Tag: Makeup Review

Beauty, Makeup, Review

My Favourite Eyeshadow Palettes for Fall

by Lea3 Comments on My Favourite Eyeshadow Palettes for Fall

Hey guys! Today I thought I would share some of my favourite fall eye shadow palettes. I love fall makeup. It’s full of warm tones and dark shades as well. I love to emulate the fall colours outsides with yellows, oranges, cranberries and dark greens. So I picked out six eye shadow palettes that I think would be perfect for fall! Next Tuesday I will be sharing my favourite lip colours so stay tuned for that.

Up first is the Jaclyn Hill x Morphe Vol 2 palette. I know the left has some bright pinks and purples, but the left half is perfect for fall. On the top are these gorgeous browns and golds. And then on the bottom left corner are these cranberries and burgundies. There is also a bright red which could be great for Halloween looks.

The second palette is one of my all-time favourites: the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam palette. This palette is great year-round, but it has those beautiful dark shades that are great for fall. The shade mulberry is such a great burgundy shade. One of my university’s colours was maroon so I always used to palette during Homecoming to great a makeup look. There are also some orange shades which are great colours for fall. The quality of these shadows will not disappoint.

The third palette is the Dose of Colours Baked Browns palette. If bright and crazy colours scare you, then get this palette. It has all the browns you need to create a beautiful fall looks. From caramel to rust to chocolate, there is a brown shade for whatever look you want to create. If you want to add some sparkle to your look, just use your face highlight on your eyes.

The fourth palette reminds me of a fall day. There are all the bright oranges and yellows and reds like the leaves on the trees. There are browns and also a beautiful army green which is also great for fall. And then the blue shades like the blue sky during fall. If you are looking for a colourful palette that is still reminiscent of fall, then the Ace Beaute Vintage Dawn palette is the one for you.

The fifth palette is the one I used in my Fall Makeup Tutorial if you haven’t seen that Youtube video yet! I used the Natasha Denona Bronze Eyeshadow Palette to create a beautiful orange look. Golds and coppers are perfect for fall. This palette is great if you want something that is in the fall colour palette but isn’t literally orange.

The final palette recommendation is the Urban Decay Naked Heat Eyeshadow palette. This palette is great because not only does it have those orange and rust shades but it also has those burgundy and maroon shades. This palette can great both a light natural look but also a deep, smoky and sultry look. It also the versatility to do both.

And those are my palette recommendations! Hope you guys enjoyed these recommendations. And like I mentioned I will have lips next week. Let me know in the comments what your favourite fall eyeshadow palette is!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Drugstore, Makeup, Review

Battle of the Drugstore Shine Lipsticks

by LeaLeave a Comment on Battle of the Drugstore Shine Lipsticks

Hey guys! Today I am back with another battle of the makeup products. Today we have drugstore shiny lipsticks. This type of product has become the new “it” formula and I feel like every brand is coming out with their version. They are lipsticks that have the feel of a lip balm but the shine of a lip gloss. Today I picked two from the drugstore to see which one was the best.

First up is the Revlon Super Lustrous Glass Shine Lipstick. I got the shade Beaming Strawberry, which I would describe as cool-toned baby pink. This one lives up to its description as a hybrid between a lip balm and a lip gloss. It’s very comfortable on the lips, it doesn’t feel like it’s wearing anything heavy or sticky. But it’s super shiny and looks like a lip gloss. This shade isn’t too opaque. It gives a nice wash of colour. I think this formula would be great with bright shades to just give a hint of colour. It does rub off easily and isn’t the most long-lasting.

The opponent in this battle is the L’Oreal Colour Riche Shine Lipstick. I got the shade Sparkling Rose, which is a deceptive name because when I like rose I like warm toned and this was cool-toned. It’s almost the same shade as the Revlon one, so at least it was easier for me to compare. This is described as a lipstick with a glossy finish and I think that’s an accurate description. It much thicker and more opaque compared to the Revlon one. It’s just as shiny though. It also does last longer on the lips. While the glossiness will fade, the colour underneath will last.

