Tag Archives: BECCA

What I Bought This Month – July 2015 Haul

Another month, another roundup of beauty goodies. I have to say, I’ve been spending a lot less, but my makeup intake has been insane because the CBB keeps doing swap after swap after swap and I keep walking away with more and more products to try out!

Becca - Champagne Pop ($46 CAD)
Becca – Champagne Pop ($46 CAD)

Let’s start with the one item I did purchase this past month: Becca‘s collaboration with Jaclyn Hill resulted in Champagne Pop. Quite possibly the most beautiful highlighting shade I own. (Full review here.) This was expensive – there’s no doubt about that. But as a regular viewer of Jaclyn Hill’s videos I wanted to support her latest creation since I’d also been meaning to try out Becca‘s stuff too!

Estee Lauder - Courreges - Black Silver (free - gift)
Estee Lauder – Courreges – Black Silver (free – gift)

My first Estee Lauder product, I think. This was from a limited edition collection called Courreges a few months ago. The shade is Black Silver and there’s a LOT of it in the that pot!

The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes in Pink Poppy (free - gift)
The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes in Pink Poppy (free – gift)

A quad cast off from a friend. This is The Body Shop‘s Shimmer Cubes in Pink Poppy. They’re in truly bizarre packaging. There’s the outer layer that holds all four of them, and then each individual shade is in its’ OWN little plastic tin with a cap. Super weird.

The texture is a bit powdery, but the colours are lovely. I didn’t take any decent photos of my makeup with it on, but I did snag a shot for Instagram while wearing them:

Quite pretty!

Avon - Anew Vitale (free - swap)
Avon – Anew Vitale (free – swap)

A brand new tube of Avon‘s Anew Vitale Day Lotion. I’ve had no experience with it, but as someone without sensitive skin, I’m always up for free skincare!

Dolce & Gabanna Light Blue - Escape to Panarea (free - swap)
Dolce & Gabanna Light Blue – Escape to Panarea (free – swap)

I got this at the swap because it seems like nobody wanted it! I’ve been a fan D&G‘s Light Blue for a while… but as it turns out, I’m not so much of a fan of this version called Escape to Panarea. Ah well.

Fantasy Makers - Feather Fetish - Hypnotise
Fantasy Makers – Feather Fetish – Hypnotise

Okay yeah. I have no idea when or where I’ll wear these – maybe for a Halloween look? But they were awesome and no one else wanted them!

Glitter Gal - Copper (free - gift)
Glitter Gal – Copper (free – gift)

Shawna of Spill The Beauty accidentally ordered two of these halographic polishes and I was the lucky recipient of the extra one! I’ve not applied it yet, but damn can I ever not wait. Holographic anything? Yes PLEASE! (This is Glitter Gal’s Copper shade.)

Variety of lip products courtesy of the CBB swap
Variety of lip products courtesy of the CBB swap

I don’t know all the shade names (because I’m currently writing this while on vacation in Montreal – follow our blogging hash tag for the past weekend with #CBBroadtrip – we’ve been having a blast!) but I got some lovely lip products to try out. There’s a Maybelline lipstick in there, a Revlon lip butter in Peach Parfait (I’ve actually finished an entire one of these before – true story!), a Australis Velourlips (if Sharon Farrell loves them, then *I* must love them!), a mini from Tarte, a lipstick from the Sephora brand and a red lip paint from a brand I’m not familiar with.

Lise Watier - Eden Tropical Bronzing Powder (free - gift)
Lise Watier – Eden Tropical Bronzing Powder (free – gift)

The imprint on this compact is gorgeous. And I love me a humongous bronzer. But the sad news is that Lise Watier‘s Eden Tropical Bronzing Powder is oompa loompa orange and I just cannot wear it. 🙁

Make Up For Ever - Cream Blush in 210 (free - gift)
Make Up For Ever – Cream Blush in 210 (free – gift)

Another cast off from a friend. This is the kind of shade I hate to love. Make Up For Ever‘s 210 cream blush is a bubble gum pink that has the unfortunate habit of looking lovely on me. It’s not the kind of shade I like looking at as it’s far too girly for my tastes, but the reality is that it looks really good on me, and therefore I love it.

