What's In My Beach Bag ?

OOTD - 09.06.11

Crop Top - Urban Planet 

Jean Shorts - Billabong 

Necklace - Purchased while I was in Cuba 

Lately I have been really enjoying the whole nautical theme - this is my lazy day take on the look. 

Hope you all have a wonderful day! xo

Everyday Neutral Eye

Products Used

Face;

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Primer

Garnier Skin Renew Anti Dark Circle Roller 

Bourjois Mineral Mousse Foundation

Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer 

Nars Laguna Bronzer

Wet and Wild Blush in Mellow Wine 

Eyes;

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden

Mac Painterly Paint Pot

Grain e/s

Espresso e/s

Cork e/s

Mulch e/s

L'oreal e/s from Kerry's Bronzes Quad e/s #2 

L'oreal Lineur Intense in Rock Brown

Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Liner in Blackest Black

Covergirl Lash Blast Volume 

May Favorites

Let me know what some of your favorite products were for the month of May! 

May Haul - Fashion & Beauty

Top 5 Lip Glosses at the Moment

(From Left to Right) 

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Fashion Whim

Loreal Colou Juice Lip Gloss in Bubble Gum 

ELF Super Glossy Lip Shine in Pink Kiss

Covergirl Wetslicks Amazemint Gloss in Slaphappy

Rimmel Vinyl Gloss in Fashion Icon

1. Fashion Whim - This lip gloss has several reasons why I am such a huge fan of it. First, it has a Cremesheen finish. If any of you have read some of my other posts you are already familiar with my love for MAC Cremesheen Lipsticks. Second, it is a gorgeous peachy nude, something which most of you would also know I love. I also always enjoy MAC glosses because of the lovely vanilla scent. It has decent staying power and I have found many of my lipsticks look amazing when paired with this gloss. 

2. Bubble Gum - This gloss has been said to be an amazing dupe for MACs Lip Glass in Underage. It is such a lovely, soft baby pink color which I find pigmented enough to wear simply on its own. It has a lovely fruity scent and relatively good staying power as well. It does come in a tube form however, which I am honestly not the biggest fan of, but it does create convenience and portability, and is easy to toss in your purse. 

3. Pink Kiss - This is by far the most affordable gloss of the 5, you can pick this up from eyeslipsface.com for a mere dollar. I am honestly constantly surprised by these elf glosses, proven by my picking up of one and being so impressed I simply had to pick up another two in different colors. As it is only one dollar the staying power is alright, you will be needing to apply more frequently than say with the Cremesheen though. The scent, like the Loreal gloss, is lovely and fruity, and also has the convenience factor of a tube gloss. 

4. Slaphappy - Let me first say I am really not a big fan of the name of this gloss. However I do love this line of glosses (this is my second from the line). It is nicely pigmented and works very well over several of my nude lipsticks to provide an extra pop of pinky-coral (perfect for this time of year). The other thing I do really love about these glosses is the minty sweet scent it provides. 

5. Fashion Icon - This gloss I actually bought fairly recently from my local drugstore, I noticed they were a new line of Rimmel glosses, and they were also on sale so I simply couldn't pass it up. This gloss has an amazing pigmentation, probably one of the best going in terms of drugstore lip glosses I have ever tried. Unlike the others I have mentioned this one has no real specific scent to it, which is fine by me and I also really enjoy the packaging of this. The color is an amazing coral, but don't be scared, I have found you can also tone it down if you are not into such vibrant colors. 

(In order from left to right same as above) 

April '11 Favorites

Let me know some of your April Favorites! 

My Top 5 Neutral Lipsticks

Today, I decided to take a look into my collection and pull out my top picks for neutral lipsticks. I am a very big fan of neutrals in general (as I am sure I have mentioned before), and my lips are no exception to that either. Although I do own many bright colors that I also have a huge love for, I decided today to focus on my favorite neutrals/nudes. 

Left to Right;

Revlon Just Enough Buff

Revlon Soft Nude

MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 

MAC High Tea

Loreal Nude

(swatched in same order as above)

1. Revlon Just Enough Buff I believe was one of my very first Revlon lipstick purchases. Obviously I chose well because I am now on my third tube. This one is from their Super Lustrous line which provides amazing moisture to your lips - just perfect for everyday wear. It is also simple to lightly sweep on, or build up for a more defined look. 

2. Revlon Soft Nude has been raved about by many, and in my opinion, for good reason. This is such an amazing peachy nude shade which can be pulled off by pretty much everyone. It is, like I also said about the other Revlon lipstick, very moisturizing. This one however is from their Colorburst line. This lipstick also provides an amazing base from which to apply a brighter lipgloss. 

3. MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 has also been a highly raved about lipstick. I am for one, a huge fan of all MAC Amplified finishes - they are amazingly pigmented but still very creamy. The shade lovely because it is very adaptable to many skin tones, and personally does not wash me out at all. 

