Sheer Makeup Favorites

I do love a good full face of makeup, don't get me wrong - it's always nice to go all out and have your makeup looking flawless, but more often than not I like to go for the quick, sheer makeup look that's fresh, fast and easy. With Spring right around the corner, a sheer and fresh face is right up my alley, so today I'm sharing some of my favorite products to achieve the look.

The Body Shop All in One BB Cream - This gives me the perfect amount of coverage, goes on smoothly, gives great hydration to the skin and lasts all day - perfect for those light-medium coverage lovers.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer - Not only is this my new favorite under eye concealer for covering my dark circles, but I've found it also works great for a light touch of coverage on any blemish you may have. It doesn't crease and blends seamlessly with any foundation I choose to use it with. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - This light weight powder is excellent for adding a touch of coverage and keep skin matte all day. I love it for both setting my foundation and concealer - the perfect all in one! 

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural - This powder is just dark enough that it adds a nice bit of warmth to my face without being too heavy on the skin. During the Summer months this is the perfect all over face powder, but for this time of year it makes for a lovely light bronzed glow.

Elf Blush (Peachy Keen) - This blush adds a nice soft wash of color that perks up my complexion and also adds a nice glow with the golden subtle shimmer it has. 

MAC Paintpot (Bare Study ) - This cream product has been a long time favorite for its stay all day capabilities, and the lovely wash of color it adds to my eyes. It can be easily paired with a little winged liner and some mascara for a simple eye look. 

Revlon Lip Butter (Pink Lemonade) - The formula of these is perfect for when you want just a subtle sheer wash of color and moisture to your lips, this one in particular adds a hint of pink which gives your lips a little extra something. This makes it easy to apply on the go and keeps your lips feeling hydrated. 

What are some of your sheer makeup favorites?

Review | Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation

In the past I've mentioned many times how I enjoyed the Maybelline Fit Me range - foundation, concealer (most of all), and powder were all great on my skin and I always enjoyed using them. Now they have launched a new range of Fit Me products which were focused specifically on creating a matte and pore diminished finish to the skin - hello right up my alley!

I went for the shade 115 Ivory which is the absolute best match for my current skin tone out of any foundation I am currently using. In my initial application I found it to be very similar in consistency to the original Fit Me - a little more on the fluid side of things, but I don't mind this as it makes blending easy as pie and in some strange way it feels like you're not using as much product.

The difference came when it was applied and began to set - instant mattification! - but not in the way that makes you look flat or unnatural. I also must admit I was quite surprised when I took a closer look and did see a difference in the way my pores around my nose and on my cheeks looked. Nothing can make your pores actually disappear, but they can be concealed, and I think this stuff does a pretty darn good job of it!

I wore this for a full day and found it stayed in place really well and did not feel heavy or mask-like, even by the end of the day prior to washing my face. Overall I think this foundation is worth a try, especially for anyone looking for a good matte but natural looking foundation, medium coverage, and all for a great drugstore price!


Have you tried this foundation out yet? What did you think?

February Beauty Favorites 2015

I'm back again with another monthly favorites round up, so here is all my absolute favorite beauty products from the past month! Can we also talk about how it is now March - FINALLY! - which means Spring, and all good things that come with it are right around the corner! 

I've been keeping my face makeup pretty simple this past month - it has pretty well just consisted of my Loreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB, which is my favorite drugstore BB cream by far. Prior to applying the BB cream I've gotten back into the habit of applying Maybelline Baby Skin as my pores have been extra noticeable the past while. My go to concealer has been the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch which I've been especially focusing on the inner corner of my eyes, and along my cheek bones for a nice highlight/brightening effect.

I've been really slacking on my self tanning the last while, so to give my face a little bit of color and glow I've been loving the combo of Rimmel Natural Bronzer to warm up and contour slightly, and this Mac blush in Fleet Fast. This blush has a satin finish which gives a lighter wash of color, perfect for my pale skin at the moment.

As for my eye makeup I've been keeping it pretty standard with my UD Naked Basics - I've been putting Naked2 all over the lid, Foxy on my brow bone and inner corner, and finally blending a bit of Faint into the crease. I've been using my Maybelline Gel Liner in Blackest Black for my tight line - so super black and lasts all day long! Lastly I've been re-loving my Maybelline Illegal Length mascara - it gives such a nice length and lift to my lashes without clumping, and creates a nice soft look that is perfect for everyday. 

