Beauty

Vichy Normaderm Works For Me Review+Giveaway

3 Comments

20/09/2016

Ma Belle Vie

Back to School with Vichy Normaderm + 25% off

Vichy is one of those brands that always amazes me with their products. Occasionally I get a few breakouts and I was really intrigued by their Acne line. The Vichy Normaderm line is specifically formulated for oiler skin. Which I normally experience during the summer months.Also when I am a little more stressed, I tend to get a few breakouts too. The Normaderm line helps reduce my pimples, the look of pores and shine.

Now that school has started I am getting use to an earlier routine. It has caused me to get more breakouts than usual. During the summer months I began using the Normaderm line and was really happy with the results. The Vichy Normaderm line is an effective way to get rid of acne. Without stripping my skin of its natural moisture and balance. After one use of the 3 part system I was using, I noticed a difference in my skin. The breakouts dried up within a day and I didn’t experience any discomfort or itchiness. My daily routine consisted of a deep pore cleansing gel, a toner and a moisturizer. Overall I loved the way my skin looked and felt over the summer. I felt comfortable going out with my bare skin and my pores looked and felt smaller.

Vichy was nice enough to provide me with a discount code for all of you lovely readers which gives you 25% off of your Normaderm order until September 30th. Get shopping!

Use code back2school at check out

NORMADERM DEEP CLEANSING GEL

PURIFYING GEL CLEANSER $19.95

This cleanser is specifically formulated for anyone dealing with frequent breakouts, dilated pores and excess shine. This ultra-gentle soap-free, alcohol-free cleansing gel deeply cleanses sebum and impurities without over drying or irritating the skin.
Its ingredients have purifying, anti-bacterial and keratolytic actions to help prevent new imperfections from popping up.

NORMADERM PURIFYING LOTION

PURIFYING TONER $19.95

This toner is specifically formulated for anyone dealing with frequent breakouts, or dilated pores with shine. This formula combines soothing Vichy Mineralizing Water with glycolic and salicylic acid to unclog, tighten pores and purify the skin.

NORMADERM CORRECTIVE ANTI ACNE TREATMENT

24H HYDRATING ANTI-ACNE TREATMENT $29.95

11 Years of Research • 86 Patents • 2 New Active Ingredients

Normaderm Corrective Anti-Acne Treatment combines 1.5% Salicylic Acid, LHA, Phe Resorcinol and new Air Licium™ technology to treat and prevent all signs of acne: pimples, pore visibility, acne marks, shine and redness.

Lifestyle

Summer Splashin’ At Sandbanks Provincial Park 2016

14 Comments

14/09/2016

Ma Belle Vie

Summer Splashin’ At Sandbanks Provincial Park 2016

Let me start this off by saying, I miss the summer! I don’t miss the humid, hard to breath days. Instead I miss the family time. I miss the time I spent this summer exploring the outdoors with my family. We really discovered places that we normally would have never gone to. Some we have always heard about but never got to see. Sandbanks Provincial Park is one of those places. Located on Lake Ontario in Prince Edward County near Picton, Ontario, Canada. There are 3 huge beaches at the Sandbanks with the softest sand your feet will touch, much like a family getaway to your favourite resort.

We made a day trip to the Sandbanks on a hot Sunny day, making a few pit stops along the way for the kids, one being the Big apple which is a Roadside attraction you see when driving East. We decided to stop there since we heard so much about it. Let me tell you it was worth the stop. The Big Apple is a bakery and restaurant which is apple inspired. We found everything from Apple Coffee, Apple Pie to Apple Bread Loaves! They also had a small petting zoo and the option to do a little mini putting with the family. The Big Apple itself was closed for maintenance so we were unable to tour the inside of it.

Once we got to the Sandbanks Provincial Park we set up our Camping Tent, and cooler. It took us a total of 2 hours to get there which isn’t bad at all. We spent the whole afternoon enjoying the water warm breeze and watching the sun set. The water was warm with shallows water hundreds of feet out with small drop offs. I was a little shocked at the amount of sea moss at the shoreline, however I was told that due to a bad storm it caused the sea moss some disturbance. None the less the water was really beautiful.

As the evening approached and the heat cooled down we packed up and waited for the Sun to set. That was the highlight of the day for me, there is nothing more beautiful than watching the Sun as it sets. The Sandbanks has a lot to offer during the Summer as well as Fall season. That we plan to utilize next year such has camping facilities, birding( especially during the fall). Biking, Fishing and Natural Heritage Education. Its safe to say that we really had an eventful summer. Last year we had just moved into another family home and didn’t get to enjoy the outdoors. This summer was our chance to make up for lost time and we did just that. Stay tuned for my last summer excursion coming soon to the blog. Thanks for reading!

