Tag: Makeup Review

Beauty, Drugstore, Favourites, Review

Drugstore Makeup Guide

by LeaLeave a Comment on Drugstore Makeup Guide

Hi guys! Today’s post is inspired by my friends. They are always asking me what my favourite drugstore products, so I thought I would compile all my faves into one post. I tried to stick to just one or two favourites in each category. I have linked all the products to Ulta’s website, but for all my fellow Canadian girls I bought most of these products at either Shoppers Drug Mart or Rexall. Finally, the one product I do not have any favourites are primers because I do not own any drugstore primers. Let me know in the comments which drugstore primers I should try!

drugstore makeup guide

For foundation I decided to go with my current favourite – the Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation. I wear a lot of drugstore foundations, so it was hard for me to pick a favourite. I decided to pick this Wet n Wild one because it’s the cheapest while still being a great foundation. It has a matte finish and lasts a long time on the skin. If you still haven’t tried this foundation, I highly recommend you go get it!

While I like drugstore foundation, I usually prefer high-end concealers. A good one from the drugstore is the Maybelline Fit Me concealer. I really like this concealer in the summer when I looking for something that is a little more natural but still brightens my under eyes. If you don’t like heavy concealer I recommend you check this one out, but keep in mind it does need to be set to stay in place.

My favourite powder is a pressed one – the Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Powder. This powder is for all my fellow oily girls out there. I love using this powder when I’m looking oily and need a touch up. It’s lightweight and does a great job of controlling shine. I have hit pan on this product,  I really need to buy a new one.

If you follow my blog or Instagram, you probably won’t be surprised that my favourite drugstore bronzer is the Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer. It’s the perfect bronzer shade – not too orange and no glitter. It gives a beautiful glow to the skin, and it’s so easy to apply. It also smells amazing, which is a great bonus! Everyone needs this bronzer in their life.

A great blush from the drugstore is the Milani Powder Blush. I don’t like a very pigmented blush because I have a heavy hand and can really easily apply to much. This blush is perfect for me because it’s a buildable formula, so I look perfectly flushed instead of a clown. I also think the rose pattern is beautiful.

It was really hard for me to pick my favourite drugstore highlighter because I have and love so many. I decided to pick two that are complete opposites. The first is the Maybelline Master Chrome Highligher. This highlighter is smooth but blinding. It’s very comparable to Ofra’s highlighters but at a much cheaper cost. My other favourite is the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter. This highlight is great for when I want a subtle look. The Essence highlighter is great for no-makeup makeup when I want a natural glow. The shade is also very flattering on my skin tone. Both of these highlighters are great for different reasons.

For setting spray, I recommend the Milani Make It Last Setting Spray. This stuff is great for really locking in my makeup look. If I want to make my makeup last all day, I use this spray. The only thing I don’t like is that I can make my face feel a little tight, probably because of all the alcohol in it. BUT I have almost used a full bottle of this because it just does such a good job.

Okay, I’m not sure if this product is being discounted or something, because it’s not on the Ulta website but I was able to find it on Amazon! The L’Oreal Infalliable 24 HR Eye Shadow in Amber Rush is just amazing. It’s an intense eyeshadow that can be easily applied with a finger. I just blend a matte shade in the crease and then pop this on the lid and it’s a beautiful look. The shade Amber Rush specifically is a beautiful rose gold that I 10/10 recommend.

The best drugstore matte eyeshadows are the ones in the Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadows. I own Rose in the Air, and the mattes in this palette are great. They’re not as pigmented as some of my high-end palettes, but they are builable and blendable which is great. If you’re interested, check out this post for a more in-depth review of the palette.

If you like a brush liquid liner, you have to try the NYX Matte Liquid Liner. This liner applicator is probably one of the easiest to use out on the market. It has a fine tip to create a precise line, and it’s really use to create a wing look. If you have hooded eyes, like I do, then you would enjoy this liner. This is the only liquid liner I use because it’s just the best I’ve ever tried.

I have two mascara recommendations. The first is the classic L’Oreal Lash Paradise. It’s not pictured in the photo because I just threw mine out because it was expired and haven’t picked up another one yet. The L’Oreal mascara is great for making your lashes thick and voluminous. The Essence Volume Stylist Lash Extension Mascara is great for making your lashes nice a long. This adds length and a little volume, great for everyday use.

I don’t wear lip liner very often, but when I do I always wear the Maybelline lip liners. Mine is in old packaging, so I’m not sure if the formula is the same. These lip liners are creamy and very easy to apply. I also find that they last pretty well throughout the day. As well, they have a really nice colour selection, so check them out!

Finally, my favourite lipsticks at the drugstore are hands down Maybelline Colour Sensational lipsticks. They are a creamy matte, so they apply easily but still look matte on the lips. They are so comfortable on the lips and last really well through the day. The colour selection is amazing, but I think the nudes are the best. My favourite shade is Daringly Nude. If you don’t own one of their lipsticks, I highly recommend you go buy one right now.

