Winter Haul! Makeup Goodies & More!

Hello everyone! Back to blogging after my school exams! This week, I'm excited to share with you all my birthday goodies and Christmas presents, all in a haul format. I'd also like to say that I am NOT a rich or spoiled girl, and that I saved up to buy myself a present and the other gifts were given to me by my very lovely friends. I'm truly blessed to have them in my life and I can't imagine what I'd do without them!

First of all, here is a picture of my lovely Christmas bear given to me by my boyfriend Gordon :) I haven't ever had the pleasure of getting such an awesome gift, much less from someone so special! It's the FAO Schwarz 150th Anniversary Collectible Plush Bear, and he comes with a cute varsity jacket that's oh-so-soft and has velour sleeves! I usually don't like stuffed animals, but for something with such sentiment, I'm instantly biased! Absolutely LOVE this gift.

Secondly, makeup goodies! I was lucky enough to snag the Urban Decay NAKED 2 palette at Sephora last Wednesday, right when they had restocked! They were out of stock the last two times I went to the store, so I was excited to be able to get it! I love the shadows included in this palette, and the packaging is super durable, is sleek, and wards off fingerprints well. I will probably include this in a future eye tutorial because I love the combination of looks that can come from it! Urban Decay shadows never fail to disappoint in the pigmentation department and quality- they are buttery smooth and never grainy.

I also got one of my Secret Santa wishlist gifts, which was the OPI Skyfall Bond-ettes Set. It has four mini nail polishes from the OPI Skyfall collection released recently in celebration of 50 years of 007 and the release of Skyfall (amazing movie by the way!) The four colours are GoldenEye, The Spy Who Loved Me, The World Is Not Enough, and Live and Let Die. I currently have The Spy Who Loved Me on my nails and I love it! The same quality of OPI, in mini format, so that I can finally finish a bottle!

Review: Murad Clarifying Cleanser

Hello lovelies! As some of you may know, lately I've been more into skincare and making sure I have a good base canvas for my makeup and to help me feel beautiful and at my best even on my no-makeup days. Being a university student, there are so many stressful situations to face and every now and then, the dreaded pimple (or two, or five) will show up, completely uncalled for! Especially now during exams!

To keep my skin clear and smooth, I use one of what I think is the best-kept secrets of combination skincare- Murad's Clarifying Cleanser. I bought the 135 ml or 4.5 oz bottle, which I believe is the smallest size! I prefer to use up my cleanser in shorter intervals, so that I always have a fresh tube! I would take too long to finish a larger tube, and I always keep in mind ingredient potency and expiry dates! I also love the sleek, clean, simple packaging.

This cleanser has a simple, gel formula that doesn't lather up too much, which is perfect for me because I don't like creamy/foamy cleansers as much, yet after using this one, I still feel like I have a refreshed and cleansed face. It contains menthol to leave your face feeling cool and soothed, but the minty feeling quickly fades away after washing so you don't feel cold! For the most part, it is also unscented, with a slight lemony scent that most cleansers have. I just use a small round dab, a bit less than the size of a quarter, and wash in circular movements all over my face, focusing on my T-zone, sides of my nose, and chin.

Overall, I have felt like my skin has stayed much smoother with fewer random breakouts, even during stressful times of the year! It also does a great job of keeping oil away, and my face won't feel tacky, even several hours after I put on foundation and blush! Would totally recommend to any girls who suffer from light to moderate acne or have combo skin!

My Current Empties

Hello everyone! Long time no see on the blog, I've been really busy with school work and job commitments, but I finally have a post for you all about a set of empties I have. Empties are a really great way to judge a product because you've taken the time to use it and you can see its performance over time.

Here I have for you a few of my most favourite products for makeup removal and hair care! Sorry for the blurry photo quality, I don't have any other cameras besides my phone right now!

The first is Shiseido's Creamy Cleansing Emulsion. I use this as an all-over face cleanser to remove my face makeup at night, and I wipe it off with tissue before I wash my face. It's really moisturizing, yet it doesn't leave that sticky residue that I typically associate with creamy cleansers. (For those who know me, they'll know darn well I don't like the texture of thick facial creams!) I used this bottle almost daily for the past 8 months, so it'll last you quite a while!

I also have Yves Rocher's Express Eye Makeup Remover for Sensitive Eyes with Cornflower. I've been using this eye makeup remover for a few years now; there's just something about dual formulations that I love. It lasts me around 4 months per bottle, making it a great deal, since it retails for $6, but you can almost always get it on sale!

Next I have yet another Yves Rocher product that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE- their Éclat Radiance Rinsing Vinegar. I have gone through 2 (or was it 3?) bottles of this and I started using it in January of this year. I noticed that it made my hair smoother and shinier, and helped it feel clean after my shampoo without that squeaky-clean stripped hair feeling. I apply a few pours into my hair after shampooing and conditioning, and I leave it in for a minute before thoroughly rinsing. ALSO, did I mention that it smells absolutely fabulous? It smells just like real raspberries with a hint of vinegar on occasion, just like raspberry vinaigrette you would put in your salad.

Overall, I would definitely repurchase all these items and I plan to use them all for a long time to come. They are very good investments!

