Blogmas 06: Moroccan Oil

A few weeks ago when I got my haircut, my hair dresser convinced me to try out a hair cult classic: Moroccan Oil. Like Lush's Ocean Salt, this product is a godsend during winter months. 

My hair ends get dry really fast and unfortunately, I don't like to shell out on conditioner. But this little beauty is amazing at leaving my hair soft to the touch and protects it from the dryness.

Obviously, the steep price tag of the full bottle was too much of a risk for me but thankfully, there's a smaller bottle too. Though it's small, you don't use that much so it actually lasts for quite a long time.

This particular formulation is 'light', which is better for my hair because one of my main concerns was the oil weighing my hair down. But this formulation doesn't do that. It feels light and leaves my hair feeling soft and silky.

Another thing I've noticed is that it smells great. I use it every time I wash my hair and it leaves my hair smelling fresh and soft. Yeah yeah, how can hair smell soft? I know but trust me. It's possible. It's a delightful smell that leaves you wanting to smell your hair all day long.

Needless to say, Moroccan Oil has now garnered a permanent spot in my hair care routine, especially during the winter.

What's your favorite hair care product?

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Blogmas 05: DIY Mason Jar Tea Light "Candles"

So this year, I decided to do something different for my Don house team for Christmas/Hanukkah presents. Usually I just buy things but I'm not the best at buying things for people. This is where Youtube and Bethany Mota (Macbarbie07) came in. I saw a video she posted about DIY mason jars with tea lights in them and I knew that's exactly what I wanted to give. So with a few supplies from the Dollar store and a local art store, I was ready to go!

What You Need

Mason jars

Glitter

Spray adhesive

Vinyl adhesive or frisket film (I used frisket because it was cheaper!)

Tealights

Glass beads - various colors

Step 1: Cut out the shape you want out of the frisket film, peel off the backing, and stick it on the side of the jar where you want the cut out  to be.

Step 2: Shake up your spray glue jar and spray a generous amount inside the jar. 

Step 3: Very quickly, pour in the glitter color that you want the jar to have, close the lid, shake it around, and empty the access. I originally did just one coat but I decided to do two instead. So I let the first coat for an hour, and repeated steps 2-3. 

Step 4: VERY carefully, peel out the frisket film. Make sure you do this step slowly and carefully.

Step 6: Put in some glass beads and the tea light. Bam! You're done.

I really like how easy this DIY is. I'm famous for messing up even the simplest things but this is definitely an easy DIY that makes a great present for anyone in your life. This was particularly perfect for me because as Dons, we are not allowed to have any candles in our rooms. The fact that these give the same ambience as a candle makes it a great present. 

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Blogmas 04: Lush 'Ocean Salt'

I will be the first to admit that my skin is obnoxious. In the summer, it gets obnoxiously oily by the end of the day and in the winter, it gets obnoxiously dry. So when I walked out of Lush with this little beaut, I finally solved the problem.

Lush's Ocean Salt is amazing, to be frank. Even that is an understatement. It's a sea salt scrub for your face and body that leaves your skin feeling as soft as a baby's bottom. Call me crazy but I've noticed my face looks a little brighter after a scrub with this.

Having never used it and with a heft price tag of $21.95, this little pot certainly doesn't come cheap and was quite a risk for me. But it's an investment and a damn good one, if I do say so myself. I only use it for my face and you only use a tiny bit of it at a time so it has lasted me for quite a while. Even after one use, you can visible see (and feel!) the difference. My skin feels softer and more fresh. 

The scent itself is wonderful. It's strong and greets you as soon as you open the pot. When you initially buy it, the sea salt is at the top so the sales associate gives you a little popsicle stick to mix it before your first use. Once it's all mixed in, just take a small dollop, and rub all over your face. You may or may not feel a slight burning sensation if you leave it too long (thanks to that damn vodka) so be sure not to do that. After giving your face a good scrub, just rinse it off. 

One of the best things about Lush, as I've found, is that they are anti-animal testing and all their products are made with natural products. No nasty chemicals, here! And I mean, come on. Have you walked into a Lush store? It smells freaking amazing! I can't wait to try other products from Lush. 

What's your favorite skincare saviour?

