I'm Not a Beauty Guru

#NailsOfTheDay: The Great Wave

November 12, 2014 4 Comments

Hello there blog world!

For my birthday a friend gifted me Essie’s cult classic Mint Candy Apple. I also recently bought Essie’s After School Boy Blazer. Both were sitting on my desk and I thought both colours would look great in a wave nail art design. Here are the results:

I got inspiration from the famous Japanese wave painting.

Source: Wikipedia

I am decently happy with this. I’m definitely no artist (as you can see), but I enjoy once and awhile attempting new nail art designs. I feel like a lot of people wouldn’t know it is a wave without me telling them (my friend asked me today what was on my nails). I like the effect though as it looks more abstract and I like the blend of the colours. If anything, it’s a nice splash of colours on my nails (if not looking perfectly like a wave). 🙂 I like that each hand turned out a bit different too. It was pretty quick to do also, I just used a toothpick to draw on the splashes.

The arsenel

Thanks for reading, hope you have a great day!

Personal

What’s In My Travel Makeup Bag

November 8, 2014 2 Comments

Hello hello! Hope everyone is having a great week!

I thought about doing a post on what is in my travel makeup bag and decided to really examine what I’ve been carrying around. Honestly, after doing this post, I realized how much I’m lugging around. Things have accumulated when I put my lip of the day in my bag and then don’t end up taking it out…Anyways, here is what is in my travel makeup bag.

1. The Bag

This is a pretty run of the mill makeup bag. I bought it from Forever 21 for under $10 bucks? It was actually sort of expensive for what it is, but I like that it’s lined. Just in case there are any accidents, I don’t think anything would leak through in my bag. 🙂

2. Lip Products

As you can see from the preview picture, I have a lot of lip products on the go!

Top Row:

Stila Lip Glaze in Kitten
Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Nude Blush
Almay Liquid Lip Balm in Apple a Day
Make Up For Ever Sephora birthday gift
Tarte LipSurgence in Elite
Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait
Givenchy Le Rouge in Brun

Bottom Row:

NARS lip gloss in Orgasm
SoftLips in Vanilla
BITE lip gloss in Strangefruit
Maybelline Baby Lips in Quenched
Fresh Lip Balm in Rose

3. Everything else 😉

Josie Maran Hand Cream in Vanilla Apriocot
Bath and Body Works PocketBac in Vanilla Berry Sorbet
Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner
L’Occitane Shea Hand Cream
Sephora Mirror
Oral-B Glide Floss
Boscia Green Tea Blotting Paper

I wonder if people carry as much as I carry in travel makeup bags? Maybe more?

Have a great day! 😀

ipsy

ipsy: October 2014

October 27, 2014 10 Comments

I have to say, I’m a lot more happy with this bag than I was September’s. What do you think?

1. The Bag

This is probably my favourite ipsy bag that I have gotten. I love that it is long, as I think ever other bag I have gotten is square. I love the colour too! People were saying that it would have made more sense if the colour was brown so it would be like a chocolate bar, but I much prefer this bright blue. 🙂

2. KISS iEnvy Fake Lashes in Au Naturale 02

I like fake lashes as they are the only way I would be able to get lashes ever. Mascara just does not work out at all for me. The only complaint is that they are a bit too dramatic. I’m thinking of trimming them down a bit so they are not massive on my eye. Hmm..can you do that to fake lashes? Probably a bad idea but I’m gonna do it anyways. ;D

3. City Color Be Matte Lipstick in Cappuccino

A lot of people were mentioning that they didn’t like this colour as it was too orange for them. I honestly don’t mind the colour at all. I find it more pinky-orange which I am totally fine with. As a matte lipstick, it’s pretty drying, but I also wear a balm underneath my mattes so it’s not as bad.

4. Figs & Rouge Hand Cream in Rose Berry

Unfortunately I can’t give an opinion on this product yet just because I haven’t tried it. It has a safety seal on it, and I didn’t want to rip it off because I still have a lot of hand cream on the go. I think this is the only meh product I got just because I have SO much hand cream. Hopefully it smells nice!

5. Jesse’s Girl Mineralized Baked Shadow Powder in Plum Frost

I was so happy to get this and the colour too! I’ve heard of the Jesse’s Girl brand before and was excited to see this in my Glam Room. SO happy I got this colour too as it’s very wearable. All the other colours on the site seemed really eccentric.

