Friday Fun - Pan Porn and a Recent Vacation Picture

Here is my latest bits of pan porn. Man, that sounds so wrong. Both are face powders. On the left is TheBalm Sexy Mama and on the right we have MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light Medium. I have liked both of these products as a setting powder and may very well repurchase them. These might show up on my next "Empties" blog if I get through them soon.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to my American Neighbours! Happy Black Friday! I was in Florida last week with my husband and we had a great time. Here is a pic....

Empties!

Do you guys like blog posts on empties? Please let me know in the comments section below. I have mixed feelings about them, but I thought for a change I would do one. I also have an issue with letting empty containers pile up in my bathroom. I hate that...so I will have to set them aside in a special bag out of the way or something. I only have 5 today. I already chucked a couple (sorry) over the last few days so I have subbed in a professional product shot of them. Like I said, I hate empty containers....I will do better next time.

I think the Dove cleartone anti-perspirant came out earlier this year. I don't know about you guys but I hate my armpits. This is the first products that I have found that actually improves the look and feel of your underarm skin. You do need to use it for at least a week or two to see a difference (although your pits will probably start feeling smoother after one or two days) and preferably for a number of weeks for best results. I tend to use Dove deodorant in the summer months or when I have a potentially long or active day ahead of me. Otherwise, I use my La Vanilla deodorant normally. I really liked this Dove product though and I have already bought two more!

I love my L'Occitane Dry Skin Foot Cream. The smell is a little strong but it does the job like no other foot cream does! Replacement already bought and in use!

My Origins Eye Doctor. I like to use this at night and in general when my eyes feel tired, dry or irritated. Love this stuff and have already gone through a few of these in my day. Already repurchased.

Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm. Love this.....I have used a few in the past and I am convinced that I have another one kicking around the house somewhere. Must find it. In the meantime, I have a number of Eos and Fresh lip balms in circulation which work almost as well.

Finally, Estee Lauder's Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear Concealer. This is quick and easy to use. Blends in flawlessly. Doesn't work well under the eyes for me but it does everywhere else on my face. Must do a review of this soon. Already repurchased.

So there it is! Let me know if you would like more empties!

It Cosmetics Luxe High Performance Hydrating Eyeshadow Trio in Pretty in Smoke - Review and Swatches

I have so many blog post lined up for you guys! I have hauls, empties, reviews, holiday palettes...oh my! So stay tuned as I plan on posting lot over the next month!

I bought this little palette several months ago from The Shopping Channel or QVC to my American readers. That is the only company that sells It Cosmetics in Canada to my knowledge. This was my first It Cosmetics purchase. It retails for $29 Canadian. I believe It Cosmetics markets themselves as being an anti-aging, problem-solving, innovative company. They tend to use better ingredients than many cosmetic companies.

I fell in love with this palette when I saw Emily from Beauty Broadcast wearing this. I had to have it! I used it a few times several months ago when I first got it and I have to say I didn't really like the looks that I put together with this palette. If you don't use an eyeshadow primer and base, these colours can look very muddy. These three colours tend to look like different shades of grey on me. Although the taupe and dark grey colour are shimmers, all three colours look very matte on the eye.

You will notice in the picture above that the bottom of the palette opens up to a very handy mirror with two eyeshadow brushes.

I find all three colours to be easy to work with and they all blend very well. I started using this palette again recently because I thought enough was enough, I needed to do a review on it already and find a way for this to work for me. I have to say that this palette has grown on me as time has passed but I don't love it. In particular, I despise the shell pink colour. I find it to be chalky and way too matte for my taste. This palette would be greatly improved if a really nice shimmery shell pink was used instead. I don't have a lot of complaints about the taupe and dark grey shades. They are quite nice.

My advice to those of you who have this palette or are thinking of buying it is to use another neutral champagne nude or shimmery pink eyeshadow from your collection to use with the other two colours in here. Or, you could try using a shimmery eyeshadow base. I just find the three colours together to look a bit flat and a bit washed out. I do not find these eyeshadows to be remotely hydrating unless applied directly to the skin and because of creasing issues, that is not an option for me as I need a primer. That is my two cents anyway.

 

 

Here are the swatches. I don't think that the eyeshadows have names. I have to say that I am curious about some of It Cosmetics other palette colours, specially the Pretty in Plum one. This palette is very travel or purse friendly and I really like that. Here are some more swatches below.

