far, and if you're someone who suffers from any type of skin irritation or discomfort - or even if your skin is just a bit on the sensitive side - I'd definitely recommend trying it out.