Recent Purchases: Drugstore Buys, My Perfect Contouring Shade & A Fierce Pair Of Shoes

I have a performance coming up this Friday and I needed to stock up on some essentials; three of which, I've never tried before. There's always something exciting about testing a product for the first time, no? Which is why I found myself testing away at 10:30 PM a few nights ago.

Drugstore Buys

I've tried Quo lashes before, just not this particular style. I quite liked the ones I used prior; they were easy to work with and were very dramatic. The style didn't quite suit my eye shape though, so I was looking for a particular one to purchase instead: a dupe of MAC #21's (i.e.  shorter at the ends, longer in the middle). Let me tell you, I'm so glad I found these. They were half the price and while they may not be the same quality as MAC lashes, it's still an excellent product.

My (current) favourite eyeliner. It applies evenly & smoothly and doesn't give me a nasty rash like the Maybelline Waterproof eyeliner. That said, this product is definitely not perfect. The wand, for one thing; it's perfect after a few uses, but the first few times I use it to apply the liner are quite... Unpleasant. It's hard and feels abrasive on my eyelids; not good! Especially on an area with such delicate skin. Also, there is some slight migration going on after a few hours. It's easy enough to swipe a finger underneath the eye to clean up, but I wish I didn't have to. Other than that, I do like it.

I first heard about clear lip liner when I spotted one by Maybelline in the Drugstore. To say I was intrigued is an understatement. I mean, I have many different shades of lipstick and the thought of having to buy multiples just to match the shade was giving me a headache. I've done a short test on this and found that my lipstick definitely applied much smoother with this on. I'll make sure to review this again after I've tested it more thoroughly.

I've heard many people rave about Revlon ColorStay and now I know why. It's a really good product! Shopping for Drugstore foundation can be quite daunting but I was able to find my shade (without swatching, mind) thanks to Temptalia's Foundation Matrix. First of all, it blends so nicely (especially when applied with a duo fibre brush) and has great coverage (slightly more than Chanel Vitalumiere). 

It also has a nice, natural finish. There is a slight dewiness, but it doesn't make you look oily at all. It lasts quite a while, too; I wore it on Sunday for nearly 10 hours. Of course, I was wearing a primer and I did a very small touch up with bareMinerals foundation at the 8 hour mark (and I didn't even need it, I just did anyway :p), but still... 10 hours is impressive for any foundation, Drugstore or not. 

Did I mention after 5 hours of rehearsal in which I was perspiring, it was still intact? Well, it was. Brilliant!

My Perfect Contouring Shade

Contouring was new to me this year and all the products I use are matte bronzers. Which is fine if you want to look a bit tanner. Except I don't. Yes, my skin is quite light and I do like to keep it that way. Matching my blushes to my contouring powder was becoming a pain because the orangey tones would just clash too much (I was using Harmony by MAC and Physician's Formula Bamboo Silk Bronzer). 

So, I went on the lookout for a cooler shade. I initially wanted Taupe blush by NYX but none of my local retailers sell their blushes. I finally gave up on an inexpensive product and went to MAC. The lovely sales associate tried a number of blushes on me, none of which were promising. Too orange, too subtle, etc, etc. Then she decided on using an eyeshadow on my cheek, something I knew was perfectly fine to do, but never did. She picked Quarry and I fell in love.

It's the perfect cool taupe-y colour (MAC describes it as a "soft, muted plum-brown") and blends quite nicely (I use Sigma's F40 brush). All in all, it's a joy to use and is exactly what I was looking for. I love it so much already, I can only imagine how much more I'll love it as I continue to use it.

A Fierce Pair Of Shoes

I only own 1 pair of black high heels because I prefer to wear clothing that is more subdued in colour and really bring out the flash with accessories; specifically shoes. Well, the time came when I needed a pair of close-toed black high heels and I'm so glad I was able to find this pair by Chinese Laundry at my local Winners (basically it's Ross/T.J.Maxx but in Canada :p).

They're cute, no? A nice pair of black, platform pumps should be a staple in every woman's closet, I think. 

What are your recent purchases?

READ MORE - Recent Purchases: Drugstore Buys, My Perfect Contouring Shade & A Fierce Pair Of Shoes

All About Eyes - Black & Gold (Inspired by Natasha Bedingfield)

When I first saw Natasha Bedingfield's video for her new single, Strip Me, I was blown away by all the makeup looks (there are around 8 or 9) and how beautiful they all were. There was one look in particular that this was inspired by: a black and gold smoky eye. So I decided to do my own take on the look.

Products Used:

Annabelle Cosmetics Smudgeliner - Honey

Sleek Makeup i-Divine Palette - Storm

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

L'oréal Voluminous Mascara - Black

Firstly, I applied Annabelle's Honey Smudgeliner all over the lid, from the lash line to the brow bone and then I layered the gold eyeshadow on top. Next, I applied the matte black eyeshadow to the outer half of the eyelid, making sure to taper the outer edge off. I also applied this to the lower lash line (keeping the inner corner free of black eyeshadow) and used it to fill in the gaps in my eyebrows. Then I lined the upper lash line & my lower water line with Blacktrack and applied two coats of mascara to both top & bottom lashes. Simple, right?

Hope you like this look :).

Happy Monday!

READ MORE - All About Eyes - Black & Gold (Inspired by Natasha Bedingfield)

All About Eyes - Rainy Night

*Re-posted as I accidentally deleted the previous one. Good thing I had the text saved on my desktop!*

Hello, lovelies! Hope you're all doing well. Some of you may or may not remember, but I did a mini-review of products from Annabelle Cosmetics' Hype collection. It came with two eyeshadows that I didn't already own, so I decided to incorporate them into a look. It was raining a lot when I created it, so it was sort of inspired by the downpour as well :p.

