Monday, November 28, 2016

TAG || The Holly Jolly Christmas Tag

Just a quick Christmas tag! Less than a month left until Christmas! =D

Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

Thanks for watching!

Friday, November 25, 2016

My 5 Favourite Red Lipsticks

Hey guys, I'm kind of starting a little series with this video! I'll be showing you my top 5 favourite lipsticks in several colour categories over the new few weeks, and this week I'm starting with reds!

Be sure to let me know your favourite red lipsticks, as well as if you have any suggestions for other categories to include in future top 5 (or top 10, etc.) videos!

Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

Thanks for watching!

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Tutorial || Christmas-y Makeup || Silver-y Eyes & Dark Red Lips

Today's video is a Christmas makeup tutorial... but not your average gold eye and red lip look that I've done before and that just about everyone seems to gravitate towards for this season.

Instead I wanted to give you an alternative you could do that still looks festive, party-like, and sparkly. Don't get me wrong, I love a good gold eye & red lip look, and I'll link a couple of those looks I've done below, but sometimes being different is nice!

Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

Thanks for watching!

Monday, November 21, 2016

Non-Beauty Favourites || My 7 Favourite & Essential Teas

Hello again! A little while ago I started this series of Non-Beauty favourites with my post about my Top 5 PC Games to share with you some of the things I don't usually talk about on my blog or channel because I usually stick to beauty-related topics. That said, I have talked about tea on my blog before, including my review of the Davids Tea Cold Survival Kit, when it first came out (which is still available and excellent). I'm not sure how different my Tea Collection is now from the one I posted on my short-lived second blog a couple years ago, but let me know if you're interested in an update on that!

So originally, I was going to make this a top 5 post, but in reality, there are going to be two top 7 posts to better reflect my favourite teas. I really like tea. Besides, tea is magical, and 7 is a magical number, so it all works out. In this post, I'm going to be sharing with you my Top 7 Basic Teas; not all of them will seem super basic, and some will surely argue that some of these are flavoured teas, not basic... but when I say basic, I mean basically essential.You could also consider these gift suggestions, if you're looking for something to buy a tea-lover or someone who's just getting into teas!

So now, let's take a look at some of my favourite teas, in no particular order.

teas

Let's start with the one that's not pictured above, because apparently my house is out of it... O_o

1. Earl Grey

Twinings, pictured above, is definitely a favourite, but as long as the bergamot scent/flavour is very present I'm pretty happy. This is a classic, and extremely popular. I'm sure many tea-lovers would agree this is an essential. While every brand is a little different, and some like to add to the original formula, Earl Grey tea has to have two things: black tea leaves and bergamot oil. If you've never tried it, I'd recommend Twinings or Tazo. I love Earl Grey black, but it's also great with milk or cream and sugar.

2. Oolong Tea

oolong

This Coconut Oolong from Soko Teahouse is the first oolong I ever tried, and the one that made my fall in love with the earthy flavour, but I have since come to realise I love oolong tea plain as well. I drink both the coconut and the plain black, without milk or sugar. One thing I love about oolong teas is that the never seem to get that harsh bitterness that you get if you accidently oversteep a black or green or even white tea. It has a mellow flavour, and is earthy and comforting. I can't really think of anything to compare it to, though, so you'll just have to trust me, and maybe pop into a teashop and order yourself a cup to try. If you can buy from Soko, I recommend trying the coconut oolong if you like coconut flavours, since it's not sweetened, but still has a distinct coconut flavour that pairs soooo nicely with the oolong tea! Oh, and iced oolong tea is a beautiful thing as well.

