Guess What, Lovelies?!

So a month or two ago, I was contacted by FASHION MAGAZINE to be part of their new online Beauty Panel. I missed the first challenge, but I was able to join the other lovely beauty bloggers for the second and it's all about: EMERALD. 

As you all must know, Pantone has declared emerald the colour of the year. So we were tasked with incorporating this particular shade into our beauty routines. 

I particularly love wearing colour on my lower lash line, so I decided to wear emerald there...

Products Used:

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Waterproof Concealer

Anastasia Vol. I Bold Brows Kit

MAC Eyeshadows (Naked Lunch, Quarry, and Omega)

MAC Powder Blush (Taupe Shape)

MAC Mineralize Blush (Subtle Breeze)

Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick (Posy Pink)

Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies Flared Mascara

NYX Cosmetics Slide On Pencil (Esmeralda)

And on a quick review note: the NYX Slide On Pencils are fabulous! They have stayed on my lower lash line without budging for 11 hours. With other long-wearing eye pencils, I notice fading after 5 or 6 hours, but the Slide On Pencils didn't move at all. And yet, they weren't difficult to apply (they are sooo soft, you guys!) or a pain in the you-know-where to remove. I'm definitely impressed... Which means I must get all the colours. ALL THE COLOURS, you guys!

Anyway, hope you guys like this look and if you have the time, please check out my post and all the other posts as well! 

How would YOU wear emerald?

My New Favourite Eyeliner...

Here's the thing... Yes, the products that are in my makeup kit are also used for personal use (after proper sanitizing, of course!), but it kind of becomes a hassle when it's a product that you would use every day -- or nearly every day, at least. Unpack, repack, unpack, repack, and all that jazz... So, I figured now is the time to get another gel eyeliner, since my Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner is officially in the kit.

BUT, since I am on a low-buy (gotta save up for the dslr, baby!), I decided to turn to Drugstore fare. To be completely honest, I didn't really expect much from the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner, which I purchased at London Drugs for $9.99 CAD each; but boy, was I surprised...

Blackest Black

Eggplant

I purchased 2 of the shades - Blackest Black (black eyeliner is, and should be, a staple in everyone's stash) and Eggplant (softer and a bit more fun than traditional black, and it compliments brown eyes well). Both shades are well pigmented, though Eggplant does take a few more swipes before getting the opacity I desire. Also, while Blackest Black is a straight up black, Eggplant has small, silver particles running through it; I can't describe it as "glittery," but there's definitely some shimmer action going on.

Each pot also comes packaged with a small eyeliner brush, which I actually really like! I've always been partial to angled brushes (my favourite is one of MAC's angled brushes -- can't remember if it was the 263 or the 266), so I really wasn't sure about these ones. But again, I was pleasantly surprised. The bristles are short and firm, just how I like my eyeliner brushes, and the handle is as short as a travel-sized brush; which, when you consider how bad my eyesight is, it's pretty awesome that I can get close enough to the mirror on my vanity to see my eye clearly without knocking the end of my brush on the mirror. It's the small things, guys...

It's also rather easy to create the flick that I am quite fond of with these brushes, which would've been the dealbreaker for me. So BIG THUMBS UP to Maybelline for these awesome brushes!

Blackest Black

Eggplant

*Please excuse the difference in skintone. I used a foundation with a more yellow undertone for the Eggplant swatch. Also, I took the photo of Blackest Black on a cloudier day. Apologies!

The texture of these gel liners are also quite nice -- they don't have as much slip as Clinique's and they've also got a thicker consistency, but it still glides on very smoothly. But the best part is, I don't need to wear primer underneath in order to have it last all day. I did see some very slight migration to the bottom lash line at 12 hours, but 9 of those hours were spent in a hot, crowded room doing makeup or outside in the hot sun for a photoshoot. I was definitely impressed by how well it stood up to all of those conditions... Lasting Drama, indeed!

