Holy Grail Status: Makeup Forever Mat Velvet + Foundation Review and Swatches

Hey guys!

Today, I would like to share with you one of my make up essentials that I don't think I could live without, a full coverage foundation. Since I have acne-prone skin there are certain qualities that I specifically look for and found in this foundation. Let's check out the Makeup Forever Mat Velvet + Foundation! 

Company Description: A shine controlling, oil-free, water-resistant, complete coverage liquid foundation. It conceals skin imperfections, evens out the complexion and mattifies with a powder finish.  This new oil-free, non comedogenic formula is suited to sensitive skin.

My thoughts: As it says on the title of the post, this is my holy grail foundation. I have been using this foundation on a daily basis for about 6 months now and have been very satisfied with it. I came along this foundation when I returned another full coverage one which is the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Foundation which made me break out quite badly. I was browsing through the brands in Sephora and remembered that a lot of people raved about MUFE HD foundation and I was going to pick that up but this foundation caught my eye and decided to purchase this instead. It comes in an opaque, matte plastic squeeze tube with a black cap and small sprout where you can control the amount of foundation you want to use. With the Mat Velvet +, I get everything I wish for from a foundation; it has full coverage that evens my skin tone but still feels lightweight, keeps my skin matte for long hours and yet it doesn't clog my pores. I brought this foundation when I was in Mexico where the weather is dry and humid and I've got to say that this foundation still performed well. I have paired this foundation with my Benefit POREfessional Pro Balm and noticed my face being oily after about 6 hours. I also swam in the pool and the ocean while wearing the combo and my foundation didn't fade. 

Here are some swatches

Overall: I have a few foundations in my rotation but I always go back to this on days that I want a fool proof face and would recommend this to someone who likes a matte and shine free face for long hours. This is also great for sensitive skin and does not clog pores.

Price: $40.00 CAD

Place to buy: Sephora

What is your Holy Grail foundation?

Nail of the Week: Nicole by OPI's Khloe Had a Little Lam-Lam

2 coats under natural light

Hey guys!

For this week's nails I am wearing Nicole by OPI's Khloe Had a Little Lam-Lam from the Kardashian Collection with an accent nail wearing OPI's Designer... de Better! from the Muppets Collection. Khloe Had a Little Lam-Lam is a gorgeous darkened teal which leans slightly more towards green than blue, under certain lights, this shade can look almost black though. The formula for this polish is great to work with and easy to apply, it can even be a one-coater. For the accent nail, OPI Designer... de Better! is a silvery champagne foil with orange flecks.  

2 coats under artificial light

What do you have on your nails this week?

I'm Back! (some pics from my vacation)

Hey guys!

How are you? I apologize for the lack of posts for over a week but after coming back from my vacation I had to get back to work right away and became so busy. Anyways, I had an amazing time in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, I visited some great places, ate a lot of delicious food and met a lot of amazing people. 

The purpose of my trip is to visit several hotels to do site inspections and see what they have to offer for their guests. Here are some highlights from my trip

Look at these amazing views! 

Here are some delicious food

And here are some amazing people I met

I had an amazing time in Mexico and would love to come back again soon!

Nail of the Week: Nail Art for My Mexican Vacation

I wanted to do something festive for my trip down south so I did a little nail art on my tips! I couldn't decide which colour to put on my nails so I used both colours that I liked the most from my recent Essie nail polish haul. For the upper half I wore Essie Turquoise and Caicos and for the lower half I used Essie Pilates Hottie. And for the pattern, I used my m65 Konad Nail Art Plate with the white polish from the Konad Kit. 

What do you have on your nails this week?

What's In My Travel Make Up Bag

Here are a few makeup products that I will be bringing along with me on my trip to Mexico. Have I already said how excited I am?

For the face

1) Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Foundation - This is my go to foundation that never lets me down. Since I am expecting warm weather I need a foundation that will help my oily skin stay matte that would also last for long hours. Also, since this is water resistant, if I decide to dip in the water I can be assured that my makeup would not run off.

