Makeup By Cheryl H

L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Foundation in W6 Sun Beige + FOTD

2012-02-06T11:23:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

I've been wanting to try a new drugstore foundation for a while now and decided, after reading several positive reviews, to pick up L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Foundation. I ended up choosing the shade W6 Sun Beige. I probably should have picked up a lighter shade as I haven't been self tanning as much lately, but ended up getting W6 - Sun Beige anyways for the days when I have been self tanning. What I liked about this foundation is that I had no idea what colour I was, but saw that the shades were broken down into three categories: Cool, Neutral, and Warm. I love when companies create a range for different undertones because it makes it much easier, as a consumer, to pick out a shade in your undertone range, rather than picking through all available shades with different undertones. I have warm undertones so I knew that my colour selection was limited to the "Warm" shades.

W6 Sun Beige

About the Product

"True Match Super-Blendable Makeup precisely matches your skin's tone and texture and coordinates perfectly with True Match Powder, Blush and Concealer. Formulated with Precise Match Technology so you can control coverage and fine-tune it. Ultra-pure formula contains no oils, fragrances, or pore-clogging fillers, so all you see is beautiful, radiant, flawless skin."

"Formulated with Precise Match Technology to precisely calibrate colour. Micro-fine optical pearls diffuse skin's imperfections while moisturizing Glycerin, Vitamin B, and Vitamin E nourish your skin."

Non-Comedogenic

Non-Acnegenic

Dermatologist Tested

Oil-Free

Finish: Natural

SPF: 17

Coverage: Light to medium

Skin Type: For all Skin Types

Available in 18 skin-true shades

Initially I imagined the consistency to be a little thicker than what it was. The foundation is quite thin. The term "Super-Blendable" is very appropriate for this foundation, as the formula just melts into the skin and looks very natural. I would definitely say that this has light coverage, but can be built to a medium coverage without looking the slightest bit cakey. I love how natural and healthy my skin looks after using this. The lasting power is quite good as well and does not come off patchy (the problem I had with Neutrogena Healthy Skin). For reference, I have normal to dry skin. For those with oily skin, I would suggest setting this with a powder as it can be quite dewy. Overall, I am very impressed with this foundation and think its a great alternative to my high end brands (i.e., NARS Sheer Glow and Make Up For Ever HD). I plan on picking up a lighter shade in addition to W6 for mixing and to be able to wear this when I'm not quite so tan.

I tried using all Drugstore products for this look. The only thing that isn't drugstore is my Make Up For Ever Waterproof Brow Corrector, but I couldn't live without this stuff! LOL I was just chilling in my pjs watching the super bowl. This is usually one of my go-to looks I do for warmer months, especially the summer, but I felt like rocking bright lips and gold lids for a change.

Super Bowl Sunday was spent like this ^

FACE:

Garnier BB Cream in "Medium-Dark"

Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer in "Neutralizer"

L'Oreal True Match Foundation in "W6 - Sun Beige"

ELF Concealer (to contour)

Maybelline Bouncy Blush in #10 "Pink Frosting"

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strip in "Vegas Strip"

BROWS:

Make Up For Ever Waterproof Brow Corrector #3

EYES:

Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in "Bold Gold"

Physician Formula Shimmer Strip in "Vegas Strip"

(lightest colour lightly over lid, darkest colour in crease and outer corner)

L'Oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Liner in Carbon Black

L'Oreal Extra Intense Liquid Eye Pencil

Annabelle Black Eyeshadow (to set pencil liner)

Cover Girl Lash Perfection Mascara in "Very Black"

LIPS:

NYX Louisiana l/s

NYX Doll Pink l/g

L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Balm #118 Pink Satin

2012-02-05T09:10:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

I only picked up one of the L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Balm lip products several weeks ago when they were first launched. I wanted to see how these compared to the Revlon Lip Butters and the Maybelline Baby Lips that were also launched around the same time. The only colour that caught my interest was #118 "Pink Satin". I absolutely LOVE the colour that the actual tube if lip balm is, but applied on the lips, and swatched on the hand, the colour is nothing like how it appears in the tube.

Packaging: I like the gold packaging with clear case cover. Each casing is colour corresponded to the colour of the lip balm, which is quite handy if you have several of these and want to quickly find the colour you are looking for.

#118 Pink Satin

Formula: I dislike the formula mainly because it is a bit slippery and the SPF15 is very apparent, scent wise, when applied to the lips. Le Balm contains Shea Butter and Argan Oil, two ingredients which are very nourishing.The formula reminds me a lot of the Maybelline Baby Lips, except I find this to be slightly thicker in consistency, and a lot more moisturizing. These are marketed as a tinted lip balm, and the tint of this particular shade is very sheer. I also have read that many other colours are quite sheer, especially in comparison to the Revlon Lip Butters. If you have highly pigmented lips, you probably will have a hard time with this showing up. On my lips, it lightens my lips ever so lightly to a sheer pink. I really like how this looks when applied.

Lise Watier FOTD wearing Pink Satin

Lise Watier Aquarella Spring 2012 Eyeshadow Quartet

2012-02-04T13:07:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

I recently posted a FOTD using this quad, click here to view. Here is a quick overview of what to expect with the Lise Watier Aquarella Spring 2012 Eyeshadow Quartet:

Description: Four eyeshadow shades in this season's trendy colours: pastel pink,m soft gold, purple and blue. With a texture that is half cream and half powder, these eyeshadows are easy to use and ensure a long-lasting, silky finish. Presented in a lovely limited edition case.

Directions: Apply the more subtle colour as a base on the entire eyelid or to highlight the brow line. This lighter shade is great to blend in the medium shades and to multiply the shimmer effects or to control the intensity level. For the finishing touch, the darker hue is used as the accent shade.

Ingredients: Talc, Mica, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Caprylyl Methicone, C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cetyl Dimethicone, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol. +/- Dimethicone, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), CI 77742 (Manganese Violet), CI 75470 (Carmine).

Retail: $36

I absolutely love the shades in this palette and think this will be perfect for the spring. The four shades are richly pigmented and extremely silk to the touch. The eyeshadows are a hybrid between cream and powder and you can definitely feel the difference. These are not powdery at all. They almost apply like a pigment because they are so rich. Each shade has a sheen to it and none of the colours are matte.

For the FOTD, I used the colours as they described in the information pamphlet that came with the quad. The only difference, I blended mine together to make a seamless gradient of all four colours. Normally I wouldn't use such a vibrant colour as a highlight, but the gold can go on very sheer if used sparingly. I love that the colours are buildable and EXTREMELY easy to blend. These honestly are effortless to work with and I find creating a look using colour can sometimes be difficult, but this quad makes it fool proof. Lise Watier never fails me with their quality and this quad is no exception. If you are looking for vibrant, richly pigmented pastel shades for the spring, definitely look into this palette because it is well worth the $36 price tag.

Not only is the product high quality, but the packaging itself is extremely well crafted. I think the design is beautiful on the front. The compact feels quite hefty and has a sold weight to it. It feels very welled made and durable. There is also a mirror encompassing the entire lid inside.

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for consideration to review. As always, these are my honest opinions.

FOTD: MAC Phloof! and Scene

2012-02-01T06:50:00.000-05:00

hey guys!

for some reason my phone wont let me capitalize letters...which is really annoying. anyways, i still have a bunch of fotds i have yet to post, this one being from a little over a month ago when i was on christmas holidays! i was inspired by a look done by taylor swift. i find she has the most beautiful shaped eyes. i kept the first 2/3 of my eye bright and really smoked out and darkened the outer v to accentuate my eye shape. hope you enjoy the look! unfortunately i dont remember what i have on my face, but here is everything else:

BROWS:
Make Up For Ever Waterproof Brow Corrector #3

EYES:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

MAC Painterly p/s

MAC Phloof! e/s

MAC Scene e/s

MAC Typographic e/s

L'Oreal Lineur Intense

Annabelle Smudge Liner "Black"

L'Oreal Faux Cils mascara

LIPS:

YSL Rouge Volupte #30 Faubourg Peach

have a great day! i plan on purchasing a digital camcorder tonight for making youtube videos! im so excited. now all i need is good lighting so i can film at night and not be limited to when im on night shift or sundays (my only day off *sigh*)

Saturday Clubbing FOTN + OOTN + UPDATE!

2012-01-30T20:41:00.002-05:00

Sony Cybershot w/ Flash

Hey Guys!

On Saturday Charles and I went to a new club out of town that I haven't been to before for a friends birthday. I ended up wearing the same dress out that I wore for New Years, but didn't wear tights and accessorized differently. I absolutely LOVE how my makeup turned out and will probably film a tutorial for this look because I think it's perfect for a night out. Here is a break down of my makeup:

FACE:

Skin Care MD Moisturizer

Laura Mercier Radiance Face Primer

NARS Sheer Glow in "Stromboli"

MAC Studio Finish Concealer in "NW25"

Ben Nye Neutral Set Translucent Powder

MAC Emote Blush

MAC Dolly Mix

Benefit High Beam

MAC Loose Powder in "Silver Dusk"

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

BROWS:

Make Up For Ever Waterproof Brow Corrector #3

EYES:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Bare Canvas Paint

NARS Galapagos e/s

Urban Decay Naked e/s

NARS Mekong e/s

MAC Nylon e/s

L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liner in Carbon Black

Dior Show Maximizer

Cover Girl Lash Perfection Mascara

Ardell #120 Lashes

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in "Zero"

MAC Carbon e/s

LIPS:

MAC Gaga 2 l/s

MAC Gaga 2 l/g

OUTFIT

Jewelry and dress by Forever21

I love how my cuff looked like it was part of the dress

UPDATE: I filmed my first makeup tutorial for my "Signature" makeup look, but my camera died at the end so I couldn't make a proper ending AND the camera didn't catch my liquid lining. After much debate of whether I should upload it or not, I'm going to have to film it again because I don't want to put up something I'm not completely satisfied with...I don't want to come across as lazy LOL. I'm a perfectionist as well, so I really need a proper camera because the quality bothers me. Just wanted to apologize to those people who were looking forward to it this week...you are going to have to wait one more week. I promise the wait will be worth it.

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadows + Swatches

2012-01-29T14:43:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

As I mentioned in my YouTube Haul, I picked up several of the Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadows. At first I only picked up three: Tough as Taupe, Bad to the Bronze, and Audacious Asphalt. Once I used the three I initially had my eye on, I HAD to go back and pick up more: Pomegranate Punk, Too Cool and Bold Gold. I'm sure you are getting sick of seeing videos and posts about these, but I promised to include some swatches on my blog as my video editing skills are still in the works.

10 VIBRANT SHADES: #05 Too Cool, #10 Fierce and Tangy, #15 Audacious Asphalt, #20 Painted Purple, #25 Bad to the Bronze, #30 Pomegranate Punk, #35 Tough as Taupe, #40 Tenacious Teal, #45 Bold Gold, #50 Edgy Emerald.

PRODUCT DETAILS: "Ink technology creates 24HR wear shadow for our most intense, long-lasting colour saturation. Cream formula glides on without creasing and keeps colour vibrant. Ophthalmologist tested. Safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

Tough as Taupe, Audacious Asphalt, Bad to the Bronze

You can use these on their own or as a base for your shadow. I've used these both ways and they don't crease on their own or with shadow over top. These cream eyeshadows have been compared to MAC paint pots. I must say, I can see why since these are VERY similar. In fact, you can actually screw on the lids of either product on the other!

I use MAC paint pots as bases for my eyeshadows, especially Painterly, as my daily base. Now if only Maybelline releases some flesh tone, matte shades, I would definitely replace Painterly with one of these! I love these sooo much! These are probably one of the best quality drugstore products I've seen in a long time. If you haven't got your hands on one of these yet, I highly recommend you do! You can't go wrong with any of the shades. My favourite is Bold Gold with Bad to the Bronze coming into a close second place.

Lise Watier Aquarella Spring 2012 Collection + FOTD

2012-01-28T14:01:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

I was fortunate enough to be sent several items from the Lise Watier Spring 2012 Makeup Collection. For the past few weeks, I have been playing around with the products to get a good feel for the quality before I do reviews on each. I just wanted to share a quick FOTD as I've been really loving the products! My goal for Spring 2012 is to wear more colour in both my makeup and clothes! Hope you enjoy and be sure to check back for reviews on each product!

Light Cap Nail Laquer in "Euphorbia": A nail lacquer with a cap that has a small light to illuminate the nails for a more accurate application. (Retail: $12.50)

Waterproof Lip Crayon in "Rose Mauve": Let's face it. No one likes smudge lips. With our super sure contour Waterproof Lip Crayon your lips will be perfectly contoured with absolutely no smudgies! (Retail: $17)

Waterproof Eyeliner in "Violet": Get in the swim of things with our long-lasting Waterproof Eyeliner that glides on the eyelids for a fine, precise contour that lasts and lasts. Come rain or come shine. (Retail: $18)

Couleur Folle Mineral Loose Powder Eyeshadow in "Folie D'Iris": It's true. The words Mineral Loose Powder Eyeshadow don't exactly roll off the tongue, do they? But then, what other eyeshadow can give you such a soft and natural finish? Or, a richer, more glamorous look just by playing with the intensity of the colour? Whether you apply it with a Makeup brush, a sponge tip applicator or your fingers. Oh, and did we mention it's also paraben free? (Retail: $18)

Rouge Gourmand Lipstick in "Guimauve": Enjoy sweet succulent comfort and hydration! Formulated with our special collagen-restoring ingredient, Rouge Gourmand Lipstick visibly increases the volume of your lips. And its ultra-comfortable creme texture and mouthwatering shades are simply lip-smacking delicious! (Retail: $20)

Gloss Aquarella in "Rose Aquarella": For pink, brilliant, glossy and moistures lips that feel incredibly good. (Retail: $20)

Eyeshadow Quartet Aquarella: Four eyeshadow shades in this season's trendy colours: pastel pink, soft gold, purple and blue. With a texture that is half cream and half powder, these eyeshadows are easy to use and ensure a long-lasting, silky finish. Presented in a lovely limited edition case. (Retail: $36)

Bronzing Powder Duo: A bronzer duo to illuminate both the face and décolleté with a soft, pearly, golden hue. (Retail: $32)

For this look, I used the Eyeshadow Quartet Aquarella (yellow highlight, pink lid, purple outer corner, blue crease). For cheeks I am wearing the Bronzing Powder Duo. I also lined my eyes with the "Violet" Waterproof Eyeliner.

