Beauty

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!

Beauty

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

Beauty

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

IMG_6098.jpegOkay, 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. 

IMG_6102The 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. 

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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. 

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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! 

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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! 

Beauty

Review: Tom Ford Beauty’s Cheek Colour Blush In Wicked

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Hi Dolls! Hope you’re having an awesome day! If you haven’t checked out my previous post then you can do so by clicking right here. Today, I’ve got a review of a blush for you. This is not an ordinary blush though, this particular gem is made by the coveted Tom Ford Beauty line. And if you know me personally, you already know that Tom Ford has to be one of my favourite designers out there, specifically for men’s clothing (seriously he enhances the handsomeness of every man who wears his designs). So when he came out with a beauty line, you know I fangirled hard!

First Impressions

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When I first saw this at the Holt Renfrew counter, I was mesmerized. Even though it’s got a hefty price tag, I fell in love at first swatch. Literally. I’m not even kidding. I tried it on my cheeks in the store and it brightened up my complexion so much that I just had to have it. I opted for the shade called Wicked. The shade is your typical reddish pink and the formula on first touch felt smooth! What I instantly loved about this is the fact that it’s neither sheer nor super opaque (you know clown looking) and that’s the perfect formula for a blush. It’s a powder that is supposed to feel like cream on your cheeks.

Product Formula & Packaging

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The formula of this blush is incredible. It’s smooth and it blends into your cheeks SO well. Since it’s a powder that’s meant to feel like a cream on your cheeks, it isn’t powdery at all. In fact, I didn’t have any sort of fall out even when I had it on my brush. It’s SUPER buildable. If you want a sheer glow added to your cheeks, then all you have to do is tap it on your cheek bones and blend. If you want bold pop of colour, then you can layer to build intensity without looking like a clown. It felt like velvet on my cheeks and it didn’t bother my skin or my foundation at all. Also, it stayed put until I used makeup wipes to remove it! I think the best way I can describe this blush’s feel is that it’s super luxurious….and I like. The packaging is adorable, sleek and very Tom Ford. It comes in a velour pouch, perfect for travel. It also has a ginormous mirror as well as the size of the blush is pretty big.

Packaging Rating: 10/10

Product Formula: 10/10

Swatches

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As I mentioned, the shade I went with is called Wicked. It’s a pink with hints of red. All I have to say is that this has to be one of my favourite blushes to go to just based on colour and opacity. You can build the colour, you can have it sheer…YOU are the one in control and that’s the best part! The colour payoff is magnificently great!

Swatch: 10/10

Price, Availability, & Accessibility

So, it does have a hefty luxurious price tag attached to it. You can have this for a cool $71 (CDN) and it can be found online or at any Tom Ford Beauty retailer. I got mine at Holt Renfrew.

Final Verdict

Despite the price, I absolutely love this blush. It’s luxurious. The colour payoff is incredible and the best part is that YOU have control over how much you want on your cheeks because it’s so blendable. If you’ve got extra cash around, this is for you!

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

See you in the next post!

kisses,

S

 

Beauty, Lifestyle

VIB Rouge Appreciation Event & Sephora Haul!

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Hi Dolls! Hope you enjoyed the last post! If you didn’t read it, then make sure you read it right here. Last weekend, I attended Sephora’s VIB Rouge Beauty Insider Appreciation event….and TODAY, I’m going to share with you what happened! So let’s get right in…

The Event

Sephora is notorious for holding events for their VIB Rougers (if you want to know more, you can click here). I attended the event at their Sephora Square One location. Here, they shut down the store for their VIB Rougers to get first access/look at some of their Holiday gift sets. And if you purchased anything, you would get four times your beauty points earned. Upon arrival, I was checked off a guest list (please make sure you RSVP or you’ll be stuck waiting), given a shopping bag and then escorted towards their breakfast snack table. The cutely wrapped biscottis were delish (seriously, chocolate and me in the morning are goals). There was coffee and water as well. Then began my favourite part of the whole event: Shopping!

Sephora Haul

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As you can see, I picked up Tarte’s Gift Box, YSL’s Lip Gift Box and Smashbox’s Liquid Lipstick in Bawse.

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Tarte’s Pretty Paint Box

Why: Tarte is one of my favourite makeup brands and I love all the stuff they put out every Holiday season. I find you get your money’s worth and it’s always in gorgeous packaging!

