The Lipstick Bandits Do Summer Brights!

When Bite Beauty posted a photo on Twitter featuring their High Pigment Matte Pencil in Zinfandel ($28 CAD at Sephora), I knew I had to have it. I mean, it's described as "electric coral" for goodness sake! How does one resist that?

One doesn't... Which is why it is now in my possession.

I've had this product for a while now (since the start of the year, I believe), but it took me ages to actually review it. So when the Lipstick Bandits decided to do a Summer Brights post, I knew I had to whip out Zinfandel and share it with you all!

<tangent> And I've just found out that Bite Beauty is a Canadian company! How amazing is that? It's always so nice to see Canadian beauty brands experience mainstream North American success. I instantly became a fan of Bite Beauty when I tried Mulberry for the first time, so I'm just delighted that "one of ours" makes such lovely products! </tangent>

Now, when Bite says this pencil is High Pigment, they really do mean High Pigment. You really only need one thin layer of this bad boy and you've got yourself some hardcore, opaque, "electric coral" goodness on your lips. Zinfandel has a rather creamy consistency, which means it glides on smoothly and with absolutely no tugging on the lips.

It's not lightweight and feels slightly... Not heavy, that's definitely not the right word. But you certainly don't forget you're wearing it, that's for sure. It still feels rather comfortable on the lips, though. However, it does remain tacky and will transfer easily, so... Don't wear white? 

But what has me really confused is that it's not matte at all! Now, I don't know if it's just the particular pencil I got or if all their matte pencils are the same way, but my lips continues to sport some sheen every time I wear it. Which is a shame, really, as I would've loved if it was truly matte. Larie of Eye Heart It reviewed the High Pigment Matte Pencil in Pomegranate here and it definitely looks matte. But am I really going to complain about this? Not really. Why? Because the colour is stunning!

I can't say much about the wear time because I have the habit of eating quite often (every 3 hours at this point) and I often wipe my lips before and after eating, which would necessitate reapplication and kind of renders any wear time counting pointless. That said, I've been able to get a solid 4 hours with absolutely no signs of wear, so I'm going to go ahead and make the assumption that I would get even longer wear time if I hadn't  consumed any food or liquids.

Zinfandel is definitely not as matte as I would like, but gosh, just look at that colour! It's vibrant, it's fresh, it's "electric freakin' coral!"

This shade is absolutely perfect for Summer; so if you're looking for a Summer Bright, definitely check Zinfandel out!

Now comes the fun part - you get to check out the rest of the Lipstick Bandits' picks for their Summer Brights:

Bloomin' Beauty Blog
Eye Heart It
Getting Cheeky
Makeup Morsels
Messy Wands
Musing on Beauty
My Funny Valentine
My Women Stuff
Rocaille Writes
theNotice: a beauty blog‎

Let us know what your summer bright is! 

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?

Monthly Favourites - March 2012

Dear March,

I'm glad to see you go. You have kicked me in the behind too many times and showed me who's boss. Well, guess what? You're done now, so I get to be the boss again! *insert evil laughter here*

I don't know what it was about March, but my blogging mojo pretty much disappeared throughout this month. But now it's the brand new month of April; so fingers crossed, I will be getting back into the swing of things!

As always, I give you my favourite products from this past month...

Yes To Cucumbers Natural Glow Facial Towelettes

I've been wanting to try products from the Yes To line, and I finally had the chance when I ran out of makeup remover wipes.

What I love about these wipes is that they remove makeup effectively, they have a light, fresh scent, the cloths are super soft, and each wipe also has the largest surface area of any makeup remover wipes I've ever tried. I also love that these wipes aren't very wet; that means they don't leave any residue behind, which is always lovely. 

Now if that wasn't awesome enough, they are also: 98.7% natural, biodegradable, FSC certified, dermatologically & opthalmologically tested, oil-free, non-comodogenic, and hypoallergenic. All for the price of $7.99 CAD. 

I am SOLD!

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus & Medium Dark

Just how I was able to walk out of Nordstrom with a Medium Dark MSFN, I cannot tell you.

That said, it has proven to be quite useful for me. I either use it to contour or to layer on top of a foundation that is too light for me. Meanwhile, Medium Plus is my regular go-to shade. I also layer Medium Plus on top of a sheerer foundation to give myself just a bit more coverage. In both cases, these MSFN's perform absolutely beautifully.

