NOTD: OPI I lily love you over suzi skis the pyrenees

Above: 2 coats OPI suzi skis the Pyrenees - deep smokey blackened teal

I got OPI I lily love you when it first came out with the nice stems collection for summer. This color is insane. The clear base is completely loaded with all different shapes and sizes of glitter and big flakies.

This is 2 coats of I lily love you layered over 2 coats of Suzi skis the Pyrenees:

Glitter overdose!

My camera sucks so the colors don't show up well, but within the glitters you can see practically every color of the rainbow. predominately blue, green, pink, yellow and orange.





I think that one coat of I lily love you would have been better than two, because all the glitter chunks started merging and getting slightly gnarled up. It looked very cosmic, in fact I named it 'cosmic insanity'.

I lily love you looks cool over other colors too. I first tried it over mermaids tear's (sea foam green/teal) and it turned a neat purple because of the pink jelly base. It's definitely a versatile polish, I'd love to do a matte look with it too.

This is a must have polish for glitter fans. It's the craziest glitter I've ever seen!

Help save the sharks! LUSH shark fin soap

I stopped in at Lush the other day to find a table with shark fin soaps and a public petition to stop the slaughter of sharks for their fins.
I immediately signed the petition, and was about to walk out when the sales lady mentioned that 100% of the proceeds from shark fin soaps go to shark savers!
I don't like bar soap much, but I want to support sharks any way I can, so I brought home this little baby, and I'm so glad I did!


In case you didn't know, sharks are my favorite animals. In particular, the great white shark.
I don't cry very often, but when I see footage of shark finning, or any shark killing at all, I burst into tears. They are my soul animal.

Shark fin soap is actually really neat! The top portion looks like the oceans surface, with a shark fin swimming through it.

The bottom of the soap is bejeweled with sea salt and sea weed. Very oceanic, and exfoliating!

This soap smells like the sea, comforting, fresh invigorating and natural. I actually love it. It's great for exfoliating any dry patches or rough parts.

Even if you don't plan on buying this soap, please just stop in to your nearest LUSH and sign the petition to ban shark finning.
These inhumane beasts catch sharks, cut thier fins off and throw them back into the ocean to die. It's the saddest thing in the world.
Together, we can help these beautiful sharks from going extinct! <3

UPDATE: you can sign the online petition to help sharks! choose which petition is from your country, and help save the sharks right now :) click here for more information.

NARS rebecca duo photos, swatches and EOTD

Rebecca, an interesting duo from NARS I recently acquired is described as Kiwi / Amber with shimmer.
Looks quite intriguing doesn't it?

More than anything these shadows seem frosted with shimmer. Frosty pale iced green and frosty light reddened brown. The shadows are pigmented, but they are very sheer and fine.

Swatched heavily:

My EOTD using Rebecca:

I used my usual gosh primer, and layered the colors quite a few times but they went on very sheer. They are more or less a 'wash' as opposed to being intense and rich. I figure to get them to show up more vividly you can use them wet.

Personally I don't like this duo. The coloring is just wrong on me! The 'amber' made my eyes look red and sore, and the 'kiwi' just didn't show up enough. I just think it makes me look ill.

Maybe darker skin tones can pull these colors off, but I'm not sure it would be flattering on anyone.

trash review: MAC pro eye makeup remover

I recently finished off my huge bottle of MAC pro eye makeup remover.
It lasted me a really long time! I had one that was in older white and black packaging, it now comes in a clear purple hued bottle (shown above).

pro eye makeup remover old packaging:

The new one only comes with 3.4 oz (100 ml) of product, but the older version comes with a whopping 5 oz (150 ml)!!!

Let me tell you, I have a hard time finding eye makeup removers that work for me. They almost always sting, burn and irritate my sensitive eyes.
I usually go for lotions that don't irritate, but then I'm left with blurry eyes from oils that are hard to wash off.

MAC's is so gentle, that it feels like I'm taking off my makeup with water. No irritation at all.
The formula is fragrance free, and the ingredients list is basic, excellent for someone with sensitive eyes.

Ingredients:
Water, PEG-32, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, PEG-6, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol

I must mention that I do not use waterproof mascara (I lose too many lashes) so I'm not sure if this would work for that.
I found it to quickly and easily remove regular mascara, waterproof eyeliner and eyeshadow. I didn't have to pull on my eyes at all. When wearing very heavy liner and lots of primer/shadow I did have to go over it twice. But it did take it off.

