Review: Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum

I’ve spent most of the past couple years looking for a primer that does everything I want as a makeup base. And I’ll be honest, I’ve had a hard time finding one that does everything I want and often found myself mixing primers to get my desired base. Then I came across this product…and this has truly been a game changer for me.

Laneige

Now if you’ve followed me on Instagram, you already know how much I love this brand. The first ever product I bought from this brand was their water sleeping mask and that was purely because I saw a YouTuber rave about it. It was literally the best sleeping mask I have ever used. However, this brand now has become ever so popular, thanks to Tiktok, because of their lip sleeping mask (a highly recommended product from me, especially the vanilla scent).

Last year, when we were alllll in quarantine lockdown, I got bored and started searching through Laneige’s other products. I bought this product on a whim. I didn’t read anything other than its claims, which is usually not something I do. I like to read other reviews but I guess it looked so promising that I didn’t even bother. I was hopeful because it makes logical sense to me that a skincare company would make a face primer that does wonders for the skin while making your makeup look flawless….right?

The Glowy Makeup Serum

The Packaging

The packaging is super cute and small. It has a dropper and the bottle is pink (aesthetically pleasing on the counter). It’s 30 mL and it’s not bulky in size at all.

The Claims

• Hydrating
• Radiant Finish
• Suitable for all skin types
• Long wearing
• Lightweight
• Locks in moisture while maintaining oil levels
• Can be used without makeup to give a hydrated glow

The Ingredients

• Diamond Mineral Powder: create a translucent glow & smooth skin’s appearance
• Light Fit Prep Technology: helps makeup last long
• Ceramide Hydration Gel: delivers & locks in moisture for an oil-water balance
• No parabéns & phthalates

Verdict

Look at the glow! Look at how it blurred the lines!

All I have to say is look at how the fine lines on my hand essentially disappeared after putting this primer on it. It’s smooth, it’s glowy and it’s super lightweight. What I really love about this product is the fact that it’s a hybrid product: a serum that essentially is a skincare product and a makeup primer that keeps your makeup in place. And trust me, your makeup does not budge with this product on. Another thing I absolutely adore about this face primer/serum is the fact that it smooths my skin’s texture completely. It allows for my foundation to literally glide and blend effortlessly…which is exactly what I want from a face primer. It also feels super moisturizing without leaving an oily feeling. And did I mention it gives you such a radiant and natural glow? I have combination oily skin so I don’t always like a glowy look because well it looks a little oily for me. However, this product does not look like that. It’s so natural and almost every time I’ve worn it on its own, I’ve gotten complimented on my skin! This is literally one of the best things I’ve ever put on my face! In terms of price point, it is a little expensive but think of it as an investment for your skin. I have extremely sensitive skin and this did not break me out or cause any irritations. I’ve also used this with various different foundations and they’ve all looked flawless once applied! The texture of the product is literally like a serum, super gel like and it absorbs onto the skin quickly. It does not leave a residue, which is fantastic. Honestly, I have nothing bad to say about this! This one product does everything I want and I love that I don’t have to mix different primers to get a glowy, blurred and flawless look!

Rating

10000/10: Honestly, everyone needs to try this product!

You can purchase this at Sephora for $43 (CDN).

Review: Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint

Hello everyone! Hope you’re having a lovely day wherever you are reading from. Today, I’m going to be reviewing Fenty Beauty’s Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint. Y’all know when Ms. RiRi puts a new product out it usually sells out pretty quickly and that was definitely the case with these babies (I mean if you go on Sephora’s website right now, you’ll be lucky to find one or two shades because everything is sold out).

When I saw these babies on Rihanna’s instagram account, I knew I needed it in my life. A super lightweight tinted moisturizer? Sign me up. Given the ongoing pandemic, I realized that masking might be around for a while….and for me? I double mask. So keeping this in mind, I knew I needed a foundation or base that was going to be long lasting and light on my skin. Cue Eaze Drops.

I picked up the shade 11. Now, shade matching is going to be SUPER easy if you already own one of Fenty Beauty’s Foundation products. They have a shade matching matrix that helps you pick the right shade based on FB’s other foundations. Also, I noticed that since this product is super lightweight, the shade range also covers a broader range. I.E. one shade of Eaze Drops can cover at least 3 shades of Fenty Beauty’s ProFilter foundation. It’s what they call their “flexible skin” tint. If you don’t own any of FB’s other foundations (first of all, why not?), then colour matching is still going to be easy.