3. Twinings Lady Grey

lady grey

I know, technically this is just a fancy take on Earl Grey tea, but it is so much different and one of my favourites so I had to include it. Lady Grey is trademarked to Twinings, so they are the only one to sell this blend (at least under this name), but it's great and if you love Earl Grey or citrus tea, I strongly recommend. Basically, Lady Grey is earl grey, with flavours of orange peel and lemon peel, so it's just extra bright and citrusy. The first time I smelled it, I thought it smelled like hot fruit loops, but don't let that freak you out because it doesn't taste like fruit loops and it's so tasty and comforting. This tea is great black or with milk and sugar (great if you want a fairly low-calorie, drinkable treat), but my favourite way to drink it is black with a tiny bit of sugar, since I find it really brings out the citrus flavours.

4. Jasmine Green Tea

jasmine tea

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of green tea on it's own, but I love lots of things that involve green tea. One of my all time favourite things, for example is Jasmine Green Tea, which, if you didn't know, is green tea mixed with jasmine blossoms. It's the beautiful, fragrant green tea that all the best Chinese restaurants serve, and it's also one of the best scents in the world. You may think that a tea with flowers in it would taste like perfume, but honestly if you find a perfume that smells like Jasmine Green tea, I need you to tell me, because my life ambition is to always smell like jasmine green tea. It's simple, slightly sweet even though it isn't sweetened with anything, and again, so so calming. Plus, green tea is great for you! Generally, this tea is consumed hot and black, but it's also great iced both sweetened and unsweetened. This one pictured from Stash is a great one, and DavidsTea also hs some great Jasmine teas in varying degrees of fanciness.

5. Chai tea

chai

I feel like this didn't used to be as much of a thing as it is now, maybe because of Starbucks pushing their chai lattes? Anyways, chai is one of the best things to happen to tea, and if you haven't tried it in any form, you have to. And if you tried a Starbucks chai latte and thought it was too sweet and a bit gross, unless you hate cinnamon, pick up some chai teabags and make a plain cup, because damn... Yes Starbucks WAY oversweetens the chai latte, and you CAN make it better! One of my favourites is the one I pictured: the Tetley Chai, though the Tazo is also great, and so is the Twinings (I don't recommend Stash!). Chai is an Indian blend of spices with black tea, and usually contains spices such as ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves, though the spices can vary from brand to brand. It's warming and delicious and tastes like Fall and Winter in a tea. Again, I do love this black, or with some milk or cream and sugar, but the absolute best way to make chai is to DIY your own chai latte.

Making it yourself means you get to sweeten as much or little as you want, and it's rich and creamy and tastes like a spiced cloud. You can make this in a single serving, or in a big pot, all you need is equal parts water and milk, chai tea (bagged or loose leaf), and sugar or honey to taste. When I'm making a single serving, I pour about a cup of boiling water over the tea and let that steep for 5 or so minutes, then microwave a cup of milk, and mix that and my sugar in to my steeped tea.

A more traditional way would be to boil 2 cups of water, pour in your tea (or pop in your tea bags, I'd use two for this much tea), simmer for 5 minutes, then add 2 cups of milk, heat through and add your sugar to taste before serving. This will make you (obviously) 4 cups of chai latte. Though if you want foam, you'll need a frother.

6. Ahmad Tea London Cardamon Tea

cardamon

I have to blame my best friend Brit for this one. She fell in love with it and asked what it was eating at this Persian restaurant, then was serving it alllll the time at her house until I was obsessed with it. So I asked her what it was, and had to buy myself a box! I'm not sure how hard it will be to buy if you don't have access to a Persian or Mediterranean market, which is where I got mine, but I think this brand, Ahmad Tea, is British... so maybe that helps? Anyways, it tastes really similar to Earl Grey until you start to fall in love with it, and then it's completely different. It's just a black tea flavoured delicately with cardamom (or cardamon) and it's warm and soft and delicious. It's traditionally served black with sugar, which is so great, but it's also great black, or with milk and sugar. It's just good. Buy some. You're welcome.

(For some reason, the Ahmad Tea site describes this as tasting more like a chai tea, but I've honestly never thought that, and it always has tasted more like an earl grey to me... but something to keep in mind. Still buy some.)

