My picks for the starter kit

              Images from Sephora.com

 Sephora is a mecca for makeup starter kits. There are a variety of trial sets from various brands that allow you to try out a range of products before committing to buy full size products. Here are the sets that I think are a great value and contain a great variety of best-selling products form each brand:

1. Josie Maran Spread the Argan love set ($48.00): Josie Maran is an expensive skin care/ makeup line--but her products are renowned. This kit contains her most raved about products, including her whipped body cream, Argan oil and cream blush.
2. L'Occitane L'amour almonde travel set ($40.00): L'Occitane is most renowned for their almond line and this kit not only has their bestselling products from the line--their shave oil and hand cream--but it also comes with a great carry case.
3. Too Faced Beauty blogger darlings ($20.00): This set is a great value for money. It comes with a sample of the brand's best products: their bronzer, face and eye primer and mascara. That is to say, you get a variety of products that can do your whole face.     
4. Smashbox Try it kit ($20.00): This kit, too, is a great value for money. It, too, has a variety of products that can be used all over the face: a face primer, an eye primer, eyeliner, a mascara and a lipgloss. 

What set is my pick? The Smashbox Try it kit--it is a great price considering all the products you get to try. 

New to: The Pantone colour of the year collection

                 Images from Sephora.com

• Bite beauty luminous creme lipstick in Lavender ($24.00)
• Julep colour treat nailpolish in Kessie ($14.00) 

The new thing: L'oreal Le Pastille nailpolish

I have absolutely fallen head over heels for the L'oreal limited edition nail polish Le Pastille from the Les Blancs collection--available now at the drugstore for $9.00. This polish is reminiscent of the ever famous Illamasqua speckled nail polish--it has a base that is accentuated with a coloured speckle. The polish gives such a beautiful and unique effect and texture to the nails. It literally does look like Cadbruy mini-eggs. The colour of this polish is very flattering and unbarring--the base is a neutral cream and the speckles are a blue that meshes nicely with its cream base. The polish itself dries quickly and builds up colour intensity within a few coats. It also comes in a pink base with purple speckle!

Have you tried out this polish? 

Beauty beyond my reach

            Images from google

If you are like me, a copious watcher of UK beauty gurus on Youtube, then you come across many beauty products that you hear about, lust about and want but you can't buy in your country. Here are a few of those products on my list--a list of products that I constantly lust over and will keep on my list for when I finally get my way over to England!

• Barry M gelly nailpolishes: As a nailpolish addict I have been dying to try this formula. I love the colour selection and it is widely regarded by the beauty gurus across the pond--unfortunately, the shipping cost for this product to Canada outweighs the its price value.
• Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita eyeshadow palette: I have been lusting over this product since the first time that I have seen it. This is the perfect eyeshadow for me: neutral, sultry, bronze-y. However, the price for shipping from Selfridges is way too expensive to justify. Sadly, I'll just have to make this dream a reality when I eventually reach England. 
• Soap and glory Lid Stuff eyeshadow palette: This is the embodiment of a perfectly composed MAC eyeshadow quad--it has everything that a neutral eyeshadow palette lover would need! This palette constantly pulls at my heart strings, making me really saddened that Soap and glory cosmetics aren't available in Canada.  

Shopping smart at Sephora #1: Shopping the sales

                Images from Sephora.com

Very rarely in Sephora hauls do I hear people talk about products that they didn't purchase for regular price. Sephora is an expensive place, so I thought that finding any way to save money is better than saving no money at all. Sephora has a constant sale tab on their website that is regularly updated with new products. These are products that are limited edition, over stock, products that are being phased out and products that are on clearance to be cleared: this means that products are drastically discounted from their regular products. With Sephora you're almost always guaranteed quality, so shopping the clearance will give you a quality product often at drugstore prices. I have picked out a few items from the sale section that are available now and that are great for spring:

1. Sephora eyeshadow palette in Miami Vibes (from $24.00 to $11.00): A great spring palette because it has blues for a pop of colour.
2. Sephora hair chalk in Lilac (from $12.00 to $7.00): A great way to add a pop of colour to your hair that's easy to get out and inexpensive; plus, ombre hair is on trend! 
3. Sephora eyeliner set (from $32.00 to $19.00): Eyeliner is a great way to accentuate the eyes on those hot days when you don't want to wear a lot of makeup. This set is a great value for   money--especially for the eyeshadow lover! 
4. Nails Inc. Fibre Optic nailpolish in Chelsea Passage (from $11.00 to $7.00): Textured nails have been quite the trend lately and this is a great price for a Nails Inc. polish--especially one that's on trend.  

