You know… I never really noticed just how much white I wear until I started taking pictures of my face for this blog. It seems that nine times out of ten I’m wearing a white shirt!
This entry ended up being highly blue-centric. Enjoy!
I can’t get over Inglot and their colour range. I wish I had easier access to the brand (they’re nowhere in Toronto) but good grief are their colours ever amazing.
Eyes
InglotAMC Shine 33 all over the lid and on the middle of the lower lash line.
InglotMatte 338 heavily in the outer corner, blended into the crease. Also in the outer corner on the lower lash line.
Makeup GeekCreme Brulee slightly through the crease (not pictured).
MACShroom to highlight the brow, Tarte‘s Black gel liner to create the wing and BenefitThey’re Real on my lashes.
Rest of the Face
Foundation: Covergirl CC Cream in 110 Classic Ivory and Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in Shade 51 Light Vanilla mixed together
Bronzer: Joe FreshSand Bronzer
Blush: Joe FreshApricot
Highlighter: MACSilver Dusk
Lips: Wet n Wild903C with NYX‘s Tiramisu Butter Gloss over top
Seriously love red eyeshadow. My only gripe is that Makeup Geek‘s Peach Smoothiealways does that really annoying creasing thing on my lid every time I wear it on the lid (even with double primers).
Eyes
Makeup GeekPeach Smoothie on the inner third of the lid.
Makeup GeekMango Tango on the middle of the lid.
Makeup GeekRazzleberry on the outer third.
Makeup GeekCreme Brulee through the crease to blend everything out.
MACShroom to highlight the brow and BenefitThey’re Real mascara on my lashes.
Rest of the Face
Blush: HourglassDiffused Heat
Highlighter: MACSoft & Gentle
Lips: Revlon Colorburst Lipgloass in Papaya
I haven’t used my OriginalSleek palette very much so I pulled it out for this look.
Eyes
The copper shade from the Original Sleek palette all over the lid.
The purple shade from the Original Sleek palette in the outer corner and on the outer corner of my lower lash line.
MACShroom to highlight the brow and L’OrealVoluminous Carbon Black mascara on my top lashes with Sephora‘s Purple mascara on my bottom lashes.
Rest of the Face
Foundation: MUA Matte Foundation in Shade 1 Soft Sand
Bronzer: Joe FreshSand Bronzer
Blush: MACGingerly
Highlighter: Hard CandyTiki
Lips: Revlon Colorburst Gloss in Sunset Peach
If I look half asleep it’s because I was – this was some early morning IKEA run. I had no idea people actually line up outside IKEA before it even opened for the day. o.O
Eyes
MACBlanc Type all over the lid and all the way up to the brow bone.
MACContrast in the very outer corner.
BenefitThey’re Real mascara on my lashes.
Rest of the Face
Blush: IllamasquaHussy
Mehhhh not sold on this look – wouldn’t repeat it.
Eyes
MACFade all over the lid (this is so patchy – the name is apt, it fades poorly!)
MACSteamy in the outer corner.
MAC Shroom to highlight the brow and L’OrealVoluminous Carbon Black mascara on my lashes.
I hadn’t planned to do an Empties update for another month but this bag was getting way too full and I didn’t want the post length to be too ridiculous. So here we go! Makeup first because I know that’s the interesting stuff.
MAC – Haux and Brule
Not one, but TWO eyeshadows done! Can I get a “HELL YES!”? The top right was MAC‘sHaux, my oldest eyeshadow. After 19 years, I can finally retire it , but it has definitely had a good long life. The bottom right is MAC‘s Brule. Brule only took me about 3 years to finish up as it was my daily browbone highlight.
Repurchase? No, but not because they were bad, but because I have a great many other shades that are near identical. Plus I clearly didn’t like Haux that much if it took me 19 bloody years to finish it up!
MUA Matte Foundation in Shade 1 Soft Sand
I really liked MUA‘s Matte Foundation at first – their Shade 1 Soft Sand was a great match for my skin and it went on my face really well… but the niceness stopped about an hour after application. It started out looking really good, but this foundation eventually dissolved into a greasy mess by the end of the day or night. I’m not even prone to oil but this certainly induced it! I went through about half the tube, so I definitely gave it a fair shot, but I decided this wasn’t worth finishing when I had other products I much preferred.
