March Favourites 2014! ♥

           Welcome to my March favourites 2014! As showcased in my YouTube video below, I had a decent amount of products to share with you this month, so I thought I would do a mini review here of each, and provide some links for you! 

Watch me showing off my favourites here!

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Light & Blonde: Do I ever love this product! It gives off the perfect hint of colour, which can really help camouflage your roots in my opinion. The best thing about a dry shampoo with a hint of colour, is not only does it make your hair look and feel clean, but it provides that brightening effect, so it really can give the allusion of recently dyed hair. I picked this up at Boots when I was in Ireland!

Marc Anthony Hydrating Coconut Oil & Shea Butter Sulfate Free Conditioner: I have been absolutely thrilled with this conditioner this past month. I plan on purchasing all of the products in this series so I can do a proper review on it, as there is also a shampoo and a treatment. But this is amazing for bleached, colour treated and damaged hair. It immediately makes your hair super soft and manageable, and adds shine. I highly recommend this conditioner!

No7 Pore Refining Serum: I have mentioned this multiple times in my blog already, but I have just recently fallen in love with it. I use this more as a light moisturizer than anything else, as I believe that's what it works the best as. It really makes your skin super soft and silky, and does a really great job of diminishing your pores. I will definitely be repurchasing, as I just ran out! :( As far as I know, you can purchase it at Boots, Shopper's Drug Mart and Target. 

Essie Go Ginza: This has been a huge favourite of mine since the moment I picked it up! What a beautiful colour for spring! When you have it on, it looks more mauve than anything. I thought that I wanted to pick up a true lilac colour until I saw this. The website actually defines this colour as a "soft, cherry blossom pink". Hmmm. Either way, gorgeous colour, and I will continue to be wearing it throughout the spring and summer! It has a fantastic staying power as well, like all Essie polishes! 

Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Polish in Rainbow Apparition 14: This definitely makes my all time favourite nail polish list. It is the most perfect purple, sparkly nail polish you've ever seen. In the photo above, I am actually wearing it combined with Essie's Go Ginza, which has been the most perfect combination this month. You definitely want to wear a pink or a purple underneath, as the colour looks significantly better when it's not just by itself. If you are a Bourjois fan or just a nail polish fan in general, PICK THIS UP.

Tarte Deluxe Marajuca Lip Glosses: I actually got these in the Tarte of Giving Collector's set, which is my favourite makeup gift I have ever recieved! I'll link my full first impression review of the set here, as it really is fantastic. They do finally make lip glosses in regular sizes now (LipSurgence Lip Gloss), which I am dying to try. I have yet to find a more perfect formula than these lip glosses. They're incredibly moisturizing, they plump up your lips, aren't too sticky and smell like mint. What more could you ask for? 

Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate in 111 Kiss of Life: This is quite surprisingly my first ever red lipstick, and I think I made an excellant choice! I never really thought I could pull off red lipstick because I'm so pale, but I believe that there is a red lipstick to suit everyone. This colour is not too orangey, and not too deep red, it is just perfect. I also chose this lipstick over others because of the very reasonable price and the consistency. It is moisturizing, and stays put for a decent amount of time. This will not stay tattooed on your lips for the entire day, you will need to touch up in between eating, but that is certainly not a big issue for me. Love it!

Clinique All About Shadow Single in Sunset Glow: This shadow is in their Super Shimmer range, and I am so obsessed with it! This will probably be the only day to day colour I wear on my eyes for a long time, until I find something just as good. It's the perfect bronze colour for my skin tone in my opinion. I've been wearing it every day this month, and I will definitely continue to throughout the rest of the spring and summer! It has a great staying power, and beautiful finish.

Bourjois Little Round Pot Light Eyeshadow in No.03 Brume: I wear this in combination with my Clinique eyeshadow every single day as a highlighter. This is the most amazing highlighter you will ever use. If you like a shimmery, but not too out there brow bone highlight, than this one is for you. I use it in my inner corners as well, and it really helps brighten up my eye area. I am not sure if they have the Light range in Canada yet, as I got this in Ireland, but it is definitely worth ordering. 

Essence Eyebrow Designer Pencil in 04 Blonde: Although it is a pain to have to sharpen anything, this pencil is worth it to me. This is the only pencil I have been able to find in the drug store that is the perfect colour match for my eyebrows. It looks natural, has a great staying power, is under $3.00 and has a little brush at the end. What more could you want? (Besides a retractable pencil of course).There are just two other shades, which are 02 dark brown and 01 black.

PürMinerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup with SPF 15 in Light: I have been using this as a setting powder for my foundation this month, and it works so nicely. I am not a huge fan of wearing mineral foundations just on their own, although this would look amazing over top of a tinted moisturizer. It's extremely natural looking, and really gives your skin a flawless finish. It also controls oil really well! I rarely have to touch up during the day at all when I use this. I got this in the 5-Piece Start Now Kit, which I got an amazing deal on. The Chisel Makeup Brush comes with it, which is a really nice brush for applying bronzer and blush as well!