Exclusive VIB sets

        Images from sephora.com

Part of the benefit of being a Sephora VIB is the access to exclusive promotions. Every now and again Sephora comes out with really great perks for their VIBs and I came across two pretty amazing ones that I wanted to share. 

1) Makeup Forever Beautiful birthday set ($45.00): A starter set exclusive to VIBs that contains their coveted HD powder, makeup remover and eyeliner.

2) Laura Mercier 500 point perk in Flawless radiance: Laura Mercier is quite the luxury brand at Sephora, so getting to try a kit of their best sellers for free is amazing. This kit features their illuminating powder, radiance primer and lipgloss. 

These deals are while quantities last, so get them while you can! 

Lost and found

If you have a lot of beauty products like I do, than it's easy to misplace and forget about products that you have. Recently I have come across a pile of beauty products that  deemed as missing, disregarded in a purse in the corner of my room. They are products that, upon finding, I started to use immediately, realizing how much I actually loved them and how much I was quite lost without them. Maybe there's merit in cleaning out the cruxes of your beauty room and clearing out your purse because you never know what you'll find or what you have been living without, without realizing!

Current nail things

I am a self-diagnosed nail polish addict. I change my nail polish maybe twice a week, which means that I am always in need of nailpolish remover and a top-coat. My two favourites in these two categories at the moment are the Kit cosmetics Nail Polish Remover Dip and the Revlon Colourstay Gel-shine top-coat. The Kit cosmetics nail polish remover is a quick and easy way to remove any polish. It limits the tedious use of various cotton balls and has a nice lemon-y scent. It's also an efficient way to get off glitter nailpolish and comes with a swab to take off toe nailpolish. The Revlon top coat is what I wish that the Seche-vite top coat was. It is fast drying and non-gloopy. It goes on smooth, without clumps. It also leaves the nails chip-resistant which is what one could only hope a good topcaot would do!   

Mac X Lorde collection

                Image from MAC 

The MAC X Lorde collection will be available from June 5th! Look forward to dark, vampy lips! 

Review: Revlon gel envy

Upon my latest stroll to the drugstore I came across a new Revlon polish: the gel envy. They retail for $7.99ea and come in a variety of colours. I chose the colour 630 Long Shot to further indulge my orange obsession. The formula of this polish is beautiful. It it opaque and dries to a nice, thick, consistency on the nails. The polish claims to be enriched with a gel-base coat and I can definitely feel that effect on the nails. Your nails feel firmer, stronger, upon application. The polish gives a similar effect to the nails as when I apply the OPI nail envy as a base coat (notice gel-envy and nail-envy...maybe because they are the same?!).  The colour of this polish itself is really nice. It's a sunset, rustier orange that is more subdued than the typical orange-red. For the price of one regular product you're getting both colour and the added benefit of a gel/ strengthening base coat--which I think makes for a great deal considering the quality of the product! 

Sneak peak: MAC Maleficent collection

                  Images from google 

This summer 2014 MAC will be releasing a limited edition collection to celebrate the release of the new Disney movie Maleficent. Above is a sneak peak at the collection! You are able to sign up on the MAC website to receive a notification when the collection reaches the shelves! I have my eyes set on a lipstick. 

The new thing: clinique neutral territory palette

And here we have yet another neutral palette that I have fallen in love with. I consider this palette to be the older, sophisticated sister of the Urban Decay Basics palette. You have the neutrality of the UD palette but the colours have a lot more depth and there's a greater colour selection. Although the shadows aren't necessarily matte, they have a finish that's very neutral and un-distracting on the eye that gives a similar effect. This palette has a beautiful taupe undertone that progresses from a white to a deep taupe. It has the ever coveted black honey eyeshadow--a beautiful burgundy--and a colour very reminiscent of satin taupe from MAC. The palette is around the same size as the UD basics palette--if not thinner--and has a full length mirror. You also get an applicator that can easily be switched out with another travel sized applicator. This palette is perfect for travel--both because of it's size and it's colour range. You can get yours at Sephora for $39.00. It was limited edition but is still on the site if you wish to get your paws on it--and I strongly suggest you do!   