That said, because it's long lasting, I have to wash my brushes way more frequently than I would like. I'm talking about every 1-2 uses, yo! On the second use, I found the brush to be very stiff and I wasn't able to make my flick as precise as I normally would be able to. Still, it's a pretty small price to pay to have a gel liner that works this well and at such an inexpensive price point. Kudos to you, Maybelline! Well done! :)

What's your favourite gel liner?

Cosmetics Blitz!

I've done a Blitz Review before and I thought it was about time I did another as I've accumulated quite a bit of makeup in the past 6 months (despite the spending ban. I know... -_-').

I've got a few random products to review here that are mostly drugstore products and hopefully, some of you will find these mini-reviews pretty useful. So let's get started!

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 210

I very rarely can match myself to a foundation perfectly. I have the dubious pleasure of having a warm-toned neck/body and a much lighter, neutral-toned face. Matching foundation to my neck results in me looking much too yellow; something my MUA instructor makes sure to warn my classmates about if they're doing my makeup.

But this foundation matches me so well! I was pretty surprised about that, since drugstore brands don't typically carry a wide range of foundation shades. Still, 210 is probably one of, if not the most natural looking foundation I've ever tried. It's quite liquidy and feels pretty light on the skin. Despite not having a lot of coverage (I would describe it as light-buildable), it still evens out my skintone rather well.

Unfortunately, this foundation doesn't last very long on my skin (around 4-6, depending on the situation) and is not very good at oil control (not that it claims to be). So it won't hold up for a full day, but is definitely more than enough for my half days at work.

Maybelline Fit Me Foundations retail for $7.99 CAD.

Boxx Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Darva*

Boxx Cosmetics is a fairly new brand whose philosophy is "high quality, practicality, innovation and affordability." They sell package-free cosmetics which can then fit into pre-existing compacts. I think it's a brilliant idea!

Their Darva eyeshadow is described as a "honey highlighter" and performs amazingly as such. I've used it as a base eyeshadow as well, but it's really much too light for my colouring. It also doesn't last very long on my oily lids. But as a highlighter, it's wonderful. I've been using it to highlight my brow bone and to illuminate the inner corners of my eyes.

Boxx Cosmetics wet/dry eyeshadows retail for $18 CAD.

NYX Cream Shadow in Gunmetal, Aqua, and Chocolate

I was immediately taken with these cream shadows from NYX. They are really pigmented and look absolutely stunning in swatches. That said, it's kind of difficult to blend. I've tried fingers and I've tried a synthetic brush; neither of those techniques apply these shadows evenly. They are also aren't quite a match for my oily lids, as I see some creasing at before the end of a typical 8-hour work-day.

I'm normally a fan of NYX products, but I think they missed the mark with this one.

NYX Cream Shadows retail for $11.99 CAD.

Rimmel Vinyl Max Lip Gloss in 701 Outrageous

These lipglosses are fairly new from Rimmel and they're pretty great! The particular shade I got is called Outrageous (though the shade itself can't be called "outrageous," can it? :p) and is a lovely peachy-pink colour with lots of shine. I chose this shade because I wanted a colour that was going to be easy to wear and didn't need a lot of thought beforehand in terms of choosing blush and eyeshadow shades that would compliment and not clash. 

The brush is ridiculous, though. Seriously, it does not need to be that big. I guess the thought process was that if the brush was bigger, you would need fewer swipes. BUT, I found I have to be even more careful using this than I do other lipglosses with regular-sized doe foot applicators because I was so afraid I would end up painting my face with it. It also has a cooling sensation that, while not uncomfortable, still kind of irks me. I would love this lipgloss more if they did away with the cooling sensation and came with a doe-foot applicator that wasn't made for a giant.

Rimmel Vinyl Max Lipglosses retail for $7.99 CAD.

