Category Archives: Makeup

Lancôme Matte Shakers (Review & Swatches)

June 7, 2017Makeup, Reviews, SwatchesLancômeChelle

Lancôme Matte Shakers

You ever look at something and just go “nah, that’s not for me”? And then you forget about it and move on with your life because it wasn’t worth a second thought? That was me with the Lancôme Matte Shakers. I loved the Juicy Shakers when they were first introduced, but I kind of figured a matte version of it would make no sense. And so I forgot about them.

So imagine my surprise when a few turned up in my mailbox completely unrequested. Now I HAD to try them… and I’ll be honest, my curiosity was piqued. How on earth were they going to make that weird bu delightful, fat, spongey-tip work for a matte lip colour?

The idea behind of the Matte Shakers is the same as the Juicy ones – shake up that little martini shaker to mix the pigment and then twist off the top to reveal the pigment tipped sponge. I hadn’t read the instructions, or even what the package would say the product would do on my lips, so I was more than a little surprised that, once applied, these actually dried down to a completely matte finish. I mean… they are called the Matte Shakers, but we’ve been mislead by a lot of brands lately (I’m looking at you Maybelline) calling finishes something ridiculous like “glossy matte”. *shakes head*

Lancôme Matte Shaker swatches - Kiss Me Cherie, Pink Power and Yummy Pink — Lancôme Matte Shaker swatches – Kiss Me Cherie, Pink Power and Yummy Pink

But sure enough, these are MATTE! Just look at the swatches above – that is solid pigmentation (not opaque, but still more than I was expecting) and MATTE!

Lancôme Matte Shakers – Lip Swatches

Final Thoughts

The Lancôme Matte Shakers are actually marketed as a liquid lipstick, but it’s unlike any other liquid lipstick I’ve tried. These do NOT dry down to that horrid sandpaper feel that most liquid lipsticks are prone to do. I’d personally call this more of a lip stain – which is fine by me because I LOVE lip stains and I feel like they’ve really disappeared off the market in recent years. These will definitely leave behind a stain even after you try to remove them with an oil based remover (which I’m happy with, but some people may not love it). The product is actually something you’d dare to call comfortable in a matte liquid lipstick. It dries down and you can move and rub your lips without an issue. It’s not completely transferproof, but the transfer is so minimal that it’s about as close as you can get without actually being able to say “transferproof”.

I am also astonished at how little this bled outside my lip line. I was determined to be a jerk to this product and didn’t bother to apply a lip primer – I REALLY wanted to see how much it would bleed outside my lipline. Joke’s on me though, because the product totally showed me up. After five hours of wear, I had the very, VERY faintest amount of bleed out around my cupid’s bow. But it’s not something anyone would ever notice unless they took a magnifying lens to my face.

Suffice to say… for a product I completely discarded at first glance… I’m in love with the formula on the Lancôme Matte Shakers. These are AMAZING!

The Lancôme Matte Shakers can be purchased on sephora.ca for $29 CAD each or on sephora.com for $22 USD.

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration. Post may contain affiliate links.

Swatch Sunday: NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate

June 4, 2017Makeup, SwatchesNYXChelle

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate

NYX puts out some absolutely huge palettes, and this Beauty School Dropout – Graduate is definitely one of them!

With 35 eyeshadeows, 3 blushes, 2 highlighters and 2 contour shades, there’s plenty of product in here to keep you busy. And incredibly? This palette is only $35 USD$35 USD! And just wait till you see the shades below…

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate Swatches

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 1 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 1

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 2 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 2

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 3 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 3

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 4 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 4

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 5 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 5

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 6 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 6

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 7 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 7

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 8 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 8

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 9 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 9

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 10 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 10

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 11 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 11

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 12 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 12

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 13 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 13

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 14 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 14

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 15 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 15

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 16 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 16

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 17 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 17

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 18 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 18

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 19 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 19

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 20 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 20

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 21 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 21

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 22 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 22

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 23 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 23

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 24 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 24

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 25 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 25

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 26 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 26

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 27 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 27

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 28 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 28

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 29 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 29

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 30 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 30

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 31 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 31

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 32 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 32

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 33 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 33

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 34 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 34

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Shade 35 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Shade 35

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Blush Shade 1 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Blush Shade 1

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Blush Shade 2 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Blush Shade 2

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Blush Shade 3 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Blush Shade 3

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Illuminator Shade 1 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Illuminator Shade 1

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Illuminator Shade 2 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Illuminator Shade 2

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Contour Shade 1 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Contour Shade 1

NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate - Contour Shade 2 — NYX Beauty School Dropout Graduate – Contour Shade 2

The product featured in this post was sent to me for consideration. Post may contain affiliate links.