Fenty Beauty describes this product as a lightweight, buildable light-to-medium coverage skin tint. It’s literally a blurring filter for your face! The coverage is buildable, at least in my opinion. However, this product is mainly for those going for the “no makeup” makeup look. FB also claims that this product is “humidity, sweat, and transfer resistant”. What I really like is the size of this product. It’s a squeeze bottle so it’s super simple to you and you really don’t need that much for a blurred effect.

I am in love. Honestly, I am not the biggest fan of skin tints because sometimes it just looks super odd on my skin. It’s also either to ashy or tends to get patchy on my combination oily skin. BUT, this is absolutely not the case with the Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint. As the name suggests–it literally blurred out any imperfections or discolouration on my face! Like it was to the point where I just stared into the mirror because I was confused at how this product did that! What I love about this skin tint is how easily it evens out my complexion! You don’t need a lot of this product to cover your whole face! The texture of the liquid was smooth and super easy to blend on my skin. It gives you a natural finish which is perfect for the Summer time (or whenever you don’t feel like wearing much makeup). Another thing I really liked about this skin tint is how well it can layer with other face products. If you want to wear this on its own, you can. If you want to layer this on a primer, go for it! Because no matter what your put on top or under it, it still remains super lightweight! But, is it mask proof, you ask? YES. Especially, if you pair it with a good setting spray. I found that this did not get patchy on my skin at all! And my makeup still looked fresh and smooth as it did 12 hours later!

How do I use this? I layer this over a primer (usually Urban Decay’s All Nighter). Then, I use one layer of the Eaze Drops, I blend and buff into my skin. After that, I set it with translucent powder (Laura Mercier or FB’s setting powder). And I finish off with Benefit’s Porefessional Setting spray.

Should you get this product? YES. 100000%

Rating: 10/10 (you can get yours at Sephora or Fenty Beauty for $39).

Review: Dior Lip Glow Oil in Cherry

Hope everyone is having an awesome day or night! Today’s blog post is all about Dior’s social media viral lip oil! If you’ve been in Tiktok, you have for sure stumbled upon at least one video talking about how wonderful/amazing this product is….so of course, I had to try this for myself to find out why everyone is hyping up a lip oil!

First of all, when I saw this product, I could not for the life of me understand the difference between a traditional lip gloss and a lip oil. After some quick google searches (you know the librarian in me had to do this), here’s what I found (thank you Ipsy):

A Lip Oil treats, soothes and nourishes your lips all while giving you a pouty look. A Lip gloss just gives you a pouty look (at least this is my understanding). Now, y’all already know this but I’ll say it again in case this is your first time on my blog: I am not the biggest lip gloss fan. I’ve always been a matte-lipstick/lip stain girl. Not to say I didn’t go through a lip gloss phase in my pre-teen era (oh man, remember those Bonne Belle roll ons from Shopper’s Drug Mart? Yeah, I had tons of those). But the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve strayed away from glosses. So how can Dior and the rest of the millenials/gen Z convince me that a lip OIL is better?

Dior describes this product as “a nurturing, glossy lip oil that protects and enhances the lips, bringing out their natural colour”. When I read the last statement, I wondered if this lip oil adjusts to the pH levels on your lips to give you a perfect shade! And I was right. It has “colour reviver technology”. Which basically gives you a custom colour based on the moisture levels of your lips (okay this is cool). This lip oil is made with cherry oil, which is meant to protect your lips against stress factors and drying. Dior claims this product to be non-sticky & non-greasy…which to me was also an interesting statement given this is an oil!

I picked up the shade Cherry because well, Tiktok convinced me to. And also because it looks really pretty in the bottle! The bottle is pretty standard looking for Dior. The doe foot applicator is unique in the sense that it’s made to curve and glide on your lips pretty effortlessly. You can see the swatches below:

THIS IS AMAZING. Every thing any one has said about this product is completely true. The hype is real. THIS IS AMAZING (it’s so good I had to say it twice). First of all, this lip oil is not sticky or greasy…which I honestly couldn’t believe until I had this on my lips. The best part about this lip oil is the fact that it stayed on my lips allllllll day. Like, I am not even kidding. It makes your lips look super pouty and shiny! Every claim Dior has made is true. The colour also looks really nice on my lips, I mean it’s not super saturated but it def added a tint. Is this product worth the hefty $44 (CDN) price? HUNDRED PERCENT! Think of it as an investment for your lips. And I say this because, I’ve used this religiously now for a month and when I don’t use this my lips still feel moisturized. So there’s def something in there that is doing wonders for the way my lips look and feel. Do you need all the shades? No. Honestly, I think one of these is good enough because it does give you a custom-ish shade based on the colour in the bottle. I use this on days I’m running errands or just need to put something on my lips. This is perfect for everyday use and I’m super happy about this…who knew, Daff Diaries would love lip oils!