Make Up For Ever Plexig Gloss in 101, 402P & 403 (free - swap)
Make Up For Ever Plexig Gloss in 101, 402P & 403 (free – swap)

The Make Up For Ever Plexi Glosses are something I had passed on entirely because I don’t feel I’m a gloss person. I had several of them very nearly thrown at me during the swap, so I figured I’d try them out. End result? I can confirm they’re not for me. They fade off quickly (as to be expected of a gloss) and I just can’t be bothered with the constant reapplication.

Milani blushes in Tea Rose & Love Potion (free - gift)
Milani blushes in Tea Rose & Love Potion (free – gift)

More cast offs! I already owned Coral Cove, and I was happy to add Tea Rose and Love Potion to the collection.

Miracle 10 Light Serum (free - swap)
Miracle 10 Light Serum (free – swap)

A full tube of Miracle 10‘s Light Serum was left on the table after the swap. I’m not a huge fan of the scent of this thing, and it’s really only decent for hydrating in the summer time since it is VERY light. But I did run through a whole tube of it before, so I mean… I like it enough to use it all up again!

NARS Rated R duo and Revlon 501 Meotropolitan (free - swap)
NARS Rated R duo and Revlon 501 Meotropolitan (free – swap)

Ohhh yes.  NARS Rated R and Revlon Metropolitan.  Both items I’ve been wanting to try and thankfully totally free!

Olay Fresh Effects - BB Cream in Light to Medium (free - swap)
Olay Fresh Effects – BB Cream in Light to Medium (free – swap)

Another item I’ve been wanting to try because the Olay Fresh Effects packaging ALWAYS pulls me in. I need another foundation like I need a hole in the head, but hey… this one is a BB CREAM, so therefore it’s totally different…

Random assortment of eye and cheek products (free - swap)
Random assortment of eye and cheek products (free – swap)

A bunch of cast offs! A MAC paint pot, an Australis plush, a Laura Geller blush (it’s GORGEOUS!), an essence mineralize eyeshadow that is really, really good quality, a Kryolan blush (also stunning) and some gold eyeshadow cream/pigment type thing.

Red Cherry lashes (free - swap)
Red Cherry lashes (free – swap)

I don’t know why I insist on trying out different kinds of lashes when I *know* that House of Lashes make the ones that work for me the best. But I keep trying others… mostly because I hear about how everyone likes other brands. I’ve heard plenty of good things about Red Cherry so I’ll happily give these a shot!

Smashbox SantiGold - Earth As We Know It (free - gift)
Smashbox SantiGold – Earth As We Know It (free – gift)

I wasn’t sure what to think of Smashbox‘s Earth As We Know It palette at first. But then I created this:

and I was like… oh okay. I like you.

The Body Shop - Mango Sorbet (free - swap)
The Body Shop – Mango Sorbet (free – swap)

I absolutely love the texture of The Body Shop‘s sorbet moisturizers. It has this frothy, foamy like consistency and is soooo much fun to play with… uhhh I mean fun to put on. Mango‘s a new scent to me and I quite liked the few sniffs I had of it.

Wet n Wild - 911D Stoplight Red & 969 Carrot Gold (free - swap)
Wet n Wild – 911D Stoplight Red & 969 Carrot Gold (free – swap)

Man, everyone keeps ditching their Wet n Wild Megalast lipsticks, whereas I just LOVE them! Here’s Stoplight Red and, one I’ve been meaning to find, Carrot Gold. It’s way more orange than I thought it would be – we’ll have to see how it looks on my lips!

Wet n Wild - Petal Pusher (free - gift)
Wet n Wild – Petal Pusher (free – gift)

And finally (phew!) an eight pan shadow palette from Wet n WildPetal Pusher. I’d always glanced at it but never bought it. I know the quality will be on parr with The Comfort Zone palette so I’m looking forward to playing with the shadows.

PHEW! GOOD GRIEF THAT WAS A LOT OF STUFF! I hope the swap stuff is interesting for you – please let me know whether or not it is. It’s all gently used makeup and stuff I’m adding into my collection so I think it’s relevant. But I’m not sure if people like seeing the swap stuff, or if they’d rather just see the brand new stuff I purchased.

What’s On My Face – Volume 40

In my (not so humble) opinion, there’s some pretty epic makeup looks in this post. Either I love how my makeup turned out, or I love how the shots came out. I hope you like them too!


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Let’s start this off with what I feel is probably my best makeup look accomplished to date. (So I’m going to post a few extra shots of it because I’m really pleased with how this turned out.)

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We were going to the pub to watch the Womens’ World Cup final (USA versus Japan), and since my husband is American, I defaulted to supporting the USA. It was so close to the Fourth of July too, so this could’ve doubled as an Independence Day theme as well.

