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: The Tarte of Giving Collector's Set and Travel Bag

          I received the Tarte of Giving Collector's Set and Travel Bag by Tarte Cosmetics from my boyfriend as an early Christmas present, and I"m already in love with it! I had only ever tried the Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment by Tarte, so this was a fantastic way to try out some of their greatest products. 

This amazing bag folds out into a 3 compartment set, which works out perfectly as a travel bag (which I'll need really soon!) This first compartment contains:

0.23 oz Deluxe Pure Maracuja Oil

0.17 oz Deluxe Cheek Stain in Flush

0.16 Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara

0.08 oz Deluxe Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment

0.05 oz Deluxe Limited-Edition Amazonian 12-hour Clay Blush in Memorable

The second compartment is the one that I was originally most excited to try. When I had asked for this set for Christmas I couldn't believe the amazing price, especially given the fact that this palette was included. This is a beautiful palette, with the perfect amount of extremely wearable matte and shimmery shades. It contains:

20 x 0.7 oz Limited Edition Amazonian Clay Eye Shadows

Even though I'm generally not into silvery shades, this shimmery eye shadow (Staci's Charm Bracelet) caught my attention right away. Such a beautiful colour!

I was very interested to try the third compartment in this set, as I have never been much of a lip gloss fan, but had heard really great reviews on Tarte's lip products. This compartment contains:

8 x .059 oz Deluxe Marajuca Lipglosses

I wanted to try out as many products as I could for this first impression, (and also because I was just really excited to try all of them) so I started with skin care.

I first applied a few drops of the Deluxe Pure Maracuja Oil all over freshly cleansed skin, which absorbed completely after a few minutes. I then applied the Deluxe Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment underneath my eyes. This cream is extremely thick and takes a little while to sink in.

After this, I just applied Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer before my foundation, which is L'Oreal's True Match Lumi Foundation in Porcelain/Pale Ivory. I then contoured my face with Bourjois Bronzing Powder in 51 peaux claires/medianes. 

After my skin was ready to go, I applied Tarte's Deluxe Limited Edition Amazonian 12-hour Clay Blush in Memorable to the apples of my cheeks. Right away, I was in love with this colour. It doesn't appear that this particular colour is for sale in their full size blushes, so I really hope they decide to make one! It's the perfect light pink colour with a hint of shimmer.

I decided to go for a different look for me on my eyes so I could try out more of the colours. I used:

Kim's porcelain doll (white matte)

Leigh's Locket (shimmery gold)

Erica's dollhouse (light shimmery bronze)

Maureen's soccer ball (dark brown)

Scott's skateboard (matte navy blue)

Staci's Charm Bracelet (shimmery silver)

I found the colour payoff to be a lot better on the darker colours, as a few of the lighter ones seem to have very little pigmentation, but overall the colours were all  beautiful.

I used the Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara, along with my Physician's Formula Eyebooster 2-in-1 Lashboosting Eyeliner + Serum in Ultra Black. I do like this mascara, although I did not like it as much as the mascara I'm currently using, which is the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara in Jet Black. 

I then completed the look with a Deluxe Maracuja Lipgloss, labelled SB51 ro, which is the lightest pink. I am already obsessed with these lipglosses. They are sooooo moisturizing! Perfect for the winter months. Even the colours I wouldn't normally wear are amazing. They also smell like mint, and give your lips a nice tingling feeling. These seem to be limited edition as well, as I can't find any of these lipglosses in full size.

Overall, I am a huge fan of this set and am so thrilled I got it as a gift. It's currently sold out at Sephora, but you should still be able to find it on Amazon and/or Ebay. This set is worth over $200, but was sold for about $59 at Sephora, so it really is excellent value!

Thank you once again to my lovely boyfriend! :) xx

Get Her Look: Marilyn Monroe

        Anybody who knows me knows that I adore Marilyn Monroe, and have for a long time. She is definitely one of my idols, especially when it comes to body image and beauty. She was one of the most naturally beautiful women in the world, but still had a few key looks that made her truly stand out from everybody else. Here are some of my product picks for perfecting the Marilyn look!

NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Collection Limited Edition Cinematic Lipstick in Cherry: Full, glossy, bright red lips have to be the most important part of creating this look! Marilyn had extremely fair skin like me, but she had this way of pulling off intensely red lips in a way I never could. This NARS lipstick is perfect for achieving this look, as it's glossy, highly pigmented and incredibly creamy. 

Sephora Collection False Eyelashes in Flair: When Marilyn's in full makeup, she seems to have an extra flair on her outside lashes only. These false eyelashes from Sephora are perfect for this, because they're made to do exactly that. Sephora does 10 different styles to create any look, but these are by far the best. As they're made with natural hair, they give a soft, natural effect when applied. 

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Foxy: If Marilyn wears any eyeshadow at all in her classic look, it's extremely light to the point where you can't tell she's wearing it. Foxy is perfect for this effect when it comes to light skin tones, as it's a completely matte cream bisque colour that makes your eyes pop, without looking like you're wearing anything on your lids. 

Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Makeup SPF 15: Marilyn either had amazing natural skin, or an incredibly talented makeup artist. Either way, this foundation gives you exactly the look that she has. Natural, hydrated and glowing. The best part is, with continued use, your skin becomes more and more radiant over time.

Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzing Powder in Aruba: Part of having a healthy glow like Marilyn has, is appearing ever so slightly sun kissed in just the right areas. A light, shimmering, sheer bronzer  like this one will give you that natural glow, without having to lose your natural radiance by exposing your skin to the sun. The lighter and more sheer the bronzer, the better.Just apply it lightly to the areas of your face that the sun would naturally hit! 

And that's it! Let me know if you enjoyed this kind of post! xx

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

Sephora's Festive Cheery Endurance Bag + More Freebies!

Sephora was giving away 4 amazing deluxe sample bags with any purchase of $25 or more to Beauty Insiders, and I grabbed one before they quickly ran out! I received 8 deluxe samples with my purchase, along with 3 extras that came separately. I was really impressed with these bags, as all 4 contained amazing products from brands like Urban Decay, Origins, Philosophy, Nars, Smashbox and more. Plus, you get a free bag! The bag I chose was the Festive Cheery Endurance one, which is meant for long lasting beauty that stays put. Can't wait to try these out!   

Lancome: Tresor Eau de Parfum

Ren: Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk

Ojon: Colour Sustain PRO Fade-Fighter Weekly Conditioning Treatment 

Smashbox: Full Exposure Mascara 

Tarte: Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment 

Dolce & Gabbana: Pour Femme Eau de Parfum

Urban Decay: Eyeshadow Primer Potion-Anti-Aging 

Smashbox: Camera Ready CC Cream Dark Spot Correcting in Light/Medium 

Anastasia Beverly Hills: Lash Genius Waterproof Topcoat 

Kat Von D: Painted Love Lipstick in Celebutard 

Versace: Bright Crystal Eau de Toilette

HAVE A GREAT NIGHT! xx

Sephora Must Haves! (Beauty)

Here are the beauty items from Sephora that I am drooling over this season! xx

Sephora Must Haves with Tarte High Performance Neutrals , Butter London , Marc Jacobs