And these are all my favourite drugstore makeup products! I hope you I gave you guys some suggestions for new products to check out! Let me know down below your favourite drugstore makeup products 🙂

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Favourites, Review

What I Pack in my Travel Makeup Bag

by LeaLeave a Comment on What I Pack in my Travel Makeup Bag

Hey guys! So I have been home this past week because it is my university’s reading week! So I have had a week off classes to relax (and catch up on homework lol). Since I am currently living out of my travel makeup bag, I thought it would be a good time to share what I usually bring with me! I’m not going to go into a full review of every product, more why I bring it with me.

So I usually bring two large bags with me, both purchased from Forever 21. I am looking for a really big bag, so if you guys have any recommendations let me know! Anyways, in my larger bag I keep my makeup and then in my smaller bag I keep my makeup brushes. I won’t go into what brushes I bring because otherwise this post would be super long, but let me know in the comments if you guys are interested in a post about that!

Photo 2018-10-12, 12 06 13 PM

I will go through my makeup in the order I apply everything! So to begin, I bring my Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer. This is the only eyeshadow primer I own so obviously I bring it with me!

Next I brought two eyeshadow palettes with me. The first is my Colourpop magnetic palette with a bunch of single shadows. The single shadows I have are from NYX, Colourpop and Makeup Geek. I bring this little palette everywhere I go because it has a matte shade to set my eye shadow prime and basic shades that are great in the crease. I can just throw on some of these transition shades and I’ll be done. Then I usually bring one other fun palette with me. The one I brought for this trip is the Colourpop Dream St palette. I am currently testing it out, so that’s why it’s with me!

Photo 2018-10-12, 12 07 15 PM

I didn’t bring any eyeliner with me because I don’t wear it on average day, and I wasn’t planning to wear any dramatic eye looks this week. I will just use eyeshadow if I really want to line my eyes. The two mascaras I brought were the Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara, and the Butter London Double Decker Mascara. The Tarte mascara gives me major drama and volume while the Butter London one gives me fluffy, everyday lashes.

For my brows I brought my tweezers and my Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. This is a great brow pencil and comes with a spoolie so it’s great to travel with.

For some reason I’m extra and I bring two primers. At least both are travel size! The first is the Benefit POREfessional and the second is the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. This primers are very similar, I honestly just alternate between the two.

My foundation and concealer honestly depend on which actually matches my skin at the moment. My summer tan is still pretty strong, so I am using the Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation (shade Soft Beige) and the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer (shade 20 Sand) because they are the only products I own that are dark enough for me right now. I’m sure in a month I will be using a different foundation and concealer once my tan fades away.

For powder I am currently using the Cover FX Pefect Setting Powder because it is the only powder that I have in a travel size. But I do really like this powder! I really like travelling with a mini setting powder because it’s not as messy.

Even though the packaging in bulky, I have to travel with my Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer. It is just my favourite bronzer – I really need to get a new one soon because I am almost done mine! The blush I use is the one I got in my Sephora birthday gift last year, which is a mini of the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes. I make up for bringing a bulky bronzer with bringing a tiny blush!

Once again, I am extra because I bring two highlights. To be fair, they are two different shades. The first is the Ofra Rodeo Drive Highlighter and the second is the Maybelline Master Chrome Highligher in Molten Rose Gold. I bring these two because they are less expensive compared to some of my other highlighters (aka my Becca ones). So if they were to accidentally break while travelling, it wouldn’t be as costly to replace them.

If you read my latest product empties post, then you would know that I cannot live without these two setting sprays. The first is the MAC Fix + and the other is the Urban Decay All Nighter. I really need to look into getting minis for these setting sprays for when I travel.

Finally, I brought a ton of lippies. I brought two lip glosses, two lipsticks and three liquid lipsticks. They are all either different shades or different finishes. I like to have lots of options for lippies haha! From top to bottom in the photo below: Sephora Collection Outrageous Effect Lip Gloss in XXL Nude, Bare Minerals GEN NUDE Buttercream Lipgloss in Must Have, MAC Matte Lipstick in Velvet Teddy, Girlactik Matte Lip Paint liquid lipstick in Posh, Covergirl x Katy Perry Lipstick in Catoure, The Beauty Crop GRLPWR Liquid Lipstick in Date Night, and Stila All Day Liquid Lipstick in Patina.

And that is what I pack in my travel bag. Products do vary, but these are the products that I am currently loving and decided to bring home for the week! Hope ya’ll have a good weekend!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Review

September Boxycharm 2018

by Lea1 Comment on September Boxycharm 2018

Hey friends! Back with my favourite thing to review – my Boxycharm! This month’s theme is Wild Flower, and all the photo promotions they did all their Instagram is gorgeous!