  • Revlon lipstick
  • L’Oreal lipstick

So which one is the winner? While they are similar they are slightly different. The Revlon lipstick is more comfortable whereas the L’Oreal one is more opaque and long-lasting. I think the winner depends on what you prefer. I personally like the Revlon one more. Let me know which one you like more!

I hope you guys enjoyed this instalment in the battle of the beauty products series. Let me know what you would like to see in the future!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Drugstore, Makeup, Review

Full Face of Vegan Beauty Products

by Lea1 Comment on Full Face of Vegan Beauty Products

Hey guys! Today I decided to challenge myself to do a full face of vegan beauty products. I was just going to do five products but as I was going through my products I realized I had a decent amount. The only things I was missing were concealer and blush. I decided I didn’t need those products to do a face of makeup, so here we are! Also wanted to say that if I am wrong about any of these products please let me know. From my research all these products that I am going to mention are vegan, but if you have contradictory information say so!

So up first we have a primer. I used the CoverFX Blurring Primer, but also all of CoverFX’s products are vegan! This primer helps minimize the appearance of pores to help create a smooth look to the face. It also makes my face feels super smooth (even though I shouldn’t be touching my face oops).

Because I didn’t have a concealer, I wanted to use two foundations, one as a normal foundation and one as a concealer. The first I used is the Bite Beauty Changemaker Foundation. I do have an in-depth review of this foundation if you want to check it out, but this is a great creamy foundation with decent coverage. Also, all of Bite Beauty’s products are vegan AND they are a Canadian brand! The second foundation I used is the Wet n Wild Photofocus Dewy foundation. I also have a review of this foundation (I like to do foundation reviews okay lol). This is a great drugstore foundation and I have been wearing it a lot this summer. Now not all their shades and products are vegan, but Wet n Wild has a full list of their website of which of their products are vegan.

Up next is my favourite cream bronzer! I have been loving the Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer this summer. I applied a healthy amount and brought it onto my cheeks since I didn’t have a blush. All of Milk’s products are vegan as well.

For setting powder, I used the Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder. You guys know how much I love this powder. Now not all of Hourglass’ products are vegan, but a lot of them are. They also have a tab on their website of all their products so it’s easy to check there to see if a product is vegan.

Like I’ve mentioned, many of Wet n Wild’s products are vegan, including some of their highlights. So I used the Megaglo Highlighting Powder to add a little shine to my face.

I set my whole face using the Milani Make It Last Setting Spray. Milani is another brand where some of their products are vegan. They have a page of their website where you can see which of their products are vegan.

Now for the eyes, I used the Elf Rose Gold Sunset palette. I used some of the mattes in the palette to create a smokey, foxy eye. Also, all of Elf’s products are vegan, so if you are looking from some affordable, vegan makeup then look no further.

I was very happy to find out that one of my favourite mascara is vegan! The Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara is vegan, but unfortunately not all of Tarte’s products are vegan. For example, I was thinking of using their Amazonian Clay blushes but those are not vegan. Tarte has a list on their website of which products are vegan.

For brows, I got to use my new Glossier Brow Flick! I was very happy to found out this product is vegan because I can’t go without brows haha. Unfortunately, Glossier doesn’t have a list on their website of which products are vegan, but if a product IS vegan it’s pretty clearly labelled on their website. There are also lists online about which products are vegan as well.

And the brand product is the KVD Everlasting Lipstick. Now KVD is a brand I don’t mention very often on my blog because of all the controversy surrounding Kat Von D. This lipstick is one of the few products that I still own from the brand. But now that the brand has been sold and is undergoing a re-brand I feel like it’s worth mentioning because they were one of the original vegan brands. All of their products are vegan and have been since it’s inception. Their liquid lipsticks are a cult classic and I think the shade Nahz Fur Atoo is beautiful.

