EcoTools' Retractable Kabuki Brush Makes Touch-Ups A Breeze!

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of EcoTools... Not only are they eco friendly (as the name suggests), but the brushes are incredibly soft and very affordable. Now that I'm working long hours, the need to touch up my makeup has grown. So the time came for me to purchase a face powder for touch up and, of course, a brush to apply it with. There was no question of which brush I was going to get; it was always going to be the EcoTools' Retractable Kabuki Brush.

I guess we'll start with the not-so-good stuff first... 

This product is absolutely FAB, but it's not perfect. The packaging is very lightweight, given that it's made of recycled aluminum. However, it feels a bit flimsy to me. I haven't treated it like a precious item and it still hasn't broken, which tells me it's surprisingly strong. But I just can't stop worrying that it'll fall apart on me. 

Another thing I don't like about the packaging is that it gets scratched so easily. Sometimes it gets marks which I can rub away easily enough. But the marks you see in the photo above are well and truly part of the case now. However, apart from the packaging, this product is alllll good!

Like all EcoTools brushes (which are 100% cruelty free), the bristles are amazingly soft! Not only that, they're dense too, which makes powders blend into your skin so beautifully. There's no shedding with this and all other EcoTools brushes I own and did I mention the bristles are sooo soft? Because they really are. 

If the packaging were sturdier, this retractable kabuki would be absolutely perfect. But don't let that discourage you from purchasing this product. The good far outweighs the one bad and the price (at around $15 CAD) doesn't hurt, either! Like I mentioned earlier, it's lightweight and quite small so it's perfect for traveling or for those of you who, like me, work long hours. 

Heck, even if you don't need a retractable kabuki brush yet, get it anyway! I believe, as of this moment, that they are still on promo at London Drugs for $10.39 (which is the price I bought it at) so go out and get yourself one! I swear, you will not regret it... After that, go ahead and get yourself something to use it with! I am such an enabler but I am not ashamed.

Bottom line: amazing brush, amazing price. Though I hate the fact that I have to do any touch ups, using the EcoTools Retractable Kabuki Brush makes the process much easier to deal with.

Are you a fan of the EcoTools brand?

Embracing Bold Lips With Revlon...

 A week or so ago, I stepped into a Shoppers Drug Mart located near my workplace. Lo and behold, they had a promotion going on: 2 Revlon lipsticks for approximately $7 (with tax). There were two shades that caught my eye, Siren and Fire & Ice.

These shades are so vibrant and the payoff is amazing. Both have a creamy texture that goes on smoothly on the lips. However, Fire & Ice definitely requires less application as it covers my very pigmented lips quite well. Siren, on the other hand, tends to settle in lines a bit more and is less forgiving if your lips are a bit dry.

Siren

Fire & Ice

(please excuse the shoddy application!)

As you can see, both shades are stunning! Siren is a gorgeous coral/melon shade, a shade I happen to be obsessing over the last month or so. Fire & Ice is a lovely, classic red that I think will look good on just about anybody. I wore it last week to a wedding and I felt very Old Hollywood!

I would definitely wear these lippies more often, except I constantly find myself having a reaction whenever I wear lipstick in general. For the last couple of months, every time I wear lipstick or lipgloss, the area where my lips and the skin around them meets gets very dry. Has this happened to any of you before? If so, was it an allergic reaction to the product or was it because of something else (i.e. weather)? Please let me know if you guys have any remedies, I'd really like to get back to wearing lipsticks/glosses again!

That said, I definitely recommend Siren and Fire & Ice (the latter, especially)! They are such gorgeous colours and they apply smoothly on the lip (Fire & Ice more so than Siren). They're inexpensive as well, which is always a win!

Are you a fan of bold lip colours?

(Belated) Happy Birthday, Call It Beauty!

(photos from Pizzazzerie)

So, I completely missed Call It Beauty's 1st birthday... FOR SHAME! 

Alas, better late than never, right? 

Looking back through posts, I can't believe how much I've grown as a blogger and I can see it through my photos and my makeup looks. 

Thanks to everyone who's following the blog, especially those who leave such lovely comments! I really appreciate you all taking the time to read/comment and I love hearing from all of you =).

