EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!!!





I'm very excited to announce I'll be participating in Blogmas this year! 
I will blog every weekday for the entire month of December excluding Christmas Day. That means 22 days you can expect to see new posts from me. I have a lot of exciting things planned so stay tuned.

This is my first Christmas with this blog so I don't know what to expect, but I hope you join me as I blog my way through December.

Comment and let me know if you're also doing Blogmas or something similar and I'll be sure to check out it out.



* I know people usually post everyday and stop at Christmas but in order to review Christmas gifts I thought I'd go a few extra days. Hope you enjoy!

Benefit Box O'Blushes Review





I hadn't tried any Benefit boxed blushes so I thought this set would be the perfect chance to try them all out and with a discount code from Sephora it ended up being almost the same price as a regular box Blush. I'd like to start out by talking about the packaging. I'm really not a fan. While the Christmas tin is really cute right now I can imagine myself getting really sick of it come spring and summer. It's also big and clunky so it's hard to store. I've heard of people putting the blushes in a Z-palette so I might consider doing that once Christmas is over.

Before I get into the individual blush reviews I thought I'd share some thought on the blushes as a whole. I found most the blushes to be quite powdery. I don't actually mind powdery blushes so this wasn't a problem for me. They had decent staying powder and lots of pigmentation. I've read in reviews that some of the shades don't match their originals but having never tried them I wouldn't be able to attest to that. They do however smell amazing. 
Dandelion 
I was most excited to try this blush. It's perfect for my pale complexion. It has subtle shimmer, but it comes off on the skin as more of a healthy glow. It's my favourite and most used so far.

Bella Bamba 
This was probably my least favourite blush. It's kind of dark for me and it's definitely the most shimmery.

Sugarbomb
I ended up liking this bush a lot more that I thought I would. It's very light, more of a highlight really. It comes off more of a peachy, coral colour. 


I was most excited to try the Hoola bronzer as I've heard so many bloggers rave about it. I now understand what all the fuss is about. This is my perfect contour. It's matte but not too orange.

Coralista
This is a gorgeous coral blush with some slight shimmer. I think it would be perfect for spring.

Rockateur 
 Rockateur is rose gold but the shimmer is very subtle. I loved it a lot more that I ever expected too. It looks dark in the pan but it doesn't come off too dark when applied.


I already have Watt's Up and personally I prefer it better in the stick form. I have done a mini review already and you can find it here. I have a blush brush I love so I only use this one to contour and I find it works well.

 top: Watt's Up
 L-R: Dandelion, Bella Bamba, Sugar Bomb, Hoola, Coralista, Rockateur

Overall I love this blush set and would really recommend it to anyone who can get their hands on it.

November Ispy Bag




The theme of this month's bag was "girl meet glitter". The actual bag fit this month's theme perfectly. It is silvery with sparkles and it's by Forever 21 Cosmetics for Ipsy. My bag got a little crushed in the mail but it's still very usable.


Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Hairspray
I don't actually own any hairspray's so I was excited to receive this in my bag. I don't have anything to compare it to because I don't use hairspray on a regular basis, but I do use and love argan oil. I'm excited to finally have hairspray, especially one this size. It was not a full size product but the original retails for $10.

it Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye
I the most excited to receive this product in my bag this month. The colour is a little darker than I would usually use but it manages to cover any darkness under my eyes. This is very thick and full coverage so you don't need to use a lot, just make sure to warm it up on the back of your hand first. This is a sample size but it should last a while. The full size costs $24.

J Cat Beauty Wonder Lip Paint in Mad Splatter
This really is a lip PAINT meaning you'll need to apply this product with a brush or else things will get messy fast. You also need very little product to get full coverage. The colour I got is a really pretty fuchsia with purple reflective sparkles, however it doesn't come off sparkly or purple on the lips. It feels comfortable and has very decent staying power. This was a full size product and it retails for $5.

