This or That: The Body Shop Vitamin E BB Cream vs Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

         I live in the country. I breathe in the fresh air as I sit on my outdoor sofa typing this post. 

My backyard & pet deer..

It is 3:15 in the afternoon on a Saturday and I have not yet washed my face. I am a simple yet complicated lady. I love high fashion & full makeup, yet I am most comfortable in my pyjamas, a bare face and, of course, the high bun. I wore that shiz before it was in style. Keeping these things is mind, I am a fan of the tinted moisturizer for Monday to Friday. I never used to wear any type of foundation on my face until 32 years old bitch slapped me on my right cheek leaving me some glorious little broken capillaries. My fault.....me and my bff used to tan with indoor tanning lotion on a cement pad in order to attract the most sunshine. I would actually be satisfied when my tan turned kinda greyish..as though I had accomplished my goal of becoming so dark that my skin actually died. I still enjoy a tan (yes, yes, I know...its not good for me) so I will accept the consequences of my actions. I have recently considered getting some IPL treatments to help with the capillary issue. I wish that and botox/dysport were covered by my blue cross health plan..like seriously...it's good for my mental health, that's all I am saying Blue Cross, consider it.

To be totally honest, my search for a tinted moisturizer I could wear with sensitive dry skin began and ended with Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer in the shade natural. This 1.7 ounce tube is available at Sephora.com for $56.00.

Sephora Pro Flawless Airbrush 56, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Natural, pink Beauty Blender,  Real Techniques Buffing Brush

I like the coverage this offers for the work week when I actually care about what I look like. It blurs my broken capillaries and gives an all over glow to the face without completely hiding my skin. It is way more moisturizing in my opinion than Nars Radiant Tinted Moisturizer minus the SPF which is a negative of the Laura Mercier TM's.I It basically does exactly what I need it to, slightly camouflage without looking like I have makeup on. I have applied this with a Sephora Synthetic Foundation brush, my new real techniques foundation brush or the infamous beauty blender. I do like the glowing finish I get with this and the beauty blender. Its as though it presses moisture into your skin. You definetly go through more product with the blender as opposed to the brushes. I have only gone through 2 of these tubes since I started using the product 3 years ago so I would say it is value for pricing but I don't wear it every day.

LM Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer Natural

LM rubbed in with fingers= light coverage with a glow

As I love products and changing things up, I recently found another tinted moisturizer BB cream that I like almost as equally as the LM tinted moisturizer but with a bit less coverage. I was browsing around The Body Shop a month ago checking out their honey bronzer that I see bloggers raving about (not for me), when i stumbled across this BB cream.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream "Glowing Shade"

I noticed it said "glowing shade" on the front which is right up my alley so I swatched it on my hand.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream Glowing Shade

 "Jackpot".. I was intrigued by the thick moisturizer like texture of the tinted cream & the bottle spouting "Freshen your look. 12h quenching moisture and protection"..Sounds good, I thought. Checked out the price... 1.69 oz for $18.00. This sounds too good to be true. In true Shannon form, I chose a sample. Who knew that The Body Shop gives quite generous sample sizes of their instore products.....not I......but I asked and received.

This BB cream is pretty awesome for my medium toned skin. It imparts a nice dewy glow with just a hint of coverage.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream= Sheer Coverage with glow

Not quite enough for my broken capillaries so I usually throw on a light dusting of Laura Mercier Mineral Powder around my nose and cheeks which I can't say enough good things about. I honestly do not even have to do a review...just go run out and get it...it's that good. The Body Shop Vitamin E BB does seem to oxidize a tiny bit but I can deal with that. It seems strange to me that this only comes in one colour. I am going to get my BFF to try it as we are not the same colour. She is blonde with light skin..but this stuff just comes in a single shade? Anyway, I picked up the full size when The Body Shop was having a 40% off sale this week, I mean really $18.00 - 40%= buy it (it's $10.80). As I said previously, The Body Shop is pretty good for sales so I typically wait and stock up.