I hope that you all stick with me in the coming years as I grow to be a better beauty blogger. Hope you all have a fantastic rest of the week!

Again, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

All About Eyes: Naked Palette - Numéro Un

Products Used:

Urban Decay Naked Palette (mine! It is miiine!) - Sin, Naked, Buck, Creep, Virgin

Clinique Brush-On Cream Eyeliner - True Black

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil - Zero

L'oréal Voluminous Waterproof - Carbon Black

Firstly, I applied Sin all over the lid as a base, starting from the upper lash line to just above the crease. Then I applied a combination of Naked and Buck to the area between my crease and my brow bone. Next, I swept Creep from the lash line up towards the brow bone, layered directly on top of Sin. I blended Creep into the Naked/Buck (buck naked?) combo, creating a subtler v shape on the outer corner of my eye. I also applied this quite low along the lower lash line. Then I used Virgin to highlight the brow bone and to soften the edges of the darker shadows. To finish off this rather simple look, I lined my upper water line with Clinique cream eyeliner, liner my upper & lower water lines with Urban Decay's glide-on pencil and applied multiple coats of mascara to both top & bottom lashes.

Hope you all like my first Naked Palette look!

There will be more to come soon =).

Liz Earle Skincare: Instant Boost Skin Tonic & Skin Repair Moisturiser

I've been using Liz Earle's Instant Boost Skin Tonic and Skin Repair Moisturiser on and off for more than a month now. It took me a while to write a review because I wasn't really sure how I felt about it at first; it wasn't love at first use for me, unlike their Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser.

(Apologies for the picture quality, the light kept changing on me)

I've come to really love this Instant Boost Skin Tonic, it feels lovely on the skin and I just adore the scent. It's really refreshing to use it after washing 15 hours of grime off my face and it leaves my skin feeling soft, smooth, and moisturized. Any moisturizer I use after this toner feels that much more moisturizing and when I wake up, my skin feels smooth and plump.

The Instant Boost Skin Tonic is suitable for all skin types. 

(someone needs to remember to apply hand cream >.<)

I think that if I tried this moisturiser during the winter, I would've fallen in love. As it is summer now, it's a bit too rich for me to use for the daytime. I do love using it at night, though; my skin just soaks up all that moisturizing goodness and I always tend to wake up touching my face. It seems I can't quite believe how soft it feels!

It absorbs well into the skin; though when my skin isn't quite as dry, it leaves my face a bit oily. However, my skin is going through a dry phase right now (especially the area around the lip) so it's just perfect: my skin feels moisturized and not at all oily.

The Skin Repair Moisturiser also comes in normal/combination and there's the Skin Repair Moisturiser Light option, which is suitable for combination/oily skin types. 

Also, for those living in Canada, the US website will ship to us. However shipping prices are quite pricey, which does not make Dani a happy camper. That said, I think these products are SO worth a try (especially the Hot Cloth Cleanser and the Skin Tonic). Then, when you decide you love them, you have the option of purchasing packages of 3 from the website, which might ease the sting of the shipping price a bit...

Have you tried Liz Earle skincare before?

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

All About Eyes - Pride

Products Used:

Wet n' Wild Color Icon Palette - Pride 

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil - Zero

Ardell Lashes - 107 Black

To start off, I applied the matte green shade along the lid, from the lash line to just above the crease. Then, I applied the shimmery green to the edge of the matte green, blending it up towards the brow bone. Next, I applied the shimmery blue shade along the outer v and extended it down to the lower lash line and used the matte green (inner corner) and shimmery green (between matte green and shimmery blue) along the lower lash line as well. I used the shimmery white eyeshadow to highlight the brow bone and the matte white along the inner corner of the lid. Then I used the matte navy shade and applied it above the matte white and green eyeshadows. To finish off the look, I lined my upper lash line and lower water line with a black eye pencil and applied false eyelashes.

Hope you like this look!

Latest Purchases!

EcoTools Recycled Retractable Kabuki Brush

Lindo Twist-N-Roll Tweezers

London Look Eye Shadow Fluff Large Brush

Urban Decay Naked Palette (finally!!!)

MAC Mini Fix+

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

MAC False Lashes

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish (Soft & Gentle)

What have you hauled recently?