An update

Good day to anyone who might still check my blog! There are a few reasons I have been gone, and I don't know when I will be back.

I have been having health issues ever since I had my son in April 2012. I have changed my lifestyle somewhat and I am definitely making a lot of healthier choices and it has helped. But not enough. Some things are beyond my control and I'm just not in the best place right now. I used to come here to let out my creative energy but it seems that I don't have as much of that left in me after work and putting the kids to bed. I think maybe I'm just getting old LOL.

I do plan on creating a tumblr and I would love to help with any questions on beauty and cosmetics. Also might share some pics there but probably not for a while because my skin is so bad right now it will be a while before I get that camera out again.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that has supported me on this wonderful journey and I hope you will all be here when I come back to blogging.
xoxo Lexa

MAC Archies girls haul, swatches, photos and FOTD

 Hello all, I could not resist this collection because I was pretty well obsessed with Archie comics when I was a kid. Part of me thought maybe I should pass since I'm a grown up now but then I saw the color story and everything that is in Betty's collection just called my name.

So here we go, $240 CAD later...

 

 I got flatter me pearl matte, veronica's blush pearlmatte, cream soda blush, lord it up pearlglide eyeliner, summer sweetheart lipglass, betty bright lipstick and caramel sundae eyeshadow quad.

This is mainly just a photo swatch post, but I am going to be doing a comparison post soon.
I know there are many swatches floating around out there already, but in case you want to see how they look on super pale skin NC10/NC15 then this is for you. My camera likes to pick up odd cool/warm tones so they are not the most accurate of swatches but I tried to capture how the products look on me.

Betty bright lipstick:

 

Swatches betty bright lipstick (top) and  summer sweetheart lipglass (bottom) :

 

 wearing Betty Bright lipstick :

Wearing summer sweetheart lipglass:

 

 lord it up pearlglide swatch :

Caramel sundae quad swatches :

 Veronicas blush pearlmatte swatch  (this one is not nearly matte!) :

 Flatter me pearlmatte swatch :

cream soda blush swatch  (this was sooo pigmented I was shocked!) :

  

 My 'Betty' FOTD (breakdown below) :

Eyes:
- MAC bare study paint pot
-caramel sundae quad

- lord it up pearlglide

- prestige my biggest lashes mascara
- MAC brow pencil lingering
- MAC prep & prime highlighter radiant rose

Face:
- Revlon Colorstay foundation normal/dry 110 ivory

- MAC careblend powder light  

Cheeks :

- Cream soda blush (on apples)

- flatter me pearlmatte (lightly over top cream soda blush)

 Lips: 

- summer sweetheart lipglass

What did you think of the Archie's girls collection? Did you want/get anything from it?

Physicians formula organic wear fake out mascara review

I really hunted this new mascara down! I went to about 5 different local drug stores before I found it.

Physicians formula fake out mascara claims to give an '(almost) false lash effect' and  '24 hr wear'.
It is described as the '1st EVER mascara with 100% natural origin lash extension fibers for the full-on fringe of false lashes without irritation.' That just sounded amazing for a natural mascara. Maybe too amazing!

I adore the packaging. I don't think I've ever seen a fuchsia colored mascara tube before!

The wand is huge! One of the biggest I've used. It is actually hard to get it close to your lashes because it is so massive. It's practically impossible to get it onto lower lashes, I tried my best but I end up did poking myself.

fake out wand:

Sigh, I had such high hopes for this mascara. All the claims sounded so good. I have tried the original organic wear mascara and the lash boosting one as well - both were really good. They held curl, added length and conditioned my lashes.

Fake out is different because of the fibers. In a good and bad way.
First, I  found the formula extremely dry. I mean so dry, it was hard to get an even coat on. I had to layer a lot to get it onto my lashes evenly.

This is what 4 coats looks like:

 

Yah, sadly, it took 4 coats to get my lashes noticeably defined and thick.  

My lashes aren't short per say, but this made them feel stubby and weighed down. 

The fibers did not extend the tips of the lashes, but worked to thicken them.

Physicians Formula made this fake out formula so viscous and dry it can't lift and lengthen the way the other organic wear mascaras do.

It wore fairly well, with slight flaking by the end of the day, but that is expected with 4 coats of a dry mascara!

My huge gripe with all the organic wear mascaras? If they come in contact with water (like rain, eyedrops, crying) they will run everywhere, horribly. Fake out did this, but not as badly as the others did.

