My Perfume Collection

Hey guys! So today I will be sharing my perfume collection. I did a poll on Instagram (follow me at @xoxoxoleelee) and you guys said you were interested in seeing my collection. Now I’m not a huge perfume person, I don’t even put it on every day. I also have a weak nose, so I gravitate towards stronger scents. But I have amassed a small collection – some of which are unfortunately not available anymore (rip). Anyways, before I begin just want to note that I am not a huge sweet/fruity perfume person. Actually all these perfumes has musk as one of their notes soooo…… I definitely have a perfume type haha!

perfume collection

First is the Kat Von D Saint Eau du Parfum. Now I’m not a huge Kat Von D fan, but god do I love this perfume. The main notes are vanilla, musk and jasmine. I like this perfume because it’s the perfect balance of floral and musky. It’s light enough to wear everyday day, but the musk adds that little something to it. I also think that the bottle is gorgeous as well.

Today is a sad day, because I found out that my beloved Marc Jacobs Mod Noir is discontinued. I have this in a roller ball, and was planning on eventually getting it in the bottle but clearly that’s not happening anymore. I liked Mod Noir because it’s more bright and sophisticated compared to some of my other perfumes. The notes are greens, gardenias and musk. I liked wearing this perfume when I wanted something more fresh but not sweet. I will enjoy this perfume to the last drop!

The most heady and sensual of all my perfumes is the Lancome La Nuit Tresor. This is the scent I like to wear on a night out. The notes are pink peppercorn, bergamot, rose and almond blossom, white musk and tonka bean accord. The peppercorn adds a bit of spiciness so it’s not just heavy all around. This scent is also super long lasting. If I put it on at night I can smell it the next morning. A little too heavy for everyday wear, I love it when I want to feel ~sexy~.

Another perfume I think is discontinued is the True Religion Hippie Chic. I’m not really surprised that this is not sold anymore, this was actually the first perfume I ever owned. This bad boy is like six years old (the fact that it’s still going shows you how much I wear perfume). This one is more floral and fruity compared to the other perfumes I own. The notes are raspberry, pomegranate, apple, hibiscus, jasmine, lily of the valley, wood and musk. The wood and musk base notes help balance out the sweetness. This is a great everyday scent, and I would love to find something similar once I finish it.

My most recent  addition to my collection I purchased while I was in France. The Fragonard Etoile is a very clean, almost unisex scent. The notes are bergamot, lemon, apple, ginger, gardenia, lily of the valley, jasmine, cedarwood, amber and musk. This is a very fresh scent, perfect for summer. I’m happy that I choose this one because I don’t have anything in my collection quite like it, so I’ve kinda rounded out my collection.

And that is my little perfume collection! I’m super curious, let me know in the comments what your go to perfume/scent is! 🙂

xoxo

Lea

Product Empties July 2019

Hey guys! I am back with another product empties post. I know you guys always like these posts! I have also been making a conscious effort to go through my products. I have a bunch of half used product that I want to finish up. I am pretty impressed with the amount I have, since it’s been only four months! Anyways, here are my empties!

july 2019

First up I finished three cleanser. First is another Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (what a surprise). This is just my favourite cleanser. I always have an empty one every. single. product. empties. post. It’s so good. Just try it yourself.

Next is the Philosophy Clear Days Ahead Oil-Free Salicylic Acne Treatment Cleanser. I think this is a pretty good cleanser. It does a good job of leaving my face feeling clean and fresh. I also enjoy the citrus scent. I decided to not repurchase this cleanser for a few years. While my skin is still pretty acne prone, it is not as oily was it once was. So I felt like it was maybe time to switch it up. I was also finding it harder to find this cleanser in store as well. In the end I would recommend this cleanser, but I am using something else.

The other cleanser was a sample of the Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel. I also liked this cleanser. Once again I felt like it did a good job of cleaning my face. It has a bright peach scent that I also enjoyed. Also I only needed a small amount of this cleanser to wash my face. Overall, I thought it was a good cleanser, but since anti-aging is not really my big skin concern I will not be repurchasing.

Next up I have five moisturizers. My skin was actually dry this past winter/spring. I just want to start by saying I have a very acne-prone back/chest. To help with this I use moisturizers meant for the face on this area. The first I used for this area was the Jouviance Hydractiv Antiox Pollution-Fighting Moisturizer. You can purchase this product at Shoppers, but it ain’t cheap. Honestly I wasn’t a huge fan, which is why I used is on my back instead of my face. It has a weird texture and took awhile to sink into the skin. I had this moisturizer for like ever, it took so long for me to finish. Overall I wouldn’t recommend, especially for the high price that it is.

