Tag: favourites

Thursday Favourites: November 28th

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Tarte Creaseless Concealer

Happy Thursday everyone!!

Hope you’ve all been having a great week! Personally, I’m super excited about today — it officially marks 24 days until I’m off to Toronto for the start of my winter holidays! Which, most importantly, means I’m starting my advent calendar!!! This year, instead of counting down until Christmas, I’m counting down the days until my vacation — both because I’m so excited for it and because it seems a little silly to waste valuable suitcase space carrying it around for the four days before Christmas.

This is so off topic but I just wanted to show you how cute this advent calendar is!!! While I do love coffee a whole lot, if I had to choose, I would pick tea over coffee any day. I’m just loving this David’s Tea advent calendar, both because I get to test out 24 new flavours AND count down the days until my winter getaway! I love getting David’s Tea packages like this, since it allows me to test such a wide range of their endless flavours. If you’re feeling inspired to forgo daily chocolates this year, you still have a few days before December starts to grab a calendar of your own! (You can check them out online at David’s Tea here!)

Anyways, back to the star of today’s Favourites post — the Tarte Creaseless Concealer! Okay, I know I promised this post so, so long ago, but it’s finally here! (Better late than never, right?). I’ve gone through a whole lot of concealer brands in my lifetime, and every time I swore I had found the best brand ever and I’d never switch. However, this time around I’m actually serious about it.

Tarte is incredibly well known for their concealers, especially their Shape Tape concealer — which surprisingly, I’ve never tried. (I’m probably going to at some point, since it’s Tarte’s most popular concealer. I just love their Creaseless Concealer so much I don’t feel the need to waste money on any other concealer products — but we’ll see). However, I can vouch for the fact they’re considered “America’s Number One Concealer Brand” for good reason — this stuff is unreal. As much as NARS is one of my all-time favourite brands, I resorted to buying their concealer (once a go-to for me) a few months ago when Tarte was fresh out of stock, and the difference was insane. (NARS does have great concealer, for the record — it’s just that Tarte’s concealers are REALLY next level).

This concealer, while rather thick, is incredibly lightweight. It covers absolutely ANY blemish or discolouration with a single coat, and it really lasts. They aren’t joking about it being creaseless, either — I know I’ve complained about my naturally dark and baggy under eye area countless times on my blog, but I’ve never found a product that conceals them as seamlessly as this one does. Plus it blends fantastically — I often use tinted moisturizer instead of foundation, and even though my concealer is so much thicker in consistency it blends flawlessly.

If you’re worried about having a very textured under eye area — don’t worry, I struggle with this too. This concealer does do a good job of concealing textured areas, and certainly doesn’t define them as some products can often do. Basically, this stuff is magic — I don’t even know how else to put it.

If this sounds like the perfect concealer for you, check it out on Tarte or at Sephora!

I hope you’re all having a fantastic week! Be sure to stay tuned for the second part of my Holiday Gift Guide series coming this Sunday. I’m so excited about this weeks theme, I can’t wait to share it with y’all!

Xo,

Meredith

Thursday Favourites: November 21st

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Sephora Clean Up Nice Brush Cleaner Spray and Vera Mona Colour Switcher

Hey y’all!

A quick little update first — since my Tarte Custom Kit already arrived, I figured I would share my post on it this Saturday, instead of two posts on Sunday like I initially planned. I don’t want to overwhelm y’all with too much content, or have either of them get lost in the mix, so I’m spacing them out a little! Sooooo, be sure to check back in Saturday AND Sunday this weekend for some exciting new content!

This week I figured I’d share another post on how to maintain your brushes. Last week, I discussed my new favourite brush cleaner, but what about maintaining your brushes in between cleanings?

For this, I have two favourite products — one to keep your brushes clean and disinfected, and one to help remove excess pigment between colour switches.

First of all, consider where you keep your brushes. If you’re lucky enough to have a desk or vanity like I used to, maybe this isn’t AS big of a problem for you. However, if you’re like me, and do your makeup in the bathroom — consider how dirty your brushes may get daily. Bathrooms, no matter how clean your keep them, are FULL of all kinds of nasty bacteria and germs. Doesn’t sound like something you want to be rubbing into your face (and eyes! Yikes!) on the daily.

A quick and easy solution I’ve found to this is Sephora’s Clean Up Nice Antibacterial Spray. I spray this product on my brushes daily, whether I’ve used them or not. This helps to ensure your brushes are nice and clean — free of any harmful bacteria that may be causing you to break out, or worse. All it takes is thirty seconds of your time, and you know your brushes are perfect and fresh every time you use them!

Another problem I’m sure many of us have encountered is when you’re trying to create a bold eyeshadow look, only to find you need to reuse a brush you JUST coated in a completely different colour. For this, I’ve recently began using the Sephora Collection Color Switch By Vera Mona Brush Cleaner Mini. Rather than rubbing off access powder somewhere you shouldn’t, you can just rub your brush around this little sponge, and it’ll do all the work for you. If nothing else, it’s certainly a lot less damaging than scrubbing your brushes into paper towels constantly.