Just hit the shelves

                  Image from Sephora.com

Attention! The Dior lip fluids have finally reached Sephora! 

Cat themed makeup

                  Images from Ebay 

I am undoubtedly and openly a cat-lover. Whenever I see something cat shaped I automatically have to buy it--whether it be soap, mittens or chocolate. In order to further indulge my love for cats I have decided to dedicate a post entirely to cat-up: that is, cat shaped makeup!

So here we go, in order of appearance!

1. Tonymoly cat mascara ($10.00) on Ebay (seller: hello-girl)
2. Tonymoly cat lipstick ($5.00) on Ebay (seller: sweethomegadget11)
3. Paul&Joe cat blush ($55.00) on Ebay (seller: germ1123) 

Will you be giving these cat-ups a meow? 

Sephora launches: The tangle teaser

                       Image from Sephora.com

In case you haven't heard, Sephora is now a retailer of the Tangle teaser ($20.00)! If you've been wanting to try one but haven't known where to look, you can now buy it through Sephora.com or Sephora in store! 

My favourite places to buy.....

Everyone has a certain place that they like to buy certain things from, like a certain grocery store or a certain clothing store. With makeup it's no different! For certain products I must go to MAC, for others I have to go to Sephora. I definitely have an affinity for going to the Drugstore for certain products too! To find out which places correspond with what products keep reading....

1. For lipstick.....I almost always turn to MAC. MAC is unbeatable in terms of their colour selection and their finishes. The drugstore doesn't have the colour selection that MAC does, nor does Sephora have the affordable price range that MAC offers. Whenever you are looking for a certain colour, or trend, MAC is sure to please without breaking the bank.
2. For eyeshadow.....I turn to Sephora. When it comes to eyeshadow palettes Sephora is the only place I trust to get the job done. The drugstore doesn't have the quality or colour selection of Sephora branded products and MAC is more prone to single eyeshadows than palettes. Not to mention, Sephora carries all the brands that us beauty junkies look out for, for a good neutral palette-cough Urban Decay Naked palette. 
3. For nail polish.....I will usually always go to the drugstore. Unless there is a certain colour that only a higher end brand is selling, all my nail polish needs are satisfied at the drugstore. The drugstore has a wide variety of colour and textures. They are always on trend and release many limited collections with unique colours. For the quality and versatility of their selection, the drugstore is competitive with higher brands. They are the most affordable place to shop! 
4. For foundation.....I find myself at Sephora. I have quite sensitive skin--skin that requires effort to ensure that it remains vibrant and healthy. Drugstore foundations tend to irritate my skin or not give the dewy finish that my dry skin needs. I know that when I go into Sephora I will have a variety of options suited specifically to my skin type and specifically to my skin colour--colour matching is another facet that the drugstore often struggles with. At the moment, I do not know where I would be with my Nars radiant foundation....It has literally changed my life.  

Are they certain places that you have to shop at for certain beauty products? 

Spotted at the drugstore

Upon venturing to the drugstore today I can across a few new Spring displays!

• L'oreal Les Blancs--a collection of pastels 
• Revlon Spiderman collection--a collection of holographics 
• Revlon Gel nailpolishes (expect a review soon) 

If you had your eye out for one of these collections then you can now mosey on your way over to the drugstore and raid the displays! 

Just hit the shelves

                   Image from Sephora.com

After hearing about them in America, the YSL Babydoll Kiss and Blush have finally hit the Canadian shelves. They are available now on Sephora.com  for $45.00ea. The colour shown above is the one that I'm most keen on: Orange Fougueux.

Formula X pods: A nailpolish revolution?

                       Image from Sephora.com

Sephora has recently released a pretty innovative new product. To mirror the success of their Forumla X nailpolish line, they have created a set of nailpolish pods in their bestselling shades. Each pod has enough product for one nail application, allowing you to try each shade once. It's a sample revelation! This is a great idea for a starter set--allowing you to try out the formula of the product with different colours. It retails for $47.00 which I think is a great price for value. Each nailplish by itself retails for $11.00 so you're getting to try 24 nail polishes for the price of 4. 

I think that this product is a revolution for the "starter kit" product. It breathes new air into the idea of trying our smaller, sampler sizes of a product before you purchase its full size equivalent.

What do you think of this product idea? 

New to: Sephora

                Images from Sephora.com

And the new releases keep coming!....