Now if you have acne prone skin you HAVE to get The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Mattifying Lotion. This moisturizer has done wonders clearing up the acne on my back/chest. It is important to keep areas that are breaking out moisturized, because over these areas are overproducing oil in order to compensate with dryness. This moisturizer gives enough hydration to help my skin, but the tea tree in this moisturizer helps treat active breakouts. I have already repurchased this moisturizer. I use it on my back/shoulder/chest after every shower.

My current favourite face moisturizer is the Laneige Water Bank Hydrating Gel. I originally purchased this moisturizer because I wanted something a little lighter and better suited for every day use than their overnight sleeping mask. I instantly fell in love. As I mentioned, but skin have slowly shift from being oily to being more combo/normal. It less oilier than before, if anything sometimes it can be a little dry. This moisturizer is more hydrating than my mattifying moisturizers, but it isn’t as thick as some other ones that I have tried. It is also very lightweight. But most importantly it doesn’t break me out. I really like this moisturizer, I already repurchased another one.

A moisturizer that I didn’t like as much was the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Moisturizer. I know a ton of people really like this moisturizer, but I don’t like it as much as the Laneige one. This was actually the only moisturizer I brought with me to Europe, and while I was there I was missing my Laneige one. I just find this one thicker and I can feel it on my face after. Maybe if you have drier skin you would like this more, but this one is a pass for me.

The final moisturizer is the Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream. This literally feels like rubbing water on your face. I don’t know how it works, but this cream quickly blends into the the face and feels as light as water. I just wish it was more hydrating. After I applied it I kind of wanted to apply another layer. I would recommend this for really oily people.

A product that I didn’t finish but I am throwing out is the Purlisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Eye Adore Serum. If there is one step in my skin care routine that I am horrible at remembering to do consistently, it’s apply eye cream. It’s just something I always forget to apply. During the seasonal change between winter to spring, but undereyes were a little dry. I tried using this Purlisse eye cream, which I got in my Boxycharm three year ago. Well I think it’s expired not, because it actually made my under eyes drier. I vaguely remember trying it when I first got it and liking it, but I think it’s just expired not, and that’s why it’s causing me to have a bad reaction.

One last product in the category of moisturizers is the Satsuma Body Butter by the Body Shop. It’s funny because I love of satsuma in soap form, but wasn’t a huge fan in the body butter form. But besides the scent, I loveeee the formula of the Body Shop body butters. They are thick and creamy, and leave the skin feeling so soft and smooth. I repurchased the body butter in a different scent.

Now for hair-case. I received the Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Strength + Moisture Leave-In Mask in a Boxycharm box. I feel like one of the few people who isn’t in love with Briogeo. I like that their product are clean, but I feel like the barely do anything for my hair. I feel like I get similar results from using a drugstore deep-conditioner mask. I don’t know, like I finish the bottle and didn’t notice a huge difference.

The other hair product is something that Herbal Essences doesn’t even sell anymore. I bought this oil elixir because I was finding the ends of my hair to be really dry. I would use a little bit of the oil on the ends of my hair and it made such a difference. I only needed a little pump so it lasted me forever. Sad that they don’t sell this oil anymore because it was really good!

Finally there are three makeup products. First is the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I mentioned in my Current Faves post how much I was loving this concealer. It is the perfect medium coverage where it covers the dark circles but doesn’t look to full-coverage/cakey. Clearly I love this concealer since I finished it.

Next is two bronzers, which is super impressive. The first is my Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer. It took me forever to finish this bronzer. I hit pan like a year ago, and I finally gave up on the bronzer last week. The reason why this is the best bronzer ever is because it buildable and leaves a beautiful glow to the skin. If you haven’t tried this bronzer yet, go out and get it now.

The final product is the PUR Mineral Glow bronzer. I actually shattered this bronzer. But it’s funny because a year ago I had actually broke the compact and got my dad to glue back together. And then a month ago it actually shattered and was gone for good. I am very sad about this bronzer because I liked it a lot. I liked to use it in the summer along with my Butter Bronzer. I would use this to really deepen up the skin. Plus it had a slight shimmer to it, so it would make me look like a bronze goddess. I believe that I can get PUR at Shoppers Drugmart now, so I might look around and get another one if I can find it.

