"Lipgloss doesn't have to be sticky" LIPGLOSS REVIEW (PART 1): Beauté Cosmetics

Until very recently, I always thought lipglosses were supposed to be sticky (hello MAC!). You can imagine my excitement as I started to venture out and discover that there are non-sticky glosses out there and even glosses that provide the same amount of colour pay-off as lipstick! And it seems from my poll this weekend that I have a lot of lipgloss-loving readers. So this week I'll be presenting my new mini-series, "Lipgloss doesn't have to be sticky," where I'll share my thoughts on some lipglosses that have been rocking my world lately.

First up are the Voluminous Volume Glosses from Beauté Cosmetics. Beauté is a Canadian beauty brand started by celebrity makeup artist Beau Nelson. I was fortunate to be sent some products to try including its lip stains and weightless lip cremes, both of which I reviewed earlier this summer. For the past few months, I've been testing out the glosses. 

The glosses I tried are Medusa (a pale pink beige) and Paramour (a dusty rose with shimmer).  Medusa is an amazing nude gloss and Paramour gives a great "my lips but better" look. Both are gorgeous and feel very luxurious on the lips. They feel moisturizing and apparently have 'plumping' benefits. I have full lips already so I couldn't see a difference. That said, the colour payoff is decent, and best of all, they don't feel sticky. I don't like the brush applicator though. If I don't put the wand back in properly the brush is all 'contorted' when I pull it out for the next application. The price of these are high-end ($26 Canadian) which is something to consider.

All in all though, I highly recommend the Beauté lip products -- they are worth a look and they've got some cool gift sets available for the Holidays. Visit the company's Web site for more information and where to find in your area. Good news for international readers, the company ships to Europe, Asia and other parts of the world!

(Medusa (left); Paramour (Right) from Beaute)

Stay tuned for Part 2 and 3 of the Lipgloss doesn't have to be Sticky series. Next up is Balmshell!

A Tale of Three Eyeshadows: Vasanti

Once upon a time, there lived a 30-something lady who loved makeup like no one else she knew in her 'real' life. One day, this lady's online friend (that's you Farah) told her about a 40% off sale at Vasanti Cosmetics, a Canadian brand that she had always wanted to try. Such a sale was too much to handle for this lady and so, with little hesitation, she decided to order what she called an 'early Christmas present' for herself.

A few days later, a beautiful brown box arrived at the lady's home. Inside contained such wonders --eyshadows, a blush and a lipstick -- all magical goodies that promised to bring great joy to this lady's life. But when the lady started to open the eyeshadow boxes, she exclaimed "goodness gracious (PG version of what was actually said) -- three of the shadows are the same!" What was this lady to do? The thought of *gasp* returning the goodies was the last thing this lady had time for. 

In an act of desperation, she started to swatch like she has never swatched before. There had to be a difference, she told herself. After the swatching the lady breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, yes, they are different," she thought looking lovingly at Casablanca, Cairo and Toronto.

(Casablanca, Cairo and Toronto eyeshadows from Vasanti)

She continued on with her day, happy to have added these gorgeous, very smooth, highly pigmented eyeshadows to her growing kingdom of makeup. She thought these colours were perfect neutrals to be used as highlighters, as a wash of colour for blending with an assortment of deeper colours. These offered a slightly shimmery look to the eye without being glittery. The lady was very happy with these discoveries.

And they lived happily ever after in makeup bliss.


Vasanti is available at Shopper's and Rexall and also online on its web site and on amazon.com

What I am Using Right now

I saw this post on Glamorouxx's site. I thought it was fun and here are my answers: .

Shampoo: Herbal Essences Tousle Me shampoo
Conditioner: Herbal Essences Tousle Me conditioner
Styling Products: Herbal Essences Tousle Me Mousse
Shower Gel: Soap & Glory Clean on Me
Body Moisturizer: Origins Ginger Souffle
Deodorant: Secret
Fake Tan: none
Cleanser: Cetaphil
Toner: none
Exfoliator: MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator
Foundation Brush: Quo
Concealer: MAC Select Coverup NW25
Powder: MAC MSF Natural Medium-Dark 
Blush: changes every day
Bronzer: NARS Laguna
Highlighter: NARS Nico
Eyeshadow Base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance or Pandora's Makeup Box eye primer
Eyeshadows: Changes every day but lately Pandora's Makeup Box, NARS and MAC
Eyeliner: Bobbi Brown Gel liners or MAC Fluidlines
Curler: Shiesedo
Mascara: Dior Iconic
Lipstick: Changes every day but current faves are MAC Soft Pause, Vasanti Bruneii, YSL Rouge Volupte (Red)
Lipgloss: Changes daily but currently Pandora Makeup Box's Ciao and Balmshell's You Look Fabulous
Nail Colour: NARS Tokaido Express

Tag! You're it!

I'm behind on tags and awards -- a BIG thank you to those who have nominated me. I really do appreciate it!

