Sephora Black Friday | Tarte

I was really impressed by this year's Sephora Black Friday deals.  I ordered a few different ones that I am slowly working my way through testing.  I decided that rather than just do a haul post that I would go into a bit more detail about each one.  I ordered this set because I was pleasantly surprised by another set of minis I ordered from Tarte earlier this holiday season.  

All Sephora Black Friday sets retailed for $12 CAD/ $10 USD.

First, how adorable is the packaging?

Luxe Box | Winter 2014 Unboxing

I am pretty sure I forgot to do my last Luxe Box review.  Either way it was pretty un-exciting.  And here I am again, and tis official.  With Birchbox on the horizon, and a renewed sense of savings goals, something has to go, and, well, this is it.  Maybe I will come back in a season or two.  So, enjoy this final review (for now).  I haven't hated this subscription, I just haven't loved it.  It is a bit expensive, and lately I haven't felt thrilled.  I have decided to skip next season, and maybe I will give it another shot in the summer.

My box!

A Merry Julep Christmas: Sugar Plum and Stroke of Midnight

This Christmas Julep used my love of new colours and pretty packaging against me!  I hate it when they do that.  So, I opened up my wallet and waited a long while and then these little pretties arrived at my door curtsy of the nice people at Canada Post.  Poor guys-- with the amount of things I have ordered over the last two weeks they will be visiting my home a lot... 

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.  With a full time job, and being a full time student, I haven't had much time for the fun things in life lately.  Now, don't you worry.  I've made lots of purchases, I just haven't had the time to sit down and photograph them.  I know I have said this before, but I am going to try to produce one post, every day from now until Christmas.  Some posts will be long, some will be short, and some will be mostly photos.

Recently I purchased some soap making supplies, so I am even going to give that a try over my Christmas break, which officially starts on Wednesday!  I'm thinking of sharing tips on how to wrap beautiful gifts, in addition of course to the (far too many) gifts I have bought my self.  But actually this Christmas will be great.  My mom asked me to do baaaaaasically all of her shopping so not only did I get to walk around the mall with more bags than I ever have in my life, but I also got to pick up gifts for me, from her/Santa as I went.  Hello Caudalie, Ole Henriksen and Smashbox Christmas gift sets.  

But on to the task at hand!  Julep has put together a ton of beautiful Christmas sets.  Typically they include a mix of new and old colours.  Which means that to get the new colour you want you have to help them get rid of extra stock.  Sugar Plum and Stroke of Midnight were both priced at $28 originally.  No thank you!  

This post will focus on Sugar Plum, because it is all together special and unique, where as Stroke of Midnight is basically a navy polish and a silver glitter topper.  Pretty, but far from unique.  But a pretty gift and I am such a sucker for navy.

I used the code 10off when these went on sale for $20, and ordered one form my account and one from my mom's meaning I got each set for $10.

Look at how pretty the Sugar Plum box issssss <3

Soft As a Bunny | Tarte Holiday 2014 Set

When I saw this beautiful little set on Sephora's website for $53 CAD I had to have it.  Unfortunately somewhere between ordering it and testing it out enough to report on it disappeared off their website!

This set contains the Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush, which is $42 on its own.  I was already considering purchasing it, so getting this kit was a great deal!  It also contains a general foundation brush, a blush brush, a concealer brush and a double ended eyeshadow brush all packed up in a pretty purple and gold case.

As somebody who ends up packing up every other weekend to go see her boyfriend, I appreciate that I can do a pretty decent face using only these brushes.  Further, the case has enough space to fit everything I need for the weekend.  Not everything I need for a larger event, but there is more than enough space to create a pretty day-to-day look that is enough to give that extra "glow".  

How pretty is that design?!?

Look how nicely things line up!

The quality of these brushes is unreal.  No shedding, soft as a bunny on my face, and just the right size to get the job done.  I use the flat foundation brush to apply my foundation, the concealer brush where needed, and then buff and set it with the larger brush.  From there I use the blush brush for my highlighter, blush and contour, making sure to buff out the leftover colour.  I finish up with the eyeshadow brush.

I love that I can actually do a full face using only this little set.  I wish it was still in the store so I could purchase a second set!

And that is what heaven on earth looks like. Kidding.  But isn't the set pretty?