Wildfox Baggy Beach Jumper OOTD

2012-01-25T21:27:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!
Last week I went out for a quick bite to eat with my husband. It was a fairly mild, rainy day so I brought out the Coach Rain Boots I've been loving and paired them with my really casual outfit. The Wildfox jumper I purchased off of www.Karmaloop.com. If you have never heard of Karmaloop or shopped there, they are an online retail store that carries high end and affordable stylish brands. I absolutely love browsing their shoe selection as they always have the coolest styles. I purchased my Jeffrey Campbells, Sam Edelman Rozas and Sam Edelman Rias from here. If you are interested in placing an order, be sure to use the rep code: CHERYL for 20% off your order! For those of you who were asking where I got this sweater in my Haul video, I hope this answers your questions!

Black Rain Boots - Coach

Black Skinny Jeans - Parasuco

Lipstick Baggy Beach Jumper - WILDFOX (www.karmaloop.com)

Urban Decay Naked Palette 2 Swatches

2012-01-24T22:15:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

As soon as I heard Urban Decay was releasing a new Naked palette, I knew I had to get my hands on one. I really liked the first Naked palette (click here to see my review) and as soon as I started to see reviews and swatches of the Naked 2, I knew I would like it better because the shades appealed to me more.

This product has been in high demand since it's first launch in December 2011. I was able to snag my own palette from Sephora.com. Currently it is sold out on both Sephora and Urban Decay websites. If you are interested in picking this up at your local Sephora, they should be hitting the shelves by the end of the month.

What it is:

"The most anticipated sequel of the decade, Naked2 features a dozen pigment-rich taupe and gray-beige neutrals, plus five exclusive, new shades." - Sephora.com

What it does:
"The follow up to the original bestselling Naked palette, this stunning second edition proves that neutral is anything but boring. Showcasing a dozen completely different shades than the first bronze-based collection, it includes a stunning range from pale and deep, to matte and sparkly. You'll achieve a host of new neutral looks, smoky dramatic eyes, and everything in between. The palette also includes a travel-size Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked and a double-ended, cruelty-free Good Karma Shadow/Crease Brush (available only in this palette). " - Sephora.com

Packaging

I like the Naked 2 packaging much more than the original with the brown velvet. I find the original gets dirty and the tin case of Naked 2 is much more sensible and easy to keep clean. I also like how it locks closed, the original does not, and that it has a much larger mirror inside. In my opinion, Naked 2 wins hands down for packaging and has made many improvements since its predecessor.

Eyeshadows Included + Swatches

Like the original Naked palette, Naked 2 has 12 0.05oz eyeshadows, 5 of which are new to Urban Decay! Half Baked is the only duplicate from the original Naked palette and I wish they didn't include this in Naked 2. It isn't a case that I don't like and use Half Baked, it is that they already have this in the first palette and I feel it unnecessary to include it again. I would rather them have included one of the highlights from the original palette (i.e., Virgin or Sin) or just included a new eyeshadow altogether. Here are some photos of shadows included in Naked 2 with their description and texture:

Foxy: cream bisque (matte)
Half Baked: golden-bronze (shimmer)
Booty Call: shimmering cork (shimmer)
Chopper: copper shimmer with silver micro glitter (glitter)

Tease: creamy pale brown (matte)
Snake Bite: dark bronze with metallic base (shimmer)
Suspect: pale golden beige (shimmer)
Pistol: light gray-brown (shimmer)

Verve: oyster (shimmer)
YDK: cool bronze with metallic base (shimmer)
Busted: deep brown (shimmer)
Blackout: blackest black (matte)

In order as they appear in the palette

Extras

With Naked 2, you get a lipgloss and a double sided brush. I like the products that come in both the first and second palettes. I think if I had to choose I would actually prefer the original Naked as I already have eye brushes I love and use and I'd prefer the primer over a lipgloss any day as I use UDPP every single day. Even with that said, I love the brush and the lipgloss. The brush is well made and has both an end to pack on eyeshadow and a fluffy blending end to smooth out harsh edges and apply product lightly. The lipgloss is a beautiful neutral colour that plumps! I love a good plumping lipgloss and have been wearing this every day on top of MAC Cream Cup lipstick.

Good Karma Shadow/Crease Brush

0.11 oz Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked (pinky neutral)

Naked 2 vs. Naked

Top: Naked 2, Bottom: Naked

If I had to pick one over the other, I can't say one really stands out more to me in terms of the colour choices. I really like Naked 2 because it has a matte black and that is essential for me as I always set my pencil eyeliner with a matte black eyeshadow. Also, I like Naked 2 because everyday I pretty much wear a matte cream colour eyeshadow like Foxy. However, I really like Naked because it has good matte crease colours for blending out (i.e., Naked and Buck). The palettes are purely preference as to what shades you like and think you'd use more. For myself, I absolutely LOVE neutrals and think owning both is a good investment. If you already have the original, you aren't missing much in Naked 2. It has the same concept, the colours are fairly similar, with a few changes here and there. I don't think you can go wrong owning one over the other, or owning both for that matter!

Are you planning on getting Naked 2?

YouTube Video!? Check out my first video Haul!

2012-01-23T17:26:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!
It took forever to upload, but it is finally here...MY FIRST VIDEO HAUL!
YouTube always picks the worst still images for my videos...seriously, this was the best of the three! LOL Hope you all enjoy! Sorry my camera dies halfway through, but I promise I will get better at making videos each time I do a new one ;)

FOTD: MAC Bamboo + Nehru

2012-01-22T09:39:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys!
Here is an old FOTD that I did over the Christmas holidays. I've been meaning to post it, but have had other posts I've wanted to get out first. Typically I wear a cream coloured shade all over the lid (i.e., Brule, Blanc Type), but since I've discovered MAC Bamboo e/s, I've been loving using that all over my lid. Instead of using a black to darken the crease, I used Nehru which is a dark blue. I love using a touch of blue because it really makes my green eyes pop! Hope you enjoy!

FACE:

Clinique Dramtically Different Moisturizing Lotion

Garnier Eye Roller

Benefit Face Primer

NARS Sheer Glow Punjab

Hard Candy Glamofladge, medium

MAC Studio Finish Concealer

Ben Nye Neutral Set Translucent Powder

CARGO Blu_Ray Pressed Powder #30

List Watier Bronzer

MAC Harmony Blush

Chanel Sheer Illuminating Fluid

BROWS:

Make Up For Ever Waterproof Brow Corrector #3

EYES:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Bamboo e/s

MAC Cork e/s

MAC Espresso e/s

MAC Nehru e/s

Urban Decay "Sin" e/s

L'Oreal Lineur Intense

Annabelle Smudge Liner "Black"

L'Oreal Faux Cils

LIPS

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter "Peach Parfait"

Michael Kors Horizontal Tote for MacBook Pro

2012-01-20T16:11:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

When I purchased my MacBook Pro, I knew right away that I needed some sort of protective case for it because I tend to break my electronic devices all too often (i.e., cell phone, e-reader...etc). When browsing the Apple website, I saw that Michael Kors had protective cases and totes for MacBooks. I was so excited when I saw this because I always wanted a MK bag, but never shelled out the money and this seemed the perfect time to do so.

I'm not going to lie, when deciding between the 13" and the 15" MacBook Pro, I leaned towards the 15" because I knew it would be a snugger fit in this bag. LOL I ordered the Michael Kors Horizontal Tote over the weekend I purchased my MacBook and it came within the following week. Shipping was extremely fast and it was free!

About the Product

"The Michael Kors MK Monogram Horizontal Tote wraps your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air in Michael Kors signature monogram print. There's a separate inner pocket to house your MacBook—and a zipper with leather pull-tab to ensure a snug protective fit. Plus you get a pocket for your iPhone and one for your iPad or iPad 2 in its Smart Cover. The Michael Kors gold color metal MK charm hanging along the front provides a luxurious detail. And in the Michael Kors tradition of quality craftsmanship and attention to detail, each tote is individually handcrafted from the MK monogram signature print and includes premium Napa leather handles and straps."

Highlights

Fits MacBook Air or up to 15-inch MacBook Pro

Easy device access

Additional iPhone pocket (fits iPhone 3 and iPhone 4 or 4S in a bumper or case)

Multi-purpose inner pockets

Inside strap with spring-closing hook for keys

MK monogram logo satin lining

Michael Kors designer handbag style and quality

Price: $254.95 CAD + tax

Order Online: www.apple.ca

Inside the Bag

My favourite thing about this bag is not only can it carry my MacBook in a padded, zip closer compartment, it can also has separate pockets to fit an iPad, iPhone, and iPod. Currently I don't own all these devices, but the tote has been storing my Blackberry, iPod, and E-reader for the time being.

MacBook Pro 15-inch 2.2 GHz Laptop Computer

2012-01-19T17:12:00.001-05:00

Hey Guys!

I am soooo excited to share with you my new purchase: MacBook Pro 15"! The first week of January, Future Shop was still having Boxing Week sales and I have been in the market for a new laptop, particularly I had my eyes set on either the 13" or the 15" MacBook Pro. I ended up going with the 15" because the 13" was a bit too small for me, and the 15" had the AMD Radeon HD graphics processor. Initially I was going to go to Apple to pick up my laptop, but Future Shop had $100 off the computer I was looking to purchase, so I decided to pick it up from there instead. I never see sales of MAC computers, so I jumped at the chance to save some money. Needless to say, I've been living on this computer for the past couple weeks. I was a PC user all my life and I must say, I will NEVER go back to PC again after using my MAC! The first day or two I was a bit rusty at navigating the desktop, but after a little bit of play-time, I am getting quite proficient at the layout. This is definitely one of the best investments I have made. I actually stopped buying my typical makeup and clothes purchases just so that I could save up for this bad boy. I'm quite proud of myself that I had a goal and stuck to it. Here are some photos of the laptop:

15-inch: 2.2 GHz

2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7

4GB 1333MHz

500GB 5400-rpm

Intel HD Graphics 3000

AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 512MB GDDR5

Built-in battery (7 hours)

Price: $1849.00

(with the $100 off, plus tax, it was just shy of $2000)

Inside the Box

MagSafe Power Adapter, AC wall plug, and power cord

Printed and electronic documentation

Display polishing cloth

MacBook Pro

Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control; supports inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities

Backlit Keyboard

15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy display

CD drive, Stereo speaks with subwoofer, Omnidirectional microphone (located under left speaker grille)

Ports: MagSafe power port, Gigabit Ethernet port, FireWire 800 port, Two USB 2.0 ports, Thunderbolt port, Audio line in, Audio line out, SDXC card slot, Kensington lock slot

Magnetic power cord

You can see how much batter is left on your computer without even opening it!
Just press the button and the dots light up to see how much charge you have left.

Check out my Photo Booth pics by clicking the link below!

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

Lunch and Shopping w/ the Girls OOTD

2012-01-18T17:30:00.003-05:00

Hey Guys!

Yesterday I went out with the girls for lunch and then we did a little shopping. It was a mild day out, so I decided to wear a skirt. Since the weather was nice, was also another excuse to wear my Jeffrey Campbell Litas. One of my friends ended up purchasing and wearing the black leather spiked litas that I've been lusting on the same day! I now want them even more!

Outfit of the Day

Black Sweetheart Neckline Mesh Bodysuit - Forever21
Black sweater shawl - ?
Tulip Skirt - Forever 21
Black seem tights - Forever21
Jeffrey Campbell Litas - Karmaloop

Accessories
Wedding rings
Pearl Bracelet - Tiffanys
Princess cut Diamond Stud Earrings
Sunglasses - Aldo
Nine West Purse - Winners

FACE OF THE DAY

FACE:

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

Make Up For Ever HD Primer #0

Make Up For Ever HD Foundation #127

MAC Studio Finish Concealer NW25

Ben Nye Neutral Set Translucent Powder

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Medium Dark

NARS Laguna Bronzer

MAC Virgin Isle CCB

Dior Amber Diamond

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

EYES:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 hour Eyeshadow in "Bold Gold"

MAC Gold Mode Pigment

MAC Antique Gold Reflects Glitter

Urban Decay Naked e/s

Dior Amber Diamond

L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Liner

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in "Zero"

Urban Decay Blackout e/s

DiorShow Maximizer

Dior Show Mascara

LIPS:

Outfit Photos I was wearing:

MAC Virgin Isle CCB w/ Urban Decay Naked l/s

Close up I as wearing:

MAC Pink Nouveau l/s

My friend had Pink Nouveau l/s so I decided to give it a try. Do you guys like it? I as thinking about back-to-macing for it next time I'm at the store. What do you think?

MAC Naturally Collection Blonde and Redhead Mineralized Skinfinish Swatches

2012-01-17T17:17:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

I haven't been excited about a new MAC collection in a long time. Actually, I haven't really bought anything from MAC in a considerably long time. I find that the holiday collections MAC comes out with always underwhelm me and I never end up picking anything up. Once I saw promo info for the Naturally Collection, I new that this would be right up my ally. I love my neutrals! Anyways, despite loving the collection, I only picked up a few items: Blonde MSF, Redhead MSF, and A Perfect Day l/s. I really wanted to get some of the bright lipsticks from the Iris Apfel Collection, but by the time I decided I actually wanted some, they were sold out online. As you know, Mineralized Skinfinishes are one of my favourite, if not my favourite, product that MAC produces so I knew right away that I wanted to pick up Blonde and Redhead when they were re-released with MAC Naturally because I missed out on them when they were first released with the Blonde, Brunette, Redhead Collection. Now if only they re-released Brunette as well, I would be set! Now these MSFs are currently sold out on the Canadian website, but you may still be able to hunt them down in stores. For those of you interested in purchasing these, here are some swatches.

I really love the consistency of both MSFs. They are extremely smooth and create a beautiful dewy glow on the skin. Normally I'm more drawn to shades like Redhead, but I actually like Blonde a touch more. Mineralized Skinfinishes are known to accentuate pores, but I find these two don't do that because they are more of a sheen, with very litter shimmer. Redhead has slightly larger particles of shimmer compared to Blonde so that may present a problem for some. As far as wear is concerned, these held up quite well throughout the day. I didn't have any problems with these fading. I definitely recommend both MSFs if you are in the market for blush and like a glow to your skin. Most of the MSFs I own I typically wear as bronzers or highlights, so it is nice to add to shades which I can actually use as blushes to my routine.

Did you pick up anything from the new MAC collections?

Marcelle BB Cream

2012-01-16T13:25:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys!
I am so excited to share with you the first Canadian-made BB cream by Marcelle. Marcelle BB Cream will be in pharmacies as well as mass retail stores on February 6th, but I was fortunate enough to be sent a full-size product ahead of time for review.