In conclusion...this or that....I like both of these tinted moisturizers so I say this and that. If you need more coverage, definitely go with LM, if you can live with less, consider this Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB as an affordable option, or at least go grab a sample and try it out for yourself.

Next Post: Why you should check out Milani Blushes..

Things in my shopping cart: Bite Beauty Lipstick in Cream, Coal and Canary Candle in Super Powers and Fresh Cut Flowers, pink lace top camisole from Aritzia, a bathroom vanity for my basement renovation.

Shannon went shopping: Clarins Instant Light and more...

Hello, My name is Shannon and I do have a shopping problem. It is actually not really a problem technically as I quite enjoy it and it is not affecting my day to day life (not a diagnosable addiction). The problem is really more a money problem...like.... I just don't have enough expendable money available for the amount of shopping I would like to participate in. This was not a major shop, check out  LisaLisa D1 https://youtu.be/g6xa1cu0Y0w....if you think I shop a lot, this beautiful lady SHOPS and clearly her bank account has no issues with her hobby. Please bear in mind that no one is going without in my life because of my shopping, I work hard for my money thus I spend it on the things I enjoy including others in my life, vacations, and beauty/style items. If you don't like it...don't read about it, if you like it, please enjoy the following.. Peace out....

So what exactly are these treasures I needed in my world you say: The Body Shop Vitamin E BB Cream & Strawberry/Cocoa Butter Body Butter, Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon, Milani Rose D'oro Blush, Milani nude lip liner, Hourglass Radiant Bronzer, Real Techniques Core Makeup Brushes, Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, Sibu Seabuckthorn Oil, Clarins Instant Light 01, YSL Volupte Tint-in Oil in 04 I Rose You, Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask, Steve Madden Elusion Black shoe and Aritzia Blanket Scarf. I additionally purchased a wand curling iron and a pair of sale $6.97 Joe Fresh pyjama bottoms (loves), but I threw the pants in the wash and the curling iron is in my dungeon, where I do my hair. I'll post more about those dungeon renovations and the shopping choices I have had to make thus far in styling my reno.

I need some time to try all the items above to give you my honest opinion so please give me a bit to put my thoughts together and really get a feel for the good and the not so good about these bad boys. 

One product I am prepared to talk about today is the Clarins Instant Light 01 Rose. I had read a 1000 blogs, actually maybe 8, that talked about how great this was for a spring lip balm with a hint of color. I have about 6-10 lipsticks/balms in my entire makeup collection so I felt like this would be an awesome addition. I purchased the Clarins Instant Light at Hudson Bay at Polo Park Winnipeg for $22.00 plus tax. It is also available online at Hudson Bay.

 I knew the minute I saw this Lip Protector, that this would be a purse lip balm, meaning I will be reaching for this pretty balm every time my lips feel dry thoughout the day. The 01 on my lips is barely detectable in term of colour, a hint of lubricated shine and a delicious smell of something familiar like cotton candy, caramelly, bubble gum, I can't quite put my finger on it but it is very nice. There are 6 shades available for spring and all would offer a subtle hint of color.

This hand swatch was achieved with 3 good back and forth sweeps so you can see that the colour payoff is subtle. The Clarins rep indicated to me that I should go with the orange as I have brown hair. I told her I was pretty "plain Jane", she seemed disappointed in my boring choice but I am happy and that's what matters. This balm is very comfortable on the lips, smooth, no waxy or petroleum feeling, just luxurious "radiance" as the box suggests. I have never felt a lip balm that has been quite this comfortable to wear to be honest. I would recommend these little balms hands down if you are looking for everyday wear especially this spring when you might want to add just a touch of something.

I have picked up everything from my shopping carts now in the last few weeks with one additional purchase of the Kat Von D Shade and Light Palette. I couldn't resist the palette in the Sephora 15% off sale as I have heard good things about the consistency and blendability of the powders. Contours are the big thing now so because I see them everywhere I felt like I needed to have one good go to palette. Stay tuned for that review. I did not buy the L'occitaine Almond Shower Oil after I was disappointed in the smell. I like a sweet almond smell and it didn't read like that to me. For $24.00 for an almond shower oil...it better smell like an f'n almond.