201508_womf40_look2-3

I don’t always post huge eye shots because I typically take photos of my makeup before work and don’t have the time to perfect everything. Smaller photos hide some mistakes so I have less to worry about. But when I do guest posts, or feature products specifically, I like to make sure that I get as close to a perfect makeup look as I’m physically capable of (since I don’t airbrush my photos). But this one, despite being done in a relative rush, was done soooo well that I just had to post a full-sized shot!

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And here’s what I used:

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Eyes

  1. MAC Cork through the top of the crease.
  2. MAC Crystal Avalanche all over the lid.
  3. Urban Decay Heroine on the outer half of the lid.
  4. MAC Blanc Type on the brow bone.

I then patted MAC‘s Transparent Blue Glitter on top of the whole lid using Too Faced‘s Glitter Glue to make sure it stayed in place. I then used MAC‘s Strike While Haute shadow all along the bottom lash line, and applied MAC Reflect Red glitter overtop (again with the Glitter Glue).

The winged liner was done with Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper and I lined my lower water line with Marc JacobsBlacquer. I applied a coat of CoverGirl‘s Clump Crusher mascara and then popped on a pair of Bombshell lashes by House of Lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in shade 52 Vanilla
  • Bronzer & Highlighter: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow
  • Cheeks: Elizabeth MottTints & Sass
  • Lips: MAC Russian Red

201508_womf40_look5-1

Next up is a product I waited far, FAR too long to use. It had been sitting in my “to use” pile but I never got around to it. And as soon as I did, I wore it three times that week! That beautiful neon red? That’s Kryolan‘s UV-Red pressed shadow and it is INCREDIBLE. Since it is a neon, it does need a sticky white base to make it pop. But damn… seriously amazing.

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Eyes
I first applied NYX‘s Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk to the entire lid, blended it out, then:

  1. Applied Kryolan‘s UV-Red to the entire lid of my eye and the inner tearduct.
  2. Makeup Geek‘s Corrupt was used through the outer third of the lid, through the crease and on the lower lash line.

I created the wing with Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper, coated my lashes with CoverGirl‘s Clump Crusher and then put on a pair of Bombshell lashes by House of Lashes. I tightlined both waterlines with Marc Jacobs‘ Blacquer.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla
  • Powder: Hourglass Ethereal Light
  • Blush: Sleek Chantilly
  • Highlighter: Becca Champagne Pop

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Playing around with some Makeup Revolution foiled shadow.

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Eyes

  1. Makeup Revolution‘s Emerald Goddess all over the lid.
  2. essence‘s Smokey Day Trio (dark shade) through the outer corner and crease.

On my lashes is Make Up For Ever‘s Smoky Stretch mascara.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla
  • Bronzer: MAC Refined Golden
  • Blush: Burberry Lip & Cheek Bloom in Poppy
  • Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle
  • Lips: SST Cosmetics Vitale

201508_womf40_look3-1

I swear this is such a vain post, but anyway… That shot on the left is my favourite shot of myself I think I’ve ever taken. It’s all thick lash line, fiery eyeshadow, chubby cheeks and intense steel blue eyes. AND I LOVE IT. I did this for a guest post on Vancouver Eyeshadow Addict back in May and somehow forgot to cross post it!

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Eyes

  1. Makeup Geek Peach Smoothie through the top of the crease.
  2. Makeup Geek Chickadee all over the lid.
  3. Makeup Geek Poppy on the outer corner and through the crease.
  4. Makeup Geek Vanilla Bean on brow bone.
  5. Naked Cosmetics IV-04 pigment on the inner corner.

I used Poppy on the outer corner of the lower lash line and used Chickadee for the remainder of the lower lash line. I then created the wing with Kat Von D Tattoo Liner inTrooper and tightlined with Urban Decay‘s Black Velvet liner. On my lashes is essence‘s Lash Princess mascara.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 52 Vanilla
  • Contour: Makeup Geek Barcelona Beach eyeshadow
  • Blush: Tarte Charisma
  • Highlighter: MAC Whisper of Gilt
  • Lips: Revlon Papaya gloss


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And lastly, a Makeup Geek look because I hadn’t yet played around with the new foiled shadow Pegasus.

