6.8.16

BLOG NAME CHANGE

hello old friends! 

well i've been working hard updating my blog, so that i can get back into the swing of things on here. i miss blogging, and now i feel like i actually have the time to do it. and plus- i've been trying out so many new beauty products that need to be on a platform like this - cause lord knows my family/friends are sick of hearing me talk about it. SOZ. not. 

i also have been working on my separate baking blog. LanieCakes . i would essentially like that to be apart of my business. considering i bake on the side. which is what brings me to this blogs NAME CHANGE. 

since i wanted to keep my baking blog separate from this one- i decided to change the name to make it a little less confusing (for myself-and others). so from now on this one is called LanieLikes while my baking blog is LanieCakes. at least until i find a blog name i like better for this beauty/lifestyle blog. (if there are any suggestions please feel free to leave them in the comment section). 

as far as the layout/template is concerned- i like simplicity. so for now- i feel like it is almost where i'd like it to be for now. i know sometimes you have to invest in your blog for success - but for now- this will have to do, until i get into the routine of beauty blogging again. 

that pretty much sums things up.... so thanks for stopping by----- and i look forward to seeing you soon. 


1.3.16

REMEMBER ME? | life update/where have i been?

why, hello, it's me... 

it's been almost exactly a full year since my last post. let me just say - i have missed you. life happened and got a little hectic that i had to put blogging on the back-burner. i ended up getting a promotion at the job i've been at for seven years, which was a nice experience and i'm grateful for it. i learned a lot about myself, and had to grow up a bit. unfortunately, it had to end- and i was not quite ready to let go of it yet, but alas- thats LIFE. it did push me to apply for school again, which i have to appreciate - time for life to move on and start an actual career. 

my passion for makeup and fashion never left me though - which is why i loved blogging so much, it gave me an outlet to express my interests without any reservations. that's mostly because all of us are here for that same reason and we all support each others addictions (hehe). i had only been posting to instagram which i think i was overdoing the selfie's and no one really understands the excitement of trying out new makeup and wanting to shout it to the world. therefore i made a separate IG account just for this reason. @makeupwithdelanie (if any of you were interested - give me a follow). 

i am tremendously looking forward to giving this blog some more attention and get back to what i love doing and expressing these interests for as long as you guys are willing to read! i will be giving this page layout a bit of a revamp too.. considering some of my tastes have changed. i feel giddy typing this out, i always felt this was some type of lifestyle journal. 

on that note - i'm so excited to be back. you'll be seeing me soon. xo

8.8.14

WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TO? | london 2014


hello everyone! 

July was an incredibly busy month for me, as I turned 21, worked full time hours, and still tried to find time to pack and get sorted for a trip that I had been planning for over 2 years. As I have stated before.... I went on my trip to London, England. It was amazing. Is it possible to completely fall in love with a place ? as soon as I stepped foot on to British soil, I never wanted to leave. Let me just say that 11 days is not nearly enough time. 

There are so many places and things that I didn't get the chance to see, but I know that without a doubt, I will be back (hopefully next summer with family). We just stayed in London, but I would have liked to travel to Brighton and the countryside. 
For those of you who call the U.K home, I absolutely envy you. You can't get tired of seeing the buildings, everything has so much character. UGH! I miss it so much! 


anyways, I won't make this a long post, but all in all, I love London with all my heart. I'm so looking forward to the day that I get to go back and see this beautiful place again. Honestly, I could probably live there....... ? (another topic, for another time.) I was so proud of being able to travel on a plane by myself, and actually making my life-long dream come true! The whole trip was so completely out of my comfort zone, but it made me a better, more independent person from it. i wouldn't change this experience for the world, I am truly so fortunate! 

love you all. CHEERS. 