• Bobbi Brown Soho Chic palette ($50.00): a neutral eyeshadow palette centered around taupes 
• Deborah Lippman Happily Ever After nail set ($30.00): a neutral nail polish set centred around the bridal season 
• Shiseido Lacquer Rouge ($25.00): a long wearing liquid lipstick  

The last of the never ending Sephora haul

Here ye, here ye, I present you with last of my Sephora VIB sale haul:

• Nars Pure radiant tinted moisturizer ($48.00): I think that this will be a great base product for my  dry, dull skin and, because of it's SPF, it's a great product for spring.
• Bobbi Brown creamy matte lipstick in Valencia Orange ($28.00): I am loving the orange lip trend for spring and I thought that this was a unique option because it's a creamy, coral orange as opposed to my typical red-orange lip.
• Sephora pro blending brush ($23.00): This is an alternative to the MAC 217 blending brush, a much beloved brush of mine. I wanted to try another eye brush from this line because I love the pro crease brush so much. 

Announcement: Limited gone permanent at MAC

Mac has recently made some of their popular limited edition lipsticks permanent and available at all counters, not just pro-stores! These shades include Sushi Kiss and Flamingo from the All ABout Orange collection and my beloved Patisserie from the Baking Beauties collection. Next time you're near a MAC counter go check out their new shades!

Review: Maybelline pumped up!

I am sad to say that this product was disappointing. I love Maybelline and I had high hopes for this product, but unfortunately, these hopes were not met. The consistency of this product is way too wet, which makes it clump easily on the lashes. A lot of product came out at once which also contributed to clumping. The effect that the mascara gives is not voluminous by any means. It took me three coats to get the effect in the photo and even with that many coats my lashes do not stand out very much. I find that this mascara actually does more lengthening than volumizing, but since the name of the product suggests volume, I was not pleased. My L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara gives a lot more volume. I will say though that it lasts nicely on the eye throughout the day without fading or causing the dreaded panda eye. However, I do not think that the effect that the mascara gives stands up to my eyeshadow.

Final verdict: if you are looking for a voluminous mascara, sadly this is not it--or at least not to me. However, because the product lasts nicely throughout the day and does lengthen, you may want to purchase it for those reasons. Perhaps this is one of those products--like the Benefit They're Real mascara--that is better once it dries out.

Have you tried this mascara? What do you think?

New to: the Sephora favourites collection

                   Images from sephora.com

Around the holidays, Sephora released a great array of favourites collections from lashes to eyeliner. They have now released new collections for the spring time and I tell you, they are beautiful. 

1) Lash stash: this collection set features 5 best selling mascaras from Too Faced to Bare Minerals.

2) Summerstash: this collection set features best selling products from various brands and various categories that are perfect for spring. It features the Nars Laguna bronzer, an OCC lip tar and an Urban Decay setting spray. This set packs a punch and is a great value.

3) Meet your match: this collection set features a nail polish and matching lip product from various brands that follow the spring colour schemes of orange, nude and pink. 

What's my pick of the sets? Definately the Summerstash--the brands and products that are featured are an amazing value. 

New spring scents

                       Images from Sephora.com 

Spring time scents have flooded Sephora and it seems that this year's scent trend is florals:

1. Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau so Fresh ($89.00 for 2.5oz)
2. Dior Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet ($75.00 for 1.7oz)
3. Viktor and Rolf La Vie en Rose ($95.00 for 1.7oz)

New to: Laura Mercier

                                            Images from Sephora.com

Laura Mericer baked eyeshdow quads in "Summer in Saint Tropez" and "Rendezvous in Monte-Carlo ($50.00ea)"

New to Mac: MAC Playground

                        Images from google 

The new thing: Sephora 58 pro foundation brush

I purchased this brush on a whim during the Sephora VIB sale because I love my Sigma tapered kabuki brush and I wanted to try another tapered face brush for my foundation. I am happy to say that this purchase has been one of my wisest. This brush is soft, it feels comfortable in the hand and blends my foundation beautifully into the skin. Because it's tapered, the brush fits perfectly into the contours of the nose and bends concealer nicely underneath the eyes. This brush is the perfect consistency. It is dense enough to buff foundation flawlessly into the face, yet fluffy enough to blend concealer under the eye without tugging or irritation. 

Sephora spring collection: Escape to Rio

                              Images from Sephora.com

Spring cheek picks

Spring cheeks mean three things to me: a sheer flush, a pop of colour and a radiant highlight.