6. Skyn Iceland Mini Glacial Cleansing Cloths

Makeup wipes are always welcome. It’s pretty much my main way to remove the bulk of my makeup. I think this is a pretty good brand too. I saw this on the Murale website and it was selling for comparable to the Ole Henriksen ones. The only thing a bit worrisome is that is says “If comes in contact with eyes, rinse thoroughly”. I usually swipe my makeup wipes over my eyes but for these I might stick to eye makeup remover…

And there is October! I enjoyed the products I got this month. I think I might stick it out for a couple more months, but otherwise I think I’ll cancel. I just feel like I have so much stuff to use up! I wouldn’t say that I would cancel because ipsy is bad though, I like the size and variety of the products plus getting the cute makeup bag!

Hope you are having a great day!

Personal

One Lovely Blog Award/Tag: 7 Facts About Me

October 25, 2014 4 Comments

So I just wanted to say thank you to Miranda from miranda loves for tagging me for this award! Very kind of her to think of me, thanks so much! Miranda has a blog that I recently started following and I love it! The design is top notch girl! ;D

Here are the supposed rules.

1) You must display the award logo at the top of the post!
2) You must thank the person who nominated you and leave a link to their blog in your post (haha would have done this anyways)
3) You must add this set of rules to your post so that your nominees will know what to do
4) You must add 7 facts about yourself into the post (hopefully I can get to seven…)
5) You must nominate 15 other blogs and leave links to each of them in your post! (I don’t think I have that many people to tag, so I’m gonna be a rule breaker! :))
6) You must let the people who you have nominated know that they’ve been nominated!
7) You ~~must~~ follow back the person who nominated you on GFC and Bloglovin (you most definitely don’t need to follow me back if you don’t want to!)

Seven Facts about myself:

1. I used to play ultimate frisbee in high school. It was the only sort of organized sport I played in high school and was really bad. But everyone was quite nice about it so that was cool.

2. I used to play the violin for…6 years in middle school and high school. I actually still have my violin. I can barely play and honestly didn’t really like it. My parents never forced me to play or anything, it was just an elective that was there and available. Once I started I just kept on going until I got to a point where I was like, no more of thissss!!!

3. My first makeup item was a Rimmel Scandaleyes (not including nail polish). That was about 6 or 7 years ago? I never got into makeup very seriously until recently though. It’s a dual ended one with black and grey. I never used it all that much. Haha I still have it I wonder if it’s still usable and not ridden with germs. #gross

4. My other hobby is playing video games. I love Pokemon, Mario, Phoenix Wright and Layton. I wish I had more time to play my DS and Wii U!

5. I also have sort of recently got into running. I ran my first 5 k last summer and really enjoyed it. I’m hoping to aim for a 10 k this year, but that goal might be a bit lofty.

6. My favourite movie would probably have to be Spirited Away. I just find it so moving and so wonderful. 🙂

7. Wow I made it to seven, didn’t think I would. (I’m not a very exciting person). Currently I’m studying IT at school. More Business IT though. 🙂 (I’m no coder as much as I wish I was).

I wish to tag:

1. Nikki from The Penguin Critic
2. Whitney from Macarons and Mischief
3. Vanessa from Citron and Guavaberry (even though your last post was LITERALLY a 10 facts about me)

I just wanted to give a proper shoutout to these ladies for commenting on my humble little blog so frequently. I love having conversations with you guys. 🙂 No pressure to do a post or anything, just wanted to give a thank you shout out.

Of course if you are reading this and would like to take part, that would be awesome! I give this award to you too, so feel free to do this! Link me your blog in the comments too, I always like discovering new gems. :3

Hope everyone is having a great week! 🙂

Hauls

Haul: Grad Picture Necessities

October 14, 2014 16 Comments

Wow so I have been haul-ing quite a bit lately. My wallet is crying. ;_; To tell you the truth, I didn’t really want to buy a new foundation. If I can go to IMATs, I was actually hoping to purchase this there as know it is cheaper. Unfortunately desperate times call for desperate measures!

The day before my grad pictures, I was doing my makeup and I was thinking about what I should do for them foundation-wise. It then dawned on me that I really don’t have a foundation without SPF in it. How convenient, haha. So I thought I should head out to Sephora to see what I could rustle up.

They did the Colour IQ on me to see what would work. This is my 3rd time doing the Colour IQ and unfortunately my results were as dismal as prior times. I think I had 4 matches and they weren’t exact matches either. The girl who was helping me seemed pretty knowledgeable though. Her recommendation was the MUFE HD with a Sephora pressed powder to mattify and darken if need be. After about 40 minutes in Sephora I ended up getting both.