Review: BUXOM Buxom Full-Bodied Lip Gloss in YOW

Happy November everybody! To kick off, I'd like to share with you an item I picked up at the Sephora F&F Sale! As you may recall, I posted a previous wishlist last week of what I wanted to look at (HERE.) and I ended up picking up my regular Shiseido moisturizer, a Sephora by OPI nail polish (to be reviewed!) and this all-star beauty pick-me-up right here: I present to you, the Buxom Full-Bodied Lip Gloss in the shade YOW, a pearly pink :

Now, I had actually been planning this purchase for some time, mainly because I like the effect of a plumping gloss (temporarily, of course) but without any sting or tingle. After trying this gloss out for a few days, I can say that while it doesn't give me a lot of lip volume, it is EXTREMELY moisturizing as it promises and really delivers on keeping your lips baby soft. A huge plus with this gloss is that it doesn't leave that cakey white residue on your lips after it's been applied for a while, and even with a drink in tow, this gloss lasted me quite a while, around 2 hours! Without eating and drinking, I would say it lasts around 4-5 hours on me, which is pretty good! This is my go-to gloss for now, and I've been loving it as it is non-sticky, has a minimal sweet crème brulée scent, and is a great everyday colour!

Sephora Friends & Family Sale: What I Plan To Buy!

Have I got some exciting news to share with all my lovely readers or what?! As some of you may know, from October 18-31 this year is the highly anticipated Sephora Friends & Family (F&F) sale where a lot of people stock up on holiday gifts and things they have been looking at because of the (usually) 20% off discount. However, instead of making the sale public to everyone this year, it is quite literally a F&F sale where you have to obtain a card or online code from a sales associate. Luckily enough for me, I will be picking up the card from my friend and I will be heading off to Sephora next week!

Here are a few of my choice picks of what to get with 20% off:

1. Clarisonic Mia in Lavender

I'm not sure if I really need the Clarisonic, to be honest! I've been told my skin doesn't require such a thorough cleansing with something like the Clarisonic but maybe I'll take a look at the different brush heads they offer and see if I can find an option for normal and slightly combo skin. I've heard so many great things about this and I tried it out for a minute last time, it seems nice! I will at least do some in-store research and listen to what the experts have to say on it, since the Sephora guys and gals can be very knowledgeable!

2. Shiseido Pureness Mattifying Moisturizer Oil-Free
To be honest, I've gone through a few bottles of this, and I really love it. It is great for daily moisturizing and really keeps my face hydrated even though it is in the form of a light gel and not a thick cream as you expect anything deeply moisturizing to be. I even use this one in winter and it does a great job, and it won't affect any makeup you put on top of it!

3. Buxom Full-Bodied Lip Gloss in YOW
I've always been curious about the Buxom gloss line because of the plumping properties...but I don't like products that sting or have a minty tingle, as the original Buxom glosses have. Luckily for me, they came out with this new gloss with hyaluronic spheres that gently moisturize and plump lips over time without the sting! I look forward to trying this out!

4. Urban Decay NAKED Palette
The essential stash of neutral eye makeup shadows, Urban Decay always produces some of the highest quality shadows. I started out using Yves Rocher shadows and Urban Decay, and other brands have not compared in terms of colour payoff and ease of use and softness. Urban Decay is one of my absolute favourites, plus the colours are well suited towards my skintone!

5. Vera Wang Princess Eau de Parfum
I have been looking for a new perfume for a few weeks now, because I want a more mature fragrance to represent me and embody who I am. Of course, just doing online research and reading reviews is not enough to determine what I need, but going off of those, plus having used it once before, and loving the scent and packaging, I think I will give this one a go!

Does anyone know anything good that I should try out during the F&F sale? Do let me know by leaving a comment!

Review: e.l.f. Baked Eyeshadow in Toasted

So I did a tiny e.l.f. haul with my friends a while back because the shipping is fairly affordable and I've grown to like the cosmetics offered by e.l.f.! For those lovelies who are new to e.l.f., it stands for "eyes lips face" and is a company whose mission is to offer cosmetics at the lowest price possible to make them affordable for everybody! All of their products are very affordable and I may consider doing another order sometime soon!

When e.l.f. released their baked blushes and eyeshadows, a lot of people (myself included) were very excited to see the price point, which is significantly lower than that of most other baked cosmetic products. I wanted to give it a try first, because I have never used baked makeup before, believe it or not! I ordered one of the baked eyeshadows in the shade Toasted for a mere $3, check out how pretty it is!

As you can see, the amount you get is very generous (a whopping .12 oz or 3.5 grams!) and the colour is very metallic! It has a slight shimmer finish, but no glitter, and reminds me of the colour of MAC's Rubenesque paint pot. I like to pair this eyeshadow with my Bare Study paint pot and a taupe crease colour for a daily eye look! I think it'd look great on a variety of skin tones because of the finish, and it doesn't lean too pink, which is perfect for me. Overall, I give this shadow two thumbs up because it is super affordable and is very long lasting!

