WARNING: This post may contain traces of gluten.

Due to an allergy I’ve been on a strict gluten free diet for over 2 years, but only just now have I realized that applying gluten on my skin or lips could also give me reactions. Lipstick is an obvious no-brainer, since a small amount always gets in your mouth. But in my research I found that gluten in face products can cause breakouts and other unwanted reactions on the skin, even if the product is not ingested.

I began researching brands and products to try, and came across a number of sites and blogs saying that ELF (Eyes Lips Face) Cosmetics are gluten free. This brand is extremely affordable, with most products priced in the $1-$3 range. So I thought I would give it a go and try out a bunch of their products. The website said the shipping could take up to a month, but it only took 4 days, so that was very impressive to me. When the package arrived I could barely contain my excitement. It was all fun and games until, much to my utter horror,  I read the back of an eyelash primer and it said the words “wheat protein”. Somehow coating my lashes with gluten, my biggest kryptonite, does not sound appealing to me.

I quickly emailed the company, and this was their response:

We apologize for any confusion regarding our ingredients. We have researched our products to ensure that they are gluten-free. According to our production department the wheat protein found does not actually contain gluten due to the processing.

So they claim it IS gluten free. Though, I don’t see how wheat protein in any shape or form could be 100% free of gluten. Because the product is just an eyelash primer I don’t see the harm in using it. However, if it was a lipstick or face product in question, I would be a lot more reluctant.

Keep an eye out for ELF product reviews!

x B

VIDEO: May Beauty Favourites

Hey everyone!

I’ve done it! I’ve finally made the plunge into the world of YouTube, and here is my first video! I know we’re already half way through June, so my May favourites are kind of late. But hey, better late than never.

Make sure to give the video a like, and subscribe to my channel for more videos to come 🙂

x B

REVIEW: Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation

Last month I began my blogging journey with The Hunt for Perfect Skin , and now the hunt continues with: Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation 16hr!

As you may have guessed from my previous posts, I have oily, acne prone skin. So not only do I want a foundation that will hide scars and spots, but that will keep oils at bay, and not induce further breakouts.

Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation is specifically designed for my skin type, as it has a full, long-lasting coverage, and a matte finish. The coverage is so good that I use it as both a foundation and a concealer; it hides all my flaws giving me a nice big confidence boost! Apparently it can even cover tattoos, however, since I don’t have any, I’m not speaking from personal experience. But having said this, the coverage isn’t cakey or uncomfortable to wear (as long as you don’t over apply). While having a matte finish, it still looks natural, and even adds a touch of brightness to the face, without looking too glowy.

Unfortunately this foundation only comes in a range of 5 shades, and they’re all on the darker side, so  I don’t know if I’ll be able to wear it in the winter when my skin is lighter. I have the second lightest shade, 25- Nude, and it’s just a tad too dark, but it looks fine as long as I blend it down my neck. Also, I would not recommend this foundation to people with dry to normal skin, as it tends to cling to dry patches of skin. Even with my oily skin type, I need to make sure I’ve properly exfoliated and moisturized before applying it, because it will cling to and highlight dry areas.

As for application, because it’s so highly pigmented, a little goes a long way. However, because the formula is made to reduce oils, it can be hard to spread. I’ve tried using my hands when applying, because it warms the foundation up making it easier to spread around. But lately I’ve been using my Real Techniques buffing brush for the all over application and then my Real Techniques detailer brush for concealing, and I’ve found that this works really well. Also, after application, I always set it with powder, otherwise the foundation will slide all around. Apart from getting a a little shiny, this foundation lasts all day!

So what’s the verdict? Overall, I really love this foundation, and it’s perfect when you’re needing to control oily skin, and want that extra amount of coverage.I’ll definitely be repurchasing this product!

Have you tried this foundation? If so, what did you think?

x B

NARS Haul

I can’t even begin to explain how many countless hours I have spent reading through NARS product reviews, and daydreaming of my first NARS purchase. This is quite typical of me, as I’m in no way an impulse buyer, and usually put a good deal of thought and research into products before the big purchase. It’s quite a good thing really, as it means I’m not reckless in my spending habits. However, the downside is that I become unreasonably obsessive about certain things until I finally just get up the nerve to go ahead and buy them.

So a  few days ago all of my NARS related obsessing ended when I took a day trip to Toronto with some friends to see a Jays game, and to shop. Now, it may come as a huge shock to some of you, but we actually left the baseball game early in order to squeeze in some extra shopping. I know, I know, favour shopping over sports? Who would have thought. As I mentioned already, I’d been planning for a long time what NARS products I would buy, so when I finally got to Sephora it didn’t take me long to make my purchase.

I bought NARS Sheer Glow (how original) in the shade Deauville. The specialist there helped me pick out the colour, and it’s a perfect match for me! I was a little nervous about choosing a colour, because I’ve been matched to the wrong foundation shade before and I really didn’t want to spend a whole lot of money on a foundation in the wrong colour. But luckily it all ended well.

I also picked up a bronzer in Laguna. And I’ve got to admit, I feel like such a beauty conformist, as both the NARS Sheer Glow and the Laguna bronzer seem to be in the makeup bag of every beauty blogger. But, when I hear about must-have products, I usually can’t stay away for long!

It turned out to be my lucky day, because they were giving away a free gift with every NARS purchase, which was a mini lipgloss in the colour Gold Digger.

Reviews of these products will be along in the next few weeks once I’ve given them a good try. So make sure to keep an eye out!

What are your favourite NARS products?

x B