7. DavidsTea Buddha's Blend

buddhas blend

This one is an exclusive DavidsTea blend with white and green teas, jasmine pearls, and white hibiscus blossoms, which look pretty damn luxurious when they open in hot water. This tea is softened by the white tea, which I've always thought had a bit of a peachy or apricot scent, and when that's paired with the jasmine and hibiscus, the scent it oddly reminiscent of peach juice or Fuzzy Peaches. It doesn't taste like that, just like Lady Grey doesn't taste of Fruit Loops, but the scent is part of what I love about this tea. The flavour itself is soft, floral (not perfume-y!!), and soothing. It tastes like something a spa might serve, to be honest. I haven't tried it, but it would also probably be great iced. Just please god, do not oversteep this one... for some reason it gets extra bitter and tannin-y... so watch you steeping time!

***

So those are my 7. I'm sure I've left something great out, and I know that I have a ton more I love... which is why I'll be putting up another favourite teas post very soon!! The next one will be my 7 Favourite Special or Flavoured Teas! So don't forget to check back for those in a couple weeks!

For now, let me know which of these teas you've tried, and also what you're favourite teas are in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Chatty GRWM || Soft, Warm Wearable Eyes & Bold Lip

Hey guys, in this grwm, I'm kinda just playing with makeup, and I ended up with a pretty, wearable warm eye, which looks so fall to me. I paired it with a bold, brick-y lipstick, but of course you could pair it with any lip. Enjoy!

Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

Thanks for watching!

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Tag || Winter is Coming

Hey guys! Today I just have a fun tag for you that I put together because I hadn't done one in a while but couldn't find a good one around. I'll leave the questions here and in the description of the video, as well as the people I'd love to have do the tag as well, but as always, I tag everyone! Leave me a comment if you do this tag too!

Also! I'd like to do a Q&A video soon, if people are interested in watching that! So if you are, make sure you leave me your questions in the comments!

Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

The Questions:

  1. Is winter your Favourite season?
  2. Favourite winter sport?
  3. Favourite Winter beverage?
  4. New Year's or Christmas? (Or another Winter Holiday)
  5. Best Christmas present as a kid?
  6. Playing in the snow, or inside with tea and a book?
  7. Favourite Christmas movie?
  8. Worst thing about winter?
  9. Best winter-related scent?
  10. Favourite part of Winter fashion?
  11. Turkey or Ham?
  12. Do you get dressed up for Christmas, or PJs all day?
  13. Crank the heat or layer up your clothes?
  14. When do you think it is acceptable to start decorating for Christmas?
  15. Tree-toppers: star or angel?

I Tag (alphabetically, like a nerd):

  • Aleeza | Stylish & Literate
  • Amanda Roberts
  • Amanda Speroni
  • Amy Sousa
  • Ania | Makeup&More
  • BrittyxBeauty
  • Brit / StarlessBooks
  • Chelle / Makeup Your Mind
  • Chelsea / oliveandivyblog
  • Christine Ang
  • Classy On The Run
  • HeyGorgeousxxx
  • Holly Dowling
  • Holly Housewife
  • H Wong
  • Jaime / Girl Loves Gloss
  • Jayne / Cosmetic Proof
  • Jenn F / ABeautifulZen
  • JenniiferLouiise
  • Jillian Ness
  • Jodi / uptherollercoaster
  • Katelyn Cuthill
  • Katherine Lake / TheGreenBows
  • Megan / megilee
  • missalyssa977
  • Miz Lulu
  • Raincouver Beauty
  • Rae / TheNotice
  • Rebecca Pilozo
  • Samantha Jane
  • SariReanna
  • Spiffykerms
  • Stephanie Lau / FunsizeBeauty
  • TheresBeautyInSimplicity
  • ... and YOU!!

Thanks for watching!

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Ten Things on My Christmas Wish List || 2016

Hey guys, just a fun post today to share with you some of the things I would love to receive this Christmas! I realise it's more than a month away, but I figure this post could also be used as inspiration for your own Christmas lists of as gift inspiration for someone you know! So, without further ado, let's get into it.