About The Product

"Inspired by a trend that perfected skin and enhanced complexions all over Asia, Marcelle formulated its own BB Cream to cater the needs of Canadian consumers. This multi-purpose skin care cream is more than a tinted moisturizer or simple make-up base. It perfects the skin to reveal a more even epidermis and well-hydrated, flawless complexion, all in one. Ideal for any age and any skin type, the Marcelle BB Cream comes in two shades and is suitable for a wide variety of carnations thanks to its self-adjusting pigments that transform and adapt to skin tone."

What's a BB?

"Moisturizing skin care, tinted corrector and make-up base all in one, Marcelle "BB" stands for Beauty Balm, as it truly enhances your natural beauty."

3 Different Uses

1) Day Cream - should be applied after the skin has been properly cleansed as a corrective tinted moisturizer. For a more intense moisture surge, the Bb cream may be applied on previously moisturized skin.

2) Tinted Corrector - Use it alone or over your moisturizer to unify your complexion.

3) Make-up Base - Use under foundation for total coverage and improved stay-on power.

KEEP READING FOR BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS!

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

Updated Skin Care Routine

2012-01-14T20:14:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys!

I haven't updated my skincare routine in quite a while, December 14, 2009 to be exact, YIKES! A few things have changed since then so I thought I would share my current routine. I'm still using Clinique, but have added a couple new items. I store all my skincare products on this little black tray and keep it in my bathroom cupboard. It is easy to pull the tray out and grab what I need in one try instead of reaching back into my cupboard for individual products.

It varies a bit for when I'm on day shift and when I'm on nights. I don't always wash my face twice a day when I'm on day shift, but I always do on nights. My skin is normal/dry so as long as I moisturize in the morning, I'm good to go.

MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE

Clarisonic Plus Face Brush (sensitive brush head, 2nd speed setting)

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Extra Mild

Clinique Clarifying Lotion #2

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion or Origins VitaZing SPF15 Moisturizer

Garnier Skin-Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller

NIGHT SKINCARE ROUTINE

*similar to the morning, but I use a makeup remover, treatments, and a heavier moisturizer.

MAC Cleanse Off Oil

Clarisonic Plus Face Brush (sensitive brush head, 2nd speed setting)

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Extra Mild

Clinique Clarifying Lotion #2

Garnier Dark Spot Corrector

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Skin Synchronized Recovery Complex

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Synchronized Complex

Marcelle Hydra-C 24H Energizing Hydrating Gel (click here to see my review)

MASKS

BLISS 15 Minute Steep Clean Mask (once a week)

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque (once every two weeks or when I need to dry up a pimple)

Biore Face and Nose strips (these are THE BEST for removing blackheads from pores)

OTHER

Marcelle Essentials Purity Soothing Cleansing Water: I like this water because you don't have to rise it off and it both cleanses and tones in one!

Kirkland Daily Facial Cleansing Towelettes: You get 150 total towelettes per box from Costco. There is 2 or 3 large size packages (like the one pictured above) and 2 travel sizes with fewer towelettes. The entire box costs about $12 and goes on sale for a couple dollars off quite often. I use these on nights when I'm lazy (it doesn't happen too often), and I also keep these by my vanity to wipe my hands if I get product (i.e., foundation, concealer) on my fingers.

Clean and Clear Morning Burst Skin Brightening Facial Scrub: I use this a few times a week in the shower. I wish I still had my MAC Volcanic Ash exfoliator, but that has been gone for some time now. PLEASE MAC, RE-RELEASE THIS!

ELF Zit Zapper: I spot treat blemishes with this product. It is basically just Witch Hazel,

but I like how it is in a roller ball so I can dab it on the places that need it.

I purchased La Roche Posay Derm AHA, but I've been too nervous to use it LOL. I did a patch test and was fine, but I always worry about new products on my face.

With this routine, my skin has been more even, smooth, and overall the best condition it has been in.

What are some of your favourite skincare products?

Upcoming Blog Posts

2012-01-13T16:22:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!
Here is a list, in no particular order, of the posts I'm currently working on and you can Look forward to seeing in the near future. Let me know which post(s) you are most interested in seeing and I will be sure to get to those first!

MAC Naturally Collection MSFs
Urban Decay Naked Palette 2
Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows
L'Oreal Le Balm
L'Oreal Voluminous False Lashes
Marcelle BB Cream
Macadamia Oil Hair Care
Clarisonic Plus Skincare Brush
Velour Lashes
Lise Watier Spring 2012 Collection
Drugstore Favourites
Updated Skincare Routine
Laura Mercier Silk Cream Foundation
Neutrogena Healthy Skin
MAC Studio Fix Fluid
Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua
MacBook Pro 15" + Michael Kors Tote for MacBook
Tons of FOTDs
Minka Kelly Inspired Makeup
Nicki Minaj Inspired Makeup

And many more!

imPRESS Press-on Manicure by Broadway Nails

2012-01-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

I saw the imPress Press-On Manicure Nails by Broadway at my local Walmart a little over a month ago and new I wanted to pick up a pair or two to try out over the holidays. The deep red, shown in this post, and the hot pink nails caught my eye the most. I am not a big fan of prints on nails so those weren't of interest to me. I wish the company had more solid colours to choose from. I went back over my Christmas Holidays to see if they had the red ones I was looking at in stock, and they did, so I picked up a set to try.

PACKAGING

First thing first, I have never tried press-on nails before so I have nothing to compare this to. The package is in a little nail polish bottle which is really cute. I think they marketed these nails really well on product design alone. I paid around $8 for a set, which is much cheaper and more affordable than getting your nails done at the salon. Generally I have pretty crappy nails so the idea of press-ons that last a week and I can use for special occasions really appeals to me. I thought these were perfect for the holidays. The package comes with 24 nails of 12 different sizes. I had no problem finding appropriate sizes. One suggestion, if you are deciding between one that is a tad too big, or a tad too small, go with the tad to small because it will look better and fit snugger.

APPLICATION & WEAR

These are definitely "fast & easy" as the product suggests. As far as application is concerned, all you do is wipe the alcohol cloth across each of your nails to clean the service before you take off the plastic shield of the nail, and press and hold it to your own nail. Upon application, these felt really secure on my natural nail. My pinky, thumb, ring, and one of my middle fingers lasted me the full 7 days and probably could have stuck around longer if I didn't end up peeling them off. My two index fingers and one of my middle fingers presented problems in terms of lasting. The package gives enough nails so that if one does come off, you can find the "next best thing" and re-press it on your finger. The entire set of nails lasting me the 7 days, if you count me having to constantly re-press my index and middle fingers. Silly things like pulling on my jeans would end up popping a nail off. Also, you can't do pretty much anything involving putting pressure on your nails (i.e., picking off a sticker on a product) or else you have the potential of losing a nail. I ended up buying these a second time, in a purple/pink colour for New Years Eve. They didn't even last me the full night. I am undecided whether I would buy these for a third time or not. If I was on holidays again, I think I would consider it or for a special occasion since these are very affordable, but you have to be extra precautious when wearing these, which I am not.

BEFORE & AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

These did look really fantastic on. I love the high shine of the nail and they easy come clean. I was painting one of our spare bedrooms and got paint all over my nails and it came off effortlessly. The nails are a touch too long for my personal preference, but this is only because I have really shallow nail beds. You also may be wondering if these ruin your natural nail or not. THEY DO NOT RUIN YOUR NAIL! This is a major factor for me, as I am turned off acrylics or any nail product that stripes the nail. I just peeled around the edges and they came off quite easily. Some presented a little more trouble coming off, but all you need is a little nail polish remover and it eats away at the adhesive/nail making it easy to remove.

Kristen Stewart for "W" Magazine Makeup FOTD using Annabelle Smudge Paint

2012-01-11T13:39:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

I was going through one of my weekly magazines, I think it was Life & Style, and saw this picture of Kristen Stewart. They did a "Best in Beauty" type of article for the New Year and this look made the top 10. I think Kristen Stewart looks absolutely stunning in this photo and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to try and recreate it for myself. I did this over the holidays, hence holding poinsettias LOL. Hope you all enjoy and I think I'm going to do more "inspired" looks more often as they are really fun to do. If you haven't seen my last one, I recreated a look by Raquel Reed. You can check it out by clicking here. If you have any photos you would like me to try and recreate, please don't hesitate to send them to me via e-mail - cherylsbeautyblog@hotmail.com or through twitter @MakeupByCherylH. I tend to check my twitter more often, so you best bet is to contact me there. I pretty much reply within a couple hours as it goes directly to my phone.

FOTD

FACE:

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

Garnier Eye Roller

Benefit That Gal Face Primer

Laura Mericier Silk Cream Foundation "Medium Ivory"

Motives "The Present" by Scott Barnes translucent powder

MAC Harmony Blush

MAC Truth and Light Magically Cool Powder

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

BROWS:

Love&Beauty Brow Kit

EYES:

MAC Painterly p/p

Annabelle peach e/s

Annabelle cream e/s

Annabelle black e/s

Annabelle Smudge Paint in "black"

Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara

LIPS:

MAC Stripdown l/l

MAC Gaga2 l/s

The main focus of this look is definitely the eyeliner. It is really dramatic and in person I felt like I looked like Amy Winehouse because it looked at lot more dramatic than in photos. Kristen's liner wing is a little more straight than mine is, but I still like the way it turned out. I used Annabelle Smudge Paint in black and it is the PERFECT product to create a thick liner, plus it is easy to smoke out and smudge. I've been really loving it lately.

Have a great day!

Maybelline Baby Lips + Swatches

2012-01-10T14:05:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

I hopped on the bandwagon and picked up a few of the new Maybelline Baby Lips lip balms when they first came out. I ended up getting 3 varieties: Peppermint, Cherry Me, and Peach Kiss. I am a lip balm junkie and pretty much try every new lip balm that comes out because I wear them every day and before bed. I don't wear tinted varieties before going to bed so that is why I picked up the shade Peppermint which is clear and perfectly scented for nighttime after I just brushed my teeth and want a fresh smelling mouth.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

No more basic lip balm:

• Visibly renewed lips and 8-hr hydration

• The secret: Exclusive lip renew formula with SPF 20

• Protects and moisturizes lips for a full 8 hours

• After 4 weeks, lips are visibly renewed and reborn

• 6 varieties

FOR BEST RESULTS

Apply your lip balm by starting in the center of your upper lip. Work from the center to the outer edges of your lip, following the contours of your mouth. Then glide across the entire bottom lip.

After reading the product information, I didn't realize there was a "best way" to put these lip balms on. Typically I just smear it on my lips and don't really think about it. I don't see how putting it on a certain way would do anything beneficial. I guess by doing this it would apply some of the less sheer colours more evenly (i.e., Cherry Me), but I think it would be more beneficial for the company to give a reason WHY this would provide best results.

I haven't used this consistently for 4 weeks, so I can't say my lips are "visibly renewed and reborn". The texture is a bit slippery/oily, and I don't feel like it's really "sinking in" and benefitting my lips in any way. If you have dry, chapped lips, I would stick with Blistex (my go to lip balm) which actually works on lips right away, as opposed to 4 weeks of constant wear. I really like that these are tinted lip balms, but tinted lip balm isn't a new concept. I love the colours I picked up. Cherry Me is a "no brainer" wash of sheer red lip colour that you don't have to worry about smearing or getting on your teeth. If you are timid about rocking a red lip, try Cherry Me first since it is very sheer and natural. Peach Kiss is also beautiful. I knew I would like this one instantly because peach is my favourite lip colour to wear. I think these products will get a lot of love come the warmer months. These will be great for the beach or pool since they have SPF 20 and will still give you a nice sheer wash of colour without looking like you are trying too hard with a full face of makeup. Each variety smells and tastes like the name. Cherry Me is a little too strong for my liking, but I don't notice it too much after having it on for a few minutes.

From Left to Right: Peppermint, Peach Kiss, Cherry Me

As for the packaging, I like the two-tone colours and think they look cute. If you are looking for a balm that moisturizes and benefits the lips, I would look elsewhere as these really don't do anything for me. If you like sheer colour and SPF, I would definitely recommend them because the shades are pretty and an SPF on your lips is never a bad thing. As for repurchasing, I probably won't. I have 3 varieties to last me the summer months so I don't think I will be needing any more after I run out.

Coach Rain Boots for $45!

2012-01-09T10:45:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

A little while ago I was shopping at my local Winners and I came across some Coach Rain Boots. I actually ordered a pair of rain boots on Aldo a few weeks before, but they under stocked them and they never ended up shipping. I was aggravated at the time, but I'm actually glad I didn't get them because I like these Coach ones much better.

Initially I picked the boots up to try them, liked them, and proceeded to flip them over to see who the designer was. When I realized they were Coach, I said "No way" because the tag was initially priced at $79.99, however, the pair of size 7's I had in hand were marked down further to $45. These were the only pair marked down to $45, and these boots retail for $110+ at Coach so I definitely snagged a good deal. Here are a few pics:

They aren't anything special, plain black with a clear rubber sole. However, these have come in really handy as the winter has been really mild, wet, and muddy! Sorry Jenn for not getting this up sooner ;)

How To: Get the Perfect Self Tan

2012-01-07T19:35:00.001-05:00

Hey Guys!

This has been a highly requested post and I am sorry for not getting to it sooner. Lately, I have not been self-tanning as much as I use to. However, I did self-tan a couple days prior to going out for New Years Eve and many of you were wondering how I got such an even, dark tan after a couple of applications, what products I use...etc.

Tanning Tools and Products

I must admit, I at one point in time would go to tanning beds to get a little colour. I mainly only did this a month or two before going on vacation. I stopped using the beds for obvious reasons: skin cancer, wrinkles, sun spots, etc. Once I discovered self-tanning, it actually gave me a better tan and it ended up being cheaper than the amount of money I would spend for minutes in the booth, plus expensive tanning lotions.

Basically, everything I have learned about self-tanning I owe to my friend, Natty, at Miss Natty's Beauty Diary. When I first started blogging, I was envious of her amazing tan skin, and when I realized she self-tanned, I had to get the products she used! If you are interested in checking out Natty's posts on self-tanning, she has several really informative posts: Self-Tanning Routine, Self-Tanning Tips and Tricks.

For the past 2 years I have gone through stages of being very into maintaining a tan complexion. I personally like a small amount of tan because it evens out my skin tone and gives me a nice, healthy glow. In this post you will find out how I prepare, apply, and maintain my tan using a variety of different products.

Lotion, Spray, or Mousse?

From left to right: St. Tropez Self Tanning Mousse,

Sun Labs Self Tanning Micro Mist in Dark, Sun Labs Self Tanning Lotion in Very Dark

The products I use on a regular basis to maintain my tan are either by St. Tropez or Sun Labs. I find both brands quite similar, in my opinion. I have yet to find a drugstore self-tanner that I like, but if you have any recommendations, please let me know!