I love these babies! They provide great coverage and feel über light on the skin. They're perfect for if you want very natural coverage and for touching up throughout the day (Medium Plus was a lifesaver last Summer), so go ahead and get yourself another to keep in your purse!

MAC Mineralize Blush in Subtle Breeze

My current favourite blush <3.

I love that this shade looks good with a lot of different lipsticks. Because it's so utterly wearable, I can wear a coral lipstick with this blush and still not look like a clown. It blends to smoothly and evenly over my skin; it never looks patchy! The texture is so soft, too... 

Read my original review here.

MAC Eyeshadow in Quarry

My go-to eye makeup look has looked like thus: a champagne shade all over the lid, Quarry along the crease for some definition, and black eyeliner. I've loved using this eyeshadow for contouring (even on my cheeks) for more than a year now, but I've been giving it some serious usage this month. The shade is perfect for when I'm planning on using cooler tones on my cheeks and lips. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Shade 01 & Lancôme Rouge in Love Lipstick in Rose Boudoir

My current favourite lipsticks.

Rose Boudoir is an amazing shade. It's bright, it's fun, and it looks even more amazing on. The formula of the Rouge in Love lipsticks are absolutely lovely - so lightweight, I forget that I'm wearing lipstick! If you would like to know more about Rouge in love lipsticks, click here to read my original, in-depth review.

The Rimmel lipstick is also wonderful. It glides on smoothly and is very pigmented. I love that this lipstick fades into a nice stain-like, shade after a while. And even if you're eating, it doesn't wear off in a patchy way. To read my original review of these lipsticks, click here.

Sephora Collection I.T. Stippling Brush

Probably my favourite buy from the last month or so. If you guys are familiar with Sephora's I.T. brushes, you will know that they are not cheap. BUT, they were phasing this style of brush out, so I was able to buy it for $11 CAD ($30 original). What's even more awesome is that I've been wanting to a buy a brush just like this one for ages. Huzzah and all that jazz!

I love using this brush with very pigmented foundations. It blends the product beautifully and sheers out the coverage of the foundation. It's not the softest brush, but it doesn't hurt, either. 

Also, it's hot pink! Oh, and I love that the brush handle is rather thin and that it tapers at the end. It gives the brush a great look and makes it easier to hold if you have smallish hands like me.

In other news...


Check out what my nails look like right now:

Aren't they fun? I love them so much! Winnie, one of my closest and dearest and bestest friends, did them on Monday! I would love it if you checked out here blog >> CLICK HERE <<. She does lots of amazing nail art, so if you're interested in that sort of thing, then her blog is for you! :)

I showed you mine, now show me yours!

What are your March Favourites?

Get My Nails Did...

For someone who professes to not use a lot of nail polish, I seem to have acquired a fair amount in the last 2 months... I generally don't like to spend too much on nail polish. Since I don't paint my nails that often, I can't really justify a Dior or Chanel purchase. So most of what's in my "collection," if you can even call it that, is drugstore fare.

Before I start, can I just say that there's nothing like zooming into your cuticles to make you realize how much you've been neglecting them? I actually cringed a few times! I definitely need to start using my Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream again.

So, yeah... Let's not pay any mind to them, shall we?

Anyway, these five shades have really caught my eye, so I thought I would share it with you all!

Elegant, indeed!

There's something so classy about nude nails and I've decided to finally jump the bandwagon. I've seen some nude + insert-colour-here combinations online that are so gorgeous; alas, I just don't have the coordination or the patience to do them myself. I did buy an Art Deco nail polish in black though, because I think this would look super cute with a black stripe on the edge.

I luuurve this green! It's definitely a very earthy, slightly ashy shade, and it's absolutely gorgeous! There's also a tiny hint of shimmer in it, which makes for a really lovely sheen.

The formula's very creamy and a bit thick, so it doesn't require a lot of coats to achieve opacity. In fact, you kind of have to be a bit careful, or it'll end up applying a bit goopy on the nails.

Love the brush on this one, though! It's thicker than other Revlon nail polishes and is quite similar to Rimmel brush heads. If you have rather wide nail beds, like me, having a thicker brush definitely saves time.

I'm not usually into blue nail polish, unless it's a deep navy. But I fell in love with this one from OPI's Nicki Minaj collection because I'm kind of a sucker for teal. It's pulling more blue in the photos, but it actually looks more teal in real life.

