Empties #3




I've been busy lately writing a 75 paper for University so my blogging has suffered but my paper is done so I should be back to my Monday / Wednesday posts from now on. Thanks for hanging in with me! :)
I have been on a "no spend" since January so I've ended up finishing up a bunch of products. I love reading empties posts because I think it's the best way to find out someone's real opinion on a product.

Bath & Body Works Peach Bellini Hand Soap
This is probably my favourite scent from Bath & Body Works. It lingers on your hands after too, which I really enjoy.
Longevity? About 5 months.
Repurchase? I already have!

Nivea Lip Butter Vanilla & Macadamia
Nivea makes my favourite lip products so when they came out with these I was beyond excited. I loved the scent of this and I really loved that it has no taste. I would put this on right before bed and my lips would be moisturized by morning. I didn't have dry lips this winter and I credit this! 
Longevity? About a year of nightly use.
Repurchase? Absolutely. I'm using the Caramel Cream Kiss scent right now.

Anastasia Brow Wiz

I use to hate doing my brows until I starting using the Brow Wiz. It's a quick, easy way to make your brows look polished but still natural. 
Longevity? 7 Months of daily use.
Repurchase? I already had a backup waiting for when this one ran out.

Maybelline Masterdrama Eyeliner in Midnight Master

I was really disappointed because the lid of this eyeliner cracked and so it dried out. I usually like this formula. It's creamy and very black. I wish I could have used the rest of it.
Longevity? N/A
Repurchase? Maybe one day. 

Maybelline Volum'Express The Rocket

This mascara is really great at volumizing but it still isn't my favourite. I'm not a huge fan of plastic wands and this one in particular is really big.
Longevity? 4 months
Repurchase? I'm still looking for the perfect mascara so I don't usually repurchase mascaras.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch

This is a really light weight, light coverage highlighting concealer perfect for under the eyes. This had been my favourite under-eye concealer for about a year.
Longevity? About 5 months.
Repurchase? Maybe one day but I want to try the Maybelline Age-Rewind concealer I hear so much about.

Skone Tattooed Liquid Eyeliner

Another eyeliner I was disappointed with due to it drying out so fast. I don't really know what went wrong here. It pretty much dried out after 2 uses. Not impressed.
Longevity? 2 uses.
Repurchase? I originally received this in my Ipsy bag. Would not purchase.

Clean and Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment

This is the best spot treatment I've tried. I usually use it before bed and when I wake up my spots are almost gone or at least a lot smaller. The formula is also clear so you can use it throughout the day and a tube lasts forever. I didn't make it through this tube but it was past it's expiry date so I had to replace it.
Longevity? 3 + years.
Repurchase? Already have a backup.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

I really love this mascara. It's perfect for the bottom lashes as it never smudges and the brush is small making it really easy to coat the lashes.
Longevity? Mascara should be thrown out every few months however I kept this for way too many months. Oops!!
Repurchase? Yes.

March Ipsy Bag




Sorry I wasn't able to do a second post last week. I also can't promise there will be a second this week either. University is crazy this time of the year.
Anyway, I got my March Ipsy Bag and I think this is the best bag I've gotten so far. It totally makes up for last month's fail of a bag. This month's theme is Floral Fantasy. I'm actually totally in love with this bag too. I guess I'm just a sucker for floral.

 NYX Butter Lipstick - Pops (BLS17)
I was very excited to receive this lipstick in my bag this month. I am a huge fan of NYX lip products. This is a great lipstick as it's light and moisturizing but it has good pigmentation and staying power. I also really like the shade. It's the perfect MLBB for me. This retails for $6.

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels
I got two packets of these eye gels. I actually haven't tried these yet because I'm saving them for when I really feel I need it. These are supposed to help firm and depuff under your eyes. I've read good things about this so hopefully I end up liking them. You can get 8 pairs for $30 on the website but we were given $7.50 worth of eye gels. 

Acure Day Cream
This is a day time face moisturizer. I already have a lot of face moisturizers but this seems like another good one. It smells strongly of citrus and it's not too oily. It makes my skin feel really silky and smooth. This is a decent sized sample at 30ml but the full size is 50ml and retails for $18.99.

