Before and After, or “What I look like without makeup”

I just want to preface this post by saying that not too long ago, I wouldn’t have had the courage to post something like this, and I probably haven’t left the house without at least mascara on since grade 9 (about 7 years ago). However, after seeing so many other posts like this on Reddit, as well as makeup tutorials on Youtube, I’m a tiny bit less critical of how I look without makeup.

That said, I did take these pictures, originally to post to r/MakeupAddiction on reddit, but decided to also post them here, along with a list of the products I used to create the look.

Before:

Please excuse my messy brows. They got very thin over the years due to over plucking, and I have been growing them back before I get back to work cleaning them up. I am enjoying not having almost invisible lines for eyebrows, though!

After:

I apologize for the odd colouring in the first couple pictures, I’m not sure what my camera was doing.

This is a very derpy picture…

Close-up, with closed eyes so you can see the contouring.

I’m actually wearing less makeup today (and in these pictures) than I sometimes do, but I still think this is a pretty good representative of an everyday type look for me. To create this look I used:

• Sephora Mineral Foundation Compact in Light
• NARS Blush in Orgasm
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Urban Decay Naked Palette:
• Naked as a base colour
• Sidecar over top, for sparkle
• Darkhorse on the outer corner and crease
• Sin on the inner corner (though I don’t think you can see it)
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero on my waterline
• Maybelline Turbo Volume Express Waterproof Mascara in Very Black

I also sprayed the ELF Mist and Set spray over the look when I was done. I’m not entirely sure that this product does anything, but I like to believe that it does. For the most part, though, I think it just adds a little hydration to my skin, and can prevent my skin from looking too dry if I used just powder, instead of my BB Cream. I would really like to get one of the Urban Decay setting sprays, which I do believe help my makeup last longer, since I often test them out if I get a chance to walk into Sephora at my mall.

I’d love to see your before and after pictures, so post a link for me in the comments if you have them!

My Current Nails: Purple Glitter Gradient

Hello again! So, its been over a week since I last posted, so I thought I’d do something special with my nails to share with my lovely readers. For this manicure, I used Butter London’s HRH as a base colour, and then layered Sephora by OPI It’s Bouquet by Me over top.

I took a lot of pictures, because I was having a hard time capturing the colours in this look properly. I think the ones I’ve chosen here display the gradient as well as they can, particularly the first two pictures.

I quite like the effect, though the gradient would probably be more obvious with a thinner glitter polish, since this one is quite dense.

What are you wearing on your nails right now? Let me know in the comments!

My May Glymm “Box”!

Hello again, my lovely readers! Today, when I went to get my mail out of the mail box, I was surprised by how full it was! Why? Because along with my Glymm box, all of my books for my class, which I ordered online, came today! (And that’s probably enough exclamation marks for the rest of this post >_<)
Anyways, I was already expecting some changes with this month’s box, partly because, as some of you may know, their website’s layout has changed from very pink, to the mostly black and gold, like the sticker on the box pictured below. I was a little depressed, thinking that my pile of pink boxes was about to be jumbled up with new black boxes. However, it would seem that the colour scheme change is most likely so that all the boxes and stickers work with both the girly box and the newer men’s box.


Above: The font on the side of the box was orange instead of pink as well.
Another reason that I was expecting a change is that Glymm has bumped up the price of their boxes from the original $10 to $12, to match Luxe and Top box, which is still cheaper than Glossy Box at $15. Luckily, as a long time subscriber, this doesn’t affect me unless I need to unsubscribe, and want to come back to it later, at which point I’ll have to start paying $12 a month. Anyways, on to the box!
This is what I saw on first opening it up:

I think its pretty cool that Glymm is doing this small thing to cut down on the waste  from their service. At this point, though, since it’s wrapped in paper, I wasn’t sure whether “bag” meant a little ghetto paper bag like Julep, or a makeup bag like the American MyGlam. Below is the back of the card, which further explains the decision:

The new product card

Then there’s tissue paper and…

This awesome, very cute makeup bag! Although I loved the boxes, I do have to admit that I was starting to wonder what I was going to do with them all! I hope I didn’t read it wrong, and that this change is a permanent one, because I would much prefer storing a bunch of cute little makeup bags! I think this is a great idea.

Sorry about the glare, my camera apparently doesn’t know what to do with something that brightly pink!

I never look at the card beforehand, so this was a massive surprise! So much stuff!

Caudalie Vinosource duo:

Vinosource SOS Thirst-Quenching Serum:Full size: 30 ml for $48.00
Sample size: 1 ml
Approx. value: $1.60

Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet:Full size: 40 ml for $38.00
Sample size: 1 ml
Approx. value: $0.95

Total: $2.55

I’m pairing these two products together as one because the card says that they are supposed to be used together.

The first, the Vinosource SOS Thirst-Quenching Serum, is as the name suggests a hydrating serum, which is supposed to “diffuse water deep within the skin.” The second is the Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet, which is a gel-cream, which is meant to calm as well as moisturize.

I actually just tried these out, and the serum is really nice, its very thin and watery, and the scent is very subtle. The moisturizer isn’t too heavy, which I really like, since I prefer light moisturizers to creamy ones for my face. The same fresh, light scent as the serum, as well, and my skin does feel pretty good. However, I have one complaint about the packaging. These cool little triangle shaped packs are very cute and different, but are quite hard to squeeze product out of, and I also doubt that there are 3 uses in these packages, as suggested by Glymm on the card.

Also, I’m about 99% sure I won’t take advantage of the deal mentioned on the card in the first picture, since I’m pretty happy with the moisturizer I have now, and these products are a bit pricey. Furthermore, I’m a bit low on money right now, as mentioned in an earlier post.

Coola Mineral Matte Cucumber Face Sunscreen:

Full size: 50 ml for $36.00
Sample size: 5 ml
Approx. value: $3.60

I’m looking forward to trying this product out, since I’ve been wishing I had a makeup with SPF in it. I’m not sure that I would purchase this product, though, even if I do like it, since it’s a little bit expensive. It sounds like a great product though, since it’s supposed to be non-greasy, mattifying, and a makeup primer.

Nu-Me HydroPunch Hydrating Conditioner:

Full size: 250 ml for $24.99
Sample size: 20 ml
Approx. value: $1.99

First off, let me just point out how happy I am that this isn’t a little foil packet! This I can at least toss into my gym bag and bring with me, so its much more useable. Its also pretty cool all of the great things that are packed into this product, but I am starting to wonder why Glymm is so obsessed with this company, which is certainly not Canadian, and which I had never heard of before receiving their products in my box. All the same, I’m looking forward to trying this conditioner, which smells pretty nice, though a little flower-y-er than I usually pick for my hair.

Mereadesso Lip Treats in “Sheer Pink”:

Full size: 2 sticks for $28.00
Sample size: 1 stick (1.2 g)
Approx. value: $14.00

Randomly, I was actually looking at this product when I was browsing the Glymm shop, trying to decide what to spend my points on. These little sticks are supposed to be moisturizing as well as being a lip primer. I’m not sure that this will help glosses stay on very long, but I guess it’s worth trying. Even as is, though, it works a little like a lip butter, adding a hint of colour and is pretty moisturizing. However, I probably wouldn’t purchase this on my own.

CK Shock For Him and For Her:

Full size: 50 ml for $45.00
Sample size: 1.2 ml (each)
Approx. value: $1.08 (each)

Total: $2.16

Again, I decided to group these two as one product, because they essentially are, being the guys and girls versions of the same fragrance. I really like both of these, and would gladly give the guy’s one to my boyfriend, except that my best friend got a deluxe sized sample of the CK Shock for Him in a Luxe Box, which she gave to her boyfriend, and I personally don’t want our boyfriends to smell the same. I might try it on myself, though, on a day I don’t see anyone, and if it doesn’t make me smell like a guy, I might just use it.

I don’t mind too much getting these fragrance samples like this, because of the spray tops, but I do prefer getting larger samples, since I’m paying for deluxe samples. I would have preferred a nice deluxe sample bottle of the For Her fragrance (which I am currently wearing and loving) instead of these two little ones.

Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Scrub:

Full size: 150 g for $29.00
Sample size: 60 g
Approx. value: $11.60

I haven’t tried this out yet, but, again, I’m looking forward to it. This is a pretty pricey product, which is great, because I get to try out something that I probably wouldn’t get to otherwise. It also looks pretty big, until you remember this is a body scrub, not a face scrub, so more of it is going to be used in one go. It doesn’t smell great, but it also doesn’t smell that bad, although it sure is ugly, my first impression was that it looked like dijon mustard, whereas my boyfriend thought it looked like poop. Great…

Approx. Overall value of this month’s box: $35.90

So, price-wise, this month’s box was well worth my 10 bucks. I love that I also get an added makeup bag! I’m impressed with how many products I got this month, but I do have to remind myself not to expect more than 5 products in next month’s bag. Overall, I’m quite happy with this month’s bag, though I would have preferred to have seen some more makeup products, and I don’t care too much for hair products and perfumes.

If you want to subscribe and give me 50 points for referring you, here’s my referral link:

https://www.glymm.com/share/youwerefantastic95

Did you get this month’s Glymm box? What did you think?

Avengers Nail Art (Very picture heavy)

So I went to see the Avengers tonight, for which I was very excited! It was awesome!! To prove my excitement, here’s my Avengers nail art. I’m very pleased with some of them:

Left Hand (and thus with the better art):

And cleaned up:

And my right hand:

And here are single shots of each nail, even though this way you can see all of my messiness:

Captain America

S.H.I.E.L.D. Logo

Ironman’s glowy chest thing.
Tony Stark, otherwise known as Ironman, by the way, is my absolute favourite of the Avengers.

Avengers Logo

Thor’s Hammer and lightening bolt

Hulk DNA

Black Widow

Second Avengers Logo

Bow and Arrow for Hawkeye

And an eye patch for Nick Fury

So that’s all of my nail art in it’s messy, imperfect glory. I’m probably most impressed with the Avenger logos and with the SHIELD logo.

Have you seen the Avengers yet? Let me know that you thought!

My Current Nails–Shine of the Times over Yara

Saturday night I was trying to figure out what to do to my nails, when I realized I hadn’t used my Zoya polish in a while. I also noticed something about it that I hadn’t before. Whereas originally I thought it was a camo green with gold glitter, its actually more like mini flakeys, and sometimes it shines green and sometimes orange depending on the light. This reminded me of Shine of the Times, so I had to try pairing them together. Here’s the outcome.

I’ll try to edit later if I can get pictures of the green in the sun, but it’s 1 in the morning, and all I can really show you is the orange.

What should I do next?

My (Not so) Current Nails–Glitter on Black

Hello all! Just a short post to show you my last nail look. I wore this for about four days, which is really about the longest I ever wear a nail look, since I generally paint my nails 2-3 times a week.

As usual, I used my Nail Envy as a base coat, then I think the black I used was from a random makeup store called The Face Shop. Its actually nearly opaque in one coat, which made it great for layering under my glitter. You might remember I recently bought 2 polishes from Icing, and this is two coats of Radio Super Star:

My ring and pointer fingers were really the only ones to get stars in this mani, which is a little disappointing, since there seems to be so many in the bottle. But I really love the effect of this glitter over the black polish.

It also amuses me that I almost always get one compliment on my nails at work each week, even though as a waitress I’m not supposed to be wearing nail polish =P

Thanks for reading!