Charlotte Tilbury Summer Look (ft. Dolce Vita, Bitch Perfect and Magic Foundation)

June 2, 2017Makeup, Reviews, SwatchesCharlotte TilburyChelle

Charlotte Tilbury Makeup

Summer to me means Charlotte Tilbury. Why you ask? I mean, her brand has very little association with any season, so why summer? Because it was during the summer, two years ago, that the Charlotte Tilbury brand actually launched in Canada AND I got to meet her at Holt Renfrew here in Toronto! So for me… warm weather screams her makeup line!

For that reason, I wanted to put together a summery look featuring her products. I wanted to create something golden and warm, but definitely still glamorous.

Mission accomplished? I think so!

If you’re looking for a healthy glow with a little bit of drama, check out these products I used to create my look:

Charlotte Tilbury - The Dolce Vita quad — Charlotte Tilbury – The Dolce Vita quad

The Dolce Vita quad has a warm rust shade and a deeper brown to help deepen everything up. It also has a shimmery beige and hands down one of the best “Pop” shades I’ve used amongst all her quads. That amber glittery shadow has a substantial base to the colour that really helps amp up those shimmery flecks.

As you can see, this palette is no stranger to pigment!

I have the Enhance shade over the entire lid and through the cream. The Prime shade is on my brow bone and inner corner. I used the Pop shade on the lid and on the lower lash line. Finally, I used Smoke to deepen up the outer corner of my eye.

On my lashes is two coats of her Full Fat Lashes mascara. And, for once, I skipped falsies!

Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic blush in Love is the Drug

For blush, I wanted something easy and well… pink. Pink is one of the best and easiest shades to wear on my cheeks, and her Cheek to Chic blush in Love is the Drug is the perfect shade.

The idea behind the Cheek to Chic blushes is that you swirl your blush in the outer rim, apply it to your face, then pounce the tip of the brush into the center of the pan and then pop that on the apple of your cheek. But let’s get real here: I run my blush brush through both colours for the perfect shade.

Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in Bitch Perfect

There’s almost no better shade to wear during the summer than a solid “my lips but better” in a shade that veers peach. And that shade, for me, is Bitch Perfect.

As with all of Charlotte Tilbury’s lipsticks (and I’ve tried quite a few by this point), Bitch Perfect is exceptionally comfortable to wear. This particular formula is hydrating and creamy – so you’ll have a hint of a sheen on your lips.

Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Foundation in the shade 4.5 — Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation in the shade 4.5

To top it all off, I’m wearing Charlotte Tilbury‘s Magic Foundation in the shade 4.5. 4.5 is on the medium side of things, but it does match my skintone in the summer (or when I’ve got some fake tan on like I do in these shots). I’ve been wearing this foundation non-stop for the last two weeks and I can comfortable say I really, REALLY enjoy it. The coverage isn’t too much, but neither is it too little – it’s literally just right!

What I like about this look is that it has some of the drama that I really like to wear, but it’s also not overkill (for me anyway!). I’ve got some shimmer on the lids, a warm rusty crease shade and a super easy to wear lip colour.

And in case you’re wondering, my highlight and bronzer is courtesy of her Filmstar Bronze and Glow. I have a previous review on that product here.

So what’s a summer look you especially enjoy wearing? It can be something conventional, or otherwise, but I’d love to hear about it either way!

Urban Decay Nocturnal Collection (Review & Swatches)

May 31, 2017Makeup, Reviews, SwatchesUrban DecayChelle

Urban Decay Nocturnal Collection

The Urban Decay Nocturnal collection slipped into stores in January and went straight under my radar! It’s like I was barely even aware of the launch at all. So when a few items showed up in my mailbox via Beauty Boutique I was a bit like “hmmmmm” since I’d heard practically nothing about it!

The Nocturnal collection focuses on a bunch of wearable dark shades while also balancing it out with some neutrals and sheer colours (via the lipsticks). The packaging on the eyeshadow palette really hearkens back to the old days of UD packaging – solid cardboard with a printed theme. It’s a nice throwback to their roots, and it definitely made me smile.

