My top 11 beauty picks of 2011

I hope everyone is having a good start to 2012. I meant to edit and post this weeks ago but better late than never right?
I don't want to say these are my 2011 'absolute favorites', because I literally have too many favorites to list right now. I'm calling these 11 products my 'top picks' because they are the most used products of the year out of all my stash. They are ones that I reach for every day or close to it.

Also, all of these products perform extremely well, and last all day long through work - which is most likely why I find myself using them most often.

Sorry for the not so great photos :/ I got a new camera and it didn't work out well so I'm back to using my glitchy crappy old one for the time being.


In no particular order, here is my list:

Make up forever HD invisible cover high definition foundation ~ Medium coverage water based foundation that looks so natural I can't believe it. In the summer 115 ivory matched my skin perfectly, but now that winter is here and my skin is totally white - it's a little bit too dark. It has a lovely flawless finish that makes me feel really confident about my skin while I'm wearing it.

Kat Von D painted love lipstick in lovecraft ~ My most used lipstick of this year. It's perfect for everyday wear, goes with pretty well any color of eyeshadow or blush. It also stays on really well, about 4 hours before I need to reapply. See swatches and photos of lovecraft here.

MAC paint pot in rubenesque ~ I grab this when I am in a rush but still want to add a little pop to my eyes. The golden peach color really brightens up everything, without being too bright. It also lasts all day long and still looks fresh when I take it off at night!

L'oreal HIP kohl in navy ~ Ever since I tried this I've been hooked. The smoky look you get from loose kohl liners is so unique and sexy. These are like Guerlain loose kohls without the hefty price tag. The navy color brightens the whites of my eyes and lasts all day on my waterline! Sadly, I think these have been discontinued :(

Bobbi Brown rich color gloss in naked ~ One of the best glosses I think I've ever used. It's so pigmented, it goes on like a glossy lipstick. Doesn't feel sticky at all. Lasts a decent amount of time, without drying out my lips. Naked is the perfect neutral nude, and it makes my lips look so plump! What's not to love?

Cover Girl lash blast 24 hr mascara ~ A really nice surprise, since I've tried all cover girl's mascaras in the past and didn't care much for any of them. This one is a real winner. It holds curl so well, better than anything I've used before. My lashes are long and defined all day without a smudge in sight. Removal can be a pain, but at least it really does last up to 24 hrs!

MAC her own devices beauty powder ~ My most reached for 'blush'. It's a barely there color, just gives my cheeks a little pop and glow without screaming 'your wearing blush!'. I've used it a lot, yet I've barely put a dent in it. This will last a long time! See photos and swatches of her own devices here.

MAC play it proper beauty powder ~ My new favorite highlighter! It's a light pink with silver pearl - really brightens up the face. It adds a little shimmer and sheen to my cheekbones but isn't too bright or glittery. I've literally been using this daily since I got it. It is LE but it's being repromoted in March with MAC's new collection by Chen Man.

Sleek oh so special palette ~ I love the unique color combos I can get from this palette. It has a great mix of shimmers and mattes. It's quite unique and I reach for it all the time! See more pics and EOTD's using oh so special here.

Kat Von D ludwig palette ~ This palette is such good quality! I used this for like 2 months straight and barely put a dent in any of the colors - all you need to use is a tiny bit since the shadows are all so pigmented. Love the colors, however now that I have the naked palette and wet n wild comfort zone I don't reach for it as much since there are so many dupes. Still, this is an awesome palette.

Urban Decay naked palette ~ I'm not going to lie, I use this palette a lot. It's just perfect for work. The shadows are all nicely pigmented, smooth and last all day. I know there is a lot of hype around it but I really do think it's a good investment if you wear a lot of neutrals.

Thats my 11 top picks :) Anything in this list you already have or want to try?

Here is what I want to try in 2012:

- MAC face and body foundation
- Urban Decay Naked 2 palette
- Kat Von D saint palette
- Make up forever smoky lash

What new products do you want to try in 2012?

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?

Max Factor false lash effect mascara review

Any mascara with the words 'false lashes' instantly grabs my attention. I'm obsessed with thick, long full eyelashes, but I don't like using actual falsies. Any mascara that claims to have the same effect as falsies is an instant buy.
I should mention that this mascara was sent to me from a friend in the UK for me to try, she knows how obsessed I am with mascara haha.

False lash effect comes in a huge black tube, shaped rather familiarly...
I've seen this somewhere before...

False lash effect brush:

Can anyone guess what other mascara this resembles? One that comes in an orange tube maybe..?
How odd that this looks just like cover girl lash blast only painted black!
More on that later, let's see if false lash effect really makes lashes look fake.

Well, no it doesn't give me fake looking lashes. I have yet to find a mascara that actually makes lashes look fake, but the closest would be diorshow blackout.
What false lash effect did do was give length, separation and held onto curl nicely.

wearing Max factor false lash effect:

I really like this mascara because it gives your lashes that fuller look by separating the lashes. I also loved the length it added.
What I didn't love was that after a few hours I would get little black specks flaking off onto my face. No smudging, just some slight flaking. The funny thing is that Cover girl lash blast did the exact same thing on me. I can't help but wonder if these mascaras are identical. I haven't used lash blast in a long time but from what I remember it performed exactly the same as this!
Overall this mascara is pretty nice, but do beware that it might flake a bit. The waterproof version could be a better option for longer wear.

Anyone wanting to try out false lash effect but can't get Max factor, don't worry just go pick up cover girl lash blast.

repurchase? possibly in waterproof version, or might just go for waterproof lash blast!

rating: 4/5

price: £10.99

Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion mascara review

Lash Blast Fusion is a combination of Cover Girl's lash blast volumizing brush and lash blast length's lengthening formula.
I did not like the regular Lash Blast (orange tube). It flaked everywhere on me.
I did not like Lash Blast Length (yellow tube) because it didn't give my lashes any volume, and the lengthening was nothing to write home about.
Lash Blast Fusion, however, is not that bad!

The spiky plastic brush:

Exactly the same brush as the original Lash Blast.

Fusion gives my lashes length and volume, without any clumps or flaking! I'm not sure how but they did something right with this formula.
I like how it defines each lash, and even if you load it on it won't clump up since the brush has all these little bristles on it.
It's not my favorite mascara, but if you are on a budget I say check it out.
It gives your lashes a nice natural full fan effect. I just like a bit more intensity to my lashes. Out of all Cover Girl mascaras I absolutely love Volume exact, and if you like a lot of length and volume I would have to recommend that one!

Price: $8.99 CAD
My rating: 4 /5