Would You Rather...

Hello, lovelies! So I saw this tag at Tanya Burr's blog and I thought I'd give it a go as well. I've never done one, so I thought it'd be fun :).

1. Never use bronzer or mascara again?
Since I barely use bronzer (*gasp*), I'll go with mascara. Although I could live without that as well. What I really can't live without is eyeliner.

2. Only be able to use high end makeup or drugstore makeup again?
Though I use both high end and drugstore makeup, I think I'll go with high end. Generally, they are better quality and it's easier for me to test out products at locations that sell high end makeup. Also, I have the luxury or returning or exchanging the product if it doesn't work out, which I can't do at drugstores.

3.  Be in love or be loved?
Huh... I think I'll go with be loved. I think there's probably a greater chance of me falling in love with someone who loves me than a man falling in love with me because I love him. Did that make sense? But it all depends on the man, though, doesn't it? :p

4. Go out with chipped nail varnish or unshaven legs?
Hahaha! Um... Neither really bother me because I don't care if people judge me for having chipped nail varnish (and if they do, then they need to find better things to do in life) and I can always wear pants, can't I? But if pants weren't an option, then I'd much rather go out with chipped nail varnish. It's less noticeable :p.

5. Go out with messy hair or no makeup?
I'm gonna go with what I think is a shocking answer here and pick no makeup. I know most women will probably pick messy hair, but I'm very particular about my hair. When I'm having a fantastic hair day and a bad face/makeup day, I still feel comfortable knowing my hair looks fierce. The same cannot be said if the opposite happened. I don't know what it is, really. I guess it's because in my circle, I'm known for The Hair.

6. Leave the house with an orange tan or peroxide-gone-wrong ginger hair?
...I'm trying to imagine peroxide-gone-wrong ginger hair... I think I might go with the orange tan. As I mentioned above, I'm very particular about my hair. So I think I'll just cover as much surface area as I can with clothing and then go out and buy something to slough it all off with at night :p.

7. It were Winter forever or Summer forever?
Oh goodness... I don't think I can pick one, I quite like my seasons, thank you very much! I do like the carefree nature of summer, but I don't like sweating in places that in my opinion, shouldn't sweat :p. I love Christmas and all the Holidays entail: buying presents, all the Christmas decorations, having Christmas dinners... But I don't enjoy not seeing the sun for very long and I don't enjoy all the rain, especially because people in Vancouver somehow forget how to drive when it's raining. Which I find odd because it rains here all the damn time!

8. Leave the house with toothpaste drool or crusty yellow sleep eyes?
I'll take the yellow crusts, please. It's easier for me to notice and easier to stealthily remove :p.

9. Give up all MAC or Illamasqua products?
Since I don't own any Illamasqua products, this is a bit of a no-brainer, isn't it? But let's say I do own Illamasqua, I still think I would choose to give it up because MAC is more affordable and has a greater selection.

I tag all of you!

Leave your answers in the comment section

or

link me to your blog post :)

All About Eyes - Underwater

There are a few people I subscribe to on YouTube who have really inspired me to pick up the bright colours and just have at it. The lovely Giuliana was really the first person to do this and I've been having a lot of fun over the last few months creating looks that I wouldn't normally wear. 

My usual M.O. when creating looks is to look through my palettes and see which eyeshadows I haven't used before, and it goes from there. I decided to try out the blues and create a bit of an "underwater" look. 

Products Used:

MAC Paint Pot - Soft Ochre

Sephora Color Play 5-in-1 Palette - teal, indigo, sky blue, matte white, shimmery white

Sephora Nano Eyeliner - 11 Silver Green

L'oréal Voluminous Mascara - Black

So I started off with Soft Ochre all over the lid to neutralize the darkness I am cursed with :p. Then I applied a matte white eyeshadow all over the lid up to the brow bone. Next was the teal shade, which I applied just to the outer half of the lid and along the entire lower lash line. The indigo shade (by the way, I'm totally making up these shade colours) was applied to just the outer corner and I blended that outwards. Then I blended the sky blue colour just along the outer edges to soften any harsh lines. Then I swiped some shimmery white eyeshadow underneath the entire length of my brow. Then I applied Sephora's Nano Eyeliner in Silver Green quite heavily along the lower lash line; which you need to do anyway, because these eye liners don't have the greatest colour pay off. I applied this very lightly onto the upper lash line as well, which you can barely see, but I thought it would be a nice touch. I did apply some matte black eyeshadow through my brows to fill in gaps but as you can see from the first photo, I forgot to groom them first :p. Lastly, I curled my lashes and coated them 1-2 times with L'oréal Voluminous Mascara. 

