LBH Weekly Roundup: Korean Matcha Tea Wagon Wheels

I thought of calling this post "Weird Snacks" but 1) there is only one snack that we (actually only Monsieur) is currently obsessing over, 2) I couldn't figure out whether Korean Matcha Tea Wagon Wheels qualifies as a snack, dessert or both and 3) really, is a Matcha Tea Wagon Wheel all that weird?

Granted, when dealing with a host of health problems, we should, of course, NOT be stuffing ourselves with packaged goodies but then again, if one spends the majority of one's time flat on one's back staring at the ceiling, the temptation to do so is very, very real.

And there is no doubting the amusement factor of trying out something that is labelled in a language that one can't read, there is only a picture and a single English word to give one a hint as to the contents.

The amusement factor is doubled at the attempt to take a snack cake that is embedded in Western culture and then inject some Asian healthiness into its edible petroleum byproduct depths.  Voilà, Match Tea Wagon Wheels!  And you know what?  It's not half bad.  The mild leafy taste of the Matcha Tea is a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the chocolate coating and the artificiality of the marshmallow center.  Any recommendations of interesting, yummy sweets?  I'm game so let me know!

This is not a sponsored post.

The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% and Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% Review

I was very naughty last summer.  The CC cream with SPF 30 that I had been using had run out and, instead of getting a replacement, I thought I would slum it and just use a bit of concealer with a daily moisturizer that had SPF 15.  Big mistake.  An SPF 15 might be all right for periodic exposure to winter sun but is woefully insufficient as protection against the glare of an angry summer sun.  The result was that by the end of the year, I had a face covered in freckles and sunspots.  Wah!  Vitamin C has a proven track record at tackling uneven skin tone but the prices of quality Vitamin C serums, meaning ones with a high percentage and a stable formulation, will give you a heart attack right on the (sun)spot.  I had been hearing a lot of buzz about The Ordinary, a skincare line by The Abnormal Beauty Company with targeted ingredients and a price point that will make you salivate but all the buzz seemed to be coming out of the UK.  So, naturally, I assumed that they were a UK brand.  I was so sad and resigned myself to making reluctant friends with my sunspots.  It was quite by chance that I discovered the line is manufactured in Canada and that a freestanding store had opened, quite literally, down the street from my home!

You can bet that I made tracks there so fast that I left smoke trails behind me.  I picked up the Vitamin C Suspension 23% with HA Spheres 2% and the Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%.  And the price you ask?  The Vitamin C was an astoundingly low $5.80 CAD and the Azelaic Acid $7.90 CAD.  At this point, I really do have to give props to them for coming out with a skincare line that is so easy on the wallet.  In all seriousness, even those on very, very tight budgets want and need to feel good about their skin.  Whether you are a poor student battling pimples from too many late nights cramming for exams and scarfing chocolate bars or a middleaged woman on a fixed income dealing with menopausal skin that has decided to undergo its own midlife crisis, I think that an affordable skincare range that delivers is such a blessing.  In a weird way, their philosophy of "clinical formulations with integrity" is the skincare equivalent of Everlane in terms of transparency and delivering a product without a lot of marketing faff.  A word of warning, you do need to have a chemistry degree or a pretty good understanding of how the ingredients work alone and in combination to navigate their line.  I read over their website very carefully before going in to the store which helped a lot although the website can make you think you have stumbled across the syllabus of a Chemistry 101 class and cause even more confusion and angst.  The store is a reflection of the line with its exposed brick walls and simple industrial shelving.  If you are one of those skincare mavens that loves lots of pampering with chandeliers, satin, ribbons and over the top, vague promises, then this might not be the place for you. But if you are a cosmesceutical junkie, then you will take to The Abnormal Beauty Company like a duck to water.