YSL Lips Discovery Set

Why: YSL is literally bae. Like you don’t understand how much I love YSL’s lip lines and all these lippies are in different shades of coral (we all know my obsession with corals).

Smashbox Always on Liquid Lipstick in Bawse 

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Why: Although, this wasn’t part of the holiday line (it’s permanent), I HAD to pick this up. It’s created by Youtube creator Lilly Singh aka Superwoman & I’m already in love!

Freebies

Let’s be real, we all go to these events particularly for the freebies! This one was filled with some really cool goodies I cannot wait to try!

Stay tuned for reviews of each of the mentioned products in the next few weeks! Have an awesome day and see you in the next post! x

Beauty

Review: Tarte Amazonian Clay Long-wear Blush in Flush

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Lately, I’ve been completely obsessed with wearing blush on my cheeks. This particular blush has been raved about ever since it made its debut into the makeup world. Tarte’s Amazonian clay long-wear blushes are solar baked blushes that last on your cheeks for up to 12 hours. This Amazonian clay infused blush is perfect for all skin types. I have combination oily skin, so it’s always hard to find a powder blush that doesn’t dry out my skin or make my skin oily. This product claims to balance the oil in your skin without drying it out. This blush is naturally baked by the sun and it doesn’t have any parabens, sulfates and phthalates. It’s a fade free, long wearing, soft blush with incredible colour pay off. The shade Flush is described as a matte pink berry. So after hearing about all these claims, I couldn’t wait to try it out!

My Verdict?

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This is one of the best blushes I have ever used in my life. I’m a huge Nars blush addict and this one is completely at par with those blushes. First of all, the colour pay off is incredible! With one swipe of your blush brush, you get the right amount of colour. On top of that, the colour looks incredibly natural when applied to your cheeks. This colour is buildable and extremely blendable. It’s a pretty matte berry pinkish purple and I’m so obsessed with this shade. Second of all, this is one of the best long-lasting blushes I have ever used. I had it on all night and it didn’t budge or fade. It looked as if I had just put it on. This stays put so well, that I had to use a makeup remover to take it off. Thirdly, the formula and texture of this product are great. It’s perfect for my combination oily skin. It made my skin feel perfectly balanced, which is probably because of the Amazonian Clay. I experienced no breakouts or any irritations. All in all, this is an incredible blush Tarte has put out and I can’t wait to add some other colours to my stash. At $34 (CDN), you are getting more than your money’s worth. It’s a lot of product and the packaging isn’t bulky. I love that it has a mirror attached to it. I think this is a definite must buy for any blush lover or anyone dabbling into using blush. This is a perfect colour for that because you can blend it out to look super natural! You can purchase this at any Tarte retailer (I got mine at Sephora)!

Happy Shopping Dolls! x

Pros:

  • Blends easily
  • Amazing colour pay off, buildable colour
  • Makes skin feel great, doesn’t dry it out or make it oily
  • Love the colour, cute packaging, has a huge mirror

Cons:

  • None at all

Rating: 10/10 (If you are debating on a blush and haven’t tried these ones out, then you definitely should. This is seriously an amazing blush and this colour is gorgeous!)

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Beauty, Nails

Beauty Diaries: My Favourite MAC Products

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So if you don’t know this already, now you will: I am a certified MAC cosmetics addict! This was one of the first beauty brands I had ever used, when I got into makeup and I’ve continued to use their products until now. Although, they have their hits and misses, there are a few staple products from this brand that I cannot live without. Here’s a list of the products that are absolute must-haves:

IMG_4723MAC Penultimate Eye Liner Rapidblack

This is one of the best liquid eye liners I have ever used! The colour is opaque and the best thing about this product is the fact that it’s simple and easy to use. It’s designed like a marker with a felt tip that’s super easy to control. It takes me less than 20 seconds to line my eyes with this liner and I use it everyday!

IMG_4720IMG_4721  MAC Studio Fix Foundation (NC43)

I know that a lot of people have a love/hate relationship with this product. I’ve had nothing but good experiences with this powder foundation. Since I have combination oily skin, this product keeps my shine at bay while giving me great coverage. This is one foundation I always end up using because it works great with my skin!

IMG_4715MAC Lipstick in Bombshell

This has to be one of the most unique pink coloured lipstick I have ever used or owned. It has a very nice gold sheen to it, which is what I think makes this product unique. The formula, as always, is great on my lips and I find that I reach for this particular lipstick whenever I am in doubt about what lip colour to use. I find it goes with any makeup look!

