December Haul

Hi Everyone!  I hope you all had an awesome Christmas!  I thought I'd share with you what I hauled for the month of December including Christmas gifts I got from family and friends. In the top pic you'll notice some goodies in the top left hand side.  Products purchased were from LUSH.  I ended up buying a Buffy Body Butter, Herbalism face scrub and Chocolate Whip Stick lipbalm.

Urban Decay's Sustainable Shadow Box

Thank you to my lovely friends Mae and Alvin. I was ecstatic upon opening this!  I can create a lot of looks with this palette.

The Color Workshop Palette

I found this palette at Pharma Plus.  It only cost $2.99 and to my surprise these are SUPER pigmented!  They blend very nicely too.  If you happen to stop by a Pharma Plus you definately have to get this.  The only downfall of this palette is that the packaging is cheaply made.  There was a mirror attached to it and it broke off the first time I opened it.  Other than that, it's great for what it's worth.

Stila Kajal's in Topaz and Onyx.

I picked these up on boxing day but they weren't on sale.  I just had to have them after seeing countless of awesome review on YouTube.  Had to have them for myself!

Sephora Eyeliner in Pure Beige

This color is great for using on your waterline (lower eye rim) if you want to achieve that wide awake look.  It'll make your eyes appear larger. Great if you have an Asian eye like myself.

Joe Fresh Fine Liquid Liner in Black

Only $6 at Superstore.  What a steal!  Very comparable to MAC's Penultimate Liner.  Does the same job in my opinion.  Just a cheaper alternative if you don't want to pay for the MAC version.

Korres Face Primer

I heard about this primer from my friend Jennai.  I usually use either Laura Mercier or Smashbox.  But after using this I'm not sure if I'll even go back to the other two.  I like the way this feels on my skin.  It doesn't have any silicone or mineral oils in it.  It's 99% natural.  And it has a nice citrus/vanilla smell to it.  If you're sensitive to scents I'd probably skip this.  But thank goodness I'm not! 

MAC Lipstick in Hue, Lipliner in Subculture, and Blush in Pinch Me

I picked these up while Christmas shopping for my mother in law.  For her I picked up a lipstick in Dare You (not pictured) and a blush called Pinch Me that I just had to get for myself as well! I love the blush it literally does look like someone just pinched your cheeks.  As for the lipstick it's a pretty nude pink color.  I'm all about nude lips and Subculture liner went very well with it too.

L'Oreal Lip Collagen Filler

I was one of the lucky few who got to receive this product for free from Chick Advisor.  Check out my review on the website!

Jacob Care Lip Gloss

I was surprised when I learned that Jacob was selling lipglosses.  My sister bought me one in the color "DONNA."  I knew instantly I HAD to have a backup!  A lipgloss with my name on it was too good to pass up! L-R in the picture are the colors Bella, Donna and Cita.  The price is 2 for $15.  That is like getting only one MAC lipglass.  And just so everyone knows, every time you purchase a lipgloss from Jacob they will donate $1.00 from the sale to help fund the Canadian Cancer Society breast cancer research.  So this is definately worth picking up!

Enkore Makeup Duo Fibre Stipple and Swirl Brush

Anyone who is a YouTube beauty watcher already knows who Koren of EnkoreMakeup is.  He has come out with his own makeup brush line.  Check out his online store for some goodies if you haven't already! He also has these amazing brush holders that are hand crafted by the man himself.  A very multi talented guy.  Go subscribe to his YouTube Channel too!  You'll learn a lot of great tips and tricks of the trade!

Business Card Holder from Forever 21

My sister bought this for me for Christmas.  I was in need of one.  I love it!

Juicy Couture Train Case

I bought this on Boxing Day from Sephora.  I believe the retail value of it was $75 + but me and my sister managed to buy it for only $37 plus taxes!  What a steal! Cute isn't it?

