This week I’m going to share with you a product I recently bought and instantly fell in love with: The Fenty Beauty Contour Stick!
I was honestly a bit on the fence about this product when I bought it — not only had I not contoured in years, I had never used cream contour. I was rather daunted by it, and super uninformed. I thought that the matte look of this product wasn’t what I was looking for, as I’m not a huge fan of matte skin products. (Or matte anything, really. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know how down I am for glowy, dewey looks).
However, this product turned out to be just what I was looking for! It contours beautifully — it has a great cool shade that mimics shadows naturally and doesn’t come off looking too orange or grey. I do find it a bit challenging to blend into my foundation with a blender, but so long as i touch up my foundation on top there’s no issues whatsoever.
If you feel daunted by how dark the shade is, don’t be! I was too at first, as I am incredibly pale. However, this product still looks natural on me and would certainly look fantastic on darker skin tones as well.
So for the first time in years, I’m finally able to create a sharp, contoured look for myself; my features look SO sharp and I get to avoid any fake-contour lines and blending errors. If you’re looking to try a creme stick to sculpt out your features, look no further!
If this sounds like the product for you, be sure to check it out at Sephora here!
Okay so a little disclaimer, this was the post I had intended to make last week. I had it completely written out and everything, but hadn’t scheduled it, and was too busy at work to post it. I know it’s probably a little weird to post this in this context since obviously it’s no longer my birthday, but I still wanted to share! So without further ado, enjoy!
For this week I wanted to choose a very special product, because for me it’s a very special Tuesday — today is my 23rd birthday! I really wanted to share with you guys my all time favourite product, so I really put a lot of thought into what I would share with you guys this week. After a while, I started to realize that it was waaaaay too hard to find the perfect product, especially since I’m committed to only sharing the best with you guys, so really all of these products are special.
Around the time that I was writing this post, I shared a poll on my twitter account asking my followers which makeup product they could absolutely not live without. For me, it was easy — while I do LOVE highlighter with all my heart, I cannot go out feeling as I’m looking my best without lashes. I’ve tried many mascaras in my lifetime, but none of them blew me away to the extent that I felt that I could go without lashes. For me, falsies are the most important step to creating a polished, finished makeup look.
So this week, I’ll be sharing one of my all-time fave lash brands with you — Lilly Lashes! As you guys may remember from my last Tuesday Favourite lash post, I generally like a more natural look to my falsies. While the Sephora lashes look 100% natural, these lashes certainly look a lot more extreme — which can be exactly what you need for certain makeup looks.
I love pairing these especially with winged eyeliner, as it not only keeps the lashes from looking too extreme, but the lashes themselves are long enough you can still see them perfectly from a distance, even with heavy liner. They make a great bold look, and pair especially well with heavier makeup looks. (Edit: I ended up wearing these on my birthday and got endless comments from my coworkers about how fabulous they looked, so they really are fantastic!).
So, if the natural look isn’t really your thing, or you’re looking to try something a little more bold, give these lashes a shot! Not only are they beautiful, but they last forever so long as you care for them properly.
If you want to check this product out, you can find it on Sephora here!
I am super excited to share today’s post with you all! For the first time ever, I decided to try out some of Kylie Cosmetic’s products (finally, I know) and have a review of everything I’ve tried to share!
I’ve been wanting to try Kylie Cosmetics, no joke, since she launched her first six lip kits. However, I’ve always been a little hesitant to buy makeup without seeing it in person first. This sense of doubt was only furthered for me when my best friend purchased three lip kits and let me try them, and none of the ones I had wanted to purchase looked anything like I thought they would, nor did they suit me at all.
Kylie Cosmetics Purchases
For years since, I’ve just watched Kylie’s stories testing out her new products, completely enamoured but too nervous to purchase anything and have it not suit me at all. However, since then I’ve had more luck with online products so when she released her 22nd birthday collection I figured it was time to give it a shot!
For my first purchase, I chose the Kylie’s Vacation Essentials collection off of this year’s birthday line, as well as some lip products and a liquid eyeshadow. Keep on reading to hear what I loved and my overall thoughts! Also, you can check out the bundle here!
First of all, I’m in love with the colour scheme of this palette. The pink/green/brown look is just SO pretty, and I’ve been really into the green/pink/neon trend with makeup lately. When it comes to the individual shadows, however, some are certainly better than others. The “foil” shadows (like “Birthday Queen” and “Twenty Two”) swatch so beautifully, but do not pick up at all on a brush and come off in chunks. However; I’m super in love with a lot of the shimmer shades like “Ballin’ Bae” and “Goal Setter.” Plus, the matte shades are fantastic — so I’d still consider this palette a win.