See you in the next post!

Review: Glossier Cloud Paint

Hello Dolls! Welcome back to the blog this week, I know I missed last week and it was for a very good reason, I promise. I got the second dose of THE vaccine…and you know what that means? it’s time for #ShotGirlSummer to begin! With that being said, I’m back with another review…& this time it’s all about the ever-so-famous Glossier Cloud Paints.

The Brand

If you don’t know what Glossier is all about, you can check out my previous blog post here (wow, I wrote that a while ago). This super minimalistic/aesthetically pleasing brand has always come out with the coolest yet simplest makeup products in the past couple of years! Created by Emily Weiss (you know the FAMOUS Emily from The Hills), this brand has really become a fan favourite over the past decade.

Cloud Paints

Okay enough about me talking about the brand, let’s talk about what you’re probably here to read about: the cloud paints! Cream blushes have always been trendy and Glossier does not disappoint with these babies. With 8 universally flattering and pigmented shades, Glossier claims these to be “the most user-friendly blush under the sun”.

The Products

There are 8 shades and I picked up 3: Puff, Storm and Dusk. Puff and Dusk are probably the most talked about cloud paints in Glossier’s history…which was why I had to try it. I mean it looks great on light to medium skin tones…but will it work for my medium dark skin tone?

The Packaging

The blushes come in a paint tube type packaging…which is incredibly aesthetically pleasing! It’s super cute and the size I will say is perfect. It’s a squeeze tube…so be extremely cautious when you try to use the product! When I used it for the first time, I squeezed too much out thinking these would be sheer…but boy was I wrong.

The Blushes

From top to bottom: Puff, Dusk, Storm

These gel-cream blushes are EXTREMELY pigmented. It’s to the point where you really need to only use a tiny dot to get an amazing colour payoff. It’s so blendable (i’m pretty sure I just made this word up) that you can build the shade on your cheeks to your desire. If you want a sheer look, just blend with a sponge. You can also mix and match these colours…just like paint (i see what you were trying to do Glossier) to get a custom colour! I usually do this with the shades Dusk and Puff. I find those two together really give me a beautiful natural cheek colour.

The paints appear matte to me…however, it’s described as a natural finish. Which I guess is true when it’s on your cheek. There’s a bit of a glow. But it’s not shimmery or glittery. The formula is smooth and not watery at all. I feel like the consistency is just perfect for a cream blush!

In terms of working with these paints…it’s extremely easy. I know it may look scary to just squeeze colour out and apply to your cheeks…but it really isn’t. You can use a brush, sponge or my go-to…your fingers. I find using my fingers to apply and blend is super quick and easy! It also doesn’t dry quick, so there’s enough time to play around and blend on the cheeks! Make sure to dab on your hand or fingers first rather than directly applying to your cheeks. This way you can build the colour up. I’ve also noticed that these paints are never streaky or chalky. It looks super natural when applied…which is probably why I love them soo much!

The Swatches

The pigmentation on these shades are amazing! As you can see, these shades are gorgeous when blended out!

From top to bottom: Puff, Dusk, Storm

Puff: This is described as a light cool pink. Literally, the best pink cream blush I own!

Dusk: This is described as a brownish nude. So, I think this can work as a bronzer/contour for lighter skin tones. For me, it’s a beautiful natural looking nude blush!

Storm: This is described as a warm rose…but it’s more purpley/mauve to me. Perfect for the Fall!

Final Verdict

Will I be purchasing more after using these three blushes? HELL YEAH!

The only reason why I’m holding out is because I want to finish at least one of these shades before I purchase another one. For $22 (CDN) a pop, these are totally worth it! It’s seamless, buildable, easy to use, looks absolutely stunning on the cheeks and is super lightweight. It almost feels like you have nothing on, no matter how much you build! I would like to add, it also photographs extremely well. AND it stays on your cheeks until you use makeup remover to remove it!