Review: Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer in Nude

So now that midterms are hitting all of us university students hard, it's time to bring out the concealers and hide those dreaded undereye circles so you can look your best! It's my first time trying out a concealer, and based on many reviews, I decided to go with the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer in the shade Nude. It was on sale for $6.99 which is a great price for a drugstore concealer, and I love the click pen idea where you can get just as many dabs as you need without drying out the rest of the product. As with all click pens, it takes a good minute or so of continuous clicking to get any product to start flowing. After that, each time I spin it one click for each eye so that I get a small dab of fresh product.

The shades available in this concealer are made for lighter skin tones, and the luminizing agent may actually make some people's skin seem paler and ghastly! For me, the trick is to use this in moderation and to pat it in light circles to thoroughly blend the product in with your natural skintone, as skin tends to be darker for me under my eyes. It also has a tendency to accent drier undereye skin if you cake on too much.

I think a product that might be comparable is the Rimmel Match Perfection concealer, which I might try next! What drugstore concealers do you like best?

Nailing It! Essie in Angora Cardi

Since we are well into the fall season now, I decided I would share my first fall manicure! While looking through my colours, one in particular stood out to me: Essie's Angora Cardi because it was a unique shade of purple, and the name is super cute as well! It's bold without being vampy or edgy at all, and changes between royal purple and burgundy depending on the lighting. It also lasted a week with minimal chipping, and I'm really impressed with this shade! I think it fits in wonderfully with the theme of fall and can easily match any type of outfit, as it doesn't come off as an immature colour.

Overall, I'm really starting to like Essie as a whole now. They have really grown from a pale pastels kind of brand to one that covers the entire colour spectrum!

Review: L'Oréal Caresse Sticks in Cardinal Plume

Hello everybody! I'm back with my first official beauty product review in a long time! I've been having a busy first two weeks back at school and adjusting back to the hectic life of running to classes, studying, and extracurriculars has not been an easy feat! Needless to say, I'm happy to bring to you a somewhat new product that's been talked about heavily in the hybrid lipstick/lipbalm market: the L'Oréal Caresse Sticks! Technically, these are part of the Colour Riche line and contain 50% less wax than traditional lipstick, giving it a lightweight feel and sheer but buildable colour. What I like about this is that any bold colours can instantly be transformed into everyday lipsticks that don't look too overdone; you just look polished!

Here is a photo of the retro gold packaging: I love metallic packaging and I think it looks great, but it does tend to attract fingerprints for those of you who find that annoying. It also has the little clicky part at the bottom so when you put the cap back on, it has to be aligned with the front, which may be a deterrent to some. A huge plus for the tube, though, is the coloured section of the tube that lets you see a sample of the true-to-life colour inside!

The flash makes the colour true to life!

This lipstick swipes on easily and is EXTREMELY lightweight without having that cakey, dry lip feel that matte or thick lipsticks can sometimes give. However, due to this, the colour will tend to fade quickly and may feather on some people. On myself, it didn't give much definition to the shape of my lip and I had to make sure I didn't rub my lips together and get the colour everywhere! However, a bit of clear wax lipliner should do the trick without a cakey feeling or added weight! Overall, a good, everyday kind of light lipstick that has 16 shades so everybody is sure to find one they love!

Overdue Haulage!

Woohoo! I finally have another haul post to show everybody! The story behind this post starts with a simple idea: do a joint e.l.f. haul to split the shipping and make it cheaper! So, about two months ago, a few friends and I got together to do said haul and we split the cost of shipping (super cheap!) but I wasn't able to claim these items until recently (read: today!) I also picked up some great freebies that my friend generously gave to me as well as a few tokidoki brushes!

If you've been keeping up with previous posts, I'm sure you all know I am absolutely obsessed with the artwork from tokidoki! I wish that Sephora continued to carry it because it was an absolutely amazing brand when it came to graffiti-style artwork and their bags! When they got these brushes back in stock, I asked my friend to pick them up for me before they sold out again. Now, I have the entire collection (including my beloved kabuki) and here they are, along with the other great things I got!

Loads of beauty goodies to enjoy :)

As you can see, I now have the tokidoki Siberia blush brush and the Pittura brush set! Although they are top-heavy because of the capped figurine, they are lovely brushes and are soft, not scratchy, on the face and eyes without being floppy. I also ordered my first brush from e.l.f., which is their Studio stipple brush. There are also a few assorted samples, notably a full size GWP Lancôme Juicy Tubes in Miracle and a C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine. I also hauled a Milani Liquif'eye liner with the old name and packaging in Brown, as well as the e.l.f. baked eyeshadow in Toasted (individual reviews to come soon!)

I can't wait to bring back more reviews to the blog! I love to share my honest opinion on products and I love to read them too! 

My Best Beauty Buys: The Under $10 Edition!

Who says cheap and afforadable beauty products HAVE to come from the drugstore? Granted, a lot of high  end colour cosmetics do perform better than their drugstore counterparts, but there are hidden gems that I think everybody should take a look at which can be found for under $10! I decided to create a little product collage for you all to play "I Spy" with!

