Tried and Tested | Waterpark Proof Make-up

So you know when a product claims to be waterproof?  And then you end up looking like a raccoon? Yeah, well today I'm talking about waterpark proof make-up.  The stuff that won't leave your side no matter how many water slides you go down, no matter how long you stay in the wave pool.  Keep reading to find out how I kept my make-up on fleck while having a blast at Canada's Wonderland.

Things In Real Life

Here's a picture of my boyfriend's cat!

Hey Lovelies!

I feel like I have accidentally taken the last week or so off!  Normally I would post a little going away message, but one thing led to another and real life was just too busy and fun for me to sit down and tell you about lipstick.  So, here's a snap shot of where things have been for me this week:

What To Pack For a Perfect Day at Wonderland | Beauty Edition

Growing up in Toronto, I always looked forward to my annual trip to Wonderland every summer with my dad. I would always want to bolt out the door, but my dad would always make sure we double checked that we had packed everything. Sun screen, towels, bathing suits, phone charger, everything you could think of was packed neatly into his Roots backpack. I can’t help but think back to waking up at 6:30 AM so we could get there before the park even opened! This weekend I took my teenage cousin to Wonderland and we had a great time on the rides and in the water park!  Keep reading to see what we packed, and to hear about why it worked!

Too Faced Melted Strawberry Review + Swatches

For me, the metric of a good lipstick is how often you reach for it, no matter how many other options you have.  I actually purchased this while I was in Washington D.C. in February and have not reviewed it until now, despite the fact that I wear it basically weekly.  In short: I love that it is an easy to wear true red.  Want the long story, and swatches?  Keep reading! (Also #sorrynotsorry for sharing red lips two days in a row.  LOVE red lips in the summer :*)

Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in "Arthur"

Last night I tried to switch my blog over to my own domain, however it did not go through properly, so hang with me and hopefully a call to GoDaddy will get it fixed on the weekend!

Coco Chanel once said that "Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance."  With that in mind, sometimes a lipstick simply needs to be a true, luminous red.  A few months ago I had the opportunity to redeem a whole bunch of Shoppers Optimum points at the Shoppers Drug Mart at the Toronto Eaton's Centre.  What better to redeem for than Chanel?

Versatile Blogger Award | Getting To Know Me Better

Ugh so lately I have been in a bit of a blog rut over this whole instagram thing.  I'll probably do a post with all of the details some time soon, but right now I'm just frustrated.  In the mean time I have decided to give it another shot.  Please follow me @alanna.victoria and hopefully this one will work.  

Here is a pretty flower that I edited the heck out of.

Last weekend I was scrolling through other beauty blogs when I came across the Versatile Blogger Award on Melanie's blog.  She didn't tag anybody and rather encouraged others to answer it, so I thought I would give it a try!  I love these posts because they let me get to know other bloggers, and for my readers to get to know me. With that in mind I am going to try to keep my facts away from the beauty realm.

LUSH Empties & Mini Reviews

One of the great things about LUSH is that once you finish five products in the tubs you can exchange them for a face mask of your choice.  Until redeeming these I had never tried a LUSH face mask before, but I would never say no to a free LUSH product, so check back soon for my review of that!  I like that their "points" program is in line with their sustainable values: it encourages using the products, rather than simply buying for the sake of buying.  Sadly there is no points program for bath bombs!

Naked Basics 1 & 2 | Which One Is Best For You?

It is basically a fact in the beauty world that the Urban Decay Naked palettes are the gold standard for neutral eyeshadow palettes.  The basic run down is that the full size named palettes are a mix of shimmer and matte shadows with 1 being pretty much universally flattering, 2 best for cooler skin tones, and 3 best for those with rosy pink undertones.  But what about Naked Basics?  The Naked Basics palettes are smaller, holding 6 shadows compared to Naked's 12, and all of the shadows are matte.  While at first glance they may look similar, the palettes are in fact different.  Keep reading for a side by side analysis of these two palettes!

Guest Post | Canadian Love & Indie Polish

Hello everyone!

I'm Chantal from Chantal's Corner and I'm really happy to be a guest for Classy on the Run today as part of the Canadian Beauty Bloggers' monthly guest posts.

