Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Palette

Urban Decay collaberated with Gwen Stefani for an eyeshadow palette, and I was so excited about this release I actually ran into Sephora to make sure it was in stock before everyone snatched them up for Christmas gifts. I'm not normally a palette person but this one really caught my eye. You would think Gwen would have crazy colours in there, but surprisingly she says she's a neutral eye gal. Right up my alley.

The palette casing was apparently inspired from a picture hanging in her house which I think is so neat. I love the look of this palette inside and out. The colours (besides the pink and blue) are everyday wearable shades that I have been loving playing around with. The blue looks like it would be a great going out colour, but the pink I'm just unsure about. Pinks don't suit my colouring as they tend to make me look like I have an eye infection, but aside from that one colour I think this is the most beautiful eyeshadow palette and definitely recommend it. The colours are pigmented, there are a range of matte and shimmers and light and dark shades. Great selection for whatever look you could want.

I think would make a relly awesome Christmas gift for beauty lovers, or to add to your own list for Santa.

Do you have this palette? Is it on your wishlist? Let me know your thoughts below!

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Holiday Gift Ideas

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Set
Great for the girl that likes a bit of volume to her hair. Bumble and Bumble have some great hair products and a bit more luxurious. This set includes two small size shampoo and conditioner, and a full size Dryspun spray which is the same price as the whole kit itself, so this is a great bargain.

Too Faced Melted Kisses and Sweet Cheeks
There are three individual sets included which make this great to split up for different people, or kept together as one large gift. There are three mini shades of the melted kisses liquid lipsticks and three love flush blushes.

Sephora Favourites Superstars
This is a great gift for any beauty lover. There are twelve makeup items to try, including seven full size. A great way to try out some of the top rated products without breaking the bank.

Sephora Formula X Nail Clicks
Two for the price of one, this little duo has a beautiful red and gold top coat. Great little stocking stuffer and perfect colours for the season.

Lush Bath Bombs
I think most people like a relaxing bath every now and then. Bath bombs are great for smoothing and hydrating the skin, and make the water look pretty. A nice gift for someone who could use a little time to themselves.

Colourpop Makeup
For some really great quality makeup at affordable prices, Colourpop is the way to go. They have a ton of shades to choose from and are awesome for a matte lip.

Sephora Favourites Beauty Sleep Skin Set
Four top skincare items are included in this set, including Sunday Riley, Korres, Ole Henrickson snd Origins.

Aerie PJ Bottoms
Personally I find Aerie to have some of the best pj's. They're super comfy, have nice patterns and fit really well. THey have some great patterns for christmas time right now.

Lipstick Mirror
Another easy stocking stuffer. This one is from Forever 21.

Burts Bees
This little set includes a lipbalm and a lemon cuticle butter.

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Sephora Black Friday Haul

I did a small amount of black friday shopping today and I thought you may be interested in some of the things I picked up in Sephora. They didn't have a real sale, just a few mini sets for $13 each. These mini's have some great products and make awesome gifts for others, or are fun for trying new products yourself.

Tarte Fanciful Favouriters Deluxe Discovery Set
This one excited me because I love the Amazonian Clay blushes. There's a really great sized mini in the shade Fanciful which looks like its right up my alley. There's also the Maracuja Oil and Lights Camera Lashes Mascara which I haven't tried yet.

Clean Fragrance Rollerball Layering 
I thought this would make a cute stocking stuffer or little add on to a christmas gift. There's three mini rollerballs inside in Warm Cotton, Skin and Cashmere.

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Trio
Ive been wanting to try this brand since they came out and thought this little set with shampoo, conditioner and a 5-in-1 treatment was the perfect time to try some things.

I'm not sure how long these are available so if you're interested get onto Sephoras site or run to the store before they're all gone.

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Clarins Beauty Advent Calendar

If like me, you love trying new products or brands, beauty advent calendars are really fun. I was trying to decide which calendar I wanted to get this year (aside from the traditional chocolate one of course), and saw Clarins has one this year. I've never really tried anything from the brand but heard many great things and the box contained a mix of different products from skincare and body to makeup for $55. It is a bit of an investment, however you get a good range of decently sized samples to try. For beauty advents, it isn't a bad price.

