BA Star Glitter Makeup & Glue Review

I was sent the products in this post by BA Star to review. They sent me a full-size tube of their Glitter Glue, as well as a full-size (I think) pot of their glitter makeup in Holo Silver.

Okay, before I get into a review or the company, look how bloody pretty this glitter is! (I left the second picture a bit out of focus to really show off the rainbow):

This glitter is very fine, which is great, because it doesn’t have any grittiness or scratchiness when you apply it on the delicate skin on your eye. Though it does have the drawback of getting ALL OVER EVERYTHING! As you can see, it has already started to spread on my desk, in the picture above. That said, what glitter doesn’t get everywhere? I love glitter, don’t get me wrong, but I swear it multiplies, and may well be bent on world domination!

Anyways, aside from your eyes, this could also be used anywhere on your face, and their site also says in your hair, though I’m not sure how, aside from sorta sprinkling it there. I think the most obvious way to use it is on your eyes for a super glittery, fancy, over-the-top eye look!

BA Star also sent me their glitter glue, which comes in a tube like a lipgloss with a doe-foot applicator:

It goes on basically invisible, as you can see below:

And here’s a swatch on my hand of how the glitter adheres to the base:

As you can see, around the base, the glitter is very finely scattered, and is very easy to brush off, but the base holds the glitter really well, and helps get a densely packed, intense glitter look.

Here’s a couple shots of the glitter on my eye over the base, with just some mascara:

My application isn’t perfect, and it can be a little tricky. From my experience so far, it’s basically impossible to apply this without some fallout, but it isn’t too hard to wipe off areas without the Glitter Glue. I would suggest doing an eye look using this before you apply foundation, as well, to reduce rogue glitter.

I think this is a really fun product, and could look really cool over a smoky eye, or to add some sparkle to a colourful look. Because I was curious, I tried swatching the glitter over a couple more bases. The first is over ELFs eyeshadow primer, the second is over a silver Revlon cream shadow, and the third is over a black Revlon cream shadow.

It looks a little neater on the glitter glue than on the shadow primer, and it also rubs off the ELF primer much easier than the glitter glue; just a heads up. I think the cream shadows, though, make for a cool alternative look, and seem to hold onto the glitter fairly well.

FINALLY, I just wanted to let you know, if you’re worried about getting this stuff off your face, I had no trouble getting it off with my Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water, and I’m guessing that any makeup remover will work just as well, just make sure not to rub at it. Try to wipe it off in as few swipes as possible, so as not to scatter the glitter all over your face.

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Aside from sending me this fun sample to show off to all of you, BA Star was also nice enough to provide a code for 50% off your purchase if you want to order any of their glitters, or any of their other makeup. Just go to http://bastar.com, pick out whatever you want and enter the code BBGLITZ for your discount!

They have tons of great colours of glitter, though the holo is definitely my favourite! They also have some very cool Silver star glitters that look really fun as well! All of their glitters, as well as the Glitter Glue cost $8.75 USD… so with the discount, they’re less than $4.50 each, which is a pretty good deal for

**I was sent these products to review by BA Star through BrandBacker. My opinions, of course, remain completely honest**

Thanks so much for reading!

Wal-Mart Skincare (Mini)Haul

I picked up a few skincare items from Wal-Mart a little while ago, since there were a few things I needed. Here’s what I got:

St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Cleanser:

I’ve tried the St. Ives Apricot acne scrub and my skin really liked it, so I thought I would give this a try, since I only have toners and a cleansing water at the moment, and I like to have a proper face wash for in the shower, especially after a trip to the gym. I haven’t tried this out yet, though, since I’m lazy, and have yet to find a small bottle to carry this with me to the gym in, as I usually just end up using my cleansing water and/or toner when I’m at home. It does smell pretty nice, though, like apricots, but not too strong or sweet.

St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Scrub:

As I mentioned above, I like the St. Ives Apricot scrub, so I thought that I would try this one out next, since green tea is awesome, and, if I remember correctly, good for your skin. Also, my skin has been a little spottier lately than usual, so I thought a good acne scrub couldn’t hurt. As you can see above, it has a matcha green colour, and super-fine grit to it. So fine, I almost couldn’t feel it on my hands, though it was very obvious on the delicate skin of my face. The scent is also very fresh and clean; I really like it! I didn’t notice any special effects from this scrub so far, but I’ve only used it once and it did at least leave my skin feeling clean.

L’Oreal Paris 48 Hr Hydration Day Lotion for Normal Skin:

I got this because I wanted a good sunscreen for under makeup, since the one I got last year can feel a bit greasy, though it smells nice (Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch SPF 45). Its pretty nice, though still ends up very shiny on my skin. However, I do find it makes a pretty nice base for foundation and/or powder, and doesn’t feel as heavy as a body sunscreen. The scent leaves a little to be desired, in my opinion… It’s not bad, but it just seems a little bit Old-Womanish to me, if you know what I mean. Still, a pretty good product over all, and for less than $10 (I think it was on sale), I can’t complain.

What skincare items have you been using lately? Have you tried any of the products above? Let me know what you think in the comments!

