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?

Best Drugstore Lip Liner

I've not always been a big lip liner gal, but over the last year and a half I have grown to appreciate the importance of this little step in your makeup routine, and the difference it can make to you lip look. Today I'm talking specifically about one brand that has stood out from all the rest as far as a good drugstore lip liner goes. I've tried out pretty well every standard drugstore brand that makes a lip liner, but nothing I've found holds a candle to Rimmel. Both the Exaggerate and Lasting Finish versions of their lip pencils are AH-mazing!

I'll start off with how amazing the price is - between 4-6$ CAD depending on where you shop - such a great price point for a great quality product that can easily be on par with many high end versions.

Top to Bottom - Wine, Enchantment, Natural, Pure


Their pigmentation is excellent, and they apply easily and with no issues of feathering. They have a great creamy consistency when being applied as well which helps the color glide on, without pulling along the outer edge of your lip. I wear these both paired with lipsticks, or on their own for a lovely matte lip look. The shade 'pure' is one of my favorite Spring/Summer simple matte lips - so easy to throw on, and it doesn't get any easier or space efficient than a slender lip pencil.



Do you have a favorite drugstore brand lip liner? 

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! 

How To | Wear Pink Makeup the Non-Girly Way

I am certainly not the type of person that would consider herself to be a 'girly girl'. I know that logic seems a bit off considering I write a beauty blog about makeup and fashion, but really in terms of my life as a whole I cannot define myself as such. Although you would have an extremely hard time finding anything pink throughout my wardrobe aside from small details on an item I am not in the least opposed to wearing pink hues in my makeup looks. Pink is an especially lovely shade for this time of year because it can bring life and brightness to an otherwise dull complexion. I find wearing pink, wether it be on my lips, cheeks or eyes, can really make me look and feel much more fresh, and give my spirits a little boost as well.

Starting off with lips, probably the easiest way to pull off pink because of the wide variety of textures and intensities available. If you want to start at the more sheer end of things I really love the Rimmel Vinyl gloss in Keep a Secret, a light pink with shimmer. My choice pink lipstick is Mac Creme cup, which is excellent if you're looking for something pigmented, but by no means bright pink. If you've fallen for the balm/stain kind of products than something like the Revlon Balm Stain in Sweetheart Valentine, or the Rimmel Color Rush in Give Me a Cuddle would be excellent options - they are easy to apply and once the initial color has worn off, your lips are left with a lovely stained effect.

creme cup, give me a cuddle, sweetheart valentine, keep a secret

Cheeks are another way to add pink into your daily makeup routine, and there is a pink out there for everyone! Three of my favorites are all sporting the same 'rosey' type of undertone, which in my opinion is the easiest form of pink to wear for pretty well any skin tone out there - rose undertones in pinks make your cheeks look most natural, while still adding a glow. A new addition to my collection is Rimmels powder blush in Pink Rose which has a very slight shimmer to it. Mac mineralize blushes have always been a long time lover of mine because they are so easy to work with, and this one in Subtle Breeze is no exception. My favorite cream form product goes out to the Maybelline bouncy blush in Pink Plum, which is so soft, blendable and buildable.

pink rose, subtle breeze, pink plum

Last, and probably the most difficult to pull off is eyes. I find with shades in the pink-red family it always works out best when you pair these shades with a good liner and lots of mascara. The easiest 'pink' shade in my collection to wear is certainly Mac All that Glitters, although it is much more on the champagne end of the spectrum. Two of my other favorites I wear in a very similar way - Elf mineral eyeshadow in Sweet and Urban Decay Grifter are both ones I love to rock on the bottom lash line with various looks on the lid. They're both lighter and add a beautiful glow to the eye. The most 'stop you in your tracks' of my picks has got to be Urban Decay Last Call - it's like the bolder sister to Mac Cranberry. I wear this best when it involves being smoked out with a matte black shadow, lots of eyeliner and mascara.

all that glitters, sweet, last call, grifter

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! 

Go-To Dark Lip of December

It has been a busy month with the holidays coming up and everyone having tons on their plates, but regardless of how crazy its been for me I've still been making time to wear makeup (obviously!), and my number one simple look I've been loving is a speedy concealer and powder routine followed by a little liner and mascara. To top it all off and make it not so boring I've been adding a darker lip. I find I look so much more pulled together and like I had way more time to get ready than I really did. 

I find having a darker lip also distracts from the fact that I'm typically rocking a messy bun (from the pervious night maybe) and what ever baggy sweater I threw on that morning. 