Indigo Large Pouchette in Red: Ahhhh, this is just the cutest little pouch! I received this as a gift from my boyfriend, and I just think it's the most precious thing. It has a top zip closer with a heart charm, as well as a key ring attached on the inside. The quote in the lining reads: "When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew". How does that not brighten anyone's day?! It's still available at Indigo, so go buy it now!

Indigo Compact Mirror With Hearts in Light Pink: How adorable is this compact? I use this every day to check my makeup when I'm on the go. It has one mirror which gives you a close up, and the other is just a regular mirror. It's really sturdy and well made, so I'm thinking this is going to last me a long time! This is currently 34% off on the Indigo website at $9.50, so definitely grab it! This is for sure my favourite purse accessory at the moment. 

And that is all! Hope you enjoyed this post, and please check out my video! xx

Sephora Spring Wishlist 2014

               There has recently been a huge amount of new beauty launches for the spring, and they are beautiful. Spring is probably my favourite season for makeup launches, as the colours are bright, beautiful, and really signify the changeover from winter to spring to summer. Going through the Sephora website, I was pretty much drooling over the new arrivals. Any girl who really loves makeup knows what I mean! Here are some of my top picks for my spring wishlist of 2014!

Clinique Cheek Pop in Peach Pop, $24

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Dim Infusion-Subdued Coral, $41

 

Bite Beauty Matte Crème Lip Crayon in Kumquat, $28

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Floralies, $30

Yves Saint Laurent Gloss Volupté in 20 Nude Carat, $35

Sephora Collection Rouge Infusion Lip Ink in No. 3 Pink Essence, $17

      

Formula X The Cut- Spring 2014 in A Little Sexy, $13

Nails Inc. Gel Effect Polish in Mayfair Lane, $17

NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Kauai, $39

Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colour in Pale Shell, $32

I'll be back with my February favourites soon!! xx

First Impression Review: Ted Baker Paint the Town Pretty Nail Set

        This nail set is one of the prettiest I have ever seen, and was a ridiculously good price. I picked it up from Boots in the half price sale for about $10.00, which was a complete steal. I miss Boots so much already! All of their Christmas gift sets were reduced by 50%, so you really can't go wrong with that.

The best part about the majority of the gift sets that were on sale, was that they could easily be purchased as a gift for any other time of year, as many of them were not Christmas themed. I regret not picking up more as gifts now!

This tin set comes with four amazing nail varnishes. It includes a semi matte pink and black, as well as a sheer sparkly gold, and a sheer sparkly silver with coloured flecks. These are all perfect for this time of year, and can be mixed for a day or a nighttime look.

When first applying the pink shade, I wasn't sure how I was going to like it, as it seemed incredibly thin and sheer. It was a nice colour, but I wouldn't particularly want to wear it on it's own. As soon as I applied the silver over top, I was blown away! No photo does it justice, it's just such a unique, amazing colour. It's subtle, but super beautiful. 

I cannot take adequate photos of my nails for the life of me, especially because I do not take the time to do a proper manicure before painting them! In this photo, I've managed to capture all of the different colours reflecting off of the flash of the camera.

Extreme close up!

Another amazing thing about these nail polishes, is that they dry super fast. If you're like me, and don't always wait for your first layer to dry before going in with the next, the sparkly silver shade completely covers up any imperfections.

Overall, I am completely thrilled with this set, and I would recommend picking it up at Boots ASAP before they disappear! 

Have a good night! xx

Nail Colours of the Moment: Metallic Blues and Nudes

           This holiday season, brands are coming out with toooons of metallic and holographic nail polishes in every colour. What has been catching my eye the most is the amazing metallic blues that I have seen in multiple collections, as well as all of the variations of holographic pinky nudes. I am usually not a big fan of dark nail polishes, but these metallic colours are so beautiful, there may not be a colour that I wouldn't be willing to try. Here are two of my most recent nail polish purchases from this trend!

I am sooooo obsessed with this colour and can't wait to try it! This is the Sally Hansen Lustre Shine Nail Colour in 004 Azure. This was only $3.99 at the drug store as it said "Clear Out" on the price tag, so I'm hoping they're just getting new packaging and they're not discontinuing the Lustre Shine collection. On the Sally Hansen website, it says that this nail polish is actually infused with real silver, and is inspired by the lustrous colour flip of molten, liquid metal and the iridescence of a peacock feather. I am really hoping this will be a hit!

I applied Quo by Orly's Nail Polish in First Class soon after I got it, and was amazed by the colour right away. It is so shimmery and beautiful, I was really impressed. I actually cannot find this collection online, so I can't tell you anymore accurate information about it. However, it retails for $10 at Shopper's Drug Mart. For anyone who doesn't know, Quo is a Canadian Brand!