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Eyes

  1. MAC Cork
  2. Makeup Geek Pegasus
  3. Makeup Geek Duchess
  4. Makeup Geek Shimma Shimma

I created the wing with MAC‘s Blacktrack fluidline and coated my lashes with essence‘s Plump, No Clump mascara.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla
  • Bronzer & Highlighter: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow
  • Blush: Milani Coral Cove
  • Lips: Catrice Feeling Feline

Becca x Jaclyn Hill – Champagne Pop (Review & Swatches)

201507_becca_jaclynhill_champagnepop1

Becca. Jaclyn Hill. Champagne Pop. For the last two weeks, those have been the most repeated words in the beauty community.

And it’s not hard to see why. Jaclyn Hill is a YouTube beauty phenomenon, that has stayed truly devoted to makeup tutorials over the years. (Something I appreciate since a lot of beauty gurus have become lifestyle vloggers instead.)

And then there’s Becca Cosmetics. A makeup brand known for creating gorgeous highlighters formally known as Shimmering Skin Perfectors – Pressed.

Combine them and suddenly the internet’s beauty lovers explode with product lust.

Becca - Champagne Pop box
Becca – Champagne Pop box

The gist of this story is that Jaclyn Hill has been a devotee of Becca highlighters (and blushes) for years. She got the opportunity to work with Becca recently and created Champagne Pop – a limited edition Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed (aka a highlighter) that is intended to work on any shade of skin.

Becca - Champagne Pop box
Becca – Champagne Pop box

I’m not usually one for box packaging, but it’s hard not to love this one – it was designed to look like champagne bubbles! I don’t keep the boxes for my products, but man was I ever a bit remorseful when I finally threw it out last night!

Becca - Champagne Pop compact
Becca – Champagne Pop compact

As with all Becca highlighters, Champagne Pop comes in a clam shell compact and contains 8 grams of product. It also set me back a whopping $46 CAD – easily the most money I have ever paid for a highlighter. (Even when I take into consideration Charlotte Tilbury‘s Bronze & Glow!)

Becca - Champagne Pop with Jaclyn Hill signature overlay
Becca – Champagne Pop with Jaclyn Hill signature overlay

However, like everyone else out there, I wasn’t to be deterred by the price point! As a regular viewer of Jaclyn Hill’s videos I wanted to support her creation, and I *had* been meaning to bite the bullet on purchasing a Becca highlighter, I just hadn’t gotten around to it.

Becca - Champagne Pop
Becca – Champagne Pop

When I first opened the compact I was absolutely dazzled. Champagne Pop is a champagne shade with a peach undertone and a golden reflect. It is *beautiful*. The powder has this insane reflect to it that is near impossible to capture in pictures.

Becca - Champagne Pop
Becca – Champagne Pop

Having never used a Becca product before, I need to mention that I was happy with the packaging. It’s sturdy, compact and snaps shut with a click. It has a solidity to it that I really appreciate, especially when I’m paying $50 for it!

Becca - Champagne Pop swatches
Becca – Champagne Pop swatches

From the swatch above, you can see that there’s almost a duochrome iridescence to it as it curves around the outer edges of my arm. It goes from a champagne/gold to a peach gold on the bottom edge. While I don’t necessarily see that on my face, I do feel like it gives the product a lot of dimension.

Wearing Champagne Pop in some random restaurant's bathroom - I was trying to capture the glow!
Wearing Champagne Pop in some random restaurant’s bathroom – I was trying to capture the glow!

Trying to capture the effect a highlighter gives your face is difficult. It’s one of those products that you catch a glimpse out of the corner of your eye as you turn your head towards a mirror, but never one that you see when you look at yourself straight on. However, if you see it on someone else (and I have, because everyone I know is wearing it!) holy god does it ever look gorgeous. It pops your cheekbones like nobody’s business.

Champagne Pop in natural night
Champagne Pop in natural night

There was a lot of concern from lighter skinned people that this shade would verge on being too dark. The shot above is my relatively pale skin in daylight (thanks Julie!) with Champagne Pop on the tops of my cheekbones. I think it’s gorgeous and it is definitely light enough for me.

Final Thoughts

If you can afford Champagne Pop (and can still find it!), I think it’s worth the price tag. This is the only highlighter I’ve used since I purchased it which I think speaks volumes for any makeup obsessor out there. There’s a luminosity to Becca‘s Champagne Pop that I haven’t been able to find in other highlighters. It’s also pigmented as all hell so while you don’t need a ton of product to get that glow to your face, you may find yourself loving it so much that you decide to bathe your face in it like I do!