My favorite liner and lipstick combo lately has come down two these two beauties. I've always been a major fan of Rimmel lip liners and this one in 'Wine' is no exception. I fill in my entire lip using Wine, and then dab this NYX butter lipstick in 'Licorice' over top to deepen it a touch more. 

Let me know some of your favorite dark lip options to check out in the comments!

See you in my next post! 

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. 

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! 

Brand Boast: Rimmel London

Todays new post is something slightly different from anything I've ever done before. After becoming inspired by Essie Button,who has featured a number of specific blog posts and videos devoted to her love for one specific brand, I decided to draw from her inspiration and do a similar post. I'm going to attempt at making this a series of sorts entitled "Brand Boast". My first brand, as the title suggests, is Rimmel London.

Rimmel is a British cosmetics brand which was founded by Eugene Rimmel in 1834, originally as a perfumery and personal hygiene focused business. I have done much research into the brand since deciding to write this post, and since doing so the most interesting and amazing thing I have discovered is how industrious and business savvy Eugene Rimmel was. It is truly amazing that he started apprenticing at the age of 14, and by 24 was an expert perfumer and a visionary for his brand and the cosmetic industry as a whole. 

Now that I've quickly brushed you up on the history of the brand, I'm going to get down to why I love it so much, and have for easily ten years now. 

Face Products:

Im pretty sure one of my first ever foundations/powders was Rimmel brand, and ever since my grade school days I've continued to go back for more. It's not just the price point that is so appeal, but the fact that everything is such a great quality for that amazing price. There is nothing better than being able to rave about a product that is also widely attainable and affordable for all. 

My personal favorite as of late has been the Stay Matte foundation (I have a complete review on it here), and of course I cannot speak of Rimmel face products without pointing out that the Stay Matte pressed powder is probably one of the most universally loved drugstore powders of all time!


Lips:

The other top reason you will always find me going back for more Rimmel products - lippies! I swear they hit the nail on the head every single time, but my top favorite (and I'm sure many can agree) is the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick lines. For about 6$CAD you can get a lipstick that is pigmented, long wearing, easy to apply and comes in enough colors to keep every lipstick lover satisfied. I have also done a review of the Kate Moss lipsticks in past, you can find that full review here.


I hope you all enjoyed this post as I certainly enjoyed writing it and doing the research into one of my favorite brands! 

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? 

Revlon Lip Butter Love

Revlon has always been one of my top drugstore brands, especially when it comes to anything lip product related. One of the best things they've ever done is created their line of 'Lip Butters', which come in a large variety of shades and have a beautiful creamy consistency. These have been out for quite some time now, however I've never given them any attention on here, or shown them the love and praise they truly deserve.

(Creme brule, pink lemonade, cotton candy, sweet tart, juicy papaya)

I have five shades in my collection currently, all of which are all on the somewhat more natural, easy to wear end of the spectrum. 

(creme brule, pink lemonade, cotton candy, sweet tart, juicy papaya)

They are not as pigmented as a lipstick, but are buildable and slightly more long wearing than a lipgloss. That being said, they aren't a stain, so once you eat or drink you will have to do a touch up. Out of the five I have, sweet tart has the best lasting power, and does very slightly stain the lips as well. They're especially great for those who fear bold lipsticks, but want to give more vivid shades a try.

I would highly recommend these to people who have dryer lips, and find lipsticks do too much damage. They're not super moisturizing like a lip balm, but they do a pretty good job of keeping your lips hydrated while giving a lovely pop of color.

This line is amazing, and it has so many shades I think everyone could find at least one that suits their fancy. They have such an amazing variety of shades that would also compliment any and every skin tone. 

Rimmel London Kate Moss Lipsticks - Review & Swatches

First off I want to apologize for my extreme slacking in regards to blog posts over the past month. I am really trying to get better at making the time each week to commit to blogging, but with twins it is extremely hard!

Now that I have apologies out of the way, I can tell you about my new lippy loves. Rimmel came out with these Kate Moss lipsticks a while back, and over the past couple months I have caved and picked up three different shades to test out. 

I have sampled other Rimmel lipsticks before, the ones in the shiny purple packaging though (not sure what they are designated as?), and have enjoyed all that I've tried. These have followed suite for me, I've been really enjoying them! 

I'll start off by saying I enjoy the packaging. For being a drugstore product I appreciate that it isn't like the other Rimmel lipsticks I own, bright metallic packaging, which can come off as slightly tacky. These are a matte black and simply have the signature Rimmel crown on the top of the cap and have Kate and a heart on the side of the cap. 

