Beauty On A Budget: Joe Fresh Cosmetics

I've walked past the Joe Fresh Style section in the cosmetic section of Superstore so many times and it wasn't until I saw Arianne's post about their matte, fuchsia lipstick that I decided to try out their products.

For those who don't know, Joe Fresh is a Canadian brand that started out as a fashion line sold in Superstore, a pretty large grocery chain in Canada. Now, they also have a cosmetics line and have proper stores in various locations throughout Canada (Granville is the closest to my fellow Lower Mainlanders).

I purchased two cream blushes, one cream lipstick and one matte lipstick. The cream blushes retail for $8.00 CAD and the lipsticks retail for $6.00 CAD.

CREAM BLUSHES

From Joe Fresh: This creamy, blendable cheek colour comes in a gorgeous range of shades that create a natural and healthy glow.

Melon

Bloom

Working with this blush has been so easy, thus far. The texture isn't sticky at all and it dries to a more gel/stain-like finish and doesn't feel tacky to the touch. It lasts a long time, too; at least a full work day (8 hours). 

I purchased Melon and Bloom, two absolutely gorgeous colours! These look beautiful on the lips as well but make sure to apply lip balm after to keep your lips moisturized. 

Left: natural light. Right: With flash

CREAM LIPSTICK - BAIE SAUVAGE

From Joe Fresh: Creamy, moisturizing lip colour keeps lips feeling soft with every use.

Natural light

With flash

This is definitely not something I would normally wear (it's a bit too cool for my colouring), but at $6, I felt that it was worth the risk. It applies smoothly and the creamy formula doesn't dry out my lips. I'm not sure when I would ever use this lipstick (other than for a look I'm photographing) but it was just too much fun to pass up!

MATTE LIPSTICK - POPPY

From Joe Fresh: Goes on smooth, dries to a matte finish! Create luscious, full lips with colour that lasts for hours.

Natural light

With flash

Now this is definitely more wearable... At least for me! The thing about matte lipsticks is your lips better be in amazing shape; otherwise, all the dry flakes will be visible. I haven't worn this a lot because my lips have been mega dry lately, but this shade is just utterly gorgeous! 

I always had this perception of matte lipsticks being difficult to apply but Poppy glides on so smoothly. It's quite lightweight too, which I totally appreciate. 

I was so pleasantly surprised with the quality of these products. They could easily compete with much more highly priced products within the drugstore cosmetic industry. If you ever come across these products, definitely pick some up. There are around 10 shades in the matte lipstick & cream blush range but the cream lipsticks have a wide variety. 

Have you tried Joe Fresh Cosmetics?

Weekend Haulin'

left to right:

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy - Stress Relief: Eucalyptus Spearmint Body Lotion

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy - Sleep: Lavender Vanilla Foaming Hand Soap

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy - Sensuality: Jasmine Vanilla Foaming Hand Soap

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy - Sensuality: Jasmine Vanilla Body Wash & Foam Bath

C. O. Bigelow - Lemon & Orange Blossom Moisture Rich Body Wash

left to right:

Urban Decay - Rollergirl Palette

Clarins - 50+ SPF Sunscreen

back to front:

Lush - The Olive Branch Shower Gel

Revlon - Grow Luscious Waterproof Mascara

Wet n Wild - Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner

What did you haul this weekend?

My Summer Scents

Summer's almost here, lovelies!

I'll be honest and say I'm not looking forward to the heat (anything over 18º C is too much for me already =/), but I'm loving the scents I've been gravitating towards lately.

Here are the four that's on regular rotation these last couple of weeks:

Estee Lauder - Pleasures Summer Bouquet

This floral scent is kinda strong, so I have to use it sparingly. It's a bit of a punchy, floral scent that can get a bit cloying so I find spraying it in the air and stepping through does the trick.

D&G - 3 L'Impératrice

J'adore L'imperatrice! The fruity scent just brightens my mood and I love how long-lasting it is! When you've had a 15 hour day and you're feeling a bit grimy, it's nice to know you still smell nice :).

Bath & Body Works - Wild Honeysuckle

This scent sorta reminds me of a flower we used to have in our garden back home in the Philippines. It's a body spray, so it doesn't last long; but every time I catch a whiff, I'm mentally transported back to my childhood.

Burberry - For Women

My first "grown up" perfume, there will always be a special place in my heart for this! I've been using it on and off for many years now and it might just be my staple. I especially love when there's traces of it left in my scarves; the scent is still there but it's a bit "worn out." I don't know why but I love that!

What are your go-to summer scents?

Monthly Favourites - May 2011

Greetings, lovelies! I hope you're all doing wonderfully on this hump day :).

Firstly, apologies for the lack of posts lately... I've been adjusting to having a full time schedule again (16  hour days sometimes) and I've been having a hard time sitting down and writing a post. But I hope you all still stick around with me!

Anyway, without further ado, here are my favourites from May 2011.

1. Neutrogena - UltraSheer Water-Light Sunscreen

Now that summer's on its way and the sun is shining brighter, I'm becoming more concerned with sun protection. I've been using UltraSheer Water-Light a lot this month and I love that it protects my skin while making my makeup apply more beautifully. 

Remember, skin cancer is no respecter of persons so make sure you're protecting your beautiful skin adequately! 

Read a full review here. 

2. Liz Earle - Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

What an amazing cleanser! I love that it removes all my makeup and leaves no residue, thereby making my skin feel totally clean, all in one step. The muslin cloth is kinda fun to use, too! It gives me light exfoliation every time I use it, leaving my skin feeling soft and smooth. 

Read the full review here. 

3. Bath & Body Works - Wild Honeysuckle Body Spray

Such a lovely, floral scent! It's not overpowering at all, being a body spray. It reminds me a lot of flowers we used to have in the family home back in the Philippines so I get a bit nostalgic after every whiff. It doesn't last long, since it's a body spray, but at $10 (it was on sale), I'm not complaining.

4. Revlon - PhotoReady Foundation & Concealer

I've been loving this combo this past month. I like the coverage of the foundation and the concealer is the best I've tried so far. I especially love the concealer because it doesn't seep into lines, doesn't apply cakey and lasts for the whole day. 

Read the full review here. 

What are your May favourites, lovelies?

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?