Hey guys! Today I am sharing my current summer makeup routine using cream products! It wasn’t until recently that I got into cream products but now that I have tried them I am in love. I think it just makes my skin look dewy and fresh and also much more natural. It’s also a pretty long-lasting routine since I do make sure to apply a bit of powder. I have been doing this routine almost every day for the past couple of weeks. I will also be posting a video of this routine on my Insta if you want to check it out!
The first step is to prime. I like to use a dewy primer because then I don’t have to use as much highlight. The primer I am currently using is one of my products of the month, the Touch In Sol Pretty Filter Glassy Skin Balm. This was is very dewy. As I wait for my primer to dry I do my eyebrows.
Next, I apply my foundation and concealer. I like the Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation. Because I am using a dewy primer I don’t need a super dewy foundation. This foundation is pretty long-wearing as well. The concealer I use is the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. The shade I have is just a touch to pale for me right now but I love the formula.
After comes the fun part. For my bronzer, I like to use the Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer. This one is just a great shade for me and it blends out so easily. My favourite brush to use is the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. And I use the same brush to blend out my blush as well. This helps create a seamless look between the two. My current favourite cream blush is the NudeStix Nudies Matte Blush in the shade In the Nude. It’s such a great cream blush. I finish my face with the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. This is technically a complexion booster, so the colour is almost skin toned and it looks quite natural on the skin. It adds that light-from-within glow to my skin.
Now if you have dry skin you could probably get away with not setting the face. Because I have oily skin I have to set my face. I set my concealer and then place powder around my nose, chin and forehead. I also lightly dust powder around the rest of my face to set the cream products. This helps the base stay in place and also make my face not feel tacky. I currently am loving the Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Powder. To help my face not look powdery I spray a healthy amount of a dewy setting spray. My current fav is the NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray.
Next up is the eyes. I usually keep my eyes pretty simple. Sometimes I’ll apply a little eyeshadow but if I’m just at home then I’ll apply mascara. My current favourite is the Lancome Monsieur Big mascara. I didn’t like it at first but once it dried out a bit then I liked it. It gives me long and fluttery lashes.
The final step is the lips. Most of the time I’ll just apply lip balm. If I’m at home I don’t wear anything because I eat food lol. If I’m going to a store I will wear a face mask and I don’t want any lip products to get all over my mask. But if I’m just chilling with my friends and socially distancing, then I’ll apply a bit of Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lip in the shade Champagne Mami.
And that is my current makeup routine guys! Let me know what some of your current favourites are to wear in the summertime.
Hey guys! Today I am sharing my thoughts on my newest palette purchase – the Natasha Denona Bronze palette. I’ve only used the palette a few times so this won’t be a super in-depth review. But I’ve used it a few times and have developed some ~thoughts and feelings~ about the palette that I thought I would share! 🙂
First I just wanted to say that I have been thinking about getting a Natasha Denona palette for a while. I’ve heard that the formula of her eyeshadows are some of the best and that they are worth the high price tag. I hadn’t bought one yet because they are expensive and wanted to pick one that I felt would be worth my money. Well, when I saw the Bronze palette I knew that that was the one for me.
I realize that the colour palette isn’t exactly revolutionary. It’s full of bronzes, golds and coppers. But that is what makes this perfect for me! Those are my favourite shades to wear, so I know I will get good use out of this palette. I also think that the balance between mattes and shimmers is pretty good. There are six mattes in a range of tones to be able to create depth in the crease and then a bunch of fun shimmers and metallics to use on top. One of my favourite shades is surprisingly Deep Dive. It looks like a black but it’s actually deep brown-purple and one of the most unique shades I’ve ever seen. Just shows that even in a neutral palette there are interesting shades.
I haven’t used all the shades yet but every shade that I have used has been great. In the two looks I did I was dealing with some dry patches in my crease (bad reaction for an eye cream). The shades still blended amazingly over dry patches. Like you can’t even tell unless you look up close that I had dry patches. I think that shows how great the mattes are. The shimmers are all great. They are pigmented and the duo-chromes are also really good.
I was able to great two very different looks. But I just like the fact that I can throw a couple of mattes in my lid and then pop a shimmer shade and I would have a great look no problem. There is not trying to figure out what shades will go together because every shade will go with the other shades. That’s something I love that you don’t see in a lot of palettes.
