I’ve been using Laura Mercier products for as long as I can remember. The first product being their radiance primer (still one of my top faves). Currently, I’ve been using some newer items by Laura Mercier that I just had to share with you on the blog! To the right, I’m wearing the Laura Mercier velour extreme matte lipstick in “optimist”. This lip colour is usually what I go for on a daily basis and to now have it in a longer-lasting and matte look, makes it perfect for Fall.
You may have noticed in my Instagram stories when I tried it on, I didn’t use a lip liner with it. What I love about a smaller stick lipstick is that you have more control in the lining and filling your lips with the one product.
$37.00 CAD – Silky Creme Lipstick with high-impact colour
So you’re not into mattes. Then you’ll love these Creme lipsticks that are so soft that it feels like it’s a lip treatment vs lipstick. These lipsticks are actually infused with Mediterranean sea algae extract!
Mauve Merveilleux – Available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Saks and thebay.com
These Rouge Essentiel Silky Creme Lipsticks lasts up to six hours without bleeding, feathering, drying, fading or settling into lines.
LAURA MERCIER
Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Poolside – $35.00 CAD
This stick eye shadow offers a 12 hour wear with its creamy formula! What I love about creamy formulas is you have enough time to do minor changes before it all completely dries. You can blend it out or build on the colour for more intensity.
Swatches of the Silky Creme Lipsticks Right to Left (Chocolat Divin, A La Rose and Mauve Merveilleux)
Quo; a Shoppers Drug Mart brand, comes out with the most amazing seasonal collections! I am particularly excited about the Summer 2019 collection because it launches with a theme of my favourite summer colours and cute stars on the packaging. Stars, that tie in with the moon and stars theme for Eid. So you bet I’ll be gifting this collection to family members! It’s the perfect addition to a basket full of goodies.
“Eid al-Fitr also called the “Festival of Breaking the Fast”, is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
Quo Ombre Eye Shadow Palette – $18.00
This palette comes in two options: Cotton candy and popping peach. I have the popping peach and the pink tones are great for every day and can create a beautiful warm neutral look.
Quo Ombre Face Palette – $20.00
This palette comes in two options: Dancing lights and berry beam. I love the summery shades and the true ombre look that can be achieved. The bronzer is a perfect tone if you’re looking for a sun-kissed look.
Quo Face Brush – $14.00
I’ve said this before in my previous posts, the limited-edition make-up brushes with Quo are my favourite! They’re unique packaging and the hairs on the brushes are superb. I’ve never had a limited edition brush I didn’t like. The wide handle fits your fingertips perfectly and I love the wide brush at the top for contouring or applying bronzer.
Quo Transforming Lip Kit – $16.00
The stain in the lip duo set has amazing staying power. I swatched it on my wrist and when I went to remove it, I had to use a cleanser. So awesome for long parties where you’ll be eating and drinking. Staying power is necessary. The sheer iridescent lip gloss, pairs perfectly with the stain. Gives your lip a nice highlight!
Quo Glow Beauty Oil – $18.00
This lightweight oil works alone, under foundation or even use it as a natural highlight in focused areas. Tip: Add a drop into your foundation for a more uniform natural glow. I love that it’s lightweight, perfect for the summer when you don’t want to feel like you’re wearing a lot of make-up.
Pick this collection up before it’s all gone! The limited edition can only be found at Shoppers Drug Mart.
Last night I had the pleasure of being Cat‘s guest to an amazing Bite Beauty #LIPLABxBITE experience! The Toronto Bite Beauty lab is located on Queen Street at 678 Queen St W. Bite Beauty was founded by Susanne Langmuir. She saw a void in the beauty industry and got busy with kitchen chemistry. Almost all of the coolest companies started off in their homes, right?
The store front on the main level is really clean and all about lips! Of course.
Bite Beauty #LIPLABxBITE Experience in Toronto
Some background information about Bite Beauty and why it’s different from other brands:
– Their tag line “natural, age-defying beauty for lips that is good enough to eat!”
–Lip products made solely from all-natural, food-grade ingredients.
– Lip labs where you can custom-make your own lipstick
– The first Lip Lab was in Manhattan
[Tweet “”You are what you eat. What you put on your lips, you eat” – Susanne Langmuir”]
In a nut shell, here’s how everything went down..
First:Austen who was an amazing host, brought us to the private area upstairs. Super cozy! Had a fireplace, a Bite Beauty lips backdrop, lots of couch space and then the area where all the magic happens to make your custom lipstick.
