Category Archives: Makeup

What’s On My Face – Volume 25

Makeup, Tutorials, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mixed bag this week! Some colourful looks and some that are quite neutral.

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The colours you can get out of Inglot shadows is just unbelievable!

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  1. Inglot Matte 360 on the inner third.
  2. Inglot Matte 383 on the middle of the lid.
  3. Inglot Matte 325 on the outer third.
  4. Makeup Geek Creme Brulee through the crease.

Tarte gel liner in Black to create the wing. Sephora Full Action Extreme Effect mascara in Purple is on my lashes.

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A rare moment using the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. I knew I wanted to wear that particular lip colour, so it was just about finding an eye look that would match the lips. I’m not sure it matches really, but I think it works.

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Eyes
(all Urban Decay Naked 3)

  1. Liar on the inner two-thirds of the lid.
  2. Blackheart on the outer third of the lid.
  3. Nooner through the top of the crease.
  4. Strange on the brow bone.

Urban Decay Perversion mascara is on my lashes and MAC Feline Kohl Power pencil was used to rim the outer half of the lower lash line then blended out.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Stay Perfection in Deeply Ivory
  • Bronzer: NYC Fire Island Tan
  • Blush: MAC Gingerly
  • Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle
  • Lips: Too Faced Melted Berry

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This was something new for me. I like trying things, but sometimes you realize some colours just don’t work together. In this situation, I’m not pleased with the grey shade that was created by blending between the pale orange and the darker blue. And I finally got bold enough to wear that bright orange lipstick I picked up form Milani in March but never wore!

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Eyes
(all Makeup Geek)

  1. Glass Slipper on the inner half of the lid.
  2. Shark Bait on the outer half of the lid.
  3. Mandarin through the crease.
  4. Vanilla Bean on the brow bone.

Gabriella Salvete liquid eyeliner in Black to create the wing and Urban Decay Perversionmascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
  • Blush: essence Pinky Flow
  • Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle
  • Lips: Milani Sweet Nectar

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Just a quick one using a palette I love.

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Eyes
(using the Too Faced A Few of my Favorite Things palette)

  1. Party Time on the inner half of the lid.
  2. Evergreen on the outer half of the lid.
  3. Chocolate Milk through the crease.
  4. Cream Colored Ponies on the brow bone.

Urban Decay Perversion mascara is on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: Too Faced Sun Bunny
  • Blush: Too Faced Raindrops on Roses

Challenge Week: Makeup Geek Vegas Lights

Makeup, Tutorials

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Good grief do I ever love this palette! I’ve gone on ad nauseum about my love for Makeup Geek eyeshadows, so I won’t bore you with the details other than to say that this brand is unbelievable quality for an incredibly low price point.

The week I used this palette I managed to get six looks out of it. Take a look:

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This was the most logical of choices for me in this palette. When I see colours, I naturally see a gradient, so I thought I’d make a gradient my first choice of looks.

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Eyes

  1. Casino on the inner corner.
  2. Sin City on the middle of the lid and one the lower lash line.
  3. Roulette on the outer corner and on the outer corner of the lower lash line.
  4. Desert Sands to blend out the crease.
  5. Mirage on the browbone.
  6. Bada Bing to line the upper lash line and to deepen up the outer corner.

CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara is on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
  • Blush: essence Autumn Peach
  • Highlighter: MAC Whisper of Gilt
  • Lips: MAC Hibiscus

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I stole this one completely from one of Marlena’s own tutorials. I would never think to use the colours this way so I always find it helpful to see other people’s instructions!

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Eyes

  1. Sin City on the inner corner of the lid.
  2. Mirage of the middle of the lid and to highlight the browbone.
  3. Roulette on the outer corner.
  4. Bada Bing in the outer V.
  5. Desert Sands through the crease.

MAC Dipdown fluidline to create the wing and CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara is on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: e.l.f. Surf’s Up
  • Blush: Tarte Blissful
  • Highlighter: MAC Whisper of Gilt
  • Lips: Too Faced Bon Bon with Revlon Sunset Peach gloss on top

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Mmmm not as pleased with this one. Overall the look is nice, it’s just not as striking as I had thought it would be.

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Eyes

  1. Roulette all over the lid.
  2. Bada Bing in the outer corner and through the crease, also on the outer corner of the lower lash line.
  3. Desert Sands blended through the top of the crease.
  4. Mirage on the browbone.

Kat Von D tattoo liner in Trooper to create the wing with Urban Decay‘s Perversionmascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla
  • Bronzer: e.l.f. Surf’s Up
  • Blush: Sleek Guipre and Chantilly mixed together
  • Highlighter: Too Faced Candelight
  • Lips: Revlon Sunset Peach gloss

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Red eyeliner is a look I reach for often enough, so while this look is not necessarily focused on the Vegas Lights palette, it’s a good way of showing that this palette is versatile enough to incorporate into many different looks.

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Eyes

  1. Mirage all over the lid and on the browbone.
  2. Bada Bing in the outer corner.
  3. Desert Sands through the crease.