1. A sheer flush, a great compliment to a playful eye or bright lip and a great way to liven up the face without clashing with your other bold face makeup: Benefit Rockateur 
2. A pop of colour, a great compliment to a neutral eye or neutral lip: Revlon cream blush in Coral reef
3. A radiant highlight, to mimic the radiance of summer and have a glow when the sun of spring time hits your cheeks: The Balm Mary-Lou luminizer. 

New Revlon release

                       Image from Revlon 

My favourite is Carnival Spirit!

Announcement: Illamasqua leaving Sephora?

Sadly, just as Lorac is no longer being sold at Sephora, it may appear that more brands are soon to follow. It seems from noise circulating on beatychat channels and talking to reps that Illamasqua will soon be departing. When brands are set to leave their products tend to be put on discount to clear, so if you want to get ahold of certain products before they're gone keep checking the site to see if/when the products are on clearance and stock up. I have my eyes on the Illamasqua Reflection palette. 

Spring lip picks

Spring lips mean three things to me: a nude/ sheer wash of colour, an orange and a bright red.

1. A nude/ sheer wash of colour, great for when you're wearing a bolder eye or cheek: YSL rouge volupté shine in 09 nude in private
2. An orange, one of the huge spring lip trends: MAC so chaud 
3. A bright red, a great pop of colour for those days when you're wearing a neutral eye or neutral cheek: E.L.F matte lip pencil in rich red 

My favourite MAC products

1. Cranberry eyeshadow: a beautiful pop of colour that compliments brown eyes. It looks nice blended all over the lid or with a matte brown blended into the crease.
2. Margin blush: this blush is dual purposed, acting as both a blush and highlighter. It adds a beautiful copper flush to the cheeks as well as a nice sheen because of the shimmer particles throughout it. It suits all skin tones, so it's a really versatile colour.  
3. 224 Blending brush: this brush is a miracle worker. I use it for blending, crease work, setting concealer and highlighting under the brow bone. Because it is both tapered and fluffy, it's so versatile. If you buy one brush from MAC, I would highly recommend that this is the one. It's hard to come by fluffy blending brushes and this is a goodie.  
4. Brick-o-la lipstick: this lipstick would suit every skin tone. It's a beautiful red with brown undertones. It's a neutral, wearable, everyday colour that makes your makeup look so put together and sophisticated.  

Announcement

For all of my beauties out there who still couldn't get their hands on the Ambient Lighting Palette from Hourglass, fret no more. Hourglass has just confirmed that the palette will become a permanent fixture on their line, so soon enough, eventually, you will get yours! See how powerful the consumer can be!

Products I regret NOT buying: Holiday 2013

                        Images from Google 

Every now and again we miss out on certain beauty products. Sometimes these are products that we can live without and soon forget, though other times, they are products that keep eating on your mind. This past holiday season I missed out on buying a few holiday releases and I still can't get them off my mind. It's a good idea to reminisce about certain products that you missed out on because more often than not brands tend to re-release and re-promote popular products and products that they released for limited collections. SO, I am sharing with you some of the products that I regret not buying over the holidays with hopes that it will inspire you not to dread loosing out on a product. Now next year, we can be more prompt and have our eyes peeled!

1. Tarte blush palette: Tarte blushes are a product that I've always wanted to try but never got around to it. This set was a great deal, allowing you to try a bunch of blushes at a discounted price. Tarte re-releases this product every Holiday so I will definitely not miss out on this palette again next year! 
2. Dior vernis in Marilyn: Dior always has the most beautiful Holiday collections and this nail polish is no different. It comes in beautiful limited edition packaging and in a very unique colour. I picked up one of these polishes in the shade Minuit and I absolutely love it, so I deeply regret not picking up this beautiful pink with golden shimmer. Dior, also, tends to re-promote their polishes during the Holidays so I hope I can get my hands on this shade, or one like it, next year.
3. Nars lip set: The nars lip pencils, too, are a product that I've always wanted to try and they, too, are quite the splurge. This set was a great deal for the amount of product that you get and it came with popular, wearable shades. This, too, is also a set that is re-promoted by Nars so I intend to grab it next season.
4. Too Faced A Few of my Favourite Things palette: Upon picking up the Chocolate Bar Palette I have come to the realization that Too Faced shadows are beautiful, buttery and pigmented. This palette combines two powder products of theirs: their shadows and their face products--including bronzer and blush. This palette, similar to the Chocolate Bar Palette, has a great mix of neutral and unique, more colourful, colours. After watching Emily Noel's video on this palette I wanted it even more. I really hope that this palette gets re-released because it's a beaut'.         

