My 12 favorite beauty products of 2012

Happy 2013 everyone!
Shockingly, I have found a bunch of HG or 'holy grail' products this year! It makes me happy to find amazing things that suit me, but at the same time it takes the fun away from hunting for something new.

Everything in this post are products I use daily or a few times per week.
You might recognize some of these items from my summer favorites post.
Sorry, I didn't take individual pictures of everything, I wanted to get this posted before 2014 ;) So; here are my top 12 beauty buys from 2012.

 

12. Clinique take the day off cleansing balm  $34 CAD

This was a recent discovery and I am so impressed with it. I've wasted so much money trying to find a 'gentle' cleanser that completely removes makeup.  I can't use foaming cleansers or wipes anymore, they make my face red and irritated. This balm easily takes off every single trace of makeup, even waterproof mascara - and it rinses off completely. No oily residue at all! I love this stuff so much.

11. Essence volumizing lash powder $3.99 CAD

I was skeptical, but this stuff works so well. I found that using wet mascara with it is best. Covergirl lash blast (orange tube) worked magically with it. It gave me fake looking lashes. The fibers won't irritate sensitive eyes, just be careful when applying and you will get amazing lashes.

10. ELF liquid eyeliner $1.50 CAD

I grabbed this back in the summer when I ran out of MAC penultimate liner (which dried out within 3 months of use :( And I don't think I will look back. I can get a thin dark line in one swipe, and it stays put all day. So cheap too!

9. Maybelline color tattoo cream shadow bad to the bronze $8.99 CAD

I use this all the time. It's one of my go-to shadows because it is so quick and easy to get a gorgeous taupe shimmery eye. Just apply to lids, add a few coats of mascara and then put on some more for a little more color intensity.

8. Wet n Wild color icon palette vanity $6.99 CAD

I think this is what I would consider my HG eyeshadow palette. I recently purchased a back up. It's so pigmented and gorgeous. The colors blend like a dream. I was using MAC blanc type as an all over base shadow before, but when I started using the matte beige in this quad I realized that it was even better than MAC! I will never be without this palette.

7. NARS larger than life lipgloss Tiber $30 CAD

I love NARS larger than life glosses. I think they are the best out there. They are shiny, long lasting and hydrating. No stickiness at all. Tiber is my favorite color, a nice neutral beige. I am going to buy more.

6. MAC lipstick blankety $18 CAD

This is my HG lipstick. It is the perfect mix of pink and beige and I can wear it with anything. It tones down the redness in my lips but it doesn't make me look like a corpse.

5. MAC paint pot constructivist $20 CAD

I love this as an all over lid color or as a liner. It's a nice rich brown with reddish pearl. It makes my green eyes pop. Genius color. Another item I will never be without.

4.  MAC eyebrow pencil lingering $18 CAD

This has become my HG brow product. I have tried lots. This is IT. The color is perfect, it looks totally natural, it defines and helps shape and fill in brows where needed. Most importantly, it stays on all day and it keeps brows in place. I couldn't ask for more. I have heard that maybelline has a dupe of this product so I will be checking that out too.

3. MAC mineralize skin finish light year (limited edition)  $34 CAD

I'm sorry I had to put an LE product in here, but this has become my everyday blush. I mix all the colors together and it gives me a luminous pink/beige/peach glow that I haven't got from anything else. It's exactly what I want in a blush. A little glow without looking overdone. All pale girls need this in their stash!

2. MAC play it proper beauty powder $34 CAD

This is my HG highlight product. It is a light pearly pink and it gives my cheekbones an amazing glow. I've hit pan and already have a backup because I use it pretty well every day. 

I highly recommend light pink highlighters for pale skin, I think they are the most flattering.

1. Make up forever face and body foundation $44 CAD

My number one favorite? MUFE face and body foundation. I love it. I haven't found any other foundation that gives such a youthful look to skin as this. It's dewy but it is so light feeling, and it lasts all day. I tried shade #20 and it was very dark on me, I ended up going for #38 porcelain ivory and it is a pretty decent match. It's expensive, and hard to get here but I will keep using it until I find something similar.

I hope you liked my top 12! What were your favorites of 2012? There were so many great things this year it was hard to pick!

