Matte Skin In An Instant

I picked up this wonderful primer during the Sephora VIB Sale in November and I have been using the BECCA Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector ever since. I always get quite shiny on my forehead and I get so self conscious of it! Since using this primer my oils really don't shine through anymore, it's amazing! I've been able to test out so many new foundations and I've really come to understand what it looks like to be "luminous" and not oily on my combination skin.

I tend to be attracted to more mattifying foundations (you can watch my foundation routine HERE) due to my shiny forehead but even when I use a more luminous foundation such as NARS Sheer Glow Foundation or YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation my makeup looks just as good 10 hours later as it did when I first applied it. I really do think it is all because of this amazing mattifying primer! I find in the winter months my skin gets a little drier so the luminous foundations look extra pretty and really bring some life back into my skin. It is truly amazing that I feel as if I can wear any foundation now with this bomb dot com primer.

When you squeeze a small amount onto the back of your hand it is a thick white consistency and due to the high price tag I only apply it where I feel like I need the extra mattification (Did I just make that word up? We're rolling with it...). Those areas tend to be my forehead (duh) and my nose. When you apply the primer it first goes on so smoothly then suddenly it gets super sticky like you're applying a glue! It is so strange but that's when I move onto the next location and let that area dry. This primer does dry so fast which is perfect for my sleepy 6AM mornings.

I can't get enough of this primer and I love how it prolongs the wear time of my foundations and allows me to wear some stunning luminous foundations without making my oily! Have you ever tried this mattifying primer? What are some of your favourite primers?

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Matte Skin In An Instant

3 Products To Perfect Brows

I only just understood the importance of filling in my brows since September...safe to say I was late on that makeup must! I have quite dark and full eyebrows to begin with but there are areas that are sparse and due to the fact I wear glasses everyday I feel like clean and groomed brows are VERY important.

I use the Tweezerman Tweezers to clean up the tops and bottoms of my eyebrows between eyebrow waxes. I've always waxed my brows myself at home and I have never had any problems! I love these tweezers as they can really pick up the smallest of hairs. Again, I really try to clean up my brows often because of my glasses. 

My staple items for my eyebrows have been:
- MAC Charcoal Brown Eyeshadow. A medium brown shade (it's looking quite warm/red in the photo but I promise it isn't!) that works great for dark brows. I heard about this shadow for brows from Tanya Burr and I haven't even attempted any other shadow shade since! It really fills in my brows great and is a shade that matches very nicely. Plus I love the fact that it is really an eyeshadow that doubles as a brow product! for $12.00CAD I really do feel like I'm getting my moneys worth.

- MAC 266 Brush. This is a brand new staple for me...brand new as in a week old! But holy guacamole this makes filling in your brows SO simple! Before I was using a smaller brush from Sigma and the difference a brush size/shape makes is incredible. If you haven't given this brush a go for your brows - I strongly recommend it. It also picks up the colour way better then my previous brush which means I'm using less product. I love the tip of this brush for lightly filling in the front of my brows and really being able to imitate real hair!

- Essence Lash & Brow Gel. I always reach for a clear mascara to set my crazy brows in place and for several months now I've been repurchasing this one as it is so cheap (around the $2.00 mark) and does an amazing job. Before I was using one by Maybelline and I found it would leave white flakes in my brows and that was verrrry strange. My current tube is starting to look nasty on the inside since using the brow powder, and I feel totally guilt free buying a new tube knowing how cheap this is! It does have a strong hold but doesn't make my brows feel crunchy.

I also really love the Eyeko Brow Liner as it is in one universal shade (that really works on so many different brow colours!). It has a felt tip and is also very easy to imitate the look of real hairs. I use this when I am in a rush in my early mornings and it is also waterproof so you don't have to worry about your brows fading away or blowing off in the wind! (That's a joke...please don't let your brows blow off in the wind!!)

What are your favourite brow products?

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3 Products To Perfect Brows

HUGE Sephora Haul 2015 | Haircare, Makeup, Skincare

I hope you're in for watching a huge makeup haul this afternoon! I uploaded a video on the weekend about what I have purchased recently (and it's a lot!) and I have never had a video reach this many views so fast! I'm glad you're enjoying it if you have already watched!

Here is the link to watch my huge Sephora Haul! I purchased makeup, skincare, and haircare. I have actually got my hair cut the day after I uploaded this video so now I'm rocking the textured "lob" and putting some of these new hair products to use.

I did receive some of these items as Christmas gifts from my family, and others I had purchased on my own from working a TON this Christmas break. Sephora is my favourite store and it is just where I choose to spend my money. :)

I hope you like this video as much as I do, and I also really hope to see you subscribe and leave me a comment!

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HUGE Sephora Haul 2015 | Haircare, Makeup, Skincare

Top 14 Products of 2014

Happy New Year!  2014 was an amazing year and I feel as if I have discovered a lot of products that will stick with me for many years. Now..lets see my Top 14 Products of 2014:

I've always loved wearing eyeshadow and I feel as if I've really found colours that really work on my fair skin and brown eyes. MAC makes some of my favourite eye shadow formulas and this palette I've built is what I've been reaching for the most this past year. A few of my favourite shadows include: Blanc Type, Jest, All That Glitters, Wedge, and Sable.

