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).

Best Dressed At the Emmys 2018

The Emmys last night were kind of boring BUT the fashion was NOT! Here are my favourite looks!

Kristen Bell

Y’all this is purely flawless! I’m so glad she kept her lips neutral!

Thandie Newton

I love the train neck sash and the colour of this gown!

Dakota Fanning

AHH! I love this shade of green and she looks stunning!

Kerri Russell

I WANT THOSE SHOES! I love how the feathers and bling work harmoniously together!

Sandra Oh

okayyyy. The cut of this dress is beautiful!

Nathalie Emmanuel

Girl. This whole look is SO classy!

Natalia Dyer

24 karat magic in the aiiiirrrr. Head to toe so player! LOVE this!

Joey King

I love this sangria colour. It’s flattering and this dress is beautiful!

Heidi Klum

The makeup. The dress. The hair. The necklace! Perfect!

Felicity Huffman

I love me a good pant-suit combo! Also, can I have this hair 24/7?

 

Images courtesy of Hollywoodlife.com

Review: Esqido Gel Eyeliner in Black & Brown

When Esqido sent me these babies to try out, I was so excited! If you have been long time readers of this blog, then you already know how obsessed I am with eyeliners! Seriously. I cannot go anywhere without some sort of eyeliner on my lids or waterline!

What is it: These eyeliners are gel eyeliners that come in two shades: Black and Brown. It is pigmented, silky smooth and comes in the form of a retractable and sharpenable pen! One of my favourite things about these liners are the fact they come with an air-tight silicon ring closure around the top of the pencil. This helps the liner not dry out and last long! The pencils also come with a built-in sharpener attached at the bottom of the pencil! You can buy these online on Esqido’s website for $16 a pop (be sure to visit their website soon because they’re having a promo for these liners where you can get them both for the price of one!).

The Pros: Let’s talk about how gel liners are literally the best thing ever created on this planet. Gel liners are perfect for everyday use because they glide on smooth and are extremely easy to use. Although, the down side to gel liners are that they tend to dry out a lot sooner than most eyeliners. This is NOT the case with Esqido’s liners. I have never been SO impressed with a gel liner! Even though these were sent to me, I can definitely tell you that I will hundred percent purchase these once I’m done using the two colours. The formula of these are incredible! It’s smooth, soft and super pigmented! One of the main reasons why I love these so much is because they lasted all day and all night on my eyes without smudging at all! I used them on my waterline and it stayed put! One swipe is all you need for these because they are incredibly pigmented. Also, I love that it’s retractable, making it easy to use when you’re traveling! If you want a precise tip all the time, you can use the sharpener attached at the bottom of the pencil (it’s SOO easy to use). These also pair well with ANY make up looks and false lashes! Another thing I loved about this was that it blended super well when I was doing a smoky eye look. This didn’t irritate my eyes nor did it dry out! Seriously, if you’re in the market to try a good gel liner this is it! They’re also matte. It definitely was waterproof because I wore these to a wedding last weekend and it did NOT smudge through the tears.

The Cons: GIVE ME MORE COLOURS! Currently, it is only available in Brown and Black but I can’t wait for bold colours, Esqido make this happen!!

Overall Rating: 10/10

You can purchase yours here!

Review: Tatcha Silk Canvas Protective Primer

What: The Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer is a makeup primer that helps your makeup last longer all while blurring your skin. Along with doing that, it also acts as a protective wall to keep makeup out of your skin so that you don’t get breakouts! This is a super high-end primer, retailing for $62 CDN at Sephora. The balm is packaged in a big circular case and it comes with a disc, which you can use to get the right amount of primer for your face! You can use this all over your face, your eye lids and your lips for a flawless makeup application. This blurs pores, controls oiliness and evens out your skin tone. The primer contains silk extracts too nourish the skin, leaving a smooth base for your makeup giving you a soft focus finish. There are also anti-pollution natural active ingredients in this primer. This creates a barrier between the world and skin. It also has hadasei-3 which is made up of great tea, rice and algae extracts; giving you a youthful and healthy skin!

