October Favourites

I don't have a lot of new favourites this month because I'm still loving the same things that have been in my recent monthly favourites. There are however some things I have been especially loving this month.

Nars Blush - Deep Throat and Nars Bronzer - Laguna
I've been using these as a combination a lot this month. It gives my skin a nice healthy glow now that we are getting into the colder months and I no longer have a natural sun kissed complexion. These are cult products that are really worth it so I'm sure I don't have to go on about how good they are.

Lush BIG Shampoo
I had very mixed feeling about this shampoo when I first got it but I've grown to really love it. It give my hair tons of volume and shine. The smell is strong but not too over powering once it's washed out. The shampoo is full of salt crystals that almost act as an exfoliator for your scalp. I've been using this once a week all month and loving it!

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 107
Now that summer's over it seems everyone is reaching for their dark lipsticks and I'm no different. I won't lie it was Zoella (Zoe Sugg) that convinced me to buy this lipstick but honestly I really love it and the price makes it even better. It's matte but a comfortable matte and I've found with a liner it can be very long lasting.

Worn here without a lip liner to show true colour

Jordana FabuLiner

I have been enjoying wearing more liquid liner this month. I picked this up while I was in the States this summer. The applicator makes it so easy to apply. The formula is very black however it's not quite as long wearing as I would have liked.

Skincare and More - Haul!

I've done a bit of shopping over the last few weeks and  I though I'd share some of the things I picked up. I haven't had a chance to try most of these products yet but if anyone has any opinions, I'd love to hear. I might even end up doing reviews on some of these products.

 Revlon's Colorstay Moisture Stain in 005 Parisian 

 Coconut Body Butter from the Body Shop

  Ro's Argan Body Conditioner from Lush

Nyx retractable lip liners in Nude and Red

 Dove Dry Shampoo

MAC's Fix+

Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil from the Body Shop

 e.l.f  professional shadow brush

MAC 219 pencil brush

Tea Tree Oil from the Body Shop

My Eyelash Nightmare

Bonus Friday Post!

My Experience
So a while ago when I was first getting into makeup I had a tramatizing incident with a pair of eyelash curlers. I was half asleep and getting ready for school when *pluck* I had pulled a chunk of my eyelashes out. I ended up loosing about a dozen lashes from the inner to middle part of my right eye. I was horrified! I turned to the internet to find out what to do and how long I would have to live with lopsided eyelashes. What I found was that this is a common problem whether you had an accident with a curler, false lashes gone wrong or have Trichotillomania. Google says:

"Eyelashes take about seven to eight weeks to grow back if pulled out but constant pulling can lead to permanent damage"

I found out this is very dependent on which stage of growth your eyelashes were in at the time. I consider myself very lucky this was not my experience. By about two weeks I had decent sized baby lashes and by a month I was pretty much back to normal.  For those that may not be so lucky, I thought I would share some tips I employed to make my lashes look presentable again.

Tips and Tricks

Olive Oil
I dabbed the smallest amount on my eyelid before bed for about a month after I lost my eyelashes. I think it really helped speed up the growing process . I would caution not to actually get it in your eyes though, it stings!

Eyeliner
I found eyeliner made all the difference. Using a black liner to tightline made my lashes look fuller and took emphasis away from the missing lashes. Also drawing a thicker line with a black eyeliner (I would suggest liquid or gel, not pencil). With dramatic liner, your lashes kinda fall into the background.

Mascara
A good lengthening and thickening mascara is important but I found it was my bottom lash mascara from Clinique that made all the difference. The tiny brush made it easy to get at my tiny returning lashes making them look longer and more defined.

False Lashes
I never used false lashes but if you feel you need to, individual lashes could be used to fill in any gaps. I didn't use any because I was worried about damaging a sensitive area even more however lashes do serve a purpose greater than just aesthetics. Lashes keep dust and debris from reaching your eye so if you've lost your entire lashline you might want to use them to keep your eyes safe.

Let them Breath
Have no makeup days whenever you can and let them naturally take care of themselves.

I hope this can provide some help to someone who might be going through a traumatizing lash experience like I had. If you have ever had a traumatizing makeup experience let me know so we can commiserate.

Liebster Award

I was nominated for the Liebster award by the lovely Abbie from yetanotherstudentblog.blogspot.co.uk. Apparently this is an award for new bloggers or ones with under 200 followers so they can gain more followers. I think it's a really good idea and I'm very thankful to have been nominated.

