Quantcast
Channel: fun size beauty
Viewing all 567 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

ArtDeco Mythical Forest Collection // Fall 2015

October 20, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
The ArtDeco Mythical Forest Collection is painted with nudes, warm beiges, dark berry shades and smokey greys inspired by a misty autumn day in the woods. I wish my fall felt as beautiful and whimsy as this collection (instead it's been gloomy and cold). The collection has a bit of everything for eyes, face and lips. 







The packaging (aka the ArtDeco Mythical Forest Beauty Box Quattro ($14, limited edition)) makes me want to be a forest fairy. It has magnetic packaging, which allows the user to customize their own palette by purchasing single ArtDeco Eyeshadows. The downside? It only fits four and I want more! The ArtDeco Mythical Forest Eyeshadows ($8.50 each) from the collection are 89A Dark Queen - a rich berry, 190 Mystical Heart - a shimmering taupe-olive, 198 Dimgray - a shimmering grey and 215 Mountain Rose - an illuminating soft pink. All the shadows are soft (but not too soft) and easy to blend together. I would recommend using a primer/eyeshadow base under these shadows, as they require a little building up for the colour on the pan to appear on your eyes. 



The ArtDeco Mythical Forest Soft Eye Liner Waterproof ($12) in 97 Anthracite is actually waterproof and it doesn't move from my waterline or my upper lash line. HALLELUJAH. Anthracite is a deep grey, which is a nice change from a stark black while having intensity. The texture of the liner is just right - soft enough that it can be applied with ease, and hard enough that it doesn't fall when you press it onto your eye. 



I wasn't really a fan of the ArtDeco Mythical Forest Soft Lip Liner Waterproof ($12) in 79 Mystical Heart. The berry tone is beautiful but can't be worn alone because the liner isn't as soft as the name implies and it tugs at my lips, emphasizing dry patches. However, applied on top ArtDeco Mythical Forest Hydra Lip Booster ($18) in Translucent Mountain Rose is EVERYTHING. It's a highly pigmented gloss that is super hydrating (ingredients include blue seakale, sunflower oil and lupine seed extracts). I find it to be a little sticky but the moisturizing feeling and colour lasts for hours longer than a typical gloss. 


Art Deco Art Couture Nail Lacquer ($14) in 702 Couture Dark Queen is the perfect black polish. It's not too thin or thick and requires 2 coats for opacity. The brush is thick and rounded so you can coat the nail in 2 swipes. Something about the formula just wraps perfectly around the nail. The polish dries quite quickly and has a beautiful shine, even without a top coat. On its own, it lasted on my nails about 3 days. The nail lacquers are also available in 700 Mystical Heart, 707 Couture Crown Pink, 741 Couture Purple Emperor and 794 Couture Dimgray. 

In addition, there's two ArtDeco Art Couture Lipsticks($22) in 233 Cream Skin and 675 Velvet Dark Cream, a Blusher ($14) in 40 Crown Pink (warm rose), Designer Eye Refills ($14) in 88 Dimgray and 83 Mountain Ash that go with the Eye Designer Applicator ($18) and two Kajal Liners ($12) in 12 Dimgray and 56 Woodgrained - all of which are not pictured in this post. 


This is my first experience with ArtDeco products and I am highly impressed by the German cosmetics brand. The ArtDeco Mythical Forest Collection is a hit - beautiful colours and mostly high-performance products. If you're in the market for some new fall-inspired beauty things, check out the eyeshadows, Hydra Lip Booster, Soft Eye Liner Waterproof and the polishes. You won't be disappointed. 

Have you tried anything from ArtDeco?

Press samples featured. The ArtDeco Mythical Forest Collection is available in select Shoppers Drug Mart locations as of late October. 

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧
Search

#HALLOWEEN - Candy Corn Nail Art

October 21, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
I've never tried candy corn nor have I ever received candy corn on my childhood trick or treating adventures. Despite this, I love the  white, orange and yellow stripes of candy corn and though that it would be easy to translate onto the tiny canvases that are my nails. 



All you'll need are white, orange and yellow polishes and a steady hand. Two coats of white polish, a thick line of yellow on the third of the nail closest to the cuticle and another line of orange in the inner third of the nail. 