And that is my long and rambly product empties post. Fifteen products might have been a little much for one post haha. Anyways, let me know down below what product you always finish and repurchase!

xoxo

Lea

Makeup Revolution I Heart Revolution 24K Gold Palette

Hey guys! So today I will be sharing a review on a Makeup Revolution palette! I know Makeup Revolution is a pretty widely available brand in Europe and in the US, but it’s hard to find in Canada. When I was in France and I saw that they had Makeup Revolution, I knew I wanted to try one of their palettes immediately. They had a few options, but I decided to get the I Heart Revolution 24K Gold Palette. I think paid twelve euros for the palette (it’s been a few weeks I can’t remember exactly), but online it is currently selling for $15 USD.

Photo 2019-07-04, 7 18 26 PM

First I really like the colour story of this palette. There are six mattes and a ton of fun shimmers. Most of the shimmers are shades of gold or bronze, but there are a few fun but still wearable shades like the green and the cranberry. This is a pretty simple palette, perfect for the average makeup wearer.

What I really like is that there are so many options with this palette. I was able to create two completely different looks using the palette. I was able to create a simple gold look, but also a dainty mauve look as well. I find that some palettes you can only do one look, but there are so many different looks you can do with this palette.

I think for the price point the shadows are pretty great! The mattes are very creamy and very pigmented. The black is amazing for being a ‘drugstore’ shadow. I’ve seen high end matte blacks that are worst than that. The shimmers are pretty good. I find that their quality varies slightly, with the darker shimmers being better than the lighter shimmers.

Overall I think this is a pretty good palette! I think this palette is good for the average person, someone who doesn’t own a ton of makeup. This palette has a lot of shades, so this would be a good palette if you only buy have one or two. If your like me and own a ton of palettes, I don’t think you need to necessarily run out and get it. I definitely have similar shades in my existing palettes. But I think this palette would be convenient to travel with since it had study packaging and everything for a basic look.

And that is my review on this Makeup Revolution I Heart Revolution 24K Gold palette. This review was short and sweet, let me know if you guys like these shorter reviews on one product or if you prefer longer posts!

xoxo

Lea

June Boxycharm 2019

Hey guys! Today I am sharing my thoughts on my June Boxycharm! Usually in my Boxycharm posts I share any news or anything that happened to me this month, but it’s been a pretty quiet month for me! Just happy that the nice weather is actually here 🙂

Photo 2019-06-20, 3 42 34 PM

The first product is the Touch in Sol No Poreblem Prime Essence. This product is so new it’s not even on the Sephora Canada website yet! This essence is supposed to help with the look of pores and skin texture while also giving a dewy finish. I think I really like this primer, but I haven’t tested it long enough to officially be in love yet. The first thing I noticed is that this primer is very runny – makes sense since this is an essence. It has a light scent that disappears after it’s applied. What I like is that it makes my skin feel tacky after, and I find that foundation really adheres well to the essence. It makes my foundation look so natural and skin like. I’m currently testing it with other primers and different types of foundation, but so far I like it. I will keep you guys updated about this primer! Price $23 USD

Next is my least favourite product – the Dirty Little Secret Lip Liner. First, I really don’t like the shade I got – Pale Pink. I know some people like really light almost ‘concealer’ lip shades, but that just isn’t for me. This shade is super light, that after I applied it I immediately wiped it off. Second, this lip liner is very stiff, so you have to warm it up before applying it. Overall I don’t like this lip liner, and you can get way better from the drugstore. Price: $15 USD

Probably one of the most long wearing glosses I have ever tried is the Dominique Cosmetics Lemonade Lipgloss. I have the shade Peach Tea. This gloss lasted easily over three hours on my lips without me having to reapply, which is pretty good for a gloss. It’s very creamy and feels nice on the lips. I also like how it’s a flat colour, because I don’t always want shimmer in my gloss. It is a relatively sheer formula, but enough to add just a hint of colour to the lips. I really like this gloss. Price: $17 USD

Next up is the Tarte Be You. Naturally Eyeshadow Palette (which I think is limited edition because I can’t find it on the website). First, this is the third Tarte circular palette that I’ve received in my Boxycharm. While they have all been different palettes, I wish that I could receive different products or palettes from other brands. I will say that this one is probably the best one that I have received. There are four mattes and four shimmers, which is a nice balance. The palette is pretty simple, it has everything you need to create a simple day time look and also a bolder night time look. It’s a pretty small palette, so it would be nice for travelling. I also think the formula is better on these shadows compared to the other ones I’ve tried. I just find that the shades are creamier and easier to blend. While I am annoying about getting a similar palette, I like this one at least. Price: $36 USD (similar palettes are $47 CAD)