Here are the rules:

Acknowledge the blog who nominated you and display the award

Answer the 11 questions given to you from the blogger

Give 11 facts about yourself

Nominate 11 blogs you think are deserving of the award (less than 200 followers)

Let the bloggers know you have nominated them

Give 11 questions to them to answer

This is the first post I've done that's not makeup or beauty related but it should give anyone one who cares some more information about me, the blogger.

11 Questions from Abbie

1. What is your favourite season and why

Spring because it marks the end of what has inevitably been a very long and very cold winter. It gives me such a feeling of hope.

2. Why did you start blogging? 

I love talking about makeup and no one in my real life wanted to hear about it so I started putting all my thoughts and opinions on a blog. I had it set to private at first, just for me, but eventually I wanted to share my love of makeup with others.

3. What couldn't you live without?

Caffeine and cuddles with my dog.

4. Dream job?

A job where I could work from home preferably as a writer or researcher.

5. A film you know all of the words to

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. My brother and I used to act out the entire movie.

6. Describe your favourite item of clothing

My black oversized sweatpants haha. I'm all for comfort!

7. Favourite animal?

Pigs!

8. Describe your favourite person 

Don't make me choose between my parents. They're both my favourite people and the people I look up to the most.

9. Favourite youtuber?

Overall Zoella but Tanya Burr is my favourite beauty youtuber.

10. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

London, still English speaking but beautiful and European.

11. What is your favourite part of yourself?

I like my eyes I guess.

11 Facts about Me

• I am a 3rd year Sociology Student
• I am a feminist 
• My favourite food is popcorn 
• I have an obsession with the show Supernatural
• My celebrity crush is Darren Criss
• I have severe anxiety
• I have an obsession with buying eyeshadow palettes
• I don't eat pork because of my love for Pigs
• I love musicals and my favourite is Once (the first show I saw on Broadway)
• I am a huge hockey fan and the Chicago Blackhawks are my favourite team
• I have a small white dog named Digby

11 questions

1. What's your favourite store to shop at?

2. What do you like to do with your spare time?

3. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

4. Most loved makeup or beauty product?

5. Favourite Quote?

6. If you were stuck in a tub of food and had to eat your way out what would you want the tub to be filled with?

7. Favourite TV show?

8. Most valuable lesson you've learned?

9. Favourite vacation you've been on?

10. What's your biggest pet peeve? 

11. All time favourite song?

I nominate....

claudlyy.blogspot.sg

sweetnaturalb.blogspot.com

MoMakeupMoBeauty.com

passion-formakeup.blogspot.co.uk/

October Ipsy Bag

This was the second month I received an Ipsy bag and I'm excited to review what I got. This month the theme was candy although I don't know if that really came across with the products I received.

The actual bag this month was a teal blue with a quilted design. It actually feels well made. I was very happy with the contents of my bag this month. There were no duds for me.

èpicè Purifying Exfoliant
I really like this exfoliater. I was unsure because I have sensitive skin but I didn't  feel over-drying on my skin or irritate it too much and the tiny granules are perfect, not too rough. I really like the smell too, it's fresh but not too strong. The full size retails for $32.

Figs & Rouge Hand Cream- Mango Mandarin 
This smells amazing but mostly it feels great. It's not at all greasy or sticky and it sinks into the skin really fast, which are the most important criteria for me in a hand cream. This was full size and retails for about $7.

Skone Tatooed Waterproof Eyeliner
When this says waterproof, it really means waterproof, almost to a fault. I swatched this on my hand and even after scrubbing it was still on. However the applicator is great and it dries fairly matte which I look for in a liquid liner. I think this was a full sized product, it retails for $15.

Cirque Colors Nail Varnish- XX
I'm not usually a fan of glitter nail polish but this one was very interesting. There are so many types of glitter of all shapes and sizes. You definitely need a colour under it and I would probably just use it for an accent nail but it's a still decent nail polish. Full sized version retails for $13.

Pictured here over H&M Plum Nail Polish

Noyah Lipstick- Deeply in Mauve
This lipstick is creamy and pigmented. The colour is perfect for fall. It was my favourite item in this months bag. I would definitely consider getting the full sized version but it retails for $18. Thankfully Ipsy provided a 15% discount code for the full sized version.

My Makeup Weaknesses Tag

I don't know if there's already a similar tag out there already. I just thought I'd create one for fun. I'm not actually tagging anyone specifically but if you'd like to do it, enjoy!

I love makeup and I'd like to think that I'm pretty good at it but everyone has their downfalls or weaknesses whether that be something you're not so good at or makeup that you can't walk by in a store without impulse buying.

1. What is something you wish you were better at? 
Winged liner. I think a lot of people struggle with this one. I will often try and end up removing it because it looks so bad.