You may be wondering what formula you should purchase when considering buying a self-tanner. I find there are benefits and drawbacks to each formula, so it really depends on your preferences. I like to switch it up because some formulas last longer, while others are darker, and some are easier to work with. It really depends how I feel at the moment for which bottle, or two, I grab.

Lotion is the hardest formula to work with, out of the three, and you really have to work it into your skin. This formula takes the longest to apply. I like to use latex gloves when using a lotion to protect my hands. I'm not a big fan of lotion, mainly because it takes longer and I find it a chore applying self-tanner. However, in my experience I have found lotion to last longer on the skin and it tends to give me a deeper tan than mousse. Essentially, you put in the time, but the end result is a longer lasting, deeper tan.

Spray is the fastest method, but also the messiest. If you want a truly DEEP tan, spray is your best bet. I love how dark the Sun Labs Spray is, how evenly it applies, and it smells pretty good too. With a spray, I think it is essential to use a tanning mitt. This is also a good option if you have no one to help you apply product to your back. You can either spray your mitt, or your back directly, and rub it in with your tanning mitt. If I want to be EXTRA tan, I will actually spray this on top of my mousse I applied prior to deepen my tan.

Mousse is my preferred method of application because it's fast and fool proof. I have used St. Tropez longer than I have used Sun, and it is more easily available for myself since I can find it at Sephora, and I have yet to see Sun Labs anywhere in Canada, other than my one time find at Winners. The formula is really easy to work with, especially when you use a tanning mitt. For beginners, I would suggest using a mousse because you can't really screw up using this because as long as you don't miss a spot, your tan will be even, even if you go over areas multiple times with your mitt. Mousse also tends to be not as dark of a tan, in my experience. This can be a good or a bad thing depending on how dark you want to be. I see this as a drawback because I have to go heavy on using the product to achieve the colour I want. Sometimes I put on one layer, wait for it to dry, and then put on another layer.

Click below to find out "How to Get the Perfect Self Tan!"

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

Favourite Products of 2011

2012-01-03T19:03:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

Last year I did a "Favourite Products of 2010" so I decided to answer the same questions and see what all has changed in a year. If I am still loving the same product, I will mention that it is STILL a favourite from 2010!

Makeup

Foundation: NARS Sheer Glow in "Stromboli" and Make Up For Ever HD #127. (2010 the same!)

Concealer: MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW25 for under eye circles (2010 the same!) I use Hard Candy Glamoflage in medium for blemishes.

Powder: CARGO Blu_Ray Pressed Powder #20 & #30 and Ben Nye Neutral Set Translucent Powder (for under eye - same as 2010!). I use to use MAC MSFN, until I found my HG powder from CARGO this year!

Blush: MAC Equilibrium

Bronzer: Chanel Soliel De Tan (Bronze Universel), NARS Laguna Bronzer or MAC Refined Golden Bronzer. (2010 the same!)

Highlight: Chanel Sheer Illuminating Fluid in "Sunkissed", OR MAC Magically Cool Powder in "Honey Rose"

Eyeshadow: MAC Brule, Blanc Type, Typographic, Carbon, Wedge, Cork, Espresso, Nehru, Bamboo. All have been staples of mine this year!

Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in "Zero" (2010 the same!), and L'Oreal Lineur Intense

Eyeshadow primer/base: Urban Decay Primer Potion (2010 the same!) and MAC Painterly Paint Pot

Eyelash curler: Shu Uemura

Mascara: CoverGirl Lash Perfection Mascara in Very Black beat out the original CG Lash Blast!

Mascara Primer: Dior Show Maximizer

Lipstick: MAC Brave New Bronze (same as 2010!)

Lipgloss: MAC Frankly Fresh l/g

Nail polish: OPI "My Private Jet" (same as 2010!)

Body

Shower gel/soap: SoftSoap Coconut Scrub Body Butter

Body lotion/cream: Vaseline Aloe Fresh Hydrating Moisturizer

Body exfoliator: I use my Clarisonic Body Brush Head

Hand cream: CAKE Beauty It's a Slice Velveteen Hand Cream

Lip balm/treatment: EOS Lip Balm

Perfume: Givenchy Hot Couture (same as 2010!)

Face

Cleanser: Clinique Liquid Facial Soap in Mild (same as 2010!)

Toner/lotion: Clinique #2 Toner (same as 2010!)

Moisturizer: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (same as 2010!) also Origins VitaZing Moisturizer

Facial mask: Queen Helene Mint Julep Facial Mask (same as 2010!)

Exfoliator: Clean and Clear Morning Burst Facial Scrub (the lemon one)

Makeup remover: MAC Cleanse Off Oil

HAIR

Shampoo: LUSH Seanik Shampoo Bar (same as 2010!)

Conditioner: Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Conditioner

Heat Tamer: TRESemme Heat Tamer Spray (same as 2010!)

Hair Spray: TRESemme Tres Two Extra Hold (same as 2010!) AND Salon Selectives Stay Put

Leave-in Conditioner: Macadamia Leave-in Conditioner, also love Moroccan Oil

Smoothing Cream: Bed Head After Party (same as 2010!)

Hair Mask: Macadamia Deep Repair Mask

What have been some stand out products for you this past year?

New Years Eve Makeup, Hair, and Dress!

2012-01-01T17:53:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

Happy New Year! I'm so sad to see 2011 go because it was THE BEST year of my life. I got to experience so many new things that I don't know how 2012 is going to top the year I just had. However, I must say that this year has started off quite well. Last night I went out with my closest friends to a New Years Eve party. I had such a fun time.

I really liked how my makeup and hair turned out. As you know, I pretty much NEVER wear colour, so I decided to change up my usual makeup for something a little more dramatic. I wish I would have taken better makeup photos, but since I got ready at night, my natural lightening was gone and flash photography never works out well for makeup photos in my experience. I self tanned two nights in a row so I'm quite dark at the moment. My skin was actually lighter than my lightest foundation, so I was in need of some colour because I didn't want to go out and buy a new foundation.

FACE:

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

Maybelline Age Rewind

SMASHBOX Photo Finish Primer

NARS Sheer Glow in "Stromboli"

Chanel Soleil De Tan Bronze Universel

NARS Madly

MAC Magically Cool Powder in "Honey Rose"

CARGO Blu_Ray Pressed Powder #30

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

BROWS:

Make Up For Ever Waterproof Brow Corrector #3

EYES:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

MAC Painterly Paint Pot

MAC Nylon e/s

MAC Digit e/s

MAC Stars N' Rockets e/s

MAC Shadowy Lady e/s

MAC Carbon e/s

L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Liner

Marcelle Glitter liner in Purple

MAC Reflects Pearl

DiorShow Maximizer

Cover Girl Lash Perfection Mascara

Ardell Lashes #120?

LIPS:

Maybelline Rose l/l

MAC Lovelorn l/s

L'Oreal l/g in "Grape Soda"

As for hair, I was wearing my Foxy Locks clip-in hair extensions. This was the first time I curled them and I used a 1" barrel curling iron to make loose waves/curls. I also parted my hair down the middle, which I never do. I was trying to recreate "Kardashian" style hair, and I think it turned out really well. The curls also lasted all night so I'm even more impressed with my Foxy Locks extensions!

I ended up throwing on tights, my favourite House of Harlow Black Resin necklace, and my new Sam Edelman spiked heels! Wish I would have got a picture of the whole thing together :( The dress I picked up at Forever21 for $11.50!

What did you do for New Years Eve?

Health and Fitness: My Weight Loss Story

2011-12-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

I'm really flattered that so many of you have been asking me to write a healthy eating and fitness post. Yes, over the past year and a bit I have lost weight. As you know, I'm a newleywed so the wedding was a big influence and motivation to lose the weight. The number on the scale has never been a focus of mine, only how my clothes would fit and what dress size I was. When I lost the weight, it honestly isn't the weight that is noticable to me, it is the inches I have lost. At my heaviest point, basically when I started blogging, I was a good 25 pounds more than I weigh now. I've always carried my weight fairly well so I never looked overweight, just a bit chunky at my heaviest. I carry my weight in my upper arms, thighs, butt, and chest. When I was a kid, I've always been "solid". I've been active all my life, always in sports, swimming...etc, but I've never been "skinny". I can honestly say I am really happy with my current weight. I am 5'7" and weigh 135-140. I'm still curvaceous and could use toning up in some areas, but I am in no rush to do so. My weight loss has all been a gradual process, and I intend to keep it that way.

With this said, I still have been hesitant about writing this post because I haven't been working out to lose weight recently, just focusing on eating healthy. I never ate bad before, but I would indulge more often than I do now. At my heaviest weight I attribute that to being in University, sitting on my butt studying all the time, and then going out every weekend drinking. I know this happens to a lot of people who are in college and university. I had a lack of activity and drinking on weekends was fun at the time, but I packed on the pounds from liquid calories. As soon as I graduated, I took the summer off. I didn't work and when I did find a job, I was only working minimal hours for a little over a year. The weight started to come off a bit when I started working, but plateaued. I ended up getting my current job, which is a manual labor, factory job, and I am always on my feet. I work long hours and weekends, so that amount of walking enables me to keep the weight off as long as I eat healthy.

Before I got engaged, back in July 2010, I was doing P90X. I ended up doing a little over a month and I ended up losing some weight as well as inches off various parts of my body. I'm pretty sure I lost 2 inches in my waist alone in a month. After that, I didn't exercise as vigorously, but I would go for the occasional run and do laps and treading water at my local pool. P90X is a great program, and I intend on starting it over in the new year and completing the full 90 days. None of this P40X laziness. LOL. If doing this program for only one month worked so well for me, I can't imagine what completing the program would do. It would definitely transform my body. P90X is a very demanding program, but if you can fit in an hour a day, 6 days a week, I highly recommend trying it out. It honestly works and I must say this triggered a life style change for me. I actually went through old blog posts to see exactly how I looked and when the weight started coming off and in what areas. It is pretty interesting to see the chronological progression through posts. If you look back to June 2010, when I was doing P90X, you can see how little I started posting because I was busy with my new exercise program. It's funny because I had another phase closer to my wedding date of July 2011 where I wasn't posting as frequently and I lost more weight then too. Unfortunately, blogging takes up a lot of time where I would be doing something active. I need to find a balance or not be such a procrastinator when it comes to writing posts! I always get distracted by online shopping, youtube videos or checking out other peoples blogs that I won't realize hours have past and I still am working on ONE blog post. LOL. I'm a terrible procrastinator...I was a bad procrastinator in school too. Maybe a New Years Resolution should be to stop procrastinating. I seriously need to write some resolutions.

Anyways, since I didn't do the full 90 days, what really has been working for me was a change in diet. I started eating foods that increased my metabolism (I.e., grapefruit, black coffee, green tea) and eating more salads. I think I started my salad kick a month or two before going to Vegas for my Bachelorette. 5 days of the week I bring a salad for lunch with veggies, chicken, or egg whites. I use calorie wise salad dressing, and only a very small amount. I was eating my salads with no dressing or just a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice for a while, but it got boring fast.

Example Daily Food Intake

5:00 am - bowl of cereal w/ skim milk or 1 egg + egg whites and a piece of whole wheat toast. (Sometimes I just eat egg whites with salsa).

8:00 am - two 35 calorie skim milk yogurts. If I'm not hungry I will just have a large black coffee

11:00 am - mixed greens/baby spinach with cucumber and tomotoe (or chicken). 1 tbs Calorie wise dressing.

1:30 pm - Grapefruit

3:30 pm - 100 cal snack or V8 shot

I eat often because I have scheduled breaks and a demanding job. This is a typical eating schedule while I'm at work 7-4:30 pm.

6ish or 7 - Whatever I end up making for dinner. When eating pasta, I use whole wheat. I eat brown rice. I rarely eat red meat (I.e. 1-2 times a month). Instead of using lean ground beef for meals I use extra lean ground turkey or chicken. Most suppers consist of some form of chicken or seafood. I love salmon, shrimp, and scallops.

This chart I got from one of my husbands health books. This is basically the types of foods I eat.

Everyones body is different, and what worked for me, may not work for you. The biggest change for me was P90X and eating more salads. Salads are simple, easy to prepare, and you can create many different kinds of salads so it doesn't get boring. Use veggies one day, chicken the next, egg whites another, almonds, you name it. The choices are endless. Just stick to it. I like packing lunches because you HAVE to eat what you pack. Its not like you can go by cravings and be like, I'm going to eat pizza, junk food, etc. Even at home I plan my meals. I will take chicken or fish out of the freezer and then I know I HAVE to use it or it will go bad. One thing about me is that I will not waste anything (i.e., food, makeup...etc.).

I do eat out still and indulge in some of my favourite foods (I.e., pizza, nachos, wings). Typically when I order one of these treats I end up sharing so that I still get the taste, but don't consume all the calories. For me, its really important not to deprive myself or I'll go crazy. I found when I tried to go full-on health crazy, absolutely NO bad foods, I ended up giving up. Now if I eat bad, I just make sure I eat really good the next day.

Honestly, the best way to lose weight is old fashioned diet and exercise. There are no fast fixes to weight loss, if you want to do it healthy. It is bad to fluctuate up and down (I.e., Oprah Winfrey) for your body. Losing weight is a life style change. Just by what I eat and substituting for leaner cuts of meat, and whole wheat is better for your overall health, and thus, you will eventually see a change in your body.

TO SEE MY WEIGH LOSS EVOLUTION, CLICK BELOW!

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

FOTD: Christmas Day Makeup

2011-12-27T19:36:00.001-05:00

Hey Guys!
Here is the look I wore Christmas Day. Notice the necklace? My husband gave me it to me for Christmas! It's a key necklace from Tiffany's! Anyways, I just took a break from some home renovations which I gotta get back to. Also, I'm still sick. Miss you guys and have a ton of posts for you to look forward to once I'm better!

Hope you enjoy the look!

FACE:

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

Garnier Eye Roller

Make Up For Ever HD Primer

MAC Prolongwear Foundation NC25

MAC Prolongwear Concealer NW25

Ben Nye Neutral Set Translucent Powder

CARGO Blu_Ray Pressed Powder #20

MAC Harmony Blush

MAC Silver Dusk Loose Powder

Urban Decay All Nighter Spray

BROWS:

Make Up For Ever Waterproof Brow Corrector #3

EYES:

MAC Rubenesque p/p

MAC Bare Study p/p

MAC Brule e/s

MAC Gold Mode pigment

MAC Soft Brown e/s

MAC Wedge e/s

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow "Timeless White"

L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Liner

MARCELLE Gold Glitter Liner

DiorShow Maximizer

Cover Girl Lash Perfection Mascara

LIPS:

MAC Cyndi l/g

Sam Edelman The Ria Shoe in Leopard

2011-12-26T16:05:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas yesterday! I have been MIA for the past week because of a killer cold. Charles ended up picking it up as well so we have been taking it easy. I am also on holidays until January 2nd which works out well for recovery, but is disappointing because I haven't had the energy to do the things I wanted to (i.e., blogging). If you follow me on twitter, you know I've been sick but I just wanted to update everyone here.

