January 2015 Favourites

The first favourites of the year, which so happens to be my first monthly favourites post ever. Aside from empties posts, monthly favourites are one of my favourite posts to read. So, let's get on with my January favourites!

I have quite a few favourites this month. A few of them are items that I've reacquainted myself with. First is the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet foundation. I bought it when it was first released last year and only used it a few times. But I pulled it back out and I've fallen in love with it again - especially the soft velvet finish. If your skin isn't too oily, you don't even have to use powder with this foundation!

One of my favourite tools this month was the Real Techniques Contour Brush, but not for contouring! I've been using it to blend in my concealer. It's great with blending, but it doesn't absorb too much of the product. Plus it's super soft and feels great on the skin.

To finish off my favourite face products of the month is Tarte Exposed. I don't think I love another blush as much as this one. (Ok, maaybe NARS Sin could challenge that.) It's just the perfect natural blush shade that goes with everything. Most mornings, I'm too lazy to coordinate my blush with whatever look I'm going for, so it's pretty foolproof.

This month was the month of eyeshadows for me. There were four shades that I've been using quite consistently. Two shades in the NARS And God Created The Woman palette really stood out - Alhambra and Kalahari. I mostly used Alhambra as an inner corner highlight, or in the middle of the lid to give my eyes a bit of a pop. During mornings when I'm rushed, I'd use Kalahari all over the lid and leave it there. Or, I'd go with the Origins Brightening Cream Eyeshadow in Coffee Buzz, or Burberry Pale Barley all over the lid. Can you sense a theme going on this month?

I've also been testing out some new products this month and can happily say that I'm enjoying them. One of them is the Benefit Gimme Brow. A more in-depth review of this product will be up some time soon. In the meantime, I can say that I've really been enjoying this product for quickly filling in the brows and setting them all in one go. Another product I've been testing is the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in Rose Shimmer. It's such an easy lip product to swipe on that gives a bit of colour while keeping my lips moisturised.

There you have it! My first favourites post and there were a lot more products than I thought I would love so much in January.

What are your January favourites?

Disappointing Products #1

In my previous post, I wrote about some products that live up to the hype. Well, today is a post about products that didn't live up to their expectations.

Shiseido Facial Cotton
Many people say these are the ultimate cotton pad to use. I've read reviews that say they don't leave cotton fuzz on your face and the way they're made makes removing makeup better than the standard cotton round. After going through an entire pack, most of the time I ended up with a bit of cotton fuzz on my face and the surface of the pad doesn't really help much with removing makeup. I prefer the rougher texture of the $2 packs of cotton rounds to help in removing makeup. Plus, it's $11 for a pack. Way too expensive for a piece of cotton.

Batiste Dry Shampoo
Another product that a lot of people absolutely love. I've only tried the original formula, so I'm not sure if other formulas work differently. My hair still felt oily after spraying this in and for the entire day, I could feel the grittiness and dirtiness of the dry shampoo. It's not a lightweight powder, nor is it easy to blend out the powder. I also found that the nozzle would sometimes get clogged and then spray chunks of dry shampoo into my hair.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder - No. 30
I bought this on a whim and thought it would be a great setting powder. I didn't like the finish it gave my face as it seemed like there was too much shimmer for my liking. It also didn't help with keeping the oils on my face under control. I found myself using blotting sheets at least twice a day. I can't use this as a bronzer either, as it's not dark enough to do so. Now, I'm a little stumped as to what to do with it.

Giorgio Armani Master Corrector - #2 Orange
I first read rave reviews about this corrector and its ability to help banish dark circles. As you can see in the picture, I used quite a bit of it hoping it would work for me. Unfortunately, it didn't help much in cancelling out the purplish brown hues of my dark circles. After applying concealer on top of it, it looked the same as when I only apply concealer.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil - Zero
I might get in trouble for including this product in this post, but the Urban Decay eye pencils just don't do it for me. I went through 2.5 pencils to realize that this pencil doesn't stay put on my eyelids. Even with primer on the lids, it smudges onto my undereye area, giving me unsightly raccoon eyes.

Believing the Hype #1

There are many products out there that many bloggers and YouTubers rave about and in turn become quite popular amongst the beauty community. I'm not usually one to want to buy products that have been hyped up, but I've tested and used some of these products and here are some of the ones where I believe the hype is real.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir
Many people swear by this magical liquid in a bottle. The only way I was going to try this product was if it was included in a value set - I wasn't about to pay full price for this toner. Once I had gotten my hands on it and tried it out for a couple of weeks, I fully understood why so many people love this product. I've done a review on this product here.