I am interested in the lighter shade of the Hourglass Ambient Bronzer, Mac Painterly paint pot, Bite Beauty Butter Cream lipstick and Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara but none of those are needs, just things I might keep an eye on in the next few months.

Next Post: The Body Shop Vitamin E BB cream vs Laura Mercier Tinted Oil Free Moisturizer

Lotions and potions...

Its supposed to be spring here in Manitoba but my skin is still feeling like its winter, all dry and scaly. I had to apply lotion midday yesterday as my arms were flaking off...I know, gross. I am not sure I have ever found that perfect lotion for my body yet but I certainly have a few contenders. I need a really greasy, oily lotion to feel hydrated but who likes to feel like that all day. At brunch with my girlfriends today, I left grease marks on the table where my arms were resting. I found it pretty funny, but that's generally how I roll.

I have used sooooo many different lotions but three favorites right now would have to be:

1) The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter: this greasy delight not only smells heavenly but leaves you feeling lubricated. It is the middle of the road in terms of moisturizing between these three formulas. I used to only use it on my legs in the summer when my 25 year old skin didn't need the amount of moisture it needs now. I also feel like the formula has become more lotion like: likely to appeal to the masses. I'm also a coconut lover so basically anything that smells coconuty might be an item I need to own (depending on the fakeness of the coconut smell). I used to prefer the Brazil Nut Body Butter but it was recently discontinued in store? I see it on their website as an online exclusive now? This butter retails for $20.00 for their 200ml tubs. I usually get a deal on these lotions in store like a buy 3 get 3 or 50 percent off sale. They do not ship to po boxes which sucks as I live in the country but I'm in the city often enough to just get in-store.

Body Shop Coconut Body Butter

2) Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa shea butter super rich body cream: My friend from work turned me onto this brand. I am forever complaining about how dry my skin is at work (at a hospital) and she has similar skin colouring and likes a thick lotion as I do. She suggested I give the Bath and Body Works shea butter lotion a try. I was apprehensive as I am not a fan of shea butter lotions which to me have a off putting perfumey smell. I was pleasantly surprised when this super rich cream took some force to squeeze out of the tube, due to the thickness, smelled fairly nutty as opposed to the floral smell generally avoid. These 10 oz tubes are $21.00 and I have gone through about 3 tubes of this stuff this winter. It kept me quite moisturized and it has a quality that feels like a barrier on the skin, definitely the longest lasting of the 3 choices. Her other suggestion was the Kiehl's Creme de Corps, but that stuff is pricey for the amount of lotion I go through. Although the Soy Milk & Honey Whipped creme de corps smells soooo good. I smelled it at duty free in Toronto and should have just bought it, but it was $46 for a small tub so I slowly walked away, regretting it the second we flew out. These bath and body works ones are, of course, available at Bath and Body Works. In Canada, you can order online but you have to pay a shipping and handling fee of $20.00 which I think is a bit pricey. I am in the city often enough that I will pick up a few of these when I need hand soap (loving the new white pineapple) or I get a friend to bring some home for me.

Bath and Body Works True Blue Shea Butter

3) Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula: Where has this been all my life? I recently picked this bad boy up at Walmart when I was perusing the very tiny make up isle in my hometown with my dry, itchy arms. I have never been interested in drug store lotions as I generally find they are very watery as opposed to the rich cream my body needs. I was surprised by the thicker texture of this ribbony lotion for a pump bottle and the amazing cocoa butter scent, right up my ally. Now, this is not a greasy lotion and certainly not as moisturizing as the previous two. The bottle indicates it has 24 hour moisture but I would say its a bit less, but it is a very nice, everyday lotion suitable for probably anyone. It is also very affordable at about $5.50 cnd at the Walmart.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula

Are there any lotions I have to try? I did sniff out The Body Shop Strawberry Body Butter and thought I may have to buy that. I hear that they have a bunch of items on for 40% off this week so I will be taking a look at that for sure on my trip to the city. It's the Sephora sale this week as well so I plan on making a stop there in person to pick up my spring goodies. Stay tuned for a city haul of all the things I have been wanting to pick up in person.

