Summer Nail Polishes

While China Glaze, OPI, and Orly nail polishes get a lot of love on many blogs for their wide variety of shades, Revlon nail polishes I find are not talked about enough - especially considering they are inexpensive, good quality, and have a long shelf-life. I find that with a good topcoat, they are chip-free for at least 3 days if not more. 

In the spirit of summer, I've been sporting bright colours (well, ok except for the middle one) on both my hands and feet. These particular colours look so good with my NC45 skin tone! Also, sorry for the terrible nail swatches! I'm clearly not the best manicurist!

Revlon Nail Polishes L to R: Craving Coral, Plum Night, Plum Seduction

Both Craving Coral and Plum Seduction are opaque in two coats, however, Plum Night is a bit streaky and requires 3 coats for an opaque colour. Time-consuming, but that beautiful eggplant colour you get is worth it.

All three polishes are the kind I would describe as making your feet look "clean". There is just a je-ne-sais-quois crispness about them that makes them awesome on the toes.

Mini CCO Haul (Pic Heavy)

My family and I went to Pittsburgh this weekend and while there we stayed at a hotel that happened to be right across from a Tangers Outlet (Washington, PA). Score!

Of course, the store I was most looking forward to was the CCO. I think I stared at the MAC counter for a good half an hour. Here are the fruits of my trip:

MAC Eyeshadow "Glamour Check!"

I first saw this on allcosmeticswholesale and then I started to hear about it through Youtube from Laura (lollipop26) and Amy (amynicolax). It's a starflash finish and this is honestly the most buttery eyeshadow I own. It's highly pigmented and the swatch above is me just barely touching the pan. It's a gorgeous rosy bronze metallic eyeshadow. I'm definitely excited to use this and I think it would look great on the lower lash line. $10.25

MAC Eyeshadow "Warming Trend"  

This is from the Cool Heat collection and I would describe this as a very light taupe frost. It has warm undertones and looks great as either a highlight or a wash of colour on the lid. $10.25

MAC #130 Short Duo Fibre Brush

As soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it. I think I'll be using this for foundation, but this looks like it could be a great multi-tasker- cream blush, highlighter, contouring. Most reviews I've read recommend this for foundation those (especially liquid). Because it's small I expect it to be able to reach the crevices of my face better. $29.50

Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick "Crystal Rose"

Another MLBB pinky brown colour. Nice moisturizing formula with sheer wash of colour and a glossy sheen, however it has a strange smell/taste...kind of like old school makeup smell...$17.50

MAC Lustre Lipstick "Viva Glam VI Special Edition"

A blue-toned pink which just brightens the natural tone of my lips and also provides a nice sheen. The lustre finish is not as moisturizing as the cremeblend finish but still provides ample pigmentation which can be built from sheer to semi-opaque. $10.25

That's a wrap! I took some sneak shots of the CCO with my cellphone but I'm having trouble uploading them so I'll see if I can add it in the next few days. I hope you guys are having a wonderful day!! xx

Makeup Storage

Currently all my makeup is housed in my tiny walk-in closet on top of my dresser. I've had this arrangement for about a year and I'm pretty proud of it.

There are still some loose ends, for example trying to figure out where to put a mirror. I think I'll have to hang one behind the drawers or maybe on the back of the door. I'm still trying to optimize the space in my closet...anyhow, here it is!

Brush holder and beads - Dollarama, Michael`s

Mirrored jewelry drawers - Winners

White plastic drawers - Solutions

Red cardboard drawers - Solutions

My favourite part of this setup is definitely the mirrored jewelry drawers from Winners. Can you believe it was only $30?!! I was looking for mirrored drawers everywhere and I could only seem to find them online in the US or the UK for over $100! I popped into Winners and there were two of them! But only one had all the drawer knobs intact. I guess you could say it was destiny...

Project Bottleneck (Empties) #1

I've decided to go minimalist...with my skincare that is (I don't think I could ever go back to just a small tray of makeup though...sigh).

Thus, the inaugural Project Bottleneck. New name, old concept. Finish up all the skin/body/hair products that are lying neglected in your bathroom cupboards until you get down to the bare essentials. For me, this means one of each type of product (cleanser, toner, body wash, moisturizer, etc.) with the exception of shampoo and conditioner (I need 2 sets to rotate).