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Collagen Booster
Was it me or did the beauty blogging world go through some kind of vitamin C craze? I first heard and read about this product when there were all these YouTube videos and blog posts talking about how good vitamin C is for the skin. Once the craze had died down, I bought a value set that had a sample size of this serum. It's helped with evening out my skin, make it brighter and more supple. It definitely lived up to the all the hype surrounding it and it smells amazing!

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil
This was the first brow pencil that I tried out because of the amazing reviews and the wedge shape of the pencil. The heaviness of the pencil also drew me to it because of the luxurious feel. The formula lived up to the hype - it's buildable, with a waxy formula to help set the hairs. It blends well and lasts for the entire day.

Anastasia Brow Wiz
I really didn't want to like this product mostly because of all the hype and rave reviews its received. After using it a few times, I understood why so many people love this product. The pencil is very thin which makes it easy to get precise strokes to mimic brow hairs. It gives enough colour, but doesn't deposit too much pigment. There's also a wide range of shades that should be able to fit everyone's needs.

Review: Klorane Oil Absorbing Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo is one of those beauty items where I've had trouble finding one product that's worked well for me. Enter the Klorane Oil Absorbing Dry Shampoo. I've tried a bunch of dry shampoos, from the ever popular Batiste to high end options from Ojon and Alterna, but none of them have worked as well as this one from Klorane.

Klorane has three dry shampoo offerings and this one is for those who have an excess of oil in their hair and want to wash their hair less frequently. This dry shampoo contains nettle extract, which they claim is the ingredient that has intense absorbing properties.

My hair needs to be washed every other day, since it gets pretty oily by the end of the second day. When I use this dry shampoo on the second day, I can get away without washing on the third day, as long as I'm not expected to look too presentable. Before using this dry shampoo, I definitely needed to wash my hair no matter what. It does add a bit of volume to my hair, but because I have a lot of hair, it becomes flat after several minutes.

This dry shampoo is a white powder, so you need to be careful in using this if you have dark hair like me. I've found that you don't need too much of this stuff to absorb the oils in your hair. The best way to use this is to spray it at a good distance so you only have a fine misting of it in your hair. Then, all you have to do is brush your hair so that the powder is blended in.

I have struggled to find a dry shampoo that truly works for my oily scalp, but have found that this one has worked the best. The only downside is the cost of it. Even though you can find this at the drugstore, at both Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall, it can range from $16 to $18. Unless you're lucky and find it on sale. I'll probably end up trying other dry shampoos once I finish this can, but let me tell you. This is a good one.

Winter Blushes

It's no secret that blushes are my favourite makeup item and I have way too many of them. So, I've rounded up my blush picks for the winter season. For the winter, I'm all about the glowy pink shades to give some life to my face to my otherwise flat look. Below are my top 6 picks:



Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in "Exposed": Of course I had to include this! One of my all time favourite blushes. It's a soft nude brown with pink undertones that's matte. It's a beautiful shade that goes with any look. It gives my cheeks just enough colour while looking natural.



Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in "Blushed Rose": This is the only cream blush I own and the formula is great for those who have drier cheeks during the winter season. This shade looks quite dark and a little scary in the pan, but I assure you it gives a natural rosy flush on the cheeks. This is a brown pink with a rose undertone that would look beautiful on any skintone.



YSL Blush Radiance in No. 6: This blush was released in 2014 to celebrate Chinese New Year. It contains two hot pink shades in a matte and shimmer finish. When swirled together, it gives a beautiful healthy pink glow on the cheeks.



NARS Blush in "Torrid": You might think this is an odd choice for a winter blush, but I'm craving for some warmer weather. This is a coral shade with gold shimmer that I think will look great on any skintone. When I put this on, it definitely reminds me of warmer weather and takes my mind off of the dreary cold weather we're having in Toronto.



Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in "Luminous Flush" and "Incandescent Electra": Unfortunately, Incandescent Electra was a shade exclusive to the blush palette that's now sold out. However, you can get Luminous Flush as a single blush. Luminous Flush is a beautiful champagne rose that gives your cheeks a natural rosy glow. Incandescent Electra is described as a cool peach, but it looks more like a light cool pink on my skin. I like using these two shades separately, but I love the look of layering these two blushes.

What are some of your favourite winter blushes?