The first item is the LUSH Lip Scrub in Sugar Lips. What I love about this lip scrub over homemade ones is the heavenly smell! It smells just like a chocolate bar, and a little bit of scrub (enough to lightly coat your pinky finger) is enough for each exfoliation, which I would do 1-2 times a week. You get to lick the sugar off and enjoy a bit of a treat as well! Since a small jar will last me for at least 8-10 months, I happily fork over the $8 I need to buy this lip scrub. Bonus: it's super portable!

Second is Batiste Dry Shampoo. I want to try all the scents, but I'm sure the formula is the same across the board for every one of them! I bought this dry shampoo in Blush and it smells great, a little bit strong at first but the scent disappears within seconds of application. I like to follow the bottle instructions and lift up my roots in sections and spray from a distance of 1 foot or 30 cm, then work it in with my hands and then comb through. My hair feels slippery smooth afterwards, but most of the oily feeling is gone, making this dry shampoo a winner in my book! At $9.50, it lasts a long time and it won't burn a hole in my wallet!

Next, we have Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer. I use the shade Soft Beige because oddly enough, I don't like to have such bright undereyes which creates a weird glow! I like soft, natural makeup that just covers up my tired eyes after my late study sessions. This has good medium coverage and doesn't look cakey, plus the pen applicator won't dispense too much at a time if you are careful! The price of $6 makes it a great deal!

Lastly, I have a product that has gained a fan following status amongst many beauty junkies: the eos lip balm! I have a few, but my favourite is Summer Fruit, which smells like a gorgeous mix of peaches and pears with a hint of apple to me. The cute egg shape never fails to start a conversation, and fits well into nooks and crannies inside my purse. It's sanitary as opposed to a potted balm but I feel it still moisturizes well with regular use. I wouldn't say it's conditioning, but it does soothe my lips when they are a little dried out! These can be found at the nice price of $3.99, and for an organic and natural balm, that's an amazing price!

Review: Tokidoki Kabuki Brush

First of all, apologies for not posting the last two weeks! I've had a lot to do but now I'm stepping back into routine and will continue to blog regularly about my latest beauty quirks! Thanks to everybody who still stops by to read my blog! I love my readers! :3

Last week, I was lucky enough to be able to haul the last tokidoki kabuki brush in stock at Sephora! Since the brand is being discontinued, I wanted to snag all the collectible items that will become staples in my collection, including this amazing brush which I heard rave reviews about from other friends.

Isn't it just adorable?!

This kabuki brush by tokidoki is not only visually appealing, it does the job well. The bristles are ultra fine and soft without being floppy; I can control the movement of the brush very well in application. As well, it won't scratch your face or leave splotches of powder if used correctly. All you need is a very light hand, since a kabuki has denser bristles for more even and dense coverage. I just couldn't pass up the design with the purple dye and the cute square handle! I actually don't mind that it isn't long handled, plus I don't have to worry about getting water into the ferrule of the brush when I wash it.

The only trick I would recommend with this brush is to dry it upside down. I have a post coming soon on how I wash my brushes, so I will show you all there how I handle this one!

P10P: Use Up That Makeup!

After much planning and plotting, I have finally made the decision to start a Project 10 Pan or P10P for short! For those of you who might not be familiar with makeup lingo, a P10P is a project that any makeup junkie can undertake in order to use up makeup products before committing to buying any new ones. Of course, the rules are somewhat flexible, such as how many products to use up, or what products you CAN buy during the "no-buy" period if you do run out.

For myself, I will limit myself to very special limited edition or clearance purchases that have to be justified, i.e. I won't be able to obtain this item ever again afterwards. I will also set for myself some "rewards" purchases that I will get if and only if I finish my P10P. I've divvied mine into two categories as follows:

Face + Body Care:
- Shiseido Pureness Mattifying Oil-Free Moisturizer
- 2 Bath & Body Works Travel Size Lotions
- English Leather Shower Gel (my aunt has given me lots, so no need to buy bath products!)
- 1 Bath & Body Works Full Size Shower Gel
- Bath & Body Works  (I'm a fan haha) Moisturizing Hand Soap

Makeup:
- Smashbox Tinted Moisturizer
- NARS Eye Primer
- Lancôme Blush Subtil Blush (sample size)
- L'Oréal Colour Riche Balm
- The Body Shop Lip Gloss

I'll be giving regular updates as to my empties once I finish an item. The only items I'll repurchase if I run out are makeup remover and moisturizer. Of course, we can't forget my list of rewards!

- Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush
- Murad Cleanser
- MUFE  Concealer

I have a bunch of other products to finish off, but we'll stick with these first!

Summer Haul #3!

Just in time for back to school, I spotted some great deals this week and I can't believe I am posting about my very favourite makeup brands on clearance because they are clearing out their inventories/ being discontinued! I absolutely love Annabelle eye products and tokidoki collectibles so without further ado, here is what I picked up today!

I picked up six Annabelle studio mono eyeshadows, which I love! They shouldn't discontinue this system because it's rare to find a good quality (and Canadian!) drugstore brand which does single eyeshadows like this. They are super smooth and have decent colour payoff, but they can be applied heavily for more colour. I will show my eyeshadows in detail in a future post!

The other is the cutest and softest kabuki brush from tokidoki! It was being cleared out for $11, PLUS it was the last one in stock! I'm glad I was able to snatch it, because I've heard stellar reviews about this powder brush and its excellent yet natural coverage. This is my first kabuki and I look forward to using it lots! Isn't the design just adorable?

