Aug 31, 2013

August Favorites

Can't believe summer is coming to an end. August flew by and school will start soon.


This month, I have tried many new products and I am happy to report that some made it to my favorites list.


Maybelline Clean Express Makeup Remover - Waterproof eye makeup remover
This is an oil-free eye makeup remover. Does not leave greasy residue. I wear only waterproof mascara and have tried a few eye makeup remover and happy to say that this one works the best so far for me. My usual eye makeup remover is the Neutrogena oil free eye remover and this one is even better. I don't even have to rub harsh on my eyes to remove the stubborn mascara. Also don't have to wait to let the remover soak in to work. Can remove my eye makeup quickly and efficiently.


L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder(322 Sand Beige)
Love how this lightweight foundation applies and how natural it looks on my skin. I don't even have to powder to set it to keep my face matte all day long. I apply this with my fingers only and I opt for this whenever I am tight for time in the morning.

Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel
This bronzer is my summer favorite. Color is not too yellow and it is a cream bronzer, making application very natural and last all day long.


It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye
I am so happy I got to try the highly-raved under eye concealer from It Cosmetics. See my review on this awesome product.

It Cosmetics Vitality Gloss Stain
I got this also from the 6-PC collection kit from It Cosmetics through the Shopping Channel. When I first swatched it, I thought it would be just a soft pink lip gloss. Didn't think much about it until I actually try it on my lips. 

Swatched on hand, it looks like pale pink


Once you applied on your lips, the lip gloss would adjust to enhance your natural lip color. I was very intrigued by this. Wonder if this is similar to the Dior Addict Lip Glow. This is a lip gloss and not very sticky and quite moisturizing. 


ELF Makeup Remover Pen
I find this very handy to remove smudges from my eye makeup. Sometimes when your hands are not steady in applying liquid eyeliner, you might need to make corrections. Instead of using a makeup remover wipe to wipe off your whole eye makeup or dip a Q-tip into your makeup remover to do the job, this remover pen is very precise so you just need to dot it on and mistake is corrected. Only thing is the tip of this pen dries off and also I have to spot clean the tip.

What new beauty products have you tried and loving them this month? Please share.








Aug 29, 2013

J Crew New Arrivals Fitting Room Pics(Part 1)

Haven't made it to J. Crew for a while and their fall items have arrived. Hard to get motivated to try on fall items as it has been super hot and humid in Toronto this past week.




Two zone zip cardigan in size S (buy here)

I really like this sweater. It is not a very thick sweater and I can wear it either with a tank top underneath as a jacket or layer it with a turtleneck for the colder weather. The store I went to only has this navy-grey combination. Would have to check out another store to see if they have the heather canvas.



Stripe necklace tee in size s (buy here)

I love stripes and have to try this one on. But not sure about the necklace part as they are pretty heavy and I don't want to hand-wash the tee. It is a size s but feels it fits slighter smaller. 




Painted Jewel sweatshirt in size xs (buy here)

I quite like this top but would have to try on my size for a proper fit. I would want to layer it with a white shirt as shown on the website. Very pretty.






Aug 27, 2013

SDM Redemption Haul

Shoppers Drug Mart had its beauty bonus redemption points this past weekend. I have accumulated enough optimum points to do a $200 redemption. Usually, I would redeem points for products I would not usually get. Since I am home in Toronto visiting family, might as well went to a beauty boutique and redeem higher end products.


The beauty boutique I went to carry a lot of the prestige brands, such as Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Stila, Urban Decay, Origins etc and I picked up a few products which I have been eyeing for a while.




Dior Addict Lip Glow
"A sheer balm that enhances your natural lip color while moisturizing and protecting the skin. "

I have been hearing lots of great reviews about this awesome lip balm. I love lip balm which is more subtle but still give a natural enhancement of your lip color. Once you apply this on your lips, in a few minutes, it would darken and adjust to your lip color. 


Origins United State Balancing Tonic
I am almost out of my current toner and I enjoy Origins products a lot. So decided to pick this one up and try it out.


Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream
Another Origins product I picked up is this GinZing eye cream. I am an eye cream junkie and decided to try this new eye cream which claims to help with de-puffiness and dark circles. 


Le Blush Creme De Chanel in 62 Presage


Comes with a velvet pouch





I believe Chanel just released this line of cream blushes. There are 6 shades to choose from. When you first swatch it, it feels like powder. It is crazy crazy pigmented. I picked up this shade, 62 Presage, which is a coral shade. The other shades are very pretty but more pink and bright. You only need a tiny tiny bit for your cheeks. This one is fairly reasonably-priced at $40 for a Chanel product.