I am so thrilled with this purchase.  If it pops back up in the store don't hesitate to order it!  I've never been a Tarte person before, but these brushes totally exceed expectations.  I will be checking out their other products, particularly their blushes, as Christmas approaches!  

Happy shopping! xoxo

Ipsy - Beauty Candy | October 2014

Yawn.

My relationship with Ipsy is always on again off again.  I want so badly to love it.  But with the product and brand repeats it can get difficult.  Add to it that the spoilers went from confusing, to cute, to painfully obvious....The bag itself has gotten cheaper, the products smaller, and of lower quality.  

The bag is teal plastic with squares quilted on.  Not exactly "Beauty Candy".  It feels cheap and honestly, it will be finding a new home.

On the bright side I was able to add on a Bare Minerals BB Cream Eyeshadow in Elegant Taupe for 1000 points.  Pretty pumped about this.  I love the product and the formula!  Really great for a "no make-up make-up day".

I appreciated that my nail polish came wrapped in extra bubble wrap.  

Nicole by OPI "Feeling Very Cherry"

Over all a higher end drugstore brand in a colour on point for late fall.  This dark oxblood shade will look cozy and vampy come November.  I will probably maybe almost sort of get some use out of it if I don't love my Juleps more.  But hey, decent value!  

Épicé Purifying Exfoliant

My skin care regime is already right where I like it, and I don't want to mess with a good thing.  This will more than likely find a home in my gym bag.  The product is lacklustre, but gets the job done.

Figs & Rouge "Rose Berry" Hand Cream

Smells like roses and berries.  Makes my hands softer.  It works, not that I need any more hand creams that come in oil paint tubes.  As it gets colder I am sure I will be reaching for this in my purse!

VolumEYES Mascara

When will it end?  So.  Much.  Mascara.  I have 42.  Count it.  Forty-two unused mini mascaras in my drawer. All of them top off on my list to use well before this one.  I haven't even touched it, but will end up gifting it to someone, somewhere.  This is a weird "bigger than a deluxe sample but smaller than full sized" product.

Starlooks Lip Gloss "Guilty Pleasure"

This is a really pretty little gloss that tastes like cupcakes.  Too bad it is sooooo sososososo tiny. It makes Julep look full sized!

Look at the products spill out of my bag artistically onto a scarf!

My first 1000 point perk!

So yeah not much to love about this bag.  I didn't even want to test half of the products because they looked just so...bleh.  Here's to hoping that next month is better!  I will be sticking around for Christmas, but after that will likely take a break for a few months.  In more exciting news, I picked up some stunning brushes to share with you next!

<3

The Black Magic Collection | Julep October 2014

I was pretty nervous to open the massive box that my order came in.  What if they totally screwed it up?  What if the box is empty?  Julep has had some awful shipping issues lately and I was getting rather concerned.  Thankfully every single item I ordered arrived in my box in perfect condition.  Sure-- it took a while to arrive, but it arrived whole and in good shape.  I was pretty excited to get my hands on DeAnn and the Night Shift mask.

 

Tia, DeAnn, Ledi, Night Shift Mask, Splendid Lip Gloss, Dana, Karmen, Catrina.  I also ordered the cat and chevron stickers.

Karmen and Catrina were the two fee polishes for ordering 3 or more add ons.  Karmen is delightfully shimmery (similar to the Wanderlust collection) and Catrina is a stunning taxi-cab yellow.  I was excited to get these two because I would have never ordered them for myself, but I think they are so pretty in person.

"There is no beauty without some strangeness" - Edgar Allan Poe

My whole entire order.  Complete with nothing missing!

Tia -  Tia is a beautiful black jelly loaded with gold and copper glitter.  I think she would look beautiful onto of a black polish as a topper, or even on her own.  This colour is a bit outside my comfort zone!

DeAnn - A flawless creme (what Julep does best!).  I would describe her as a deeper version of Lupita from last month.  She is a perfect holiday cranberry shade that I can't wait to wear in the fall and winter.  She matches the Cherry Coke Zero can of pop that I am drinking as I write this!

Ledi - I normally shy away from black polish, but I thought the pearl version would make it a bit softer.  When I put this colour on I felt like a bit of a bad ass.  I love how the pearl in it makes her more of a deep grey than a true black.