TRICK OR TREAT! Do you like candy corn? :) 

Press samples featured

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧
↧

SKINCARE: Pure + Simple Waterloo

October 22, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
Pure + Simple is a Canadian skincare brand, as well as a holistic spa. There are three locations in Toronto and one conveniently placed in my school town of Waterloo. So, a few Friday mornings ago, I took a leisurely15 minute walk from my apartment to Pure + Simple Waterloo. 

Image source

Pure + Simple Waterloo is conveniently located near Uptown Waterloo just off the east of King & Bridgeport. I didn't take any photos, but picture this, a well-lit store front area with tons shelves of skincare products. The treatment rooms were in the back. I snapped a photo of that - but it was totally dark for the majority of my treatment. 


Upon walking in I was greeted and offered something to drink. The ladies at the front desk also handed me a little "about me" form to fill out, which asked me for info like my skin-type, current products in my routine, and previous treatments. 

When I got into the treatment room, the facialist asked me to remove all my clothing except my underwear and then lie down belly-up. I was a little confused and kind of nervous. I had never had to take off so much clothing during a facial. Luckily, there was blankets and the facial bed was heated, which was unexpected and very, very relaxing. 

My treatment consisted of some cleansing, steaming, extractions, eye masks, masks, face, shoulder, scalp leg/foot and arm/hand massages. Based on the website I'm pretty sure I got the extreme Clean Deep Pore Facial ($105). There was likely a lot of focus on massage, since Pure + Simple's treatments are derived from Ayurveda (Hindu medicine). I'd say the ratio of "normal" facial things to massage was about 65/35 but I'm not complaining. I nearly fell asleep during the treatment I was so relaxed. 

The facialist was super kind and informative, making sure to ask me questions about my current skincare routine, as well as offer product recommendations and tips for keeping my skin healthy. After the treatment, my skin was feeling plump and glory and I was feeling refreshed, relaxed and ready to go home and take a nap. 

Also, it was reassuring to know that Pure + Simple uses their own products for their facials, which are 100% natural products that are free of ingredients like paragons, petrochemicals, silicones, phthalates, sulphates and synthetic fragrances. 

Overall, I'd highly recommend Pure + Simple Waterloo. Friendly staff and a fantastic treatment make the spa a quick getaway from the stress of everyday. 




Pure + Simple Waterloo
1-42 Bridgeport Road East
Waterloo, Ontario
N2J0B3
226-647-5042

I received a complimentary Pure + Simple Facial Treatment in exchange for a review. 

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧

#HALLOWEEN - Nails for Lazy People (Broadway Nails Press-On Manicures)

October 23, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
School's been busy, so I've been a little lazy with the nail art. Ideally, I do my own nail art, but I though I'd share something easy peasy for my friends with no patience for nail things. The KISS + Broadway Nails has released SIX spooky and season-appropriate Halloween Press-On Manicures ($9 each). 

I've "swatched" four of the six design - Broomstick, Cauldron, Fright Night and Haunting. The other two (RIP and Ghostly) are red/black glitter ombre and a silver/black ombre - which are dark and Halloween-like but also appropriate for any time of the year and not particularly festive for me. 

I've tried out Broadway Manicure Press-on Nails quite a few times in the past. To see a full review on the product, rather than the designs see here. 

Haunting




The Halloween Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails in Haunting is quite possibly the LEAST haunting of the site designs. It features candy corn, black/orange polka dots and cute little ghosts! Def my favourite of the Halloween press-ons. 

Broomstick



Broomstick = a house if you don't have a broomstick. Spiderwebs nails, some with silver spiders! 

Cauldron



Orange and black pumpkins, spiders, spiderwebs and a blue/black glitter! 

Fright Night



The deepest and darkest of the six designs is Fright Night. I'm a big fan of the nails that say "trick or treat" in combination with the blue/glitter accents and itsy-bitsy spiders. 


While artificial nails could never replace my real ones, I like that you can have fun designs on your nails without the trouble of waiting for things to dry, potential smudging, etc. And even if you don't want all your nails to be artificial, you could easily four of your nails orange and use one of the pumpkin Press-on Manicure nails as an accent! 

What are you wearing on your nails this Halloween? 