Before I apply my eyeshadow I ALWAYS use a primer. The Paint Pot from MAC in the shade Painterly has checked all the boxes I've been looking for. It conceals my eyelid veins, makes my shadows last longer, and also increases the pigmentation.

My favourite highlighter of 2014 has no doubt been Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish. It has the most beautiful peachy highlight that really brings the most perfect glow to my face. I apply it using a small stippling brush which really does apply the perfect amount. I usually love wearing matte foundations but sometimes I feel it can make me look a tad life-less, I just add this highlighter onto my cheek bones and I'm looking a little more 3D again! haha! I did a full review here.

My two most used lipsticks were both by MAC and they are in the shades Patisserie and Syrup. Two lipsticks I can just throw on and feel 100% comfortable in.

I'm really pleased that my favourite concealer and foundation of 2014 are from the drugstore! I have gone through so many tubes of the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer and it really is my favourite. The one photographed is a brand new tube and I purchased this one in the shade Neutralizer. I sometimes will flip between this shade and my normal "fair" shade. I love the strange sponge tip applicator that feels really soft under my eyes. It really brightens and covers up my dark circles on those early morning!

I have recently found (aka early December) my holy grail foundation (cue this post!) but I wanted to pick this CoverGirl & Olay Serum Foundation because this is the one I used most of this year. It has a light-medium coverage and leaves a soft satin finish. I usually don't like to wear a powder with this foundation because the finish is so nice! It smells of watermelons and really is just such an amazing foundation. I feel as if I have talked about this foundation so much on my blog but it is one that I really suggest you try out!

This past year is the year I really discovered how much I love blush. I have purchased so many and it was a tough one to narrow it down! I had to pick two... I just couldn't choose! I have spoken so many times about my love for the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes. They really are all my favourite! They are all so pigmented, last ages, and have such a wide variety of colours. My top pick of 2014 out of all their blushes is in the shade True Love. I am completely obsessed with this watermelon pink shade and it gives me such a healthy & romantic pop of pink to my cheeks.

I couldn't not add in the stunning Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette. I was so excited when this was first released and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I purchased this early November but it quickly because such a favourite. Each colour is very pigmented and provides such a lovely glow to the cheeks. If you haven't picked this up yet - what are you waiting for?!

Perfume of choice has been the same since I was 17. That's four years of wearing the same scent almost everyday. Marc Jacobs Daisy is the perfect combination of fresh, romantic, and sophisticated. Here are the notes taken from the Sephora website: Strawberry, Violet Leaves, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Gardenia, Violet Petals, Jasmine Petals, Musk, Vanilla, White Woods.

I know scents are very personal and not everyone likes the same perfumes, but if you have a chance I really recommend taking a sniff of this perfume. I get compliments ALL the time when I wear this perfume and people seem to really love how it isn't very overwhelming and it stays light and fresh.

 For hair I have been loving the Caviar CC Cream by Alterna. The CC stands for "Complete Correction" and it is a 10-in-1 leave in product for your hair. It leaves my hair so soft, frizz free, and really easy to manage! It's extra great in the summer as it has UV protection.

I use the Nivea Lip Butter in the ... scent? Vanilla & Macadamia every single night before bed. The smell is absolutely amazing and I always want to take a bite of it. I am almost done this tin and I have already bought another one as a back up. It really moisturizes my lips and keeps them soft and chap free!

This past year I really tried to moisturize my body more. I always moisturize my face but I would skip out on the rest of my body on a regular basis. For Christmas 2013 my boyfriend bought me The Body Shop Satsuma kit and I fell in love with the scent. It is so fresh and fruity! I went through the entire body wash so quick and am still using the body scrub that was in the kit. This body butter probably has 3 more uses and then it is time for a repurchase.

I found that this was the year I really discovered how amazing applying an oil is to your skin. I always wanted to try the Josie Maran Argan Oil but I just couldn't splurge on it when I knew that at my local drugstore I could find the drugstore brand for $9.99. This is my third bottle I have gone through and I love how deep it moisturizes my skin and when I wake up in the morning ("feelin' like P Diddy"....I had too!) my skin looks supple and hydrated. I find I always have such a natural glow to my face when I have used this. I will also sometimes apply the Argan Oil to the ends of my hair for some extra nourishment!

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There we are! My Top 14 Products of 2014! I hope you have found some new items to try out and please do leave a comment telling me some of your favourite items this past year!

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Top 14 Products of 2014

Holy Grail Foundation Routine

Oh my goodness!

I am over the moon excited to share with you my HOLY GRAIL foundation! I have never titled anything as holy grail status because I feel like it's such a serious commitment. Well, I am fully committed to the Laura Mericer Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide Foundation (what a mouthful)! I am in the shade Creme and it is the best foundation match I have ever found. I did just post how much I'm loving the Bobbi Brown Skin foundation, and trust me I do love that foundation! But the LM foundation is literally EVERYTHING I have been looking for to perfect my skin!

When applied with a damn BeautyBlender I get a nice medium coverage that stays matte throughout the day on my combination skin.

I have just recently posted a demo and review of this foundation over on my YouTube which you can watch by clicking HERE. I hope you love this foundation as much as I do and please do subscribe to my channel if you haven't yet!

(ps - first post of 2015 over on Kyra's Beauty Bag! Woo hoo!)

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Holy Grail Foundation Routine