Anyway, hope you lovelies enjoy this look. 

And hello to those of you who are new to my blog! Thanks for joining me here at Call It Beauty, I really appreciate it :).

Happy Monday, everyone!

All About Eyes: Runway Edition - Alexandre Herchcovitch

A few days ago, I was strolling through the streets of the Interweb and was inspired by a few of the runway makeup looks that I saw. So it's been a bit of a mad dash trying to recreate some of them during the scant few hours there's actually enough natural light to take photographs (ahhh, fall!).

Anyway, here's the first look:

(photo from: elle.com)

I'm sure we've all sported the trend of using a bright eyeshadow on the lower lid. But what I haven't seen before was the use of two different colours at the same time. So I decided to try and recreate this look.

Products Used:

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette - Sunset (orange & yellow/gold)

MAC eyeshadow - Satin Taupe

MAC eyeshadow - Naked Lunch

Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes! Mascara

First, I started with a wash of Naked Lunch (the lightest shade) all over the lid. Then, I applied Satin Taupe along the crease and the outer corner. With a pencil brush, I applied the yellow/gold colour to the inner corner, making sure to apply a bit to the upper lash line. I also applied this to the inner third of my lower lash line. Using the same pencil brush, I applied the orange shade to the rest of my lower lash line and blended it slightly into the Satin Taupe. I finished off with Tarte's Lights, Camera, Splashes! mascara on the top and bottom lashes. However, I only coated my lashes once or twice to achieve a natural look because the model doesn't look like she's wearing any mascara. But since my lashes are pretty sparse (not to mention short), I decided to apply some. Artistic license and all that jazz :p. Also, apart from a bit of grooming with a brush, I left my eyebrows alone since the model's looks fairly natural as well.

I really like this look because it's a unique way to wear brighter eyeshadows without looking garish. Also, the use of the orange really makes it appropriate for Fall. I would personally wear this for a night out or a small gig (with false lashes or black eyeliner on both lash/water lines).

Would you rock this look?

Style Crush - Carey Mulligan

Carey Mulligan, Hollywood's new Darling. 

Not only is she talented, but she's got the most interesting face I've seen in a while. Sure, you can find a plethora of beautiful faces with impossibly high cheekbones in Hollywood, but Carey's type of beauty is one you don't see often.

Actually, I think the word "interesting" applies to her style as well. I always see such fantastic details in the pieces she wears; which, unlike others, she has enough personality to carry it off.

In Other News

My blog will be getting a bit All About Eyes heavy in the next couple of weeks. I'm on a spending ban and well, I've been a bit inspired by looks I've seen on the Runways lately. I'm quite excited about it, actually and hopefully you all are too.

A big "hello!" to all my new blog followers! Hope you're liking the blog so far and if you haven't, feel free to say "hello" back! I always appreciate (polite) comments :).

Weekend's almost here, hope you're all having a good one!

All About Eyes - Intense Copper

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been really into copper eyeshadows. To compliment the more wearable look I recently posted, I decided to create this more dramatic, copper eye look. 

Products Used:

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette - Sunset (red-copper, orange-copper, matte black)

MAC Eyeshadow - Naked Lunch

L'oréal Voluminous Mascara - Black

Firstly, I applied a reddish-copper shade all over the lid up to the crease. I used a flat shader brush and gently brushed the product onto the lid and used the tip to apply some to the lower lash line. Next, I applied the orangey copper shade to the outer edges of the first colour. This was applied all the way from the inner edges and winged out in the outer edges. Then, I applied the matte black shade all along the crease, from the inner corner to the outer corner. From the outer corner, I blended the black eyeshadow down to the lower lash line and stopped around halfway through. This black shade was also used to fill in the gaps and make my brows a bit stronger. A sweep of Naked Lunch to highlight the brow bone, plus two to three coats of black mascara on the top and bottom lashes, and I was done!

Hope you liked this look!

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick - True Red

So I was looking through my lipsticks a few weeks ago, I realized that I was missing a red lipstick. 

No, I lie. I own Media by MAC (an "intense reddish-purple"), but as the description suggests, it's much too strong for regular use. Well, at least for me, it is.

I decided on getting a drugstore lipstick because I know I won't be rocking a red lip all the time and it didn't make sense for me to spend up to $20 on a product I will hardly use. So I had a few products in mind aside from True Red: Revlon Super Lustrous in Ravish Me Red and Love That Red, Revlon Colorburst in Ruby, Maybelline Color Sensational in Red Revival... But they were either too orange, too deep, or too stinky (Red Revival, if you're wondering :p).

