Tag Archives: Hard Candy

What I Bought This Month – May 2014 Haul

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I actually hadn’t picked up any beauty products this month until the very last week and then suddenly I had a whole stockpile!

MAC – Mystical ($21 CAD)
MAC – Mystical ($21 CAD)

While MAC‘s summer collection didn’t have a whole heck of a lot of bright colours, I knew I still wanted to pick up a few products because holy hell is that packaging ever beautiful! The first item I picked up was the cremesheen finish lipstick in Mystical. The colour is slightly more brown than I had expected, but it’s a very easy, every day colour for me. Slightly more fall-oriented than spring or summer, but still really beautiful.

MAC – Sea Me, Hear Me ($32.50 CAD)
MAC – Sea Me, Hear Me ($32.50 CAD)

I wanted to give MAC‘s extra dimension products another shot because everyone seems to love them and I’ve always been kind of “meh” about them. I have the skinfinish in Whisper of Gilt, but I’ve always found the product to be very hard and stiff in the pan, which requires using a rather stiff brush to actually get any product out of the pan. Turns out the blush is really no different! Like the lipstick, Sea Me, Hear Me is far more of a deep fall colour (I really didn’t understand this collection, despite the packaging being spectacular) and it looks nice on my cheeks, but I really need to use a stiff brush to get it out of the pan!

Hard Candy Ombre Lipstick – Cheerful (~$6 CAD)
Hard Candy Ombre Lipstick – Cheerful (~$6 CAD)

Ugh. Spoiler alert: these next two products by Hard Candy are terrible. I noticed the brand had put out some new products and wanted to give them a shot. The Ombre Lipstick inCheerful looked kind of neat but it’s really just an awkward product. It goes on the lips rather greasy, like the “play” makeup I had when I was 5 years old. Also, can we have a conversation about how the lip product actually changed colour once I rolled it up?  Ew! :s

Hard Candy Cheeks and Balances – Cheeky Pink (~$8 CAD)
Hard Candy Cheeks and Balances – Cheeky Pink (~$8 CAD)
This works slightly better than the lip product, but not a whole heck of a lot. Hard Candy‘sCheeky Pink “Cheeks and Balances” is supposed to be a cheek colour and highlighter in one. It goes on stripey (obviously) and you really need to blend it out with a finger or two. It can be a bit greasy, but I’ve only tested it out so far without wearing it for any extended amount of time. It’s a bit too finicky to keep the actual colours separated once you blend them, so it’s easier to just smush the product together as you swipe it on your cheeks. It’s quite frosty overall (even the darker pink colour), so apply lightly and build up if you need to.
Julep polishes in (l-r): Michelle, Angela, Missy, Paris, Hilary (free)
Julep polishes in (l-r): Michelle, Angela, Missy, Paris, Hilary (free)

I won a contest over on the lovely Kalyn‘s blog and she sent me a few Julep polishes as a prize. Having never tried out Julep‘s polishes before, I was eager to get my hands on these. This completely surprised me, but these bottles, despite looking small, actually contain the same amount of polish as any other regular bottle! So far I’ve tried out Hilary(sparkly orange/bronze/silver) and Michelle (creme). They both applied beautifully and those glitter ones are definitely going all over my toes!

NYC polish in East Village (free)
NYC polish in East Village (free)
My mom picked up this polish for some craft project but had little use for it after she finished her project so she passed it on to me. NYC‘s nail polish in East Village is really sheer, but the colour is beautiful once you build it up. I have to apply about three coats before I get an opaque coverage but it never feels goopy since the polish is quite thin.

Bioderma – Crealine H2O (~€12)
Bioderma – Crealine H2O (~€12)
Next up are a few items direct from France. My dad was snowboarding in France a few months back and I asked him to pick up a few products from some French pharmacies for me. Armed with a list, he managed to locate the bulk of the items I had requested. First up was a massive 500 ml bottle of Bioderma‘s Crealine H2O. The largest size they sell in Canada as far as I can find is the 250 ml and it sells for a whopping $23 CAD. This 500 ml bottle is double the size for a fraction of the cost. I wasn’t overly sold on Bioderma when I first used it, but after I used up that bottle, I found myself missing the product more and more. I use it predominantly as a makeup remover/touch up for when I make mistakes and it’s great for cleansing the skin lightly (I wouldn’t use this to deep clean).
Embryolisse – Hydra-Masque (~€15 CAD)
Embryolisse – Hydra-Masque (~€15 CAD)

This is a new product to me – Embryolisse‘s Hydra-Masque is a hydrating facial mask that can be used 1-2 times a week. It’s surprisingly thin in consistency – to the point where I didn’t expect it to actually do anything. If anything, it was so thin I was fully expecting it to sink completely into the skin. It doesn’t, however, and it feels amazing! I tried it out for the first time last night and this stuff is glorious! My face feels wonderful – hydrated and smooth.