 

ZUCA Pro Black and Silver

I have my wonderful husband to thank for this awesome luggage!  I originally wanted the Artist Pro one but who cares it's a Zuca!  And if I need the plastic compartments they're available online.  This will be used for my makeup kit.  I no longer need to carry my hard MAC traincase that weighs a ton when filled.  I love this because it comes with stacked compartments and it's very compact but can hold a lot.  It's also a rolling bag so barely any lifting is involved.  And the best part of this is that you can actually sit on top of the luggage.  Great for clients tp sit on while doing their makeup.  I'm in love!

 

That's it for December!  Looking forward to January and hope you all have a Happy Happy New year!

Prevent Dry Skin This Winter Season

I'm not too fond of this winter weather that we've been having here in Toronto lately.  With the frigid temperatures you may have noticed that your skin has become somewhat dry.  This is due to the low moisture in the air and less humidity.  Dry air sucks out a lot of the moisture in our skin.  So help prevent dryness there are a few tips on how we can do to help prevent moisture loss.  

 

1.  Drink lots of water:  The rule of thumb is 6 to 8 glasses of water a day.  Try to avoid caffeinated beverages as the caffeine can cause dehydration.

2.  Moisturize:  I like to use heavier and creamier lotions during the winter months.  A really good one I like is Vaseline Cocoa Butter Deep Conditioning Lotion.  It will leave you skin feeling soft and smooth while adding a beautiful healthy glow.

3.  Exfoliate:  A great exfoliator that I swear by is LUSH's Buffy Body Butter.  After cleansing with body wash I like to rub the Buffy bar all of my skin.  It gets rid of the dry dead skin and keeps my skin hydrated.  In the warmer months you don't even have to use lotion after using it.  But be warned, if you like hot showers this bar will melt really fast.  So try not to keep it under the hot water too long!

4.  Keep warm:  As mentioned earlier, the cold weather will suck the heat and moisture right out of us.  So we'll want to lock that warmth and moisture in.  One way to do this is by dressing warmly.  Layer up and use a thick heavy coat when you go outdoors to prevent heat loss.  Try a down feather filled coat.  It'll keep you very warm.

5.  Turn down the heat and up the mosture levels:  I know with it being freezing outside, we tend to up the temperatures in our homes.  But when we raise the heat we're actually raising the dry air.  Try to keep the temperatures at normal levels (73 degrees F) and use a humidifier.  The humidifier will not only lock in moisture in our skin but you will notice that it also keeps the house slightly warm as well.

Keep warm and hydrated.  Good luck!

Holiday Gift Ideas For All Budgets Part 2 of 2: Palettes & Sets

Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette ($24.95 USD)

I absolutely love this palette.  It has every color that you'll ever need especially if you're the type who likes neutral or is a natural makeup type of gal.  This is a great palette for a great price.  The texture is velvety and the colors are very pigmented.  Perfect for all skin tones!

Makeup Brushes (Check out my last blog post about affordable makeup brushes and where to find them)

MAC Holiday Collection ($27 - $71.50 CAD)

What's great about this collection is that there are so many sets to choose from whether it be eyes, lips, or face.  I think they are great, if you're willing to spend the money for them.

 

Laura Mercier Flawless Face Kit ($65 USD)
I love Laura Mercier's line of cosmetics.  This kit has everything you need to create that flawless face everyone aims to achieve.  I own all of these products in full size and I absolutely love them!  This is a definate must have!

The Balm Shady Lady Palette ($38 USD)
This palette is only available at Sephora and is a limited editon.  I can't say enough great things about this palette.  It has almost every color you need to create any look.  The colors have shimmer in them but they're not so shimmery that it's overbearing.  I also love that the shadows are super pigmented so a little will go a long way.  They also very easy to blend.  Another favorite in my collection.