10.7.14

AFFORDABLE MAKEUP BRUSHES | sonia kashuk "make a face" brush set

Sonia Kashuk "make a face" brush set - $21.00 target stores

hey guys! i have been on the hunt for a good quality makeup brush set that doesn't "break the bank". every website i have looked at the brushes look amazing, but the price is -in my opinion- ridiculous. i may have found the perfect face set, and since i'm so kind, i'll share it with you all. (haha). 


i was in Target last week picking up some last minute travel essentials, when i strolled past the Sonia Kashuk display. first; let me just say how amazing quality i think Sonia Kashuk is already. the brand is one of the higher end drugstore makeup brands. The products are incredible for the price. anyways, i was having a look at her individual brushes because i had wanted to pick up a good dense buffing brush, but it was $10 (even though that is an AMAZING price for a makeup brush, i am on a budget). i gazed a little bit higher in the display and caught sight of this kit of 4 face powder brushes for $21.00. such a great bargain. the kit includes: 
  • flat top sculpting brush (ideal for contouring)
  • duo fiber multi purpose brush (ideal for highlighting)
  • synthetic multi purpose flat top brush (ideal for blush)
  • dense blush/powder brush (ideal for bronzer/face powder)
the main brushes that made me buy these were the contouring brush (it reminds me of the Nars Ita brush) so it would be perfect for carving out my non-existant cheek bones, and the synthetic multi purpose flat top brush, which i'm going to use for buffing in my foundation. the brushes are so soft and feel like such great quality. i love the floral design on the handle as well as the rose gold ends. they look like luxurious brushes, without the luxurious price tag. good on ya Sonia Kashuk!

synthetic multi-purpose flat top brush

dense blush/powder brush

flat top sculpting brush

duo fibre multi-purpose blush brush

i am in absolute love with these brushes. what makeup brushes would you guys recommend? P.S. please ignore my hideous nails.... i thought it would be a good idea to do acrylic nails myself. 

xoxo

4.7.14

SMALL CLOTHING HAUL


hello guys. 

yesterday i did some shopping........... which is never a good sign. my poor bank account really suffered. as i have told you guys, i am traveling to London very VERY soon, so i have been trying to find some basic pieces of clothing that would be suitable. you'll soon see a very common theme of black and white everything.. but i love how classic black and white is. 

stripe dress $39.00 - smart set


I had wanted to find a simple summer dress for the days that i want it to look like i put some effort in, when in reality i just threw on a dress. keeping it easy. i have been really into pin stripes/stripes lately, and this dress is really flattering. 

high neck black and white top - $7.49 smart set

this top may not look like anything spectacular, but when i put it on it looked so chic. i don't own anything like this, and the material is a bit thicker, but not too heavy. i have to say that it is very comfortable. 

pj set $23.80 forever 21

i was in desperate need of pajamas, usually i just throw on a baggy t-shirt and some shorts to bed. but i thought these were pretty adorable and i'd feel lavish with them on, haha! i love them. 

black gold & blue gem statement necklace $15.00 - smart set
 black blue and silver chain statement necklace $6.99 - smart set

i was in need of some jewelry as well. as soon as i saw these i grabbed them without thinking twice. i love the way they look, and i can't believe they were so cheap. i didn't own any statement necklaces, so i'm so happy to have these in my collection! 

talk to you soon guys! xo

29.6.14

MONTHLY FAVOURITES | june 2014


hello my dears. i'm really on my game with this back to blogging business aren't i ? woot woot. can you even believe that July is already on Tuesday?! (i'll also be turning 21 on the 1st of july, crazy!) anyways, for the last couple of months i have been really trying to test out new products and stray away from what i'm used to using on the daily. we have quite a bit to get through, so i won't blab on and on. here we go!  

Elizabeth and James "Nirvana" rollerball perfume in 'black' (sample)
regular size rollerball $26.00 at sephora

recently i made a purchase online at Sephora.com, and i had 100 beauty insider points, so i decided to pick out this particular perfume. i desperately wanted to try it, considering everyone and their dog were saying how amazing this scent was. i haven't tried the "white" version yet, but also, i've heard good things. alas, i have been using this every single day. i love this scent, it's a bit sweeter but it does have a bit of musk in there as well. the Sephora website describes it "Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black is an addictive blend of alluring violet, sensual sandalwood, and rich vanilla that strike the perfect balance between masculine and feminine." 
needless to say this is an amazing product, and i HIGHLY recommend it! 