So that is my full face of vegan products! Let me know if the comments on what some of your favourite vegan products or brands are!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Makeup, Product of the Month

September Products of the Month

by Lea2 Comments on September Products of the Month

Hey guys! Today’s post is my September products of the month. For those of you who are new, each month I pick two products that I was to focus on and get more use out of. I also give my thoughts on the products I selected the previous month.

So the first product I picked for August is a NARS Lip Gloss. I don’t know what the name of it is since the sticker has fallen off. I purchased this lip gloss a couple of years ago and I have tried many lip glosses since. I am surprised to say that this isn’t my favourite lip gloss formula. It’s pretty opaque which is nice but it’s quite sticky. My hair gets stuck on it quite easily and it’s a mess if I wear a mask over the top of this. I love the shade though. It’s a beautiful pink with gold shimmer throughout. I think it’s beautiful on the lips but not the best everyday lip gloss. I’m so close to finishing it that I will keep the gloss but I wouldn’t repurchase it.

The second product is the Alamar Cosmetics Reina Del Caribe Vol.1 Eyeshadow Palette. If I’m going to be honest, I keep this palette because of the shade Varadero, which is a beautiful sparkly blue. I don’t use it often, but every time I do I am just so blown away by the shade. The mattes aren’t bad but I do have similar shades in other palettes. So ya, I wouldn’t recommend this palette necessarily because it’s not worth it for the one shade BUT I will be keeping the palette for the one shade lol.

Now for my September products. The first is the Huda Beauty Nude Obsessions Medium palette. I got this palette back in April and haven’t used it much because you know it’s a ~pandemic~ and I don’t necessarily wear makeup everyday. It’s a nice mix of pink and bronze shades which I think is perfect for early fall.

The second product is one I’m hoping to finish. I’ve hit pan on my MAKE UP FOR EVER Ultra HD Microfinishing Pressed Powder. I’m hoping that if I focus on this product I can finish it up! I have a large powder collection so it would be nice to finish one.

And those are my products of the month! If you guys have a suggestion for a product for next month let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Makeup, Review, Skincare

August Boxycharm 2020

by Lea1 Comment on August Boxycharm 2020

Hey guys! I am back with my August Boxycharm! My box arrived on the 31st so unfortunately, I didn’t get much time to test out the products. I will continue to test the products, especially the skincare, and give an update at the end of my September post. So without further ado, my August Boxycharm!

The first product MineTan Body Skin Hydra Glow Sleep Serum. I was confused because this brand seems to be a self-tanner company so I thought this serum was going to be similar to the Isle of Paradise brand. This is supposedly just a hydrating serum. So far I haven’t notice that my face feels smooth after applying it but not exactly hydrated if that makes any sense. I’ll keep you guys updated about it. Price: $44.95 US

The next product is the RealHer Definer Brow Pencil. This brand is one that I often get in my Boxycharm but never heard otherwise lol. So up until I checked out the website I was confused is this was one shade pencil because the pencil just says the brand name and “EYE AM INSPIRING”. Turns out that’s the shade name which is Dark Brown! The pencil matches me well, but RealHer only has three shades which is quite disappointing. It’s also just three different shades of brown. Like what about blondes or redheads? Anyways, I’m not a huge fan of the formula because it’s creamy and pigmented. It applied way to strongly so it’s hard to create a realistic, hairlike stroke. Not my fav brow pencil but it’s usable. Price: $16 US

Swatches of the Trestique Matte Lip Crayons. From top to bottom: Tuscan Twin, Belize Bordeaux, Chile Red, Barcelona Bright Berry, Florence Fig and Nantucket Nude

I think one of my favourite products is the Trestique Mini Matte Lip Crayon Set. This set comes with six different lip crayons in a range of shades from nude to red to pink to wine. I think everyone could find a shade they like within this set, and if they don’t like some shades are least their mini and it’s not a full-size lipstick. The formula is also great on these. For being matte they are pretty creamy and glide on the lips nicely. They aren’t as long-lasting as a liquid lipstick but still have a decent staying power. Overall I like these! I think my favourite shade is Florence Fig.