Now is it worth the price? To put this into perspective, this palette is $87 CAD for 15 shadows. In comparison one of my favourite palettes ever is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam palette, which is $55 for 14 shades. So the Natasha Denona palette is significantly more expensive. I am unsure if it’s worth the price tag, I would have to do some testing to see if I notice a significant difference between the two.
So what are my overall thoughts? I am happy that I purchased this palette. It’s something I’ve wanted for a while and I think I will use it a lot. It might even become my new holy grail palette (too early to say though). But I would hold off recommending it to everyone for now. I think you would have to consider how much you wear makeup. A good thing to consider when making purchases is the cost per use. So if you are planning to use this palette daily then it will be worth it. But if you don’t wear makeup a lot OR have a large collection then this palette might not be necessary.
And those are my thoughts on the Natasha Denona Bronze palette! Let me know your thoughts on the palette or if you have any questions about it in the comments!
Hey guys! So today I am reviewing the new(ish) Wet n Wild foundation. I realize it’s not that new since it came out in like January. But it’s new to me because I just bought it okay! I liked the original Wet n Wild Photo Focus foundation so I was excited to try their Photo Focus Dewy Foundation. This is supposed to be a weightless formula that provides a natural, hydrating glow. It has buildable coverage from medium to full and is supposed to be long-lasting. They have 20 shades, which isn’t a lot, but the shades are at least evenly spread between Light, Medium, Tan and Deep shades. And something I like about Wet n Wild shades is that have warm, neutral and cool-toned shades.
So what are my thoughts on these claims? First, this foundation is medium coverage and can be built up to full coverage. For some reason when I think of a dewy foundation I automatically think less coverage. So I was surprised by the coverage. I had some nice pimples when testing this out. I found after the first layer I could still see the redness but I could apply a second layer of foundation to help conceal it. I found that applying it with a brush gave more coverage and applying it with a sponge helped sheer it out.
This is a dewy foundation. Because it’s so dewy I found that it left my skin feeling tacky. I like to applying cream products on top of this foundation and then lightly powdering my whole face. I found it looks more natural and skin-like. But I wouldn’t say this is weightless because I feel this Wet n Wild foundation on my face.
The foundation is also not long-lasting. I took photos half an hour after I applied my makeup and it looked great. About four hours later I was having redness peak through. About nine hours later the foundation has completely faded from my skin. In these photos, I had applied cream bronzer and powder. Whenever I wear powders over top it’s even worse. I find that the foundation almost crumbles off the skin.
So what are my overall thoughts on the foundation? I think it looks great on the skin and has great coverage, but the wear time sucks. I think this would be a good foundation to mix with others. Either adding it to a matte foundation to make it dewy or a sheer foundation to increase the coverage. I don’t think I would wear it much by itself which is unfortunate. So overall I would skip on this foundation and get something else instead. But I will continue to use it since I own it.
And that is my review of the Wet n Wild Photo Focus Dewy Foundation. I love doing foundation reviews, let me know if there are any foundations you guys think I should test out!
Hey guys! Today I am sharing my review of my June products and showing what products I have picked for the month of July.
My products for the month of June were the Ace Beaute  Vintage Dawn and Grandiose Palette, and the  Fenty Gloss Bomb. So I’ll be honest guys, I didn’t wear my June products that much. That’s because I have been skipping eyeshadow and lip products to make my summer makeup feel light and be faster to apply. But I have used both of these products in the past and can attest that they are both amazing products.
For the month of July I decided to pick products that I know I would get use out of. I use primer every day, so I thought it would be good to pick out one that I haven’t used in a while. I decided to pick the Touch In Sol Pretty Filter Glassy Skin Balm. I always want dewy skin but especially in the summer so I thought this would be a good pick.
The second product I picked in the It Cosmetics Brow Power in Universal Taupe. I do my eyebrows every single day but often use the same brow pencil (my ABH Brow Wiz). I thought it would be good to get some use out of my other brow pencils.
And that’s in for this month guys! Sorry this wasn’t a very detailed post but I thought I would still update you guys.
