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Everyday Basic Winter Face…

December 21, 2018by SophieLeave a Comment

Hey loves!

Quick post today! As today is the first day of winter I thought I would share a basic winter makeup look I have been gravitating towards as of late. If you have 5-7 minutes in the morning you can do this look too in 7 simple steps!

Products Used:

Foundation: Too Faced Born This Way Foundation in the shade “Cocoa”

Concealer: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in the shade “Truffle”

Eyeliner: Fenty Beauty “Flyliner” ( black liquid eyeliner )

Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in the shade “Very Black ”

Powder: Ben Nye Transluscent Face Powder in the shade “Chestnut”

Shadow: A mix of some shades in the Tarlette in Bloom shadow palette

Lips: Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in the shade ” Sanctuary”

( Excuse the eyebrows lol I forgot to fill them in this day ! Normally I would use a simple Elf Cosmetics pencil liner to fill them in )

Happy Winter Y’all!
xoxo

beauty, beauty blog, Uncategorized

Beauty Blog: Make Up Products I Just Can’t Live Without…

December 20, 2016December 13, 2016by Sophie3 Comments

Hey guys!

So there’s been this Youtube tag floating around for some time now where some beauty influencers have been talking about their “Holy grail” makeup products or in other words makeup products they just can’t live without!

I decided to jump on the bandwagon and share some of my must haves with you! Enjoy!

Let’s start with skin care:

Facial Cleanser: Hands down it would have to be my Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. Nothing handles my oily skin situation like this product!

Micellar Water: Simple Micellar Water is perfect for getting off all ( and I mean all) of your makeup and excess oils.

Makeup Wipes: I just tried these wipes and they have easily become my favourite ones to use. They are the Clinique “Take the day away” micellar wipes. Basically the same thing the micellar water does , but in a wipe form! Great for travelling! A little on the pricey side for makeup wipes but for what they do its well worth the money.

Face Masks: Oh how I love a good face mask! I am forever indebted to my friend Vanessa for creating her very own skin care products and for her introducing me to her ginger mousse mask! Heaven in a jar for my skin! If I’m ever out of that mask I also swear by the Origins Charcoal Mask, its made from activated charcoal that really helps with deep cleansing and the opening up of pores!

Ok now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the fun stuff!!!

Lips: ( I had to break down the lip products in 2 sections lipsticks and liquid lipsticks)

Lipstick: Two lipsticks that I absolutely can’t live without are both from MAC cosmetics. MAC’s Ruby Woo ( bold red with a matte finish) and MAC’s Flat out Fabulous (bold fuchsia pink shade) Ruby Woo is an all year staple while I always grab for Flat out Fabulous in the summer months!

Liquid Lipsticks: There are three that if I was stuck on a desert island, it would visually be impossible to choose. I wear each one at least one time a week 🙂

Beso ( Stila Cosmetics) : A deep red! Similar to Ruby Woo but the formula is long lasting and not as drying as Ruby Woo.
Lolita ( Kat Von D): The perfect mauve colour, looks especially beautiful on women with darker complexions ( like moi!)
LAX ( Colourpop Cosmetics) A deep vampy brownish-red perfect for the fall and winter months.

Foundation: Make Up Forever Matte Velvet Foundation: Bae…. enough said! 🙂

Concealer : L.A. Girl Pro Concealer. Cheap and literally the best concealer I have ever used! ( well the Nars concealer is a close second :P)

Powder: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder: THIS IS BAE!!!! I absolutely love this product! It sets my makeup perfectly and doesn’t leave me looking ghostly like some other products can leave women of colour looking! For All over my face on the days I just want some shine control I tend to reach for my Bare Minerals Matte loose powder.

Eyeliner: If they ever discontinue this product I don’t know what I’ll do lol! It is Maybelline’s Unstoppable Eyeliner in the shade Onyx! Amazing!

Mascara: Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Drama. Makes your lashes look like you are wearing falsies.So great!

Eyeshadow Palette : Naked One Palette. This palette is so versatile and especially works well for women with deeper complexions.

Lashes: On the days I do wear them, I always reach for the Ardell demi-wispies.

Highlight : I l always reach for Champagne Pop by Jaclyn Hill. Looks amazing on my melanin rich skin!!!

maybelline-mascara-push-up-drama-blackest-black-041554443462-o

ultra-matte-lip-lax_a1aae233-02ff-4a82-a955-eccd2c91e4c9_1024x1024

xoxo

beauty, beauty blog, drugstore, Sephora, skincare, the body shop

Beauty Blog: Oily Skin Routine….