Included is

• Instant Eye Make-Up Remover 10 ml
• Cleansing Milk Normal to Dry Skin 10 ml
• Toning Lotion with Camomile Normal to Dry Skin 10 ml
• Extra-Comfort Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream 5 ml
• One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser 5 ml
• Eye Contour Gel 3 ml
• HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase 3 ml
• HydraQuench Cream All Skin Types 5 ml
• HydraQuench Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm 15 ml
• Beauty Flash Balm 5 ml
• Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil Dehydrated Skin 2 ml
• Tonic Body Treatment Oil 2 ml
• Hand and Nail Treatment Cream 8 ml
• Eau Dynamisante 15 ml
• Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch 4 ml
• Instant Light Lip Balm Perfector 01 2ml
• Instant Light Base Radiance Boosting Complexion Base 01 10ml
• Wonder Perfect Mascara Black 01 3ml
• Miniature Instant Concealer 5ml
• ClarinsMen Anti-Fatigue Eye Serum 3 ml
• ClarinsMen Super Moisture Balm 5 ml
• Mission Perfection Serum 3ml
• Exfoliating Body Scrub for smooth skin 8ml
• Moisture Rich Body Lotion 8ml

 The advent calender is available on clarins for $55 (cdn), though I'm not sure it's still available.

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Sephora Favourites Superstars

Sephora come out with these favourites gift sets all the time and they're always so intriguing. This set had a ton of products I've always wanted to try for $90 (canadian). Of the thirteen items, seven of them are full size which makes this a fantastic deal. Liner, mascara, bronzer and highlighters, primer, shadow and even some tools. You get a little bit of everything in there and it's a great way to try out new things without the commitment of a high price tag. So let's see what's inside.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water (full size)
Makeup Forever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Hydrating Primer
Benefit They're Real Mascara
Touch In Sol Stretchex Mascara (full size)
Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Highlight
Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight (full size)
Nars Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Himalia (full size)
Urban Decay Eyesahdow in Lounge (full size)
Original Beauty Blender (full size)
Tarte The Slenderizer Bamboo Contour Brush
Tarte The Sculptor FAce Slenderizer in Park Ave Princess
Stila Stay All Day Liner in Intense Black (full size)
Lancome Drama Liqui-Pencil Extreme Longwear Liner in Noir Intense (full size)

I havent had a chance to try all of these out yet, but there are some exciting things in there. I'm particaularily excited for the Smashbox Primer Water, Laura Mercier and Chubby Stick Highlighters, the eye shadows, Stila Liner and Beauty Blender. I have tried the Lancome liner however and must say it is surprisingly amazing for a pencil liner. Really dark and stayed put all day. The Stretchex mascara is a new brand so that should be fun to try out too.

Everything looks lovely in this set and it would make a great gift for beauty lovers and someone new to makeup, building up they're collection. I think it was worth the price tag as half the box is full sized products, and some nice ones at that.

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A Lush Haul

I'm not a fan of the cold weather, but noe thing I do love is that I have an excuse to laze around in a nice relaxing Lush bath. There's nothing nicer after a long day, coming in from the cold and getting into a colourful bath with a book. I treated myself to a few bath bombs, so here's what I got.

Luxury Lush Pud
I tried this one last year and honestly the scent isnt my favourite but the colours look really nice. With tonka absolute, lavender and benzoin resinoid, this one supposed to help with tension and aid in relaxation. Good after a long day.

The Experimenter
This is a new bath bomb and I'm really looking forward to the colourful bath it makes. With vanilla and tonka absolute this bomb is supposed to have vivid colours and popping candy, surely to give quite the show as it fizzes away.

Yog Nog
This is a christmas bath bomb with spicy clove oil, soy milk powder and shea butter. I don't find this one very strongly scented but they say its toffee scented. This should be a nice one for moisture on a cold night.

Avobath
This one is supposed to invigorate you with a lemongrass scent, avocado and olive oil to moisturize the skin. I thouht this would be a good one for winter time as my skin gets super dry this time of year.  It smells really fresh aswell.