Hey guys! Today I have an extra special Boxycharm post – I am reviewing both the base box and the premium box! I’ve mentioned in my last post that I was curious about the difference between the two boxes. So I decided to get both. I will review the products in both boxes and then let you know my thoughts between the regular and premium.
So first the base box. I just want to mention that I have been testing quite a few skincare products and I have noticed that my pores are a little clogged right now and I have some small breakouts on my face. I believe it’s from the BB cream, but it would be the face wash or the masks. Unfortunately, I don’t know.
Base Box
Base Box
The first product is the Foaming Face Wash by Kylie Skin. This face wash is supposed to be gentle, leave skin feeling moisturized and brighten skin’s complexion. This cleanser is okay. I do think the fact that it’s foaming is fun. I also only need half a pump to wash my face. But it’s quite gentle. My acne-prone, combo skin needs a little more for a daily cleanser. This would be a good shower cleanser when I don’t want something stripping by will still clean my face. I also wouldn’t say it’s necessarily moisturizing. Overall I think it’s a pretty mediocre cleanser. I’ll use it because I have it, but wouldn’t go out and repurchase it. Price: $24 US
Next up is the Purlisse Beauty Perfect Glow BB Cream SPF 30. I really like this BB cream, except for the fact that I think this is what broke me out. This is the perfect tinted moisturize. It gives enough coverage but still looks like skin. It just looked so nice and other products applied beautifully on top of it. I would wear this if I was going to be outside but still wanted to wear a foundation. I believe that this is breaking me out because I have had issues with sunscreens breaking me out in the past. I think if I were to wear it once in a while my skin would be fine but since I wore it every day for almost two weeks it was too much for my face. I would still recommend this BB cream though because it looks amazing on the skin! Price: $35
I really like this product but I don’t think it’s for everyone. I received an Artist Couture Diamond Glow Powder in the shade Conceited. It’s a bronze/gold highlight with golden shimmering pearls. I actually like to wear this as glitter on my eyes the most. When I do wear it as a highlight, I just apply a little bit to the top of my cheeks. Because it’s a very glittery highlight. So if you like glitter you will love this. If you perfect a dewy, glowy look I would pass this. Price: $27 US, $36 CAD
The next product is insanely priced. The QMS Medicosmetics Lip Line Corrector is £155. That’s $260 Canadian dollars!!! Like what the fuck. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT, IT IS NOT WORTH IT. This lip line corrector is supposed to target fine lines and wrinkles as well and hydrate and plump the lips. I was skeptical but I read good reviews about it, saying it has instant results but continued usage makes a significant difference. And then I tried it myself and it worked! Almost instantly my lips looked smoother and significantly plumper. And it didn’t have any tingly feeling like plumping glosses. The only annoying this is that a full pump is way too much product and it’s hard to half pump it so I feel like I’m wasting product. Listen, this shit might work, but I would never recommend spending that much money on a cosmetics product. Like at that price point you might as well get lip injections. Price: $200 US (that’s what the card says)
The final product is my face box is the First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub with 10% AHA. This is a hard product for me to review because I don’t have KP bumps. I used this scrub on one arm and a regular body scrub on the other and didn’t notice a difference. Both left my arms smooth. But maybe if you do have KP bumps and use this it’ll be strong enough to make a difference? I’m not sure but one of my friends used it and loves it. So overall I will be passing this product along to someone else who will get better use out of it than me. Price: $18 US, $36 CAD
Premium Box
Premium Box
The first product Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Mask. This mask is just … average. Like it’s basically just a super thick moisturizer that takes a little longer to sink into the skin. Like sure it makes my skin feel smooth, but I don’t wake up in the morning going wow my skin is amazing! Like it did its job but it’s nothing special. I think the Glow Recipes Watermelon Sleeping mask is better. Price: $49 US, $66 CAD