2. What facet of your makeup routine do you find most annoying?
I find doing my brows to be a pain. There's a lot of upkeep involved and I find it can take a long time to make them look presentable. I understand their importance to the whole look, I just can't say I enjoy the process of getting there.

3. What makeup trend do you wish you could pull off?
Dark lips - either dark red or dark purple. I really like the idea and look but with my extremely fair skin, I'm pretty sure I would end up looking dead.
That or vibrant eyes such as those that can be created by something like the Urban Decay Electric Palette.

4. What's the first thing you leave out of your makeup routine when you're in a rush?
Foundation. If I don't have time I'll focus on my eyes because I find it the most fun and I'll usually just use some concealer on problem areas. I'll also leave out blush, bronzer, highlight and occasionally brows.

5. What makeup item do you impulsively pick up when shopping?
Although eyeshadow palettes are the items I go most weak at the knees for, I don't usually impulse buy a palette. However for some reason whenever I go into a drugstore I have to pick up a lip product. There are so many good ones at the drugstore for so cheap and there are always new ones I need to get my hands on.

Cranberry Eyeshadow Look

Happy Thanksgiving Fellow Canadians!

I'm used to wearing neutral shadows but I think Cranberry is a perfect colour for fall and I wanted to try a look that included it. This was an experiment for me that took me out of my comfort zone a little. This is way more dramatic than something I would normally wear. I still had a lot of fun creating this look and I hope it can provide some inspiration.

I started by priming my eyes using the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Inked in Pink. I then took a cranbery eyeshadow all over the lid (MAC's Cranberry would work for this but I just used what I had which was some cheap shadow I've had for years. Sorry I don't have a brand name for it).
I used a blending brush to take Stark from the Naked Basics 2 palette as a transition shade. I smoothed the edges of the cranberry colour and brought it all the way up to my browbone.
I took a Zoeva petitie crease brush and the shade undone from Naked Basics 2 and worked that into my outer V. I blended for a long time to try and get it to look the way I wanted. I added more cranberry and undone until I was happy with the look.
I finished my lids by pressing a little bit of a lighter pink into the inner part of my lid using my finger and then using my finger to make the cranberry colour more intense in the middle of my lid.

On my lower lashline I used undone to line close to my lashes. I smudges it out a bit and added that lighter pink shade just under it. I then attempted to do winged liner using my Rimmel Exaggerate eyeliner. I also used a Maybelline Master Drama eyeliner in Midnight Master to tighline and on my waterline.

As a highlight I used Skimp from Naked Basics 2 on my browbone and in my inner corner I used Venus from the original Naked Basics.

I finished by adding mascara to my top and bottom lashes.

My Everyday Eyeshadow Look for School

This has been my go to look for the last month. It's easy and quick to do before school and it uses my new favourite palette - the Naked 2 Basics. As I am a huge eyeshadow junkie, this is a fairly minimal look for me. On busy school days I will tend to just do my eyes put on a bit of concealer and go.

As always I start by priming my eyes with my Urban Decay Primer Potion. I then take MAC's Naked Lunch over my whole lid stopping at the crease. I used Frisk from the Naked 2 Basics palette as my transition shade blending it into the crease and up closer to my browbone with my MAC 217.

 I then mixed Primal and Cover on the Zoeva petite crease brush and focused it on my outer v just slightly bringing it up into my crease. To line my eyes I took Undone on a wet Zoeva winged liner brush and stayed close to my lashes.

To finish up the look I used my favourite highlight Venus from original The Naked Basics Palette in my inner corner and browbone. I then applied mascara to my top and bottom lashes. In all it takes me 5 mins and I'm out the door!

Is it Worth it? Drugstore vs. High end

It's sometimes difficult to decide whether to splurge on an item when you can get something comparable from the drugstore at a much cheaper price. Based on my opinions and experiences this is where I think you would do best to save or spend your money.

Eyes

Eyeliner- Save
There are lots of options at the drugstore that are just as good as high end brands. I love my Urban Decay 24/7 liners as much as the next girl but I'm not willing to pay $24 for one liner when there many good options at the drugstore. Check out Nyx, Maybelline and Rimmel for cheap alternatives.

Eyeshadow- Splurge
In my opinion  you get what you pay for with drugstore eyeshadows. Although there is the occasional exception, I've found that most drugstore eyeshadows are poorly pigmented and powdery and can be very hit and miss. My favourite high end shadow formulations are from Urban Decay and Lorac and I would be happy to spend the money on them knowing the quality I can expect. If you can't make the splurge, Wet and Wild usually have good quality shadows at a very reasonable price. I recommend the Comfort Zone palette.

