It’s Pride Week in Toronto everyone! In light of Pride Week, I thought I’d bust out one of my most vibrant palettes – the Urban Decay Electric palette. Today you’ll get the swatches and sometime this week there’ll be a Challenge Week as well. (Check that out here!) Enjoy!
My makeup’s been getting more and more vibrant as we’re getting into the warmer months – there isn’t neutral look in this whole post! Enjoy. 🙂
Um yes. So much yes. Not dissimilar to another look I’ve done recently (also using Makeup Geek shadows) but I love the extra pop of reddish orange shadow through the crease.
Eyes
(all Makeup Geek)
I tightlined my upper and lower lashlines with Urban Decay‘s Black Velvet liner, created the wing with MAC‘s Blacktrack fluidline and applied Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretchmascara to my lashes.
Rest of the Face
Playing around with one of Wet n Wild‘s Silverlake palettes. I’m not a massive fan of frosty blue-green shades, but this turned out decently enough.
Eyes
(all Wet n Wild shades from the Vegan Culture palette)
I used the silver shade to line the lower lash line. I created the wing with MAC‘s Blacktrackfluidline and applied Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara to my lashes.
Rest of the Face
Holy CRAP. I wasn’t expecting this Lise Watier Aurora shadow in Violet to come out this intensely. I’m not sure the photographs show it, but there’s a slight reddish tinge to the shade too which adds a lovely dimension.
Eyes
I first covered my lid in NYX‘s Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Black Bean, blended it out, then applied:
I used Marc Jacobs‘ Highliner gel crayon in Blaquer to tightline my upper waterline. On my lashes is Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch.
Rest of the Face
Another Wet n Wild Silverlake palette! I wasn’t expecting this one to cause such a bang on my lids. It looks like such a soft, innocuous palette but I really managed to make it pop!
Eyes
(all Wet n Wild Thrift Store Chic palette)
I created the wing with MAC‘s Blacktrack fluidline and applied essence Lash Princessmascara to my lashes.
Rest of the Face
I’ve found myself drawn back to my MAC shadows lately… probably because I feel like I’ve been neglecting them (I blame Makeup Geek).
Eyes
On my lashes is Sephora‘s Purple mascara.
Rest of the Face
I’m taking a(nother) long weekend this coming one to head to Ottawa for Race Weekend.Last year I did the 5k, and this year I’m going back for the half marathon which my father will also be running! And what’s a weekend away if not to bring along some makeup products I want to get better acquainted with?
I’m only bringing along two small eyeshadow palettes because I find I never reach for these on a day to day basis, often opting for my larger palettes. The more neutral toned palette is Soap & Glory‘s Lid Stuff in What’s Nude and the NARS duo is Mediteranee (and the orange in that duo is everything). It won’t make for especially enthralling makeup looks while on vacation, but it’ll be fun for me to play with these shadows a bit more.
Two options for lips here, and I’m sure this is probably overkill for four days, but anyway…Too Faced Melted Coral (more orange than coral really) and Boots No7 Sweet Copper. They’re both on the orangey-side of things, but I’m okay with that.
I love that ombre blushes give me the option between two colours in one compact (and a third if you swirl them together), so I’m bringing along essence‘s Heat Wave. My bronzer of choice lately has been Hard Candy‘s Hula Hula. I just can’t get enough of how golden and bronzey this makes my face.
And all the bits and bobs that finish my looks off:
And in looking at this stuff… jeez is it ever boring. I think next time I go somewhere I need to bring stuff that’s wayyyy more interesting to post about! Anyyyyyway, wish me luck on my half! My fingers are crossed that it’ll be cool, even slightly rainy on Sunday!
Loads of Makeup Geek (no surprise there), MAC and some Colour Pop thrown into the mix this week!
My absolute favourite YouTuber – Sharon Farrell – does some ridiculously stunning makeup tutorials. She often has neutral makeup, but she knows how to bust out a bright look too. I fell in love with her Desert Sunrise tutorial when she posted it in January, but never got around to trying it out. I finally did, and I loved the results!
Eyes
I tightlined my inner lash lines with Urban Decay‘s Black Velvet liner and used the same product to line my upper lash line. I applied Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara to my lashes and then added in some individual Ardell lashes.
Rest of the Face
I pulled out this “traditional” look because I was headed to my cousin’s baby shower and wanted to wear something flattering (the eyeshadows) while still wearing a really bold colour on the lips.
Eyes
I created the wing with Catrice‘s Dating Joe Black liner and applied Make Up For EverSmoky Stretch mascara to my lashes. I then added in some Bombshell lashes by House of Lashes (my first time wearing House of Lashes… and holy crap I’m in love!).
Rest of the Face
A quick re-post for posterity… I did this pastel rainbow look for Workaday Ramblings for April’s guest post.
Eyes
I used MAC‘s Blacktrack fluidline to create the wing and then tightlined my upper waterline with Urban Decay‘s Black Velvet liner. I coated my lashes with Make Up For Ever‘s Smoky Stretch mascara.
Rest of the Face
Jill of Beauty Vixen was headed off to Mexico, so I helped her out with this look that was inspired by the flag of Mexico.
