Products Worth the Splurge

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I did a post last year (eek) about products I’m not willing to splurge on. I wanted to do another one about products I am willing to splurge on and why they are worth it. I get it, spending $45 on a blush is wild, it is, but I will say with no shame that I have spent that amount of money on a blush. Now, don’t splurge if you can’t afford it, but for me there is something about wonderful saving for that one item and buying it.

Blush

I love blush, while I do own mostly drugstore blushes, I love me a good high end blush. My favourite are the Hourglass Ambient lighting blushes and their palettes. These have this light reflecting technology that gives you a glow from within.

Skincare

Caudalie Essence and Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask

I have a few high end skincare items including items from Caudalie and Summer Fridays and I love them. I splurge on high end skincare with good ingredients because my skin loves it. I know, it’s a bit ridiculous to spend $34 on a cleanser or $50 on an essence, but I don’t know what to tell you my skin enjoys it. It’s not to say I don’t have drugstore skincare favourites like the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Serum or the Cerave hydrating cream and lotion, but I don’t feel bad when I spend money on skincare. The biggest benefit to buying skincare from higher end brands in the formulation of the products and the sourcing of the ingredients. Sometimes less expensive products can have the same ingredients, they are just formulated differently and sometimes diluted to be less effective. However, this doesn’t mean their aren’t great drugstore skincare products

Eyeshadow palettes

There are some great drugstore eyeshadow palettes out there, but I have no problem splurging on a high end palette. I love the Anastasia eyeshadow formula, the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette, and the Urban Decay Naked Heat and Naked 3. The interesting thing about high end eyeshadow palettes is while the drugstore is catching up, I find that anytime I wear a high end palette my eyeshadow actually lasts all day, despite wearing the same eyeshadow primer.

Tinted moisturizers and BB Creams

FAB Tinted Moisturizer and Nudestix Tinted blur stick

Okay, I only own two of these, the First Aid Beauty Tinted Moisturizer and the Nudestix Tinted blur stick, but I would repurchase both. The First Aid Beauty does pull a bit orange so I’m on the hunt for a tint that isn’t orange so I can round them up for you. The Nudestix meets that bill but I want to find a tinted moisturizer that also meets the criteria.

Highlighters

NARS Forte De France, Anastasia Amrezy, Anastasia Nicole Guerriero glow kit, Nudestix nudies

I LOVE highlighters and because I rarely use them up, spending a bit more on a good quality powder doesn’t really bother me. Now, I realize that the drugstore makes amazing highlighters. Trust me, I have some that are among my favourites but I think that for powder highlighters you can get a really beautiful sheen and glossy finish from high end highlighters vs the drugstore where tend to come across as a bit more powdery. My personal favourite formulas are Anastasia, NARS and Nudestix. However, highlighters like the Essence Pure nude and the Annabelle Cream highlighters are wonderful. However, if you want a tried and true, easy to use highlighter I would go for high end.

All of these products are what i personally don’t mind splurging on. I think that it is ridiculous the amount of money products cost. However, despite my issues I take with capitalism and elitism, beauty that costs a lot and feels so nice to use, these items get me every time, congratulations to the marketing people for selling overpriced items so well (not being sarcastic, it’s impressive). What is your favourite splurgy item?

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Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop: A Review

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I am so excited to do this review. Both because I have been on the hunt for a vitamin c serum for my sensitive skin and because I’ve been curious about this brand ever since I saw Cruelty Free Becky do a video on it. They create eco-friendly, basic skincare with ingredients that are kind to sensitive skin.

Close up of the bottle of the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop

The claims: “The Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop is a serum to rejuvenate the skin. It contains concentrated pure vitamin C and key ingredients directly from nature. Its innovative multi-solution and non-irritating formula is to revitalize, maintain, and transform the skin”. For reference, my skin type is normal to dry, sensitive and easily irritated. This product is Cruelty-free, Vegan Friendly, Ethanol-free, Paraben-free, Silicon-free, Steroid-free, Artificial coloring-free, Artificial fragrance-free, pH 3.5 ± 1.0. This retails for $23USD.

The application. This is such an easy application. You need one to two drops and it spreads quite easily. What I enjoy about this one compared to other vitamin C serums that I have sampled is that it doesn’t burn my skin. Vitamin C is (according to this) a powerful antioxidant that stimulates collagen in the skin, which means it basically keeps you looking younger because as we age we lose collagen. However, I have problems with the whole anti aging discourse, but I do see the value in women who genuinely want younger skin, yet we are making these decisions under the watchful eye of the patriarchy so alas I’m torn. It should be noted – wishtrend does not advertise this as a youth reversing serum, simply a serum to rejuvenate the skin. Also fam, I tried to get a pic of the application but it just wasn’t going well so enjoy the flat lay pics.

Klairs freshly juiced vitamin shot laying down, surrounded by snowflakes

In any case, the claims are all valid. Vitamin C is a potent substance so when the instructions stay, 1 to 2 drops – use one to two drops. Various vitamin C serums sit at a super high concentration and these can actually bring on redness and irritation. This serum has a few different derivatives of vitamin C that makes it the perfect vitamin C serum for my sensitive skinned friends. The two ingredients being sodium ascorbyl phosphate and ascorbic acid.

The point of vitamin C is to essentially rejuvenate and brighten the skin. However, because of it’s potency, the website advises that you store this either in the fridge or in a cool dark place, they also advise using it up as within the expiry as vitamin C can expire quickly.

Klair's serum on top of snowflake, the pippet is laying beside the bottle.

So how does one integrate this into their routine? I used this at night and at the frequency of every other night. I did this rotation simply because while it is non irritating my skin is uber sensitive so I alternated this with my Caudalie essence as my skin can’t take too many acids at once. In any case, I started with a double cleanse, toned, applied the vitamin C serum, then I would apply the Neutrogena hydro boost serum, followed by a moisturizer. I’m hoping to add a face oil in my routine soon!

Have you tried anything from Klairs?

**PR products are featured. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links may be used.

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Rolling Project 10 Pan 2019 intro

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I am so excited to start my new project pan for 2019. I have picked a product from all the categories in my makeup collection. A cream, powder and of course a matte and shimmery bronzer. I have a few set goals in mind and I will be rolling in products as I go. If I either finish one, or if I get extremely bored by one I will just roll in a new one. I will attempt to update monthly but if I don’t have significant progress than I will forgo the update for that month.

The base products

First Aid Beauty Tinted Moisturizer

I really like this, however it does pull a bit dark on me. I am hoping to finish this within the first month of this project and by the next update roll something new in.

Revlon concealer

This concealer is amazing, I really like it. I can feel like it’s nearing it’s end. I hope to also be done this by the first update and roll in something new.

Nudestix Tinted blur stick

Again, another of my favourite base products. I LOVE this so much. It is so sheer and creates a dewy finish even with its blurring properties. I also think this is something I can have finished by the next update.

The Body Shop multi stick

This was a favourite from summer 2016-17 and I wanted to get more use out of it. It doesn’t appear to be available online anymore but I am sure you can find it in store. I am hoping to finish this one this year or at least, see a significant shortening (is that a word) of the stick itself.

Physicians Formula Butter blush

This is also in my project pan roulette, okay is this cheating? Yes quite possible. But I really like it and want to hit pan on it. It is a perfect nude blush for my skin tone and it gives my cheeks a healthy glow.

Physicians Formula Butter bronzer

I have already hit pan on it and hope to further expand the pan. I still enjoy this and hope that I can finish it this year.

Joe Fresh Highlighter

I chose a few highlighters for this project. A girl has got to have choices. I do quite like this and it is a bit older in my collection so I want to see this used as much as I can. Hopefully I can see some progress each month!

Rimmel London Kate Sculpting Palette

This is another older product in my collection and I’m not sure they sell this exact shade anymore. As you might remember, my products on the chopping block this was in it. I discovered I love the bronzer and want to hit pan on this one this year.

Essence pure nude highlighter

This was one of my first YouTube made me buy it products. I do quite enjoy this highlighter. It is subtle and pretty and never fails me.

Becca Champagne Pop

A moment of silence for the fallen one. I can still use this despite it’s appearance. I can use this with my finger and with a brush still. I think it will actually be quite easy to use up so it was a good attainable project pan goal for me to have this year.

Are you doing a project pan this year?

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Project Pan Roulette Update 2

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Hello all! I know it’s been project pan update and finale central up in here. Have no fear, I have some reviews and other fun posts coming up later this month for you! The rest of the project pan roulette peeps posted their updates 2 days ago and I once again am late to the game. This was created by Rebecca Morgan and Alexy.

A drugstore product

Physicians Formula Butter Blush. I have been using this probably three days a week and I can notice some progress happening. I really like this blush. It is one of the smoothest drugstore blushes I have ever used. I like that it doesn’t look powder on the skin and gives you a beautiful, dare I say, buttery glow.