The final product is the St Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mousse. While this is a sample size (the standard size is 4 oz while I received 1.69 oz), I like that I also got the mitt for free! While I understand that getting self tanner might not be something everyone is interested in, I was happy to receive this product. It’s not something I might necessarily go out and bye, but have been curious to try. This was only my second time using self tanner, so I was a little cautious in the amount I used. I used about two pumps per section on my lower body and only one pump on my upper body. I honestly could have used more, but it did give me a nice natural tan. If I had used more I bet if I had used more it would have really made a difference. It didn’t smell bad and it didn’t feel sticky as I was waiting for it to develop. I didn’t notice any streaks or patchiness. Most importantly, I did not look orange!! Honestly I am pretty impressed, and I definitely think I will be using this again. Price: the card says MSRP is $24.50, online $18 USD for the mini, $42 CAD for the standard size.

And that was my June box! The overall price was $115! I am pretty happy with my box. I think the self-tanner was fun to try out, and I like the gloss and primer! What do you guys think? What did you get in your boxes, let me know in the comments below!

xoxo

Lea

Influenster #SpringThingsVoxBox Review

Hey guys! So today I am sharing some products that I got in my Influenster #SpringThingsVoxBox. I did received all these products for free for reviewing purposes, but all the thoughts in this post are my own.

influenster producters spring 2019

The only product I am not fond of is the Juice Beauty SPF Oil-Free Moisturizer. I am really picky with my sunscreens. Most either break me out or give me bad texture so I am very hesitant to try new ones. First I don’t like this because it claims to be a moisturizer but the feel and consistency is just like a sunscreen. I don’t find it that hydrating, if anything it leaves my skin feeling powdery. I have to be very careful not to apply too much or else it leaves a weird white-cast. But realistically I shouldn’t be putting on just a little sunscreen, so I don’t like how finicky it is. Finally I haven’t tried putting makeup over top, but judging from how powdery it makes my skin feel I don’t think it would work well. But while I don’t think I’ll use this on my face, I will probably still use this on the rest of my body. I like that it is made with organic ingredients, and it’s free of a lot of bad chemicals.

Next is probably by favourite product I tried, the Clean&Clean Deep Action Peel Off Mask with Activated Charcoal. I’ve tried a bunch of peel off masks, and this is the first I’ve actually liked. It was easy to peel, didn’t hurt, and actually cleaned my skin. This performed better than some high-end masks that I’ve tried. There is also a lot of mask in one packet, so you could probably get two masks out of the one packet. I would highly recommend trying out this mask, especially since it’s from the drugstore it’s so cheap!

The other Clean&Clear mask is the Night Relaxing Jelly Sheet Mask. The mask was very cooling and relaxing. I also think that it did a great job of hydrating. What I didn’t like is that it’s only covered half of my face. I get that the mask is meant to target the eye area, but if I wanted to do that I would just apply under eye masks. I still want to hydrate the bottom half of my face. I ended up using the extra serum from the packet on my chin and cheeks, but overall I rather use a full sheet mask.

A product I’ve already tried before is the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. The one I received was in their Grapefruit flavour, which I much prefer over the original one. I really do like their Lip Sleeping Mask, but now that I have tried their Lip Glowy Balm I prefer that product over this one. This lip mask is super hydrating and leaves my lips feeling so soft. The only thing I don’t like is how unhygienic the product is. I have long nails, so I find it hard to put my finger in and not get it under my nails. I believe that the full size mask comes with an applicator, but the mini doesn’t. Their Lip Glowy Balm, on the other hand, is a squeezy tube which I find more hygienic.

The final item is the Elf Rose Gold Sunset Palette. This was perfect timing, because I had been thinking about trying a palette from Elf! This palette comes with 10 shades, with a mix of matte and shimmer. I think for $12 this palette is pretty amazing. I definitely prefer the mattes over the shimmers. The matte are super pigmented and blendable. The shimmers are okay by themselves, but I find that adding a little setting spray really makes them shine. I wish there was maybe one more matte brown shade, but overall I think there is a nice mix of shades in the palette. I was able to make a nice warm-tone smokey eye, check out my Instagram (@xoxoxoleelee) to see the look!

And those were the products that I tested out! Thank you to Influenster for sending me these products. If you want to check out my Influenster account, it’s the same username as my Instagram!

xoxo

Lea

What Makeup + Skincare I Travel With

Hey guys! So as a part of my travel series, today I am sharing what makeup and skincare I brought with me on my two and a half week trip to Europe! I brought a lot of stuff (my suitcase was almost overweight…) but too be fair I did use the majority of the products. Because I brought so many products, this post would be so long if I were to review each product. Most of the products I have reviewed before, but I think that it’s pretty obvious that I like most of these products since I brought them with me!

