A Mini Guide to ALWAYS Kissable Lips!

Before I start, yeah I know I'm a bad blogger. School and life in general just caught up with me and this blog took a back seat (again). Sometimes my brain genuinely runs out of things to blog about - so, if you have any things or topics that you'd like me to cover, comment below!

With winter comes a lot of different things - snow, cold weather, hockey and if you're me, insanely chapped lips. When I say chapped, I mean to the point of bleeding. It's absolutely horrible and it's something that I always try to prevent from happening. This post just includes some of the things that I use to keep my lips 'always kissable'. These are what I'd consider to be some holy grail products!

1. Blistex Lip Medex - I use this stuff religiously when my lips get to the point of bleeding. This would be considered the first step in repairing. Although it does burn a little, I promise you it works and it repairs your lips to what they used to be. One thing, try as hard as you can not to pick the dead/dry skin from your lips. I know it might be tempting, and I do it too, but it really delays the process and creates open vessels for unwanted icky things to seep into. I apply this stuff morning and night and wear it alone. It's especially great if you are heading outside in this polar vortex weather!
2. LUSH Lip Scrub - pictured is Santa's, which is cola flavoured, but any lip scrub will do. To use, I take a pea sized amount and smudge it all over my lips. Using an old toothbrush, I gently rub the scrub onto my lips for a generous amount of time. If you don't have an old toothbrush, just smush your lips together as if you were applying lipstick. Rinse (or lick) off. A fairly coarse sugar scrub is great for getting rid of the dead skin without causing bleeding. 
3. EOS Lip Balm in Blueberry/Acai - these little things are rich with jojoba and vitamin e. Great for when you're in a rush leaving the house or just to keep in your bag. They're in a neat little sphere shape and this makes applying them super easy. Plus the flavours are delicious. 
4. Vaseline Lip Therapy - If you prefer the more traditional route, Vaseline makes these little mini tubs specially formulated for your lips. I apply this right before I go to bed and wake up with definite softer lips. If you can't find the lip therapies, just use plain old Vaseline!

A Guide to Pearly Whites

White teeth are something that everyone strives to have. They make any person ten times more confident in their smile. As someone who is super anal about her teeth, I like to ensure that I always have the brightest and whitest smile possible. 

I've been using the above routine for a while now and I've found that it really works well and keeps my teeth as white as I like them to be. Plus, all of the products are available from your drugstore!

My everyday toothpaste is Crest 3D White Luxe in Glamorous White. It has a refreshing minty flavour and is said to brighten after just one use. I find that claim a little bit over the top, but it will make your smile sparkle after one use. With regular use (2 times day), I noticed a whiter smile after just one week. You can find it at your drug store (mine is Shoppers Drug Mart) for $5.99. I pick mine up whenever they go on sale! 

Whitening treatments at your dentist can sometimes be expensive. I find that these Creat 3D White Whitestrips give me dentist results at home! They are on the pricey side, $80 for the Professional Effects shown above but in my books they are worth every penny. Plus, you don't need to to purchase them often. The Whitestrips are applied two times a day for 30 minutes. These ones are really sticky when applied and I find that I can even drink water with them on. After you take the strips off, the instructions say not to brush immediately. I find it's best to do these midday when I have some time in between classes. 

A brighter and whiter smile isn't something that is unattainable. With regular dental care and brushing, you can have a movie star smile in a few weeks. These are definitely just some of the many products that are out there that work for me. If there's any other products that you love for keeping your smile white, let me know!

How To: Making Your Mani Last

It's happened to all of us, you decide on a colour, sit down and spend 30 minutes painting your nails to perfection. You follow all the manicure rules: a basecoat, the colour, and a topcoat. You let your nails dry and go on with your day. When suddenly, your polish chips. If you're like me, you lose it a little bit. All that time and effort and your polish is ruined just like that. 

These are some of the tips and tricks that I use to ensure that my manicure lasts me the entire week. I like to put my nails through some rough stuff, and this method ensures that my manicure remains (as I like to say) compliment worthy! 

Before you even begin to paint your nails, you're going to need a great base. This starts with a healthy nail. One of my go to products for quicker growth and strengthening of my nails is OPIs Nail Envy. Nail Envy comes in a variety of different types. Pick which best suits your nail problems. Nail Envy works best when in direct contact with the nail. The instructions say to apply 2 coats of Nail Envy on the first day and then one coat of the product every other day. After one week, remove the product and start over if you wish. I prefer to use the Nail Envy on it's own and let my nails have a little rest during the week. 