Dana - Juelp says this colour is black light reflective.  Unfortunately I don't have a black light on hand...this penalized white has a bit of a blue sheen to it.  This was my first time wearing a white polish and I loved how crisp it was.

Wearing Dana!

Splendid Lip Gloss

Despite packaging issues (some girls complain that the bottles shatter), Julep makes some amazing lip glosses.  I miiiiight have five of them.  This colour is deeper and warmer than most of their other glosses.  A perfect shade for apple picking and pumpkin carving.  It is in the "My lips but better" family, and is pretty light on the sparkle.

Night Shift Sleeping Mask

This mask is designed to be used after you wash your face and applied before bed.  It is a thicker than average white cream.  I found that when I put it on that a little went a long way.  At first it felt like any other cream, however when I woke up in the middle of the night for a glass of water my skin felt tight.  I found that by rubbing it in to my skin a bit more that the problem was fixed.  When I woke up it had absorbed pretty well.  I used a wet cotton pad to remove most of it before my shower.  It left my skin bright and soft.  Not a miracle product, but I enjoyed using it and would use it again!

Karmen and Catrina were the free gifts for ordering 3 or more add ons.  Karmen reminds me of shimmery falling leaves and Catrina looks like a taxi cab.  I don't know if I would wear these on their own, but I think they would be great for nail art!

My boyfriend thought I was crazy for ordering two sheets of cat stickers.  But how cute will these look on Dana for Halloween?  I mainly wanted them because they were cats...tehehe.  The chevron stripes are good too.  I'll eventually use them :)

Over all the winner of this month was DeAnn!  Flawless 2 coat coverage and a deep cranberry shade <3

What was your favourite item from the October box?

September Empties, Purge & Update

Where did this month go?  It was here and then it was gone!

This has been a crazy, hectic, busy, fun, empowering month for me.  I'm back in class now taking a mix of classes I find interesting and classes I tolerate because I have to.  I have a part time job that I love.  And, today I made a huge decision and decided to invest in myself and get a personal trainer.  Our first official workout is bright and early Monday morning.  With that in mind I am sure that this blog will begin to include healthy living...and makeup.  Lately my body has been sore and tired all the time as I have started going back to the gym very frequently doing the workout my personal trainer made for me during our first meeting a few weeks ago.  All I can say is the stuff he has me doing is way more brutal than the treadmill I have been using this summer.  I am really excited about this new healthier chapter in my life!

Granted, my room is still a total mess from moving back home but I am planning to make a dent in it tonight.  I just don't know where to start.  I would love to have one of this pretty rooms where I can display my makeup and jewellery.  Right now everything just looks like a mess.

Empties

Marc Anthony Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner - LOVE.  I love how it smells and how rich and creamy the formula is.  Such a treat in the shower.

Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo - Meh.  

Caudalie Face Cream - Like.  I could see myself using this on a regular basis.  Light, absorbs well.  Not sure yet though.

Ole Hendriksen On the Go Face Cleanser - LOVE.  This orange scented face wash is a staple in my life.

Living Proof Restore Conditioning Treatment - LOVE.  The best deep conditioner I have so far tried.  I love how thick and creamy it is, and how I can feel the results in my hair for the rest of the week.

Living Proof Prime Spray - Like.  I bought the full size and I use it...but not as much as I use other products.

Body Shop Shea Body Scrub - Like.  Nice smell and wonderful texture, butI prefer their Honey scent.

MAC Blush "Vintage Grape" - LOVE.  Sadly this colour goes for like $70 on E-bay.  My favourite all time contour/blush.  The perfect deep purple shade.  sadly it fell for the 4th time and shattered beyond repair.  Typically I use the rubbing alcohol method but it was too far gone even for that. :'(

Joico Deep Conditioner - Meh.  Doesn't compare to the Living Proof conditioner.

Dr. Jart+ BB Cream  - Meh.  Nice enough product, but there about 8 different BB creams I prefer so sorry not sorry.

Even More Empties

Based on the foil packet samples I really love the Air de tent by Lancome (foundation in 005), Glamglow Thirstymud (which I already own in full size), Ole Hedriksen Melt Cleanser, his Power Peel, and the Marc Anthony Coconut Deep Conditioner.