2) Benefit the POREfessional Pro Balm - Since our group will be touring from one hotel to another, this will help my foundation stay on longer. I love this face primer because it doesn't make my foundation feel heavy and doesn't clog my pores either.

3) CoverGirl Clean Pressed Powder for Sensitive Skin - Just a standard powder I use to set my foundation.

4) Benefit Boi-ing Concealer - I use the shade 02 for my under eye area and the shade 03 for my blemishes. 

5) E.L.F. Studio Blush in Candid Coral - I love this peachy coral shade blush that gives a subtle glow on my face

For the eyes

1) Mini Urban Decay Primer Potion - This is a great eyelid primer that really makes the eyeshadows last without creasing or fading. 

2) NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Champagne and Caviar - I wanted to bring my Naked Palette with me but the length of it does not fit my make up bag so I'm bringing the NYX palette instead. I haven't had the chance to use this palette ever since I bought it so bringing it along the trip would be great for me to try this palette out.

3) Benefit Bad Gal Mascara - This is the first time that I'm going to try this mascara out so I'm really excited as I have read a lot of raves about it.

4) Wet n Wild Megalast Pencil Eyeliner in Blackest Black - A quick and easy way to line my upper lash, its great because it has a smudger at the end for my lower lash line.

5) Rimmel Kajal Eye Liner Pencil in Pure White - This is a fairly new product that I use to brighten my eyes on days that I lack sleep. This would be great in case I have a little too much fun on some festivities while I'm down in Mexico. lol

6) Revlon Eye Lash Curler - I love this curler because its cheap but gets the job done and doesn't pinch. 

For the lips

1) Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm - I've only been using this for a couple of weeks but I'm really liking it so far. I love that it gives a cooling effect on the lips and feels so moisturizing enough that I don't need to re-apply multiple times throughout the day

2) MAC Lipsticks in Vegas Volt, Girl About Town, and Russian Red - I know I don't need this much lipsticks but I couldn't decide which one to bring. I brought Russian Red to wear for the nightly festivities and I have a choice between Vegas Volt and Girl About Town for the daytime.

3) Benefit Coralista Lipgloss - I'm not much of a gloss girl but I will bring this along just in case I get in the mood for glossy lips.

4) Blistex Lip Medex - This used to be my lip balm of choice to wear throughout the day but ever since I bought the Burt's Bees lip balm I use this now as a overnight lip balm.

Bonus Items

1) Real Techniques Travel Essentials Brush Set - I love this set as it has my foundation, blush and eye brush included. I am also using the brush case it came with and bringing my EcoTools Retractable Powder brush and the 2 brushes from the Naked and Naked 2 Palettes.

2) Bath and Body Works Island Nectar Anti-bac - I always bring an anti-bac with me and this scent is appropriate for my upcoming trip!

So those are the things I am bringing with me, I feel that I'm bringing a lot even though I tried my best to pack lightly.

What are your travel essentials? Do share! 

I'm Going On A Vacation (of sorts!)

(source)

You may or may not know that I work in the Tourism and Travel Industry and a great perk in being part of the industry is travel companies provide trips at discounted prices or sometimes for free. I feel lucky enough to go on an upcoming trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on gratis by the company I work for. I'm super excited because it will be my first time going to Mexico and have heard a lot of great things about the country! My upcoming trip will not be entirely devoted to lounging around the beach (sadly) but mostly going on tours around the different hotels and see what those hotels have to offer their guests and activities that guests can enjoy. Because I will be away for a few days, I don't think I will be able to put up some posts. Hopefully, I can take pictures that I can share with you guys when I come back :)

Have you been to Puerto Vallarta or anywhere else in Mexico? Do you have any suggestions on what I should check out there?

