*This post features PR Samples. 

While it’s not something I often discuss, I struggle with dry skin and calluses on my feet. The buildup can get so bad that little bits of skin pull away, forming hangnail-like strips. It’s not fun. Despite using pumice stones and files, I can never achieve the same results as a pedicure. However, pedicures often involve using a razor on my feet, which I can’t do at home.

This year, I decided to try something different: Dr. Scholl’s Ultra-Exfoliating Foot Mask. Unlike other exfoliating foot masks, it comes in a 3-pack, which I find to be a better value. The mask uses a proprietary blend of alpha hydroxy acids, essential oils, natural extracts, and urea to exfoliate dead skin and moisturize.

Dr. Scholl’s Ultra-Exfoliating Foot Mask 3-pack

Ingredients: Alcohol Denat., Water, Lactic Acid, Urea, Isopropyl Alcohol, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Lepidum Meyenii Root Extract, Tamarindus Indica Seed Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Surgarcane) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Betaine, Hydroxyethylcelluose, Sodium Citrate, Salicylic Acid, PEG-60 Hydrogentated Castor Oil, Menthol, Disodium EDTA

Christmas is almost here, but if you are anything like me you probably still have some gifts to buy. Today I am going to talk about some great stocking stuffers or value gifts you can easily find and pick up.

All these items are from FarleyCo, a great Candian distributor of beauty products, they can be found on their site but also many great stores like Rexall, London Drugs, Walmart and others. Check out FarleyCo.ca to find out where each brand is sold.

Flexitol Very Dry Skin Cream ($12.99):

Dry skin is all around this time of year, and I think I can fairly state that everyone would appreciate a little bit of extra skin cream in their lives.

I personally wash dogs for a living and then dry them, my skin gets dry and chapt and well frankly bleeds. One thing my skin cannot handle is fragrance this time of year or added water, which is why Flexitol's Very Dry Skin Cream is so great.

It is thick and a little goes a long long way, all the while being made for very sensitive skin that is reactive. It has 12.5 Urea in it, which is known to aid those with extremely dry skin. Safe for those with Eczema, Psoriasis, Dermatitis and just winter itchy skin this stuff is amazing I highly recommend trying it out. Oh, it also isn't greasy.

EcoTools Start the Day Beautifully Kit ($18.99):

With an eco outlook to their brand, EcoTools is one of the best brush lines out there. They always have great sets and kits that make for great gifts. This year their STart the Day Beautifully Kit caught my eye.

With 5 brushes (angled foundation, blurring, defined crease, angled liner, full blush brush) it has everything you need for your whole beauty look as well as a great tray to store them in and look cards to help you create the perfect look.

I think this set is the perfect gift for anyone who just doesn't' know where to start with makeup and brushes or a teenager. I remember getting my first brush set from my mom when I was 16 for Christmas and it started a love affair that has never ended. At $18.99 it makes a great stocking stuffer too.

7th Heaven Masks ($1.99+):
I love a good face mask, and I can almost be certain that your loved ones do too. 7th Heaven makes fantastic masks in pouches that mean you can pick up one or a few for everyone whos stocking you need to fill. They are easy, fun (I mean look at that packaging) and they are great quality. Since they are individually wrapped, they never dry out, get oxidized or get contaminated by our fingers, making, plus you can try out a who bunch of different one at a very low without committing to a large container, all at reasonable price point.

I have the Pink Guava Peel-Off one here, but I have in the past I have used their mud sheet masks and even foot ones. My hubby always loves a good peel-off mask, so this one is a great one to toss into his stocking this year.

Mesmoreyes Full 3D Lashes ($6.99):
Real Techniques Mini Brushes ($8.99):
I love REal tEchniques, this should be no surprise to you. I have so many of their brushes, sponges and sets, all of which I love. Their Miracle Sponge is my ride or die sponge, you will be prying that from my dead hands one day. That being said RT has some great mini brushes for the holidays. I have the Mini Medium Sculpting Brush here and it is adorable.

So it is tiny, which automatically makes it adorable, but it is also just as good as the full-sized versions. There also is an Expert Mini Face and Mini Multitask Brush. Pop one of these into a stocking and I am sure you are going to hear an AWWW because it is so darn cute.

So there you have it, some fun beauty stocking stuffer ideas. I personally would love to get any of them in my stocking this year.

*These products were sent to me to review from FarleyCo. All views and opinions are my own.

UPDATE!
As of July 22, 2019, Neutrogena Canada has issued a voluntary recall of this product. It will no longer be sold in Canada. If you have it please contact them at 1 888-663-8876.