Hopefully I will be able to show you all how I incorporate these new products into my daily makeup routine!

Review: L'Oréal Colour Riche Balm in Heavenly Berry

I'm back with another review on another great lippie? Haven't you noticed I love lippies and they're one of my fave types of makeup products out there? Haha. On the recommendation of one of my makeup junkie friends, I decided to try out the L'Oréal Colour Riche Balm because it's on sale this week and I know these have been on the market for a while already, so I've been able to read plenty of reviews and make my choice wisely.

The shade I chose was #318, Heavenly Berry. I'm normally not a fan of darker plum and berry shades, even in fall, but this balm comes across very sheer, so even these dark colours impart just a light dose of colour onto the lips. For me, it leaves just a light sheen on my lips, which is perfect! I was debating between this and Plush Plum, but decided to settle with this one because it's a lighter colour and it's not too cold...yet!

This product does have a vanilla scent that I like, a mix between candy and freshly baked cupcakes with frosting. It's not overpowering and disappears shortly after application. The balm itself applies well, gliding smoothly along my lips without that sticky drag that some glossy balms can have. The only gripe some people might have is the lid of the tube must align properly with the bottom in order to snap shut, but I'm a fan of having the label face forward, so I like this design! Overall, I'm very happy with this purchase!

Review: Annabelle Twist-Up Lip Crayon

For all you Canadian beauts out there, I'm sure you've heard of the revamped makeup display complete with new products from Marcelle and Annabelle! They are two great Canadian brands which, in my opinion, are often overshadowed by more renown drugstore makeup brands.

One of the newest items released with the promotion of their new releases (and Québecoise singer Marie-Mai is their new spokesperson to boot! She's so confident and fierce!) is the TWISTUP Retractable Lipstick Crayon which comes in 12 amazing shades for any kind of look. I bought the shade Divine and  I do think it's absolutely divine! It's an nice neutral pinky toned lipstick, and the pigmentation of this formula is absolutely amazing. It's superbly nice in the fact that it applies smoothly, and it doesn't take a few "starter" swipes to get the colour going. 

Another bonus: It's fully retractable so you never have to sharpen it! Regular lipstick application will keep the point nice and sharp, and I like that the product isn't so large that I risk going off my lips while I'm applying. The little band that is true to colour is great, and the name of the product is printed on the tube so you'll always remember what it is!

A tiny little disappointment I had was that this lip crayon comes out as a matte finish on my lips, because I had seen a previous review where it was pictured to be glossy! However, just a dab of clear or pinky gloss on top sets that straight, and it lasts for quite a while! I wore it for around 5 hours with minimal eating and drinking and it still looked nice. Most importantly, I didn't have an allergic reaction (I'm looking at you, Revlon Lip Butters!) and the removal of the lipstick was easy as well. 

I would definitely recommend checking out these new TWISTUP lipstick crayons! 

John Frieda & Garnier Fructis Haul!

This week, every single store in the area seems to be having a sale on hair care! Most of my favourite brands at either Shoppers Drug Mart or Loblaws are having great sales, mostly 50% off or greater! It just so happened that I am running low on a few products and was looking forward to stocking up anyways.

The first two products I got today are both from John Frieda. I have their Full Repair Protecting Root Lift Foam as well as the Secret Weapon Finishing Crème. I have tried additional products from both of these hair care lines and love them equally because they fulfill their promised results, and do that well for their drugstore price. Always get it on sale!

The second product I didn't plan on picking up, until I saw it was marked down from $6.99 to $2.99 and looked like a fairly good quality product, which is the Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Frizz Control Deep Treatment. The Sleek & Shine line seems to have many similar products that all do virtually the same thing: tame frizzy hair and give it a healthy shine. I stood there comparing their products for quite some time, trying to take advantage of the sale! Admittedly, this was the priciest product there, with the greatest amount of product, so I have to say that definitely influenced my purchase decision!

Reviews to come soon! Can't wait to use these! Time to tame those frizzies!

Nailing It! Essie in Meet Me At Sunset

Summer is still in full swing (even though it's cloudy and the rain is brooding outside as I type this!) and what better way to get in a happy mood than to do your nails, right? Last night, I went with two of my friends to Shoppers Drug Mart and picked up these amazing Essie polishes and I just HAD to blog about them straight away! I'm only wearing one of them right now, but here's a picture of both of them! Pictured are, L to R, Angora Cardi and Meet Me At Sunset, both from Essie:

The one I'm currently wearing is Meet Me At Sunset. It was originally released with their Summer 2011 Braziliant collection, but I think it's made its way into their permanent line. Cute name aside, this polish is representative of the kind of colours I'm just recently getting into, such as corals and oranges. I don't really want to go full-on red with my nail colour, I'm not quite sure why! When I saw this orange-red creme, I gravitated towards it instantly. On my nails, it reminds me of the colour of a tomato and has a great, shiny finish. It only took me one coat of polish to achieve opacity, which means I save lots of time in application! It also dried the fastest of all the polishes I've ever tried, even compared to my other Essies!