Smashbox: Full Exposure palette

I recently picked up this beaut' from the Sephora VIB sale after lusting over it for a while. You know my love for neutral palettes, so eventually this had to be added to my collection. The palette contains 14 shadows, half of which are matte and half of which are shimmer. Each matte and shimmer shade that are paired together are corresponding colours, which ensure that both of the colours will pair nicely together on the eye. The shadows on my initial swatch were soft and pigmented--I have to disagree with the other reviews out there that the palette is lack-luster in the pigmentation department. Though, the shimmer shades, definitely, need more build-up than the matte shades. The shimmer shades have more of a sheen than glitter, which makes for a better appearance on the eye. The palette itself also comes with a dual ended brush and a sample of Full Exposure mascara. The palette, in terms of packaging, is not convenient. It is way thicker than it needs to be, that's for sure. However, the versatility and wearability of the shadows make up for that fault. 

Colours:

matte 1: deep brown

shimmery 1: shimmery bronze

matte 2: light brown

shimmer 2: light shimmery brown

matte 3: light beige 

shimmer 3: shimmery light beige

matte 4: flesh tone

shimmer 4: shimmery flesh tone 

matte 5: taupe

shimmer 5: shimmery taupe 

matte 6: grey toned beige  

shimmer 6: shimmery greige 

matte 7: black 

shimmer 7: silver with black micro glitter 

   

Sephora launches: hair tools

                        Images from Sephora.com 

Sephora has just released a line of hair tools which include:

1) A flatiron ($80.00)

2) A mini/ travel size flatiron ($25.00)

3) A curling wand ($40.00)

Sephora has been pretty successful in their beauty tools endeavour, as their brushes are amazing, so hopefully these will be just as good!

Do you think you'll try these out? 

What's in my makeup bag?

 

                Makeup bag from Forever21

There are certain products that I tend to reach for all the time because they're just that good! Those are the products that I keep in my makeup bag--the products I take with me if I am on the go:

• Urban Decay Naked Basics palette: This palette has it all, all over the lid shades, crease shades, liner and a brow highlight. It's the best palette for travel because of it's size and helps to create a no-brainer eye look.
• L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes: This mascara is great! The perfect amount of product comes out each time to ensure that your lashes never clump. It's the perfect size for upper and lower lashes and it adds volume just as its' name suggests.
• L'oreal Magic Lumi primer: This primer helps to even out the texture of my skin and also adds the perfect amount of radiance and luminoisity to counteract my dull skin.
• Rimmel Wake-me up concealer: This is the best drugstore concealer I have ever tried. The perfect amount comes out for an even and flawless application and it blends in nicely to the skin without getting cakey. The product itself is brightening, so it adds radiance to your under-eye area to counteract any harsh dark circles.
• Hourglass Brow Arch: This product has gained holy grail status in my books. It acts as both a brow powder and gel because it's a wax, so it adds colour and stays in place. The shape of the product is great for filling in both the body and tail of the brow and makes for a quick application. It also has a spooley, which helps even out the brows.
• Dior Nude Skin BB Cream: This bb cream has a flawless application that leaves the skin looking perfect without looking cakey on clinging onto dry patches. It has buildable coverage so you can cater the product to your skin. It comes with a pump which makes application easy and clean. It blends beautifully into the skin with either your fingers or a brush. 

More news!

More new products have hit the self at our dear ol' Sephora:

• Clinique has released new, spring, colours to their line of Chubby Sticks for Eyes: there's a teal, a burnt orange, a lilac, a light blue and more! A great way to add a pop of colour this spring! 
• Nars has released their artistry brushes. Previously they were only sold on their website, but now you can purchase the ever so coveted Yachiyo brush yourself!
• Marc Jacobs Beauty has added new, spring, colours to their gel eyeliner line: there's a gold, a plum, a forest green, a teal, a navy blue and more! Another great way to add a pop of colour for spring. 