A product in your favourite shade

The Body Shop Eyeshadow stick in Cyprus bronze has minimal progress. I don’t use this very often purely because it isn’t easily blendable on the eye. I love most of the makeup the body shop makes but this product just doesn’t blend out easily which makes me less likely to reach for it.

A product you always buy on sale

The Maybelline lash sensational mascara. This mascara is alright. It doesn’t flake but it is a pain to take off at night even with an oil based makeup remover. I think after this project and (spoiler alert) after my drugstore mascara round up I will be throwing this out. Both because it will be finished and its close to expiry.

A product you’ve already hit pan on

The Elf Bronzer in Golden Bronze. The pan has slightly expanded but not by much. I’d say that I can expand this to hit other shades in the next two months. I like this bronzer because for my fair skin, it’s not very pigmented so I can layer it over my other bronzer without look over bronzed.

A collab product

I chose the Kathleenlights super shock shadow in cornelius for this one. I have made decent progress on this. I use this maybe once or twice a week in conjunction with other palettes. This is a super simple shade that you can use for a one eyeshadow look or as a base.

An Old Favourite

Gotta love how consistent my lighting is fam

The Burt’s Bees lipstick in Suede Splash. I love this lipstick still. The progress is slow and steady. I think I can come close to finishing this at the end of the project, I just have to really focus on it!

What are you trying to pan currently?

Coming up: Products I’m willing to splurge on, Klairs vitamin C serum review

12 Pans of Christmas Finale

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I am a bit late on this one but nonetheless before I post my 2019 rolling project 10 pan I wanted to get this finale and my 2018 project pan finale up for you. Today we are talking the items I used throughout the holiday season.

The Eye Products

I did not hit pan or make super noticeable progress on either products. My Naked Heat is visibly more used in the warm brown region – particularly the shade sauced has been well love and I can see a dip forming. My bite beauty multi stick. I love this so much! I don’t see any noticeable difference but I want to keep this in my rotation to try to use it up this year.

The highlighters

Again for all three products in this category I notice a bit of progress. The NARS Forte De France Highlighter has a significant dip in it. I think that if I keep using this I can actually hit pan. While it isn’t in my newest project 10 pan (coming soon fam) I think that this is something I will roll in. The same goes for the Physicians Formula Butter Highlighter, in fact I might keep this in my rotation because it makes such a great highlight on it’s own or layered with other highlighters. This is also the case with the Nudestix All over face colour in Illuminaughty, it is a great glossy highlighter and can be layered with a lot of other highlighters.

The base products

The Andalou Naturals CC Cream. I really love this, my skin likes this, but this comes in one measly shade. Now, this is super sheer and really just evens out the skin BUT it will only work for you if you are white. I would love to repurchase this but again, I’m hesitant to recommend something that very few people can actually use. I am almost done this product and have a few tinted moisturizers in my collection to get through before the time of repurchase comes around. I am overall really happy with my progress on this and will continue to use it until it’s done since it’s so close. The Gosh foundation drops, these are really nice, however they are over a year old and I think they are on their way out purely because they are starting a smell a bit funky. Oh yes, the Too Faced Born This way Multi-use sculpting concealer, I have actually made some progress on this. I have used this pretty much every day simply because it is nice coverage but again, to me it’s not worth the $36. The collection lasting perfection concealer is amazing, it is just as good as the Too Faced. I have made significant progress but I can’t tell visually, I can only tell because the tube feels lighter.

The random three products

The Wet n Wild contour stick in Oaks on You. I have made some progress on this because I’ve been using in under foundation but I don’t love it. I like my Nudestix one a lot more and this one just isn’t the best. While it works really well, and is a nice shade for my fair skin, it isn’t anything that is mind blowing to me. The Hourglass Ambient lighting edit in Surreal light. I LOVE THIS STILL. This is what I’m saying friends, I want to feel this way about all my products. I use this almost daily and interchange it with the most recent Hourglass palette. The shades are so nice and it gives you a beautiful glow. The Burt’s Bees Lipstick in Scarlet Soaked has some progress. Lipsticks are my nemesis when it comes to project panning so alas the progress was minimal.

2019 Goals

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Okay, I don’t want to sound like one of THOSE people but the word resolutions irks me because it’s assuming you want to solve a problem or make a super firm decision. I like to call them goals simply because using this language makes me personally feel less bad if I don’t complete a resolution. I have a few goals for 2019 that I think are attainable but aren’t things that I’m really resolving they are things I’m adding. NOW if you jive with the word resolutions by no means am I passing judgement, for me personally, I just prefer the language and connotation of the word goals better. These are my four main, attainable goals for 2019, but I am going to be trying to achieve smaller ones throughout the year.

12 books to read from my book collection

First. Read more books. Dear me, this is literally my goal every year. EVERY YEAR and I fail EVERY YEAR. I want to try to read at least 1 book a month, this should be possible but I find getting a good book can be difficult. I did just borrow a new series from my cousin so I’m excited to read them as well as to crack into books on my bookshelf I haven’t read!

Second. Do more yoga with Adriene. I know this is rather specific, but I really like her practice and her approach to the mat. It makes me feel good after I do any of her videos and the practice is easy on my back.

Third. I want to try and test all the career things while I’m still young. I think that often, young people are rushed into jobs and careers because obviously, the plight of the millennial is finding full time work that pays enough to pay of loans. That is why as I live at home, I have the room to explore options and try things, while being in the safety of my home and not being concerned about the financial woes that comes with living on your own.

Today
1 year ago

Fourth. Continue consistency with the blog and Instagram. Since currently and for the foreseeable future I work in slightly stressful environments so I love having the blog and the Instagram community as a hobby that is entirely outside of work. I want to continue the consistency and improving my content because I love it! I posted a comparison photo for you showing my photo improvement because it motivates me!

What are your goals for 2019?

2018 Project Pan Finale

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I am so excited to start another year of project panning (newest project pan coming soon). Before I post my newest rolling project 10 pan for 2019 I wanted to post my finale for 2019. I am happy with my progress and am excited to continue using some of these products.

100% Pure lip caramel

Because I was a newb to project panning I never got a photo of this the intro, or first update. This is from the update in August 2018

You can slightly tell that I have used this but I was hard to capture!

I used half this product throughout the year. This is one of my favourite colours and formulas BUT the cap broke so I could no longer take it around in my purse so that definitely limited my use of it. I think I will keep it and just slap it on as a blush and lipstick when I’m getting ready but unfortunately I can no longer take it around with me!

Covergirl Nudes Palette — May 2018 update 2

The Covergirl nudes palette. I got my money’s worth from this palette. I used all the shades I loved and I am ready to part with this.

The Physicians Formula butter bronzer

I still really love this bronzer. I made significant progress but I swear it is the never ending bronzer. This is why (spoiler alert) I am putting it in my project 10 pan for 2019.

Colourpop Highlighter in Lunch Money

Colourpop Highlighter Lunch money — May 2018 Update

Again, so much pan. So much product left. I really like this. Similar to the Physicians formula butter highlighter, this is a great layering highlight. I am also going to keep this in my rotation because I am determined to finish it.

NYX Dark Circle Corrector

This has significant progress since the first update. I have a little bit of product left on the sides so I’m actually going to continue using it until it’s complete gone.

The more recently added items

Like the amazing blogger I am I did not take a before photo. You also can’t even tell the progress

The Wet n Wild photo focus concealer. I like this concealer a lot more than the foundation, but not as much as my other drugstore concealers, the Maybelline Fit Me, the Joe fresh illuminating concealer, the Annabelle concealer, but this one is simply alright. It is super affordable and cruelty free, as well as vegan. So if that is something you are looking for you might really like this. Again, I am determined to use this up so I have been using it along with my collection lasting perfection concealer.

August – rolled in for the rest of the project

The cream eye shadow stick in she’s got the mauve that has been discontinued. Whale folks. This was an epic fail. I will keep this because in the summer this is something I use all the time. As of now, and since I added it in during the fall, I didn’t get much use of it at all.

Finale because your girl didn’t get a before photo

The Colourpop supernova shadow in running in orbits. I LOVE this eye shadow formula. It is my only liquid eye shadow and throughout December I have been using this in conjunction with the naked heat. It adds the perfect sparkle to your lid. I have made good progress and can see that I’ve used quite a bit. I will be keeping this on hand in 2019 for an added sparkle to any look.

Did you finish anything up this year?

Day 12 of 12 Days of Blogging: Pan that Palette 2019

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It’s that time of year in the beauty world where we discuss items we want to try and finish. Also, my project pan finales are coming! Stay tuned! For today, I wanted to discuss two palettes I’d like to put a dent in throughout 2019. I want to focus on two palettes, both because I get bored easily and because I like options. Granted, not many because both are very similar in tone but again, somewhat options.

First, my oldest and perhaps most nostalgic palette the Naked 3 from Urban Decay. I have already hit pan on the second shade. I want to really use the crap out of this palette to be quite honest. I always like the looks I create and these are very professional shades which I enjoy.