I thought I would share with you a recent purchase from www.Karmaloop.com. I've been shopping off this website quite often as they have AMAZING sales on all the time on great designers. I ordered my Jeffrey Campbell Lita's from this store, as well as my Sam Edelman Rozas. I was looking at getting a pair of Leopard print heels for a while, and really liked the House of Harlow Leopard Booties I saw on Nicole Richie, but couldn't justify spending the $300+ price tag. What I was looking for in a leopard heel was the fur-like texture and large spots. I've seen many shoes with large spots and a patent texture or small spots and a fur texture and I didn't want to settle for either option.

I saw the Ria shoes at the time when I purchased my Rozas, but they were $160 and I still didn't want to pay that much. Karmaloop ended up putting these on sale for 33% off so they ended up being $106.95. I also had a 20% off coupon code and ended up getting these shoes for $85 plus free shipping! I thought this was an amazing deal since I was already looking at buying the exact pair. Luckily they had a size 8 in stock. They still have a size 10 if anyone is interested, click here.

Leopard printed calf hair bootie with contrast piping; inner ankle zipper; 5" heel. By Sam Edelman

These do shed a bit, but like all "pony"/calf hair bags/shoes, you just have to be careful when wearing them

I think a size 7.5 would have been a better fit as they are a little loose. I hate that with shoes I can be anywhere from a size 7-8. I'd say I'm a true size 7.5, but typically order the 8 because I have wide feet and find shoes more comfortable a little bigger.

Shoes are one of those things I feel you can always find sales on and should never have to pay full price. I found a pair of Coach Rainboots at my local winners for only $45, regular $110+. I will be sharing that purchase next so stay tuned.

Since it is boxing day, I thought it would only be fitting to share a great deal. Karmaloop is having an up to 85% off sale on designer goods. Be sure to check it out!

Use my rep code: CHERYL at checkout for an extra 20% off your order!

Happy shopping!

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters + Swatches + FOTD

2011-12-19T17:12:00.001-05:00

Hey Guys!

I was searching for the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters at my local Walmart, Shoppers, and Rexall,and FINALLY found these last week at my local Rexall. It ended up being worth the wait because Rexall had a Buy one, Get one, sale going on on all lip products! I ended up getting 4 shades: Tutti Frutti, Peach Parfait, Creamsicle, and Creme Brulee. I really wanted Strawberry Shortcake, but they were sold out. My favourite of the 4 shades I picked up is Creme Brulee. In fact, Creme Brulee is my new HG nude lipstick! It is incredibly creamy, moisturizing, sheer, and extremely flattering on my NC30 skintone. It isn't a straight up ghostly nude that makes you look dead/have concealer lips, but it has a hint of colour and works well with my natural lip colour peaking through. I think a moisturizing nude lipstick is essential and much easier to pull off than a matte nude (i.e., MAC Myth l/s).

Some of the shades are more pigmented than others. Tutti Frutti is extremely orange. I myself LOVE orange lips, so it is one of my favourite shades, but others may be turned off by how bright it is. Peach Parfait is really beautiful as well. It feels slightly gritty on the lips though due to the glitter/sparkle in the formula. Creamsicle is a milky nude that settles a little bit into fine lines. I like the colour, but probably wouldn't repurchase it again because I love Creme Brulee so much more! the only thing i dislike about these is the packaging. the clear coloured packaging cheapens the product, in my opinion. i would prefer a solid black quilted packaging, like they've done in the past, or simple plain black or gold would look more elegant as well.

To see my FOTD, Keep Reading!

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

Home Decor: Christmas Decorations

2011-12-18T14:03:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!
I found all these decorations at Costco, minus the soap that is from Bath & Body Works. Costco is my one stop shop for anything seasonal. They have the nicest holiday decorations for a reasonable price. With just a few decorations, my house seems very festive without looking like overkill. I think one or two decorative pieces in each room is great for the holiday season! Hope you enjoy!

Holiday wreath. This is probably the prettiest wreath I've come across, and it was only $35!

You can't tell by the picture, but it is HUGE! We have it hanging on our wall so you can see it when you walk through the front doors.

Candle holders - the pattern reflects to the wall when these are lit with tea lights!

Our stockings...yes we have ones for our puppies.

I like that these are large and can be filled with bigger items.
The only problem is, Hera likes to play with them if we are not watching her!

I think Poinsettias are beautiful.
We have one in our bedroom up high where the dogs
can't reach since these can be poisonous to animals.

The wrapping paper I will be using this year for gifts.
I love the one to the far right since it's holographic sparkle.

In each of our bathrooms we have Gingerbread smelling soap from Bath & Body Works.
I also have a bunch of sweet smelling candles from B&B around the house as well.
My house basically smells like baked goods all the time! LOL

UPDATE: New Blog Address + Layout

2011-12-17T11:26:00.003-05:00

Hey Guys!
As some of you already know, I recently became my own domain. Since nothing is ever simple, the domain "Cheryl's Beauty Blog" was already taken so I had to stick with my next best option, "Makeup By Cheryl H". My twitter is MakeupByCherylH, my facebook is MakeupByCheryl and my YouTube channel is MakeupByCheryl, so it only seemed like a natural progression. Please bookmark my new page! I don't want to lose any of my precious followers...you guys are what keep me doing this. ALSO, the new year I plan on making a schedule for starting to make videos. I am first saving for a MAC Book Pro so that I can easily edit and store videos and photos for my blog.

Also, I changed the layout of my blog. I was getting bored and needed an update. My old header said "Cheryl's Beauty Blog" so I needed to fix that. I probably will be changing my header again as I have something else in mind and this only took 10 minutes to put together...Stay tuned!

Please bookmark www.MakeupByCherylH.com

NARS Blush Swatches

2011-12-15T14:07:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

Just thought I'd share a quick post about the NARS blushes that I have in my makeup collection. Let me know what your favourite blushes are or if I'm missing any you think I'd like!

Blush

The ultimate authority in blush, NARS offers the industry's most iconic shades for cheeks. Natural, healthy-looking color that immediately enlivens the complexion. A light application of even the highest-intensity hues delivers a natural-looking flush.

"Best Overall Powder Blush” 2010 & 2011 InStyle "Best Beauty Buys”
Silky texture in matte and shimmering shades
Micronized powder ensures soft, blendable application
Iconic NARS shades
24 shades
$30 each

Cream Blush

A moisture-rich cream blush formula that provides smooth, silky color for naturally luminous skin. The velvety texture delivers long-lasting color and blends easily natural-looking color.

· Provides a sheer, flush of color for all skin tones
· Enriched with Vitamin E
· Can be worn alone or paired with powder blushes
7 shades
$34 each

Highlighting Blush

Illuminating highlighting powders that give the skin a light-reflecting luminous glow. Wear alone or pair with other cheek products to create beautiful dimension on the face.

· Creates instant radiance
· Made with transparent pigments to avoid heaviness on the skin
· Universally flattering shade
3 Shades
$30 each

What I like about the NARS website, as opposed to most cosmetic websites, is that they have excellent product photos which show their shades of blushes true to colour so it is easy to order online without having to google the various shades to find out what the product actually looks like. However, for reference, here is my current collection of blushes:

*I realize Angelika is spelled wrong in the photos. Will change later when I have time

Angelika - Cotton candy pink with gold and silver sparkle

Deep Throat - Flirty, sheer peach

Gina - A true tangerine

Lovejoy - Shimmering bronzed rose

Luster - Sheer golden apricot

Madly - Warm soft-focused seashell pink

Orgasm - Peachy pink with golden shimmer

Cactus Flower - Delicate shimmering poppy

Albatross - Luminous golden glow (not pictured, click here for swatches)

Click photo to enlarge

As you can tell, I like similar shades of blush. Angelika never got any use so I ended up selling it in my blog sale a little while back. I'm quite content with the shades I own, but may add another blush or two to the collection. What are your favourites?

REVIEW: Dior Holiday Eye Palette

2011-12-14T13:37:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys!

I ended up picking up the Holiday Eye Palette from Dior's Celebration Collection during the Sephora Friends and Family Sale. I had a list going into Sephora of the products that I was going to get, and this wasn't on that list, but I bought it on a whim anyways. I bought this even though I hated the highlight swatch at the store, but couldn't turn down the base lid colour and the cream liner. These two products alone sold me as I don't have either in my collection already. Also, the cute packaging suckered me in. I absolutely love the tweed and the tiny bow with charm.

What it is:
An elegant eye palette inspired by the classic gray tweeds and iconic bow and charm detailing in Dior's couture collections of the past and present.

What it does:
This palette features a smoky brown and beige harmony of eye shadows, cream eyeliner, and highlighter in a lovely, ladylike mirrored compact.

This set contains:
- 0.06 oz Base Eyeshadow (khaki tan shimmer)
- 0.06 oz Colour Eyeshadow (bronze shimmer)
- 0.06 oz Shine Eyeshadow (sparkling ivory)
- 0.05 oz Liner (chocolate brown)
- mini double-ended brush

What else you need to know:
The base color (iridescent eye shadow 542) and the eye shadow (iridescent eye shadow 682) contain Dior's phenomenal Wet Reflect™ technology.

Retail value: $46 US on Sephora.com

*info taken from Sephora.com

Boxed packaging

Protective plastic showing what each colour is for

1. Base - Khaki Tan Shimmer

2. Colour - Bronze Shimmer

3. Shine - Sparkling Ivory

4. Liner - Chocolate Brown

The brush is pretty useless to me, but I do use the synthetic brush end to pack on the liner

when I'm using it as a base instead of a liner.

From left to right: Base, Colour, Shine, Liner

By the picture, you can tell that the Shine is of lesser quality than the other shades. It is really chunky and gritty and a pain to work with. The liner is incredibly creamy and pigmented. I did use this as a base, but it will crease after time because it is so creamy. If you specifically wanted a brown liner, I would look else wear for something a little more long-wearing.The khaki and brown eyeshadow are extremely pigmented and blend effortlessly. Specifically, I am in love with the Khaki because I don't own a colour similar. It gives such a beautiful sheen when used on the lids. I love the wet reflect technology used in the brown and khaki shades. Overall, this palette can easily be duped, so I wouldn't say run out and get it, but it is a nice luxury and is a no-brainer to take with you for travel.

Click here to out my Dior Holiday Eye Palette FOTD

Home Decor: Christmas Tree

2011-12-11T17:47:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys!
As you know I love makeup, clothes, and pretty much anything that lets me be creative. It is probably no surprise that I also LOVE decorating my home and coming up with new ways I can revamp a room. Charles and I have been in the process of working on DIY home renovations for the past year and a bit and thought that I would start sharing some of the ways in which we have changed our living space. Currently I am working on one of our spare bedrooms and making it into a "White Room" themed after our honeymoon in Santorini, Greece. This will be a future post as I still need to save my money for furnishing it, but thought I would start off simple with how I decorate our home for the holidays. Specifically, here is our Christmas Tree! We plan on buying a new tree next year, as this one is falling apart BADLY. There are several branches that have busted off in the process of storing this and each year it seems to get worse and worse. This was actually my parents old tree before they bought a better one, so I really can't complain. I do love real trees, but with my luck, I would end up killing it, or worse, the dogs would drink the water. I am going to wait until artificial trees come on sale this year so that next year I don't have to deal with the dilapidated branches.

This year I purchased new ornaments, ribbon, pearl garland, a tree topper, and a tree skirt and really love how it turned out. This is definitely my ideal tree, minus the tree itself LOL.

Martha Stewart - 101 Ornaments from Home Depot

Angel Tree Topper from Canadian Tire

Gold tree skirt from Winners

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

FOTD + OOTD: Dior Holiday Look

2011-12-08T20:30:00.001-05:00

Hey Guys!

Here is a look I wore to my Oma's 80th b-day lunch on Sunday. I used my Dior Holiday eyeshadow palette for this look and plan on doing a full review on it next so be sure to check back if you are interested. I didn't wear the eyeshadow quad the way it was intended (i.e., light colour on lid, brown in crease, white shimmer as highlighter and brown liner). Instead, I wore the brown liner as a base with the dark brown eyeshadow on the lid and the light taupe shade in the crease with only the highlight being used as intended. This is the reverse smokey eye of what I typically do, but I really love how it turned out and plan on wearing it often.

FACE:

Make Up For Ever HD Primer

Make Up For Ever HD Foundation #125

CARGO Blu_Ray Pressed Powder #20

MAC Lillicent Creme Blush

Dior Bronzer

Dior Amber Diamond (highlight)

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

BROWS:

Make Up For Ever Waterproof Brow Corrector #3

EYES:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Dior Brown Liner (base)

Dior Brown Eyeshadow (lid)

Dior Taupe Eyeshadow (crease)

Dior Highlight Eyeshadow (highlight)

MAC Blacktrack Fluidline

Dior Show Maximizer

Dior Show Mascara

LIPS:

MAC High Tea l/s

MAC Ready or Not l/g

OOTD

As for my outfit, I wore my thrifted gold and black button up with black leggings and my new riding boots from Aldo which I purchased during Black Friday for only $50, regular $160. They are super comfortable and have a knit detailing at the top which I love. As for jewelry, I just wore my Jennifer Zeigler intial necklace as it hasn't been getting much love lately. The purse I picked up last week at Winners. It is by Steve Madden, regular $60 and I paid only $30. Today I also hit up my local winners and found a pair of black Coach rainboots, regular $108, marked down to $45! What a steal! I'm definitely a bargain hunter and I love when I found jems like that. Winners has become my favourite place to shop. This is perfect for me too because my town is small, doesn't have a mall and only has a Winners. This is probably why I do a lot of online shopping!

Black riding boots - Aldo

Leggings - Winners

Button up Sweater - Thrifted

Initial Necklace - Jennifer Zeuner

Gold Sequin Purse - Steve Madden

I also went to see Immortals in 3D with Charles the other night. I ended up popping the 3D lenses out of the glasses because I was being silly/a dork. I ended up actually liking the thick framed glasses on me!