Valentines Lips | Three Ways

Whether you're going on a date with that special someone, choosing to stay and have a good pamper session, or doing a night out with friends, Valentines is a day for love. It's always nice to look nice, regardless of what you're doing on the 14th, so I've rounded up three combos - lip-spiration as it were -  that work perfectly with a variety of different makeup looks for whatever kind of V-day you're choosing to have.

Nude

For the nude lip I chose my favorite lip liner in Natural by Rimmel, and filled in my entire lips. Then I applied Revlon Soft Nude and topped it off with the Maybelline Color Elixir gloss in Nude Illusion.

Pink

I had a bit of a harder time deciding on a pink lip, but narrowed it down the Elf lip liner in ... , which I lined and filled in my lips with. Next I took one of my all time favorite pink lipsticks - Mac Creme Cup. I chose not to go with a gloss and keep it more on the creamy/natural looking end of things and I'm happy with the decision.

Red

Finally, and most boldly of all - I had to do a red of course (Valentines and red go hand in hand) - so I grabbed my only go to red of the past couple months. The NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo is simply stunning.



I hope this little post gave you some inspiration! Let me know what your plans for Valentines are in the comments! 

Brand Boast | Maybelline New York

Hey guys! So I'm back with a second installment of my series called 'Brand Boast', and this one is going to be focusing on Maybelline New York. 

Maybelline began with a Chicago chemist named Thomas Williams who was trying to help his sister Maybel enhance her beauty in an attempt to win over the man she was in love with. She would use petroleum jelly to enhance her brows and lashes, but Thomas took it one step further by adding carbon dust into the petroleum jelly to further enhance her features. The creation was a success, and in 1915 Thomas Williams founded the company that is now a global giant.

Now that I've given you a run down of what the brand is about, let me break down why I absolutely love this company and its products so much!

Eyes
I'm starting off with eye makeup because well.. that's apparently where this company started, and that's where they are still rocking it 100 years later. Maybelline totally knows how to do eyeshadows well, and I feel like they just keep getting better and better. I think their best launch in recent years has to be the color tattoo cream eyeshadows however, they are amazing!
They also really know how to make a mascara - really - I can't even tell you how many I've bought since my mom first allowed me to buy makeup, but  I do know my first kind was the 'Great Lash' mascara, which I still buy to this day. Maybelline is the one brand that sends me into excitement mode with each and every new mascara - new formula, gotta try it!

Lips
I find I never used to gravitate towards Maybelline lip products, but in the past couple years I feel like I've been seeing more and more amazing things come from them. They've always have good lipsticks, but I feel like they took it to the next level with their releases of the vivid line, nude line and now they have a matte line. All amazing quality lipsticks for the price of about 6-8$ CAD. As far as lip gloss goes I was never completely over the moon about anything until the Color Elixir glosses were released, now they are my absolute favorite drugstore lip gloss - they seriously rock!

Face
With a wide range of products that do everything from prime, to cover lightly using a BBcream, to a full coverage foundation I feel like they offer something for everyone. Their powders are also some of my favorites from the drugstore - so finely milled and provide the perfect finish without looking over done. They also offer a variety of cream and powder blushes and bronzers to complete your look. The bouncy blushes have long been one of my favorite cream blushes from the drugstore, and who doesn't love a good cream blush product!



I hope you enjoyed this run down of Maybelline New York and my thoughts on some of my favorites from the brand. If you would like to see more of these 'brand boast' posts comment below and request my next brand to feature! 

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! 

Ready In A Rush | My Five Minute Face

Being rushed in the morning to get all the things done that you need to before you have to get out the door and on with what your day entails can be a struggle for everyone. Some days I just find myself wondering where the time has gone, and realize I need to get myself publicly presentable in only a matter of minutes. 

The look may change slightly (specifically my lip color of choice), but in general these are the products I use to get my face and hair looking fresh and awake without taking up any extra time. 