Prime-ing yourself beautiful

Once you've tried a primer, you can't go primerless. Using a primer will change your life--or at least it's changed mine. I have dry, dull skin, so without a primer my foundation tends to cling to my dry patches and make me look quite lifeless. A primer is an easy step to add to your makeup routine because it's like putting on a moisturizer before foundation. Above I have three primers that range in prices and uses.

1. First up we have the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer ($28.00): This primer is great for those who want their makeup to last longer, who want to minimize the look of fine lines and pores and who want to even out the texture of their skin before applying foundation. This product, being the most expensive of the bunch, feels the most luxurious on the skin. The product seems to melt into the skin as opposed to sitting on top of it. My foundation applies so evenly without settling in unwanted areas. I find that my face has a more flawless and even look when I use this primer.
2. Next up, we have the L'oreal Magic Lumi Primer ($14.00): This product is for those gals out there who, just like me, need a little radiance boosting. This primer is enhanced with radiance particles which gives the skin added luminosity and dewiness. If you like your face to have a subtle underlining highlight and a dewy glow, then this product is worth it. Because this product is a little cheaper, it definitely doesn't have as luxurious of a feel on the skin. The Hourglass primer dissolves nicely on the face, while this primer is a little stickier, a little thicker feeling on the skin. 
3. Finally, we have the last--and cheapest--product of the bunch, the E.L.F Hydrating Face Primer ($6.00): This product is definitely the most affordable of the three options and is the one for those who suffer from dry, dehydrated skin. If you want your foundation to go on smoothly without clinging to dry areas, then this  is the one for you. This is great for those who want to wear a heavier coverage foundation despite having dry skin. However, because of its'price tag, the quality does suffer a little. This product has the feel and texture of silicone. For those who don't like the feel of a product that feels like your classic, silicone base, then you won't like this. The texture and feel on the skin is comparable to that of the Maybelline Baby Skin--it definitely feels like you just applied something to the skin. Though, with it being so cheap and so hydrating, for us dry faced gals on a budget, this is great. 

All four primes have their different uses--their merits. Which one tickles your fancy? 

Hourglass announcement

                       Image from Hourglass

Hourlgass has just announced that are have re-released their very successful Holiday release--the Ambient Lighting Palette. It is available now from Hourglasscosmetics.com. 

Nail polish picks for spring

1. Mint: Essie Fashion Playground
2. Pale green: Butter London Bossy Boots 
3. Yellow: Revlon Buttercup
4. Peach: Revlon Apricot Nectar  
5. Orange: Revlon Marmalade  

New to: Kat Von D

                          All images from Sephora.com

The new releases continue at Sephora! Kat Von D has recently added two new eyeshadow palettes to her line:

• Top image: The Monarch Eyeshadow Palette ($46.00) 
• Bottom image: The Chrysalis Eyeshadow Palette ($46.00)

Each eyeshadow palette contains 3 sections with 4 different eyeshadows to create 3 different looks. The Monarch palette contains neutral, cool colours and the Chrysalis palette contains more colourful options, though colours with depth. Each palette has a mix of matte and shimmer shades. 

Drugstore makeup haul

• Bourjois Happy light Luminous Serum Primer ($10.00)
• Essie nail polish in Absolutely Shore (pale mint) ($9.99)
• Essie nail polish in Fashion Playground (mint-turqoise with shimmer) ($9.99)
• Rimmel Salon PRO nail polish in Oh, Mr. Darcy (mauve-beige) ($8.99)
• L'oreal liquid lipstick in Orange Tempo (pale orange lipstick) ($6.99)

Dollarstore makeup

Who knew that you could buy makeup at the dollarstore? While recently scouring the personal care isle in Dollarama, I stumbled across a few gems! They're now selling Maybelline, Revlon, OPI, Nivea and Sally Hansen, all of which cost $3.00 or less! 

Shopping at the drugstore can be expensive, prices have been raised, and $9.00 here, $10.00 there, can add up to a hefty total. The fact that well-known brands are being sold in the Dollarstore makes them more accessible and definitely less of a burden to buy. So next time you're in the dollarstore go give the personal care isle a look-see, you might be surprised what you find. 