If you want to skip the regrowth and strengthening part and get straight to the manicure, then this is for you. These little buffers are essential in the longevity of your manicure. I picked up these from Target for $3.99. One side has a slight buffing surface while the back side has a shiny surface. On a clean nail, buff the surface using the blue side until your nail is slightly rough. This will help the polish stick to the base of your nail without the use of a basecoat. It is crucial that you do not use a nail file to buff your nails. You will ruin their surface and cause more problems than necessary! 

Next up is painting your nails! Pick your favourite colour, or colours and follow the instructions below to get the perfect flawless colour: 

1. Start by placing a dot of colour along the bottom part of your nail.
2. Drag the colour up the center of your nail to the tip, ensuring that the entire middle of your nail is covered with polish. 
3. Continue from the bottom up the right side of the nail.
4. Ensure that the polish covers the entire right side of your nail up to the tip. 
5. Repeat these steps for the left side of your nail. 
6. A completed nail should be fully covered in polish. If needed, apply 2-3 additional coats until the polish is to your liking. 

If you're like me and you're completely unable to wait for your nails to dry completely, these little drops will be a lifesaver. Essence's Nail Art Express Dry Drops are available for $2.99 at Shoppers Drug Marts in Canada or ULTA in the United States. One drop applied to the nail after they are freshly painted dries them instantly! 

Finish up by applying your favourite top coat. Mine happens to be Seche Vite Dry Fast. It's a great gel like formula that dries in seconds and is pretty resistant to anything. I like to apply a large amount on each of my fingers so that it's pretty thick. The product leaves your nails super shiny and covered.

And that's how you give yourself a manicure that will last the entire week! These are pretty much anything proof. The key in a long lasting manicure is really the base. I've found that buffing my nails makes all the difference in the world. The polish sinks into the nail and the rough surface helps the adhesion. Definitely give these tips a try if you're looking for a flawless mani! 

P.S. Let me know how these tips work for you! Show me your fancy manicures!

Review: Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Beauty Balm

With summer rapidly approaching it's end, I decided to let everyone in on my skins little lifesaver! I decided at the beginning of this summer, that I was going to completely rid traditional foundation from my makeup bag for good. I hate the feeling of having something extra on my face when I really don't need it. After doing some extensive research of my own, I settled on a BB cream. 

BB cream is essentially an all in one face product that aims to replace multiple products from your makeup bag. These include a primer, moisturizer, sunscreen, and foundation. These wonder creams originated in Germany in the 1960s and in the 1980s, became a huge product in Asian markets. The beginning of this year marked their introduction into our drugstores!

Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB "Beauty Balm" is the only BB formula that I've tried. It's a lightweight, sheer cover liquid that goes on like a dream. It comes in 5 shades ranging from light to deep. I myself have fair skin and find the light/medium tint works best. I apply the product on my forehead, nose, cheeks and chin and rub in with my fingers. For me, this BB works best on bare skin underneath my powder, blush and bronzer. 

One of the biggest things that I loved about this product was the SPF 30. It's a great way to introduce an SPF into your arsenal without having to think about putting sunscreen on your face every single day. It lasts all day when set with a powder and won't make your skin oily like a traditional sunscreen. Just be sure to reapply this product after you've gone swimming or spent the day at the beach. 

All in all, for a drugstore BB, I have no complaints. The price is right at around $8.99 per bottle and one bottle lasts me quite some time. I wouldn't recommend this product for those who wish to have full coverage on their face as it's pretty sheer. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB can be found in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall, Wal-Mart and pretty much any major chain store!

Have any of you tried a BB cream? Do you like them? Also, have you tried an Asian BB cream? If so, any recommendations for a brand? I'd love to try one! 

P.S. The colour I'm wearing on my nails is a new find! Sally Hansen's Pink Blink! I'm a fan! A little more pink and opaque than Essie's Fiji!

Review: Balea Face and Body Masks

I've been meaning to do a review on these for a while but never really got around to it. The LUSH guide will resume in a little while. I just need to spread out some posts and have a bit of variety. 

Also, sorry for the lack of posts. It was my birthday on Sunday and I was just spending time with my family and friends. It was a fantastic day and I thank everyone for their happy birthday wishes! Another year older!

Balea products have been a long time favourite of mine. They are usually sold in singles but as of late, I've been finding them in packs of five. So far, I've found two different packs of five. The one pictured above is for body while the other one that I received today, is for face. Balea is sold in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart. I'm unsure where (or if) they are sold in the States. If someone knows, feel free to leave a comment below. Balea pouches like these are usually 3 for 5$ and packs of 5 are 5.99$. 