When time is of the essence I love to reach for a BB Cream. I've really enjoyed this Loreal Skin Beautifier BB - it primes, perfects, hydrates and corrects. It leaves my skin looking good and natural, but much improved on my bare face. Once I've applied my base I have to reach for a good concealer. The one I love to reach for is the Maybelline Age Rewind because it conceals my under eye circles, and also does a nice light cover up of any blemishes I may have going on. 

Brows are a must for me, I just don't feel like I look right if I don't give my brows a quick fill in. This Revlon Brow Fantasy is the quickest and best for the job, and there has been a reason I've been raving about it constantly lately. It's both a pencil and brow gel, so it seriously doesn't get any easier than this two in one product. 

To wake myself up a little more I like to add just a touch of color to my eyelids, and the easiest way for me to do that is with a cream product. You all know I love my Mac Paint Pots, but I adore the Maybelline Color Tattoos as well - today I used the shade 'Bad to the Bronze', simply applied with my finger tips. 

We're almost there, next is mascara. Obviously any mascara will work the exact same, I've just been really love this Miss Manga mascara from Loreal. When it comes down to it I can really skip the cream shadow step, but there is absolutely no skipping mascara for me, I truly don't feel human without it. 

Finally I like to add a touch of color and moisture to my lips, and my favorite product for being able to accomplish both is the Revlon Lip Butters - today I went with the shade 'sweet tart'. Once I've gotten all that done I spray some dry shampoo through my hair to freshen it up and then do my go to quick hair style of a couple bobby pins to pin my hair half up. 

There you have it! The products I use and steps involved in me getting ready in a rush! 

December 2014 Beauty Favorites

I know, I know, it's basically half way through January of a new year now, but I figured better late than never. With that being said, here are my favorite beauty products that brought me into the new year!

Bath and Body Works Frosted Wonderland Body Cream

The scent of this is absolutely heavenly, and the formula is my favorite as far as body lotions go from Bath and Body Works - extremely moisturizing for this time of year especially. 

Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation

I've previously mentioned this foundation in another favorites post, and have also done a review which you can read here. 

Covergirl Lash Blast Volume (waterproof)

This mascara is an old favorite. I decided to repurchase it a while back and can't believe I ever stopped using it. It is one of my top drugstore mascaras ever for sure. 

China Glaze Evening Seduction Polish

I truly love dark polishes all year round, but especially through the fall and winter. This has been my go to quite a bit lately - almost black, but not. It's actually a very deep purple shade that I find extremely flattering, long wearing and shiny, even without a top coat. 

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

This bronzer is completely matte (love), and has a cooler tone (also love), which makes it perfect to give you some color this time of year, but does the job without making you look overdone or orange. There's really no time of the year that I'm not obsessed with this bronzer. 

St. Ives Smooth and Nourished Oatmeal Scrub + Mask 

I've tried this product as a scrub, but I was not a huge fan, but I have absolutely loved it as a hydrating mask. I remove my makeup, cleanse my skin and then apply this for about 10-15 minutes once or twice a week. It leaves my skin feeling super soft, plump and hydrated and has really helped with some of the dryer areas around my nose and chin that I tend to get this time of year. 

Rimmel Exaggerate Full Color Lip Liner in Enchantment 

These lip liners are my absolute favorite from the drugstore and overall. This is the most perfect neutral plum shade - perfectly pair with many medium toned lipsticks of like color, or just as beautiful on its own (my personal favorite lately). 

Revlon Brow Fantasy

I've been completely obsessed with this little duo pencil and brow gel, it is awesome! I did a review on this which you can find here .

Loreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense 

This is a classic and old love of mine - look back to any post from probably two years ago and it was probably included. I ran out of my Maybelline Line Stiletto around the middle of December and decided to go back to Loreal just to switch things up. I honestly don't know why I ever gave this stuff up. So easy to work with and perfectly bold and black. 

Hope you enjoyed seeing my (very late) December 2014 beauty favorites! 

November Favorites 2014

As another month comes to and end it's that time where I round up some of the things I've used and enjoyed the most this month... here's what I came up with! 

NYX Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo

Guys, seriously, I've been obsessed with this little beauty this month. It is so soft and creamy (as the name would suggest) and I don't find it drying like other matte lip products I've tried. It's long wearing and smells amazing too! Going to be getting more shades in the very near future because I think I'm in love.

Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation

I plan on doing a full review/how I apply this product really soon but just know it is seriously awesome stuff. I may actually have to dub this my favorite drugstore foundation of all time (wow! now that says something!). 

Rimmel Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner Definer in Natural 

This is an old favorite that really never isn't in my makeup bag, I've gone through at least 4 of these guys in my time and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. It's the 'my lips but better' lip liner shade, and I adore it so much I wear it on its own a lot of the time as well. This month I've been really loving it combined with the next product I'm going to mention. 

Maybelline Color Elixir in Nude Illusion 

This stunner has been going over top of the Rimmel liner and making for my perfect everyday lip combo. These glosses are also an addiction of mine - my goal is to get every single color... seriously. They feel amazing and smell even better! 

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze

Another oldie but goodie. It's such an effortless product and I think that's why I always end up throwing it back into my makeup bag time and time again.

EVAmour Perfume by Eva Longoria 

I must say I did not buy this for myself, my mother in law picked it up on a whim while in duty free while on a trip to North Carolina. I'm usually slightly nervous to receive fragrances as a gift because I'm so particular about what I truly like to wear. She really did amazing picking this up though, it is just me plus fall - I am terrible at describing scents but I highly recommend giving this a sniff next time you're able to because it's simply lovely.

Maybelline Pumped Up Mascara

As you can probably tell, if Maybelline comes out with a new mascara Hannah buys it, and fast. This has been in my makeup bag all month long and I've really been enjoying how plump and full and, of course, 'pumped up' it makes my lashes look. 

Maybelline Gel Liner in Brown

I've been loving this for both lining my eyes and for my water line and tight line. It lasts all day, the formula is smooth and creamy and I've been really digging brown liner because it's not as harsh looking as black can be, which is great for every day wear. 

Sally Hansen Polish in Ruby Do

Really no explanation needed for this aside from that its a lovely creamy burgundy wine color, and is the exact shade that I'm obsessed with at this time of year. I really love the formula of this polish, it's super creamy and opaque in one coat. I also enjoy the brush as it's bigger than ones like Essie/OPI. 

Notebooks

Finally, in the picture above you see I added in a notebook. This has just been the one I've been using over the past few weeks, but in general any form of notebook is always a favorite of mine. I use them for my daily life to keep track of jobs around the house, for my blog, for work, and to keep track of my kids and where they need to be - I would be totally lost without a notebook on the go at all times. 

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.

Maybelline 'The Nudes' Palette - Review & Swatches

As promised in my October favorites post, here is my thoughts and opinions on The Nudes palette from Maybelline, and swatches of the shadows. 

As I mentioned previously in my favorites, I had been unsure whether or not there was a point in getting this palette. Yes its nudes, yes I love nudes, but I thought it may just be another mediocre quality nude themed palette taking up space in my collection, and I could just put the money towards something a little more expensive that is certain to be good quality. My mind was swayed after seeing several positive reviews from some of my favorite Youtubers and beauty bloggers alike however. 

Since picking this up around the end of September I've been using it almost daily and have been more than happy with my decision. It varies in price depending on where you go, but its between $10.99 - $14.99 CAD. You get 12 shadows - 5 matte, 7 shimmery/frosted. The palette also comes with a double ended applicator and several small charts on the back with suggestions on how to combine the shadows to achieve different eye looks. 

I find this palette to be quite versatile, with many different options and ways to wear it, from subtle to deep smokey eyes. Although a couple of the shades weren't quite as pigmented as I had hoped (specifically the black shade) I really can't say any major criticisms about the product as a whole - you're certainly getting your moneys worth!

I hope you found this little post helpful!
Post any requests in the comments, and also let me know if you have tried/are thinking of trying this palette out!

October Favorites 2014

Finally, after months of not posting a monthly favorites round up I am back in action with my October Favorites!

First, and probably most obvious to all, since it was October I was most certainly burning through a (couple) Leaves candles from good old Bath and Body Works. As you can see I'm coming to the end of my final one, but I'm feeling okay about it because we all know Christmas candles are next! 

This month I found myself grabbing three old favorites that I had drifted apart from for quite a while and I'm not sure why. I repurchased my Maybelline Instant Age Rewind (light), and the original CG Lash Blast - both AH-mazing and I'm so happy to have them back in my makeup bag. I also brought out an old fave from my stash, the Wet n Wild blush in mellow wine. I tend to forget about this guy until the fall rolls around when I find it the perfect boost to my cheeks. 

