Saturday, October 31, 2015

L'Oréal Paris Color Riche Fixing and Unifying Eyeshadow Primer


I was a bit confused by this product at first. It seemed weird that it was encased in plastic that you have to sharpen. It's really hard on the sharpener and on the plastic, which doesn't sharpen evenly. This is my major grievance with the product, which would all be fixed if they made it in a twist up/no sharpen format.

I'm really impressed with it as a primer though. For me it's quite long lasting. It gets me through the workday without any smudging, and a few hours after that too. It ends up being my eyeliner that smudges in the end! It works especially well with some creme eyeshadows that I have by CoverGirl- it somehow extends it's staying power.


One thing to watch out for is how fast it dries. It's rather thick to put on (so I wouldn't recommend it for super sensitive eyelids since it pulls a bit) and if I don't blend it immediately it becomes fixed where it is.

Because it's pigmented for colour correction, I don't really understand why there's only one colour option. I might actually go a shade darker if they had it as it seems to lighten up my skin a lot. It does a good job with coverage and evening skin tone though.



Friday, October 30, 2015

Shiseido Shimmering Rouge Lip Colour


I was given this as a present a year or so ago and I absolutely loved it! The only problem I had was when I went to repurchase. I couldn't find it easily and then when I saw how much they go for I was a bit disappointed. Although I love it a lot it is around $30 CAD, and for how fast I used it up I just can't justify it!

This lip colour is somewhere between a gloss and a lipstick. It has a transparent pigment that's shimmery as well as glossy. But it's not overtly either of those, it's really quite subtle actually. And I really like the texture of it. It's smooth and transfers evenly and it just feels nice. It's not sticky at all, and there's barely any weight to it. 


Unfortunately like anything with a high gloss it doesn't have a whole lot of staying power. But it's worth it for the colour it gives my lips. I'm not sure if it was just the shade I got (OR405 Sizzle) or if they all do it, but I use this when I want a more natural finish. So this is my perfect "my lips but better" product. I feel like it just enhances the colour of my lips and makes them look more polished. I wish so much I could ignore the price tag!

Shiseido Shimmering Rouge in OR405 Sizzle


Thursday, October 29, 2015

Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep Recovery Night Gel-balm


I got this as a sample at Shopper's Drug Mart. It doesn't come with any instructions so I had to look it up online. Basically you're supposed to put a small amount onto your face and massage it in, giving your face and neck a massage at the same time.

I actually quite like this. I don't notice a huge difference in the recovery department, just very moisturized skin. I get the feeling from the instructions that this is supposed to be a tool to help relax and de-stress. And I actually do find this super relaxing. The texture of the formula is really smooth and cool, and there's the faint rosewater scent that is light and pleasant.

As much as I like this, I don't think I'll be purchasing it any time soon. The price tag is quite hefty for something that is basically something extra to treat yourself with. It's kind of like a day at the spa- lovely to have, probably wouldn't buy it for myself, but excellent to give and receive as a gift. If it made a difference for someone else, I can definitely see the, buying it for themselves, but I'll just enjoy what I have. 



Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Benefit The Porefessional Face Primer


This stuff is my go to primer right now. It seems Benefit primers love me!

It has a slight tint to it, but when I apply I really don't feel this makes a huge amount of difference. It has the usual drying effect of every other primer I've used.

But I hardly need to use any at all to get the job done, which is awesome for a more expensive item. And it applies and blends in smoothly.

Besides that, what I'm looking for in a primer is something that will hold my foundation all day and fill in my pores as much as possible. This is the only one I've found so far that does both. Even with my pore test, under the Rimmel Lasting Finish full coverage foundation, it smooths everything down. And it keeps any foundation completely in place for me until the end of the work day. Even at the end of the day it's just my oily spots that have started to show through a bit. No smell either!




Tuesday, October 27, 2015

MAC Face and Body Foundation


I borrowed this from a friend to try out to see if I would like it. I'm always trying to up my foundation game! Unfortunately it isn't for me.