I try to get to them as much as possible but sometimes my 'regular' life takes over and it's hard to find time to do everything.That said, here are two recent ones. 

The lovely Charlotte has tagged me for the I love your blog, while Shadowy Lady tagged me for 15 blogs I read frequently. I've combined these two tags into one and have featured a list of old favorites and newly discovered blogs. Check these out! 

Rock That Look
GeekyMacBoy
Farah

LoveLipstick&Lime

Su-pah (Su-pah - I know I still need to do your tag!)

Cheryl

Beauty Parler

Lelo

MizzWorthy

Louise

Catherine

Askmewhats

Jamilla
Lipglossiping

Glamour Diaries

QOTD: Lipgloss or Lipstick -- Which team are you on?

I'm all about lip products as you know. From lip stains to lipglosses, I love it all. But IF I had to choose one over the other, I would have to say I'm very much a lipstick kind of woman. I cannot leave the house without a lipstick. Surprise surprise. I know I posted this question before but I'm interested to see what my new readers think and if my long-time readers have switched 'teams' at all. 

Why do I love lipstick? There are so many reasons. There's something about having a tube of lipstick that evokes a more glamorous time. I love how it can alter your overall look with just one swipe. I also love the different finishes, from creamy to sheer. I'm laughing as I write this as I know that this would sound crazy to someone who isn't into what we are into.

So on this Friday, I pose the question to you: Lipstick? Or Lipgloss? Which one and why?
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and happy weekend to everyone else!
Stay tuned for my posts on lipgloss (!) and eyeshadows -- vague eh? Stay tuned!

Fave New Blogs: Beautygeeks and BeautyEditor.ca

Time again to feature my favorite reads in the blogsphere and this month I'm focusing on two amazing Canadian blogs: beautygeeks and BeautyEditor

Written by the gorgeous Janine Falcon, Beauty Geeks features beauty/fashion trends, tips and tricks and reviews. I love her writing style and sense of humour. Janine has worked as a beauty editor and continues to write about beauty and fashion for many magazines and newspapers.

Beautyeditor is written by the equally gorgeous Michelle who works as, you guessed it, a beauty editor and writer at a Canadian magazine. Michelle provides us with an inside scoop on being a beauty editor and also shares tips/tricks and news from the beauty industry. Love her honest views on all things beauty.

I read these blogs daily for their fun & witty posts, honest reviews, and their insider's view of what's happening in the industry.

Go check them out -- I'm confident you'll love them as much as I do.

 

Photo: Janine from BeautyGeeks

IMATS: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Tired of Toronto IMATS yet? Some of you asked for my take on the event so here it is. I'll keep it brief as it's already been covered extensively by other bloggers.

The Good: first ever IMATS in Toronto; met up with fellow Canadian beauty bloggers; saw some cool makeup; met Enkore and Pursebuzz; hauled some goodies as there were some deals (Naked Cosmetics, Aureline, Crown Brushes)


The Bad: show was smaller than I expected; lots of stuff was sold out by Sunday including Kryolan palettes, OCC lip tars etc. (note to self - go on Saturday next year!). Was very disappointed by this!

The Ugly: no food except a tiny concession stand where there were some unappetizing sandwiches. Makeup junkies need some fuel to keep the shopping and swatching going! Even a hot dog stand outside the venue would have helped!

Lessons Learned: Bring a snack or lunch; wear comfy shoes (saw a girl with mega high heels - I'm sure she didn't feel good after her visit); go to the event on the first day; scope out the products you want to check out in advance or else risk being overwhelmed; and finally, do a walkthrough when you first get there to scope it all out. This is a good way to see who's there, and compare products and deals.

The Verdict: All in all I had a good time at the show and I plan to go again next year. On the Saturday. Hopefully organizers will take into account feedback from attendees and there will be better deals, more stock, and more exhibitors next year.

Stay tuned for my reviews of the products I picked up including lip glazes from Face Atelier, shadows and brushes from Aureline, Crown Brushes, and Naked Cosmetics.

Tales from IMATS: Perspectives on beauty bloggers

I thought I'd share an observation that came from IMATS. It was interesting to see in person, how we, meaning beauty bloggers, are perceived by the various companies represented at the show. Some didn't seem to care, others were mindly interested, and some didn't seem to take us seriously at all. While others, got it and were really encouraging and inclusive of us.

A representative from one company told us that everyone can call themselves a beauty blogger. As a small business, she admitted that she can't afford to send every single blogger product for review. I thought that was a valid point and fair. I completely get that companies are increasingly being bombarded by requests from bloggers or feeling the pressure to engage in some kind of blogger activity. Given how new a media source we are, I can see how difficult it is for companies to determine what their blogger strategy should be, if they even want to have one.