This went on really smooth when I applied it, and two coats is more than enough. I am a little skeptical about the staying power however, so we'll see how this holds up. In case it doesn't end up holding up too well, I may invest in a good base and top coat because I really am in love with this colour. I have definitely jumped on the metallic/holographic/shimmery bandwagon for this season, and will be continuing to enjoy them for the next couple months!

GOODNIGHT! xx

Butter London's 3 Free Nail Lacquer Review: All Hail the Queen

Let me start off by saying, I had a TERRIBLE time taking pictures for this post! I cannot take adequate pictures of nail polishes for the life of me. With such a beautiful nail polish you'd think it would have been easier. Anyway!

I picked up Butter London's 3 Free Nail Lacquer in All Hail the Queen from the Blossom Lounge in the Distillery District for around $20. I've never spent $20 on a nail polish of any kind before this one. However, I hadn't seen them anywhere else in Toronto, so when I saw them there I had to pick this one up. I've actually wanted it for several months now, ever since I randomly came across All Hail the Queen on Pinterest. I don't think I'd even heard of Butter London before then! Of course, Sephora.com started carrying them about a month after I purchased it, so at least I now know of two places I can get them in Toronto!

Just a note: Butter London's "3 Free" formula means that it's formulated without formaldehyde, toluene and DBP!

This has become my favourite nail polish, and I rarely use anything else. I've picked up colours that were similar to this before, however there's nothing that compares to this one. All Hail the Queen is called a "holographic beige", due to the fact that it has tiny specks of all different colours mixed into it. This makes it like no other beige you'll find out there! 

Yes, my nails are slightly different sizes! Oops!

The ONLY thing I don't like about this nail polish, is that a regular top coat only prevents it from chipping for a couple days. I haven't tried either of Butter London's top coats or base coats, which are designed to make a difference in the staying power. As I just applied it today, it's still perfect. 

For now, I'm using Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails UV Top coat, which came with a Sally Hansen Hard as Nails French Manicure Kit. This gives a great shine and works fairly well with most nail polishes. Even though spending $20 on a nail polish does not mean it's "better" than others, I do believe it is worth it when it comes to these holographic colours that you can't seem to get anywhere else. Overall, I still give this nail polish a 9.5/10 for it's amazing colour!

Gosh Cosmetics Review

           First off, I did not know that Gosh Cosmetics is in fact a Danish brand, not a Canadian brand as I had originally thought! All the more reason for me to support it, as I'm happy to see a Danish brand doing so well in our drug stores! I've got to support both of my countries! Price wise, this brand is between drug store and high end.        

I started experimenting with this brand at the beginning of this summer, when I found myself searching everywhere for a lipstick that would actually suit me. Coloured lipsticks look AWFUL on me, and every nude I've tried just blends right into my lips. I wanted something subtle, but to actually be able to tell I was wearing lipstick at the same time. Purely based on colour, it came down to the Velvet Touch Lipstick in 146 Cappuccino by Gosh and the Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in Creme Brulee. The Velvet Touch Lipstick won hands down when compared beside each other on my hand. Although similar, Velvet Touch lipsticks have an amazing consistency, feel exceptionally soft when testing out on your skin and contain SPF 6. The colour is more of a brownish-pink, instead of what you find with the typical nude lip colours. Having said that, this product does not a very strong staying power, probably due to it's extremely creamy consistency. It needs to be reapplied a few times throughout the day. However, seeing as this is the exact colour I've been looking for, I can't complain too much.

From top to bottom:  Waterproof Eye Shadow Stick in Gold, Long Lasting Eye Liner Pen in 005 Purple, Velvet Touch Lipstick in 146 Cappuccino

The Waterproof Eye Shadow Stick in Gold was the second product I purchased, and I've been using it almost every day since July. The stick is still nowhere near finished. This product is very creamy, therefore it blends very easily and is the perfect natural gold colour. It also contains no mineral oil or preservatives.  The only thing that I don't like about this eye shadow, is that it is definitely not smudge-proof when it dries and I do not believe that it is particularly waterproof either, despite it's name. Other than that, a highly recommended product.

The latest product I've purchased was the Long Lasting Eyeliner Pen in 005 Purple. The staying power of this eyeliner is unbelievable. Not only is it extremely shiny and applies easily, but you cannot get this eyeliner to smudge for the life of you. It does not come off with soap, and it doesn't even come off easily with makeup remover! I'll definitely be purchasing more of these eyeliners, as it does not compare to any liquid eyeliner I've tried to far.

As you can see, after doing the smudge test with all three of these products, the eyeliner is the only product that held up exactly as it was before. It is still going strong even as I am typing this! 

Last but not least, the nail polish! Although I'm not a huge fan of the colour of the Special Edition Nail Lacquer, (shown here is 617 With a Twist) it does stay on your nails considerably longer than other nail polishes I've tried that are more expensive. It also covers well, is extremely shiny and dries quickly. I will be repurchasing these nail polishes, but in different colours!

HOPE YOU ENJOYED!