And that’s my story of the day. :p The funny thing is that I’ve tried samples of the MUFE HD (in this colour) awhile ago. It worked out okay then, but the colour match was throwing me for a bit of a loop and I felt like I would get very oily throughout the day. Hopefully the powder will definitely help with this!

With these purchase I also made VIB status. Shiny card….

Also, this month is my birthday month so I was able to pick up my birthday gift. It’s funny, because my birthday is so late in the year, you have to wait a while to pick up your birthday gift that they release in January. Soon enough Sephora will be releasing the birthday gift for next year!

1. Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation in 120

Price: $49 CAD

So this is the foundation I ended up getting for my grad photos. Multiple sales associates said that this was the best choice for any HD photoshoots or video shoots. So far I’m liking it, but I still do find I get oily in my T-zone throughout the day. I also find if you are a bit heavy handed, then it can look really cakey. I do have to admit, my grad pictures turned out great! Now I don’t need to pay an extra fee for retouching…haha. That price tag though…*dies*

2. Sephora Collection 8 Hr Mattifying Compact Foundation

Price: $27.50 CAD

So far I’m liking this as well. My other pressed powder is very old (but still decent enough I guess) so it was nice to switch it up a bit. When the associate at Sephora was helping me, she suggested this or a loose powder by MUFE. I asked her which one was cheaper and she told me it was this one. After spending so much on the foundation I was inclined to go towards the cheaper one. 🙂 I’ve never used this as a full face foundation, I would be interested to try that out. Right now I have just been using a very slight amount in my T-zone to control oil.

3. Birthday Gift!

Price: Free for Beauty Insiders!

I can’t wait to try out the lipstick!! 🙂 Not a fan of mascara in general so I will probably give it away.

I’m curious to see how the MUFE foundation will do during the winter as my skin gets a lot drier. I guess time will tell.

Thanks for reading, have a wonderful day!

Hauls

Haul: My First 500 pt Redemption at Sephora- Caudalie

October 13, 2014 6 Comments

Hi there!

So even though I have a love-hate relationship with the Sephora Beauty Insider/VIB program as read here, I have to admit that it definitely adds a bit of excitement to my shopping trips. I always eagerly try to rank up points to see what I can redeem for. From a recent shopping trip, I was able to make it to VIB level! Not sure if that should be celebrated or shunned, but anyways, that will be featured on an upcoming blog post soon.

Usually when I redeem by Beauty Insider points, I try to go for the 100pt items. I feel that this way I can curate the items to exactly what I want. Since the 500pt perks are groupings of items, I’m always worried that I will waste the points on something that I don’t really want (aka mascara).

I finally decided to take the plunge awhile back when they came out with this Caudalie set. I’ve used the brand before and thought that this would be a nice way to spend my points. Unfortunately, this kit is no longer available as Sephora cycles through new 500pt perks every month. Here’s what the set contains:

1. Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet

So far I have liked this. It has a very serum-y consistency which is interesting. It feels a lot lighter than any other regular cream I’ve tried, but still manages to moisturize nicely.

2. Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum

Funny story about this one. This is the last product I tried in the kit and I expected it to be the same consistency as the other creme products in the kit. To my surprise when I tried to squeeze some out, I got it all over my dresser. Smooth. Real smooth. The consistency is very liquidy and watery. I’ve been using this for some problem dry areas and it has been helping.

3. Vinosource S.O.S Morning Eye Rescue

I always forget about eye creams even though I shouldn’t. This one is a similar consistency to the Moisturizing Sorbet, but just more concentrated. Not really sure what it’s supposed to do, but it makes my under-eyes feel moisturized and refreshed.

4. Makeup Removing Cleansing Water

I have to say, when I first used this I was wholly unimpressed. I expected it to be a makeup removing agent and it wasn’t at all. From a full face of makeup, it didn’t remove anything. I would say this is more of a toner rather than makeup remover. I’ve used this after I’ve removed my makeup with a wipe and it seems to help get that last extra gunge off. In the right context, I’ve started to like this product!

So there is my first 500pt perk. I’m pretty happy that I redeemed for this. I’ve been able to use every single item and I hope to use them throughout winter when my oily combination skin becomes much drier.

Hope you are having a lovely day!

ipsy

ipsy: September 2014

October 4, 2014 4 Comments

Happy October! Hope you’ve been having an awesome day! Another late post on this one, but as I said in my August ipsy post, since I haven’t gotten my October ipsy I can justify…right?