Each mask is for a different part of your body. My personal favourite is the hair mask. It smells divine and makes my hair super soft. The hydrating face mask is another personal favourite of mine. I tend to use it a lot in the winter time when I have fairly dry skin around my nose and mouth area. Lastly, the smoothing body scrub. Perfect for those days when you find your legs dry and scaly. It contains coarse shells that massage all the icky stuff away. I've yet to try the pore refining mask and the warming foot balm but believe me, I'll definitely be using those up eventually! 

My mom surprised me with these today! She bought the Balea package dedicated entirely to your face. I've already used up the deep cleansing face mask! My skin is so soft and looks so bright and clean! 

If you haven't used any products like this before, I highly recommend you applying a small bit of product onto your arm and doing a test. The last thing you want is to have an allergic reaction to a product like this! 

Lush Guide: Fresh Face Masks

Now that you've determined what your skin type is and what your perfect cleanser is, you can also figure out the best face mask for your skin! LUSHs face masks are great for when your skin needs a little pick me up. Personally, I'm a lover of the Cupcake face mask. I usually use it once a week and I keep it in my fridge when not in use. 

Fresh Face Masks are like the name, made with 100% fresh ingredients! Since they are considered 'fresh', they are only sold in-stores. This means that if you don't live near a LUSH, you're out of luck. No worries! There are plenty of other amazing LUSH products that you can use!

• Cupcake
• Chocolate and mint is perfect for troubled teenage skin. Great for calming and toning down redness. It really is hard not to grab a spoon and start eating this sweet confection. My personal favourite! Recommended for those who have oily, troublesome skin.
• Catastrophe Cosmetic
• A great starter mask for those with normal skin. Maybe you don't need an extra helping hand but you just want to maintain healthy and glowing skin. Blueberries are packed with vitamins and the added calamine lotion makes any problems disappear.
• The Sacred Truth
• As you get older, your skin needs more maintenence and upkeeping. This mask is for those who have more mature skin. Eggs and shea butter help lock in mature skins precious moisture. 
• Love Lettuce
• Lavender and almond are perfect for those who suffer from dry skin. This mask will get rid of those icky little flakes and leave your skin smooth and soft. Honey is super moistursing and your dry skin will love to drink it up.
• BB Seaweed
• Sensitive skin? Look no further! BB Seaweed contains calamine and loads of exfoliating ingredients. This amazing mask will smooth your skin without causing you to break out due to harsh chemicals or bad ingredients. If you have sensitive skin, the best thing you can do is go all natural! Believe me! 
• Cosmetic Warrior
• If you find yourself breaking out and with oily patches and aren't afraid of a little garlic, add this to your arsenal. Cosmetic Warrior uses garlic and tea tree oil to their full potential. Both are amazing at clearing up blemishes, blackheads and tightening your pores. Your skin will be looking fab in no time.

• Brazened Honey
• Balance your skin with a little bit of everything. Almond oil moisturises while lime oil acts as an astringent. Perfect for those with combo skin. 
• Ayesha
• If your skin is tired, Ayesha will tighten and give your face a boost. Witch hazel has been used as an astringent for agents, so you know this mask will clear up those blemishes in no time.
• Oatfix
• Oatmeal is a great way to naturally ex foliate your skin. Oatfix is perfect for those with all skin types. Consider it a more formulated version of the ever popular oatmeal and banana face mask.

If I could give you all one tip, it would be don't turn away from these amazing face masks because of their appearance and smell. I'll admit, some of them aren't that pretty! But they will do amazing things for your face! Plus, if you bring back 5 empty, clean black LUSH pots, you'll get one for free! What are you waiting for?!

Lush Guide: Choose A Cleanser

I like to consider myself a Lushie. Now what is a Lushie you may ask? Well it can be defined as "a name for a person who is obsessed with the bath and beauty store Lush and knows all about the handmade, vegan, organic products and how to use them." I think this definition is pretty accurate! 

Lush is one of my favourite stores. Pretty much everything I use is from there! I think it's great that I can go to one place and find so many items that are not tested on animals, vegan friendly and all natural. But most of all, they work! I've decided to do a little blog series that I'm calling my Lush Guide. For those of you who haven't heard of Lush or maybe you just haven't shopped there, this guide will introduce you to some great products that are sure to help you and your skin out.