The Good: Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever come across a makeup primer like this before. I’ve had a ton favourites but I think this one takes the cake for me. It was super cool to apply, with the disc and all. But most importantly, my makeup looked flawless. This was the first time (in a LONG time) that I had practically everyone who talked to me ask me how I achieved the perfect makeup look. Seriously. Now you know. It’s because of this product. My skin felt smooth, soft and this was super easy to apply. A little goes a long way. The texture of this formula is incredible! It’s silky smooth (duh) and it blends flawlessly when applied to your face, lids and/or lips. My makeup lasted all night long. In fact, I had to use makeup remover to take all of it off! I know a lot of people might stay away from this because of its price tag…but honestly, think of it as an investment for your skin in the long run! In the past couple months, I’ve learned that the only way you can get flawless makeup is if you work on your skin. Using products that benefit your skin is important and this product will do that for you! I have extremely sensitive and combination skin; and this did not irritate my skin at all! No breakouts, no redness, no nothing! My face was radiant and my skin felt good! The packaging is cute! It comes with a disc and instructions on how to use that disc to get the right amount of product for your face. I’ve used this primer sooooo many times and I have yet to make a major dent! Honestly, this is literally the best primer I have ever used! There’s no leftover residue on your face and it feels super lux!

The Bad: NOTHING!

Overall Rating: 10/10

First Impressions: Glossier

OKAY. I’ve been waiting a LONG time to get my hands on anything by Glossier and the day has finally come! After months and months of contemplating whether or not to order online, I did it.

I first heard about Glossier from a little blurb on Allure about their Milk Jelly Cleanser. It won an award and I was intrigued about this brand. More research led me to find out that Glossier is the makeup brand by the infamous beauty/lifestyle blog ‘Into The Gloss’ and….drum roll….the founder of the both the blog and Glossier is none other than Emily Weiss. I’m sure you’re like who is that? UHM. Remember The Hills on MTV? Remember when Lauren and Whitney were interns at Teen Vogue? Remember Intern Emily? The one that got to go to THE dinner? THIS IS THE SAME EMILY (mindblown). I’m not lying, I pretty much sat and stared at my laptop for what seemed like a whole day. Now that that’s out of the way, What is Glossier, you ask?

Glossier is a skincare/makeup brand that has only one focus in mind: Skin first, Makeup second. I’ve realized that the older I’m getting, the more I’m realizing that the focus shouldn’t be on having airbrushed makeup but rather healthy skin! That was one of the main reasons why I gravitated towards trying products out from this brand. Of course, I live in Canada and despite what everyone believes…not all brands are easily accessible. Glossier at one point did have a pop-up shop in Toronto, but alas I was not able to make it. So, when I saw that they shipped to Canada (minus Quebec, sorry), I was ecstatic!

The Online Order Process: Glossier’s website is one of the easiest websites I’ve ever used. I love the fact that there aren’t an overwhelming amount of products or choices, which is why Glossier as a brand works well. Placing the online order was simple and sweet. Another thing I love is that the prices are stated in CAD, which is amazing because who wants to sit and convert the dollar? After inputing your credit card info, you were asked to pick a sample to put in your package (woohoo). And then, voila! You’re done. See? So simple. Once your package has been shipped, you’ll receive an email.

 

The Shipping Process: This process was probably the most surprising for me. When I saw that if you spend $40 CAD, then you qualify for free shipping…I was ecstatic! There was a down side though. Free shipping means it will take 7-10 business days to ship to your destination, which initially was kind of a bummer. After I got an email updating me that the products had been shipped, I decided to go about my life because the expected arrival date for my items was exactly in 10 business days. SO WHEN THE PACKAGE ARRIVED A WHOPPING 5 DAYS LATER I WAS JUMPING WITH JOY! Honestly, it was a surprise because this was pretty quick! Again, super simple.

The Package: This is probably the most instagrammable package I have ever received from any makeup/skincare brand! As you can see, it came in a cardboard box which was sealed with a Glossier embosses tape.  All the products were neatly tucked inside the infamous Glossier pink pouch. And it came with a sheet of stickers, which was super cool! Each of the products came in their own packaging. It was sleek, to the point and wasn’t busy looking. It was simple and sweet, which is exactly what this brand preaches.

The Products:

1. Super Glow Serum ($35): I was on the hunt for a vitamin C+magnesium serum!
2. Balm Dotcom in Mint ($15): I love me some lip balm! They had a selection of a few tinted and clear, I went with the clear in the Mint flavour. 
3. Boy Brow in Brown ($20): Again, this is a cult favourite so I had to give it a try! 
4. Cloud Paint Duo in Puff and Storm ($36): The whole concept of applying blush with your fingers seems super cool. Storm is one of their newest shades, so that was a plus point!
5. Generation G Sheer Matte Lipstick in Crush ($20): I added this on a whim and I am definitely in love! 

First Impressions: As soon as I finished taking pictures of all the products and packaging, I began to swipe the Generation G sheer matte lipstick in crush on my lips. I didn’t know how I’d feel about a “sheer-matte” lipstick…because I didn’t understand what a sheer matte was. Upon first swipe, I fell in love and I can’t wait to order some of the other shades. All the products from the Cloud Paints to the serum were phenomenal upon first use. I was not disappointed at all. If you want more in-depth reviews, let me know!