For a foundation I'm looking for something that is easy to blend and gives good coverage without feeling heavy. This foundation definitely meets the easy to blend requirement! It's the easiest I've worked with for blending. And I really like the fresh glowing look it gives my face.


The problem comes with coverage. I am not a fan of how watery this foundation is. It is a light coverage foundation, so I didn't expect it to cover everything the first time around. But for some reason I can't build it up! It would take at least 4 coats I think- I didn't get that far. After 3 coats I just ended up putting on my regular foundation. It got points for not making me feel like I had anything more than my usual foundation on though!

So there are some really good aspects of this foundation, and I would recommend it to someone who just needed a little extra boost for their skin and wanted a really natural finish. Other places I would use this is with another type of foundation, either under a powder or over a liquid for a better finish. But for the amount I would use it, it's not worth having this in my collection. 

Swatch of MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1



Monday, October 26, 2015

Lancôme Hypnose Drama Mascara Excessive Black



I had high hopes for this mascara but all around it just didn't work out for me. 

The formula is super dark, which is great for a dramatic look. The brush is in the shape of a cone taper and this accentuates the outer lashes quite a bit. The major problem I have with this mascara is that it leaves little clumps on my lashes. 


The little details don't make up for anything either. I think for a higher end mascara the packaging should be better- basically I don't think that any writing on the packaging should be able to rub off. This is just awful for that. And the other thing is the smell. I'm pretty influenced by smell and although it doesn't get applied anywhere near my nose, it still bothers me that it smells like perfume. It's a really traditional perfume scent that isn't at all subtle.

So, not for me! I'm finding some of my other mascaras can create the dramatic lash without the clumps and strong smell. 


Eye without mascara

Eye with Lancôme Hypnose Drama Mascara 

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Sunday Shoe Day! Call It Spring Chunky Mary Jane Platform


I love how funky these are! I just got them the other day and I just couldn't wait to put them up here. They were $30 CAD from a local boutique (called Meow, if you happen to be in Guelph). I'll have to find something very simple or monochromatic to wear with them. 

And the platform is pretty high, so they don't give me any trouble with the incline. And being a mary jane they make my feet feel pretty secure. The finish on them is rich and feels like suede (so soft!) And the big buttons are super shiny under the right light. 


I wasn't sure about the heels at first, because I normally go for a stiletto heel. But the shape is just too interesting. It's not your normal chunky heel! They narrow towards the back, which makes them almost triangular. 

I might just end up wearing them for Halloween! 


Saturday, October 24, 2015

KISS Strip Lash Adhesive with Aloe (Black)



This is one of those things that I vaguely thought would be nice and then once I had it I appreciated it much more. My normal Ardell lash glue is my go to for everyday wear, but sometimes it gets gummed up with my eyeshadow and doesn't dry clear. So this is great for nights out when I want to keep my black eyeliner or shadow clean and dark, and hide the line of the lash strip.

This dries as dark and black as it comes out of the tube. It also keeps my lashes glued down until I take them off (after several hours). The consistency is a bit weird, and I don't know if that goes for all KISS lash glue or just the black. A lot comes out of the tube at once, and a lot seems to stick to the lash strip. This means that it ends up in far more places than I'd like it to go, and for something that dries black instead of clear, this is more of a problem. When I'm taking it off (or removing it from the bottom corner of my eye where it has accidentally landed), it seems more gummy and stretchy than any other glue I've worked with. I can't quite make out if this is a benefit or an accident. 

Although I really like this product, it does take more time and patience to work with, so it probably isn't for everybody!




Friday, October 23, 2015

Revlon PhotoReady Color Correcting Primer

This was given to me with enough left to try for a little while, so by no means have I used as much as the pictures suggest!

It's on the liquid side of creamy, and has the typical primer side effect of feeling dry after the application. There's a faint rose scent to it, but nothing bothersome.


It claims to be colour correcting and looks slightly tinted. I don't notice any difference to my skin tone when I put it on. If I had a really even skin tone I'm sure it would be all I needed, but I don't.


What I'm looking for in a primer is to keep my foundation in place and to fill in my pores. This is about average as a foundation primer. It sticks around through most of the workday, but not quite til the end.