 

 

 

 

Packaging: 10/10    

Pigmentation: 8/10
Easy to Work With: 10/10
Longevity: 7/10
Colour Stays True: 6/10
Texture: 7/10
Price: 7/10
Ingredients: 9/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10
Attractiveness of Product: 6/10
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
Would I buy this again? Maybe in a different colour  



Essence Colour & Go Nail Polish 109 Off to Miami! - Review and Swatch

You guys must have thought I was dead! I do apologize for being an absentee blogger this past week but I was away on vacation for the past week and a half. I was on the Gulf Coast in Florida for a week and then spent a couple of days in good old Buffalo, N.Y. for some shopping. I was only able to get to posting one prescheduled blog before I left. I am sorry everyone, I was so busy before I left!

Speaking of Florida, I decided to wear this nail polish on my toes while I was there. It is called Off to Miami! How appropriate and I didn't even know what the name was until I looked at the bottle just now. Scary. I bought this nail polish back in the summer. I think I paid maybe $3 Canadian for it. It was dirt cheap. I got it at Shoppers Drug Mart. This is my first Essence beauty purchase. I think they are a European company, but please someone correct me if I am wrong. This nail polish looked way more pink orange when I bought it. I think it has lost a lot of the pinkness since I got it. Under different lights, it looks well...different.

The brush is huge! I am not sure if you can tell this from the photo. As soon as I saw it, I thought this was going to be a big problem. Funny thing was, it wasn't. I was able to do some toes with a swipe and a half or two. Super easy to use. It was the fastest I have ever been able to do my toes. I have had the colour on for a week and a half now and it is just starting to chip as all polishes do on me....I apologize for the following "swatch" photo as this is not a fresh pedi and I have some weird tan lines on my feet but I wanted you to see the colour. It's not my favourite colour ever, but it was different. It dried fast.

Packaging: 10/10

Pigmentation: 7/10 (looks orange in some lights, red in others and pink sometimes)  

Easy to Work With: 10/10

Longevity: 7.5/10

Texture: 8/10

Price: 10/10

Ingredients: 7/10

Travel Worthy: 10/10

Attractiveness of Product: 6.5/10

Would I buy this again? The brand yes, this colour not sure

Overall Rating: 8/10

YSL Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Babydoll - Review

I got this sample with some of my Sephora rewards points. One of the best samples I have ever gotten from Sephora too, I might add! I will cut to the chase. I love this mascara. It may be my new favourite. I think it just edged out my Benefit They're Real! mascara and that is saying something. This mascara lengthens and volumizes. It gives me the longest, most bold lashes that I have ever had and I don't have much lashes to work with! The formula is not irritating. I love the brush and it is pictured near the bottom  of this post. Sometimes I find that the Benefit They're Real! mascara can make your lashes look a bit spikey. This YSL mascara does not.

I fell like waxing poetic about this mascara, but then I would be getting carried away. The ingredients are pretty decent too and  I was shocked by that. This is a definite repurchase! My only complaint? The price. It is $36 Canadian or $30 U.S. Wow! I hate to say it, but it may be worth every penny. I wore this with glasses one day and there was hardly any transfer or smudging which is very impressive since I have never seen that before other than with my Estee Lauder Zero-Smudge mascara. You have to try this stuff!

I would like to mention though that you need to apply a few coats of this mascara for best results. If you are impatient or strapped for time, this may not be a good option. I don't find that it gets clumpy and it is very easy to add coat after coat. I will try to add a before and after post with pictures of my lashes with this on soon as I keep forgetting and am always in a rush lately!

 

Packaging: 10/10

Pigmentation: 10/10

Easy to Work With: 9.5/10

Longevity: 10/10

Texture: 10/10

Price: 6/10

Ingredients: 9/10

Travel Worthy: 10/10

Smudge Proof: 9/10

Flake and Clump Proof: 10/10

Attractiveness of Product: 10/10

Would I buy this again? A THOUSAND TIMES YES!!!!!!

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Nivea Visage Pure & Natural Purifying Toner - Review

Quick blog post today! I have been using the Nivea Visage Pure & Natural Purifying Toner for the last couple of months. I gave my Mom my bottle of my beloved Origins toner to try and I got lazy about running out to buy a replacement. I assure you that I will be doing that very soon! So this Nivea toner says it has 95% naturally sourced ingredients and that it contains organic argan oil and aloe vera and that it is for all skin types.