But there was something this representative said that slightly irritated me. She said that when it comes to sending out products, 'if it's for a blogger, I tell my PR to send a sample but if it's Vogue we'll send them a full size.' Of course we aren't Vogue, nor do we claim to be. But to me, a statement like this seems dismissive. And it got under my skin.

I get that it is expensive to send out products for review and that you have to be selective about who you send to. I get that perhaps some bloggers are actually demanding freebies from companies. I get that. But don't dismiss all bloggers and most of all, don't think of us as being second rate. Maybe this isn't what she meant but that is how it came across to me. Maybe I'm just sensitive.

On the other end of the spectrum, we had an amazing conversation with the co-founder of Cover FX, a Canadian makeup brand. This company is one that seems to really get how to work with bloggers. And it extends from their marketing team all the way to the top. The company's co-creator Lee Graff, who we were fortunate enough to be introduced to at the booth, said some really encouraging words to us. She told us that beauty bloggers are important, that 'editors in New York at the fashion magazines are afraid of you!', and encouraged us to stay true to ourselves and what we write. She seemed to understood the impact that we have on our readers, their purchasing habits and that the majority of us are doing this, not for 'freebies', but because we are passionate about the beauty industry. It was so inspiring and all of us were a bit speechless after it.

So there you have it. Two very different conversations that gave me a lot of food for thought.

Enough serious stuff.

Like the photo that Farah took? Here, a Ben Nye rep decided to do some mega swatching on my hands at the show. Too bad you can't see the gold sparkle on the one hand. It was pretty cool.

IMATS Toronto - Oh What a Day!

Thought I'd share some photos from IMATS Toronto today. More detailed post to come about the event as well as reviews of my haul. 

 

Meeting Norma Hill-Patton, who was the New Moon Makeup Department Head. Just think, she 'touched' Edward/Robert Pattison's face. Sigh. She also did Dakota Fanning's Volturi makeup in the film. Loved that look.

 

Meeting Derek Selby from CoverFX who is often on Cityline (tv show in Toronto). I felt really short in this picture!

 

 

Jenn and me testing out my camera. Love Jenn. Super fun!

The gorgeous Farah and I after a major haul at Aureline beauty.

   

Hanging out with Enkore and Pursebuzz who were super nice!

 

The Haul!

IMATS Toronto: Giant blind date with Toronto's beauty bloggers

It's finally here -- IMATS Toronto weekend! I am excited beyond words. How will I ever focus? I get overwhelmed when I go to Sephora.

Aside from seeing the exhibitors and seminars, I'm so excited to meet some fellow beauty bloggers like Sparkled Beauty, Lelo, Farah, Miss Jenn, and Beauty Parler. Some of us have compared this meeting to a 'giant blind date.' Some of us post photos of ourselves on our blogs and others don't so it shall be interesting to see who recognizes who.

Can't wait to share our stories, photos and of course, makeup purchases, with all of you next week!

Do you ever....

Do you ever have second thoughts about the makeup you put on...after you've left the house? Here's some background on where I'm going with this:

Last night I watched a Pixiwoo video on how to create an easy daytime look. I was excited to see that two of the products she used were MAC Powersurge eye pencil (gold) and Beaute's Flouron lip stain. I thought I'd see if I could recreate this look...at 5:30 a.m. this morning.

The application went well or so I thought. I used my fave Diorskin Nude foundation, Benefit RSVP on my eyes, Bourjois liner effect mascara (which is brilliant by the way; review to come), Powersurge for my waterline and then Flouron (I reviewed this earlier this summer) on my lips and cheeks.

I felt great - until I looked in the mirror at work. I do think that the lighting in the office washroom is terrible..but still. Flouron is amazing on the lips, though scary looking in the tube -- it looks neon orange. On my lips it appears as a gorgeous pink. But when I saw my cheeks, I almost did a 'Home Alone' scream right then and there.

Rather than a 'flushed' natural glow, I felt like I had pink streaks on my face. Yowzers. I think I overapplied.
I asked my friends at work what they thought and they reassured me that it looked fine. Yet, it bothered me. All day. I spent a few minutes trying to wipe it off which made my cheeks even pinker. Not a happy makeup day.

Thinking back, I'm sure it did look fine. But once I had it in my head that it didn't look fine, that was the end of it.


So my question to you today ladies is: do you ever create a look at home, go out and then have second thoughts about your makeup look? Do you try to fix it?

The love-in continues for Pandora's Makeup Box

 

(Left to Right: Passion Fruit Blush Casual Friday Quad - Blossom; Au Cafe; Perfect B; Burnt)

 
My love affair with Pandora's Makeup Box continues. See my initial review here and swatches here if you missed it.

Pandora's Makeup Box is getting a lot of attention on Youtube with gurus like juicystar07 and Lisasz09 praising the makeup line from Canada! And in Canada, earlier this week, the company was featured in Metro newspaper which is read by commuters across the country including yours truly. 

