Collection Spotlight: Monique Lhuillier - Spring 2011

(photos from style.com)

Classy and elegant. 

I loooove the gorgeous, belted tea-length dresses (the last photos of sets 2 &3). The white dress would do well as a wedding dress too, I think.

Now, can we talk about the gowns? I adore all the details from the floral prints to the gathered fabric, from the sexy necklines to the sequins; every gown is just divine.

Are you a fan of Monique Lhuillier's ball gowns?

Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palettes - Pure Awesomeness For Less Than $6

I've seen the Wet N Wild palettes all over the interweb for a while now, but I never really paid much attention until I saw them at Walmart for less than $6. I quickly searched for some swatches on my phone (ahhh, 3G <3), was satisfied with what I saw, and said to myself, "you know what? $12 isn't going to kill me or my bank account." So off I went with my new purchase and I've haven't regretted it for a second!

Without further ado, here is the picspam!

LUST

PRIDE

Both palettes contain an equal amount of matte and shimmery shades, which I love. To be honest, matte shades don't grab my attention enough, but having used these palettes, I've come to realize how truly versatile they are. I think it's safe to say I won't be so distracted by the shiny stuff now :p.

These eyeshadows are very pigmented, which is always a big plus for me. I could pick up so much product with just a pat of the brush that I had to often tap of excess, which I never really had to do with any other eyeshadows. Because of this, it creates quite a bit of "product dust," so be careful when you use it. I can speak from experience that eyeshadow can be tough to get out of fabrics/carpet. 

Wet N Wild also promises "all-day crease resistant color" and while I haven't worn it all day, I have worn all of them together for more than 6 hours. While gardening even... And my neighbours saw me. The things a beauty blogger must do to test products! Anyway, as I said, I've worn these eyeshadows for a pretty good amount of time (without primer, I might add) and they truly did not crease. I don't know how it'll work for someone with really oily lids; but for me, my eye makeup stayed crease-free.

Although, oddly enough, if I wear one of the shadows on my lid, it does crease a lot by the end of my workday. I'm not sure why this is when a full eye look does not. 

wearing LUST. Check back for more photos and a full rundown of this look.

wearing PRIDE. Check back for more photos and a full rundown of this look.

These shadows are so easy to use and I really think the quality is fantastic. Like my Sleek MakeUP shadows, I would buy them even if they were more expensive. So at $6, you can't really go wrong! Wet N Wild eyeshadows also come in singles, trios and an 8-pan palette which I haven't seen but am looking forward to trying out.

These 6-pan palettes also come in Vanity and Greed but as a whole, I think Lust and Pride have the more gorgeous colours. So next time you stop by a drugstore (I haven't seen Wet N Wild in any other place other than Walmart in Canada), definitely pick up a palette or two!

Have you tried Wet N Wild's Color Icon Palettes Before?

I've Found An Amazing Combo In Revlon's PhotoReady Foundation & Concealer!

A month or two ago, I wondered whether or not I should fake tan over Twitter. I eventually decided that I would and so began my search for a new drugstore foundation that would better match my darker colouring. I was leaning towards Cover Girl's new natureluxe Silk Foundation, but went with Revlon's PhotoReady because it came with a bonus concealer, which I've wanted to try for some time.

I'm not new to Revlon's PhotoReady foundation, though I wasn't using it much because I had purchased the wrong shade. But the beauty of getting a darker foundation is that I can always mix my previously purchased PhotoReady to create the perfect shade.

I'm quite enjoying this foundation at the moment and find myself reaching for it the most these last few weeks. It gives great coverage and the small shimmery particles give my skin a nice glow. 

It gives the exact type of coverage I want: enough to lessen the look of any imperfections and even out my skin tone, but not too much that it looks like a mask. It's easy to apply, doesn't streak, and blends nicely on the skin. It lasts quite a bit of time, too! I wore it a few nights ago for 13 hours and it held up beautifully.

Now that my skin isn't so dry anymore, I find that I prefer the finish and feel of this foundation over my other staples (Chanel Vitalumiere and Revlon Colorstay). Because it's not as moisturizing as the other two, it feels lighter on the skin and keeps it feeling fresh for longer. 

Now this product was what really impressed me! I've got pretty bad dark circles and I have tried a few concealers in the last handful of years but none have worked as well as this baby. I was using MAC's Studio Finish concealer (which I don't really like, I just kept purchasing it because I was too lazy to look into other products) previously, but it's safe to say that with Revlon PhotoReady concealer, I will never go back.

before and after applying concealer

It doesn't cover my dark circles completely, but it definitely does the job better than Studio Finish. It doesn't settle into fine lines as much and doesn't look cakey either. It's so easy to use, too! I simply swipe the product onto my under eye area and blend it in with my finger. No fuss, just the way I like it. With other products, I've had to heat it up with a blow dryer just so I could apply it smoothly. Not so with this! I have yet to find a way to use it that makes it apply badly.