You can purchase these on Glossier’s website!

Review: Christian Louboutin Velvet Matte Lip Colour

Welcome back to the blog! Today’s post is something I’ve been eager to blog about ever since I got my hands on these lipsticks. When I heard that the iconic shoe designer Christian Louboutin was venturing into the beauty and fragrance world, I was incredibly excited. I mean you’re telling me that the iconic red bottoms can be translated on to my lips? Hell yah! (I also have no clue if that statement made sense but you catch my drift here, right).

I picked up three shades (Rouge Louboutin 001M, Rococotte 215M, & Goyetta 004M)….and let me tell you, these luxurious lipsticks are SOMETHING.

The Packaging

The packaging alone is what first drew me in. I mean LOOK AT THEM. Nothing is more ICONIC!! According to the brand, Christian Louboutin was inspired by Middle Eastern antiquities and the Art Deco movement when creating these babies. The lipstick case resembles a luxurious vile and it comes in both gold and metallic black colours. My favourite part is the the lipstick cap….does it not look like a crown?? A crown I would hundred percent like to have in real life, FYI. It also comes with a ribbon and silk case…I guess if you were to travel with it and didn’t want the case to have any marks? Or so I thought. While I was at the Christian Louboutin counter at Holt Renfrew, the beauty consultant swiftly corrected me and told me that the ribbon was added so that I could wear these lipsticks as a necklace…..WHAT!? It also comes in a reusable jewellery box.

The Lipstick

Y’all know, I’m a die hard matte lipstick user. I can’t seem to love other formulas more than a hot minute. So when I saw that these are described as a “velvet matte”, I was a little skeptical. I was worried it would be TOO shiny for my liking…but I was wrong. These are matte however they have a very subtle hint of shine…which I am more than willing to deal with…because it’s Christian Louboutin!

The Swatches

As mentioned above, I picked up 3 shades: one nude and two reds. All the swatches have been swatched with just ONE swipe. The colour pay off is incredible. It’s not drying and it is buttery smooth…making it super easy to use. I won’t lie I did have to reapply once throughout the events I wore these at, however, it’s not a huge deal to me. It’s incredibly comfortable on the lips. It’s transfer proof as well.

Rouge Louboutin 001M: The ICONIC Red. I mean I have nothing bad to say about this shade other than it makes me feel like a Parisian Model whenever I wear it. Also, this lipstick in combination with my MAC Brick lip liner has always gotten me compliments!

Rococotte 215M: There was no way I was not going to pick up an everyday nude shade, in case I wanted to wear this every day (which I did pre-pandemic). It’s beautiful and goes well with so many different makeup looks! It’s also workplace appropriate!

Goyetta 004M: This pinkish red is my favourite shade to rock during the summer time. It’s not too red and it really gives your lips a pop of colour! I usually like to combine this with a hot pink lip liner, so that the pink pops more. I love this so much that I kind of just want to wear this 24/7 in the summer!

Top to Bottom: Rouge Louboutin, Rococotte, Goyetta

The Price

So, these are expensive. I’m not even going to beat around the bush on this one. Each lipstick retails for $120 (CDN) and that’s before taxes. However, these are probably one of the best luxurious lipsticks out there on the market. You definitely are getting your money’s worth here because of the packaging, the quality of the lipstick and the brand.

Do I think you need all the shades? No. But do you need at least one of these? Yes, especially if you’re a die hard Louboutin fan and are looking to add unique pieces to your makeup counter.

Will I buy more? Yes times a zillion.

Final Verdict

100000000/10. Honestly, I have nothing bad to say about these lipsticks. Like NOTHING.

You can purchase this through Christian Louboutin’s website, Holt Renfrew, Christian Louboutin Boutiques.

Summer 2021 Reading List

I mean this blog is not just about makeup…and most of you, who have been following me for years, already know this. But for anyone new…as much as I love makeup and all things beauty, I love reading….and other things (that obviously will be blogging about). My go-to genres have always been cozy mysteries, non-fiction, and young adult materials (duh, if you know me, you know). The following books were either recommended to me by friends or I found them while scrolling through social media. All of these books were purchased from Indigo…but I can assure you that your local public library will have copies of these books if you want to read along with me!