Embryolisse – Lait-Creme Concentre (~€14 CAD)
Embryolisse – Lait-Creme Concentre (~€14 CAD)

And another one I’ve previously tried. Embryolisse‘s Lait-Creme Concentre is another amped up product from the beauty world. It’s a no fuss moisturizer that I use when I want a break from my usual Aveeno.

Olay Fresh Effects – Shine, Shine Go Away! (~$4 CAD)
Olay Fresh Effects – Shine, Shine Go Away! (~$4 CAD)

Yep, suckered in by the packaging again!  Supposedly this controls shine, but I suppose we’ll have to see. It was on sale at Walmart so I snatched it up.

Dermal Therapy – Heel Care (free)
Dermal Therapy – Heel Care (free)

And lastly… Dermal Therapy Heel Care. If you have cracked or dry heels, you need this. This is the *only* product that works on my horribly dried out heels. Seriously, you can go from grand canyon style cracks on your heels to baby butt smooth in about a week. My mom picked this up for me at Walmart so I’m not sure of the cost, but I know it’s under $10 which is incredibly reasonable for such a miracle product. Well worth the money.

And that’s my beauty haul for the month!

Travel Makeup Bag – Ottawa Race Weekend

Miscellaneous, Vacation, , , , , , , , , ,

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This coming Friday I’ll be heading up to Ottawa for the capital city’s Race Weekend. Last year, after hearing about my first race experience during Toronto’s Pride Week (the Pride and Remembrance Run, which I’ll be doing again this year), my dad decided he wanted us to run a race together and he picked the 5K during this event. Despite having grown up in Ottawa, I had never, ever heard of this event!

Anyway, the point of this is… I’m only in Ottawa for less than 48 hours, so I don’t really need a whole lot of makeup. Regardless, I’m bringing some, so here’s what I decided to pack.

Urban Decay Anti-Aging Primer Potion and Benefit They’re Real mascara
Urban Decay Anti-Aging Primer Potion and Benefit They’re Real mascara

The necessary basics – mascara and primer. I’m a little bit nervous to only be bringing one eye primer, but since I’m stuffing everything into a smaller bag than normal, I’m only bringing this trial size of Urban Decay‘s Anti-Aging Primer Potion (which is something I’ve also never tried). Also along for the ride is a trial size of Benefit‘s They’re Real mascara.

Murad Oil-Control Mattifier and yaby foundation in Buff
Murad Oil-Control Mattifier and yaby foundation in Buff

I have no idea if I’ll even want to wear foundation on the weekend at any point, but I’m bringing a small tube of yaby‘s foundation in Buff and a Murad Oil-Control Mattifierprimarily just to use it up.

Bobbi Brown blush in Apricot and NYX Love In Rio trio in Segredos de Giselle
Bobbi Brown blush in Apricot and NYX Love In Rio trio in Segredos de Giselle

My only blush for the weekend is Bobbi Brown‘s Apricot – it’s beyond gorgeous. And since I’m bringing a fairly neutral eye palette, NYX‘s trio in Segredos de Giselle, I’ll need that brightness from the blush to liven up my face.

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strip in Sunset Strip and Hard Candy bronzer in Hula Hula
Physicians Formula Shimmer Strip in Sunset Strip and Hard Candy bronzer in Hula Hula

Looking at these side-by-side and I’m wondering why the heck I’m bringing both of them… Regardless, they’re both in the bag! Physicians Formula‘s Shimmer Strip in Sunset Strip needs some love, so in it goes. Hard Candy‘s Hula Hula bronzer is a fantastic shimmery bronzer that I’m going to use to fake like I’ve got some semblance of a tan. 😉

Nivea – A Kiss of Berry Swirl, Revlon Snow Peach and Urban Decay gloss in Naked
Nivea – A Kiss of Berry Swirl, Revlon Snow Peach and Urban Decay gloss in Naked

And once again I’m bringing far more lip products than I’ll ever actually use. The Nivea lip balm is a necessity, but the others are completely superfluous. Revlon Snow Peach is there in case I feel the need to wear a bright colour and the Urban Decay mini gloss inNaked is there if I’m feeling lazy as hell.