Photo 2018-09-18, 4 52 15 PM

The first product is the Pretty Vulgar Nightingale Smokey Eyeshadow palette. This is a cool toned smokey palette, so not something I wear on the every day. I’m not sure how much use I will get out of this palette, but something nice to have on hand. Also trying to review this palette forced me out of my comfort zone and try something new. I really liked the quality of the mattes, but didn’t like the shimmers as much. The mattes were pigmented and blended really well. The shimmers are the other hand were quite mediocre. They were nice, but I had to wet them to really get my desired look. I definitely have nicer shimmers in my collection. Overall, I liked the palette, and if Pretty Vulgar came out with an all matte palette I would buy it. Price: $35 USD, $43 CAD

Next is the Laura Geller Baked Blush-n-Brighten in the shade Tropical Hues. I didn’t think I was going to like this blush because it has shimmers in it, but it actually gives a healthy glow to the skin. It’s the perfect level of pigmentation when I don’t have to worry about accidentally putting on too much blush. This blush is a beautiful shade and I will definitely continue to use it. Price: $28 USD

The Butter London Stroke of Wow Roll on Liner reminds me of the MAC Rollerwheel liner, which I had heard numerous negative reviews on. I was very nervous about using this liner, and in the end I didn’t like it. I had to close my eye and pull on the skin to be able to get a nice straight line, which I don’t have to do with other eyeliners. I tried to do a wing and it was nearly impossible. I have hooded eyelids, so it’s hard enough already to do a nice wing. This eyeliner just ended up skipped all over the place, and I ended up giving up before I even made a nice wing. Finally, I found the liner to have a shiny finish, and I personally prefer a matte finish. Overall I did not like this liner, and I would not recommend because it is very difficult to use. Price: $19 USD, $26 CAD

The Hank and Henry liquid lipsticks are actually not available yet, so it’s cool to try a product before it releases. I received the shade Petal Pusher, which is a beautiful berry tone. Overall it was a nice liquid lipstick, but not my favourite. It looked nice all day, didn’t transfer and lasted through lunch. Unfortunately but I time I got home I just couldn’t wait to take it off because my lips felt dried out. Overall, I would wear it again because it’s a nice shade, but I wouldn’t go out and buy more. Price: $17 USD

The final product was the Alamar Cosmetics Ojitos Brush Set. I really like this brush set because it includes everything I need to complete a eye look. It includes a fluffy blender, a flat brush for apply shimmery shades, and flat tight liner for doing liner or smoking out the lower lash line. The brush hair is soft and applying shadow well. The only thing is I wish the handles were slightly bigger. Overall a great brush set, and I am always happy to receive more brushes in my box. Price: $18

The overall price of the box was $117 USD. Besides the eyeliner, I quite liked this box! What did you guys think? Did we get the same box? Let me know down below!

Also, if you want to see my makeup looks I did with this box, check out my Instagram at @xoxoxoleelee!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, empties, Review, Skincare, Uncategorized

Product Empties

by Lea4 Comments on Product Empties

Hey guys! I am back with another product empties! These are products that I have used up this past summer/spring. I have a ton of products, so I will try and keep my comments about each product short and sweet. I will also add if I would repurchase each product, because I find that super helpful.

Photo 2018-09-21, 4 54 33 PM

First I have a large and a travel size of the Garnier Micellar Water. I always have one of these bottles in my empties posts because I love this product. I like this product because it does a good job of removing my makeup, and leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed. Would I purchase again? Yes, I already have. Almost done my current bottle.

Another makeup remover that I finished is the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Make-Up Remover. I’m a little extra when it comes to removing my makeup, and use a oily one for my eye makeup. I really enjoy this one because it’s oily enough to remove stubborn mascara, but not too oily that is leaves unwanted oil residue on my eyes. It does a good job and its a good price. Would I purchase again? Yes!

This summer was the summer of body lotions, as I finished three different ones. The first was the OGX Hydrating Argan Oil of Morocco Lotion. This bottle took me awhile to finish. Just a little bit of this lotion went a long way. I like the way it smells. Mostly importantly, my skin felt very soft and smooth. Would I purchase again? Yes, eventually. I currently have many other lotions that I want to finish, but I would definitely recommend this one.

Unlike the OGX body lotion, I finished the sample of the Sol De Janeiro Bum Bum Cream that I received in my Boxycharm very quickly. I found that I had to use more product to get a similar smooth and soft feeling, but I absolutely love the scent. It smells of pistachio and coconut, an combination that reminds me of summer and tropical vacations. The scent is so strong and lingers that people would ask me an hour after I applied the lotion what perfume I was wearing. Would I purchase again? Yes I already have. I adore the scent!