This summer, I’ve decided to read a book per week–I picked up from my Young Adults Materials Class while I was doing my Master of Library and Information Science. The following books are supposed to be fun and cutesy stories with relatable characters…something I’m so excited for! Majority, if not all, are young adult fiction reads.

The Hating Game: A Novel by Sally Thorne

This book was recommended to me by my family friend and I’m so glad I picked this up. I know you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover…but honestly, how cute is the cover? Also, this is one of those enemies to lovers kind of book…and y’all already know how much I love those (your girl watches How to Lose a Guy in 10 days once every month solely for that reason). I can’t wait to start this book!

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

While on Netflix, like most people, the movie version of the book appeared in my recommendations list. After watching the trailer, I knew I needed to read the book before I could watch the movie….hence, this ended up on my Summer reading list! Also, this book touches upon the subject of mental health in youth, something that needs to be discussed more!

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

So thanks to BookTok (supposedly a thing on TikTok), I found this book to add to my Summer reading list. The main character of this book deals with some interest ordeals such as body image issues, cultural differences and more. It sounded super interesting so I had to see what it will be about!

Tweet Cute: A Novel by Emma Lord

Okay a Rom-Com novel that incorporates social media and cheese? I’m SO in. Honestly, are y’all even surprised at this point? My hopeless-romantic side could not resist adding this title to the list. I found this title through Booktube, which I honestly feel like is one of the most underrated YouTube channel genres out there!

Counting Down With You by Tashie Bhuiyan

I have spent countless years trying to find Young Adult material written by Bangladeshi authors about Bangladeshi characters (for obvious reasons, I’m Bangladeshi) and when I saw this book, I knew I had to get my hands on it. I’m currently half way through this book at the time of this blog post being published…and let me tell you, this book does not disappoint! It’s funny, it’s cute and it’s SO relatable because I know what Karina (the main character) is feeling (when I was her age).

Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter

Again, a Rom-Com novel about Rom-Coms…seriously, stories like this are my thing. Sometimes I wish that I could live in my very own Rom-Com a la Bollywood. I found this book through BookTok as well. I believe someone got this title from one of those “blind date with a book” campaigns run by Indigo. I can’t wait to read this!

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry

Okay, I read the first sentence of the synopsis of this book and I knew I had to get this! Two best friends, going on vacation together? I’m down times gazzillion. Also, this book is supposedly the most anticipated book of 2021…so of course I need to read it!

Fight or Flight by Samantha Young

I needed a quick beach read and this one fit the bill. It’s about travel (something I miss doing massively) and I’m all about that! This one is also one of those enemies-to-lovers trope so you know I had to read it! Clearly, summer love is the theme of my reading list this summer!

Are you going to read any of these? Do you want me to review these?

See you in the next post! x

Review: Benefit Cosmetics’ Fouroscope Fire Queen Palette

Hi, welcome back! Hope you’re having an awesome week! And if you’re not, it’s okay. It’s been that kind of a year. My advice? Grab a cup of coffee, tea, glass of wine, or in my case a ginormous tumbler of iced coffee (honestly, what would my life be without iced coffee?) and just sit by a lake or on a couch and watch a movie….or read all my posts on this blog!

This week I’ve got a review for you, so sit back and enjoy!

When I saw this alllll over Benefit Cosmetics’ social media accounts, I was more than curious. I mean anyone who knows me, knows that I have a slightly weird obsession with horoscopes (a true Aries gal here). So when I saw that Benefit Cosmetics put out face palettes based on Earth, Fire and Air Signs–I knew I had to get my hands on the Fire Queen Palette because Aries, my star sign, is a Fire sign. I will add that Water signs sort of got screwed over because there is no Water mermaid (I made the mermaid part up lol) palette. Thus, proving that you perhaps don’t need to be the particular sign to own any of the palettes (lol).

The Palette

True to its name, the Fire Queen palette is packaged in bright orange packaging. Also, can we talk about how gorgeous the art is on the palette? It’s very graphic novel inspired and I’m all for it. I guess it’s called Fouroscope because one, it has 4 different products in each palette and two, it’s a fun play on the word horoscope (cute and witty). CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE SIZE OF THIS PALETTE? How travel friendly is this? And it has a mirror!! Benefit you win for making sure that was included.

What’s inside?