The Purge

I counted and I have 41 unused mini mascaras.  That is ridiculous.  So, I am making a concerted effort to use them, to pitch the ones I don't like, and to pitch the ones that reach the 3 month mark.

On the left is my favourite Stila liner.  I love it for a simple cats eye.

The Dior mascara and Smashbox Full Exposure are two of my all time favourite mascaras.  I love the bug fluffy brush and the volume they build.  It made me sad to throw these out, but if they are still my favourites once I get through the other 41 mascaras then I will happily buy them again.

The Buxom mascara was a real surprise for me.  I loved it-- very lengthening.  Its on my list to possibly purchase when I get through my pile.

These have been lurking around my bathroom since who knows when.  If I can't remember when I bought it then its been too long and needs to go.  Besides, they were taking up precious real-estate that could have been filled with products I actually love.

So that's it for my September update.  Hope things have been great with you!  Happy October <3

Sorry for the lack of posts | On Vacation

Hi there!

I realize I haven't been posting as much as usual lately.  I just wanted to give everybody a little update.  I am on vacation this week in the New England area and am having a blast.  I don't frequently have access to the internet, but I have had some fun at Ulta, TJ Maxx, and Target.  I can't wait to show you what I picked up and the fantastic deals I have found.  Suffice to say Glamglow, full size, at TJ Maxx for $29.99 is not an urban legend.

Today I went to Six Flags for the very first time, and to Olive Garden, also for the first time.  Its been an amazing week so far.  Off to Cape Cod for the next few days!

I'll be back next week with loads to share.

Take care!

Canadian Brand | Rocky Mountain Soap Company

I am a total sucker for luxe, niche, local soap companies.  Over the next few months I will be reviewing some of my favourite small soap businesses.  

I first stumbled across Rocky Mountain Soap Company two years ago while I was trailing in Banff, Alberta.  I instantly fell in love with the atmosphere of the store, the smell of the soaps, and the quality of their products.  I had such a hard time narrowing down my purchase!  When I was back in Banff last fall I had to pick up a few more pieces.  While I bought some other soaps at that time, this is all I have left!

Rocky Mountain Soap Company soaps can be purchased in the Rockies, select air port gift shops, and a few speciality shops I have seen in Toronto, and of course online.  They are made on site in Alberta (Canmore, I think!) and are filled with good for you ingredients.  I have never felt "dry" after using their soaps.  These retail in the $5-$8 range.  Affordable, but not cheap.  

I would place them in a similar price category to Lush, maybe a little cheaper, but with the benefit that you are supporting a Canadian company that makes a fantastic product.  And of course the benefit that the product is really good for you.

These soaps come all wrapped up in a waxed paper that indicates the type of soap and what they are good for.

Seaweed & Spearmint | Normal Skin Face/Body

This soap smells really fresh-- you can really smell the spearmint.  I love this soap for my face, especially on days that my skin feels extra oily.  Its also a nice relaxing treat to use on my body.  I adore the way it steams up the shower.  When I had a cold the other wayI found it helped clear out my nose which was a nice bonus.

Honey, Oats & Cocoa Butter | Dry Skin - Face

I know this is a face soap but it is such a moisturizing treat to use on my whole body for a nice evening bath.  I can't get over how sweet and luxurious this soap smells and feels.  There are little flecks of oats which are nice for exfoliation.  The honey and cocoa lather up nicely to a soft creamy bubbly delight.

Avocado Facial Bar | Normal/Combination

This bar is a dedicated face bar.  I like that it clears up oil with out being overly drying.  It also has a pleasant gentle scent.  I like keeping this bar on hand for travel because sometimes transporting a konjac sponge isn't easy.

Pumpkin | Extremely Dry Skin

I'm actually not a pumpkin person....no pumpkin pie...no pumpkin spice whatever they ares... none of that for me.  However, if you like pumpkins you will probably like this super moisturizing soap.  I gifted it to a friend and am trusting her word on it.

Conclusions

Of this bunch, my favourite is the Honey, Oats & Cocoa soap because of how utterly wonderful it smells and how luxurious it feels.  Rocky Mountain Soap Company has all sorts of scents, and many other non-soap products such as body butters and bath salts.  You can check them out online here.  If you are ever in the Rockies (especially in Banff) I encourage you to pop by their store and enjoy the whole experience.  I know I will be back next time I am in town!