The next product is the Too Faced Cocoa Contour Palette. I’ve mentioned this before but I am not a fan of this brand. Just so many controversies that I don’t think they handled well and a lot of products that they have realized lately haven’t impressed me. But I tried to keep an open mind about this product. First I love this packaging. It looks nice, feels nice but isn’t too bulky. It also smells amazing. Like every time I open it smells like chocolate but the scent doesn’t carry over to my face. It also has a big mirror. What I don’t like that there is only one palette for every skin tone. Like I’m glad that they are shade inclusive, but I will never use the deep shades. I wish it only had the shades I need so it was cheaper and less packaging for me. I find the highlight shade not very pigmented so I have to use a lot. The contour isn’t bad, but what’s the point of the palette if I only use one shade? So while it’s not a bad product, it just doesn’t suit my personal tastes. Price: $44 US, $59 CAD
The lip product is the NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in the shade You’re No Good. I love the formula of this lipstick. I own this lipstick in the shade Light My Fire (which is an orange-red) and I love it. It is a very liquidy liquid lipstick that dries to be more of a stain. What I like is that I can apply a little and sheer it out for a wash of colour or apply a thick layer for a bight impactful look. Because it’s also more of a stain, it doesn’t look dry or cakey on the lips and lasts so long. I’m not a huge fan of this shade. It’s a deep red fuchsia, and I just prefer an orange toned than a pink. I will still wear it but probably sheered out. Price: $26 US, $34 CAD
The next item is the Grace & Stella Anti-Wrinkle + Energizing Face Masks. It came in a six-pack which is pretty great. These face masks are very slippery and slimy, so I have to lay down otherwise it falls off. It’s kinda annoying because then I can’t do other things, but on the other side that I am forced to relax at least. I think that they do a good job of moisturizing my face, but I don’t see how using one sheet mask can do that much for anti-ageing. Overall I will use them all, but I wouldn’t recommend these over other face masks.
I love getting face brushes! These Powder and Contour Brush Set from Battington Beauty are pretty nice. The hairs feel very soft and apply powder very well. The powder brush is just a little big for my under eyes, but applies powder to the rest of my face well. The contour is a great shape for chiselling out the face. I will say that for $90 (so $45 for each brush) that the handles are pretty cheap feeling. They aren’t heavy and honestly feel like my Morphe brushes. If you want a nice brand of brushes, go with Luxie because I feel that those are worth the price. Price: $90 US
The final product is the Living Proof Restore Repair Leave-In. This leave-in treatment is supposed to help dry and damaged hair. I have heard great things about Living Proof so I was excited to test it out. It’s paraben and phthalates free, and I believe it’s also curly-girl approved but I’m not 100% sure. If you guys don’t know, I’m kinda on a curly-girl hair journey where I am trying to bring out and enhance my normal curls. So I think this Living Proof treatment is great at what it claims, but it’s not what my hair needs. It left my hair feeling smooth and soft but didn’t do anything to help my curls. So I will keep this treatment for when my hair does feel dry (like after going in the pool or sal water) but probably won’t be using it on the daily. Price: $30 US, $40 CAD.
Full face using products from both boxes
Comparing the Boxes
So my base box was $25 US with a value of $304. Now keep in my the lip corrector is $200, so that product inflates the price of the box. The premium box was $35 US with a value of $264. Once again I think those brushes are over prices. So this shows that getting the premium box doesn’t automatically mean that it’s worth more than the base box.
If what brands are included in the box, then I think the premium box is better. In the premium box, 4 out of the 6 products are available at Sephora and therefore more ‘mainstream’. Whereas in the base box only 2 out of the 5 are available at Sephora, but I would argue that Kylie Skin is still pretty mainstream. But on the flip side, I don’t necessarily subscribe to Boxycharm to get products that I know about. I like testing out new brands, especially ones that are not always easy to get in Canada. For example, one of my favourite products in both boxes in the Purlisse Foundation, a brand that I’ve only heard about from Boxycharm.
So either way, I think both boxes are pretty great. I don’t think the premium box was so much better than the base box. It was one more product, so it makes sense that it would therefore be more expensive. I have decided in the end to stick with my base box. I don’t have a ton of extra cash and would rather spend the extra $10 US on buying products that I know I will like then on a surprise. But I think in the future I would consider getting premium again as a treat.
And that is my very long Boxycharm post for June! Let me know in the comments which box you think was better!
Hey guys! It’s officially – it’s been five years since I have graduated high school. Which is crazy to me. High school felt like forever, whereas university went by so quickly. So to celebrate this anniversary, I decided to recreate my prom makeup look!