All jammed in
All jammed in

And since this month’s Ipsy bag was so darn cute and tiny, I put all my products in there. Now… fingers crossed that we have wonderful weather for the race on Saturday!

What’s On My Face – Volume 16

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

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!

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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.

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Eyes

  1. Inglot AMC Shine 33 all over the lid and on the middle of the lower lash line.
  2. Inglot Matte 338 heavily in the outer corner, blended into the crease. Also in the outer corner on the lower lash line.
  3. Makeup Geek Creme Brulee slightly through the crease (not pictured).

MAC Shroom 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 Fresh Sand Bronzer
  • Blush: Joe Fresh Apricot
  • Highlighter: MAC Silver Dusk
  • Lips: Wet n Wild 903C with NYX‘s Tiramisu Butter Gloss over top

 

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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).

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Eyes

  1. Makeup Geek Peach Smoothie on the inner third of the lid.
  2. Makeup Geek Mango Tango on the middle of the lid.
  3. Makeup Geek Razzleberry on the outer third.
  4. Makeup Geek Creme Brulee through the crease to blend everything out.

MAC Shroom to highlight the brow and Benefit They’re Real mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Blush: Hourglass Diffused Heat
  • Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle
  • Lips: Revlon Colorburst Lipgloass in Papaya

 

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I haven’t used my Original Sleek palette very much so I pulled it out for this look.

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Eyes

  1. The copper shade from the Original Sleek palette all over the lid.
  2. The purple shade from the Original Sleek palette in the outer corner and on the outer corner of my lower lash line.

MAC Shroom to highlight the brow and L’Oreal Voluminous 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 Fresh Sand Bronzer
  • Blush: MAC Gingerly
  • Highlighter: Hard Candy Tiki
  • Lips: Revlon Colorburst Gloss in Sunset Peach

 

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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

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Eyes

  1. MAC Blanc Type all over the lid and all the way up to the brow bone.
  2. MAC Contrast in the very outer corner.

Benefit They’re Real mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Blush: Illamasqua Hussy

 

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Mehhhh not sold on this look – wouldn’t repeat it.

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Eyes

  1. MAC Fade all over the lid (this is so patchy – the name is apt, it fades poorly!)
  2. MAC Steamy in the outer corner.

MAC Shroom to highlight the brow and L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Blush: Bourjois Rose Gold
  • Lips: Nivea – A Kiss of Berry Swirl

What’s On My Face – Volume 15

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

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.

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Ummm yeahhhhh. Love it – Love this one so much! The lid colour (Inglot AMC Shine 24) is so freaking stunning – it seems to go with anything.

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Eyes

  1. Inglot AMC Shine 24 all over the lid.
  2. Inglot Matte 317 in the outer corner and through the crease, also used to line the lower lash line.
  3. Makeup Geek Creme Brulee through the top of the crease.

MAC Shroom to highlight the brow, Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Gel Liner in Black to create the winged liner and L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Revlon Colorstay in 200 Nude (Combination/Oily)
  • Bronzer: Joe Fresh Sand Bronzer
  • Blush: Hourglass Diffused Heat
  • Lips: NYX Vanilla Cream Pie

 

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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!

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Eyes

  1. Inglot Matte 317 all over the lid.
  2. Inglot Matte 383 on the outer third.
  3. I goofed – there is no third colour here, it’s just more of Inglot Matte 383, just blend it up higher!
  4. MAC Sushi Flower through the upper crease.

MAC Shroom 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 Brown Apricot
  • Highlighter: Hard Candy Tiki
  • Lips: NYX Butter lipstick in Fizzies

 

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Another favourite look! I really like how this lip combo turned out.

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Eyes

  1. Inglot AMC Shine 24 on the inner two-thirds of the lid and on the inner half of the bottom lash line.
  2. Inglot Matte 334 in the outer corner and through the crease.
  3. Inglot Matte 325 in the outer corner to darken it up and on the outer half of the lower lash line.

MAC Shroom to highlight the browbone and on the inner tear duct, Tarte black gel liner for the wing and L’Oreal Voluminous 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 Fresh Sand Bronzer
  • Blush: Hourglass Diffused Heat
  • Highlighter: MAC Silver Dusk
  • Lips: Wet n Wild Just Peachy (903C) with NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu on top

 

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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.

