EVENT: I met the Pixiwoos!! [Real Techniques Road Show] #rtroadshow

Loved by everyday women and make up artists alike, Real Techniques has been taking the beauty world by storm. In case you haven't heard, Real Techniques is the brain child of Sam and Nic Chapman (of the 200 million + views youtube channel - Pixiwoo) and Paris Presents a retailer of personal care products. Paris Presents and, in turn, Real Techniques is ranked the fastest growing global health and beauty company by the Boston Consulting Group. 

First thing's first, I snapped a photo with Sam and Nic Chapman. They're absolutely stunning in person, personable, and so easy to chat with... exactly how they are in their videos. Their makeup was on point, which made me nervous that the newest mascara I was testing had smudged, raccoon-style. 

Next was some browsing of the plethora of Real Techniques brushes. The self-standing, colour-coated brush system is easy on the eyes and quite pleasing when paired with fresh flowers. In addition to the yellow, pink, and purples, also displayed were the limited edition (in Canada) Nic's Picks and Duo Fibre Brush Collections, which I have had yet to see in my local drugstores. 

Most interesting period of the night was Sam and Nic speaking about their journey as makeup artists and youtubers. Real Techniques brushes were years in the making and they stressed the importance of not only amazing synthetic brushes but the educational aspect of how to use them, as well. There was also a Q&A period where someone asked what their favourite channels were. Apparently, they don't watch beauty youtubers because they don't want to re-purpose other's ideas, which I found very interesting! Perhaps I should stop reading so many beauty blogs? Nahhhh. 

I'm sure you've heard enough about Real Techniques from other bloggers, youtubers, etc. But if you're not familiar with the brand, RT brushes are made with super soft synthetic bristles, hand-cut, and self-standing with light handles. I really can't say enough good things about the quality (and decent price!) of the brushes. In Canada, Real Techniques has only been introduced within the past couple years by the awesome people at Farley Co Marketing. Real Tehcniques products are available at London Drugs, NailPolishCanada.com, obssessedlook.com, Familiprix, Lawtons Drugs, Pharmasave,  and Walmart.

...And there was some eating too. I had never been to Joey's at the Eaton Centre but the appetizers were pretty darn good. I basically stood around the food table with Vanessa of Citron and Guavaberry for half the night, snacking on the cabbage wraps and flat bread. 

All in all, I'm a huge fan of Real Techniques brushes AND a long time subscriber of the Pixiwoos. Real Techniques brushes are slowly taking over my beauty tool stash. First I purchased the Core Collection, then the Expert Face Brush and Stippling Brush. I also received the Miracle Complexion Sponge and Silicone Liner Brush for review. Not to mention, I'm looking to add the Eye Brush Starter Set into the mix. At the Real Techniques Roadshow event I took home the Duo Fibre Collection, so stay tuned for a review very, very soon! 

Special thanks to Farley Co Marketing for having me at this event! 

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New York Color Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Sky High and Teal

Guess what? It's eyeliner Monday! During the month of September, I acquired the New York Color Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils in Sky High and Teal ($3.99) through the #NYCBeautyPro Program. The NYC Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils are available in 7 shades - black, dark brown, mink, smoked purple, moody blue, sky high, and teal  - and the product claims to have a waterproof, long-lasting formula. 

936A Sky High is a light blue with a subtle blue shimmers and 937A Teal is a forest green with yellow-gold glitter. Both liners are pretty colours but Teal kills it with its rich colour payoff and heavily-concentrated glitter (and it's a dead ringer for Shu Uemura's Drawing Pencil in ME green 51 except with more glitter) . These liners are soooooo creamy and easy to blend. Despite being super creamy, they set and stay in place all day without smudging in the slightest bit. 

Overall, the New York Color Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils are amazing! Plus.. for the price I'd be okay with letting go of a $5 bill to pick up Smoked Purple as the next addition to my eyeliner stash. 

Have you tried the New York color Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils? 

