{beauty} Drug Store Haul May


Hey hey pretty peeps! It’s that time again 🙂 time for me to go through allllllllllllllll the ah-mazing products I’ve tried over the month, and boy do I have A LOT for May.

Oh-kay where do we begin? Maybe with my favorite new discoveries?
NIVEA MEN AFTER SHAVE BALM

Throw away EVERYTHING that you know about primers or men’s face products because the NIVEA For Men Sensitive Skin After Shave Balm product will dispel everything you think you know.  For a whopping $8 this product is actually new favorite discovery. Perfectly tacky (and didn’t break me out) it makes an amazing makeup primer. Yes you read that correctly. I’ve been reading about this forever, and finally decided to give it a go, and me? I’m never looking back again.

I mean it does smell like a men’s product, so if you can get past that you’ll be good to go! It’s so worth it though, and I actually don’t mind masculine scents, so I’m all in. JUST BUY IT. 

I’ve also been loving the travel wipes for days I’m heading to the gym and I have plans after 🙂 I try not to use these too often because I do feel bad for the envrio when I do, but in a pinch or when I’m traveling they do really come in handy which is why I love the travel size. 
Patchology FlashMasque 5 Minute Facial Sheets 
These face masks are probably the most comical ones I’ve tried to date. I’m going to spoil the surprise, but the Patchology Flashmasques ($30) are leopard print. I loved wearing them because I felt like the lizard lady from Doctor Who lol, but jokes aside these masks are actually great and loaded with great stuff.

Most sheet masks typically take up to 20 minutes to work, but the Patchology masque material “accelerates delivery of essential ingredients of Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin B5 to improve elasticity and smooth your skin” in LESS TIME. So if you’re short on time (I mean who isn’t these could be for you). 

My skin felt seriously quenched after wearing it, and I loved how my makeup looked on top of the serum too. You can also wear them longer should you want to 🙂 I did, and man did I love the results.
ALBA MINERAL SUNSCREEN

Alba Facial Sunscreen is a Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 40 ($14) protection which is water resistant, hypo-allergenic, and a quick-absorbing lotion that does not leave a white film (true story). Dermatologist Tested. Complete sun protection: Formulated with broad spectrum protection from long wave, photo aging UVA rays and short wave, burning UVB rays. 

The absolute BEST part about this sunscreen is that it’s paraben free and made in Canada! Heck yeah this is amazing. Thirsty for more awesome?

Enhanced with naturally sourced botanical extracts for soothing and moisturizing skin care benefits
Lavender Flower Extract and Aloe Vera to calm and soothe skin Green Tea Extract, Chamomile and Echinacea, antioxidants to protect the skin from cell damage


Water resistant (80 minutes) 

Oxybenzone free, fragrance free, pH balanced
 
Made in Canada

Does not contain parabens which are thought to cause allergic reactions and DNA damage

No nano-particles

Super affordable I’m so excited about this product! Finally a great alternative 🙂 Alba also makes a kids version, but what you to do is try this product out on your skin because you really need to feel the difference for yourself. I used to only use the spray sunscreens, but now that I’ve learned more about the potential harm from the chemicals I’ll be an Alba girl all the way (and you should be too).

Nail Treat Mani by Look Beauty

The “Nail Treat” masks gently exfoliate rough skin around nails and help repair damage caused by manicure products. Rough hands and brittle nails are softened and moisturized with parrafin wax, milk protein extract, coconut extract and argania extract. 4 sets of 10 finger masks ($9.99).

The masks are meant to be worn for 30-60 minutes which can  be REALLY tricky to sit still for that long so maybe toss them on when you’re binging on Netflix. If you have small fingers (like me) then the fingernail masks will slip around A LOT, so I would definitely recommend you wear cotton gloves or something over them to keep them in place. Otherwise they slip off and you’ll knock all the other ones off trying to keep them on (I was a disaster I’m not going to lie). 