This is Austen creating my colour
Second: He asked what colours I had in mind. My vision and then we talked about tones. I showed him a picture of a favourite colour and he created exactly what I wanted! All in the first try. I also got to choose the flavour of the lipstick. I went with vanilla and mint. [Tweet “#DidYouKnow you can create a lipstick, select the finish and scent within half an hour at a @BiteBeauty Lip Lab? #LIPLABxBITE #Beauty”]
Third: The lipstick was then microwaved to a liquid, then poured into a lipstick mold and placed for 10 minutes on a surface that was -10 degrees! See my instagram stories below for all of the action:
When he swiped this colour I knew instantly I loved it!
Here I am wearing the custom colour. I call it Zoey:
And here’s what we went home with:
Agave Lip Mask, Lip Primer and a Wild Cherry Lip Balm
I’m obsessed with this Elizabeth Arden Gelato Crush Colour Collection! It’s like a treat without the calories.
The Plush Up Lip Gelato feels incredible on my lips! I’ve recently been wearing a lot of drier and matte formulations that don’t feel so good on the lips, so this was definitely a treat. My lips felt instantly cool and moisturized. The colour is perfect for a more olive skin tone.
The Lip Gelato packaging is also a little different from the traditional lipstick. You push up on the Arden logo for quick access. Easier for us mama’s who only have one hand free at times! Thank you Arden!
Colour: Bare Kiss
Price: $33.00 Comes in 18 shades. Key Ingredients: Peptides and Hyauronic Acid
Shea Butter
Vitamin A, E and Rosemary Extract
This Plump up Lip Liner is so creamy and goes on really smooth. It’s also perfect for filling in the lips if you don’t have your lipstick handy. You can even use the other ends silicone tip to blend and fill. See image below for how smooth my lips look. Normally I have a lot of lines on my lips and near the lip line.
Colour: Vintage Pink
Price: $27.00
Comes in 8 shades Key Ingredients:
Peptides – plumps and firms the appearance of lines
Let’s talk about this Cool Glow Cheek Tint…
It’s a water based gel formula that helps to sculpt and define your cheeks. The colour is perfect for a natural look. I love how the little pot has a net, less fall out (just in case) and allows you to get the right amount for application. Because we all know some of us get super make-up happy!
Colour: Berry Rush Price: $34.00
Comes in 4 shades Key ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid, apple, watermelon and lentil extracts that will instantly hydrate and smooth out cheeks
Wu Zu plant: Boosts radiance
Ceramides, Vitamins C/D/E and Mushroom extract: Supports skin’s natural collagen for a firmer look
Water soluble pigments
Fucogel and liquid plolymers: adheres to skin better and helps lock in colour
There are lots of great ingredients in these products. I love when make-up has dual benefits. You can find this collection at Shoppers Drug Mart, Hudson’s Bay or London Drugs.
This is my first time trying Hard Candy make-up. Hard Candy products are sold exclusively at Wal-Mart and Walmart.ca. I shop at Wal-Mart at least once a week, if not more. Whenever I’m out of any of my make-up I first check Wal-Mart to see what they have that can replace my product. All of these products are reasonably priced. Last I checked at Wal-Mart all of these products seem to be priced at under $10.
Keep an eye out next time you’re at Wal-Mart for the below Hard Candy Summer 2017 collection:
Hard Candy Sheer Envy Color Correct Perfecting Powder This powder helps those with redness, dull skin and any other colour correcting concerns. I don’t have any redness concerns ever since my acne cleared up years ago. It’s a natural brightener due to the orange/yellow tones in this powder. I’ve used it after foundation all over my face to set my make-up and then later in the day I touched up my make-up by applying this to my cheekbones as a highlighter. You can also use it to mattify your make-up throughout the day if you have oily skin. Swirl your powder or kubuki brush all over the colours and apply to the face. I love how smooth the finish is and no unnecessary shimmers or sparkles. Especially if you’re going for a more natural look. Another product for skin redness concerns that will help camouflage the redness is the green color corrector that comes with a sponge applicator top.
One of the first make-up products I usually run out of is my liquid or pencil eye liner. I love this Hard Candy marker eye liner because of the control you have to create a thin or thick line. The other side of the same pencil holds a khol eyeliner. Great for creating a smokey look as well.
Hard Candy Stroke of Gorgeous Kajal Supreme Eyeliner Duo
Pencil on the left, Liquid on the right
The Hard Candy Lip Artiste Lip Contouring Wand is a dual ended product, made to contour and highlight your lips. The highlight (seen above) is perfect to achieve the illusion of bigger lips by applying it to the center of the lips.
This highlighter, Hard Candy Sheer Envy Prismatic Highlighter , has a pearl finish and when I set it, it looked a lot nicer with a more natural highlight look. They also have a new banana powder for baking. I went out and bought that one to see how it compares to a Sephora brand I have. Stay tuned for the comparison most likely up on my Insta Stories.