November 7, 2015November 7, 2015by Sophie4 Comments

Hi guys,

I’m back with another beauty blog. This one is all about what I have been doing as of late to combat this new onset of oily skin I have been battling. I have always had combination skin ( some parts dry and some parts oily) but in the last year or so my skin has fared more on the oily side especially in my t-zone area (“The T-zone is the part of your face consisting of the forehead, nose and the area around your mouth, including the chin. It is so named because it’s shaped like the letter ‘T’.” Oil tends to build up in the t-zone, so it’s particularly important to exfoliate.http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=T-zone)

Now if you know me, I am a product junkie! If I see it, I will probably try it! But over time I have learned ( especially with my skin care routine) If the method ain’t broke, don’t fix it! So I decided to go back to my old routine, old products and see how that would help my skin!

So let me walk you through my routine!

Drink lots of water! Up until a few years ago I never ever drank water. Maybe a glass here or there a couple of times a week. ( I know , I know…. horrible) But now, I’ve seen the light! I drink about 2 litres of water a day! I have replaced my daily pop ( and those who know me well, know I have/had (lol) a serious addiction to Dr. Pepper.) with a glass of water! Sometimes I’ll add a lemon or I’ll make a detox water with lemons, cucumbers and a mint leaf or two. So refreshing! Anyway, water intake is super important for healthy skin( our skin is our largest organ and needs to stay hydrated)
Remove Excess Makeup: I have tried every single make-up removal wipe possible, but honestly the best wipes that take off my make-up, are good old-fashioned baby wipes! I use the sensitive/eco-friendly ones from the Baby Life Brand! They retail for about 4 dollars Canadian Dollars or sometimes you can get a value pack for about 8 bucks!
Exfoliate: I stick to my old faithful ( holy grail if you will) product: the Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Oil Free Acne Wash Foaming Scrub. I love this product with everything in me! If they ever discontinue this product, I don’t know what I’ll do! 😛 I use this product with my Proactiv Deep Cleansing Brush. Using an exfoliating skin product alongside a cleansing brush really helps give your skin the deep clean it needs.
Cleanse: I’ve recently returned to one of the first skin care products I ever used consistently in my skin care routine. Its the Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser. I love this product. It leaves my face feeling clean and dry ( but not overly drying)
Moisturize: Although my skin has oily patches, It’s still very important to get skin moisturized. I haven’t found my go to product yet so I have been trying out a few. Firstly, I have been using the Cetaphil Oil Control Moisturizer with SPF 30. It is light-weight and not much product is needed to cover your entire face. It does have a strong sunscreen smell to it however that I am not to fond of. It is a bit pricey at about 20 Canadian dollars.Next, I have been trying the Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream from The Body Shop. It does a pretty good job of controlling my oils. Again, a little goes a long way with this product. This retails for approximately 18 dollars Canadian. Lastly, I have been trying the 8 hr Mattifying Moisturizer from Sephora. I must admit, I really love this product. It is quite expensive at 27 Canadian Dollars for 1.69 oz of product. However, you don’t have to use a lot of product daily ( just about a dime size) so its serves you well. I find this one wears well especially under my foundation. So hopefully this method and/or products work for you! I have been doing this routine for about a month or so and I am loving the results. Let me know what you have been using! Any suggestions for me? Let me know!

xoxo

affordable, beauty, beauty blog, drugstore, makeup, Micellar water, nivea, products, shoppers drug mart, simple, walmart

Beauty Blog: Drugstore Products I have been Trying Out

April 12, 2015April 12, 2015by SophieLeave a Comment

Hey Guys,

I’m back with another beauty blog. It’s been awhile! I have been trying out some new drugstore products. Now if I’m being perfectly honest, I’m not the one to deviate and jump from product to product. If I find a product I like, I stick with it for eternity! ( lol) However, my skin is pretty weird and it reacts differently to products at certain times of the month (-_____-) or once my skin becomes accustomed to it, it no longer is effective. So every so often I like to try new things out. This blog also includes a hair product and a makeup product.

During this recent trial, I found some products that I really like and I found a few products that I will probably never purchase again. So Lets jump right into it!

