Recent Empties Vol. 2

Hey guys!

I can't believe it's already the end of November and just one more month, the end of the year. Time sure flies! Anyways, for the past month I've tried not to splurge and be more conscious of my purchases so that lead me to use up these products and it kind of made me feel accomplished. For the past year, I have been so caught up with growing my makeup collection that I've definitely accumulated more than what I need so finishing a product gives me a sense of achievement. So let's take a look!

Nail of the Week: Essie Penny Talk

under artificial light with flash

For this week's nails I am wearing Essie Penny Talk. This shade is included in Essie's Mirror Metallics that came out a few months back but is still available at some Walmart and Shoppers Drug Mart. Penny Talk is a gorgeous bronze-y, rose-gold metallic shade. The application can be quite difficult as the formula is somewhat inconsistent and streaky. Also, the brush strokes are visible on the nails which is common with metallic polishes but a gorgeous shade nonetheless.

under natural light

under artificial light without flash

What do you have on your nails for this week?

MAC Lipstick in Plumful Review and Swatches

Hey guys!

Today I would like to share with you yet another fall lip colour that I absolutely adore, MAC Plumful. This shade has a lustre finish that is actually not a favourite finish of mine as it kind of dries my lips out so I apply my trusty lip balm before wearing the lipstick. Also, since it is a lustre finish, the colour tends to be sheer but can be intensified when layered. 

Plumful is officially described as a "blossoming rose-plum" which I think is pretty spot-on. If I can give further description of this lipstick, I would say that it's a medium pink with deep plum undertones which  would be a great shade for the fall season. 

Here is an arm and lip swatch of MAC Plumful

Overall: As any of the other MAC lipsticks in my collection, this shade lasts about 4 hours before needing re-application. Also, a lip balm is recommended to be worn underneath the lipstick.

Price: $18.00 CAD

Place to Buy: MAC Cosmetics, The Bay

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Pure Review

I have been enjoying my mini Benefit POREfessional Pro Balm so much that I have forgotten about my Too Faced Primed and Poreless Pure that was included in my very first haul post in this blog. I was looking for a lipstick in my make up collection when I came across this primer still in the box, not getting much love from me so I decided to whip it out and use. I have been using this primer for about 3 weeks now which I think is a pretty good amount of time in testing a product for review.

Nail of the Week: OPI Goldeneye

under natural lighting

For this week's nails I am wearing one of the shades included in OPI's Skyfall Collection, Goldeneye. OPI has released the collection to celebrate 50 years since the first James Bond movie came out and the release of their latest instalment, Skyfall. It took me quite a while to get a hold of this polish as I only had one store nearby that sells OPI polishes and they were always out of this shade so when it was finally available, I snatched it right up! Goldeneye is a clear base that is densely packed with small yellow-orange glitters. What struck me with this shade is its more orange toned than the typical gold (which I can't pull off btw) glitter polishes I've seen in the market. The application was also great as I didn't have any troubles, the glitters spread evenly and I achieved opacity with 2 coats.

 under artificial lighting without flash

under artificial lighting with flash

What do you have on your nails this week? Have you tried any shades from the Skyfall collection?

All About Lip Balms

As a self-confessed lipstick addict, a moisturizing lip balm is essential in my make up collection. I have tried a few lip balms over the years and here are my opinion/mini review for each of them.

November 2012's Topbox

Hey guys!

I am so excited to share with you the products I received from this month's Topbox. For those who do not know what Topbox is, it's a monthly Canadian beauty subscription costing $10.00 CAD + tax that provides 4 - 5 varied high end beauty products. After the disappointment of my initial Topbox, I can say that the products this month are well worth the fee I paid.

Here are the items I received

1) Benefit They're Real! Mascara (3.0g) (Full size retails for $29.00/8.5g) - The first item I saw when I opened the package is this mascara so I got really excited as I have yet to try a Benefit product that I didn't like. Plus, I've read great reviews about this mascara in a lot of blogs so I can't wait to try this out. 

2) China Glaze Polish in I'm in Lion (14ml/Full size) (Full size retails for $10 - 12) - With all the nail polishes I own, it is kind of surprising for me that this is my first China Glaze polish. Although I don't consider China Glaze high-end, I'm still pretty excited to try this brand out and maybe expand based on my experience with this first. The shade I received, 'I'm not Lion' is a gold shimmer packed with multi-coloured glitters which is great for the upcoming holiday season!

3) Pari Beauty Lip Paint in Red (4ml) (Full size retails for $14.00/5.5 ml) - I've honestly never tried any product from this Canadian company before and always just pass by it so I'm glad that this is included in my box this month because I'm a lipstick lover. Also, if I like this lip product, I can then support this brand.