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Blogmas 03: Classic Christmas Movies

Imagine that you've just poured yourself a steaming cup of your favorite tea. It's mid-December and you're home after a particularly harsh exam season at school. You look outside and see the world covered with a thick blanket of snow. It's chilly so you take a sip of your tea and smile to yourself.

You sneak a piece of the gingerbread cookies your mum just made with one hand and grab the thickest, softest fleece blanket you own with another and get settled in for 2 hours of a classic holiday movie.

Can you picture it? Because I can. With only two exams and one presentation standing in my way, I can just feel how amazing it is going to be to finally go home and relax.

So grab your besties, smile to yourself, and make yourself comfortable with any (or all) of these classic Christmas movies.

It's a Wonderful Life

Elf

The Holiday

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Love Actually

Home Alone

A Charlie Brown Christmas

My absolute favorite movies from this list are A Charlie Brown Christmas and Home Alone. I will watch these movies without fail every holiday season. 

What are some of your favorite holiday movies?

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Blogmas 02: Christmas Gift Ideas for HER

With Christmas nearly here, we're all struggling to get our friends and family gifts. If you have yet to buy a gift for your special lady, sister, or daughter (*coughdadcough*), here are some ideas. 

Have a look around and take your pick. She won't be disappointed. 

1. Michael Kors Jet Set Macbook Travel Tote

This is definitely on my wishlist this year. My family doesn't celebrate Christmas (okay, my dad doesn't but my mom indulges me) but that doesn't stop me from having a wishlist every year. This year, I only have one item: this travel tote. I've been looking for a sturdy yet classic bag for school and this tote seems perfect for me. The fact that it also has a compartment for my macbook is just the cherry on top.

2. Kate Spade Glitter Bug Small Stacy Wallet

Very girly and cute. It's small and perfect for when you only need to take a couple of IDs and/or credit cards with you. Plus, who doesn't enjoy pink glitter?

3. Tiered Vestige Cosmetics Holder

This is great for the beauty buff. I'm beginning to build quite a lipstick collection and since I don't have any organized place to put them, they just get scattered around. This lipstick holder would solve that problem and it looks absolutely beautiful.

4. Aeropostale Butterfly Knit Infinity Scarf

The color is gorgeous and it just oozes comfort. Need I say more?

5. Victoria Emerson Mixed Emerald Dorado on Dark

This is just so pretty! I've never heard of the brand before but it randomly popped up on my Facebook feed so I just had to check them out. Out of all the bracelets they carry, this emerald beauty certainly caught my eye. Must be the Slytherin in me ;)

6. Starwalker Lace-Ups

These little booties are shearling-lined and look adorable! Admittedly they are a little pricey but if you want to treat someone, these would be it. And the stars look so pretty!

7. Measuring Gaggle

This set of measuring gaggles looks so classy and elegant. These are perfect for that baker you know. Hell, I don't even bake that much and I still want these in my kitchen.

8. Flowerpatch Measuring Spoons

Again, I just couldn't resist adding these spoons to the list because of their cute flowerpatch design.

9. Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity & Sleep Wristband

I've heard fantastic things about the Fitbit wristbands from friends that have bought one. It's a great present for the fitness afficionado. The wristband looks sleek and apparently is also waterpoof so you can totally wear it in the shower. It tracks your fitness activity, calories burned, sleep patterns, and more. What's better is that it can sync with the Fitbit app on your computer and phone so that you can transfer all that data and track your progress. This may just be on my birthday wishlist.

10. Mark Jacobs Daisy Perfume

The scent for this perfume is perfect for everyday wear. It's subtle and feminine with a hint of floral. It smells very fresh and has good lasting power as well. Perfect addition to the perfume collection. 

What's on your wishlist this year?

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Blogmas 01: MAC Russian Red

One of my recent lipstick purchases was the MAC Russian Red lipstick. This shade had been on my wishlist since I started wearing lipstick and I could not be more happy about the purchase.

I know I said this already in the My Lipstick Collection post but this is honestly the perfect holiday shade. The color is a nice deep red, which is absolutely perfect for Christmas parties with a stunning pair of heels and a LBD. 