You may have noticed that the NEUTROGENA® Light Therapy Acne Mask and Activator are not available where you shop in Canada. That’s because these products have been recalled from wholesalers and retail stores. Our decision to recall this product is being made out of an abundance of caution. The NEUTROGENA® Light Therapy Acne Mask is safe for use by the general population when used once per day as directed. Reports of visual effects associated with use of the NEUTROGENA® Light Therapy Acne Mask are rare, generally mild and transient. For a small subset of the population with certain underlying eye conditions, as well as for users taking medications which could enhance ocular photosensitivity, there is a theoretical risk of eye injury.
If you experience any visual discomfort when using the mask, you should stop use and contact your healthcare professional. For any questions, including regarding a refund, please contact our Consumer Care line at 1 888-663-8876. -neutrogena.ca

For a link to the recall click here and here.

Acne can strike anyone at any age. I never had it as a teen but have developed quite the case in my 30's. I 100% blame it on hormones. Lucky for me my new Neutrogena Light Therapy Acne Mask has really helped turn things around for me.

The mask features Red and Blue lights. The red lights help with inflammation and the blue with acne-causing bacteria. Together they both help tackle acne and the inflammation that it can cause. You cannot see it in my pictures, but there are separate red and blue lights in the mask, they just don't photograph well and blur into a purple in the photos.
All you do to use it is put the mask on, slide the earpieces over your ears like glasses. Plug in the activator into the mask and press the button. Then just sit back and wait for 10 minutes. It is pretty darn simple and was easy to incorporate into my night time routine, I just keep it by my bedside table.

There is an eye visor area that lets you look out without harming your eyes, but the red and blue lights sort of still mess with my eyesight so I can't see too much. I personally think your best bet is to just lay back and close your eyes while you wait for the mask to do its thing.
The activator will show a number, it lets you know how many uses you have left. Once it hits zero just need to go buy a new one and take the old one to an e-recycler (they have a handy search feature on their website, just type in your postal code to find the nearest one that will take the unit).

Neutrogena recommends using it daily for 30 days, each cycle lasts 10 minutes. I used it for two weeks straight then tapered it off to twice a week. I also use it every day for the four days leading up to my period (usually my breakouts start when my period begins). I really found that this stopped me from breaking out altogether. For a month I had consistent stubborn scarring acne and for the last three month nothing at all, not a single pimple. None! Not a one! This is fantastic because the last year has been pretty hard on me and to fix it all with something as simple as a chemical-free mask a few times a week is just amazing.
I love that this is a 100% chemical free way of treating acne, this makes it ideal for anyone on any acene or skin care regiment. I also love it is UV ray free, this is great for so many reasons, but one being people on many acne medications (Tetracycline or Accutane) can become sun sensitive and their medications warn against exposure.
I also love that this is an actually affordable acne treatment. Retailing for $45.99 - $49.99 at most stores and the refills costing $19.99 - $25.99.

Overall I am in love with this mask! I don't get break-outs any more, which saves me pain and hassle and scarring. Best of all, it is easy and pretty darn affordable. No UV rays, no Chemicals, and it just works. I just lay down in bed and put the mask on and listen to some podcasts for 10 minutes, it doesn't get any easier. The one downside is the fact you have to get a new charger every 30 cycles. It is great it is only about $20, but it feels wasteful. I am very glad Neutrogena partnered with e-recyclers and it is an easy thing to recycle (I have to take my batteries and light bulbs in anyways, so it really isn't any more of a hassle).

Brightening Facial Scrub (118 ml, 4 fl. oz)
This scrub features Argan extract and Chlorella Growth Factor (which comes from the stems of the chlorella plant) to help brighten and hydrate the skin and French green clay to purify, lemon peel granules to exfoliate and scrub the skin and Madonna lily extract for evening out skin pigmentation. It is also is packed with anti oxidants like Acai fruit extract and Blackberry extract, just to name a few.

This scrub goes on pretty darn green (that's the Chlorella growth factor in it) and feels nicely gritty (not too much or too little) that I can get a good scrubbing on my face without irritating or overdoing it. It rinses nicely too without leaving your face green.

Whenever I have used this scrub I have followed it up with the Brightening Mask, but I have loved how smooth my skin feels after using it.

Sometimes when I use a scrub I feel irritated and red despite my attempts not to scrub too hard. I believe so many scrubs have just too harsh and jagged granuals in it, but this Brightening scrub is just amazing in how it scuffs off my dead skin while not irritating it at all, it actually feels nicely soothed when I am done using it.

