November Hits and Misses!

           I tried some new products this month, both sample and full size, and have to say there were a lot of prominent hits and misses. Hence the idea for the post! I apologize in advance for my camera, I could not get it to focus properly for the life of me. Below are some of my favourites and some of my not so favourites for this month!

HITS:

bareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15: I received this as a sample from Sephora, and thankfully a little goes a long way. This is a foundation I will eventually be purchasing in full size. I had heard amazing things about it but was still a little skeptical, as it looks like it would dry my combination skin out in the wintertime. However, it is not drying at all and leaves your skin looking flawless. The shade I was given was Fairly Light, which is for porcelain-light skin tones with neutral undertones, which turned out to be perfect for me. 

L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation: I have already done a review on how much I love this foundation, and it has definitely been a favourite this month. I change it up every couple days with my Bourjois Healthy Mix and it really illuminates and leaves your skin looking radiant. Only downside is it could be a tiny bit more moisturizing, but other than that, it's fantastic! I have the shade porcelain/light ivory.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick: Although this particular colour has been my go to lip colour this month, I would definitely repurchase more from this line, as they're so smooth and hydrating! This one here (and swatched above) is 700 Nude Delight. This is pretty much a perfect nude for me. The great thing about these is that they're super affordable, and are really good for your lips. They contain SPF 20 and vitamins A, C and E.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Treatment and Concealer: I LOVE the formula of this concealer! I've heard so many YouTubers rave about the Age Rewind Erasers, and yet I was still surprised to see how good it was. This particular one contains vitamin C in order to treat and conceal sun spots, dark spots, acne spots and acne discolorations. Although my skin is quite good right now (knock on wood) I still decided to get this one for the extra benefit of Vitamin C. I'm using the shade Fair 210. An amazing concealer for any age range.

Ojon Colour Sustain PRO Fade-Fighter Weekly Conditioning Treatment: This was another deluxe sample I got from Sephora, and I was pretty impressed with it! It's really gentle on your hair and super conditioning. It's meant to protect your hair colour for up to 40 washes, and shields hair from environmental damage. Living in the city, I'm always looking for products that specifically claim that they shield from environmental damage, because you are absorbing so much crap into your skin and hair every day. It also contains UV sunscreen, which is always a plus. Seeing as this is a weekly treatment, the 3.4 ounce bottle should last you a decent amount of time.

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara: This may be my new favourite mascara! As well as volumizing and adding length, it actually is conditioning your lashes with the natural properties of olive oil. It's not supposed to smudge, clump or flake, which I've found to be true. They currently only have one colour out, Jet Black, which is fine as this is the colour I would have chosen anyway. Such a great mascara! 

MISSES:

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion-Anti-Aging: So many people are OBSESSED with Urban Decay's Primer Potions, but after trying this one, I'm having a hard time seeing why. I suppose it's because I've always primed my eyelids well with foundation and/or concealer and powder, so I've never really had an issue with my eyeshadow staying on. I did not find that it made my eyeshadow look more vibrant either. Overall, just not really something I need!

Essence Mono Eyeshadow: The shade I have here is 02 Dance All Night, and I have to say I find it very strange. I found it beautiful to look at, as the top part is a really pretty gold metallic colour. But then when you work your way through the top layer, it has a different, darker colour underneath. It's definitely still usable for something, but not a colour I would have bought had I known that it would be underneath.

Sephora Collection Primal Instincts Eyeshadow Palette: I'm actually really bummed out that I don't like this palette anywhere near as much as I thought I would! I kind of wish I had bought the first palette I picked up instead, which was Benefit's Easiest Nudes Ever. I LOVE shimmery shadows, but there's almost too many in this palette. I definitely need to learn when using this to stick with just one of the shimmery shades for one look. Having said that, they are gorgeous colours when swatched. The other problem I had, was that they are not super blendable. The edges tend to stick after a few minutes, and when you try to fix a mistake it comes off a little patchy. Other than that, I'm still going to try to find ways to make this palette work!