I'm happy to join in the praises for this fantastic high quality cosmetics line. As you might recall, I was so pleased (thrilled actually) with the initial products that I was sent to try that the very next day, I placed my own order for more goodies. I'm glad I placed the order when I did as I heard that the web site actually crashed last week after Juicystar's video. It looks like all is well and up and running again.

My order consisted of two glosses, a blush called Passion Fruit, and another shadow quad called Casual Friday which contains four neutral matte colours (a creamy neutral base colour, a caramel colour, a taupey brown colour and a dark brown/black). It's a great 'basics' palette that can be used to create a sophisticated look for the day. My favorite shadow is the caramel coloured shadow called Au Cafe which I use as a crease colour.

What's cool about the palettes is that the pans are removable and are the same size as the blushes which are also removable. So you can interchange shadows and blushes in a palette easily which is fantastic for travel.
The blush in Passion Fruit is really pretty and reminds me of NARS Orgasm though this has a bit more pink to it. It is a bit shimmery but not overly so that it looks inappropriate on my 30-something skin.

The lipglosses are amazing. They are fast becoming my favorite type of gloss. They have a slightly minty smell to them and feel luxurious on the lips. I was sent a colour called Ciao, a caramel/beige colour that doesn't look that exciting in the tube. Susan Kirsch (the founder of Pandora) told me that this gloss looks great on Asian skin tones so I thought why not -- and she was right. I love it. My FOTD in the initial post shows me wearing it -- very neutral and polished. Love love it.  The other great thing about the gloss -- non-sticky!

After my experience with Ciao, I ordered two other glosses as a result -- XOXO which is a pale pink and Happy which is a raspberry pink. XOXO is more pigmented than Happy in the swatch but both deliver great colour to the lips and create a different effect. XOXO is perfect for creating a nude pink lip with some colour if that makes any sense, while Happy gives a nice sophisticated pink tone to the lips.

All of these glosses look great on their own or paired with lipstick.They all look fantastic with the lipstick that Susan sent me originally called  Natural Girl. This is a pretty peachy pink that is great for every day wear. It feels moisturizing and has good lasting power. 

All in all, I've been extremely happy with my Pandora's Makeup Box experience. I can see myself ordering more goodies in the near future!  But probably not until after IMATS...and the Holiday season...

(Lipglosses left to right: Happy, XOXO, Ciao)

(Lipstick - Natural Girl)

A unique colour?! My fascination with "taupe" shadows

[Joe Fresh Pebble; MAC Smoke & Diamonds, NARS Ashes to Ashes, NARS Ondine, MAC Style Snob and MAC Satin Taupe]

I was buying a carton of milk the other morning at the Superstore (a grocery chain in Canada) and decided to peruse the Joe Fresh makeup section to see if there was anything new...and of course, there was! What instantly caught my eye was a shadow called Pebble and I knew it had to be mine. At first glance, I thought it would be a good dupe for MAC Satin Taupe -- and I gladly put it into my basket so I could bring it home to compare. I didn't feel so guilty since the Joe shadows are cheap at $4 Canadian.

Pebble joins my ever growing family of taupe and variations of taupe shadows. You see, my friends, next to brown shadows, my other obsession is taupe. To me taupey colours are great for creating a sophisticated and polished eye --with little effort. They are so versatile too -- they can be crease colours, used in the outer V and are fantastic as part of a smokey eye.

Pebble is my first Joe single eyeshadow and I must say I am very impressed. Very smooth and creamy -- and pigmented! When I swatched next to Satin Taupe though, I saw a difference. Satin Taupe seems to have more brown in it whereas Pebble has more grey. I started swatching other colours and the closest colour I could find is MAC Smoke & Diamonds. So ladies in Canada, if you missed out on Smoke & Diamonds, check this colour out. It is very close (see the swatches above).

My other favorite taupes are Ashes to Ashes (NARS), Ondine (NARS), Style Snob (MAC), and the famous Satin Taupe.

How do you feel about Taupe?

How did you find me?

Our community is growing by the minute it seems and so it got me thinking to how on earth we all managed to find each other in blog land. Here's how I found and continue to find my favorite reads:

• YouTube. Here is where I feel I discovered I wasn't alone in my beauty madness. Some of my favorite gurus had blogs like Makeup by RenRen, PixiWoo and of course  Lollipop26, and so I had to check these out.
• Google search for makeup blogs. I found blogs and sites like Temptalia, Makeupandbeauty Blog, Musings of a Muse, Makeup Alley, Spectra and Nessasary Makeup this way. Simple but easy.
• Google searches on specific product reviews I'm interested in. I come across new blog names this way and have found some new great reads.
• Google Friend Connect. While checking out other sites, if someone makes a comment that I think is interesting I will click on that person's profile to see if they have a blog as well. If they do, I check it out and more often than not, I follow!
• Google Friend Connect - my readers. In the beginning, I would follow everyone who followed me. I still try to do this but it's getting hard to keep up. I'm so thankful to all of you who are readers and I do try to check out all your blogs if you have one. It's sometimes hard to do now due to volume. Being honest here. I do make it a practice to check out my reader's profiles at least once a month so I can find out not just who has a blog but who my readers are and where they are from. .
  
