SOCIAL MEDIA

Clarins Face Contouring Palette Review

Saturday 29 April 2017

Recently Clarins released a face contouring palette that includes a blush, contour powder and matte highlight. It's limited edition and retails for $42 USD/ $49 CAD. Available on Clarins.ca and Clarins.com. If you'd like to see the palette in action I used it in a recent video Trying Out New Makeup

"This palette with its angled brush allows you to easily define facial contours. It contains three long-wearing compact powders enriched with organic sweet almond oil, as well as the Clarins anti-pollution complex, to leave skin comfortable and protected: a radiance-boosting powder brightens dark areas, a contouring powder corrects & minimizes prominent areas, and a fresh-tinted blush enhances the cheekbones."

The packaging is a gorgeous gold and sleek compact. It does does show fingerprints pretty easily but that isn't a deal breaker for me. It also includes a pretty unique brush. I'll give it points for being a sturdy design, but usability for me is lacking. Might be better suited to placing cream contour but I can't imagine myself reaching for it to accompany this palette. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the Clarins Contour Palette. In general, Clarins doesn't cater well to deeper skin tones so I very much expected this palette to be too light. All of the powders are finely milled, smooth and matte. The highlight powder is good for setting your concealer and brightening your under eye. It's a creamy vanilla shade. You could also use it as a matte highlight on the bridge of your nose, forehead, chin and cheekbones. The blush is a great neutral shade, a rose pink. I think a lot of skin tones could make use of this. In my opinion the contour powder is more of a bronzer, a little too warm for a true contour. That being said, it warmed up my skin and added definition which works for me! The majority of the time face palettes do not suit me as the bronzer/contour powder is far too light. If you have very fair skin you may find this a little too deep. 

Overall, I think this is a great palette. My issue with it is the "limited edition", not sure why so many brands are leaning towards limited edition over creating cult favourite products. Especially a palette like this that people could easily make a part of their everyday routine and then have no means to repurchase. I hope they are just testing the waters to see if it sells well and then will introduce into their permanent line. 

*This product was sent for my review, some links are affiliate. 

Maybelline Face Studio Master Blush Highlight and Contour Kit Swatches and Review

Tuesday 25 April 2017
The drugstore has been non-stop releasing new goodies and I am loving it! The Maybelline Face Studio Master Blush Highlight and Contour Kit came was released earlier this year so you should be able to find it now. Keep in mind with new products they are sometimes not in the permanent display yet and can be found at the end of an aisle or on a separate free-standing display. If you'd like to see the new Maybelline Blush Palette in action I used it in a Trying Out New Drugstore Makeup Video. I also mentioned in it a video chatting all about Drugstore Blush Palettes.
The Maybelline Master Blush Palette retails for around $12.99 to 16.99 depending on where in the world you are and the store you pick it up at. It includes 3 matte blushes and a highlighter. At a glance I was really excited about this palette, the shades were unique - especially for a drugstore option. The coral and purple really appealed to me. I was happy to see it was not just the typical peachy/pink with gold shimmer. The packaging is nice as well, not too bulky, you can see the product inside and it does not include a brush I'll never use. 
Overall, I really like this palette. At first when I tried it I wasn't sure. It isn't the ideal match for my warm, deeper skintone but it is good quality. The shades are unique, pigmented and blendable. The highlight has no glitter, it is a little too pink toned than what I generally prefer. The highlight in the Maybelline Master Contour is more flattering on my skintone. Sometimes that I love that this palette is the purple blush, such a great shade that actually translates purple on the skin (in the best way possible). I also feel the wear time of this palette is great. I wish they would come out with another deeper version. Maybelline does a great job with their foundations and concealers and having a wide shade range, but the same cannot be said for their coloured face products. 
  

*This product was sent for my review and some links are affiliate. 

Get Glowy Spring Skin with Vichy | Vichy Idealia Review #VichyGlow #getthatglow

Thursday 20 April 2017
As the weather starts to warm up, I begin to feel human again and I get excited to switch up my skincare and makeup routine! My skin has really taken a hit this past winter, it has been incredibly dry in the air and I have been incredibly busy.To help with my new goals of glowy spring skin I've been reaching for the Vichy Idealia line. See my Spring Makeup Routine that features this line on my YouTube Channel. 

It's so important to take care of your skin, it's so easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest colour correctors or beaming highlights. When you have a good base, your makeup will look that much better. I feel like it's a common misconception that makeup is only there to completely cover up or change your face - but to me, it is about enhancing what is already there. My best makeup days are also my best skin days.
The Vichy Idelia Night Peeling Care is step 1 of this process. It retails for $39.95 with 100mL of product and is available on vishyusa.com or amazon.com. Unlike many peels, this is suitable for sensitive skin and is hypoallergenic. It's paraben free and gentle enough for daily use. The Vichy Night Peel has been formulated with glycolic acid and extracts of fermented black tea and blueberry Polyphenols to enhance your skin's glow. Even though it's great for sensitive skin, that does not make it ineffective, the included ingredients help with evening skin tone, smoothing wrinkles and refining skin texture. 