The pigmentation of the lipstick is absolutely great and it applies very smoothly as well. Thanks to the blue base of the lipstick, this color shines on every skin tone. From pale to dark skin, this color will stand out and bring the attention right to where you want it: your lips. 

Make sure you have a mirror though. Unless you're a pro at applying lipstick, you're going to need it. 

At $18 (CAD), this is certainly on the higher end of lipsticks but it is well worth it. Fun fact: it also makes a wonderful Christmas gift. Know someone who always has a splash of color on her lips? Get this color for her. She won't be disappointed.

Promise. 

Can you picture it? Because I can. 

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Introducing: Blogmas 2013

In an effort to be more consistent in blogging, I have decided to start something called BLOGMAS this December. Starting December 1st and going all the way to December 25th, I will be blogging every other day!!

I'm currently on a roll for blogging since I've been feeling more inspired lately so I really want to keep up the momentum I've had. 

Blogmas posts will not be only about beauty. I will be posting a lot of personal posts as well; it will be a hearty mix of everything I love, not just beauty. 

Here's to hoping for a great holiday season this year!

Spotlight: Naked 3 Palette

Can we just pause for a moment and thank the Beauty Gods for the best thing that's about to come our way? Urban Decay has recently announced the Naked 3 palette and oh. my. god.

Siiiiiiiiiiigh. 

The Naked 3 palette features colors with soft rose-colored undertones. These are never-before-seen shades. Brand new! Just for us to enjoy! BUT it still gets better! The palette also comes with a double-ended eye shadow brush AND samples of each of the four Urban Decay primers (Original, Sin, Eden, and Anti-Aging). 

I bought the original Naked palette sometime last year and absolutely loved its versatility. Naked 2 palette? Not such a big fan of any of the colors. It was a palette I could do without. But the Naked3 palette is amazing for everyday eyes. And you can just as easily go from day to night thanks to those lovely few dark shades. 

If there is ONE beauty item in my Christmas wishlist, you're looking at it baby! Sadly, it's out of stock on the UD website and Sephora Canada has yet to get it in store but you can bet that I'll be getting it the minute it comes out.

What do you think of the new palette? Will you be getting it or is it a pass for you?

Porn: Winter Coat Edition

With November almost ending, Canada is in full-on winter mode. Though we have yet to see any sign of snow, temperatures have plummeted to the single digits already and small rain puddles have transformed into ice sheets overnight. 

This can only mean one thing: time to bring out your best winter coats, ladies. While I'm all set with my L.L. Bean Baxter State Parka (with down filling!) for the harsh Canadian winter, I still have quite a wandering eye. 

So during one of my many procrastination sessions whilst working on my essay, I came up with a list of nine coats that I wouldn't mind owning...if I had enough money, that is. But a girl can dream, right?

Starting with the navy pea coat, clockwise:

1. Navy Hooded Pea Coat - £40

2. Fat Face Penny Parka, Olivine - £98

3. Ralph Lauren Cashmere-Blend Belted Coat - $295

4. Juicy Couture Wool Oversized Moto Coat - $368

5. Burberry Brit Wool Duffle Coat - $995

6. Rebecca Taylor Wool Coat with Shearling Collar - $995

7. Tommy Hilfiger Hooded Faux-Fur Trim Coat - $150

8. Topshop Fur Trim Short Parka Jacket - $150

9. Eddie Bauer Travex Jacket - $80 

My Lipstick Collection

With an interest in lipsticks popping up over the last few months, I've managed to gather a small collection so I thought it'd be a good idea to devote a post on my growing lipstick collection. 

I used to only wear lip balms but after the red lips trend, I wanted to try it. So I bought my first ever lipstick, the Wet n' Wild lipstick in Hot Red to start experimentation. With that, my confidence wearing lipsticks grew as did my collection. 

This shade is a gorgeous red-orange shade. It's a little shiny but also a little matte. It has great pigmentation and is fantastic to wear on casual nights out. 

This is a lip crayon that I got in my November ipsy bag and I haven't gotten the chance to wear it out yet but I love the shade. It's red but muted enough that you can wear it on any normal day. It's not very overbearing on the lips either so I love it.  