The final lotion I have is the Nivea Creme. This was my first time trying this classic, and I really liked it! I don’t use this lotion every day because it is very thick. I mainly reserve this for when my skin is very dry, or when I don’t want a very strong scent. Would I purchase again? Yes, I think I am going to enjoy this lotion in the winter.

This is my second time finishing a Benefit POREfessional Face Primer. I have tried a few other face primers, and I just like this one just a little more than other primers. I like the way it blurs out my pores, and I find it makes my makeup last a bit more compared to other primers, so I generally reach for this one. Would I purchase again? Yes I already have.

My current favourite toner is the Origins Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner. This is a great toner for oily skin. It leaves my skin feeling clean and tight, ready for a good moisturizer. Since starting this toner I have noticed that my pores don’t get as clogged. Also has a nice minty smell. Would I purchase again? Yes, I love this toner!

Another skin care product is the Pacifica Beauty Kale Luxe Oil-Free Multi Cream. This is my second bottle that I have finished. I enjoy this moisturizer because it is light-weight and makes my skin feels soft and hydrated. Would I purchase again? I have purchased another one, but I am currently using a different one. I wanted something that makes my skin look matte, and this one doesn’t really do that.

A shower cream that I finished was the Body Shop Shea Butter Shower Cream. A friend gave me this for my birthday. To be honest, I thought at first it was the coconut one, so I was disappointed when it didn’t smell like coconut. I’m not a big fan of the smell, but otherwise I did enjoy it. It suds up pretty nicely and did a good job of cleaning my skin. Would I purchase again? No, because I didn’t like the scent. That being said, I would maybe try some of their other shower creams in different scents.

A hair mask that I finished was the Tresemme Repair and Protect 7 Instant Recovery Mask. WOW, I loved this mask. I would use it once a week, generally when I would shave my legs. It has an amazing scent and did an amazing job at revitalizing my hair. My hair felt so much softer and smoother after, especially my dry ends. This is a great drug store priced hair mask! Would I purchase again? YES!

The final two empties are my beloved setting sprays. The first is the MAC Prep + Prime Fix +. The second is Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. I am a little extra, and I use two setting sprays every day. I always use the MAC Fix + first to help melt all my makeup into my skin. It does an amazing job at making my makeup look less powdery and more flawless. It is also great at intensifying powder products like eyeshadow or highlight. After using MAC Fix+ I usually go in with a second setting spray, one that makes my makeup last longer. My favourite is by far the UD All Nighter. It makes my makeup last longer without my making my face tight or sticky. Both these setting sprays are great for different reasons. Would I purchase again? Yes, I can live without either of these setting sprays.

And those were all my product empties! Do you like prefer when I have lots of empties in one post, or would you prefer me doing them more often? Let me know down below! I am also working on doing a big makeup/skincare declutter, so look forward to a post about that soon!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Review

I Wore Festival Makeup for a Full Week – Tips, Tricks and Fav Products

by Lea1 Comment on I Wore Festival Makeup for a Full Week – Tips, Tricks and Fav Products

Hey guys! I’m baaack 🙂 If you read my Life Update that I posted last month, then you would have known that I was busy with Orientation Week for my university the last week of August/first week of September. That week is finally done, so now I have some free time once again.

My faculty’s theme for the week was Coachella, so of course I took the opportunity to go crazy with my makeup. At my school, every faculty has a colour, and my faculty’s is navy blue, so I tried to incorporate a ton of blue in my makeup looks. I didn’t get a chance every day to take pictures of my makeup, but here are my two favourite:

This week I learned a lot about festival makeup, so I thought I would share some tricks that I learned along with some of the products I really enjoyed. I know festival season is basically over now, but a lot of these tips are good for any makeup look that you need to last all day long.

Festival Makeup Tips + Tricks

  1. Take care of your skin. Wearing makeup in hot weather all day long can really clog up pores, so I made sure to exfoliate every other day to keep my skin fresh and soft. Also wear sunscreen. I used to hate wearing face sunscreen until I found one I like, but it’s so important so take the time to find one you like.
  2. Plan your looks ahead of time. I had to be on campus some days at 6:30 am, so figuring out what I wanted to do with my makeup earlier save me time in the morning. I went on Pinterest and just pinned a bunch of looks that I liked that I could pull up in the morning.
  3. Keep your base simple. I wore the same primer, foundation, concealer and powder every day that week. I picked products that I knew would last all day, and it saved me time that I spent on my eye makeup (the more fun part in my opinion haha).
  4. Falsies are just not worth it. Last week was hot. It was 30 degrees and felt like 40 the whole week. I tried wearing falsies one day and they popped off within two hours. If you really want to wear falsies, bring lash glue to fix them on the go.
  5. Lip gloss and lip balm are your best friends this week. I was on campus for 8-12 hours most days. I was eating, drinking water and talking to people. I really did not want to worry about my lips looking crusty, so I stuck to lip gloss and lip balm exclusively this week. They are easy enough to re-apply without looking in the mirror.
  6. If you are putting rhinestones on your face, use lash glue to keep them in place all day. A friend told me about this, and it made such a difference. A few still fell off, but that’s to be expected when your sweating all day. I also brought a few extra ones with me just in case they did fall off. Also use clear glue instead of black glue.