Our theme this month is Canadian Love and at first I thought "oh yeah this will be easy!" But once I sat down and really thought about it I was drawing a blank as to what I was going to do. My first idea was to do some nail art with a beaver. I tried that and failed miserably; my beaver looked like a bear with a really weird looking tie, lol! There was no way I was going to show those nail to anyone, so back to the drawing board I went. I then remembered that I have two nail polishes from Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics (a Canadian brand) that would look really well together as a gradient, so that's what I did and this is the result!

Beauty Tag | All of The Pretty Things

So I have to be honest, I have been in a bit of a writing rut lately.  Somewhere between actually having to cook for myself (moving out is hard!), commuting to work, and trying to be a functional human being I just haven't had the time to write fun posts.  So, I thought it would be fun to sit back, relax, and answer this quiz, which I found at Pretty Lovely Girls.  And yes, the My Little Pony is a McDonalds toy.  Also, yes, its mine.

Benefit WOWed My Brows | My Trip to Benefit's Toronto Boutique

Last week my brows were looking pretty rough.  I'm talking little stray hairs and baby hairs.  Typically I go to get my brows done once a every few months and then in between I clean them up on my own.  I decided to skip my normal place in favour of checking out Toronto's new Benefit Boutique. A chance to get my brows done and write a blog post?  Yes please!

Another (less than ideal) Birchbox | June 2015

"Say Yes"...to the Dress.  Sorry!  I couldn't help myself.  TLC Wedding shows have my heart.  #sorrynotsorry.  This box just screams wedding, until you open it, but that's another story.  I was not too impressed by my May Birchbox (you can read about my little rant here) and I can't say that this box was any better.  On the bright side I am only a few months away from getting something really exciting from their store.  In this box you will see the exact same brands you have seen in every other Birchbox, but hey, at least you can enjoy my commentary alongside it.

Essence from Europe | Gel Nail Polish

Hey friends, long story, but my Instagram was deleted with out my consent and with out me doing anything wrong (ie: buying followers-- who has money for that?!).  I lost all 200 of my followers and all 100 of my photos.  It would mean a lot to me if you would follow my new account: classyontherun.blog.  You can link to my account here. Thanks lovelies xoxoxoxox

Earlier this week I posted about some of the Essence make-up I purchased while in Germany.  Today I wanted to share with you a brand new gel system that I hear will be making its way to Canada this fall.  I was lucky enough to be able to buy it at a drugstore in Berlin, and I can't wait to tell you all about this great budget find!

No Buy July | Update 1

The perfect start to a no-buy post: Louis.  I took this photo while I was in Paris last year.  I didn't buy anything, but wow was the store ever something!

Last week I committed myself, before you, my readers, to No Buy July.  Any of the new products I have reviewed (such as my Urban Decay Lip Glosses, Stila Blush, and Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer) were purchased pre-challenge.  This means no clothes, no make-up, no junk, no eating out and no Uber.  Here is my progress so far!

LUSH Turkish Delight and Ro's Argan Body Conditioner

Sometimes having a shower is a way to get clean before you go to bed or go to work.  Other times having a shower is an opportunity to rest, relax, and rejuvenate.  If the latter is what you are seeking, then you simply need Turkish Delight and Ro's Argan Body Conditioner in your life.

Champagne Pop Review & Swatches Compared to Becca Moonstone and Opal

Sometimes a new product hits the market and the beauty world goes wild, and rational me talks myself out of purchasing it because I already have something similar.  That was entirely my plan with this highlighter.  After all, I already have a deluxe mini of Becca's Opal, and a highlighter by Laura Mercier that I use almost daily.  Besides, I don't even really follow Jaclyn Hill.  But then it all went downhill with the ladies of the CBB created the biggest enabling threat in the history of ever.  I might have cheated on my no-buy a tiny little bit, but I am so very glad I did.  This highlighter is stunning.  Keep reading for swatches comparing it to Moonstone and Opal, and to see it on my face.

LUSH Solid Shampoo Bar in Seanik and Big Solid Conditioner

I've always been curious about Lush's solid shampoo bars.  My mom has one that she swears by, but I have never taken the plunge.  Recently Lush released Seanik, which is described as lemon and seaweed for shine and body.  Something about my intense wanderlust to go to a beach, my love of Lush products, and my interest in products that make travel easier made me decide to pick it up, and I am glad that I did!