Eyes
I created the wing with MAC‘s Blacktrack fluidline and then tightlined my upper and lower lash lines with Urban Decay‘s Black Velvet liner. On my lower lash line I applied MAC‘sStrike While Haute eyeshadow and blended it out the edges with Makeup Geek‘s Creme Brule. On my lashes is Make Up For Ever‘s Smoky Stretch mascara.
Rest of the Face
Stop the presses! I have been after a neon red eyeshadow for a very long time. A lot of shadows have come close, but have never really quite hit the mark. Then came alongColour Pop‘s Erotic, and suddenly my search is over! Technically it’s a pressed pigment, but that’s never scared me away from using a product on my eyes. Erotic is incredible – it’s a neon red that has tiny specs of orange and pink glitter.
Eyes
So the eye look is easy on this one – the only shadow I’m wearing is Colour Pop‘s Erotic! I then created the wing with Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper and lined my inner rim withUrban Decay‘s Black Velvet liner. On my lashes is Make Up For Ever‘s Smoky Stretch.
Rest of the Face
Oh god. My wallet. It hurts.
I knew this was going to be not only a super exciting month, but also a seriously spendy month. Not only was I in the US for a week, but there was also the Sephora VIB sale AND Makeup Geek was launching ten brand new foiled shadows (which, although I’ve ordered them, they won’t be here in time for this month’s haul, so you’ll see them all next month).
Buckle in. This is a long one.
First up was Colour Pop. I asked my parents-in-law (who reside in Wisconsin) if they would mind receiving a makeup order and then bring it to Florida where we would be vacationing with them mid-month. They consented, and this saved me a huge amount in shipping (it was free, versus the $40 I would’ve had to pay to ship it to Canada!). I opted for a lot of bright, warm shades since that’s just my “thing”.
I also snagged the Colour Pop Rebound quad because the shades just looked gorgeous and they had some neutrals which I hadn’t really added to my order yet. Too Soon is likeToo Faced‘s Pink Sugar (from the Semi-Sweet palette) but far more pigmented.
Unfortunately, once I got to Florida I realized that I had completely forgotten my moisturizer. I snagged Aveeno‘s Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with sunscreen at Publix because I always default to Aveeno if I can purchase it!
Another necessity out in Florida. I hadn’t packed any kind of body moisturizer and I knew I was going to need something to soothe my skin after being out in the sun for so many hours a day. I’m not a huge fan of aloe vera scented anything, so I picked up the Vaseline Spray & Go Cocoa Radiant because I’m already a huge fan of the scent, but I’ve also been wanting to try this spray stuff out. And frankly, I think it’s amazing. Super handy for vacation and light enough to not cause you to stick to everything.
I’m not a huge fan of these chubby style lip products, but I’ve heard EmilyNoel83 rave about these for years so I figured I should at least try one out. It’s… okay. It has a very (bear with me on this one) 80s plastic doll smell. If you grew up in the 80s and ever had My Little Ponies that also came with some kind of weird perfume, that’s what this smells like. It’s kind of a plastic vanilla with a fruity-twist scent. Very weird.
Another a “YouTuber made me buy it” situation. I’ve seen Amarixe wearing this over the last several years and since Neutrogena makeup isn’t available in Canada, I picked this up at Walgreens in Panama City as soon as I saw it.
Another brand I don’t have easy access to in Ontario! Walgreens had a small-ish display of Milani stuff, but enough items for me to pick through. I picked up their eyeshadow primer because neither my Urban Decay nor my NARS (alone) can seem to prevent my shadows from creasing anymore. I’ve used this three times and so far so good! I’ll have to use it more heavily to see just how long it holds up.
I had to really restrain myself with the Milani Bella eyeshadows. In the end, I picked a really weird random assortment of them. I’m fairly certain the grey one is Taupe, then Navy (I don’t know why I keep buying blue eyeshadows… I don’t think I even wear them that often), Rouge (because hello – red. Except it’s not red, it’s… magenta) and Copper.
One of the first things that was on my list of things to buy in the US was this Milani blush in Coral Cove. I mean, how was I going to say no to that? A beautiful coral shade pressed into the shape of a rose – stunning! Even more astounding is that this blush contains something ridiculous like 8 or 9 grams of product. That’s ENORMOUS!
We popped into Ulta at Pier Park in Panama City Beach, and while I was unimpressed with some of their brand selections (no Becca, no Lorac, barely any Ulta-exclusive kits), what I was happy with was their NYX display seemed to be relatively well stocked. NYX has been replicating a lot of Anastasia products lately, and I want to see how they compare. I snatched up the Tame & Frame in Blonde which looks gloriously grey. I hope it’s a good match for my brows – the grey looks better than the “pea soup” colour that usually gets assigned to blondes.
Another very similar item… NYX‘s Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe looks like the right tone for my brows. I’m eager to see how it compares to its Brow Wiz counterpart. The packaging is absolutely identical!
I’ve seen a lot of YouTubers go on about the IT Cosmetics CC Cream (in particular, Vintage or Tacky) so I grabbed Fair since it was the closest to my skin tone. I think it’s a hair TOO light, but the Light shade was so dang dark that there’s no way I could carry it off without a tan.