Mascara- Save
There are plenty of good cheap options at the drugstore that I almost never bother with the high end brands. I'm very fickle when it comes to mascara and I rarely use the same one twice as I'm always on the hunt for something better. Maybelline, L'Oreal and Covergirl are good options.

Brows- Splurge
"Brows frame your face". Everyone's heard it a million times before, but it's true. I believe when something is that important to your whole look it deserves the extra cash. There are some clear brow gels that are good at the drugstore but for the actual filling and shaping, I'd look elsewhere. Anastasia is the best brand in my opinion.They have everything you could ever need for the best looking brows.

Lips - Save
I'm going to go for a clean sweep for the drugstore when it comes to lip products. The drugstore has really aced the lip game. From lipgloss to lip sticks to lip liners I would go drugstore for it all. Revlon has the best in terms of lip products in my opinion, you really can't go wrong with anything from them. I also really like Rimmel lipsticks from the Kate Moss line, the Maybelline Color Elixirs and the Nyx lip liners and soft matte lip cream.

Face

Foundation- Splurge
Foundations make up the base of you're entire makeup look so you want to make sure it's good. In this case price and quality go hand in hand. You can definitely tell the difference a high quality foundation can make.

Concealer- Save
Especially for under-eye concealers, drugstore is the way to go. I would suggest Maybelline for good quality concealers for cheap.

Powder- Save
Especially if you're just using the powder to set your makeup I don't believe it's worth it to spend the extra money on something high end. My favourites from the drugstore are Rimmel's Stay Matte and Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder.

Blush/Bronzer - Either
For blush and bronzer I have equal amounts of high end and drugstore. Honestly I think this depends a lot on personal preference and the product in general. I love Nars for blushes and bronzers but Milani also makes great blushes and bronzers for a lot cheaper. For a really good contour you're probably going to want to go high end but if you're looking not a nice pinky-peach blush there's lots of good choices at the drugstore

Highlighter - Splurge
I've only ever bought high end highlighters just because I'm really picky. It can't have too much chunky glitter which is a risk you take when you buy drugstore. Generally higher end products are more finely milled and therefore less glittery and more shimmery. Because you usually can't test at the drugstore, I don't prefer highlights that have many colours in the pan (ex. Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips or Maybelline Master Hi-Light), it's not clear what colour the product is going to actually turn out when you apply it.

Primer- Splurge
I don't use primers very often but I trust high end primers more than drugstore ones as I feel they are less likely to break me out. I also feel like they work better on me. I've really been enjoying Benefit's Porefessional.

Skincare- Splurge
This should be a fairly obvious one. I've tried a lot of drugstore skincare but nothing even comes close to difference high end skincare makes. If you have relatively few skincare problems then you'd probably be fine to stick to the lower cost but with my skin (sensitive, very dry) I'm going to have to dish out the money.

Brushes-Splurge
If you spend money on really high quality brushes and take good care of them, they should last you forever. Some of my favourites are Zoeva, Sephora and MAC. If you don't  have the money to spend, Real Techniques makes really great affordable brushes.

September Favourites

Eyes
Naked 2 Basics

There's a full review of this palette in an earlier blog post. I love this palette just as much as the first and have been wearing it almost everyday this month.

UD 24/7 Eye Pencil in Tornado

 I usually use brown eyeliner but this month I've really enjoyed mixing it up and using purple. This one from Urban Decay is perfect because it's dark enough and not too shimmery so that it doesn't stand out and take over a look. This was from the Ocho Loco 2 set.

Face
TheBalm Mary-Lou Manizer

This gives your cheeks the nicest shimmer. I've been completely obsessed. This product was on my wish list for a year before I finally picked it up. I'm so glad I finally did because I've worn it practically everyday since then.


Nyx Blush in Angel

Since I've been using a highlighter so much this month I've been going easy with my blush. This light matte pink shade goes perfect with Mary-Lou Manizer.

Skincare
Ole Henriksen Nurture Me Moisturizer

I've only been using this moisturizer for about a month which is too soon to have a full opinion on a skincare product but I've really been loving it so far. It smells sweet and yummy and it makes my skin feel so soft. It also sits very well under makeup as it soaks into the skin fast,  I've noticed quite an improvement in my skin in just one month. I'm very impressed.

Nails
The System Formula X

I recently bought this nail polish system from Sephora and it was expensive so I was expecting a lot from it, and it delivered! My nail polish lasts over a week with almost no chipping. The top coat is beautiful and glossy, definitely the best I've used.