When you hear the words "soul patch", I'm sure you think of the creepy facial hair. But no, there is a new Sole Patch in town.  Sole Patches are flower-shaped adhesive pads that allow you to comfortably wear your favourite shoes all day long. I don't know about you, but I struggle to wear heels for any amount of time. In fact, 99% of the time I will choose wedges over a heel, but even they can get uncomfortable if I have to walk long distances (my friends can affirm this as I tend to whine.. a lot).

For years I've been using insoles in my shoes, both for comfort and also to make them fit better as finding size 5 shoes can be struggle. However, there are times when I want the comfort of an insole without the bulkiness. This is where Sole Patches excel! Sole Patches can be applied directly to a clean, dry foot, or to the inside of a shoe. I chose the latter as I expect I will get more use out of them if they are in the shoe itself. You can apply them to the front or back of your foot, depending on which area causes you discomfort. For me, I find the front of my foot tends to hurt more, so that is where I applied mine. Bonus: it keeps my feet from sliding forward in my shoes, which is a common reason why women experience pain while wearing heels.

Sole Patches are equipped with medical-grade adhesive and will withstand up to 24 hours of wear.  Each box contains six patches. Sole Patches are moisture-repelling, odor-repelling, anti-microbial and shock-absorbing. I wore mine in my gorgeous sparkly booties during Jordan's Christmas party and felt no discomfort whatsoever!

Sole Patches retail for $9.95 US for six and can be purchased here. I am unsure if any local stores carry them but I will let you know if I find them!

The products in this post were provided complimentary for review purposes through BrandBacker. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are honest and based on my personal experience. 

MyChelle Dermaceuticals Review

MyChelle Dermaceuticals is an American skincare company that has recently expanded to the Canadian market. The company is a pioneer in the beauty industry, using scientifically advanced formulas with ethically sourced ingredients to make products that are vegetarian, cruelty-free, and free of phthalates, parabans, sulphates, ureas, artificial fragrances and colors, petroleum, GMOs and gluten. The company was kind enough to send me some products to review, but I was impressed before I even tried them because I am all for environmentally-friendly, cruelty-free products. After testing the products for over 6 weeks, I remain very impressed with this company and have actually found a new holy grail skincare item!

REFINING SUGAR CLEANSER | I was so excited to see the Refining Sugar Cleanser in the box as I had heard other bloggers raving about this product and I really wanted to try it. This product contains peptides to combat aging by rebuilding collagen and hyaluronic acid to improve hydration and prevent water loss. As evidenced by the name, the cleanser contains natural sugar and initially feels quite gritty. However, the sugar quickly dissolves into a gentle, creamy lather, making it suitable for daily use. And as an added bonus it has a sweet, marshmallow-like scent! I've been using this product nearly every day for the past six weeks and I love it. The sugar effectively scrubs my face while the cream leaves it feels hydrated. Since I started using this, my overall skin condition has improved and I rarely ever experience an oily t-zone anymore. I will definitely be repurchasing this once my tube is empty! The Refining Sugar Cleanser contains 104mls and retails for $32 CAD.

PERFECT C SERUM | Unfortunately, some of the Perfect C Serum leaked out in the box, but luckily I was able to salvage most of it. This product contains 17% Ascorbic Acid, or Vitamin C, which brightens the skin, diminishes wrinkles, smoothes texture and aids in wound healing. It also contains Buddleja Davidii Stems C, which is a stem cell that protects the skin against damage, reduces inflammation, and helps prevent visible signs of aging. I've been using one pump of this product every morning before applying moisturizer and my skin appears brighter. The only downside of this product is the very peculiar scent (to me it smells like burnt popcorn) but it isn't a deal breaker! This is the first time I've used a serum and I will continue to include it in my daily routine. The Perfect C Serum contains 15ml and retails for $56 CAD.

SUPREME POLYPEPTIDE CREAM | The Supreme Polypeptide Cream is a nutrient-rich anti-aging moisturizer. This worried me a little initially because while I think it is never too early to start an anti-aging skincare routine, I don't actually have any signs of aging at this point. I'm not sure if it's because I'm still in my (late) 20s or if it's because I've been blessed with good genes, but most people think that I am still in high school. In any event, this cream is super-thick and rich, with a herbal-y scent (it does come in an unscented version though!). It contains a number of peptides and claims to reduce wrinkle volume by 21% and depth by 19% in 6 weeks of use. Again, I don't have any wrinkles so I cannot comment on those claims. However, I have been using this product daily and despite how creamy and luxurious it is, it has successfully moisturized by skin without making it oily. While I won't repurchase this particular cream, I definitely want to try some of MyChelle's other moisturizers such as the Pumpkin Renew Cream. The Supreme Polypeptide Cream contains 35ml and retails for $70 CAD.