The Teddy Boy palette.

The next product is the Butter London Teddy Boy Eyeshadow Palette. I didn’t think I would like this palette but it’s not that bad! I’m not a huge cool-toned person, but I think these shades are neutral enough that they are still wearable. I’ve used most of the shades and I prefer the browns over the blues. And I think it makes sense that the browns are a little bigger than the blues because I won’t use the blue shades as often. The mattes are much better than the shimmer shades. I find the shimmers to be pretty underwhelming. But the mattes are pigmented, creamy and easy to apply. I don’t think this will become my new go-to palette but I can see myself grabbing it on those few occasions I want to use cool tones. Price $28 US

Two looks I did using the products in my box.

And the final product is the GlamGlow Moisturetrip Omega Rich Face Moisturizer. This moisturizer has cannabis sativa seed oil that is supposed to calm and soothe the skin as well as reduce the appearance of redness. I didn’t know it’s supposed to reduce redness so I will keep a note of that while I test it. So far I like it because it’s a hybrid between a gel and a liquid. It makes my skin feel hydrated. I will update you guys on how I feel about it after testing it more. Price: $54 US, $75 CA

And the total is $200.95. Overall I’m pretty happy with this box. I’m unsure of the brow pencil and the serum but there are still usable products. There is nothing in the box I absolutely hate and won’t use again. Let me know what you think in the comments!

xoxo

Lea

*NOTE: PRODUCT UPDATE FROM JULY* I mentioned that I would put an update on the Clear Skin Club Vitamin C Brightening Booster. So I’ve used this almost daily since getting it in July. Honestly, I don’t notice it doing much for my skin. It absorbs very quickly into the skin, which is nice. It doesn’t make my skin look glowy, if anything it almost is a little matte after applying it. Also, I do have some acne scarring and I didn’t notice any difference while using this Vitamin C serum. Compared to my Biossance serum, the Clear Skin Club one does nothing. Now I rather a product does nothing much than cause a negative reaction. But if you are looking for a vitamin C serum that makes a visible difference in your skin, this isn’t the one for you.

Beauty, Haul, Makeup, Review

Glossier Haul Update Review

by Lea2 Comments on Glossier Haul Update Review

Hey guys! Today I am back with my Glossier update. I know this was supposed to go up next Tuesday and that’s because today’s post was supposed to be my Boxycharm review. But since my box still hasn’t arrived (need to email customer service about that) I have bumped this review up to today. So without further ado, let’s get into my thoughts on the products.

Glossier, makeup, makeup products, beauty

The first product is the Brow Flick in the shade Brown. I like this brow product! It takes a bit to get used to using it but it does a great job at creating almost hairlike strokes. I will say that if you have sparse brows you might like this better. My brows are naturally pretty thick and I’ve gotten them done recently so they have a nice shape to them. So I don’t need a ton of brow product. But if you don’t have a lot of brow hair, then using the Brow Flick to create all those hairs would be useful. Just make sure that your eyebrow area is clean and dry. I tried applying this after just applying moisturizer and it won’t stay. Overall a great brow product that I will continue to use.

The other brow product is the Boy Brow. I’m honestly still unsure how I feel about this brow gel. Like I said I got my brows done recently. So because of that they nice and neat and I don’t necessarily need a brow gel to hold them in place. I like using a brow gel when they are longer and unruly to help them stay in place. Honestly, I’m not a huge brow gel person to begin with so I’m unsure how much I will use it.

The next product is the Balm Dotcom lip balm. I really like this lip balm! It’s a good consistency where it’s not too thick but still thick enough to moisturize my lips. It leaves my lips feeling soft. The tint isn’t too opaque but I don’t mind that. The mango flavour is perfect because it lingers on the lips but it doesn’t feel like I’m eating mango. The only thing I don’t like is the lack of an applicator. The lip balm comes out of a hole and the surface is too rough to apply it directly to the lips. I find I have to put in on my finger and then rub it on my lips. I wish it had an applicator similar to the Laneige Lip Glowly Balm. That’s my only issue otherwise it’s great.

