31 Days of Beauty -- Day 1

31 Days of Beauty Day 1

Daily Makeup Products

Source

Welcome to the first day of the 31 Days of Beauty tag that I am doing for March. Today we are going to be talking about my daily makeup products, the things that I use pretty much every day that I wear makeup. I think the easiest way to tackle this is going to be by category, so lets just dive right in!

Primer- This one is a tough one because I still haven't found that holy grail primer so I just sort of grab one of my primers at random. But If I had to guess I would say I think I reach for the Porefessional by Benefit the most often. It doesn't meet all of my needs but it does find it's way onto my face quite often.

Foundation- My current daily foundation would be the Kat Von D Tattoo Lock-It Tattoo Foundation in Light 45. It's a pretty full coverage foundation and is quite matte which tends to be the look I go for.

Concealer- I've been using Rimmel Match Perfection in 125 Fair as my daily concealer. There isn't a lot to say about it really, it does what it's supposed to do but it does crease, I am still searching for a concealer that I love more. I actually have my eye on some Nars.

Powder- My daily powder is Rimmel London's Stay Matte Pressed Powder in 001 Transparent. I have been using this for years and I absolutely love it. I have probably bought upwards of 4 of these over the years and I recommend this for everyone from beginners to pros.

Blush- I do try to switch up my blush quite a bit but I do reach for my Tarte blush in magic the most right now. Sadly this shade isn't in the permanent collection so once I run out it's just done, so hopefully I can find a dupe before that happens.

Bronzer- My everyday bronzer is the Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer. It's holy grail status and I am not going to go too much into it as I am sure you will see it again this month.

Highlight- This is a weird category because my daily highlight is only my daily by virtue of being the only powder highlight that I own, and that would be the Essence Bloom Me Up Shimmer Powder. It's super subtle and it leaves a nice light highlight. I really do need to get more powder highlights to play with though because I don't tend to reach for liquid highlights and those are the majority of what I own.

Eye shadow- I don't have one specific set of shadows I use daily I really do use something different every day. I make a point of not keeping any shadows in my 'daily makeup' drawer of my makeup storage so that I have to look through and decide on something different every day.

Eyebrows- There are two products I use daily for my brows and they are the Sephora Retractable brow pencil in 02 nutmeg brown and the Essence lash and brow gel mascara. The gel isn't ideal but it does it's job. I love the pencil but wish it had a spoolie end instead of the weird hard plastic comb it does have.

Mascara- I currently have two sample size mascara's that I am bouncing back and forth between as my most used daily mascara's the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes and the Urban Decay Perversion Mascara. I love them both and they both create different looks on me so I use them about equally.

Eyeliner- I don't have a specific eyeliner that I reach for daily, it totally depends on what I am doing with my eyes, and eyeliner is one of those areas where I haven't really played around to find a perfect daily no thinking product.

So there is day1 down! I hope you guys enjoyed this peek into my daily makeup! Thank you again to Priyanka over at Glamour & Giggles for creating this, remember to go check her out.

I'll see you next time!

Alex

xoxoxo

Springtime/Summer Makeup wish-list

My Springtime/Summer Makeup wish-list

Hey guys!

I thought I would share with you my top items on my to buy/wish-list for Spring and Summer 2015 and why exactly they are on my list. Some of these items are ones I know I probably won't be able to afford but they are still on my list for reasons you will, hopefully, read in a moment. These items are organized by type not by how much I want them, the thought of trying to rank them in order was a daunting task and I don't see any reason to do that. I limited myself to three entries, kind of, per section, or this post would be ages long. This is also all makeup and tools, no hair no skincare and no hair tools, just stuff to put on my face and stuff to put it on there. So without any further blabbing onward lets get down to the list!

Note: All prices are in Canadian unless otherwise noted.

Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipstick Duo Tangerine/Lingonberry $15.00

I love the bite beauty products I have tried so far and I've been wanting to try an orange lipstick so badly but it's a very intimidating colour for me, so this duo is perfect for me. The Tangerine colour is a kind of reddish orange and the Lingonberry end is a really nice creamy rose which is right up my alley. It's $15 for two colours and while neither end is a full-size it is still more than worth it!

Colourpop Lippie Stix Corset, Wifey and Lumiere $5.00USD each

The colourpop lippies have taken YouTube by storm in the past year, they are everywhere and I confess myself curious. There are so many different colours that I would like to try from them but I think my top three are Corset, Wifey and Lumiere.

Corset is a pink lavender colour with a high gloss finish and is something I find missing from my lip collection at the moment. Especially as I don't really have any glossy finishes at the moment.

Wifey is a bright bubblegum pink with a hint of lavender to it and I love it. It has a satin finish and a matching lip pencil that is just a hair darker than the lippie itself. The name and the colour are just perfect they make me think of aprons and cookies and it needs to be mine.

Lumiere is a collaberation between colourpop and Kathleen Lights (KathleenLights on YouTube) it's a dusty mauve colour and has a matte finish. It's a lovely colour and Kathleen did an amazing job making the perfect shade. This lippie also has a matching pencil in a shade just a hair darker than the lippie itself. I can't wait to try it.