4. MAC High Tea is the newest of the bunch. I have come to really enjoy it as we move through spring. It is a Lustre finish, which basically means it provides a nice sheen and almost glossy finish.

5. Last but certainly not least is Loreal Nude which is another repurchase of mine. I heard about this lipstick through a guru on YouTube, and after picking it up for myself, fell in love. It is very creamy and has lovely pigmentation. I think it's the perfect color for everyday wear, but has a slight bit more pop then your run of the mill nude color. This one happens to be a particular favorite of the fall months as well. 

Tell me some of your favorite nude lipsticks

Ten Facts About Me

I was tagged a while back by the lovely Jess from peneloperow, so I decided to finally get around to doing this post. So here we go!..

1. I study Nursing at College - I am currently half way through

2. I am the oldest of three children - I have two brothers

3. My favorite actor is Tom Hanks - I don't think there is a single movie he has been in that I do not completely love.

4. I am an uber organized person - It is both a gift and a curse

5. My favorite day of the week is by far Sunday - I'm not really sure why, it just has a good feeling to it. 

6. I LOVE The Beatles - So much so I named my cat Sadie and even have a tattoo devoted to one of their songs - their music reminds me of my childhood, as silly as that sounds. 

7. I have visited Cuba, Germany, Sweden, The United States and Finland. 

8. I have a huge love for candles - I love the atmosphere they give a room. 

9. I have always wanted to learn how to dance - I mean I can dance.. but I want to be able to dance WELL.

10. I stay in shape by doing pilates/yoga 5 days a week - I actually love all things fitness.  

March Favorites

Comment down bellow with some of your own March Favorites! 

Haul Goodies - F21

Boyfriend Dress Shirt

Floral Shirt Dress 

Black Button Up Blazer

Feather Pendant Style Necklace 

Aviators

Black Stiletto Pumps 

What's In My Purse?

Review: Bourjois Mineral Matte Mousse Foundation

If you are anything like me you have combination skin. For me this means an oily nose and chin, while my forehead tends to be the most dry. 

I have forever been on a search for the perfect foundation that could combat the oil without over drying the rest of my face. Well after much searching a last minute, unplanned stop at the drug store landed this foundation in my makeup collection. 

The Bourjois Mineral Matte Mousse Foundation is, as it states, of a mousse consistency, much like any of the Maybelline Dream Mousse products, although I can say with much confidence, this product has a very different formulation. I have always found the Maybelline products to be a little drying on my problem areas, and also not have as matte of a finish as I would hope for. This foundation however has an amazing matte, air brushed finish - the mousse seems to dry to an almost powder finish, but with the staying power of a cream or liquid. 

I apply the foundation with a duo fiber stippling brush and blend out for an amazing finish. I have attempted to use only my fingers for application but I found I used more product than necessary, and the finish is just not quite as pleasing. 

I found mine at Shoppers Drug Mart for around $15 CAD - considering the quality it is in my opinion well worth the money.

Spring Colors - Pinks&Pastels

So, as I have mentioned far more times than necessary I'm sure, that I am so excited for spring to arrive. That being said I have pulled together an assortment of products that I think suite the spring trend of pinks and pastels perfectly! Colors such as these also make it very simple to make the transition from winter plums and reds to brights. These colors I enjoy so much are also the reason I am extremely excited for MAC's 'Quite Cute' collection to come out in April. 

Nail Polishes (Left to Right) Elf - Mint Cream, Nicole by OPI - Reach Out, Elf - Lilac

(From Left to Right)

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush-Peach Satin, Elf Blush-Peachy Keen, MAC e/s-All That Glitters, Elf Mineral e/s-Sweet, NYX l/s-Orange Soda, Rimmel l/s-Nude Delight, MAC l/s-High Tea, Elf l/s-Nicely Nude, 

Revlon Matte l/s-Pink Pout

OOTD 3.10.11

This outfit was very much influenced by the weather outside - cool, snow/rain and cloudy. Comfort was a major factor here, and yet I wanted to have fun with it at the same time - thus the fedora was added. I also enjoyed the pop of spring color the stripes on the cardigan gave me.

The fedora, plain white tshirt, cardigan and slip on shoes are all from Forever21, as well as the bracelet. 

I decided to just wear my hair straight as this involves minimal effort on my part, which is best when the weather is so undesirable. 

MAC Haul

Here are some photos of the products I recently picked up from MAC, which are all part of the permanent collection. I was in need of repurchasing two items, Brush Cleanser and my Mineralize Skin Finish Natural. Needless to say I got slightly carried away and managed to pick up several other items along the way. 

Mineralize Skin Finish Natural - Medium Dark

Eyeshadows in (Left) Copperplate and (Right) Grain

Eyeshadow Palette Refill Pans (Left to Right) Naked Lunch, Quarry, Cork, Espresso
Can you tell I love neutrals?