Food Health Lifestyle

Healthy Breakfast Option with Mix It Custom Cereal Mix

2 Comments

13/09/2016

Ma Belle Vie

Healthy Breakfast Option with Mix It Custom Cereal Mix

I recently had the opportunity to customize my own healthy Cereal Mix. From Mix It a Canadian company that thrives on providing healthy breakfast options for Canadians. My mornings are quite busy between getting kids ready for school. Making breakfast and sending the kids on the school busy then heading off to work myself. I don’t always have the time nor the appetite in the morning to have a healthy balanced breakfast. Heck I am lucky if I even get to make a cup of coffee before dealing with morning chaos. Since we all need a healthy start to the morning.

Mix It allows you to customize your own Healthy Breakfast Option with Mix It Custom Cereal Mix. With your favourite ingredients all in one container and have it delivered right to your front door.

That means all the Cereal lovers can enjoy a well balanced breakfast bowl. Based on their taste, texture and dietary preferences and restrictions. When perusing Mix it online there are over 70 ingredients to choose from. The mixes can be gluten free (yay!) low in sugar and guaranteed 100% fresh. I chose a mic that consisted of Oats, Banana Slices, Coconut Oil, Figs and Mulberries. That will give me approximately 20 servings based on the Canada’s portion size adults require.

I was also able to customize my tube with my Blogs name. Which I felt was a special touch of personalization. And a great gift option for someone special. Another exciting fact is that that all mixes are locally made in Montreal with prices starting at $9 . Which is pennies when you think of the benefits of eating healthier. My overall experience, from choosing my mix, customizing my label and delivery. Was really quick and efficient, once you have completed the order process it also sent you a summary of your order that I appreciated.

Healthy Breakfast Option with Mix It Custom Cereal Mix

The navigation on the site was easy to get around, ingredients were easy to find and it gave a very detailed description of what each ingredient was. I will definitely be ordering again and would certainly recommend Mix it to someone looking for a healthy breakfast or snack option. If you would like to order your own Mix it blend visit the website here

About Mixit.ca

The Mixit mission is to help individuals lead a healthier lifestyle, their way. It provides the benefit of customization, without being time consuming. The Canadian Mixit team of Stephanie Jackson, Oldrich Blaha and their son Alexandre is changing the breakfast landscape with healthier food options for the whole family, that do not sacrifice taste.

Beauty

Katy Kat Matte Lipsticks By Katy Perry | COVERGIRL Review

No Comments

12/09/2016

Ma Belle Vie

Katy Kat Matte Lipsticks By Katy Perry | COVERGIRL Review

For the last little while I have been playing around with the Katy Kat Matte Lipsticks By Katy Perry and Cover girl. So with that being said I wanted to share my opinions on this collection. There are 11 shades within the the Matte collection. Although they are labeled as a matte they are in fact a semi matte or Satin finish. Which for some, is more comfortable wearing than your traditional matte lip colour.

Katy Perry collaborated with Cover girl to introduce a collection inspired by Cats. The packaging is a simple white casing just as the original Cover girl packaging with matte black lettering. Now I’ll be honest I have not always been a huge fan of Cover girl lipsticks. Let me clarify. I am not a huge fan of their shades that stain…. Yes they do stain. I actually only prefer the nude and mauve shades because they do not leave back a stain on my lips. I guess my issue with the stain is when the shades wear away the stain that is left back is no where near the shade that was originally applied.

Dare to be Bold….

Take for instance Cosmo Kitty, which is a lavender purple. Once the shade wears off it leaves back a fuchsia stain on my lips. Which I wasn’t too impressed with. I also felt that while swatching, some shades didn’t swatch smoothly and left patches where product didn’t transfer ie inner lip area. The Shade variation was great there is definitely a shades for everyone. Nude’s, Pinks, Mauve’s for a more everyday wear or you can dare to be bold with Purple and Black.

Now going back to the finish, since I would consider this to me a satin finish my lips felt very comfortable wearing each shades. I didn’t experience any dryness to my lips what so ever. The scent of the lipsticks are not overpowering and smell much like the original sticks. Overall I like the lighter shades for everyday wear they last fairly long on the lips and they feel great. You can find these at Walmart in the $7-$8 range.

Katy Kat Matte Lipsticks By Katy Perry | COVERGIRL Review

L-R Catoure, Maroon Meow, Cat Call, Pink Paws, Sphynx, Magenta Minx, Coral Cat, Kitty Purry, Crimson Cat Cosmo Kitty, Perry Panther.