Rimmel Clean Finish Foundation in 330 Sand

100% Poreless is a huge claim! Large pores are not really a problem for me, but I did find that the ones around my nose looked less visible. This foundation has medium to full coverage, is quite thick, and doesn't have a lot of slip; so I had to blend very quickly with a stippling brush (I was sporting an uneven coverage when I didn't work fast enough). It sets matte and lasted through a long work day, so I would say it works well for oilier skins. Because of the consistency of this foundation, I wouldn't recommend it for dry skins. 

I also love that it comes with a spatula! It makes using this foundation pretty mess-free and more sanitary. 

Rimmel Clean Finish Foundation retails for $7.99 CAD.

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Cream Lipstick in Paris Rose

I've wanted to get this ever since I saw it on The Notice last year. Anyway, I finally got it and it's just as lovely as I expected it to be. It's lightweight and feels very comfortable on the lips, though it does adhere to dry patches, so I have to be sure to exfoliate (which I don't do nearly as often as I should >.<). 

It starts out with a hint of sheen but as it sets, it takes on more of a "semi-matte" (as Rae-Rae likes to call it) finish. Such a lovely shade! 

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipsticks retail for $11.99 CAD.

Joe Fresh Cream Blush in Apricot

Love the colour and love that it dries to a powdery finish; it actually was able to for about 6 hours before it started to lose some colour. It definitely applies better with fingers, though. I was using a cream blush brush by Quo and it was not blending well at all. That said, it does apply nicely with a stippling brush, which I really should remember to do. 

Joe Fresh Cream Blushes retail for $8.00 CAD.

And there you have...

My latest blitz review... I have to say, I'm really liking this kind of format. It allows me to review products without the pressure of doing a whole post on them. Sometimes, I just don't have enough to say, know what I mean? 

Anyway, let me know in the comments if you guys like this kind of format!

Happy weekend, lovelies!

*Disclaimer: This product was a PR sample sent for review consideration. Review is 100% honest. 

NOTW - Mottled Sunset With Nails Inc. And Maybelline New York

Two nail posts in a row? What's that about?

So here's the thing: I'm kind of in love with Chanel June... However, it is approximately (or maybe exactly?) $30 CAD. $30 CAD!!! That's ridiculous, yo! For $30, that nail polish better sing me a song, too!

All kidding aside, I've been patiently searching for a dupe for this gorgeous shade and I think I may have finally found it. Granted, I've never tried Chanel June, so I can't say for certain if it's similar enough. But, it's still the same colour I've been wanting to get for ages (and by ages, I mean months): a pastel, peach-melon type of shade.

Ladies and ladies, I introduce you all to Wellington Square, by Nails Inc. Nails Inc. has been available in North America close to a year, but I've only really remember seeing them in Canadian Sephoras this week. I'm not sure if it's only made its way to Canada now or if I'm just late to the game (the latter being the more likely of the two). Anyway, when I saw Wellington Square, I knew I had to have it. And at $11.50 CAD, it is more in line with how much I am willing to spend on nail polish.

Now, because I've become obsessed with using a sponge to apply nail polish, I've decided to use another shade (Maybelline Express Finish nail polish in Tulip Tango) to create a mottled effect that reminded me very much of a sunset. Tulip Tango is a gorgeous, pinky-coral shade that is absolutely perfect for summer; and at $5.99 CAD each, you can't really go wrong, can you?

And here is the finished, "Mottled Sunset" look. I love how subtly the two shades blend together; as opposed to my previous post, which had a more drastic colour change. I decided to do the mottled effect on only two nails (on both hands, of course), just because I can. <insert-emoticon-with-smug-smile-and-sunglasses>

Also, I used Butter London's Horse Power Nail Fertilizer as my base and Seche Vite as my top coat. Both of which make for a kick-ass manicure combo. But more on that in my April Favourites post...

Anyhoo, hope you guys like this rather simple NOTW/Nail Art-thingy! Hope you all have a wonderful week ahead!

What is your favourite peach/melon nail polish?

