Five Things | Go To Drugstore Foundations

Foundation is one of those very individual things, and I know everyone has a different preference - dewy, natural, matte, light/full coverage etc - and everyone also has different skin types, which makes it difficult to wear certain types of foundation. I tried to choose a variety for this post so that there is something for pretty well everyone. As I've said in many a post before, my skin is combination. All these foundations work well for me, it just depends on what finish or coverage level I'm looking for on any given day. 

The first two I grabbed are both similar in that they leave a more dewy finish to the skin - not in the 'I just left the gym' kind of way though. Maybelline Fit Me is a wonderful one for a nice medium coverage, and leaves the skin looking dewy, but not oily. It does have an spf built in which is great for protection your skin, but should be avoided if you're planning on getting your picture taken - white cast is bad news! Rimmel Wake Me Up is my other favorite drugstore foundation in the glowy catagory. This has a very, very fine shimmer to it which reflects the light giving you a lovely 'lit from within' look. It's medium coverage, and I especially love this foundation for this time of year because of the glow, and the fact that it gives any dry areas on my face a little extra moisture. 

If you're not so much into the dewy look, these next three will be more your style. If you're after the most matte face possible, Rimmel Stay Matte is right up your alley. This is probably the most mattifying foundation I've ever tried - if your curious about the finer details, you can read my full review of it here. Loreal True Match foundation is much more a middle of the road type of foundation. I would call it medium to full coverage, and because it is oil free I feel it does a good job of keeping oily areas at bay, but does not have the extreme matte effect of the Rimmel Stay Matte.

My last pick, and my most favorite as of lately goes out to Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous. I've raved about this for about two straight months now - I've done a full review that you can read here - but to sum it up, it's a long wearing foundation with medium to full coverage that keeps your skin looking matte and flawless all day. The price point of this (about 6-8$CAD) for the quality is simply astounding. I think it's safe to say I'll continue to be raving about this for many months to come.

Throw a comment below on some of your favorite drugstore foundations! 

Five Things | Perfect Mac Starter Eyeshadows

In terms of eyeshadows you've really got to love some MAC, am I right? The thing with this is that their large selection - the large range of colors and finishes, can be amazing for a seasoned MUA, but for a beginner approaching a counter can be more than a little intimidating. Hopefully some of the apprehension can be taken care of with this run down of my five favorites which are perfect for beginners. The only requirement is that you have to love neutrals - neutrals are my jam if you didn't already realize - and have a decent makeup brush for eyeshadow application. 

My first and probably most well known of the bunch is Naked Lunch. This beauty is probably one of my first true loves from MAC - I've hit pan! It's just so easy to wear. It can be a light wash of color, or it can be the beginning of a more glamorous and dramatic eye. If I'm not just wearing this on its own (which I do quite a lot), I love pairing it with Espresso. This is a warm, matte cocoa shade that makes for the perfect crease color - it's soft enough to not look over the top. It also makes for a great brow shade depending on your natural tones. It blends like a dream which is why I find myself reaching for it with many of my brown smokey looks - you wont get any chalkiness here!

The next two shades I picked also have a lovely relationship with Naked Lunch - they both look amazing when used as a crease color. Cork is a matte golden brown shade, and much like Espresso, one of my go to crease shades for any type of neutral smokey eye. Also like Espresso, it is so smooth, blendable and not chalky or powdery at all. If you want something that is still neutral but more on the taupe end of things then Quarry is an amazing option. Out of my selection of five this is the third and final matte I chose. This is a soft plum brown that I enjoy wearing both in the crease with something like NL, or on its own swept over the lid as a nice simple wash of color - trust me it's a stunner!

Finally, where on earth would a neutral lover be without a good bronze option? Mulch is a brown with undertones of red and bronze pearl. It has a velvet finish which basically just means all the shine glamour without the risk of glitter fallout. This is another shade that can easily be thrown all over the lid and blended out into the crease - it looks like you did way more work than you actually did. It also looks stunning when built up with other colors to create a great smokey eye look. Any way you want to rock this is the right way in my opinion. 