First off, I'm introducing you to cleansers. It's important to find a cleanser that you love because it is something you should be using on a daily or weekly basis (depending on the product). Your face gets beat up pretty badly each day by make-up and the elements so it's important to recognize that it does need some TLC. Your cleanser should match your skin type and it should not cause you to break out. It should leave your skin glowing, soft and feeling amazing. 

How do you identify your skin type? The little guide below will help you!

• Normal: Your skin produces oils at a normal rate. It looks plump, healthy and vibrant on a daily basis. You don't suffer from blemishes. The easiest skin type to care for. 
• Oily: Your skin often appears shiny all over. Your pores are often large and clogged. Oily skin types are prone to problems with acne and blackheads.
• Dry: Your skin does not produce enough oil. You may notice flakiness around the mouth and nose areas. It may feel itchy and look extremely dull. 
• Combo: Your skin becomes oily in the t-zone (forehead, cheeks and chin), while the skin around these areas is normal. You may break out from time to time but do not have a continuous problem with acne. 
• Sensitive: Your skin reacts to whatever it comes in contact with. Perhaps a certain product makes you break out, while others work fine. Your skin is bothered by products that contain perfumes, alcohol and various types of oils. 

While this guide can help you determine what type of skin you have, you can always visit a dermatologist and have them tell you exactly what is going on with your epidermis. Once you've figured out what you skin type is, match it with the product below to find your perfect cleanser!

P.S. If you match your skin type to normal, only use LUSHs Ocean Salt 2-3 times a week!

Must-Have Makeup (In My Opinion)

This has got to be one of the most frequent questions that I receive on all of my social networks. What is your favourite (insert product here)? Well, I decided to make a giant post containing some of my favourite products. Please be advised that these are not all of them. There are way too many to list and I would be here for days trying to describe them all to you. If there is a product that you don't see here that you would like to know what my favourite is, feel free to drop me a comment below! 

1. NARS Blush in Orgasm/Super Orgasm
2. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (I buy 2 - one for my makeup bag and one for my purse)
3. Benefit High Beam Highlighter
4. Maybelline One by One (I get excellent length without clumping with this one!)
5. Maybelline Colour Tattoo Eyeshadow (in Too Cool)
6. M.A.Cs Bronzer (in Golden)
7. Essence Kajal Eyeliner Pencil (super cheap, works amazingly)
8. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream
9. Chanel Perfection Lumiere Longwear Flawless Fluid Makeup ($$$)
10. M.A.C Lipstick (in Russian Red)
11. Urban Decay Eyeshadow (in Polyester Bride)

Review: L'Oreal Colour Riche Lip Balm in 118 Pink Satin

Once again I find myself apologizing for the lack of posts! I've been busy the past few days with college stuff. If you've been following my blog(s) for some time, you'll know that I made the (big) decision to leave university and transfer to a smaller college for an entirely different program. I've transferred from European and Russian Studies to a Bachelor's of Human Services in Police Studies. Quite the change, but definitely something I'm looking forward to! 

I'm usually not a huge fan of wearing anything on my lips. I like to keep them naked and all natural. I don't know why, but for some reason I just hate the feeling of stuff sitting on my lips. Sometimes I walk into the drugstore with the intention of buying nothing and come out with everything that I don't need. This was one of those times. 

Indulge your lips with Colour Riche® Balm. This tinted SPF 15 lip balm provides a hint of luscious, kissable colour, smoothing lips for a full 8 hours of continuous hydration. Lips are softer and more supple all day long—and keeps conditioning even after it’s been removed.

When I read the little description of the product, the first thing that caught my eye was the fact that this contains SPF. As an avid snowboarder, I know all to well what it's like to spend a day on the slopes and come back with horribly sore and burnt lips. Most people tend to overlook the importance of wearing a sunscreen on your lips. I consider it an added bonus and something that I now look for in all lip products. 

I'm also a sucker for the whole sheer look. This balm is easily applied to the lips and goes on super smooth. I don't find it making my lips sticky or tacky in any way and unlike what I've read from other reviewers, it did keep my lips hydrated all day. In fact, after a few days of wearing it, I noticed my lips were significantly softer. 

I picked up the lightest shade possible, 118 Pink Satin. However, all of the shades in this range are super sheer and you won't get an overload of colour on your lips. This colour had some gorgeous small flecks of glitter scattered throughout. It also complimented my fair skin tone pretty well. 

