Over the last year or so, I’ve started to appreciate cleansing oils a heck of a lot. Sure, my tried and true trusty Marcelle eye makeup remover is still my favourite thing EVER when it comes to removing my eye makeup, but it’s just not the most efficient thing for the rest of my face.
Sephora Supreme Cleansing Oil – pump top
My last cleansing oil experience was with the Dermalogica Precleanse, and I loved it, but dang is EVER expensive. So if there’s a cheaper option that does the same thing, why not go for it?
This Sephora CollectionSupreme Cleansing Oil is a “cleansing oil with the effectiveness of an oil and the gentleness of a lotion for skin that is immaculately clean without dryness.” And yep… checkmark to all of that.
And bonus? This is the first and ONLY cleansing oil I’ve ever owned that hasn’t leaked through the pump top. My previous experiences with other brands all resulted in a super leaky pump top and, consequently, a disgusting mess on my bathroom counter. I’m a third of the way through this bottle now and it’s showing no signs of dribbling anywhere!
Sephora Supreme Cleansing Oil
The only thing I’m not overly keen on is the scent, but hey, that’s a personal thing. (For those wondering, it smells a little bit like lipsticks from days of yore. You know… before they started scenting everything with vanilla.) But I can totally ignore the scent because the Sephora Supreme Cleansing Oil works so wonderfully to remove all my makeup, including waterproof products. It’s gentle and helps rehydrate my skin simply because of the oil content. All this for for a very reasonable price tag too!
As I was putting together this roundup of looks, I started to realize just how much I’ve been using my Makeup Geek shadows lately. I mean, I use them a lot on a regular basis, but three out of the five looks are solely Makeup Geek in here!
I did this for a YouTube video tutorial but had to repost it here because I know not everyone has the time for videos (I’ll continue to repost my video tutorial looks on the blog as time goes on).
Eyes
(using the Viseart 08 Editorial Brights palette) I first covered my lid with NYX‘s Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk and then:
MAC‘s Cork in the crease.
The yellow shade from the palette on the inner third of the lid.
The orange on the middle of the lid.
The red on the outer half of the lid.
The lime green on the inner corner of the lid.
(also listed as 5) MAC‘s Blanc Type to highlighter the brow bone.
I applied the light blue to the middle of my lower lash line and the purple to the outer section of the lower lash line. I created the wing with Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper and tightlined my water lines with Marc Jacobs‘ Highliner Gel Crayon in Blacquer. I coated my lashes with Make Up For EverSmoky Stretch mascara and applied House of LashesBombshell falsies.
Face
Primer: Make Up For Ever Step 1 Smoothing Primer
Foundation: Make Up For Ever UltraHD in Y225
Bronzer: Joe FreshSand
Blush: HourglassDiffused Heat
Highlighter: BeccaChampagne Pop
Lips: Too FacedMelted Chocolate Milkshake with Sephora‘s lipgloss in Good Fairy
Although I love the Kat Von DMi Vida Loca Remix palette, I’ve not been using it because I was trying to work through a bunch of other palettes. I said enough was enough, and went back to it for it this look!
Eyes
(Using the Kat Von DMi Vida Loca Remix palette) I first applied NYX‘s Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk to my lid, then:
Misfit on the inner third of the lid.
Synth on the middle of the lid.
Dark Wave on the outer corner.
(numbers are screwed up, sorry) Vinyl on the inner corner (to the right of 1).
Ignore this one… I haven’t a clue if I put anything on my brow bone.
Echo is lining the outer half of my lower lash line. I coated my lashes with Make Up For Ever‘s Smoky Stretch mascara.
Face
Bronzer: Joe FreshSand
Blush: MACWarm Soul
Lips: MACSweet Tooth
Playing around with my new Makeup Geek duochromes!
Eyes
(all Makeup Geek)
Cupcake through the crease.
Kaleidoscope on the lid.
Pop Culture on the outer third of the lid.
Duchess on the outer corner.
Prism on the inner corner
Vanilla Bean on my brow bone.