1. Pizza John Popsocket -- $12 USD

This one is really recent, and only available until November 18, when Pizzamas ends. If you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, you must not watch the Vlogbrothers, who are two of YouTube's biggest treasures, if you ask me! Pizzamas happens once a year in November for two weeks, and it's when John and Hank Green post a video every week day for two weeks, and at the same time, they sell a variety of Pizza John merchandise on their online store, DFTBA records. It's fun, and the original Pizza John design goes way back to 2009 from fanart made after John posted a video of him shaving his Movember beard. It's silly but it's pretty great.

Thus far, I don't own any Pizza John things, but for some reason this popsocket thing, which is a little collapsible device that sticks on to your phone and acts as a handle and phone stand, really appeals to me. And with shipping, it would cost about $20 CAD.

2. Moccasins from Manitobah Mukluks in Stone (Gray)-- $129.99 CAD

Especially in the Stone colour, I just love the way these look. There are two kinds, the leather and the suede, but they're both gorgeous. My friend has a pair I've tried and they're really comfortable, and I love the fringe on them! These ones aren't lined at all, so they can be worn even if it isn't cold, which I also like, since I overheat so easily. I don't know what else to say about them, except that it's really cool that the brand that makes these ones is Canadian, indigenous owned, and supports indigenous communities.

3. Urban Decay All-Nighter Foundation in .05 -- $49 CAD

I hate the way they've numbered these colours... I'm only half a colour...?! This seems offensive in some way... but anyways. I've swatched this foundation in store a few times, and the coverage is SO GOOD! It looks so natural and light on the skin, but provides great, beautiful coverage. It also doesn't feel cakey and thick like the Kat Von D, so I really want to give this stuff a go on my face. I'm sure I'd love it!

4. Foreo Luna Mini -- $119 CAD

No, I didn't specify the Mini 2, because I don't care which one, and since it's $40 cheaper, I'd happily take the original! I've tried face brushes before, though never the Clarisonic, and I feel they're just too harsh on my face, but this tool, with it's little silicone nubs intrigues me in a few ways. First, it's silicone, so it doesn't hold on to dirt and bacteria the same way a brush can, so it stays cleaner and better for your face. It's also much gentler feeling, the battery lasts ages, and it's super portable.

5. Gift Certificate to BodyArtForms.com

I mean, I'm not going to expect other people to pick the right gage and size and jewellery for me, since most people I know don't have any frm of body piercings. Besides, I have a big wish list of pieces I want for my septum, from simple hoops to fancier, showier clickers. If for some reason you'd like to see my current wish list on BAF, you can find that here.

6. My Gandalf rune tattoo -- ~$100 CAD

Gandalf Rune Tattoo Idea

This seems like a weird thing to ask for as a gift, but essentially I'm just asking for ~$100 bucks to go and get my first tattoo done! Probably more like $115, since my tattoo will be small and quick, and $100 is the minimum charge, and I'd want to tip the artist. The above picture is essentially concept art, since I drew the rune on my shoulder in sharpie, which is pretty much how I have been playing with tattoo ideas for the last year or so. I want this rune because it is the symbol Gandalf uses in the Lord of the Rings to end his letters; this rune is essentially his signature. Basically, the rune is just a Cirth rune for "G", along with four dots around it.

Now why do I want to tattoo Gandalf's signature on my shoulder for all of time? Well, there are several things I love about this tattoo. 1. It's simple and iconic. 2. I love that you kinda need to know what it is to know what it is... if you get what I mean. It doesn't scream Tolkien or Lord of the Rings to a non-nerd, but a Tolkien fan would likely at least recognize it. 3. It's small, and should be a fairly easy first tattoo. Eventually I want a Dumbledore quote, probably on my leg, but that would be much longer and I'd love to know the pain I'll be signing myself up for before I jump into a longer quote. 4. Gandalf is one of my favourite characters of all time. He's good, wise, smart, caring, interesting, and ancient. And he has some of the very best quotes. Tolkien is my all-time favourite author. His work means a lot to me, Gandalf means a lot to me, and I'd love to etch a symbol of my love for those two on my skin for all to see.