I have what seems like so many bottles which were bought on sale and never seem to go empty or just random bath product gifts which I just need to use up so I can de-clutter my drawers and keep only HG-approved products.

PB has no numbers attached to it. It's all relative to how many products you have. I won't be buying any new bath/skin products unless I've run out of that particular type of product. My goal is to get down to the bare essentials in 3 months.

Here is what I've used up so far...

Avalon Organics Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner - This is a Canadian brand. For the last 6 months I've only been using shampoos that are sulphate-free and it has made a significant difference to the quality of my hair.
I will definitely repurchase from this brand once I'm down my last shampoo/conditioner bottles for PB. If you look at the ingredient list, 95% of it is plant-derived. Has a nice herbal/lavender smell and it leaves my hair silky soft and frizz-free. It's VERY moisturizing so I would recommend this to people with thick hair (I think it would weigh down fine hair). Great winter hair products since it protects from the dry, cold air. You can get this at Loblaws, Superstore, and I've seen it at some Shoppers Drugmarts.

Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser - I mentioned this very briefly here in my skincare post. This is great at removing the majority of my makeup except for stick eyeliners. It does take most of it off, but you still need a makeup remover to get rid of the panda eyes. It contains salicylic acid which is effective against acne and leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed but not tight. It helped reduce the appearance of my acne scars and it has evened my skin tone out.
The only con? I've noticed this with every single Aveeno product that I've ever purchased. The pump always breaks before you finish the product...whether it's a moisturizer pump, or a foundation-style pump (re: Positively Radiant moisturizer), or the foaming cleanser pump (as seen above). Very annoying! Luckily I was able to unscrew the top and use up the remaining liquid...one of the best parts was putting a handful of foam on your face! :(
I probably won't repurchase just because of this fact. Just goes to show that packaging can be just as important as the product itself.

Boots Organics Cleansing Body Scrub - I got this in a clearance bin at Shoppers for $5! One of the best scrubs ever. I haven't heard any UK blogger/youtuber talk about this at all, but if you can find it, buy it!! It does not leave any oily residue at all! The crystals also don't dissolve instantly on your skin, so you can actually exfoliate your skin. Very light fresh scent and gel-like formula. Decent abrasiveness but it won't rip your skin off :)

Dove Supreme Cream Oil Body Wash - This is the lavender scent. Very moisturizing formula. I prefer to use this in winter since I like gel body washes in the summer. I've decided that I don't like lavender. Good formula, but if I were to repurchase, I would choose a different scent. Non-beauty-obsessed people would repurchase this because it works, but note that I rarely repurchase body washes...I like to try everything and I'm not picky with soap.

Herbal Essences Fruit Fusions Conditioner - I've had this for over 2 years!!! This is actually from Germany and I think this particular line has been since discontinued. I want to get rid of all my non-SLS-free and non-organic shampoos/conditioners. I don't think I'll ever go back to Herbal Essences (before seeing the light, HE conditioners were the only ones I used). Therefore, will not repurchase.

Omg...I need to cut down my writing...sorry!

Summer Inseparables...

This post was wholeheartedly inspired by one of Sandra's recent posts on her amazing blog.

Daisy (Garland Edition) by Marc Jacobs - Please tell me if I am wrong, but I'm pretty sure this smells exactly the same as the regular Daisy. Even the notes described are the same. I think the only difference with the Garland Edition is that it has blue flowers--and it came with a paper daisy garland...it might be slightly more concentrated, but I'm fairly certain the scent is the same.

floral top by Pure Alfred Sung - A steal of a buy from Zellers (Canadian version of Target). I love shopping there. Sooo much better than Walmart!

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje - I wish I could say that I like this, but I find the non-linear storytelling style tedious to read. I've only read a chapter though...so maybe it takes time to get into. 

notebook - A great dollar store buy! This is my diary/shopping list/ideas/doodling book.

lint roller - I have a cat who sheds a lot these days because he's losing his winter coat. Here's the little brat (I say that affectionately of course)

Evian facial spray - A godsend during the dog days of summer. I don't buy into the whole makeup setting gimmick, though. It is just water with some salts in it, after all. 

Dior Addict Lipstick '#353 Blush' - I should probably do a larger post on this. This is the best lipstick I have ever tried. You get what you pay for. Sheer, buildable colour that is long-lasting and smooths out the lines on your lips due to its gel-like formula. Blush is just a hint brighter than my natural lip colour so for me it is a MLBB shade. I would describe it as a warm pink with a touch of brown. 

