MY GRAND BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY WINNER ANNOUNCED!

DRUMROLL PLEASE......

AND THE WINNER OF MY GRAND BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY IS

YVETTE FAYE

YOU ARE THE PROUD NEW OWNER OF THE URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTE!

CONGRATS!  

YOU HAVE 48 HOURS TO CONTACT ME OR YOUR PRIZE WILL GO TO SOMEONE ELSE.  

SHOOT ME AN EMAIL AT MAKEUPBYDONNAMARIE[AT]GMAIL[DOT]COM

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED MY GIVEAWAY AND WISHED ME A HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE FUN GIVEAWAYS LIKE THIS SO STAY TUNED!

DONNA MARIE'S BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY!!!

Happy Birthday to Me...Happy Birthday to Me...Happy Birthday to Meeee...Happy Birthday to Me!

Guess what?  It's my birthday! And in celebration of my special day I'm doing a special giveaway just for my awesome readers and supporters.

Here's what you get if you win...

The Original Urban Decay Naked Palette 

What's not to love about this palette right?  It's the perfect blend of neutral shades!

Entering is easy peasy!  Just follow the step below!

GOOD LUCK!

A Year in Beauty: The Best of 2011

Happy New Year to all my readers!  I can't believe how fast 2011 went by and now we're off to a fresh start!  I can't wait to see what this year will bring. 

Well the year has finally come to an end and it's it's a year of new beginnings I thought I'd do a post on my favourite products of 2011.  Check it out!

Best Foundation 

Hands down my favourite foundation ever is Face Atelier Ultra Foundation.  It is my HG of foundations!  I love that it give me a flawless finish everytime!  It's lightweight and also photograph's really well.  This is a must have for anyone!

Best Face Primer

I've used the Korres orignal primer and I do love it.  I like this one as well as it has anti-aging properties.  It's moisturizing and helps keep my makeup on all day!

Best Eyeliners

I have a toss up between two liners.  The Annabelle Smoothie Liners are awesome for bases and shadows as well as liners.  I also really like the Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes which are a staple in my kit!

Best Lipstick

I absolutely love these Cover Girl Lip Perfection lipsticks!  I haven't done a review yet but these were my go-to favourites of last year.  They're so pigmented and last a long time!

Best Eye Primer

Lime Crime Eye Shadow Helper is my #1 primer of choice.  Excellent for oily lids like mine!

Best Eyeshadow Palette

Of course the Urban Decay Naked Palette had to make my list!  What's not to love?

Best Highlighter

LORAC Perfectly Lit Luminizing Powder in Radian is the perfect highlighter in my opinion.  It's not too heavy and adds the perfect glow to the skin.

Best Lip Balm

eos lip balms are awesome!  They're moisturizing and soothing which is exactly what I need for my dry lips!

Best Moisturizer

Consonant Body Ultra Moisturizing Organic Face Cream is so amazing that my cheeks have been baby butt smooth!  It's so soothing and everytime I put it on I feel like I'm at the spa!

Best Face Wash

I love Consonant Body Organic Foaming Face Wash.  I love that it can take off waterproof makeup so easily!  And it feels refreshing too!

Best Bottom Mascara

I love that Clinique's Bottom Lash Mascara has the cutest little brush that it gets every single tiny hair.  The formula is great too as it does not smudge or flake at all!

Best Blush

All year the blush that I have been grabbing for the most would have to be Benefit Coralista.  I find that it gives me a pretty flush.  Just a little the apples of my cheeks gives me a natural look.

Best Bronzer

Vasanti Cosmetics Brazilian Bronzer makes my skin look bright and radiant.  I love this bronzer!  Doesn't give you that muddy look!

Best Concealer

Benefit's Erase Paste is the best concealer to cover those darn dark undereye circles.  You'll be amazed at how well it covers!  It also brightens up that area too!

Best Face Powder

Love MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish Natural!  Wear it alone or on top of foundation and it gives you the perfect finish everytime!

So what were your favourites of 2011?

Marcelle Waterproof Eyeliner Review

I'm always on the lookout for new eyeliners to add to my makeup collection and makeup artist kit.  So when Marcelle was handing these out at The Beauty Premiere I was ecstatic!  I like that there's a pretty wide range of colours to choose from.  I especially love that they are waterproof and resist heat and humidy.  I've yet to try them in extreme weather but so far in this cold weather we're having I must say that they do hold up to my watery eyes.  Ever get that cold wind in your eyes that it makes you tear? Not to worry cause your liner won't smear!

