February Beauty Favourites!

February was a big beauty month for me! I went through my makeup collection and realized that it was time to buy a few new "essential" beauty products. Okay so some things weren't necessarily essentials but who's keeping track anyway? Some products were a hit and some were big misses but I'll save those for another blog post. So without further ado here are my February beauty favourites!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation 

This was hands down my favourite foundation this month. It is so easy to apply and gives a really good amount of coverage. It's also really fast to apply it so I used it on mornings when I had really early classes. It lasts pretty much all day and seems to look even better a few hours after I apply it. Like a lot of other Tarte products it contains Amazonian Clay, which is super cool. Check out Tarte's Amazonian Clay video here. Overall, I love this product!

Benefit Hervana (Blush)

This is the perfect blush for every day makeup looks. The blush is a swirl of three different shades that blend to create a beautiful pinky-purple colour. It also has a bit of shimmer in it which brightens up your cheeks. Perfect for spring!

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow

I wore this eyeshadow almost everyday this month! Read my blog post about it here.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

I love this concealer! It has a really creamy texture, it goes on smooth and doesn't dry out during the day. It works great for hiding dark under eye circles and blemishes. It's an essential part of my makeup bag!

LUSH Popcorn Lip Scrub

My lips were so dry and chapped this month so I used this lip scrub every morning to exfoliate them. This stuff smells so good, like caramel popcorn! The best part about this product is that it is completely edible! Once you scrub it on your lips you can lick it off! Yum!

REVIEW: Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow

I was browsing the Benefit counter the other day when I saw a beautiful display of Creaseless Cream Shadows. The colours were shimmery and smooth, and the packaging was so adorable! I wanted to buy all of them, but I restrained myself and only bought one, a creamy nude colour called Birthday Suit.

One application and I was hooked! The formula is so silky, and it goes on easily with just your fingertip. It is so fast to apply, it's the perfect product for anyone who has a limited amount of time to put their makeup on. 

The lasting power is great. After 9 hours it still looked fresh and hadn't creased at all. I liked this product so much that I went back the next day and purchased a beige colour called No Pressure (a perfect pair for Birthday Suit). 

You can wear the Cream Shadows on their own or as a base for normal eyeshadows.

The Cream Shadows were $24.00 each, but if you are looking for a more affordable version the Maybelline Color Tattoo is similar and costs under $10.00.

In Canada you can purchase Benefit products at Sephora and some Shoppers Drug Marts. 

Make your own eyeshadow palette!

I have a bit of an obsession with makeup. It started when I was pretty young and my mom and I would go to the Bay. We always checked out the M.A.C Cosmetics counter and wound up taking home a new eyeshadow every time. My collection quickly started to build up, and before I knew it I had a tackle box full of shadows.

A couple of years ago, I found out that at M.A.C stores (not the counters in the Bay) you can buy the eyeshadows without the pots. You can also buy empty palettes in different sizes to fill with the shadows of your choice. They are also cheaper than buying the shadows in the pots, a big plus.

I bought a couple of the de-potted shadows and a palette that could hold 15 shadows. I let the palette sit more than half empty for a couple of years and that's when I heard about de-potting M.A.C shadows.

It's a simple process and doesn't take very long. It's the perfect way to convert your old, bulky shadows into a streamlined palette filled with the colours of your choice.

You can also buy palettes at other makeup stores and you can follow this process using pretty much any eyeshadows that you would like to add!

Here's how to de-pot your shadows!

 

What you need:

• Foil
• A knife
• A M.A.C eyeshadow
• A hair straightener
• Magnet sheets
• Labels
• A pen
• Rubbing alcohol and paper towels  
• A safety pin

Step 1:

Write the shade name of the eyeshadows you plan on de-potting on a small label. This way you can remember what your shadow is called once you take it out of the pot. 

Step 2:

Cut the magnets to into small pieces that will fit on the back of your shadows. Mine were 1 cm by 1.5 cm.

Step 3:

Stick the labels on the magnets.

Step 4:

Slide the tip of your knife into the slit between the top and bottom of the shadow pot. 

Step 5:

Twist the knife and the top half will pop out. 

Step 6:

Using a piece of foil to protect your straightener, put your shadow on the ceramic plate. Keep it there for 30 seconds to one minute. 

Step 7:

Poke your safety pin into the centre of the shadow until it starts to come out of the pot. 

Step 8:

Lift the shadow out of the pot. Some shadows didn't want to come out so I gently used the knife to lift it out. If the shadow cracks at all, put a drop of the rubbing alcohol on it and press the shadow back into place.

Step 9:

Put some rubbing alcohol on a paper towel and rub the bottom of your shadow on it to remove an excess glue. Stick the magnet to the back of the shadow. 

Step 10:

Place the shadow into your palette and put the lid on. Voila, a custom M.A.C eyeshadow palette!

A Million Mascaras

Whether it's lipgloss, foundation, eyeliner, or mascara, every girl has her go-to makeup. For me it has always been mascara. I have very light coloured eyelashes so a nice coating of black mascara is a must. That being said, I have tested out what feels like a million mascaras but I haven't found that perfect one just yet. Knowing my makeup obsession, my parents got me a mascara sampler set from Sephora for Christmas. It's great because it comes with a variety of their best selling mascaras so you can try them all and find one you really like. I decided that while I test them out I will rate the mascaras so that at the end I can remember which one I like best.

I will rate the mascaras based on volume, length, clump-factor, whether or not you get racoon eyes when washing it off, comfort, and my overall impression.

To start things off I am reviewing they're real! mascara by Benefit Cosmetics.

Volume

I was very happy with the volume of this mascara. With only a few coats it looks really dramatic.

Length

This mascara made my eyelashes look long and like I was wearing lash-inserts.

Clump-factor

The mascara went on smooth and not clumpy. It looked very natural and not like I pilled on the mascara. 

Racoon Eyes

This was the worst part about this mascara. It looks great on but it is a pain to get off. When I washed my face it left the largest black smudges everywhere and it took a few applications of makeup remover to get it all off. 

Comfort

By the end of the day I noticed it drying up a bit and would fall off in clumps if I rubbed my eyes. I would suggest washing it off after school or work and reapplying it if you are going out. Other than that it was comfortable to wear and didn't bother my eyes. 

Overall

I liked this mascara a lot. It gives a nice dramatic look without many coats and it is comfortable to wear. The only downside is that it is a pain to take off. 

Rating: 4/5