The one thing that bugs me however, there's no names! I always love when products have super cute names - I've always thought that would be a fun job to have actually, naming lipstick and nail polish colors! So when a company can't bother to name their products and simply resorts to numbers I can't help but be a little annoyed with their lack of effort. 

The collection is marketed as 'Lasting Finish' - so basically it is similar to pro long wear and/or superstay products from other companies. I don't feel the staying power is that miraculous or different from the usual lipstick, I would say from personal use they will last about 4 hours, but much less if you are eating or drinking. After about 4 hours I found they began to fade and slip slightly. They didn't look terrible by any means, but reapplying is a must to keep the bold pop all day long. 

There is a variety of shades available, from pinks and nudes to reds and deeper vampy purples as well. I picked mine up at Walmart for about $6 CAD - can't go wrong for the price thats for sure! My store had about 10 different shades, but I believe more are available, it just depends on what specific stores carry. 

(Swatches in same order as above - 01, 11, 14)  

The two red shades I chose - 01 and 11 are gorgeous and I've been wearing them a fair bit this past month or so. 01 has more of a hint of orange in it, where has 11 is more of a blue undertone red. It all depends on your skin tone really to find the perfect red for you, but both of these I feel work well for me. I also picked up 14, which is a pinky-brown sort of nude - certainly deeper than any other nude I own, which makes it more suitable for winter. 

So there you have it! Over all I would certainly recommend these, especially for the slim price tag. I think there is a perfect color for everyone in this collection! 

Until next time!

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

Update Your Makeup Bag for Fall!

Here are just a few tips on how to update your makeup bag for fall. Watch the video for full details! 

(Rimmel - 01, Revlon - Rosy Nude, Loreal - Nude)

(Essie 'Bahama Mama' and 'Good as Gold')

(Urban Decay 'Mildew' and 'Side Car')

Hope you guys enjoyed this little post/video! 

Until next time,

xo, Hannah

June Favorites 2012

 My June Favorites! 

Favorite eye look of the month involved using Naked from the UD Naked 1 Palette plus.... 

...using Toasted from the same palette 

(Toasted all over the lid and Naked in the crease!)

(Left to Right) 

Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in 030 Natural 

Loreal Color Riche Lipstick in 235 Nude

Mac Lipglass in Orange Tempera 

Mac Blush in Fleet Fast (satin finish) 

Click the video to see a full explanation of my June loves! 

Until next time! 

xo, Hannah

MAC 'Hey Sailor' Collection Items

The moment I saw this collections preview on temptalia.com I knew I must obtain at least a couple of the items. Of course this situation involves two things that I am a huge sucker for - as soon as I hear the words 'limited edition' I am pulled in, and when it also involves super cute packaging... well say no more, I'm sold! 

The thing I really love about these type of collections MAC does is that not only is the box covering the actual product different in design from the normal black with white lettering, but the actual product is packaged differently as well. 

An example of them only doing outer packaging design would be the shop/cook collections that were in stores around March - the outer boxing was super adorable, but the packaged product itself was the same old. Understandably changing packaging cannot be a small feat, but when they do go that extra mile it truly hurts my wallet that much more. 

As you can gather from the name of the collection 'Hey Sailor' is very nautically based - thus the products of this collection are all in navy blue with stripes, with some products (like the lipglass seen above) adorning white detail as well. The lettering is also done up in gold, providing an excellent extra touch. 

I picked up the blush in 'Fleet Fast' which I knew right from the start I was going to have to get my hands on as the color is right up my alley. It is a pinky golden coral, dare I say the perfect summer shade. 

I also decided to grab one more item after getting a chance to view the collection first hand - I chose the 'Orange Tempera' lipglass, which as you can see has not even the slightest hint of orange to it. It is a lovely pale peach color. 

Top - Fleet Fast, Bottom - Orange Tempera

(Natural lighting) 

I ended up driving the 40 or so minutes to my nearest MAC counter for these items as by the time I had decided to grab anything from the collection they were already sold out of the 'Fleet Fast' blush online (this occurred in under a week). Upon returning home with the lipglass I did not anticipate getting, I checked online to see if they were still in stock, and unfortunately they were also out of this! (I am referring to the Canadian website so everyone is aware). 

My suggestion - If you have even the slightest want to pick up anything from this collection, do it quickly because it truly is a lovely selection of products, and they seem to be flying out of stores. Although I have not had a good opportunity to try these out over a course of days, I am confident these are going to be two go-to products over the coming months! 

xo, Hannah