Maybelline Great Lash clear mascara - I use this to set my unruly brows. It works. Nothing much to say here. I can't understand why anyone would want to spend more than $5 on something like brow gel...unless it's the only thing they use...

Nivea Milk & Honey lip balm - I think I use the word unique too much, but that's all I can come up with right now for this product. The flavour is very unique. Nice smooth lip balm. My only qualm is that there is no SPF.

Izod sunglasses - I wouldn't say my eyes are very light-sensitive, but my brain is. I think I'm secretly a vampire. I feel better knowing that I won't get cataracts by the time I'm 30. 

Current Favourites

Alright, I know I've been gone awhile...I blame my fourth (and last ) year of university as the cause. Let's just say that writing a thesis about a failed experiment is not fun. That, and I was away for 3 weeks traipsing around Italy and France right after my exams.

I'm back now and after reading some of my favourite blogs I was inspired to create a monthly roundup of cosmetics that I've been using lately.

Mac 'Club' - This was a recent purchase and I've had a lemming for it for a long time. It does not disappoint. I'm sure by now, if you've read many beauty blogs, you know that this is a very unique colour. Reddish brown with green duochrome. It pulls more green than I would like, but it makes a great wash of colour on the lid when you are in a rush and only have time for one eyeshadow. I have to say that the picture below does not do it justice and it's a very hard eyeshadow to photograph well.

Annabelle Quad with Mono Eyeshadows 'Vanilla Chilla', 'Bronzed Idol', 'So Foxy', 'Ebony' - I've had this quad for more than a year now and it has never left my makeup bag. I can't tell you how many times I've reached for this quad and still I have yet to hit pan. If you are in Canada, you NEED to get these eyeshadow pans. All of these shadows are intensely pigmented and buttery smooth and on par with Mac eyeshadows. Ebony is a dupe for Carbon and Bronzed Idol is right in between Mulch and Bronze.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - This product is great. It says what it does and gets rid of shine. I have combination skin (oily T-zone and dry cheeks) and this does not fail to keep my forehead, chin, and undereyes shine-free for the whole day. It does not leave a white cast even on my NC45 skin.

NYX Felt Tip Liner 'Jet Black' - Meh, is all I can say. The formula is not liquid-y enough for my liking and I find that the tip dries out after one eye application. This means more time wasted on putting the cap back on and shaking vigorously. Would not repurchase.

Annabelle Kohl Eyeliner 'Coffee' - I like the look of brown eyeliner in the summer but I've found most brown eyeliners not dark enough to give me definition. This is a very dark brown that gives me definition without the harshness of black. The formula is very smooth and does not require tugging to get pigmentation on the waterline.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipgloss 'Hooked on Pink' - This is a true raspberry pink. I was expecting the formula to be more sheer and less sticky, but instead it is very pigmented and the formula is stickier than I would like. I wouldn't repurchase but I can work with it by using a clear gloss or balm underneath.

Covergirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation '365 Chestnut' - THE best drugstore foundation period. Very lightweight but provides all the coverage you need. It has a pleasant floral fragrance that is not irritating. It's not a completely matte foundation, but it's close. I love the packaging because it's hygienic and easy to control how much product comes out. In the winter my shade is '360 Nutmeg', but since my Italy trip I've gotten quite  a tan.

Bourjois Blush 'Cendre de Roses Brune' - I've heard that Bourjois is made by the makers of Chanel, so I was excited to get my hands on one of these. I was not impressed by the shimmery blushes as they contained too much glitter. This shade, however, is matte and would be a cool-toned pink. It's VERY pigmented so you need a light hand to apply this shade. Really nice rose/floral scent.

Current TV Favourite - Game of Thrones, best show I've seen in a long time! I like it more than True Blood!! I love fantasy books and I love that it is set in medieval times. There is so much intrigue and action and the acting is great! The show is based on the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. I've started reading the first book and it's great! A page-turner for sure!

Current Blogger Favourite - Makeup Savvy. The pictures are drool worthy and it does not help my makeup shopping habit! She makes me want to buy everything! Not good for the wallet but a great read!

There you have it! A nice long post after a nice long hiatus! I have so many ideas for blog posts so keep reading!