Inglot gel liner in 79 to create the wing with CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara on my lashes

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: NYC Fire Island Tan
  • Blush: essence Life’s a Cherry
  • Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle
  • Lips: Revlon Lip Butters in Red Velvet with Creamsicle on top

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This started out as a concept, and while I like the idea (lower lash line liner pulls up to outer edge of the upper lid) I think I chose the wrong colours for each location.

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Eyes

  1. Casino on the outer corner and on inner corner of the lower lash line.
  2. Sin City on the inner half of the lid.
  3. Bada Bing on the outer half of the lid.
  4. Roulette used as liner on the outer corner of the lower lash line and then brought up to the outer lid and frames Bada Bing (barely blended in).
  5. Mirage on the brow bone.

MAC Feline Kohl Poer pencil to tightline and on the lower water line. Urban Decay Perversion mascara is on my lashes.

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I think people tend to call this a “spotlight” look. Same colour on the inner and outer corner, lighter shade on the middle of the lid. Whatever it’s called, I like the result!

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Eyes

  1. Roulette on the inner and outer thirds of the eye.
  2. Sin City on the inner third of the lid.
  3. Desert Sands through the crease.
  4. Mirage on the browbone.

Urban Decay Peversion mascara is on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
  • Blush: Sleek Crochet
  • Highlighter: Too Faced Candlelight
  • Lips: Boots No7 Sweet Copper

Night Out at the Opera

Makeup, Tutorials, Vacation

So I’ve been in Prague! I’ve been having a lovely vacation and wanted to share something slightly different on my blog because quite frankly, I don’t get to do this often (if ever). My good friend Sara, whom I am vacationing with, suggested we hit up the opera and get all fancy. And really, who can say no to that?

Poser
Poser

We chose to go to the opera on a Wednesday night. Which means we probably got a little overdressed, but that’s fine by me!

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I somehow managed to do this on the cheap. The dress was on a $10 sale rack at H&M that I’d picked up in Toronto. The shoes are ones I intended to wear to my wedding, but never did because they were too uncomfortable to wear for a long periods of time. The necklace was also a wedding castoff that had never been worn (bought from Etsy). So not only was I excited to wear stuff I hadn’t gotten a chance to before, but the dress was so cheap that it was actually exciting!

Face and hair
Face and hair

I had less time than normal to prep, because apparently not everyone requires two hours to do so. (Absolute blasphemy I tell you…)

Eye makeup
Eye makeup

I opted for an eye look that would match my dress, because frankly, I don’t know how to do contrasting colours well at all.

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Eyes
(using the Too Faced A Few of my Favorite Things palette)

  • Bluff all over the lid
  • Blue Satin Sashes in the outer corner
  • Pure Glam to deepen up the outer corner
  • Chocolate Milk through the crease to blend it out
  • Cream Colored Ponies on my browbone to highlight

Urban Decay Perversion mascara is on my lashes and I used Kat Von D‘s Tattoo liner in Trooper to create the wing. Sephora‘s Tempting lashes were then popped on as well.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Stay Perfect in Deeply IIvory
  • Bronzer: Too Faced Chocolate Soleil
  • Blush: essence –Pinky Flow
  • Concealer: essence –match2cover
  • Brows: Anastasia Brow Whiz in Ash Blonde/Taupe
  • Lips: Wet n Wild 903C with NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu on top
Best shot I have of the both of us, despite it being a bit blurry
Best shot I have of the both of us, despite it being a bit blurry

The opera house itself was beautiful. I’d never been in such a gorgeous old world venue like that before!

On one of the (many) flights of stairs up to our seats
On one of the (many) flights of stairs up to our seats

We saw Jacobin, which was kind of a “take it or leave it” storyline for me. The sets and the singing were beautiful, and thankfully, although the entire opera was done in Czech, they actually had a scrolling screen high above the actors that translated everything into English. Genius idea for those of us who can’t speak Czech!

Outside the opera house after the show
Outside the opera house after the show

This is right about when my shoes started to kill my feet. Good times.

Beer me
Beer me

After the opera, we sauntered on down to Wenceslas Square and had bratwurst, fried cheese sammiches and beer because we are classy, classy ladies.

Sara with her deepfried cheese sandwich. It was way too delicious and I was seriously envious.
Sara with her deepfried cheese sandwich. It was way too delicious and I was seriously envious.

Softlips CUBES – Review + Giveaway

Makeup, Reviews

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I’ve been aware of Softlips for a long time – my best friend in high school used them religiously. She loved the shape of the slim lip balm stick and how it felt slathered on her lips. I wasn’t a huge lip product person back then, if anything I wore whatever no-name brand chapstick my grandmother happened to give me in my Christmas stocking (FYI,  wrote that out as STALKING first).

Softlips CUBEs
Softlips CUBEs

So when Softlips e-mailed me and offered to send me their brand new CUBE product, a totally different shape from their slim lip line, I was intrigued. The CUBE can’t help but share a striking resemblance to eos‘ rounded lip balm spheres. Having tried the eos balms a few years back, I have to say I wasn’t impressed. They were waxy and unpleasant smelling, to the point where I actually returned one of their lipbalms to Shoppers Drugmart. (I think I’m just about the only person that feels this way.)