All About Eyes - Mermaid

Products Used:

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow - Turquoise Shimmer 83, Purple 92 & Black 4

Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner - Mat Black 0L

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - Blackest Black

So I figured I'd finally use some of the MUFE eyeshadows from my kit in a look.

My kit contains 8 neutral shades and 4 brighter, colourful shades. I had already used one of them on another look I've posted on the blog, another one is yellow and I wasn't in the mood to do yellow. That left teal and purple, so that's what I went with. It's totally not because teal and purple are my favourite colours, guys. </sarcasm>

Also, I think Turquoise Shimmer should be called Teal Shimmer. But that's just me...

Anyhoo! To start off, I applied the "teal shade" on the lid, ending just above my crease (if you can call it a crease :p). Then, I blended the matte purple shade above the teal shade, creating a V shape at the outer corner and keeping it really soft at the inner corner. Next, I applied the matte black shade just on the outer corner for a bit more depth. Then with the teal shade, I applied it just to the centre of the lower lash line and applied the matte black shade softly on either side. Lastly, I applied eyeliner on the lower water line, upper water line and very sparingly on the upper lash line, then finished off with two coats of mascara on the upper lashes only. 

Hope you guys like this look!

Making Up Is Hard To Do: A Look & Some Highlights

Practice sesh #2 was with another good friend of mine. I hadn't seen Pat in a while, so I asked if I could do her makeup and I'm glad she said yes!

Like with Missy, I was originally going to do a daytime look; but Pat asked for something smoky instead, so of course, I obliged. She offered to bring some of the eyeshadows she owns, including the original Sleek MakeUP palette, and I agreed as I wanted to have a wider range of shades to choose from. The teal and navy eyeshadows sucked me in, so I ended up using those. I'm so glad I went with blues, because they made her hazel eyes really pop.

I was slightly disappointed that I didn't have to mix any shades for her because I would really like more practice on that, but it definitely made life a bit easier. From this session, the two things I need to work on are concealing dark under eye circles and lining brows. Though, in my defense, we haven't covered brows in class yet, so this was my sad attempt at filling someone else's in. As for concealing, I always find that my initial mixing of shades makes the under eye circles look kind of ashy.

Products Used:

Make Up For Ever Face & Body Foundation - 

Make Up For Ever 5 Camouflage Cream Palette - Shade 5 (Professional Corrective Shades)

Make Up For Ever Sculpting Kit

MAC Blush - Pinch O'Peach

Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish - Soft & Gentle

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette - Original 

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow - Black 4

Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes  Eyeliner - Matte Black 0L

Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara - Very Black

Make Up For Ever Lip Pencil - No. 51

Burberry Lip Mist - Camelia Pink

Hope you guys like this look! I'm really happy with how this turned out and I'm starting to feel a little bit more comfortable in my own skills. Huzzah!

Makeup Artistry Fundamentals Thoughts...

• I am now six classes into my course and there are only four more classes left. Right now, we're focusing on day looks, (which is why I always mention how I initially wanted to do a day look, but ended up doing an evening one instead :p). Ah well, might as well get a head start on the next course, no? :p
• Last week's class was the best I've had so far, in terms of the actual practical aspect. I paired up with a classmate that had acne, so it took me a lot longer to do her base, especially since I was using Face & Body; but I got there... And it looked really good, actually. I forgot to bring my camera, so you're just gonna have to take my word for it :p. But her skin looked quite flawless and I was incredibly proud of myself. I really liked the finished look, too, and so did my instructor. I've been doubting myself this month, but after seeing the final look, I truly felt like I could do this for a living.
• I definitely want to get different foundations. I mean, Face & Body is great for people with good skin. But for my classmate with acne, I must've applied more than 5 layers on her face. Why bother with that many layers when you can get a more pigmented foundation and just apply 1-2? I think our kit would be better if they added an extra HD foundation and took out a Face & Body.
• I get that this is just the fundamentals course, but I wish I could get more feedback from my instructor. I always try to preempt him by stating all the things I think I could've done better, but he just goes, "no, that's good. Great job." Then he walks away... Haha!
• Washing your brushes every week is kind of a pain. I know I should've been washing it every week for personal use anyway, but I'm lazy, yo!