Big Blue
I've always wanted to try this but for some reason never picked it up. The guy in the store said it was his favourite when I asked for a recommendation, so I thought good time to try it. Its packed with minerals including salt to rid the body of toxins and seaweed to soften and soothe. There's also lavender and lemon oil to help you relax. It has a really fresh scent and apparently makes the water bright blue which should be really cool.

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Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

Ive heard so much about this concealer was wasn't into the high price tag. While perusing the checkout aisle of doom in Sephora, aka where all the cute minis are, I spotted a mini Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I thought this was great because $36 for a concealer is a big commitment. At least to me. So this was much more affordable and justifiable in my eyes at $16.

Of course as the name states, this is supposed to give a radiant, glowing look to the skin. It does a really great job at covering dark circles, redness and imperfections, but I'm not so sure about the radiance effect. Having a slightly thicker formula, I find it to be a tad drying under the eyes. A little goes a long way though so creasing is not a worry with one. I went with the shade Vanilla, which has a slightly pink undertone, though I feel lke Custard might have been a better match for me. I'm still not 100% with my opinion on this one. It's good for my dark circles, but I still find myself reaching for my Rimmel Wake Me Up most days.

Are you a fan of this concealer? Let me know your thoughts below!

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Bumble and Bumble Dont Blow It (H)air Styler

As someone who doesn't have a lot of time to style their hair, I was super excited to give this new product from Bumble and Bumble a go. Aimed towards fine/medium texture hair (me), this cream is said to give texture and body to air dried hair without the product feel. Lightweight, touchable waves is what we're aiming for here. Perfect for those days when you don't ahve time to go theough the whole blowdry, curl, flat iron thing. 

I've been using this for a few months now and I'm in love. I've tried difference creams, mousses and sprays to enhance my somewhat wavy hair, and nothing works quite like this. It helped bring out the wave without eaving a crunchy feel or we look. I use about a nickel size amount (more or less depending on how much hair you have) through the ends, give it a slight scrunch and twist around and leave it alone. I've found the less I fuss with my hair, the nicer it turns out. When dried, my hair was soft, touchable and natural. This makes getting ready on a time crunch super easy. If you haven't tried this stuff I recommend giving it a go. 

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To The Last Drop #18

Its a 10 Miracle Leave In Conditioner
This is one of the best leave in conditioners. If you only use one product in your hair, make it this one. It helps tame frizz, of course detangle and smooth, protect against heat styling and seals in colour. So many great things theres no reason not to use this stuff. Love it and will forever buy, though Im using one from Bumble and Bumble right now which rates pretty darn close to this one.

Bioderma Micellar Solution
Ive tried a few different micellar waters and honestly, nothing works quite like this one. Though La Roche-Posay is a close second favourite. This is the only micellar water that can get tough mascara off without feeling like your taking your skin off to do so. It also doesnt leave that awful tight, sticky feeling that almost all others leave that unless you wash your face after, it will not go away. I like these types of products to remove any leftover makeup after using something like a facial oil, or for lazy days when I dont want to wash my face twice, etc. I may buy this again in the future, but Im still trying out some more affordable options to see if theres something comparable.

Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel
I used to love this stuff but my face gets so dry this time of year, I need to switch to milk/cream cleansers to keep the mooisture in. This was a favourite for a few years and I still love it. It doesnt dry the skin out to that tight, uncomfortable feeling, is great for more sensitive skins and is really affordable. I may purchase again in the spring or summer, but for now Im moving on.

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Liner
This is probably my favourite liquid liner. Its nice and black, doesnt have that weird shine that some liners do and is fairly affordable. Also the felt tip doesnt wear away which is really important because its so hard to get a crisp line when the little nib is frayed. Will for sure buy again.

Bath and Body Works Wallflowers 
I go through these so often because about 2/3 of the way the scent stops working. Its kind of annoying because I feel like Im not getting to use the whole product, but theyre always on sale so I guess its not a huge issue. I used the Mango Dragon Fruit and Lemonade Watermelon. They both smelt so good and fruity. I would buy them again but the scents are not in stores anymore. Wah.

Lush Skin Drink
I did a whole post on this and loved it when I first purchased it. Its a good moisturizer for super dry skin, which I get in the winter, but the scent is so offputting to me I had to stop using it. It has sesame oil in it and I just cant stand the smell. I went to use it again and its separating and expired now. If the scent doesnt bother you this is great, but I just couldnt love it as much as I wanted to.