The second palette I want to put a dent in is the 100 Percent Pure Naked II palette. I bought this when I was trying to test out more green/clean beauty products. I really like this palette actually, I just never having it on my vanity so I’m going to keep it on their so I can reach for it more often. It’s a sweet and simple palette. I enjoy that there is a blush and highlighter as well as three eye shadows that work for any occasion.

My goal. I want to hit pan the highlighter, blush, and first two shades in the 100 Percent Pure palette – simply because I rarely used the purple shade as it stands. For the Naked 3 I’d like to see pan on all the shades but I don’t anticipate any pan on the darkest shades because again I don’t use dark shades.

Are going to try to pan a palette this year?

Day 11 of 12 days of Blogging: My 2019 Beauty goals

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2019. A year where hopefully I will be smarter with my beauty purchases. In light of the trend, though really when you think about it it’s ridiculous and the epitome of the Marx predictions on society, yet there has been no revolution, is the growing trend of the low buy. Okay so I’m not doing a true low buy because frankly, I enjoy buying makeup and testing and trying as well as “researching” for the blog. For example, I’ve planned a few posts that require me to buy things such as a few high end setting sprays to test for you because I have never found a comprehensive setting spray post. But I still have a few beauty goals I want to attempt to accomplish in 2019.

First. I am only going to buy 1 palette this year. That is the Tom Ford Eye Quad in Cocoa Mirage. I KNOW. But I figured if I bought two palettes in the year, it would cost roughly the same amount as this one quad.

Second. I am not going to buy any blush. Which I realize is a hard task because I am planning the glossier haul so to give myself some leeway I’m not going to buy any powder blush. This is such a large claim for me as well because I LOVE BLUSH it is my muse. But, I need to use up what I have in my collection.

Third. I will be doing curated hauls. This will never catch on but I’m going to only try to buy the brands I want to try in 2019 and replacement items I might need.

Anastasia soft glam, NARS Fort De France — **Sephora** haul from earlier in the year

Fourth. Do a curated shop my stash each month, excluding project pan items. I have been trying to do this lately but want to make it a thing. Would you be interested in a shop my stash each month?

Fifth. Have fun and maybe discover some old favourites. I’m looking forward to like a normal person using old favourites and loving them.

These goals aren’t to stay my content won’t stay fresh, but I want to minimize my over consumption of products and strike a balance between trying new things and loving what is my collection.

Day 10 of 12 days of Blogging: 2018 Beauty Favourites

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Ah yes it’s that time of year again where I’m rounding up my beauty favourites. I wanted to keep this list curated to new things I discovered this year (that aren’t necessarily new to the market). These are things that I loved using and discovering! Hope you enjoy!

Standout highlighter

NARS Forte De France. Again, another luxury item on this list. I bought this because i want to the anna edit, and the formula of this highlighter is amazing. Its very hard pressed in the pan so it takes awhile to work into the skin but it’s a great powder to create a glossy look.

Physicians formula butter highlighter. This is such a beautiful stain highlighter. It smells divine (if you don’t like scents stay away from this) and it has a beautiful texture. On the skin it doesn’t look metallic and gives a beautiful satin finish with no glitter. Perfect for mature skin.

I also just got it – but the Anastasia Amrezy Highlighter is just amazing. I can already tell it’s going to be in my rotation. It is a beautiful light brilliant gold that is great for mature and young skin alike!

Standout foundation

The Body Shop Fresh Nude foundation. I love this foundation – I compare every foundation I test out to this one. It has a beautiful true satin finish. It is dewy, not cakey, and has a variety of shades. It’s also only $25 which to me is a steal because in Canada most drugstore foundations are in the $18-20 range. Which is wild. So really, in Canadian drugstore terms this is the best drugstore foundation of the year.

Matte option: A nice matte option for the year that I surprisingly enjoyed was the NYX Can’t stop won’t stop foundation. It has nice coverage and yes, it does cling to dry patches, however I have normal skin so when properly hydrated this is a beautiful option for the summer months.

Standout Tinted moisturizer

Nudestix nudies tinted blur stick. This was such an innovative product, I found it at the store before I even saw the launch online and immediately purchased it. I LOVE this product. In fact, I rarely repurchase (okay that’s because I’m always buying and trying) but I’m so close to being finished this and I will repurchase it. It has such a beautiful barely there coverage without being a touch greasy but somehow giving you a dewy finish.

Review here

Standout blush

Physicians formula butter blush. Ah yes, the iconic butter formula from the most expensive (actually it was always expensive so really its the other drugstore products that have hiked up their prices) brand at the drugstore. I love this blush, its a smooth, blendable blush that gives a beautiful flush to the cheeks.

MAC Peachtwist. Another MAC favourite but I couldn’t resist this. I love it! It has a beautiful beach, bronze finish but is also a sheertone blush so it’s buildable and you can go ham with it without looking over blushed.

Burt’s Bees blush in bare peach. This was a great discovery for me this year. I love the entire Burt’s Bees makeup line, except the foundation. This blush makes me feel good when i wear it both for the shade and he clean ingredients. I love that satin almost matte finish this has, while it is pricey for drugstore (let’s face most products are too pricey now a days) it contains quality ingredients that make me feel good about putting makeup on.

Standout bronzer

Hourglass ambient lighting bronzer in diffused bronze light. For me, bronzers are the product I own the least of but use the most. I got this from my BFF for my birthday and its wonderful. I haven’t used it as extensively as my butter bronzers, but when I want a seamless glowy look I choose this one. It is also the most standout formula for me that I’ve tried in 2018.

Standout Concealer

Collection lasting perfection concealer. Gosh dangit. I cannot get this in Canada and don’t overly trust the amazon sellers. Guess I’ll just have to fly to the UK simply to make this purchase. This was such a pleasant surprise. I had heard a lot about this concealer from my faves from the UK, mostly Fleur De Force, but about a year or two ago Allana Davison tried and didn’t like it so I was a bit skeptical. When I saw it on my trip to England, I purchased it. I go home and tried and LOVE the formula. I’ve been on the hunt for a dupe and would say the Annabelle concealer or the Maybelline fit me are the closest dupes. I find with the collection concealer, while it has full coverage I don’t find it heavy under the eyes. That is my problem with high end concealers – they claim all of this stuff but yet i’m still gravitating towards drugstore concealers I genuinely like better.

Standout Palettes

Anastasia soft glam. I have a feeling this is going to be in a lot of peoples yearly favourites. I really like this palette. It has all the neutral and warm shades I need in my life. The shadows are a bit soft and powdery, but they really just blend themselves our. I also enjoy that I can get quite a few different looks with this palette and that it suits every occasion.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting unlocked palette. I LOVE this palette. It is like the white t shirt you never knew you needed, a quote from Michelle Wang. It has literally everything you need. While the pans are small, I love and use all the shades in this palette. They apply beautifully and give you that lit from within look.

Standout Lipstick

MAC See sheer. I don’t generally foray into the high end world of lipsticks. Mostly because I love a lot of drugstore lipsticks and don’t see the need for my personal collection to own a lot of high end lipstick. However, because of good old Samantha Ravndhal I bought MAC see sheer and haven’t looked back. It isn’t so much the shade I’m wearing in the winter, but its a good day to day almost red sheer lipstick. I really like it and hope to use it in my project pan in 2019 or in a project pan roulette (still planning those). Also the Fenty gloss bomb was such a staple for me this year! I forgot to photograph both so just imagine my friends.

What were some of your favourite products this year?

Day 9 of 12 Days of Blogging: Drugstore Holiday Makeup Look

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I wanted to do a drugstore holiday makeup look for you! Featuring a lot or Rimmel which was unintentional but for some reason I just had a lot of Rimmel on hand, and have been really enjoying their products.

I started with the eyes, as per usual if I’m doing a smokier look. I started with the third shade from the left as a transition in my crease. After that I went in with the next shade over – the more true pink to add a bit more depth. Then I went in with the 10th shade in the palette – the more darker pink cherry shade to add depth on the outer corner. Then I did a bit of shimmer action with the first and eighth shade for some shimmer on the lid and the inner corner. I then put 20,000 coats of the L’Oreal Lash paradise mascara on.

The face I kept quite simple using the Rimmel breathable foundation and a mixture of the Collection lasting perfection concealer and the Annabelle concealer under the eyes. I used the Physicians Formula butter bronzer, blush and highlighter for all my glowiness.

I like this look because it’s a bit of a different take on the classic red lip and winged liner (mostly because I cannot do winged liner). I liked the cherry trend that’s going on, well I mean who am I kidding I love the warm tones but this palette seemed like such a good steal and had a similar vibe to the naked cherry so I wanted to do a look for you. I also think the formula of this palette is really great. It has minimal fall out and blends out rather nicely.