On to the bag!

1. The Bag

Cute! Similar to the very first ipsy bag I got. It seems like the fall/winter version compared to the highlighter pink one. I like it, the only thing is that the zipper is weird. You can kinda tell from this picture. In the upper left area of the zipper, it’s puckered out so it doesn’t close properly. A bit annoying, but cute anyways!

2. Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush

I’m happy I got a brush! I don’t have a huge brush collection so any are definitely additions. Honestly, I don’t really like the fact that it is double ended though as it makes it hard to store in the cup I currently have my brushes in. I’ve used this and like it. The pencil crease brush is a little too dense for me and feels a little bit poke-y. Very happy with the shadow brush though as it is fluffy and big to cover my whole lid!

2. Pacifica Natural Water-Proof Eye Pencil in Gun Metal

Not happy with this one. I like my liners very very dark otherwise it just gets swallowed up by my eyes. I’ve used this once and it seems to tug at my eyelid. Maybe it’s just cause I’m used to my Make Up For Ever pencil liner which goes on like butter. I’ll hopefully be able to get some use out of this, but otherwise it’s a thumbs down for me.

3. CAILYN Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss in Love Affair

This was a disappointment as well. I’ve never use a more watery lip gloss. It almost feels like it’s going to drip off my lips it’s so saturated. It’s not very pigmented either. I would say a thumbs down.

4. Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream

This one was a surprise. When I first smelt it, I thought it was…weird. I was reading a lot of reviews online and they were saying it smelled like old lady. Funny enough, as I kept on using it, the more I liked it. It’s definitely a different scent. No Bath and Body Works up in here, but that’s almost what I like about it! The formula is nice, and absorbs fast into the skin.

5. Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser

This is the only product I haven’t tried yet, but I’m excited to! With winter coming, my combination skin becomes very dry in patches which isn’t so nice. Hopefully this doesn’t break me out though.

And there is my September ipsy. I would say it was pretty good. Depending how I feel, I might cancel around Christmas time. Not because I don’t like it, I feel like this is the only beauty box I would subscribe to, but just because I feel like I have so much stuff. I don’t want to get so bogged down that it becomes wasteful. I’ll see though how it goes!

Hope you have an awesome day! 🙂

#NailsOfTheDay

#NailsOfTheDay: Crisp Chrome

September 28, 2014 2 Comments

Wow I have not done one of these posts in awhile!

I didn’t do a fancy manicure or anything, but I thought I would highlight this colour. I am LOVING this on my nails right now!

The colour is called ‘Smoke Dazzle’ from American Apparel. I took 2 different shots as it looks different depending on the light. The top picture is artificial light and the bottom one is natural light. It goes from a green-ish hue to a purple-ish gun-metal-ish (a lot of ‘ish’ in that last sentence!).

I also just wanted to say how much I love American Apparel nail polish. I’m not a fan of their brand at all, but I bought a Groupon for a deal on their nail polishes to try out. They’re smooth, easy to apply, and the colour payoff is really great. I would recommend them!

Thanks for reading, have a great day!

Hauls

Haul: Big Cumulative Sephora and Ulta Haul

September 17, 2014 9 Comments

Hi there,

August was a good month for beauty purchases (but not really for blogging ;_;). My friend and I went to Sephora to take advantage of the bonus points event, and then right after I went to the States. Being able to get things at a cheaper price at Sephora and looking at Ulta was golden. 🙂 I thought I would share what I picked up.

1. Canadian Bonus Points Sephora Haul

Canadian Sephora Haul

Meet Your Match – Nail and Lip Kit – $30 CAD

I was debating the Meet Your Match kit for the longest time. I heard that the orchid BITE lip gloss smelled really bad, so that kinda turned me off. After awhile though, I just couldn’t take it and had to have it. :p I haven’t tried any of these brands other than Tarte, so I thought it was worth the price for me. I like everything except the nude nail polish (unfortunately). It’s really tacky and hard to apply. Good news though, the BITE gloss doesn’t smell all that bad. Maybe it will ferment though, we shall see.

Give Me Some Lip – $30 CAD

This was more of an impulse buy for me. I’ve seen it online and thought how nice it would be, but didn’t think I would pick it up. I guess in the whirlwind of bonus points, I ended up getting it. 😉 I’m very happy with this. This kit contains a lot of higher end brands with many different colours and formulas. I thought I wouldn’t like it because I’m not much of a gloss person, but this kit turned me into a gloss person. Unfortunately, the only thing I don’t love is the full sized Smashbox lip gloss. The colour is this weird nude pink that just makes me look like I just stepped out of the coffin. Attractive.