I wanted Dita Von Teese red lips, and the closest I got was True Red.

It's bright, it's amazingly pigmented, it's beautiful, it's everything I wanted in my first red lipstick. I remember reading a review that said this isn't a great red to go for if you're going red for the first time. I have to say, I kind of agree. This lipstick is bright and it certainly makes a statement. If you've never gone red before, you may want to ease yourself into it before picking up this shade.

However, if you don't mind people spotting your lips before the rest of you, go pick this up!

If you take a look at the right side of my lip, right at the top, there's a bit of feathering. As with all bold lipsticks, it's important to apply lip liner first to prevent bleeding. That being said, I love that the top of the Colorburst lipsticks are wide and flat because it allows for precise application; again, a very important aspect of wearing a red lip.

I previously thought the Colorbursts weren't that moisturizing (my lips felt pretty dry an hour after first applying Lilac). Maybe it was that particular batch or maybe my lips were just extra dry that day, but True Red doesn't feel drying at all. I'll have to whip out Lilac again to be sure.

Anyway, I personally can't wait to wear this lipstick out! I may have to pluck up a bit of courage, but I'm sure I can muster up enough :p. I may even wear it during the day and rock a "casual red lip" as Joy from Makeup Junkie likes to call it. I know, I'm a rebel...

What's your fave red lipstick?

Take Two's & Thank You's!

I'm sure we've all had regret purchases. But have you ever revisited a product to find that, miracle of all miracles, it all of a sudden works?

It's a bit like Christmas, I think :p.

Kiehl's Yerba Maté Tea Cleanser

"Facial Cleanser with Vitamin-Infused Tea Extracts for a Healthful Skin Vivacity"

Sounds good, right? It really does. But I think it was a bit harsh for my skin at the time it was having a Meltdown. However, these last month or two, my skin has really gone back to normal. It's no longer sensitive or dry (not quite as oily as before, though), but there are still a few persistent blemishes hanging around. 

So I reintroduced this back into my skincare routine because I didn't want to waste it. After using it for a few weeks once a day (morning or night, depending on what I felt like), I've noticed a slightly more even skintone and less sallowness. It's nothing earth shattering, but at least it's doing its job!

Origins Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Face Cream

Now this one, I'm really happy about! I mentioned in this post all the reasons why I was disappointed with this product. And for the price of $85 CAD, I think I was justified. 

But as I said, my skin has changed (again!) in the last 2 months or so and I've found that this moisturizes so amazingly well! It no longer just sits on top of the skin, it sinks in well enough that my skin feels moisturized and not oily. And yet, it doesn't completely absorb so I don't feel the need to slap some more on. The scent is a little strong at first (slightly citrusy), but it does fade away after a bit. Nowadays, it's such a pleasure to apply this to my skin. It's the absolute perfect consistency and leaves my skin feeling smooth and supple.

Lastly, I just wanted to say a big "THANK YOU" to everyone who voted for me for the Ultimate Makeup Junkie Contest. At the time I wrote this post, I was at 76 votes and I'm not sure if that was enough to get me to the semi-finals but I'm still so incredibly grateful for those of you who took the time to vote for me. So again, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Have you given any products a second chance lately?

Weekly Roundup: 9/13/10 - 9/18/10

How are you all doing on this fine Sunday morning? Well, I hope!

Again, I shall be begging you all for votes; so if you're sick of it, feel free to scroll down :p.

The Ultimate Makeup Junkie contest ends at 8:59 am EDT tomorrow morning so please vote for me! Here's the link that will take you directly to my "confession." And if you've voted already, thank you so much!

Anyway, now that the obligatory begging-fest is done, here are some posts you might have missed. Just click on the link below the photo to take you to the post.

FOTD + Annabelle Contest Entry

Annabelle Cosmetics - Mono Eyeshadows Review

Collection Spotlight: Christian Dior - Fall 2010

Revlon: Super Lustrous Creme Lipstick - Mauvy Night

All About Eyes: Coppery

Again, many thanks to all you lovelies who follow and especially those who take time to comment. I know very well that you don't have to but the fact that you do means a lot. 

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

All About Eyes - Coppery

Happy Saturday, lovelies!

What are you all doing today? It'll be a quiet day for me, nothing planned at all. Anyway, I'd just like to take the time to once again ask for your vote for the Ultimate Makeup Junkie contest. Just click on the link and it'll take you straight to my entry. Underneath my photo, you'll see the VOTE FOR THIS MAKEUP JUNKIE button. One click on that button is all it takes! 