My favourite product is the Generation G Sheer Matte Lipstick. It’s so similar to my favourite Colourpop lipstick that has been discontinued. It’s the perfect everyday lipstick. It’s sheer enough where it’s not like ‘BAM I’m wearing lipstick’ but it still gives some colour to the lips while also being a matte. It’s a comfortable matte and doesn’t look dry. It’s not very long-lasting in the sense if I eat something there is disappears. But sometimes that’s nice because then you don’t have to worry about having butt-hole lips while eating. Overall I like this lipstick and I will wear this a lot going into the fall.

Two simple makeup looks I did using my Glossier products.

I think my least favourite product is the Wowder. I can’t tell if I just can’t get enough powder on my brush or if it’s just not that good at mattifying. The sifter is this mesh that seems ingenious but it’s hard to get the powder out of. So I push my brush into the mesh and left go to my face and it barely mattifies my face. It does an okay job of setting my under eyes. But not even 30 minutes after I apply the powder I look so greasy and I feel like I have to powder again. It could be that I’m not applying enough so then it’s a bad design. Or it could be that I am applying enough and that this is just not a good mattifying powder. Overall I am pretty disappointed in this powder. I’ll still use it because I don’t want to go through the hassle of returning but I would not recommend this product.

And the final product is the Cloud Paint. This cream blush isn’t bad but I have decided that I like stick cream brushes more. Because it’s in a squeezy tube I have to apply it to my back of my hand and then my face. I just find that is wastes more product that way and then my hand is dirty. I find it easier to use a stick or compact because I can just dip my brush it or swipe it directly on my face. Besides that, the formula isn’t bad. It is easy to blend and lasts long. The first time I accidentally squeezed too much out and applied some to my eyelids and it lasted all day. Also, I have the shade Beam and I just wish it was slightly deeper in tone but that’s a personal preference thing. So overall while the product wasn’t bad I prefer a still form of packaging.

And that is my thoughts on Glossier! Overall while I enjoy the sleek and minimal packaging I find a lot of it annoying – like I wish the packaging was different for 3/6 products. I would say that the lip products are the best out of everything I tried.

Let me know what you guys think! Do you have different opinions on any of these products? Did I not pick up your favourite product from Glossier? Let me know in the comments 🙂

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Haul, Makeup

My First Glossier Haul

by LeaLeave a Comment on My First Glossier Haul

Hey guys! Today I am here with a haul! I asked you guys on my Insta stories whether you would like to see me purchase products from Colourpop or Glossier and Glossier was the winner. I have never ordered from Glossier before, but I did a project on them for school so I was very excited to grab some stuff. Today’s post is going to be a haul and some quick first impressions. In around 2 weeks from now I’ll be posting an in-depth review of all the products, so stay tuned for that!

glossier, glossier haul, glossier products, makeup, makeup products, makeup review, beauty, makeup haul, beauty haul

Before I get started, just wanted to say that the shipping was pretty good because it came from the US. I placed my order on August 10 and it was supposed to arrive on the 20th. So imagine my surprise when it showed up yesterday, August 17th! I enjoy it when I get packages earlier than expected. So it took a week from when I ordered to when it arrived.

The first item that I picked up is the Brow Flick in the shade Brown. I have heard amazing things about Glossier’s brow products so I had to check this one out. This one is unlike other brow products because it’s a brush tip pen like an eyeliner. It’s supposed to be able to create feathery, hairlike strokes with ease. They only had three shades so I got the shade Brown – hopefully this one will work fine!

The second brow product I got is the Boy Brow. This brow gel is a creamy wax that is supposed to help thicken, shape and groom brows into place. Now I know most people like to use their coloured brow gels, but those scare me haha. So I decided to get clear because it’s more likely to shade match me better.

The next item I picked up is the Balm Dotcom lip balm. This lip balm is supposed to be soothing, moisturizing and conditioning. I got the flavour mango because I love mango. It also has a slight coral tint, but I will say that it’s pretty unnoticeable the tint. So far I really like it!

