The World of Cream Blushes

This year, I have plunged into a different world, the world of cream blushes. 

I have a normal to oily skin combination and I was very hesitant to take the plunge, but I did and I am darn happy about it. 

READ MORE

*My January 2013 Favorites*

Already a month has gone by and here we are again with some favorites !

This month, I must admit like most of us Canadians, I needed some color to brighten up my days, with the temperature being so up and down, I needed a lift me up.
 

 

Face : 

First and foremost, to fight the gloomy days, I got so attached to this foundation, which is a drugstore foundation, the new L'Oréal True Match Lumi. I am an oily t-zone skin type gal and this foundation really worked for me. I powder my t-zone with some translucent powder and I am good for the day. This foundation really brightens up your face and creates a certain je-ne-sais-quoi that makes you glow all day !

The NARS Laguna Bronzer, a cult classic. This bronzer is very talked about by all the beauty blogosphere, but you definitely cannot go wrong, it fits most skin tones and the slight slight shimmer really enhances your face.

Oh Dior, Dior, Dior ! How can you fail me ! After falling in love with the Dior Amber Diamond, I just had to get my hands on the Dior Rose Diamond highlighter. The pink tint to this illuminating powder permits you to use it as a blush, to create the perfect flushed look.

I cannot talk enough about the Real Techniques brushes and this month the Real Techniques blush brush has been a favorite of mine. I do not find this brush useful for applying blush because the denser tip applies too much product, but for bronzer, its a whole other story ! The longer tip and shorter ends helps you blend your bronzer to perfection.

Last but not least for the face, I caved and after all the commotion around this product, I got my hands on the MAC MSF in Stereo Rose. A MAC MSF is usually used for highlighting purposes, but in this case, this product makes for a perfect blush.

 

Eyes :

Secondly, with the winter months, come the dark circles. Well, last month I decided to venture out in the world of corrector's and visited the Armani counter at my Holt Renfrew. The makeup artist tried the Armani Master Corrector in #2 on me and it was a done deal. Don't get me wrong, I love my Bobbi Brown corrector, but my under eyes were beginning to be a bit too dry and the cream texture was clinging on the dry bits. So, I conclude that the Bobbi Brown is perfect for the summer months and the Armani Master Corrector is prime for those dry winter months.

In conjunction with the Armani Corrector, I started lining my lower lash line with the MAC Chromographic nude liner in NW25/NC30. A nude liner will automatically light up your eyes and delete the redness you can get on those harsh  morning ! I honestly never thought it would make a difference, but it really brightens up your eyes and enhances your eye makeup.

Finally, I shaped my love for MAC and plunged in their eyeshadow world. I got myself a quad and filled it up with the following eyeshadows in linear order : All that glitters - Soba - Woodwinked - Patina.  No need to deliberate on this, you all know how MAC eyeshadows are, if you need a specific color, you will find it at MAC.

 

I hope you enjoyed my favorites, let me know yours !!!

 

Have a good week xox

 

K

READ MORE

Top 12 Products of 2012

I really wanted to share with you the Top 12 products that I picked up this year and that stuck to my routine and simply just amazed me.

Here is the gang !

From Left to Right :

1- Caudalie Beauty Elixir                                           7 - LaRochePosay Effaclar K
2- Clarisonic Mia                                                        8- Bioderma Eau Micellaire
3- EllandEmm Jewelry                                               9- Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer
4- Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant              10- Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
5- Real Techniques Brushes                                      11- Shu Uemura Eyelash curler
6- Shisheido Cotton Pads                                          12- Maybelline LineStiletto Black Liner

I picked up all these products in 2012 and they just stuck to the group and I use them on a daily basis, if you want in depth details on these products let me know and comment below !

Enjoy !

K

READ MORE

*April Favorites*

May is already here, where did the time go by.......

I've decided to share with you my monthly favorites at the end of each month, consisting of beauty products, makeup, accessories and clothing items.

It's basically everything I was obsessed with within the month - something I used everyday and couldn't get enough of.

So for the month of April, my obsessions are mostly beauty products and makeup items.

From left to right :

1- Bioderma Sensibio H2O solution micellaire : I cannot rave enough about this product, I was never the kind of girl that would use a makeup remover, I would wipe my face with cleansing cloths and afterwards, wash my face with cleanser. But oh no ! This baby changed my routine completely, it was a makeup remover with a water-base, hence the fact that it looks exactly like water in the bottle. This product is made for sensitive skin, it does not sting your eyes (which is key for me !) and removes all sorts of smokey eyes. It did not break me out and it is alcohol-free, fragrance-free and parabens-free. Bioderma banked the big bucks with this product, it's been talked about all over the beauty community.