I used Blacklight on the lower lash line and created the wing with MAC‘s Blacktrack fluidline. I covered my lashes with Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara.
Face
Foundation: Revlon Colorstay in 200 Nude
Bronzer: Joe FreshSand
Blush: MACLife’s A Picnic
Lips: SephoraGood Fairy
Before anyone says anything – I know the lips look weird. I was playing around with different shades and I *thought* this went together. It wasn’t till I saw the photos that I was like “ohhh….”. haha
Eyes
(all Makeup Geek)
Prism all over the lid.
Typhoon through the crease.
Dirty Martini on the outer third of the lid.
Vanilla Bean on the brow bone.
I created the wing with Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper and coated my lashes with Clarins’Aquatic Green mascara.
Face
Foundation: Revlon Colorstay in 200 Nude
Bronzer: Joe FreshSand
Blush: TarteBlissful
Lips: Colour PopDonut
More Makeup Geek goodness!
Eyes
(all Makeup Geek)
Peach Smoothie through the top of the crease.
Poppy through the crease.
Fortune Teller on the lid.
Morocco on the outer third of the lid.
Voltage on the inner corner.
Vanilla Bean on the brow bone.
I created the wing with MAC’s Blacktrack fluidline and coated my lashes with Make Up For Ever‘s Smoky Stretch.
Alright, it’s been a while since I’ve done a roundup of looks. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot of pizzazz in my looks throughout December as I felt like I was eternally rushing around, so this roundup is going to include my actual New Year’s look, some guest posts and a suuuuper old look from June I still hadn’t posted yet. Enjoy!
So here’s what I actually wore on New Year’s Eve. We didn’t have extravagant plans (we ended up going to an arcade), but I wanted to at least have a splash of glitter on! I ended up applying false lashes later on, but didn’t get around to reshooting the pictures, so what you’re looking at is sans falsies. This look does use the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette, but I promise there’s a full Challenge Week coming up focusing on that palette soon!
Eyes
(Too FacedChocolate Bon Bons palette)
Pecan Praline through the crease.
Cafe Au Lait on the lid.
Bordeaux on the outer half of the lid.
Divinity on the brow bone.
I applied Make Up For Ever Glitters in 13 to my lower lash line using some Too FacedGlitter Glue. I created the wing with Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper and applied Make Up For EverSmoky Stretch mascara to my lashes.
Face
Bronzer: Charlotte TilburyFilmstar Bronze & Glow
Blush: CliniqueCola Pop
Highlighter: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow
Lips: Sephora lipgloss in Queen Bee
This look was completely focused on featuring Too Faced’s Melted Villain lipstick. Although it’s a dark purple, I have to admit that it mostly comes out looking black on me. that’s okay though! I love the colour and it’s NOT patchy! (And yes, I did wear this exact look to work that day!)
Eyes (all Makeup Geek)
Peach Smoothie through the top of the crease.
Grandstand on the lid.
Hipster through my crease.
Burlesque on the outer half ofthe lid.
Vanilla Bean on the brow bone.
I applied Make Up For Ever‘s Smoky Stretch mascara to my lashes.
Face
Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum 51 Vanilla
Concealer: Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in 2
Bronzer: The Body Shop Honey Bronzing Powder in 01 Light Matte
Blush: HourglassLuminous Flush
Highlighter: MACSoft & Gentle
Lips: Too FacedMelted Villain
I looooved this look! I did this as a guest post for Up The Rollercoaster last month and just adored how the shots came out. I wasn’t sure how the cranberry tones in the shadows would work with a red lip and if I’m honest, I think it’s a LITTLE bit off, but the overall effect is WA-BAM!
^^ That right there’s a money shot. I’m so pleased with it! 😀
Eyes
Makeup GeekPeach Smoothie through the top of the crease.
Makeup GeekGlamorous all over the lid.
Makeup GeekBitten on the outer half of the lid and through the crease. I also used Bitten to liner my lower lash line.
Makeup GeekCorrupt to deepen up the outer corner.
Makeup Geek Vanilla Bean to highlight the brow bone.