October 2012's Topbox

For the past year, I have read numerous posts from different blogs about the Topbox subscription service box and how great this box is. Topbox is a Canadian monthly subscription service that provides sample sized (sometimes full size) high end products for $10.00 CAD plus tax. So I signed up last April and have been on the waiting list since then. So when I read an email that I will be receiving my first Topbox this month I was so excited! Last Friday, I was advised that my box has been shipped so I should be expecting it soon. So I was anticipating that it would arrive by Monday or Tuesday the latest but didn't receive the box until Thursday night. I don't know who was at fault for the delay as I live in Brampton, ON and the package came from Mississauga, ON which is just a city away. Anyway, I opened the package immediately but was a bit disappointed at the products I saw. 

Here are the items I received;

1) Aveda Ivanti Exfoliating Shampoo and Thickening Conditioner (10 ml) (Full size retails for $27.00/200ml) - These must be the tiniest shampoo and conditioner samples I have seen ever and since I have long hair, I think I'll just get a single use for these. Sadly, I won't be able to decide if I like the product with a single use. I like the their smell though.

2) Masker Aide Hydrating Facial Sheet Mask 'Detox Diva'(Retails for $4.99 for one mask)- This will the very first sheet mask that I'll try and am actually kind of excited to try this one out. I received the 'Detox Diva' which promises to cleanse, exfoliate and detoxify the skin.

3) Stila Eyeshadow Palette in 'In The Light' (I don't think the sample I received has a "value") (Full size retails for $50/14g)  - I have read a few raves about this Stila palette so I was excited to see this but was disappointed when I opened the paper because I can only get one swipe from the shadows, I think. 

4) Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator (20ml) (Full size retails for $34.00/120ml) - I'm excited to try this out as I love anything that would 'brighten' my skin. 

Bonus: A card for a Lise Watier Sample box from Shoppers Drug Mart

Overall: I'm a bit disappointed with what I received for my first box, three of the items included are 'one time use only' and I don't think that's enough to decide if I like the product or not. I'm still excited to see what else Topbox has to offer for the upcoming months!

Did you like what you received from Topbox for this month?

Favourite Look of the Week Vol. 5: Golden Winged Eye

I feel very experimental with my eyeshadow looks lately and have been enjoying them so far. Here's a look I created using warm gold and brown shades. I also did a cat eye for a bolder statement. I apologize for the fallout on my lashes, the mascara I used is on its last run so it didn't coat so well and made my lashes look crusty :(

For this week's look I used the following products:

Urban Decay Primer Potion "Original" to prime my eyelid (not pictured)

Maybelline Color Tattoo in "Bold Gold" as a base

Urban Decay eyeshadow in "Half Baked" for inner third of my lid

Urban Decay eyeshow in "Tease" for the crease

Urban Decay eyeshadow in "Snakebite" for outer third of my lid

Essence Gel Liner in "Midnight in Paris" for upper and lower lash line

Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping Mascara 

Benefit Holiday Sets for 2012

I have written before how much I love Benefit Cosmetics because they always come out with the cutest and most adorable sets. For this year's holidays the brand has come out with great sets that you can give to your friends, family, and even yourself! lol.

Here are some of Benefit's Gifts Sets

Upgrade to Gorgeous! ($40.00)

- 0.05 Laugh With Me LeeLee

- 0.25 oz POREfessional

- 0.45 oz High Beam

- 0.1 oz They're Real

- 0.42 oz Sugarbomb

High Flyin' Glosses ($28.00 CAD)

- The set contains six 0.22 oz Lip gloss in Coralista, Dallas, Bellabamba, Hoola, Sugarbomb, Dandelion

Sexy Little Stowaways ($40.00 CAD)

- 0.1 oz Bella Bamba

- 0.25 oz That Gal Brightening Face Primer

- 0.08 oz Sun Beam

- 0.08 oz Cha Cha Tint

- 0.08 oz Ooh La Lift

- 0.08 oz Stay Don't Stray

- 1 oz It's Potent! Eye Cream

- 0.14 oz BADgal Lash Mascara

- 0.25 oz The POREfessional

- 0.1 oz Hoola

Let There B. Right! ($45.00 CAD)

- full size It's Potent! Eye Cream

- full size Triple Performing Facial Emulsion

- mini Total Moisture Facial Cream

- mini The POREfessional

Place to buy: Sephora

Are you going to pick up one of these sets?