Happy Monday, lovelies!

Said You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'...

For the third installment of the Lipstick Bandit posts, we bring to you STARTER LIPSTICKS!

Being a performer, lipstick has pretty much been a part of my life since I was a child. Seriously, I've been wearing lipstick since I was probably 9 or 10 years old. Since I couldn't really remember which lipstick "started it all" for me, so to speak, I decided to write a post about a lipstick that would be a great "gateway" product for any lipstick newbies out there.

Generally, when I'm thinking of trying a makeup product for the first time, I have two guidelines: Choose a wearable shade and, if possible, test a drugstore version first.

I know drugstore products are not as luxurious or glamorous as their high-end counterparts, but you can't deny that brands are really stepping up their game in these past few years. Thus, I bring you today, Maybelline's Color Sensational Lipcolor in Warm Me Up.

(Forgive the grossness of the lipstick. I had a photo of an unused one but it was in my previous laptop) 

I have a few Color Sensational lipsticks in my "collection," if you will, and they're definitely one of my favourite drugstore lipsticks. As with the other shades I own, Warm Me Up applies really smoothly and has a creamy texture. It's not moisturizing, but it's not drying at all. 

These lipsticks are also very pigmented, and if you know me, you know I like 'em pigmented.

I get a regular amount of wear time with this lipstick, but what I really appreciate is that it fades in a subtle way. Unlike other lipsticks that look horrendous once you've taken a sip or a bite of anything, these babies will just softly fade away so you don't look ridiculous.

Warm Me Up is  a lovely pinkish-nude shade (think MAC Jubilee, only pinker) that is definitely MLBB material for me. I feel that if you're easing your way into using a certain product, it's important to choose a shade that you can wear constantly. Warm Me Up is perfect for that because it's completely wearable and I imagine it would look gorgeous with a lot of different skin tones.

So now here's the best part... You, dear reader, get to check out the other Lipstick Bandit's posts!

• Arianne (Glitter Geek)
• Dani (Call It Beauty)
• Danielle (Bloomin’ Beauty Blog)
• Jenny (My Funny Valentine)
• Larie (Eye Heart It)
• Makeup Morsels
• Mariella (Musing On Beauty)
• Monika (Rocaille Writes)
• Paris (My Women Stuff)
• Rae (theNotice: a beauty blog)
• Tracy (Beauty Reflections)
• Xiao (Messy Wands)

Have a great week, lovelies!

Monthly Favourites - January 2012

I don't know about you, but 2012 has been pretty good to me so far. If the past month is an indication of what the rest of the year is going to be like, then I have to say I'm pretty excited about what's to come!

A bit of news before I get to my favourites. If you guys follow me on Twitter, then you'll probably already know this. But for those who don't, I am now a contributor for She Said Beauty's blog. Check out my first post here and my latest post here!

I also recently started school for Makeup Artistry and am currently taking the Makeup Artistry Fundamentals course. It's been going well so far and I'm really excited to get my hands dirty, so to speak, and finally do makeup on a face that's not mine :p. I'll be writing about my progress as I go along; check out my first post about MUA classes here.

With the out of the way, let's get to the favourites, shall we?

Bourjois Paris Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in 53 Beige Clair

I've been dying to try this foundation for some time now, but I couldn't justify buying another foundation... So I threw out my other ones :p. No, really, I did throw them out. But not because I wanted another foundation (well, I kind of did), but because I've had them for a more than a year already and I felt it was time to let them go.

This has been my go-to foundation ever since I purchased it and I've been loving it. It applies & blends onto the skin very well and is a great match for my skin tone/colour. I can't say it lasts for 16 hours, though. I find that I need some blotting and a bit of a touch up after around 5 hours of wear time. Still, it's fantastic for every day wear and I love how my skin looks whenever I use it. 