Thanks for reading, I hope y’all are having an awesome day!

Last weekend’s Target and Shoppers Drugmart Mini-Haul

Last weekend’s mini-haul was basically just me needing to pick up several things that I was running out of or completely out of, and also 2 pairs of shoes. First, I’ll show you my beauty-related products:

Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Shampoo and Conditioner:

I love Herbal Essences shampoos/conditioners, and I’ve tried a bunch of formulas. My last one, the Honey I’m Strong one, is empty now, so I had to pick up a new one, and I decided to try this one geared towards curly hair, which I have. First of all, this smells sooo good, fruity, sweet, and happy! Also, I tried it for the first time earlier today, and let my hair dry as I usually do, and my hair did dry a lot curlier all on its own than it usually does, since it’s usually a curly/wavy hybrid. Anyways, I’m definitely happy with this formula, and for $3 each bottle at Target, there’s no way I could complain!

Essie Millionails Treatment:

I’ve been out of my OPI Nail Envy for a while now, and my nails haven’t been as long since, so I picked up this cheaper alternative to try (only $10, instead of the usual $20 or so for Nail Envy). I’m trying out for the first time today, so you may hear about it again in the future.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Silky Beige:

They didn’t have the colour I got last time (#004, so one shade lighter), but it was on sale, I’m almost out, and I’m a little darker because of the sun lately anyways, so I figure this will be fine. I’m making myself finish my last one before I begin this one, but I did test it on my hand, and it didn’t stand out at all. Definitely my favourite powder that I’ve found so far, and also, when I asked the Makeup Addiction subreddit for their favourite powders, most of them said this one as well, so I didn’t see a reason to try anything else out.

So that’s everything makeup-related, and I’ll just quickly show you the two pairs of shoes that I bought:

“American Eagle” fabric flats from Payless Shoes

Apparently the “American Eagle” line from Payless has nothing to do with American Eagle Outfitters, the store with the awesome jeans… Which I guess is good to know.

Anyways, these are actually my second pair of these same flats. The first pair I bought were in a bright (TARDIS) blue, and I loved them so much I went back for the cool patterened ones pictured above. They’re a really simple fabric flat, and they’re way cooler than a leather or faux-leather flat, since the air can go right through them to my feet, and also the back is open. I’m pretty sure that I’m going to live in these shoes all summer, since flip flops usually hurt my feet and these are just so damn cute! If you’re curious, these are about $17 in Payless in Canada.

“Hatsutori” Wedge Sandals from Spring:

From the front, these are just a cute, tan sandal with a wood-look platform, but I am in loooooove with the cool cut-out in the heel. I also think that the Japanese name that Spring gave these shoes is fitting, since they definitely feel a little Asian in style to me. They’re also pretty comfortable, though I haven’t had a chance to wear them out yet. They’re about a 3.5 inch difference between the heel height and the platform front, so they’re pretty practical, and a height I have proved I can handle well with my polkadot Forever XI shoes. Also, the straps are pretty soft, so I don’t think they should rub, bite, or blister much if at all. I’m excited to try them out! These shoes are $50 at Spring.

So that’s everything for now. I should also have a Wal-Mart skincare mini-haul up in a couple days, assuming I don’t disappear again.

Let me know what you think about any or all of the above, and also if there is anything you want to hear about from you. I love reading your comments!

Thanks for reading! <3

My Essence Nail Polishes

I mentioned the Essence mascara in my last favourites post, so I won’t waste your time talking about that again, but I did want to show off my pretty Essence nail polishes that I picked up at the same time:

Above: “Grey-t to be here,” “Oh my glitter!”
Below: “Date in the moonlight,” “Walk on the wild side”

Swatches:

Left to right: Walk on the wild side, Grey-t to be here, Date in the moonlight, Oh my glitter!
Below: Oh my Glitter! on my nails

I really like these polishes. They aren’t super long-wearing for me, but they do go on nicely in two coats, and they definitely last better than ELF polishes, which are comparable in price. Also, I think some of the colours are great. I bought pretty much all of the shimmery ones they had at the time, but they also have a nice selection of bright and normal colours.

I would definitely recommend trying some out if you have access to this brand. I got mine at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada, but it might be available other places, for all I know.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried these out, and if you’ve found this brand somewhere else! I’d also love to hear if you have any suggestions for products from this brand, since I definitely try some more out!

(Belated) Benefit Sephora Birthday Gift Review

It’s been almost a month since my birthday, but I’m finally getting around to this post: a short review of the Sephora birthday gift for this year, which consists of minis of the Benefit Watts Up highlighter stick and the They’re Real mascara:

Watt’s Up Highlighter:

This is a cream highlighter stick, which is very pigmented and quite shimmery. I think it might be better used as a base for eyeshadows, though I don’t know about its staying power yet. As a highlight, you have to use a light hand and do some good blending, but this goes give you a very pretty, warm glow.