2- Effaclar K LaRochePosay : If you know me, you will know I am a sold LaRochePosay customer. I am one to think that if you want to change your skin routine, you need to grab something that is dermatologically tested and recommended by dermatologists. This product changed the texture of my skin, it is targeted for people with oily skin with imperfections and is described to correct and transform the skin's surface with a principle of micro-exfoliation. This blabber means that the ingredients present in this cream will exfoliate your skin throughout the day and remove all the excess sebum and dry skin that can cause little acne appearances.

3- Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser : This brand is my new favorite discovery, they make a wide range of products that are all made with natural ingredients and are parabens free. This cleanser really reduced my shine and the appearance of my pores, I use it in conjunction with my Clarisonic Mia (review to come) and I really enjoy the effect it has on my skin. In general, this brand is a brand to look into, they make various products from serums to eye creams and are very well renowned for their natural ingredients policy.

4- NARS Laguna Bronzer : This bronzer is not matte, it has a bit of shine but the perfect shine to enhance your blush. I had bought this product back in october and had put it down for a while, but this month I took it out again and couldn't put it down. It gives a perfect bronzed glow without making you look like a disco ball.

5- Caudalie Beauty Elixir : I will  not start to blabber about this product, because it is my all time favorite discovery of life (review comming soon). I will only tell you that this product is worth trying, but first you should go check out the smell, because it has a distinctive smell which does not please everybody. I use this Beauty Elixir all the time, before makeup, after makeup as a setting spray, before bed, and throughout the day to freshen up.

6- Bobbi Brown corrector : I could not put this product down, I wanted to keep it only for days that I felt a train ran me over and my dark circles were very present, but I just can't. I just can't. Please check out the review here.

7- NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer : I use this product almost everyday and I've really enjoyed the glowy effect it gives my skin. I am very happy I made the decision to purchase the full size product. Check out the full review here.

8- Real Techniques Buffing Brush : I don't know where to start to explain that you do not need any other brush in your collection than these Real Techniques brushes, they beat MAC brushes by FAR and are sooooo affordable. This brush is the perfect tool for the tinted moisturizer/foundation/mineral powder type of girl. You truly do not know what you are msising. Check out the review here.

I know this post is a long one, but I really wanted to describe why I love these products, so you can get an idea of their benefits if you want to go and purchase them.

Enjoy the month of May !

K

READ MORE

Review : Real Techniques Brushes

A couple of months ago I was on a mission to find the perfect brushes, I browsed the MAC counter, the Sephora collection and I finally found my answer on You Tube.

I found the best - quality brushes - and with an even better price that won’t break the bank, the Real Techniques brushes by Samantha Chapman.

Samantha Chapman is actually a makeup artist that has a channel on You Tube named Pixiwoo where she teaches different makeup tutorials. She teamed up with the Real Techniques company to offer the ladies affordable and good quality brushes that give a high-definition effect. The Real Techniques brushes range from foundation brushes to blush brush to eye precision brushes.

My first thought was : Are these made with synthetic hair ? As many of you don’t know, synthetic hair does not shed, or barely sheds compared to natural hair brushes such as the ones sold at MAC cosmetics. It’s kind of ironic because you pay an arm and a leg for a MAC brush and you end up finding parts of it on your makeup or on your face. Then and there, Real Techniques was an obvious choice for me.

The first pack of Real Techniques brushes that I ordered is the Core Collection. The Core Collection consists of 4 brushes : the buffing brush, the foundation brush, the contour brush and the detailer brush.

To be honest I ordered this collection for the buffing brush only. This brush is pure gold, it blends everything perfectly from your tinted moisturizer to your foundation to your mineral powder, and it’s a must for your collection. You may find this funny but it certainly also minimizes the time you allow to fixing your face in the morning, which means, you can hit the snooze button more often !!!

These brushes are not available in Canada just yet, but you can always place an order on Amazon.com or on Ebay,  The price differs from the sellers on Amazon and on Ebay but the Core Collection retails between 17.99$ to 19.99$ US dollars.

A bargain for what you get !

K

READ MORE