My summer beauty favorites!

 I thought I'd do a little post on all my favorite makeup I've been using this summer. All products in this post I use daily or at least once per week. I'll list everything and why I'm loving it :

 Left to right:

• NARS larger than life lipgloss in Tiber ~ perfect nude color, awesome formula not too sticky and actually moisturizing!
• MAC prep + prime BB beauty balm spf 35PA+++ ~ Amazing product! I am using the Asian version currently, it's almost the same as the U.S. just has different sunscreen actives. I was using products with SPF 15 but realized I need more SPF than that (my skin was getting irritated by the sun). So this beauty balm (not to be confused with BB cream!) is sheer and non greasy, providing a perfect base for makeup with SPF 35. On good skin days I use it by itself, just evens everything out and gives a slight glow.
• Biotherm multi-proctection SPF 30 eye contour cream ~ Awesome eye cream with SPF. It's fast absorbing and moisturizing, perfect under makeup.
• Burberry Brit EDP ~ I got this by accident, and I'm glad I did because I love it! I picked this up in a sleep deprived haze - thought it was Burberry the Beat (which I also adore!) and once I tried it I thought I may as well keep it. It's grown on me.. it smells warm, clean, sweet and summery. 
• Cover Girl lash blast mascara waterproof ~ I only use this when I need to since it's hard to remove, but it stays all day and is truly water resistant!
• Cover Girl liquiline blast brown blaze ~ The most perfect brown liner I've ever used! I'm not exaggerating. The color is gorgeous and doesn't have shimmer so it's great for the waterline. I like this for the summer because it isn't harsh like black can be.
• MAC penultimate eyeliner rapid black ~ I've been searching for a liner like this forever. I can actually make a tiny, small line with this! I love using it on the top lash line to add just a little bit of fullness to my lashes without having to make a thick line.

 

• Wet n Wild vanity palette  ~ Love this! I like to use the matte colors for a subtle look somedays, and for a more smoky eye I put the shimmery brown over MAC constructivist paint pot and it looks amazing... try it!
• MAC MSF semi precious crystal pink ~ I'm really sad this is limited edition because it's the perfect summer blush and highlighter in one. I use this a lot, the middle gives a light bronze/pink blush and the outside gives a shimmery beige highlight. It's perfect.
• MAC constructivist paint pot ~ Gorgeous deep brown with reddish undertones. I use this one a lot too. I like to layer shimmery taupes and browns over it for a smoky eye.
• Maybelline 24 hr eye tattoo in bad to the bronze ~ Another amazing color. It's the one thing I must say you need for summer. Some days when I want a minimal look thats fast and easy I just use this all over the lid with some mascara and I'm good to go. It's the perfect champagne taupe color, not too dark or too light. The best thing is that it stays all day and doesn't crease or travel.
• MAC lipstick blankety ~ This has become my favorite lipstick ever. It goes with everything, It also makes lips look plump.
• Urban Decay naked palette ~ (Forgot to take a pic!) This is my go-to palette most days. I love it.

One of my favorite summer polishes is Illamasqua Milf. I love it! Sorry for the blurry pic, was holding my baby and trying to aim the camera with the same arm.

 

Here is my summer FOTD, very basic and neutral. I'm spending a lot of time outside so I look really tan..wow.
My FOTD:
face:
- MAC prep + prime beauty balm
- Revlon Colorstay in buff (a whole shade darker than the usual ivory! )
- MAC MSF crystal pink
eyes:
- Urban Decay naked palette: naked (lid), buck (crease & lower lash line), sin (blended above crease), virgin (to highlight).
- Armani eyes to kill mascara (review coming soon!)
- Annabelle brow pencil taupe
lips:
NARS larger than life l/g Tiber

Well I hope you are all having a great summer. My family and I are enjoying it, looking forward to holidays in a few weeks as well.
Let me know what your favorite summer beauty products are! Especailly any skin care and foundations, always up for trying new things :)

Favorite drugstore beauty buys of 2011

Happy new year everyone!

Are you broke from Christmas? Want to treat yourself to a little something without breaking your wallet?

Well, I've got a list here of inexpensive but awesome drugstore products for those that want to be beautiful on a budget.

