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. 

L'OREAL LUMI

l'oreal magic-lumi concealer $11.99

l'oreal true match lumi healthy luminous makeup $14.99

hello ! so as you can see, i revamped my blog a little bit. i was inspired by a few of your blogs, i have to say that i adore the simplicity. it allows your posts and photos to be the main focal point. we'll see how long it is until i get bored again. 

 anyways, the other day i was looking for a decent foundation that wasn't heavy. i have been using my Rimmel Wake me Up foundation daily, and i realized that for 1. it was slightly too dark and 2. it works better as a summer foundation (at least in my opinion). i love that foundation, but i needed something a little bit different. 

 i have never tried l'oreal foundation or concealer before, and i kept seeing that "Lumi" face products were becoming bigger on the market. and i have to say that i was intrigued. i love the look of a luminescent complexion, it makes your skin look so radiant and healthy. on the first day i wore this, i received SO many compliments on my complexion. they all literally said "your face looks so luminating". this has to be the first time that i have ever been complimented on a foundation before. even my mother saw my make-up done and said "your skin looks like porcelain". i'm thoroughly impressed with these products. especially on days where you wake up early, this foundation/concealer combination makes you appear more awake. 

 the true match lumi foundation states : "illuminates, unifies and improves the look of skin for a healthy-looking complexion. vitamins C & E" - i have to agree 100%. the formula isn't thick at all, but it still manages to cover imperfections. it has a satin-like finish. my shade is n1-2 neutral. i apply this after moisturizer and a primer with a duo fibre eco tools face brush. it looks flawless and beautiful on the skin. 

& the l'oreal magic-lumi concealer doesn't have a description but it brightens the under eye area amazingly. i originally saw this in one of essiebutton's youtube videos, and she raved about it and how well it works. my shade is 862 Light.

and might i add that the rose gold packaging is SO BEAUTIFUL. they look like high end products, without paying the price. they are more expensive for a drug store brand, but in my opinion, they're worth it. 

thanks for stopping by today, guys! have you tried any "lumi" makeup products? what did you think?

BRAND FOCUS | rimmel

hello dolls. i recently watched Essiebutton's Bourjois brand focus video and that gave me the idea to do the same on blog form. i've recently been reaching more and more to the Rimmel stand because i have been thoroughly impressed with their products. i'll admit that i never thought Rimmel was a decent brand, i think i had one bad experience with a product and then dismissed it all together. WRONG. very wrong and young i was. Rimmel is absolutely amazing, and their selection of products just keeps growing and getting better and better. voila! i have so many Rimmel products that i honestly forgot that i even had.. but i love it all.

Rimmel Apocolips Lip Lacquer

i own a large amount of rimmel lip products especially. i love the formula that their lipsticks have, and i've recently been introduced to the Apocolips Lip Lacquers when they FINALLY came to Canada. trust me.. i was counting down the days. i have 3 shades in the Apocolips, 3 shades in the Kate Moss lipsticks and 3 shades of their Moisture Renew lipsticks.. apparently i buy things in trios. aha. 

APOCOLIPS :

• 301- galaxy, a beautiful plum berry colour which is perfect for fall 
• 401- aurora, a really nice coral pink shade which adds a great pop on the lips
• 101- celestial, a rose colour that is perfect for every day wear

KATE MOSS : 

• 109- a matte orange/coral colour, great for summer or spring.
• 102- a matte baby pink -your lips but better- colour. 
• 06- a bright fuschia colour, also amazing for summer. 

MOISTURE RENEW : 

• 700- nude delight, the perfect nude. 
• 180- vintage pink, a mauve/pink which is gorgeous on the lips
• 300- rose blush, beautiful medium pink, with just a touch of sheen/shimmer. 

Rimmel ScandalEyes Eyeshadow stick - 006 paranoid purple

i don't own many eyeshadow/liner pencils and i know adding a bright pop of colour at the lash line is a really popular look right now. i have dark brown eyes and it is known that purple helps to make brown eyes POP. i really do like this shade, it's edgy which i'm fond of. it says that it's 24/hr waterproof, i found that it did last alright, but it isn't THAT waterproof. i still like the product though. 

MY FAVOURITE FOUNDATION/POWDER COMBINATION is the Rimmel "Wake me Up" foundation paired with the "Rimmel Stay Matte Powder".  the foundation has just the right amount of shimmer in it to look natural on the skin, and dewy, yet it has very buildable coverage. i will continue to buy this foundation, it is amazing. the Stay Matte Powder does just what it says, and helps keep your makeup in place for majority of the day. it's hard to find a face powder that doesn't cling to your nasty dry patches on your face, and this powder is just right. 