Press samples featured. The Halloween Press-on Manicures by Broadway Nails are available at Pharmasave, Lawtons, London Drugs, Jean Coutu, Brunet, Proxim and Uniprix. 

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧

#HALLOWEEN - Blood Drip Nails

October 25, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
All you need is a red nail polish and your fingertips will be dripping in blood. 


To get the look, I used a dotting tool to make a largish dot in the centre of the nail and extended a gradually thinning line to the tip of the nail. Repeating this step with the dots at different levels on the nail bed creates the "dripping" effect. Between each line I also added some red polish to for a "bloodier" effect. 

Products Used: Essence the Gel Nail Polish in Fame Fatal 

Will you be trying out this Halloween nail art look? Also... LESS THAN A WEEK TILL HALLOWEEN!
Press samples featured


Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧
↧

#HALLOWEEN - Unicorn Makeup Tutorial

October 26, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0

Taking a break from the spooky side of Halloween, I thought I'd just be a unicorn for a day. Lots of inspo taken from Chelle's Unicorn Inspired Makeup.Who in their right mind wouldn't want to be the whimsical, mythical, beautiful creature that is the unicorn?


Things you'll need: 
> Your regular face makeup
> False lashes (preferably bejewelled ones)
> A white base
> As many colours of eyeshadow/eyeliner (cream, pencil or powder) that you can find
> 3D Glitter + glitter adhesive
> A unicorn horn (I used a piece of paper and a bobby pin) 

Start with a clean face. Apply your foundation (because unicorns are flawless) and blush.


Apply an eyeshadow base to the eyelid and lower lash line to make your eyeshadows appear bolder and brighter. On the eyelid, apply pink in the inner corner and gradate it into purple towards the outer corner. Darken the crease with a dark brown shadow. Then, apply glue and 3D glitter into the inner corner. Re-apply the purple over the glitter to blend.


On the lower lash line, apply small amounts of yellow, green and blue shadow to create a rainbow effect. Use a teal eyeliner on the lower waterline for some added colour. To finish off the eyes, add false lashes and mascara to the lower lash line.


For the lips, use a sheer orange gloss to complete the look. Oh and add your horn! 

Products Used: 

FACE

EYES
> Dior Eye Reviver Eyeshadow Palette* (dark brown shade) 

LIPS
> Hard Candy Fierce Effects Lip Gloss in Daring*

I'm a sad unicorn when my eyelashes are falling off... 

Have you ever dreamt of being a unicorn? 

Press samples featured

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧

#HALLOWEEN - Mummies and Ghosts Nail Art

October 27, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
BOO! Today's nail art is in honour of all the creepy things that hide in the dark. To create this look, All you'll need is black and white polish, a dotting tool, and a black striper. 


For the mummy nails, I painted two coats of white polish. Then, I used a striper to draw perpendicular black lines. Next, I filled in a rectangle with back polish and used a dotting tool dipped in white and black polish on each side to create the eyes. 

For the ghost nails, I used painted two coats of black polish. Then, I used a dotting tool dipped in white and black polish on each side to create the eyes. 


Products Used: CoverGirl Snow Storm,Essence Black is Back, KISS Nail Art Paint Striper 

What do you think of my mummies and ghosts? :) 

Press samples featured




Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧

#HALLOWEEN - The Living Dead // #GlamToGhoul

October 28, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
For the past few years, MAKE UP FOR EVER has released fabulously spooky Halloween face charts. This year, there's 8 - 4 "glam" looks and 4 "ghoul" looks. I've drawn inspiration from what seems to be the simplest of the eight... The Living Dead, which features a glam makeup look plus a few zombie-esque stitches. 





Start with your everyday foundation, eyeshadow and mascara. 

Add some contour powder to sculpt the cheekbones. The more sullen looking, the better. 

Add the same contour powder into the crease to make your eye sockets look more sunken in. 

Apply a bold eyeliner to the upper lash line for some glam. 

 Using a liquid eyeliner, line the eyes. Draw a line from the corner of the mouth to where I had ended my contour. Then, used the same black liner make stitch marks. You can also apply a black pencil or cream shadow to the waterline for an intensified look.



Top off your lips with a bold coloured gloss and voila! You're a little glam and a little ghoul!