I probably won't get around to posting this weekend as I am going to Toronto to see UFC 140 with Charles. I ended up picking up tickets for an early Christmas present for Charles as he loves the sport. I'm really excited to see the fights as Jon "Bones" Jones is one of my favourite fighters. I have already seen Lyoto Machida at UFC 129 when he fought Randy Couture, but am still excited to see Jones kick his butt. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Sam Edelman "Roza" Shoe in Black Crushed Velvet

2011-12-07T18:59:00.001-05:00

Hey Guys!
Just thought I'd share with you one of the few purchases I made on Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Karmaloop had a 25% off sale, plus free shipping and a $20 gift card with purchase, so I decided to pick up a pair of Sam Edelmans. To date, these are my favourite shoes I own. These are actually really comfortable to walk in and fit true to size. I'm typically a size 7.5-8 and I ordered an 8 in these and they fit perfectly. The detailing on the heel adds a little bit of weight, but nothing too noticeable that it effects walking (maybe because I'm use to wearing steal toes all day LOL). They feel really sturdy and well made. I love the stitching on the sole as well! I will most probably wear these to an upcoming Christmas Party or New Years, maybe both since I love them so much. I absolutely love the colour combination of black and gold and feel that these will make the perfect festive, holiday shoe.

Retail Value: $225

What did you end up picking up Black Friday?

November Favourites

2011-12-06T19:39:00.001-05:00

Hey Guys!
Sorry I'm a bit late with the November Favourites. This is only going to be a quick post as I plan on going in detail about most of these products in future reviews and an updated skincare routine. My focus this month has mainly been on skincare as I have not purchased too many new items in terms of makeup. Products I've been loving this month include:

Garnier Dark Spot Corrector: A new HG product of mine. I've been looking for a Dark Spot Corrector, and initially had my eye on the Clinique one, but it was a bit too pricey for my budget at the moment so when I saw Garnier came out with their own version, I quickly went on a hunt for one. When I was looking, they were always sold out at Walmart so I picked up my first tube at Shoppers for a bit more money than what it costs at Walmart. At Shoppers, this retails for $20.99, and I got it on sale for $16.99, and at Walmart it is under $13! I saw instant benefits with this product. This doesn't say it is for pores, but I found my pores are much less noticeable since using this. Also, after only a few days of use the freckles on my forehead which I got from a really bad burn diminished, as did a few acne scars I wanted to get rid of. I loved this stuff so much I ended up picking up another tube for Charles. Will have a more in depth review on this in the next couple weeks.

MAC Cleanse Off Oil: I bought the travel size of this a while ago, but never got around to using it. Another new HG skincare product. This is my favourite makeup remover EVER! It works instantly to remove hard to remove makeup (i.e., waterproof mascara, longwear foundations...etc.) and smells like a delicious dessert. I love love LOVE this stuff. If you are looking for a good makeup remover, use this. I hardly ever say YOU HAVE TO BUY THIS, but seriously, you really should check this out.

Clarisonic Plus: I received this at the end of the month, but I can already tell that this is another new HG skincare product of mine. My skin feels cleaner and smoother since using this. I have yet to try the body brush that came with the Plus, but plan on using it for exfoliating prior to self tanning. It has only been a couple weeks, but I can't wait to see the long term benefits for my skin. I will also be doing a full review on this in the upcoming weeks.

There are a ton of products I've been loving lately, but these are the three that really stood out to me, to the point of becoming HG (Holy Grail) products. With this said, I will be updating my "Favourite Products" page, as many of you have been requesting that I do this. I will let you know when the page is fully updated!

MAC Eyeshadow Swatches

2011-12-05T09:03:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!
I decided to update my MAC Palette post as I was unhappy with the quality of photos and I have quite a bit more eyeshadows that need to be included. My palettes are my pride and joy of my makeup collection. MAC eyeshadows are my favourite product to buy, if you can't tell from the many I already own. LOL I have more permanent shadows than limited edition, so this should help those of you who are interested in purchasing a new shadow, but would like a swatch/photo first. I mostly own neutrals as I rarely wear colour. Regardless, hope this helps you out! Let me know your favourite MAC eyeshadows/eyeshadow combinations or if there is any that I'm missing that you think I'd like.

I have nine (9) palettes in total, 8 of which I'm in the process of filling, and one I switch up the pans that are in it depending on what colours I'm using frequently. My everyday palette which I switch up does not have any labels as it would be pointless for me to take the time to do that as the colours are constantly rotating. The other 8 palettes are labeled so that I can easily find a colour I'm looking for. I use to be able to look at every shadow and tell you what the name was just by the appearance, but now I'm starting to have a harder time doing that since my collection has expanded quite a bit.

Example of my labeling system

Above is an example of what I currently have in my "Everyday" Palette. These are the colours I gravitate to the most for a quick, neutral eye that I can put together effortlessly without having to search through my palettes for a particular eyeshadow. Now onto my actual palettes. You will notice that there are spots that are labeled without containing an actual eyeshadow. Those spots are missing because that particular eyeshadow is in my "Everyday" palette. If you are interested in seeing what it looks like in pan form, please refer back to the above picture. Swatches are labeled left to right, top to bottom, but I will write them below for quick reference.

Left to Right: Gesso, Crystal Avalanche, Phloof!, Solar White (LE), Vanilla, Blanc Type, Short Shorts (LE), Shroom, Dazzlelight, Brule, Nylon, Ricepaper

Left to Right: Naked Lunch, Jest, Grain, Bamboo, Samoa Silk, Arena, Era, All That Glitters, Gleam, Honesty, Honey Lust

Left to Right: Moleskin (LE), Wedge, Tete-A-Tint, Soft Brown, Soba, Cork, Patina, Texture, Outre (LE), Sable, Woodwinked, Tempting, Romp, Bronze

Left to Right: Sparkle Neely Sparkle! (LE), Brown Script, Mulch, Sorcery, Espresso, Brun, Twinks, Folie, Sketch, Embark

Left to Right: Electra, Swell Baby (LE), Groundcover (LE), Copperplate, Satin Taupe, Club, Gazette Grey (LE), Smoke & Diamonds (LE), Print, Smut, Knight Divine, Typographic, Black Tied, Carbon

Left to Right: Coppering, Saffron (LE), Rule, Amber Lights, Goldmine, Going Bananas (LE), Chrome Yellow, Yogurt, Paradisco, Expensive Pink, Swish, Sushi Flower

Left to Right: Aquavert, Hocus Pocus (LE), Bows & Curtseys (LE), Parsian Skies (LE), Tilt, Blue Candy (LE), Freshwater, Royale (LE), Deep Truth, Contrast, Nehru

OOTD: Comfy and Simple

2011-12-04T08:30:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!
Most days I'm not "dressed up" or very stylish at all. For instance, if I'm just going to run to the store and do some errands I will typically be in jeans and some sort of sweater/hoodie during the colder months. Here is the look I wore to do some Christmas shopping the other day:

Yellow Sweater - Forever 21

Boyfriend Distressed Jeans - Forever 21

Black Tall UGGS

My favourite part of the outfit are the jeans. I bought them when I went to Toronto with the girls. They are extremely relaxed fit and sit loosely on my hips, yet fit the bum nicely and don't look like a saggy diaper! I typically hate how jeans get looser throughout the day, but these actually look better on the more you wear them because they are designed to be a loose fit. They were only $30ish and are really well made for the price! Typically Forever21 has a lot of cheaper quality items, but these I really love in terms of quality.

Hope you all have/had a great weekend! This is my only day off, unfortunately, so I will try and work on more blog posts later. For lunch I'm going out for my Oma's 80th Birthday and currently I just woke up, showered and am about to get ready to start my day. Have a good one!

OOTD + FOTD: Breaking Dawn Movie Night

2011-11-30T22:55:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!

On Sunday, November 20th I went to see Breaking Dawn at the theater and then went for dinner afterward with Charles and another couple. Normally I wear jeans, and a loose fitting cardigan/sweater of some sort with UGGs just to be as comfortable as possible. However, since I was going to dinner, I decided to dress up a bit more and went for a little bit of a vampy feel with black lace and dark lips. My makeup was pretty simple otherwise. Initially I had blacktrack fluidline, but switched it up for dark diversion (a red) fluidline and it really made my green eyes pop!

OOTD

Black Lace Turtleneck - Forever21

Black Tank Top - Forever21

Tweed shorts - H&M

Leggings with Lace trim - ??

Black Ankle Boots - Forever21

Jacket - Forever21

Purse - Forever21

FOTD

FACE:

SMASHBOX Photo Finish Primer

Estee Lauder Double Wear in "Tawny"

BROWS:

Make Up For Ever Waterproof Brow Corrector #3

EYES:

MAC Painterly Paint Pot

MAC Brule e/s

MAC Wedge e/s

MAC Blacktrack Fluidline/MAC Dark Diversion Fluidline

Cover Girl Lash Perfection Mascara

Dollar Store lashes snipped in half

LIPS:

MAC Dark Diversion l/s

Tried to take pictures in the car, but Hera kept giving me kisses. So cute.

Have you seen Breaking Dawn? How did you like the movie?

OOTD: Royal Blue Jeans

2011-11-28T18:59:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys!
I snapped a few photos of the outfit I wore last Saturday, the 19th to a friends house to watch UFC. I purchased the royal blue skinny jeans from Forever21, but found they were a size too big so I'm a little disappointed with the fit, but at least now I know, for ordering in the future, what size I am.

Lita Boots - Jeffrey Campbell
Royal Blue Skinnies - Forever 21
White Tank - Lululemon
Leather Jacket - Winners
Scarf - Michael Kors

This was the first time I got to wear my new Jeffrey Campbell Lita's and since I've been wearing them EVERYWHERE! I love them, but find the leather scuffs easily so I have to be very careful when walking in them. I'm kinda disappointed as I paid quite a bit for these bad boys and assumed the leather would be of higher quality.

Hope all my American readers had a happy Thanksgiving! Did you brave the malls for Black Friday? Did you purchase anything Cyber Monday? Let me know in the comments below any good deals you ended up scoring! I purchased a pair of kitten heels from Aldo, as well as a pair of riding boots. I also ordered a pair of Sam Edelmans from Karmaloop as well as a Wildfox Beach Jumper. Can't wait to receive my items and share my haul with you!

November Luxe Box by Loose Button

2011-11-27T20:10:00.001-05:00

Hey Guys!

I received my November Luxe Box, mid-month, but I haven't got around to showing you its contents yet. I'm always really excited to see the products that are packed inside and this month I was glad to find a variety of samples including makeup, fragrance, skincare, and even tea! The fragrance isn't my thing so I will be giving that away to either a friend or family member. I've tried Posie Tint before and really like it as a lip stain so I'm excited to have another sample of this to use. I'm probably most excited for the Mereadesso Lip Treats as it says it can be used as a lip primer, which I don't already have surprisingly.

What's Inside

Lise Watier - Neiges Eau Du Parfum Spray: It's fresh, breezy and deliciously alluring. This award-winning fragrance perfectly captures the exquiste magic and purity of winter with a unique bouquet of white hyacinth, lily of the valley, Christmas rose, night-blooming jasmine, magnolia and orange blossom. Full-size 50 ml ($67) 100 ml ($87)

Mereadesso - Lip Treats: A lush blend of evening primrose, grape seed, coconut and sunflower oils, enhanced by added benefits of Vitamins A, C and E; a perfect primer for ANY lipstick, gloss or lip liner. Get double the wear time of any lip product. If your lips could pucker up and kiss, they would. Full-Size: 2 x 1.5 g ($28)

Benefit Cosmetics - Posietint Poppy-Pink Tinted Lip and Cheek Stain: This kiss of poppy-pink tint brightens cheeks and lips. Its liquid-gel formula blends to just picked perfection on all complexions and lasts for hours on end. Brighten up your day with a dab of Posie. Full-Size: 12.5 ml ($29)

Benefit Cosmetics - B. Right! Moisture Prep Toning Lotion: The special step for extra radiant skin that smooths and reviatalizes, allowing skin to fully optimize benefits of your moisturizer. Contains vitamin E acetate, natural oat and meadow-sweet, botanical extracts known to purify and smooth while reducing fine lines. This specialized formula contains a blend of aloe leaf and yeast extract, known to clarify and soothe the skin. Full-Size: 177.4 ml ($29)

Teopia - Cactus Fig Tea Kit: Naturally flavoured blend of Organic Sencha Green Tea, fig pieces, aloe vera, sandalwood and orange flowers. The combination provides an earthy yet sweet taste and aroma that is perfect any time of day. Green teas has a plethora of health benefits that's sure to leave you glowing. Full-Size: 50g ($7)

Want to see more Luxe Box months? Check them out here:

August

September

October

If you are interested in signing up for Luxe Box, or want to learn more about the product,

click here.

November Glymm Box

2011-11-22T16:24:00.001-05:00

Hey Guys!
I received my first Glymm box, for review, last week and was excited to see what "Glymm" had to offer over other companies with similar services. The Glymm box was very well packaged and came in a pretty pink box with "Glymm" written across in ribbon writing. Inside was your typical "Welcome" card along with a list of the products and their descriptions on the back. When I first opened the box, I was amazed by the amount of products that were inside. The Glymm box offers more samples than I have seen from other companies which is definitely a deciding factor when choosing which sample box company you go with.

What's Inside

A JAR OF JELLY BEANS - I loved getting a little taste of candy. I ate these right away. LOL

Lise Watier - Flash Lift Radiance Vial: Introducing your handbag's new bff. This new vitalizing serum comes in a convenient vial, which can be applied any time of the day. Formulated for every skin type this serum erases the signs of fatigue and smoothes the appearance of wrinkles. Late night out? No big deal, just dab some on for an instant glow. Full-Size: 1 ml. Per vial / $27 for 7 vials

Rahua - Luxury Shampoo and Conditioner: Gwenth Paltrow's secret to beautiful Lustrous hair is now available to you. Rahua is a natural, organic hair care system which contains the precious Rahua nut oil, found deep in the Amazon rainforest. Sold exclusively in top salons around the world, the gentle Rahua Molecules penetrate deeply leaving your hair luminous and healthy. Full-Size: 275 ml. Each / $32 and $34

Orlane Paris - Light Smoothing Cream: Brighten up your mornings with Orlane's light smoothing cream. This hypoallergenic day cream is infused with rich vitamins and minerals to defend your skin against daily toxins. Your skin is left smooth, radiant and well protected against irritations. Full-Size: 50 ml / $80

RGB - Designer Nail Lacquer: In Style magazine named it "America's most wanted nail polish". RGB is LA's hottest contemporary nail care brand, with a modern edge. The chip resistant lacquer is formulated for long lasting ultra glossy results. RGB is a 3Free lacquer, made in the USA, and has recently collaborated with Celebrity Stylist Jenna Hipp and Urban Outfitters. Full-Size: 125 ml / $18

Annabelle - Smudge Paint: Annabelle Cosmetics, Canada's leading eyeliner brand launched the innovative Smudge paint eyeliner and shadow this season. The potted gel cream can give you discrete eyeliner for day and a fierce dramatic look at night. The built in brush allows you to glide on smoothly, giving you a more custom look. Full-Size: 2 g / $10.95

I received a Lise Watier Vial in my last Luxe Box, so this product wasn't new to me. Also, I have used Annabelle's Smudge Paints before and actually already own the colour "Muddy" which came in this box. I will most likely give this away to a friend as I really love it, but can't see myself going through two of these anytime soon. I'm interested to try the other products. I've only used the RGB nail polish in "Steel" thus far, and thought it wore really well. The colour was a bluish grey on my nails and reminded me a little of MAC's "Own The Prowl" nail lacquer from the Hello Kitty Collection.