 

Overall Impressions of Glossier: Can I be a Glossier girl? Like seriously? Honestly, I have never been so impressed by a brand in my life. I’m usually not into the whole au natural look, but this brand is changing it for me. I won’t lie, the prices are a little steep, BUT I do believe it’s worth it. I think the more I’ll use the products, the more I’ll see. But as of now, I do like everything I’ve ordered. I am super impressed by this brand! I love how fuss free these products are!

Will I Order Again? YES. YES. YES. I can’t wait to try more of their makeup and skincare products!

ALSO: 

If you want 10% off your first Glossier order, then click this link and purchase away! 🙂 

 

Review: MAC’s Hyper Real Glow in Flash+Awe & Get It Glowin’

When MAC finally decided to come out with highlighter palettes, I wasn’t sure of what to expect. Individually, MAC highlighters can often be a hit or a miss for me so I was a little skeptical. I finally got my hands on both of these palettes and I’m here with a review of BOTH the palettes for you!

What is it: MAC cosmetics put out two highlighter palettes, one in a pink shade zone and the other in a gold shade zone. Each palette comes with three shades and a mirror (score, you know how much I love my palettes to always have mirrors). Hyper Real Glow in Flash+Awe is a pinky/champagne highlighter palette. Hyper Real Glow in Get it Glowin’ is a golden highlighter palette. Both palettes claim to have formulas that will work for any skin type and tone. Although, the golden palette is geared towards darker skin dolls and the pink palette is for the lighter skin dolls. You can use these shades together or individually to get the most natural glow!

Flash+Awe Shades: Light Of The Party is a flesh toned shimmery peachy pink. Rosy Glow is a medium toned shimmer shell pink. Flash+Awe is a pale pink with silver shimmer.

Get It Glowin’ Shades: Rosy Cheer is a rich golden bronze with fine gold shimmer. Get it Glowin’ is a peachy nude with fine gold shimmer. Gold Coasting is a champagne gold with gold shimmer.

The Good: Okay, remember how I said I was skeptical about these palettes at the beginning of this post? Well, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have been skeptical because these highlighters are actually so good! In fact, all six shades did not disappoint! Of course, it’s up to you individually to decide which shade you want to use to highlight what…but I can safely say, each one of these shades looked radiant on my skin tone! The formula of these babies are amazing! It’s buttery soft to touch and I noticed I had zero fall out (even though MAC claims there might be some). Also, because they’re so smooth and soft, it’s incredibly easy to blend! Every time I’ve used any of these highlights, I always get asked what I’m wearing! Not only can you use this to highlight the high points of your face, you can use these as eye shadows (add fix+ and get foiled shadows!). Rosy Cheer can used to highlight your neck and legs too! Rosy Cheer is perfect to add to the centre of your lips when you’re rocking a super matte lip to add some definition. As you can see, I’m all about versatile products especially when you’re paying a pretty high price for these palettes! I love the look of these highlighters on my face. I find them to be natural and not glittery (despite having shimmer). The packaging of this product is pretty sleek! I love how I can slip it into my makeup bag if I’m traveling. All in all, both these palettes are pretty good!

(Flash+Awe Swatches)

The Bad: The price point might be a little bothersome for some. But you don’t have to get both of them, you can get one based on your skin tone!

(Get it Glowin’) 

Overall Rating: 9/10 (you can get yours at MAC for $48 a pop)

 

Review: NYX Lid Lingerie in Dynamic, Revel and Rose Pearl

NYX’s Lingerie line has got me all kinds of shook. So when I found out that they were releasing “eye tints” from this range, I was excited. They’ve got a matte range and a non-matte range. I picked up 2 from the matte range and 1 from their non-matte range. I’m always skeptical about liquid shadows because I find they tend to crease easily but I was excited to see how these would hold up!

What is it: These eye tints by NYX cosmetics are the company’s foray into the liquid shadow world! It’s weightless, easy to apply and incredibly long-lasting. Their non-matte range offers an array of shades that have a pearl finish that isn’t glittery or too shimmery. They’re not meant to be super opaque but it can be built up. Similarly, the matte range offers the exact same thing but in matte shades (duh!). These shadows are meant to give you the most natural yet pretty tint to your lids! Dynamic, from the matte range, is a blush toned nude shade. Revel, another matte, is a nude almost close to my lid colour shade (lol). And finally, Rose pearl is a shimmery pinky rose! All of these retail for $10 at your local NYX retailer or store!

