January Favourites

Seeing as it is February 1st today, I thought I'd share my January favourites with you! I've been using these products non-stop this past month and each one has found its place in my daily routines :) 

Stila Convertible Colour in "Gerbera" I picked this up near the beginning of the month and been using it almost every day. Its a beautiful cream blush (that I believe you can also use on the lips) that is so flattering on my skin tone. Its a creamy peachy pink that has such a nice consistency, and fairly good staying power as well. 

MUG Eyeshadow in "Badda Bing" I love this eyeshadow! I'm surprised that I don't hear a lot of raving about the MUG (Makeup Geek) eyeshadows, because they are fantastic! They are so pigmented and way cheaper than a MAC eyeshadow, but the quality is definitely just as nice. Badda Bing is a gorgeous dark brown with gold glitter throughout. I like to smudge this colour on my upper lash line in place of eyeliner.

Sigma E35 Tapered Blending Brush This has become one of my favourite brushes in my collection. It helps to blend out the colours on my eyelids, and makes it so easy for someone who definitely is no pro at eyeshadow application!

MAC Paint Pot in "Bare Study" This is one of my favourite cream shadows that I own. Its a nice shimmery champagne colour. It works well on its own or as a base under other eyeshadows.

Maybelline Full N' Soft Mascara This stuff is so hard to find in Canada! At least where I live. Only select drugstore locations seem to have it. Its such a nice mascara, it makes my lashes so fluttery and feathery, which is the look I really love. 

Clinique High Impact Mascara This mascara is another one of my favourites. It also gives nice feathery lashes, but builds more volume than the Maybelline one. As a pair, these two mascaras give me the nicest eyelashes! 

Chloe Perfume This is probably one of the most unique scents I've ever smelled. It smells very sophisticated, and kind of has a hint of rose to it. But not in an old lady kind of way! It smells very fresh and clean at the same time. Its quickly become one of my favourite perfumes to wear on a daily basis. 

Caudalie Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum As soon as I put a few pumps of this serum on, my skin feels so refreshed and hydrated. It smells really nice as well. The only complaint I have is that this seems to get used up really quickly! I just bought this at the beginning of the month and its almost half gone already. Does anyone else feel this way about this serum?

Biore Pore Strips These things are strangely addictive. Its so gross to see the junk that these pull out of your pores, but also strangely satisfying.

Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm I wrote a whole blog post on this balm, which you can read here. I won't bore you with the details since you can read them in the post, but basically this lip balm is so worth the hype!

So that's it! My most reached for products of January. Let me know in the comments which products you've been loving!

Product Rave: Nuxe Rêve de Miel

Everybody and their mother has been talking about this product, so I thought it was about time that I gave it a try! I am so glad that I did, because I really love it. It has a citrus/honey scent, but the scent isn't overpowering. I like to use this before bed, because it really sinks into the lips and I can still feel it lingering there in the morning. When you put it on, there are tiny little granules in it that melt away as you rub it into your lips. I think these granules help to slough away any dead skin, and once dissolved the balm helps moisturize and protect against the freezing winter we've been having lately! The balm dries in an almost matte finish and has no colour once on the lips. 

I have to say I am really loving this product! For all you Canadians out there, I picked this up at Shoppers Drug Mart for $17 CA.

Everyday Eye Makeup ft. UD Naked Basics

The other day I picked up the ever-so-raved-about Urban Decay Naked Basics palette. I have to say, I think I favour this one over the first and second version, as I am quite the neutral lover and this palette offers a variety of matte, neutral shades. It is so versatile, and I've found myself reaching for it every day since I bought it. I thought I'd show you the everyday eye makeup look I've been going for lately.

I start with my MAC Painterly Paint Pot (featured in my cream eyeshadow post, which you can read here!) as a base, and then sweep the shade "Naked 2" all over the lid. I dust a little bit of "Venus" onto my brow bone and in the inner tearduct, and finish off with a smudging of "Crave" along my upper lash line. I then use mascara to get big feathery lashes, and I'm done! It's so simple and yet looks so polished.

Do you think you'll pick up this palette? Or if you have it already, how do you like it?

MAC 130 Brush

I've never really put much thought or money into my makeup brushes, but after trying a few nice ones lately I've realized they really can make makeup application so much easier! Lately I've been sporting cream blushes in favour of powder ones, and I was on the hunt for the perfect brush for cream blush. I used to use my Sigma F50 brush, but I found it much too large. It was difficult to place the colour exactly where I wanted it. So I did some research and decided on the MAC 130 brush! 

I'm a little ashamed at how much I spent on this ($50.50 CA), but it does the job so nicely that I definitely don't regret the purchase. The bristles are so soft and dense, and its the perfect size for placing blush on the apples of the cheeks. It blends it out so nicely too!

Do any of you have this brush? What do you like to use it for?

My Evening Skincare Routine

Over the past few months I've collected some skincare gems and I'm quite happy with my current routine! I find that by using all these products, I wake up with glowing, fresh, healthy looking skin.