I will be honest and say that you can probably find something similar to this for a lot cheaper. However, if something works well for me I don't mind spending a bit more money instead of buying cheap stuff that has so much added irritants/fragrance it ends up in the garbage anyways.
MAC also sells the travel size of this (1 oz) for $12 CAD, not too bad if you want to try it out.
If you can find the older packaging at CCO's, definitely get it because it's a great deal-- or grab one for me ;)

repurchase? Absolutely

rating: 4.5/5

price: $23 CAD

Estee Lauder sumptuous mascara review

Another Estee Lauder mascara, to be honest I really like some of their products lately! I loathe the gold/blue packaging but hey - it's what's inside that matters most.

Sumptuous is Lauder's 'bold volume lifting mascara'. I wouldn't say it's 'lifting' in any way but as for volume it works wonders.

The brush is a little bit big, but still easy enough to use. It grabs lashes and coats them nicely.

The brush up close:

Wearing sumptuous:

I found that with two coats I got pretty good volume and length from this mascara.
My lashes aren't as defined/separated as I'd like wearing this, but they did look nice and lush/full.
I didn't find it lifting at all, but it held curl through the day which is a big plus.
No smudging, flaking or smearing at all. Easy to remove.
Overall, a pretty good mascara. If you like volume you will love this.

repurchase? No, I like more defined lashes.

rating: 4/5

price: $21 USD

Gosh velvet touch lipstick swatches nougat and cappuchino

Above: L Nougat and R Cappuchino

I got these lipsticks a while ago, they were limited edition for Spring 2011.
The quality of these mimics MAC's lustre formula, with an opaque slightly glossy finish.
I only wish that they stayed on longer, they need to be reapplied often.

Swatches: L to R nougat and cappuchino

Nougat is a very warm reddish brown. It would suit warmer complexions very nicely. It looks kind of 'off' on my pale face. It reminds me of Laura Mercier lipstick in discretion.

Cappucino is a light beige/greyed taupe that I absolutely adore! It looks very similar to MAC fresh brew. Sorry I don't have swatches of fresh brew but you can see that it also looks a bit like MAC to pamper lipstick (swatch here).

Cappuccino:

nougat:

I like these but I don't love them.

Lately I'm preferring long wearing lipsticks and liners to last through my shift at work. Any recommendations for lippies that stay on nicely are appreciated ;)

Missha M perfect cover BB cream review

Missha was the very first BB cream I ever tried. It is probably the most popular brand of BB creams in the beauty world.

BB or blemish balms are super popular all over Asia. They originated in Germany as a tinted healing cream for patients who underwent skin treatments and needed something to help protect, heal and soothe the skin. Japan picked up on theses ingredients and are now pumping out all different kinds of BB creams.


Here is Missha's description of the M perfect BB cream:

' The M Perfect Cover BB Cream gives an even and natural-looking coverage with the soothing, moisturising properties of a cream. It is suitable for all skin types including acne-prone skin, and can be used as a makeup base or foundation. '
source: http://www.misshaus.com

Ingredients list:
Water(Aqua), Cyclomethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Zinc Oxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mineral Oil, Phenyl Trimethicone, Talc, Arbutin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Dimethicone, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Squalane, Adenosine, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Polyethylene, Beeswax(Cera Alba), Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Caviar Extract, Algae Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract, Ceramide 3, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Chloride, Fragrance(Parfum), Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxycitronellal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Citronellol
MAY CONTAIN[+/-; Titanium Dioxide(CI 77891), Iron Oxides(CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)]

This ingredients list tells me that there are some excellent antioxidant ingredients in the Missha BB cream.
It is very emmolient and moisturizing to the skin. It is comparable to a very creamy thick tinted moisturizer.

I used this product for 3 days straight and although I liked it I had to stop using it.
Upon first application, I realized that the color was two shades too dark for my pale skin. It also seemed slightly ashy toned.
I really liked the way it made my skin glow with moisture and radiance.
I tried applying it again, this time with a lighter powder over top and it helped to lighten the color a bit.
By the third day of using this my skin became slightly sensitized and I developed tiny red spots around my t zone (an indication of inflamed/irritated skin).
I believe that the algae extract is the culprit, because I seem to have a reaction to anything that has algae in it.

swatch of M perfect # 21 light beige:

Swatch on my arm - bottom half of the line is 21 blended, top is my natural skin. you can see the coverage is pretty good, my veins aren't as noticeable:

I would normally post pictures of how this looked on my face but I don't want to use it again due to my allergic reaction.
One other thing I noticed about this was that it seemed to make my skin darker. I mean after using it for 3 days it seemed like I had applied a self tanner. This effect lasted about 2 weeks. I didn't particularly like it.
I've read that this is because the pigments 'stain' the skin, but for something that is claimed to 'lighten' my skin it just doesn't seem right. It's a mystery to me.
I will tell you right now that this won't lighten your skin one bit!