Sephora Haul

On Sunday I went to the Walden Galleria in Buffalo, NY.  And knowing me I just had to go to the Sephora there.  I always love shopping at Sephora in the US because their prices are so much cheaper than ours.  I managed to get my hands on Urban Decay's Primer Potion and Too Faced Shadow Insurance.  I couldn't decide between the two so I ended up getting them both.  I've seen so many reviews on these two eyeshadow primers that I just had to try them out.  Plus they'd be a great addition to my makeup kit.  This week I'm putting Too Faced Shadow Insurance to the test.  Look out for a future review on both primers.  My usual eye primer of choice is Laura Mercier's Eye Basics in the color Wheat.  I've been using this for years now but it wouldn't hurt to try something new.  In addition to my haul I purchased a Nars eyeshadow in Silent Night (gold color) which is a limited editon eyeshadow. Finally, upon checkout I was surprised that I had accumulated over 600 Beauty Insider points!  I ended up using 500 points and scored a free Kat Von D Limited Edition Rock 'N Roll Palette.  I was told by the cashier that this palette is not available for purchase in stores and you can only get it if you use 500 Beauty Insider points.  It's a beautiful palette with colors I would definately wear day or night.  Today I'm wearing it and so far so good!

MAC Warehouse Sale and Haul

Everyone and anyone who knows me knows that I am a MACaholic.  This past Saturday I was fortunate enough to attend the MAC Warehouse sale which is a 3 day event by invitation only.  Thankfully I have wonderful friends who are able to get me tickets everytime the sale comes around which is about 4 times a year.  Since I've already been to this sale 4 times I pretty much know where everything is each time I go.  The sale is broken up into 3 rooms.  The first room is usually random with cosmetic bags, concealers, eyeliners and I believe some skin care products.  I usually by-pass this room as all the good stuff are in room #2 and #3.  In room #2 they have eyeshadows and eyeshadow, limited edition SE brush sets, eyeshadow & lipstick quads and compacts, pigments, foundations, more skin care and perfumes/colognes.  In room #3 they have blushes, Mineralize Skin Finishes, lipgloss, lipstick, full size brush sets, and there is a $3.00 table where they have eyelashes, eyeshadow pans, mascara, sponges, and a whole bunch of random stuff.  After checking out they have a charity table where you can purchase a bag of goodies which consists of 4 MAC fullsize products.  And get this, it's only $5.00!  The limit was 4 bags per customer and of course I snatched 4 of them.  In the end we were given a free gift.  This time is was Charged Water.  I'm not a user of this stuff but it might make a great Christmas present!  Check out some pics of my haul!

Top L-R: Perfect Style Brush Set, MAC Face and Body Foundation, Mineralize Skin Finishes, Mineralize Blushes, MAC Eyeshadows from the Style Warriors Collection, Marbelized Lipglass, Charged Water, Lipglass, 2 Hello Kitty Quads.

Bottom L-R: MAC Paint Pot, MAC Cream Color Base, Moisture Cover Concealer, Pigments.

Stephanie's Wedding Makeup

Photo by Glenn Mariano Photography

Last weekend I enjoyed doing the makeup for Stephanie's wedding.  Steph is a natural beauty so we kept in natural and enhanced her features a bit.  Check out the pics!

Maid of Honor Melissa and Bridesmaid Lesley

All other pictures courtesy of Melissa, Leslie and myself

Holiday Gift Ideas For All Budgets Part 1 of 2: Stocking Stuffers

Not sure what to get your friends this Christmas?  Check out my holiday gift giving ideas for stocking stuffers or add-ons.

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer$5.99 CAD)

This is a perfect little gift especially for the winter months.  It conditions and soothes the lips while adding the perfect hint of color.  

Joe Fresh Cosmetics ($4-$8 CAD)

If you're looking for affordable good quality makeup Joe Fresh Cosmetics are worth checking out.  With prices ranging from $4-$8 you really can't go wrong. My personal faves are the cheek stains and lip crayons.

CoverGirl Lashblast Volume Blasting Mascara ($9.49 CAD)

This has to be the best mascara I've ever tried.  No clumping, flaking, and no smudging.  And it keeps the curl in your lashes.  Just make sure you get waterproof and you're good to go!  