"This liquid essence reveals a radiant and more even looking complexion, a smoother feeling surface, a velvety touch. Night after night, upon awakening, skin gets its natural glow back."
I'm not sure if it's the drier winter, or my skin is changing but I have noticed more texture than normal. It really makes a difference in the way my foundation applies. I've been loving using the Vichy Idealia Night Peel as a part of my night time skincare routine. It does not sting or tingle on application, just has a light texture, slightly thicker than water - no distinct scent either. Immediately my skin felt refreshed and clean and the next day it felt softer. Now that I have been using it for a few weeks I can see my skin texture becoming more smooth and glowy.
The Vichy Idealia Radiance Boosting Serum retails for $39 with 30mL of product and is available at vichyusa.com, amazon.com and Walgreens. This serum is best for those who are concerned about the dullness or unevenness of their skintone. It's formulated with antioxidants such as licorice root extract and citrus flavonoids to help your skin glow. There is also hyloronic acid and glycerin to help refine lines, pores and supply hydration. This serum includes no parabens, has been allergy tested and is suitable for sensitive skin. 

"
Vichy’s Radiance Boosting Face Serum helps recharge skin’s radiance with antioxidants. Immediately after application, skin complexion looks fresher and brighter with a rosy glow. In just 8 days, skin complexion looks more even, skin texture is refined, and pores seem less visible."
As an oily skinned girl, I need to be careful when it comes to serums and moisturizers to ensure that nothing is too heavy on my skin and leaves me looking oily. I've spent the majority of my life using products that strip my skin so I'm trying to add products into my routine that help to hydrate my skin to ensure it is not dehydrated and creating more fine lines. The Vichy Idealia Serum has totally surprised me, it is incredibly lightweight, absorbs into my skin fast but leaves it feeling hydrated and smooth to the touch. Makes a great base under makeup as well which is always a plus. 

Overall, I think this line is great! I highly recommend it for those of you who have oily or acne prone skin. I think it could work for other skintypes but the light texture is perfect for not overloading your skin while helping it stay glowy, moisturized and clear. 

This post is sponsored by Vichy USA. All opinions are my own. Find the Vichy Idealia line here

essence Shape You Face Palette Swatches and Review

Saturday 15 April 2017
 Every season, essence cosmetics releases a ton of new products. Spring/Summer 2017 is no different, there is a huge selection of items from a new line of matte lipsticks to some face palettes. This includes the essence Shape Your Face Contouring Palettes. As to be expected, these retail for around $5.99 depending on where you pick them up. essence has to be one of the most affordable brands and the drugstore, making it low risk to try out some of their new line! 
I have a video on my YouTube Channel dedicated to their new Spring/Summer 2017 line if you would like to see more. Today however we are focusing in on the essence Shape Your Face Palettes. There are two in the line, depending on your colour preference. essence Shape Your Face Palette in Ready Set, Peach! or the essence Shape Your Face Palette in Ready Set, Pink! Right of the bat I'd like to commend essence for the shades, normally everything the do for the face is so pale and pastel which does not work on my medium/deep skintone but I can make both of these work. It should be noted the highlight in here is more something I would use to set my undereyes, it is not a shimmery cheekbone powder.
The essence Shape Your Face Palette in Ready Set, Peach! has the lighter bronzer of the two, it is not super warm or cool toned, and is matte. The highlight in this palette is also a matte formulation, a light creamy shade with a surprising amount of pigment. The blush is a beautiful orange with a ton of gold shimmer, no glitter. This for me would act more as a blush topper, it lacks enough pigment to be a true blush. 
The essence Shape Your Face Palette in Ready Set, Pink! has the deeper bronzer, again it's a pretty neutral shade, with a matte finish. I think the highlights in both palettes are the same, or at least there is no real notable difference. The blush in here is quite pigmented, a great vibrant pink shade with red undertones. On initial inspection I saw silver glitter (no!) but it doesn't translate on the cheeks really. 

Overall, both palettes are pretty powdery, but I don't mind that. They blend pretty well and there is good pigmentation. For my skintone, I don't think they are a complete win. I do think they are nice, especially for that low price tag. Just going to be a case of personal preference and skin tone. 


  *These products were sent for my review and some links are affiliate. 

Hard Candy Prismatic Highlighter Review

Tuesday 11 April 2017
Holographic, prismatic, duochrome ... all the rage for 2017! As you have probably noticed, the idea of looking like a unicorn goddess is sooooo hot right now. I think it is super fun, I love me a golden highlight but there is something so mesmerizing and beautiful about a transformative shade. 

