I'm Not a Beauty Guru

Empties: I’ve Realized I’m Pretty Cheap

July 20, 2014 4 Comments

Hello!

So I rustled up some empty products for an empties post! As mentioned in my first empties post here, I honestly don’t finish very many products all that quickly. But anyhoo, I thought it would be good to document what products I use up and how much I like them :).

1. Ole Henriksen Truth to Go Wipes

This was actually in my first empties post as well haha. After I used up a travel size of these wipes, I decided to buy the full size. I did enjoy them a lot, but I think the price is a bit off putting. I might decide to try the other 2 versions (purple packaging and green packaging) once my current wipes (Simple) run out. Due to the price though, I just can’t see myself using these regularly.

2. Simple Cleansing Wipes

They do the job, but not my favourite. I used to think the smell was kinda gross, but I’ve gotten used to them. :p I always seem to find them on sale, so I buy them. :3

3. Cotton Rounds

Since Target came to Canada this is what I’ve been using to remove my eye makeup. Honestly, they’re just pretty plain, but I’ve been liking them better than using tissues (and they’re cheap!).

4. Benefit Total Moisture Cream

This is the first thing I’ve managed to use up from my Benefit Advent Calendar (haha, I really do take a long time to use up things…). I was really happy with this cream. It has a perfume smell that some people find too much, but I actually really like it. The only thing is that it doesn’t have SPF and the full size seems beyond expensive.

5. Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

This is a funny product. At first when I started to use it I would notice no difference. As I started getting through the bottle though, I started to like how it made my makeup feel. I would buy this again, or maybe the De-slick to try that one out. At the moment I am using the Make Up For Ever Mist and Fix and I like that one so far too.

6. It’s a 10 Miracle Leave in Cream with Keratin

Last year when I went to the States, I picked up a mini size of this try. I’ve heard a lot about this product on YouTube (Ingrid specifically) so I really wanted to try it. I really enjoyed this product! It sprays out really easily even though it’s a cream and I love the smell! 🙂 I’m going back to the States this year, and plan to re-purchase.

And there it is! Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great day!

ipsy

ipsy: July 2014

July 17, 2014 6 Comments

Hello! 🙂 Back with a post!

So last month I decided to sign up for ipsy! I’ve been thinking about a beauty subscription service for a while and decided to take the plunge.

Here’s what’s in my first bag!

1. The Bag

I love it! I think it’s so cute that you get a bag every month and can definitely see myself re-using this one. It’s made out of a faux shiny leather with a scalloped detail on the edge. The picture doesn’t do it justice, this bag is NEON pink. Super cute!

2. wHet Nail Polish in Facetious

I was happy to receive this. I actually don’t have a colour even close to this. In person, it ends up coming off a lot darker which I like. The nail polish isn’t the best quality. It takes about 3 coats to become opaque and is a bit streaky. Still, an addition to the nail polish collection!

3. bareMinerals READY® Eyeshadow 2.0

Itty bitty mini eyeshadow! But still excited to try it! I’ve never tried bareMinerals eye shadow before. I did a few quick swatches and I like the cream colour, but I find the darker colour is a bit patchy.

4. Elizabeth Mott Tints & Sass

This reminds me of Benetint (cause it’s practically the same product :p). I’m interested to try this one. I did a little swatch and I think this would be a bit to much for the cheeks, but I can see myself using it on my lips. I like the artificial cherry scent actually, haha.

5. Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil SPF 08

When I saw the ipsy preview posts, I was REALLY hoping I didn’t get this and got the sunscreen but unfortunately here it is. 🙁 I’m the opposite of a tanner and would have much preferred the sunscreen. I saw on the ipsy forum that some people were using it after shaving, in their hair, and on their skin after a shower. I will probably try these ideas as I would hate to not get ANY use out of it.

6. POP Beauty Sunkissed Bronzer

Wasn’t super happy to receive this either. I don’t really normally use bronzer (and this one looks dark), but I was thinking of using it as maybe an eye shadow? I’ve heard of the pop beauty brand though, so I’m looking forward to testing the formula at least.

And there we go! My first bag. Honestly, I would say it’s meh. I wouldn’t say the worst, but not mind blowing! Excited to see what my ipsy future holds though!