First is makeup! I bought a new makeup case specifically for this trip. I wanted a hard case one in order to keep all my makeup safe and in one spot. I got the ROWNYEON case from Amazon and it worked like a dream. I was able to fit the majority of my makeup and my brushes in this case. The only downside is that because it’s so protective it can be heavy, so that is something to keep in mind. I ended up carrying it on the airplane because my suitcase would have been overweight if I had put it there.

Photo 2019-06-14, 2 18 48 PM

So as you can see from the above photo, I brought a ton of makeup, and everything but my Jaclyn Hill x Morphe palette fit in it. I’m just going to go through order of how I apply my makeup.

So first for eyeshadow primer I had the Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer. It’s the only primer I use, so of course I brought it. For eyeshadow I brought my Colourpop single shadows that I mentioned in my Current Faves post in a mini Z palette. Then I brought the Jaclyn Hill x Morphe palette. I know that Jaclyn is currently going through some controversy with her brand right now, but at the end of the day this palette is amazing (and my trip was also before all this controversy). It just has such a nice range of shades, I was able to create some many looks with this palette. It’s also super study so it fit nicely on the side of my suitcase.

For eyeliner I brought the NYX Matte Liquid Liner and the Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in the shade (Earth)quake. I always travel with a brown and black liner. I brought two mascaras – the Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara and IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara. The Tarte mascara is more daytime while the IT Cosmetics is more big volume-night time looking. I also brought one set of lashes, the Battington Lashes in the style Monroe. For eyebrows I had the IT Cosmetics Universal Brow Pencil and my ride-or-die ABH Brow Wiz.

For face primer I brought my Dr. Brandt Pores No More Luminizer Primer and the Smashbox Photofinish Primer. The Smashbox primer I have in a mini, so it was super nice to travel with. For foundation I brought my Physicians Formula The Healthy Foundation. I had decided to bring the full bottle of foundation with me because when I went to Mexico at Christmas I had depotted some but didn’t have enough so I didn’t want to have that problem in Europe. The nice thing is that this bottle fit perfectly in my makeup case, so I had no issues with it breaking. For concealer I brought my Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I brought two powders with me. I would usually apply my Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder (in the mini size) in the morning and then use my Wet n Wild Photo Focus Pressed Powder to powder myself through the day.

I decided to bring my CoverFx Perfector Face Palette mainly because it has a big mirror in it. I used this mirror almost every time I was doing my makeup. I would also use the face products as well, especially the highlights. I still brought tons of face products ahaha. For bronzer I brought the Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk’r Bronzer which I had in a mini! Another mini I had was the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in the shade Paaarty – it was apart of the birthday present from Sephora a few years ago. For blush I also brought my Laura Geller Baked blush. I brought my Colourpop Pressed Powder Highlight in the shade Here Kitty Kitty. The formula is so creamy that I wasn’t afraid of it breaking. Finally for setting sprays I brought minis of my two favourites – the Urban Decay All Nighter and the Mac Fix+.

For lips I brought a ton of options, but to be honest I didn’t use most of them. Whenever I know I’m going to be eating food I will usually just wear lip balm or lip gloss. But just in case your curious, I brought: Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lip in Champagne Mami, Tarte Tarteist Shimmering Lip Paint in Flaming Hot, Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Patina, Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow, Covergirl Katy Kat Matte Lipstick in the shade Catoure and finally MAC Matte Lipstick in the shade Velvet Teddy.

Now to make this long post even longer – my skincare! So I kept all my toiletries in bag that I’ve had since I was 14, so I don’t think its available anymore (it was also a gift so I have no idea where it’s from). It has lasted me really well! So I keep all my shower products in the front back, and then inside I keep all my skincare to one side and then hair care to the other. As you can see from the photos, I keep some mini products in it all the time. In this post I will not be talking about my hair care because I am planning to do another separate post about that.

Photo 2019-06-14, 2 23 52 PM

In this photo most of these products are full sized, but on my trip I had either minis of everything or they were in travel bottles. First for cleanser I brought my Fresh Soy Cleanser and the Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser. I hadn’t tried the Drunk Elephant cleanser before going on this trip which was a mistake. This cleanser is too strong for my skin, so luckily I brought my Fresh cleanser because I had to stop using it. For toner I had some of my Origins Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner.