Through the entire month of October I really didn't have much motivation to do my nails, but when I did I kept it pretty straight forward and kept reaching for the same two polishes - Maybelline 'mauve in manhattan' and OPI 'I saw..u saw.. we saw... warsaw', and to spice things up I sometimes threw on a little of the Formula X effects top coat in Turbulent over the OPI polish. 

For lips this month I've been back and forth between my usual rosy nude fall lips, and darker reds and plums depending on my mood and what I'm doing that day. My stand out lipstick for the month though, hands down, goes to my NYX Butter Lipstick in 'licorice'. I intend to do a full post on how I wear this lip look, but let me just say now, if you like the vampy look and moisturized lips you need to run and get this! 

(mellow wine,  licorice)

Last, and certainly not least, the item I was searching for nearly a month for, the Maybelline The Nudes palette. This has been out for a while now, but I never really gave it much thought until I saw it featured in a couple of my favorite YouTube beauty gurus videos. By that time I was apparently too little too late and every store near me was sold out. I finally did of course get my hands on the elusive little guy and I could not be happier. I'm going to be doing a complete review post on this palette ASAP.

So there are my October favorites! Let me know some of your favorites of the month! 

Any requests please post them in the comments! 

Talk to you all soon! 

Lippies I'm Loving Lately

Lately I've been finding myself reaching for a bigger variety of lip products on a more regular basis - this is kind of odd for me because although I love to shop for lipsticks/glosses and all other things lip related I rarely change my look during the week. I find myself picking out one product to stick in my every day makeup bag which I store in my bathroom, and then that's pretty well what I rock the entire week, unless I'm feeling daring or there's a date night out involved.

You can see pretty clearly I've been loving my various shades of pink for the most part. As usual many of my favorites of the moment are also Revlon - I have a huge soft spot for all Revlon products, but they just really know what they're doing when it comes to lip products specifically.

Rimmel Vinyl Gloss - Keep a Secret

Revlon Laquer Balm - Demure Reservee 

Revlon Balm Stain - Sweetheart Valentine 

Mac l/s - Cream cup

Revlon Matte l/s - Pink Pout

Revlon Lip Butter - Sweet Tart

Maybelline l/s - Very Cherry

What have been some of your favorite lip products lately? 

Five Things - Drugstore Face Powders

Today I decided to write about something I use pretty well everyday, sometimes multiple times a day, both with and without foundation, and all year round - powders!

They're essential for many reasons - setting your foundation, brightening up your complexion, stopping those pesky oils from appearing, and giving you a quick and simple way to get a little touch of coverage on days when your not looking to use anything too heavy. 

I've gathered up my five drugstore (low end) favorites to show you all. They're great if you don't have a big budget, or you just want something cheap to throw in your travel makeup bag so you don't have to worry about your $50 powder shattering while you're on the go. 

1. Maybelline Dream Matte Powder - I have actually heard through the grape vine they are discontinuing this (say it ain't so!), but if you can still find it try to get your hands on it. Its finely milled and provides a great matte finish without looking chalky. This one specifically I love using on its own with a little concealer for a light makeup day. 

2. Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder - This powder range comes in several different varieties, based on your skin type, I have the 'normal skin' variety even though I'm much more on the combo/oily side. I love this because it feels light and breathable, while still doing what it's supposed to be doing. The only complaint I have about this is the scent, which reminds me somewhat of a face wash I once used in my younger days (oxy clean maybe?). It's not enough to really bother me all that much, and doesn't last long once applied, but I could see how this could possibly bother others who are more sensitive to scented products, especially ones that are going directly on your face. 

3. Rimmel Stay Matte - This is, like for many out there, a holy grail product that I must always have a back up of. It is cheap (about $5 CAD), but does what most high end powders only wish they could do. It claims up to 5 hours natural shine control, and in my experience it does the job! I can't say enough good things about this product. If you haven't tried it, do it! You wont regret it, especially if you have combo/oily skin like me. 

4. Maybelline Fit Me - Yes, two Maybelline powders in the same post! But let me say, they know how to make good products, and this powder is certainly up there with their dream matte as well. It doesn't have as much of a mattefying result as the dream matte, but it provides a lovely, soft, barely there look to your skin once applied both alone or over foundation. 

