MAC Huggable Lipcolour in Play It Soft

The new MAC Huggable Lipcolours ($24) are huggable, kissable and loveable. Like the In Extra Dimension Eyeshadows the MAC Huggable Lipcolours are back by popular demand (though the huggables are limited edition). 

So what does "huggable" mean? According to MAC, the Huggable Lipcolour is inspired by Asian trends - a lipstick formulation that "hugs" (sculpts) the lips with a lasting, glossy finish. There are 12 shades in the limited edition line. 

Funnily enough, the MAC Huggable Lipcolour does remind me a lot of the one and only Asian lipstick in my collection (the Etude House My Jelly Lips Talk in Plum). The Huggable Lip Colour is more pigmented, less glossy/slippery and longer wearing than the My Jelly Lips Talk but I can see the similarities. 

I'd best describe Play It Soft as a pinky coral with a cream finish (I believe all the Huggables are cream finish). The shade range seems to lean towards more summer appropriate hues - reds and pinks, a few orange-leaning shades, and some pinky nudes. 

The MAC Huggable Lipcolours are semi-opaque and buildable, glossy (but not to the point of looking vinyl) and have typical wear time for glossy lipsticks (~4 hours on my lips). The wear time is a bit lacking but this is expected from something more glossy. That being said, it's hydrating, comfortable, and smooths over the lips nicely. While sheer coloured lipsticks with a glossy finish might not be for everyone, the MAC Huggable Lipcolour is right up my alley. 

Have you tried the MAC Huggables Lipcolours? 

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essence Galaxy Flakes Effect Nail Polish in Rock My World

Happy #manimonday. I'll make this quick by saying...YES, YES, YES. I LOVE THIS NAIL POLISH. It's the essence Galaxy Flakes Effect Nail Polish in Rock My World ($3.49, exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart) and holy cow is it beautiful. As a lover of essence's regular polish line, I was happy to learn that essence has 8 different effect nail polishes including denim, glitter jewels, polka dots, and sugar. So fun! 

It's a textured, lilac topcoat with bits of iridescent flakies and silver sparkles. Above I've paired it with  Essie's "Using My Maiden Name". Match made in heaven, right? The only downside is that it's a b*ch and a half to remove. 

What nail polish have you been loving lately? 

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Lise Watier Teint Lumiere Luminous Foundation in 05

Oddly enough, no other types of beauty launches get me more excited than foundations. Lately, the trend in foundations has been the "second skin" look and this Spring, Lise Watier launched its new Teint Lumiere Luminous Foundation Broad Spectrum Protection SPF 15 ($39). Lise Watier says that it is infused with a Diamond  Lumiere Complex of light reflective pigments that blends into the skin to even out skin tone and bring radiance. The concept is quite similar to that of the Guerlain Meteorites Baby Glow, as the pigments are meant to alter the way light reflects when it hits the face. 

The foundation is housed in a dropper glass bottle. It's a little messy but not unmanageable. The dropper is actually quite easy to control, even given such a low viscosity foundation. One squeeze is supposedly calculated to be just the right amount of product for the entire face. For me, the dropper dispenses enough product for all over the face plus a teeny bit extra to build coverage where I need it... in essence, the perfect amount! 

There are 8 shades of the Lise Watier Teint Lumiere available. I haven't stopped by a Shoppers Drug Mart to check out the other 7 shades, so I can't say whether or not the range would suit a large variety of skin tones. I received 05 to test out. The swatch appears to be a little more tan than my current complexion but it has just the right amount of yellow pigment in it for my Asian complexion. A little deeper into the summer and the Lise Watier Teint Lumiere in 05

 will match me perfectly (YAY!!!). 

 

...and the results of the Diamond Lumiere Complex? Pretty legit. Coverage is light yet buildable to a medium that lets a sliver of imperfections peek through. The water-like consistency is extremely lightweight on the skin. It blends into the skin until it's almost undetectable. The foundation has a dewy-not-oily finish (it's oil-free) that indeed ... looks like second skin. Further, there's something about the way that this foundation reflects light off the face that makes it special. 