Brightening Face Mask (50ml, 1.75 oz.) This mask partners up amazingly well with the Brightening Facial Scrub (they are in the same line), it features many of the same ingredients, Argan, Chlorealla, French green Clay, CoQ10, and many others.

Like the Scrub, this baby leaves your face green, but even more so, which is both fun and a great bench mark to see if you have used enough. I do find I need a lot of this to get a good cover on my face and the tube is about 60% smaller then the scrub (which you need very little of), so I would love to see a bigger tube of it down the line. That being said I adore how soft and smooth my skin is every single time I use it. It isn't red and inflamed, it isn't dry and tight, both things that can easily happen with my skin when I use anything with clay or mud in it. It is just soft and glowy.
Moroccan Argan Oil (30 ml, 1 fl. oz.) Argan Oil is one of those things that I people usually associate with hair care and not skin care. I personally have been using Argan oil for my skin for years, but find most that are out their very heavy. Acure Argan Oil is much lighter and as a result works amazingly well on my dry skin as well as my hair and body.

What I love about an oil like this is that you can use it as a serum, mix it in with other lotions or creams to make them more hydrating in colder months but you can also use it on your body, hands and hair. Since it is such a multi purpose product it makes for a great travel buddy too. I also really enjoy that this one comes in a pump and not an eyedropper bottle, it makes for a much cleaner application and less chance of contaminating the inside of the bottle (or spilling, I usually spill things).

My personal favourite way to use this is as a thin layer after my serum but before my lotions to my face, or adding a few drops to my favourite sleep mask to give it more of a boost when my skin is more dry. Although I do have many other ways I like to incorporate it into my daily routine.
Overall these three products have been very good to my sensitive and reactive skin. The scrub gently buffs away my dead skin, the mask hydrates while purifying my skin and the oil is a true multi-tasker that helps keep my skin hydrated pretty much head to toe.  I love the Acure brand, it isn't just an organic brand it is a plant bases, vegan, sulfate free, paraben free, and cruelty free brand, which is just fantastic for anyone looking for the best in natural skin care.

*These products were sent for review purposes, all views and opinions are my own.

I was recently sent some new items from Paula's Choice to review. Since I am a huge fan of Paula Begoun, the author of Don't Go To The Cosmetic Counter Without Me, and her fantastic reviews of skin care products, I thought this would be a great fit for me. Today I take a look at two new products in her skin care line.

RESIST Brightening Essence

This lightweight fluid works quickly to refine an uneven skin tone and revitalize a dull complexion for visibly brighter, radiant-looking skin.

This is an overnight mask, you put it on after your regular nighttime skin care routine and left on over night.

I noticed since I started using it that my skin feels a lot more radiant and glowing. I also noticed that when I woke up in the morning my skin was softer and more plump and overall less dry and flaky.
Radiance Renewal Mask comes in a short and wide bottle with a large pump, making it easy to hold after applying your regular night time skin care routine. One pump provides the perfect amount every time. I do find that my skin being as dry as it is, can sometimes require an additional half a pump a few minutes later due to the fact my face can suck it up pretty quick, but this does depend on the skin products I used before hand too.

One concern I often have with sleep type masks is greasy or heavy feeling on my skin. This is 100% non greasy, 100% non heavy. It is actually a miracle. I often put a sleep mask on and start sweating on the face, I get hot in the middle of the night, I fear smearing it into my pillow. This doesn't do any of that, it kind of just goes on like a nice gel-cream and absorbs into your skin after a few minutes without any of that grease or heavy feeling, while still moisturizing your skin like mad.

The one thing I will say is that this mask should be rinsed off in the morning. I am not one to usually wash my face in the morning, usually just a wipe will do for me. but if I don't rinse this off I can feel its residue on me skin and effect your makeup application. I once popped into the shower and as water ran down my face I could feel it reactivate, it felt just like I had just put it on my skin, which was odd to say the least.

Overall Paula's Choice Radiance Renewal Mask makes me pretty darn happy. My dry skin is less dry, far more hydrated, I am not sweating at night when I wear it and my skins texture and overall appearance is a lot better. It is fragrance free so it doesn't irritate my sensitive skin at all, which is always a concern for me. It feels really nice when applied to the skin and because of the pump I never over or under-apply the product.
Paula's scientific approach to skincare has really won me over, these products are both filler free for maximum potency, fragrance-free and tested for allergens. Also they are not tested on animals. This is really a brand I wish I tried sooner.