7. Black Low-heeled Ankle Booties with an Exposed Zip -- ~$75 CAD


I know, that's really really specific... But I know what I want, alright?! I've actually found a pair or two I really like, one of which is from Payless, but while they are $40 USD online, Canadians can't order from that site, and the ones sold in Canadian stores are actually more like $70, if I'm remembering correctly. =( I do really like them in the black, though. They're pretty much exactly what I am thinking. And then these ones from Spring are also really cute, for $75 CAD.

8. Self-Titled Yellowcard Album -- $13 CAD

Not much to say here. One of the best bands, their last CD ever... They aren't touring to Vancouver, so I'll have to make due with buying the last CD to show my love.

9. Bootie Slippers -- $25 CAD

I'm not too picky, but this is a good example of the type of slippers I'd like. They're just so much cuter and more practical, in my opinion, than slide on slippers. I just feel like they'd stay on the foot better, so you wouldn't need to take them off to curl up and read, and then need to remember to put them back on to wander your house. Plus I think bootie slippers are really cute with PJ shorts. These ones from La Senza are pretty well-priced at $25 and felt really nice when I poked them in-store.

10. Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Collector's Edition set -- $300 CAD

Oh my god. This is beautiful. The packaging. The colours. In some ways, even the price (at $24 a pop, 15 should cost $360, so you get 2 and a half for free)! This beautiful set comes with 15 full-size KVD liquid lipsticks, some of my favourite lip products, including 2 exclusive shades. Ugh, it's gorgeous, the colours are so varied and beautiful, and some part of me says my desire for this set is entirely irrational, but I wants it!

Also, if that's just too insane for your, but you love KVD Liquid Lipsticks, there's a smaller set of minis for $62, which is also a nice deal. You get 8 shades at less than the price of 3 full-size, and each mini is almost exactly half the size of a full-size.

***

Can you tell I'm into shoes right now? Haha! Let me know what's on your Christmas Wish List, or just your regular wish list right now in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

HAUL || Anniversary Gifts & More || Fashion, Music, Accessories

Hey guys, here's a quick haul to show you the things I got from David for our anniversary, as well as a few other things I picked up over the past month or so. Enjoy!

Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

Thanks for watching!

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Non-Beauty Favourites || My 5 Favourite PC Games

Hey guys! Today I wanted to start something I will try to add to periodically: a series of posts about some of my favourite things that have nothing to do with beauty, hair, makeup, or skincare! I'm going to start out by sharing with you my five fave PC games!

I've (shockingly) never owned a game console, unless you count the Nintendo DS, but I only got that from a friend years after it was a model or two out of date because she had the new one. And I only got that to play Pokemon HeartGold, my first ever Pokemon game. But I have always played computer games; I had educational games I loved to death as a kid, Oregon Trail, Kid Pix and other art games, as well as the first couple Harry Potter games (which I was always kinda scared to finish, because I was a terrible gamer). And I still really only play PC games... and so, here are my 5 absolute favourite PC games, in no particular order:

1. Overwatch

Image from siliconangle.com

The only Blizzard game I've tried, Overwatch is gorgeous! It's a lot like TF2 (a game I long thought would also be in this post, but which I and my friends have completely stopped playing since OW came out), in that it's an FPS with cartoon-y characters who play a range of different roles with different weapons. There are defence, offence, healers, builders, and tank classes, though one awesome thing about Overwatch is that there are female characters as well as male, approximately a 50/50 split. I'm not really sure what else there is to say...