Swatch of Revlon PhotoReady Color Correcting Primer in 002

It does surprisingly well under a heavy foundation. One of the tests of a good primer for me is to see how visible my pores are after application of primer and the Rimmel Lasting Finish, and although this doesn't completely cover them, it does a better job than most.

This product isn't for me, but I would recommend it to someone who doesn't need a lot of coverage and who uses a light foundation. Has anyone found this works well for them? What are your favourite colour correcting primers?



Thursday, October 22, 2015

Essence Lipliner

I bought this one day when I needed something I could put under my lipstick to set it better. It was something like $2 and I expected its performance to reflect the price I paid for it.


As a lipliner, it is mediocre. It doesn't make a sharp line, lasts about as long as a creme lipstick (2-4h), and it's so soft that lipstick doesn't stick to it very well at all. In fact, that's what I ended up using it as. Because it's smooth and creamy I either wear it on its own or mixed with another lipstick to get a good colour. That is actually one thing that is really good- the colour payoff. The only trouble with using it to cover the lips is that because it's so soft a lot of product comes away when I apply it, and I use it up at a rather fast rate. For the price though it's not hard to replace!

Swatch of Essence Lipliner in 008 Red Blush


Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Benefit BADgal Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil



I got given this as a present and was pretty excited because I love so much of what Benefit has to offer.

The great thing about this eyeliner is that it is very black. And it looks awesome when you smudge it out too. It's maybe just a little too eager to smudge though. I have the worst time getting this eyeliner to stay where I put it. When I just line my inner eyes it always ends up below my lashes in large quantities.

This is really great for a base for a dark eyeshadow look though. It gives it that dark intensity that is often hard to achieve with eyeshadow alone. So for everyday use it's not my favourite but for nights out it's great. (Truthfully I did use most of it up as filler when I'd run out of my usual black eyeliner, but it always bothered it me that it smudged underneath so much.) 

It applies smoothly and consistently, without any catching on the skin. It doesn't really like to have a point, so any type of cat eye is super hard. And although the smudger on the end has a really nice feel to it, I didn't find that it smudged it out as well as a brush does.


Swatch of BADgal Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Black

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Mall Haul: Warm Drinks and Makeup edition


So I went to the mall to poke around and pick up some things, and I thought I would share what found it's way into my bag!

First off, I got distracted by the DAVIDsTEA display entitled "Steepy Hollow". I love Halloween so much and I love seeing all the different tea sets David's Tea put out through the year. The Book of Spells sampler box caught my eye immediately. And of course all of the teas have cute name plays (Forever Guts, Strawberry Boo-Barb Parfait, Banana Nut Dead, Chocolate Macadoom, The Spice is Fright, and Pumpkin Die). Unfortunately there's enough in there that I am "eh" about that I didn't get it, but I did pick up a packet of just the Chocolate Macadoom. I love that most of the featured teas in the box set had their tin on the tea wall done in a cute Halloween cover (which is black with eyes coming out of the dark).

I also picked up some Caramel Rooibos tea, which I feel is a must have for the fall season. It's just so earthy, and has the right mix of sweetness with the caramel! And I needed some new filters. So those got thrown in as well. (I have a metal strainer ball, but I just don't like the idea of having that in my tea as much as the paper filters. Not sure why.)


Then I went to Starbucks. I only went to get a present for my mother, which is the Starbucks' Pike Place instant coffee, because she likes it on the go. I can't wait until they come out with the instant Peppermint Mocha packets! I love having those after a long, cold day. Total de-stressor.

And I was good and resisted getting a Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino while I was there! It was hard though. I did give in and get a Chocolate Caramel Pretzel. Starbucks was definitely ahead of the salted caramel trend when they came out with those. They've always been a weakness!

I picked up some more Carnation hot chocolate at the grocer's because I'm full throttle into the hot chocolate time of year. They were out of the tins but the packets were on sale, so I got a variety.