Benefit describes as a deep berry bronze cheek palette…and that’s what it exactly is. The Fire Queen Palette has the iconic Hoola bronzer (full size), Starlette blush (not full size), Soulstice blush (full size) and Blaze highlighter. The names for these are so iconic and so fire (ha ha see what I did there….okay enough of my jokes lol). It also comes with an info guide card, that shows you how to place these products on the face. It’s up to you if you want to follow it–I mean YOU make your own beauty rules.

The Shades

As mentioned, there are 2 full size products and 2 minis (which let’s be real aren’t THAT mini) in this palette.

Hoola: the ICONIC matte bronzer that’s not orange (because that’s all I care about…maybe one day i’ll share my self tanner horror stories lol). I’ve used Hoola for YEARS and all I can say is this is truly one of the best bronzers out there on the market!

Starlette: candy pink (it’s new and exclusive to this palette). I absolutely love this shade and can see myself finishing this quickly. Also, I love the name…for obvious reasons.

Soulstice: berry blush that’s sheeny but not glittery (if that makes sense…basically you won’t look like a shiny glitter mirror ball). I won’t lie, I don’t like shiny blush BUT I will make an exception for this….I *gasp* love it. FYI, the combination of Starlette and Soulstice looks so nice that I’ve decided that’s going to be my go-to-blush combo this summer!

Blaze: peach pink highlighter that’s not like in your face but super subtle. I like this highlighter…it sort of reminds me of their iconic High Beam highligher (which really truly was one of the core reasons why highlighters became a thing back in the day). You can def build this up if you want to be super snatched.

Hoola, Starlette, Soulstice, Blaze (in order from top to bottom)

The Review

Dolls, I LOVE this palette. Since this palette got to my house, I’ve used it pretty much every single time I did my makeup (which is basically me going out to the grocery store, coffee runs and work). I love how complimentary the shades are to one another. You can seriously create some fun bold and subtle looks with this ONE palette. It’s also super easy to use! If you’re just dabbling into face palettes, the guide card is super helpful. I also love the size of this palette. If you’re going away for the weekend, all you’re going to need is this one palette in addition to a foundation, liner, mascara and setting spray because you can also create eye looks with this palette.

In terms of the other palettes in this range (Earth Angel and Air Goddess–okay these names win), I can def say they look promising. If Fire Queen is this fire, I am certain the others are as equally awesome. At a quick glance, they are def all different-ish (some shades re-appear in the other palettes) from one another. If deep berry isn’t your thing, then check out the other palettes!

In terms of price, this palette is WORTH EVERY PENNY. One full sized Hoola Bronzer costs $40 (CDN). For $8(CDN) more, you get another full sized exclusive product with two mini (but really not that mini) products as well. So it’s super worth it! And did I mention, it’s incredibly pigmented? If you want a subtle look, use a light hand. However, for a bolder look, you can for sure build up all the shades!

Rating

TEN THOUSAND OUT OF TEN (pretty obvious that you need this in your life).

Where can you get it and the price

Sephora, Benefit Cosmetics and any Benefit Cosmetics retailer for $48 (CDN)

See ya next week Dolls! x

Review: Haus Laboratories Le Monster Matte Lip Crayon

Oh hi, I know it’s been a hot minute…but I’m back with another review for you!

When I heard Lady Gaga (!!!!) had been working on a makeup line, I was pretty excited. I still remember listening to her first album, The Fame, and being completely mesmerized by the music! I mean, eh eh (nothing else I can say) & Paparazzi are still on repeat on all my music playlists. It’s hard to believe it released 13 years ago! Dannngg, I was in the second year of my undergrad then! Crazy. Okay enough about me taking a stroll down memory lane, you’re obviously here to read about the Matte Lip Crayons!

Le Monster Matte Lip Crayons

Y’all know this: Matte Lips are my thing. I think I acquired this from watching my mom as a child using only matte lipsticks. So when I saw these babies, of course I had to get them!

The Name

Can we please talk about the name? “Le Monster”–an ultimate nod to her fans…the monsters! Too cute. There are a total of 16 shades you can choose from and in this post I’m going to swatch 7 shades that I gravitated most towards!