Covergirl LineBlast 24 Hour Eyeliner: I have to say, this was pretty much crap. It tends to dry up fairly quickly as you're putting it on, and by the end of the day it does smudge a little. If it weren't for these two things, it would be a really easy eyeliner pen to use, as the tip is fairly sturdy. It only comes in two shades, which is the one I have (Enduring Black) and Eternal Brown. Not impressed.

Vasanti Casablanca Silky Eyeshadow: I always like trying out Canadian brands, so I thought I would give this one a go. The packaging is nice and sleek, but it seems that's what you're paying for. It's not on the cheap drug store end price wise, as it's $15 for a mono eyeshadow. The colour just did not impress me at all, even as a base. It was very sub par to other gold eyeshadows I've tried. I went back to my Gosh Waterproof Eyeshadow Stick in Gold immediately after using this. (After taking these photos, I dropped this eyeshadow on the bathroom floor, and lets just say the packaging is not durable at all).

GOODNIGHT! xx

Casual Friday Night Out Makeup!

(Please excuse my horrendous eyebrows!)

FACE:

Bourjois Healthy Mix Gel Serum Foundation in 51 Vanilla Clair

Nip + Fab CC Eye Fix -Light

Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder for Sensitive Skin in 210 Classic Ivory

Bourjois Bronzing Powder in 51 peaux claires medianes

Revlon Matte Powder Blush in Perfectly Peach

EYES:

Gosh Waterproof Eye Shadow Stick in Gold

NYX Love in Florence Palette in Meet My Romeo 

Physician's Formula 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum in Ultra Black

Covergirl Clump Crusher by LashBlast Mascara in Very Black

LIPS: 

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 700 Nude Delight



Click here for my everyday Fall makeup routine!

Hope you're having a great Friday! xx

First Impression Review: Covergirl Clean Whipped Creme Foundation

         It was hard for me to accept that I may actually have to switch up my foundation routine for the winter, as I'm obsessed with my Bourjois Healthy Mix Gel Serum Foundation. However, unless I use a super heavy face cream underneath, I'm starting to get dry patches around my cheeks and nose. So instead of spending another $30 on a foundation that I'm not sure I would like, I went to the drugstore and looked for something more affordable that was meant to be moisturizing.

I found a few possible contenders, but decided on Covergirl's Clean Whipped Creme Foundation. I could tell just by looking at it that it was a good colour match for me. This is the lightest shade, in 305 Ivory. It's usually safe to go for the lightest colour for my skin, although there have been a few exceptions to that. I am 3 shades down in Revlon's Nearly Naked Foundation, which is fantastic, especially for the price. And then at times the lightest shade looks way too orange on me.

This foundation is super thick in consistency, therefore it's easy to achieve high coverage. It's meant to be perfect for winter, as it gives your skin a boost of moisture without a shiny, greasy finish. According to covergirl.com, it will make your skin look smooth, natural and matte. It comes in 10 shades, which is a decent selection, but only contains 0.6 fl oz as opposed to the usual 1 fl oz that's fairly standard in foundations.

Bed Head!

While applying this foundation, I noticed right away that it was incredibly smooth, light and matched my skin tone flawlessly. I started in the areas where my pores tend to appear the largest.

The only breakouts I really have right now are around my chin, so I made sure to apply generously around this area. To see if the coverage was buildable, I applied two coats on my entire face with my fingertips, which is how I apply all my foundations.

This is the finished product! As you can tell, I had already applied the rest of my usual makeup. And what do I think of the result? .........Sigh. Here's the problem. Although I definitely found it to be hydrating, that was one of the only things I liked about it. Although I blended and blended with my fingertips, I found that it was hard to get it to sink into my skin. Also, it really washed my face out. I don't feel like using a slightly darker colour would have corrected this, because this shade is 100% my colour, any other colour would have looked unnatural on me. I also did not find that this photographed well on me. I didn't include a picture with just the foundation on on purpose, because I looked SO washed out. It does give a flawless finish, but the two coats I applied definitely did not let my natural skin tone shine through.