So there you have it, five shadows that can easily be mixed and matched to create everything from an everyday wash of color to a dramatic evening smokey eye. What would your go to favorite five from MAC be? Let me know below! 

Five Things | Mood Boosting Books

From time to time I get feeling like I'm a little down and in a bit of a slump, as I'm sure most people can relate to every now and again. I've found over the years that when I get feeling this way there is nothing better for me than to read. I feel that transporting your mind to another place with a good book can really help you to take a step back from what ever stressful or upsetting situation is occurring in your life and allow yourself to calm and relax. 

I have compiled five of my favorite books that serve the exact purpose of picking up my mood and allowing my to de stress and even laugh out loud. Obviously everyone has different taste in books, but I thought I would share five of my favorites with you in hopes it will inspire all of you. 

The Little Book of Answers
This is just such a fun book to flip through at your leisure. It's filled with, you guessed it, answers! Answers to random and even silly things, things you didn't even know you wanted to know.
Example - "Why do we call Academy Awards 'Oscars'?"

All Things Wise and Wonderful
I have had this book for many many years. I believe it originated from my parents book shelf, and I took it for something to try reading, and probably ten years later it still hasn't been returned. This novel depicts the life of a Veterinary Surgeon living in a fictional town in England. The story is at times sad, but overall a very heart warming tale. This may not be everyones cup of tea, but I've read it numerous times because, for some reason, it speaks to me. Picking up this book is like talking to an old friend.

The Book of Awesome
If you have never heard of, or flipped through this book (there is also a sequel), then you absolutely must! It is based off of very simple scenarios/smells/objects etc. Each chapter is a topic such as "The smell of Crayons", and the chapter describes how the specific topic is awesome. It's a very simplistic read, and one that leaves you nodding your head and smiling as you recall your own memories that go along with each chapters topic.

Seriously.... I'm Kidding 
I don't think much explanation is necessary with this one - Ellen Degeneres can put a smile on pretty much everyones face I think. Read this book and you'll be laughing out loud, I promise.

Extreme Vinyl Cafe
This is one of many Stewart McLean books in my collection and ever since discovering his short stories about a fictional family from Toronto Ontario Canada he has become one of my favorite writers and Canadians. The stories are down to earth and simplistic tales of the daily life and general happenings of a family of four. The stories are light and fun. I find his books to be almost like a comfort food - makes me feel happy and warm and safe.

Please let me know if you liked this post - let me know if you would like me to do more book related posts in the future! 

Five Things | Drugstore Mascara

It probably comes as no surprise that I love mascara. If you look back at my monthly favorites you're more than likely going to see many different mascara favorites. I love a great high end buy just as much as the next gal, but I truly do love drugstore mascaras best of all. I've always had amazing luck with them, and who doesn't love a bargain? I can really argue that drugstore mascaras (especially specific ones) can be even better than a high end one. 

Here are just five I've pulled from my collection that I've been really loving lately, and several have been repurchased at least once as well.

Maybelline Illegal Length

If you're looking for straight up length in a drugstore mascara, this is your best bet. The formula is amazing and truly does length and separate your lashes for a lovely natural but lengthened look. I love combining this with every other mascara here to create extra length before adding volume. 

Covergirl Lashblast Volume

This mascara is and always will be my number one favorite that I will time and time again repurchase and go back to. It adds amazing volume, the formula holds a curl and the brush is just one of a kind when combined with the formula. In short.. LOVE!

Maybelline Falsies Volume Express

This mascara creates such plump thick lashes - certainly much more on the voluminous side of mascaras as it doesn't add much length. This mascara also creates a much more bold volume than the others shown here, which makes it perfect for pairing with a more dramatic eye to complete a more smokey look. 

Maybelline The Rocket

This is my third tube of this stuff and I can honestly say I don't think I can go without it anymore. It has become one of my favorite layering mascaras - although it does look amazing on its own as well. 

Maybelline Pumped Up!

Newest in my collection but becoming a fast favorite, it is by far the most wet formula out of the bunch, which I typically don't enjoy, but there is something about the brush that makes me continue to reach for it. The brush is so big, and adds both length and tons of volume - it's not too big, however, to where it makes it too difficult to get the outer and inner lashes.