This product is SO fantastic for anyone who’s ever wanted to wear body highlighter but doesn’t want to deal with it potentially transferring everywhere. Most body highlighters come in a liquid formula, which I’ve always shied away from out of fear of it rubbing off all over my clothes, or having it be too pigmented and just end up looking a little crazy. This highlighter is perfect in every way, as I worry less with powder and transfer and the glow is enough to be noticeable, but not too glittery or intense that it looks strange. 10/10, definitely a win in my books.
Okay, I won’t lie, I’m a little perplexed by this product. When I saw it on Kylie’s stories, it seemed pretty cool, but IRL it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me yet. The consistency is pretty thin, but it’s not quite as fluid as other liquid highlight products, such as CoverFX’s Custom Enhancer Drops. I’m a little hesitant to put this on top of makeup as I usually go for powder bronzer and blush, but it seems like it could be useful to mix in with/apply under foundation, or to use as a body highlighter. The colour is absolutely stunning too, it looks a lot nicer on than it does in the package — which is also admittedly a pretty strange was to contain liquid highlighter (but oh well).
This is a great product for a night out look. The lip kit was a little darker than I was expecting, and doesn’t suit me too well for a day to day look, but would look amazing paired with a smoky eye. I love that it’s not super matte either, as I’m not a fan of matte lipstick personally, however I do find it strange how it doesn’t seem to dry entirely — I was a little worried about smudging it at first, but I made it through the day without any problems. Also, the lip liner is FANTASTIC — I love the consistency, it’s so easy to apply (which is great for me as I’ve only been experimenting with over-lining my lips for the last month or so). I’d definitely love to try this product out in different colours!
I hate to say it, but don’t waste your money on this product. I was so excited to try this product, since as you all know I love liquid eyeshadow. However, I could tell straight away when I received this product that something wasn’t right. Maybe I received a faulty product, but the tube was only 75% full, and when I swatched it I was able to remove it with just water in seconds. When I got around to trying it, the colour was SO BEAUTIFUL, but it applied patchily before taking minutes to dry. Once it did dry, to my horror, it began flaking off like CRAZY. By the time I finished my eyeshadow look, all of this product had flaked off my eyes. If anyone’s had a better experience with this product, let me know! I love liquid eyeshadow and am really disappointed by how poor the quality was compared to the other products I’ve tried.
My only problem with this lipstick is I didn’t purchase it sooner! It’s such a pretty shade, and absolutely perfect for summer. I don’t usually love how coral tones look on me, but I felt compelled to try this one. The amount of glitter this product packs is INSANE, making it a great lipstick or topcoat if you’re looking to add some extra shine to your lips. The coral shade actually looks great on me as well, which is a first. I’d definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a super glittery coral lip!
Anyone who knows me knows I love lip gloss. Lipstick is great, but I’m really not a fan of the matte look on me so I’ve been shying away from it a little over the past few years and embracing the glossy look (thank god it’s coming back in style!). The Kylie High Glosses are AMAZING. I’ve only just tried them but I’m already dying to try more. This glittery gloss is a great top coat over a lip liner and the colour is just so pretty. Unlike so many other glosses, it doesn’t absorb into the skin around your lips and can keep a clean, sharp edge. Plus it’s super long-lasting, and manages to survive for hours even through my busy work shifts.
As I already said above, I adore these glosses. This gloss, however, is so unlike any other matte gloss I’ve tried — the colour is really pigmented, and actually gives a solid, non-sheer colour impact as if you’re wearing lip gloss on top on a liquid lip. Plus, these glosses are SO SOFT. They feel amazing, they look amazing, they’re high quality — need I say anymore?
So there you have it, my first Kylie Cosmetics makeup haul! Overall I’d say these products are pretty worth it — many of them are less expensive than brands I usually buy, which was fantastic to realize. While some of the products I would not repurchase, such as the Jelly Kylighter or the Glitter Eyes, I’ll definitely be going back for more lip products and eyeshadows in the future. Overall, I’d give this haul a 7/10 — 10/10 for the lip products, but unfortunately not all the products were quite as high quality.
Have you tried any Kylie Cosmetic products? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear what you liked and what you didn’t! If you’ve loved any of her products I didn’t try, let me know so I can add them to my next haul!
So, to start off, I’d figured I’d give a little life update — after a couple of the most hectic weeks of my life, I’m finally moved into my new apartment! I’m far from being done and probably have a few more crazy weeks ahead, but after that things should hopefully settle down. However, I’ve survived it all so far so cheers to that!