Next I went to Dollarama to get a new shower liner (random, I know), and I somehow ended up with a bunch of eyelashes. Someone had told me a while ago that Dollarama had stated selling eyelashes and while I was there I finally noticed and bought some of the Mariposa (which is Dollarama's makeup brand) false eyelashes. I got two of the more dramatic sets to try out.


I also browsed their Halloween section, and came across their feathered lashes that they come out with every Halloween. I've never actually tried them though, which is surprising considering my love of lashes. So I got a couple of pairs of those to try as well. (As an after thought in line I picked up a pack of those chocolate eyeballs with liquid caramel chocolate filling that only come out at Halloween. You may notice I have a slight addiction to chocolate and caramel...)

Last but not least I visited Shopper's Drug Mart! I went in with a list of things I've been looking for and I got almost everything. I was looking for a liquid matte red lipstick and I ended up with Stila's stay all day liquid lipstick. I also happened to pick up one of the new Le Matte lip colours by L'Oréal Paris. I'm loving all the matte lipsticks right now.



I also needed some red lip liner, so I thought I'd try something by Quo. I thought it was cool that it had the brush on the end. I was looking for brushes too, so besides that one I got the Lise Watier Perfecting Foundation Brush.

I find Shopper's kind of lacking for brushes so I'm obviously going to have to expand my horizons. Although Shopper's does have more of an Urban Decay display now, and their brushes look pretty good. I passed on buying a double ended one today though because I eventually want to own some of the pallets, which include at least one end of the brush I was looking at. (If I got any of the first three Naked palettes and the Naked Smokey pallet, I'd have both ends.)

And I got another eyeliner because I seems to never have enough. This is the intense eyeliner pen by GOSH.

I'll share more of my thoughts and experiences with these products when I test and review them!




Biotherm Biocils Make-up Remover Gel

So this is a makeup remover that is used on its own, without needing to rinse it off. It states on the back that it can be used on gentle skin and with contact lenses. It is a gel, but it's still very fluid.


I started using this in the evenings to replace my Clean & Clear astringent toner. I used the Clean & Clear twice a day (at morning and at night) mostly to take off excess dirt and makeup (because  nothing apparently will help my spots). I'm only using the Biotherm Biocils in the evening to get the rest of my makeup off, since it's not an astringent.

As a cleanser and makeup remover it works really well, better than the Clean and Clear (which isn't technically a remover but it does the same thing). And it is super gentle on the skin and eyes. I am one of those who wears contacts and sometimes a cleanser will gum them up. This doesn't do that, but you still need to wash it out if it gets in your eyes. 


The only complaint I have with it is that I need so much to get the job done. If it's just the eyes I'm focusing on it's not so bad, but between my skin and the cotton pad it seems to disappear. So I'm going through it crazy fast. For that reason alone I don't thing I'll repurchase, but it's good for the interim! 

Monday, October 19, 2015

Hard Candy Eyeshadow Primer


I haven't tried anything from Hard Candy before and this was given to me by a friend to try out.

It has a liquidy cream texture, and blends from white to clear. It doesn't take long at all to dry on the eyelid and you don't need much to cover from lash to brow. Unfortunately it doesn't like to stay there. It last for about half the day (~4 hrs) before my shadow and eyeliner find their way up into the crease. This could be good for someone who wants something super easy on the skin and who doesn't need their makeup to stay for a long time. But for me it's on to other primers!


Sunday, October 18, 2015

Sunday Shoe Day! BCBG Paris Peep-Toe Slingback Platform


These are so intense! But I love them so much! I'm actually afraid to wear them sometimes because I want to keep them nice.


They have quite a steep incline, but it's not terribly uncomfortable. I got them from Sears for $39, which is really good for BCBG. They have one of my absolute favourite colour combinations- I love blue and that orangey-red together. And they have this shiny patent finish that makes me want to wear catsuits and leather with them! (Which in reality amounts to shiny black leggings and a leather jacket.)


Redken Volumizing Foam for Baby Fine Hair

This stuff. It loves my hair soo much. I apply one pump to my hair and it has instant thickness. Which is good because I have such thin hair. It's frizzy most days so it doesn't look as thin, but it's hard to do a lot with. So this has been helping!