Pixi Mesmerizing Mineral Duo in Apricot Glow
I reviewed the Mesmerizing Mineral Palette in Plum Quarts here which I wasn't a big fan of but I was pleasantly surprised by this duo. The shadows are creamy and pigmented. They're very warm colours which I don't normally go for but these are beautiful. I wasn't able to find any duo's on the Pixi website so I don't know if these are available for sale.

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter
This is probably my favourite thing I received in my bag this month. This is a matte peachy highlighter pencil that I think is perfect for highlighting the browbone and the waterline. It's creamy and blendable but it lasts a long time and really brightens up your face. It retails for $18.

The total for the bag this month was about $46!! This is by far my favourite bag I've received as there really wasn't a disappointing product in the bag.

Take it or Leave it: Maybelline




It's time for another Take it or Leave it post and I'm back to a drugstore brand this month. Maybelline is one of my favourite drugstore brands and while I haven't tried everything from the brand, I've amassed quite a few products over the years. Like always the main goal of these posts is to list some of my favourite products from a specific brand so you'll know what's worth your money.


Take it

Creamy Matte Lipsticks
This is probably my favourite Lipstick formula ever. These creamy matte lipsticks are very comfortable, pigmented, long wearing and non-drying. The shade 660 Touch of Spice in particular is amazing. If you haven't picked up one of these lipsticks I highly suggest it.
Eyestudio Gel Liner
I've had this gel liner for over a year and it's still creamy. It lasts a really long time on the eyes and doesn't budge. I don't like the brush it comes with for application, but if you use a liner brush this gel liner is amazing.
24 hr Colour Tattoo
I've made my thoughts on the Maybelline Colour Tattoo's very well known on my blog. These are perfect for quick makeup looks. They take no time at all to apply. They blend out really well but once it dries these don't crease at all. I can't attest to the 24hr claim because I've never worn makeup for 24hrs but these do last all day on me. My favourites are 25 Bad to the Bronze which is a cool toned shimmery bronze and 80 Creamy Beige which is a matte beige, perfect for a no makeup, makeup look. These also work great as eyeshadow bases.
Creamy Beige, Bad to the Bronze, Pure Nude, Tough as Taupe, Inked in Pink
Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer
This concealer is amazing at hiding darkness under the eyes plus it's really light so it won't crease. It comes in many colours including a Radiant shade which is great for highlighting all over the face.
Master Drama Eyeliner
I think this is a good option when looking for a drugstore eyeliner. It's a twist up liner and the shade in Midnight Master is very black and long-lasting.
Dream Fresh BB
This is a very lightweight, moisturizing BB cream. It evens out the complexion but has little for coverage. Perfect for those good skin days. It also has an SPF of 30 which makes it my favourite for the summer months.
Colour Elixir
The Maybelline Colour Elixir's are unlike any other lip product I've tried. I would classify it a lipgloss. It is very smooth and glossy while also being long-lasting and pigmented.
Mascara (The Falsies, The Rocket)
I've liked the mascaras I've tried from Maybelline. I think besides Covergirl they are the best Mascara option at the drugstore.
Dream Wonder Powder
This may have become my favourite powder. I have very dry skin so I have trouble with a lot of powders accentuating any dry spots but this one doesn't seem to cling to my dry skin at all. It has fairly high coverage too which is great for days when I don't feel like wearing foundation.


Leave it

Dream Bouncy Blush (not shown)
I mentioned in a disappointing products post how this isn't my favourite blush. I find the texture is weird and hard to blend out.
Master Glaze Blush Stick
Once again another cream blush from Maybelline that I am not a fan of. I don't really like the stick application in this product and I find there is way too much shimmer in the blush for my liking.
Lipstick
The Creamy Matte lipsticks may be my favourite formula of all time but I am not the biggest fan of the rest of the Maybelline lipsticks. The lipsticks are creamy, last an average amount of time and the brand has really good colour selection but overall I think other brands make better lipsticks. (Check out Revlon or Rimmel for good drugstore lipsticks).
Colour Show Nail Polish
This is a fine nail polish but I would spend my money on nail polish from other brands first. There are lots of good nail polishes at the drugstore but I think these are just average.