I wanted to give you two lip options. The first is a nude the Revlon kiss plumping lip cream in 510 nude honey that I would wear to Christmas dinner or what have you and the second is the Covergirl Succulent Cherry.

What did you wear for the holidays this season?

12 Days of Blogging Day 8: L’Oreal Shaping Stick vs. Maybelline Super Stay Foundation Stick

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I wanted to review a few stick foundations – because for some reason I can’t get enough of buying them from the drugstore. Instead of just reviewing one, I wanted to throw these two newish foundations head to head.

I have tested each under several conditions: 12 hour shifts, night out makeup, with primer, without primer, and the resounding verdict it the Maybelline just isn’t as great as the L’Oreal. You would think being from the same parent company (L’Oreal owns Maybelline) they would be similar. However, you would be wrong. My skin is normal-dry for reference.

The claims for the Maybelline: “Multi-Use Foundation Stick is formulated with a cream-to-matte finish and pointed blender sponge for easy and quick application at home or out on the town”. This has 12 shades.

The claims for the L’Oreal Shaping Stick: “The ultimate multi-use makeup – Conceal imperfections or cover all-over to create your perfect base – Go 1-2 shades darker to define and sculpt your features – Go 1-2 shades lighter to brighten and enhance•Create a perfectly defined, longwear look that feels weightless on the skin – Up to 24 hours, medium to full buildable coverage•Glide-on application melts into skin, providing smooth, flawless coverage that’s never cakey or draggy•Longwear makeup sticks for buildable coverage and shaping allow you to cover, conceal, highlight, and contour – Build to your ideal level of coverage•In 12 shades to cover, conceal, highlight, and contour – Shape your face for a perfectly defined makeup look”

Both foundations don’t have a wide shade range, in fact I don’t know who exactly could buy these other than white folks. So there’s that. Which is my first resounding con to both foundations. They are both like 9 shades of beige and a few semi dark shades so not great there.

I will say, in terms of formulation, neither are lying. The maybelline is very matte – much more matte than the L’Oreal as I wore them one day side by side. The L’Oreal stands up to the claim of feeling weightless and it doesn’t get cakey despite having a bit fuller coverage than most foundations in my collection. The Maybelline really clung to weird spots. Even when I hydrated more than usual – this foundation did not look nice on my skin?

Left to right: Maybelline Super Stay Foundation 110 Porcelain, L’Oreal Shaping Stick 401 Ivory

Both foundations on – L’Oreal on the left side of my face and Maybelline on the right ft my bushy ass brows

The application: For the Maybelline this doesn’t blend out with a sponge, or brush, so my best mode of blending was my fingers or the small sponge at the end of the foundation. The L’Oreal on the other hand blended out beautifully with a brush and sponge and left a more dewy finish than the Maybelline.

Also the size and the price. The Maybelline foundation stick is $16CAD for 7 grams of product which works out to $2.28 per gram and the L’Oreal is $20CAD for 9 grams of product and works out to be $2.22 per gram. The L’Oreal you are technically getting better product for less per gram despite the $20 price tag (unless my math is totally wrong than ignore this entire paragraph). However, I think these are priced too high for drugstore foundations, however this is a huge trend in drugstore prices and L’Oreal has always been super pricey.

Overall: The L’Oreal shaping stick wins for me out of the two foundations. I think that you can achieve that dewy look with this one with the ease of application that the stick provides. I would say – go for the L’Oreal if you have drier skin but if you have oily skin I’d go for the Maybelline.

12 Days of Blogging Day 7: Palettes of 2018: Do They Serve Value in my Collection?

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This year I set a goal to buy four palettes – high end or drugstore. Clearly that was a huge fail. I want to preface this post by saying I love eye shadow and playing with eye shadow. It is something I do after I’ve had a bad day, when I want to feel creative and when I have an occasion – even when I don’t I love a blown out smokey eye. In 2019 I think I will make my goal to limit my eye shadow purchases. Realistically, as a blogger I enjoy reviewing palettes but I also want to make sure I’m making conscious purchasing decisions. This period of deciding is far more evident when I shop high end I wanted to make this post to analyze the value of each palette in my collection, what’s their purpose, is the colour story exciting etc.

High End

Huda Beauty Coral Obsessions palette. This palette is worth every penny. I absolutely love this palette. The colour story of this palette is like no other in my collection. The beautiful mustard yellow compliments any eye look and blends itself out. The shimmers in this palette have a beautiful colour shift. This palette serves its purpose as a colourful, albeit trendy, but also wearable palette.

The Anastasia Soft Glam. I LOVE this eye shadow formula. The palette is definitely neutral with a twist – which is great for every day and glam looks. The formula of these shadows are like no other. They are soft and buttery, but also are slightly powdery so I like to do my eyes before using this palette. The value this brings to my collection is the easy (for me) to use and you ca create fail safe looks which I always enjoy.

The NARS Ignited Palette. Oh damn. Oh damn. Oh damn – Captain Holt. This palette. Is. Beautiful. This is my first foray into real adult luxury eye shadow. While this palette is basically an all shimmer palette – I find the mattes and satins to be wearable and easy for both “daytime” and “night time” looks. This palette really takes you from a simple matte look to a beautiful shimmer look.

Drugstore

NYX Perfect filter in Olive You. I LOVE this eye shadow palette. It really brought me out of my warm tone comfort zone while still having those tones to work with. I really like the greens and blue shade in this palette. I don’t really have anything else like this in my collection so as someone who doesn’t tend to wear a lot of “colour” this is a great addition to my collection.

Burt’s bees trio in Countryside Lavender. This was something I bought for my week of clean makeup I did back in the summer and it was also something I thought would be pretty for spring with the lilac. Now, these shadows aren’t overly pigmented like the Anastasia or the NYX palette but they are great for an every day wash of colour which I enjoy. I like that you can create subtle barely there looks but also build these up for more full pigmentation.

Joe Fresh neutrals palette. Did I need another neutral palette? No. NO did not. But, I was so curious about the quality I bought it. I don’t necessarily think this isn’t valuable in my collection but it was super necessary. I do like the simplicity and slightly cooler tones of this palette which I don’t own a lot of.

Rimmel Crimson edition. Again – this is a palette that arguably doesn’t need to be in my collection because I can create those berry looks with multiple different palettes and shadows – but I couldn’t resist this when I saw it at the drugstore. Again, this is a super trendy palette for my collection but I’ve gotten a ton of use out of it.

City mini palette by Maybelline in rooftop bronzes. I think this might be one of those impulse palettes that I bought and didn’t really need. I planned on comparing this to the elf prism palette but I also kept seeing ttsandra talk about it so naturally, I bought it. Does it serve a lot of value in my already too large palette collection – honestly no but I like to use this in conjunction with palettes like the Naked Heat and the Naked 3 so it does serve that purpose.

What palettes did you buy in 2018?

12 Days of Blogging Day 6: What 1 year Project Panning Has Taught Me

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When I began project panning about a year ago, I did it because I felt so, not bad not guilty, just overwhelmed with how much makeup I had that was so old, but also I didn’t want to just chuck it out. SO I discovered the world of project panning. I always had an idea that normal folks (like my mom) hit pan on items, use them up, and finish them. However, as a person who is monster and loves to buy new makeup for science and testing purposes, I was finding myself accumulating a lot of makeup over the 2016-2017 year. Instead of putting myself on a no buy or a low buy, I thought I would start project panning.

I know what you make be thinking, how can this be a thing? Well, capitalism is the answer. Oh I went there. Consumerism and the idea of buy buy buy is always in our faces. We see Instagram ads, Facebook ads, we watch our favourite content creators talking about products that we then want to buy. I was so heavily entranced in shiny pretty things that I started losing sight, for my Marx folks out there becoming alienated, and started using and buying products that are made by rich white men sold to us for 100s of thousands of dollars per year. It is not to say I wasn’t making an autonomous decision, but really in the structure of the shopping I wasn’t. I was being sucked in by the shiny marketing and my sense of curiosity to try the “next best thing”

This brings me to the second reason I started project panning and what I have learned so far. The oversaturation of releases from brands. Yes, colourpop I’m looking at you. One reason I respect brands like Glossier, Hourglass, Nudestix, (not that I don’t respect other brands I just don’t know how else to put it) is that they don’t fatigue you with release after release (at least in my feed they are not the brands that pop up). I was so tired of seeing and trying to keep up with new releases, that as a blogger project planning had become a way to still add things to my collection, but also to be more curated and conscious of what I was adding. Instead of going out and buying everything Estee Lalonde recommended (which okay so I tend to do that) I stopped. Particularly, I REALLY tried to curb my habit, and am still trying, of going to the drugstore and buying random makeup items to make it to the 20x the points if you spend $50 because I was accumulating so many unneeded items in my collection that didn’t really have a place.