Products Used

"REGULAR" makeup
> Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation
> NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard
> Hard Candy Top Ten Eyeshadow Palette in Pinking of You*
> L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara
> MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Blush in 225

FACE
> MAKE UP FOR EVER Sculpting Kit in 02*

EYES
> MAKE UP FOR EVER Sculpting Kit in 02*
> MAKE UP FOR EVER Ink Liner* 
> MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Matic in M-11*
> Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Turquoise*

LIPS
Hard Candy Fierce Effects Daring Lip Gloss in Plum Diva*

Is your Halloween costume glam or ghoul? 

Press samples featured (*).


Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram

↧
Search

#HALLOWEEN - Evil Eye Nail Art

October 29, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
This Halloween, ward off curses and evil ghosts with these evil eye nails! 

In several the cultures, the evil eye casts misfortune or injury to those it glares upon. Oddly enough, to protect yourself from the evil eye, people wear evil eye talismans (in the form of rings, necklaces, etc) to deflect the gaze back to the starer. 




I've been seeing these evil eye nails circulating the internet and decided to do my own take on the look. For the white of the eyeballs, I drew a curve with the nail polish brush on 1/3 of the nail. Then, outlined the white with a black and drew tiny lines with a nail art striper. For the pupil and iris, all it took was a large blue dot and a smaller black dot in the centre using a dotting tool.

Products Used: CoverGirl Snowstorm, KISS Products Nail Art Paint Striper, Essence Black is Back, Essence Let's Get Lost

Do you own any evil eye accessories? (In my case, my accessories = my nails!) 

Press samples featured

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧
↧

#HALLOWEEN - Hodgepodge Nail Art (Frankenstein, Pumpkin, Black Cat & Dracula)

October 30, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, friends! It’s October 31 and for the grand finale of Halloween posts, I’ve put together a hodgepodge of Halloween imagery on my fingertips - Frankenstein, a pumpkin, a black cat and Dracula.  



Products Used: 
> Frankenstein - Essence Black is Back, CoverGirl Snow Storm, Revlon Posh, KISS Nail Art Paint Striper
> Pumpkin - Rimmel Tangerine Tent, KISS Nail Art Paint Striper
> Kitty - The Body Shop Meet Me At Dusk, Ceramic Glaze Pineapple Breeze, Essence Black is Back
> Dracula - CoverGirl Snow Storm, Essence Fame Fatal, Essence Black is Back, KISS Nail Art Paint Striper


I may or may not have distracted myself from doing school work by putting together Halloween blog posts. I couldn’t help myself. Halloween is probably my favourite “holiday” - I mean (inappropriate/silly/weird/spooky/cute) costumes and candy… what’s not to love. 

What are you up to this Halloween? 
Press samples featured

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧

EGPR #HolidayHaul15 - Delectable, Hard Candy, Skinceuticals & Krispy Kreme // Holiday 2015

October 31, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
Now that Halloween's over, I finally feel comfortable about sharing this year's fantastic holiday goodies. 




The Be Delectable by Cake Beauty Strawberry & Cream Trio ($14.00 at Shoppers Drug Mart) contains the Supremely Rich Body Wash, Decadent Hair & Body Mist and Triple Moisture Body Lotion. All of the products from this made in Canada brand are free of parabens, sodium chloride, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, GMOs, mineral oil, gluten and triclosan. On top of that, they smell like DESSERT. What's not to love? 


The Hard Candy Lip Swirls Flavoured Lip Gloss Collection (exclusively at Walmart) is the perfect amount of adorable and girly for any 8-year old cousin or someone who's looking to start building their flavoured lip gloss collection. I sniffed each of the scents and from what my nose could smell, the grape, pumpkin pie, and gingerbread scents are the most distinguishable of the 9. 


So the bag is not that cute. But that can be forgiven, since Skinceuticals is a science-based brand blurring the line between skincare and pharmaceuticals. I've been testing (and enjoying) the Metacell Renewal B3 and the Ultimate UV Defense SPF 30, which I'll get into more details on in a future post. The sample set contains baby sizes of the Simply Clean Cleanser, Hydrating B5 Gel, C E Ferulic, Face Cream, Eye Balm, and Ultimate UV Defense SPF 30. Oh and there's also a full size of the Antioxidant Lip Repair Can't wait to take the minis travelling with me! 