5. Elf Studio Pressed Powder - This is most affordable of the 5 powders I'm mentioning ($3 CAD) so it can be expected that it is a little more loosely packed, which only means you just need to use a little more caution not to over do it so that you don't look chalky or caky. It maintains a matte finish for several hours before touch up is required, so for being so affordable it is well worth the purchase to have on hand in your beach bag or where ever else your nice products don't really belong. 

March Favorites

Hello and Happy April!

Throughout the month of March I surprisingly didn't do that much shopping at all, it was more a month of shopping my stash of makeup and using old favorites or things I just hadn't given much of a chance in the past. 

First off, and probably least exciting, lip balm. This is actually one of my few small purchases of the month - EOS lip balm in summer fruit. Hello delish smell/taste! It mainly smells like peach to me so that is right up my ally, I'm obsessed! 

Next off, concealer, and as you can see this is going to be an April (re)purchase - MAC Pro Long Wear Concealer in NW20. I think I may have a couple more makeup days in this before it completely refuses to produce product but holy moly I've been so glad I pulled this out of my drawers after many months of it being pushed aside. I now remember why I loved it so much!

This past month I gravitated toward much more pastel shades on my nails as spring (not so willingly) begins to appear here in my area of Canada. The two I used most through March were Mint Candy Apple and Spaghetti Strap. MCA is still currently on my toes and looks so fresh and lovely. Spaghetti Strap has been my go to "nude" nail lately as its sheer and natural looking but with a little more pink in it.

I feel I hardly have to mention this as its always a resounding favorite, but my MAC Melba blush rarely steers me wrong - pink, matte, effortless, and works with all eye looks.

Josie Maran Argan Oil has quickly become a staple in the face moisturizing routine. I got this sample size forever ago and finally decided it was time I tried it out after hearing so many good things about it. I have officially been converted! I never thought oil of any kind on my combo/oily skin would ever work well but it has transformed my skin! I combine a few drops of it with my usual Neutrogena moisturizer and apply morning and night. I will certainly be buying the full size once this runs out!

My favorite way to apply/buff my foundation this month has been with my Real Techniques buffing brush, it gives an amazing and flawless finish, and I love my foundation so much more when I use it. I plan to do a full review post very soon on RT brushes as they have become my new favorite brushes.

Last, but certainly not least, my Maybelline Illegal Length mascara. I have rarely used this on its own as it gives a little too much of a natural/minimal look, which is not what I typically strive for when doing my lashes. My love for this comes from layering it with other mascaras that are more voluminous so you achieve the best of both worlds - length AND volume! 

Let me know if you would like a more in depth review on any of the products mentioned! 

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4099907/?claim=dtvhanxhjdb">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Loving lately

Hello once again everyone.

I feel I have to give a slight explanation as to where in the heck I went just over a year ago. I really didn't go anywhere to be honest, I just began to let life with my daughters and family take over, which subsequently put blogging at youtube on the back burner. 

Quite some time has passed now obviously but around Christmas I began to seriously miss my once beloved hobbies, and now I am finally biting the bullet and returning to my blog with a renewed energy and excitement!

Now that those formalities have been taken care of I will jump into my first post after being MIA, and what better way to begin than to talk about what I have been loving as of late. 

1. Urban Decay Naked Basics - I've had this since May (birthday gift to myself) and can say with all honesty I use this at least 4 days a week. I love every shade, especially because they mainly matte - big thumbs up for matte eyeshadows in my books. 

2. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - I don't have much to say aside from this being such an old and timeless favorite of mine - I always seem to come crawling back to it, it's just too lovely (and affordable) not to.

3. Benefit Hoola Bronzer - Matte and lovely, what more can I say?

4. Mac Melba Blush - An oldie but goodie in my books! I find I always reach for this when I have any doubts about which blush to choose. I find it to be perfect for every day use, and is subtle enough to be used with a darker eye look.

5. Benefit Watts Up Highlighter - Received this from Sephora in my birthday gift but did not touch it for months, then all of a sudden recently I tried it out and haven't looked back since!

6. Bare Study Paint Pot - I've always come back to this, because you can never go wrong with a shimmery champagne shade on the lid.