Between these two products, and the Sephora Solid Brush Cleaner I discussed last week (or whichever product of your choice!), you’ll be good to go with sparkly clean brushes every day! No more worrying about harmful bacteria or struggling with breakouts. You’re brushes will look and feel good as new.

If these sound like products you’ve been needing in your life, be sure to check out Sephora’s Clean Up Nice Antibacterial Spray here, as well as their Color Switch Brush Cleaner Mini here!

Hope you’ve all been having an amazing week so far! Be sure to check back in this weekend for BOTH my Tarte Custom Makeup Kit Unboxing and the first part of my upcoming Holiday segment. I hope you’re all as excited as I am to share them with you!

Love,

Meredith

Thursday Favourites: November 14th

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Sephora Solid Clean: Solid Brush Cleaner

Happy Thursday everyone!

I think it’s almost universally true that most people hate washing their makeup brushes. It’s time-consuming and can be difficult, depending on what product you use. A few years back, someone told me the best, cheapest and easiest product to use was plain old Dove body wash — a hack I stuck to for years. Well, yes, it did a fine job of washing my brushes, there was a whole lot of downsides. The main one was it was difficult to use — I ended up making SUCH a mess every time I had to clean my brushes. On top of that, it never seemed to do any damage to my brushes, but it’s not a product meant for them — so who knows how much help and harm it was really doing.

Honestly, it made cleaning my brushes a challenge and turned it into a chore I often avoided — which, as we all know, is bad for your skin, brushes, and makeup application. After years of using this product, I’d finally had enough — so I logged onto Sephora and started doing some research.

There are legitimately endless products on Sephora’s online store meant to wash brushes — it was a little overwhelming, honestly. Not only does the Sephora line carry all sorts of products, but there’s other lines as well — and products such as those electronic brush cleaners, silicone brush cleaning pads, and more.

After reading through what felt like endless reviews, I settled on buying Sephora’s solid brush cleaner. It seemed to have the best reviews, price (it’s only $10.50!), and came with it’s own little silicone washing pad — which was a huge bonus. The idea of brush cleaner being solid was a little foreign to me, but I still decided to give it a shot.

Maybe it’s just because I spent years cleaning my brushes without the proper products, but this brush cleaner makes my life SO much easier. From the moment I started using it, I was sold. It’s incredibly easy, fast, clean, and honestly — it’s even kind of fun. This product seriously cleans your brushes in seconds, with minimal mess as it comes in a container to help keep from getting water all over your counter.

On top of that, the Argan Oil in this cleanser help to condition your brushes, which left them feeling soft and fresh. There was no residue left on my brushes whatsoever — it left them feeling good as new for the first time in years. (Plus, it’s formulated without parabens, sulfates, and phthalates which is huge plus!)

If this sounds like the brush cleaner you’ve been needing in your life, be sure to check it out at Sephora here!

I hope you’re all having an amazing week! Just one more day left until the weekend, hang in there.

Much love,

Meredith

Thursday Favourites: November 7th

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Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara and Tarte Light, Camera, Lashes! 4-in-1 Mascara

Happy Thursday everyone!

One thing I’ll admit may be a bit weird about my makeup habits is that I cycle through mascaras. I have three favourites, but I never purchase the same one after I’ve just used it up — and I kind of just decide based on what I like about each one and my needs when I’m repurchasing. I do branch out every so often, but honestly I always find myself regretting it. I’m going to share a post on my other favourite (waterproof) mascara in the near future — but this week, I’m going to be discussing the Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara by Dior and Tarte’s Lights Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara.

I’m hoping that by comparing these two products, not only can I show you what exactly it is about them that’s so great, but also how they differ. With mascaras, although it can be clear when they’re either good or bad, it can sometimes be hard to differentiate much past that. However, when you compare two products side by side, the differences become a lot clearer.

First off, I’ll be discussing the last mascara I used — Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes. First off, the benefits: Tarte notes on their Sephora page that this mascara “This product is ophthalmologist and dermatologist-tested, safe for contact lens wearers, hypoallergenic, vegan, and formulated without mineral oil, triclosan, and gluten,” — which is already off to a great start.

This product, additionally, is both fantastic for volumizing and lengthening lashes. This mascara makes my lashes look incredibly long and thick — making this the perfect mascara for when you’re not wearing lashes. One of my favourite features is that it also conditions your lashes — so it helps keep them healthy and grow them out longer. (Seriously, I notice my lashes get longer when I use this product!).