I have been using both lotions for 2 months now with the Vitamin C on my face and the Azelaic Acid on my hands and feet.  The packaging of the Vitamin C warns that a slight tingling sensation can be expected but, unless I really slap it on, I don't feel anything.  It could be my skin has acclimatized to vitamin acids after years of prescription strength Vitamin A but I stopped Vitamin A years ago because I couldn't stand the constant peeling and flaking anymore.  I think my skin just reacts better with Vitamin C.  Within 3 days, I noticed my skintone was so much brighter.  I still have the freckles but I do think it helps to fade a tan.  I wear bareMinerals Complexion Rescue tinted cream with SPF30 during the day as I do think it is important to use a high SPF whilst tackling sun damage.  I tried the Vitamin C under the tinted moisturizer but the moisturizer balled like mad so I switched to using the Vitamin C at night.  I was told by the store clerk that the Azelaic Acid is slower at tackling uneven skin tone.  The tan lines on the tops of my feet caused by wearing sandals all summer did fade away but I wasn't sure if it was because I wear boots all winter or because of the Azelaic Acid.  I tried the Azelaic Acid under the tinted moisturizer in the daytime but it caused balling as well.  All in all, I am really impressed and went back to buy a second tube of Vitamin C.  I am really curious to try the Lactic Acid as I have never tried an acid peel before and I have heard that lactic acid is very mild and a good introduction into the genre. I am even tempted to give their retinoid offerings a go. Have you tried anything from The Ordinary?  If so, what are your impressions?

This is not a sponsored post.  Affiliated links may be added in the future.

LBH Weekly Roundup: La Vie En Rose Flannel Pyjamas and Clif Energy Bars

You know you have turned the corner into adulthood when all you want for Christmas are practical things that add value to your life.  Top of my list were pj's that I could button up the front.  Now that pulling sleep tees or any kind of tee over my head has become a monumental task, I became obsessed with finding comfy pj's that I could actually put on without assistance.  Forget sexy lingerie.  However, a casual stroll through the local mall before Christmas quickly devolved into an obsessive, panicked trek as all I could find were miles and miles of...sexy lingerie. Is this what designers think women want to wear in the middle of a Canadian winter?  In despair, I tasked Monsieur with my Christmas list which consisted of one thing and one thing only, pj's that buttoned up the front.

And this is what I got on Christmas Day.  I include them in this week's Weekly Roundup because I have been living in them for the last month and a half.  Monsieur thinks they are incredibly cute and loves the bright red.  He scored them at La Vie En Rose.  He said that there wasn't a great deal of choice as the other pj's had cartoon like designs printed all over them and the red one was the least offensive.  I wouldn't have cared if they had giant smiley faces all over as I was so pleased to have something I could put on without assistance.  Would you like to see a post on what to wear when faced with a physical challenge?  It would just focus on challenges faced with the upper body and would, obviously, be from my perspective and what solutions I have come up with.  Let me know in the comments!

Another thing I have been obsessed with are Clif Energy Bars.  There was a point when even lifting my arm to fork food into my mouth was an arduous painful endeavor.  By the time dinner was over, I felt like I had run a marathon and would topple into bed afterwards, exhausted and dispirited.  You know you have hit a low point when eating, one of the most primal of pleasures in life, no longer interests or captivates.  Then I stumbled on Clif Energy Bars.

  

I have never been a fan of granola bars (or the newly styled energy bars).  By the time I got to the middle of the box, I would be bored senseless with the compressed horse feed masquerading as human food.  But these Clif bars! I am especially fond of the white chocolate and macadamia nut one. Densely soft and squidgy but still satisfyingly chewy, it has that perfect balance between salty and sweet.  It is definitely an energy bar.  One evening, caught up in the late night munchies, I downed a bar and was so jacked up that I was unable to sleep for hours.  Hmmm, I think I am going to go munch on one now.

Happy Valentine's Day: Valentine's Day Makeup and Francois Nars Eye Paint

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope you have a lovely Valentine's Day.  I know this day gets a bad rap as being gimmicky and commercial.  Perhaps we should start a movement to rename it Hyyge Day?  Have you heard of "Hyyge"?  It has been sweeping the internet.  A day dedicated to being comfy and cozy and living slowly and intentionally sounds good to me!  