To see this foundation in action, check out my Spring for Less look. 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus

I've been wearing this MSF Natural two ways: to top off or touch up my the Healthy Mix Serum foundation and all by its lonesome. I absolutely love how this foundation make my skin look. My skin does look semi-matte for a few hours, but my natural glow comes through after some time. It feels super light on the skin, but it offers enough coverage.

MAC Mineralize Blush in Subtle Breeze & MAC Blush Ombré in Azalea Blossom

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think I'm turning into a blush fiend. These two blushes have been the only ones I used this past month. Subtle Breeze (left) is from the Naturally collection, while Azalea Blossom (right) was repromoted in the Daphne Guinness collection; both are utterly, utterly gorgeous!

Burberry Beauty Lip Mist in Camelia No. 7

I'm a big fan of Burberry, and when I found out they were branching into cosmetics, I got really excited. On boxing day last year, I finally was able to purchase my first Burberry Beauty product. Funnily enough, my dad and my brother picked this shade. 

Lip Mist's are supposed to impart a "subtle hint of colour," but it's actually more pigmented than that. Or at least this particular shade is. It feels really comfortable on the lips, but I have to say that I don't enjoy the scent at all. I can't really describe the scent, but it's quite unpleasant. Fortunately, the smell dissipates after a few minutes. Also, it has an awful taste; which I don't think is the taste of the lipstick per sé... You know how you can taste a scent sometimes? I can't really explain it, all I know is that it's kind of gross. But obviously it hasn't stopped me from wearing this because I have been all month. The shade's too pretty and I can't help myself, yo! 

The packaging is also très luxe and will you just look at that pattern! I love! <3

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Moisturizing Balm in Cherry Me & Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie

I love how effortless these lip products are. Cherry Me is a lot thinner than Berry Smoothie, but it keeps my lips from from getting chapped and flaking up much better. Berry Smoothie definitely doesn't hydrate as well as the name Lip Butter would suggest, but this shade is just sooo pretty! I keep these two in my purse all the time and just alternated to my heart's desire.

C.O. Bigelow My Favorite Night Balm

I've been moaning about the dry skin around my lips enough that I don't think I need to talk about the situation again. I've taken to wearing this balm even during the day and it's done wonders. My lips haven't felt this good in months!

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic & Skin Repair Moisturiser

I honestly don't understand what's going on with my skin these last few months. It's been pretty oily, so I purchased a lighter moisturizer, but it wasn't hydrating enough. Now my skin is dry again. Oh skin, please make up your mind!

I started using the Liz Earle toner and moisturizer again and it's been keeping my skin under control. My skin still gets oily after a few hours, but I'd rather have to blot than deal with dry patches. Also, the combination of these two products and the C.O. Bigelow nighttime balm has kept the skin around my lips free of dry patches. It's calmed my skin a lot and I wake up in the morning with soft, supple, and non-irritated skin. 

Bumble & bumble Tonic Lotion & Kevin Murphy Sticky Business

When I had my hair cut by the amazing Katie-Rose, she used these two products to style my hair. The Bumble & bumble Hair Tonic is meant to be "prepare hair for styling" and I find that my hair looks much smoother when I use it prior to blow drying my hair. Also, if I don't plan on washing my hair, I use this to re-wet and smooth down the hair on the left side of my head, where the hair is much shorter. Because when I wake up in the morning, that side looks like this. 

Meanwhile, Sticky Business is meant for a "deliberately disheveled look." I use it to smooth down my shortest hairs and I scrunch it into the longer hairs for more body and some wave. This stuff is amazing! All you need to do is zhuzh the paste into your hair and it creates an effortless style.

POLL TIME!


As I mentioned above, I am a contributor for She Said Beauty. I need some help or my next article and I would really appreciate it if you guys took the time to take this poll!

Do you prefer having lighter or darker skin?

Yes

No

Here's to a Fabulous February!