Glymm is $10 a month + free shipping. If you are interested in signing up, visit their website at www.glymm.com

HAUL: Thrifting 50% off sale!

2011-11-21T00:49:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!
Last Monday I went to another thrift store because they were having a 50% off sale on everything in the store. I found more decanters (not pictured) that match the other ones I found perfectly. I also picked up more purses and a few more articles of clothes. I wasn't blown away by this visit and probably won't be going thrifting for a while now. I basically spent next to nothing for everything below. My favourite purchases are the purses, again. I really love the brown one with the lock on it!

From left to right: Brown purse with a chain, cream purse, white purse, black purse, bow purse, brown purse with lock

Black and white leather belts

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

REVIEW: Prtty Peaushun Skin Tight Body Lotion

2011-11-19T12:23:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys!
As you know, I've been really into skincare products as of lately, so I was really excited when I was given the opportunity to test out Prtty Peaushun Skin Tight Body Lotion!

Prtty Peaushun (pronounced "Pretty Potion") was created by Bethany Karlyn, a makeup artist who designed the product for celebrities, entertainers, athletes, and anyone else who wants to enhance the radiance of their skin.

About the Product:

"Subtle light reflecting particles in a natural emollient base give the skin a gorgeous, flattering glow. Radiance conceals minor imperfections and enhances definition to create a sexy, slimmer silhouette. Infused with an innovative blend of natural plant extracts to lift, firm, tighten and diminish the appearance of cellulite, stretch marks and varicose veins, as well as minimizing bruising and sore muscles.

As a Hollywood makeup artist, Bethany has been using this formula to make her celebrity clients' skin glow. After years of request to make this product available, Prtty Peaushun Skin Tight Body Lotion is finally here. It not only looks beautiful on, but with the help of some innovative active ingredients, will also improve the condition of your skin. The suble light rflecting pigments in the shades Light, Medium, Dark, and Deep Dark will help even out skin tone and enhance muscle tone. Use Plain on its own for a colourless shine sans the glow or layer on top of your skin tone shade for an even more luminous look."

Celebrity Fans: Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Anna Kendrick, Vivica Fox, Natasha Bedingfield, Sade, Macy Gray, Rihanna, Leona Lewis, Pink, Marisa Tomei, Pamela Anderson, Monica, Faith Ford, Brooklyn Decker, Selena Gomez, Brandy, Lea Michelle, Taylor Swift, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Tilda Swinton, Nicole Richie, Emma Watson, Sarah Hyland, Debi Mazar.

Formula:

"The Prtty Peaushun formula is natural and fragrance free. It does not contain any toxic ingredients and is formulated without DEA, GMO's, Parabens, Petrochemicals, Pthalates, Propyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Sulfates, Synthetic dye, Synthetic fragrance, Talc, Toluene, Triclosan"

Peta Approved, Cruelty free and vegan.

Packaging:

"The Prtty Peaushun packaging is all about 'anti-packaging', designed to take up minimal space and to be exceptionally light, using no secondary packing to help leave as light a carbon footprint as possible.

The dispensing mechanism keeps the product clean by discouraging contaminants to enter. The flexibility of the package guarantees you get every last drop."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

November TopBox

2011-11-18T15:35:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys!
This month I had the opportunity to test out and review another Deluxe sample monthly service, other than Luxe Box (which I'm already subscribed to). At first, Birchbox seemed to be one of the only Deluxe sample services I heard about, but now, services like Birchbox are popping up all over the place. What sets Top Box apart from the other services is that it prides itself on only giving the customer THE TOP/high end samples each month. When I heard this, I was excited to receive the November box as trying new, high end products is something of great interest to me. I actually find that other sample box companies that say they include similar brands, don't actually provide as many high end products. Each box contains four (4) high end samples each month, plus free shipping for only $10.00. I just went to check to see if I could sign up for Decembers Box and it's ALREADY SOLD OUT, AND JANUARY TOO! I am not surprised because I absolutely LOVE November's box. Inside I received four (4) deluxe samples, two of which were full-size!:

Cake *Full Size*: Velveteen Hand Creme soothes and nourishes dry hands with a luxurious and silky formulation that absorbs quickly into your skin, leaving your hands feeling smooth but not greasy. Full-Size: $18 (3.4 oz)

Deborah Lippman *Full Size*: Some Enchanted Evening nail laquer by Deborah Lippman's luxury line of award winning hand and foot care. This line was created as a result of her working with some of the more iconic figures in fashion from Cher to Sarah Jessica Parker. Full Size: $19.95 (0.50 oz)

Dr. Brandt: Time Arrest Eye Serum is formulated to smooth and help prevent lines around the eyes; optimizes hydration by providing a long lasting protection from moisture loss. Full-Size: $85 (0.50 oz)

Stila: Lip Glaze adds a splash of colour to the lips. Can be worn alone or over top of your favourite lip colour to enhance the size and texture of lips. Full-Size: $22 (0.08 oz)

Another great thing about this company is that they use less packaging than other companies. I actually prefer this packaging and am currently using the container to store receipts. The container itself is used from an old wine canister! I really love how they are looking out for the environment, yet still producing a sleek package.

As much as I would love to sign up for this service, as I am greatly impressed with the customer service, product, and price, I just am too impatient to wait for February to start getting my boxes. I find this really frustrating as I am willing to pay the money now, but 3 months from now to actually receive my first box is a little ridiculous. Please TopBox... take these "sold outs" as a sign to produce more packages! I am dying here.

Click here, TopBox.ca, to learn more and sign up!

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for consideration to review. I am in no way affiliated with Topbox and am not being compensated for this review. The views expressed in this post are my own honest opinions.

Jeffrey Campbell Litas in Black

2011-11-17T14:26:00.001-05:00

Hey Guys!
On Monday I received my Jeffrey Campbell Litas in the mail. I ordered them off of www.Karmaloop.com.
I was first introduced to this site a couple weeks ago by my BFF who said this was her favourite online store to shop. I've really wanted a pair of JC Litas ever since I saw Dulce Candy post her first OOTD rocking these. I also noticed that Natty ordered some Jeffrey Campbells around the same time I did. Hers are the Tick studded ones. You can check them out here. I was also looking at purchasing the Lita spike shoes as well, and they only had my size, a size 8 left, and I heard these are sold out everywhere, but I couldn't justify buying two expensive shoes at once. Now they are off of the website all together and I'm kicking myself for not getting them. As for the shipping, it was really fast and customs/taxes was reasonable, considering shipping to Canada is sometimes outrageous.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

FOTN + OOTN: Toronto Clubbing

2011-11-16T16:36:00.004-05:00

Hey Guys!
Here is what I wore out clubbing this past Saturday in Toronto. The girls and I ended up going to This is London and LIVE. I really enjoyed This is London, but LIVE left much to be desired. Let's just say I won't be going back there because it was pretty gross. Here is a break down of my makeup and what I wore:

FACE:

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

MAC Studio Fix Foundation NC30

CARBO Blu_Ray Pressed Powder #30

MAC Studio Finish Concealer NW25

Ben Nye Neutral Set Translucent Powder (set under eyes)

MAC Refined Golden Bronzer

NARS Madly Blush

MAC Honey Rose Magically Cool Powder

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

BROWS:

Make Up For Ever Waterproof Brow Corrector #3

EYES:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

NARS Galapagos e/s

MAC Wedge e/s

NARS Mekong e/s

NARS Night Clubbing e/s

Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil Zero

Stila Eye Kajal Onyx

Marcelle Gold Glitter

DiorShow Maximizer

CoverGirl Lash Perfection Mascara

Ardell False Lashes

LIPS:

MAC Stripdown l/l

MAC Creme Cup l/s

MAC Partial to Pink l/g

CLICK BELOW TO SEE OOTD!
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

HAUL: Toronto IMATS 2011 + Shopping

2011-11-15T15:02:00.006-05:00

Hey Guys!
This past weekend was Toronto IMATS and I made a big list of things I wanted to get, but ended up only leaving with a few items, which I never really planned on getting. I ended up going up to Toronto late Saturday night and doing a little bit of shopping, followed by dinner and a night on the town. My girlfriends and I woke up early, went for breakfast, and finished the shopping we weren't able to get done the night before because the malls closed and ended up showing up EXTREMELY late for IMATS. I knew I had to go early, and I really wanted to go on the Saturday, but at the time I was suppose to work, so I never got tickets for that day. Even though I showed up late, I did have a lot of fun and I checked out a bunch of booths, but only ended up getting some MAC and one OCC Lip Tar. However, I did end up picking up a lot of good products and clothes while in Toronto which I thought I would share.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

REVIEW: Cover Girl Lash Perfection Mascara NEW HG

2011-11-13T19:01:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys!
Cover Girl hit it out of the ballpark again! Lash Perfection is my NEW HG Mascara! Yes, I like this better than my CG Lash Blast. I find my lashes look even fuller and more defined with this formula/brush combo. In the past couple months, I've probably tried no less than 10 new mascaras.

Dislike (won't' repurchase)

- Benefit They're Real

- L'Oreal Million Lash (though I do like this on my lower lashes)

Indifferent (won't repurchase)

- Maybelline Falsies Flared

- Maybelline One By One

Like (would repurchase)

- YSL Faux Cils

- DiorShow Mascara

- Pure Cosmetics Mascara

This has stood out next to ALL of these mascaras for the price and quality. The formula doesn't flake, smudge or clump. The brush volumizes and seperates like no other. You can also easily layer the mascara. Two coats and my lashes are perfectly defined. In combination with my DiorShow Maximizer, this is my new favourite combo.

My next mascara to try is the new L'Oreal Voluminous Fibre Lash. I have a bunch of mascaras I need to use up before trying this. I love the original Voluminous, so I have high expectations for this mascara. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

OOTD: Feeling Blue

2011-11-11T16:52:00.003-05:00

Hey Guys!

As promised, I will be posting more OOTDs. This outfit is from last weekend. A follower asked me how I would pair my new blue suede heels and initially I was planning on wearing them with a black dress as a pop of colour for a night out, but decided on making a more casual, day-time look. The shoe colour looks A LOT better in person. I also thought that the shoe would look better with a different wash of jean, but I only have a few pairs that fit me at the moment. I need to go jean shopping BADLY!

The one thing I really like about this outfit, is the amount of layering going on. Since there is so many layers, this outfit is very versatile. This is something I would consider wearing when going out of town as I can easily remove layers depending on what I'm doing (i.e., shopping, dinner, clubbing...etc.) The jacket makes the outfit more formal, wearas the chiffon blouse can pass as formal/casual. The jeggings make the outfit casual as well. The corset just adds a touch of sexiness under the chiffon blouse, and could be worn just with the jeggings for a night on the town. I love the shape of the corset and wear it often under many clothing pieces which are sheer as it is strapless and has an amazing cut.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

REVIEW: Luminess Air - Airbrush Cosmetics System

2011-11-10T06:41:00.004-05:00

Hey Guys!

I have never tried Air Brush makeup, whether it be on myself or on another person, so I was really excited to receive the Luminess Air Brush System in the mail. I read the instruction booklet first, unpacked all the product and popped in the instructional dvd that came with the starter kit. Everything seemed simple enough to do. As soon as I felt I was all informed, I plugged in the compressor and starting airbrushing right away. As long as you follow a few key points, it is almost impossible to not achieve a flawless face.

KEY POINTS:

keep the stylus moving
hold back on the trigger lightly
let dry between layers
shake bottles before use
CLEAN stylus after use

What I love about Airbrush makeup is that you need very little product to achieve airbrushed skin so your face feels light and clean, not heavy and cakey.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

UPDATE: Bella's 3rd Bday + Hera!

2011-11-08T19:03:00.002-05:00

Bella's eyes are closed, she's so happy LOL Excuse my PJs

Hey Guys!
Today is Bella's 3rd Birthday and of course, I threw her a little party. As some of you may know, Bella has been suffering from seizures which we had to put her on medication for life. She has been really groggy lately while her body has adjusted to the medication, and she tires easily, but her personality and energy seem to be coming around. Today we celebrated with some party hats (LOL Charles did NOT want to do this), wet dog food, and a few new toys.

On Sunday, we took the pups to Charles' parents' forest and they had such a fun time running around. I snapped a few photos that I thought I would share:

SEE MORE PHOTOS - KEEP READING!

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

Raquel Reed Inspired Makeup

2011-11-05T19:54:00.001-04:00

Hey Guys!
Typically my FOTD's are just quick snapshots of my day-to-day neutral looks. TODAY is VERY different! Today, I decided to do a Raquel Reed inspired makeup look. I really love getting inspiration from pictures and trying to recreate it with the tools I have. Raquel Reed always has AMAZING makeup that I've admired, but never had the guts to try myself. I googled some images and decided to try this look:

I already had a red wig from Halloween when I was Poison Ivy (click here for post), so I thought I'd go all out and dress the part. The only thing I don't have is a good red eyeshadow. I let my BFF borrow it since she had a similar hair colour to Raquel and was using it for her brows. Also, Walmart also had different coloured wigs on sale for $3 so I picked up a Teal and a Hot Pink. I plan on using the Teal for another upcoming Raquel Reed inspired look, and the Hot Pink wig for a Nicki Minaj look! I haven't self-tanned in a few days, so it worked out perfectly to have paler skin. Hope you enjoy this look and I can't wait to test my skills and recreate more looks in the future!