Sephora Instant Nail Polish Remover Wipes

I picked these up because I ran out of my Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes. So far they work, but I notice they dry out SO quickly so you have to work fast. Within 30 seconds, you’re left holding a stiff Kleenex!

2. US Sephora and Ulta Haul

US Sephora + Ulta Haul

Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover – $14 USD

Needed a new makeup remover, so I thought I would pick this up. I bought a mini version of this last year, so I knew the formula was legit. For the price too, it’s nice! The only thing is that I wish the top had a larger opening….I find myself waiting forever to have the product come out onto my cotton pad!

Ole Henriksen Oil Free Pore Refining Cleansing Cloths – $15 USD

I was going to buy these in my Canadian spree, but didn’t cause of price. $15 USD isn’t much cheaper, but I thought might as well. 😛 I’ve just started to use these actually. Very different and interesting. They smell like Vicks Vaporub which is the weirdest thing! I like that they have an exfoliating side though for after you remove your makeup.

Glam Glow Youthmud Treatment – $19 USD

This was something else I was going to buy on the bonus points event in Canada, but didn’t up picking it up. The friend I went with did though, and we tried it right after we got home. It’s so intriguing! Still using it, and I’m liking it! 🙂 Not sure about the full size though, it just seems so expensive…

It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin – ~$19 USD? (Lost the receipt)

This is the one thing I picked up from Ulta. It came with a sample conditioner too which I thought was cute. Target in Canada has the It’s a 10 line, but I haven’t seen this one stocked (just the original one). I bought this last year when I went to the States and really liked it.

And there we go! After this haul, I’m not sure if I’ll be buying anything anytime soon (so I say!). Lots of new products to try and enjoy!

Hope you have a great day! 😀

ipsy

ipsy: August 2014

September 7, 2014 4 Comments

So I know this is late. Like, late late very late. I’ve missed my blog so much! For the month of August I had 2 mini vacations sandwiching a tough 2 weeks at work, so unfortunately, me writing on here was put on the back burner. Now I am back at school for my final year and working part time, but I managed to find a bit of time on this lovely Sunday to write up a post.

I’ve been debating whether to post this as it is no longer August anymore, but since I haven’t gotten my September ipsy….why not?! I love reading subscription box posts anytime, so hopefully you all do too?

Thanks for bearing with me! 🙂

1. The Bag

I know people had some complaints about this one because it seems cheap and plastic (which it is). But I honestly don’t mind it. It fits well with the school theme, and I can see myself using it for shampoo or other toiletries while travelling.

2. Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

This was the only thing in my bag which I didn’t love. I’m just not a mascara person at all. My lashes are unbelievably thin which makes any mascara (waterproof or not) just slide right off. I really wish I had gotten the Urban Decay liner, as I would have gotten so much more use out of that.

3. J. Cat Beauty Flying Solo Eyeshadow in Half Naked

I was very happy to receive this. I’ve tried this multiple occasions and I’m really impressed. Love the formulation, the colour is great, and it comes with a little sponge tip brush in the bottom. I’ll definitely be continuing to use this colour.

4. Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk

This was a welcome addition as I’ve become addicted to dry shampoo. I had just bought a new bottle of Batiste, but I like the travel friendly size of this. I’ve used it a couple of times, and it’s a good product so far!

5. Dr. Brandt Pores No More Primer

I’ve heard of this brand, and I always like to try new primers. My skin is combination, and I still haven’t found a face primer that I love. I’ve only used this once. It was kinda smelly, but seemed similar to the Benefit primer. I’ll have to this give this a couple more tries before I can say how I really feel.

6. Jersey Shore Sun Mongongo Lip Conditioner

I was also happy to receive a new lip balm. I always love trying out new lip balms as it’s one of the makeup products I wear very consistently. I like the scent of this one, and I’m glad I got this one in the tube form. I know there were some pot lip balms in other ipsy bags, but I find them kinda unhygienic. (Maybe I just have dirty hands).

All in all, I was very happy with this bag. The only thing I would have liked to switch out was the mascara, but everything else I can see myself using. September bag is going out soon, so I’m excited to see what that will hold!

Thanks very much for reading! 🙂 Hope you have an awesome day!

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