Essie No Chips Ahead Top Coat
This was great when it was new but its gone all thick and gloopy now, and just ruins my nails more with it than without.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream 
This is my favourite stuff ever. Ive only ever used the sample sizes because I get them in kits and as Sephora Points perks, which is awesome because then I dont have to spend any money. But I for sure will when my samples run out.

Nivea In Shower Body Milk
I always snatch these out of my works magazines because I think its so good for when you're feeling lazy or dont have time to moisturize after your shower. I can never seem to find it in store for some reason, so the samples will do for now.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder Translucent
I love this stuff. I really only use it to set my concealer under my eyes so it lasts me forever. My only complaint is that the lid doesnt stay on too well, making it not so great for travel. Otherwise, love it and already have another one.

Dove Visibly Smooth Deoderant
This was supposed to minimize the appearance of hair after time. Im not sure if it did, but it kept me fresh which is what matters most.

Bedhead Moisture Maniac Moisturizing Conditioner
I find the name of this really funny because this is possibly the least moisturizing conditioner Ive ever used. It didnt do much, no matter how long I left it on, and I just really didnt along with it. I had to use 4-5 pumps to even cover my hair, so it didnt last me long at all. I was kind of glad because I hated it anyway, but I usually can make a bottle last me months before I even need to think about it being near the bottom. I wouldnt recommend this one.

The Body Shop Satsuma Body Polish
I actually really liked this. I thought it was an exfoliant but it isnt really. Its a body wash with very small exfoliant beads that very slightly help take away dead skin, but you cant feel them at all. This was a great scent for the summer, but after a few weeks I got kind of bored of it. Id love to try this in another scent though.

Korres Vitamin E Face Primer
I dont even know if they still make this because I couldnt find it online, but I honestly didnt find anything that special about it anyway. It smells kinda weird and wasnt the best primer I've ever used. I was trying to make myself finish it off but theres still a bit in there and I couldnt do it. I think Korres make nice products but this wasnt a favourite of mine.

Vichy Thermal Water

I used to use these thermal waters all the time. I like it over my makeup in the winter to help take the foundation clinging to dry skin look away, but otherwise I feel like these are just bottles of water with a high price tag. What are these even really supposed to do anyway?

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Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bahama

I've been a Nars Velvert Matte Lip Pencil fan since I bought this shade two years ago. While my collection is growing, this still remains one of my favorites. The Velvet Matte pencils are great because while they are matte, they don't feel dry and uncomfortable on the lips. This is important for me in a matte lip product because I don't want product clinging to dry patches or settling into lines, because thats just not pretty.

Bahama is the perfect fall/winter shade. Its a pinky brown mauve shade, but not too brown. A very Kylie like colour. I find this can really put a look together no matter what youre wearing and really like that. A great colour to add to your collection. The only downfall to these pencils is they need to be sharpened, though not too often, and don't fit in most sharpeners. 

Are you a fan of the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils? Have you tried this shade?

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This Week I'm Loving.. #18

I thought I'd bring these back as I haven't donr one in months. Sharing a few things I've been using and enjoying during the past week.

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Face Mask
I know winter is approaching because I can see it in my skin. Around my nose and cheeks my skin is starting to get dry causing my foundation to cling and not settle well in these areas. I love this Antipodes mask to hydrate my skin. It smells amazing and works really well at smoothing everything out.

Nars Blush in Sin
This time of year s when this blush gets a lot of use. I love the slight berry tone of this with a gold reflex to give a nice glowy flush to dull looking skin. So pretty.

Nivea Hydro Care Lip Balm
This is one of the nicest lip balms. It feel so smooth on your lips, actually sinks in and helps improve sore, dry lips. I just love this stuff.

Nivea 3-in-1 Micellar Cleansing Water
I recently picked this up as an alternative to the Bioderma / La Roche-Posay Micellar waters. Its been great for lazy nights when I dont want to go through a full removal and cleanse. Its gentle and doesnt irritate my eyes like other micellars have and is on the more affordable side.