FACE:

MAC Prep & Prime

Laura Mercier Silk Cream Foundation in "Medium Ivory"

The Present for Motives by Scott Barnes Translucent Powder

MAC Gingerly Blush

BROWS:

MAC Brown Script e/s

MAC Sketch e/s

EYES:

NYX Milk Jumbo Pencil (all over lid to brow bone)

MAC Fascinating Eye Kohl (lid)

MAC Gesso e/s (lid, tear duct)

MAC Soft Brown e/s (crease)

MAC Brown Script e/s (outer V, lower lashline)

MAC Folie e/s (darken outer V)

MAC Blanc Type e/s (highlight)

MAC Blacktrack Fluidline

DiorShow Maximizer

DiorShow Mascara

Eylure Eyelashes

LIPS:

MAC Stripdown l/l

MAC Gaga 2 l/s

MAC Myth l/s (lighten Gaga)

MAC Crystal Avalanche e/s (highlight centre of lip)

This is actually what my dress looks like. I just flipped it inside out (which you can't actually do to wear) so that I would have the animal print like Raquel.

Raqueel Reed is also known for her red lips, so I decided a lipstick change was necessary. I threw on MAC Russian Red with City Lips Plumping Clear Lip Gloss.

HAUL: Thrift Store!

2011-11-03T18:42:00.000-04:00

Hey Guys!
My new obsession is thrifting! I love the thrill of finding a hidden treasure, especially designer, for super cheap. My entire lot of clothes and accessories I got for under $100! I love all the purses I picked up, especially the hard black case with long gold chain. My favourite article of clothing has to be the long gold and black jacket. I'm still unsure of the brown sweater with pink trim and buttons...its one of those "ugly/pretty" things in my eyes. The clothes range in sizes, anywhere from a small/size 4 to a large/10. I'm typically a size 6, but can fit into smaller jackets as long as they don't need to zip up past my chest lol. The velvet dress is on the large side, but hangs nicely. Everything else that is too big can be cinched nicely with a belt. Finding a good belt for the waist is key and I'm absolutely loving the one I picked up for $3! I'm dying to hit up more thrift stores as I picked up all these items at one store. Hopefully I can get out in the next couple of weeks.

Key to thrifting: be patient, you will be sifting through A LOT of pieces that won't suit your taste. Also, wear clothes and shoes you can easily slip on and off as you will have to try on mostly everything. Most importantly, have an open mind and be creative! It always helps to have a shopping partner who knows your style and can help you find things faster.

Coin purse - MAC heads will know this is the packaging from a previous collection

Ugly/pretty sweater I'm still unsure about

I was sooooo excited about this find! Old decanters for liquor. The ones I've seen in stores are too modern for my taste... I wish I could have found a few more, but these two will do for now.

HAUL: Forever21 + ALDO Shoes

2011-11-02T19:13:00.000-04:00

Hey Guys!
I did a little bit of online shopping last week. I've had my eye on the Kerska Aldo shoes, but didn't want to pay the $80 price tag so when I saw they were on sale at www.aldoshoes.com, I decided to not only pick up the black pair, but the brown pair as well. I also ended up browsing the clearance section and found A TON of shoes I wanted to buy, but ended up settling on a pair of baroque inspired heels, and a pair of bone beige rainboots (not pictured, still being shipped). I really wanted a pair of riding boots, but didn't find any in my size/I wanted to settle for. I will have to wait for the regular priced boots to go on sale or clearance as I don't like spending full price on Aldo shoes. I also ended up getting a pair of blue suede heels from Forever21. I absolutely love them and really want a red pair as well (I need more coloured footwear).

As for clothes, I purchased all three pieces at Forever21. I already wore the cape when I was Belle for Halloween (click here to see), and I can't wait to wear the sequin jacket and white blazer! Stay tuned for future OOTDs!

Forever21 Blue Suede Heels

Aldo Ankle Boots

Sirens Boots

Aldo Kerska Shoes in Brown

Aldo Kerska Shoes in Black

Forever21 White Blazer

Forever21 Cape

Forever21 Cropped Sequin Jacket

October Favourites

2011-11-01T18:37:00.000-04:00

Soft Soap Body Butter: I purchased the regular and the scrub and really enjoy both. I probably prefer the coconut scrub over the vanilla because I love the smell, which smells nothing like coconuts believe it or not. Before I self tan I use a little bit of the scrub on my exfoliation gloves for extra exfoliating. My skin is extremely smooth and hydrated after using these, more so than the regular Soft Soap Milk and Honey which has been my HG Body wash for years now.

CG Lash Perfection: My new HG mascara. I like this even more than the original Lash Blast and Lash Blast Fusion. This gives me length, volume, AMAZING seperation, and zero clumps and flakes. I will be doing a full review on this product.

Diorshow Mascara: I only have a sample size, but Ive really been loving this mascara. I plan on buying a full size once I use up a few of the mascaras I currently have on the go.

Honey Rose Powder: This gives the prettiest glow. I like applying this as a highlight, blush or on top of another blush. I absolutely hate the smell of the Magically Cool Powders though. I have Truth and Light as well and it barely shows up on my skin. Honey Rose is much more flattering. Also, this is long wearing.

Dior Amber Diamond: One of the most natural highlights I've ever used. It gives such a beautiful sheen and melts into your skin. The product itself is silky smooth and the Dior packaging makes this so luxurious to use. I noticed my Physicians Formula "Vegas Strip" looks almost identical to this. If you are interested in a comparison, click here.

DiorShow Maximizer: My new HG Lash Primer. Check out my full review here!

Colgate Optic White Toothpaste: I was using Crest 3D Vivid White tooth paste prior and then Colgate sent me a tube of their new Optic White toothpaste which as the same ingredient as their whitestrips. I was really excited to try this out as whitestrips have worked in the past for me, but gave me EXTREMELY sensitive teeth. The toothpaste has made my teeth even whiter than they were PLUS they don't give me ANY tooth sensitivity!

FOTD: Belle from Beauty and the Beast

2011-10-31T17:46:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween! And what a great Halloween it has been. Today I reached a milestone...

1 MILLION PAGE HITS!

Thank you to all my readers! This motivates me even more to keep doing what I'm doing. This past weekend, I dressed up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Here is a breakdown of my makeup and some pictures of my outfit. As per usual, my friends and I had a theme: DISNEY PRINCESSES!

Ariel, Snow White, Belle

I even had a cape! (I purchased this from Forever21 and will showcase it in an upcoming Haul!)

FACE:

Origins VitaZing Moisturizer

SMASHBOX Photo Finish Primer

Laura Mercier Silk Cream Foundation "Cashew Beige"

CARGO Blu_Ray Pressed Powder #30

NARS Laguna Bronzer

NARS Orgasm Blush

MAC Honey Rose Magically Cool Powder

Urban Decay All Nighter

BROWS:

Make Up For Ever Waterproof Brow Corrector #3

EYES:

Urban Decay Primer Potion in "Sin"

MAC Bare Study Paint Pot

MAC Gold Mode Pigment (foiled)

Urban Decay Buck e/s

Urban Decay Smog e/s

MAC Solar White e/s

MAC Reflects Antique Gold

MAC Blacktrack Fluidline

Dior Maximizer

DiorShow Mascara

Ardell #120

LIPS:

Maybelline "Rose" l/l

MAC Cream Cup l/s

City Lips Plumping Gloss

Mirror and Rose as props ;)

Hope you all have a Happy Halloween!
I will be handing out candy and then sitting down for a scary movie with the Hubby

FOTD: CARGO Cosmetics + OOTD

2011-10-30T18:08:00.000-04:00

Hey Guys!
Here's a look I wore to my mom's b-day dinner at my parents house last weekend. I plan on starting to post more OOTDs as I have accumulated some new clothes this past month which I can't wait to style and show you! Breakdown of my makeup...nothing out of the ordinary. My HG eye combo, as per usual, BUT but really stands out is the lip. I love the colour I created with mixing two lipsticks!

FACE:

Garnier Eye Roller Concealer

SMASHBOX Photo Finish Primer

CARGO Foundation

CARGO All-in-One Concealer

CARGO Blu_Ray Pressed Powder #30

Dior "Amber Diamond" Skin Shimmer

Dior Amber Matte Bronzer #003

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

BROWS:

Make Up For Ever Brow Corrector #3

EYES:

MAC Painterly Paint Pot

MAC Brule e/s

MAC Wedge e/s

MAC Cork e/s

MAC Carbon e/s

Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in "Zero"

Diorshow Maximizer

Diorshow Mascara

LIPS:

MAC Neon Orange l/s toned down with MAC Myth l/s

OOTD

Purple dress (my BFF was going to give this away, but I snagged it before she did)

Black Tights - Forever21

Over the Knee Boots - Forever21

Spike Necklace - Forever21

Spike Earrings - Forever21

Gold Bangles - Forever21

Watch - Guess

Fringe Purse - Costa Blanca

Aviator Sunglasses - American Eagle

Disclaimer: The CARGO products were sent to me for consideration for review.

REVIEW: Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum

2011-10-28T16:34:00.001-04:00

What it is:
Dior's first lash primer that combs, curls, and coats each lash to create a smooth, even mascara base, while acting as a nourishing serum treatment that promotes long-term lash growth, strength, and vitality.

What it does:
The newest addition to the family of legendary Diorshow Mascaras, DiorShow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum & Primer instantly primes, plumps, and lengthens lashes with an ultra-light and quick-drying formula. The first "active serum" mascara primer also contains a unique cell-conditioning complex made up of hydrolyzed soy proteins that promote long-term lash growth, strength, and vitality.

What else you need to know:
"Diorshow Maximizer is this season's most innovative, must-have product. Apply as a primer serum base under mascara for intensely curled, thickened, and lengthened lashes and also on its own as a deep conditioner for lashes at night." -Sephora Pro Beauty Team Member, Nathalie Bechard

Research Results:
The Dior Innovation Center has tested Diorshow Maximizer for efficiency and found amazing results after only 8 weeks use: + 52% Volume, +38% Length, + 73% Curl
Studies also showed that lashes were more resilient, protected, and revitalized.

Retail Value: $28 US

*info taken from Sephora.com

REVIEW: All I need to say is, I'm hooked. I've never used highend lash primer before (i.e. Shishiedo) so I can't make a comparison. However, I've tried drugstore primers and this beats them all x100. The formula goes on white but dries fast and doesn't give you those crisp, ghostly white lashes like cheap drugstore primers give you. It dries fairly transparent unless you REALLY coat your lashes, then they will be white (not as white as drugstore primers though). If you do load up on it, its not an issue because mascara will cover the white. As for the brush, it is AMAZING at seperating your lashes. The formula is great as well. Its not too heavy that it weighs down my lashes. One coat and this instantly adds length and volume. It makes me like mascaras I hate (Benefit They're Real) and love EVEN MORE the mascaras I already loved on their own (CG Lash Perfection, I'm talking about you!) This is a new HG product. I have not used it enough to comment on whether it has 100% improved the overall condition of my lashes, but I must say, my lashes have been starting to look a lot fuller lately.

Makeup By Cheryl H

L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Foundation in W6 Sun Beige + FOTD

L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Balm #118 Pink Satin

Lise Watier Aquarella Spring 2012 Eyeshadow Quartet

FOTD: MAC Phloof! and Scene

Saturday Clubbing FOTN + OOTN + UPDATE!

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadows + Swatches

Lise Watier Aquarella Spring 2012 Collection + FOTD

Wildfox Baggy Beach Jumper OOTD

Urban Decay Naked Palette 2 Swatches

Packaging

Eyeshadows Included + Swatches

Foxy: cream bisque (matte)Half Baked: golden-bronze (shimmer)Booty Call: shimmering cork (shimmer)Chopper: copper shimmer with silver micro glitter (glitter)

Tease: creamy pale brown (matte)Snake Bite: dark bronze with metallic base (shimmer)Suspect: pale golden beige (shimmer)Pistol: light gray-brown (shimmer)

Verve: oyster (shimmer)YDK: cool bronze with metallic base (shimmer)Busted: deep brown (shimmer)Blackout: blackest black (matte)

Naked 2 vs. Naked

YouTube Video!? Check out my first video Haul!

FOTD: MAC Bamboo + Nehru

Michael Kors Horizontal Tote for MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro 15-inch 2.2 GHz Laptop Computer

Lunch and Shopping w/ the Girls OOTD

MAC Naturally Collection Blonde and Redhead Mineralized Skinfinish Swatches

Marcelle BB Cream

Updated Skin Care Routine

Upcoming Blog Posts

imPRESS Press-on Manicure by Broadway Nails

Kristen Stewart for "W" Magazine Makeup FOTD using Annabelle Smudge Paint

Maybelline Baby Lips + Swatches

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

FOR BEST RESULTS

Coach Rain Boots for $45!

How To: Get the Perfect Self Tan

Favourite Products of 2011

New Years Eve Makeup, Hair, and Dress!

Health and Fitness: My Weight Loss Story

FOTD: Christmas Day Makeup

Sam Edelman The Ria Shoe in Leopard

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters + Swatches + FOTD

Home Decor: Christmas Decorations

UPDATE: New Blog Address + Layout

NARS Blush Swatches

REVIEW: Dior Holiday Eye Palette

Retail value: $46 US on Sephora.com

*info taken from Sephora.com

Home Decor: Christmas Tree

FOTD + OOTD: Dior Holiday Look

Sam Edelman "Roza" Shoe in Black Crushed Velvet

November Favourites

MAC Eyeshadow Swatches

OOTD: Comfy and Simple

OOTD + FOTD: Breaking Dawn Movie Night

OOTD: Royal Blue Jeans

November Luxe Box by Loose Button

November Glymm Box

HAUL: Thrifting 50% off sale!

REVIEW: Prtty Peaushun Skin Tight Body Lotion

November TopBox

Jeffrey Campbell Litas in Black

FOTN + OOTN: Toronto Clubbing

HAUL: Toronto IMATS 2011 + Shopping

REVIEW: Cover Girl Lash Perfection Mascara *NEW HG*

OOTD: Feeling Blue

REVIEW: Luminess Air - Airbrush Cosmetics System

UPDATE: Bella's 3rd Bday + Hera!

Raquel Reed Inspired Makeup

HAUL: Thrift Store!

HAUL: Forever21 + ALDO Shoes

October Favourites

FOTD: Belle from Beauty and the Beast

FOTD: CARGO Cosmetics + OOTD

REVIEW: Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum

Studies also showed that lashes were more resilient, protected, and revitalized.

Foxy: cream bisque (matte)
Half Baked: golden-bronze (shimmer)
Booty Call: shimmering cork (shimmer)
Chopper: copper shimmer with silver micro glitter (glitter)

Tease: creamy pale brown (matte)
Snake Bite: dark bronze with metallic base (shimmer)
Suspect: pale golden beige (shimmer)
Pistol: light gray-brown (shimmer)

Verve: oyster (shimmer)
YDK: cool bronze with metallic base (shimmer)
Busted: deep brown (shimmer)
Blackout: blackest black (matte)

REVIEW: Cover Girl Lash Perfection Mascara NEW HG