I used one coat of Sally Hansen base+top coat, then one coat of Meet Me At Sunset, then a final layer of the same Sally Hansen top coat. It only took me 15 minutes to do these nails, and they were almost dry! I do recommend leaving them alone for at least half an hour afterwards, though, just to avoid ruining your fresh, new manicure!

I will definitely keep wearing this colour well into fall! After that, I think I will switch and try Angora Cardi! Loving my new Essies so far! :)

Review: Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Light

It seems like forever since I've been in school...which it has! The last class I had was in March, which is all of practically half a year ago! Since then, I've just been working and enjoying summer as much as I can...and I don't plan on stopping, even when the weather gets cool again! Cue Rimmel's Natural Bronzer in Sun Light, which will continue to bring your cheeks that healthy flush of colour and accent your lovely (if perhaps nonexistent...this is my case!) contours! It looks great in photos and gives my face that precise depth without the shimmer that accompanies a lot of bronzing products these days.

Read on to find out why I love this product!

First of all, let me just put it out there that this is my VERY first bronzer! I got it after reading many positive reviews online, and let's face it, that embossed sun just looks so inviting! I like that the product also fits exactly inside my palm as I hold it, although I do agree with others that the packaging can be flimsy at times and could be improved. If it were a flip lid, that'd make it perfect! It is a matte shade that isn't too dark, so it can be layered darker in places to create shadows, such as next to the ear and hairline, up to the temples! It matches my skin well and doesn't look like I went into a tanning salon and completely lost track of time and toasted myself! The drugstore price and reliability of Rimmel cosmetics can't be beat! Hurray for a first-time purchase that paid off!

Makeup Hauls Galore!

Wow, lately I have been lemming over both products that I have looked over many times before, thinking about whether to buy them or not, as well as newer (to me, at least!) products that I am very excited about trying out. I hope many of them will become staples in my collection! (Can you believe I have never tried bronzer before? I used to be a bit skeptical because I didn't want to look overly tanned, yet I've learned how valuable bronzer can be in contouring and adding depth to the face!)

This is what I picked up at the mall today!

The first item isn't actually a purchase, but I picked it up at Sephora because I might buy this product in the future! It's a shade bookmark for Urban Decay's new NAKED Skin Foundation, and I checked in with the shade 5.0, right near the middle of their spectrum. I must have gotten darker this summer from all that commuting and walking about, because this is darker than usual for me!

From Sephora, I also got the benefit Watt's Up highlighter as a sample I redeemed from my 100-point perk choices. I was planning on saving points, as that's my natural habit, but I was actually swatching this earlier in store and I was really looking forward to buying it one day, when lo and behold, it was available as a pretty generous sample (2.5 grams!) Will look forward to using this to bring light to my tired face come school time!

What caught my eye in the ever-shrinking collection of tokidoki makeup is this lovely lip gloss that applies as sheer as clear can get, but adds a lot of shine: the Prisma Lip Gloss in Strawberry Latte! I've wanted this colour since a long time ago, and to finally get it to add the cute packaging to my collection (I'm rarely a sucker for packages...or so I think!) along with a great gloss is great! I love the blueberry scent to boot! 

From Wal-Mart, where getting makeup is a nightmare (behold the opened packages, scattered tubes, mismatched colours...you get my drift!) I managed to snag the last Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Light, which is the one I've been looking at for a while. I am also planning on getting The Body Shop's Honey Bronzing Powder to compare, because I swatched that today and it was gorgeous on my skin! I hope this product will be a nice first matte bronzer for me, because I've heard this shade doesn't pack on too much colour for a bronzer. The fact that it was the last one made it feel extra special! There was seriously NOTHING left in the bronzer slots, just lots of loose powder. This was the only one left and with the safety seal tape intact, I didn't hesitate!

Finally...drumroll please, because I am about to present the most exciting item of all! Today I purchased a MAC Lipstick: See Sheer (Lustre) because I've been looking at it for the longest time and I've seen tons and tons of swatches of it. I tried it on myself today and it looks just simply gorgeous! Lustre finish lipsticks are one of my favourites because they have a sheen, but they're not overly frosty or shimmery and provide easily buildable colour that's great for any look! 

I will bring reviews of all these products slowly and surely! For now, I have a lot of products to work through, but if I see recommendations for new things, I am always on the lookout! (Note to self: Buy L'Oréal Caresse Sticks!)

Nailing It! Essie Mirror Metallics in Penny Talk

With the summer Olympics just beginning, I can't imagine who isn't pumped to represent their country and root for their favourite athletes! The Olympics always bring a cheerful mood and it's really amazing to see all those athletes win their hard-earned and well-deserved medals! With this theme in mind, I'll be bringing to you one of the latest colours from Essie's Mirror Metallics collection, Penny Talk. This is a metallic finish polish that exudes the colour of a brand new penny!

Two coats, with Sally Hansen base + top coat

I rarely rave so much about a metallic polish because the finish can be tricky to work with at times, which is true with this polish as well. With this shade, you have to be extremely careful in application not to go over the same spot twice, until you are sure it is ABSOLUTELY dried and won't budge, otherwise you will end up spreading the polish around, creating unsightly lines and bubbles! That being said, it achieves opacity quickly and no more than two coats should do the trick! The only reason it looks chipped and worn here is because I went to a family friend's farm yesterday and they got a little beat up...I plan on redoing these babies ASAP but I just couldn't wait to share the Penny Talk love!