Dior 5 Couleurs Mystic Metallics Palette
Last but not least, is my most excited product of the whole bunch. This is the Dior fall 2013 collection eye shadow palette. Comes with 5 gorgeous shades, which include a shimmering cream highlight color, an olive brown shade, a bronze-taupe matte color, a beautiful turquoise shimmering shade and a rich greyish blue shade.

The palette is so pretty with the stars embedded. I don't usually splurge on high end eye shadow quads/palettes. They are mostly very shimmery and often times, I can only use 2 shades out of the whole palette. This one, I find all the shades are usable for every day wear. Yes, this is quite pricey at  $60 I believe. That is why I would get this only when I redeem my points for. 






Aug 25, 2013

Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon

More brands come out with their versions of lip crayons. My first of the collection is the Revlon Kissable Balm Stains. I went overboard with those and owned all but two shades. Found those pretty good lasting power and they do stain the lips but a bit drying after a few hours.


Bourjois released their version of lip crayon. This is not a stain but the concept is very similar. Twist top and shaped like a crayon.



Orange Punch

Orange Punch is a very soft coral pink color. I got mine online and I wouldn't think I would love this color so much. 


Left: Tarte Lip Surgence in Joy
Right: Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon in Orange Punch


Left: Tarte(Joy)
Right: Bourjois(Orange Punch)

Tarte Joy is more orange and has a more glossy finish. Bourjois Orange Punch has a more coral tone to it. 


Revlon Kissable Balm Stains

Far left is Rendezvous

Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous is very similar to Bourjois Color Boost in Orange Punch. Revlon's is more orange while the Bourjois has more coral tone to it.

I have been using the Bourjois Orange Punch for almost a week now. Although these are not lip stains but I find their lasting power extremely impressive. It moisturizes your lips but does not wear off easily. I applied in the morning and even after a few drinks and lunch, the color still stay on. It also has a sheen but not glossy finish like lip gloss. To me, it has the best of the two worlds, moisturizes and stay long. It also has SPF. Planning to get at least one more shade.

Have you tried Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon? What are your thoughts? Do you like these lip crayon products or prefer lipsticks?





Aug 23, 2013

Barry M Gelly Nail Effects

Barry M is a popular UK cosmetic brand. It is known for its affordable and fashionable cosmetic products. Their gelly nail effects are highly raved and I have been wanting to try them out.

The shipping cost and restrictions of these gel-like nail polish have made purchase quite difficult. Glad to find out FTB Beauty(a beauty online store based in Toronto, Canada) carries this brand and they have free shipping throughout August which makes it even a sweeter deal.


Papaya

Grapefruit


Papaya


Papaya is exactly the name suggests. In real life, the color is a bit more vibrant. May look like a light peach in the pictures. 

Grapefruit

Grapefruit looks like a soft Barbie pink in the picture but in real life, it looks much more vibrant and even a bit neon. 


These gelly nail effects are super shiny and relatively faster to dry than regular ones. Colors are so vibrant and pretty. Perfect for summer. I find them quite streaky when applying the first coat and I applied 2 generous coats. 

Overall, very happy with this brand of nail polish. Got mine for CAD $7.50 each. Price is very comparable to Essie. Have you tried any Barry M products?



Aug 22, 2013

August Topbox 2013

Topbox sends out its August box a little bit later than usual this month. But we were well aware of it in advance.

I opted for their regular box this month again as their prive boxes do not look too interesting to me.


4 products included:
B. Kamins Lip Balm SPF 20 (3 g/0.11 oz)
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (15 ml/0.5 fl oz)
Avon Mega Effects Mascara (9.0 g/0.317 oz)
MIYU Teas & Beauty Hydrate Mi or De-Stress Mi Pairing(15 ml/0.51 fl oz)


Most interesting product in this month's box is this Avon Mega effects mascara. Very different from any other mascara packaging.


Interesting to even figure out how to open the mascara. You have to wiggle side to side to take the brush out.

The brush is so interesting. With a brush shaped to maximize every single lash to be catered. 


Next up is the MIYU facial mist/serum for priming and moisturizing the skin. Also comes with a tea bag which you can enjoy a cup of tea to be relaxed.

Also included is the  Clinique moisturizer which I believe I received in my Clinique prive box a few months ago. So not too excited about that. 

Last but not least is the B. Kamins lip balm with SPF 20. I quite enjoy my B. Kamins products included in my previous beauty bags and who doesn't need another lip balm?

Overall, the Avon mega effects mascara made my box this month. Without that, I would be quite disappointed.