• Tags/Awards/Share the Love posts. I love when bloggers highlight new reads, favorites or tag and award other bloggers. It's a great way to find new sites and great reads!
  
• Followers on other blogs or on my blog who add their URL within the body of their comments. Or, followers who invite me to come and check out their site. This one is slightly controversial it seems. I've seen other bloggers complain about this practice; their argument is people who do this are being 'greedy' and trying to get as many followers as possible. My thoughts are if you are in it for the right reasons (you love to read and write about makeup) then there is nothing wrong with this. I actually think it's great. It makes it really easy to find new blogs and I love that. I found MANY of my favorite bloggers this way such as Belle du Jour and Vexinthecity who were early commenters on my blog. How else would I have found them? So girls who do this including me, keep 'em coming.

What do you think?

Red lip of the week: YSL Rouge Volupte #18

I have professed my love for YSL Rouge Voluptes before. I thought I'd post a couple of photos with my red Rouge Volupte -- #18. It was early when these were taken so once again yours truly is featured with wet head.

#18 is such a pretty wearable red that is, in my opinion, completely appropriate for the office and for a day look. It runs on the cool side (a blue-red) but I paired it with warm colours on the eyes (NARS Indian Summer duo, Annabelle Ohmygoth black liner) and cheeks (NARS Luster) to offset and balance (hopefully!). These Rouge Voluptes are so smooth and creamy -- heaven on lips really.

I'm loving red lips this season and have been venturing out more often with a brighter red lip. How do you feel about red lips this season?

Pretty Fall Colours from Clinique

Clinique isn't a brand I always gravitate to but these two items from my collection are current favorites.

First is the Tuxedo Plums Shimmering Stripes blush. It is similar to the BB shimmer bricks. It is a gorgeous palette of cool pinks and purples. Swirled together you get a lovely glow. You can also just swipe the colours individually. They apply smoothly and are very pigmented. I'm very impressed.

Next up is my one and only Clinique lipstick called a Different Grape. Very very pretty and creamy. Love it. It's a perfect colour for fall and I always feel more polished when I wear it.

Here are some swatches below. What do you guys think of Clinique?

(Swatches - a Different Grape; Tuxedo Plum blush individual stripes swatched. I forgot to swatch the colour when swirled all together)

Always something...

I'm feeling some guilt this weekend about the amount of makeup I have. For long-time readers of this blog, here I go again. The feeling goes in waves. Don't get me wrong - I love what I have and am very thankful for what I have. But there is a bit of guilt that creeps into my head every so often. Today is one of those days.

I was about to embark on another Project No Buy but with IMATS one week away and a couple of swaps on the go, it's not realistic. There's always something that gets in the way of trying to be a responsible makeup addict.

Here's the deal -- and you are my witnesses. I will likely end up with goodies from IMATS and will come end up with goodies from the swaps. But I will make a conscious effort to post reviews of existing products I have and creative ways I can create new looks from what I have.

Thanks for listening!

Sunday Swatching: NARS Velvet Matte Pencils

 

(Pop Life)

Hello ladies,

Hope you had a great weekend. It goes too fast for my liking.

I was chatting with Get_Lippie and Grace London today on Twitter about Pop Life Velvet Matte pencil from NARS, an amazing orange red colour from the Holiday collection. Thought I'd do some swatches of the velvet pencils I have in my collection and my thoughts about them.

I have Sex Machine, a cool pale pink; Dolce Vita, warm pinky red; and Pop Life, warm orange red.They are each very different and evoke a different vibe. My favorite is Pop Life which works well on a variety of skin tones -- I saw girls of all colours wearing it during the NARS event I went to.

The velvet matte pencils are very easy to use. They are smooth to apply -- very much like lipstick. They are matte so they don't feel creamy on the lips. To add an extra 'oomph' to a look, I like to add a gloss on top since I do like to have a creamier lip. With Sex Machine, Pillow Talk gloss looks amazing -- perfect cool pale pink look. With Dolce Vita, I like to pair it with Risky Business or Bad Education for a berry red look. And Pop Life looks STUNNING with Babe lipgloss. I will do another post with these combos. In these pictures, I am wearing these without gloss.

I tried to do some FOTDs -- albeit with my little guy on my lap doing his best 'glam' shots.Excuse the messy hair; we had just finished napping. A lazy Sunday after all.

(Dolce Vita here; Sex Machine below)

 (Sex Machine, Dolce Vita, Pop Life -- from NARS)

One week till IMATS Toronto...and New Moon!

It's one week away till IMATS Toronto! The two day event is taking place November 21 and 22 at the Direct Energy Centre. Along with some cool brands, the makeup artist from New Moon will be there as well as Enkore and Pursebuzz of Youtube fame. I'm heading down next Sunday with Sparkled Beauty, Miss Jen and maybe meeting up with Farah!If you want to join us, please email me.