Favourite Products

My favourite sunscreen is the Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector. I know it’s expensive, but I have had so many issues with sunscreens breaking me out, I thought it was time to invest in a good one. This one has not broken me out, and I have never gotten a burn while wearing this sunscreen. It also comes with a decent amount of product, so it will probably last me through next summer too.

In one of the pictures above, I wore the L’Oreal Infallible Paint Liquid Eyeliner in Electric Blue. Wow this is a pretty great coloured eyeliner! It is bright, stayed on all day, and was relatively easy to apply. It comes with a felt tip, and I prefer brush tip for eyeliner, but it was still flexible enough for me to use. I rocked the blue liquid eyeliner a few days because this one was just so good.

For a pencil eyeliner, I really enjoyed the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in the shade Deep End. These Urban Decay pencils are great for the waterline and way cheaper than the Marc Jacobs one. It did a great job of lasting all day, and I got tons of compliments on it.

In the second photo above, the shade I wore all over my lip was the shade Varadero from the Alamar Cosmetics Reina del Caribe Vol 1 palette. Ever since I received this palette in my Boxycharm, I knew I was going to use this shade during my Welcome Week. It was vibrant, pigmented, easy to blend and stayed beautiful all day. I wore this eyeshadow over 12 hours and it looked good a friggin day. I got so many compliments on my eyeshadow that day, everyone was so impressed. If you are looking for some great bright colours, look no further than this palette.

If your looking for some glitter, look no further than the Unicorn Snot Glitter Gel by FCTRY. I bought mine from Hot Topic (great place for glitter), but you can also get it on Amazon. This gel it full of glitter, and put once you rub it on your body it dries down clear and dry. It wasn’t sticky after at all. The glitter stayed on my body all day but washed off easily later. Also one little jar goes a long way – I shared it with so many people and I still have a bunch left. 10/10 recommend if your looking for some glitter for your body.

The final item was probably the one I got the most compliments on, and one initially one I never thought I would use. I got the Naked Cosmetics Holographic Highlighter Collection in my Boxycharm and never thought I would use it much but I decided to keep it around anyways. I wore the blue highlight on the first day and was so impressed. It was bright, vibrant and clearly blue. And it stayed bright all day long. I find that regular highlights fade off my skin about mid-day, but this one managed to stay bright all day. It was so hot and sweaty, and it even rained, but this highlight was still going strong. Everyone thought the highlight was from Anastasia Beverly Hills or Fenty Beauty, and they were shocked when I told them it was an indie brand. If you are looking for a fun, colourful highlight, I definitely recommend this one.

And those are my tips, tricks and product recommendations for festival makeup. I know this is different from my regular blog posts, but let me know if you liked it! I am also going to try and get into a posting schedule, I’m thinking maybe Fridays? We’ll see next week haha!

xoxo

Lea

 

Beauty, Boxycharm, Review

July Boxycharm

by LeaLeave a Comment on July Boxycharm

Hey guys! Here I am with another late Boxycharm, but are you guys even surprised at this point? Maybe next month I’ll be on time! Anyways, this month’s Boxycharm theme was “Roadtrippin” and came with fine items.

july boxy

First item is the Chella Beauty Eyebrow Cream. This product is basically a pomade, which I have never actually used before! I really enjoyed the formula of the product – it was smooth, applied well and stayed on pretty well. I wasn’t a big fan of the packaging though. While it did come with a brush, the opening for where the brow cream is is very small, and hard to get the brush into. Overall I liked this product, and makes me want to try more brow pomades! Price: $26.00

Next was the Note Cosmetics Luminous Silk Compact Blusher. I saw online that not a lot of people liked this blush, but I didn’t mind it! I really like the shade I recieved, which was Desert Rose. It was a nice peachy shade and looked nice on the face. The packaging does look and feel cheap, but it matches the price it is. It’s not the best blush ever, but good enough that I would use it again. Price: $11.59

The product I didn’t really like was the Dr. Brandt No More Baggage eye cream. To be honest, I was underwhelmed by the results. It comes out as a orange, tacky gel and does a little bit to help reduce dark circles, but I think a colour corrector could achieve the same effect. I don’t have puffy under eyes, so I didn’t notice it doing anything to reduce my under eye bags. I honestly have gotten better results from using an eye patch that this cream. Overall, I would have preferred the other skincare product that they were offering. Price: $42.00