Now, onto today’s blog (which I am so excited to share) — unboxing my fall FabFitFun box! These boxes are absolutely my favourite thing in the world, I look forward to the start of each new season just to see what’s inside. Not only is every product I’ve received so far amazing; I swear FabFitFun knows what I need in my life before I do.
In this particular box, I received so many items I had just run out of/was looking to go purchase, so needless to say especially with the move this makes my life A LOT easier right now. Keep reading to see what I received in this season’s box!
Amika Strand Perfect Ceramic Straighter
Ceramic Straightener by Amika
This is the PERFECT example of FabFitFun seemingly knowing my needs before I do. For years, I’ve only had a cheap old drugstore straightener which did a terrible job of straightening my hair. It felt damaging, caught and tore my strands as I used it and took forever to use even on the highest setting — and my hair is naturally pretty straight. I am SO excited to give this fancy new straightener a go — maybe I’ll even be able to master flat iron curls!
Twine Cheese Board And Plate
Twine Cheese Board
This plate is so cute and perfect for if you ever have guests over! It’s incredibly high-quality and looks super classy for wine nights with your girls. It is 100% what I was looking for in terms of kitchen gear and I cannot WAIT to get some use out of it!
Cosmedix Pure C
Cosmedix Pure C
I cannot wait to give this stuff a try! It seems like such a simple way to add some extra Vitamin C to your skincare regimen. Simply add the powder to your serum or moisturizer, and it adds a boost of Vitamin C to your skin! Cosmedix is a fantastic brand as well — we carried it at the spa I used to work at and the whole line is incredibly high-quality. So while I haven’t tested this one out yet, I know I’ll be in for a treat when I do.
AfterSpa Hair Towel Wrap
AfterSpa Hair Towel Wrap
Yet another great example of FabFitFun having my back — this hair towel is SO cute and just what I needed! I’ve had the same cheap towels since I first moved to Vancouver, and over the years they’ve began to fall apart. Moving seemed like the perfect time to replace them, but now I’ve been saved a trip. I’ve had a towel in this style before; it’s designed to fit over the back of your head, wrap up your hair and then fastens with a button to keep it all together. While I haven’t had one of these since high school, these towels are amazing for your hair — they’re comfortable and convenient. Onto of that, the towel fabric is clearly high quality AND it’s pink! So cute!
Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks
Wander Beauty Eye Masks
FabFitFun has introduced me to a whole bunch of amazing eye masks since I started receiving their boxes — but these are my favourites so far. They’re packed with all sorts of amazing ingredients, including hyaluronic acid. Within one use, I already noticed a significant change in my dark circles and eye area. You guys already know how much I struggle with my under-eye area, but these actually seemed to fix up all sorts of issues in just minutes. Plus, they’re super cute so when I had a surprise guest it wasn’t even embarrassing to be seen wearing them!
Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair
Aveda Damage Ready Daily Hair Repair
Again, an example of FabFitFun knowing my needs. I had just ran out of my beloved Ryo hair mask, but this one arrived just in time for me to have to go mask-less. After one use alone I have to say, I’m pretty sold on this stuff. At first, the idea of leave-in treatment had me a little stressed — it sounded like something that would just leave my hair oily and gross. However, this stuff is non-coating and light, and I couldn’t believe how fantastic my hair felt after use.
Human + Kind Body Soufflé
Human + Kind Body Soufflé
While I haven’t had a chance to give this product a try, I’m beyond excited to! The ingredients in this moisturizer sound lovely, and I love a nice, light body cream — I’m really not a fan of heavier stuff as it often lingers and leaves a residue on my skin. I just used up the last cream I received in a FabFitFun box and it was one of the best products I’d ever tried, so I can’t wait to give this one a shot!
Harper + Ari Exfoliating Sugar Cubes in Juice Cleanse
Harper + Ari Exfoliating Sugar Cubes
The last item in my box — these exfoliating sugar cubes — are just another example of FabFitFun knowing exactly what I need. (See what I mean now? Out of seven products, four of them filled a direct need I’ve been having lately. I don’t know how they do it, but I’m impressed!). As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of exfoliating, however I just ran out of my Herbivore exfoliator and haven’t had the time to purchase a new one. These cubes are pretty cool — while I’ll admit I probably wouldn’t repurchase them myself, they’re small and make it easy to ensure you don’t overuse and waste product. They smell amazing and are packed full of ingredients to leave your skin moisturized. While I’m still pretty married to the Herbivore Amethyst exfoliator, this is certainly better than many other products I’ve tried and would definitely recommend it!