You play online, either making a group with friends, or playing with strangers on teams of 6v6. There are several different map, a regular quick play mode, a weekly brawl that is a fun twist on the game that changes frequently, and a competitive mode that works in seasons with medals and rankings, as well as stricter rules. It's a really fun and addictive game, even if you aren't a great player =P. You can get Overwatch from Blizzard starting at $39.99 USD for the most basic edition (pricier options come with more perks like skins or even physical goodies).

2. AudioSurf

This old, simple game is one of the best things I was ever introduced to. I'm pretty sure almost no one ever plays it anymore (especially since they released an updated version 2), but it's a solo game, so that doesn't matter to me! The basic idea is that you make the game what you want by using your own music, and the levels adapt and are shaped by the rhythm and speed of the songs you choose! There are several game modes, from zen to complicated, but to be honest, I only ever play the easiest level.

I love how relaxing this game is! Since you use your own music, its really easy to start predicting the patterns the game will give you, especially the more you play. I love using the game to chill out, or even to help me learn lyrics to newer songs I don't quite have down yet, because it forces me to focus on the songs by distracting my hands and eyes while I listen. I find it's easiest to get the right beat when I sing along with the songs as well. This game probably sounds boring to lots of you, but if it sounds slightly interesting, I seriously suggest you give it a go. It's only $10.99 CDN on steam!

3. Portal

This game is fantastic, and unlike anything I've ever played before or since, except maybe it's sequel, which we'll get to in a minute. There's something so enthralling about the physics puzzles in this game, and don't be scared off by the word physics, you don't need to be good at science to get this game. As the name suggests, you use a portal gun to work your way through level after level as you try to complete test chambers for the disembodied voice that eggs you on and mocks you throughout the game. She's a little dark, mean, and monotonous, and I love her. Her dark humour is what ultimately makes this game, aside from the infuriatingly tough test chambers that you can't help but want to solve!

You have to try this game if you like dark humour, physics, science fiction, puzzles, or any combination of the above. You'll love it, and if you don't, you're wrong. Portal is $10.99 CDN on Steam. or $24.73 bundled with Portal 2

4. Portal 2

Maybe it's cheating to include the sequel to one of the best games in the world as another game on this list, but hell, I'd be lying if I didn't include it in my top five!! Besides, this game is longer, more complex, and ramps everything up by adding even more elements into the game for you to figure out and then use to solve the new puzzles!

The same dark humour is here, along with some new amazing characters, more back story for the original, and it's just a freaking work of art! Honestly, after you've played Portal, you'll need to play this too, but don't jump into this one! You'll want to know the original story before you start playing this one, and the original is only a couple hours long, so you'll be jumping into Portal 2 in no time! Portal 2 is $21.99 alone, or $24.73 bundled with Portal

5. Q.U.B.E.

Image from qube-game.com

Many games have tried to replicate the beauty and wonder that is the Portal franchise, and while I will never argue that this one is as great, it gives it a really good try. Unfortunately, this game (though I haven't finished this one, I am several hours deep) completely lacks any of the humour, dialogue, or even characters. Instead, it's very quiet (which is really cool in it's own way. It may have ambient music, but it's not really something that sticks in my mind one way or another.) and focusses entirely on the mechanics and puzzles. Like many puzzle games, its starts slow with one or two mechanics, teaching you more as you go and putting them together for more and more difficult chambers. It is very similar to Portal in it's clean, very white & grey, minimalistic design, and it also uses a similar set up to Porta's test chambers as a way to separate and distinguish levels.

All in all, it is a really fun game, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who has finished both Portal games, and is looking for something new to fill that void. It's very engrossing and has much the same way of being infuriatingly tough... you know each room is solvable, but it's never easy. What is easy is sinking hours into this game! Q.U.B.E. is $10.99 CDN on Steam.