Hope you have a great day! 🙂

Reviews

Review: Benefit They’re Real Push-Up Liner

July 1, 2014 8 Comments

I’ve been so anxious to put up this review! Here it is coming attcha.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (with no internet access), you’ve probably heard about the much much MUCH hyped new gel eyeliner from Benefit. Thanks to Janine from beautygeeks and Benefit Cosmetics I got to try out this liner before it hit stores last week. You can check out Janine’s review plus others who were lucky enough to get chosen for this campaign here.

Overview:

I think I might have found my new go-to eyeliner. 😀

Price:

This was kindly provided by Janine from beautygeeks and Benefit Cosmetics.

It can be found at Sephora, Shoppers Drug Mart/ Murale for $29 CAD

Rating:

9 / 10

Would I Buy Again?

Yes I would buy this liner again.

Rambling Review

Eyeliner is one of my favourite makeup items. I feel my eyes look so dead without it, so it’s usually my go-to. When I got picked for this campaign I was beyond excited. I wouldn’t say I’m usually on the forefront of the new makeup horizon, so I was excited to try something that I’ve heard so much about (plus my Stila stay all day liquid eyeliner was running out).

The eyeliner comes with a little orange nub thing I guess to keep the eyeliner from drying out.

As you can see from the picture, the tip is the most revolutionary part of this eyeliner. Usually when applying gel eyeliner you need an angled brush but not with this one. You click up the bottom of the pen and the gel is pushed up the tip. When I first opened this I got scared that I got a dud cause it probably took me 50 clicks to start getting product out. The relief I felt once I got the product flowing….dear jebus.

Along with the actual product, they provide you with a tip sheet to achieving the perfect liner. One of the tips they provide is to do a stamping motion on your lashline to keep the line steady. I found the issue with this trick is that it never really ‘stamped’ the product out. Since ain’t nobody got time for that, I just ended up applying this I would usually with short dragging motions.

And here is my result!

It gives such a nice matte black line which I love. It’s funny, I find that this liner looks better and better throughout the day. The lines soften (but don’t smudge) which creates a really smooth intense eyeliner look.

I also tried doing a little baby wing which will need more practice. :p

When taking this off, I would say use a strong waterproof makeup remover. I found that I needed to use two cotton pads instead of my usual one when removing.

All in all, I’m really impressed by this liner. I would say to do the dramatic super duper amazing wings take practice, but that’s just liner in general. If you like the look and feel of gel eyeliner, I would definitely recommend trying this out!

Thanks for reading! Hope you have a great day!

#NailsOfTheDay

#NailsOfTheDay: Golden Berries

June 24, 2014 7 Comments

Well hello there!

So I decided to try out the nail stuff I got from the warehouse cosmetics sale (which can be seen here). Anyone else like that when you buy new makeup or nail polish where you just wanna try everything LIKERIGHTNOW? Yup that’s me.

The colour is ‘In Stitches’

So I’m pretty happy with how it came out. I’m loving the colour. The L’Oreal nail stickers are okay. I was expecting that they might be like the Revlon by Marchesa (you can read my review here) which I didn’t like all that much cause they were hard to apply. But luckily these were a bit easier to file down which was nice. They’re not perfect, but I really like the effect.

Thanks for reading, hope you have a great day!

Hauls

Haul: Warehouse Cosmetics Sale

June 21, 2014 2 Comments

Hello hello! It has been a while! 🙂

Today I finally got a chance to check out a warehouse cosmetics sale that Shawna from On A Chalkboard blogged about here. I’m happy that I was able to look before it closes in 8 days!

Here are the things I picked up:

1. Sally Hansen Salon Effects French Mani

Price: $2 CAD

I’ve used these Salon Effects before and I thought they were really great quality. I’m excited to try these cause of the sparkly tips. Gotta love that sparkle.

2. Essie nail polish in Parka Perfect and In Stitches

Price: $3 CAD each

The nail polish was kind of a hit or miss. Some bottles seemed really messy but others looked okay. They had Essie, Nicole by OPI (specifically saw the Selena Gomez line), and Sally Hansen. I don’t have any colours similar to these, so I thought it was worth it.

3. L’Oreal Color Riche Nail Lingerie

Price: $3 CAD

Another set of nail stickers. I thought these looked super pretty and they can be layered over any colour. Excited to see how these nail stickies will wear!

4. Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes

Price: $4 CAD

Funny enough, I don’t actually love love these wipes. I always seem to either find them on sale, or get samples for free. They work well enough though so decided to buy another pack. :p

And there we have it! I didn’t buy any makeup really, I didn’t see anything that I loved. I’ve been eyeing one of the palettes from the new Jason Wu for Lancome collection, so maybe it’s for the best that I save my money. 😉

Thanks for reading, hope you have a great day!

#NailsOfTheDay

#NailsOfTheDay: Ocean Waves

June 5, 2014 No Comments

Hello!

So I decided to try using a sponge to create a gradient effect for my nails. Haha it definitely didn’t turn out the best, but I think it’s a noble first attempt.

The sponge looked pretty nice though!

Here are some things which I hope to keep in mind for next time!

1. Use scotch tape to make clean up less of a hassle. My cuticles are a mess!
2. Not only think of the colours, think of the opacity of the nail polish. I just picked 3 colours that I think looked good together, but when applying, it was really splotchy.

The colours I used were:

(Left – Right)
Essie – Naughty Nautical : Super beautiful. Very opaque and has a nice shimmer to it.

China Glaze – For Audrey : Very popular China Glaze colour for good reason. I think my bottle is getting a little old though and is not applying as nicely as it once used to.

OPI – Gargantuan Green Grape : Not very green anymore! I remember when I first bought this green it was a more minty, but it seems to have lightened a lot. Very VERY streaky polish. I like the colour, but you need 3 solid coats to get it opaque.

Well, live and learn right? I hope to try this technique again!

Thanks for reading!

Hauls

Haul: Target Canada has e.l.f!

June 1, 2014 6 Comments

I read on Smart Canucks the other day that Target Canada has e.l.f now! Can I get a what whattt?

My friend and I hit up our local Target yesterday and lo and behold, they had it!

I wish I had gotten a better picture, but I was just so excited to see this!

For those that don’t know, e.l.f is an American makeup brand with the craziest prices ever ($1-$10 for most things). Back in the day, you used to be able to ship e.l.f to Canada semi-decently priced, but not any more. My friend and I were gonna make an order around Christmas time and the shipping was just insane. For $20 worth of product, we had to pay something like $20 worth of shipping. Um, no thanks.

The selection in Target isn’t as vast as on their website (as expected by me). Some people might be disappointed to see that Target isn’t carrying the $1 products and only the Studio Line things (more pricy items). This was fine with me though, because they had products I’ve been eying for a long time.

Everything I saw on the display was either $4 or $8, so not as great as the States, but I still think they’re a great price.

Here are the things I picked up:

1. e.l.f Eye Refresh

Price: $4 CAD
This is a roller ball tube that you use underneath your eyes to lessen the appearance of dark circles. I honestly don’t know how well (if at all) this will work, but I thought I would give it a try. I have pretty gnarly dark circles so anything that might help right?

2. e.l.f Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder

Price: $4 CAD
I finallllyyy got it. The most touted dupe for NARS Orgasam/ Laguna. I’ve never actually tried the Orgasam or Laguna duo, but this will probably be good enough for me. It has very fine glitter in it, which I wasn’t expecting, but it’s nothing over the top. I tried it today and already really love it!

3. e.l.f Lip Exfoliator

Price: $4 CAD
This was something I’ve been looking to get for a very long time. I love the idea of it being in a lipstick tube so in my mind that means easier application. I’ve been looking to try some different lip scrubs for awhile, but the ones at Lush just seem over priced. Hopefully this one delivers, we shall see.

4. e.l.f Kabuki Face Brush

Price: $8 CAD
This was the only thing in my haul that was over $4. I have no idea why Kabuki brushes are always more expensive than other brushes. More hair I guess? But I actually don’t own a Kabuki brush so I thought I would give this one a try. I have all of the e.l.f studio line brushes so I think this will make a nice addition to those. 🙂

5. e.l.f Blush in Tickled Pink

Price: $4 CAD
I was really drawn to this colour and I think a lot of other people were too because there were only a few left of these! A really soft pink with no sparkle. I’m excited to see how this will wear.