The other lip product I picked up is the Generation G Sheer Matte Lipstick. This lipstick is supposed to give that just-blotted lipstick look. I am so excited besides that reminds me of the Colourpop Blotted Lipsticks that I loved before they got discontinued (not to be confused with their Ultra Blotted Lip which they still have). I got the shade Cake which is supposed to be a subtle peach but it much browner in person. But I think I am going to love this shade for the fall.

The next product I picked up is the Wowder, which is the finishing and setting powder. Even though I have embraced the dewy look more recently I still love me a good powder. I remember this was huge when it first came out. The other thing I don’t like is the fact that there is no ‘translucent’ option but there are five different options at least. I got the shade G8-G10 which is for light/medium.

The final product I picked up is the infamous Cloud Paint. I feel like these were some of the first cream blushes on the market. I got the shade Beam which is described as a soft peach. I will say that for a peach shade this has a pink undertone to it. I will test this out and see how long it lasts.

And that is my little haul from Glossier guys! Let me know if there are any specific questions you guys have about the products that I picked up. The review will be posted in two weeks!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Drugstore, Makeup, Review

My Makeup Collection if I wasn’t a makeup collector

by Lea1 Comment on My Makeup Collection if I wasn’t a makeup collector

Hey guys! So I’ve seen this makeup trend go around and I believe it started with Jamie Paige’s video where she narrowed down her makeup collection if she wasn’t an influencer. I thought this would be a great idea to do because I always have friends who ask me what for recommendations. I decided to limit myself to 15 products. I also tried to choose drugstore products because realistically if I didn’t blog about makeup I probably wouldn’t buy as many high-end products. So here are my 15 products!

  1. Primer – Revlon PhotoReady Prime Plus Brightening + Skin-Tone Evening

I need a primer. This Revlon one is a great dupe for my Dr. Brandt Pore No More Luminzing one so that’s why I picked this one! It makes my skin look glowy and helps prime my skin for foundation. It’s so glowy that on more natural days I could skip highlight and just use this.

2. Foundation – Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Hydrating Foundation

I love foundation and I have a variety of foundations from matte to dewy, light coverage to full coverage. So I decided to pick on that is right in the middle. This Smashbox foundation has medium coverage and is a natural finish. I could use more primer to make my skin dewier or apply more powder if I wanted my skin to be matte. This foundation is also long-wearing so I don’t have to worry about it fading on me.

3. Concealer – NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

I don’t think is a surprise to anyone who has followed me for a while. This is my favourite concealer, of course I have to pick it! Once again this concealer has medium coverage and a natural finish. I can adjust the coverage by applying more or less concealer. There is a reason why this concealer is so many people’s holy grail concealer!

4 + 5. Powder – Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless and Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder

Powder and lips are the only categories where I have two products. I decided to pick a pressed powder and a loose powder. The Maybelline pressed powder is great for when I want to mattify my skin or make it last longer. Pressed powders are also better for travelling. This Hourglass one is expensive but great. It’s very fine so it gives a beautifully soft, airbrushed look to the skin. Both are amazing and I use them for different effects on the skin.

6. Bronzer – Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer

I know I have gotten into cream bronzer and blush lately but if I had to pick only one I would use powder. I like creams in the summer but for year-round use, powders are better. So if I could only have one I would of course pick the cult classic PF Butter Bronzer. This bronzer has been with me through the years so I am very faithful to it. It’s the perfect shade and pigmentation. And it’s drugstore! Win-win-win.

7. Blush – Milani Rose Powder Blush

Blush was hard to pick. I’ve received many great blushes from Boxycharm over the years but I wanted to pick something easily accessible in Canada. So I picked a Milani blush. They are available in the drugstore but honestly the pigmentation is similar to my Tarte blush. There are also six different shades so lots of options to choose form.