4) Vera Wang Lovestruck Floral Rush (4ml) (Full size retails for $105.00/100ml) - I'm not really into perfumes because I'm kind of sensitive to strong scents but I liked this scent when I took a quick whiff from it. 

Overall: I'm happy with the products I received for this month which I think is well worth the $10.00 and look forward to the upcoming months boxes.

What did you receive in your box this month?

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter Review and Swatches Part 2 - Reds

Hey guys!

Here is part 2 of my review and swatches for the Revlon Lip Butters and I have the 'reds' for you today.  A lip butter is a hybrid of lip balm and pigmented lip colour and Revlon makes a wonderful collection of them. For this post, I have the shades Candy Apple and Cherry Tart. To read part one, click here.

Candy Apple - is a bright coral red shade that can be sheered out for a wearable red but quite intense when layered on the lips. This is one of the shades in the collection that has no glitter or shimmer and only glossy finish. 

Here is an arm and lip swatch

Cherry Tart - is a warm cherry red with micro glitter that brightens the face. I'm not really a fan of glitter on my lips so I have only worn this a couple of times but this is still a pretty colour nonetheless. 

Overall: The Revlon Lip Butters are excellent combination of lip balms and lipsticks which are not drying but not that moisturizing either. They are lightweight, creamy, have excellent pigmentation and have great variety of shades. On me, they were for about 2.5 - 3 hours before needing re-application.

Have you tried the Revlon Lip Butters? What's your favourite shade?

Nail Of The Week: Dotted Essie Recessionista

under natural light

For this week's nails I did a simple nail art using Essie's Recessionista as the base, Klean Color's Pastel Purple for the first line of dots and Essie's Pilates Hottie for the second line. Essie Recessionista is a creamy dark magenta/deep plum shade with 2 coats. Klean Color Pastel Purple is more of a bubblegum pink than pastel in my opinion but a pretty shade nonetheless. And Essie Pilates Hottie is a beautiful muted lilac shade that I think is appropriate for fall. 

under artificial light

What do you have for your nails this week?

Favourite Look of the Week: Smokey Purple

I was browsing through the videos in youtube and came across a tutorial for smokey purple that I wanted to recreate and wore for my mom's birthday dinner. Getting the deep purple shadow to be a little vibrant was a challenge as I had to put a lot of layers with the shadows I already have. I mixed the pinky-purple and plummy-purple shadows from the Tokidoki Palette to get the shade I wanted. I hope you liked this look! 

Products I used are the following;

E.L.F. Eyelid Primer (not pictured)

Pinky-purple + plummy-purple mixed from Tokidoki palette - all over lid

Deep eggplant shade from Covergirl Sugar Coated quad - crease

"Blackout" from Urban Decay Naked 2 - outer third of the lid

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

Benefit "Bad Gal Lash" Mascara

What is your favourite look this week?

Benefit 'Bad Gal' Lash Mascara Review

Hey guys!

I think I have said in this blog time and time again how much I love Benefit Cosmetics as I don't think I have come across a product of theirs that I have not liked. Added to my list of product raves from Benefit is their Bad Gal Lash mini that I purchased in a set.

Company Description: Sexy, sultry, pure unadulterated black mascara for full, voluminous lashes. It's as BAD as you want to be! Famously big, bodacious brush coats lashes with our super black formula.

My Thoughts: I have not tried a lot of mascaras yet so by no means am I a mascara expert and I have not found a mascara that I can put in my Holy Grail Status yet but I'm really liking this product. What makes me really like this mascara is that it holds the lift and curl of my lashes very well and for long hours. With the previous mascaras I tried, about 3 hours after I can notice that my lashes droops down but that didn't happen with Bad Gal Lash. With its claims of providing volume, I had to take some points off as I didn't see much volume but that didn't turn me off into using the product. The first time I used this mascara I was preparing myself to be disappointed due to my previous experience with this mascara because they have similar looking wands but I was pleasantly surprised. The bristles of this mascara can be intimidatingly huge if you look at it but with careful application and practice, I have grown to like the wand. Another aspect that I like about this mascara is that it does not clump, I can layer coats of this mascara but it doesn't look heavy and does not weigh my curls down. Also, there is a photo below that I have added where it was taken after 8 hours of wear and you can see that I did not experience any flaking. 

Here are some pictures of Bad Gal Lash Mascara

 Bare, curled lashes

My lashes after applying the mascara

My lashes after 8 hours of wear

Overall: I really like this mascara because it's the first mascara that held my curls for long hours without flaking nor clumping and I would just need to find a mascara that I can pair this with to add more volume to my lashes.

Price: $26.00 CAD for full size
Place to buy: Sephora, Benefit Cosmetics

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!