I first pulled out my old dress. It’s actually a vintage 1970s evening dress. The dress unfortunately doesn’t fit me anymore, so for the purpose of this video I am wearing another black dress. I still have my jewellery and shoes, just missing my hair clip.
I got my makeup done at MAC because there wasn’t a Sephora in my mall at the time. From the photos that I have, I figured that I had a cool-toned smokey look with a big wing. I used my Urban Decay Naked Smokey palette (which I just found out has been discontinued) and Dominique Cosmetics palette. The finishing touch on this classy, Hollywood glamour look was a bright red lipstick. I purchased this lipstick for prom and I still have it today (oops) – the classic Ruby Woo.
I remember thinking that I was wearing so much makeup but looked beautiful. Now, after really getting into makeup the past five years, this look was so easy to do. While I don’t regularly rock a red lip, I do smokey eyeshadow all the time. This was also the first time I wore false lashes and now I wear them all the time.
For my prom I got my hair done by my hairdresser. I think she spent a couple of hours doing my hair. Now I’m trying to not use heat on my hair and I also am not the greatest at doing my hair. So I did a low bun with a hair clip instead.
Five years later I am still in love with my prom look. I think because it’s a vintage dress, there is something quite timeless about the look. Let me know in the comments if you guys went to prom, and if you did what do you think of your dress now.
Hey guys! Time for another product empties! I can’t believe that the last one I did was in April and I only have seven products this time around. I guess I wasn’t the best at using up products lately. But that means this post will be shorter for once haha.
I have two cleansers! I got both of these in May 2019 and it took me a year to finish them. The OleHenriksen Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser was my daily cleanser and the GlamGlow GentleBubble Daily Conditioning Cleanser was my shower cleanser. I enjoyed both of these cleansers, but I would say that I like the Ole one more. When I first started using the OleHenriksen one, it took a bit for my skin to adjust to it. I quickly fell in love with how it made my skin just feel so clean and really helped control my oil and acne. If you have acne-prone skin I highly recommend the OleHenriksen cleanser. The GlamGlow one I got in my Boxycharm. It’s good to use in the shower because the hot water can be stripping enough, so there is no need to use a strong cleanser on top of that. This isn’t strong enough to be my everyday cleanser, but I still used it up.
The next product is the Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder. This powder was in my 2019 favourites! The Hourglass powder is perfect for setting my makeup without making every matte. I find that a lot of loose setting powders can be very mattifying. Sometimes if I am using a matte foundation, I don’t want to use a mattifying powder on top otherwise it will get cakey. This is perfect for setting my makeup so it doesn’t crease or move but still keeping my skin looking life-like. I will be picking up the full size of this powder in the future.
My favourite brow pencil hands down is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. I have been using it for years. I normally use Dark Brown, but I have been noticing that it’s a little light for my dark hair. I might try a shade darker in the future. Anyways, this is my favourite, I have already repurchased another one.
The next empty is the Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. I love this body lotion. The scent is just so amazing, I haven’t found anything quite like it. It also lingers on the skin, so I smell like pistachio and vanilla throughout the day. It’s also quite moisturizing and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. Because it’s quite expensive, I only use this cream on special occasions. If you haven’t tried this body lotion yet, I highly recommend it.
A face moisturizer that I finished is the Garnier SkinActive Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Cream. I’ve mentioned this before, but I use face moisturizers on my body to help me not break out. This one did a good job! It’s lightweight and dries quickly on the skin. It didn’t clog my pores, which is the most important thing for me. It was good, but I felt like I went through it quickly, so I decided to pick a different moisturizer.
The final product is the NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray. This is my favourite drugstore setting spray. It just does such a good job of melting my makeup into my skin and making it look glowy and dewy but not oily. There is a difference – dewy/glowy is a lit from within look whereas oily just looks like it’s sitting on top of the skin. The spray on this isn’t also too aggressive so it doesn’t ruin my makeup. I love this spray and I have already purchased another one.
And those are my empties for the month. Let me know if you guys have tried any of these products and if you agree/disagree with me!