Repurchase? Definitely not.
MUA All In One Beauty Balm in Light
Another “meh” product from MUA. (So far, the only thing I’m liking from this brand is their eyeshadows.) Their BB Cream in Light was overly thick and not much fun to wear. It had more coverage than I expected (which may be good for some people), but for me it looked like I’d applied a paste to my face. I just never fell in love with it after using half the tube so I decided enough was enough and chucked it in the garbage.
Physicians Formula Eye Booster in Ultra Black
I’m not sure why this hasn’t been included in an empties post earlier, because I’ve been done with this liner for a very long time. Physicians Formula Eye Booster liquid liner inUltra Black made me fall in love with brush tip pen liners (NOT felt tip – those are the devil). Very black and easy to wear although slightly lacking in the waterproof department. I’ve since heard that the Ultra Black shade has gone slightly grey which is a bit of a disappointment. This, thankfully, was a liquid liner that didn’t seem to have the horrible reflective properties of other liners (I’m looking at you MUFEAqualiner).
Verdict: I wouldn’t repurchase this right now as I’m firmly attached to my gel liners, but I would recommend it to others.
l-r: Duo eyelash adhesive, Pop Beauty Fuchsia Freesia, Too Faced Better Than Sex
Duo eyelash adhesive is my staple eyelash glue. This tube is very old (~3 years) and needed replacing.
Verdict: Forever repurchase
As I said in my Ipsy Haul for February 2014, Pop Beauty’s Plump Pout in Fuchsia Freesia smelled bad. Well, it turns out there was a bit of a to do with Ipsy and Pop Beautythat month and I could’ve gotten a replacement for my rotten smelling lipgloss. It’s a shame that I didn’t, but I’m not using this sucker and it’s going straight into the garbage.
Verdict: Just based on the toxic scent and how the whole thing was handled (poorly and secretively) I’ll be avoiding this brand.
Too FacedBetter Than Sex mascara: Loved this stuff, but hated the wand. The formula of the mascara is fantastic, but the wand made it really, really annoying to apply. There’s nothing easy about an hourglass shaped wand!
Verdict: Won’t rebuy – the formula isn’t worth the hassle of the brush.
Blistex Lip Medex
Blistex‘s Lip Medex is like medicine in a tube for your lips. Nothing heals my parched, dry, cracked lips like this stuff does throughout the cold winter months.
Verdict: Love it and will repurchase it in the winter.
Marcelle Gentle Make-Up Remover for Sensitive Eyes
Marcelle‘s Gentle Make-Up Remover for Sensitive Eyes is a forever favourite. This is the best makeup remover I’ve ever purchased and it works wonders on waterproof makeup. I usually wait to buy this on sale and then get a bunch of them all at once.
Verdict: Repurchase most definitely
Clockwise starting at the top: Marcelle Cleansing Cloths (x2), Garnier Moisture Rescue, Neutrogena Hydrating, Neutrogena
MarcelleCleansing Cloths are adequate, but nothing to write home about. They only remove waterproof makeup “so-so”.
Verdict: No repurchase
GarnierMoisture Rescue wipes: Useless and stinky. Dry and irritating. YUCK.
Verdict: Never, EVER repurchase
NeutrogenaAll-in-One Makeup Cleansing Wipes: These are okay, completely satisfactory, but I bought these by accident when I thought they were the same as:
NeutrogenaHydrating Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths: These are holy grail. Not buying any other makeup removing cloths after trying these. They’re wetter than any other cloth I’ve tried and they actually remove waterproof mascara well.
Verdict: Would repurchase the Neutrogena Hydrating wipes
Lush It’s Raining Men Shower Gel
I love Lush‘s Honey I Washed The Kids soap, but the darn thing just runs out way too quickly. It’s Raining Men is their shower gel equivalent and it such a better investment in terms of money. This stuff lasted me absolutely forever (about a year, using it intermittently with other washes and soaps) and easily outdid the longevity of the bars of soap. This smells like honey and caramel and *edible*. To confirm: It is NOT edible, in a moment of weakness I tested it with the tip of my tongue and it tastes like soap. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible!