I'd really appreciate it if you guys took the time to do this :). Now, off to today's look:

Products Used:

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette - Sunset

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

L'oréal Voluminous Mascara - Black

I've been really into copper coloured eyeshadows lately and there are a few in Sleek's Sunset palette I could've chosen from. but for today's look, I chose a frosty champagne (with a touch of peach undertones), a coppery orange, and a coppery brown. 

So you can start off with any eye primer you like, if you feel you need it. I swept the champagne shade all over my lid and used a pencil brush to apply some to the lower lash line as well. Next up is the orangey copper shade, which I buffed first into the outer corner, then upwards towards the brow bone, making sure to blend it towards the inner corner but not reaching all the way in. I then applied the coppery brown shade just to the outer v of my eye, taking it just up to the crease and staying within the outer third of my eye. I also connected this shade to the lower lash line. Then I applied my gel liner along the upper lash line and lower water line. I topped it off with mascara (after curling my lashes, of course) and I was done.

A super simple look and one that I think is quite wearable.

Hope you guys like this look!

Revlon: Super Lustrous Creme Lipstick - Mauvy Night

Bonjour, lovelies! 

If you haven't already, please vote for my look in the Ultimate Makeup Junkie contest. I'm currently only at 30-something votes and I'll need all the help I can get in order to make it to the semi-finals. You can vote once per day until 8:59 am of the 20th. So please help a girl out! 

Now, off to the lipstick:

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick, according to the website, is:

Infused with silk and vitamins for smooth, conditioning colour.

I've never tried the Super Lustrous lipsticks before, although I have tried lipsticks from the Moon Drops (disappointing) and Colorburst (love) line. However, thanks to the lovely Rae of The Notice, I became aware of a gorgeous shade called Mauvy Night. 

The texture is lovely; it's very creamy and it applied so smoothly, especially considering my lips were quite dry when I took the photo above. But as you can see, it doesn't accentuate the dry parts and just gives your lips a great finish.

I also love how pigmented it is; I don't need to swipe multiple times just to achieve opacity and the pigments don't migrate to any lines; which, if you notice, i have a lot of! I got a solid 4 hours (no eating or drinking) before seeing any wear along the seam of the lips, which is pretty impressive to me. Then again, I'm not too keen on long-wearing lipsticks because I like to remove lip products before eating and will have to reapply anyway.

Now, all of this, plus a $5.99 price tag? Picking this up was kind of a no brainer. So if this all sounds good to you (and why shouldn't it?), then you need to pick this colour up. It's very Fall-friendly without being too dark and I feel that it's one of those universally flattering shades. If Mauvy Night isn't your thing, then at least try out the other shades. The Super Lustrous Creme's are great quality and the price is so fantastic, you really can't go wrong (unless you pick the wrong shade :p)!

Have you tried the Super Lustrous Creme Lipsticks before?

Any must-have shades?

Collection Spotlight: Christian Dior - Fall 2010

(all photos from: style.com)

Saving the best for last, the Christian Dior collection is absolute beauty.

Part equestrian, part Mad Hatter, part ethereal, part English countryside, I fell in love the moment I saw the first look. 

And it's not just the clothes I love (seriously, I adore every single photo you see here so much, I can't even articulate it), but the makeup looks absolutely stunning.

Big hair, dark lips, flawless skin, it doesn't sound that interesting. But combined with the beautiful pieces John Galliano created and you've got a runway show that is an absolute spectacle. It's theatrical and it feels like stepping into a fantasyland. 

So, so gorgeous, I can't even stop looking at it!

Hope you're all having a great day! Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think of this collection, or just to let me know what you guys have planned for today! And lastly,

Please don't forget to VOTE FOR ME!

Annabelle Cosmetics - Mono Eyeshadows Review

Annabelle was one of those brands that I always overlooked, but it wasn't until I saw Rae's review & EOTD that I took notice. So I popped into my local Shoppers Drug Mart to check these out for myself and I was pleasantly surprised by the texture and colours available. 

top: Rainforest & Revolver

bottom: Fantasy & Jazzberry

Annabelle has a collection out right now called Hype National and Rainforest & Fantasy were released as part of that collection. Meanwhile, Revolver & Jazzberry are also Limited Edition, and will be available until February of next year (thanks to Halifax for pointing this out). 

Anyway, these eyeshadows are so easy to apply and blend. The best part is, they were on sale for $3.49 each. I also purchased the custom quad compact for $6.99, a pretty good deal all in all!