Products Used:

Annabelle Cosmetics Mono Eyeshadow - (L to R) Revolver, Lagoon, Ultra Violet

Annabelle Cosmetics Liquid Eyeliner - Mystic Black

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

L'oréal Voluminous Mascara - Black

First off, I applied some Blacktrack Fluidline on the lid, all the way up to the brow bone, making sure to leave the inner third free of product.

Then I applied Revolver (a silvery, lilac shade) on the inner corner and blended it towards the centre of the eyelid.

Next was Lagoon. If you look at the swatches above, you'll notice it's not very pigmented at all. However, when foiled or applied over a darker base, the colour looks more intense. This was applied from just past the centre of the eyelid to the outer edge, ending just at the crease.

Then came Ultra Violet, which was applied with a fluffy brush to the upper edge of the shadows. I concentrated on the outer half of the eyelid and made sure to blend it well with Lagoon. This eyeshadow also doesn't swatch very pigmented but the colour looks vibrant because of the black base.

Then I took an angled brush and applied Lagoon to the lash line and used a pencil brush to apply Ultra Violet below it.

The last steps were to line the upper lash line with Mystic Black (black with silver glitter), line the lower water line with Blacktrack, apply at least two coats of mascara to the top and bottom lashes, and fill in the gaps in my eyebrows with a matte black eyeshadow.

And voila:

Hope you enjoyed this look!

READ MORE - All About Eyes - Rainy Night

All About Eyes - Jazzberry

Products Used:

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette - Sunset (maroon shade)

Annabelle Cosmetics Mono Eyeshadow - Jazzberry

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

L'oréal Voluminous Mascara - Black

Another one of my "let's take two random colours and slap them together" looks :p.

So I started off with a maroon shade all over the lid and up to the brow bone. Next up, I applied Jazzberry (a muddy, purple colour) on the "outer v," starting from the outer third of the eye and applying the top part a little bit past the halfway point. Then I applied Blacktrack rather heavily on both the upper and lower lash line, as well as the lower water line. I also made sure to flick it out just a tad. Lastly, I applied a few coats of L'oréal Voluminous Mascara on both the upper and lower lashes.

Happy Monday, lovelies!

READ MORE - All About Eyes - Jazzberry

L'Oreal Colour Richie Boosting Serum S105 Sparkling Rose

this lipstick is from L'Oreal's Autumn Winter  Collection
it has 4 shades, this is one of the Nude Collection Sparkling Rose
It looked dark on the ads but the actual colour is not that much dark,
it is different than the other L'Oreal Lipsticks’
This lipsticks has moisturizing effect
it has Hyaluronic Acid in it, You know most of the anti aging skin care lines has Hyaluronic Acid in it 
it also have Collagen and Pro xylane


I loved this lipstick , it gives the actual shade on the lips. it doesn't look different shade on the lips
What I love on the L'Oreal Lipsticks is the lovely fragrance in it, it smells great
You know most of the high street lipsticks are expensive and some smell yucks..
But  you can not find this on L'Oreal lipsticks, not only this line on most of the L'Oreal Lipsticks has this nice smell and taste, at least the ones i tried and tested



I never seen a lipstick looked this much good on me,  Maybe it is the shade maybe it is the new formula of L'Oreal



 

READ MORE - L'Oreal Colour Richie Boosting Serum S105 Sparkling Rose

L'Oreal Eye Quad Pro For Blue Eyes 337 Sapphire Crystal & NYX Smokey Eye Palette Comparison & Swatches

READ MORE - L'Oreal Eye Quad Pro For Blue Eyes 337 Sapphire Crystal & NYX Smokey Eye Palette Comparison & Swatches

LOREAL STAR SECRETS QUAD PRO FOR HAZEL EYES SWATCHES

READ MORE - LOREAL STAR SECRETS QUAD PRO FOR HAZEL EYES SWATCHES

L'Oreal Star Secrets Quad Pro For Blue Eyes 337 Sapphire Crystal Swatches

READ MORE - L'Oreal Star Secrets Quad Pro For Blue Eyes 337 Sapphire Crystal Swatches

All About Eyes: Runway Edition - Brian Reyes

(photo from: elle)

So this look was a little tricky because I couldn't find a closer shot of the model's eyes. Therefore, I'm claiming major artistic licenses here. I hope you won't be disappointed, I did try my best :).

Thankfully, there was a little blurb about what artist Wendy Rowe did to achieve this look:

I don't have these exact products, so I used the closest shades I had. Again, major artistic license :p.

Products Used:

Sleek Makeup i-Divine Palette - Sunset (matte black & shimmery copper-brown)

Sleek Makeup i-Divine Palette - Circus (matte, light blue)

L'oréal Voluminous Mascara - Black

To start off, I applied the copper-brown shade all over the lid, ending just above the brow bone. Then, I blended the edges so there are no harsh lines. With an angled brush, I applied some matte black along the crease to create the illusion that I even have one (:p). Next, I used a pencil brush to apply the light blue eyeshadow along the lower lash line. Again, with the matte black, I lined the lower water line and filled in the spaces in my eyebrow. Lastly, I curled my lashes and applied mascara.

Hope you guys like this look!

READ MORE - All About Eyes: Runway Edition - Brian Reyes