This product reminded me of Yves Saint Laurent's Volupte Sheer Candy balm in Juicy Grapefruit. While I didn't find it as shiny as YSL, it was just as equally moisturising. A great alternative if you're on a budget. This little tube cost me 8$ on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart. Canadian Problems = everything is more expensive than in the United States. 

One little con that I've found with this product are the packaging. While it's super cute and classy, the little notch in the bottom of the cap can be a pain in the behind if you're in a hurry. I'm able to appreciate the fact that the lid doesn't slip all over the place in my purse, but it's just a pain to have to match everything up. 

The L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm comes in 8 different shades:

Pink Satin (above), Rose Elixir, Tender Mauve, Heavenly Berry, Plush Plum, Caring Coral, Nourishing Nude, and Caramel Comfort

Definitely go check this lip balm out if you're looking for something that isn't to heavy and won't overpower your lips. What's your favourite brand of lip balm?

Review: Essence All About Matt Fixing Compact Powder

Essence has been one of my favourite drugstore makeup brands for a really long time. I first discovered the brand when I was in Germany a few years ago. I remember bringing back a ton of items and rationing them all because I didn't know if (or when) I'd be able to find their products in North America. 

About a year after I got back from Germany, I was shocked to see an Essence set up at my local Shoppers Drug Mart. They had all of the products that I had been familiarized with in Europe. I'm pretty sure it was like a kid in a candy shop. I think I bought everything.

My most recent purchase was their All About Matt fixing compact powder. I've only owned this one for a few days, but it's already made it's way into my purse as a staple.

All About Matt comes in one transparent pressed powder. No puff is included to apply it onto your face but I've just been using a spare makeup sponge. The container itself is fairly large and thick. I'm pretty sure that this product is meant to withstand the wear and tear of being in your makeup bag and purse. Although the packaging may be simple, the product really does live up to it's name. 

My routine for using All About Matt usually starts half way during the day when I find my forehead and t-zone kind of oily. Instead of applying more powder foundation to cover up the mess, I just pat on some of this product and the shine disappears! The nice part is that it doesn't make you look pale or alter the colour of your foundation. This powder reminds me of those blotting papers that are designed to remove all the oil from your face. It's awesome!

There really isn't much to this fantastic product. It won't break the bank and it only costs 3.99$! Way cheaper than any other compact makeup that I can think of. If you live in the United States, you can find Essence products at ULTA. If you live in Canada, you can find the products at select Shoppers Drug Marts. If you visit the Essence website, they list all of the places that stock and sell the brand! 

Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo

Colour treated blonde hair may sound easy, but it really can be a pain in the behind. I personally prefer cool ash blonde tones over warm golden tones but I sometimes find my ash tones, turning golden. That is a huge no-no in my books. I did my research and looked all over the place for something that would help solve this problem. This was the result and here is the review!

Shimmer Lights claims to tone down your hairs brassiness, maintain ash-toned colour, and leave hair shiny with no residue. Some pretty big claims for this giant purple bottle. First off, you do get a decent amount of product for what you pay. I believe mine cost 12$ and some change at Sally Beauty Supply. The instructions are easy and as follows:

Apply to wet hair. Lather, rinse and repeat. For additional brightening and colour, leave second lather on for 3 to 5 minutes. No patch test required. 

Simple and easy enough! I had read and watched some reviews where the people were leaving the product on their hair for over 30 minutes. I tried that, and it really started to burn. It also turned my hair purple, more on that below.

The product itself is this thick, gooey purple stuff. The smell is something that is hard to describe. I really think it smells like old dish soap - that gum that you used to chew, Thrills! It's really pungent and is one of the reasons I'm so hesitant to leave this stuff on my hair for extended periods of time. 

As for the extreme purple, when you put it on your hair, your hair will be purple. This stuff leaves my shower a mess! Purple suds every which way! The longest that I've left the product on my head for was around 15 minutes. In that time, I found that it did turn some strands a light purple colour. In return however, the brassiness was gone. I find that this works best on super light blonde hair. Some of my darker blonde strands didn't really look much different after a few uses. 

I haven't really noticed much of the brassiness being toned down. Eventually my hair still turns this weird golden colour and I'm forced to dye over it with some ash blonde colour. I think the only real solution for this is a toner, something I'm nowhere near experienced with.

So would I buy this product again? Probably not. I think the cons outweigh the pros. The smell is something that is just so off-putting to me. I also don't think it works the wonders that it claims it does. Does it leave my hair clean? Yes. 