I first use the Bioderma Sensibio on a cotton pad to remove my makeup. I then cleanse with the Origins Never a Dull Moment Cleanser. This cleanser is meant to brighten up your complexion, and I find that it does just that! It also smells really nice, very fruity. Every few days, I use my Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream. This is gentle enough to use everyday, but I tend to stick to using it every other day or so. It leaves my skin feeling so soft!

About once a week, I use the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask. I apply a thin layer of this to my skin, let it dry, and then use a wet washcloth to remove it. As the mask dries I can really feel it just sucking out all the bad junk that has gathered in my skin. It leaves my skin a bit red after I've used it, which is why I stick to using it just at night.

For toner, I've been using my Clinique #3 Clarifying Lotion for years. I find that this toner helps renew my skin and leaves it with that tingly clean feeling.

I've recently purchased the Caudalie Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum and am loving it! It smells amazing, and instantly takes away that dry "tight" feeling that you can get after cleansing and toning. I use my Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion for extra moisture, and finish off with the Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial. This night cream smells quite strong. I usually love the scent of rose, but this smells of rose plus something else that I can't quite identify. I love the effects it gives however! My skin looks so fresh and healthy in the morning! 

I forgot to picture it above, but I also use my Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Concentrate for eye cream. I haven't been using it long enough to see the results yet, but it smells lovely (of lavender) and feels very soothing on my eye area.

I dab on a bit of the Origins Super Spot Treatment on any spots that have popped up, and then finish off with a healthy application of the Korres Lip Butter in Guava. This lip butter has a bit of a white tint and makes my mouth look a bit ghostly, which is why I use it at night. It is super moisturizing though, and I frequently wake up in the morning with this still on my lips.

So that's it! I am loving my routine lately and think the results look amazing. My skin is bright, clear, smooth, and healthy looking! I still get the occasional spot, but for the most part these products help keep acne at bay. 

Have you tried any of these products? What skincare are you loving lately?

My Cream Eyeshadows

I was inspired by a post done by the lovely Lily Pebbles where she featured her cream eyeshadow collection (read the post here!). I have quite a few so I thought I'd show you the ones I've got! I love cream eyeshadows. There is something about them that is so easy; you can use your finger to slap some on your lids and you're good to go, or you can blend them out easily with a brush as well. When I'm having a lazy day and can't be bothered with powder eyeshadows I often just use a cream shadow and some mascara! I also like to use cream eyeshadows as a base and layer powder shadows on top for a little extra staying power. Enough rambling, on to the shadows!

There is an overall of all the little beauties. They are mostly MAC Paint Pots, but there are a few Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows and even a Maybelline one as well.

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in "Birthday Suit"

 Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in "RSVP"

 Maybelline Colour Tattoo in "Tough as Taupe"

MAC Paint Pot in "Artifact"

MAC Paint Pot in "Bare Study"

MAC Paint Pot in "Painterly"

MAC Paint Pot in "Rubinesque"

MAC Paint Pot in "Indianwood"

MAC Paint Pot in "Constructivist"

From left to right: RSVP, Rubinesque, Bare Study, Painterly, Birthday Suit, Indianwood, Constructivist, Tough as Taupe, Artifact 

So there you have it! If I had to choose a favourite, I'd probably pick MAC's Paint Pot in "Bare Study". It fits well with a lot of powder eyeshadows I wear on a daily basis so I can layer it with those, or it looks beautiful on its own too. If I'm rushing off to work, I often just put a layer of Bare Study on my eyes and I quite like the outcome! 

Do you guys love cream shadows as much as me? Any that you have your eye on? 

Face Of The Day Post #1

Today I had to go get a passport photo taken, as my passport expires in about a week. Although passport photos are notorious for being unflattering, I wanted to at least try to look nice! I went for simple, fresh makeup so I would actually look like myself in the photo. 

I first moisturized with my Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentre, and primed my skin with the Clarin's Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch primer. I then started off with my NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in the shade "Siberia", concealed under the eyes with my Bobbi Brown Corrector in "Porcelain Bisque", and concealed any spots or red bits with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in the shade 51. I set everything with my MUFE HD Powder (which I love by the way!). 

I used NARS Laguna Bronzer to give my skin a bit of colour. For blush I chose a cream blush by MAC in the shade "Posey". I used my favourite highlighter, "Pearl" Cream Colour Base by MAC on my cheekbones, bridge of the nose, and cupid's bow to give that candlelit glow to my skin. 

I used an eyebrow powder by Elf on my brows to fill in any sparse areas. I only use the lighter powder, and not the darker coloured wax that it comes with. 

On my eyes I used the lighter shade in the Clinique compact, which is a light champagne colour from Clinique's "Like Mink" eyeshadow duo. As a highlight on my browbone and tear duct, I used MAC's "Shroom". I have a ton of mascaras, but lately I've been favouring my Maybelline Mega Plush Lash mascara, so that's what I chose to use today. 

To finish off, I spritzed my face with Urban Decay's De-Slick setting spray. I quite like this stuff! I think I might try the All-Nighter spray next. Finally, on my lips, I used the Korres Lip Butter in the shade "Mango". This seems like a lot of products but it took me less than 10 minutes to apply everything!