Hey guys! Today I am going to be rounding up my thoughts on my makeup that I have purchased somewhat recently. Some of these were products from my last Sephora order and some are products that I recently purchased from the drugstore. It’s taken me a while to test these products because I haven’t been wearing makeup as much. I started a new job a month ago and it took me about two weeks to get used to waking up early. But anyway, here are my thoughts on some products!
The first of two eyeliners is the Makeup Forever Artist Colour Pencil in 500 Boundless Bisque. Now I don’t wear this every day, only when I’m wearing full glam looks. But this pencil works perfectly for what I wanted. It helps brighten up my eye look but isn’t as stark as using a white pencil. It’s creamy and applying easily to my waterline. I haven’t tested how long it wears, but it doesn’t immediately fade away so that’s good! Overall it’s a great pencil and I would consider getting another one in a different shade in the future.
The next product is the Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation Dewy. Now unfortunately the shade I picked up is too light for me now that I have a bit of a tan going on. I’ve tried it a few times mixed with other foundations, but it’s hard to review a product when I’m mixing it. So far I’ve noticed it has good coverage though! I think I am going to get another shade and then post a full review for you guys. So stay tuned for that.
The first of two bronzers is the Maybelline City Bronzer. I wanted to expand my drugstore bronzer collection because it currently consists of the PF Butter Bronzer lol. This one is good! It’s supposed to be a bronzer and contour, but I think it’s too warm to contour. I use a big fluffy brush and liberally apply this around the perimeter of my face. It’s pretty pigmented so I always make sure to tap off the excess or dust the brush on the back of my hand before applying it to my face. For $11 I think this is a really good bronzer!
The final drugstore product is the Revlon Super Lustrous Glass Shine Lipstick. I got the shade Beaming Strawberry because that’s what I saw Allana Davison use in one of her videos (she’s the reason I bought it lol). I love this lipstick. It’s super a shiny, buttery lipstick. It feels like a lip balm on the lips. I would say the pigmentation is between a lip balm and a lipstick. It’s just so comfortable on the lips. Now the shade I got is more of a cool-toned pink, which I don’t wear as often. I want to get another one of these, maybe in a peach or red-orange shade!
The next product is the Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer. You guys might remember that I reviewed the Physicians Formula cream contour earlier this year. Well this one is way better. It just blends so easily and looks so good on the skin. I can apply it straight to my face and blend it out no problem. It doesn’t move my foundation around underneath. The way it sits on the skin just looks so natural. I feel that cream products generally sit better and look more life-like than powders. I love this cream bronzer and I will be using it so much this summer.
The final product is the Tarte Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner in the shade brown. I decided to get a brown liner because it looks more natural/lighter than a dark black. The liquid side is pretty easy to use and is very long-lasting. I wore it for over 12 hours the other day and it did not smudge at all. I haven’t used the pencil side much, but too be far I bought the eyeliner for the liquid side and consider the pencil side a bonus. It’s an eyeliner, not the most exciting product but it does a good job!
And that is my round-up on some new makeup! Let me know in the comments what makeup product you purchased recently.
Hey guys! Today I am back with my June products of the month! I took the past two weeks off in support of Black Lives Matter. You can check out my Instagram if you want more information on what I have done for the past two weeks. With that being said, I have decided to pick three products by black-owned beauty brands! Before that let me share my thoughts on my May products.
The first product I picked was  the Alamar Cosmetics Colorette Blush Trio in Medium/Tan. I liked using this palette! The three colours are all distinct but all wearable. They are very pigmented, so it’s pretty easy to accidentally apply too much. I always tap off the excess and sometimes swipe my brush on the back of my hand before applying it to my cheeks. The blushes have a slight sheen that looks very healthy on the cheeks. I like this palette and will continue to reach for it.
The other two products were both lippies. The first was the MACÂ Cremesheen Glass. I find there are two types of glosses – those that you can wear alone and those that look better over top of lipstick. This MAC one is the latter. I think it’s because it’s a lighter colour, it just looks funny with nothing underneath. I liked applying it over top of the second lip product, the Maybelline Color Sensational The Mattes. For being a matte lipstick, it’s creamy and feels so comfortable on the lips. The shade is also my perfect nude. The combo is great for everyday wear. I will continue to use both of these lippies.