Next was the Wander Beauty Unlashed Volume and Curl Mascara. I have heard good things about this mascara so I was excited to try it. This is a very volumizing mascara. It really added definition to my lashes with still being fluffy. I found that it didn’t do a ton to length my lashes. I personally prefer a more lengthening mascara over one that volumizes, but this one is still pretty good. I will definitely use it again, but it won’t replace my favourites. Price: $24.00

The final product was the Tarte Ready, Set, Radiant Mist. I really like this mist! I love the smell of cucumber, it’s so relaxing. I do feel refreshed whenever I spray this mist. This product shouldn’t be confused with a setting spray though, because it doesn’t really do much to prolong wear time. It just a way to refresh skin and makeup, and it does a really good job of that. Overall, I will continue to use this product because I like it! Price: $25.00

And that’s it for my July Boxycharm! It wasn’t a bad box, but I found I wasn’t really wow-ed by it. The overall total of the box was $128.99 which is really good! Let me know in the comments what you guys thought about the box!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Review

June Boxycharm Review

by LeaLeave a Comment on June Boxycharm Review

It’s halfway through July and I’m finally posting my June Boxycharm review….. Sorry guys! It’s been a hectic summer working full time, volunteering part time, trying to have a social life and run a blog. My next post I am definitely doing a Q+A/FAQ/Life update so you can better understand why I will go 15 days without posting haha!

Anyways, I know June is long gone, and I have actually received my July Boxycharm, but I still wanted to provide you guys with some reviews on the products that I got in my box. I also had written this blog post and just hadn’t posted it soooo here it is!

Photo 2018-06-14, 3 09 15 PM

The big palette in the box is the Alamar Cosmetics Reina Del Caribe Vol.1 palette. This palette has great pigmentation.  The shimmer shades are amazing both wet and dry. As well, there are some bold colours in this palette but they are bright and pigmented. That is an amazing accomplishment because bright colours can sometimes be dull or dusty. The quality of the shadows are great. Of course, I am mainly a neutral kind of girl, so I don’t get a bunch of use out of these every day. But this palette does make me want to play with more colour, and I feel very inspired! Price: $28.00 USD

The next product is the reason why this blog post too so long to write. I don’t wear fake eyelashes every day, so I was waiting for the chance to wear the Battington Lashes that I received – in the style Monroe – which didn’t happen until Canada Day (July 1). This were nice lashes though! They were easy to apply and looked very nice on, and I think I will get a bunch of uses out of this pair. Price: $28 USD

I am almost finish the small container of the Sol De Janerio Brazilian Bum Bum Cream that I received. I want more of this stuff. The scent is amazing. If you haven’t smelled this stuff yet you have to go to Sephora and smell if for yourself. The scent lingers on the body for a little bit, but isn’t so strong that it gives me a headache. It also absorbs into the skin quite quickly. Now this isn’t the ~best~ cream I’ve ever used, like I don’t notice a huge difference in how my skin feels compares to other creams, but the scent just makes it so enjoyable to use. Price: $10 USD for 250ml, $25 CAD for 250 ml

Next is a three piece set of Luxie Complexion Brushes. Now if you’ve followed my blog for a bit, you know I love Luxie brushes, and these brushes are no exception. They are so soft, they blend amazingly and do not shed. The three piece set comes with a powder brush, a highlight brush and a precision foundation brush. Now I use the precision foundation brush to blend out my concealer and it does a great job! I have also really liked the highlight brush as well. The powder brush I find is look fluffy for powder, but I want to still try it with bronzer and/or blush. Price: $49.99 USD for the set.

By far the worst product in the box is the Jonteblu waterproof eyeliner pencil. To be frank, it sucks and I probably won’t use it again. First of all, I got the shade charcoal, and honestly who uses grey eyeliner?? Besides the weird shade, I had to warm it up on the back of my hand before putting it in the waterline, and then it disappeared within an hour. Not a fan of this eyeliner. Price: $5.00

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The final product was an Ofra Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick, and I received the shade Verona, which is a nude brown. I have worn other liquid lipsticks from Ofra and I love the formula. They are comfortable and not drying. I find that the colour does fade a bit after eating/drinking, but that is something I can put up with since they are so nice on the lips. Now I didn’t wear this lippie yet because I find it to be very brown on me, but it is going to be great for the fall! Price: $21.00 USD

And that was my June Boxycharm! Overall price was ~$134, and I am pretty happy with the products that I got.

Let me know what you thought down below! ALSO write any questions that you guys have for my future Q+A/FAQ post!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Drugstore, Haul, Review

DRUGSTORE Makeup Haul

by Lea1 Comment on DRUGSTORE Makeup Haul

Hey guys! Sorry for being MIA lately – work and my volunteer position have both been crazy. I might be doing a Q+A/Life Update post sometime soon to explain what I’ve been up to this summer. Let me know down below if there are any questions you guys have for me!

