My First MAC Lipstick & Review

So you may or may not have noticed that I really don’t buy MAC products. This is generally because I don’t like going into MAC stores; the feel too small and I always feel like the people are trying to make me buy stuff instead of letting me look around. Anyways, I went in to look at their lipsticks, as you may remember I mentioned how I’m liking lip stuff right now, and I know a lot of people love their lipsticks.

I pretty much immediately fell in love with this colour, and even accidentally swatched it twice on my hand, not realising that I’d picked it up twice because I liked it so much. A week later, I was still wishing I had it, so I let myself buy it:

As you can see from the pictures, Impassioned is a bright pink lipstick from their Amplified line. In person, I feel that it has a bit of a coral tone to it, but that isn’t coming across in the pictures for some reason.

Anyways, I really love this lipstick for a couple of reasons: 1) The pigmentation is really wonderful, and it goes on bright and slightly glossy. 2) It’s also really creamy and soft, and it feels great on my lips. 3) It smells delicious, basically like chocolate! 4) It has pretty good staying power. I’m not saying it doesn’t transfer, because it sure does, but it also really stays on my lips. I think that speaks to the pigmentation of it too, that even after I blot, it can transfer onto my coffee cup and still be bright and lovely on my lips. I can’t think of any cons for this lipstick.

It was just over $20 CAD after taxes, which is a little pricey for a lip product, in my opinion, but I’m so in love with it that I won’t complain. I’d also love to try out a few more of their lipsticks, maybe for a couple more of their lines. I would definitely recommend trying one out if you never have; they have a bunch of lines, so whether you like matte, crème, shimmery, glossy, or whatever, they probably have something you’d like.

Let me know what your favourite MAC lipsticks are, so I can go check them out! Thanks for reading, as always! =)

Face of the Day: Valentine’s Day Makeup

I did a post about my Valentine’s Day over on my new blog—Thought Constellations—but I thought this was the best place to show off my makeup for that day. If you want to know more about what I did, ate, wore, and got, you can take a peek at the new blog. =)

I decided to go pretty and simple, so as not to draw too much attention away from my new dress.

As usual, I used a mix of my Garnier BB Cream and my Lancôme foundation as a base, which I set with my Rimmel Stay Matte powder. For blush, I used Benefit Coralista. On my eyes, I used my ELF Mineral eye primer, and used the bronze colour in the Hard Candy box powder in Truth or Dare as my base colour and a champagne shadow from Cover Girl as a highlight on my inner corner. Then I used my Wet’n’Wild H2O Proof liquid liner, my Urban Decay 24/7 pencil liner in Zero, and one coat each of Maybelline’s Cat Eyes mascara and Maybelline Turbo Volume Express. I finished with my NYX brow pencil and a soft, glittery, neutral Revlon ColorStay lipstick (which the colour name has rubbed off). Oh, and I set everything with my Urban Decay All Nighter spray, of course.

Anyway, here’s the finished look:

Thanks for reading! =)

Random Face of the Day

I don’t often get a chance to do as much makeup as I like to do, but this Friday I managed to make myself wake up early enough to do a full face, so I thought I’d share the results.

What I used:

• Garnier BB Cream in Light/Medium mixed with Lancôme Color Ideal (not sure the colour)
• Benefit Coralista blush
• NYX mechanical brown pencil in light brown
• Urban Decay primer potion
• Urban Decay Virgin on the whole lid and Toasted in the crease and outer corner, from my original Naked Palette
• Urban Decay 24/7 pencil liner in Zero
• Maybelline Colossal Volume Cat Eyes mascara followed my Maybelline Turbo Volume Express in Very Black
• NYC Moisturizing Lipstick in 353A
• Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray

I hope you liked this post, thanks for reading!

Really? You bought more stuff? (another haul post)

You're probably getting sick of these by now, but I hope not! I have some more stuff since my last post to show you. Some of it I've had for a couple of weeks now, and I'm already loving them, and a couple others I just got in the last couple of days. In no particular order, but I will try to order them by store. Also, I’ve decided to pretty much ignored my snack food purchases to try to reduce the number of pictures I need, and because it isn’t really relevant.

Wal-Mart

CoverGirl eyeshadow in Champagne:

I got this because I have this, or a very similar, colour in CoverGirl quad, which is the only colour I use in it, and it’s running low. I love this shadow because it’s soft, shimmery, and makes a great highlight or simple, single-shadow look.

Wet’n’Wild H2O Proof Liquid Eyeliner in Ultra Black:

I’m almost out of my ELF liquid liner pen, and, since I didn’t know I’d be doing and ELF order so soon at the time, I thought this might be a good alternative, without the crazy Canadian shipping of an ELF order. This is a pretty good liner, as far as I can tell so far. I’m not sure if I’m simply getting better control or if this is just as easy to use as the ELF pen liner, but I am really liking it, and it isn’t kidding about the “h20 proof” claim… this stuff is hard to get off without makeup remover!

Hard Candy Fox in a Box in Truth or Dare:

Somehow, I didn’t even know we had Hard Candy in Canada. I know a couple vloggers who like their box powders and compare the to the Benefit ones, so when I saw these, I really wanted to try them out. I almost wish I hadn’t, though, since this one, at least, isn’t very good… As you can see from my swatch, the bronze is really shimmery, and a nice colour, but no good for contouring because of the glitter. The pink is basically invisible, and good for nothing more than highlighting. I guess that would be the best way to use the pink side. Maybe the bronze can be an eyeshadow? I have also tried swirling the two together, but I don’t like the oddly bronze blush that give me, so I won’t be using this that way. Oh well.

Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler:

First of all, did you notice how bloody massive this bottle is?! It was about $5, I think, and thus cheaper than Sally Hansen base coats, which are about 1/5 the size this is, so I got this. I don’t regret it. It goes on oddly matte and invisible, and it provides a long-lasting base for my colours, which chip and wear far less than usual over this polish. I’m really liking it so far, and would definitely suggest it if you have access to a Wal-mart or this brand!

Bath and Body Works

If you are familiar with Bath and Body Works, you also know that they always have a sale on something and that these sales are often hard to resist… As you will see in a second, I now have more than enough lotions to last me a very long time.

True Blue Shea Cashmere Hand Cream and True Blue Spa Paraffin Hand lotion:

This line was on sale for buy-on-get-one free. I really wanted to try out both of these products, and decided to get a second Shea Cashmere lotion because it smells like frosting, which is never a bad thing. Both of these smell really good, are super moisturizing, and the tubes are small enough to fit easily in my purse. I think it was a good buy.

B&BW Shower Gels in Pink Chiffon and Bali Mango and Bali Mango Body Lotion:

The signature line stuff was all on a Buy 3 get 3 free sale, so me and my best friend each got 3 things. I already have a Pink Chiffon body lotion, so I got the matching shower gel for that, and one of each in the Bali Mango scent which is just fruity and wonderful.

Pink Sangria and Island Margarita Small Candles:

B&BW candles are wonderful, and I am so in love with all the drink inspired scents right now. These, again, were on sale, this time 5 for $25, and my friend wanted three, and I wanted these two, so it worked out great. Unfortunately, though, I am so in love with the Pink Sangria scent that I want to go back and get a big 3-wick one as well! I’ll try to stop myself…

Shoppers Drugmart

Tresemme FreshStart Volumizing Dry Shampoo:

Since my hair behaves best when I wash it every couple days, instead of every day, I wanted to try this to soak up some of the excess oils so I can get more use out of each wash. I’ve only used it once so far, and I haven’t quite got the hang of it yet, but I think I’m liking it. The scent is soft and nice, and it doesn’t turn my hair white, so that’s a plus. Also, this was on sale for only $5, so even if I didn’t like it, it wasn’t much of a risk.

Forever 21

Tan polka-dot wedge sandals:

I am completely in love with these shoes! The same day I bought these, I’d almost definitely decided to get myself my first MAC lipstick, but after seeing these, I had to have them instead! (I have myself on a weekly budget, so it was one or the other, I couldn’t buy them both.) The wedge heel makes these stable, comfortable, and easy to walk in. The neutral colour makes them super versatile, and the polka-dots make them fun and bloody adorable. I hope to get a lot of use out of these, especially when Spring and Summer roll around!

Random(including online, Value Village, and Chapters)

All About Me book:

I love surveys and fill-in-the-blank type things, so I love the idea of this book. It has a bunch of questions about different aspects of your life, stuff you like, don’t like, your thoughts, etc., and I have been having a lot of fun filling it in so far.

Coconut Oolong tea from Soko Teahouse, The Silmarillion from Chapters, and The God Delusion from Value Village (and unpictured: One Hundred Years of Solitude):

The coconut oolong tea is sooo good. It’s not a sweet tea at all on its own, and tastes wonderful completely on its own, but also with sugar and milk. I had to have it!

I bought Richard Dawkins’s The God Delusion from Value Village because it was $5, and I’ve been wanting to read it and besides, I’m much more likely to get around to it if I actually own it.

I got the unpictured One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez because I know I heard of it, and I’m pretty sure either the author or the book itself was recommended. Also, it sounded good either way.

And, finally, I got the Silmarillion at Chapters because it matches my copy of The Hobbit and my Lord of the Rings set, and I wanted to make sure that I got my hands on a copy of this one in case they ever stop producing these covers. I can’t wait to finish the Lord of the Rings again so I can start this one!

Tan/Caramel faux leather bag from Value Village:

And, last but not least, my “new” bag from Value Village. This is in really good shape, has tons of pockets, is much more waterproof than my grey, canvas Kinies bag, and just looks really nice, I think. It was ~$8, so a really great deal, even if it isn’t designer, plus my keychain I won from an etsy shop matches the bag’s hardware perfectly!