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Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams

I've had a slight obsession with a lip product lately and it is the Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams. I bought one previously in Tokyo but it was way too light of a pink and just looked awful on my fair skin. These three however are awesome.

The lip creams are a cool formula- matte, yet creamy, with really good pigmentation and some great colours to choose from. They're comfortable on the lips and are really affordable at around $7. The three I have are a San Paulo, Antwerp, and Stockholm.

San Paula is a red pink, Antwerp is a midtoned pink, and Stockholm is a nude pink. Stolkholm is my most worn as its more everyday. Not too bright and not too brown. 

Have you tried the Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams? What are your favouriote shades? 

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Bronzing For The Unexperienced

I've been playing around with bronzer lately and attempting a more contoured face. I'll openly admit I'm not very good at it, but I'm trying. I've found a few things that work for me and thought I'd share my experience with bronzing and contouring with you.

First off, I have quite fair skin. This makes finding a shade of brown that doesnt look like smeared dirt across the cheek really difficult. I have yet to find the perfect shade that doesnt lead too far on the red side, but my current favourite is The Body Shop's Honey Bronzer in 01. I've played with different brushes and found nothing as easy to work with as the Real Techniques Sculpting Brush. Its a dense angled brush that fits perfectly in the hollow of the cheek to give a nice contour. I lightly dab into the product and tap off the access, and push the brush below my cheek bone, from my hairline down, the tops of my forehead by my temples, and a little along my jawline. I dont go too heavy handed because Im not ready to rock a really full on face, but it's just enough where my face looks for chiseled. I then go in my highlight and blush and my face is looking great!

Are you a contour newbie? Or a cant-go-without-your-contour girl? Let me know your tips, tricks and favourite products below!

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Fall Nail Picks

Bahama Mama, Chinchilly, Bobbing For Baubles, Angora Cardi, Sew Syched, Haute Tub

Essie Bahama Mama
This plum shade is beautiful for this time of year.

Essie Chinchilly
A purpley brown taupe shade. I swear everyone has this.

Essie Bobbing For Baubles
A deep navy shade that looks really glossy and gorgeous on the nails. I love this with Summit of style overtop for some gold glitter. So pretty. (I instagramed it).

Essie Angora Cardi
Similar to bahama Mama but not as dark and more on the pink side. This is a favourite of mine.

Essie Sew Syched
I love a good khaki/ army green. I'm currently sporting this one on my toes.

Essie Haute Tub
This is new for the winter 2015 collection. Its a beautiful deep almost black purple shimmer with a little bit of gold. So pretty up close in the light, but otherwise basically just looks black.

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Worth The Splurge

It's easy to see something in Sephora and add it to your basket, but was it actually worth higher price tag? Today I'm going to share five things I think were worth the splurge. 

Nars Sheer Glow

Everyone knows and loves this one. I was hesistant for years because fifty bucks for a foundation is a lot, and I don't like to waste my money on things that won't get used. The coverage is medium, builadble, and gives a slight glow to the skin. I like this for long days because I knowit will stay in place and covers just enough. The nice thing about Nars is they have a huge shade selection so you should hopefully be able to find a good match for you. I have the shade Gobi which is a pretty good match but I probably could have gone one darker. 

Bumble and Bumble Invisible Hairdressers Oil Primer
I bought this on a whim because I just ran out of my Its a 10 leave in, but I'm really happy I gave this one a go. It smells amazing, leaves my hair super soft and manageable and keeps the frizz down. It also had heat protecting properties to from heat styling to uva/uvb rays. An overall great product that has me wanting to try the rest of the range.

Laura Mercier Hydrating Primer
If you want a primer that works, go to Laura Mercier. I've tried a few different primers and nothing's as good as this one. They have a few different ones for different skin types but the hydrating one is good for my skin. Not only my foundation but my blush lasts until the end of the day when I've used this underneath and I've never found that with anything else.

Nars Blush in Sin
When fall and winter come around I whip out this baby. Sin is the most beautiful redish mauve shade with a gold shimmer through it. The shimmer is that noticeable on the skin, it just gives a really nice glow to your cheeks and the colour warm up your face beautifully. Possibly my favourite blush ever.