L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in 892- "amber rush" $9.99 

another cult favourite, and for good reason. these eyeshadows are honestly incredible. they are such high quality for a drugstore product, the first time i tried it, my jaw literally dropped to the floor. the pigmentation, guys... oh my god, it is like butter. the Infallible eyeshadow's are basically a pressed pigment, i apply with my index finger and i pack on the colour all over my eyelid. this particular shade is beautiful, and suits so many eye colours and skin tones. i am definitely going to be buying many more of these bad boys. it's rare that i'll fall so deeply in love with an eye product, but it has happened. i've always been a Revlon girl at heart, but L'Oreal has been slowly winning me over with every new launch. 

(this was literally just ONE light swipe of my index finger; like i said the pigmentation is out of this world).

M.A.C mineralize skinfinish in "Stereo Rose" (limited edition) $36.00 

I had previously wrote about this product in a blog post from March in a small M.A.C haul i had done. i never used this skinfinish then because it was still pretty cold and crappy here in Canada. but now that summer has come 'round, i friggen LOVE using this. i have oily skin so i've been using a matte foundation (that i will be speaking about next...) and using this to highlight looks so beautiful and give the perfect natural glow. it shows up more of a coral sheen, which i love for the summer time. i hope they bring this product back soon, so you guys can maybe get your hands on it too. love love love. 

Rimmel "Stay Matte" Liquid Mousse Foundation in shade "103 true ivory". $8.99

i'll start off by saying that i wasn't a HUGE fan of this foundation the first couple times i tried it. as summer came and my skin started to get more on the oily side, this has been a life saver. my skin looks flawless every time i wear this, and my powders/blush/bronzers stick to this foundation so well. i find this best applied with my fingers, because it allows me to warm up the product a bit since it does have a bit of a thick consistency. it doesn't feel heavy on the skin, and sets pretty quickly. on the down side i did have a couple breakouts while using this, but nothing too major. it covers every blemish very well. medium to full coverage. good cheap foundation. 

Cover | FX Mattifying Primer with Anti-acne treatment - $16.00 Sephora

I received this guy in an Ipsy Glam bag a couple months back, and i have been using this product to death. this is the first product from Cover | FX that i have tried. this primer glides on nicely, and it doesn't feel sticky or heavy. I also don't feel like this primer is clogging my pores or is doing more damage than good as i have found with some other makeup primers. it controls my breakouts while i wear makeup for long periods of time (such as at work for 8 hours). it provides the perfect base for the rest of my face makeup, i will definitely be repurchasing this item, since mine is sadly almost gone. what i love most is that it is a whole lot cheaper than my regular Arbonne face primer for $40.00. two thumbs up from me.

lastly, but certainly not least the N.Y.C Liquid Eyeliner for $2.99. (not pictured). i bought this liquid liner on a whim, because i had just run out of my other stuff, and considering the N.Y.C liner was so cheap, why not give it a go? the liner itself is super black and matte (sometimes liquid liner has a sort of sheen to it, which i'm personally not a fan of.) it gives an intense line, the brush could be a bit better, i find it is slightly more difficult to create a perfect wing, then again i don't have the most sturdy hand, but i have been doing the tape trick daily. when i use tape it takes all the hard work away, and you'll get the perfect cat eye. if you guys are in need of a cheap liquid liner, i highly recommend the N.Y.C liquid liner. it a good'un. 

anyways guys, i know this was a bit of a long read, and i apologize. hopefully you didn't fall asleep at your computers. i'll talk to y'all again very soon. i hope you enjoyed my June Favourites, let me know in the comments what your favourites of this month were?! 

much love.