Press sample featured. This is part of my eyeliner monday series- where I review a different eyeliner every...Monday. :) See more eyeliner reviews here. 

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EVENT: IMATS Toronto 2014 + Mini-Haul

My first ever IMATS (International Make Up Artists Trade Show) experience... I attended IMATS on Saturday, November 22, which was sold out by the time I had gotten there. Thanks to the tips from IMATS veterans, I arrived at 7:40AM. There was already a huge line of 100+ people. I picked up my pass and walked in at 8:30 AM. Popular booths like Make Up For Ever (40% off discount), MAC (20% off discount), and Nigel's Beauty Emporium (with Too Faced, Anastasia, Kevyn Aucoin, and a ton of lashes) were crowded upon opening. 

I didn't really plan on "going" with anyone in particular but met up with a ton of Toronto beauty bloggers. The list is quite long... Upon walking in, I spotted the flawlessly grey hair of Zubie's Musings who introduced me to Laura of Lipstick and Laura and Shawna of Spill the Beauty. I also spent quite a bit of time walking around by myself and with Jenn of A Beautiful Zen, Jenn of Vibrant, Vivacious, Veracious Beauty Blog, and Meg of Meg's Makeup Bag. Shoutouts to Stephanie of theFantasia, Aleeza of Stylish & Literate, and Tess of Makeup By Tess who I hadn't seen in a while, as well as Arianne of Glitter Geek (whom I had just met for the first time!). I also met up with Julie of Swatch & Review, Jenn of Scarlet Beauty, and Chelle of Make Up Your Mind to take a CBB Network photo! 

In addition to all the wonderful beauty bloggers, here's a few snaps of the sights of IMATS.... 

Amazing body painting...

A UNICORN!! 

All the baby (fun size) beauty blenders...

a little learning about MAQ-pro cosmetics... 

many, many Morphe palettes... 

 contemplating the purchase of $8 liquid latex from Jordane Cosmetics in preparation for next Halloween (ALREADY!)... 

Ohhs and ahhs for the Hakuhodo brush displays... 

 And a TON of people. It was crowded, almost suffocating but bearable because of all the makeup goodies there were to check out. 

Contrary to popular belief, I don't spend copious amounts of money on beauty product, so long as I can help it (#studentdebtproblems). I spent a total of $99 dollars on four items, which required a lot of restraint - the Ben Nye Banana Powder ($12) from Nigel Beauty Emporium, Hakuhodo Yachiyo Brush - medium ($50), Hakuhodo Eye Shadow Brush Flat and Round J5523 ($23), and a Beauty Blender ($14). The Banana Powder and Beauty Blender seem to be cult staple items and I had wanted to try them for a while. As for the Hakuhodo brushes... I'm considering them to be investment pieces in my brush collection. Also, special thanks to Jenn's friend Tian for the NYX Butter Gloss! 

Would I recommend IMATS? DEFINITELY! If you're a beauty blogger, beauty enthusiast, or MUA, then by all means check out what IMATS has to offer. 

Were you at IMATS? What did you pick up? 

I went to IMATS courtesy of a press pass to cover the event. This is not a sponsored post and all items were purchased by me. 

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The Winter Flush: #NYCBeautyPro Challenge #4

Snowfall means... Sweater Weather! Fittingly, this month's New York Color NYC Beauty Pro Challenge theme is "Ice Skating at the Rockefeller Center". As such, I've put on one of my fuzziest winter sweaters and a makeup look to match the colder weather. 

In from the cold pink cheeks and a hydrated, slightly tinted lip are made easy with a few products from New York Color. 