Herbivore Botanicals Coconut Bath Soak Review

Estee Lalonde or as she is known in the blogger world "Essie Button" is my soul product user. I know if I buy a product she recommends I am going to like it. I have a few other bloggers that I completely trust with their product recommendations including Claire Marshall from "Hey Claire" and my long time "friend that does not actually know we are friends" Laura from Buynowbloglater. I watched her way back on Youtube in the "lollipop26" days and have been a loyal fan for many years, trusting that her reviews will never lead me astray. I know lots of people are wary of beauty bloggers feeling like they are just product whores selling their sponsored wares..I don't really care, these girls seem courageous, creative and they are just trying to make a living doing what they love. I have a mind and the ability to do my own research, they are just the catalyst to my researching.

I first saw Herbivore Botanicals on Estee's Youtube 2015 February Favourites video. She identified that I needed to buy Herbivore Coconut Bath Soak because if I am a coconut fan "you're gon need this" in a slightly western accent. I am a coconut fan from way back, it is my favourite smell as long as it smells real. Fake coconut smells can be gross, sickly sweet and all wrong. I immediately started looking online to where I could order this in Canada. I bought mine off of Etsy.ca from the Herbivore Botanicals shop. I like that I can just pay with Paypal...every online shop should have Paypal as a payment option in my opinion.

This shiz is not wrong...in fact it is completely right... So right in fact that I would easily say it is the best smelling coconut product I have ever used. Might be because the ingredients are:
                      Organic Coconut Milk Powder - Sodium Bicarbonate- Essential Oil Blend

Boom...its coconut milk, not fake coconut smelling powder. I purchased this 6oz jar for 20.65 CAD plus shipping of $9.03 so basically $30.00 CAD for a small jar. The packaging is lovely, glass jar, beautiful label, simple cohesive brand, as you already know, things that attract me to purchase. I love that it is all natural and made by hand, it feels special, I would like to own a store that sells this product. As for the bath itself, I used about 1/3 of the jar for 1 bath as the directions were vague stating "use as much of product as desired". I felt like I could have used more but its $30.00...thats $10.00 per bath. As the jar says "it will leave your skin hydrated, fragrant, and silky soft. True story. That is exactly what it did.

I bathe everyday, I hate showers..so I would use this as a leisurly saturday bath as opposed to a Monday morning 5 minute bath. Take the lid off, breathe it in, savour the sweet smell of fresh coconut, step into your bath then sprinkle it in to get all the intensity of the milk and oil. Don't waste this on a work day bath.

I will be repurchasing the larger jar and this would make a lovely gift for a fellow coconut lover. You can throw in some Body Shop Coconut Body Butter if you really love them.

What's in my shopping cart? Hourglass Bronzer for VIB at Sephora and Anastasia Beverly Hills Lipgloss plus everything else that I still need to purchase while I am in the city. I will do a mini haul when I am back.

The Fountain of Youth: May Lindstom The Youth Dew

Since its so freakin dry here in the Manitoba winter, I was on the hunt for a serum/ face oil to add after my toner before my moisturizer. I don't have a lot of criteria, something hydrating and maybe something without a lot of chemicals. I had placed an order at freshfaced.ca for some sample products to try before I buy. I chose to sample the May Lindstorm Youth Dew after reading countless beauty bloggers and natural beauty users brag about the amazing youth dew. The sample from fresh faced.ca arrived in a small squeezable plastic container with enough product for about 2-3 days of use which is typically enough to tell if it will react with my skin or not.

I have never used a face oil before so I did not know what to expect. First, I squeezed 2 drops of this orange coloured liquid gold into my hand, rub together and inhaled, like the May Lindstorm Video suggests https://youtu.be/taUdP6nmnDU. Yes, that is exactly what I look like applying "the dew".