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Eyes (all Makeup Geek)

  1. Shimma Shimma on the inner two-thirds of the lid.
  2. Goddess on the outer third and to line the lower lash line.
  3. Frappe through the crease.

Vanilla Bean on the browbone, Tarte black gel liner for the wing and L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: MUA Matte foundation in Shade 1 Soft Sand
  • Bronzer: Joe Fresh Sand Bronzer
  • Blush: Sleek Crochet
  • Highlighter: MAC Soft and Gentle
  • Lips: Revlon Fire and Ice

 

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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.

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Eyes

  1. Too Faced Pure Glam all over the lid and on the outer corner of the bottom lash line.
  2. Inglot AMC Shine 33 to blend out Pure Glam and through the crease. Also used to line the inner half of the lower lash line.
  3. Inglot AMC Shine 28 on the inner tear duct.
  4. Make Up For Ever Glitter in 13

MAC Shroom to highlight the browbone and Benefit They’re Real mascara on my lashes with Ardell 102 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: MAC Silver Dusk
  • Blush: Hourglass Diffused Heat
  • Lips: Milani Flamingo Pose with Maybelline Stormy Sahara on top

What’s in my Makeup Drawer @ Work

Miscellaneous, , ,

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Being the only female I know who doesn’t own a purse (by choice!), this very obviously makes doing a “What’s in my Purse” post completely impossible. So instead I’m showing you what beauty products I have stuffed into one of my drawers at work for emergency moments. These  items are permanent fixtures… they never leave the office!

The wee compartment that holds my goodies
The wee compartment that holds my goodies

These products are a mix of necessity and/or items that can be used in a pinch if I have a really destructive day on my makeup (i.e., I walked to work in the rain and it completely dissolved my face).

So let’s take a closer look as to what’s in my stash at work.

Hard Candy pencil sharpener and CoverGirl Liquiline Blast pencil in Black Fire
Hard Candy pencil sharpener and CoverGirl Liquiline Blast pencil in Black Fire

First up is a really nasty looking pencil sharpener, but this is the best one I have ever owned. It’s better than my MAC one and my NYX one. This is a Hard Candy sharpener (the ollllllldHard Candy that used to be sold in department stores at high end prices, not the revamped one you see in Walmart now) that I picked up in 1997. It might be a relic, but I’ve yet to find anything better! (And yes, it has been disinfected a few times over the years! ;))

The second item is a liner from CoverGirl. It’s a straight black (Black Fire, to be precise) and it’s from their Liquiline Blast collection. It’ll do in a pinch, but it’s not great. It smears, smudges and transfers. The smudger on the end is also pretty much garbage. That being said, this has helped to fill in the occasional gap on my eyes that I missed at home and, of course, it can double as an eyeshadow if you blend it out enough.

Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Twilight
Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Twilight

This Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Twilight is part of my “To Use Up” products of 2014, so I keep it at work for those days when I forget to bring in a lip product to wear that day. It’s a wonderful stain – very intense, and can be built up to a very strong, dark raspberry shade. I even like the balm on the other end.

MAC Prep + Prime for lips
MAC Prep + Prime for lips

I’ve sung the praises of MAC‘s Prep + Prime for lips before so I’ll keep it brief. This is the second open tube I have of this product right now – I keep one at work and one at home. This tube is almost gone – it’s actually rolled up as far as it’ll go. This is an absolute necessity for me when I wear lipstick.

MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Petting Pink
MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Petting Pink

When I need a balm or some kind of lip conditioner, I’ll reach for MAC’s Lip Conditioner in Petting Pink. This product doesn’t have opaque coverage, so you really only get a faint hint of colour to the lips when you wear this. I’ve owned this for about three years and it takes forever to go through the pot!

CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer in 210
CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer in 210

I’m not much of a concealer person, so this products sits there rather neglected. CoverGirl & Olay‘s Simply Ageless Eye Concealer in 210 doesn’t work on my undereye area – it’s way too stiff of a product and drying, which you can easily see because the product is actually CRACKING – but it does work for blemishes. I’m not acne prone, so this really does sit untouched in my desk. BUT… it’s there if I ever need it!

The middle drawer holds the good stuff!
The middle drawer holds the good stuff!

That’s it! Not a whole lot in that drawer, but they’re handy when I need them. Do you keep anything in particular at work? Or do you carry your products back and forth every day?