First, I purchased a foundation that I used last summer that I loved. They’ve revamped it and brought it back with a new formula. This product is the “Fit Me Foundation” from Maybelline in the new Matte/Poreless formula. I thought this formula would be great for me, as I have combination/oily skin and a product that minimized my pores and would help reduce my shine would prove beneficial. Not the case at all. Let me tell you all, this foundation broke the heck out of my face. I’m lucky. I have been blessed with pretty clear skin( the odd blemish here or there) and after I used this foundation, my face looked like a breeding ground for pimples…. and not just your ordinary pimple,large painful ones. I was so upset. It literally took almost a week to calm my skin down. I also didn’t see the results of what it said it was going to do, and the colour selection was very minimal. So, yeah, I give this product two thumbs down. I am interested to see if the old formula will break me out. I’m going to take the risk and try it. I’ll let you now how that works out.

Another product that I will probably never use again comes from the Organix line ( which I love). The Moroccan Curling Perfection Defining Cream. I thought I would like it because I have used the shampoo and conditioner in the past and I loved it, but that was not the case. I found that this product( which was supposed to define my curls) really matted my hair and made my hair stiff and dry. It did nothing for my hair. Two thumbs down. I will not be repurchasing.

The next product I wasn’t a huge fan of was the NYX matte black liner. This is part of the Collection Noir. Let me first put a disclaimer here: I am a eyeliner snob ( lol) ever since I’ve started using the Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in the shade Onyx, nothing can compare, even high-end liners don’t compare! Yet, I decided to step outside my comfort zone and try a new liner and I must say I wasn’t impressed. I found that this product smudged , and clumped and it didn’t give me the intense black definition I was looking for. I won’t count this one out though. I think once I play around with it, I may be able to make it work. I’m still on the fence. 🙂

Two products that I am loving right now are: The Nivea Pure and Natural Cleansing Toner and the Simple Micellar Cleansing Water.

Let’s start with the Nivea product:

What is it: A product used to tone and revitalize the skin .With the combination of argan oil and aloe vera, it helps maintain the natural balance of the skin.

Pros:

It is free from parabens, silicones, artificial colours and mineral oils.

Light on the face

Fresh scent

Cost effective ( ranges from 6-9 Canadian dollars)

Non-drying

Cons:

You have to use quite a bit of product to see results.

They test on animals 😦

Simple Micellar Cleansing Water:

What is it: A product that is a non-rinse cleansing product.

Pros:

Perfect for late nights, people on the go, travellers: a quick and efficient way to remove your makeup and cleanse your face

Fragrance free

Great for sensitive skin

Inexpensive ( approximately 10 Canadian dollars)

Cons:

I find that it left my face a little sticky to the touch.

They test on animals

Unfortunately both of these products test on animals. I’m in no way an animal rights activist, but I also don’t see the need in testing products on things that will never use the product. It’s highly unlikely that Ronnie the Rat will be using a micellar water anytime soon 😛

So those are the latest drugstore products that I have been trying. Some were fails and others are now a part of my beauty regimen! All of these products can be purchased at your local Walmart or Shoppers Drugmart. What are some products that you guys have been trying? What should I try next? Till next time…

xoxo

beauty guru, Kat VonD, lipstain, lipstick, mac, makeup, Sephora

Are They Worth The Hype?: Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick

March 2, 2015June 4, 2015by Sophie2 Comments

**Disclaimer: I am not sponsored by this company. All products mentioned were purchased by me. This review is solely my opinion.**

Ok guys, you know I’m a lipstick junkie. But I don’t really ever branch out from the world of MAC cosmetics or the occasional drug store lip product. But then.. Oh then, I was introduced to Kat Von D’s liquid lip stains and man where have they been all my life????!!! I am 150,000 percent completely obsessed with this lipstick line!

This line includes 12 shades that range from a light dusty rose shade to a deep reddish-burgundy shade.I started out with buying one shade and ended up returning to purchase 3 more. This will be a quick and honest review on this product line. The Everlasting Lip-stains are described on the Sephora website as such:

.What it is:
A long-wear, full-coverage liquid lipstick with a smooth matte finish.

What it does:
This innovative Everlasting Liquid Lipstick is infused with vitamins A, C, and E for added hydration. The next-generation formula gives lips long-lasting wear and high-pigment color with a smooth matte finish.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens

The first lip stain that I purchased was Lolita. Lolita is described as a dusty rose shade. Basically its your quintessential pinkish nude. If you are trying to achieve the “Kylie Jenner” lip this is a product that can help you do that. This can be worn with or without a lip liner. I wear it with Mac’s chestnut lip liner because I am of a darker complected skin tone, it helps to transition this colour better. I absolutely love this shade. It is a shade I can wear seamlessly in the day or glam it up with a va va voom eye and transition into night.