Review: Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil Mist

The Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil Mist was one of two products that made it into my 2014 Haircare Discoveries post. And for good reason! It's hard for hair products to truly impress me, since most products I use tend to give me the same results that don't do much for my hair.

This dry oil spray can be used as a leave-in treatment or a colour protecting style primer. I haven't coloured my hair in 4.5 years, so I can't say anything about the colour protecting properties. It also claims to banish frizz and impart intense shine while providing vital nutrients.

I've used this in both hot and humid weather, and in extremely cold weather when my hair becomes a frizzy, static mess. This spray has worked in both extremes by keeping my hair tamed, but not weighed down. Because this is a dry oil, my hair doesn't feel oily after I use it, even with a few spritzes in the same section of hair.

One of my favourite things about this product is that you can use this on both damp and dry hair. I typically use this on my hair after it's been washed, but I love that I have the option of using it on dry hair without it looking oily. It gives my hair a healthy shine, whether used on wet or dry hair.

For those who care, this product is eco-certified, fair-trade compliant and certified organic. This product is environmentally friendly and free of many things such as parabens, sulfates, and gluten. I personally don't have much of a preference about these traits, but if you care about these things, then these are added bonuses.

What are some of your favourite hair oils?

Review: Shu Uemura Petal Lash Mascara

I'm always on the hunt for a good mascara that works on my stick straight lashes that doesn't smudge on me. I've only found a few mascaras that have actually kept my lashes curled without smudging. My most recent discovery is the Shu Uemura Petal Lash Mascara. This was released last year and has since received a lot of rave reviews. 

This mascara comes with a curved plastic wand that isn't too big or long. The curved wand helps to coat all of the lashes, including those pesky little ones in the inner corner. Because the wand isn't too big or long, those with smaller eyes will really like this mascara wand. 

The formula is pretty spot on. It has an extremely black pigmentation and leaves the lashes feeling soft. It helps lift and lengthen my lashes while keeping the curl, yet they look natural throughout the day. As well, the combination of the wand and the formula allows the lashes to be separated, with no clumping at all. By the end of a workday, my lashes have dropped a bit of the curl, but have kept most of the curl. 

The best part about this mascara is how lightweight it is. There are many mascaras I've tried, where the formula has felt heavy on my lashes and I'm constantly reminded that I'm wearing mascara. With this mascara, I can go about my day sometimes forgetting that I've applied mascara. Also, because this mascara is long-wearing, it can be a pain in the butt to remove at night. It's not waterproof, but it might as well be! I have to use a good eye makeup remover and cleansing balm to get this stuff off! 

If you're in the market for a natural looking, long lasting mascara, give this one a try!

Empties #1

Empties posts are some of my favourite posts to read. I get a look at all the products other bloggers have tried out and whether they would recommend them or not. From these posts, I've actually discovered some new products that I really like. So, what else can I do but to offer my two cents?



Benefit The Porefessional
I've finished off a sample size that I've had lying around for a while. I've used up a full sized tube of this stuff in the past. I love the smooth feeling it gives on the skin and it's one of my favourite primers.
Repurchase: Yes

Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer
I believe I bought this sometime last spring or summer when I started getting tanned. It has a fair amount of yellow, but this was a little too dark for me, even at my darkest tanned self. I didn't really see that much of a difference in my fine lines when I used it, but I did like the consistency of it.
Repurchase: No



Garnier Moisture Renewal Refreshing Gel Cream
I used this during the summer and it took me an extremely long time to finish this. It has a jelly texture, with a cooling sensation on the skin. This is the second pot that I've finished and I still ask myself why I bought a second one. It wasn't that moisturising or hydrating. It didn't feel like it did all that much for my skin.
Repurchase: No

Vichy Normaderm Hyaluspot Targeted Fast Acting Care
This was a gel spot treatment that didn't do much for treating my pimples. When I applied it, there was a slight stinging feeling and it formed a thin film over the spot where it was applied. I didn't find that it helped my spots heal faster.
Repurchase: No - will not purchase after using this sample

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat
This is one of those moisturisers that help with mattifying the skin and keeping the oils at bay. I found that after about 4 hours my cheeks and forehead got pretty oily. If you're looking for a mattifying moisturiser, try out the one from Vichy.
Repurchase: No

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
My first Kiehl's product that I've tried and it was a good experience! It's a good basic eye cream that helps with hydrating my eye area. It has a weird texture, where it's thick in the pot, but once you start blending it into the skin, it turns watery. But, I don't mind since it helps with sinking into the skin more easily.
Repurchase: Yes