Honorable Mention: Team Fortress 2 (TF2)

As mentioned earlier, when I first thought to do this post a few months ago, up until pretty recently I honestly thougt that Team Fortress 2 would be one of the games that had to be on this list, but—sad to say—Overwatch has entirely replaced TF2 in the games my friends play, and since I rarely play games, especially multiplayers, alone, I haven't played TF2 since Overwatch came out! I haven't kept up with the community since OW, but David has, since this game was his life for years, and it looks like the developers have continually made bad mistakes and kinda fucked up the game play, so even though there are those who didn't jump ship for Overwatch, it sounds like this game is dying.

It was really fun, though. Unlike Overwatch, TF2 stuck with the same 12 characters from the beginning, keeping it new and exciting instead through new items, both useful—like new weapons to add new play styles, and cosmetic—such as clothing items, accessories, and of course, hats... because why the fuck not?! There were frequent updates and events, sometimes new maps were added, a new play-style (ManvMachine), and fun holiday updates like Halloween and Christmas.

I'm sad I don't play anymore, and I miss the Pyro (my favourite character... no Overwatch character can quite compare to my love for that psycho), but I'm kinda scared to taint my memories by going back if the game is as broken as it sounds like it's becoming. I'd rather preserve my memories. God... I sound like one of my friends died. Don't judge me. If you'd like to give it a go, lucky for you TF2 became Free-to-Play on Steam a few years ago, so you can do that with no real consequences.

***

So that's all! Let me know if you have any questions, and be sure to let me know your favourite game in the comments, whether it's on PC or not!

Thanks for reading!

None of the links in this post get me anything and I'm not paid by anyone to write this post, these are just some of my honest favourite games and the links are so you can find them easily yourself if you're interested =D

Thursday, November 3, 2016

GRWM || Soft, Romantic Anniversary Date Makeup

Here's a quick GRWM to show you the makeup I wore for my anniversary day with David a few days ago! I really like how it turned out. Also, I did use the Gwen Stefani palette, but the colours I used were pretty basic, so I think this would be easily replicable.

I went bright on the main part of the lid, and just a little smokey on the outside corner so that the winged liner would stand out, and obviously I paired it with a bright purple lip, which David picked out for the day =P

Sorry my videos are falling behind lately. I've been low on ideas for a little while, which is why all my recent videos have been makeup looks. Hope you don't mind too much. Feel free to request reviews, tags, top 5's, or anything else you'd like to see! I'd love the input.

Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

Thanks for watching!

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

30-Day Lipstick Challenge || Update #4 ||The Final Week

I successfully finished the challenge, and I'm back to show you the final week's worth of lipsticks and share my reviews! If you haven't been keeping up with this challenge either here or on Instagram, you might want to check out the first 3 posts to see the other lipsticks I included in this challenge:

  1. Week 1 — Lipsticks 1-10
  2. Week 2 — Lipsticks 11-16
  3. Week 3 — Lipsticks 17-23

And don't forget to follow me on Instagram!

But now, let's get into the lipsticks!

24. Revlon Ultra HD Liquid Lipstick in HD Obsession

This lipstick is pretty good, but I don't think I'd recommend it over many others I own. The colour is great, but not unique (it is one of my favourite tones, and you probably have noticed I have several in a very similar shade!). It smells really nice, but while I like a good smelling lipstick, that's never going to be enough to make me pick it. The formula is nice, but it stays smudge-y like a regular lipstick, and doesn't seem to dry even as much as the NYX Liquid Suedes on me, and never fully achieves a matte finish. But I mean, its nice and I'll keep wearing it. *shrugs*

25. Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Outlaw

Something about my lighting in this picture makes it look like it leans a little more pink than it looks in real life, though I do think it has a bit of a blue base to it. It's a gorgeous bright red that I think looks fantastic against my fair skin, but would also work on a range of other skin tones. The KVD Liquid lipsticks are phenomenal, as well (hence why the two I own got left until the last week); they dry down completely and feel really weightless. I don't feel like they suck moisture out of my lips, but they are certainly not moisturising! The dry, but non-flaky texture of this lipstick once dried is so good and so long-wearing that I want to buy a ton more shades, and KVD has some great, unique vampy and bright colours to choose from!

26. Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Punked Matte

I LOVE this colour! I hunted it down after it sold out days after I first tired it instore. No Sephoras were restocking it and I was desperate to get my hands on this super unique shade, since I couldn't find anything like it from any other brands at the time either! It's a really neutral gray tone, though it can tend to look a little brown or pink/purple based in some lighting, or if my natural lipshade starts to show through. It can be a little thin and translucent, but can build up to an opaque gray lipstick. The formula, like I described in the Magenta Matte shade, is great, thin, silky, and comfortable, never drying. It smells faintly of vanilla sugar, but not sickly.

27. NYX Liquid Suede lipstick in Brooklyn Thorn

This is another super weird, unique, beautiful shade! I didn't like it much the first time I tried it, since it's a strange brown/gray colour (which my sister recently described as "Olive-y, like the colour of the inside of a Kalamata olive."). But maybe Punked Matte helped to normalize greys for me, because now I love this shade as well. In the pictures they look pretty similar, but I swear this is more brown and warm, and Punked is more neutral muted grey. I had talked at length about how I like the formula of these Liquid Suedes, so I won't go into it too much. Check out the other ones included in this challenge, or my somewhat recent NYX Liquid Suede review and swatch post!

28. Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in L.U.V.

This gorgeous bright purple shade is so stunning! I almost once bought this colour twice (in two different brands and formulas) in the same trip to Sephora because I love it so much! The other was Too Faced Melted Violet, which is shockingly similar, but a little less matte and long-lasting, since it takes much longer to dry down. In the end I went with the KVD, and I regret nothing! It's bright, purple, warm, and so pretty. And I already ranted earlier about how much I love the KVD Everlasting Liquid lipstick formula!

29. Colourpop Lippie Stix in Bunny

I know I've featured this lipstick before in reviews, swatches, and costume makeups, but it's so damn pretty and unique! Much of the internet beauty community will agree that the Colourpop lippie stix are fantastic quality, strange and amazing colours, and super affordable, and this colour is no different! I bought it because I loved the swatches, even though I thought I'd never have the courage to wear it out of the house, and promised I'd make it work one day... and I actually have found more uses for it than some may expect! St. Patrick's and Halloween, of course, are the easiest excuses for super shimmery green lips. An usually I wouldn't like such a glittery lipstick, but it just looks so shiny and stunning, almost metallic, and it isn't gritty or rough like many other glitter lipsticks. I would definitely recommend this is you have any reason to wear a green lippie!

30. MAC Satin Lipstick in Cyber

Last, but not least, we have one of MAC's most beautiful vampy lipsticks. Usually I pair this with MAC Nightmoth lipliner, since the Satin formula from MAC has a tendency to feather on my lips, but the colour is still amazing! Deep, but not black toned, it almost has a warm brown undertone. Honestly, if I blend it into my skin, it makes a fairly convincing purple bruise colour, but at full impact on my lips, it looks great and I've got so many compliments on it! Again, same great scent as all the MAC lippies, and being a satin the lasting power could be better, but it is pretty damn opaque and pigmented, and isn't hard to touch up... just make sure to carry a matching or clear lip liner to make sure the edges stay sharp, you don't want this dark purple smudging around your lip line!!

Also, as I said in that pic's description, I'm not sure why, but my camera is seeing way more texture in the colour and on my lips than I could see... It looked fine in person, even though my lips were a little dry, but the camera makes it look sunk into every possible crevice and line in my lips!

***

So that's it! I had a lot of fun doing this challenge, since it made sure that I went through and played with lipsticks I don't necessarily reach for all the time because I have a few favourites I tend to circulate through the majority of the time. That said, i also missed having the ability to wear grey lips every day for a week if I wanted to! =D I would definitely think about doing this again with different lipsticks, maybe in the spring or summer, so let me know if you enjoyed these posts and want to see another round!

Finally, let me know what lipsticks or shades you've been favouring lately!

Thanks for reading!

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