I had two moisturizers – the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Moisturizer and my CeraVa Moisturizing Cream. For makeup removing, I had my classic Garnier Micellar Water and Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. I also had some makeup wipes as well. In the shower I always exfoliated with my St Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub. Finally I had minis of two of my favourite masks: The Origins Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask and Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay.

And those were all the products I brought with me to Europe! This post really gives you a good look at what some of my favourite products are (and how much of an over packed I am haha). Stay tuned for Tuesday when I will have a post up about my actual trip!

xoxo

Lea

Current Beauty Favourites

Hey guys! So I’ve realized that it’s been awhile since I’ve shared my favourite beauty products. I purchased some new makeup during the Sephora VIB sale, but I also went back to some old favourites during my trip in Europe. So this post includes a nice mix of old and new products!

Photo 2019-06-06, 6 54 56 PM

First is the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Luminizer Primer. I kinda hate that I like this product because it’s so expensive but I just love it. I got it in a Boxycharm and I just fell in love. It’s adds the perfect amount of glow to my skin. I’ve tried other luminizing primers and found that they were way too much. This primer just adds a subtle glow under my foundation. I have been using this primer almost exclusively the past couple of months. I just love it.

Next up for foundation has been the Physicians Formula The Healthy Foundation. I remember my friend complimented me on my skin while wearing this foundation. I just love this foundation, it’s actually the only one I brought with me to Europe. It feels lightweight, has a light-to-medium build-able coverage and has a beautiful satin finish. It also wears nicely through the day. Since my skin has been clearer lately, I have been enjoying a lighter coverage foundation. The shade I have also matches me really well – if you have neutral undertones this line is really good. I know Physicians Formula isn’t the cheapest brand at the drugstore, but this foundation is so worth it.

To round out my face product, my favourite concealer has been the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I love this concealer because it has good coverage but doesn’t look or feel heavy. For example, while Tarte’s Shape Tape has amazing coverage but can look heavy under the eyes if you apply too much. With the Nars concealer, I find that it look more natural compared to the Shape Tape. This is also the only concealer I brought with me to Europe and I loved it.

A new product to me is the Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk’r Bronzer in the shade Shady Biz. I have the mini because they were sold out of the bigger ones at the time, but man now I wish I had the bigger one! This is my new favourite bronzer. It’s fairly similar to the Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer, but with a way better shade range. This is the perfect shade to bronze with – it’s warm but not orange. I like that it’s pigmented but not too much because I really like to build up my bronzer. I think that this shade is also perfect for me because when I’m paler I just use a lighter hand but can go heavier once I get tan. I am so happy I found this right before summer!!

Another new favourite is the Laneige Lip Glowy Balm. This might be controversial, but I like this more than the Lip Sleeping Mask! I find it a pain to dig my finger into the jar! This packaging is easier to use and more hygienic. I also just love how this makes my lips look and feel. My lips look so glossy but they are sticky, and it does an amazing job hydrating my lips. I know $20 is expensive for a lip balm, but man this one is sooooo good.

Next is a product that I don’t mention very often but wear the majority of the time of my eyes. I have three Colourpop single shadows that I use all the time as all over shades or just with a little highlight on the lids. Wake Up Call and Made to Last I often just wear all over my crease and lid with just a bit of mascara. Bel Air is slightly darker and cooler than Wake Up Call, and I will usually just a highlight shade on my lid when I wear this shade. This Colourpop single shadows are only $4.50 each, and they are so effortless and easy to use. I have been using them I would say 80% of the time that I wear makeup. I’ve had them for over two years and still haven’t hit pan either. I highly recommend buying some Colourpop single shadows!

My favourite mascara rotates, but currently I am loving the Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara. I like mascaras that give me lots of length with just a hint of volume. I also like how I can apply a little for an every day look or load it up for a night out look. I brought two mascaras with me to Europe, but I found myself reaching for this one more. I really like this one!

My final favourite is somewhat surprising, but it has been the NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray. My skin was quite dry this winter (did not like the extreme cold oof) and I was reaching for more hydrating products. I found that this setting spray made such a huge difference in the look and feel of my makeup. If I ever was looking dry or powdery, this setting spray would just revive my makeup. And it’s only $10 CAD!! I am almost out of my current bottle, and I am definitely going to repurchase it.

And those are my current favourite makeup products! Let me know in the comments what your current favourite products are, I am always looking to try new products 🙂

xoxo

Lea

May 2019 Boxycharm Review

Hey guys! I am officially back from my trip to Europe! Sorry I didn’t have any posts go up the last three weeks – I ran out of time before my trip to write and decided to just enjoy my trip instead of worrying about posting. I am an amazing time on my trip, and I will be writing a few blog posts about it so stay tuned for that!

