How I Saved My Dry Skin

Hi everyone, hope your Christmas was well and Happy New Year! Today's post is how I repaired my terribly dry skin. 

I have always had really dry skin, my forehead was exceptionally dry and flakey. I had tried so many things to fix it, I even resorted to Pinterest hacks, but nothing was working. So one day I was in Sephora and there was a trial kit of Laneige for $15, so I decided to give it a try. It claimed to be a hydration kit, and I was always looking for something to hydrate my skin. The kit contained Water Bank Moisture Cream, Water Bank Serum, Multi Cleanser, and the Water Sleeping Mask. 

I continued to use these products, and I quickly saw results. My skin felt softer and my makeup applied so smoothly. I was so excited, my skin had never been so hydrated. I knew that these products were worth buying the full size, so I did. I also added the toner to my skin care routine, I enjoy the toner for getting my skin extra clean after my Camomille Silky Cleansing Oil from the Body Shop. I did not use the Multi Cleanser from the kit very long, because there were small exfoliating beads in the cleanser that irritated my very sensitive skin. I enjoy an oil cleanser such as the one from The Body Shop, the oils in the cleanser are very moisturizing and gentle on my skin. 

I use the toner every morning and evening, along with the serum, and the moisturizer. The Water Sleeping Mask in the photo is still from the small kit I bought. You do not need a lot and I use it when I feel my skin needs an extra boost, which I would say is every few days. 

In the winter I add oils into my skin care routine. Lately I have been using Vitamin E Overnight Serum-In-Oil from the Body Shop, and I have received a sample from Sephora of the NUDE Skincare Progenius Omega Treatment Rescue Oil. I really like the NUDE Skincare Oil, it is very moisturizing on my skin, it sinks in nicely, and I feel it has helped the texture of my skin.

I would highly recommend Laneige skincare, you can find it in Sephora stores in Canada, and I know in the U.S. you can find it at Target. If you have really dry skin, or very sensitive skin I would highly recommend picking up this Laneige Hydration Trial Kit, this kit is larger than the one I bought, but there are more products to try. With a larger kit like this you can make a definite decision on what products you would like to purchase full size.

Thanks for reading! Hope this was helpful to people who have dry sensitive skin like me. These products have changed my skin completely, and I cannot recommend them enough! 

-Ashley

You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @makeupcuisine.

All photos taken with my Canon T5i.

Business enquiries email me at makeupcuisine@hotmail.com.

Christmas Q&A

Favourite christmas song?

My favourite Christmas song is O Holy Night, I really enjoy it as a duet, I also really like Josh Groban's rendition.

Do you go Boxing Day shopping? 

I have always gone with my family every year, it is crazy, but our family loves it. It has become a loved tradition.

Do you wear something cozy Christmas Day or something fancy? 

I wear pants and a nice top, I want to be comfortable but look nice. I have a feeling this year though I will be wearing a dress, because we are going out for a nice lunch instead of cooking.

Stocking or presents first? 

My family is German so we open our gifts Christmas Eve, it is a German tradition. We open our stockings Christmas morning.

What are some of your favourite Christmas movies?

My all time favourite Christmas movie is The Grinch!!!! I love it so much, I have even watched it in the summer time. I also really like Christmas Vacation, Deck the Halls, and Christmas with the Kranks.

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

I really like walking around and seeing everything decorated, all the lights people put on their houses, and stores too. This will sound cheesy but I really like giving gifts to people picking out that perfect present for someone that you know they will love. I also really love all the baking. I know that is not one thing, but there is lots of fun things that happen around Christmas.

This is how I decorated my room for Christmas. I really like dim lighting in my room, so I decided to decorate my room with lots of lights. I also have a mini Christmas tree in front of my bed (ft. near the end). I also put a bow on the end of my bed.

This is a Christmas tree that is downtown in my city, by the outdoor skating rink. It is super cute and festive in the winter. Music is playing and you can skate and there is a gas fire pit to keep you warm. It is a really fun place to be in the winter.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed my quick Christmas post. I am very excited for Christmas, I love the little traditions that are at this time of year. If I do not post before Christmas, have a Merry Christmas! 

-Ashley

You can find me on Instagram and Twitter @makeupcuisine.

All photos taken with my Canon T5i.

Sephora Haul

Hello everyone, I got a coupon for Sephora where you spend $50 and get $20 off, so it though why not, sounds like a good deal. I realized as a left that everything I got was from the Sephora brand. They really have some great stuff, and they are more affordable than some of the other brands in Sephora.  I have already tried these items the past week so I also included a mini review. 

Let's get right into it!

Sephora PRO Tapered Crease Brush #19

This brush is really great for blending. It is very soft, so it doesn't poke me in the eye like the MAC 217 brush does. I would recommend it!

Sephora Hair Ties

I really like using these for putting my hair into a ponytail because I find it does not leave a kink in my hair, and they are very comfortable to wear on the wrist. 

Sephora Master Cleanse: Daily Brush Cleaner

I never really thought about buying something like this, because I wash my brushes regularly. But this is really good for quickly cleaning eyeshadow brushes when you want to go from using a dark shadow to a light shadow.

Sephora Rouge Shine Lipstick-Lovesick

I really love this it is very natural on the lips and quite moisturizing. I know the matte lip is a trend, but I personally like having shiny plump lips. This lipstick is so easy to put it on, it is like a lip balm with a bit of color.

Thanks for reading everyone, hope your week has been going well!

-Ashley 

You can find me on Instagram and Twitter @makeupcuisine.

All photos taken with my Canon T5i.

Monthly Makeup Menu

Hello everyone, instead of doing monthly favourites I starting, what I am calling, Monthly Makeup Menu (get it because my blog is called makeup cuisine, haha so clever). I will show you all the products I have been reaching for almost everyday that month, and show you the makeup look as a whole. I hope you enjoy this, opposed to the usual monthly favourites. Let's get started! Also, sorry that all the pictures are more on the blue side. There has been no sun where I live and there was snow casting a blue tint. All this resulted in my photos coming out with a blue tinge. Next time the photos will be better!

Pre-makeup Face

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder

This powder with the Sephora #45 brush work so well together, and I always seen to go back to this when I am tired of liquid foundation. I love the natural finish. 

Sephora Classic Multitasker Brush #45

Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer

If you are a regular reader you know how much I love this bronzer it is the best! Perfect for adding warmth but can also be used for light contouring.

Quo Powder Brush

Found this brush when looking through my mom's old makeup collection. I really like this brush it picks up product really well and there is not a lot of fall out. I use it for bronzer and blush.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed

What can I say, this is one of my all time favourite blushes, and I highly recommend it to everyone.

L'Oreal Voluminous Superstar Mascara in Waterproof

I have really been enjoying this mascara, though I do not use the primer. I just really like the mascara on its own, I have been going for the natural fluttery look.

I forgot to take photos of the brow products I like using. I use the eyeshadow Faint from the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette it matches the color of my hair well, and I like the way powder looks in the brows apposed to pencil. I have also been loving the Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep. This is so great the keep my brows hairs in place an to give them a little lift. I kept the lips natural just with some EOS Lip Balm. 

Thanks for reading! 

-Ashley 

You can find me on Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin' @makeupcuisine.

All photos taken with my Canon T5i.