I love the formulation of this lipstick. Kate Moss by Rimmel lipsticks are great drugstore lipsticks and there are so many great shades in the collection. This is from the Lasting Finish collection (not the LF Matte) so it has a bit of shine to it. I'm not the biggest fan of the matte lipsticks but I really like the reddish-orange shade. It glides on smooth and lasts forever.

This shade. For the longest time, this has been my holy grail lipstick. I finally bought it a couple of weeks ago after having it on my wishlist for ages and I haven't looked back. It's the kind of a deep-red color that is perfect for date nights or going out for drinks with your besties. It glides on super smooth, has great pigmentation, and is absolutely perfect. This is also the perfect shade for that Christmas dinner/party you'll be heading to this year. 

I got this as a sample in my first ipsy bag. This is a great shade and the first time I had ever used a lipstick that deviated from a red color. I really loved this color. Like MAC's Russian Red, this glides on great and has good pigmentation. It's part of Urban Decay's Revolution lipstick collection and I cannot wait to try some of the other colors. 

I got this as part of my November ipsy bag. It's part of Michelle Phan's new 'em' make-up brand. I haven't worn it out yet but I love how it applied when I swatched it. It's a really nice pretty pink color that I cannot wait to wear!

I bought this shade and is the only color I have that has more of a peachy/nude tone. That being said, it applied very matte on my lipstick so I don't like to wear it on its own. If I ever wear it, I pair it up with a lip balm or gloss to give it some shine. I also love pairing it with L'Oreal's Color Riche Lip Balm in Tender Mauve (left it at home so couldn't include it in this post!).

This is a great nude lip gloss shade. I'd never tried the Buxom brand before so when I got this in one of my ipsy bags, I was pretty excited. I really like the subtle sparkliness that shows when you apply it. The shade itself is a lovely nude color that is great for everyday use. 

What are some of your favorite lipsticks?

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Review: Urban Decay NAKED Palette

If there was ever a beauty cult product, it is Urban Decay's NAKED palette. With a price tag of around $50, it is certainly a pricey purchase but after reading and hearing about this palette from literally every beauty guru blogger and vlogger, I knew I had to give this a go. So last Christmas, my mother was nice enough to gift it to me. After that, I haven't looked back. 

This palette has a little bit of literally everything. In terms of color range, there is a quite a bit of browns and dark purple/blue shades. If there's one palette that can give you a soft, daytime look as well as a great smoky eye, this palette is the one. I'm personally not into wearing a lot of bright colors like reds, pinks, or purples on my eyes so I can honestly say that I have rarely used any of my other eye shadow palette after getting the NAKED palette. 

The pigmentation of each shadow, with the exception of Naked, is absolutely perfect. Because each of the shadows swatch so strongly, the palette is very long-lasting. Like I said, I got it last Christmas and I've barely scratched the surface on any of the shadows. Another plus for me was that I recently realized that I could use the Dark Horse shade to fill in my brows. Sigh. It's so multifunctional!

If you're in the market for a great, multi-functional eye shadow palette and don't mind splurging a bit for a great product, Urban Decay's NAKED palette should be at the top of your list. It is absolutely perfect for every occasion. 

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Review: Coastal Scents 22 Piece Brush Set

This past summer, I found myself buying single brushes a little too often. Every couple of weeks, I would be back at the drugstore to pick up a foundation brush or concealer brush or powder brush. So when I found this sweet 22 brush set on sale at Coastal Scents, I snatched one up. When I bought it, it was about $20 but even at it's regular $35 price tag, it's still too good a deal to pass up. 

Clockwise, L-R: Angle brush (goat hair), Round powder (synthetic), Foundation (fiber), Flat buffer (synthetic), Powder buffer (synthetic), and Fan brush (synthetic)

L-R: Dome Blender (pony hair), Large Shadow (pony hair), Doe Foot (pony hair), Detailed Concealor (fiber hair), Dome Shadow (pony hair), Pointed Blender (pony hair), Blender (pony hair), Concealor (pony hair)

 L-R: Small Liner/Brow (nylon hair), Medium Liner/Brow (nylon hair), Large Liner/Brow (nylon hair), Medium Shadow (pony hair), Brow (pony hair), Detail Shadow (pony hair), Lip (pony hair), Smudger Sponge

I haven't even used a lot of the eye brushes. This set is so great and the the travel bag it comes with is so nice and would come in super handy if you travel a lot. My go-to brushes thus far have been the flat buffer brush, the large liner/brow brush, and the angled blush brush. This set is particularly great for anyone who is just beginning in make-up or likes to have all the tools but doesn't care if they're the absolute best. Basically, this is a great starter brush set. 