Caudalie Beauty Elixir
Do I need to say anything more about this after my rave review? I love this stuff!
Repurchase: Yes

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair II
This is my second bottle of this wonderful serum. It helped with keeping my skin hydrated and helped with evening out my skin tone. I'm not using this serum at the moment, but will probably go back to it in the future.
Repurchase: Yes

Aveeno Positively Radiant Toner
This doesn't really do much for my skin. I haven't seen much of a difference and I was just trying to finish up this bottle. I have another bottle that I'm also trying to finish so I don't waste it.
Repurchase: No



Live Clean Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Leave In Spray
I bought this on a whim, since I enjoyed using a couple of their shampoos. I didn't feel like it gave my hair any extra moisture and hydration, nor did it help with detangling. I liked that it has a fine mist that's light on the hair, which smelled nice. However, it didn't do what it's supposed to do.
Repurchase: No

Aveeno Positively Nourishing Dandruff Control Shampoo
My holy grail dandruff shampoo. I find that bloggers never really talk about dandruff and dry flakes, which makes it hard to figure out what dandruff shampoos are good! Well, I suffer from dandruff which is quite apparent with my dark brown to black hair. This shampoo is creamy and moisturising and helps to get rid of flakes and a dry scalp.
Repurchase: Yes

Herbal Essences Touchably Smooth Conditioner
I like the Herbal Essences conditioners mostly because they smell amazing and are cheap. They're ok in moisturising the ends of my hair, but I should probably find something else that works better.
Repurchase: Yes (only because they're so cheap and smell amazing)



Victoria's Secret Pure Daydream Body Wash
This smelled awesome when I first used it, but I started getting sick of the scent by the end of the bottle. I found this was a little stripping on my skin. I bought this during one of their semi-annual sales, but even during their sales, I find this is overpriced for what it is.
Repurchase: No

Laura Mercier Almond Coconut Milk Souffle Body Creme
If you've never sniffed any of the Laura Mercier creams, you need to go to your nearest Laura Mercier counter and smell them! They are heavenly and I loved this scent so much. This was a part of a holiday sampler set which included 4 scents. It took me a while to finish this tub, but I enjoyed every bit of it.
Repurchase: Yes


This was a pretty lengthy empties post, but I hope you've been able find a couple new products to try out!

Current Makeup Rotation: January 2015

Another month, another rotation in makeup. This year is all about shopping the stash and using up the makeup I own. For this month, I'm incorporating some of my more recent buys, a couple of products that I'm testing for future reviews, and some of my old favourites.

My base of choice at the moment is Chanel Perfection Lumiere, inspired by Tamira. I forgot about this foundation, even though I fell in love with the finish when I first got it. Now, I'm starting to appreciate the finish all over again. As part of my base, I'm currently testing the Tarte Coloured Clay CC Undereye Corrector. Expect to see a review on this product in the near future!

To liven up my complexion, I have included the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette, both for blush and subtle highlighting on the cheeks.

For the eyes, I have taken out the NARS And God Created The Woman Palette and the Origins Ginzing Brightening Cream Shadow in Coffee Buzz from my stash. The Origins cream shadow acts as a primer and creates a beautiful base for many of the colours in the NARS palette. A new item that I've been trying out is the Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liner. I wanted to try mastering gel liner this year, since I've gotten a handle on pencil and liquid liners. Lastly, I've been using Benefit's Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep in my search for the ultimate brow product.

Discoveries of 2014: Haircare

Today will be the final post on my beauty discoveries of 2014, which will focus on haircare. There weren't very many haircare products that impressed me. I tried a lot of products, but many fell short of the expectations I had and many products were only ok to me. However, there were two stand out products!

Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil Mist - In 2014, I tried out a few leave-in conditioners and hair oils, but none stood out more than this one from Alterna. I love that it's a dry oil, so I don't have to worry about going overboard with spraying this in my hair. I can use it when my hair is both damp and dry. This dry oil also nourishes my hair while getting rid of frizz that I get when it's humid out.

Klorane Oil Absorbing Dry Shampoo - This Klorane dry shampoo has been the only dry shampoo that I've actually liked out of all the ones I've used. Even though this does come out as a white powder, it's quite easy to blend out. And you really don't need a lot of this for it to be effective. I also like that there isn't too much of a scent.

No honourable mentions for haircare, but hopefully 2015 will be a year where I discover more standout products for haircare.

What are some of your haircare discoveries from 2014?