I have almost finished the bottle. Not because I loved it so much, bit because it was there and it was ok. This toner is very gentle on skin. If you have sensitive skin, this toner may be a very good option for you. The product is clear and it doesn't feel like I am drying out my skin when I use it. I do find that it gets extra dirt and makeup off of my face after I wash my face so that it good. I guess mostly I feel a little ho hum about this product. It doesn't do a great job for what I want it for, and it doesn't do a bad job either. I don't feel as though it has helped keep any blemishes away or under control. I think I paid somewhere between $7-$10 Canadian for this. It's a 200ml bottle but it looks bigger than it is.

Packaging: 710 (I feel like I lose a lot of product when I pour it out on a cotton pad - it goes everywhere)  

Texture: 10/10

Price: 10/10

Ingredients: 8.5/10

Easy to Work With: 10/10  

Travel Worthy: 1/10 (it would leak big time I fear)   

Deep Cleans: 6.5/10

Moisturizing: 7.5/10

Comfortable/Softening: 8/10

Smell: 8/10 (light, soft scent)

Would I buy this again? Not Sure   

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 

Worst (Most Disappointing) Makeup Geek MUG Eyeshadows

I have been meaning to get to this blog for so long, it isn't even funny. Sorry guys! So here it finally is, the Worst, or should I say, Most Disappointing Makeup Geek MUG eyeshadows. Now I love a Top 10 cosmetics list just as much, if not more, than the next person. I do, however, love to hear what makeup or beauty products people liked the least in a line of products and why. It helps me with my shopping and keeps money in my wallet.

I had planned to come up with a list of the Top 10 Worst (Most Disappointing) MUG eyeshadows, but I could only come up with 7. I think that speaks volumes and is a testament to how good most of the MUG eyeshadows are. I own 36 of the 69 eyeshadows that MUG makes. That is a little over half. You may not agree with my list if you own some of these eyeshadows. Some of them got on this list because I didn't find them flattering on me and I suspected they would not look good on a number of people. That doesn't mean that they won't look good on you.

So without further ado, here are they are. Pictured above, left to right and top to bottom, they are, in no particular order: Shimma Shimma, Vanilla Bean, Shimmermint, Chickadee, Unicorn, Razzleberry and Nautica.

Where to start? Okay, Shimma Shimma. I really dislike this eyeshadow. It may be the worst MUG eyeshadow in my book. It's chalky, chunky and does not blend well. It's a pain to use and frankly, I often find that it looks cakey on my eyes after it has been on awhile. The less you use, the better the result, but I just find it hard to work with and doesn't look that great no matter what you do. There are far better highlight eyeshadows out there.

Vanilla Bean. MUG compares it to MAC's Shroom which is a joke. Sorry, Marlena! Shroom is one of my all time favourite eyeshadows and I bought this hoping it would be a cheaper dupe. It's not even close. It's more matte than satin and it's chalky as heck. I do not like the feel of this eyeshadow. It's rough. It's a dirt poor cousin of MAC's Bisque and Brule combined.

Shimmermint. I really wanted to love this colour. I can't stand it and may never wear it again. The colour is dreadful. It's really yellow green but it's a sickly colour. It's looks horrid on me and I suspect it is not wearable for many complexions. The swatch on MUG's website is gorgeous. Not so much in real life on my lids. Only someone with a really dark complexion could rock this colour. It blends well though! The quality of the eyeshadow is good, it's the colour I detest.

Chickadee. I have a similar complaint about this one as I do for Shimmermint. The colour is dreadful  on me. Don't get me wrong, the quality of this eyeshadow is fabulous. It's not chalky and it blends well. It looks like a smear of iodine on me. Anyone with a  light complexion needs to stay far away from this colour. Medium and darker skin tones could maybe wear it, but it is a disaster on me.

Unicorn. Opposite complaint here to Shimmermint and Chickadee. The colour is gorgeous! The eyeshadow is chalky and blends terribly. A pain to work with.

Razzleberry. I thought I would love this colour. I don't. It's supposed to be a shimmer, but it's matte! The golden glitter doesn't even show up on your eye! It looks great in the pan, but that's where it ends. I was so very disappointed with this colour. Total let down.

Finally, Nautica. It's a bit crumbly and the colour fades after wearing it for awhile. There are so many beautiful dark and midnight blues out there on the market, that this one just falls flat in comparison. It's like MUG made it just to have a dark blue in their collection but put little thought into it. It's really blah.

So there it is. I hope this was useful for some of you! Please let me know if you have any questions! I have swatches of all of these colours on my blog if you are interested. Just use the search function and you will find them quickly.