Annabelle Custom Quads ($4.95 CAD for shadows and $5.95 CAD for compact)

These are a great alternative to MAC's pro custom quads.  Annabelle offers a variety of colors for a great price.  Great for making a neutral, smokey or colorful palette to suit your friends own style.

NYX Eyeshadow Trios ($9.99 CAD)
If you're having trouble making your own combination of eyeshadow.  NYX Eyeshadow Trios make a great gift.  With over 42 combo's to choose from you're bound to find the perfect combo.  

Stila Lip Glaze Collection ($25 USD)
I love Stila Lip Glazes.  Why not buy this collection and break it up giving it to 8 different people.  This set contains the following colors: Starfruit, Kitten, Cranberry, Blackberry, Marmalade, Pinkie Twinkle, Plum Fairy, and Candy.  


Burt's Bee's available at most drug stores
Joe Fresh available at most Loblaws and Loblaw Superstores 
Cover Girl Lashblast available at most drug stores
Annabelle Custom Quads available at Shoppers Drug Mart
NYX Cosmetics available at Pharma Plus 
Stila Mini Lip Glazes available at Sephora

Affordable Makeup Brushes

I know that lately I've been blogging a lot about makeup brushes. But I really do believe that they are essential if you want to achieve that flawless face, perfectly blended eyeshadow, and cute blushing cheeks. I usually look for a great deal when I buy my makeup brushes and I have come across some great websites and retail stores that offer them at an affordable price. My brush collection consists of a wide range of brushes from many different companies including MAC. But we all know how expensive MAC brushes can be.  So for all you budget conscious peeps I've compiled a list of companies to see which brushes you think might fit your budget and where you can get a hold of them.





1) Kayana Beauty Trends is not an online retail store but a service providing photography, makeup artistry, and hairstyling.  They also happen to sell quality professional makeup brushes.  I bought my first full set ever from them and I absolutely love them.  Their customer service is superb! Check them out at www.kayanabeautytrends.com or on their Facebook Fan Page.

2) Coastalscents is an online retailer that sells cosmetics, makeup brushes, and everything you need to make your own makeup!  I'm a regular customer of coastalscents and get this, they've got a few makeup brushes that sell for less than $2.00 USD!  Amazing right? They also sell amazing colored palettes at awesome prices.  I can't say enough good things about this company. So if you're looking for affordable quality makeup and brushes www.coastalscents.com is worth checking out!

3) Sigma Makeup is a new fun cosmetic company offering makeup and brushes.  You've probably heard of them if you're a YouTube beauty fanatic like myself.  I've bought a couple of their brushes and all I can say is they have great MAC quality brushes.  They even labeled their brushes after MAC's numbering system (except that they ad an "SS" before the number).  To find MAC dupes, www.sigmamakeup.com is the place to find them at great prices!

4) Sonia Kashuk brushes available at Target.  Sorry Canadians but these brushes are only available to our American neighbours.  I was lucky to get my hands on some whenever I visited the States.  So the next time you're visiting across the border be sure to check out Target and Sonia Kashuk's line of brushes.

5) Quo brushes available at Shoppers Drug Mart.  I love Quo brushes.  The prices aren't too bad either.  And the quality is pretty good as well.  They've recently come out with a studio line which is available at their Boutique stores.  And if you're lucky, you might catch them on sale offering them at 20-40% off!

6) Michaels Craft Store.  I know what you're thinking.  Why would they sell makeup brushes at Michaels?  Well, they don't. But what if I told you you can use artist paint brushes as makeup brushes?  That's right!  I've come across some excellent artist brushes that I use a makeup brushes.  One brand to check out in the artist aisle is Leow Cornell's Maxine Thomas Mop brushes.  They're made of goat hair which are perfect for eyeshadows.  If for some reason you can't find them at Michaels check out Hofcraft's website where they also sell them online.


Good luck & Happy brush hunting!