REMARKABLE RETINAL SERUM | The final product that I received is another anti-aging product - the Remarkable Retinal Serum. Retinal is 500x more effective than the most potent form of non-prescription Vitamin A and works to promote skin radiance, reduce wrinkles and fine lines, and helps improve acne, follicular papillose, and oily skin. This is a thick, yellow serum that is best applied in the evening as it increases your skin's sensitivity to the sun. Again, this product has a strong, herbal-like scent (reminds me of LUSH products, for those who are familiar with that company) which doesn't bother me personally. Despite the fact that this product is meant to improve skin texture and help with acne, I found that it made me break out in small bumps on my forehead. Apparently that is a common issue when you initially start using products containing Retinol, and it supposedly subsides once your skin adapts. However, because I don't have issues with acne, nor do I have any wrinkles or fine lines, I did not continue to use this product. The Remarkable Retinal Serum contains 30ml and retails for $60 CAD.

Overall, I am very impressed with MyChelle Dermaceuticals and I cannot wait to try more products from them in the future! The only product that did not work for me was the Remarkable Retinal Serum, and while I would not necessarily repurchase the Perfect C Serum or the Supreme Polypeptide Cream, I would definitely try other serums or creams more suited to my skin type. As for the Refining Sugar Cleanser - I will definitely be repurchasing another one of those, as well as recommending it to every one I know.

MyChelle Dermaceuticals is currently available for purchase in Canada at the Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutique. Be sure to let me know if you decide to pick up any of their products!

The products in this post were provided complimentary for review purposes. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are honest and based on my personal experience.

Maison Jacynthe Makeup Review

Maison Jacynthe is a Canadian makeup and beauty line by Jacynthe René, an actress, producer, author and founder of the online JMagazine. The Maison Jaynthe range includes makeup, beauty products, soaps, oils, and home fragrances. The products are (almost) all 100% natural with no GMOs or chemicals, and the company is a member of PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies Program, which means that they are cruelty-free as well.

Thanks to a referral from Nicole at Pretty Ruff Life, I was granted the opportunity to select three products from Maison Jacynthe to test and review. I chose the Lipstick in 03 (Garnet), the blush in 02 (Juliette) and the mascara.

At the time when I selected these products, the website was only available in French so I had to use Google Translate and my limited recollection of high school French to try and decipher the product descriptions. I decided to try a lipstick because, duh, I love lipstick and I chose 03 (Garnet) based on the picture as it appeared to be a bright, hot pink color (as it does in the above photo). However, it is definitely more of a red-pink in person. It also has an almost metallic sheen to it, which I couldn't tell from the photo or the description, or else I wouldn't have chosen this particular color. However, that is just a personal preference as I prefer a matte or creamy finish. On the plus side, I love the packaging, the product has little-to-no scent, and it is very comfortable to wear. It is definitely not long-lasting but you can get a few hours of wear time without needing to reapply. Overall, it's a decent product but I wish the website provided color descriptions.

Maison Jacynthe has two blushes: Romeo and Juliette. I chose 02 (Juliette) because it appeared to be a gorgeous pale pink on the website. As you can tell from the above photo, it is definitely more of a peachy-pink in person. I was worried when I first swatched this blush on my hand, as it basically disappeared into my fair skin. However, I was amazed when I applied this with a brush as it is the most beautifully pigmented, natural-looking blush. The product is buttery soft to touch, meaning that it also produces a lot of fall out and may look a bit chalky if not blended well. However, it is my current favourite blush and I've found myself reaching for it every day. I am very tempted to order the compact to place the blush in and I really wish they offered more color selection as I would definitely pick up another one. Unfortunately I think that Romeo would be too dark for my fair skin given the amount of pigmentation in these blushes. I highly, highly recommend this color for fair skin though!

The final product that I tried was the mascara. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed in this product, but it could be attributed to personal preference again. The formula of this mascara is quite wet, which I am not a fan of as I find it weighs down my eyelashes and can be quite messy to apply. However, if you are someone who prefers a wet formula, you may like this product! I found that while it was extremely pigmented and made my lashes appear thicker, it did little to lengthen them. The website describes this mascara as "ideal for a more intense look", but I disagree as I think it's better for someone who doesn't want a false-lashes effect. The product wore well throughout the day but flaked off if I rubbed my eyes and I also found it quite messy to remove. This mascara also has a peculiar scent that is sweet and cloying, however, I was unable to detect it once applied. Of the three products, this one was my least favourite.

Makeup look using the Maison Jacynthe lipstick in (03) Garnet, blush in (02) Juliette, and mascara.

Overall, I do recommend checking out this makeup and beauty company! I love the fact that they are Canadian, the sleek packaging, and the natural, cruelty-free products. The blush is a new favourite product of mine and I think I would love the eyeshadows for the same reason. The lipstick and mascara were not my favourites but a lot of my disappointment was due to formula or color, which is simply due personal preference and not because of a poor product.

Have you tried anything from Maison Jacynthe? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The products in this post were provided complimentary for review purposes. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are honest and based on my personal experience.