For more information on this show, visit http://www.imatsshow.com/toronto/toronto_index.php

It's going to be a super-fun weekend as well as I plan to go see New Moon on Saturday night.

Photo credit: IMATS

Best lipsticks that will suit any skin tone?

Tonight, I came across a cool post on Realbeauty.com about the "Real Beauty's Ultimate Lipstick Challenge." The site tested 137 lipstick shades to find the 5 that work for every skin tone and hair colour. The article features 8 women of different ages and skin types wearing a lipstick that works for all of them. I thought it was pretty cool so do check it out...but before you do, tell me what your favorites are (I've included mine here):

-Red lipstick (I'm torn -- it's between Illamasqua Box or MAC Cockney)

-Nude lipstick (Ultimate Beige Rouge Volupte YSL)

-Berry lipstick (Dessert First Benefit)

-Pink lipstick (so hard to choose! I would say Bobbi Brown Roseberry)

-Brown lipstick (Hmmm, can't think of one but will definitely check out the recommendation made by Real Beauty).

To see the post, click here.

I'm definitely going to check out some of the recommendations. Happy Friday ladies!

Why cold weather sucks...looking for any suggestions to solve dry skin

Living in Canada is amazing. I love it. But one thing I don't necessarily love all the time is winter. When the snow first falls, it's pretty enough. But once it gets slushy and the months drag on, not so fun anymore. One other thing I don't love is what winter does to my skin. For me, winter = dry, dehydrated skin.

The snow hasn't fallen yet here in Toronto mind you. But the cooler air outside combined with the heat inside the house and office is wreaking havoc on my skin, especially on my face. As Christopher from NARS said last week, my skin is starting to feel like 'sandpaper.' Not good news for sure.

I'm on a moisturizing, exfoliating kick and trying to drink LOTS of water. I've had many recommendations on facial moisturizers and hydrating lotions (like NARS Aqua Gel Hydrator) but I haven't found the magic product that works. I'm not sure I'm willing to pay $100 for a skin product like the NARS product but if I'm desperate I might cave in. Any other suggestions ladies???

Marcelle Cosmetics -- NEW WINNER!!!

I've selected a new winner for the Marcelle 'Classic Elegant' look and the winnner is.................

Glamour Diaries!!!!



Please contact me within 72 hours (DEADLINE TO CONTACT ME IS SUNDAY NOV 15 at 12 a.m.) to claim your prize after which I will select a new winner. Congratulations and thanks for entering!

If I could turn back time....

Remember that Cher song? Definitely not a favorite but it's stuck in my head. Not sure why! So as a way to get rid of it, I thought, why not do a post about time? Post ideas are everywhere, no?

Being a "30-something", I'm noticing fine lines and freckles on my face that weren't there before, and dark circles have formed from sleepless nights (I don't think I've slept well since my first was born six years ago!). Ironically, though, I've never felt more confident in how I look like than I am today. I feel like I'm finally comfortable in my own skin.

Turning back time, it wasn't always the case. In my late teens, I was very insecure about my looks always self-conscious about the fact that I wore glasses and had a noticeable mole on my face. I didn't wear much makeup as I thought it wouldn't really help. I simply couldn't relate to what was considered 'beautiful' at the time, never seeing any makeup ads that seemed to be geared at girls who looked like me. I felt that people looked at me and saw the Mole -- even though I was NEVER teased or had any issues with anyone not liking me because of it. It was my issue and I think all in  my head.That's tough though to deal with as a teen.

In my early 20s, I decided to embrace my 'imperfections.' It was then that I started to wear makeup, from bolder lipsticks to dark eyeliner. It was then that I discovered that I didn't need to find anyone that looked like me in the makeup ads but that I could use products to make me feel better and look like a better me. That's one of the reasons I loved MAC at the beginning -- everyone who worked there all looked different yet cool and beautiful -- and at the time I wanted that too.

A few years after that I met The Husband. I remember asking him about whether he noticed the Mole when we first met. He looked at me straight on and said that all he thought when he met me was that I was "beautiful." (Sorry for being mushy; he'd actually be quite mortified that I published this. Luckily he's not an avid reader. ;-)

So what's my point? Not sure if I have one. I guess I can circle back to the song.

If I could turn back time...would I change anything? Aside from perhaps wearing more sunscreen in my early 20s and consuming fewer, let's call them beverages, I wouldn't change a thing. I don't think I'd be where I am today if I hadn't gone through these experiences.

Another ramble from me this week.

Have I got the song stuck in your head now? 

Thanks for reading!