Verdict: Definite rebuy!
l-r: Fortune Cookie Soap: Native Nectar Body Wash, Venus Fly Trap Perfume Oil, Make it Rain Whipped Cream
Fortune Cookie SoapNative Nectar Body Wash: A very liquid body wash, but lovely nonetheless. It had small shimmer particles in the product, but they didn’t stick on the skin (so it just looks pretty, really). It has a very clean coconut smell – very lovely.
Verdict: Would repurchase
Fortune Cookie SoapVenus Fly Trap Perfume Oil: This stuff is amazing. It smells like sickly, sweet flowers but not in a revolting way. It doesn’t smell like old lady perfume and it’s pretty light and not cloying (as in it won’t give you a headache with its thickness). I never, ever thought I’d like a scent like this (FCS indicates that it has “Bergamot, narcaisse & musk lurk beneath delicate notes of water orchid, sparkling lemon & pink jasmine.”) but this is just beautiful.
Verdict: Would repurchase
Fortune Cookie SoapMake it Rain Whipped Cream: Love this so much! The formula and it does feel like whipped cream on the skin. I also really, really love the scent. I’ve heard some people say it smells too much like musk, but I actually get a very clean, very laundry scent out of this.
Verdict: Definite repurchase
Foil Packets
DERMAdoctorwrinkle REVENGE: Completely forgettable in every way.
Verdict: Would not purchase
BioreBlemish Fighting Ice Cleanser: I don’t have acne problems (and this contains salicylic acid to help with breakouts) so I can’t really say if this helped combat anything, but it did feel nice on the skin.
Verdict: Purchase if on sale
BenefitThe Porefessional: I genuinely do not get the hype with this product. It seemed fine as a primer, but nothing earthshattering.
Verdict: Would not purchase
H20Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment: I don’t even remember this stuff, so it definitely couldn’t have been amazing.
Verdict: Would not purchase
H20Aquafirm+ Micro-collagen Moisturizer: Can’t remember this one either.
Verdict: Would not purchase
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska Light2: Quite liked this one actually. I got enough out of the foil packet for a single use and it smoothed on nicely and had light coverage, which was nice because it didn’t cover my freckles (which I like). [Click for a pic of the foundation on my face.]
Verdict: Will consider purchasing when I finally run low on other foundations.
Orange Whip Body Butter
My friend Ali made this wonderful Orange Whip body butter for me for my birthday. I used up the whole jar really quickly and loved it to pieces.
Verdict: No need to repurchase, I’ll just poke her when I need more!
Adidas – Pure Lightness
Monumental effort here – I finished a perfume! I really liked Adidas‘ Pure Lightness. Fragrantica.com indicates that it has “Top notes of melon and red apple; middle notes are jasmine, magnolia, violet and lily-of-the-valley; base note is musk”. But to me, this just smelled aquatic. It’s light and crisp and has quite decent lasting power.
Tons of vibrant looks this week with one neutral one thrown in the mix. I’m really pleased with how a lot of these turned out.
Ummm yeahhhhh. Love it – Love this one so much! The lid colour (InglotAMC Shine 24) is so freaking stunning – it seems to go with anything.
Eyes
InglotAMC Shine 24 all over the lid.
InglotMatte 317 in the outer corner and through the crease, also used to line the lower lash line.
Makeup GeekCreme Brulee through the top of the crease.
MACShroom to highlight the brow, Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Gel Liner in Black to create the winged liner and L’OrealVoluminous Carbon Black mascara on my lashes.
Rest of the Face
Foundation: Revlon Colorstay in 200 Nude (Combination/Oily)
Bronzer: Joe FreshSand Bronzer
Blush: HourglassDiffused Heat
Lips: NYXVanilla Cream Pie
Another really fun vibrant one. Would’ve been kind of neat to draw palm trees coming up from the winged liner, but I’d probably get some weird looks at work for that!
Eyes
InglotMatte 317 all over the lid.
Inglot Matte 383 on the outer third.
I goofed – there is no third colour here, it’s just more of InglotMatte 383, just blend it up higher!
MACSushi Flower through the upper crease.
MACShroom under the brow bone, Tarte black gel liner for the wing and L’OrealVoluminous Carbon Black mascara on my lashes.
Rest of the Face
Foundation: Covergirl CC Cream in 110 Classic Ivory and Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in Shade 51 Light Vanilla mixed together
Bronzer: Physicians Formula Bronze Booster in Light/Medium
Blush: Bobbi BrownApricot
Highlighter: Hard CandyTiki
Lips: NYX Butter lipstick in Fizzies
Another favourite look! I really like how this lip combo turned out.