Recently, I've switched to Lush's Daddy-O. Opting for something that is 100% natural and smells amazing sounds much better to me, even though I need to pay a few dollars more. I think when Clairol says this product is for blonde and silver, they mean really light blonde hair. If you fall into the white blonde/silver category, perhaps this product will work for you! In the meantime, I'm going to continue to find ways to prevent my hair from going brassy, one product at a time!

I've Returned with Seven Drugstore Products I Love!

First off, this is my first post in a long time! For a while, I was seriously considering abandoning this blog but I've caught the Spring personal blogging fever and decided to bring this little blog back to life! There are quite a few things that I'd love to blog about and share with my readers. I miss providing you guys with reviews and stuff and I'm going to try my best to bring that stuff back. So without further ado, a blog post! 

Sephora is one store that is absolutely dangerous for me. As soon as I walk in there, I have like a million things in my shopping bag. It's bad news when you're trying to save money. Recently, I've been trying to buy and try more drugstore products. These are seven drugstore products that I truly love and use almost everyday. They are also all under 15$CAD and will not break your bank and make you tear up a little at the checkout! 

1. Eyes Lips Face Blush/Bronzer Duo in St. Lucia: I just purchased this on my last trip to the States for 3$ at Target. I love love love the blush and think it's almost a dupe for NARS Orgasm. It's a sheer pinky colour with some shimmer but nothing like Super Orgasm. It's perfect in every way. Pigmented, easily applied and a pretty colour. The bronzer is a bit too dark for my skin and kind of applies a bit splotchy so I just avoid it. But if you weren't as fair as myself, you'd probably have much better luck than me. 
2. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream: So many people were writing to me on my blog a while back asking me if I had tried this BB cream stuff. Each time I would scratch my head and think, #*@&( is a BB cream? I finally caved and purchased this one by Maybelline. It has actually replaced a lot of things in my everyday makeup routine. Some important ones being my primer and moisturiser. I find that this has the ability to quench my skins thirst and keep my makeup looking pretty fancy all day. 
3. Rimmel Scandal-Eyes Mascara: This reminds me of Givenchy's Phenomen-Eyes mascara with the ball that is used to lift your lashes to out of this world length. The great thing about this mascara is it's probably a quarter of the price of the Givenchy one and it does the same thing. It has the ball end with the normal wand on the lower part. Great application and I find that it doesn't have much fall out during the day. My lashes have never looked longer!
4. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder: My holy grail. I use this every single day as either solely my foundation or the powder I use to set my liquid foundation. It is amazing. I think I own at least ten and keep one in every bag I have. It's great for touch ups during the day and prevents my face from oiling up. I wear the shade Sandstorm. 
5. Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro Topcoat: This polish reminds me of my Seche Vite top-coat without the quick thickening and 'going bad'. It makes your nails super shiny and adds days onto the life of your polish. It actually dries pretty quickly and is always a part of my manicure routine.
6. Wet 'N Wild Lipstick in Stoplight Red: Dupe alert! I originally bought this because I read somewhere that it was a dupe for MACs Russian Red? I think this one is a little bit more warm red than MACs but still, very similar. They also have a dupe for Creme Cups! It's a matte lipstick and the wear is great. 
7. Essence I <3 Stage Eyeshadow Primer: Love this one! Essence is a great little European brand that I discovered when I visited Germany a few years ago. I was so sad when I got back to Canada and couldn't find it anywhere but at last, they've decided to expand! I believe this primer was only something like 2$ and it's honestly up to par with Urban Decay's. It's great under the eyes too and I find that it really brightens everything up before shadow/liner!

I really hope you get the opportunity to try some of these products! I can totally guarantee that you won't be disappointed. A lot of these have found their way into my makeup bag as some permanent products! What are some of your drugstore holy grail items? 

Essence + Organix Haul

So I have this problem. When I'm bored, I immediately head to either the mall or the drugstore because chances are, you can always find something that catches your eye! My latest haul comes courtesy of Shoppers Drug Mart (for American readers, it's like Walgreens). 

In total, I ended up with seven items. They were all priced under 5$ with the exception of the shampoo, but that was even on sale! Totally rare and unusual with the brand and Shoppers! 

First off, the shampoo. Not going to lie, I bought this based on the colour of the bottle and how cute it looked. I'm a sucker for pretty packaging and light pinks (as you can probably tell by my colour choices). It smells awesome, something that is really hard to fathom considering it's made with ginger. Plus, I was looking for something to repair my dull hair! Hopefully this one works out well! 