Please, Physicians Formula - please make organic wears in water proof or water resistant! 

Overall, if you don't mind a dry mascara that needs layering, and only want volume - you might just love this.

If you like wet formulas and length/drama then you probobly won't like this very much.

Repurchase? No, too dry

Price: $17.99 CAD (and it came with $6 rebate coupon)

Rating: 3/5 

Revlon nearly naked foundation review and comparison

Revlon has closely copied Urban Decay's naked foundation! You can check out my review for Urban Decay's version here.

Unfortunately, nearly naked does not come with a foundation pump. Why Revlon why? And, this Canadian version does not come with SPF 20 like the US version. WTH!? That makes me mad.

 I got the lightest shade, 110 ivory. I thought it would be too pink but it actually works well on my skin (NC10). It blends in nicely, and the finish is very skin-like

Nearly naked 110 ivory swatch on hand:

blended:

And here are the before and after pics on my face. Yeah I know I labeled it 'almost naked' lol. oops.

As you can see it is medium coverage, and easily covers redness and scars. I love the finish of this. It blends so beautifully.

So, here is the break down on how Revlon compares to Urban Decay's formula:

Price:
Revlon nearly naked $10.97 CAD for 1oz / UD naked skin $45 CAD for 1 oz
Revlon is $34 cheaper!

packaging:
Here is where UD excels! UD comes in a nice pump bottle, while Revlon is housed in a glass bottle with a twist off cap.

formula:
I don't have exact ingredients to compare but both include antioxidants to help skin. They also both contain a lot of silicones, but I did notice Revlon's version uses less than UD.

Coverage:
Both have similar coverage power, ranging from light to medium.

application:
I felt that Revlon was easier to blend than UD. UD went on a bit patchy, and you're supposed to use an expensive brush with it that is just a waste of money in my opinion, although others say it's amazing. Revlon was a dream to put on and it layered well.

finish:
Revlon actually feels light on, while UD felt heavy. They both have a nice skin-like finish. I found UD to badly sink into pores/lines after an hour or so, Revlon barely did that, and when it did, it was hardly noticeable.

wear time:
UD wore well for about 6 hours. Revlon wore for about 8 before starting to fade.

Overall, I wasn't impressed with UD naked skin, but I really liked Revlon nearly naked. It looked more natural and felt a lot lighter than UD. It covered nicely and it blended easily. It didn't settle into pores the way UD did.
The color match was good for both brands, and they have a wide selection for most skin tones. I would recommend Revlon nearly naked to everyone!

I personally like Revlon colorstay foundation better than nearly naked for it's lasting power. I will probably stick with that but nearly naked was a nice surprise for a cheap price!

Repurchase? No (I like colorstay better)

Price: $10.97 CAD

Rating: 4.5/5

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!

Kat Von D forever & never foiled love lipstick swatches and photos

Kat Von D foiled love lipstick is a super metallic, frosty formula. It is much different from the regular lipsticks (I love) which are either matte or satin type finishes.
The packaging is also different from the regular line, it's metallic silver with white rose designs. I always love KVD packaging!

I don't really go for frosty lip colors, but this was a gift so I thought I should try it out.
Forever and never looked like it would suit me better than any of the other foiled love colors. It's described as a 'metallic golden  peach'. I would say it's an accurate description.

swatch of forever and never foiled love lipstick:

It almost has a peach/bronze duochrome look to it. It's frosty - big time. It's not extremely pigmented in one go, but 2 layers gives you rich dimensional color.

wearing forever & never :

The redness in my lips makes this look more bronze, and very warm. It was a change from my usual nude colors that I wear. I am just not loving it on me.
I'm not sure if it was just mine or if all the foiled love lipsticks have a sort of waxy old lipstick smell? None of my other KVD lipsticks have this. Maybe I just got a bad one.

What do you think about frost lipstick colors? Love them or hate them?

Revlon photoready BB cream review

Revlon finally jumped on the BB cream bandwagon, so I wanted to do a quick review.

I like the packaging, it's sleek silver and looks nice. It has a twist off cap, which is decent.