Hard Candy has released a ton of new products in their 2017 collection, I have a demo and review of a bunch of items on my YouTube Channel. Included in this review is the new Hard Candy Prismatic Highlighter. This retails for around $6-$8 at Walmart, depending on if you live in Canada or the United States. Either way, super affordable, Hard Candy has stuck to their original drugstore prices unlike some brands that are really creeping up there. 
The Hard Candy Sheer Envy Prismatic Highlighter has "light reflective pearls that accentuate the high points of your face and cheekbones", it also claims to be flattering on all skin tones. I've had a hard time finding a prismatic/duochrome highlight I love, my skintone is so warm and yellow that the cooler toned duochromes just feel so odd on my skin. The tone of this seems quit purple and not too cool so I had high hopes. 
Unfortunately, this did not work out for me for a number of reasons. On my first touch,  I could tell the texture was chalky and powdery. A little powder kick up or an odd texture can however be deceiving at times once swatched on the skin or diffused with a brush. I tried a few ways to make this work, as you'll see in my video. First I used my typical highlighting brush, it just left flecks of tiny micro glitter on my cheeks and no real sheen. Secondly, I went in with a more dense brush that I use to apply really stiff highlights in the hopes of concentrating the application. This still didn't do much. Lastly, I dowsed my brush in setting spray and applied the highlight which I had basically transformed into a cream highlight at this point. For me this was the best application but still did not give me the result I was hoping for. 

For me this was a miss. It's just not what I look for in a highlight. If you have more fair skin perhaps, or don't mind some micro glitter this could be an option. Overall I found this left me with more glitter on the cheeks then a prismatic glow. 

*This product was sent for my review and some links are affiliate. 


Sephora VIB Sale Spring 2017 Dates & Recommendations

Monday 10 April 2017


Sephora VIB Sale Spring 2017 dates: 
Rouge: April 18th to 24th (15% off): ROUGESPRING
VIB April 19th to 24th (15% off): VIBSPRING 
BI April 19th to 24th (10% off): BISPRING

Earn cash back on your online Sephora purchases: 
ebates Canada: http://bit.ly/1RieOlE
ebates USA:http://bit.ly/22tX5Cu

Sephora Airbrush Foundation Review: https://youtu.be/rX3G86wMoKc
STELLAR Beauty Foundation Review: https://youtu.be/VGRg-eVMYe0
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder Review: https://youtu.be/_PDSZis-MG4
Sephora VIB Sale Fall 2016: https://youtu.be/66WdoGk9Nls
Sephora VIB Sale Haul Fall 2016: https://youtu.be/QmWxXvJV5yk
Sephora VIB Sale Spring 2016: https://youtu.be/SP1CWyTx0yg
Sephora VIB Sale Fall 2015: https://youtu.be/XzvODOEB2xs

Sephora VIB April 2017 Sale Recommendations: 
YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer: http://bit.ly/2no5wj5
Urban Decay Deslick Primer: http://bit.ly/2oBxQAc
Sephora Perfection Mist Airbrush Foundation Honey: http://bit.ly/2ieTToT
STELLAR Beauty Foundation S16: http://bit.ly/2nH4hvi
STELLAR Blush Eclipse: http://bit.ly/2nmkSRQ
STELLAR Lipstick Dark Matter: http://bit.ly/2nH8MWD
tarte Rainforest of the Sea Color Splash Lipstick: http://bit.ly/2oBxCJ9
Make Up For Ever Mist and Fix Setting Spray: http://bit.ly/2oByEoH
Make Up For Ever Artist Liquid Matte Lipstick: http://bit.ly/2nJQdPe
NARS Soft Matte Concealer: http://bit.ly/2nubb70
Dior Flash Luminizer Radiance Pen Honey: http://bit.ly/2oByD3V
Dior Addict Laquer Stick: http://bit.ly/2oByxtb
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder Deep: http://bit.ly/2oI00X0
Smashbox Covershot Palette Ablaze: http://bit.ly/2lQn83m
Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stains: http://bit.ly/2oBzSjR
Too Faced Papa Don't Peach Blush: http://bit.ly/2lZwgnm

*Some links are affiliate and products sent from PR for my review. 