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MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Natural (Medium Deep)

If you must only purchase one product from MAC, then this has to be it! This is one of the best light coverage foundations I have ever used. I use this to set my liquid foundations as well as I wear this on top of BB creams. Since it’s light coverage, it’s not cakey and it sets everything perfectly. Plus, as the name says, it looks super natural and just blends with your skin!

IMG_4718MAC Eyeshadow in Shroom

I love this eyeshadow because it’s super versatile and the shade is absolutely gorgeous! The texture and formula of this shadow is awesome. You can use this as a highlight colour for your brow bones, cheek bones and your cupid’s arrow. As you can see, this is one of my most used eye shadows because it looks very natural on my skin and it looks pretty on my lids!

IMG_4705MAC Lipstick in Relentlessly Red

I bought this coraly pinky red matte lipstick colour on a whim and I’m so glad because I’m in love with this bold lip colour! The colour is pretty unique and it’s a matte lipstick, which is slowly becoming one of my favourite formulas I gravitate towards now. Everything about this lipstick is perfect, from the colour to the longevity on my lips!

IMG_4709MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in High Energy

Wearing lip liners on its own is slowly starting to become one of my favourite things to do. This particular lip liner is one of the creamiest liners I have ever used. Since it’s matte and pro longwear, I was surprised to see that my lips didn’t dry out at all. I love the colour. It’s a beautiful orangey bright poppy red, which is a perfect colour for a bold lip look!

IMG_4716MAC Nail Polish in Spice

I have been obsessed with this nail polish for a while now. This has to be the perfect blush/nude coloured nail polish I have ever come across. It looks amazing with my skin tone and it literally goes with anything. The formula is creamy and opaque. You will most likely find this shade on my nails anytime you see me, since it’s my most used!

IMG_4710MAC Mineralize Concealer (NW 35)

I’ve tried my fair share of concealers and this has to be my favourite! I use it for my undereye circles, any discoloration and blemishes. The coverage of this formula is incredible and it’s not drying at all! I love the brush tip that comes with this liquid concealer but I use a concealer brush to blend out the formula. It’s not cakey and literally binds to your skin!

IMG_4719MAC Lip Liner in Spice

Best. Lip. Liner. Ever! Seriously, I cannot even stress how much I love this lip liner. I wear this alone, I pair it with other lipsticks and it looks great! Everything from the longevity of this product on your lips to the colour is perfect! If you are looking for the perfect nude lip liner, then this is definitely it!

IMG_4712MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo

I’m pretty sure everyone knows of this cult favourite lipstick! Ruby Woo has to be one of the best red matte lipsticks out there. I find that this shade works with pretty much every skin tone and it looks amazing on everyone! The formula of this product isn’t drying and the colour is incredibly opaque, which is why this is one of my favourite red lippies!

IMG_4704MAC Lip Glass in Pink Lemonade

I’m not a huge lip gloss girl, although I used to wear them a lot when I was younger; but this particular lip gloss is one gloss I reach for because it looks so pretty on my lips! It’s a coraly orange colour with shimmer so it’s perfect to wear on its own or layer on top of other lipsticks (which looks pretty great). I find that this is one lipgloss I use the most from my stash.

IMG_4708MAC Powder Blush in Blunt

This product is a new edition to my makeup drawer and all I can say is that it is quickly becoming one of my most used products! This powder blush is mainly used as a contouring powder. The reason why I love this is because you can control the colour to contour your face really well. One swipe of this shade gives you a natural looking contour, but you can also build it up for special occasions!

Happy Monday Dolls! x

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Beauty, Fashion, How To Guide, Lifestyle, Style

Fashion Diaries: My Holiday Lunch Party Ensemble

Recently, I had to attend a Holiday lunch party and decided to do a little blog post on my ensemble. I had a blast putting this whole look together and had a lovely Holiday lunch party with my coworkers.

Outfit

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I wanted to channel my inner Audrey Hepburn (she is one of my style idols), so I decided to go for an all black outfit. This way my accessories, hair, and makeup would be the focal point of the ensemble. I wore a black long-sleeved elastic waist dress from Forever 21 (this is one of my favourite dresses to wear because you can dress it up or dress it down depending on your accessories and makeup). I paired the dress with black leggings since I wanted to go for a neutral classy look.