Holy shit, this stuff smells amazing. Another slightly orange scented product but with hints of "morocco", cloves, rose and sweet. I press it all over my face/neck and really spend a moment (I am doing this at 0530 in the morning, ugh) "pampering" myself. The glow I get from this oil is incredible. I must add that I don't mind feeling a bit greasy as long as I am hydrated. I like greasy lotion on my body, so when I bend over my skin feels like it can move, supple...not stretching and pulling. Like you body feels on hot holidays. I don't mind an incredibly hydrating oil/cream on my face as long as it doesn't break me out. Fortunately, this oil has not lead to any breakouts, just lovely hydrated dewy skin. I usually wear a mineral make up overtop like Laura Mercier Mineral Powder as it seems to blend flawlessly with the oil just enhancing the glow. This powder is amazing and I will be doing a review another time. I can thank Laura from Buynowbloglater for that little need to have powder.

I received a full sized bottle from Clementinefields.ca for my birthday present from my parents for $144.00 CDN for 20ml. It was a smaller bottle than I anticipated for that price but it is lovely. All May's products are luxurious and come in a black glass bottle with her signature gold dandelion emblem. I feel like it is a brand that I am excited to get items from, a cohesive brand that is lovely from top to bottom.

Ingredients in this awesome concoction include a million different oils including Avocado oil, Jojoba oil, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Olive Oil, Plum Kernel Oil, Seabuckthorn Oil, Rosehip Seed Oil, Pomegranate Oil, Tamanu Oil, Borage Oil, Kukui Nut Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, and basically 10 other essential oils including Geranium Rose, Grapefruit, Sweet Orange, Lemon, Rose Absolute, Bulgarian Rose, Neroli, Carrot Seed and a Coenzyme Q10. Everything is Organic or wild harvested so I feel like I am a healthy person when I put this on my face. I don't think this shiz ever saved my life, but it sure did save my dry face.

Would I repurchase this item for $144.00 plus 13% tax, Hells yah. Would I like to find something comparable and less expensive...yup. For this exact reason I will be trying the Sibu Seabuckthorn Oil and Khiels Midnight Recovery to see if they can match or at least come close to this level of hydration, feel and luxury. Or, I have just got myself addicted to another expensive product that I just don't want to be without. First world problems... clearly. Someday, I hope May Lindstrom sends me a basket of goodies just because....I hear she's lovely like that.

Products that are in my shopping cart? Khiel's Midnight Recovery (I am waiting to go into the city in a couple weeks to purchase that)  & Sibu Seabuckthorn Seed Oil: My local Nutter's store is sold out so my friend said you could buy it at Superstore. I will probably pick some of that up when I am in the city as well, as you guessed it, I am nowhere near a Superstore.

The Luxe Box Adventure

Anyone that knows me knows I hate surprises. Happy April Fools Day, uh no thanks. I like the predictable. I long to be spontaneous but fear not having a plan. I am careful and cautious with everything, including my purchases. Sounds like a pile of fun hey! This year I made a vow that I am going to stop just talking about things and start doing them.

The first commitment I made besides this blog was making cabbage rolls with my Grandma. The old "We should get together and do that sometime", I am famous for that, then never follow through. Not because I don't genuinely want to, its just that another day comes and goes and things are left undone. This year is going to be different. I'm going to take more risks in life, go places without a plan, make plans to do new things and see and experience the world! or, just make some damn tasty cabbage rolls.

Second..The Luxe Box. Seems like a tiny tiptoe towards my goal of trying to be more of a risk taker but this is seriously big for me. Potentially wasting money on products I have never tried, read a million reviews on first or seen with my own eyes...What the What...who is this girl in the mirror?