Have you tried Hard Candy beauty products before? Which one(s)?
Disclaimer: The products are PR samples for review purposes. Opinions are my own.
Everyone’s getting ready to go out for New Years, or keeping it low key by getting comfy at home with the dearest to their hearts. Whatever it may be, bring in the New Year with some RED. I’m just gushing over this Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso! It is absolutely my favourite red lipstick right now.
At the BeautyBoutique Holiday Party last month I got my make-up done by a lovely make-up artist who put Beso on me for the first time. I hadn’t worn red lipstick I think in almost a year, and as soon as I saw it on me, I fell back in love with the colour. Here are some pictures from the event:
I’m in love with this New Year make-up look! So before you decide what lipstick to wear tonight, think of RED! The classic party look. Black eyeliner, mascara, natural face with that pop of red. When you do have a chance, I highly suggest to try Beso by Stila. It looks good on every skin tone and why not? I have a lot of red lipsticks but nothing like this one.
I love going to previews and sharing all of my favourites with you. Below are the #ACIFall16 collections that are the newest and happening shades/products of the Fall/Winter 2016 season.
Paul & Joe Beauty
Did you ever watch Tom & Jerry as a child? Okay, maybe even as adults?
Well if you’re a fan of those characters or Tweety, then you’re in for a surprise! Paul & Joe are launching
this super cute fall collection with the most adorable packaging ever! Super nostalgic!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Paul & Joe line of cosmetics, it’s a French brand known for their quirky, adorable packaging. The maker is obsessed with cats, so you’ll often see cat shaped items within different collections. The other cool thing about this brand is that they sell in refillable packaging. So if there’s a packaging you particularly just absolutely adore, then you can totally re-use that lipstick container, blush/powder case etc with which ever colour you like!
You can purchase the Paul & Joe Looney Tunes collection here.
Stila – Stay All Day Matte’ifcient Lipstick
This is hands down the most long wearing lipstick I have ever worn! You may even need to use an actual make-up remover to remove this lipstick completely from your lips. I plan to wear this colour to one of the holiday parties I attend this year. It’s so rich in colour and the perfect blackberry tone.It’s also infused with argon oil, castor oil, and vitamin E. You can purchase this lipstick here.
No flash – True Colour of Stila Matte Lipstick in Bordeaux
With Flash – True Colour of Stila Matte Lipstick in Bordeaux
Mascara – #ACIFall16
Fusion Beauty – LashFusion Armour
This mascara is an enhancing and conditioning primer for your lashes. Have you ever tried anything from Fusion Beauty before? Well, you’re in for a treat! Whenever I think of Fusion Beauty I think of treatment and cosmetic in one. I remember being obsessed with their highlighter+filler. I’m not sure if they still have it but I’d wear it on my cheek bones and I swear not only would it temporarily fill my cheek but it would also be one of my favourite liquid highlighters. So this is a primer and mascara in one! I usually use it by itself during the day and for an evening look you just take it up a notch, by applying regular mascara over top the primer.
CARGO Cosmetics
Check out this gorgeous new palette! Great combination of warm and cool colours. You can buy it here.
And how about this CARGO mascara. If you’re a fan of the fine rubber brush, then you’ll love combing your lashes with this mascara:
Here’s a close up of the wand: (You can buy it here.)
KORRES Skincare
This is my first time using Korres products and I’m really impressed. For a product so rich, I didn’t break out even once! And the scent, wow…. I just can’t believe it’s all natural. I was really excited to try this line after attending the #ACIFall16 event,
Κorres is a Greek company founded in 1996 in Athens by pharmacist Georgios Korres from the island of Naxos. It produces beauty products for women and men, based on natural ingredients.
Side note: Check out how they make this elixir in the video below – I really want to try it!
This wrinkle night cream is just the right amount of richness and moisture your skin needs. If you’re looking for an anti-wrinkle cream and you haven’t used many before, like myself, than this is an awesome one to start with. Particularly, because of the main ingredient being chestnut tree extract. Not just any chestnut, but chestnut tree extract from Greece’s Arcadian Forest! Castanea is also known as chestnut.
The leaves from the Chestnut tree hold amazing benefits like anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory properties and supports natural tissue repair! P.S These products were not tested on animals. You can buy them here (Night cream: $80 & Eye cream $60)
Have you tried any of these #ACIFall16 products? If so, which ones? Comment below!