However, I feel that the rose gold finish of the shade, combined with its uniqueness in the nail polish market, definitely make it worth the slight struggles with application. While metallic finishes are still not my fave (I prefer cremes and jellies) this polish holds a special place in my collection!

Bonne Bell lipblushes!

Today I'll be reviewing a fairly new product from Bonne Bell called lipblush. I think pretty much everybody's jumped on the bandwagon with nifty letter styling, including the all-lowercase trend! These are listed as a new product on Bonne Bell's website, plus I haven't seen many reviews for this product, so I'll go right on ahead and share with you all you need to know about this lippie!

lipblushes are a lip balm that gives a very slight hint of colour, hence the aptly named lip "blush." It really does just give a flush of colour that's very bare; I have the shade Cheerful Cherry and it is bold in the tube, but applies practically clear. The colour does not colour my lips; seeing as I have one pigmented lip (nice and red) and one that's not (dusty and natural pink) it adds a slight sheen but you have to really scrutinize my "natural" lip to see the red tint. That being said, this product smells AMAZING and the cherry smell is not overwhelmingly cough-droppy or artificial. Bonne Bell always made their Lip Smackers true to life, and I really appreciate this as a grown up product from them! It may not be the most original, but it definitely does bring back nostalgic memories of having quite a few of their products as a young girl!

Here is a picture of the lovely, grown-up packaging! It's so sleek and the colour strip lets you check shades/scents easily!

This is so true to tube colour! How pretty (though sheer!)

I hope this new lippie brings back some classic preteen girly moments for everybody! Having a balm/gloss to indulge on back then was truly fun :)

Battle of the Gel Eyeliners: Avon SuperSHOCK vs. essence Gel Eyeliner

So with the hot weather on the rise (these are the dog days of summer, after all!) I've found that minimal makeup is DEFINITELY the way to go. If I really were to choose the most essential items to use to complete my makeup look, eyeliner would definitely rank high on that list! I've recently begun trying gel liners in lieu of my beloved pencils, simply because of their rich pigmentation, ease of use (as opposed to liquid liners) and promise to not fade or smudge.

In this post, I will show you a comparison between the two gel liners I have: Avon's SuperSHOCK gel liner in Blackened Metal versus essence's gel liner in London Baby. For some weird reason or another, I am not a fan of black liners, even though it's such a classic beauty must-have item! Instead, I use a lot of dark browns and taupes that are dark, but not as strong as a black liner would be. As you can see in the pot, it comes out a strong brown with a hint of taupe, which is just right for me!

essence gel liner in London Baby

As you can see, the packaging is definitely similar, with the tubs differing only slightly in shape and height. However, I have to note that the essence packaging is definitely lighter, as the glass bottom on the Avon liner is really dense and heavy. That being said, the most important part is really the formulation! To make a long story short, essence wins in all aspects, HANDS DOWN. I've read other reviews about it being a really creamy liner that's soft to the touch, and this makes it really easy to pick up product onto the brush, which is so true! It made application a dream, although you do have to wait 5-10 seconds afterwards for it to dry. If you open your eyelid before that, as with any gel or liquid liner, it will smudge your lovely lid makeup! With the Avon liner, I had to scratch into the product and I've created several ruts on the surface...it reminds me of a farmer's field, to be honest! Pigmentation on London Baby was also superior to that of Blackened Metal, and with both being advertised at a price of $3.99, I'd strongly recommend the essence gel liner!

Summer Haul #2!

So summer is passing by as quickly as you can say "Back to school sale," and it's inevitable that we'll all be heading back to fall routines soon! However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy our summers while we have the time to do so! This week, I would like to share the lovely items I got that will become staples in my clothing and makeup collections this year. I look forward to using and enjoying them a lot!

The first item is a grey Jersey Blazer. I got it from Zara for $30, regular $80, which is unbelievable! I love the zippered pockets which make it handy to store small items like cards, a lip product or two, and my phone. The cute cuffs make the sleeves extra special too! :)

Another item I got with my Victoria's Secret PINK purchase is one of their lovable mini dogs! It's my first mini dog, and I love anything coral and red, so my new puppy fit right in! I love how he can stand up on his own so I can place him with my other stuffed fluffies!

Next, we have a pretty big Sephora haul...of a lot of the same item! As you might know, tokidoki is being cleared out because it was a limited time product line, but it was absolutely cute! I love, love, LOVE the graffiti style characters that make up the theme of this brand. I think this collection definitely attracted my attention over Hello Kitty or other similarly-styled collections! I got two tokidoki mirrors with a cute zebra print and assorted characters, as well as the Vegas Arte palette. It comes with a wearable purple colour scheme and a peachy pink blush. For $6, what a steal! I will probably use this in a later review! As well, I stocked up on some to give to friends as gifts, as you can see!

Any other items that I should take a look at that are great for a summer haul?

This Week's Faves!