Also, this stuff sticks around! I typically need to top up my Studio Finish after just a few hours but I've gone full work days wearing PhotoReady without needing to reapply. Of course, it does fade a bit after a while, but I find it does in a more subtle way. It doesn't pull a disappearing act like other concealers I've tried, which I appreciate.

wearing a mixture of Revlon PhotoReady foundation in 003 Shell & 005 Natural Beige, Revlon PhotoReady concealer, Joe Fresh Style cream blush, and Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner.

Revlon PhotoReady foundation with bonus concealer was purchased at Superstore for $17.99. If you find any at your local grocery/drug stores, definitely pick one up! Both products are lovely, especially the concealer! 

What is your latest go-to foundation/concealer combo?

Collection Spotlight: J. Mendel - Spring 2011

(photos from style.com)

Ethereal and sexy.

Love the draping, the mostly neutral palette, the pop of orange, the pleated skirts and the fur boleros.

So gorgeous, no?

Any favourites?

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser: One-Step Cleansing At Its Finest!

Fact: I can be pretty lazy.

How else can I explain why I decided to try a product a second time after it gave me a bad reaction the first time? The promise of one-step cleansing always lures me in, I tell you.

Lately I've been using Boots' Original Beauty Formula Cleansing Milk to remove makeup and then cleanse again with another product. It's a good enough system, but sometimes I yearn for something simpler without having to sacrifice efficacy.

Well, I'm happy to say that I have found that in the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (say that 10 times fast :p)!

(comes with two muslin cloths)

(Various booklets & pamphlets that have more info on the Cleanse & Polish cleanser as well as other Liz Earle products. Very handy for those who are new to the brand!)

From Liz Earle: We only make one cleanser because this formulation is the ultimate in concentrated yet gentle cleansing power and works on every age and skin type.

Our plant-based cleanser has a 2-phase action, phase 1 is the cleansing. Free from mineral oil, it has a  rich and creamy texture and swiftly removes all traces of face and eye make-up, even stubborn mascara.

Phase 2 is the polishing. Polish off the cream using the pure muslin cloth to help gently dislodge dead skin cells and help reveal clean, soft and radiant skin.

Naturally active ingredients include eucalyptus and cocoa butter for smoother, clearer skin.

Suitable for all skin types.

This cleanser comes in different sizes (50mL, 100mL, 200mL) with an easy to use pump that makes it super easy to dispense the exact amount of product you want to use. Even people with lead fingers (i.e. ME) won't have much difficulty. 

The product itself is creamy and has a very pleasant minty scent. It doesn't cause any tingling sensation on any part of my face at all (unlike the Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile cleanser), so for those of you who have sensitive skin, this would be a good option for you.

I massage it well onto dry skin, then wet my muslin cloth with hot water and proceed to wipe off all traces of makeup. I've used this on my eyes as well and it doesn't cloud or irritate my eyes.

before

 after

the mess

Pretty impressive, no? I absolutely love how this product removes all my makeup but still makes my skin feel clean afterwards. The Boots cleansing milk left residue behind, which meant I definitely needed a second cleanse. But the Cleanse & Polish eliminates that need completely because there is zero residue. It also doesn't leave my skin feeling tight at all. It just feels... Normal. Which, if you've been following my blog for a while, was something that my skin was not for a long time. 

The only thing I have an issue with, which is so easily fixable, is the muslin cloths. The brand recommends washing the cloths after every 3 or so uses. It's totally doable, but like I mentioned: I can be lazy and sometimes I forget... I'm hopeless, aren't I? If this sounds like you, fear not! You can purchase muslin cloths separately at the Liz Earle online store (2 for £3.55/$6.00 or 6 for £8.65/$15.00), which I should probably definitely do.

Speaking of muslin cloths, I love these babies! My skin always feels so utterly smooth after a cleanse but it's never abrasive. Also, as I said to another blogger at one point, I expect my cleansers to not only do the job, but to entertain me as well. I find that using muslin cloths kind of ups the entertainment factor for me since I've never cleansed this way before. What can I say? I think it's fun! 

Going back to the cleanser, I've been using Cleanse & Polish for almost a month now and I have definitely seen an improvement in my skin. It's clearer, I had less hormonal breakouts, and my skin feels balanced. In fact, I find a lot of my skin products are a tad too rich for me now (just a tad) that my skin is no longer so dry. For someone who has dealt with a complete skin meltdown, having the skin finally behaving is a relief! 

Have you tried Liz Earle's Hot Cloth Cleanser before? 

Share your experiences with me! :)

*Disclaimer: This product was a PR sample sent for review consideration.

Collection Spotlight: Gucci - Spring 2011

(photos from style.com)

You may have seen various pieces from this collection already. I believe Olivia Wilde has worn it on the red carpet, Jennifer Lawrence can be seen wearing it on the cover of Flare... And I totally get it. Because this collection is sexy.

I love the first and second sets the most because of the use of colour. Orange and purple? Why not? Love the dresses with the gold, tasseled belts and the jumpsuits (I think I will always love jumpsuits from now on).

Also, the very last dress is just divine! The gorgeous emerald colour would look gorgeous on just about everyone; I also like the Y-shaped halter and floofy skirt. Floofy is my new favourite non-word word :).

Are you a fan of non-traditional colour combinations?