Mac Lipsticks
Everyone has tried a Mac lipstick and if not, they want to. Mac offer so many colours and formulas its hard not to want to buy them all. Whether you like mattes or something more creamy and light, red or nudes, you'll find it. I have quite the collection of these little bullets and get a lot of wear out of them and love going to google to see swatches of new shades to try. They know what they're doing when it comes to lipstick.

What products do you think are worth the splurge? I'd love to hear your recommenations below!

Current Skincare Favs

The Origins Ginzing Eyecream is one of my favourite skincare items I've discovered. Eye creams are a bit of a funny thing for me. I put them on but often don't see any change with or without, but this one definitely makes a difference. Its designed to brighten your under eye area with the slightly peach tone and I must say, it realy does make a difference. It moisturizes really well and doesnt irritate my eyes. Overall fantastic product. A must try.

To go with the eye cream, is the Origins Ginzing Moisturizer. Again, this is supposed to brightenyour skin with caffeine and Panax Ginsend. Its lightweight n the skin, smells really nice and can be used morning and night. Ive only been using this one for two to three months but have been liking it so far.

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil has been my makeup remover of choice. I still cant decided if I prefer the balm version of this, but both are really great to break everything from heavy mascara and liner to foundation down. I gently rub a pump or two into my eyes and over my face and rinse off with a warm washcloth. A great affordable cleansing oil that lasts a really long time.

What skincare prosucts are you loving lately? Let me know.

Todays Face #3

I havent done one of these in a while, so I thought Id show you what I wore to work. A very simple look for everyday. I'm trying to finish off my Korres Vitamin E Primer, so I prepped my skin with that. Its an okay primer but definitely not a favourite. I used a fuller coverage on the skin than usual- a mix of Nars Sheer Glow and Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation. I find the Tarte one to be a bit drying and clings to areas of my face, so with the Nars mixed in it gives a perfect balance of glow and coverage. I used my favourite Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer under the eyes and set it with Rimmels Stay Matte Powder. 

I've been venturing into the world of bronzing and contouring lately and The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 01 has been my go-to. I use the RealTechniques Sculpting Brush to apply it and try to enhance my cheek bones a little bit. This colour isn't too bad for my skintone but I'm sure there's a better option out there. I then applied a little of The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer to my cheek bones, down my nose and under the brows to give a nice glow to the skin. 

To keep my wild brows in place and slightly fill them in, I used the Rimmel Brow This Way tinted brow mascara. I bought this after using the Maybelline one for a while and having trouble with the odd shaped brush. While this one picks up a lot of product that I need to scrape off, I must say it works a lot better for me. On the eyes I just used a little bit of Mac Naked Lunch all over the lid, and Omega through the crease. This was just enough to enhance my eyes. A little bit of Revlon Grow Lucious Plumping mascara and the eyes were done.

Finishing touches of Mac Blush All Day, a gorgeous pinky mauve shade, on the cheeks and Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in 03 on the lips. I havent worn this lipstick in a while but it's a great nude shade for fall. It leads a bit on the brown side so it's perfect for paler skin tones. Love.

Colab Sheer Invisible Dry Shampoo

I was super excited when I saw this available here in Canada. Youtuber, model and blogger Ruth Crilly is the name behind the brand and another reason why I wanted to try it. I've been a Batiste fan for years and its the only ones that ever worked for my hair, so I was interested to see if this one made the cut. The range has five scents and an original Sheer Invisible and Extra Volume option available. I went for the original formula in Rio, a tropical fragrance. I've found them in drugstores and even in Winners if you want to save a few pennies.

One of the great things about this dry shampoo is that its pretty much invisible in the hair. You cant see it, you cant feel it. Nothing. Theres nothing more annoying then spraying your roots and having that horrible white powder that you cant get rid of. Not a problem here. I leave my dry shampoo in for about two minutes to soak up the oils, and then brush it through. I was quite impressed with Colab, as my hair had some oomph aswell as a clean, fresh look. I found this did enough for me on the volume front, so I'm not sure if ill be a user of the Extra Volume. I always found the volume options to leave an awful residue in my hair and I cant stand that, so if you've tried the Colab one let me know how it is.