This is the biggest lesson of project panning: consider your drugstore purchases as well. It has never been a question that when I buy a high end makeup item, I think about it, I watch reviews, I mull it over and then I purchase. With the drugstore, it is so easy to get sucked into the makeup aisle and the great sales but I was never thinking about my purchases. Now, this isn’t to say I haven’t bought my fair share of drugstore items in 2018, in fact I’d be embarrassed to even disclose the new drugstore makeup I attained this year. I also think that there is a healthy balance as a blogger to asking the question: am I buying this for research, a review or do I genuinely want it. I think that it comes from all three when I’m purchasing drugstore makeup – but I also think there is validity in buying your own product to review so its a double edged sword.

The final lesson I have learned through panning products is how much engagement you can get from people. Yes, I watch first impressions videos and hauls because I love them! BUT i think the beauty industry, or community depending on your stance, can stand to do a bit more shop your stash and project panning than it does at the moment. This post is not to say I don’t love hauling and it’s not to say I’m going to stop buying drugstore products but i’m going to take the same care I have with my decision to buy a high end product.

12 Days of Blogging Day 5: Amrezy Highlighter Review

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I missed out on this highlighter the first time it came around. So when I heard it was dropping for a second time I couldn’t resist ordering it. When it came in the mail it was all the glory I thought it would be. I don’t personal follow Amrezy on Instagram but from the description on Sephora she is an Instagram beauty sensation, I personally bought this highlighter purely on how pretty it is and how universal it is.

On Sephora this is described as a light brilliant gold and is supposed to be that second skin finish for a natural glow. The colour of this is accurate – it is a light brilliant gold. Comparing this to other highlighters in my collection, nothing is the same. I compared it to my NARS, Maybelline, ELF pressed highlighter and a few other ones – nothing compares to this shade of gold. It is hard to describe – while it is a light gold it also has some undertones of champagne so it doesn’t look like a gold strip on my cheekbone. The packaging is great, it has the nice snap closure so it stays secure and is sprinkled shiny bronze gold stars on the packaging. Yes, this shows fingerprints but not as much as other Anastasia packaging like their palettes.

The formula: This is a beautiful, buttery formula that gives a glossy finish on the skin. It isn’t a metallic highlighter but it’s a soft, yet tightly packed powder that can be used wet or dry. This also would work for a variety of skin tones and mature skin. Due to it’s non metallic nature, this works for anyone who has texture. NOW will this somewhat emphasize texture – of course all powder highlighters will but let’s face it, we all have texture.

The swatch: this swatched beautifully, it can be blended into the skin to give a “I’m just a bit dewy” finish but can be built up to be poppin’ like the Becca Champagne pop highlighter. What I like about this when I wear is you can’t really see it unless you turn your head into the light, making it the perfect work highlighter or alternatively a highlighter for going out for a night on the town. In low light this looks sublime.

Overall rating: 5/5 stars. YES. I love this. This highlighter adds value to my collection and is different (at least to me) from anything else I own. I also think this would be a great starter highlighter – especially because it is $36 CAD which is an amazing price for a highlighter considering some stuff in the Canadian drugstore is upwards of $38 (looking at you Pixi).

Have you tried this highlighter yet? If so, what are your thoughts?!

12 Days of Blogging Day 4: Brands I want to Try in 2019

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I know that I am not the type of person to go on a year long no buy, but I also want to make better decisions about my purchases. I wanted to do a post outlining some brands I want to try in 2019. I think this will be a nice reference point for me, first so that I can try new things, but second, that I won’t just willy nilly buy things (drugstore products looking at you) but items that I’ve really been eyeing for awhile. You will notice there are a few luxury brands in here that I might not get to but I wanted to put on this list. I also got this idea from Samantha March who I saw do this type of video but I’m not sure who invented the idea!

Charlotte Tilbury

I have been eyeing this brand for so long. It just became easily accessible in Canada this year. I want to try a few items from this brand, mostly the filmstar bronze and glow and the Hollywood Flawless filter. While Charlotte herself sleeps in makeup – not sure how I feel about this, however I like that the brand’s ethos is making you feel confident. This can be seen as preying on our insecurities that we need to be perfect, however at the same time she is unapologetically sexy which I think is powerful in its own right.

Cheekbone Beauty

This is an amazing Canadian brand founded by an Indigenous woman named Jenn Harper. Their liquid lipsticks are the star of show according the chatter in the beauty sphere, so I’d definitely like to try a few of those along with their highlighter palette (cause who can resist a face palette, not this kid). Harper’s personal journey and makeup story is poignant. The brand supports the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada which I think is even more reason to support the brand. I first heard about this brand on the Breaking Beauty Podcast so if you want to listen to that I urge you to download it!

Kosas cosmetics

I have also been eyeing this brand for awhile but never took the plunge. Kosas is a clean beauty brand and according to their website formulates their products with prestige ingredients. The philosophy is integrated layers of self which I can get down with. I want to specifically try their tinted face oil, lipstick and the cream blush/highlighter duos.

Glossier

I’m a bit late to the game, but I really do want to foray into the glossier world. I would like to try their makeup and skincare. They do some good sets so if I do end up ordering from them I will likely get a few of those. I enjoy the brand’s ethos, however I recognize that it’s quite elitist and exclusionary to many folks who just can’t use their products for one reason or another. Again, I’m not sure if this is one I will actually get around to, but it’s on my list.

Tom Ford

I know. Wtf. why is this on my list? I don’t know either to be honest. But I love ttsandra, she is such a classy cool lady and she is always using Tom Ford Nude Dip and Cocoa Mirage eye shadow quads and has talked about the Tom Ford Foundation stick. So listen, I get it. These are two overpriced mofos. But for some reason, as I foray into the adult world and ideally I will have a full time job by the time I plan to buy these items, I think this would be a good treat yo self brand to get. These will also be VIB buys I think.

I wanted to do this post because I honestly think this will help me curb impulsive makeup buying. I tend to do that especially with drugstore and I think having an idea at the beginning of the year of what I want to buy will be a lot more helpful than just randomly going along and buying what I want. This isn’t to say I won’t buy other things but I want to try to curb my spending and limit additions to my collection that don’t bring it any value and don’t bring me the joy they should.

What brands do you want to try in 2019?

*disclaimer: none of these photos are mine, I have taken them from the individual brand website, or the google, or sephora.com*

12 Days of Blogging Day 3: My Favourite Red Lipsticks

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I love red lipstick. Unfortunately, because of my allergies I find myself not wearing if very often. BUT during the holiday season I tend to wear it a bit more often than usual and I wanted to outline a few of my favourite red lipsticks I have in my collection.

The warm red

Covergirl Succulent Cherry, it’s a nice warm red with a hint of orange. It’s a more low maintenance red with a slightly shiny finish. I like this lipstick because it doesn’t overpower you and can be worn in an office environment. I wouldn’t wear this for Christmas dinner due to it’s creamy nature, but for a day red or a Christmas party red this is a go to for me (lol not that I attend any Christmas parties).

The blue red

The Wet n wild lipstick in Spotlight red has survived quite a few of my declutters. This lipstick is super affordable and gives intense colour payoff. This is also a long lasting lipstick so I feel safe to wear this when I’m eating, drinking etc without worrying about it. Bonus it makes your teeth look nice and white.

The bright red

Bite Beauty Cayenne is described as a bright red. I love this lipstick. I really like bite beauty lipsticks, if I had to pick this formula and the Burt’s Bees formula are my all time favourite lipstick formulas. This has a beautiful opaque finish in one swipe. It instantly brightens up any look and I absolutely loves the smell of it.

The low maintenance red

Burt’s Bees Scarlet Soaked is possibly one of my most favourite reds. I find that it is the most low maintenance red you could have. You can blend it out to be a nice stain or have it to it’s full opacity. It is also easily fixable if it fades you can just press your lips together and it goes back to normal.

The liquid lip

The Stila Liquid lipsticks are a great liquid lip formula, the only one that I really own. The shade beso is such an amazing true red and isn’t too matte. It fades beautiful into a stain like finish after you have eaten and drank anything. This is the only liquid lipstick other than the NYX soft matte lip creams that I have kept in my collection.

What is your favourite red lipstick?

12 Days of Blogging Day 2: AM skincare routine

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As you may or may not know, one of my goals of 2018 was to find a skincare routine that works. That meant that I would have to try and try different products. I think I have finally found a AM skincare routine that works for me. I also have a PM skincare routine I shared on Instagram (cheeky plug you should follow me) in the little highlights section. But I plan on doing a blog post about that later! The biggest question I get on the daily: is how is your skin so glowy. The answer is skincare! It sounds cliche but it’s true, I using hydrating products, I drink water, and most importantly I was blessed with pretty blemish free skin due to my genes.

Something that I stopped doing when I moved out and started uni was using a cleanser in the morning. Instead I bought an obscene amount of face cloths and I started using a warm cloth in the morning. I find that by doing this I’m not stripping my skin of any of it’s natural oils but again if you want to use a gentle cleanser in the morning go right ahead, it’s all about what works for your skin.