Overall, if I had only applied one coat I may have liked it better, but I think this would be a great foundation for anyone with a darker skin tone than me. I purchased this on sale for $5.99, so it's definitely a great price for what you get. So unfortunately, unless my skin is having an exceptionally dry day, I am going to go back to my Bourjois for now!

I give this foundation a 3/5 for the exact colour match, the very reasonable price, the superb hydration and the smooth texture!

THANKS FOR READING! xx

My Everyday Fall Makeup Routine

For the most part, this is the way I have applied my makeup every day this fall. Occasionally I switch it up with the eyeliner or eye shadow, but I pretty much do the same thing every day! I would have to say the only major difference between what I do in the summer compared to what I do in the fall/winter, is what I put on my skin. I rarely wear anything but tinted moisturizer on my skin in the summer, but like to switch to something slightly heavier in the wintertime like my Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation. I always go for a neutral look, as I find that suits me best. Wearing a darker eye look or lip colour tends to look strange on me!

These are all the product that I use on a daily basis! It seems like a lot when all laid out like this, but it all amounts to a very natural, clean look. I've been using some of these products for years, while some are still relatively new to me. Here's a run down of what I do below:

FACE: After applying my Neutrogena Naturals Moisturizer, I go in with the Nip + Fab CC Eye Fix in Light to brighten up my under eye area. I really like this concealer, as it's hydrating and contains vitamin E to fight off signs of aging (yes, at 22 you need to start thinking about this already!). Then, I just use my fingers to apply my beloved Bourjois Healthy Mix Gel Serum Foundation in 51 Light Vanilla all over my face, including my eyelids. I go in with a second coat over any breakouts, and around my nose where my pores are the largest. I am lucky enough to not have any breakouts right now, but I definitely do get them. Once this sets, I use a large brush (not pictured above, as it needs to be washed) and dust my face lightly with Covergirl's Clean Pressed Powder for Sensitive Skin. I've been using this powder for years, and repurchase it once every couple months or so. I then take my Bourjois Bronzing Powder in 51, and contour my cheekbones, temples and jaw line. To finish, I apply my Revlon Matte Powder Blush in Perfectly Peach to the apples of my cheeks.

Note: I do nothing to my eyebrows besides brush them out. Not into filling in my eyebrows!

EYES: Next, I take my Gosh Waterproof Eye Shadow Stick in Gold and apply it to my eyelids. Using my finger, I make sure it's all blended in, and that there's no crease. This has become my staple eye shadow, and I will eventually be purchasing more neutral colours from this line. Using a flat eye shadow brush, I take my NYX Love in Florence Palette in Meet My Romeo and sweep the lightest shimmery brown over my lids as well. I actually got this from the Urban Outfitters website in the summer, as I've never seen NYX in Ontario and wanted to try it. I then sweep the off white colour over my brow bone. I used to apply one of the darker brown colours in the crease, but I prefer a lighter look now. I have recently started adding the littlest bit of the Essence Stays No Matter What Jumbo Eye Pencil and Shadow in 07 Whipped White Frosting to the inner corners of my eyes. After this is complete, I use my favourite Physician's Formula 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum in Ultra Black to create a winged out look. This took forever for me to learn how to do, and I'm still trying to get it right! I top this off with two coats of my Covergirl Clump Crusher LashBlast Mascara in Very Black.

LIPS: To finish off the look, I first apply Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Honeysuckle, (I often have foundation all over my lips by this time and need to put colour back into them!) and go in overtop with my Gosh Velvet Touch Lipstick in 146 Cappuccino.


Once again, this may seem like a lot to some, but it takes me on average 10 minutes to apply.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED MY NEUTRAL FALL LOOK! xx