Last but not least... OMG CHRISTMAS-themed KRISPY KREMES. There's not much to say about this other than the fact that I hate photographing donuts because I just want to eat them. 

Shoutout to EGPR for the Holiday goodies! 

What are you excited for this coming holiday season? :) 

Press samples featured
Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧

Quo by Orly Best of the Best 6-piece Mini Nail Lacquer Set // Holiday 2015

November 1, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
Baby-sized nail polishes make me jump for joy. What crazy lady has ever finished a regular-sized bottle of polish anyways? 


The Quo by Orly Best of the Best Color Collection ($20) features six trendy colours, a perfect Christmas gift for the nail polish lover (or yourself!). 



I have a love-hate relationship with Quo by Orly nail polishes. The colours are beautiful. The formula is thin and self-leveling. But I find the shape of the brushes to always be cut unevenly. Most colours require 3+ coats (with the exception of the metallic lavender which needs requires 2 coats) to be opaque. Luckily, the thin formulation dries quickly, so you're not waiting forever and a day to paint on another layer. The polishes wear the average time on my fingernails which is 2-3 days before chipping, longer with a strong top coat.

What bothers me about these minis are that THEY HAVE NO NAMES. Not on the cardboard box, not on the bottles. Regardless, they're pretty colours. I'll attempt to describe the colours to the best of my ability... 

blue-toned red

metallic lavender (dupe of Essie's Nothing Else Metals)

blue with blue and purple shimmer

neon pink

sheer shimmery teal (worn over Quo by Orly Purity - white)


orange-red

With the exception of the sheer, shimmery teal (which is extremely difficult to work with), the 5 in the Quo by Orly Best of the Best Set are polish shades that I will happily wear as solid colours and incorporate in my nail art throughout the holiday season and beyond. 

Do you love mini polishes? 

Press samples featured. Quo by Orly is exclusively available at Shoppers Drug Mart

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧

Annabelle Smokey Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

November 2, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
Years after Urban Decay’s Naked Palette, drugstores have been coming out with slews of neutral palettes. Canadian brand, Annabelle has launched a neutrals palette of its own. For a the reasonable price of $12.95, you can get TEN eyeshadows in the Annabelle Smokey Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette. 



Packaging-wise, the palette looks like something that's budget friendly. All plastic and no mirror in sight. If you're nonchalant about what's on the outside then don't fret...



THE COLOURS: 
> top row - matte pale pink, satin light brown, satin taupe, matte grey, matte black
> bottom row - satin ivory, satin gold, satin medium brown, dark brown with gold glitter, matte dark brown 

The texture of these shadows is good but not WOW - pigmented but a little on the powdery side (especially the lightest two shades). They’re not quite as buttery as shadows such as Urban Decay, Smashbox, Stila or Too Faced but they’re more impressive than a lot of other drugstore shadows...quite comparable Essence Smokey Day/Night Sets except with a wider range of colours.

The Annabelle Smokey Neutrals Palette is the perfect mix of warm and cool tones, dark and light shades, and shimmery and matte finishes for all of your everyday (and every night) needs. That being said, I have these eyeshadow colours in other palettes and singles but it’s handy to have them all in one place. 

Have you tried the Annabelle Smokey Neutrals Palette? 

Press sample featured

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram


↧
↧

H&M Beauty - Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Golden Peach & Immaculate Compact Foundation in Golden Beige

November 3, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
The H&M Beauty Department has launched in Canada! When promo pics ate up my instagram feed, I was totally sucked in by the black, white, gold and hexagonal packaging. 





Generally, my expectations are pretty low for large clothing companies that sideline into beauty. For instance, I've tried a few things from Forever 21's Love & Beauty line... all of which were extremely hit or miss and mostly on the low-quality side of things. Seeing as H&M's beauty range is priced from as low as $5.99 up to $14.99, my expectations were set much higher. 