Anyways, today’s post is a drugstore makeup haul! I decided to treat myself after I received my first big paycheck of the summer haha! Some of these items are new, and others are just ones that I have been meaning to buy for awhile now.

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There were a bunch of foundations that I wanted to try, but decided to the Physicians Formula The Healthy Foundation. In the summer I usually go lighter with my makeup, so the fact that this foundation claims to have a light-weight, medium coverage and satin finish sold me. The shade range isn’t the worst, but it could be better. They have 16 shades, which a range of warm, cool and neutral tones. I was able to find a great shade for me, but I think they could expand their range, especially on the deeper end. I know lots of people didn’t like that it has a doe-foot applicator, but I actually find it very easy to quickly swipe some foundation on my face and blend it out. The foundation lasts pretty well, but I do look a little oily later in the day. The only thing I dislike is the smell. I honestly smells like paint, and it lingers a little but not forever. If Physicians Formula could fix the smell that would be great.

The first of two Wet n Wild is their new 10 pan eyeshadow palette. I bought the one called Rose in the Air. I decided to buy this one because it reminded me of the ABH Modern Renaissance. For a drugstore eyeshadow palette, this is pretty good! The mattes are creamy and very easy to blend. They are not the most pigmented shadow I’ve ever used, but if you build them up they are pretty good. I used the mauve and pink shade for an eye look and they were great! The shimmer was was mediocre, but using a wet brush does the treat. If you are looking for a drugstore eyeshadow palette, this one by Wet n Wild is great!

The second Wet n Wild product that I bought was their Photo Focus Pressed Powder. After hearing Kathleen Lights speak highly of this powder, I decided to give it a try. I prefer to use this powder more for touch ups than for setting my face. My face was lo

oking pretty oily compared to when I use a loose setting powder to set my face. This powder is nice for touch ups because it adds a nice satin finish instead of making me look cakey. Overall not a bad drugstore powder, but I’m definitely someone who prefers loose over pressed powder.

Next I bought two highlights, because let’s be real – you can never have too much highlight. The first was the Maybelline Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter. I decided to buy the shade Molten Rose Gold because I already own a bunch of golden ones, but because this highlight is so good I might buy the other shades. This highlight is creamy and metallic and just looks so good on the skin. It doesn’t look glittery or chunky like some highlights. Instead this one just looks smooth while also giving a blinding shine to the skin. It also lasts a really long time. If you like a bright highlight, this one is for you.

On the flip side, if you prefer a more natural highlight, the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter is perfect. This highlight is very smooth and gives a beautiful lit-from-within to the skin. On days where I want to wear less makeup, this highlight still gives me a radiant glow. I really don’t have any negative to say, except it would be great if there were other shades.

The next Essence product I bought was their Volume Stylist 18h Last Extension Mascara. After hearing good views from a bunch of Youtubers, mainly Tati, I decided to give it a try. This is a great mascara if you are looking mainly for length. It makes my lashes look nice and long, but somehow still natural. This mascara is great for no makeup-makeup days where I want some mascara to make my eyes pop, but for it to not look too heavy. I wouldn’t really use this when I need to add some volume and length, because it didn’t add much volume. It was also pretty easy to remove, which is super important for me.

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The final item I bought was a Maybelline lipstick, because there was a sale at my local drugstore at the time. Maybelline lipsticks are some of my favourite because they are creamy and comfortable on the lips. I bought the shade Nude Nuance, which I would describe as a deep rose. It looks very dark in the swatch, but looks lighter on the lips. It’s nice to sometimes wear something a little darker than a nude, but still neutral. I have already worn it a bunch

And that is it for my drugstore haul! Let me know what drugstore products I should try out next! Also I hope all my fellow Canadian followers have an awesome Canada Day weekend!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Review

Cover FX Power Play Foundation Review

by Lea1 Comment on Cover FX Power Play Foundation Review

Hey guys! So today I have decided to review the Cover FX Power Play Foundation after hearing a few Youtubers rave about it. Now because this foundation is not cheap, its $52 CAD, I decided to just get a sample from my local Sephora.

cover fx 1

I decided to try this foundation because it sounded like an oily girl’s dream. I have very oily skin, and I’m constantly looking for a matte foundation that helps control shine and stays all day. The Cover FX foundation is supposed to do exactly what I want.

What I was really impressed with is the shade range! There are over 40 shades so there is a shade for everyone. I prefer a neutral undertone for my foundation, and not every line carries neutral shades. The shade N25 fits me perfectly right now.

I tried applying the foundation with both a brush and a sponge and I much prefer how the foundation looks with sponge. Using the sponge helps the foundation look less powdery because (surprise!) it has a very powdery finish on the skin. I wasn’t sure if I liked how the foundation looked but once I finished my makeup I liked how it looks way better. I would not saw it’s very full coverage because I could see acne scarring and my freckles on my nose peeking through the foundation. I tried to build it up but I find it became cakey so I would just stick to one layer.