 The color I got was 010 light, which is the lightest one of the 4 or so available. I wasn't worried about a color match because revlon's fair colors usually match me.

photoready BB cream 010 light swatch:

 blended:

This actually oxidized on me. When freshly applied  it looked ok, but after a few minutes it turned into an orange toned mess. I was not impressed. I could not wear it alone. I wore it under Revlon colorstay foundation (normal/dry) and the performance was not good. It made the colorstay wear off quickly and my face felt very greasy by the end of the day.

Photoready BB cream is another glorified tinted moisturizer. The finish is sheer and tacky. It's very similar to Maybelline dream BB cream. They both looked like an orange slick mess on my face.

pros:
- contains SPF 30
- contains antioxdants
- didn't irritate my senstitive skin
- not expensive
- moisturizing

cons:
- oxidizes after applied
- no colors suitable for very fair skin
- feels greasy, potentially pore clogging
- does not act as a primer as it claims
- rubs off easily
- very sheer

The only way I would recommend this is if you are looking for a very sheer tinted moisturizer, and if you have dry skin not prone to breakouts. I only wore this once and I felt clogs forming after. This did not impress me much. If you are curious, I'd say try Maybelline BB cream, because it's very similar in finish and also has SPF 30 for 1/2 the price of Revlon.

repurchase? No way

rating: 2.5/5

price: $16 CAD

Essence twilight shimmer powder 01 swatches and photos

Essence has some good cheap thrills. This powder is gorgeous, and is surprisingly good quality.

The color is a very rich light gold, no glitter at all- just shimmer. It's super pigmented, soft, buttery and blends into the skin nicely.

Swatch of twilight shimmer powder 01 'bella's secret' :

 Wearing the shimmer powder on my cheekbones (over Chanel fandango blush) :

This is a superb gold highlighter for any skin tone. I highly recommend picking this up. I think it cost $3.99 CAD, which is a total steal. It is LE, but if  you can find it grab it!

NOTD: Christmas decor

Can you believe Christmas is almost here? I'm definitely feeling the Christmas spirit. This mani is all about Christmas, my final entry in nail polish Canada's holiday nail art challenge.

I've done my nails in glittery red and green tinsel, swirly candy cane, Christmas tree, and a stocking.

If you like my mani, please vote for me here.

So, has everyone finished their Christmas shopping? I haven't even started yet! I am doing it all this week.

Maybelline the colossal cat eyes mascara review

 Maybelline is putting out new mascaras left and right lately! Just one after the other after the other...

I tried the original 'colossal' mascara a few years back and I really liked it, except that it flaked horribly.
Fast forward to a few months ago I tried the waterproof version, and it was so dry I couldn't get anything on my lashes.
So I was slightly hesitant to try this. But, anything to do with cat eyes grabs my attention, so I got this as soon as I saw it on display.

 The tube has a cute leopard print pattern on it, it looks a bit juvenile in my opinion, but I suppose they are pushing products towards the younger crowd these days.

The 'claw' brush, actually does a good job of grabbing and coating lashes. It's a little awkward to work with if you aren't used to curved a brush.

The cat claw wand (click for large size) :

The result is fanned out lashes that are nicely lengthened and a little volumized. The curved brush helps to curl lashes up and the end of it is great for flipping up the outer corner lashes. Adding mascara to those outer corner lashes does result in a more cat-eye look and overall sultry eye.

with 2 coats of colossal cat eyes:

The formula is very wet and smells of roses. it's the exact same formula as the original colossal. Therefore, I have the exact same problem with it, the flaking off :/
I really like the brush, and if the formula was better I would recommend it.

Overall, this doesn't do too much for volume but it's great for length. It can be layered but beware of clumping. If you liked the original Maybelline Colossal you will probably like this too.

Repurchase? No

Price: $8 CAD

Rating: 3/5

NOTD: Chanel nails

 This is week 2 in nail polish Canada's holiday nail art challenge. This weeks theme is gifts.

I decided to do a mani using the Chanel logo because all I want for Christmas this year is Chanel notorious sculpting veil <3 br="br">

I used sinful colors 'you just wait' (love this color!) as a base on all except the middle finger which I used MAC lacquer in endless night. Then I applied Icing's dark magic to the tips (horribly because the tape I used didn't work properly) and added on some purple gems stones to make it look more glam.

I had a few mishaps with this mani and I sort of gave up on it, so it's not my best, but I thought the idea was cool :) If you like this mani you can vote for me here in the challenge.

Dear Santa - please bring me Chanel notorious for X-mas that is all. Thank you.