This nail polish applies kind of gel-y; but when it dries, it takes on more of a creamy look. It may take more than two coats for full opacity though, because it can apply a bit streaky. Also, this stuff will stain your skin!

The SEPHORA by OPI display at my local Sephora had set aside various pinks and reds for Valentine's Day and I was really drawn to this one. Oddly enough, the website describes Casanova Is So Into Me as "sheer metallic smoky amethyst," when clearly... Well, it's not that. I'm not very good at describing colours but there's nothing metallic or amethyst-y about this shade. Personally, I would call it a dusky rose. It appears much brighter on the photo than it does in real life. It's kind of like, pink's sophisticated, well-travelled auntie. The cool one that she rants to when her mother's being impossible... I don't even know if that makes sense.

I love how creamy and muted this shade is. Seeing as it's pink, it's obvious that it's still very feminine, but in a more mature way, I guess.

That's a lot of words to describe this shade... IT'S PRETTY! There...

Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, flow sister!

Look at me, being on trend and such. This shade is such a lovely tangerine/orange and I love! At first, I was expecting it to be more like June by Chanel... Don't ask me why. Clearly, I have sight issues. Anyway, somebody needs to dupe that ASAP, coz I'm not spending nearly $30 on nail polish!

I love how bright and punchy it is. It's definitely more gel-like in its consistency and it only takes two coats for it to turn opaque. It looks lovely with my skin now because I'm quite yellow and warm-toned, but this shade would look absolutely, drop-dead-gorgeous on somebody with really tanned or dark skin. Don't you think? Ugh, so pretty <3.

What shade are you sporting on your nails right now?

The Body Shop & Philosophy Have Made My April Showers Delightful!

If you're anything like me, then you probably spend a bit of time in the shower. There's just something so wonderful about feeling borderline hot water either washing away the last vestiges of sleep in the morning or whatever stresses you may have dealt with in the evening. 

For me, taking a shower isn't just about hygiene and getting clean, although that is a very important part of the ritual. Showers can be just as relaxing and luxurious, provided you're using the right type of products. To me, that equates to products that smell wonderful and lather nicely and these two shower gels definitely fit that bill.

Best if you want to: Feel fresh and clean with a 100% biodegradable shower gel that is sulphate, paraben, and colorant-free. Contains real watermelon and eucalyptus extracts.

Ingredients: Water (Solvent/Diluent), Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate (Surfactant - Cleansing Agent), Cocamidopropyl Betaine (Surfactant), Sodium Chloride (Viscosity Modifier), Glycerin (Humectant), Fragrance (Fragrance), Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Citric Acid.

My first experience with any watermelon scented products were with my grandma's cucumber melon lotion from Bath and Body Works, which I now use myself. So I was immediately drawn to this particular shower gel.

It lathers nicely and has a wonderful, refreshing watermelon scent. The scent isn't overbearing, though you can tell it's a bit manufactured. It's hard to explain but stronger smelling perfumes hit a certain spot in my nose, especially the fruity/floral ones (which is why I prefer muskier perfumes). It's neither offensive nor uncomfortable with the Watermelon & Eucalyptus shower gel, it's just... There. 

Also, you will (almost) definitely need to apply lotion after using this. It's not too stripping, but you will definitely find certain areas (i.e. knees, elbows, etc.) will require some, as my brother calls it, "Ash-Be-Gone." But the great thing about these shower gels is that the scents are subtle enough that you can mix and match with others. You definitely don't need to stick to a watermelon-type scent because whatever you use won't really clash.

If this particular scent does nothing to entice you, there are six other shower gels from their Earth Lovers line that might be more to your liking. Namely: Apricot & Basil, Cucumber & Mint, Fig & Rosemary (this was lovely, as well), Lemon & Thyme (this would be wonderful to wake oneself up in the morning!), Pear & Lemongrass, and Unfragranced. Yes, you read that right, Unfragranced. 

When I spoke to an SA about this, he mentioned that you can add your own scents (presumably The Body Shop's perfume oils?) to it to create your perfect shower gel. How awesome is that?

Shower Gels For Earth Lovers retail for $12.00 CAD.

"The unbelievable scent of a freshly baked vanilla cake has been captured in this rich shower gel formula. The too-good-for-words scent offers you a delectable shower experience for superior bath time fun. Celebrate this 100 percent calorie free option for starting your day - sprinkles optional."