The New York Color Cheek Glow Powder Blush in 650 NoLiTa Pink ($2.99) is the perfect flush of natural pink with a hint of golden sparkle for a subtle glow. The blush is surprisingly pigmented, so make sure to tap off the excess before applying it to the face. On the lips, I'm wearing the New York Color Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm ($2.99) smells exactly like apple hard candies and adds the tiniest bit of gloss and a red tint to dehydrated lips. I also attempted to apply the New York Color Show Time Waterproof Volumizing Mascara in 844 Extreme Black ($3.99) onto my lashes but it didn't do much other than darken them. I'm also wearing a bit of the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper and the CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation on my face. 

There's not really much too this look. A little blush, a little gloss and you're good to go. Add some mascara, liner, and a touch of foundation for a fuller-faced look. 

What's your go-to winter makeup look? 

Press samples featured

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Sephora Formula X Paint Party

The Sephora Formula X Paint Party ($47 CAD, exclusively at Sephora) is a set of 24 travel-friendly press-pods full of Sephora's best cream and pearl nail polishes. Although don't own any of the Formula X polishes, I'm already a huge fan. I always swatch them in-store but I'm extremely indecisive so I never decide on which colour I want. The Paint Party set is a great way for indecisive people like me to get a feel for what colours look best on my fingers. 

The Press Pods come in a paint-can shaped container. I think the packaging is pretty ingenious and I'll be re-purposing it into a makeup brush holder later on. 

The Formula X Press Pods (AHA! I get it now. Ex-press pods!) are meant to be conveniently 1mL sized individual manicures for a little more than one full manicure, each with a built-in brush. Super travel friendly, right? Note that the Press Pods are not quite as easy to use as a full bottle of nail polish. Since they're meant for one-time use, the brush isn't the same quality that you'd get from what you might be used to. It takes a bit of practice. Thank goodness this set comes with instructions and 3 Delete To-Go Polish remover wipes. 

Colours included are... 

• Ignite (smoking red)
• Pyrtotechnic (dynamite red)
• Push the Limits (tomato pink)
• A+ (raspberry)
• Frenetic (deep fuchsia)
• Intensity (powder pink)
• Potent (carnation pink)
• Enigma (lagoon blue)
• Prism (mermaid green pearl)
• Unmistakable (pastel jade)
• Omni (beach ball blue), Orbit (dark sky blue)
• Centigrade (arctic blue)
• Provocative (pastel sky)
• Indelible (rich violet)
• Outrageous (lavender mist)
• Invincible (warm vanilla)
• Thrilling (cloud gray)
• Impeccable (cocoa bisque)
• Perfection (smoky violet)
• Gray Matter (charcoal gray)
• Extraordinary (iceberg gray)
• Dark Matter (patent leather black)
• White Matter (paper white) 

Yep, so there's the awesome opportunity to try 24 polishes without the commitment of entire bottle. Who has ever finished an entire bottle anyways? The one-time use factor is very travel-friendly but it's almost better in theory than in practice if you're not the best at applying nail polish in the first place. Looking at the value of each Press Pod, you're looking at $1.95 per manicure. Given a full-size bottle of Formula X is $13 and 12 mL (and upwards of 30 manicures), you're paying for the convenience and packaging of the Press Pods. That being said, it depends on what you want or who you're buying for. If you'll stick to one colour forever, great...skip this set. But if you're indecisive and want to try new colours all the time, check this one out. 

Have you tried the Formula X Press Pods? 

Press samples featured

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Kat Von D the Star Studded Look Set

Holiday value sets are making their way into Sephora. If you like mini (aka fun size) beauty products, then right around now is the perfect time to try out a plethora of brands and products without the commitment of full-size. That being said, I've been playing around with the Kat Von D the Star Studded Look set ($24), which contains three deluxe-size Kat Von D favourites - the Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Underage, Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper, and Kat Von D Immortal Lash Mascara. 

The Kat Von D the Star Studded Look retails for $24 CAD for $32 in value per the Sephora website. I've taken the liberty of calculating values for this set of minis and the $32 total value is accurate (I'm studying accounting. So I kind of like this stuff... except when it's on an exam).