My other favourite mascara is the Diorshow Iconic Overcurl. This product is fantastic for incredibly natural, curled lashes — and never clumps up. On the Sephora page, Dior notes that in market research users noticed 31-53% increase in volume and 33-111% increase in curl in their lashes with use. However, what I love best about this mascara is how completely natural it looks. Honestly, its as if you woke up with perfect lashes and didn’t apply mascara at all.

In terms of which one I go for upon repurchasing mascara, I personally find that Tarte’s product is better for when my lashes are a little sparse, in need of growing out and adding on all the extra volume I could ever ask for from a mascara. Dior, on the other hand, is best particularly for when my lashes are already looking healthy.

As well, Dior is FANTASTIC for applying with false lashes, as it doesn’t ever clump up or make your lashes look too thick. I find that this really helps with keeping false lashes looking fresh, natural, and blended with your real lashes. After all, the goal with false lashes is to have them look as real as possible!

Overall, both of these products are just amazing and I’ve sworn by them for years now. If you’re looking for lots of volume, lengthening, and soft, healthy lashes — check out Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara here! If natural, long and curled lashes are what you need right now, check out Dior’s Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara here!

I hope you’re all having a great week! Tune in this Sunday to hear all about my trip home to Toronto, and next Thursday for my latest product review!

Much love,

Meredith

Thursday Favourites: Halloween Edition!

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Best Halloween Makeup

Hey y’all!

This week I’m taking this post in a bit of a different direction — as it’s Halloween, I want to discuss ALL my favourite costume makeup! I’ve always had a bit of a love/hate relationship with crazy coloured makeup; I’m always so drawn to it when I see it in stores, but seldom buy any because I know I’m not going to have a lot of opportunities to wear it.

While I’m trying to branch out a bit, I almost never wear anything other than neutral, peach, smoky or gold eyeshadows save for Halloween, costume parties and music festivals. Still, it’s hard not to be tempted by bright bold palettes and shimmery duo-chrome eyeshadows every time you set foot in Sephora.

So, this week I wanted to share with you guys all the craziest coloured makeup I’ve ever bought that I consider to be the best of the best! That way, if you’re looking for a last minute palette to help create tonights look, or just LOVE crazy coloured makeup looks and are looking for something new, hopefully you’ll be able to find something for you from my list!

NYX Ultimate Brights Palette

NYX Ultimate Brights Palette

One of the biggest problems with colourful makeup is it’s hard to find a palette that covers the whole spectrum of colours without breaking the bank. It’s important to have something that covers every colour you’d ever need to ensure you can always blend out any look accurately. However, it seems wasteful to drop a whole lot of money building a palette of individual pots for this, as well, many colourful palettes offered at Sephora are expensive and only cover a certain range. This palette is AMAZING because it has so many colour options, as well as having an affordable price. The colours are bright and beautiful — they aren’t the most pigmented, but blend fairly well and can build up to look as bright as you need them to. If you’re looking for a good basic colour palette to cover all your needs, be sure to check this one out!

Check out this product here!

Huda Beauty Neon Obsessions Palettes

Huda Beauty Neon Obsession Palettes in Pink and Green

Okay. I am OBSESSED with these palettes (Get it?). Seriously though, even though I had no need to buy these, I knew I had to get my hands on them the moment I saw them. Huda Beauty eyeshadows are so smooth and pigmented, they blend flawlessly and always look fantastic. These neon palettes come perfectly fitted with colour combos that will help you nail ANY neon look, whether it’s for a Halloween costume or just a bold statement on a night out.

Check out this product here!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Single Pot Shadows

ABH Single Pot Shadows

These shadows are expensive, but oh-so worth it. Not only do they have SO many high quality options, but you can mix and match to create your perfect combo. Plus, they have duo chrome colours (!!!) which are one of my absolute favourite kinds of eyeshadow. These can really add that perfect colour and finishing touch to any crazy, colourful eyeshadow look. They’re so high quality, for crazy colours or natural smoky shades, you really can’t go wrong.

Check out this product here!

Chunky Glitter

Last but not least, chunky glitter is a MUST in your costume makeup collection. Not only does it instantly amp up any look — it has so many uses! My personal favourite is creating glitter freckles, but chunky glitter can also be added to your hair, highlight, collarbones, or even eyes and lips (given that it’s makeup grade and safe). A huge bonus on top of all that is that it can be super inexpensive. I own so much glitter, and most of it I got off Amazon, but if you’re looking for plain craft glitter you can find it in just about any Michaels or related craft store.

Check out this product here! (Or simply search Moon Glitter on Amazon for more options!).

I hope you all have a fantastic Halloween, whether you’re planning to go out, have a night with your family, trick or treat, watch horror movies or just have a nice fall-themed self-care night. If you’re dressing up, I’d love to hear all your creative costume ideas (or if you took inspo from my last-minute Halloween costume ideas, I’d love to see how they turned out!). I hope you’re all ready for November, and fingers crossed you achieve all your goals for the upcoming month!

Happy Halloween!

Meredith