I used some old MAC gold glitter flecks to add some sparkle to the inner corner. Any gold glitter will do!
I created the wing with Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper and tightlined my upper water line with Marc Jacobs‘ Highliner Gel Crayon in Blacquer. I coated my lashes with essence‘s get BIG! lashes volume boost waterproof mascara and applied a pair of Noir Fairy false lashes by House of Lashes. My brows are filled in with Anastasia’s Dipbrow Pomade in Blonde.
Face
Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 51 Light Vanilla
Bronzer: Make Up For Ever Pro Bronze Fusion in 30M
Blush: CliniqueCola Pop
Highlighter: Becca Champagne Pop
Lips: MACRussian Red with Brick lipliner to even out the lip lines
Another guest post! (This time for Writing Whimsy.) I really love doing guest posts because it gives me an opportunity to be totally creative. Usually I’ll take a Saturday afternoon and spend a couple hours working on one. This is very different from my usual makeup roundups which are done almost exclusively as my daily work makeup (which doesn’t always afford me the luxury of playing around with glitter since I’m usually in a rush!).
Eyes
After priming my eyelids, I applied NYX‘s Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Black Bean all over the lid and blended out the edges. Then:
I deepened my almost non-existent crease (thanks hooded lids) with MAC‘s Cork.
I covered the entire lid with Urban Decay‘s Blackout, making sure to blend it into Cork.
I then patted on Lit Cosmetics’ glitter in Disco Diva using their glitter adhesive.
MAC‘s Blanc Type is on the brow bone to even everything out.
On the inner corner, I blended together Naked CosmeticsIV-05 and IV-03 and patted it on.
I created the inner corner point with Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper, thinly lining my upper lash line with it as well. I tightlined my water lines with Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayon in Blacquer and applied essence get big! lashes waterproof mascara to my lashes. I lined my lower lash line Lit CosmeticsPeacock glitter.
Face
Foundation: Revlon Colorstay in 200 Nude
Bronzer: Too FacedMilk Chocolate Soleil
Blush: HourglassDiffused Heat
Highlighter: Make Up For Ever ProSculpting Duo #1 (highlighting shade)
Lips: Sephora Good Fairy lipgloss
Alright this one’s just super old. I had toyed with doing a Challenge Week for Laura Mercier‘s Artist palette, but I never got around to finishing it (likely something new and exciting caught my eye!). I did this look sometime in June of 2015.
Eyes
(all Laura Mercier Artist palette)
Plum Smoke through the crease.
Guava on the lid.
Kir Royale on the outer half of the lid.
Sparkling Dew on the brow bone.
I coated my lashes with essence‘s Lash Princess mascara.
Face
Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla
Bronzer: NYCFire Island Tan
Blush: MACSea Me, Hear Me
Highlighter: Make Up For EverPro Sculpting Duo #1 – Highlighter
This time I’m talking about Gift Sets. Gift sets are a great way to either indulge the person you’re gifting, or give them something that gives them a lot of options to try out. Let’s dive right in.
Sephora Collection Stand Up and Shine Brush SetSephora Collection Stand Up and Shine Brush Set
Nothing screams luxury like giving someone a full set of makeup brushes! The Sephora CollectionStand Up and Shine retails for $163 CAD and it comes with four face brushes and eight eye brushes. The texture of the brushes is quite soft, although I did find a few of them were a bit too longhaired (particularly the eyeshadow blending brush). The general overall quality is excellent however. They come encased in a beautiful box that also contains a brush holder with protective flaps and a zip close.
Sephora Collection Stand Up and Shine Brush Set
Even better? The brush holder can be used to actually STAND your brushes up and keep them at the ready. Super convenient for travel and it doesn’t run the risk of falling over (while I love Real Techniques brushes, their stand up kits were always terribly made).
This set is fantastic for someone who needs a lot of brushes all at once. So while the set is pricey, you save the cost of having to buy each one individually.