I picked up Nars Eye Paint in Iskandar recently.  It had been sold out at my local Sephora for months.  The Eye Paint line consists of mainly metallic and shimmer finishes and Iskandar, a dark gold, was the only one that was constantly sold out.  I had really wanted it for New Year's Eve as I thought it would add a lovely touch of glamour.  So, when I saw a couple of pots appear on the shelf just in time for Valentine's Day, I swooped one up.  I have had to give up my beloved ink eyeliner as it requires a steady hand, not a hand shaking from pain.  I have been on the lookout for something that would be easier to apply and be longlasting so that even when I am ugly crying, I know that my makeup looks fabulous. Ha! I had tested it out on my hand prior to purchasing it and I can say that once it goes on, it stays on even, amazingly, through a hot shower.

I had read various reviews on the Eye Paint and most of the few negative reviews center around complaints of fallout and that it feels quite "chunky."  I did notice in testing the various shades, that Iskandar seems creamier and easier to apply than the other colours.  Perhaps the formula is slightly different to the others?  I can say that I have not experienced any fallout at all.  I use an ELF small angled brush and am able to apply it very easily.  It is almost like foiled eyeshadow.  A word of warning however, it will show every single wrinkle and crease in your eyelids so I would not recommend plastering this stuff right up to your eyebrows (unless that is the look that you are going for).  Used as a gel eyeliner, in discreet amounts, it draws light to your eye.  Iskandar reads as a subtle antique gold and for me, is entirely appropriate as a modern twist on an every day neutral or to add that touch of soft, romantic glamour to your makeup.  Have you tried Nars Eye Paint in any of the other shades?  I am really keen to try out Ubangi which is a dark metallic navy.

Talk to you soon!  Now go and give a loved one, whether that loved one is of the two or four legged variety, a hug!

This is not a sponsored post.

  

Too Faced Love Flush I Will Always Love You Dupe And Milani Luminoso Baked Blush

If you have been reading along, you will know that I bought Too Faced's Love Flush blush in "I Will Always Love You" (which is a warm, apricot hue) a while ago.  I have been using it religiously ever since as, these days, I am constantly worrying if I have a wan/horrified/dispirited look to my face and so feel the need to compensate with a bit of colour in my cheeks.

I did try to avoid the bunnies for as long as possible but had to give in eventually.  As I do with Easter chocolate bunnies, I started, quite guiltily and apologetically, with the ears by brushing the ear tips very, very gently.  It was weirdly satisfying to hit pan and then some as it is always nice to know that one has wrung every cent out of an expensive product and done one's best to use up every last crumb.  After all, how often does a woman ever use up an entire eyeshadow?  I love this blush exceedingly, however, there is no doubt that it is rather pricey.  The search was on to find an acceptable dupe before my beloved Too Faced had completely run out.  I had heard many good things about Milani's Baked Blush in Luminoso and so when it went on sale for 20% off, I decided to give it a whirl.

It has a little brush that stores in a mirrored compartment underneath although I prefer to use a full sized blush brush.  There is a slight shimmer compared to the Too Faced blush which is completely matte.  And it is ever so slightly more pink whereas the Too Faced blush is more apricot hued.

  

I have to say that I really, really like the Milani blush!  The slight shimmer gives you that glowy, lit from within  look that is so on trend at the moment.  It wears well compared to Too Faced's 16 hour promise.  The one thing that concerned me about the Too Faced blush was the "overspray" which I thought was a bit wasteful considering the cost.  There is a bit of a mess with the Milani blush as well but considering how affordable it is, I don't mind it all.  This brings me to the price.  With the taxes and the 20% off sale, it came to well under $8.00 CDN which is a bargain.  Even though you get 3.5 grams with the Milani compared to Too Faced's 6.0 grams, it is still an absolute steal.  I have just noticed that my beloved Too Faced lipstick in "Spice Spice Baby" is running out so am wondering whether I should attempt to find a dupe for it as well seeing as this experiment was, in my books, so successful?  If you have a dupe for that please let me know!