The Good: OKAYYYYYYYYYYY. I won’t lie. I thought these would not be too good. Seriously. But when I used all of these, I was blown away! Even though they’re marketed as a “Sheer eye tint”, these are nowhere near sheer! I’d definitely say that they’re opaque but you can definitely wear it sheer too. I’ll go through each shade individually before I get into the formula. Rose Pearl is gorgeous. I use it as a base for any shimmery pinks I put on my lids or even when I don’t feel like doing too much on my eyes (hello work day!). Dynamic is a blush pink which looks great on my lids! I like to layer this one with some shades from the tartelette palette. I use Revel as a base on days I don’t feel like using any makeup at all! The formula of these are AMAZING. It’s not liquidy nor is it super moussey, if that even makes sense. I find that it’s a perfect balance of the two. The applicator wand is great. I use it to dot on my eye lids and then use a brush to blend. These blend incredibly well. In fact, it’s so super weightless that I forget that I have eye shadow on. Also, it blends with powders and other liquids so flawlessly! I am truly impressed. These lasted on my eyes throughout my work day and didn’t crease (I did use Too Faced’s shadow insurance as a base). So that’s always a plus. All in all, these particular shades are pretty awesome! I can’t wait to pick up some of the other shades to compare and see!

The Bad: N o t h i n g.

Overall Rating: 10/10

Best Dressed At The Billboard Music Awards 2018

Here are some of my favourite looks from the Billboard Music Awards! Although, this wasn’t the BEST red carpet I’ve seen…it still was fun to see all the unique celeb looks!

Janet Jackson

 Anyone getting Carrie vibes from this look? I love how effortless chic this look is!

Darren Criss

I’m a sucker for men who add their own unique twist to the plain suit. LOVE the faded baby blue on this all black look!

Demi Lovato 

I’m all about prints this season and I love how bohemian chic Demi looks!

Shawn Mendes 

Grey suits are so tough to pull off for men but Shawn makes this whole look super stylish!

Mila Kunis

Slay, Mila! SLAY! I love everything about this outfit! and HER HAIR!

Justin Hartley

You really can’t go wrong with an all black ensemble when you look like this! 😍

Hailey Baldwin

The fit of this dress is amazing on H! Everything from the hair to accessories is gorgeous!

 

Images courtesy of Hollywoodlife.com & People.com

Review: Esqido Unisyn Lashes in Smoke & Fire & Companion Eyelash Glue

I’ll be honest. I have NEVER worn false eyelashes before this particular review…and I’m not even sure why. I wonder if it’s the fear of having glue on my eyes or if it’s because I predominantly wear glasses. But that’s a whole different conversation! When I first laid my eyes on these lashes by Esqido, I was in love!

What is it: The lashes I picked are called Smoke & Fire. They’re from Esqido’s Unisyn lashes line. According to Esqido, Unisyn is the world’s first true premium synthetic false eyelashes that are made with a blend of ultra-fine synthetic fibres for an ultra-natural look. AND if you know me, then you know I love my lashes to look natural but in the most dramatic way and that’s why I went with these lashes! I also got their Companion lash glue. The lash glue is clear, latex-free and strong enough to last all day! One of my favourite things about this brand is how easy it was to choose lashes for my particular need. On their website, they have a questionnaire designed to help you find your perfect lashes!

The Good: Oh My Goodness. I am SO glad I found these lashes in my life. I mean look at how gorgeous it looks! It was so easy to use these! They were soft yet sturdy enough to apply. Once I applied them to my eyes, they didn’t budge, didn’t irritate my eyes and felt super natural. Also, I want to mention that I wore these with AND without glasses and let me tell you: despite being super long and voluminous, they didn’t interfere with my glasses or my vision at all…SCORE! Because of that very reason, I can’t wait to continue to incorporate falsies in my life more. Also, how adorable is the packaging of this product? I love the faux marble print background! The lashes itself are super easy to store in there and are also incredibly soft! I’m also in LOVE with the lash glue! The applicator is one of my favourites and I just love how easy it was to use, especially given this was my first time using lashes! No ifs, ands or buts here at all with this glue. It dried clear, it kept my lashes on and I was able to remove it easily too! The Smoke and Fire lashes have now become my go-to lashes for a night out! I’m being insanely honest when I say this: I genuinely like wearing false lashes because of this product! I just love how it transformed my makeup look.

The Bad: N-O-T-H-I-N-G!

Before/After:

I mean you can see how dramatically my look changes yet it looks SO natural! 

Overall Rating: 10/10 (you can purchase these on their website &/or Holt Renfrew Canada!)