Discoveries of 2014: Skincare

Continuing along my discoveries of 2014, today will be about skincare! If you missed it, I wrote about my makeup discoveries here.

2014 was the year where I made a commitment to myself to take better care of my skin and to find products that helps with prevention and keeping my skin at its best. It was also a year where I discovered a love for masks to help with pampering my face. Keep on reading for my favourite skincare discoveries of 2014!

Moisturiser
Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation - A lightweight moisturiser that is oil-free and supposedly helps with fading dark spots. I haven't seen a huge difference in my spots because of this one product, but I like that it isn't heavy and has been a great transition moisturiser between summer and fall. I also find that it's hydrating enough to use throughout the fall season before the temperatures fall into the negatives.

Eye Cream 
Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream - I received a sample of this as part of a 500 point redemption at Sephora and I immediately fell in love with this eye cream. I thought it would be too heavy for my undereye area, but it absorbs very quickly. I use this in the evening and the next morning, my eyes feel plump and hydrated.

Serums
Ole Henriksen Truth Serum - A pleasantly citrus-scented serum that helps with brightening and plumping the skin. It's a wonderful product to layer underneath your moisturiser, as it absorbs quickly. I've really enjoyed using this serum since the summer and understand why so many people rave about this product, since I've actually seen a difference in the way my skin looks.

La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Serum - I previously posted a review about this product which you can read here. It has truly helped with fading some of my acne scars both old and new. Even though it's recommended to use all over the face, I use it as a spot treatment.

Toner
Caudalie Beauty Elixir - I've already raved about this product here. It's helped with the redness in my skin and keeping my skin clear of any new pimples from popping up. If only it were a bit cheaper, then I'd keep bottles of it stocked.

Masks
Aesop Parsley Seed Masque - A very recent discovery that I'm happy to include in my skincare routine. I use this when my skin feels congested and there are pimples popping up out of nowhere. It's also been helpful when it's that time of the month and my chin has formed a lot of pimples. This mask helps with drying out pimples and drawing out the impurities.

Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask - Out of all the masks I tried out in 2014, this has to be my favourite. Even though it's pricey, I'm willing to repurchase this over and over again. It's contains BHAs to help with deeply penetrating and exfoliating the skin. I like using this when I develop pesky little bumps under the skin that aren't pimples. I also enjoy the sweet herbal scent that it has. Plus it's 100% natural.

Honourable Mentions
Of course I have to include some honourable mentions! There were a couple of products that I didn't start testing/using until closer to the end of 2014, but have been liking. Maybe they'll become favourites later this year! These two products are the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm and the Caudalie Lip Conditioner.


What are some of your favourite skincare discoveries from 2014?

Make sure to come back on Saturday to read about my favourite haircare discoveries of 2014!

Discoveries of 2014: Makeup

2014 was a great year in discovering new products that I've loved and truly enjoyed using, and have included in my daily routines. This week will be a recap of all beauty discoveries I've made in the past year and have stood out to me. Today's post will focus on most aspects of makeup - foundation, eyeshadow, mascara and more.

Foundation

Diorskin Star Foundation - One of the most hyped up foundations of 2014 which definitely deserved to be. I have the shade 031 Sand and it is truly like perfect skin in a bottle, while being lightweight and comfortable to wear on the skin. It has SPF and lasts for quite a long time on the skin.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Foundation - This is the first Chanel foundation I've ever tried and I put a lot of time into researching this before purchasing. Am I glad I bought this! This is a great foundation for those who have combination to oily skin as the foundation dries down to a smooth velvet finish while keeping the oils at bay. The lasting power is decent, but nothing a blotting sheet can't fix. For reference, I have shade B40, which is a tiny bit dark for me at the moment, but can be blended out to match my skin a little better.

Concealer

Chanel Correcteur Perfection - I bought this on a whim to see if it was comparable to the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. I wouldn't say this would be a replacement for the NARS concealer, but it's similar. I use this as a corrector under my eyes, before using the NARS concealer on top. I bought the shade 30 Beige Petale, which is too dark for my skin, but works great as a corrector due to its pink undertone. 

Blush
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette - Probably one of the best beauty buys I made in 2014. It contains 3 blush shades that can look beautiful on all skin tones. I don't think I could pick a favourite out of the three, but I really like layering Luminous Flush and Incandescent Electra. All three blushes give a natural flush to the cheeks and a luminous highlight all in one.

Contour

Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder - A silky, matte contouring powder that gives a natural finish. It isn't chalky or orange and really helps with mimicking shadows to help contour a face that may not have strong cheekbones. Because the powder has some grey undertones, it really helps with giving a more realistic contour shade than bronzers.