I’ve been using Benefit cosmetics for years and they have lots of cool products that are so easy and a lot of fun to use! If you’re a make-up junkie as much as I am, than I’m sure you own more than one benefit product and if you don’t then by the end of this post I’ll have you inspired to definitely try something from their super cute line of cosmetics.
Benefit Favourites
High Beam
When have I not used this?! High Beam comes in a perfect size bottle that has a nail polish brush attached to the lid. I usually take the brush and do one quick swoop where ever I need it. Cheeks, down the bridge of my nose or a little touch on the forehead to add dimension depending on how much make-up I’m wearing. As a make-up artist I would just dab with the brush a perfect amount on my mixing slate or the back of my hand. Baby pink in colour, it’s the perfect amount of glow. You can totally build this product by adding more on top if you want a very noticeable highlight. For pictures and video it looks very natural and doesn’t stand out as much as a powder highlight does. In my opinion, liquid highlighters have a softer and more dewy look compared to powder highlighters.
POREfessional
This is benefits primer. If you haven’t used a primer before and don’t know whether it is for you, then know this; whether you’re going for a heavy look or simple, it will be the perfect base for your foundation or tinted moisturizer. This primer helps to diminish the look of shine and minimizes the look of large pores. A little goes a long way with this primer. I just wish I could remember to use it all the time.
Balm
From the first day bene-tint hit boutiques I was obsessed. It was a red liquid, with a scent of rose petals and just a drop would stain your lips to look naturally red. From this product they created the best bene-balm ever! Super hydrating due to the mango butter… mmm! and sodium hyaluronate, the tint is perfect. It has a nice glossy finish but like most balms wears off easily. If you’re not into red, then try posie balm, which is the baby pink version.
High Brow
This is probably the quickest way to get perfectly arched and tamed eyebrows. You know those in between threading/waxing days when you have a little bit of growth? Well this highlighting pencil comes in really handy for that. Apply it under your eyebrow arch and you have an instant illusion of perfect eyebrows. I love that it’s a cream/powder like texture and blends really well.
Roller Lash
I’ve always been hesitant to use comb-like or toothy mascara wands. I have fine but long hair lashes, so building volume is hard to do with the Roller Lash wand. But I found a really good way to use it! So first I build volume with a thicker mascara wand, and then I create length with the Roller Lash and comb out any mascara clumps. Match made in heaven and results are as if I have falsies on.
Oh the world of beauty products! This is my Mistura make up haul and mini review of the products that I’ve tried. Above you’ll see the four products,starting from the top left, quad eye shadow palette, pressed powder, concealer/corrector and their plump and glow lip gloss.
MISTURA MAKE-UP
The plump and glow gloss actually reminds me of a favourite gloss I had years ago. The dermaglow lip gloss that also had plumping properties. The plump and glow isn’t sticky and actually leaves your lips feeling hydrated. Comes in 3 different colours. This is the gloss in Gwen:
The Bella Seta Eye Shadow Quad in Fashionista retail for $39.49. The eyeshadow colours can be worn during the day or evening depending on how you mix them up. The lightest colour can go all over the lid and the darker colours along your lashline for a subtle daytime look. Evening, the options are endless. Go smokey with all three dark shades. Check out how I wore the shadows:
The shadows aren’t super pigmented but you can get a stronger vibrant colour by using an eyeshadow base.
This is the 6-in-one beauty solution compact. It only comes in one colour because of its exclusive miracle match colour blend technology. This technology allows for this product to suit any skin tone. So for those who want one product that they can use to contour, bronze, apply as blush, eye shadow, or cover blemishes/rosacea and colour for lips.
This concealer ($37.99) went on very smoothly and is perfect for medium coverage purposes. It has a very light feeling, feels like powder even though when it’s going on it has a cream-ish texture. Also has a light scent. I love that the coverage is buildable and the bonus is that it has antioxidants, coconut oil and shea butter. Food for your skin 😉
the options are endless. I recorded this lip lookbook while on my trip to Japan in Tokyo and finally I got the chance to put it together for you! This is my first time doing a voice over and I’m not a professional so it might be a little weird but I promise I’ll get better at this 🙂 Have you read this month’s Globe Style Advisor? They have a great line up of bright lips for Spring!
I took a break from filming to go through this months issue and wish I had some of these colours to add to my lookbook.
Especially Maybelline’s Color Sensation matte lipstick in Mesmerizing Magenta! You’ll love this video by beauty contributor Megan Kirkwood who shares tips for wearing this seasons bold lips:
One of the first make-up products I usually run out of is my liquid or pencil eye liner. I love this Hard Candy marker eye liner because of the control you have to create a thin or thick line. The other side of the same pencil holds a khol eyeliner. Great for creating a smokey look as well.