The next one I purchased ( because I’m a sucker for a purple lip) was L.U.V. This is a rich violet shade very similar to the ever so popular shade by Mac “Heroine”. This needs no liner. Applies seamlessly 🙂

Next, I purchased Bauhau5 ( yes I spelled that correctly and no I have NO IDEA how to pronounce that correctly 😛 ) Described as a deep raspberry shade very similar to MAC’s “Flat Out Fabulous” which is probably one of my favorite lip shades ever! This shade can be worn independently but i like to play around with it and occasionally i pair it with Nightmoth lip liner ( MAC) or Vino or Chestnut lip liners ( also by Mac)

Lastly,i purchased Outlaw a brick-red shade. I was a little conflicted on this shade. It was pretty similar to Ruby Woo but even more drying ( if that is even possible. Anyone who has worn Ruby Woo will find this hard to believe.) It wasn’t my favorite purchase. I then tried it again using a red lip liner all over my lip first before applying it and it was a little bit better.

So let me break down the pros and cons of this product

Pros:

super long-lasting ( I mean it takes divine intervention to remove these!)

extremely pigmented

non-transferable

compliments all if not most complexions

Cons:

very drying formula ( easily rectified with a lip scrub/vaseline primer prior to application. If you don’t moisturize your lips beforehand, it will show every crack and crevice on your lips.

You need a very steady hand to apply because if you make a mistake, you will have to start all over. It will stain your face too lol

Really wasn’t a big fan of Outlaw( brick-red shade) didn’t last very long, the only one that feathered and faded.

I like these lipstains much more than the NYX lip creams which have a similar formula. I would definitely recommend this product for anyone to try. I would like to add “Vampira” to my collection but that colour STAYS sold out online in store… le sigh lol :p I do have the shade Vampira in the Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick- same shade different formula. I want the Everlasting Lipstick formula… yeah so that’s that! Two Thumbs up on this product!

xoxo

beauty guru, lipstick, mac, makeup, products, YouTube

Confessions of a Lipstick Junkie…

February 7, 2015February 7, 2015by Sophie3 Comments

Would you believe me if I told you that 18 months ago I didn’t even wear lipstick?? Just a tinted gloss here or there and good old faithful Vaseline.( chalk that up to a good old-fashioned Pentecostal upbringing 🙂 ) However, here at my local Mac store, if you return 5 empty plastic containers , you receive a free lipstick as compensation. It is part of their recycling project. ( pretty sweet deal and a pretty clever way to keep you buying their products) Enter the lipstick novice… I mean aside from creeping in to my mothers bathroom to sneak and use her Wet n Wild 508a lipstick at approximately age 12.. I had no experience in lipstick choices. ( side note: I didn’t even wear any makeup other than powder, eyeliner and like and the occasional smoky purple eye up until a year ago lol 😦 ) sigh…. So as I’m standing there looking at least 100 lipsticks, I just picked one... the most obnoxious, bright and bold red… Ruby Woo! I didn’t swatch it ( because I didn’t know what that meant lol) I just took it home and tried it on and from that moment on I WAS HOOKED!

Enter YouTube. The reason i know anything about makeup and how to apply it. Shout out to some of my favorite “gurus” : Itsjudytime, Itsmyrayeraye, vickylogan, jamaicanmakeupartist, beautybyjj, jaylakoriyan, loverforfashion, michellephan, misscharmsie, msroshposh, patricabright ( the list goes on and on) Check them out! show them some love over there in YouTube world !

So in the last year and a half ,ive grown quite a healthy collection and maybe a unhealhthy obsession (just kidding 🙂 ) of lipsticks/lip stains. Most of them come from the Mac family. So I’ve compiled a summary of some of my faves! Hope you enjoy!

( l. to r. ) MAC Fresh Brew, MAC Smoked Purple, Kat Von D Vampira, Mac Ruby Woo, Mac Rebel, Mac Heroine, Mac Flat Out Fabulous, Mac Girl About Town and Mac Up The Amp

Fresh Brew: Described as coffee coloured. Lustre finish. I usually pair this is with a brown lipliner such as MAC chestnut

Smoked purple: A deep dark, eggplant purple shade ( one of my favorite fall/winter shades) I always pair this with Mac Nightmoth lipliner

Kat Von D Vampira: A rusty reddish-brown matte finish lipstick. Worn as a stand alone colour.