This is not my top 2011 list (that is coming soon) but these are all really good products and I'd recommend trying them!


From left to right:

• Cover Girl Lash Blast 24 Hr $9.99 CAD
  This literally blew me out of the water! I almost gave up on drugstore mascaras, until I tried this. It lengthens and volumizes all while holding a curl like nothing else! It stays on all day without flaking or smudging.

• Wet n Wild coloricon palette in greed $6.99 CAD
  Almost every color in this palette is a MAC dupe, and the quality of the shadows in lust are by far superior to those in other WnW palettes I've tried. This also looks amazing with green eyes!

• NYC smooth skin pressed powder in translucent $2.99 CAD
  One of my all time favorite powders ever. It's very light and doesn't oxidize, doesn't emphasize dry skin like so many powders do and it covers pores for a flawless look. You really can't go wrong with this.

• Maybelline super stay 14 hr lipstick in beige forgood $10.99 CAD
  This color is a fantastic neutral beige nude. It stays on for hours and doesn't dry my lips out. This is one of my top lipsticks right now.

• Maybelline baby lips lip balm in peach kiss $3.97 CAD
  Although the artificial scent and taste aren't to my liking, this is a nice light hydrating balm to wear by itself or under lipstick. I have found since using this daily my lips do not feel as dry or chapped as before.

• Cover girl lip perfection lipstick in romance $ 8.99 CAD
  I was pleasantly surprised to find lip perfection lipsticks are super pigmented and rich. They last a while and hydrate, it's hard to believe these are made by cover girl. Romance is a lovely pinked mauve shade with slight shimmer, it looks great on pale skin!

• Maybelline color tattoo 24hr cream gel eyeshadows $6.97 CAD
  These cream eyeshadows are just super. I love my MAC paint pots but these are just as good. You can see more about them here.

• Revlon colorstay blemish concealer with softflex $10.99 CAD
  This is the best concealer I have found that covers minor imperfections and redness. I always feel better after I put it on because I know it won't come off until I decide to take it off. The amount of Salicylic acid is too low to have any anti-acne benefits but this is still a great choice if you want to keep covered all day.

Well that's all for now, do you like any of these drugstore picks?

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.

MAC Ever hip lipstick swatches and some comparisons

I don't know about you but I'm into coral pink colors lately. I think coral suits all skin tones and brightens up the face nicely.
Ever Hip lipstick first came out with MAC's Liberty of London collection, and was recently re-released in the fashion flower collection for spring 2011.
I grabbed it right away when I saw it at the counter, I knew I'd love it.

MAC ever hip swatch:

It's a cremesheen finish, which means it isn't drying (yay) but doesn't last more than an hour or two on the lips.

wearing ever hip:

I adore this color because it looks really flattering against pale skin. It brightens up my face and adds a touch of color. I really think that everyone should own a color something like this, it's nude but a little brighter and fun for summer.

I've taken the chance to compare ever hip with some other similar colors all found at the drugstore. I know not everyone uses MAC or can find sold out colors, so here are some other options that are more easily found.

Left to right:

Mac Ever hip, Maybelline pink please, Wet n Wild 903C just peachy, Revlon coral reef gloss

Swatches:

Mac Ever hip, Maybelline pink please, Wet n Wild 903C just peachy, Revlon coral reef gloss

- Maybelline pink please is definitely more pink than coral. There is just the tiniest hint of peachy coral in it for those that only want a tiny pop of color. see more swatches of this here.

- Wet n wild mega matte 903C just peachy is more peach than coral, but it's definitely got a warm orange tone to it. It looks really bright on my lips for some reason and I don't wear it very often. It could be the matte-ness of the color that makes it seem brighter when applied.

- Revlon super lustorous lipgloss in coral reef is very similar to MAC ever hip. It is almost the exact same color. I think it is just a touch brighter. I'd recommend this if you are looking for a true coral color. The great thing about it is that you can sheer it out or layer it on heavily depending on how much coral you like.

here is a swatch of Revlon coral reef on the lips:

Another lipstick by Revlon that is similar to ever hip is called pink in the afternoon. I don't own it but I do believe that the color would be almost identical as it is also a nude toned coral pink.

