August Monthly Favourites New Kitchen Faucet, Bareminerals Complexion Rescue, Ask For Task

August is done and dusted, school is back in session and Fall is here.  This Summer was emotionally and physically hard on me.  I thought 2018 was tough but 2019 has been a year of upheaval.    In order to shake off the glooms, I finally had the leaking kitchen faucet replaced.  After much searching, I ordered this beauty off Amazon:

Long time readers of this blog will know that I did a number of minor renos several years ago.  At the time, they were done under the advisement of a real estate agent.  Many of those renos have had to be replaced or redone as they did not stand the test of time.  The kitchen faucet was one of those renos.  I found that the curve of the faucet was too low and it sprouted multiple leaks.  I really wanted an industrial type faucet with a high arc.  After experiencing sticker shock at the big box hardware stores, I ordered the above faucet from good old Amazon.  The price was at least 50% lower than what I was seeing at the hardware store.  I love the fact that there are not one but 2 faucets which is handy if, like me, you have a double sink.  Each faucet has an on/off lever at the nozzle as well as one at the base.  Be warned, it is extremely powerful.  I think the brushed nickel finish and the industrial vibe works well with the industrial light fixture that I chose for the kitchen (which I wrote about here).  I booked a tasker off Ask for Task to install it for me.  I love Ask for Task.  No more stressing over trying to find a contractor to do repair work.  Booking a tasker is so easy and straightforward that I had to include it as a Monthly Favourite.  I can't even begin to describe the thrill of having a functional kitchen faucet again.  No more having to go to the bathroom to get water and no more emptying out a bucket under the sink!

Next up is Bareminerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Cream.

I usually get freckles and sunspots over the Summer but this CC cream with SPF 30 really helped to safeguard my face from UV damage.  I noticed that I didn't freckle up as much as I would have without any UV protection.  Of course, a CC cream will not offer as much protection as a stand alone dedicated sun protection cream but I love the fact that my makeup has a built in SPF which makes my morning makeup routine easy and efficient.  I know I have written about this product before but this really is a holy grail item for me that I have repurchased more than once.

With Fall sneaking its way in, I have been assessing my Fall/Winter capsule wardrobe.  There are some gaps that need filling.  I am looking forward to telling you about them!  I have had a capsule wardrobe for a while.  Do you have one?  Let me know if you have any suggestions for having a streamlined and edited wardrobe.

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LBH Weekly Roundup: Finding the Perfect Nude Lipstick, bareMinerals, Pixi by Petra, Too Faced

I noticed that my alltime favourite lipstick by Too Faced was due to be replaced.  A visit to my nearest Sephora store revealed a calamity.  The La Creme Color Drenched lipsticks had disappeared off the shelves with only the liquid lipsticks available for purchase in person.  My lipstick of choice, Spice Spice Baby, was now only available online.  Ahhh!!!  I know that shopping online is de rigueur these days but, for makeup, I really enjoy going in to a store, wandering the aisles and testing out new products. So the hunt was on for a duplicate.

bareMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick in XOX

First, I purchased bareMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick in XOX.  I had been curious about the Gen Nude line for a long time and this was as good a time as any to finally try out a mineral based lipstick.  It has a slightly darker berry tone than the Too Faced lipstick and has a slicker, less creamy feel to it.  It doesn't have much of a scent.  The only problem is that, because it is darker than my lips, eventually I get that eaten off, ring around my lips look which I find quite naif.  This was a bit disappointing as I remembering dithering between XOX and Love, which is a slightly brighter berry tone, for a very long time.  If you know a way to prevent this, please let me know!