Eyes
InglotAMC Shine 24 on the inner two-thirds of the lid and on the inner half of the bottom lash line.
InglotMatte 334 in the outer corner and through the crease.
InglotMatte 325 in the outer corner to darken it up and on the outer half of the lower lash line.
MACShroom to highlight the browbone and on the inner tear duct, Tarte black gel liner for the wing and L’OrealVoluminous Carbon Black mascara on my lashes. I also put on a pair of Sephora lashes in Tempting.
Face of the Day
Foundation: MUA Matte foundation Shade 1 Soft Sand
Bronzer: Joe FreshSand Bronzer
Blush: HourglassDiffused Heat
Highlighter: MACSilver Dusk
Lips: Wet n WildJust Peachy (903C) with NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu on top
That skip in the liner is driving me crazy (even though you can’t see it when my eyes are open)! For this look, I wanted to wear a bright lip, but I’ve not yet mastered (if it’s possible) wearing bright eyeshadows and bright lipstick at the same time, so for now – toned down eyes and bright lips.
Eyes (all Makeup Geek)
Shimma Shimma on the inner two-thirds of the lid.
Goddess on the outer third and to line the lower lash line.
Frappe through the crease.
Vanilla Bean on the browbone, Tarte black gel liner for the wing and L’OrealVoluminous Carbon Black mascara on my lashes.
Rest of the Face
Foundation: MUA Matte foundation in Shade 1 Soft Sand
Bronzer: Joe FreshSand Bronzer
Blush: SleekCrochet
Highlighter: MACSoft and Gentle
Lips: RevlonFire and Ice
Photographing glitter is near impossible! I wasn’t a huge fan of how this look came out, but it was good enough for a 80s night at a nearby club and to be honest, I ran out of time to take it off and try again.
Eyes
Too FacedPure Glam all over the lid and on the outer corner of the bottom lash line.
InglotAMC Shine 33 to blend out Pure Glam and through the crease. Also used to line the inner half of the lower lash line.
InglotAMC Shine 28 on the inner tear duct.
Make Up For Ever Glitter in 13
MACShroom to highlight the browbone and BenefitThey’re Real mascara on my lashes with Ardell102 Demi false lashes on top.
Rest of the Face
Foundation: Revlon Colorstay in 200 Nude (Combination/Oily)
Bronzer/Attempted Contouring: Revlon Photoready Bronzer in Bronzed & Chic
Highlighter: MACSilver Dusk
Blush: HourglassDiffused Heat
Lips: MilaniFlamingo Pose with MaybellineStormy Sahara on top
Not a ton of favourites this month, so let’s keep it short and sweet.
Benefit – Watts Up
The mini size of BenefitWatts Up was part of Sephora’s 2013 birthday gift. Its’s a hefty sample size yet in iiiitty biiiiitty packaging. Without having tried this, I brought it with me on vacation. And wow did it ever not disappoint! This is essentially the cream version of MAC‘s Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle. It’s easy to blend in (I use my finger) and practically goof proof.
Tarte – Dollface and Park Ave. Princess (from the Off The Cuff palette)
Another vacation favourite! Dollface, despite being a colour I am completely not interested in, is really, really nice on my skin. Park Ave. Princess, one of Tarte‘s bronzers, was equally nice. It does have a slight orangey tint depending on the light. It also has some kind of a sheen to it so apply lightly!
It goes without saying that Tarte‘s products are wonderful. Their blushes do have a bit of a harder texture so I have to use a stiffer brush since a regular blush brush just won’t do the job. Oddly, I don’t find that’s the case with the bronzer so I wonder if they have slightly different ingredients.
Laura Mercier – Plum Smoke, Fresco and Bamboo (from the Artist 2013 palette)
I used Laura Mercier‘s Artist palette (2013 version) exclusively for two weeks straight and I’ve got some new found love for Plum Smoke, Fresco and Bamboo. Bamboo is especially great for a smokey eye look. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on this as it rapidly sold out during the last holiday season then you know how lucky you are. And if you didn’t, I’d be keeping your eyes peeled for the next holiday season!