The compact itself is pretty great quality. Compared to a MAC palette, I found that the magnets are stronger and yet I have an easier time removing the eyeshadows. Also, the paper behind the cover is removable so you can add your own design. So don't let the $6.99 price fool you, this is a sturdy compact!

As you can see from the swatches, the colours appear vibrant enough. However, and this is my only gripe about the products, you really do need to foil this in order to actually have vibrancy. These eyeshadows, applied with a dry brush, are underwhelming. However, applied damp brush:

I was going to post photos of these looks applied with a dry brush, but it was so underwhelming, I didn't bother. But as you can see above, foiling makes all the difference! I couldn't believe how vibrant the colours were! Now, this is not normally how I would wear these colours; I just wanted to show you guys how amazing they look when applied with a wet brush. 

My favourite colours are Jazzberry and Revolver. Not only are they unique to my collection, but I find that they're unique in general. Jazzberry is a beautiful, dirty plum colour; perfect for a smoky eye. And if you're a bit hesitant to try out non-neutral colours, this is a great way for you to step out of the box. As for Revolver, it's a silvery/lavender shade and absolutely gorgeous. It's great for a highlight or for a soft sweep of colour all over the lid. 

So that said, I have to say I'm impressed with these eyeshadows; good quality and an even better price. Plus, the colours I purchased are unique to my collection so I love that I came across them.

Speaking of Annabelle Cosmetics, if you haven't seen my last post, please do. You can check out the look I created for their Ultimate Makeup Junkie contest.

~ This is the part where I shamelessly beg ask for your votes ~

If you haven't already, please vote for my look here. You can vote once every day until the 20th at 8:59 am. The 20 contestants with the most votes qualifies for the semi-final round and Annabelle judges will then judge the looks and vote for their 5 favourites. So pleasepleaseplease vote for me! Again, here's the link.

Have you used Annabelle Cosmetics before?

What are your thoughts?

FOTD + Annabelle Contest Entry

Greetings, lovelies!

So if you're not aware, Annabelle Cosmetics is holding a contest called "Ultimate Makeup Junkie" and I've decided to enter it. I thought I'd share my entry with you guys and also to kindly ask you to take the time to vote for me. You can vote once per day starting today, September 13 at 9:00 am EDT to September 20 at 8:59:59 am EDT.

To vote, you can click here for a direct link to my "confession." I'd really appreciate it if you guys took the time to do this from now til September 20 at 8:59 am.

If you're 16 years old or older as of August 16, 2010 (you must have permission from a legal guardian/parent if you're under the age of majority in your Province/Territory) and are at least a legal resident of Canada, then you're eligible to enter this contest and I encourage you to do so!

Anyway, enough babble, here's my look:

Products Used:

Chanel Vitalumiere - 10 Limpide/Nude

MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NW20

MAC Powder Blush - Harmony & Pinch O'Peach

Urban Decay Primer Potion - Original

Sleek Makeup Palettes - Storm (dark green, black) & Circus (electric blue)

Sephora ColorPlay 5-in-1 Palette - frosty white

L'oréal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara - Black

MAC Lipstick - Jubilee 

The eyes are definitely my favourite part of this look. In fact, I've worn it on two separate occasions already. I started off with some UDPP then I slapped on the dark green eyeshadow with a rounded shading brush (Sigma E55) from the lash line to the brow bone. Then I applied the electric blue colour on the lower lash line with a Sigma E30 pencil brush and applied some matte black eyeshadow on the outer corner to join the green and blue together (I used a Sigma E70 angled shading brush). Next step: blend, blend, blend! For this, I used a fluffy brush from hana k that I've had for ages. I blended the edges of the green shadow and smoked it upwards and winged it out as well. Then I applied a shimmery white eyeshadow from Sephora to the brow bone to highlight (Sigma E25 blending brush). I cleaned up the bottom edge with an F70 concealer brush from Sigma, curled my lashes, applied L'oréal Voluminous and the eyes are done!

As for the face, I applied Chanel Vitalumiere with a Sigma F60 foundation brush and concealed with Studio Finish concealer under my eyes and around my lips with my fingers. I used Harmony to contour with a Sigma F40 (suck in cheeks and apply to the hollows) and Pinch O'Peach was applied with a Sigma F50 duo fibre brush to the apples of my cheeks. A few swipes of Jubilee lipstick and the look is complete (complete review of Chanel Vitalumiere and MAC Jubilee coming soon).

I really hope you guys enjoyed this and I'm wishing you all a fab week ahead!

Please don't forget to vote for me!