Be forewarned if you’re trying the Nail Treat Mani tips do figure out something to go over your entire hands because you might throw in the towel otherwise. I mean I like the idea of having the area concentrated with product, but it felt like my fingers were swimming in these tips.
LISE WATIER Escale Bronzing Powder

A mix of three shades, bronzer, pink, and gold I mean these are all the things I love all mixed together. As you know blog reader I’m a big fan of blending my bronzer with my blush, so the Lise Watier Escale Bronzing Powder ($ 44) kind of does all the hard work for you in one product.  If you’re looking to achieve that natural sun-kissed look this should be your go-to. Also can we talk about it’s stunning case? I love love love it. With its beautiful blue and white colours, the packaging reflects the very essence of Escale.

LISE WATIER Intense Waterproof Eyeliner – Vert Marin


Okay we need to talk about the Intense Waterproof Eyeliner – Vert Marin ($23) because I’ve honestly yet to find an eye liner that glides on so easily. It feels so good, and color is so saturated that it’s so effortless to apply (and get great color too). And it doesn’t move an inch!

I also love this shade, I’m definitely not a huge colored eye liner wearer, but there’s something about this dark green that really pops (and also doesn’t feel like a huge deviation from my typical black).

Lise Watier Escale Palette For eyes and cheeks

Including six eye shadows, a BROW powder (so cool) and a blush, this multi-functional palette is dressed up in sailor-chic style. I mean this palette is so chic it should be a collector item for makeup lovers lol IT’S SO PERFECT FOR SUMMER. I’m not going to lie I use the same eye shadow palette EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. but I like the idea of trying new shades, and the Lise Watier Escale Palette For eyes and cheeks ($ 55) is so beautiful. 

It’s a great mix of warm and cool colors too which I like because I definitely need some warm tones to mix in there otherwise I can look a little off 🙂


L’Oreal Professionnel Infinium Hairspray

This hairspray is lightweight, and was especially created for hairdressers working backstage on fashion shows. Perfect for fixing a style in place. This spray promises to keep your hair in place without a super stiff feeling, so you hair feels natural, but still in place. The Infinium Hairspray comes in two different holds depending on your hair styling needs. 
Infinium Soft > for subtle hold and natural looking movement
Infinium Extreme strength > will give you ultra-strong hold with a shiny finish “trust us when we say that your style isn’t going anywhere”.
Infinium also comes in a mini handbag size spray that’s perfect for slipping into your handbag to fix your hair throughout the day, or for travel!

VERDICT:
I liked the hold of this hair spray, and it did dry quickly, and I definitely didn’t notice any kind of residue. Do a lot of hairsprays have these, these days? I didn’t find my hair overly shiny, but my hair can be pretty dry anyways. 


L’Oreal Professionnel Morning After Dust


L’Oreal Professionnel’s new invisible dry shampoo is designed to revive your hair style and release a “delicious perfume scent for up to 24 hours”. Its backstage-inspired formula promises to provide a long-lasting fresh feel, with no visible residue after brushing. Hair should feel and smell like freshly washed hair.
Directions: spray 15-30 cm away from the roots and shake fingers through hair.

VERDICT:

Okay how does an invisible dry shampoo work exactly? I NEED TO KNOW. I’m actually in LOVE with this product, and I’ve used A LOT of dry shampoos in my day. It’s a great price point, and it does work, and bonus there’s no making sure you’ve rubbed it all in because it’s actually INVISIBLE. You literally can just spray and go. I also really like the smell, and have gotten a lot of compliments on it recently (I hug a lot of people). I’d say if you’re an avid gym goer or you’re a 3 times a week kinda girl I’d stronger suggest a buy here. 

Hope you find this helpful 🙂 If you have any questions about anything mentioned above feel free to comment below or reach out to me on social media @shortpresents 
Clairins Extra Firming Body Lotion
“A moisturizing, comforting body care lotion that instantly minimizes the appearance of lines, leaving skin looking soft and satin-smooth”.

This product contains lemon thyme extract (smells so good) and is designed to be uplifting. While I’m really not sure a lotion can really help in this situation (at least not for long periods of time). Cellulite is usually actually caused by skipping meals (fact), and a lack or muscle tone (obvi), but I mean if I’m going to be applying a body lotion anyway it might as well do something a little extra right (and at least it smells really good). I don’t know if I just want it to work, or if it’s actually working because it seems like my skin looks firmer (I mean it’s minimal there are no miracles here). I might have officially lost it though you guys because I really think it’s working.

Happy Shopping 

xx 

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