And that’s it for this season’s box! I love these boxes so much, not only do they introduce me to so many amazing products and brands, but they’re like a little gift to myself every three months. On top of all the amazing products they sent me, they come packed with all sorts of other little goodies such as gift cards, free boxes to send to your friends, and a magazine detailing all the products in your box! All in all, you get your money’s worth so many times over with these boxes as so many of these products are full-sized and quite expensive to purchase. I’m already beyond excited for next seasons box — my only complaint is that I have to wait three whole months to see it!
As promised last week, here’s my Sephora wishlist. Currently, all the products I’ve had my eye on are either clean skin care (since you all know skin care is about 75% of my beauty routine) and eyeshadows.
I’m not always one to branch out in terms of new products — if I love something I tend to repurchase it until the end of time. Honestly, If I had endless money to justify having like, 15 different bronzers, blushes, highlighters and foundations God knows I would — but I’d probably end up sticking to the same products for daily use anyways.
However, there’s some products that I find having a range has more of an impact — you know, things where colour comes a lot more into play such as lip products and eyeshadow. While I buy new lip products a lot more spontaneously, eyeshadow is a much bigger commitment for me — it’s so expensive and I don’t do crazy eyeshadow looks all that often, so it has to be worthwhile.
Anyways, enough with my rambling — here’s all the clean beauty and eyeshadow at Sephora I’m dying to try!
Neon Obsessions Palette in Pink
Credit: Sephora.com
Okay, I’m really not one for crazy eye shadow looks — as much as I adore them, I find they often are challenging to execute (especially if I’m running late) and often look not so great on me. Even when I do experiment with eyeshadow, I usually stick to smoky or gold tones. That being said — this palette is GORGEOUS. If I ever was going to go totally crazy with colours, I’d definitely go for neon — and I love the shades in this palette. Even the two other colours in green and orange I’d be down to give a try. Plus I’ve owned some of the Huda Obsessions Palettes before (in Smoky, Topaz and Sapphire) and the pigment and quality of these shadows are amazing, don’t let their small size deter you. Find it at Sephora here!
Pat McGrath Labs Eyeshadow Palettes
Credit: Sephora.com
Okay, I’ve been dying to try out some of Pat McGrath Labs products since, like, forever. I’ve swatched a couple of their products at Sephora every so often and they are absolutely to die for. Seriously, everything from this line is just about the most high-quality product I’ve ever seen. However, at $170 per eyeshadow palette, it’s definitely a bit of a commitment. Fingers crossed I’ll get the chance to test some of these out soon, though. Find them at Sephora here!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow Palette in Soft Glam
Credit: @loveofburgundy Instagram
If you’ve been following me for a while you’ll already know I absolutely love ABH. I’ve tried out so many of their products and honestly? I’ve yet to find one I didn’t like. I’ve already tried out a number of their eyeshadow products in the past, but I’m dying to get my hands on the soft glam palette. I think the colours are just gorgeous, and have been super inspired by my long-time friend Erin to try out more of their eyeshadow collections. (BTW, you should go check her out! Her instagram is @loveofburgundy and it’s absolutely fabulous). Also, be sure to check out the product at Sephora here!
Like, Everything By Herbivore
Credit: @herbivorebotanicals IG
Herbivore is a brand that I’ve only recently been introduced to but absolutely ADORE. I haven’t yet gotten the chance to test out any of their facial products, but I have countless on my list for when I finally get the chance. In particular, I’m hoping to test out their facial oils — I love their whole “mix and match” concept. The Bakuchiol Retinol Alternative definitely has my eye as I haven’t tested out Retinol-based products in my skincare routine yet. As well, I’m certainly looking to give the Lapis Balancing Facial Oil, Phoenix Cell Regeneration Oil, and Orchid Youth-Preserving Oil a try! You can certainly count on me testing these out soon and I’ll absolutely update when I do.
Biossance Squalene + Marine Algae Eye Cream
Credit: Sephora.com
I really didn’t want to name an entire brand I’ve been hoping to try but let’s face it, I’d love to test out everything at Biossance as well. You guys already know I’m crazy about this brand and have seen amazing results from their products, particularly their Squalene + Vitamin C Rose Oil. However, as I’ve totally mentioned before, my under-eye bags have always been a huge concern of mine. While I’m currently loving the Dr. Brandt No More Baggage gel, I’d love to test this product out as well. Plus, Biossance has their own Phyto-Retinol Serum that I’d love to try as well — also featuring Bakuchiol which is supposed to reduce irritation. Check out the eye cream at Sephora here!
Have you tried out any of these products? If so, drop a comment below and let me know what you thought! If you guys have any products you love or are dying to try drop me a message since I’m always looking for new suggestions (as if my list of products to try wasn’t already long enough!).
Sincerely, Meredith 