MAC Next to Nothing Pressed Powder Review and Swatches

Friday 7 April 2017
 The MAC Next to Nothing Pressed Powder is the latest addition to MAC's huge offering of powder products. MAC Next to Nothing launches in North America on April 6th and Internationally on April 20th. It retails for $27 US/ $38 CAD and will be sold anywhere MAC Cosmetics is available. You can see the powder in action, I reviewed it on my YouTube Channel, I did a wear test on my oily skin! See my review of the Next to Nothing Face Colour here

"The Next to Nothing Pressed Powder offers a creamy, transformative lightweight formula for long-lasting, high comfort wear. The silky-soft texture boasts micro-light boosters that guarantee the look of radiant skin - no filters needed!"
Unlike the majority of MACs line, this follows a different shade range naming convention. There are 9 shades in the range which is quite small in comparison to the majority of MAC products. The shades available are listed below.
MAC Next Nothing Powder Shades:
MAC Next to Nothing Powder Light - pale ivory
MAC Next to Nothing Powder Light Plus - light beige
MAC Next to Nothing Powder Medium - warm beige
MAC Next to Nothing Powder Medium Plus - light tan beige
MAC Next to Nothing Powder Medium Dark - caramel beige
MAC Next to Nothing Powder Medium Deep - rich golden tan
MAC Next to Nothing Powder Dark - deep caramel
MAC Next to Nothing Powder Dark Plus - neutral tan beige
MAC Next to Nothing Powder Dark Deep - rich golden bronze
The Next to Nothing Powder is super smooth and creamy as described. A little bit of powder kick up but that doesn't bother me when the texture is spot on. It has more pigmentation/coverage than I was expecting but nothing heavy be any means. It does add some coverage to your skin, which I like in a powder. I was expecting it to be essentially translucent with a tint but that is not the case. It also somewhat mattify the foundation so if you have dry skin you may want to skip the powder, use it lightly or just in the places you want to ensure are set. Something important to note is the powder is much darker on the face than in the pan. At least with the shade Dark. In the pan I didn't think it would match me but then on my face it was almost a little too dark with a red undertone. I'm an NC 42/43 generally at MAC.

I like this powder and will continue to use it to set my makeup. I also liked it in combination with the Next to Nothing Face Colour, it gave a really nice look to my skin.  I also used the powder to set my concealer, I went a little heavy handed the first time and it was slightly cakey because I did not expect much colour. Overall, I think the line is really nice! I do however think the "Next to Nothing" claim is slightly off, it is beautiful and lightweight but not as bare in coverage as I was expecting. That being said it is not a turn off for me, it is very buildable and versatile depending on your needs.



*These products were sent for my review and some links are affiliate.

MAC Next to Nothing Face Color Review and Swatches

Wednesday 5 April 2017
mac next to nothing face color review
The MAC Next to Nothing Face Color is the latest addition to MAC's huge offering of complexion products. MAC Next to Nothing launches in North America on April 6th and Internationally on April 20th. It retails for $31 US/ $38 CAD and will be sold anywhere MAC Cosmetics is available. You can see the foundation in action, I reviewed it on my YouTube Channel, I did a wear test on my oily skin! See my review of the Next to Nothing Pressed Powder here

The packaging is very similar to other MAC foundations, you get just above the average size at 1.2 fl oz. It is is a frosted glass bottle, with a pump top that locks.

Don't forget MAC is now on ebates! Earn cash back for shopping online. 
ebates Canada: http://bit.ly/1RieOlE 
ebates USA:http://bit.ly/22tX5Cu
mac next to nothing face colour review
"Next to Nothing Face Colour's nourishing ingredients and opalescent microspheres bring out skin's luminosity whether worn under makeup or alone." The recommendation for application is a sponge or synthetic brush to moisturize and protect the skin while diminishing imperfections.

Unlike the majority of MACs line, this follows a different shade range naming convention. There are 9 shades in the range which is quite small in comparison to the majority of MAC products. The shades available are listed below. That being said it does not claim to be a typical foundation or a foundation at all for that matter.
mac next to nothing face color swatches
MAC Next to Nothing Face Color Shades: 
MAC Next to Nothing Light - pale ivory
MAC Next to Nothing Light Plus - light beige
MAC Next to Nothing Medium - warm beige
MAC Next to Nothing Medium Plus - light tan beige
MAC Next to Nothing Medium Dark - caramel beige
MAC Next to Nothing Medium Deep - rich golden tan
MAC Next to Nothing Dark - deep caramel
MAC Next to Nothing Dark Plus - neutral tan beige
MAC Next to Nothing Dark Deep - rich golden bronze
mac next to nothing face color vs studio fix fluid

On first impression, I really really enjoy the Next to Nothing Face Color. However, it doesn't really match up to all of the claims .. but that actually works in my favour. I have oily skin so the claims of radiance scared me a little but it did not melt off my face as expected. It also has a very buildable formula. It's recommended you use with a sponge or synthetic brush on dry skin. I was easily able to blend and build to a medium coverage with a dense foundation brush and the Next to Nothing Powder added even more coverage. It still looked light on my skin with a pretty natural matte finish. Because the formula is not as sheer as expected I think it should have more shades. I'm excited to use this for an even lighter coverage with a sponge. I've been loving a "No Makeup Makeup" look lately.

*These products were sent for my review. Some links are affiliate.