The verdict? I'd very happily use Colab again. I love the results it gave and have even used this in clean hair just to give extra body when my hair has fallen throughout the day. This would be a great dry shampoo for all hair colours as it literally is invisible. In comparison to Batiste, I'm still not sure which I prefer, but they are both awesome in my eyes. Definitely will be repurchasing and trying the different scents.

The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil

After hearing and reading rave reviews of Body Shop's Camomile Cleansing Oil I had to give it a try. This is the first cleansing oil I've tried, so I don't have a anything to compare this to, however I did use the balm version previous to this and may do a post comparing the two in the future.

The product comes in an easy to use pump, and does not require a lot to remove even tough mascara or eyeliner. I found one to two pumps enough for my eyes and face, sometimes a third if I went overboard on the mascara that day. I gently rub into my lashes and remove with a warm wash cloth. While I found it still felt like mascara was on my lashes, after wiping away with the cloth, everything was removed. Its an easy to use product, with a light barely there scent, and most importantly didnt irritate my skin or eyes. I follow up with my usual cleasner to remove any leftover residue and get a good cleanse, but if I was really lazy and wanted to leave it at just this, I don't find that it leaves my skin oily after washing away.

At $16, this is a affordable cleansing oil that is also easily found for most people. I am not someone who likes to spend a lot on something that is used just for makeup removal, so I found this to be a decent price. With the several sales they have, its easy to get it cheaper or as a free product in their buy one get one deals. I am a fan and can see myself purchasing this again when its all gone.

Are you a fan of the cleansing oil? Have you tried this one? Leave my your thoughts, or product recommendations below!

Nyx Butter Lipstick in Candy Buttons

Nyx are great for affordable lip products. They have so many formulas, from lip creams and glosses, and my favourite lipstick. I have a few of the butter glosses and love them. They really are buttery and  not sticky at all. When the butter lipsticks came out I was interested, but never saw them instore. I recently found them in Rexall and decided to try one shade that I thought would get a lot of wear for a first impression.

I went with Candy Buttons, a gorgeous peach. That name is so cute. They had so many shades to choose from but I love a peach shade for summer so thought this was a good choice. It glides on like butter, as the name says, as was surprisingly quite pigmented. It feels really moisturizing on the lips and doesnt cling to any dryness. Overall I'm a fan and have my eye on a few more shades.

L'Oreal Miss Manga Voluminous Rock Mascara

L'Oreal came out with the Miss Manga mascara a while back and it was a great hit. I myself love it, though I don't think it necessarily had that "manga eye" effect. Nonetheless, a great volumizing mascara. They've recently come out with Manga Rock, with a special crazy looking brush to boost volume and add "texture" to the lashes.

Now, when you first look at the way this is advertised, with spikey, unnatural, very odd looking lashes, it kind of puts you off. Who wants that dramatic of a look where everything is clumped together and makes you look like you have about five lashes? Not very many people. But don't let it put you off, because this is actually a very good mascara for volume. It definitely has a more amped up, dramatic false lash look compared the the original Miss Manga, so if you're not into big, big lashes I would stay away from this one. It has a plastic bristle brush, whereas the original has a bristle applicator. I would say the formula is a lot thicker than any mascara i've tried, which is what's allowing that clumping to happen. I found working it in to the lashes a bit slower helped to kind of "tame" the clumping and get really great volume. My only issue was on the bottom lashes. It was hard to have it not clump and smudge all under the eyes, so q-tips were a must to clean things up.

I must say I was surprisingly pleased with this mascara. I was definitely a bit hesitant to try it as they don't exactly do a good job at selling it in their advertisements. If your a fan of a full lash, or just intrigued to see how it looks, give it a go. It's actually not that bad! Have you tried this? Let me know your thoughts.

To The Last Drop #17

The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Body Butter
I loved this. It smells like fuzzy peaches and what's not to love about that? The Body Shop body butters are awesome, leave your skin soft and smooth and smelling awesome. I also used the body wash but it gone thrown away.

The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Gelee Scrub
I love the sugar scrubs from The Body Shop, but I'm not quite as big a fan of the gelee consistency. Its a lot messier and harder to work with. The scent was awesome though, very awakening. It also has Grapefruit seed oil to leave your skin soft, but I think I'll stick with the other scrubs next time.