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All that to say, I was curious to see if Softlips would be better, equal, or worse to the eos balms. And I have to say, I’m hugely impressed. Unlike their spherical counterparts, these balms don’t leave me with a nasty residue on my lips. The taste and feel is really wonderful, and when I apply them before bed, I’ll wake up the next morning and still find a thin layer of the product on my lips.

Softlips CUBE – Vanilla Bean
Softlips CUBE – Vanilla Bean

The Vanilla Bean flavour is by far my favourite out of the two I received. Vanilla-scented anything is something I really love, and this product does not disappoint! I’ve found myself reaching for this over my other lip balms just because it’s so easy to use.

Softlips CUBE – Berry Bliss
Softlips CUBE – Berry Bliss

If fruity-scented items is more your style, you may be more interested in the Berry Bliss option. It’s not to my personal tastes, but I’ve had a few friends sniff it and say they quite liked the scent.

Thankfully, these balms are clear. They don’t leave a white-cast to your lips that can occasionally occur with other brands (*ahem* Nivea), so you don’t need to worry about putting this on in public without a mirror. There’s also a lot to be said for the cute, rounded shape of the balm – it makes application easy, and the shape of the product is pretty interesting enough to feel like you’re using something unique.

Final verdict? I approve. These may not fit into your pocket like a traditional lip balm would, but the flavours are really quite appealing. If you’ve tried these, I’d be interested to hear your opinions on them!

Softlips Giveaway!

Softlips was kind enough to sponsor a giveaway to my readers. Please see below for details!

Prize Pack!
Prize Pack!

One lucky winner will win a $50 CAD giveaway prize including:

  • 1 Softlips CUBE lip moisturizer in Berry Bliss
  • 1 Softlips CUBE lip moisturizer in Vanilla Bean
  • 1 Clutch Purse with zipper chain wristlet
  • 1 Purse Mirror

Details

  • Open to residents of Canada (you must have a Canadian address that we can ship to).
  • Giveaway runs from September 19th until October 3rd.
  • Winner will receive a $50 prize pack, no purchase necessary.
  • Be aware that all entries will be double checked to ensure fairness.
The products featured in this review were sent to me for consideration.

What’s On My Face – Volume 24

Makeup, Tutorials, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So many vibrant  looks this week! Hooray!

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I don’t wear this look very often, but when I do, I definitely seem to startle people with how vibrant that pink colour is!

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Eyes

  1. NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk all over the lid, with Sleek Floss on top.
  2. Sleek Pout on the outer half of the lid.
  3. A touch of Makeup Geek Creme Brulee through the crease.
  4. MAC Shroom to highlight the brow.

Winged liner with Tarte’s Black gel liner and Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
  • Blush: Hourglass Diffused Heat
  • Lips: Softlips CUBE in Vanilla Bean

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I created this look for my guest blog post on Nicole’s site (Nicole About Town), but wanted to re-post it here to have in my own archives.

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Eyes

  1. Inglot Matte 334 all over the lid.
  2. Inglot Matte 325 on the outer third of the lid and used as lower lid liner.
  3. Urban Decay Blackout to darken up the outer edge.
  4. MAC Vellum  to highlight the brow, also used as an inner corner highlight.

I used Tarte‘s Black gel liner to create a wing, then used Urban Decay‘s Black Velvet pencil liner  to tightline and rim my inner lower lash line. I applied several coats of CoverGirl‘sClump Crusher mascara and then popped on a pair of J. Cat lashes in EL13 with some duo lash adhesive.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla
  • Bronzer: NYC – Fire Island Tan
  • Blush: Hourglass – Diffused Heat
  • Highlighter: MAC – Silver Dusk
  • Lips: essence – Wear Berries!

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Oh Razzleberry… aren’t you BEAUTIFUL!

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Eyes

  1. Urban Decay Half Baked on the inner two-thirds of the lid.
  2. Makeup Geek Razzleberry on the outer corner and through the crease.
  3. MAC Ricepaper to highlight the brow.

Urban Decay Perversion mascara is on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: NYC Fire Island Tan
  • Blush: Hourglass Diffused Heat

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Playing around with Illamasqua‘s Alluvium pigment. Not my best attempt at blending!

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Eyes

  1. Illamasqua Alluvium pigment all over the lid.
  2. MAC Handwritten in the outer corner and through the crease.
  3. MAC Shroom to highlight the brow.

Urban Decay Perversion mascara is on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Illamasqua Skin Base in 6.5
  • Blush: Coastal Scents – some kind of peach blush, no idea name or number
  • Lips: Bite Beauty Fig

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Subdued, but rather pretty.

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  1. MAC Vanilla pigment all over the lid.
  2. The pinky-bronze shade from the Sleek Sunset palette in the outer corner.
  3. MAC Handwritten tapped lightly in the outer corner and used as a liner.
  4. MAC Shroom to highlight the brow.

Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Extravagant is on my lashes.