Buxom Full-On Lip Cream White Russian $23.00

I've been wanting to try the buxom lip creams for quite a while and I think White Russian is just a lovely colour it's a nude pink and I am constantly on the hunt for a perfect pinky nude.

Okay now lets move away from lip products though I could go on all day...

Kat Von D Innerstellar Eyeshadow Palette $55.00

I just got my first Kat Von D palette for Christmas and I am hooked, her shadows are so smooth and buttery and perfectly blendable. This particular palette has a nice range of colours and they are just to die for.

Kat Von D Monarch Eyeshadow Palette $58.00

Much the same as the other Kat Von D palette on this list the colours look amazing and this palette is very warm toned which is something I am lacking in my collection really.

Colourpop Eyeshadows Not a Box of Chocolates $30.00USD

This isn't so much a palette as much as a collection, the Colourpop shadows aren't able to be in a palette due to their formula, they would dry out but they do have a few collections the Not a Box of Chocolates being one of my favourites. The collection is all limited edition shadows and they all look absolutely gorgeous.

On to blushes!

Benefit Cosmetics Rockateur $36.00

The benefit box blushes have always seemed sort of neat to me and the prettiest one by far is Rockateur, it is a beautiful rose gold shimmery shade and I just need it in my life.

tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Dazzled $31.00

I have two tarte blushes and they are some of my absolute favourite blushes that I own. I have Achiote and Magic. Dazzled is nothing like either of these colours, it's a soft rose and is included in the section of products that match for Colour of the Year. It's lovely and is unlike anything I currently own.

NARS Virtual Domination Cheek Palette $75.00

I've had my eye on this palette since it first came out around Christmas time and I have gone back and forth over whether or not I really wanted it. The problem is I mostly want it for two blushes, I mean I want the bronzer, the other blush and the highlighter, but the main point of the palette for me is the blushes Sex Fantasy, and Final Cut, both of which are unavailable on their own. I love Deep Throat and planned on buying it eventually and I have heard amazing things about Laguna and Miss Liberty but those main two blushes are what really makes me want the palette, and I guess I have to decide if I can bring myself to spend $75 on a blush palette, even if if has a $174 value.

Next is misc face products...

TOO FACED Hangover Replenishing Face Primer $40.00

I've been on the lookout for a moisturizing primer for a bit and I saw this on someone's monthly favourites on Youtube about a month ago and have wanted to try it ever since. I'm on the look out for a sample to try before I buy it but I am looking forward to seeing how it works with my skin.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer Vanilla $35.00

I had this used on me during my complementary makeup application for hitting VIB at Sephora and my normal concealers have been falling flat ever since.

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation 2.5 Warm Sand $56.00

This was also used on me during my makeup application at Sephora, and they sent me a sample of it home. I have to say I love my Kat Von D for a full coverage application but for a light to medium this one is perfect. It's perfect for an everyday application and I am looking forward to getting my hands on a bottle of it for myself.

Now for brushes I have been looking at Morphe for the most part so there are three things I am currently looking at from them.

Morphe Brushes SET 700 8 PIECE CANDY APPLE RED SET $19.99USD

Morphe Brushes SET 686 18 PIECE VEGAN BRUSH SET $49.99USD

Morphe Brushes Individual Brush G30 Flat contour $14.95USD

The individual brush is from their new Gun metal collection and I have to admit I want a lot of the brushes in that collection.

Now this isn't to say that there aren't other things from other brands that I haven't mentioned that I have wanted and may pick up over the spring and summer seasons but these are some of my most wanted, and things that I thought other people might be interested in seeing and adding to their lists too. There are things I wanted to include on this list that I just know I won't be getting because they aren't available where I am, the lorac unzipped palette for one, which sucks but ultimately I decided not to.

Anyway I hope you enjoyed this post!

See you next time

xoxoxo

Alex~

Ipsy Bag January 2015

Ipsy Bag January 2015

YouTube un-boxing video can be found here.

Products received:

Elizabeth Mott - All Over Shadow Brush in Pink ($9.99)

Hikari Cosmetics – Mechanical Eye Liner in Storm 0.2g ($13 / 0.2g)

(Malin+Goetz) – Mojito Lip Balm 0.2oz ($12 / .35oz)

Pacifica – Natural Mineral Coconut EyeShadow in Ethereal 0.08oz ($14 / 4 colour palette)

Velvet 59 – Velvet Rose Lipgloss in Noisette 10ml ($19 / 10ml)

Value: $55 aprox.

What I paid this month: $17.82 CAD

Rating: I really liked some of the products this month, I have to say the item I was the most disappointed with was the bag itself but that is just personal preference. Overall I like this months bag and rate it an 8/10

Product Breakdown/Mini Reviews

Remember as always if you want a more in depth review on any specific product feel free to ask!