The first time I wore the foundation I had mixed feeling about it. I put this foundation on around noon. By 3pm, right before I had to go to work, I was looking a little oily but my makeup was still looking fresh (photo below of my makeup at 3pm). By 8pm, about half way through by shift I was very oily but my makeup was still intact. By this point my bronzer/blush/highlight would have faded with other foundations, but with the Cover FX foundation they were still visible. By the time I got home my face was very oily in my normal oily spots, but what impressed me was that my makeup was still on the face. It had not wiped off or broken up. I was happy that it lasted all day, but I was so shiny which I am not a fan of.

The second time I wore the foundation was to my friend’s party. This time I didn’t have the same expectations of it staying shine-free the whole day. I put my foundation on around 3pm, and touched it up at around 8pm. It was shiny, but some setting powder helped get rid shine and kept me looking fresh the rest of the night.

In summary, I like this foundation. It stays all day and keeps my face makeup in take. It has a beautiful matte finish, but some of my other foundations do a better job at controlling my oil. I think this foundation would be good for an event or something where you want your makeup to look food all night but also have the opportunity to do a few touch ups. I don’t think I will purchase this foundation just because I don’t see myself wearing it every day. But I might grab a sample of it for a special occasion.

And that is my review of the Cover FX Powder Play foundation. Let me know if I should do this again, and if so with what foundation?

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Review

May Boxycharm

by LeaLeave a Comment on May Boxycharm

Hey guys! I am here with another month of my Boxycharm! This month’s theme was Boxy Bash, in celebration of Boxycharm’s five year birthday. Everyone received six products as apart of this month’s birthday theme.

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The first product is the PUR Sculptor Palette. I really like PUR’s face products. They are creamy, pigmented and blend really well. The highlight shades give a blinding glow without looking too glittery. The contour shades are quite dark, I might be able to use them with a light hand or once I get more tan. But they will work beautiful for people with darker skin tones. But the highlights are so good that I don’t mind being able to only use half the palette. Price: $30 USD

Next is the Cover FX Blurring Primer. I’ve heard really good reviews and was excited to try this primer, because I always like a pore minimizing primer. It’s good, but I can’t tell if I like it more or less than my Smashbox or Benefit primers. I definitely notice a difference in wearing a primer vs. not wearing a primer, but I can’t really tell a difference between my primers. I think I need to more thoroughly test this primer more. Overall I am happy to receive a full size expensive primer! Price: $36 USD/$46 CAD

Probably the best packaging every goes to the eyeliner I received from Pretty Vulgar. The Ink Gel Eyeliner comes in a jar that looks like an ink pot. I don’t use gel eyeliner very often, so I struggled a little bit using the product due to lack of skill. This gel is creamy though and glides easily on the eye. Once this eyeliner dries down it does not move unless you put it on your waterline. I put it on my eyelid and it did not move, but I also put it on my waterline and smeared everywhere. As well, because I’m not a pro at gel eyeliner and didn’t have a good brush (*cough* I don’t like the Aesthetica brush *cough*) I had to try and fix my eyeliner and it would not budge. As well, at the end of the night I had troubles removing all the eyeliner. Even after scrubbing my eyes (more than I should) I still had a thin line of eyeliner the next day. In summary, this eyeliner is not for the faint of heart. I will probably use it once I get a better eyeliner brush and when I need my eyeliner to last all day, but it won’t be my everyday eyeliner. Price: $24.00

I received four brushes in total from Aesthetica. The P12 Face Brush and a 3 Piece Eye Trio. I am kinda dissapointed in these brushes. Boxycharm has sent some really nice brushes, like the Luxie brushes, but these ones are not worth their price. Morphe brushes are way better quality than these. First when they arrived in the mail they smelled disgusting, like bad chemicals. Luckily after washing them the scent went away. The face brush is soft but only does a medicore job of applying product. Both the brush hairs and handle feel cheap. Both the eyeliner and brow brush in the eye trio are thick, and I prefer very thin brushes for eyeliner and doing my brows. The only brush that I had no problem with was the spoolie. Overall very unimpressed with these brushes. Price: $27 for face brush and $45 for trio.

The final product was the Beauty Creations Matte Lip Gloss in the shade Sweat Heart. Not sure why it’s called a lip gloss because it’s definitely a matte lippie. It’s not to drying, the only annoying thing is that after a few hours there is a lipstick gunk line that forms. Not the most flattering but easy enough to fix by just wiping it away. It is a nice nude shade, and I will definitely wear this lippie again. Price: $10.00

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Overall, even though I don’t like the brushes I don’t think this was a bad box. I think with practice I would like the eyeliner more, and I like the primer, face palette and liquid lipstick. Not the worst box but not the best. What did you guys think of May’s box? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Lea