The Nocturnal Shadow Box is in the same vein as their regular line of Shadow Boxes (like the Ammo one). This one just has an updated shade range with some mattes, some satins and a few shimmers thrown in the mix. It also contains three shades from previous Vice palettes – Delete, Armor and Heroine.

Urban Decay Nocturnal Shadow Box Swatches - top row — Urban Decay Nocturnal Shadow Box Swatches – top row

The top row is really your basic set of neutrals and they definitely lean more warm toned.

The second row is where the magic happens. Shades like Heroine, Lounge, Backfire and Fireball are where I found the bulk of my makeup inspiration came from.

I was also hugely impressed with the pigmentation and blendability on these shades. A few recent palettes from UD have left me wanting (and therefore a bit unexcited about further releases), but this one re-invigorated my interest in the brand. And it’s funny too, because this is a palette that I would never have given a second glance based on the colour palette – it just felt too neutral/too dark. I was very wrong, and you’ll see what looks I managed to create near the end of this post.

Urban Decay Nocturnal lipsticks in Backstab and Lawbreaker

The latest versions UD‘s lipsticks have been an absolute winner for me this year so I was more than happy to try out some new shades. There are a few more lipsticks in the Nocturnal launch, but I have Lawbreaker (Sheer Shine) and Backstab (cream).

Urban Decay Nocturnal lipsticks in Lawbreaker and Backstab - swatches — Urban Decay Nocturnal lipsticks in Lawbreaker and Backstab – swatches

At first glance I was sooo not into Lawbreaker. I mean it’s a brown, how boring is that? But I should really know better than to judge makeup products just on first glance alone. Because Lawbreaker is a sheer shine formula, it glides on the lips easily and provides a boost of shine alongside the colour. I was pleasantly surprised!

Backstab has a cream finish with a hint of pearl to it. Like Lawbreaker, it’s exceptionally comfortable to wear, although this one isn’t a sheer so you’ll definitely experience more pigment on your lips overall.

Urban Decay Nocturnal – Look 1

You may notice I look a bit darker in these photos than I normally do – I’ve got fake tan on and as such I used a much deeper foundation.

Look one involved using the gem tones fro the palette and Backstab lipstick.

I have Backfire through the crease, Lounge on the lid and Heroine through the crease. I feel like this photo turned out a little bit messy (which is disappointing to me), but this look floored me. It was so, so freaking flattering and I had a lot of compliments on it when I wore it on Snapchat (my snap is muyourmind).

The look came together so well and so easily that I didn’t even feel like I needed winged liner to amp it up which is a shocking rarity for me!

Urban Decay Nocturnal – Look 2

I tried to use more neutral colours on the lids (and kinda failed) and I’m also wearing Lawbreaker lipstick. See how it doesn’t come off nearly as brown a the tube would lead you to believe?

I’m wearing Riff through the crease, Fireball on the lid, Backfire in the outer corner, with a bit of Delete to deepen it up. I’ve also got Half Baked on the inner corner.

Final Thoughts

Considering I was very “meh” at first glance about the Urban Decay Nocturnal collection, I can barely believe that I’m now telling you just how excited I am about it! The eyeshadow palette is so much fun! I think the colour balance looks a bit odd in the pans, but they work together so, SO nicely on the lids! Also with the the lipsticks – although not what I usually find myself attracted to, were such a nice complement to the eyeshadow palette.

Is this worth your money? 100 times yes!

Products were provided by BeautyBoutique.ca, but I’m not currently seeing this collection online on their site, so definitely check in stores. I do, however, see them up on UrbanDecay.ca!

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration. Post may contain affiliate links.

Swatch Sunday: tarte Rainforest of the Seas Vol. II

May 28, 2017Makeup, SwatchesTarteChelle

tarte Rainforest of the Season Vol. II

tarte has followed up their hugely popular Rainforest of the Sea original launch with a second version of their palette! (No new special name here, this is literally the tarte Rainforest of the Seas Vol. II palette.)

Unlike some of tarte‘s newer palettes, this one does not have a sweet scent, so this may appeal to those who haven’t been loving scented palettes lately!

The tarte Rainforest of the Seas Vol. II palette can be purchased on sephora.ca for $47 CAD or on sephora.com for $36 USD.

tarte Rainforest of the Seas Vol. II Swatches

The product featured in this post was sent to me for consideration.