I'd heard Redken was a good name to try and I'm glad I did! Besides a bit of stickiness and taking a few seconds to dry, there's not a whole lot to complain about. It works instantly and lasts all day, and it makes any type of backcombing a dream. Or any type of sculpting really. And you don't need a lot - one pump definitely gets all my hair. It does feel gross if you leave it for more than a day before washing it out, but if you use it on second-day hair and wash it after it works out. (Or wash it every day like I do - I don't think that normal though.)


Saturday, October 17, 2015

My Topbox October 2015!

So this arrived for me yesterday! Topbox is my first beauty box, and this is my first Topbox! It's a Toronto based company that ships to anywhere in Canada and it costs $12/month (plus tax and including shipping). 



There's four samples in each box. Because this was my first box, I decided on this one based on the price, but also based on the fact that it is samples. I'd much rather try a bit of everything and repurchase what I like than get a whole bunch that I'm going to end up throwing away because I couldn't use it in time or because i didn't like it and wouldn't recommend it. If I could I would get everything in sample sizes first.

So this was October's! Here's a list of what I got and how much each retails for and where to buy it:


I'm pretty excited for everything here. I just like trying new products! And I like the fact that some things are from websites that I may not order from because I only want one item (or just won't go to the trouble of ordering- I'm internet lazy).  I was supposed to be able to vote for which box I wanted, but I saw the email too late and just as well- I feel like it might have ruined it for me. I'm sure others really like that option though!

I have't tried any of this yet, but I swatched the pencil on my hand and it was soo shiny and pretty. Definitely will be used for any nights out! I'll let you know how it goes (and show you the swatch) when I review it!






Friday, October 16, 2015

DKNY Fragrance pureDKNY Verbena


I was given this as a sample and when I sniffed the opening I thought I would like this. It smelled faintly like aftershave with a floral touch. But when I actually applied it, the smell was overwhelming and stuck unpleasantly in my nose. There are some overwhelming smells that I can handle and even like, but they are strongly sweet and not sharp floral scents. Which is what this is.

So now I know I'm not a huge fan of verbena, at least not in large quantities! (The actual wear time on this was about half a work day- I was afraid that because I didn't like it that it would last forever, but it didn't!)



Thursday, October 15, 2015

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal


I'm really liking this right now! I wasn't sure what to expect since my recent experience with the Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer. But I was pleasantly surprised!

I decided to try 003 brown because I've really been liking the neutral browns and golds on my eyes recently. However this colour label is misleading because it's definitely more of a copper-bronze!  Which I thought was cool, but others might not be up for the surprise.


One of the faults I've found with it is that it's not easy to sharpen the first time round- like it won't go around easily. And after that it will sharpen but not evenly, and the tip has a tendency to break after it's freshly sharpened. It also likes to leave little clumps of product when you apply it to the skin if you go too fast. It's nice to have a soft eyeliner because if it's too hard it doesn't even transfer to the face. But it seems like this one is just a little too soft, which makes not only sharpening and applying a bit hard, but also getting a clean line and a sharp point (for say a cat eye).

I've mostly been using it to tightline my eyes though, and it goes on smoothly there. It stays for a good 4 hours before it wears off. Actually it doesn't really wear off so much as migrate down to my under eye, where I find a constellation of brown and gold flecks at the end of the day!

Swatch of Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 003 brown. Clean (L) and smudged (R)

When using it on my eyelid, it stays put for about the same about of time, longer if I use a good primer. I do tend to set all my eyeliner on my lids with powder because it's rare I find one that doesn't make its way up into my crease before the day has really begun. When I smudged it out it didn't really go well. It will smudge but not without some force, and the brown and gold tend to separate- the brown stays and the gold moves. So it's basically just good for solid lines!

Despite all the little flaws with this product, I bought it to be a brown colour in my waterline and that's exactly what it is (with a little extra shimmer). It's not hard for me to work around the little things, and it basically reflects the price of the product (I got mine for $5 CAD).