These two Essence XXXL Shine glosses were the first products to find their way into my shopping basket. The one on top being Nude Candy and the one on the bottom, Timeless Beauty. Nude Candy is a pale pink (nude) super shiny gloss. Now I'm not a huge fan of nudes. I think that they make my already fair skin look immensely washed out, but this gloss is a really sheer nude and compliments my skin. The bottom gloss, Timeless Beauty, is sheer as well. This one has some added sparkle and looks great over top of a lipstick or just on it's own for an everyday gloss. They both smell divine and don't have any icky tastes to them. 

Next up, I grabbed this lipstick in Frosted. Like the glosses, it's a sheer pink. It really goes great with the Timeless Beauty gloss over top. I'm not a fan of lipsticks that really add a lot of colour to your lips. I know that sort of contradicts the point, but there are times when I want to get the colour without the stickyness of a gloss. If you're looking for a cheaper version of the Revlon lip butters, try this!

After searching forever, I've finally found a nice neutral eye palette that went well with my blue eyes. I don't wear heavy eye makeup but I do love to do a smoky eye every now and then. This Essence Quattro is in called Over the Taupe and it features a light off white, a light taupe, an almost silver taupe-y grey and a dark grey, perfect for the crease of your eye. I also picked up a white eye liner for my inner eyes. White against the light blue of my eyes really makes them pop. The eye liner may seem like a hard pencil at first but once you've worked in the pencil a bit, it turns into a soft, easy to apply liner. 

Lastly, the 1.49$ nail polish! This one is in the shade A Lovely Secret. It's a fairytale purple with some really light purple, barely noticeable glitter strewn throughout. It takes about two coats to get a nice coverage but it dries immensely fast and is perfect for a quick polish change. The thing that I love about Essence's polishes, is that they are not overpriced and they are not in large bottles. How many of you have honestly finished off a bottle of nail polish that cost you something like 8$? These ones are perfect because they're easy to finish and produce less waste. Plus their line of colours is amazing and the polish beats out a lot of the bigger brand name polishes (in my opinion). 

If you haven't checked out Essence at your local Shoppers (in Canada) or Ulta (US), you might want to. They're a great European brand who have finally (and thankfully) broken into the North American market. I've been a loyal supporter of the brand since I visited Germany two years ago and now I just can't get enough! 

Crazy Over Essie

Essie's latest collection Bikini So Teeny managed to catch my eye in the drug store the other day! Bikini So Teeny consists of six shades that are guaranteed to make your nails pop for summer. I ended up purchasing only one from the collection and a second that was on sale.

In Canada, Essie prices range anywhere from $8.99 to $10.99 depending on where you go. Personally, I'd rather splurge on a $26 Chanel polish that I know will be great no matter what. For me, Essie is a hit or miss.

Some polishes that I have purchased from their line (Mojito Madness and Cute as a Button) have been a great consistency. What polish should be. While others (Meet Me At Sunset) seem runny and horrible to apply. I'm a two coat kind of girl. Anything more and I find myself wasting time. 

Meet Me At Sunset was one of the shades released in the Braziliant collection a while back. It's super runny and I'm honestly not a fan of applying it. The colour however, is fantastic. It's a gorgeous deep orange with red hues. If only It didn't take so many coats to apply. 

Mojito Madness was recently released in Essie's Bikini So Teeny collection. I've yet to use it on a full set. Essie calls it a 'fun loving lime green'. It might be a little lime, but it's definitely not the lime I'm used to. It really doesn't remind me of a mojito at all. Maybe a different name would have suited the colour. The formula in this polish is thick, unlike the one mentioned above. It's great to apply and usually takes two coats (sometimes one) for full coverage.

Lastly, I picked up Cute As A Button. I don't think It's from a specific collection but I do know that it was released in 2009. It's a peachy coral against my skin tone and it's definitely one of my new favourites. Once again, the swatch on the Essie website proves to look nothing like the actual product. It's a bright pink yet on Essie the swatch makes it seem like a deep "persimmon" like colour. Not even remotely close!

Application wise, like I said, it depends what you get. They are all different. Try before you buy with Essie.

I do love the colours that Essie puts out. They're all cute and they definitely have something for everyone. However, I'm stumped when I constantly see different swatches on the website, on beauty review sites and in stores! Everything is different! It makes it hard to plan ahead to buy a colour and when you get to the store, the colour is not what you expected at all. Definitely do not go by their website swatches. Go into the store and look yourself!

What are your thoughts on Essie polishes? Do you think they are hit or miss? Have you had a bad experience with their polishes in the past? 