Accessories

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I wanted to incorporate the colour green into my ensemble and figured the best way to do that would be through my accessories. Since gold was my main accent colour, I decided to go with a gold and emerald statement necklace (which I got from Ardene). I went with two rings, a dainty rose gold bow ring from Kate Spade (well because everyone knows my obsession with bows) and an emerald cocktail ring, which matched perfectly with my necklace. I added a woven brown belt to match my shoes and to accentuate the waistline.

Shoes/Purse

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Since I wore leggings, I opted for mid-calf brown slouchy boots, which I got years ago from Costa Blanca. They were comfy and perfect for my ensemble! Since it was a Holiday party, I wanted to also incorporate the colour red somehow (which I did through my lips as well). So I decided to go with a red Michael Kors quilted/studded crossbody purse (which my mom was generous enough to let me borrow for the day). As I mentioned that gold was one of my main accent colours, so the gold detailing on this purse was a perfect match for my other accessories.

Hair

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I went with one of my favourite go-to hairstyles at the moment, curls! Here’s a tutorial I did earlier on how you can get the perfect curls using a wand.

Makeup

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I went with a bold red lip so that meant keeping all other parts of my face neutral so that everything was balanced out. Below you will find a list of products I used to achieve the look I wanted and I’ve also shown you how to get the subtle smoky eye look I did!

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The Subtle Smokey Eye look using Urban Decay’s Naked Palette

1) Apply an eyeshadow primer all over your lids (I went with Urban Decay’s Primer Potion).

2) Apply a base colour all over the lids (I went with Tarte’s Smoldereyes in Champagne).

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3) Take the shade Buck and with a crease brush apply to the outer corners and blend it into your crease.

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4) Take the shade Toasted with a flat shadow brush and apply all over the lids.

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5) Take the same crease brush you used earlier and dip into Hustle and Darckhorse; and apply only to the outer corners of your eyes, smoking it in circular motions into your crease.

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6) Take the shade Darkhorse with a liner brush and line your lower lash line as well as your upper lash line.

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7) Take your favourite black eyeliner (I used Urban Decay’s Zero) and apply to your waterline as well as line your upper lash line (from mid-lid to the outer corner).

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8) Take a liner brush and soften the line by tracing the line you just created.

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9) Take the shade Virgin and Naked and apply to the brow bone.

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10) With a clean crease brush, soften any harsh lines.

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11) I wanted to define my eyes a little bit more so I took a gel liner (Marc Jacobs Liner in Blacquer) and decided to do a mini winged line.

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12) I finished the look with two coats of Maybelline’s Big Eyes Mascara!

And this was my whole ensemble at a recent Holiday lunch! Hope you are having a wonderful Holiday season and find some inspiration from my look for any of your upcoming parties! Make sure to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr for all the latest updates on this blog!

Happy Weekend Dolls! x

Beauty, Hair, Lifestyle

Sephora VIB Haul

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The annual Sephora VIB Sale took place this past weekend and anyone who knows me, knows that this is the one day I wait for every year (next to my birthday & Boxing Day of course). If you want to know more about the Sephora Beauty Insider Program & how to score an invite to this sale, click here. Usually, I go in with a long list of items that I want to stock up on. This time around, I made a list of things I had either tried in sample size & loved or was dying to try. I made two trips to Sephora to purchase my goodies and I can’t wait to try all of them out in the next few weeks & months! Below is a list of the things I purchased and why I purchased them:

  1. Bumble & Bumble’s Non Stop Softness Set: I purchased this because the invisible hair oil has had rave reviews ever since its debut. It also won the coveted Allure’s best awards 2014, so of course I had to pick this set up. You get the full size hair oil with the corresponding deluxe size shampoo and conditioner (all for the price of the full-sized hair oil).
  2. Marc Jacobs’ The Sky-Liner Set: As everyone is already aware, I have quite an unhealthy obsession with anything Marc Jacobs. I absolutely love the MJ Beauty line and have been dying to try these gel eye liners out for a while now. These liners are supposedly amazing because of its incredible staying power. I swatched this set and fell in love with the range of colours, which are perfect for this holiday season!
  3. Urban Decay’s Vice 3 Palette: I own the first two Vice Palettes and I loved them, so it was only right for me to purchase the 3rd one! These colours are gorgeous and Urban Decay’s quality of shadows have never disappointed me. I love that this time around you get a cute make up bag which fits the Palette perfectly with it!
  4. Tarte’s Pin Up Girl Blush Palette (currently sold out at Sephora & it’s limited edition so not sure if it’ll be back): This blush palette has to be one of the best buys of the Holiday season. I had purchased the one last year and fell in love with the colours. So this year when I went in and saw a whole set of new colours, I had to get this one too! This palette is so cute, it’s like a mini clutch and it has two adorable hair clips that come with it (& you know you can’t go with that).
  5. Bumble & Bumble’s Make it Big Set: This was one thing that was on my list to get! I had tried the thickening hairspray earlier and I fell in love with it. This boxed set is great because you get the full size hairspray with the corresponding shampoo/conditioner (which I have never tried!) all for the price of the full-sized hairspray. I’m very impressed with B&B’s holiday lineup this year!
  6. Sephora Favourites Give Me More Lip Set: I instantly fell in love with this set when I saw it. It’s got a nice serving of your nudes, berries, reds and pinks all in one box! You get a few full sized products along with deluxe sized products (which is find with me because I get to try different brands before I commit to them).
  7. Urban Decay’s Little Perversions Set: This is probably my favourite purchase. Urban Decay’s perversion liners are the blackest liners I have ever tried. This set contains different versions of the liner as well as the mascara/mascara primer. I had to pick this up because everyone knows you can’t have enough black liners!
  8. Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Bachelorette: This is one of the best liquid lipsticks I have ever tried and initially I went in looking for the shade Lolita (which is supposedly sold out everywhere) but picked up Bachelorette instead. The staying power of these lipsticks are insanely amazing. It is food, drink and kiss proof.
  9. Urban Decay’s Naked Basics 1: This purchase was made on a whim. I have been battling with whether or not I should get this. The reviews are great but I still was unsure because I already own all 3 of the naked palettes. The fact that the shadows are matte all in one palette is what swayed me to get this!

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 Have A Great Monday Dolls! x

(If you want to see reviews/swatches of these products…comment & let me know!)

Beauty

Review: Too Faced Cosmetics’ Peach Leopard Brightening & Perfecting Bronzer

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It’s summertime and you know what that means? Time to get those bronzers out! This particular product I got as a gift with purchase s few months ago. The Too Faced Cosmetics’ Peach Leopard Brightening & Perfecting Bronzer is described as a stay all day universal bronzer that delivers a subtle shimmer. This is a natural looking bronzer which is used to create an all over glow to add a healthy flush to your cheeks. It gets its “leopard” name because it combines shades of golden bronze, gilded pink and neutral fawn with a slight shimmer. This can also be used as a blush or a highlighter. According to its makers, this product is 100% cruelty-free and suitable for all skin tones.

So after all of these claims…is this bronzer/blush worth it? Yes, but only if you love bronzers and are addicted to them. I love the combination of the colours. I use it more as a blush than I do as a bronzer because it isn’t as visible (as a bronzer should be) on my NC 45 (MAC) skin tone. I love the slight shimmer because it gives my cheeks a natural glow without all the glitter! The leopard print is cute too. This would be a great bronzer on someone with a lighter skin tone than mine. As a blush, this is amazing! My face literally glows when I have this on. The longevity of this product is great, it literally does stay all day without budging. At $40 (CDN), it is a hefty amount to pay for a bronzer. That ‘s why I would recommend this to any bronzer/blush junkie. If you are looking for a bronzer to try out and have a fair/olive skin tone, then I think this would be a fantastic investment for you! If you have a darker skin tone than that, then I would say get it to use it as a blush or even a subtle all over face highlighter. But if you are still unsure about bronzers, then perhaps this isn’t a product for you (although Too Faced does have other awesome bronzers in their line for newbies you can try out). You can purchase this at any Sephora store or online!

Happy Shopping Dolls! x

Pros:

  • Multiple uses (you can use it as a bronzer on lighter skin tones, a blush on medium to dark skin tones, highlighter on darker skin tones)
  • The mix of colours is really nice to give you a natural glow, not glittery but a bit shimmery
  • Cute packaging
  • Great Longevity on my cheeks

Cons:

  • Price
  • Not as pigmented as I had hoped, but it still does majority of what it claims to do

Rating: 8/10 (I love this product because it looks very natural on my skin despite having a little shimmer. This is a decent investment for any bronzer/blush junkie!)

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