8. Highlight – Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlight Powder

This was another hard one to pick because I own SO many highlights. There is also a huge difference in looks between a cream, liquid and powder. I decided that on my lighter makeup days I could get away with just using my primer and to pick a bright highlight for when I want some glam in my life. An amazing drugstore highlight is the Wet n Wild Megaglo highlights. I have the shade Precious Petals which is a gold with a slight copper undertone to it. But Wet n Wild has so many other shades that you can find the perfect one for you.

9. Setting Spray – MAC Prep + Prime Fix+

This was soooooo hard to pick just one because all my setting sprays do very different things. But in the end, I decided to go with Mac Fix +. It’s the best at melting the powder into my face and making my makeup look more natural. I can use other products to extend the wear of my makeup or make my skin look dewy but no other product with help with a powdery looking face than Mac Fix +.

*special note* I realized after picking the products that I forgot to include my eye shadow primer. Now for most people, I would say you could use your concealer and get by. But if you have oily eyelids like me then you would probably benefit from an eye shadow primer. But since I forgot and don’t feel like retaking my photos I’m just going to omit it. But I would likely take out one of my powder and include it instead.

10. Eye shadow – Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam palette

This was hard for me to pick because I love eye shadow and I have a large collection of palettes. But I ended up picking the ABH palette for a couple of reasons. First, if I didn’t have a large collection I probably wouldn’t want a huge palette, I would want something that fits in my makeup bag. But I would still want something that has a variety of shades. That’s why the Soft Glam palette is so great. There is also a nice balance between mattes and shimmers so I can create a variety of looks. There are pink shades, gold shades, orange shades and bronzy shades. And finally, there is a black and deep brown so I can use those shades to create an eyeshadow liner look if I wanted to. I have used this palette so my times on my blog, you guys know I love this one.

11. Eyeliner – NYX Epic Wear Liquid Liner

This is my favourite eyeliner hands down. I have been using this for years and will continue to use it faithfully. It has a brush tip which I find is the easiest to apply eyeliner with. It’s super black and dries down quickly. And it doesn’t smudge. Like what more could you want? And it’s drugstore! I highly recommend this one.

12. Mascara – Covergirl Exhibitionist Mascara

This was another hard one to pick. I am someone with numerous mascaras and I will different ones depending on my mood and what I want. So it’s hard for me to pick one but realistically I wouldn’t have multiple mascaras if I wasn’t a hoarder. So I decided to pick the only drugstore one I have right now which is this Covergirl one! It’s a great dupe for the TooFaced Better Than Sex mascara. This gives me super voluminous lashes with a bit of length as well. A great everyday mascara.

13. Brows – Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz

Seeing as this is the only brow pencil that I have used for YEARS I decided to pick this one haha. The ABH Brow Wiz is just the one I use! I think I should probably branch out and try some drugstore ones as well – maybe that will be a future blog post. Also, I rarely use a brow gel unless my brows are being particularly unruly so that’s why I don’t have a gel.

14 + 15. Mac Matte Lipstick in Velvet Teddy and Fenty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow

Now even if I wasn’t a makeup collector I would probably have a few more lip products than these two. But I kept it to two for the sake of the challenge! The first is Mac Velvet Teddy which is my go-to nude. While I do enjoy wearing colour, I think a nude would be best for the majority of scenarios. I also picked the Fenty Gloss because it’s pigmented enough that I would wear it alone but I could wear it on top of my lipstick.

And those are my 15 products guys! Let me know in the comments what some of the products you would pick if you had to pair down your collection. I can also do a part 2 if you guys are interested in more of my holy grails!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Makeup, Review

NEW Natasha Denona Bronze Palette – 2 looks 1 palette

by Lea4 Comments on NEW Natasha Denona Bronze Palette – 2 looks 1 palette

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!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Drugstore, Makeup, Review

New Wet n Wild Photo Focus Dewy Foundation Review

by Lea1 Comment on New Wet n Wild Photo Focus Dewy Foundation Review

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.

foundation, Wet n Wild, Wet n Wild Foundation, dewy, makeup, beauty

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!

xoxo

Lea