Swatch:

Blended swatch:

They’re Real Mascara:

This is a well-known and well-loved favourite of many bloggers and vloggers in the beauty community, so I’m sure you’ve likely heard of it, even if you haven’t tried it. This sample-size has a full-sized brush, so you really get an idea of what the product is like. The formula is really nice, and I love the results, though I’m not sure a) if this is supposed to be waterproof or water resistant or b) whether it has good staying power, partly because I’m scared to wear it long or on its own in case it isn’t waterproof at all. Also, personally, I find the spikes on this brush a little too pointy and long, and I end up feeling like I’ve scratched my tightline more often than not when I use this product. It’s definitely good, but I have so many good mascaras that I don’t think I’d bother to repurchase this.

That said, this is probably the best Sephora Birthday gift so far, since I am likely to get the most use out of it, and it’s great that they’re are letting us try out some well-known products from such a great brand!

Lemme know what you think if you’ve ever tried these products, full size or from the birthday gift. Also, please let me know if there are any posts you’d like to see.

Thanks for reading! <3

April 2013 Favourites

Hello again, I’m sorry it’s been so so long since my last post… I know how annoying it is when I realise that one of my bloggers hasn’t updated in over a month. I don’t have much in the way of an excuse, either, since I’ve been on my semester break for a while now. So I will just apologize and hope I still have some readers. I’m also not going to lie this time, and I will, in fact, write up a few posts right now to go up over the next week or two. I really hope to get back into blogging regularly very soon. Thanks for sticking around!

I’ve bought some stuff since the end of March, but rather than trying to collect it all for a massive haul post for you, I think it would be better at this point to do some reviews on individual products I want to share. And for now, since I skipped March, and I didn’t have much in the way of favourites for March anyway, I thought I’d start off with my April Favourites post.

Beauty Favourites:

1. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Natural

This is a product I’ve seen a lot of on YouTube and beauty blogs, and which I’ve loved for a long time. It’s just a basic face powder, but it does what it needs to do. It mattifies, sets foundation, and offers some light coverage on its own, which is most often how I wear this powder. I am lucky to have fairly even skin, so usually this, with a little bit of concealer for zits, is enough for my everyday makeup to keep me from looking blotchy or too shiny.

I felt like I went through this product really fast, but checking back, I bought this way back in December, if not late November. Considering that this product is $10 or less, 5 months worth of product is pretty awesome if you ask me! As you can see, I’ve almost completely used up this product, and I will certainly be repurchasing.

2. Cover Girl Clump Crusher (water resistant) in Very Black

This is the first of two mascaras I have for you this month, and one I’m way behind the rest of the beauty community in trying out, but I’m not unhappy that I did. This definitely does resist clumping, though clumps are possible. One coat makes a pretty natural look, but I find I need at least two to look really good. Other than that though, I do really like this mascara, and its even good for layering to unclump other mascaras, just because it does have a great brush.

3. Essence Get Big Lashes! Volume Boost Waterproof Mascara

I wanted to try out some Essence products because they are sold at Shoppers for so cheap, almost like ELF in Canada. This mascara is kinda great, though. If you’ve been around this blog a while, you might remember my love of Urban Decay’s Big Fatty mascara. This has a huge, wonderful brush just like that, and I do love the effect. It can get clumpy, but there’s really no mascara that doesn’t, and anyways, you can’t go wrong for the price!

4. Glitter Liquid Liners

This is sorta a general thing. I bought these all around the same time, and I’ve been loving layering these over black liquid liner for sparkle and awesomeness. It just adds something extra to a simple makeup look. The Annabelle ones are much better than the ELF one, though, so if you’re looking for a good glitter liner, I’d suggest Annabelle if you can buy that where you live.

5. Pro-FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

I showed this a while back, when I bought it, and I’ve liked this so far. It doesn’t help my nails for strength like OPI Nail Envy, but this is so much cheaper, and so big I may never need to buy a base coat again…! (So not true…) Anyays, I do suggest this if you can find it; I got mine at Wal-Mart.

6. True Blue Spa Shea Cashmere Hand Cream

This is from Bath and Body Works, and I bought it on sale. It smells like icing, and makes my hands super soft. I don’t have anything revolutionary to tell you about it, but it has been the hand lotion I’ve been reaching for most often over the last little while, just because it smells so good.

Non-Beauty Favourites:

1. Google Nexus 7

If you saw my post about wanting this on my other blog, you might have been wondering if I ever got it (probably not). And I did, and I love it. Its fast, it does games, ebooks, magazines, internet, email, lists, and lots more. It’s just super convient and really light, so it’s no problem to carry around. Also, now that I have a little cover for it, I don’t have to worry about it every time I toss it in my bag!

2. Mountain Dew Code Red

Image from Sodahead.com

I have loved Code Red since the first time I had it in Slurpee form the last time it came to Canada, and I have been sad ever since it disappeared. Recently, though, Mountain Dew has been holding a contest to decide which new Mountain Dew flavour will become permanent in Canada, and I really really hope this one wins. If you want to help me, and vote for Code Red, click here; you are also entered into a contest for voting.

And for some reason, I can’t think of much else at the moment, so I’ll leave it there for this post. Lemme know your thoughts on anything or everything in this post, and what your favourites over the past month have been.

Thanks for reading!