Now for June’s products! The first product is the Fenty Gloss Bomb. I knew I wanted to use a Fenty product. But since the other products I own are foundation and bronzer, and I am testing out a foundation and bronzer currently, I thought it best to pick the gloss. Plus I haven’t used it in a while so I thought it would be great to revisit it.
The other brand I picked is Ace Beaute. I’ve received two of their palettes in my Boxycharm, but didn’t know until recently they were a black-owned brand! I’ve decided to use both of my eyeshadows palettes because I want to highlight the brand, not one specific palette. The two I own are the Vintage Dawn and Grandiose Palette. I am so excited to great some fun, colourful looks with these palettes!
And those are my products! Let me know in the comments some of your favourite black-owned brands – doesn’t have to be beauty related either!
Hey guys! Time for my favourite post to write every month – my Boxycharm! This month’s box was delivered on average of when I usually get it. Glad that it wasn’t too delayed because I know the post has been crazy lately. This month’s theme is Mother Nature. I also love that on the info card is says “packaged with gloves and love”!
The first item I received was my choice for the month. Because I selected a day late my only choice was the Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads. I would have preferred the Glam Glow mask but oh well! These pads are both chemical and physical exfoliant. The first time I used them my skin was super red after. My skin has slowly adjusted to them, but I can’t say if they’ve made much of a difference. I’m also using a new cleanser right now (I had to because I finished my other one) so it’s hard to tell if it’s the pads or the cleanser. Also, I hate using these pads because they’re not reuseable so I have to throw them away. If you read my April Boxycharm post you would also know my thoughts about getting Elemis products in Canada. I was able to find these on Amazon though if you are interested. I just don’t think it’s worth paying that much for a single-use product. Price: $59 US, $75 CAD
The next product is the Studio Makeup Ease to Wear Eyeshadow palette. At first, I was unsure how I felt about this palette, but after using it a few times I’ve come to realize this is a GREAT beginner eyeshadow palette. Sometimes eyeshadow palettes could be pigmented or have crazy colour stories which I love but aren’t great for the average wearer. This colour story is pretty for the average person wearing makeup just to work every day. The eyeshadows are the right amount of pigmentation to create a soft, day time look. I might not use this when I’m going out at night, but I would recommend this to any of my friends looking for something that is no fuss and easy to use. Also for all my GTA friends, you can get Studio Makeup at Rexall. Price: $35 US
I will say it’s hard to test an eyeshadow primer and palette at the same time. So I’m still on the fence about the Pretty Vulgar Uncaged Eyeshadow Primer. A little goes a long way with this product. If I apply too much my brush would stick or skip while blending shadows. I will say that it’s pretty long-lasting and my lids didn’t crease at all while using this base. So I think I like it, but it’s not replacing my Smashbox primer. Price: $22 US (Also sidenote it isn’t available at Sephora, they barely have any Pretty Vulgar products there!)
This is the second Seraphine Botanicals products that I have received from Boxycharm. I don’t care about getting repeat brands, but the products are nearly identical. This month I received the Whimsical Wisteria Conditioning Lip Polish. I have received the Daikon + Dreams Lip Exfoliator with Radish Extract in the past. There is literally no difference between these products except the scent. So that’s kinda a bummer to get this product. Also, it’s a lip polish/exfoliator. Like how many of those do I need! Pretty disappointed about this. Price: $24
The final product I received is the Gerard Cosmetics Lip Pencil in the shade Peachy Keen. Good lip liner but I’m not a fan of the shade. It’s creamy and pigmented enough that I can fill my lips in no problem. But it’s not too creamy that it smudges all over the place. I love peachy shades, but this one is just so pale. It’s lighter than my natural lip colour. I prefer to wear lipsticks that are either the same shade or darker than my natural lip colour. But that’s more of a personal preference thing. This would have been great when I was doing my 1960s makeup look ahaha. Price: $16 US
And that is my box this month! The total is $156 US. Not my favourite box. Something I’ve noticed is that ever since Boxycharm has come out with their different box options, the quality of their base box has gone down. I’ve signed up to be on the waitlist for their premium box. I’m curious whether the premium will be better than their normal box. I will definitely let you know my thoughts once I am off the waitlist and receive a box!
Leave it to Lea 