This shower gel is Sephora's free birthday gift given to Beauty Insiders for the year 2011. It foams a bit more than the Watermelon & Eucalyptus shower gel and smells absolutely, positively delicious! Vanilla is one of my favourite scents so you can be sure I love this shower gel.

It's creamier consistency means it's more moisturizing than The Body Shop's shower gel but it's definitely no match for It's Raining Men by Lush. 

According to Philosophy, this can also be used as a shampoo and bubble bath. While I don't foresee myself using this as a shampoo unless I really have to (the second ingredient is Tea-Lauryl Sulfate), I am definitely eager to use this as a bubble bath.

I haven't come across any reviews online about how this performs as a bubble bath, but I would assume, judging from how it foams in the shower, that it would bubble wonderfully in the bath as well. The vanilla scent will be lovely to pair with other similarly scented products, I'm sure. 

So when your birthday comes around and you're a Beauty Insider, be sure to pick this up! It smells absolutely divine. Definitely a much better birthday gift than last year's offer.

What's your favourite shower gel at the moment?

All About Eyes: Runway Edition- Oscar de la Renta

(photo from Makeup For Life)

This is my take on a gorgeous, green look that was seen in Oscar de la Renta's Spring/Summer 2011 Runway show, which I pretty much fell in love with. Check it out:

Products Used:

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette - Original (teal)

Sephora Color Play 5-in-1 Palette - light blue-green & white-green

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

Clinique High Impact Mascara - Black

With an eye shading brush (I used Sigma's E55), I packed on the light blue-green shade on the lid, ending about halfway across the lid and just at the brow bone. With the same brush, I applied a teal shade along the outer half of the eyelid, creating a subtler flick than the one found on the model. Then with a pencil brush, I used the light blue-green shade again and applied to the the inner third of the lower lash line. With the same brush, I applied the teal shade along the rest of the lower lash line, blending it into the shadow at the outer corner. Next, I applied the white-green shade along the edge of the socket and the brow bone to soften the edges a bit. I used a large, fluffy eyeshadow brush for this.

I wanted the eyebrows to be quite natural, so I simply brushed through the hairs with an EcoTools brow groomer. Then with an EcoTools angled eyeliner brush, I applied Blacktrack Fluidline to the upper lash line, upper water line and lower water line. I created thicker line than one you would find on any of the models because I find my smaller eyes need a bit more definition. Lastly, I curled my lashes and applied 2-3 coats of Cliniqe's High Impact mascara.

Hope you like it :)

A Birthday Haul & A Sob Story (Not Really)

Is there a better time to haul than on birthdays? Well, aside from Christmas, that is... Probably not. Though we don't let that stop us on any other day, do we? Ahh, the plight of a beauty addict.

Anyway, without further ado, here are my purchases (and free gifts):

Sephora

*Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation was a free sample*

Philosophy - Vanilla Birthday Cake Shower Gel (free V.I.B. birthday gift)

Clinique - Brush On Cream Liner

Laura Mercier - Tinted Moisturizer

The Body Shop

   Watermelon & Eucalyptus Earth Lovers Shower Gel 

Coconut Milk Body Lotion (free for spending more than $30)

Tee Tree Blemish Gel

Eye Colour in

Baked Eye Colour in Amethyst

BOOHOO :'(

(photo from Inglot)

So if you follow me on twitter, you might have seen me whining about my "inglot situation." Inglot used to have a location in the Lower Mainland of B.C., where I'm from. However, they closed shop after a short time. In my mind, they probably didn't have great products, which was why they didn't make much money. But after seeing Wayne and Cora's reviews of their eyeshadows, I find myself metaphorically kicking myself in the behind for passing up on these babies. Though, in my defense, I wasn't really big on makeup back then. 

Well, after about an hour of trolling the interwebs for swatches and the like, I finally came up with my 10 shadows (with the Freedom System, the more you buy, the cheaper the individual price. So for 10+ eyeshadows, each pan costs $4.50 USD). I was beyond excited, as I'm sure any of you would, too. However, as I'm checking out, I see that they don't ship to Canada.

*whomp - whomp - whooooooomp!*

I was gutted for a few hours but for some reason, I wouldn't let it go. So I googled around and came across an Inglot Canada Facebook page, run by Inglot Canada's head office. Turns out, you can place orders by calling their head office or emailing them at information@inglotcanada.com. So, if you've been dying to try Inglot products, here's your chance! Have at it, lovelies!

Hauled anything lately?

Have you tried Inglot products before?