The line includes everything from body scrubs to eyeliners and a rainbow of eyeshadow colours. I purchased the H&M Beauty Immaculate Compact Foundation in Golden Beige ($14.99) and the Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Golden Peach. Mostly because blush and foundation are my most used products and also - the packaging. I mean just look at them. The shapes and monochromatic colour scheme are so pleasing to the eye. However, upon picking up the compacts, they feel light and certainly not as weighty as Dior or Guerlain packaging.



The Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Golden Peach looks very, very similar to NARS Orgasm in the pan. When swatched, it's a near dupe. The differences are subtle. Oddly enough, H&M's Golden Peach is more pigmented and maybe a little more pink with a golden sheen, whereas NARS Orgasm is more peach and has a prominent golden sparkle/glitter. On the face, they're pretty much identical. In terms of texture, the Pure Radiance Powder Blusher is like a powdery cream. There's no powder kick-up when you dip your brush in and it's smooth to the touch. On my face, the blush lasted around 6 hours. Not bad, H&M...not bad at all.

Immaculate Powder Foundation, H&M Golden Peach, NARS Orgasm

The Immaculate Compact Foundation in Golden Beige is described as "a luxe cream-to-powder foundation with a velvety, semi-matte finish" on H&M's website. Don't be fooled. It's 100% powder foundation,  just a powder. The powder is nice but not the most finely-milled that I've come across. The finish is semi-matte and the coverage is light to non-existent and appears non-cakey. The powder blurs pores and keeps oil at bay for a total of 3 hours, even when I use it to set liquid foundations. This one wasn't for me. If you're looking for an affordable powder foundation, try the Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder instead.

Overall, the foundation was so-so but the blush is a total winner. My curiosity (and penchant for packaging) turned out to be a great alternative to NARS Orgasm. I've been reading reviews for their eyeshadows and some body products and I'm tempted to try out more from the H&M Beauty Department!

Have you tried anything from H&M's Beauty Department? What did you think? 

Featured products purchased by me


Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧

EVENT: #LUSHCHRISTMAS // Holiday 2015

November 4, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
'Tis the season to be jolly. LUSH Christmas goodies are now available in store and online! A few weekends ago, I attended a Lush Cosmetics Winter Party aka workshop, where I had the opportunity to learn from Lush compounders (who make the products) and make a few products of my own. Here's what went down... 

A few of the goodies that brought home including the Joy to the World Gift Set ($19.95, Love and Light Hand Cream and Snowcake Soap). Stay tuned for reviews...


I moulded my own little Santa out of Santa FUN ($6.95). He's a little creepy (cause he knows when you're sleeping) but also multi-functional as he can be used as shampoo, bubble bath, etc. 


Hand-pressed my own bath bomb Stardust Bath Bomb ($5.25) and filled it with blue and gold stardust! 

Yes, indeed. Those are fresh cranberries, tofu (in the back) and fennel mixed together with a few other things to create the Cranberry Festive Face Mask (available in store only).

There was a soap bar which smelled absolutely delightful. I took home the Snowcake ($7.95 per 100g) which smells like almonds, Baked Alaska ($7.95 per 100g) which is super citrusy, and Yog Nog ($6.95 per 100g) which Zubie dubbed as the "crunch bar soap that makes you want to eat yourself".




Ohh and I got to hang out with some of my fave beauty bloggers :) - Maria of pnkpetals, Vanessa of Citron & Guavaberry, Zubie of Living the Grey, Michelle of A Lovely Allure& Jenn of Procrastinating Pretty!


All in all, a delightful event, full of Christmas music and holiday cheer! If there's anything you want to hear more about, et me know and I'll gladly start testing it (aka taking a bath ASAP)!

Press samples featured

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧
Search

FRAGRANCE: Azzaro Pour Elle

November 5, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
If you asked me what I thought of fragrances and perfumes a few months ago, I would have said that I'm not a fragrance person. Apparently now I am. I feel like my smelling senses are tingling. For some reason, I can pick up on the woodsy, amber, oriental, spicy, warm, fresh, citrus, sweet, clean notes now more than ever before...and it makes me happy... and somehow more qualified to write about how I feel about the way things smell. 


Enter Azzaro Pour Elle EDP ($70 for 50mL). Launched in May 2015, Azzaro Pour Elle is the accompanying fragrance to Azzaro Pour Homme, which was released in 1978 - my Dad says it smells the same as it did in his 20s. 