The Claims

These lippies are described as full coverage, cream to matte lightweight formula that glide smoothly on your lips. It’s vegan and cruelty free (bonus brownie points). There are a lot of claims Le Monster and Haus Labs are making with this particular product. It’s supposed to make your lips look fuller and smoother all while providing you a water-resistant and streak-free look. Also, it’s supposed to be budge-proof…but is it also mask proof?

The Lippies:

The shades that I picked up are Rebel, 1950, Talk Dirty, Hot Rod, Pusher, Greaser, and Mastered. The names for the whole makeup line is kind of ridiculously awesome and so very Gaga. (Swatches in order of the name below)

Mastered: Cool Cherry Red

Pusher: Warm Burgundy Wine

Rebel: Warm Pink Punch

Greaser: Cool Soft Fuchsia

Hot Rod: Cool Bright Fuchsia

Talk Dirty: Cool Nude Mauve

1950: Warm Pure Red

First Impressions:

Wowza times bazzillion. I only picked up 7….but I think I need all 16 ASAP. These were incredibly smooth.

Rating: 10 out of 10. Actually, can I give it like 100000 out of 10? Because, these are probably the best lipsticks I’ve tried in the past year! My lips were not dry, it stayed put and it almost dried to a stain. Also, it def made my lips look a bit fuller. It’s not completely mask proof…it did leave a little bit of residue on my mask. HOWEVER, my lips still had the colour. So, it works. lol. All the colours swatched wonderfully and the colour pay off was great with just one swatch! It didn’t feel heavy nor did it feather! Also, it is SO easy to use. It’s shaped like a pencil (as you can see above), which makes it so much easier to apply.

Where can you buy them: Amazon and Haus Labs

Do you need this? Yes times bazillion.

See you in the next post! x

Review: Morphe x Maddie Ziegler Peach That Pops Lip & Cheek Duo

Okay, these pictures were taken roughly a few days after it was released (in the midst of summer). And usually, I blog about first impressions of a product. However, I’ve been using this duo since the summer and I finally have a review for you! 

On my last post, I gushed about Maddie’s eyeshadow palette that is part of this collection (you can read about that here). What I had not mentioned was I had also picked this lip gloss/blush duo up. Most of you know, I am NOT a gloss girl. However, I think I might’ve found the gloss that might’ve changed my opinion on glosses overall (woah that’s a lot to digest even for me lol). 

In the Morphe X Maddie collection, there are 3 different colours to choose from for this particular product (pink, peach, berry). And, each product comes with matching Wondertint Cheek & Lip Mousse as well as a Glaze Dreams Lip Gloss. Out of the 3 choices, I went with the peach shade because I own too many pink and berry shade blushes. 

The Peach That Pops duo comes with Wondertint Cheek & Lip Mousse in Peach Out and Glaze Dreams Lip Gloss in Peach Pucker

The packaging of these two products are super cute and travel friendly. Initially, I thought the blush would be like your typical cream blush or like those bouncy blushes Maybelline has put out in the past. But…I was wrong. The blush looks like a cream, feels like a mousse and dries like a powder. It blends super well and I found that you can really build up the colour, if you want. But if you want a subtle hint of colour or a “pop” as the title of the product suggests, this works great for that too. The Wondertint is also marketed as a lip tint, something that can be worn under the corresponding lip gloss. This lip gloss, like most glosses, is meant to add a subtle tint to the lips. 

As a blush, this product does exactly what it’s intended to do…which is to give a natural looking blush to your face. As a lip product, it’s okay. It doesn’t stay as long as it does on your cheeks or your eyes. Yes, you read that right. I used this as a cream eye shadow and it was pretty good. I did use it with an eye shadow primer so that helped it stay on longer. 

This lip gloss is great. Even though this one is supposed to be peach, it was clear on my lips. But when I swatched it (in the next picture), it had a subtle hint of colour. I love that it wasn’t sticky nor did it feel heavy on my lips. In terms of longevity, I do have to reapply the gloss but that’s fine. I also layered this lip gloss with the lip tint and it wasn’t horrible but it did wear off quickly. I guess the Wondertint as a lip product was nothing extraordinary. However, as a cheek/face product, it’s great! 

So I’ve been using this for months and I can definitely say that I have really enjoyed playing around with these products! I don’t really want to focus on the colour payout aspect of these products because they are meant to be “tints” and natural–which they completely are. These products are perfect for your no makeup makeup look!