Bellaphoria mineral makeup - my thoughts

Bellaphoria eyeshadow swatches: Loyalty, Wings to Fly, Intrigue, Destiny, Accomplish, Peace, Promise and Divinity

When it comes to mineral makeup I'm a newbie for sure. That's why I love reading Lisa Kate and Fresco Phyrra's reviews of mineral makeup as they come across some really unique companies and come up with such fantastic FOTDs.

A few months back I was fortunate enough to be sent some samples to try from Bellaphoria, a Canadian mineral makeup company. I have enjoyed wearing these shadows and blushes -- they are super pigmented and smooth to apply. My favorites have to be the shadows. They have good staying power and are very blendable. One of my staples is the colour Promise which is a shimmery peachy nude colour.

Here are some more swatches:

Blushes
Radiant Glow, Mauvienne, Rustic Rose, Luxberry (love this one), and Pink Coral (pretty baby pink)


For more information about Bellaphoria, visit http://bellaphoria.com/

Is this you?

Do you....

-think about makeup looks throughout the day?
-think about post ideas randomly throughout the day?
-check your favorite blogs daily?
-feel guilty about how many products you have?
-feel guilty about having a lot of 'unused' products?
-have the biggest collection out of any one you know in your personal life?
-have a hard time walking by a drug store or makeup counter without sneaking a swatch or two?
-vow to stop buying and use up your existing products?
-find it hard to see new collections and not want to buy?
-find your wish list grows by the day?
-embark on project no-buys, project 10 pan, project rediscover your stash regularly?
-ignore makeup expiry dates for the most part?
-feel slightly panicked at the thought that products will go bad?

Anyone, anyone? Bueler? Bueler?

My answer to all of these questions is...YES. These are things that run through my head regularly. A true makeup addict.

My ramblings for the night.

We have a WINNER - Marcelle giveway

IMPORTANT NOTE: As I did not hear back from the reader below in time, I will be selecting a new winner shortly.

And the winner of the Marcelle giveaway is Mikella.

I used Random.org to select the winner. Mikella, please send me an email to claim your prize with your mailing address by Thursday November 12. (UPDATE 12/11/09: Unfortunately, I will have to disqualify you as I didn't hear back from you in time as outlined below)

Marcelle will mail the 'Classic Elegant' package (see pic above) directly to you. Congratulations!! And thanks to all of you that entered!

IMPORTANT: If I don't hear from you by Thursday November 12 at 12:00 a.m. EST, I will have to select another winner. Thank you!

NARS -- How do I love thee? Let me count the ways....

I love NARS. It never fails. Each season NARS finds ways to lure me in. I went to a NARS event at Holt's last week to see and test out the new Holiday collection....and of course, I ended up with a few goodies.

This time round my makeup was done by the talented -- and hilarious -- Christopher who is a NARS trainer from Toronto. We had a blast -- his sense of humour is wicked and I couldn't stop laughing. I loved how he did my makeup. Again, I forgot my camera. But here's the look in the evening in front of my overflowing closet.

He used Sheer Glow foundation in Barcelona, a Multiple (can't remember which), and some products from the Holiday collection. I was a good little makeup junkie and only selected a few of the products versus getting it all.


In any case, here's what I ended up with: Brousse eyeshadow duo (love love love love this!); Pop Life Velvet Lip Pencil (gorgeous orange/red colour); Babe lipgloss (gorgeous over Pop Life). And that's it. See I had a bit of self control this time, no?

I love Pop Life -- such a perfect wearable read. Since it is a matte velvet pencil you do have to make sure your lips are in perfect condition as it will show any flakies etc. I love it paired with Babe lipgloss which looks scary in the tube but is a sheer buildable red. I wore this combo all weekend.

As for Brousse, it is amazing and I will do a separate post on it since I love it so much.

Rediscovered: Palladio Rice Powder

I've been using Palladio's Rice Powder to set my foundation regularly since I was sent some Palladio products to try in the summer. I really like how it finishes my makeup. It removes any unwanted shine and doesn't feel heavy or make your face look cakey. The packaging is cute -- reminds me of Benefit's powder boxes (think Coralista etc.). Here's what Palladio says on the site about this product:

"An old and traditional concept that is world-renowned and a basic staple for the professional make up artist. It absorbs excess oil, thus maintaining proper pH level to the skins mantle."

I'm not as big a fan of the Rice Paper, which you're supposed to use to blot your face during the day. It does an okay job but I prefer to use actual powder in a compact to do touch ups. This somehow felt weird and didn't seem to control oily spots that appear during the day.

The Rice Powder product is priced at $6 (US), probably slightly higher in Canada. Overall an affordable buy with great results!

Pandora's Makeup Box: Swatches!

I raved about these products from Pandora's Makeup Box the other day and thought I'd provide a closer look at two of the products I was sent -- the shadow quad called It's a Fall Day, and the blush called Lolita. Gorgeous colours with fantastic pigmentation.

Below is Lolita. I did a heavy swatch to show you the colour. You can see that a little of this colour goes a long way. Love the glow it gives.