What it's supposed to smell like: "solar and sensual floral - woody - amber. Solar burst is evoked by unusual combination of cardamom with fresh, exhilarating, lemony-spicy notes blended with a rosy, tangy and sparkling accord. Magnetic seduction is depicted with a classic floral heart of rose and lily, which make an elegant, glamorous and distinguished pair. Sensual sillage is provided by the base made of warm, dense and sexy notes of olibanum incense and cashmere wood."

What I smell: Upon first sniff, it's a little manly (almost cologne-like) and very sexy. My nose skips the floral part and goes straight to the cardamom spice. It's definitely more spicy than sweet, a little warm, with a touch of citrus. It's the scent of a grown woman (but not old lady). This woman confident, sensual and elegant... there's nothing at all girly or childish about it. 

On me, I find the fragrance a little too sexy and mature for the every day. I don't really wake up feeling sexy, so I feel like the scent doesn't suit me. BUT on the odd occasion I am feeling mature and womanly and sexy, I quite enjoy this sprayed around my neck and on my bedsheets.

A couple years ago the only fragrance I was aware of was Marc Jacob's Daisy. Fast forward to October 2015, I attended a session on perfumes and their ingredients, I'd fell in love with Maison Martin Margiela's Replica Jazz Club (especially on my boyfriend), got a bunch of samples from Sephora including Fresh's Sugar Lychee and Replica Fun Fair Evening, decided to smell like waffles using Demeterand began testing out my personalized bottle of Thierry Mugler Angel. I've even pondered investing in a Diptyque or a Jo Malone... who knows what's next... 

Are you a fragrance person? 
Press sample featured
Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧

CND Aurora Collection in Nordic Lights, Glacial Mist & Tundra // Holiday 2015

November 8, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
The holidays are quickly approaching and in the spirit of the holidays, there's glitter and sparkles and nail polish delight on my fingertips. The CND Aurora Collection features colours that capture the crystalline essence of icy, glistening finishes. There's 4 polishes in the collection - Tundra, Glacial Mist, Nordic Lights and Winter Glow (not shown). 

I took the CND Vinylux Weekly Polish ($11.95) variety for a spin but these are also available in CND Shellac 14 Day Nail Colour. In the past, I had attempted to wear CND Vinylux for over a week with poor results, but for some reason it's stayed a lot better now with this round of polishes. 

If you're not familiar, CND Vinylux is a two-step polish, similar to Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel. The difference is that CND has increased durability with exposure to natural light and I find CND to be slightly thicker. All of the colours require two coats for full opacity. 

Tundra
metallic lilac - similar to Essie Nothing Else Metals



Glacial Mist
metallic baby blue with two sizes of silver circle shimmers


Nordic Lights
deep purple with rainbow sparkles and flakies 


In a nutshell, the CND Aurora Collection consists of stunning textures in a long-lasting formula. Nordic Lights is my absolute fave from this collection. 

Which of the three is your favourite!?

Press samples featured

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧
↧

Quo Back to Basics Eyeshadow Palette in New Nudes // Holiday 2015

November 9, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
When I buy a gift for someone, my aim is always to get something that they'll actually use. So, Quo got it right when they decided to release a neutrals palette for the 2015 Holiday season. 



The Quo Back to Basics Eyeshadow Palette ($25) contains 12 eyeshadows. 6 are warmish neutrals and 6 are cooler neutrals. While these aren't the most pigmented, smooth or buttery eyeshadows, the lack of pigment (or necessity to build colour) could be suitable for a beginner. The light matte shades (#1, 3, 7) aren't chalky but they're not smooth enough to be considered "easy to work with". Some of the light shimmery shades barely show up on my lids. My favourite colours in the palette are the light bronzer (#5) and the cranberry-brown (#8), which are some of the more pigmented and smooth colours in the palette. I'm not a fan of the black or the deep brown as I don't find them to be intense enough. That being said... with a good primer, they're manageable... 


This wouldn't be my first pick to receive as a gift, but if you're shopping for someone who wants a natural look or just wants to play with shadows, the Quo Back to Basics Eyeshadow Palette might be an ideal gift. 

Do you give people gifts hoping that they'll make good use out of them? 