What do you think of this set? What are your go-to brushes?

Review: Micellar Waters

At the end of a long day of school, I don't want to spend fiddling with two or three different make-up removal cleansers just to remove my make-up. This is especially the case if I'm super tired and just want a quick make-up removal method. Feel the same way? Let me introduce you to micellar waters!

Micellar waters are great for those quick, easy times since they have a non-rinse formulation. Basically it means that unlike other make-up removal cleansers, you don't have to follow them up with washing your face. You can just use them to remove your make-up and then ta da! Dunzo! That being said, I do recommend following it up with washing your face, especially if your skin is going through a tough time. 

Bioderma Sebium H2O Micellaire Solution. Bioderma is clearly the cult classic. Bloggers, YouTubers, and any other beauty make-up gurus absolutely raved about this product so when it made its way to my local Shoppers Drug Mart, I knew I had to try it. I bought this product early this past summer after my La Roche Posay micellaire solution began to run low. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. This particular formulation is for those of us with oily skin (for normal skin, buy the pink bottle!) and since my skin gets really oily in the summer, this was perfect! At $33, it is certainly expensive but it's November and I have yet to run out of it. And I use it quite religiously. It removes about 97% of all heavy make-up and it's great for those nights where you just want one product to remove all the make-up, remove it well, and leave your skin leaving smooth. 

La Roche Posay Physiological Micellaire Solution. Compared to the Bioderma, this was really cheap. I tried this when I was in the market to replace my old make-up remover and the drugstore lady suggested I try the micellar waters. Since it was on sale at the time at almost $11, I saw no problem at a little experimentation. In my opinion, this is very similar to the Bioderma micellar water. It may not leave the skin feeling very smooth but it does go a pretty decent job at removing all the make-up. For the price, you can't go wrong. Especially if you haven't tried micellar waters and want to dip your toe into the (micellar) water. Hah. See what I did there?

Overall, I really like having micellar waters as part of my night-time routine. They're quick, easy, and get the job done. Have you tried any? What are your thoughts?

The November ipsy Bag

Everything I know about make-up is because of the YouTube beauty gurus. I watch a lot of them religiously but the very first guru I watched was Michelle Phan. Her videos are amazing and she is undoubtedly the beauty inspiration for many of us.

So when I heard she started a beauty subscription box, ipsy, I knew I had to get in on it. At $10, it's definitely one of the cheaper boxes and the items are really awesome. I've had the subscription for a few months now but this is the first I'm documenting simply because I haven't forgotten to do so. 

I was actually really surprised and excited about this month's bag. Usually, there is one product that I'm not so sure I will use but all of the products in this month's bag are absolutely amazing. There are two lip products (in colors that I love wearing, SCORE!), a nail polish, a bronzer (YES!), and an eyeshadow. Overall, this is one of the best boxes I've gotten thus far. 

1. Pixi Subtly Suntouched. This could not have come at a better time. I'd been in the market for a bronzer for a bit now and I'd been wanting to try the Pixi brand for some time as well so it's perfect timing!

2. Be a bombshell "Hot Damn". So this is more like a lip crayon and when you apply it, it feels like it as well. It's not super shiny but it does apply well and the pigmentation is pretty good as well. 

3. em "Don't Tell Mom". This month, we all got an extra treat with our ipsy bags: we got an item from Michelle Phan's new make-up line called 'em'. I love this color (very similar to Urban Decay's Anarchy) and the lipstick itself is very moisturizing. It glides on very smoothly and is super pigmented. LOVE the formulation!

4. BH Cosmetics Galaxy Chic in "Aphrodite". I love the color of this eye shadow. It's very pigmented and is a nice warm red color with kind of a pinkish, bronze undertone. I'm not sure the picture translates that It's hard to describe but I really like the color. This would be great during the winter, especially for a nice smoky eye!