So that’s it for this month. And here’s a peek at what was actually happening while I was trying to take photos for this post: 😉
Tomorrow morning I’m off on a much needed vacation to visit some friends in the US. I’ll be headed to Baltimore for six days first and then back up to New York City for five.
Nemo’s reaction to being left alone again…
In Baltimore I’ll be visiting a close friend that I’m eager to spend more time with. We’ve signed up for the Charm City Shamrock 5k run on Sunday and I’m excited to look as ridiculous as possible with the green hair extensions I’ve picked up and as much glitter as I can find. There’s a chance I’ll get to visit Washington D.C., but that isn’t set in stone yet.
In New York City I’ll be visiting my old university roommate (and it’s frightening to think that we lived together ten years ago…) and seeing another old friend from my teen years. For shits and giggles, I also signed up for a 10k run on Roosevelt island while I’m there. Until recently, I used to visit New York City every year so I’m anxious to go back!
And not to mention… I am *seriously* excited to pick up all the makeup I can get my hands on for the far cheaper prices that they have in the US!
So let’s take a peak into what I’m bringing on vacation this time.
Once again, the bag I’m taking with me is from MAC‘s Liberty of London collection (2010). I love this bag, and until it frays and falls apart, I’ll be using it!
Palettes – Laura Mercier Artist (2013), customized MAC quad and Tarte Off The Cuff
I’m bringing along Laura Mercier‘s Artist palette (2013) instead of my usual Urban DecayNaked. I’m doing this primarily because my Naked palette gets enough travel mileage and I think the Artist palette has a bit more selection for looks since there’s far more matte shades.
Tarte‘s Off The Cuff palette is an easy one – four blushes and a bronzer without the need for bringing multiple bulky compacts.
The green MAC quad is for St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll definitely want to go all out with green everything so I plopped in a few shades (Juxt, Bio Green, Golden Olive pigment andClub) so I can be as festive as possible!
Lip Products
I kept the lip products fairly simple since re-applying lipstick on vacation is mostly just frustrating to me. One lipstick (Revlon‘s Fire and Ice) and MAC‘s Prep + Prime for lip to prevent feathering should I decide to actually wear the lipstick. The NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie is for when I want something easy to wear. And finally, I picked up a Nivea lip balm in Milk & Honey specifically for this trip because I didn’t actually own another stick lip balm and I didn’t want to carry around a potted product as they don’t sit easily in my pockets. Lip balms are an absolute must for me when I travel.
MAC Prep + Prime for Lip, Nivea Milk and Honey, Revlon Fire and Ice, NYX Vanilla Cream Pie
It doesn’t look like many lip products really… but I know I won’t wear much else even if I were to bring a few more.
NARS Pro Prime Eye Primer and Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
Double primers you ask? Yep. I swore by Urban Decay Primer Potion for years, but it recently started creasing on me (much to my horror). I tried the NARS one and it *also* creased on me. If I double up and use them both on my lids then the creasing stops, so… double primers from now on.
Benefit Watts Up and some craft gems
I haven’t used it much, but I packed Benefit‘s Watts Up highlighter simply because it’s a sample size product and fits easily in my bag. The sheen of this highlighter is quite similar to MAC‘s Soft and Gentle.
The craft gems are for the St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5k race a friend and I are doing in Baltimore. Although the gems aren’t green, they’re what I had available, and I’ll definitely be plastering my face in them for the run!
yaby foundation in Buff, MAC Blacktrack fluidline, duo lash adhesive and Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara
More tiny products! The yaby foundation in Buff is a good shade for me right now and the tube is tiny so that was an easy one to pop in. I don’t expect to be wearing much foundation, but it’s nice to have in case I decide I want to wear some. Too Faced‘s Better Than Sex mascara is a deluxe sample size and I’m hoping to finish this one up on the trip. I’m slightly worried because it’s not waterproof and the weather forecast looks positively schizophrenic for the next few weeks. :s
The Duo lash adhesive is for the gems (and by looking at that package, it definitely needs replacing). And lastly, my beloved MACBlacktrackfluidline. My liquid liners just weren’t working out the way I wanted them to and even though it’s slightly more work (have to bring an extra brush and all), the end result is far better.
That’s everything I’ve stowed away in my makeup bag for my trip! Blog posts will continue while I’m gone as I have them sitting in queue ready to go live on the usual schedule (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays). Take care everyone. 🙂