Next I used a toner. I have been loving the Thayers toner because it’s gentle balancing and hydrating. I use my hands with my toner, the K-beauty way. I usually squirt a bit into my hands and press it onto my face. After this I will spray my face with the Avene thermal water (which yes is a can of overpriced water

My next step is moisturizing. I use a lot of moisturizer. Like probably a bit too much. First I used about four pumps of my Neutrogena hydro boost serum and really press it into my skin. I will say, after using this serum for about 4 months my skin has greatly increased in hydration. I feel like when I don’t use this, I notice that my skin is a bit more dull. Again, this is personal preference but I like to use this every day morning and night. I don’t know if that’s too much but I do it!

After my hydrating serum I use a moisturizer. Usually about a pump and half of the Cerave moisturizing lotion. I’d like to try the cream as well as I’ve heard it’s a bit thicker and hydrating. The lotion is great for under makeup, it has hyaluronic acid and ceramides making it the perfect protector and hydrater in one.

What is your favourite skincare item?

12 Days of blogging Day 1: The Beauty Gift Guide

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I wanted to do another gift guide – one for your friend or really anyone that would like these items. I wanted to curate something for you all if you are stumped on what to get someone in terms of beauty, body and skincare! Of course I candle is sauced in here too – because we all love candles. I didn’t want to name this a gift guide for her, because beauty is for ALL, not matter your gender identity beauty should be a space for folks who want to practice self care or just like makeup.

My first item is little eye shadow palettes – drugstore or high end. The one I have chosen for this guide is the Rimmel Crimson palette purely because of it’s festive nature. This is also a nice stocking filler as well. Now – this isn’t by any means the palette you need to buy nor do you have to buy it, but I think that if you know someone that enjoys makeup or would like to foray into eye shadow any drugstore palette would be a great option. Covergirl (also cruelty free) makes AMAZING eye shadow palettes. I have hit pan on almost every shade of their nudes palette and two shades on their roses palette. Rimmel makes good ones, as does Milani. NYX has a variety but they are more on the pricier side.

The second suggestion I have is some skincare. I for one LOVE trying and buying new skincare. I think that if you know someone in your life who loves skincare – the Summer Fridays Jet lag mask or the Summer Fridays Overtime mask is are two great options. They are pricey – but in my opinion anyone would like them. The Jet Lag mask is perfect for hydration and I have rather sensitive skin and it works really well for me. Same with the Overtime mask (which I always use after night shift) and it just refreshes and brightens my skin. I also wanted to throw in a Lush product. Now, Lush makes so many good things – and is a brand that I can always get behind. They also sell a lot of other things like bath bombs, body creams, body wash, shampoo, face masks. Anything skincare and scented, Lush is your one stop shop for literally everyone on your list. The next skincare related item is the Fresh lip balms. These are hands down the BEST lip balms that I have ever used. They are again pricey, but I feel like if you want to get someone that one nice item they will use all the time, getting them a beautifully packaged lip balm is a great gift.

Next is body care. Personally, as I said before I love the Lush body creams (particularly dream cream) but the Body Shop ones are just a great. I LOVE their Christmas scents this year. I think that if you don’t know what to get someone, the body shop is always a good bet. If you know they don’t like scents go with the Almond Milk and Honey or the Aloe range. If you know someone that loves a good festive scent – go with the Peppermint range!
Ah yes the non beauty related one but a self care favourite. I know you can’t access these candles…but I swear you can use any candle but I think a great addition to any gift is a beautiful festive scent. Personally, I love the Forest Glen Candle co Flannel scent and basically any of the scents. I think it’s always a nice touch for anyone you know to add a nice scent onto any gift.

Project Pan Roulette: Update 1

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Ah yes. The first update to my project pan roulette. This is a huge collaborative project with a ton of amazing YouTubers and Instagramers. I’ve made some stellar progress on some items and less on others. It was started by Rebecca Morgan and Alexandra Sjösten. If you want to join just message one of them for the categories.

A drugstore product

The Physicians Formula butter blush. This has no progress – I used it a lot this during November but again, the butter butter items from Physicians Formula are super difficult to go through. Hope to get get a least a little bit of a dip by the next update.

Something in your favourite shade

The Body shop eye shadow is cyprus bronze. Again, not a lot of progress on this one. I didn’t really gravitate towards it but am hoping to get more use out of it before the next update.

A product you always buy on sale

The Maybelline luscious lashes mascara is really nice, but it’s so difficult to take of at the end of the night. Even with an oil makeup remover, it is so hard to get off my lashes without looking like you are losing your lashes. I’m hoping by March to have this done as it will be expired and hopefully done.

An old favourite

The Lipstick in Burt’s Bees suede splash definitely is showing some progress. I LOVE this shade so much. It is the perfect, dark, rose brown nude. It feels nice on the lips and is a simple lipstick to throw in your hand bag and use while you are on the go.

A product you’ve already hit pan on

The ELF golden bronzer. The existing pan has definitely expanded since the intro. This is a really nice winter bronzer since it’s not super pigmented. I have been layering it with other bronzer or over cream bronzers for a bit of a glow. I hoping by March 5 to expand the pan by quite a lot.

A collab product

For this one I chose the Colourpop Super Shock eye shadow in shade cornelius. This is one of the products that has shown a lot of progress. I use this almost everyday under my eye shadow look or just as an eye shadow with a bit of highlighter on the inner corner.

Let’s be friends:

Instagram: @thegordonedit

Twitter: @thegordonedit

Things I liked and did: October and November

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I missed this post last month cause I just didn’t have a ton of stuff to discuss! I decided to combine October and November. I have had an interesting past few months in terms of life decisions and experiences that are the beginning of this adult life. I also have a flop I wanted to share because it didn’t warrant a full review!

Makeup

Physicians Formula highlighter - open, pearly white shade with a creamy texture

Hourglass ambient lighting unlocked palette - all shades being displayed including finishing powders, bronzer, nude blush, plum blush and champagne highlighter.

The Physicians Formula butter highlighter. Since this is in my project pan 12 Pans of Christmas I have been using this quite a bit. I love it. I liked it when I got it but because I’m always trying new things I often forget to give myself the time to really love something. It gives that beautiful satin sheen to the skin without being glittery and can be built up to full opacity. I really have been enjoying this and want to keep using for my rolling 10 pan in 2019.

Hourglass Ambient unlocked palette. All I can say is this is luxury beauty dreams. This palette isn’t the best value for money but it’s so convenient. It has everything you need for an entire look! Including eye shadow, which is amazing! All the powders seamlessly blend onto the skin and make for that lit from within look. Unfortunately this is only available in select stores now so my review isn’t really needed anymore if you can’t access it! Due to the strike I got this quite late then I was working so alas! If you would still like a review comment below.

Covergirl Trueblend Super Stunner Highlighting palette in the shade it’s lit . I talked about this in my highlight round up. These are great highlighters. A bit on the powdery side but don’t come off as powdery on the skin. All the shades work on my skin tone and they have another palette as well. I have been enjoying this also on the eyes as an inner corner highlighter. Can’t recommend this enough. Covergirl also just went cruelty free!

Nudestix eye pencils. Can confirm – these do not crease. Literally every other fricken eye pencil I’ve used creases. Not these! I love all Nudestix products and these are no exception. They blend beautifully with a finger or a brush and give enough dimension to make it look like you have a few different colours on. I also like to use them for that “model off duty” look I attempt to go for.

Skincare

Vichy Thermale Cleanser - white bottle, blue cap.

Glamglow mega illuminating moisturizer. I never thought I would buy a $62 moisturizer but I have. This is a beautiful effective moisturizer. It gives the right amount of dew that and sits beautifully under makeup.

Vichy 3 in 1 cleanser. This was a product I bought on a whim at shoppers. I was curious about its effect as it’s a three in one cleanser. I have to say since I’ve started using this my skin has been a lot clearer than it used to be. Not that it was bad before but I find this is so nice and gentle my skin isn’t the slightest bit irritated

Other stuffs

Being a coach again! I still love coaching and learn something new each time from my former coach and mentor. I love teaching the skaters and giving them life lessons while I’m at it (just like my coach used to do for me). It’s nice to be home and be able to volunteer at a place I love volunteering for.

The flop

The biggest flop of the past two months is the Covergirl Trueblend liquid foundation. This is the one shoppers sent me and it’s not what I ordered … and they never responded … in any case I kept it because upon swatching it on the back of my hand it was fresh and dewy. I thought great maybe a dupe for the Body Shop Fresh nude foundation (I really must do a review on this one as I haven’t yet). wrong I was. This foundation gave my skin quite the reaction and looked horrible on my skin. It was breaking up and emphasizing peach fuzz and also it didn’t sit well under powder. I really wanted to like it but alas tis a flop.