Elizabeth & James Nirvana WhiteElizabeth & James Nirvana White
My favourite perfume discovery this year has been the Elizabeth & James collection. Sephora has $75 CAD sets of both Nirvana White and Nirvana Black (my personal preference) which includes the perfume oil, the mid-sized perfume bottle and a small roller ball. The box and presentation are luxurious – it looks absolutely stunning when you lift the lid off the box to display the three perfume bottles. If you know someone that likes either of these scents, this is a sure-fire win!
Soap & Glory Bright and Bubbly
You really can’t go wrong with a bath set either! The Soap & GloryBright and Bubbly gift set (approximately $20 CAD) contains sample sizes of The Righteous Butter, Scrub of Your Life, Clean On Me, Hand Food and a full sized shower poof. The whole set comes in a beautiful pink and white box with a sparkly silver lid. The box is sturdy too, which is always a nice surprise in a gift set. You could reuse the box to store personal items or for decoration. As for the products themselves, each one smells glorious and feels wonderful on the skin. Plus… who doesn’t love small sized products?? Soap & Glory sets and products can be purchased at Shopper’s Drug Mart.
Quo Contouring CrazeQuo Contouring Craze
The contouring fad only seems to get stronger and stronger every year (strobing was but a brief interlude), and Quo is helping to fill in that gap from the drugstore side. Their Contouring Craze kit contains 3 powders (a dark powder, a medium powder and a light powder) and two brushes for $30 CAD. I’ve been using the dark powder to contour and the medium one to bronze up my face, and these powders make it so easy for me to do so! While the brushes are soft and great for on the go, I’ve been sticking to my longer handled brushes just because I’ve been doing my makeup at home. This set is perfect for anyone who wants to get into sculpting their face, but doesn’t quite know where to start. All of the powders are finely milled and are wonderfully matte. Quo can be purchased at Shoppers Drug Mart.
Sephora Sleeping Mask Discovery Set
The SephoraSleeping Mask Discovery set is an adorable gift set that can be given as a single item, or split up into multiple stockings. Retailing for $25 CAD, you get six overnight masks that are intended to target individual skin problems (mattifying, anti-blemish, soothing, brightening, etc.) Perfect for the individual who likes a little extra pampering!
Josie Maran Whimsical Wonder gift setJosie Maran Whimsical Wonder Set
Forgive my promo shot, I lost the picture of the original packaging, but I *had* to show you what it looks like because it’s such a gorgeous presentation! Josie Maran‘s Whimsical Wonder gift set contains five products that are a fantastic introduction to the brand. The Coconut Watercolor items (blush and shadow) are some of the most luxurious products I’ve ever tried (the blush blends seamlessly with my skin and the eyeshadow is a solid opaque colour that didn’t crease on me!). You also get some well know items by the brand: their Pure Argan Oil Light and Argan Enlightenment Illuminizer . Available at Sephora for $41 CAD, this is a *phenomenal* deal for trying out so many products by Josie Maran. Well worth the money.
Thanks for reading through all my gift guides this holiday season! I hope you found something you were interested in giving (or that you even want for yourself!) Happy holidays everyone. 🙂
This post features sets that were sent for consideration.
I don’t know about you, but I often struggle to think of reasonably priced, small items for stocking stuffers. Here are some items that stick to $25 CAD and under that I think most beauty lovers can appreciate on some level.
Rollerball perfumes
Since they’re small and compact, rollerball perfumes are one of the easier things to pick up. Almost every brand out there has a rollerball sized perfume, but it’ll be up to you to figure out the scent the person you’re gifting will most like to receive.
My suggestions:
Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black ($14 CAD for the ornament sized rollerball): Nirvana Black was a new discovery for me this year and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever worn. It has notes of alluring violet, sensual sandalwood, and rich vanilla.
Elizabeth & James Nirvana White ($14 CAD for the ornament sized rollerball): Nirvana White is the softer side of the Nirvana line and while it’s not precisely to my tastes, it’s been a huge hit for a lot of people this year as well. It has notes of delicate peony, chic muguet (lily of the valley), and tender musk.