Star Looks Gem Pencil in Ultra Olive

This is a beautiful, very wearable green eyeliner. It's super sparkly which fits both with the theme of the bag and the upcoming holiday season. It's very blendable but I don't think it's that long wearing. This is a full size product and it retails for $17.




SeaRx Birchsap Moisturizing Lotion
This was the product I was least excited about. I have so many lotions and moisturizers I really don't need any more, especially tiny ones like this. Although it feels and smell good (it has a citrus scent), I can't imagine myself using this. The full size retails for $32.

Overall not the best Ispy Bag I've received but I still got some decent products.

My HolidayWishlist




This is a very simple post of all the things from Sephora that are on my Christmas wishlist. Throughout the year I buy most my own makeup but I love holiday time where brands come out with Holiday sets that I can ask for as gifts. My wishlist focuses heavily on skincare because it's expensive and it's not as fun to buy for myself as makeup.

  • First Aid Beauty Cheers to Fab Skin
  • GlamGlow Gift Sexy
  • Nars Audacious Lipstick
  • Origins Bestsellers Kit
  • Sephora Favorites Super Stars
  • Tarte Pin Up Girl Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Palette


*For anyone that cares, I'll be taking next week off from Blogging so I can focus on my Midterms but I'll be back on Monday November 24th.


Empties #2




I love reading other people's empties blog posts. I think it's the best way to tell someone's true feelings about a product. There's really no better feeling that finishing something, makeup especially. I've included a section about the longevity of the product- how long it lasted me and with what type of usage. I hope it's helpful.

Makeup
Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation
I've gone on and on about how this is my all time favourite drugstore foundation. It's a medium coverage, radiance foundation with a really lovely scent. I've written lots of posts singing its praises. You can find the latest here.
Longevity?
A year with regular use.
Repurchase?
I'm on my way out to the store to pick another one up. I can't live without it.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
Everyone talks about this powder and for a good reason. It's great! It mattifies but works with my dry skin not making it look cakey which I find can be a problem with other powders.
Longevity?
A year with daily use.
Repurchase?
Absolutely!

Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eye Liner
 Another Rimmel product wow! I am going to preface this by saying I'm terrible at applying liquid liner so my opinion on the subject should be considered with that in mind. I really liked this liquid liner. It dried really matte which is important to me and it had good lasting power. I found the felt tip got a little frayed which made it harder to apply. By the end as it was drying out it got clumpy but for a drugstore liquid liner it was pretty good.
Longevity?
6 months of sporadic use.
Repurchase?
Sure! I have a few other liquid liners on the go right now but in the future I would consider buying this one again.

L'Oreal Million Lashes Mascara
This mascara was fine. It gave my lashes lots of volume which is what it advertises. It did have an unpleasant chemical perfume smell which really put me off the product. It didn't flake and it came off easily with makeup remover which is important for me. I would say it is an average mascara. 
Longevity?
6 months of everyday use.
Repurchase? 
No. I'm still looking for something better.

Benefit They're Real Mascara
I got this sample size Benefit mascara as last years Sephora Birthday gift. I was very unsure about it at first because I didn't really like the brush, it took some practice not to stab myself in the eye with the very prickly bristles. It is also a pain to remove and takes more scrubbing than most mascaras. However, I can over look everything I just said because this made my lashes look the best they've ever been. I honestly haven't used a mascara as good.
Longevity?
About 2 months of regular use.
Repurchase?
I really want it to be cheaper. Maybe one day I'll make the splurge.

Skincare
Bioderma
I had an empty Bioderma bottle in my last empties post. It's the best makeup remover out there and I will fight those who try and say otherwise. You can read what I had to say about it here.
Longevity?
6 months of everyday use.
Repurchase?
Always.

The Body Shop Strawberry Body Butter
I used this all spring and summer and it keep my skin from feeling dry. It's not as moisturizing as other body butters but I didn't need it to be in the warm weather. I love strawberries but I found the scent was a little too sweet and artificial for my liking.
Longevity?
5 months regular use.
Repurchase?
The Body Shop body butters, definitely, but probably not this scent. It was a little sweet.