Up next: Project pan roulette update 1, Beauty gift guide

12 Pans of Christmas: Update 1

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It’s that time of year, the time for my first 12 Pans of Christmas update. I LOVE the items in this project and have been really enjoying using them. I don’t wear a lot of makeup to work – generally I use the Physicians Formula butter highlighter when I go to work because I love having a glimmer but this is definitely the product I’ve used the most. I also don’t have specific goals for these items. Mostly, I would just like to get use out of them and maybe finish up my Gosh foundation.

The base products

All my base products have the same story, you cannot tell how much I’ve used. The Andalou Naturals CC Cream is the easiest to tell the progress. I think I’m close to being done but there is so much product in the tube. As you can tell by the tube it’s quite well loved. Same with the Gosh foundation, I cannot tell how much I’ve used but I have been using this mixed in with the Andalous Naturals cc cream so it is definitely feeling lighter in weight. This foundation is alright. I do like that it doesn’t feel heavy on the skin or make my skin react, but it’s probably my oldest foundation (about a year and a bit old) so I’d like to see this done by the end of the project. The collection lasting perfect concealer – again I can’t really tell how much I’ve used but I LOVE this concealer. I swear if any of you UK people want to send me a lifetime supply after I run out of all my other concealers please do let me know. The Too Faced sculpting multi use concealer. This concealer will last me forever, but my opinion has not changed. I don’t think this is worth the money for the pure reason that my drugstore concealers perform the same way if not better. It’s all just brand preference! I like Too faced as a brand so I’m happy to work my way through this.

The eye products

My Naked heat has no goal – really I just want to put a dent in my most used shades. The shade sauced is one that I used almost every day. There is an evident dip. I have really been enjoying this palette and want to do a three looks one palette type of post. This is the perfect rusty warm toned palette that suits all my needs. The bite beauty multistick, I haven’t made a whole lot of progress on this one – it has been used but I can tell its drying out a bit since the packaging broke and is no longer magnetic. Hopefully I can use this a bit more.

The Highlighters

These are all showing good progress – in my humble opinion anyways. The Nudestix nudies all over face stick in illuminaughty is a really interesting highlighter, in a good way! It doesn’t completely dry down but also doesn’t go away so you get that glossy sheen all day long. As you can see – the progress isn’t significant but it’s there. I used this the other day under my makeup and it worked really well for an inner glow. The Physicians formula butter highlighter. There is definitely more of a dip in this, but I have really been enjoying it…like a lot. I always buy highlighters on a buy, try, review basis. Okay maybe not all of the time but this one was a highlighter I bought with my bff so we’d having matching ones and then I only used it twice. I have been LOVING this. It’s a beautiful creamy, satin formula and goes with so many looks. The NARS Forte De France highlighter, this is also been going well. I still love this, you can’t really see any progress but this is quite tightly packed so I don’t see myself hitting pan anytime soon.

The random three products

Wet n wild oaks on you contour bronze stick – this is nice. It’s not my favourite but I have been enjoying it. I haven’t really used it a lot this past month but want to start using it more as it is a nice shade and blends out really nicely. The Hourglass ambient lighting palette in surreal light. These are kind of domed marble products but I can tell I’ve used quite a lot and the pans are becoming more flat. Finally, the Burt’s Bees lipstick in Scarlet soaked – I had a feeling this wouldn’t show much progress. I was right – only looks a bit shorter because of the angle but my goal is to get it down to nearer to the notch that’s already in the lip stick.

Do you have any projects on the go? How are they going?

Local Gift Guide

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If you didn’t know or haven’t figured out by I live in a really small town. Similar to Stars Hollow without a Luke’s (which by the way would be a great idea) but I guess the 17 is sort of a similar vibe if you were looking for something like that. In any case if you have seen on my Instagram – I sometimes say my location is in Blind River. My hometown, that I never really wanted or thought I would end up in but have somehow found a job in my field and am living at home, so really it was a blessing in disguise! I really wanted to do a local gift guide – and while most of you can’t access these wonderful items I think it’s really important to emphasize a shop local mindset. When I can, I like contributing to local businesses in my town and support local people. I wanted to highlight some great little stores you can get some holiday shopping done at! As a disclaimer, I wanted to say that I understand that local shopping can be pricey and this comes from a privileged point of view to be able to shop local. I am in no way opposed to shopping big box stores because for a lot of folks that is the most affordable for the majority of people. Without further ado please enjoy my little curation of local gifts for everyone on your list.

The Birch Tree

This is your classic knick knack store. It’s really not comparable to other stores I’ve been in. The closest I could think of is Claire De Lune but even then The Birch Tree has a really good variety of things. Clothing, jewelry, candles, decor, food items, purses, scarves. soap! Anything you might want to buy someone – they even sell olive oil and balsamic vinegar they order from a store in Sudbury. For this gift guide I got a few knick knacks they sell. My personal favourite items to buy from the Birch Tree is soap from the Old Soul Soap Company. They sell wonderful smelling bar soap, shower steamers, body butters, breathe easy chest rubs, lip balms and bath bombs! The best thing about this soap is it really moisturizes your skin and doesn’t leave your body feeling stripped. If you are looking for some great stocking stuffers their unique food items like the gourmet coffee from Orange Grate that’s located in Mississauga ON and an Onion Chive dip mix are great bits to put in someones stocking! They also sell little zero waste tools such as beeswax wraps and bowl covers!

Le Beau Corset

The local bra store – might be seen as scandalous to some but it’s a great little shop. My mom loves their bras and I love their underwear. They sell lovely brands that you can find at big box stores but are right here in our little town. I personally love the blush underwear in the hipster style and the blush bralettes. They also sell skincare and personal care items. If you are looking for a more zero waste or low waste beauty item this is the place to go. They have face cream, body cream, and serums! I bought the shampoo bar. They sell a brand called the Naked Beauty Soap Co where everything is made in a near by called Thessalon that makes zero waste beauty items!

Haggars

The local clothing store. My mom also loves this store. She tends to buy me items from here. They sell your run of the mill brands including Silver Jeans, Under Armour, Bench and Columbia. I recently bought a few clothing items from there and love them! They also sell the classic roots style socks there and fun printed socks for men and women. You can find gifts for everyone on your list- they sell scarves, jewelry, accessories and both men and women’s clothing.

Forest Glen Candle co

My favourite candle place. This is ran by a young women named Courtney who is about a year older than me, amazing! She makes great, clean candles that fill the whole room with the scent. I need to go buy more winter scents…in any case they have expanded into selling reusable produce bags and other Eco-friendly goodies. Don’t forget there is also a beautiful photography studio done by Courtney’s friend Sarah who is a wonderful photographer! If you have a friend that loves scents and zero waste goodies this is a great place to check everyone off your list.

The Timber Village Museum

This is perhaps one of my most favourite places to find locally created art and gifts. You can find anything for everyone on your Christmas list. I picked up a few items I think would make great gifts. First is a sugar scrub in the lavender scent from Lakeside acres goat milk soap products. I love everything I have tried from this brand. This is a perfect gift for anyone on your list and smells lovely. The museum also has different art shows and most recently (it’s still going on) is an acrylic on canvas show created by two local artists. I bought two of the mini paintings. These would make a great gift for anyone that loves art! The knick knacks here are great for stockings, if you know someone that loves ornaments why not buy a nice handmade one? As well they have a variety of cards that are different. This gives a card a special edge if they are handmade and you are supporting a local artist!

What is your favourite place to shop where you live?

Drugstore Highlighter Round up

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The Instagram wanted a highlighter round up so here I am, doing a highlighter round up. I have rounded up all my drugstore powder highlighters (because I’m going to do a cream post later on) for you. There are not many standards I have for a highlighters as I basically like all of them. Metallic, glossy, satin, subtle you name it.

Maybelline

The Maybelline master chrome highlighter is one of the most beautiful highlighters I have ever experienced. Period. Not just “for drugstore”. It can be applied with a brush or with a finger and if its blended into the skin it can give a less metallic look. Its creamy and buildable. I think that if you want a highlighter that has the same popping metallic sheen (not glittery) as Champagne pop this is the highlighter for you.

Covergirl

The Covergirl highlighter palette in “It’s Lit”. This is a beautiful palette. The highlighters aren’t quite as bright as the Maybelline but they are buildable. They colours are all great for my skin tone and they do have a darker palette. I really like this. It is more on the powdery side but I find on the skin it doesn’t come across as that “powdery” cakey look.

Joe Fresh

This highlighter is the most beautiful subtle light champagne shade. It does kick up quite a bit of powder, but on the skin it gives a nice inner glow vibe. The drawback is there is only two shades. This highlighter gives off a subtle glow so if you are a beginner with highlight this is a good one to go with.

Essence

Similar to the Joe Fresh highlighter this one gives a nice sheen as well. It’s more of a subtle nude highlighter but on the cheek gives a nice glow without being glittery. I would say this highlighter has almost a peachy undertone to it and gives a nice “nude glow” as the name might suggest. This is also only $5 so is a steal!