Beauty Lifestyle

Demeter’s Foolproof Fragrance Blending Tool Kit Review

6 Comments

11/09/2016

Ma Belle Vie

This is a collaboration post with the CBB and Demeter Fragrance

Demeter’s Foolproof Fragrance Blending Tool Kit Review

I think its important for every woman to find her signature fragrance that identifies them. I had the opportunity to create a custom blended scent with a few of my favourite scents. That I would normally wear in fragrances I currently own. Today I will be sharing my Demeter’s Foolproof Fragrance Blending Tool Kit Review. On the process of creating my scent and how I came up with my scents name.

Demeter is a brand where you can guarantee that the scents are exactly as stated. I choose 3 scents which smells just how I pictured them. Lavender, Pure Soap and Clean skin. The Demeter’s Foolproof Fragrance Blending Tool Kit comes with a Fragrance Funnel, 6 droppers, a one oz refill bottle. Which has a customizable label for you to name your fragrance along with that fragrance blending strips.

Looking back at it now, I played it fairly safe in terms of the scents that I chose, I went with ones that I knew, not knowing how easy the process of blending was going to be. For blending I started off with 6-8 drops of each. Once I did that I use the blending strips to judge my progress in scent to know whether I needed to add more or less of a particular scent. From there I continued to build my fragrance which I name A kiss of summer. I chose this name because this summer was just a long lasting memory for my family and I because of all the adventures we did.

I love my signature scent I spritz it on before bed at night and the Aroma is amazing. I can`t believe how easy it was to create my own custom scent. One that I know no one else will smell like. Demeter has a really great website where you can browse their catalog of scents and choose your custom 3. To make your own scent, I do plan to explore other scents now that we are in fall and Im thinking more of a musky scent would be perfect for the cooler months.

A Kiss of Summer

A kiss of Summer 10 drops of Clean Skin 6 drops of Lavender 8 drops of Pure Soap

My experience with Demeter has been wonderful. Thank you to the CBB for opportunities like this to show our creativity not just through sight but through our smell as well.

What is your signature scent if you could make your own what would you choose

Let me know in the comments below

An InLinkz Link-up

Food

Chicken and Chicken Bacon Pasta in a Garlic Cream Sauce

6 Comments

06/09/2016

Ma Belle Vie

Chicken and Chicken Bacon Pasta in a Garlic Cream Sauce

School is now back in session, for some homes Moms and Dads are back to the work routine. Today’s post I am sharing my Chicken and Bacon (Chicken) Pasta in a Garlic Cream Sauce for those busy nights. Where you only have a few minutes to whip up a delicious meal that the family will love. The best part of this recipe is that many of the products are already in house, therefore you don’t have to worry about running out to the store.

This meal is also the perfect comfort meal for the fall season. We all love comfort food! There are many adjustments you can make with this recipe to customize it to your family’s liking. You can essentially add more of or omit something. It all depends.

I guarantee the family will enjoy this recipe as much as mine did too. You can also make larger batches to freeze as a great food prep option. So enough of the jibber jabber get in the kitchen and get cooking! you’ll be surprised at how quick and delicious this meal really is! Oh yeah I have a secret for you! ITS GLUTEN FREE!

Yum

Chicken and Chicken Bacon Pasta in a Garlic Cream Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb chicken (chicken breast or tenders)

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tsp Italian seasoning (thyme, oregano, basil - combined)

1 can diced Tomatoes

1 c fresh Spinach

2 tbsp minced Garlic

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

8 bacon strips baked and chopped,

1 and 1/2 c half and half cream

1 and 1/3 c Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 boxes of Gluten Free Penne

1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving

Instructions

1.Preheat oven to 450F

2.On a cookie sheet place strips of Bacon Vertically and bake until crisp.

3. Add 1 tbsp of salt and Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta and cook accordingly. Once cooked drain, rinse with cold water thoroughly and drain again. Set aside

4. In a large skillet or frying pan, heat olive oil until hot. Add chicken and cook on one side for 1 minute. sprinkle the uncooked sides of the chicken with paprika and Italian seasoning on each side after both sides have cooked.Remove chicken from the pan and put aside.

5.In the same pan, add tomatoes, spinach, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes,and bacon and stir.