Also, if you would like to see a “What’s in my Bag” post, leave me a comment letting me know!

***

And I’m pretty sure that’s everything recently, or at least all of the stuff that I’ve received. I have a few more things coming in the mail, but I clearly can’t show those to you until they arrive!

Thanks so much for reading, and please let me know if you have used any of the products mentioned above, I love reading to your comments and hearing other people’s opinions.

Have an awesome day <3

((edit: I just started a second blog so that I can talk about food, fashion, books, and nerdy stuff without it getting in the way of my makeup and nail art posts on this blog. I’d love it if you took a look and wanted to follow me there, too: http://thought-constellations.blogspot.ca/))

My Current Nails: Valentine’s Day Nails v2.0

Look at me, getting two different nail art looks up in less than a week! My first manicure started chipping after Tuesday’s trip to the gym so obviously that was the perfect excuse to strip it off and do another themed mani. Especially since me and my boyfriend are celebrating Valentine’s Day tomorrow (today for you, most likely. February 13th)  instead of the 14th, to avoid crowds.

Anyways, here’s a look at what I did this time: Valentine Heart Leopard Print! Also, I apologize about my cuticles, they’re looking a little shredded…

Left hand:

Right hand:

Thumbs:

I used:

• China Glaze in Fast Track as a base colour
• ELF in Bubblegum Pink
• Butter London in Chancer
• LA Colors black striper

I hope you all have a very happy Valentine’s Day, whether you’re single or have a boyfriend or girlfriend! Thanks for reading!

<3

My Current Nails: Valentine’s Day Edition

No, I know it’s not Valentine’s Day yet, however, it has been a really long time since I last uploaded a nail polish post, and even longer since I showed you any nail art. If I’d done any, you’d have got to see it, but I’ve been keeping it pretty simple lately. Just the other day, though, I did do my first Valentine’s mani of the year, and I’m absolutely in love with it, so of course I had to share:

Left hand:

Right hand:

For the base colour, I used a soft, shimmery unnamed pink polish from Ardene, and for the hearts and dots I used my neon pink LA Color striping polish with one of my tiny paint brushes. And, of course, it’s all topped off with a coat of Seche Vite.

I hope you like these, and if you take inspiration from them for your own nails, I’d love to see how yours turn out!

Thanks for reading!

My January 2013 Favourites!

So, I’m barely getting this to you by the end of the first week of the month, as I like to do, but honestly, I forgive myself…

Anyways, I only have a few favourites this last month. I’m not really sure why, since I’ve been able to buy myself more stuff than I have for the past few months, but I guess I just stuck to old favourites. I do have a couple of things to share with you for January though, and here they are:

Lipstick/lip products:

I don’t have any particular shades or products for you in this case, but more and more lately I’ve been loving lipsticks, lip balms, and lipstains. The only thing I’m still not very into is gloss. These are some of my favourite colours at the moment, and I love that NYC one more than it looks like I should. Once it’s on it has a really nice dark-ish berry colour!

Real Techniques flat top brush as foundation brush:

Most of the time, I apply foundation with my fingers. I’ve tried using my ELF brushes, but they just don’t really seem to spread the product very well or evenly. However, when I tried this brush, it worked beautifully! I haven’t used my hands alone to apply my foundation since! It really blends the foundation in naturally, even my Lancôme, which I usually have found looks a bit cakey on my skin.

OPI’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service:

I’ve been loving this colour so much. I’ve worn it several weeks in a row, on it’s own, or layering it over other polishes to play with how best to wear it. It’s just so shimmery and gorgeous, especially under natural light!

Non-Cosmetic Favourites:

Greek yogurt:

Image from Delectablychic.com

I posted this in my last haul post, so this might not be a shock. Astro is definitely my favourite of the three brands that I’ve tried. I love how thick and creamy Greek yogurt is. I wouldn’t say its all that healthy, though, if you think that. All the one’s that I have found have had very high fat contents, about as much as cream in some cases. It also has lots of protein, making this a very high-calorie food. It is delicious though. I think it makes a great treat, and I like to eat it as a dessert type food. =)

Vanilla Spice Lattes:

Image from Starbucks.co.uk

I’m very much hoping that these, and the Vanilla Spice syrup, are permanent additions to the Starbucks menu, because I am completely in love! It tastes so much less sweet than the plain vanilla, and the cardamom (which is the “spice” in vanilla spice, and also one of the dominant flavours in chai tea) is so smooth and soothing! So delicious!

And that’s all for January. I hope to have more posts up soon, including some Valentine’s Day nails. I apologize again for my slow posting lately.

Anyways, let me know what your favourites were in the comments! I love to here from you, as always. And don’t forget to follow on GFC if you aren’t already; I plan to start my first giveaway when I finally get to 50 followers! =)

Thanks for reading <3