Lipstick in High Tea (Lustre) 

Urban Decay Ammo Palette Overview

The sleek and compact packaging of this palette was the first thing that caught my eye. It was made small and slim enough to be of perfect use even with limited space - a travelers necessity. It also fits flawlessly into my everyday makeup bag.

I am a sucker for great packaging, and the purple velvet design on the front completely did it for me. It allows the palette to step away from typical black packaging, and creates an elegant, bold appearance. The packaging ends up being just as much of a statement as the shadows themselves.

 The Ammo palette boasts ten beautiful colors which range from simple everyday eye looks to bold, extravagant night out looks. I have found this selection of colors especially amazing when I'm looking for an opportunity to add a pop of color to a simple everyday eye. My personal favorite trick has been to smudge Grifter along the lower lash line when wearing a simple light brown everyday eye. I have also really been enjoying applying Oil Slick directly over my eyeliner to give my eyes a little extra sparkle. 

I believe this palette would be an amazing choice for anyone who is lover of Urban Decay like me, or anyone who has yet to discover them. This palette would be an ideal one for anyone who has yet to experiment with Urban Decay shadows, and is maybe struggling over which colors to choose. This selection of ten colors will allow anyone the opportunity to have fun with their makeup. Prices may vary depending on where you live and where you purchase the palette from, but I bought mine for $38 CAD, which is amazing for the number and amount of shadows you receive.  

Current Makeup Routine - My Everyday Face

I keep my everyday face routine fairly simple and quick, but use products that will ensure my makeup lasts throughout the day. I begin with my Rimmel Fix & Perfect face primer, which has a subtle tint to it to help even out your skin before applying foundation. For foundation I have always enjoyed the Revlon Photo Ready - I am in 005 Natural Beige. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW20 works great for my blemishes as well as any under eye circles. I use the elf blush in Peachy Keen and NARS Laguna Bronzer to finish off the look. 

Left - Peachy Keen Blush    Right- NARS Laguna Bronzer

I have been keeping my eyes very simple as well lately. I use MAC Painterly Paint Pot all over the lid to help my shadow last, followed by MACs All That Glitters e/s. I then finish off the look using my Cover Girl Perfect Blend eye pencil in black brown which I smudge along my upper lash line, and finally I apply my Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara. 

Brushes - elf Powder Brush (amazing for foundation application), Quo Powder Brush, elf Bronzing Brush, elf Eyeshadow Brush

Bath and Body Works Haul - Preparing for Spring

I stopped in at B&BW the other day, both to check out some of their new products for spring, as well as to indulge in my addiction to all things B&BW. I am a huge fan of this store for many reasons. I feel the overall set up of the store attracts me just as much as what they sell there, with everything so nicely organized by scent around the perimeter of the store. I also adore their packaging, which is always rather clean, simple and classic. You can also always count on them for some amazing deals, with 3 for 12$ minis perfect for your purse or traveling, and deals such as buy 2 get 1 free on most large products.
On this trip I avoided purchasing any large body lotions because I have accumulated quite a few over the past while, and am determined to use those up first. I did however pick up two of their shower gels, one in Blushing Cherry Blossom and one in Carried Away. These shower gels are amazingly moisturizing and the scent from them lasts, which is an added bonus. I also picked up two smaller Carried away items, which will end up in my purse, a small hand lotion and a small body spray. I am absolutely addicted to this Carried away scent, which has hints of raspberries, vanilla and jasmine. I caved in and also picked up a full size body spray in my absolute favorite scent Japanese Cherry Blossom. The final three items are possibly not as exciting to some, but I am absolutely in love with them, the foaming anti-bacterial hand soaps in Island Margarita, Peach Bellini and Pomegranate Passion.
I am so excited for spring, and I think these purchases are going to help me get out of the funk of winter and start thinking about the beautiful weather to come.

Shower Gels

(Left) Blushing Cherry Blossom (Right) Carried Away

Body Spray

Japanese Cherry Blossom

Small Hand Lotion and Body Spray

Carried Away

Anti-Bacterial Foaming Hand Soaps

(Left) Island Margarita, Peach Bellini, Pomegranate Passion (Right)

MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 - swatches and mini review

I love MAC. I love Lady Gaga. I love nude lip products. Need I say more? With the addition of 100% of all proceeds from VG products going to the MAC AIDS fund, I can't really think of any reason why I would have passed this up. The color of both the lipstick and lip glass are amazing nudes, which in my opinion would compliment pretty much every skin tone. The lipstick is an Amplified Creme, which is conveniently one of my absolute favorites. It can be applied somewhat sheer if you use a light hand, but is easily built up as well. These can both be easily worn separately or together.

Left - Viva Glam Gaga 2 Amplified Creme Lipstick         

Right - Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipglass