Makeup Geek Blushes in Honeymoon and Spellbound - Review and Swatches

I had full intentions of doing a large eyeshadow review today but I decided to sneak in this post instead. I will put the eyeshadow palette review up tomorrow. The main reason I wanted to do this blog post is because I am super excited about these blushes. These are both from Makeup Geek. I ordered them a few weeks back. On the left is Honeymoon and on the right is Spellbound. I knew I wanted Spellbound because a lot of people have been raving about it. Honeymoon was a last minute addition to my cart. I actually got it confused with another colour...anyway, afterwards I was kicking myself because I thought I wouldn't like Honeymoon and there were so many other colours that I wanted to get.

Honeymoon was not a bad purchase. In fact, I think I like it better than Spellbound. No one is really taking about this blush much I don't think. It is gorgeous. It is described as light pink with mauve undertones and silver flecks. This colour is right up my alley. It looks really shimmery in the pan which made me a bit nervous, but when you put it on it gives your the most amazing hint of colour and glow to you skin. I would definitely say that this is more suited towards light skin tones that favour cool shades but, and this is a big but! I think where this blush excels is in the glow that it gives your skin. I would not be surprised if this looked fantastic on someone with a very dark skin tone. If nothing else, it would be an awesome highlight on medium or darker skin tones. Even if you were to mix it with another blush that could work too and enhance a so so blush. This colour is effortless and you could pair it with any outfit and most makeup looks. I plan on wearing this colour a lot this winter!

Both blushes are very pigmented and blend so easily and so quick! This is no brainer blush my friends! The texture of both is nice - super soft. Each blush is $9.99 U.S. and for the quality you get, the price is phenomenal. Each pan is 4.25g which is smaller than MAC's blushes which come in at 6g. Of course, Makeup Geek's price tag is less than half of a MAC blush. I find the size acceptable. Personally, I have never finished a blush in its entirety, although I have a Smashbox one that is near the end! That being said, I have a funny feeling I am going to finish these two blushes.

Swatch time!

Honeymoon is on the left and Spellbound is on the right. Spellbound is less rose in person, it is more peach. Spellbound is described as light tan with salmon undertones. I don't really see tan here myself. This colour is gorgeous in no uncertain terms. It warms up my skin and the colour is quite flattering. It looks like I am glowing from within and that is not something I say about most blushes! I think this would look best on medium skin tones but I can definitely still pull it off. Spellbound is very pigmented though and I only need the tiniest bit. I think I have been a bit too heavy handed when I have worn it so far. Both of these blushes are very long wearing and were still very visible 15+ hours on of wear.

I have to say that I really want to buy the rest of Makeup Geek's blush colours now. I plan on pacing myself though because I have spent a lot on makeup lately and I will have to consider going on a no buy very soon!

Packaging: 10/10   

Pigmentation: 10/10
Easy to Work With: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10
Colour Stays True: 10/10
Texture: 10/10
Price: 10/10
Ingredients: 10/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10
Attractiveness of Product: 10/10
Would I buy this again? HELL YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Overall Rating:  10/10

tarte Colored Clay CC Eye Primer Stick - Review and Swatch

Looks like it is going to be a tarte cosmetics kind of month. This is my second tarte review this month and not to drop a teaser but a certain tarte product may or may not make it into my holiday palette picks for this year.

When I saw this product, I thought or hoped that my prayers were finally answered. The idea of having a two in one eyeshadow primer and eyeshadow base (especially one that I don't have to stick a finger into) had me completely intoxicated. Not to mention that tarte usually uses better ingredients than a lot of cosmetics companies. After some trial and error, I was finally able to cobble together my thoughts on the product and review them for you.

The first thing that I want to point out is that less is more with this product. However, that means a sacrifice has to be made. The less you use of this product, the more likely that your eyeshadow will not crease on you. As a side note, I have mega oily lids and few eyeshadow primers work on me. In order to use less of this product though, you sacrifice the eyeshadow base piece because you aren't getting to put down a lot of colour there. If you use too much, it's crease city, or at least it is on me. It holds up pretty well all day long though as long as you use just a little. I will say that I would not use this product if I wanted my eye makeup to last beyond day to night, nor if I was wearing a lot of eye makeup.  

I like the convenience of the pencil tube packaging. I just swipe a little on each lid and then blend it in with my finger. It's fast. Perfect for work when you are in a rush and great for travel. It's faster to use than squeezing stuff out of a tube or dipping your finger into a pot. I do wish though that I could use more product in order to get a good amount of eyeshadow base onto my lid to neutralize things. Basically, I have to blend it in totally and not leave much base showing. The products blends in easily and it's so quick to do. If I could get more "base" on and keep the crease-free aspect, this product would be amazing.

I plan on using this entire tube. This product will not go to waste. It does fall short of my expectations though so I may not repurchase. Each tube is 2.8g or 0.10 oz. and costs $25 Canadian or $21 U.S.

Swatch time. This product only comes in one shade and is as shown below. It blends right into your skin so the colour of it is not really much of a factor. Most, if not all skin tones, could use this as a result. 

**UPDATE December 13, 2014: I decided to return this product to Sephora. I started finding it difficult to get the precise amount that you need on when I am in a rush in the morning. Too many creasing issues. I am revising my rating. Eyeshadow primer shouldn't be so tricky.**

 

Packaging: 9/10 

Pigmentation: 6/10 

Easy to Work With: 2/10

Longevity: 4/10 (if you use a little - if you use a lot 1/10)

Texture: 10/10 

Price: 8/10

Ingredients: 9/10

Travel Worthy: 10/10 

Attractiveness of Product: 3/10

Would I buy this again? NO

Overall Rating: 4/10

 

U.S. Makeup Shopping Haul - Sephora, Ulta, Wal-Mart, Target and The Cosmetics Store

As I mentioned in my last post, I was out of town for a few days last week. I went to New York State and picked up a few goodies. To me, it doesn't look like a lot of stuff in the picture, but when I look at my receipts, I spent a small fortune. You should have seen my husband's eyes bug out of his head when he heard the cashier tell me my total at Ulta. Hahaha!

Speaking of Ulta, let's start there. There is no Ulta in Canada and Ulta will not ship to Canada. Jerks! They are missing out on some serious revenue my friends. What a bad decision. Anyway, what I love about Ulta is that they have a great blend of low end and high end products. They also have tons of hair products and tools. In addition, I can usually get $3.50 off most purchases with their standard coupon. They also have some exclusive products that can't be purchased anywhere else but there. Since there is no Ulta in Canada, this is a source of never ending frustration to me. I have to wait until the once or twice a year that I "hop the ditch" and then hope and pray that they still carry the elusive item(s) I want.

So Ulta...I got a Cricket Amped Up teasing brush. Always wanted one, never had one. I think I paid $4 U.S. for it. I also grabbed a lipstick colour that they don't sell anywhere in Canada (at least I can't find it) the NYX Matte Lipstick in Alabama. I saw the Burt's Bees set A Bit of Burt's Bees which contains a Pomegranate Replenishing Lip Balm and Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. I love both products so that was a no brainer.

The main thing I went for at Ulta was the Too Faced eyeshadow palette's in Rock n Roll and Country. Both palettes are exclusive to Ulta. I cannot wait to try them out! Speaking of elusive items, I also grabbed the Paul Mitchell Hot Off The Press hairspray because I can't seem to locate it anywhere. The final item I picked up from Ulta was the Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector by It Cosmetics in Light. I can get this through The Shopping Channel here, but it was just a quick grab at Ulta. Reviews on all of these products will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.

Okay on to Sephora. I have spent a small fortune at Sephora lately (20% off VIB sale of course) so I forced myself to exercise great restraint in there. I only bought 4 items this time which is highly unusual for me on a trip to the U.S. I got the Caudalie Grape Water spray which I have been wanting to try for ages. They were sold out online and my local Sephora was also sold out so I picked it up while I was in the U.S. I also bought the blendercleanser Solid as they were also sold out online just before I went away. It was also a bit cheaper in the U.S. then here at home. I snatched up the Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked (cheaper than here in Canada by a few bucks). Finally, I wanted to try the tarte Cosmetics Colored Clay CC Eye Primer so I got that too. Also, I forgot my Painterly Paint Pot at home so I needed something in the meantime. I think this will be the item I review next.

At Wal-Mart/Target I only got three things. I forgot to put it in the picture, but I bought one of those Revlon Perfumerie nail polishes in a colour that I can't get in Canada period. Why, oh why do they do this to me? I will reveal that one in a post soon. I got the Hard Candy Fierce Effects duo in 896 Soft & Sultry. I saw Emily from Beauty Broadcast wearing one of these two on her channel the other day and I had to get it. I think the duo was like $6 U.S. Pretty good deal. I wanted to grab a Drew Barrymore Flower eyeshadow palette, but I didn't like the look of the ingredients so I passed. I also picked up a Burt's Bees Pumpkin Spice lip balm since it was limited edition.

Finally, at one of the outlet malls I visited, I got two things from that The Cosmetics Store chain. I always get some good stuff at that store. I got MAC's Patina eyeshadow (never tried it) and my usual Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in Intensity 2.0.

That's it, and I think that is lots.

Bits and Bites

• I have a big eyeshadow palette review coming this week
• I also plan to get my review of the tarte CC eye primer up next
• My empties for November is looking a little sparse - hopefully I can remedy that soon
• Why don't they sell unsweetened iced tea in Canada??? This has always boggled my mind. That's all I drink as soon as I set foot in the U.S. because it is such a treat (and no sugar!). Guess I'll have to make my own. Boo!

tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation SPF 15 - Review and Swatch

Some of you might be wondering where on earth I disappeared to last week. I was super busy and then I went to New York for a mini vacation and shopping trip for a few days. I have a sizable beauty haul to do for you guys from that trip soon. I will try and make that my next post. Anyway, I'm back now!

Even though I love my Estee Lauder foundations, I was feeling restless and wanted to try something new. I recently picked up this foundation and have been experimenting with it. I must say that I don't think this foundation is for me. I smell a return to Sephora for this baby really soon, perhaps tomorrow! On top of that, I am having a hell of a time finding a colour that works for me in this line. I find that a lot of the shades in this foundation line are super yellow or orange. I have a very flat complexion and I look ridiculous in anything too yellow, rosy or orange.

I was second guessing the shade that I picked out in the store for myself. I was thinking Fair-Light Honey but the peach undertone scared me. What a dumb thing for me to think and say - that a foundation colour scared me! Sometimes I am crazy. I digress...so anyway I let the Sephora sales associate pick out a shade for me. She chose Light-Medium Honey for me. Well that was a disaster. I told her it looked dark for me that I had concerns about the peach undertone. She assured me it was a suitable colour and that it should work for me. I wore it a couple of times and it was just so orange! Ahhhhhh. I asked my husband what he thought of the colour on the second day I wore it and he said I looked like I had put fake and bake spray tan all over my face. Well that settled that! I marched right back to Sephora and exchanged it.

Dummy me got another sales associate to help me pick out another colour. This time they chose Light Neutral for me. This colour isn't working either. It's a bit too light I think and too yellow all at the same time. The colour aside, I have other issues with this foundation. When I apply it, it does appear to be full coverage and I am happy with the coverage. After a few hours though (long before the 12-hour mark) I notice that the foundation seems to totally disappear from my chin and around and on my nose area. Some of it likes to settle into my laugh lines and I didn't notice that with my Estee Lauder foundations. And no, I haven't been blowing my nose or wiping my face I swear. It also comes off on your fingertips noticeably if you lightly touch your face even after you have had it on for several hours.

The only part of my face that still has the full coverage foundation on it at the end of the day is my forehead. I am really use to my Estee Lauder holding up non-stop all day so this tarte foundation is falling short of my foundation expectations. My other beef with this product is that as the day goes on I find that it starts to look cakey on my cheeks and on my nose. It gets kind of clumpy and looks like my skin is all dried out in those areas. Not attractive.

On the up side, the ingredients are good. It blends well and spreads easily. It's very comfortable to wear for most of the day. My skin feels moisturized when I wear it. The product feels like a whipped mousse when I put it on. Some people might like that.

Overall though, I just don't like it. For $49 Canadian and $38 U.S. I expect a lot more. That being said this tube is 50 ml! That is a lot more than the standard 30 ml foundation bottles! I applaud tarte for giving lots of product and for the cute wood cap.

Below is a picture of Light Neutral on my arm. As you can see, it's too yellow. On the left is it blended out and on the right is a dollop of it. My arms need waxing stat, I know, please forgive me.

 

 

Packaging: 9/10 

Pigmentation: 6/10 (it fades as the day progresses)  

Easy to Work With: 10/10

Longevity: 6/10

Texture: 10/10 

Price: 7.5/10

Ingredients: 9/10

Travel Worthy: 10/10 

Attractiveness of Product: 4/10

Would I buy this again? NO

Overall Rating: 7/10

Loverly and My Makeup Issues - Retro Glamour Wedding Day Dress and Makeup Idea

 

 

I have something a bit different for all of you today. I was recently approached by Loverly and asked to do a collaboration with them on my makeup ideas for one of the wedding dresses that they have featured on their website. Loverly is a website dedicated to all things bridal and wedding related. It's basically a bride's playground! On Loverly's site, you can answer a few quick questions to help narrow down the type of dress that you are looking for and they provide huge selection of dresses to look through once you have narrowed things down.

 

For those of you who are getting married or are dreaming of your big day, I have put together my makeup picks for this dress. What I have in mind is for someone who is not afraid of makeup or looking glamorous! Personally, I love retro, classic, bold makeup and I don't think you have to look sweet and demure on your wedding day unless you want to! I didn't on my big day. For those of you who normally wear makeup and aren't afraid of it, I doubt you want to go with a neutral wash of colour when you walk down the aisle.

 

Loverly has thousands of wedding dresses you can look through! I saw this particular dress on their website and decided I wanted to dream up what I would wear for makeup if I walked down the aisle in this dress. This dress is by Maggie Sottero and the style is Malaya. I love the shine of this dress and the embellished Swarovski crystal belt. It's an A line ivory satin dress that reminds me of old, romantic Hollywood movies. The dress inspired me to pair it with a retro 1940's makeup look. The gorgeous Swarovski belt, scoop neckline and pockets are so old Hollywood, so chic!

 

In this day and age, not everyone chooses a straight up white dress as was popular in the last couple of decades and not everyone looks best in white. An ivory dress gives you elegance and still the look of bride without being stark white if that isn't your thing. In fact, it was quite the norm not that long ago that few brides wore a snow white dress or suit on their big day. In my mind, I can totally see a redhead rocking this dress and the makeup look that I have put together. That being said, a blond or brunette could easily pull off this look too. As a brunette myself, I know this look would work on me no problem.

 

I choose this dress because it is classy and very sophisticated. The satin is so timeless and beautiful. I wanted to choose a dress that wasn't overly embellished nor princess-like so that I could have fun with the makeup. This is a statement dress. It's elegant, bold, but not fussy or overdone. This dress is not for the faint of heart. A confident woman who knows what she likes will be drawn to this dress.

 

On to the makeup!

 

Although I like classic, bold retro makeup, this is your wedding day and you want to get some good pictures. So put away your disco ball glitter items and break out your tried and true timeless gems.

 

 

FACE

 

 

 

For the face, regardless of what wedding dress you choose, you need a few basics. I cannot stress enough how much I like the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation. It stays in place all day and looks good in photos. I think a primer would also be a good idea and my primer of choice would be the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in Radiance. It gives you a nice little glow all over and helps lock on your foundation. If you choose to do a contour or bronzer, don't go crazy, go with a matte one. A little can go a long way to help shape and contour your face. I like the Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in Golden Light 1 for light to medium skin tones.

 

For this dress, and as a solid go to combo in general for weddings, I would choose Makeup Geek's blush in Bliss along with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light for a highlight. Neither are too shimmery (so they are camera ready) but you will get a nice healthy glow with them.

 

 

EYES

 

For the eyes (my favourite part) I would keep it neutral, but not boring. Start with a good eye shadow primer like NARS Smudge Proof Eye Shadow Base and apply MAC's Painterly Paint Pot on top of it. I would apply MAC's Naked Lunch to the lids, then MAC's Soba in the crease for some glamour and MAC's Espresso in the outer corner and lightly smudged under the lower lash line. I would use MAC's Folie inside of the Espresso and make an outer "v" shape. To complete the eye look, I would use Mylar for the brow highlight and blend out the crease with MAC's Soft Brown. You can't go wrong with MAC eye shadows for your wedding day.

I would then line the waterline with a flesh coloured pencil to help make the eyes look bigger. Most women are not blessed with huge eyes, like myself, so every trick in the book should be used to enhance your features on your big day! I suggest Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Nude. This look would be best topped off with some black gel liner on the upper lash line with a little wing. My choice would be Clinique's Brush-On Cream Liner in True Black. It lasts all day, is easy to apply and looks like a million bucks. Don't forget the waterproof or smudge-proof mascara and of course, false lashes. I like Ardell's Demi Lovies or something fluttery, but nothing over the top, they should look somewhat realistic.

LIPS

 

If you are going to do a retro glamour look, you need bold lips. One of my favourite red lipsticks is an old Elizabeth Arden one called Lush Red. They don't make it anymore sadly. The closest thing would be Elizabeth Arden's Power Red, Red to Wear or Red Door Red depending on your orange red or blue red leanings. I have always loved Elizabeth Arden's lipstick formulas as they don't tend to bleed, stay put, are very comfortable and last a really long time. I would use MAC's Cherry lip pencil with your red lipstick and fill in your lips with it before you apply the lipstick. Finally, depending on your preference, I would consider adding a touch of a neutral or nude lip gloss just to tone down the brightness of the red for photographs. You still want the lips to look matte so just a touch!

Nude, boring wedding day lips be damned!

 

I hope you enjoyed this blog post! It was a bit out of the norm for me, but it sure was a lot of fun! Check out Loverly at www.lover.ly for lots of wedding inspiration!

 



Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette - Review and Swatches

I know everyone and their mother is talking about this palette, and let me tell you it is with good reason. This palette is hands down one of my most favourite palettes ever. This easily makes the Top 5 if not the Top 3 in my book.

First of all, the packaging is adorable. The eyeshadows smell like chocolate and they actually have cocoa powder in them. Every single shadow is very pigmented and is creamy and smooth. They apply effortlessly and blend like a dream. The colours are gorgeous! The possibilities are endless. The names of the shadows are enough to make you hungry. Bravo Too Faced, bravo!

This palette by far is Too Faced's best work to date. Hands down, no debate. Every eyeshadow is long wearing and still looks fantastic and vibrant 10 hours or even 15 hours plus later after application. If you don't have this palette, you have got to get it. If I could encourage you to buy one palette this year, I would tell you to get this one. It's $49 U.S. and $59 Canadian. Worth every red cent and then some.

I could sit here and sing the praises of this palette all night but I will try not to be a bore. The colours are from left to right and from top to bottom - Gilded Ganache, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Black Forest Truffle, Triple Fudge, Salted Caramel, Marzipan, Semi-Sweet, Strawberry Bon Bon, Candied Violet, Amaretto, Hazelnut, Crème Brulee, Haute Chocolate, Cherry Cordial and Champagne Truffle.

My favourites would have to be Black Forest Truffle, Salted Caramel, Marzipan, Candied Violet, Crème Brulee, Haute Chocolate, Cherry Cordial and Champagne Truffle. While every colour in this palette is a solid effort, if I had to pick my two least favourite they would be Gilded Ganache and Strawberry Bon Bon. I wanted to like Gilded Ganache, but I have to say it blends the worst of the bunch. My minor beef with Strawberry Bon Bon is just that I find I have to work a bit to get it to show up on my lids.

Ok, swatch time:

From left to right in the picture above we have Gilded Ganache, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Black Forest Truffle, Triple Fudge, Salted Caramel, Marzipan and Semi-Sweet. Look at the pigmentation!

Next batch:

From left to right in the picture above we have Strawberry Bon Bon, Candied Violet, Amaretto, Hazelnut, Crème Brulee, Haute Chocolate, Cherry Cordial and Champagne Truffle. Incredible!

I was wearing Candied Violet the other day and my hair stylist remarked that is was one of the prettiest purple eyeshadows she had seen. She asked me what it was. Sorry the pic above doesn't really show off the perfectly understated sparkle that it has.

There are 16 eyeshadows in this palette and 6 are matte. They are good mattes too. The shimmers are out of this world! The total net weight of these eyeshadows is 18.9g or 0.62 oz. Phenomenal. If you took this palette on vacation, you wouldn't really need any other shadows. The packaging is a bit bulky for packing in my opinion though. Some people would say that is nonsense.

Packaging: 9/10  (bulky but adorable and sturdy)   

Pigmentation: 10/10
Easy to Work With: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10
Colour Stays True: 10/10
Texture: 10/10
Price: 10/10 (Value! Value! Value!)
Ingredients: 8/10
Travel Worthy: 6/10
Attractiveness of Product: 10/10
Would I buy this again? HELL YES
Overall Rating:  10/10

What I got at the November 2014 Sephora VIB Rouge Sale - Haul

This year I got a little bit carried away at the 20% off Sephora VIB Rouge sale. However, I think I got some really good deals and of course some great stuff. I got a good mix of replenishment items, new stuff I wanted to try, a couple of luxury items and a couple of Christmas gifts. I won't be showing the Christmas gifts in this haul as they are a secret for friends. I will say though that the gifts I bought have been shown on this blog before so its nothing you haven't seen from me.

This haul was accomplished over two shopping trips which was not the intention. One to the Toronto Eaton Centre and the other to my local neighbourhood Sephora. I tried to make purchases online...yeah...as many of you know that was impossible. I tried for over 24 hours straight (minus sleep and work time) and nothing doing. International orders have been blocked since just about the start of the sale. I slowly watched almost all of my items "disappear" over that 24 hour window as they became out of stock when by I guess my American friends scooped them up. It was a sad day indeed. First World problems, I know. There is a whole write up on Sephora's Facebook page as to what happened and what the current status is if you are interested.

So what did I get??? Lots of goodies of course as you can see. On my first trip to the Toronto Eaton Centre (rushed on lunch break) on Wednesday I bought 4 things. I like to plot my makeup shopping and I just felt too rushed to get too serious on a 45 minute lunch break. I decided I would plot at home and do online shopping. Since that wasn't to be, I made a second trip to my local Sephora tonight. Anyway, on Wednesday I bought two of my regular purchases - the Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Power System (I ain't getting any younger) and my beloved Origins Eye Doctor which I have missed terribly these last few months. If it's not broken, don't fix it!

I also got two, what I call, luxury items. These are two items that I have wanted for ages, but didn't feel like spending the money at full price. The 20% off VIB event is perfect for picking up such products. The two I speak of are the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara and the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette. Needless to say reviews on both of these will be done in the near future. I am super excited about these two buys.

On to tonight's debauchery. I went to my local Sephora store tonight thinking that I was just going to get the leftovers and everything would be sold out. Much to my shock, they had almost everything I wanted! Their Bobbi Brown display was ransacked though. Okay, where to start? I got a tote bag and a Shashi bead bracelet for free. The tote is ok (plastic) and the bracelet is nothing I would personally wear. Free is free though. I also got a couple of samples of something called Nude Progenius Treatment Oil for the face.

I am almost out of one of my Estee Lauder foundations so I decided with 20% off now would be a good time to try one of the foundations I have been wanting to try. It was a toss up between the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation and the Dior Star foundation. I decided to buy the Tarte one. Did I make the right decision you think?

I picked up the L'Occitane en Provence Shea Travel Treats in an ornament type package. You get a foot cream and a hand cream in this set. Both are really good for travel and that is what I bought them for. A functional item right? A justifiable purchase? Ahem.

Then came the Fresh Sugar Berry Lip Treatment. I have heard good things about this particular colour and the colour is right up my alley. I love practically all of the Fresh lip products, I just hate the price. Hence, why I grabbed it now and got the 20% off. It just made me feel a little bit better.

OMG I can't believe I got the Too Faced Melted Kisses Lipstick Set. I want to rip this open right now but I need to finish this blog post. These were sold out online very quickly. I found this one on a shelf in the wrong place and it was the last one left in the store. Maybe the last one left in the world. These are not full size but to get four different colours for a few bucks more than the cost of one full sized - giddy up!

Looks like I got the Formula X nail colour or polish in X Rouge.Very cool, and it was free. Speaking of nail polish, I also got a mini Formula X nail color in A+ with 100 of my rewards points. This is a very nice colour.

I got the Bite Lip Pencil Set in Best Bite Remix. I love everything Bite puts out so of course I had to get this cute Christmas set. You couldn't go wrong with the price for what you get.

Okay, another "luxury item". I finally bought the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal. I think it is so pricey normally in Canadian dollars, so the sale was enough for me to take the plunge. Very excited about this one too.

Three products left! I already bought a big holiday palette a few week ago and that review is coming soon. The only other palette I was coveting was the BareMinerals the Magic Act. I love herringbone, I love bareMinerals ready eyeshadows and ready blushes. This was a no brainer. The reviews are good too. I have a review and some suggestions on holiday palettes and buys coming this week by the way.

I am running out of a lot of hair products at the moment and some of my near empties are discontinued. I will need something soon so I decided to try the Alterna Bamboo Smooth Anti-Breakage Thermal Protectant Spray. So we will see how I like that.

Last, but certainly not least, one more luxury item. I got the Dior Contour Lipliner Pencil in 169 Grege. It was the last one in the store! I wanted the eyeshadow palette by the same name, but my local Sephora doesn't carry it.

So that's it! That was a lot!!! I am tired just thinking about it. I think I am cut off from Sephora for a while, or until my next shopping trip to the States. With Christmas coming, I might need to hop over the border soon.

Big palette review coming either tomorrow or Sunday! Stay tuned!

Sephora Collection Pro Flawless Airbrush #56 Foundation Brush - Review

I bought this brush online at Sephora. When I got it, the first thing I noticed was how crazy small this brush is. For $40 Canadian and $32 U.S., and being a foundation brush, I expected something a heck of a lot bigger. I am used to working with the Sigma F80, F82 and F84 brushes which are easily double the size of this brush if not triple. I recently had to chuck my F80 brush because it was beyond raggedy and I was looking for something new on the menu so to speak.

What I like about this brush is that it really does work your foundation well into your skin and it is fabulous at blending out uneven areas of application and not leaving any brush marks. It also gets into smaller or curved areas of your face fairly easily. This brush does give the best overall foundation application look of any brush that I own. The brush itself is super lightweight and compact even though the handle is really long. The bristles are super soft.

I hope I have this brush a really long time. Longer than the 3-4 years that I had my F80 (used maybe 25% of the time over those years). I say this mostly because I think for a brush this small, $40 is steep! Part of me feels a little ripped off. I have second guessed myself about this purchase and whether or not it was wise. I wish I would have waited to buy it in the U.S. for $32 or got it when Sephora has a 20% off sale. As you can see, I have an issue with the price point. Also, this is a Sephora brush and I don't know where they as brand get off charging that price. I guess it is justified as people like me buy them...

The brush is easier to clean than my Sigma Kabuki brushes, but that is likely because this is a much smaller brush. While it is easier to clean, it gets dirty and beyond another use after 2 to 3 uses. So I am washing it often. It soaks up foundation like mad and then the bristles clump together. This is not a pro to this brush. With my Sigma brushes I can get 5 to 7 uses out of them before I have to wash them.

In addition, it takes longer to apply your foundation with this brush simply because it is so small! I can whip around my face in no time flat with my Sigma Kabuki's. This brush takes a lot longer.

In short, this brush works great in terms of foundation application. You have to be constantly washing though and that is a pain in ass. This brush is very overpriced in my opinion. You also need to have a little more time on your hands every day to use this brush and plan for that if you are used to using bigger Kabuki style brushes. For these reasons, my feelings are somewhat ambiguous about this brush. There is one really big pro (the whole purpose of the brush being flawless application), yet there are a whole bunch of secondary issue cons.

I have no issues playing a good deal of money for a good, solid brush. I own a crapload of MAC brushes and Lord knows they aren't cheap. Those brushes are easy to clean, can be wiped off and used again and again in between cleanings. Oh, and they last forever. That remains to be seen with this brush, but I will be sure to keep you all updated.

Packaging: 6/10 (lightweight yet really long handle and super small brush head!)    

Easy to Work With: 9/10 (point off for how long it takes to use)
Longevity: ?
Usefulness: 8/10 (2 points off for being high maintenance cleaning-wise)
Texture/Softness: 10/10
Price: 6/10
Travel Worthy: 7/10
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
Would I buy this again? ???????????? Not Sure

October 2014 Empties!

Hair and Skin. That seems to be the theme of my empties for October 2014. I actually thought I had more than this but I think this is still pretty damn good. Without further ado...

1. eos Hand Lotion in Fresh Flowers - This was the second one of these I have gone through. I tried the Berry Blossom scent prior to this one but I didn't like the scent. I prefer Fresh Flowers much better. The size and shape of the container is perfect for your purse. Already repurchased. Full review: http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2013/05/eos-hand-lotion-in-berry-blossom-review.html

2. Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Cleanser - This will not be a repurchase. It is very gentle, the smell is inoffensive and it is not drying. I think this would be a good product for someone with mature, dry skin who does not have any acne or blemish issues. This product does nothing to help rid me of my blemishes so it's just not suited towards my skin issues. I also don't feel that it cleans out dirt, makeup and oil from my skin very well. I decided to use it up and toss it. I can't believe I never did a blog review on this product, however, I think I just summed up what I think of it here.

3. Silk Elements Megasilk Heat Protection Spray - I have already repurchased this. It protects your hair and leaves it soft, silky and super smooth. Gets rid of the frizzies like magic. My only beef is that the smell is quite strong and it lingers. At first I didn't mind the smell but it has worn on my nerves as time has gone on. If you can get past the smell, it's awesome stuff. I use it sparingly these days just because of the smell. Full review: http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2012/06/silk-elements-megasilk-heat-protection.html

4. Pond's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes - I hated these when I first bought them. I don't like the smell. This is becoming a theme I see on this month's favourites...smell...hmm. Anyway, I put them aside and started using them again this summer and I didn't mind them so much. They seemed to irritate my skin in the winter months. They are great for cleaning salt off of winter boots and makeup off of winter coats though....Full review: http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2014/08/ponds-evening-soothe-wet-cleansing.html

5. Moroccanoil Curl Control Mousse - This works well and sometimes you can get away without washing your hair the day after using this and it can still look ok. Day 2 hair I call it. The tricky part is that it is very difficult to figure out how much to use. Too much and you look like a grease monkey. Too little and it's frizz city. If you have straightened your hair and it starts to look frizzy the next day, throw some of this on and you get a nice wavy do'. The smell is very spicy and strong though - not for the faint of heart. I might repurchase. Full review: http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2012/08/moroccanoil-curl-control-mousse-review.html

6. ion Summer Solutions Miracle Summer Spray - I think this would be an excellent product for people with straight or wavy hair. It makes your hair shiny and soft. It helps tame frizz. Great stuff if you are hanging out at the pool or outdoors all summer long. It also hydrates your hair and detangles. I just may repurchase, although I need something a bit better for use in the frizz department during the summer months. Hey, it might work for me very well in winter...hmmm. I can't believe I never did a review on this. I went through this product super fast this summer as the bottle is small.

7. Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleanser - Ummm I feel like I have been keeping my light under a bushel. This may be my new all time favourite cleanser. I will do a review on this very soon. I didn't think I would like this and I used it because I have a few lying around that I had scored free in gift with purchase bags from Estee Lauder. I won't say more and will save it for my full review coming soon.

8. tarte LipSurgence Lip Crème in Admired - This smells strongly of mint and I personally don't mind that smell. It felt great on my lips and was nice and moisturizing. I found the colour wore off long before the moisture factor did which was a bit of a pain. Not a bad product though. I bought it cheap on hautelook.com and might again if the price was right. The packaging ended up being crap though as you can see. Full review: http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2014/03/tarte-lipsurgence-lip-creme-in-admired.html

9. Estee Lauder Take It Way Gentle Eye and Lip LongWear Makeup Remover - This ended up being good stuff. I would repurchase possibly but I think the price is steep for the small amount that you get. Full review: http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2014/09/estee-lauder-take-it-away-makeup.html

10. Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder in 20 Classic Ivory - This is likely the best face powder at the drug store. It doesn't cake and makes you look glowy. I whipped through it in no time though. I may repurchase one day but I have other face powders to use up around here first. I am going back to MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish Natural powder for now as I have one waiting to go! Full review: http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2014/07/maybelline-dream-wonder-powder-in-20.html

11. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - I have changed my mind about this product as time has gone on. Some mornings it makes my skin look and feel great. Already have tons more of this product in my stash thanks to Estee Lauder's gift with purchase bags. Full review: http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2014/10/estee-lauder-advanced-night-repair.html

12. Josie Maran Argan Lip Treatment - I have talked a bunch about this product and did a recent blog post on it. I love the container but I will not repurchase. Rather than babble about it again, here is the link to my latest thoughts on it http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2014/10/two-products-that-i-have-changed-my.html

13. Estee Lauder Makeup Brush Cleanser - Worked well, but not as good as the Clinique one I think. However, I plan on sticking to the MAC one if I can't get the Clinique one. Meanwhile, all of these companies are owned by the same people so the formulas are very similar. I don't believe I did a review on this.

So that's it, and I think that is enough for one month!

Bits and Bites

• I have a brush review and a large palette review coming up this week. Meant to do the brush review yesterday but ended up doing laundry, sleeping and planning today's blog instead. C'est la vie!