However, then the Shopping Channel had a $50 rebate for new customers, so I signed up for that and picked up the IT Cosmetics CC Cream in Light as well. Hilariously, the going price for the Canadian version was also $38, although in Canadian dollars. This makes the Canadian version a much better buy since the exchange rate is just flat out balls right now. Light is way too dark for me right now, but I think it’ll fare well in the summer months.
With Target leaving Canada, we had a few opportunities to go dumpster diving at insane prices. I didn’t manage to find this one myself, but Julie snatched it up at a Target that still had a lot of remaining stock. The Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral 02 palette was one I had always wanted to purchase, but couldn’t really justify spending $20 on it. Imagine my surprise and pleasure when the clearance price was something just shy of five bucks! Huzzah!
Dear Shawna got us into the L’Oreal warehouse sale (this girl knows how to warehouse sales right), and while I didn’t really pick up many items, I did grab a few. First up was the Garnier Smoothing Cream Cleanser because I’m always interested in different face washes. I don’t have sensitive skin, so I’m pretty much free to try out whatever I want!
Also of interest to me at the warehouse sale was this Nourishing Cleansing Oil, also by Garnier. Aside from makeup removers, I’ve never really used anything oil based on my face so I’m curious to see how this plays out.
This thing. This thing is gross. Maybelline‘s Mega Plush mascara in Emerald Velvet just looked nasty on my lashes. I didn’t like the wand, I didn’t like the colour and I didn’t how it looked on me. I used it once and then threw it out. At least it was only two bucks!
You know you have good friends when they can pick you up an eyeshadow and know you’ll love it. Once again Julie pulled through and picked me up MAC‘s Strike While Haute which came out with the Red, Red, Red collection last year. I’ve only used it once, but it’s bright red and matte, and therefore I love it.
As beauty bloggers are apt to do, we buy products that we use once and then decide just aren’t for us. I already had the Urban Decay Electric palette in my cart for the Sephora VIB sale, but when Julie found out I was going to buy a new one, she offered up hers to me for $20. I was elated! It’s in near new condition and she was generous to offer it up for such a great price!
Frankly, I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to buy it. Those shades are right up my alley!
A new launch from Wet n Wild saw the release of these pretty palettes. I’ve had a bastard of a time finding these in stores (they’re at Rexalls in Ontario), but… okay it feels like this entire post is about how Julie is my makeup supplier… she once again tracked these down like a bloodhoud for me. California Roll is my favourite so far – you cancheck out swatches for it here.
Alright… we’re getting down to the end, I promise… Sephora’s VIB Sale was also this month, which meant… I saved money right? Uh sure. Sure I did…
After watching a few tutorials on the Too Faced Sugar Pop palette, I dropped it into my online cart without a second thought.
There will be an upcoming Challenge Week using this palette, I just gotta get my ducks in a row since we’re moving apartments this week so everything is everywhere at the moment!
Sephora’s sale is also a great time for me to add more Too Faced Melted lipsticks to my collection (I really do want to own them all). This time I snagged Coral (I’m long overdue on buying that one) and Strawberry. They’re both just as glorious as the other shades I own – I’m so happy to have them!
Do you ever feel you’ve been wanting a product for so long that, for whatever reason, you put off buying it? I don’t even know what the reasoning is for that, but that’s the case with this Tarte Natural Beauty blush. I’ve wanted to pick this up for… going on four years now? I just never got around to it. I love how red it looks in the pan, but it goes on the cheeks in that perfect “I’ve been out in the cold weather” look. Gorgeous shade.
I completely ran out of my bottle of this stuff, so I had to buy another. Lavanila‘s Vanilla Grapefruit is one of those scents I just feel I could drink in day after day. I’m pretty sure I overdo it when I apply this to myself, but my god do I ever love the scent!
Another replacement item. Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper is almost my perfect liner, but not quite. It’s certainly the easiest to use – since it’s a pen style liner with a brush tip, this makes it perfect. What takes away from that perfectness is the fact that it’s not QUITE matte enough. It has a very slight sheen to it which has a tendency to pick up shimmery shadow from my lid and dull the colour of the liner. But that brush tip though… more companies need to get on this bandwagon. Felt tips just can’t compare.
I placed this order at the very end of March and couldn’t believe how long it took to get to Toronto. (Something like four weeks…) Duo lash glue just hasn’t been cutting it for me lately so I decided to go with the much raved about House of Lashes. Since I was already placing an order for the lash glue, I grabbed two pairs of falsies as well. Noir Fair($14), Bombshell ($7) and the lash glue ($8).
Another freebie from Julie. I haven’t had much luck with Illamasqua‘s shadows in this format, but I’ll give it a shot and see how it goes.
And a bunch of free Sonia Kashuk brushes because… why not. (and oh hey, another one from Julie)
Holy god… I’m done. No more! I hope you enjoyed my ridiculous month of purchases!
As a note, all items featured in any "What I Bought This Month" haul are products I either spent my money on, or that friends and family have given to me. They will never include items that were sent for consideration by PR.