What kinds of colors are you liking lately now that the summer is approaching?

Wet n Wild Greed ColorIcon Palette photos, swatches and EOTD

Please excuse the lack of posts lately, life is just crazy right now! It's great though because I've recently been able to grab a few new things to review in the future. I can't say what, it's a secret!

I am not really a big fan of Wet n wild palettes myself, but I couldn't resist the colors in this one. Especially the shimmery golden peach/pink color, it's really beautiful!


I found the pigmentation of these shadows pretty good. Compared to the silent treatment trio I had tried before I liked this way better!

The matte colors are really nice and creamy, very blendable and dense pigment. The shimmery ones are ok, not as pigmented as I had hoped. I found them to be a little chalky, but they did blend well.

Swatches of greed, shimmer colors (top) and matte colors (bottom) :

My EOTD using all three of the shimmer colors:

I used my favorite color (the pink gold) all over the lid. I should add that to really make them pop I applied the matte flesh toned color all over my eyes before applying the shimmery colors.


please excuse the brows as I was trying to grow them out when these pics were taken!

I don't reach for this palette very much because I am mostly wearing neutrals and bronzey colors these days, but I think I will play around with it some more and see what I come up with.

I really don't think you can go wrong with this for $6... even if it is just for one of the colors!

I should also mention that the purple color with gold sparkle is a dead on dupe for NARS stada! I hated strada because it didn't show up on me nearly as nicely as it looked in the pan. This wet n wild color however, (I think the single color is called 'kitten') is far more smooth than NARS and actually looks great over a primer.

I love finding cheap dupes that are even better than the more expensive brand ;) have you found any great dupes lately?

Wet n Wild silent treatment trio photos, swatches and EOTD

I sort of had high expectations of this trio, since everyone is always raving about how great the new Wet n Wild eyeshadows are.

top to bottom: brow bone color, crease color, lid color

They have decent pigment, and the color payoff is pretty good over an eyeshadow primer.
I did find the brow bone and crease shades a bit chalky. The brow bone color is especially hard to work with, I practically had to dig at it to get it to show up.

Swatches top to bottom: lid, crease, brow (you can barely see it!)

My favorite is the smooth textured lid color (top), it's the winner of the trio!

EOTD using all 3 colors:

This trio is ok, but nothing amazing. I really like the lid color and I would buy it separately because I'm not going to use the crease and brow bone colors much.
I find some of Wet n wild products great, while others are sort of mediocre. The best thing about the brand is that it's easy on the wallet!

I suppose I am used to using more expensive buttery pigmented eyeshadows all the time, so I wasn't wowed by this at all. I can see how some would think it's great.
Do you like Wet n Wild products? Whats your favorite?

Wet n wild 902C bare it all mega last lipstick photos and swatches

I just had to post about this lipstick since it's become a daily staple for me.
This is one of my favorite lipsticks of all time.

Wet n wild 902C swatch:

This color is perfection. It's a mix of peach and pink that suits my pale face nicely. I really do think it would look great on anyone though.
I like the matte formula of the mega last lipsticks. I use a balm underneath and they don't make my lips feel dry or uncomfortable at all. They last for a few hours of wear which is great.

swatches on lips:

This is very close in color to MAC honeylove lipstick (see my swatch of it here) . I like honeylove a lot, but I like 902C bare it all even better because it isn't quite as light or peach as honeylove.

902C With Estee Lauder peach fizz gloss over top:

I highly recommend this lipstick if you are looking for a nice neutral go to color. For the $3.99 price tag I promise you won't regret it.
If they ever discontinue this color I will be so upset. That's what happened with my other favorite lipstick from L'oreal called in the buff.

What's your favorite lipstick of all time?

NOTD: wet n wild fantasy makers ghouly nail color

This is quite an interesting color! Sadly I don't know when it was released but I assume it's a special Halloween color. I found it while perusing a dollar store filled with random dusties from caboodles, NYC, and wet n wild.
Hunting for old & discontinued nail polish colors is so much fun!

Ghouly changes colors, from green to teal to purple. It really is very unique! In direct light it looks super bright grass green, but it wouldn't photograph well for me.

It's quite sheer and I needed 4 coats for it to look like this.