Pacifica French Lilac (~$11 CAD): I picked up this Pacifica rollerball back in May from a health food store and it was love at first roll. This smells exactly like lilacs and reminds me of the lilac bush my parents have in their backyard when I was growing up. Pacifica has an ENORMOUS selection of roll on perfumes, so there’s plenty to choose from for really reasonable prices.
Nail polish
Another small item that’s perfect for stockings is nail polish! And the cheap stuff is almost always as good as the expensive ones. I’ve included some of my favourites and recent collection additions:
Julie G: Created by beauty YouTuber JulieG, this line is not only enormous, but she also has regular seasonal collections. What I’ve tried from the line not only wears well, but also doesn’t seem to thicken up even after years of owning it! And you’re looking at less than $5 USD each! Colour pictured is Mermaid’s Tale.
H&M Beauty: Priced at $7.95 CAD each, H&M’s nail polish line is no joke. (Seriously, it’s enormous and the colours are varied!) Colour pictured is December Dawn*.
China Glaze: China Glaze first stole my heart with their yearly Halloween collections. And then I fell for their Christmas collections. China Glaze always puts out fantastic glitters (the one pictured is old and was limited edition) and they’re around the <$8 CAD price mark.
Formula X: A more expensive brand (~$15 CAD each), the Formula X by Sephora polishes are fantastic. They have an enormous selection and I consider them one of the better brands out there simply because their variety of polishes is so unique. The shade pictured is Alchemy II*.
Lipstick & lipgloss
Another small item great for stockings are lipstick and lipglosses. The NYX butter glosses are great for any age, but are especially good for pre-teens since they’re not as strongly pigmented as a lipstick and the glossiness of the product keeps it quite fresh looking. If you’re giving a lip product to someone who loves lipsticks, you really can’t go wrong with a lipstick by MAC (more pricey) or one by Revlon (less pricey). Or, give them a sparkly lipgloss like the Sephora* ones and they can be used alone or as a topper to any lipstick.
Lipstick & lipgloss – swatches
Look at the fine glitters in the Sephora glosses!
Lip balm
Lip balm is a reoccurring option for stockings in my family. My grandmother always gives me some Burt’s Bees lip balm and it usually ends up in one of my winter coats pockets for easy access when it’s blustery outside. Lately I’ve been ploughing through my Nivea lip butter in Vanilla & Macadamia (the smell is divine) and the EOS Sweet Mint has been in my bag for travelling. Sephora also has the Super Kisses* lipbalm trio that can be given as one gift, or broken apart for three separate people. These Sephora balms do pack some colour punch – just something to be aware of when you’re gifting them!
Blush & eye liner
Don’t be fooled by the ridiculously low price tag (less than five bucks each!), essence makes some of the absolute best blushes on the market. They’re pigmented, easy to blend and the colours are gorgeous.
The Sephora Diamond eyeliners* are not just plain old eyeliners… instead, they’re shot through with small glitter particles! The black base brings out the colour and you’re left with a subtle shimmery red (Swagga – my personal favourite) or purple (Phat Rock). These liners will set you back $18 CAD, but they’re awfully unique and I think if this was received as a gift, the person would be awestruck by the colour (I know I sure was when I first swatched these).
Blush & eye liner – swatchesMakeup crackers and spray shimmer!
Last two items!
The Body Shop has released limited edition Sparklers ($22 CAD each – comes in gold or silver) for the holidays and these guys are pure magic in a bottle. They poof out clouds of shimmer and smell like vanilla! While this is far more elegant than those old 90s bottle of roll on jelly glitter I used to love in my teens, this still makes me squeal whenever I spray it. Perfect for the holidays. (I plan to douse myself in it on Christmas and New Year’s!)
Lastly, are these amazing holiday crackers* by Quo. They come in a set of four (perfect for breaking up and putting into stockings!) and contain one lip gloss and one eyeshadow. All the colours are fairly neutral so you won’t struggle with the decision on what colour to give each person in your life. I love how the packaging adds a bit of extra flare too.
That’s it for this gift guide – good luck with your shopping!
Items marked with an asterisk(*) were provided by PR for consideration.