6.Add half and half and bring to boil while stirring, add grated Parmesan cheese while stirring until the cheese has melted entirely

7. Remove from heat, toss in cooked Pasta and serve!

Notes

You can save back some of the Bacon for garnish, You can also substitute Chicken Bacon for regular Bacon as well. The sauce does soak into the pasta to avoid most of the sauce soaking up rinse Pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process. Or you can add a little more cream to your liking. Lastly you can also used ready cooked chicken breast stripes found in walmart

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Beauty

Curls & Confidence Monthly Subscription Box Review

9 Comments

04/09/2016

Ma Belle Vie

Curls & Confidence

Can you believe its only a few days before school resumes? I thought I was excited about the fact that school routines begin again but sadly I am not. As each day gets closer I get more sad or maybe the correct word I should use is overwhelmed. This summer, between swimming lessons and going to various water parks and pools. My youngest daughters hair took a beating. It got dry, hard to comb and lacked shine.

I had the opportunity to review a monthly subscription box from a friend of mine which she recently launched in August. Curls & Confidence is a monthly subscription box filled with deluxe size samples of hair care for Natural and Curly haired women of colour. The Samples range from Shampoos, Conditioners, Leave in treatments, defining creams and much more. These boxes are a small amount of $25 which is nothing for the amount of goodness you get to feed your hair.

Subscription boxes for Natural hair care is a great opportunity to try new products. Whether you are newly transitioning or you don’t want to commit to prices without knowing if the products work. I received my box the first week of August and have been loving each product and its benefits for my curly haired daughter. Being introduced to these products has shown me the importance of proper hair care. As well as how easy it CAN be to manage Curly hair.

So without further adieu lets see whats in the August Curls & Confidence

UP NORTH NATURALS 8 OIL BLEND $14.99 CAD

This is heaven in a bottle! this 8 oil blend as an oil treatment, or at night before wrapping your head. I used this in a spray bottle with equal parts Rose water and the oil blend and I spritz my locs with it before bed. Or if I need to re-twist in between washes. For my daughter I use this as an oil treatment since heat allow the hair shaft to open and absorb.

The 8 oils in this blend are: Coconut oil, Avocado oil, Grapseed oil, Neem oil, Jojoba oil, Lavender, Rosemary, Sandalwood essential oils

HYDRATHERMA $18.99 US

This is another one of my favourites for promoting healthy growth while styling your hair. I spray this in Monkey’s hair after I’ve done washing, conditioning and towel drying. It not only helps with breakage which we experienced alot this summer it also gave her curls alot of moisture so there was less frizz.

CURLY LOCS PEPPERMINT LEAVE IN CONDITIONER $10.99 CAD

Amazing x10! I love the way my daughters curls looked after using the leave in conditioner. She has a few curl patterns throughout her head and the leave in conditioner made each curl perfectly moisturized and shiny.

The ingredients in the Curly locs is very simple too with just 3 ingredients. Coconut oil, Jojoba seed oil, Aloe leaf juice.

JANE CARTER SOLUTIONS $10-$22 US

Where has Jane Carter been all my life. The Shampoo is amazing, just enough lather that it doesn`t feel like monkeys hair will fall apart. The scent is very fresh. I also used the conditioner as a co-wash method a couple of time due to time constraints and it still left her curls well managed and moisturized.

Jane Carter is the perfect way to start a simple and effective hair regime if you are natural, transitioning or have curly hair.

Overall I love all the products I received in this months Subscription box and I look forward to reviewing more. Check out Curl & Confidence on social media

To Christina, I cannot tell you how elated I am at this major accomplishment. You have started something that is a very big deal among us women of colour. I will forever be your biggest fan!

Janella| Ma Belle Vie

Hello, My name is Janella and welcome to Ma Belle Vie= My Beautiful Life. I am a busy mom of 3, a Lover of God and a wife. Ma Belle Vie is a lifestlye blog where I will share my life and all that it consists of. From Health to Beauty to home DIY projects. I welcome you to sit back with a cup of your favourite to sip on while you peruse Ma Belle Vie. Thanks for stopping by!

It's a little chilly today and I'm totally missing the summer heat and beautiful sunsets. Check out today's post. I'm sharing another summer splashin' day before fall really sets in. Link to post in bio.
Total fan girl moment!!!!!! @thetiffanypratt you just made my year! Your unicorn life is an inspiration!!!!!
A girl can never have too many shades of red Lipstick. Especially when it's Selena's Dreaming of you or Como La Flor.
It's was a great day learning how to better brand myself and connecting with brands. Met some new faces and old ones too, who have not only inspired me as a blogger they're also the greatest dinner dates. To @blogpodium thank you for the hard work you put into making today such a successful day for all attendees. Can't wait for next year!
Ready to see my ladies tonight @spicedbeautyblog and @bellasillowethbeauty