Ruby Woo: A blue based vivid red. Matte finish. ( Ruby Woo has an extremely drying formula so please moisturize before you use) Best results come when a lip liner is used. Really gives a red lip a crisp finish.I suggest the ruby woo lip liner or chestnut or nightmoth.

Rebel: My first purple! Satin finish.Very flattering when paired with Vino lip liner from Mac.

Heroine: YASSSSSSSS! ( sorry i had to go there lol) Matte finish. Probably in my top 3 favorite lipsticks ever. Matte finish, bright purple lipstick. I wear alone and have also paired it with chestnut, vino or nightmoth lipliner

Flat Out Fabulous: A bright pink lipstick with plum undertones.Matte finish. It seems to be my lipstick of choice these past few months 🙂 I’ve recently begun pairing this with nightmoth as well and I really like the results.

Girl About Town: A blue based fuchsia pink. One of my originals. Nice day time pink. Amplified creme finish.

Up the Amp: Another amplified creme finish. A lavender purple shade. I usually wear this alone. ( Also another one of my top faves)

I think these lipstick shades compliment all skin tones from very fair to very deep. Any lipstick can work on anyone. It’s all in how you modify it to fit you!

Until next time,

XOXO

bobbi kristina, canada, products, skincare, snow, weather, winter

Winter Essentials/ #prayforBK

February 3, 2015February 3, 2015by Sophie1 Comment

“A lot of people like snow.I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.

Carl Reiner

5:45 this morning. I eagerly jumped out of bed, grabbed my Ipad and logged on to the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board website and got the sweetest news ever… All schools were closed! Being as I’m an early childhood educator working in a school , that equaled no work for me!! But the joy was short-lived as I then realized that i would have to dig my way out of my house ( literally) to put out garbage and dig out the cars in my driveway 😦 I went outside ,looking around for a shovel…. where was it? Buried under 15 centimeters of snow ( insert eye roll here) So guess who had to swim through the snow to put out garbage-me! Only to later on in the day find out , that garbage pick up had been cancelled for today ( again insert eye roll) Ah well! What can you do?!

After warming up a little bit with a cup of lemon-ginger tea, I decided i was going to blog about a few products that have become part of my winter skincare routine. As many of us deal with in the winter, my skin changes drastically during this season. It becomes extremely dry and prone to break outs. Here are some products that have really helped me this year( as well as two of my favorite winter items

Proactiv facial cleansing brush ( really helps get rid of dry, dead skin)

Cantu Shea Butter leave in conditioning repair cream ( great for my dry winter hair!)

Bath and Body works candle in the scent “Vanilla Snowflake ( I just love the smell 🙂 )

Organics Moisturizing Body Lotion in the Olive Oil formula ( SERIOUSLY IF YOU HAVE DRY SKIN THIS IS THE SKIN LOTION FOR YOU!!)

Twinnings Lemon and Ginger Tea ( Just mmmm seriously)

3 Neutrogena products: 2 from the Neutrogena Naturals line: purifying pore scrub and fresh cleansing and make up remover face wash. Alongside those i also use an Oil- free Acne Wash pink grapefruit foaming scrub ( great exfoliate)

But the two products that have really saved my skin over the last year are two locally made products made and distributed by my dear friend Vanessa Williams ( no not that Vanessa Williams, but she is beautiful and can sing too lol :)) She created a line called “Oubel” ( french for “You’re Beautiful”) which offers vegan, all natural products that restore and revitalize your skin. One of the products that i have really gravitated towards is the Lemongrass Butter. It makes your skin smooth as a baby’s bottom and trust me a little goes a long way! Next ( this product is probably my favorite product ever) is the Ginger Mousse mask. This is a face mask that when applied to your skin and left on for approxiamately 15 minutes, will leave your skin glowing and feeling like brand new skin. Check her out on facebook :

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oubel-Body-Butters/747399182004872

or instagram oubelbodybutters and support support support!!

So that’s it for my winter essentials! Hope a few them work for you!

Before i leave, i just wanted to bring light to the situation concerning Bobbi Kristina Brown ( Whitney Houston and Bobby Browns daughter) You never really know what a person is struggling with unless you are in their shoes. Grief is a serious condition. Everyone grieves differently. Not everyone is blessed to come from a stable home or have a stable foundation surrounding them. I hope whatever troubles this young lady is dealing with , she can find the strength to pull through and carry on. I pray that not too much damage has been done and she has a chance at really living life…. Thoughts go out to you Bobbi Kristina and the whole Houston/Brown family. We’re praying for a miracle!

God be your strength

XOXO