Sephora + Pantone Universe Elemental Color Shadow Block - Review and Swatches

I mentioned on Twitter yesterday that I was going to do a post today about some really great eyeshadow that I have discovered that is currently quite cheap. Some of you may not think this is cheap, but considering it is less than half price at Sephora at the moment, I am going to say that it is on the cheap. It's $15 Canadian or $13 U.S. Regular price was $31 Canadian or $26 U.S. I got this in a recent online Sephora haul.

A friend of mine bought this for full price several months ago. She really liked it but she hated paying what she did for it. I didn't think much of it when I saw it in the store, but when I really started looking at hers and how neat it looked, well I started thinking that I needed to have it. I decided to lay in wait for the sale and sure enough, it came eventually. I think $31 is pushing it for 3 Sephora eyeshadows, but at $15, it's a deal! These colours are so rich and pigmented. They are very smooth and creamy and blend extremely well. The least creamy is the green colour, Emerald Shimmer, but it looks great on. It really pops!

The other two colours look blah, standard issue stuff at first glance, but both are very attractive on and would suit most skin tones. The peachy sand colour is called Apple Blossom and the matte medium beige shade is called Camel. I have worn them together and separate and they are very nice indeed. In fact, I am planning to use this little palette frequently and travel with it. The Apple Blossom shade is sooo gorgeous. Camel can be used as a crease colour or lid colour depending on your colouring. Emerald Shimmer looks amazing on the lower lash line with the other two colours on the lid. If you were thinking of picking this up, now is the time.

There is convenient mirror that pops out from the bottom or should I say swivels out. The lid does the same. Very neat. Too fun to play with. It's like bubble wrap - playing with it has addictive properties. The overall weight of this product is 0.12 oz. or 3.65g. Lots of shadow here. Here are the swatches:

 

 

This eyeshadow is very long lasting with a primer, looks expensive and I am just thrilled with my purchase. Can't recommend it enough!

 

Packaging: 10/10    

Pigmentation: 10/10
Easy to Work With: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10
Colour Stays True: 10/10
Texture: 9.5/10
Price: 10/10 (on sale or 5/10 full price) 
Ingredients: 9/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10
Attractiveness of Product: 10/10
Overall Rating: 10/10
Would I buy this again? Yes if I run out and if they keep it stock (doubtful)



Sephora Haul!

I feel like I haven't blogged in ages! I am in the midst of studying for a course that I am taking for work and it is sucking up a lot of my time. It's totally boring too - tax and pension legislation! Boo! Anyway, on to far more interesting topics!

I recently did a Sephora haul. I ordered everything online (I get more free goodies that way). I snatched up the limited edition Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette as I had a bad feeling that this will sell out very quickly. This palette includes 3 powders - Dim Light, Incandescent Light and Radiant Light. I haven't used it yet and I have had it for well over a week. What the hell am I waiting for? No clue. But I will be using it very soon. This palette also came with Hourglasses' Veil Mineral Primer. I have been dying to try one of the Hourglass powders for months, but they are just sooo expensive. To get 3 in one palette plus the veil was the deal I was waiting for. Review to follow on this palette soonish.

I also got Benefit's Rockateur blush which I have already done a review on. As a freebie, I got a sample of the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer as well. Double or nothing I guess. The shipment came with a booklet on the new Formula X nail polishes. With some of my rewards points I got a 5ml Formula X nail polish in Pyrotechnic. Looking forward to trying that baby out as I have heard good things about these polishes. Also with my rewards points, I picked up the Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser1 oz. I am using it as we speak so hopefully I will have a review for you guys soon.

Two other samples came in my shipment - Lancôme's Energie De Vie moisturizer and Benefit's the Porefessional. I also snapped up the Urban Decay Anarchy Face Case. I can't wait to get my claws into this palette. The reviews have been mixed, but I really like the look of it. It's limited edition too so I thought I better act fast. There aren't many Urban Decay products that I don't like, so here's taking a chance.

Lastly, two things. I picked up the Sephora Color Theory Shadow Block in Emerald 2013 as it was on clearance. It's a good deal if you are interested in picking it up. I am wearing it today and so far I really like it. As a free gift I got Stila's new CC Color Correcting Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 20. The tube is ridiculously small. I couldn't believe my eyes when I got it. It looked to be a fair size online. It was free though so I can't complain.....

Reviews of all of this stuff to follow soon. Have a great weekend everyone!