Gilette Olay Shaving Gel
This was an okay shaving gel. Honestly I didnt notice the olay to do anything special to my skin. I tend to buy whichever is cheapest at the time and this did the job.

Skintimate Shaving Creme
I decided to give this cream version a go and absolutely loved it. Its a little more expensive then a shaving gel, but toally worth it. I got less nicks, found I got a better, smoother shave and the product lasted a bit longer. I think I'll stick with this for shaving.

L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara
I was persistent on trying this that when I finally found it in store and they only had black-brown (my nemesis) I had to grab it anyway. At first I wasn't getting along with it. It seemed to watery, the weird bendy brush made it hard to get a good grip on to my lashes and it just wasn't looking quite how I anticipated. But after a week or so to let it dry out a bit, I began to love it. It gives me nice volume and length and while I wouldnt say it gave a manga effect, it looked really nice. I have a back up, this time in black, but I'm going to give the Maybelline Lash Sensational a try first.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
I'm not a big powder person so I didnt think I would care which one I used. I only apply this under my eyes and around my forehead where my bangs are, so after purchasing a different powder I realized how great this one is. It doesnt cake, the translucent shade is perfect because it doesnt change the colour of my foundation and it works great at keeping things in place and from being too glowy. I just my need to grab this again because Im not sure Im going to get along with my Maybelline one.

Matrix Miracle Treat Leave In Conditioner
I bought this and thought it was great at first, until trying the Its a 10. It doesnt compare at all. It takes a lot of sprays to get tangles out and doesnt leave my hair that soft after. Wouldnt use this again or try it again.

Its A 10 Miracle Leave In Conditioner
The best leave in product. Not only is this a life saver at detangling, it also tames frizz, works as a heat protectant, smooths and conditons and many more. I can leave my hair alone after just this and it isnt a total frizz ball mess. I'd say thats a good product.

Matrix Repair
Im honestly not a big fan of Matrix products. My hair just doesnt seem to get along with them. I didnt find this to do anything. Basically its supposed to repair the ends of your hair (or smooth them really) but I didnt find it to do anything. My hair felt dry and may as well to have not used anything on it at all.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Night Cream Mini
I got this in the christmas advent calender and actually really liked it. It was a great night cream for this time of year, because even though it's a thicker cream, it absorbs into the skin really quick and leaves it super smooth and hydrated. I will probably buy this in the future.

A Budget Friendly Liner That Works

I talked about the Essence Super Fine Eyeliner Pen in a recent post and thought I'd update you on how I got on with it. In short? It's one of the best liners I've tried. The applicator tip is sturdy, making drawing a perfect cat eye flick easy as pie. It also has really good colour payoff. No going over the line 2 or three times to darken it up. And even better, it lasts through a hot sweaty day and still looks the way it did when first applied. At $3, this liner does not disappoint and may need to take top spot as my favourite drugstore liner.

Have you tried this? Go grab it right now if you haven't. I bet you'll be impressed.

A Few New Things

Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Let Me Pink

There was a good sale on these and I thought this would be a great fall/winter colour. I like the formula of these lipsticks so I hope this colour works for me.

Essie Spaghetti Strap Nailpolish

Again, good sale on these. Although regardless I probably would have bought an Essie polish anyway because I'm obsessed. This looks like a really nice peachy nude shade that I'll probably wear a ton.

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara

Ive heard(and read) so many great things about this and it was on sale for half price so I thought it was a good time to pick it up even though I just opened a new mascara last week. Whoops. Maybelline mascaras are some of my fav so I have high hopes for this one.

Essence Super Fine Liquid Liner Pen

I havent really tried anything from Essence, but they seem to have good reviews and are really inexpensive. I tried this on my hand instore and it seemed to have decent pigmentation for a $3 liner so I grabbed one and will give it a go. If it works out well I may have a new liner for half the price of my current one. 

Nyx Butter Lipstick in Candy Buttons

I swatched a ton of these and ended up with the most me colour possible. It looks like a lovely peach (of course) and is super soft and yes, buttery. I kinda wish I had picked up more colours but maybe in the future.