Hey everybody! This week I've had a lot of favourite things to share with you. Whether it be a good meal, or a fave beauty item, this is it!

The first item is one of my all-time fave seafood snacks: a Panko Crabcake. This yummy crunchy ball of goodness is covered in a delicate panko breadcrumb crust. Did you know panko is technically made from a type of Japanese bread made WITHOUT crusts? It's made by running an electric current through it, rather than baking it traditionally in an oven. The filling was generous, and they're made fresh by a local café near where I work. A great treat to have once in a while!

The second item I have for you this week is the Nivea Lip Smoothie in Cranberry and Raspberry. These lip balms come with an absolutely delightful, smooth, creamy marbled pattern that delivers. It's not intensely moisturizing, but applied daily, you'll notice your lips stay smooth thanks to the vitamin complex. As well, the smell of these balms is TO DIE FOR. A truly fruity scent where I can smell both flavours, and it lasts for quite a while after application. However, if you layer another lipstick or gloss on top, the smell diminishes a lot. There are two flavours, the other being Açai and Wild Apple but I chose this one, which comes out as sheer as any clear balm on my lips.

A close-up of the tube! How pretty is that?!

A slightly blurred photo, because I didn't want the flash to distort the colour. This is the true colour of the balm, although it applies sheerly.

These two are just some of the simple and small things I was able to use (and eat!) this week. As for new products, when I use them, I will write more reviews! What about you all? Have you had any small summer treats?

MLBB: Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss (Nude Lustre)

Haha, the title pretty much says it all. I've heard so many people say good things about this gloss, and I'm still on the search for the absolute perfect MLBB. I already have a fave gloss in The Body Shop's makeup line, but if I could just choose one aspect to further refine, it's adding SPF. In today's day and age, SPF is much needed, especially since your lips are the thinnest layer of skin you've got! I know I love to eat and drink stuff, so my lips are always exposed to lots of things and need thorough moisturizing and TLC.


Enter Revlon's Super Lustrous SPF 15 Lip Gloss in Nude Lustre! This lipgloss is amazingly smooth, and while it's not the most pigmented formula out there, it makes up for it with its glossy, moisturizing finish! I've worn this gloss twice today (wiped it off for eating, but before that the wear was already great!) and each time it applied like a dream. It feels almost like a smooth cushion of gloss, and it has no cloying scent, even with sunscreen in the formula. It is a bit sticky, but definitely not bothersome. The cap also locks shut, so for those of you afraid of the infamous purse-gloss-leak, this is definitely up your alley!

Revlon Super Lustrous SPF 15: Nude Lustre

I love this lipgloss and it is definitely a MLBB! It adds just a hint of natural colour, but no pink tones. A great formula and a definite winner in my book! 

What do you think of Revlon Super Lustrous SPF 15 glosses? Do you have any great shades to share? Do let me know!

Nailing It! Sephora by OPI in How Cute is That?

My rule of thumb for buying a good polish of course involves price, ingredients (3 Free!) and ease of application/removal. However, one of the most important aspects, is, of course, colour! Any shade of nail polish can change easily with opacity and the range of tones I like to use varies with each season. For summer, I like to keep it simple with pastels and bright colours that evoke thoughts of the warm weather and bring a tropical feel. This shade is a perfect coral mix of strong yellow-based pink undertones and orange. On my NC30 skin, it appears more frequently as an orange. This picture was taken in artificial lighting so my skin appears dark, but the polish is true to life.

I did these nails in two coats for a nice opacity, you can barely see the nail whites afterwards! I also used Sally Hansen Ultimate Shield as a base and top coat. I wore it for five or so days and there was no chipping whatsoever. As an added bonus, it's really easy to remove and goes off with a few swipes of remover! I think I will be wearing this a lot!

Summer Haul!

Hello everyone! Today I went to the mall and was able to grab some nifty items that are great for summer! Recently I've acquired a lot of new summer tops, but the key is to be able to layer them together when the weather gets cooler (which it can do VERY QUICKLY around these parts!) so that you can have chic, trendy, and most of all, affordable outfits!

The first item I got was a Talula Bustier with Lace Panels in Birch. I love the side panels because they add a pretty amount of detail without going overboard, and it's not in the least bit gaudy. I would usually associate bustiers with casual clothes, but because the lace kicks it up a notch, I'd wear this with a nice cardigan in slightly dressy events like dinners out with friends for pretty pictures :)

The second item of clothing is a Dynamite Aztec Lace Top. This top is a pretty shade of orange-red, almost like a bold coral (think Pantone's colour of the year, but with a touch more red in real life!) I love how if I wear a solid coloured tank underneath, and I put this on top, I can see the zig-zag patterns and diamond crochet lace stand out. I also love the front chest pocket, even though it's completely useless! It's a nice decorative touch!

I hope to be able to coordinate these with other clothes to create nice OOTDs! Maybe I will post some of those ideas soon!

xoxo

The Wonderful World of Blogging!

Hello everybody! I thought I could bring to you all a blog that talks about anything and everything pretty and beautiful! Not only do I love sharing my opinion, I also love to hear the feedback of others and look forward to using my new blog! 

xoxo