Press samples featured. Quo is available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart. 
Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧

CoverGirl Colorlicious Lipsticks in 250 Sultry Sienna, 425 Bombshell Pink, 310 Seduce Scarlet & 315 Euphoria

November 10, 2015, 9:00 pm
$
0
0
A little over a year ago, CoverGirl discontinued its line of Lip Perfection Lipsticks and replaced them with the CoverGirl Colorlicious Lipsticks (~$6.99), similar packaging but newly organized into 4 colour categories indicated by the packaging - nudes, pinks, reds and plums. 






I'll be straightforward and say that the Colorlicious Lipsticks are no different from the CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipsticks other than the fact that they feel ever so slightly more buttery. The formulation is very, very similar and even some of the shade names are the same (i.e. Bombshell Pink appeared in the Lip Perfection line). Also, artificial scent still persists in the Colorlicious line. 

I received 1 shade from each of the colour ranges - 250 Sultry Sienna (nude), 425 Bombshell Pink (pink), 310 Seduce Scarlet (red) & 315 Euphoria (plum). All of the colours are appropriate for my light/medium yellow skin colouring. 

The formulation is a fairly "classic" lipstick - not overly sheer or balm like but not matte either - it's creamy and opaque and like I've said in a previous review - they're consistent. Both the nude and the deep plum shade wear the same - 3 hours if you're eating a lot of food and 6 hours if you're just drinking water.

250 Sultry Sienna
a pink nude


425 Bombshell Pink
a bright blue-based pink


310 Seduce Scarlet
a classic blue-based red


315 Euphoria
a vampy red


The verdict? The CoverGirl Colorlicious Lipsticks are pretty much the same as the CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipsticks. If you already have lipsticks from one line, you don't need to start collecting ones from the new line. However, if you're in the market for a new drugstore lipstick theses are most certainly worth your while (Euphoria is a must for the holiday season!). 

Have you tried the CoverGirl Colorlicious Lipsticks? 

Press samples featured


Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧

SKINCARE: Bioderma Sebium for Oily Blemished Skin

November 12, 2015, 5:09 am
$
0
0
Seldom do I use more than one product per brand in my skincare routine. I can't stick to one brand because I'm picky and my oily skin is finicky. Last month, I added a few of the Bioderma Sebium range (which is targeted to oily, blemish-prone skin) into my skincare rotation. Here's how they fared... 

The Bioderma Sebium H20 ($19.95 for 250mL) is much like the Bioderma Hydrabio (blue cap) and Bioderma Sensibio H20 (red cap) Micellar Waters. Like the sister products, the Bioderma Sebium H20 gently cleanses the skin and removes makeup without drying it out skin. The difference? The H20 Sebium is blue and  has a stronger scent and something about it bothers my eyes, which is why I prefer Bioderma Sensibio H20. 

The Bioderma Sebium Foaming Gel ($19.95) was decent. Luckily, it didn't bother my eyes and left my skin feeling clean. Though I do think you could find something similar at a lower price point. 

The Bioderma Sebium Global ($22.95) has a long list of claims... eliminates pimples and blackheads, limits scarring, clears up skin. Sounds dreamy, right? In practice, it's not. It does do some good for my skin by making it look clearer. However, it doesn't sit well underneath makeup (it pills when you apply foundation over top) and has a strong, artificial scent that I can't get over. 

The Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner ($29.95) is meant to tighten pores, mattifies, prevent blemishes, preserve the skin's natural radiance. If anything, I find this to be more of a makeup product than an actual skincare product. I find that the Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner temporarily mattifies and diminishes the look of pores, much like a primer. I've been through a couple bottles of the Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner and will continue to repurchase it. 

All in all, I'd say if you've got oily skin with a sensitive nose and eyes, ditch the Bioderma Sebium H20 and the Sebium Global but definitely go for the Sebium Foaming Gel and Sebium Pore Refiner. If you're not sensitive then they're all worth a shot for oily, acne-prone skin. 

Have you tried any of the products from the Bioderma Sebium range? 

Press samples featured. Bioderma products are soap-free, hypoallergenic, no colouring agents, paraben free. 

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram
↧
Viewing all 567 articles
Browse latest View live
Search