The formula is smooth and creamy so it glides on seemlessly.  I like to use these as either a base or liner.  My favourite colour is Blue Lagoon which is a good dupe for Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in Flipside.  Check out the pic below for a comparison.

L: Urban Decay 24/7 Flipside  R: Marcelle Blue Lagoon

(UD is slightly lighter in colour)

Wondering how it compares to UD 24/7 liners?  I'd have to say they're pretty close in my experience.  Both are smooth and creamy but I'd say Urban Decay is a tad more creamier and pigmented than Marcelle's.  With that said the Marcelle liners seemed to dry a lot faster than UD's. I guess that's because they UD is creamier.  As for lasting power I'd have to say they are pretty close.  Both last a really long time.  I have oily lids and after about 7 hours both begin to to crease and smear on my greasy lids.  So if your lids are anything like mine it's best to wear a primer under these.  If you don't want to dish out 20 something bucks on the Urban Decay liners then Marcelle is a good alternative for about half the price (suggested retail price $10.50).

L - R: Blue Lagoon, Green Metal, Bronze, Fairytale Pink, Mulberry, Imaginary Mauve

www.marcelle.com
Suggested Retail Price $10.50

This Is My Grownup Christmas Wish...List!

Every year I put out a Christmas Wish List to family and friends.  Here's what I want this year that is beauty and related.  Check it out!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

I loved the original palette so much that I just have to have the 2nd one too!

Laura Mercier Face Illuminator

What's not to love about this?  It's just gorgeous!  I'd love this for highlighting.

NARS Danmari All About Cheeks Palette

I really like that this has different shades of blush and a highlighter and bronzer.  No need to take out  several different compacts to create a look for your cheeks when it's all here!

Consonant Body Ultra Firming Organic Eye Cream

I'm on a hunt for a new eye cream cause the one I'm using now isn't working for me.  I'm hoping this one does!

Consonant Body Healthy Skin Detox for Body Kit

I need a new skin regimen for my body especially since my skin has been going through some wacky changes due to post pregnancy and the weather.  Hoping this kit works out for me.  Plus it's all organic which is a bonus!

What's on your grownup wish list?!

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Review

I have a million eye primers ranging from Urban Decay Primer Potion, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Laura Mercier Eye Basics, to MAC Paint Pots and the list goes on and back in February I was given Benefit's Stay Don't Stray Stay Put Primer for Concealers & Eyeshadows for my birthday which added to my ever increasing collection of primers.  Not that I'm complaining, it does come in handy especially when you're a makeup artist.  But this primer does have it's ups and it's downs.

Here are the UPS:

1.  My eyeshadow and concealer does tend to stay put for most of the day.  I work 7.5 hours in the day and my eyeshadow doesn't crease by the time work is over and my concealer is still on. Not much fading going on which is good.

2.  The application is easy.  It has a bit of a thick consistency but it glides on smoothly and is easy to blend.

3.  Eyeshadows and Concealers are easy to blend when put over top of it.  I like to use Benefit Erase Paste over top and it looks amazing!  Nice and smooth!

4.  I like that the color of it blends with my skin tone.  I'm a fair to medium skin tone.

5.  A little goes a long way so it can be used sparingly, that is if you can master the pump.  You'll see what I mean so keep reading!

Here are the DOWNS:

1.  The pump sucks.  I don't understand why these cosmetic companies keep coming out with silly unconventional packaging.  This is an eyelid primer not a foundation!  Too Faced Shadow Insurance got it right with having a tube of product.  It's much easier to get product out.  When I first pumped this I literally pumped out the size of a dime.  And I wasted so much product.  See the picture above?  That is exactly how much will come out if you're not careful.  It took me a long time to master the art of pumping because now I can pump out a tiny dot.  With practice you can too!  The key to getting as little product as possible out is a very slow and steady pump.  Gripping the pump with your index finger and thumb is the key!

2.  I found this to be a bit drying on my skin.  Maybe it's just me or the weather.  But I did find that when I used this my skin got a little dry and flakey underneath my eyes.

3.  I mentioned earlier that I like the shade it comes in but for my skin tone.  If you have a much darker skin tone I'm not sure if this is for you.  Their website claims that it's "neutral nude shade is universally flattering" but the color seems too light in my opinion.  It probably would have been better if the product dried clear.

So as you can see, it seems that the UPS outweigh the DOWNS but it is essentially up to you if you think you'd like this product.  Go on and test it out if you want but be forewarned especially with that darn pump!

Have you tried this product?  What's your take on it?  Feel free to leave a comment below.

Find this product at:

www.benefitcosmetics.com

www.sephora.com

Shoppers Drug Mart stores

Murale stores

$24.00 USD

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!

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!