And there we have it! I’m super excited with everything I got. I’m so so glad e.l.f is in Canada now and even happier that I didn’t pay for that ridiculous shipping from the online store.

Thanks for reading, and hope you have a great day!

#NailsOfTheDay, Reviews

#NailsOfTheDay: Merry Mint + Nail Polish Removal

May 28, 2014 2 Comments

Coming at you with another Nails of the Day!

This one is super simple, but I can’t get over how much I love the colour.

This is a Joe Fresh polish in Mint. I got this colour a long long time ago and have no idea if they still make this one. Joe Fresh polish is okay. I wouldn’t say they are as good as other higher end brands, but for the price of Joe Fresh, I would say they are worth a try.

On another note, I thought I would blog about how I’ve been removing my nail polish lately. In either a Boxing Day or a Black Friday Sephora kit, I got these Josie Maran Nail Wipes

I have been loving these at the moment! At first when I used them I found them a bit greasy. They are cotton pads soaked in an oil. After using them, I loved how effective and convenient they are. They have a pleasant scent and I find removing nail polish so easy. Depending on the what I have on my nails (sparkles or not), I can sometimes get away with using one pad for one hand. Not too shabby considering I always use a million cotton balls when using regular nail polish remover.

They sell this at Sephora so if you wanna try a new way to remove your nail polish, I recommend that you give this a try!

Thanks for reading, hope you have a great day!

Personal

ChickAdvisor Show Case 2014 – A Makeup Lover’s Dream!

May 25, 2014 5 Comments

I feel like it’s been so long since I blogged! I’ve had a lot of ideas swirling around my mind, and then I heard about the ChickAdvisor Show Case. I instantly knew I would have something to blog about after attending this event!

For those that don’t know ChickAdvisor is a rating website where you can judge anything from makeup to baby toys and everything in between. Last year I attended another event of theirs called Shop Crawl and I had an amazing time. I got an amazing swag bag full of incredible stuff. Once I got notification of the Show Case, I knew I had to check it out.

Luckily I bought my tickets when I did for my friend and I cause about 2 days after they went live, the Toronto location was all sold out!

The premise of the event was fairly simple. Get a bunch of like-minded ladies together to review some makeup and food items and submit reviews to ChickAdvisor on the spot. Oh, and did I mention it was held at the swankiest hotel in Toronto, The Ritz Carlton?

My day started out pretty hectic before the event. I had run a 5k in the morning, and when my friend and I were driving to the Ritz, the traffic was crazy. We arrived late to the event, but thank goodness, we came right on time to jump into the reviews.

Here are the things we tested out:

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker XL Extreme Plump Collagen Lip Shine

No Dark Shadows Complexion Enhancer

GOSH Bronzing Shimmer Powder

Skinny Cow Dreamy Clusters Milk Chocolate

Rocky Mountain Soap Organic Sugar Scrub

Kleenex Expressions by Isaac Mizrahi

Soap & Glory Heel Genius Amazing Foot Cream

Skinny Cow Greek Frozen Yogourt Salted Caramel (all munched up my me. :))

No Bleeding Lips Secret Lipliner

Bourjois Paris Color Boost Lip Crayon

Let me just say this event was amazing. Super well organized, the setup was great, and the food was amazing. I had such a great time with my friend, and it was something I would love to do again.

Here are some other pictures of the event that I could snap:

Thanks to ChickAdvisor for putting this altogether! I look forward to coming to more events in the future!

Thanks for reading, hope you have a great day!

#NailsOfTheDay

#NailsOfTheDay: Cranky Crackle

May 5, 2014 2 Comments

Coming home from work I ran into the most cranky woman. Okay so I know you had a bad day, but you don’t have to take it out on me. You know when you run into those types of people that just need to voice off about everything? She seemed like that type.

I came home pretty upset about it, and I think the best medicine is a good dose of blogging.

Here are my nails of the day:

I painted these yesterday. I’m really happy how they came out. I know crackle nails seem so two-thousand and late, but I still like the effect. The pale pink underneath I think adds a really subtle touch compared to the harsh crackle sparkles.

Funny enough, the pink colour is Eternal Optimist by Essie. My boyfriend got me the crackle polish for my birthday one year, I’m not sure the colour or brand.

Hope you’re having a great day!

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