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Underage ($26 full size // $10.40 mini) - Holy mother of pigmentation. This satin finish fire-engine red is HOT. The formulation is good but not amazing, it's not as creamy as you might expect and drags on the lips slightly. Other than that, the colour is superbly opaque in 2 layers and lasts through multiple meals (~7 hours). Plus, how cute is the mini lipstick bullet? 

Kat Von D Immortal Lash Mascara ($25 full size // $14.36 mini) - This is probably the most torturous looking mascara wand I've ever seen. The plastic bristles spiral around the wand and are concentrated at the very tip. This mascara claims to be a 3-in-1, do-it-all 24H formula that lengthens, curls, and coats. While no mascara has ever lived up to the curl claim on my stick straight lashes, the lengthening properties work for me (see the results below). If I wore mascara for 24 hours, I fear my lashes might fall off but this one stays all day without smudging or flaking so it gets my seal of approval. 

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper ($23 full size // $8.05 mini) - I can see why all I read online is raves for this liquid liner. The applicator is actually a number of very fine brush hairs stuck together to create a very precise tip. When I first used this liner, it seemed a little watery but with a little shaking and upside down storage, the formula was the blackest of opaque blacks - no need for double swiping. What I love about this liner is that it doesn't bleed or smudge and the brush is super easy to use. If you wear liquid liner on the daily, this is definitely something to look into. 

The Star Studded Look... 

Overall, I've easily worked these products together and separately into my everyday routine. I'm impressed with the performance of each of these Kat Von D products. So, if you're looking to try a bit of Kat Von D, be sure to check out this limited edition set! 

Have you tried any of these items? What do you think of Kat Von D? 

Press samples featured 

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Hello Kitty the Red Bow Beauty Diaries // Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary

Holy Moly. Sephora has gone wild with the limited edition Hello Kitty sets. This time around it's The Red Bow Beauty Diaries ($65 CAD, exclusively at Sephora). The set contains 15 exclusive Hello Kitty cosmetics and collectibles. Here's the lowdown... 

The lip products aren't half bad. Both the XOXO Lip Glosses in Toffee Nude and Strawberry Pink are slightly sheer with a subtle shimmer that doesn't feel gritty on the lips. I was almost disappointed with the Plush Pout Lip Balms in Coral Crush and Cherry Red, as I thought that they were lipsticks but they offer a sheer tint of colour without being overly slick, thick or balmy. 

As for the eye makeup, I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do with the Pink Streak Hair Mascara. I'll have to play around with it a bit more. The Pretty in Pearl Eyeshadow Sticks in Hot Cocoa and Champagne Rose are extremely wearable and easy to use. Both are a bit hard to blend but look very pretty worn on the lower lash line and wear for ~5 hrs. The Electric Slide Liquid Liners in Violet and Royal Blue aren't quite as wearable as the eyeshadow sticks but I'm very, very impressed by the opacity of Royal Blue and I'm already thinking of how to incorporate this into a look. 

Let's classify the items above as "other". The All Eyes on Hello Kitty eyeliner appliques are cool but I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to wear them. Maybe next Halloween? The two designs of the All Better Bandages are really useful to throw in the purse. Next time a guy friend gets a cut, I'll be sure to offer him one of those. The Supercute accent nail appliques are graphic and I'll definitely get use out of them. Note that they're the same one of the designs in the Kawaii Nail Art Set. 

Last but not least there's the Milk Money Coin Purse (which is way too small to fit more than a 10 dimes), the Charmmy Hair Tie and a 1974 Figurine. They're all cute little trinkets for a Hello Kitty Collector. 

Overall, there's a TON of variety in this set. The makeup isn't Dior-quality then again, the set is only $65 for 15 things, which is actually reasonable when you think about it. There are definitely some noteworthy items in the Hello Kitty the Red Bow Beauty Diaries - the eyeshadow sticks, all four of the lip products and the adorable little band-aids. 

What do you think of the Red Bow Beauty Diaries?

Press samples featured

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