Rimmel was an underdog brand for me for a long time, and i'm so happy to have "re-discovered" it. they offer a lot of amazing products and you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for them. 

please recommend your favourite rimmel products in the comments so i can pick them up and try them out. hope you all are having a nice wednesday. xx 

DRUGSTORE MAKEUP HAUL | transition into autumn

Hey besties,
i haven't posted in a few days, which is very unlike me. i just had complete "bloggers block".. if that's even a thing. i had no idea what to post about. until i did a little shopping yesterday.. PAY DAY! the best day of the week. i picked up a few goodies that i have been wanting to try out, and that i thought would be great products for the fall weather that is right in front of us. *sigh*

L'Oreal nail color in 803- the sparklicious & 550- afterhours $4.00 

i saw these on the shelf, and i thought they'd be gorgeous shades for fall. "after hours" is a deep purple/blue almost black. i love wearing dark nail polish in the colder months, and i thought that "the sparklicious" is a really pretty glitter top coat. i have seen this on other blogs and it looks incredible. i'm excited to test them out. 

CoverGirl Clean whipped cream foundation in shade 320. $6.97

i recently saw this foundation on a commercial with Janelle Monae, and i was curious to see what this was like. i was searching for a replacement foundation for fall/winter because as much as i love my "rimmel wake me up" it's not necessarily suitable for the colder months. fingers crossed this one is decent! 

Revlon super lustrous lipstick in shade 835- berry couture. $8.00

i was in search of a nice plum shade, i have fallen deeply in love with plum lip color for fall, and i'm uber excited to try it out. i noticed Revlon had a whole line of new plum shades. all of them were so gorgeous but i opted for this "Berry Couture" color. it's really really lovely. and it's not too violet or dark which i like. 

lastly, i picked up "rimmel match perfection 2 in 1 concealer" $7.99. i don't own very many concealers, but i noticed that i have been getting really bad dark bags under my eyes so it was time to pick something up to help hide that. i've heard decent things about this particular concealer, and when i swatched them at the store it seemed really nice. i like that it has a brush applicator. 

anyways, that's all for now. let me know if you guys have tried any of these products! 

love ya. x

MAYBELLINE FIT ME! SHINE-FREE FOUNDATION | review

Maybelline Fit Me! Foundation Stick $8.99

shade 115 - ivory

i look scared, don't i? hehe 

hello friends.
i decided to pick up something a little different than i usually would. i'm very picky with my foundations, and when i find one that i'm happy with, i am literally glued to it. the Rimmel Wake-me up foundation is that for me as of late. but i think i may have found a new contender.
i am a fan of this foundation, well first- because of the obvious; it looks like a lipstick. it is such an easy product, i couldn't believe it.
i had an early morning shift today at 8:00 AM , therefore i don't have a tremendous amount of time to get myself ready, like on any other morning. the foundation is simple. do what i have done in the last photo, on your forehead, chin, nose, and of course other cheek and blend with either your fingers or a foundation brush. i used a brush. it blends fairly easy and it actually controls the shine very well. i have moderately oily skin, and after four hours, my skin was still matte. definitely impressive.
it would be an amazing product for travelling with or throwing in your handbag because it is so compact. just a little bit bigger than a lipstick, useful for touchups during the day.
i'd say this has medium coverage- and is very build-able.  my shade is in 115 - ivory. i have always been afraid to try any sort of foundation from Maybelline because i always had to make sure my foundation would have a decent coverage to hide my blemishes, and i'm afraid to spend the money if i'm not going to be content with the product. i love Maybelline's mascaras, lip products and of course - their colour tattoos...- but i am definitely a big fan of their Fit Me! Foundation Stick. 

what do you think of Maybelline's Fit Me! Foundation stick?

REVLON PHOTOREADY BB CREAM

hello friends. as i have said in a previous blog post, i went to a revlon seminar about two weeks ago and received the new revlon photoready bb cream as a freebie. since i like switching my foundations around i decided to give this a try for the past week. i really, really like this. and what they were saying at the seminar is that other bb creams are comparable to a tinted moisturizer, whereas revlon wanted to make their bb cream have more of a foundation base to it. it is just as good as any other foundation that i own.  it covers all of my imperfections, and it is very buildable. it is about a medium coverage. it also contains SPF 30, so that's always a bonus. it smells like suntan lotion too! i just love that smell, reminds me of summer. what's funny about this is that i was given shade 030 medium, which i thought was forsure going to be too dark. i have an olive skin tone but lighter shades always seem to match better. and even when i applied this to my hand before i put it on my face, it looks way too dark. but as soon as i put it on my face in little smears and dots and buff it in, you would never be able to tell that it was too dark at all. it just matches nicely, which was so surprising for me, never in a million years would i have bought the medium shade. i tend to grab the lighter shades because i know that adding face powder and bronzer darken the face a tad. this bb cream makes my face glow, i'm really enjoying this at the moment. i bought a bb cream before by the brand annabelle... and i wasn't as impressed with it. it didn't hide any imperfections i found that i had to reapply my powder all of the time throughout the day. but i don't have that problem with this bb cream! price is 10.99 or 11.99 (i can't remember), and available at any drugstore/grocery store. this product will especially be great in the summer time when i do have a slight tan, you don't feel like you're wearing a lot of makeup, which is important for me because usually when i apply my make up i just want to scratch it all off. i just feel so uncomfortable. this covers as a foundation but applies/feels like a moisturizer. i'm really fond of it, and i definitely recommend this to you guys. have any of you tried revlon's bb cream? what do you think? xx