7. Benefit Erase Paste - My under eye circles worst enemy!

8. Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12hr Primer - I believe this deserves a whole post of it's own, but for now I will say my skin has never loved me so much and I cannot live with out it!

9. Benefit They're Real Mascara - I swear this has been the most hyped mascara pretty well ever in history, and fortunately it is totally worth the hype. This stuff never leaves my everyday makeup bag.

10. Maybelline Line Stiletto - This is not only my favorite drug store liner, but one of my favorite liners when compared to high end options as well. So black, so easy to apply, so amazing.

11. Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer - I am so happy I decided to try this, my oily eyelids tend to crease easily and I've found other brands of lid primer to not work as well as I'd hoped but this has become my daily eye base (both alone and under shadows).



If you are interested in any of the products I listed above and would like an entire post devoted to reviewing any of these items I would love to do so, just let me know in a comment! 

Through the Eyes of My Instagram #8

My favorite mascara combo of the moment

Little leopard baby (Harper)

My new baby - early Christmas gift from J. Nikon D5100 - this is going to play a huge role in my blogging from now on! 

OOTD

Cozy Volcom hat stolen from little brother

One of my most favorite candles at the moment - Cinnamon and clove buds from BBW 

Little cuties in their outfits from their Aunt Kristan (Carter's) 

Yes, they were delish!

Couldn't pass these up - H&M 3/4 length sleeve fitted dress for $7 on the clearance rack (reason why I got it in both colors!)

Cute cards I found 

My little girls turned 5 months on December 3rd! They're growing WAY too fast for my liking! 

Caramel Brule Latte - absolute favorite seasonal drink from Starbucks

My Instagram - Adoramakeupbeauty

Follow me for lots of new photos - I try to post daily! 

Until next time!

xo, Hannah

Warm & Cozy Makeup Look

It's that time of year again, the weather is getting colder and everyone is beginning to bundle up. Along with the change in seasons, there is a change in what makeup I have a tendency to reach for. I have really been into deeper makeup looks, and have been using a lot more shimmery champagne shades along with deeper browns and purples. This look includes the later - deep and warm purples, which I use to make a smoldering eye. This look could easily be turned up another notch, by lining the waterline in black, doing a heavier liner and adding false lashes. 

Products Used

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Revlon Cream Shadow Quad

Coastal Scents Blush and Eyeshadow Palette

Naked 1 Palette 

Loreal Liner 

Loreal Voluminous 24 Mascara & Maybelline Cat Eye Voluminous Mascara

MAC High Tea on my lips

Hope you guys enjoyed seeing this look I've been loving lately! 

xo, Hannah

I ♡ Drugstore Makeup Tag & Giveaway!

In honor of my 50th Youtube video on my Adoramakeupbeauty channel, I decided to host a little giveaway involving some of my favorite drug store products - I thought doing this tag video would be very appropriate given the theme of the giveaway! 

Questions:

1. What is your favorite drugstore makeup brand?

2. What are your favorite face, cheek and lip products?

3. Least favorite product?

4. What is the best makeup bargain?

5. What is your favorite underdog product? (Something you love that often gets overlooked?)

6. A drugstore product that is overpriced?

7. Show your best drugstore dupe(s)!!

8. Drugstore product that isn't worth the hype?

RULES:

1. You must be 18 years of age, or have parental consent!

2. You must be subscribed to me!

3. You must be following me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/adoramakeupb

4. You must comment on this video stating 3 of your favorite drug store products - Limit of one comment per day! Please do not spam or you will be disqualified. 

5. International give away - open to all! 

7. Contest will close Sunday November 18th at 12 PM EST! 

I have always tried to have my blog and Youtube channel closely linked and involved with each other, that be said I am giving all my lovely blog readers the opportunity to enter this giveaway as well, just click on the video above (and don't forget to read the rules!) 

The contest is still open for another week so you have tons of time to enter for a chance to win all the products I mention at the end of the video! 

Good luck! 

xo, Hannah

October 2012 Favorites

Maybelline Colossal Volume Express Cat Eye Mascara

Mac Mineralize e/s Twilight Falls

(Left) Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romatic

(Right) CO Bigelow Sheer Lip Tint in Sheer Rose