Here's what I found: 

• OPI nail wraps ($2.50 each)
• Revlon nail polish in Buttercup ($2.00): still being sold at Shoppers Drugmart for $5.00
• Sally Hansen nail polish in Ion ($2.00): still being sold at Shoppers Drugmart for $5.00 
• Maybelling Four Seasons bronzer ($3.00): recently sold at Shoppers Drugmart for $6.00 
• Nivea limited edition lip set ($3.00): recently sold in Target for $6.00

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

After deciding against getting this palette one too many times, I decided to bite the bullet and buy it during the VIB sale (which is still going on now, coupon code is in my previous post). As soon as I opened the palette I was pleasantly greeted with the orgasmic aroma of chocolate, I almost fell off my chair it smelt so good--I'm pretty sure that you could make a cup of hot chocolate with the shadows. Of course, being the makeup lover I am, I immediately washed my face and began applying the shadows to my eyes. They are so buttery and soft with limited fallout. They have a similar consistency to that of the Urban Decay eyeshadows. They are incredibly pigmented and apply nicely on the lid. They blend beautifully and the colours that are included in the palette match very nicely together. I thought that the pink and the purple shade that were included in the palette would be disjointed from the rest of the palette, but the pink is subtle and the purple has a plum undertone which match beautifully with the colour scheme of the palette.

For $60.00 you get 14 eyeshadows, which is about the same price for product comparison as we see in the Urban Decay Naked palettes. They made two of the shadows larger, the matte cream and the champagne, which would be used as your brow highlight--a smart decision since these are shades that will be used everyday to complete each look. The case is magnetic, which eliminates the likelihood of your shadows getting all over the place when you're travelling. The case is also metal, making it more durable than the cardboard case of the Urban Decay Naked palettes.

New to: Hourglass???!?

What could it be? I'm thinking an ambient blush palette? ...what are your ideas?

                     Image from Hourglass

New to: Urban Decay

                    All images taken from Sephora.com 

Urban Decay has recently released new eyelining products celebrating their iconic shade and I thought that I would share them with you:

• Mechanical eyeliner in "Perversion" ($23.00) : similar to the Stila smudge stick 
• Cream eyeliner in "Perversion" ($25.00) : UD has also come out with an angled brush to be used with this product 
• Liquid ink eyeliner in "Perversion" ($23.00) : similar to the Kat Von D liquid liner 

VIB coupon code

The Sephora 15% off sale is now available to all VIB members and the general public:

VIB: VIBTICKET (Apr 3- 11)
General public: TICKET (Apr 4)

Happy shopping and be sure to check out my post on how to get the most out of  VIB sales!

New to: Tarte

                     All images taken from Sephora.com 

Whilst browsing the Sephora website the other day I came across an influx of new products to the Tarte line. They were all so beautiful and amazing that I had to share them.

• Airblush Maracuja blush ($30.00)- shimmering cream blushes
• Maracuja bronzing serum ($46.00)- bronzing base 
• Golden Days & Sultry Nights palette ($40.00)- featuring 2 matte nudes and 3 shimmering colours in gold, teal and bronze 
• Bamboo contouring brush ($30.00) - a double ended face brush that looks good for foundation and contouring with cream product 

Not shown in post:

• Amazonian clay volumizing brow powder ($30.00)
• Dual ended eyebrow brush ($25.00)
• Smooth Operator pressed finishing powder ($40.00)

I have already made my VIB order, but these new products are making me want to buy more!

Budget brush buy: Zoeva

For many makeup enthusiasts makeup brushes are a necessity, but they can be really expensive. More often than not, high end makeup brushes are too expensive for their quality and you can buy cheaper products that are just as good, if not better than their higher end counterpart. One makeup brush brand that I have come across and absolutely have fallen in love with is Zoeva. They are a German brand that ships worldwide and all their brushes are under $20. They ship quick and are packaged beautifully, with each brush individually packed in a pouch. The bristles are SO SOFT--softer than my Mac brushes. Above, I have compared three Zoeva brushes with their higher end counterpart. First is the Mac 138 ($60) and the Zoeva Luxe face definer brush ($17).  The Zoeva brush is a lot softer on the face than the Mac brush, it is flufflier so it disperses product better on the face. Next is the Sephora (19) tapered crease brush ($24) and the Zoeva 228 crease brush ($8). Both brushes are shaped the same, do the same job and are just as soft, the only difference is that the Zoeva brush stays in the single digit price range. Finally we have the Mac (238) shader brush ($30) and the Zoeva 234 Smoky shader brush ($8). Again, both are the same shape, the same density, they do the same job, but one is clearly more affordable than the other. 

Check Zoeva out here: http://zoeva-shop.de 

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Zoeva, all brushes were purchased by myself and my review is subjective.