Update on Bloglovin' and a Panda!

I joined Bloglovin' because a bunch of beauty bloggers who I follow are a part of it.  Well, I finally figured out what its value added is.

Bloglovin enables you to follow all of the bloggers you follow in one easy to read place.  It aggregates all of the blog posts of those you follow and puts it in your feed.  From there you can click on posts that interest you, find new blogs you may enjoy, and make sure that you never miss a post.  I've been checking it out daily and I really enjoy not having to go to a whole bunch of different sites, and have enjoyed finding new blogs to follow to get inspiration and ideas to what to do with mine.

I am still pretty new to this whole beauty blogging business, but have really enjoyed getting the chance to share products I love.

I would appreciate it if you took a moment to follow me, which you can do here: Follow my blog with Bloglovin

And as promised, here's something interesting to look at:

A Panda at the Toronto Zoo

Okay, I'll throw in one more pretty little photo I took.

A Swan at a pretty little park in Dublin, Ireland

Thanks so much!

DIY Friday: Marble Watercolour Nails

Hello!  I hope everybody had a fantastic Friday!  Last night I decided to try my hand, for the very first time, at water marbling.  I have seen it on Instagram and had to give it a try!

You Will Need:

• Several quality nail polishes
• Topcoat
• Base Coat
• A disposable cup or bowl for water
• Cold water
• Toothpick
• Vaseline/Hand cream/ lip gloss
• Q-Tips
• Nail polish remover
• Quick Dry

I used:

• Julep: Jules, Paulette, Jeanne, Freedom Top Coat
• Essie: Bachelorette Bash
• Butter London: Nail Foundation
• Aveno Hand Cream
• Orly Quick Dry

Left to right:

Essie Bachelorette Bash, Julep Jules, Julep Paulette, Julep Jeanne

Please forgive the weird orange-ness of these photos!  They were taken at night in the dining room with overhead lighting.

I used mainly pastel-ish colours with a pop of hot pink.  I recommend using colours in the same family (pink, blue, purple or red, orange, yellow, etc) or colours that contrast (think yellow and purple).  Really it is up to you, your colour preferences, and your style.  Have fun with it and be creative!  Use quality polish that isn't too watery.

Before you start with the fun stuff, apply your favourite base coat.  After it is dry take some Vaseline/lip balm/hand cream and apply it to the tips of your fingers and around your cuticle/side of your finger tips.  This will make polish removal easier later.

Add a drop from the brush of the polish to the room temp/cool water.  Don't force the polish off the brush.  Give it a moment and it will drop.  I found the first drop to spread quickly.  Inside that expanded drop add another drop of polish.  Keep going until there are about 5 layers of drops.

I finally found a use for my Julep Pilé Wand!  But a toothpick will suffice.  Swirl the colours as much or as little as you would like.  Have fun!  Make it as crazy or as simple as you would like.  I found Essie to be more watery than Julep, and that the Essie polish spread faster.

This is what my final swirled polish looked like!  The pale pink on the outside is hard to see.

There are two ways to go from here.  You can repeat this for every nail and have generally consistent nails, or you can do what I did which was to dip each nail onto of the same layer of polish creating a look that is different but consistent.  More like sisters than twins!

You will need to create a second swirl for your other hand.  Use your toothpick/wand to pick up the remaining polish, and then start again!

Attractive!  As you can see I dipped the top of each finger into the polish swirl.  Use some nail polish remover and Q-Tips to remove the extra.  I found the hand cream I used helped remove it faster.  Once you are done it will be tempting to wipe off the water.  Give it a few minutes and then spray some quick dry on there.  Keep waiting and apply your top coat, and then more quick dry.

In regular lighting!

Ta-da!  I love how unique this looks and had a blast doing it!  I will do this again :)  I love how the pale pink, blue and purple look with the hot pink!  Also, Paulette's golden shimmer is hard to pick up in a photo, but it is there, and it looks divine!

I am so happy with how this turned out!  I can't wait to give more nail art a try!  This could make a really cool accent nail.  

What do you think?  Would you give it a try?  Where would you wear it?