Even though I was away most of the month, there was no way I would be missing a Boxycharm box! I haven’t had much time to try the products, but I wanted to at least give you guys my first impressions of the items in the box. This month’s theme is Make Waves.

Photo 2019-05-30, 2 18 16 PM

The first item in the box is the GlamGlow Gentlebubble Daily Conditioning Cleanser. I have used this cleanser a few times now and overall I think it’s pretty average. It’s a nice gentle cleanser, my skin didn’t feel stripped or dry after using it. It also does a good job of foaming up, just like it claims. I personally can’t stand the scent though. I know a lot of people like it, but it reminds me of alcohol. I actually checked the ingredients to see if there was alcohol in this cleanser, but GlamGlow says that it is ‘drying alcohol-free’. Either way, this green tea-apple combination is not my favourite. Overall I will probably continue to use this cleanser now that I have it, but I would recommend others over this one. Price: $28 USD, $35 CAD

Next I got an Eyelash Curler from PUR Cosmetics. Not going to lie, I’m bummed that I received this item. I already own an eyelash curler, and this tool is not really one that you need multiples of. I am sure it’s a create quality lash curler, but it’s just not something I needed. I haven’t decided if I’m going to keep it or give it to a friend/sell it. Price: $18 USD

The next item I got is the Oryza Opaline Top Gloss. I thought this product was a lip gloss, so imagine my reaction when I put this on my lips and it dried down completely within seconds. I have never tried something like this before! It has the shimmer impact of a glossy lip topper but the durability of a liquid lipstick. Now this is not a lippie that I would wear all the time, only for certain occasions when I want a ton of glitter on my lips. But I could imagine having a waterproof shimmer could be good for a festival or fun event. In the end, I wouldn’t say everyone should run out and buy this. I probably won’t use it very often but it does what it claims to do. Price: $14.99 USD or $17.99 (I don’t know what currency but the second price is what is on their website)

More glitter! The next item is the Ciate London Eye Lustre Creme Eyeshadow. Wow this are fun! This creme eyeshadow is extremely pigmented. I put one swipe on my eyelid and I was able to cover it completely all the way up to my eyebrow haha. I think just a little bit of this place on the middle of the eyelid would be so beautiful. While I found that the eyeshadow didn’t crease, it was still tacky. About an hour later I was able to wipe it off using my finger. I’m not sure how long wearing this product would be. Overall I think this is a fun creme eyeshadow that I will definitely play with more. Price: $22 USD

The final product is the Alamar Cosmetics Colorette Blush Trio, and I got mine in the shade medium/tan. Man these shades just scream summer to me! I can’t wait until I am a little more tan because for now these shades are just a hair to dark. My set includes a coral, a peach and a rose shade which are my favourite to wear as blushes. These blushes aren’t so pigmented that I have to be careful not to over do it. Instead they are buildable and blendable. I really like the eyeshadow palette that I own from Alamar Cosmetics, so I’m not surpised that I like this blush trio. If you like blush, this is a gorgeous trio. Price: $22 USD

And that is my May Boxycharm! While I miss exploring and all the new friends I met abroad, I am excited to be home and have the chance to sit and play with my makeup again!

xoxo

Lea

Sephora VIB Sale Haul

Hey friends! So today I am sharing what I got during the Sephora VIB Sale. The sale goes until Monday, so if you still have a chance to pick up some stuff! I went a little crazy, but 20% off is a great time to stock up or get items that you have been eyeing for awhile.

vib sale 2019

First, I repurcahsed the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. You guys know how much I love this cleanser, so I had to pick up a mini for when I travel later this month. I think once I finish this one I will invest in the full size one.

I bought a second cleanser, since I like to use a different cleanser in the morning and night (yes I’m that extra). I got the OLEHENRIKSEN Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser. I was looking for a new cleanser meant  oily/acne prone skin. This one had good reviews and smelled pretty good, so I am excited to try it out.

The final skincare bit is my Beauty Insider birthday gift! I decided to go with the Drunk Elephant giftset. It comes with a deluxe sample of the Prontini Polypeptide Cream and the Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser. I have never tried anything from Drunk Elephant but I seen many good reviews of their products. I’m going to try them out, and if I like them they will be the perfect size to bring to Europe with me.