The Luxe Box is a seasonal box subscriptions where you receive a box with 7-8 trial size beauty and lifestyle items. It is available at Loosebuttons.com and can be purchased for various prices dependent on how long you subscribe. Daring me chose the one time subscription for $26.00 plus tax with free shipping to my quaint Canadian doorstep (post office box). The other subscriptions are $50.00 semi annually and $96.00 for the 4 yearly boxes. I had the opportunity to upgrade in order to know exactly what I would be receiving in my box for an additional $7.00. There were 2 options which looked lovely but since these Deluxe Boxes would defeat all purpose to my new found risk taking behaviour, I chose to go in blindfolded. They ask you to complete an online profile to determine skin type and shade etc. I also took that opportunity to email Loosebuttons to request a no fragrance box. I wouldn't say I am allergic to perfume but I specifically would only choose natural scents to wear like coconut or vanilla thus would not use any perfume samples I receive.

My first impression of this box is that it is lovely quality, specifically the box the product comes in. I know its just a box but I was really impressed. An "I would put a nice gift in this for a birthday present" kinda nice (yes Jenelle, this will be your birthday gift box). All the products come in a little silky gunny sack which I see little use for besides storing or gifting all the products I will never use from this box subscription, ha.

From reading other Luxe Box reviews, it appears that people receive different products in their boxes "based on their personal profiles". If I could have chose the products I received from what was available to others, I would not have chosen this box. There were a couple stars which I will mention below.

So Susan Universal Blush
This was truly the star of my box. When I first saw the cheap pink plastic packaging and sparkly hue I was immediately disappointed. "Yuck, I won't ever wear this crap" was the first thought that came to mind. I swatched it on the back of hand and was still disappointed at the light iridescent quality. The next day I thought I would give this a go on my face and instantly fell in love. It is reminiscent of the hourglass blushes in terms of sheen and a lit from within glow. The color was perfect on me, not too coral or pink. I have heard others say it reminds them of Nar Orgasm which I am not a fan of so I was surprised that was even mentioned. I would not pay $26.00 for this blush from the packaging alone but once applied, I felt as though it covered the cost of this entire luxe box for me. Keeping in mind my love of blush in general. Score 1 for Luxe Box!

Crabtree and Evelyn Nail Laquer
Opaque pink and spring go hand in hand so I was quite happy with this. I am a weirdo and can't stand the feeling of nail polish on my fingers. I wear polish on my toes regularly but feel claustrophobic with my nails covered up. I am trying to combat this by painting one single nails at a time until I can at least stand 1 hand of polish. I painted 1 single nail and it is chipping quite a bit 4 days later. I did not use base or top coat which would have likely been helpful for longevity. This polish is only $6.00 retail so I didn't really expect more. I do not buy polishes very often so I was pleased with the wearability of this colour.


The remaining products I will talk about it a lump summary as they were just not for me.
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid, Paula's Choice KP Treatment Cloths are products I will not use so those I cannot even talk about. I do not have KP so no reason for these and I am sensitize to salicylic acid so I don't want to burn my skin off.

Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation was a sample pack of foundations which seems more like a package sample from a makeup counter. I feel that these should just include deluxe sample sizes as I am a paying customer. I put this on, it looked all dry and patchy, then my face started itching, so it immediately came off, I will give the other sample packs away as it does not appear that I will be

purchasing this product. Skyn ICELAND Hydro Cooling Firming Face gels for smile lines....I don't have those so I will probably give them away as well. Lastly, Loose Buttons foundation brush and sponge. I haven't figured out how or if I will use this brush yet so again, not something I was very excited about.

Will I continue my subscription to Luxe Box....I don't know. I was not overwhelmed by the value of the contents of this box in general. I did like that the brands were reputable and I tried a couple things I normally would not have tried, venturing "out of the box" so to speak. I think in this area, I prefer to research things I might like to try through product reviews, get my samples either free or purchased and then carefully choose the products I want to add to my collection. For me, It's a better use of $30. Sometimes it pays to be 'Vanilla". Who knows what I might try next?

What is in my shopping cart? Estee Lauder EE Cream Medium vs Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue, I am still on the fence. Which one should I buy?