Review: got2b Powder'ful Volumizing Styling Powder

I have never heard of using powder to style my hair. When you think of styling products, you don't think of using powder to get the look and hold that you're looking for. Last week, I ordered TIGI Candy Fixations Sugar Dust Root Powder after seeing it on Annette's blog (Nettenestea) Since I'm so impatient, I also decided to grab this got2b Volumizing Root Powder from their Powderful line. 

First off, I found this powder at my local Shoppers Drug Mart on sale for $4.99. However, the regular price won't break your bank at $8.99. One tube comes with 10g of product inside which is a fair amount. Don't be alarmed at the light weight of the package. It's filled with product and you do not need a lot to get the job done!

The back of the package boasts that this product is weightless and creates maximum volume at the roots. Also, that you can apply it anywhere for an instant transformation. Sounds good right? Well, I managed to find some flaws. The instructions say to sprinkle a small amount into your palm and rub your hands together. However, when you do this the product becomes sticky and turns your hands into glue like magnets. I've adapted the instructions to just sprinkle into palms and pat onto my hair. 

Once the product is on your hair, you need to work it throughout your roots. You won't be able to run your fingers through your hair as the product feels like glue! My roots were so sticky after I applied. The product did last the entire day and my roots were more voluminous than natural. The root boost is definitely not instant as the instructions say. You almost need to let the product sit for a while and then go back and work your roots. 

After you've finished applying, you are really going to need to wash you hands. So the idea of it being able to be applied any time is not a good one. If you're somewhere without a sink, forget about it and deal with some flat hair. 

While the product does add extra oomph to your hair, it really is a bit of a burden to apply. You do get what you pay for though and if you're on a budget, this product does work. My hair remained voluminous for a while without any hair spray. However, my roots felt sticky and almost gritty. 

I'm looking forward for receiving my Sugar Dust in the mail shortly and will definitely be comparing the two. I'm really disappointed in the Sugar Dust already though! The bottle itself only contains one measly gram of product! That's like, a 1/4 of a teaspoon! For the price I paid, Sugar Dust better be made out of gold!

PRODUCT - 8/10 ● LONGEVITY - 9/10 ● APPLICATION - 2/5 ● PACKAGING - 5/5

Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara (Review)

Maybelline's range of Volum' Express mascaras have been a staple in my make up kit for a long time. They're durable, long lasting, quality mascaras without the expensive price tag. 

Recently, I picked up the newest addition to the Volum' Express family, The Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara. Honestly, the only reason why I bought it was because it was on display at Wal-Mart and the colour caught my eye. If it weren't for the super cute packaging, I probably would have walked right by it!

My current mascara in my make up bag is Dior Show Black Out. It's by far the best mascara on the market and it does everything a mascara should do: lengthen, thicken, and add a little extra va-va-voom. Although it's amazing, it also carries an expensive price tag - 25$. Not something that you want to continuously replenish in your make up bag. 

The Mega Plush mascara comes in the classic bottle but the one thing that is different, is the brush. The want and the brush are both bendable. I don't really get how this helps because you don't really need to push down on the wand and the brush that much to apply mascara, but hey, whatever. The brush itself is this massive, soft and plush, thick and thin bristled thing. The mascara sits nicely on the brush and doesn't clump at all.

As for the product itself, I didn't really find that it lengthens quite like my Dior Show Black Out. Then again, I don't think you can compare the two since one is 7$ and the other, 25$. The product does live up to it's 'weightless' gel mousse description. You cannot feel the product on your lashes at all, but you still get a great application. I found that the classic wiggle on the mascara works best. Start at the root and wiggle the wand all the way to the tip of your lashes. I also curl before and after I apply. Yes, I know curling after mascara application is wrong. 

Lastly, the removal. Black Out gives me a heck of a time when I try to remove it. Even with eye make up remover, I still end up looking like Rocky Raccoon. The Mega Plush comes off nice and easy. Maybe a bit too easy. I did notice that if you have greasy eye lids, you might experience a bit of smudging. Be sure to seal it all in using your make up set/sealer of choice. 

So, the verdict. If you're looking for a nice, cheap everyday mascara that won't cause you to take a second mortgage out on your house, this is your product. You can find it at your local drug store or Wal-Mart for under 10$. It lives up to the gel mousse weightless hype, however, don't believe the model on the web page with the lashes as long as the Nile. 

Grading: A-

Why?: A great every day mascara (formula etc.). Not really for those nights when you want your lashes to have that extra oomph. You get what you pay for!