Elizabeth Mott - All Over Shadow Brush in Pink

The brush is quite soft and while it isn't super firm it isn't flimsy either it holds a good amount of product and does a good job in blending as well. Overall 8/10

Hikari Cosmetics – Mechanical Eye Liner in Storm

The liner itself is pretty firm and isn't amazingly creamy. The colour is a very light silver more than it is a grey and it isn't super pigmented but if you are willing to go over it multiple times you will get some colour out of it. I think I need to play with it more but so far I am not super impressed. Overall 7/10

(Malin+Goetz) – Mojito Lip Balm

The balm has a thicker consistency and has a kinda artificial limey smell, it is sticky but that is a typical problem with thicker cream type balms. It was exactly what my lips needed right now between between me being so sick and winter deciding it actually wanted to start happening lately. I like it for when you need some extreme hydration but on an every day basis it would be way too much. Overall 8/10

Pacifica – Natural Mineral Coconut EyeShadow in Ethereal

The shadow while not being what I would call creamy is certainly velvety and it does pack quite a bit of pigment for a light shadow especially when I compare it with the other pacifica shadow that I have tried in the past. It certainly isn't a colour that would work as anything other than a highlight or a base but for those two purposes it certainly does it's job. Overall 7/10

Velvet 59 – Velvet Rose Lipgloss in Noisette

I'm going to be doing a full review for this product so I'll make this quite brief. I had been told the scent was unpleasant and I very much disagree with that. It has a very classic smell to it and reminds me of watching my grandmother doing her makeup. I love the brush and while the gloss was super sticky on my hand it isn't sticky at all on my lips. I love it and I can't wait to see more from this brand! Overall 9/10

New Video~!

My first what I got for Christmas video ever just went up!

You can watch it here and tomorrow my December favourites should be up as well.

Also keep your eyes peeled for an actual post here, I've been so ill lately that it's kept me from really having the energy to really even blog, and between that and the Holiday I've been somewhat of a hermit on the internet. But there are new things coming, be prepared.

See you next time.

xoxoxo

Alex

November 2014 Favourites

My November favourites video is up over on my YouTube Channel, you can watch it here if you would like but here is the full list of items in no particular order, plus where you can get them and how much they cost (in Canada at least).

• Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Perfection Matte in 104  $7.99  - Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, Target
• EOS Visibly Soft Coconut Milk Lip Balm $3.99 - Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, Target
• Beyond The Zone Smooth Criminal Hair Primer $8.34 -  Sally's Beauty
• Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Achiote $31 - Sephora
• Tokyomilk Dark Everything and Nothing No. 10 Full Size $44 - Sephora
• J.Cat Wonder Lip Paint in Mad Splatter and Red Potion $4.99 each - J.Cat Website
• Seven Sisters Tea Baked Apple $5 /50g  - Markol Coffee & Tea or Seven Sisters Tea website.

Let me know if there are any of these items that you would like a more in depth review of and I would be more than happy to do so!

See you next time! 

xoxoxo

~Alex

Tutorial? Review? All of the above?

Okay so let's talk about the products a bit.

Elizabeth Mott 'Tints & Sass' $22.99 USD 0.35oz/10g 

The link above it where you can buy it. The Tints & Sass has kind of a gel consistency and it smells like sweet artificial cherry. It is quite pigmented and needs to be applied evenly or it will streak. That having been said it is quite easy to work with. On the rare occasion I reach for a tint this tends to be the one I go for. The only negative is I can't seem to find anywhere that sells it aside from the Elizabeth Mott website whereas you can pick up Benefit products at Shoppers Drug Mart (The main chain drug store in Ontario).

Benefit Cosmetics 'Benetint'  $30 USD 0.4oz/12.4ml

As with the other the link above is where you can get it. Benetint has quite a watery consistency and I find that it takes quite a bit to get the effect I want. Now I will admit I own the small trial size of benetint and it is possible that there is a different formula to the full size, though that probably isn't the case. The smell is just of perfumed makeup, not bad, just clearly cosmetic. You do have to work in thin layers with this product which does make it harder to over apply it. It is also much more readily available and in general I love Benefit products. This is the only one so far that I haven't adored.


Verdict?
I like Tints & Sass better, I haven't tried the other tints from Benefit so I can't weigh in on them but between these two Tints & Sass wins.

Hope this post was informative and helpful!

See you next time!

xoxoxo

~Alex

Subscription Review: Ipsy

I am subscribed to Ipsy and as such I do an unboxing and review on my YouTube every month.

Starting in December I will be accompanying this with a write up on my blog here. For the months that have already happened however I am going to link to the already existing videos in this post in case anyone is interested in seeing them.

And of course my Ipsy referal link is here should you like to subscribe.

I should be writing up another post either later tonight or tomorrow.

See you next time

xoxoxo

~Alex

Past Ipsy Unboxing Videos:

November 2014 Ipsy Unboxing/Review
October 2014 Ipsy Unboxing/Review
September 2014 Ipsy Unboxing/Review (update)
August 2014 Ipsy Unboxing/Review