Beauty Lemmings Vol. 2

Hey guys!

Here are some products that I have been eyeing for a while which I think is quite interesting as there are no makeup products but mostly skin care. Is it possible that I am content with my makeup collection? For now, I think!

Soap and Glory "Breakfast Scrub" - I have read great things about this scrub, with not only smelling yummy but also leaving the skin smooth and soft. This brand is available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores here in Canada with very limited variety sadly. I'm really hoping that I will find this product soon!

Lush "H'Swan Wen Hua" - Another product that I have read so much about in the blogosphere. I have been trying a few hair conditioners or moisturizers lately but have not found a product that I can label the "holy grail" status yet. Hopefully when I get to try this product it would give the nourishment my hair needs.

Marc Jacobs "Daisy" - I know I have said in the past that I don't like perfumes but when I was at a store once, one pushy sales associate just squirted this on me, I was going to have a b*tch fit but I actually liked the scent. lol. 

Origins "Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask" - This product promises to improve skin by deeply unclogging pores. I have not read about this product that much, but I'm really curious about the "activated charcoal" ingredient that this has.

Butter London Nail Lacquers in "All Hail The Queen" and "Tart With The Heart" - I have been on a polish kick lately and have heard great things about the Butter London brand. When I went to the brand's website these shades have instantly caught my eye.

What products are you lusting after lately?

Nail of the Week: Gosh Ocean

For this week's nail I am wearing my very first Gosh polish in the shade Ocean. I was browsing one day at Shoppers Drug Mart and this shade immediately caught my eye. Looking at the bottle, the shade really does remind me of the water. Ocean is a turquoise, blue-green with a metallic finish. I wish the shade leans more towards blue rather than green but it's vice versa. Formula wise, I needed to be careful in painting my nails as the brush strokes tend to be noticeable (which I think is common with metallic finish polishes) The picture above is applied with two coats.

What have you got on your nails this week?

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in 'Knock On Wood' Review and Swatches

Hey guys! How are you enjoying fall so far?

Since I have featured this trio in a recent eye look I created for fall, I thought to write about this wonderful palette in a post. "Knock on Wood" is a trio from Wet n Wild Color Icon line that includes  gorgeous autumnal shades perfect for the season.

Here are the shades

"Browbone" shade - is a dusty medium pink with a frosty finish. This may seem like a dark highlight shade but it actually sheers out easily when blended.

"Crease" shade - is a warm golden brown with a frosty finish. This is a great crease shade that compliments the eyelid shade well.

"Eyelid" shade - is a reddened brown, burgundy with a frosty finish. My favourite shade of the trio which is very pigmented.

Overall: A great thing about the Wet n Wild Color Icon Trios is that they have labels that will help you create a look easily but you don't necessarily have to follow them. The shadows are very pigmented, the texture is velvety smooth and not chalky at all, and the shades included in the trio blend and compliment each other well. The Color Icon also has a wide variety of shades from neutral to colour shadows.

Price: $4.99 CAD
Place to Buy: Walmart

Have you tried any of the Wet n Wild Trios?

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 'Raspberry Bite' Review and Swatches

I am a person who doesn't shy away from bold lips, I'm definitely someone who is more comfortable in wearing bright, intense, statement lip colours. And in lieu with that fact, I would like to share with you a lipstick great for the season. The Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Raspberry Bite is a gorgeously rich, red raspberry that epitomizes fall, in my opinion.

The Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks line is my favourite kind of drugstore lipstick because it has a wide variety of shades, great pigmentation, the formula is creamy, moisturizing and comfortable to wear. Raspberry Bite might look scary in the tube but its several shades lighter on the lips and the shade is also not that vampy so it can definitely be worn during the day.

Here is an arm and lip swatch

Overall: Raspberry Bite is a great shade, perfect for the season so I highly recommend it. This shade wears about 5 hours on my lips but it does leave a stain when removed.

Price: $6.99 - $8.99
Place to buy: Most drugstores