Pixi by Petra in Honey Bare

Next, I purchased Pixi by Petra's Matte Lustre lipstick in Honey Bare.  This was another brand that I had been curious about for a really long time.  When Shoppers (Canadian pharmacy) decided to carry it, I was very excited.  Because it is a demi or matte lustre lipstick, you get the matte look that is so trendy right now but the comfortable moisturizing feel of a traditional lipstick.  The only drawback to this one was that I would get this weird tingling feeling on the sides of my tongue every time I licked my lips.  Have you ever experienced a reaction like this?  It didn't last for too long but was disconcerting.  Also, I found that the lipstick clung to every flaky bit on my lips which is not a good look.  So it is important that your lips are moisturized and exfoliated beforehand.  The lipstick comes packaged in a cellophane wrapper.  I am not sure if the lipstick had been sitting on the shelf for a long time but when I unwrapped it, the cellophane disintegrated into a million little bits which clung to my fingers like superglue.  The initial scent, after I had scrubbed my hands under the tap which was the only way I could get rid of the plastic bits (can't be good for the environment), was the standard waxy lipstick scent of a masstige product.  So, I wasn't impressed at first.  I've since warmed up to it though now that I have figured out how to work with it.

Here are all three lipsticks lined up.

L to R: bareMinerals, Pixi by Petra, Too Faced

Here is a swatch.

L to R: Too Faced, bareMinerals, Pixi by Petra

As you can see, the colours are very close.  I will probably go ahead and order another Too Faced lipstick as I don't want to be without my favourite but it is good to know that I have backup in the other ones.  I love the yummy sugary sweet scent Too Faced's lipsticks and the colour of Spice, Spice Baby is the perfect nude shade for me.  Do you have favourite makeup items that you just can't give up?

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LBH January Favourites: Ole Henriksen, bareMinerals, First Aid Beauty, Tarte

Time for another monthly favourites!  I still can't believe that January is done and dusted and I am staring down the barrel towards Valentine's Day.  I visited Sephora on Boxing Day, a place I have never visited on Boxing Day as I didn't think it was a place for finding screaming deals.  However, this time I was pleasantly surprised.

These box sets were $15 each which I thought was a great deal.  The Tarte blush is a full size and the Ole Henricksen Sheer Transformation Creme is 1 fl.oz.  I am in love with the Sheer Transformation Creme.  It has hardly any scent and absorbs quickly and easily.  It doesn't break me out and my skin feels moisturized and hydrated for hours which is no mean feat as I am in the middle of a Canadian winter.  I know the fact that it comes in a pot is an issue in terms of hygiene and keeping the ingredients stable.  However, I figured it was a small enough size that I would probably use it up before these issues became relevant.  I have been applying it twice a day for a month and have about a week's worth left at the bottom.  The wipes have a lovely citrus scent and I have decided to set them aside for when I am travelling.

The only reason why I got the First AidBeauty set was because it came with a deluxe sample size of Ultra RepairHydrating Serum which I was really keen to try.  I have been using it on my eyes and it has been doing a good job at keeping the incipient crepey-ness (is that even a word?) at bay.

I picked up a travel sized bareMineralsComplexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream mainly because the Sephora nearest to my home is constantly, annoyingly sold out of Vanilla 02.  I didn't mind as I thought buying a travel sized tube would be a good way of trying the product without investing in the full size.  Happily, I am obsessed with it.  I used to use Clinique's CC Cream but I have always had issues with Clinique's colour range.  I really wanted something that had a high SPF and didn't require a lot of faffing around to apply, especially as these days, my arms are akin to penguin flippers in terms of usefulness.  Because it is a gel cream, the consistency is wonderfully light and fluffy, smooths on like a dream and absorbs into the skin instead of just sitting on top of it.  It is satisfyingly moisturizing but if you have dry patches, it will cling to them so you will need extra moisturizer or primer.  The coverage is sheer to medium.  Basically, I end up with skin that still looks like skin, just better.

When Sephora finally got a couple of tubes in of Vanilla, I snatched one up even though I hadn't finished the travel size tube yet.  That just goes to show you how obsessed I am with it.  

Did you visit Sephora on Boxing Day?  I am a convert and will definitely be checking out Sephora next Boxing Day!

This is not a sponsored post.  Affiliate links may be added at a later date.