Eyebrows
Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil - The first brow product that I used and immediately loved. I especially like the shape of the pencil, which makes it super easy and fast to fill in my brows. The dark brunette shade is a decent match for me and continues to be my favourite brow product for now. You can read more about my thoughts of this product here.

Anastasia Brow Wiz - Another brow product I tried in 2014, which I liked. I appreciate the thinness of the pencil to accurately draw in tiny hairs and for being precise in creating the shape of the brows. I also reviewed this brow pencil here. 

Eyeshadow
Bobbi Brown Warm Eye Palette - Possibly the perfect warm neutral eyeshadow palette for me. This was the only palette I reached for since I got it, as it has a great combination of light, medium and dark shades. It also has both matte and shimmery shades. You can read my review and see swatches of the shades here. 

Eyeliner
Kat Von D Ink Liner - 2014 was the year I wanted to master liquid eyeliner. After trying a few out, the Kat Von D Ink Liner came out as my favourite felt tipped liquid liner. It has just the right amount of flexibility and stiffness, while giving an extremely black colour that also isn't shiny.

Essence Waterproof Eyeliner Pen - Not my favourite liquid liner, but the felt tip is stiff with no flexibility, which is excellent for drawing the flick when doing winged liner. When I'm having a bit of difficulty with drawing the flick with the Kat Von D Ink Liner, I use this.

Mascara

Shu Uemura Petal Lash Mascara - The best mascara I've used in a while. It's great for keeping the curl and is smudgeproof. Even though it doesn't explicitly say it's waterproof, you definitely need a good eye makeup remover to get this off. 

Honourable Mentions
Last but not least, I have a few honourable mentions from 2014. I finally tried out the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick, Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector, and Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge. Even though I had only used these products a few times in the last couple months of 2014, I enjoyed them! I will continue to use them in 2015 to see if they will be products I will fall in love with and put into my daily routine.


What are some of your makeup discoveries from 2014?

Also, stay tuned for my skincare and haircare discoveries of 2014 coming later this week!

New Year's Resolutions

image via https://www.etsy.com/listing/88989316/happy-new-year-banner-new-year-vintage

As we ring in 2015, there have been some resolutions that I've thought about for both this blog and beauty in general.

For the blog: 

1. Keep improving - it's only been 2.5 months since I've started this blog, but I want to keep improving the posts I write, the pictures I take and the design of the blog.
2. Be more engaging - I want to be more engaging with readers, instead of just writing posts, letting it be and just responding to readers' comments. This will be a hard one for me, since I'll be much busier this year due to work, other commitments and planning my wedding.
3. Be more creative - I feel like a lot of the posts I've written so far have been the same. So, I want to try to write more posts that are different from the usual product reviews that are on this blog. 

For beauty:

1. Spend less - I have way too much makeup and too many products that are very similar, plus I'm someone who can spend a lot of money without thinking things through. That needs to change, especially since I'm saving for a wedding and home!
2. Use more - along the same lines as the previous resolution, but I want to use more products that are lying around in my collection, instead of looking for the next new thing to buy and use. Hopefully I'll be able to use up more of my products too!
3. Clean my makeup brushes more often - I'm definitely lazy when it comes to cleaning my brushes. I want to make more of an effort to clean them more often. Maybe then my face will have less pimples popping up!
4. Be more organized - my makeup is all over the place. So, this year, I want to get some storage that looks nice on my dressers, but is also able to store my makeup collection in an organized manner.
5. Don't requalify for Sephora's VIB Rouge status - at the end of last year, when I found out I had requalified for the VIB Rouge status, it was a shock to see just how much money I'd been spending on makeup and skincare products. I really didn't and shouldn't be spending that much money! So, I'm hoping to buy a lot less and only get essentials.
6. Make most of my beauty purchases at Shoppers Drug Mart and The Bay - similar to #5, I hope to buy less from Sephora, but make most of my purchases from SDM or The Bay. SDM and The Bay have rewards programs that actually translate to dollars that I can use towards future purchases, instead of dinky samples that aren't always that great. Unless certain products are only sold at Sephora, I'm going to try to get most of my beauty products elsewhere. 

A long list of resolutions, but hopefully I can stick to them! What are some of your resolutions for 2015?

Happy New Year!

Image via crafthubs.com

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had fun ringing in the new year! Another year, another new start. Make this year better than the last!