Overall, I would recommend this to those with normal, dry or very dry skin who want light to moderate coverage and skin conditioning ingredients.
Since the finish is quite dewy and it does contain oil, this wouldn't be the best choice for oily skin types.
I would also be careful if you have sensitive skin because there are a few possible skin irritants in the ingredients list.

The great thing about Missha BB cream is that there are several color options, so that pale and deeper skin tones can wear it. Most BB's only come in one shade, usually quite pale or medium.
If you are curious about BB creams Missha has a good reputation, but there are many different brands available.

repurchase? No, I had an allergic reaction and found that it darkened my skin.

rating: 3/5

price: $20-$30 USD

Wet n Wild megalash clinical serum review

You might not know this, but I am obsessive about my eyelashes. I want the longest most beautiful lashes I can get, and I try many -I mean many- mascaras to achieve this effect.
Well, mascaras just haven't been doing it for me lately so I wanted to try another lash serum since rapidlash failed me (read more about my rapidlash experience here).

The main reason I chose to try wet n wild lash serum is because I came across this in Paula Begoun's review:

' It’s worth mentioning that the star ingredient in Megalash Clinical Serum (myristoyl pentapeptide-17) is one of the same star ingredients in Jan Marini’s $160 lash growth serum, Marini Lash. ' source: beautypedia.com

I wanted to try Marini lash a few years ago, but never had enough money to splurge. Naturally, I had to give the $8 megalash serum a go!

Megalash is packaged in an easy to use tube, with an applicator that is slanted like a brow brush. It's larger than I expected, and picks up a lot of product, too much actually. I ended up having to brush off the excess onto the inside of the opening, which led to this balling up action all over the inner rim.

Excess product wastage is not cool, it got all gunky and became a nuisance. here is what I mean in this pic, arrow is pointing to the dried up stuff :
I didn't have any negative effects from this serum. There is a slight warming sensation upon applying but it went away within an hour. I became more tolerant to it the more I used it and now I don't feel anything when I apply it unless I get it in my eye - then it stings a bit.

I used megalash for 1 month. I took pictures every week to monitor growth and changes. I curled my lashes in every pic with my shisiedo eyelash curler.

here is the breakdown:

week 1: started using megalash. My natural lashes are semi-long, full but they are very straight.

Week 2: I started to notice a difference about 1.5 weeks later. My lashes looked a bit fuller and longer. 2nd week I actually lost quite a few lashes. This is so odd because it's happens on week two of every lash growth product I've tried. It lasts for a few days and then stops. I felt my lashes were thinner, but longer.

Week 3: I noticed my lashes looking longer. Not as full as they were.

Week 4: My lashes look longer. They are absolutely longer because when I go to curl them now they extend over the top of my curler. They did not do that before! I would not say that they are fuller at all. Just some length, but hey I'm not complaining!

Here is a comparison between day 1 and day 31:

My lashes are longer by a few millimeters. I am happy with the results.

I've realized a big con to this treatment. Using it twice a day delivers results but it's also inconvenient.
I applied every night after taking off my makeup, and every morning after washing my face.
Around week 3 I noticed that my eyelashes wouldn't hold a curl anymore. I would curl them, apply mascara and even curl a second time only to find my lashes straight again after a couple hours.
I was getting frustrated, so I tried a new heated eyelash curler. It didn't make a difference.
I recently stopped applying the serum in the morning, and I have found my lashes stay curled again. The serum had started to weigh them down! It wouldn't let my lashes curl upwards, and that was a very big drawback.

That is the main reason I won't buy this again, but I will look into other treatments.
Actually, I am going to try ardell lash growth accelerator now.
I do recommend this serum if you are curious about lash growth products and don't want to spend a fortune or use any crazy drug that causes creepy side effects.

repurchase? No, it weighed my lashes down and maximum results are achieved by using 2x daily.

rating: 4/5

price: $7.99 CAD

NOTD: sinful green ocean

Well I've gotten my camera working again. For now anyways. I'll get the new one in a few weeks, can't wait until I can take very high quality pictures!

I got my hands on sinful green ocean recently, it's a sheer green base loaded with small particle green glitter, tiny blue flakes and large green/gold flakes.
I adore flakie nail polishes, and am slowly but surely building up my collection.

For a beautiful multidimensional glitter I started with 2 coats of Wet n wild teal of fortune (rich teal with tiny gold glass flecks), plus 2 coats of sinful green ocean over top.

It turned out really pretty, but the flakes didn't pop as much as they would over a black polish.






I really like sinful nail polish. They have pretty awesome unique colors, and the quality is decent.
For the cheap price around $3.50 CAD you can't go wrong.

Any other sinful colors polishes I need to check out? I'm on the hunt for deep blue ocean right now.