Next up I bought two lip balms, because you can never have too many lip balms. The first is the new Laneige Lip Glowy Balm. They are completely sold out online, but they still have a few Pears in store. I have a feeling I am going to like this more than their sleeping mask! I tried it once already and I loved it. It is thinner and feels amazing on the lips. Excited to wear this more!

The second lip balm is the new Bite Beauty Agave+ Daytime Vegan Balm. I have the original Agave Lip Balm, and I am curious to see how different this new one is from the original. I know the big difference is that this balm is now vegan, which is pretty great! Let’s hope that the formula isn’t too different and that is just as amazing as the original!

Next I really wanted to pick up the new Fenty Bronzer, but they were sold out in the shade that I wanted in store. BUT they did have the Lil Bronze Duo, which includes a mini of the Sun Stalk’r bronzer and a Match Stix bronzer. I got the shade Shady Biz and Sinamon. I haven’t tried the Match Stixs yet either, so I thought this would be a fun set to purchase!

The final products I purchased are a new BeautyBlender and the Liquid BlenderCleanser. I usually purchase a new Beauty Blender every VIB sale since they are a bit pricey but are honestly the best makeup sponge I have tried. I have used the solid Beauty Blender cleanser and I really enjoy it, but I find that is gets gross pretty quickly. The last time I used it I found little black dots, which I think is mold. I thought that the liquid cleanser would be more hygienic, so I am going to try it out!

And that is what I got during the VIB sale! I am excited to try out all my new products. I am curious what you are purchasing during the sale, let me know down below in the comments!

xoxo

Lea

April 2019 Boxycharm Review

Hey guys! I AM DONE UNIVERSITY!! I can’t believe that it’s over! I will be posting a life update on Tuesday, so stay tuned for that. For now I have my April Boxycharm review. Now April has been a crazy month for me, with final papers and then exams and then moving back home. I have barely worn any makeup this month, so I haven’t really had much of a chance to test out the products I got in my box this month. I did one look with the box, so this post is going to be more of a first impression then an in-depth review.

Photo 2019-04-10, 1 36 18 PM

The first product is the Luxie Summer Daze 3PC Brush Set. I love Luxie brushes, they are some of the best I have ever used. They are super soft but also durable. They don’t get scratchy after multiple washes. I actually already own the 512 small contour brush, but I don’t mind a second one since I also like to use this brush to highlight. I always like getting brushes in my box, especially these Luxie ones since they are such high quality. Price: $28 USD

The next product is the Bodyography Eye Pencil in the shade Bali Bronze. I tried it in my waterline and it applied quite smoothly. Some wooden eye pencils can be quite stiff, but this one was creamy. I didn’t wear my makeup very long, so I don’t know how long wearing this pencil is. I am not sure how often I would use this pencil, since it is a sparkly bronze shade. Price: $14 USD

The big item in this month’s box is the Festival Palette by PUR. I only used a few shades, but this palette is so gorgeous that I have many more in mind. The shade Wild Child, the bright pink, was the perfect balance of pigmented and blend-able. Sometimes bright shades are so pigmented that they can be hard to blend out. This shade is beautiful. I really like that they included two pressed glitters in the palette. These glitters are in a clear gel so they are pretty easy to use but it does take a bit to build it up. When using the glitters I would recommend using a glitter primer underneath. By the time I had finished doing my makeup the glitters were already starting to crease. Overall I really like this palette. I think it has a nice balance between wearable neutrals and fun pops of colour/glitter. I will definitely be using this again! Price: $36 USD

The lippie in this month’s box is the Appeal Cosmetics Holographic Lip Gloss. I really like this lip gloss! I will say it isn’t what I would picture for a holographic lip gloss. There isn’t a ton of glitter particles, so it just adds a nice hint of shine to the lips. But the base of this gloss is so juicy. This is like a nice almost clear gloss with just a hint of sparkle. Love it! Price: $21 USD

The final product is the Artist Couture Diamond Glow Powder in the shade Purple Dream. I have another one of the Artist Couture powder highlighters, and WOW they are great for festival season. These highlights have very fine glitter in them, so it makes your cheeks pop. It’s a little much for everyday use, but great for special occasions. I wore my other highlight during my school’s Frosh Week and got so many compliments. This shade is also super fun. It’s a peach base with a beautiful purple shift. Not something I would wear on the daily, but fits perfectly into the festival theme of the box. Price: $27 USD

And that is this month’s box. Overall I think this box was super cute and would be perfect for anyone planning on going to a festival this summer. What did you guys think of this month’s box? Let me know in the comments down below!

xoxo

Lea