Hair

Dove Volume Boost Shampoo and Conditioner
I actually really liked this shampoo and conditioner. The scent was really nice and fresh. It made my fine hair volumized and shiny. And of course it left my hair feeling clean.
Longevity?
6 months used around 3 times a week.
Repurchase?
Yes! 

got2b Dry Shampoo
As a dry shampoo this was decent. It  left my hair looking less greasy and it didn't show up white in my hair however I hated the scent. It was really strong and overpowering. It would linger all day.
Longevity?
A year of sporatic use.
Repurchase?
No way! I'm glad it's done.

Top 5 High End Buys





On Monday I did my top 5 drugstore buys. Today I'm looking at what I consider the top 5 best products to splurge for.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow

In my opinion Urban Decay has the best eyeshadows. They're crazy pigmented, blendable and creamy plus they have a wide range of  colour options. I personally love the Naked and Naked Basics Palettes but most of their individual eyeshadows are very good too. My only complaint is the steep price tag.


MAC 217 Brush

In my top drugstore buys post I recommended the Real Techniques eye brush set however the MAC 217 brush is my all time favourite eyeshadow brush. If I could only have 1 eyeshadow brush, I would pick this one every time. It applies shadow perfectly all over the lid, in the crease and is amazing for blending. If you only get one thing from MAC I highly suggest this brush. 

Anastasia Brow Wiz

I used to only use powder on my brows but everything changed when I got this baby. I find this allows me to be more precise when filling in my brows and it gives a much more natural final look. I was worried the pencil wasn't going to last long because it's fairly expensive for a very tiny amount however I've had mine for months and it's still going strong. The colour is long wearing, especially when set with a gel and the spoolie on the end is awesome.

Urban Decay Primer Potion

I honestly don't know what I would do without this product. I don't even have oily eyelids but I find wearing this primer makes a HUGE difference to the look and longevity of my eyeshadow. I've had my tube for well over a year and I'm not even halfway done so I think it's a really smart investment
and I would highly recommend it.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12hr Blush

I love Tarte as a brand but I especially love their blushes. Besides the fact that the packaging and design of the product is very cute, I think the colour selection, pigmentation and longevity are some of the best you can get anywhere.



Top 5 Drugstore Buys




These are the top 5 things I recommend buying from the drugstore. On Wednesday I'll have my top 5 high end buys.

RealTechniques Your Eyes/Enhanced Starter Set
Real Techniques is one of my all time favourite brush brands. The quality is unbelievable for the price. This kit has everything you would need to do your eyes especially if you're a beginner to eye makeup. It comes with a deluxe crease brush which I find is perfect for blending out eyeshadow, a base shadow brush which is my favourite for applying shadow all over the lid, an accent brush which is my least used out of the set, a fine liner brush which is a totally holy grail brush for me and finally a brow brush. In Canada this set can be found at Walmart or London Drugs for only $20, everyone should pick it up.

L'Oreal Color Infaillible 
I believe this is the best eyeshadow availiable at the drugstore. As a pressed pigment it is obviously very pigmented and it gives a shiny, almost wet look to the lid. I find it lasts all day even without a primer and I'm especially crazy about this colour.

Maybelline Gel Liner
Gel liner has replaced pencil as my favourite type of eyeliner. It lasts longer and looks more sophisticated. This one from Maybelline is especially great.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation
This is my all time favourite foundation from the drugstore. It gives my usually dry/dull skin lots of radiance. If you have normal to dry skin and are going to buy foundation from the drugstore I would really recommend this one. It has a little bit of shimmer so I don't know how great it would be on oily skin. And if you need any more reasons to pick it up, it also smells great and is cheaper than lots of other drugstore foundations.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains
Unlike the the writing on the packaging which rubs off really easily, this is a really long lasting lip stain. I have mine in the colour Honey and I find it is the perfect colour for everyday wear. It's super easy to apply, I don't even need to use a mirror. It also feels very moisturizing on the lips.