Below are the swatches of "It's a Fall Day" Quad:

(Left to right)
Chocolate (matte dark brown); Moulin Rouge (shimmary burnt orange -- dupe for the similar colour in MAC's Spiced Chocolate quad); GoldRush (gold colour with shimmer); Spun Gold (white gold highlight colour; shimmer).

Pans can be removed just like MAC palettes. They are bigger in size at 4 g/.14 oz.


I can't wait for my next order to come in! Hopefully Monday. I'll share the swatches of the lipstick and gloss tomorrow as well as show you the Eye Primer and Powder.

Reminder: Marcelle giveaway for Canadian readers ends tomorrow!

A quick reminder about the Marcelle giveaway for my Canadian readers ends tomorrow evening. If you're a Canadian reader, click here to enter.

Hope you are having a great weekend. Weather is gorgeous in Toronto today -- it's actually warm.

Later this weekend, I hope to post about my*ahem* NARS haul and the swatches for the Pandora's Makeup Box shadows etc.

If I had to buy one.....

Thought of this post idea in the middle of the night in a bout of insomnia. If I could only buy one...

- high end lipstick in the entire year, it would be...YSL Rouge Volupte in Ultimate Beige! Wearable, elegant and creamy. Love love love it.

- high-end eyeshadow, it would be...MAC pigment in Naked. This is the perfect base for many looks for me and has been a product I have been using weekly since I bought it.

- high-end lipgloss, it would be MAC dazzleglass creme in Amorous.
Gorgeous colour!

-mascara, it would Dior Iconic. I'm LOVING this mascara. Could it my new HG of all mascaras?

-low-end lipstick, it would be Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in Mauve-Me. Lovely mauve pink for the fall.

-foundation, it would be Diorskin Nude in #30. Love the finish of this foundation -- it gives enough coverage but doesn't feel heavy. It doesn't give a super glowy look but isn't matte either which is exactly how I like it.

-low-end eyeshadow, it would be any of the Joe Fresh shadows or the Marcelle Wet/Dry shadows. Good products at an affordable price.

-high-end blush, it would be...a NARS blush. I couldn't choose one! Aaack!

I tag anyone who wants to do this and let me know if you do as I would love to read your answers.

Love at first sight: Pandora's Makeup Box

Ladies, I'm excited. Super excited. What about? A new makeup line from Canada -- it is called Pandora's Makeup Box. I haven't been this excited really since I placed an order for Illamasqua earlier this summer.

I was sent some products to try out from the line which just recently launched. If I'm sent any products to try out, I usually give it a couple of weeks before I post (if I decide to post) anything. But with the goodies from Pandora's Makeup Box, it is truly a case of love at first sight --- and swatch!

Pandora's Makeup Box was started by makeup artist Susan Kirsch. The collection has "a fun modern vintage feel with especially eco-chic, refillable magnetic cases that allow you to customize your eye shadow or blush palette." Its minimal packaging is "plastic-free, recyclable, and is printed with enviro-safe, soy ink."

The blush, powder, eyeshadow palette and eyeshadow primer all come with a removable floral paper label (see above photo), which is cute. After you remove the label, you can see the product through a pretty floral 'window' which I think is very unique. Sure beats the MAC plastic palettes. The lipstick's packaging is pink and uber cute (see photo above)

Here's a run-down on what I am going to be testing out in more detail over the next few weeks, and my initial impressions:

It's a Fall Day eyeshadow quad (a very pretty quad featuring golds, burnt orangey brown colour and a chocolate colour. It reminds me of the Spiced Chocolate Quad from MAC. Shadows are super pigmented and smooth. They are bigger in size than the MAC shadow palettes)

Eyeshadow Primer (I'm intrigued to see how this compares to the Too Faced Shadow Insurance which I love)

Ciao Lipgloss (I adore this already -- I wore it all day today and I have to say it is one of the best lipgloss formulations I've ever tried. Not sticky, very pigmented and smooth to apply. This colour is a beige shimmer that looks AMAZING on -- my FOTD below doesn't do it any justice)

Lolita blush (pretty peachy pink; again super pigmented; a beautiful glow; a little goes a long way)

Lipstick in Natural Girl (pretty pinky neutral colour; matte; looks great with Ciao on top)

Face Powder (smooth; easy to apply; look forward to testing it out some more)

My camera's battery died before I could photograph swatches but I will tomorrow. Here's a quick FOTD using all the products. Excuse the lack of detail in the photo. I will do a more thorough review of the products after a few more test runs.

Overall, my initial take on the products is that they are fantastic.

I felt so strongly about this that I placed an order online for more products this evening.

Pandora’s Makeup Box is currently available on www.pandorasmakeupbox.com , and in Toronto at Kirsch Cosmetic Studio and Murale in The Shops at Don Mills. They ship internationally which is great news for my international readers. Check out the site for more info and to see the colours.

Stay tuned for more on Pandora's Makeup Box!