Eyeshadow Look: Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Eye Shadow in Rio De Rose Gold




I wanted to do a look that centered on Josie Maran's Coconut Watercolor Eye Shadow in Rio De Rose Gold. I realize this is a dramatic look and I probably wouldn't wear it on an everyday basis but to each their own. The Coconut Watercolor eyeshadows are extremely long lasting, very pigmented and have the most beautiful shine. 
I started the look by priming my eyes with my Urban Decay Primer Potion and then I used a powder over top to make blending easier. I took a medium toned matte brown through the crease with a fluffy brush. This acted as my transition shade just to make sure everything looks good and blended out. You can use whatever transition shade you're comfortable with.
I then took Sunset from my itCosmetics Naturally Pretty Palette and started concentrating it on the outer third of my eye with my MAC 217 brush. Slowly I started working that shade into my crease and eventually to the inner third of my lid. I kept a space open in the middle of the lid. I blended that out until I felt comfortable with the opacity making sure the colour was deeper on the outer corner than the inner corner. 
Next comes the star of the show. I took the Coconut Watercolor Eye Shadow in Rio De Rose Gold and used my finger to apply it to the centre of my lid making sure not to get any in my crease. I blended it out with my finger. I also used the liquid shadow on my bottom lashline in the inner third just to bring some light to my eyes. Under my eyes I used some black shadow and smudged it out with some of the matte brown I used as my transition shade
I used Sheer Joy as my brownbone highlight and the tranforming pearl shade in the tear duct. I used a black pencil liner on my waterline and to tightline and I used Maybelline's Gel liner in black to draw a thin line close to the lashes. I finished the look with a few coats of mascara on my top and bottom lashes. 

Let me know what you think of the finished look. I was really happy with how it turned out. 

Makeup for Beginners According to Bobbi Brown




I've been reading Bobbi Brown's Beauty Rules and it occurred to me that most the posts I write are geared to those already experienced with makeup. With the help of Bobbi Brown, I though I'd put together a Makeup Starter Kit for those just beginning with makeup. For the record I have no affiliation with Bobbi Brown and all credit for the list of essentials goes to her. You can get her book here. It's good, I recommend it!

Below, Bobbi Brown lists a few essentials that every makeup kit should have. I haven't included everything on her list in this post. Just the fun stuff.
Makeup Remover- Neutrogena All-in-One Makeup removing Cleansing Wipes $8. These are my favourite makeup removing wipes. For beginners I think it's okay to use wipes but once you get into the habit of wearing makeup everyday, I would strongly suggest moving away from wipes as they tend not to remove makeup as well as other products. I suggest Bioderma for a more expensive option.
Tinted Moisturizer with SPF- Maybelline Dream Fresh BB (SPF 30) $11. This has very light coverage so I think it's perfect for those who don't feel they need a full coverage foundation but want to even out their skin tone.
Cover-up Stick for covering up Pimples- Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer $7. While I am not a big fan of cover up sticks for blemishes (I find them drying), Bobbi Brown suggests that they are an essential.
Tweezers- Any tweezers will do here. I don't even know what brand I have. Tweezers can be used for many things such as plucking your eyebrows or apply false lashes.
Mascara- Maybelline's The Rocket Volum' Express $9. You have two main choices when it comes to a mascara. There are volumizing mascara's and lengthening one's. Occasionally you'll find the perfect mascara that does both. I think of everything on this list, mascara is the most important.
Eyeshadow in neutral colours- Covergirl's Shimmering Sands $7. It's the perfect collection of everyday shadows. The shadow quality isn't the best which makes it perfect for beginners because it's very forgiving if you make a mistake.
Eyeliner- Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal $8. I think pencil liners are the easiest for beginners to work with. Brown would also be my choice for beginners because it's a lot softer than black and it works on all eye colours.
Blush in Soft, Natural Tone- NYX Blush $5. NYX has the best quality blush in the drugstore with the widest range of shades. You can get a matte shade which looks the most natural or a blush with shimmer which can give you a healthy looking glow.
Lip Gloss- NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss $5. This is a perfect comfortable, non-stick lipgloss. It adds the perfect amount of colour to the lips. As a plus, there are a wide range of shades available.
Lip Balm- Any lip balm will do. This is a necessity even if you don't wear makeup.
Nail Polish- Pure Ice nail polish $2. This is my favourite brand of cheap nail polish as it's opaque and long lasting.
For a total of $62 beginners can have a complete Makeup Bag with all the essentials according to Bobbi Brown. I hope this post was of some help.

Source: Brown, Bobbi. (2010). Beauty Rules: Fabulous Looks, Beauty Essentials, and Life Lessons for Loving your Teens and Twenties. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. pp. 93-92.