Do I think you should own this duo? Yes, and here are the reasons why: 

• The Wondertint is a great multi use product for your cheeks and eyes.
• The gloss is not sticky and completely weightless–so is the cheek tint.
• The packaging is super cute!
• $24 CDN for two products is great (and if you are subscribed to their emails, sometimes you can get up to 20% off)

In terms of cons for this duo:

• The Wondertint does not perform well as a lip tint (maybe it was just me).

Make sure to check out my Instagram page (shameless plug). 

Rating: 8/10 (I love the Gloss and the Wondertint as a blush! These two products are so weightless that you forget you’re even wearing them)

Head on to their website to pick it up (I’m not sure which stores have opened so you’ll have to check on their website). 

What do you think? Will you get this? Leave me a comment! 

Review: Morphe x Maddie Ziegler The Imagination Palette

Okay, I’ll be honest. When this collaboration dropped last week, I had to Google who Maddie Ziegler was (I’m THAT old). It was only then I realized that she’s the phenomenal dancer who’s featured in most of Sia’s music videos (my fav is elastic heart which also costars Shia LaBeouf). Having a collab with Morphe is a pretty big deal–given Morphe has collaborated with some of the biggest Youtube’s beauty gurus (James Charles, Jaclyn Hill, Manny Mua, Bretman Rock, etc). 

So when I saw this collaboration drop on Morphe’s website, I knew there were a few things I definitely had to pick up, one being this Imagination Palette. Two things drew me into this palette: the pretty pastels and the glitter shades (as you can see in the above picture). I’ve never been disappointed with any of the Morphe eyeshadow palettes I’ve owned so far, so I definitely was expecting this to be awesome. However, I did realize that pastels are often tough to work with as the texture of the shadows can get quite powdery. Moreover, pastels tend to show up chalky on my skin tone (where my South Asian dolls at?). So…did these pastels show up on my brown skin? Read below to find out and see the swatches!

The names, as usual with these collabs, are reflective of Maddie’s life. I was watching a bunch of her interviews as I waited for my Morphe package to arrive (which I would like to add took only 5 days despite COVID-19 delays) and she was mentioning how the shade “Godmom” was inspired by Sia and “Dancing Queen” by Dance Moms (also, how did I not know she was on Dance Moms?). Overall, the packaging is great! In comparison to other Morphe eyeshadow palettes, this particular one has a mirror (thank goodness) and the palette is pretty travel friendly (I mean, I’m hoping I can take this when traveling becomes the norm again). 

When I first got this palette, I was incredibly excited to swatch allllllll the pastels and glitters! Also, how cute are the embossed images? 

From Top to Bottom: Butterfly Fantasy, Maddiegirl, M3, Godmom, Crushed, Angel, Dancing Queen

I mean, can we discuss how GORGEOUS Dancing Queen is? One of the things I really love about this palette is the fact that there are both matte and shimmer shades, letting you create various different eyeshadow looks. 

From Top to Bottom: Like Butter, 5, Godfather, ASAP, Go Home

As expected, the pastels were a little powdery upon the first swatch. However, the colour payoff is not completely horrible. I’m thinking with a white base, these will pop even more especially on my South Asian skin tone!

Again, Mint and Possy were shades I was looking forward to! Also, Latte is a great shade for the crease!

From Top to Bottom: To The Moon, And Back, Latte, Kenny, She Insists, Mint, Possy, Pantera

So……..as expected the pastels were a little powdery BUT the colour payoff was still pretty decent. Do I think you should own this palette? Yes, and here are the reasons why: 

• A great balance of mattes and shimmers: you can create multiple looks.
• Shimmers are not like loose glitters, making this super easy to use with a brush or your fingers
• No major fall out 
• The packaging is super cute!
• $32 CDN for 20 shades is great (and if you are subscribed to their emails, you can get up to 20% off)
• Really fun colour shades and everyday shades

In terms of cons for this palette:

• The pastels are a little powdery
• To make the pastels pop more (especially on my skin tone), you’ll definitely need to use some sort of white or light base)

If you want to see me use these shades in a fun look, check out my Instagram page (again, shameless plug). 

Rating: 8/10 (Morphe x Maddie created a pretty sweet palette and if you’re a Morphe or Maddie fan, then you definitely will not be disappointed!)

Head on to their website to pick it up (I’m not sure which stores have opened so you’ll have to check on their website). 

What do you think? Will you get this? Leave me a comment!