Annabelle

The Annabelle perfect glow highlighters are the hidden gems of the Canadian drugstore. These are smooth and buttery and look beautiful on the skin. It gives a nice glow without being chunky and rivals some of its higher end counterparts.

ELF pressed highlighter in starlight glow

This highlighter is a beautiful. It gives a nice subtle sheen and can be built up to be a popping highlight. There are a ton of shades and the formula is smooth and easy to work with.

Wet n wild

Perhaps the most chunky highlight of the bunch. Don’t get me wrong – this is a great highlighter but of all of them this is the most high shine metallic one that has that initial chunky application. However, personally this isn’t a highlighter that I don’t gravitate towards as much as others, however it is a nice formula and I recommend this if you want a super high shine highlighter.

ELF baked highlighter

I have recently rediscovered this highlighter. I love that it gives a nice subtle glow. It has a beautiful sheen without being glittery.

What is the main difference that I see between high end and drugstore highlighters? The lasting power. Some of these – like th ELF baked highlighter fad quite quickly despite using a setting spray. However, the covergirl and maybelline I find have the best lasting power (at least on my skin) of all the highlighters I mentioned.

Products on the Chopping block: Update

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Sorry folks, it has been more than two weeks. I got busy! But I have quite the update for you on the items from my last post. It was actually really telling how my tastes have changed from when I bought these products to what I use now!

What I’m keeping

Wet n wild photo focus foundation. Okay so. I mixed this with my body shop drops of Youth Essence – beautiful finish. Bear in mind I really sheer it out so I can barely feel it on my skin. I think sheering out helps but again, the smell is off putting. I think I’m going to keep this for more of the spring-summer months.

The Rimmel Contour kit. I wish Rimmel would make the bronzer in a single because I have really been enjoying using it. When I first got this before using any other bronzers I thought this was so pigmented but as I was using it, the bronzer gives really a nice warm glow to the skin and you can’t really over do it (at least in my opinion). I’m going to keep this just for the bronzer and try to hit pan on it in the next year.

The Elf baked highlighter in blushed gems. I really like this product and will be keeping it. As I have used it more – I really like the subtle highlight it gives the cheeks. I have been into that for work and such so this definitely has a place in my collection.

What I’m not keeping

Burt’s Bees goodness glows foundation. I CANNOT make this work. I really wish I could make this work but it just doesn’t melt into the skin in the way literally all of my other foundations do. Alas, this is going to be thrown out – which I hate to do but I don’t think anyone I know would want this foundation.

ELF contour kit. I didn’t reach for this. Once. It’s a great product but I don’t use it. I’ll try to see if anyone I know wants this but if not then it will have to go. The same goes for the ELF baked bronzer in St. Lucia. I didn’t reach for this AT ALL. I think that just proves that this isn’t a product I use anymore. I used to use it all the time but again, I’ve discovered bronzers I like better than this one.

The Wet n wild cream blushes. I didn’t reach for these. At all. They are not bad products at all. But, I have other cream blushes I prefer. Again, since these aren’t very old I’m going to see if anyone in my life wants them and if not they’ll have to be tossed.

The Wet n wild comfort zone palette. Again, I have accepted I am a warm neutrals, light pink and brown eye shadow girl. I just do not reach for this. Since getting my NYX Olive You palette this one sits on the back burner. Again, I will see if someone in my life would like this palette but if not unfortunately I will be throwing it out.

Have you decluttered anything lately?

Sephora VIB Sale Haul

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This haul is kind of cheating – I bought a few of these items after the sale but I wanted to include them in this haul! This is a very skincare heavy haul but I have been wanting to revamp and try a few new higher end skincare items. First I will start with the sale items then go into the items I picked up after the sale.

The skincare

I fell into the Instagram aesthetic trap. I bought both Summer Fridays masks. The Jet lag mask and the overtime mask. I have tried both a few times and they are wonderful. I haven’t formed my full thoughts to do a review just yet but will in the future. The next two skincare items are got are both hydrating products. I bought the GlamGlow illuminating moisturizer in nude glow. It smells like a creamsickle and is AMAZING. It gives a beautiful glow and I like to use this when I have an early shift. I also picked up the Kiehl’s ginger and hibiscus firming mask. I used a sample of this and it was great.

The makeup

I broke ya’ll. I picked up the Hourglass Ambient lighting edit unlocked palette. I wasn’t going to pick this up but couldn’t resist the late night shopping so alas it happened. I LOVE this palette. I want to do a full review in due time because it is so beautiful and these are all new powder shades which is even more exciting.

The non sale stuffs

I really love Nudestix and want to do a brand focus on them. Their products are lovely and their brand story is great, and as an added bonus they are Canadian. I got both of their new limited edition holiday sets. The gloss balm set and the smokey golden eyes set. I really like both of these so far and can’t wait to try them out a bit more. The second product I got is the Too Faced Hangover Rx setting spray. I know what you may be thinking – Chrisinda you just got the Rimmel one. Unfortunately the Rimmel one makes my skin feel and look quite dry so it’s going to just have to be an eye shadow intensifier.

Did you pick up anything during the sale?

12 Pans of Christmas

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I’m SO EXCITED to start the 12 pans of Christmas. I also wanted to announce that instead of doing blogmas I think I’m going to a 12 days of blogging or something just to make it easier on myself so I can balance all the adult things in my life. Stay tuned for later in December.

I’m really excited to start this project since my 13 by Halloween was so successful I am really excited to start this project. I have selected 12 items and this project will end on Dec 31. This project is a shortie but goodie.

Foundations and Concealers

I wanted to chose a few foundations that I have and that are a bit older in my collection to attempt to use up for this project. First is the Gosh Foundation Drops. I do really like these and I think that I can use a lot of them up. I don’t wear foundation to work as its long shifts but otherwise on my days off I will be either wearing this on its own or mixing it. I also wanted to utilize the Andalous Naturals CC cream sheer tint because I am very close to using this up and since it’s so sheer it’s great for work and otherwise. Okay so controversial – and you all know my feelings on this concealer, but I want to try to use the Too Faced Scuplting concealer because it is so light and brightening I think it might work well for my winter skin. I also wanted to throw in another concealer that is a bit “older” in my collection (I got it in July but you know I love it and want to use it) is the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer.

The Eye Products

I want to use my Bite Beauty MultiStick in Brioche. I really like this on the eye and mixed in with a lip gloss and on the cheeks when applied with fingers and sheered out. For an eye shadow palette the Naked Heat. I really do love this palette and it’s really a classic warm toned palette that can work for several holiday looks.

Did I select too many highlighters? Yes I did.

I LOVE the Nars forte de France Highlighter so I thought I would throw it in this project. You might notice all of these highlighters are in my makeup stash Fridays posts but I thought in an effort to use up things in my collection I’d put them in this project. I also chose the Physicians Formula Butter Highlighter in Pearl. This is a beautiful icy highlighter that has a stain finish. The third highlighter I want to use is my Nudestix illuminaughty Highlighter. I really like this for just an everyday easy glossy highlighter. As for goals, I know I realistically won’t hit pan, but I want to just make a dent in these items.

The Face palette and Random wet n wild product.

I feel like I always have some sort of wet n wild product in my projects. I want to use the Wet n Wild Contour stick in Oaks on You. I actually really like this product I just rarely stray from my powder products and from my Nudestix Cream bronzer. I also wanted to throw in the Hourglass Ambient lighting palette in surreal light. I use this all the time. It’s so easy for work, everyday and can be built up to glowy goodness. I also wanted to throw in a red lipstick because it is the holiday season after all. I love the Burt’s Bees Lipstick formula and equally love the shade Scarlet Soaked. It\s a low maintenance red that is good for every day but can be built up to full opacity for holiday gatherings etc.

Are you planning on panning anything for the holiday season?

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Blush

Skincare

Eyeshadow palettes

Tinted moisturizers and BB Creams

Highlighters

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The base products

First Aid Beauty Tinted Moisturizer

Revlon concealer

Nudestix Tinted blur stick

The Body Shop multi stick

Physicians Formula Butter blush

Physicians Formula Butter bronzer

Joe Fresh Highlighter

Rimmel London Kate Sculpting Palette

Essence pure nude highlighter

Becca Champagne Pop

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A drugstore product

A product in your favourite shade

A product you always buy on sale

A product you’ve already hit pan on

A collab product

An Old Favourite

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The Eye Products

The highlighters

The base products

The random three products

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100% Pure lip caramel

The Physicians Formula butter bronzer

Colourpop Highlighter in Lunch Money

NYX Dark Circle Corrector

The more recently added items

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Standout highlighter

Standout foundation

Standout Tinted moisturizer

Standout blush

Standout bronzer

Standout Concealer

Standout Palettes

Standout Lipstick

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High End

Drugstore

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Charlotte Tilbury

Cheekbone Beauty

Kosas cosmetics

Glossier

Tom Ford

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The warm red

The blue red