Essence from Europe | Make Up

As many of you probably know, I spent some time in Europe in May.  If you want to read a bit about my trip, check out my post about it here.  Today I wanted to get into a bit more detail about some of the Essence products I purchased while I was in Germany.  Essence is a German brand, which means it was not only cheap and easy to find, but it also came with a huge selection.  In Canada we are limited to an end cap at Shoppers, in Germany the Essence selection is as wide as the Revlon selection is here.  I tried my best to only purchase European exclusives while I was there, but it is my understanding that many of the products I purchased there are either currently available, or will be available soon in drug stores across North America!

Stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush in Rosewater

Sometimes brands come out with innovative new products that you know you have to have.  Other times, brands come out with new products that are a little strange, and that you know you had to try.  This product was definitely the latter for me.  Something about a water based blush both intrigued and confused me.  Keep reading for my thoughts, swatches, and to see me wearing it!

Shark Week | My Favourite Soap Bars

Its SHARK WEEK!  The week that terrified me as a child, the week that people around the world watch Discovery to explore the depths of the ocean, and the week that Lush lobbies against shark fin soup.  In the spirit of Shark Week, my two friends Shark 1 and Shark 2 (open to naming suggestions) will be helping me test and review products.  Today I will be sharing with you three of my favourite bars of soap.  All three bars are from environmentally friendly companies!  Good for you, and good for the environment.

Skincare From the Inside & Out | Dermalogica Overnight Retinol Repair + Juicing*

Earlier last month I had the opportunity to attend an event with Dermalogica.  The focus of the event was talking about the importance of the ingredients that you put on your skin, but also of the ingredients you put in your body.  It really was about skincare from the inside out!

Ipsy | June 2015

This month's Ipsy theme is "Swim Into Beauty" and where better to talk about it than sitting at the side of my pool (I've been doing a lot of that lately...sorrynotsorry).  This month had some hits and misses for me, so keep reading to see what I got and what I thought!

No Buy July

Do you ever feel like you have been spending too much money lately? That’s sort of how I feel right now. My boyfriend and I are eating out a lot less, and enjoying home cooked meals a lot more often, but I still think there is some space to trim things from my monthly budget. This month I will be attempting a “No Buy” (get it? No Buy July, because it rhymes?) where I will cut back on the useless spending I have been getting into lately. Every week (probably on Saturday) I will do an update post to keep myself accountable. I will grade myself on the 5 metrics (Makeup, Lunch, Clothes, Junk, Uber) and if I succeed in my goal for the month I will let myself pick one (reasonable) thing off my beauty wish list!

Sephora Favourites | Bronze Bares-All

So I have some good news, and some bad news.  The good news is that this is an amazing set.  The bad news is that it is no longer available on Sephora's website or at any of the locations I have been to recently.  While normally I think that sharing a post about something you can't have is pretty mean, I decided to go ahead with this one because all of the products are still available full size at Sephora.  Recently I posted about another Sephora Favourites set, and I am back with another.  I love these sets because they let you try a mix of full and deluxe sized products at a fraction of the cost of buying each individually.  On a more practical note, I appreciate the smaller size as I never really finish any make-up.  I'm more so the kind of girl that has 1000 minis on rotation at any given time than the girl who has one or two core basics of each product type.  

Celebrating Canadian Beauty (brands & nature)

Happy Canada Day!  Happy 148th Birthday Canada! Today Canadians from Coast to Coast to Coast will take the day off and celebrate all the things that make Canada the amazing country that it is.  Officially, we celebrate the the anniversary of the enactment of the British North America Act (or for those who passed grade 10 history, the BNA Act, 1867).  However, to me, the day is all about celebrating contributions to Canada's success, Canada's diversity, and Canada's strength.  While not on the same levels as the introduction of universal healthcare, joining NAFTA, or building a railroad to connect the country, today I wanted to celebrate some of my favourite Canadian beauty brands and lifestyle stores.  The founders of these companies created Canadian jobs, and give us Canadian beauty addicts something to celebrate when talking to our friends in the States and Europe.  To celebrate the other side of Canadian beauty, at the end of this post I have included some photos of my favourite places I have been in Canada!