Its downfall? The coverage lasts around 7-8 hours on my skin (good) but oil starts to peek through on my nose and forehead at the 4th hour (bad). 

Overall, a lovely foundation - lightweight light/medium coverage, a beautifully natural finish. However, it lacks the oil controlling properties that I typically look for in a foundation, perhaps more suitable for me in the winter when I'm less of an oil slick. I predict the Lise Watier Teint Lumiere Foundation would be great for those with dry or dull skin, as the Diamond Lumiere Complex adds a nice glow to the face. 

Have you tried the Lise Watier Teint Lumiere? 

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essence Longlasting Lipsticks in Natural Beauty, Barely There & I Am Yours

You can't beat lipsticks $3.49, especially when they're actually really good. I received a few of the the essence Longlasting Lipsticks (exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart) at an essence event. There are a few new shades being launched for Spring/Summer 2015, but the only new one shown here is I Am Yours. 

The essence Longlasting Lipsticks are your one-swipe type of pigmented. They have a creamy finish and last about 4 hours on my lips with eating and drinking. Given the price, I don't find them to be at all drying, just really smooth. I wouldn't go as far as saying that they're hydrating, but they're very comfortable on the lips and don't exaggerate lip lines or dry areas. Since all three of these colours are variations on a pink/nude/mauve, they're perfect for everyday at the office. 

Barely There

Natural Beauty

I Am Yours

Have you tried any lipsticks from essence? 

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Mary Kay at Play Lip & Cheek Sticks in Peach Pop and Razzleberry

New season = new, fun things from the Mary Kay At Play Collection. The At Play collection seems to be the younger, edgier side of Mary Kay. The Mary Kay Lip & Cheek Stick ($12 each, available May 16th) colourful duos for a "glowing blush and picture-perfect pout".

Peach Pop

Razzleberry

Mary Kay's colour game is on point. Both Peach Pop and Razzleberry are extremely pigmented and very, very flattering flushes on the cheeks and lips. The product is soft and creamy, easily workable into the skin and to sheer out on the lips. The blush/lipstick duo lasts 3 hours on the lips leaving a light stain and 5-6 hours on the cheeks. Pretty good but by no means amazing. 

The chubby stick packaging of the Mary Kay At Play Lip & Cheek Stick is great for covering large areas of the cheeks but not so great for precision application on the lips. To curb this issue, I prefer applying the stick with a brush or with fingers, which is an extra step that I'm often to lazy to take. Thus, I prefer the product on the cheeks. 

What do you think of the Mary Kay At Play Lip & Cheek Sticks? 

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Empties & Tosses #14 // May 2015

A few things I finished in the month of May...

Here's my rating scale: 

(>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ // worthy of dance party (repurchase)   

^u^ ^u^  // pretty great (maybe repurchase) 

-_- // indifference (will not repurchase) 

While the Sapien Women Body Moisturizer* -_- was lightweight and smelled of tutti fruity, it took forever and a day to absorb into the skin. 

The Aveeno Positively Nourishing Moisturize Shampoo and Conditioner* ^u^ ^u^ did wonders for my winter hair. However, the Pantene Pro V Damage Detox Conditioner* -_- was kind of meh. 

The My Beauty Diary Pearl Brightening Mask ^u^ ^u^ is $1 a piece and my skin looks "brighter" the next morning after using this. 

I LOVE the Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^. It works to prolong the wear of any nail polish, not just Revlon Gel Envy ones. 

I've had the OXY Clearing Treatment -_- and probably haven't used it since ... 2009. It's nearly full but it's about time I tossed it. 

I used the Chantecaille Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion -_-  whenever my skin felt irritated or itchy and the next morning, I'd wake up with my skin feeling calmed down. Bonus, it smells beautiful so it's like aromatherapy for your face. However, at $156 a bottle, I could buy a textbook instead. 

May TALLY: 

1 tosses

6 full-size

1 samples 

8 total 

YEAR-TO-DATE: 

26 tosses

36 full-size

18 samples

80 total

Not much focus on emptying things compared to my usual empties posts this month but I did manage to finish a few full size hair products.

What did you finish in the month of May? 

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The Body Shop Honey Bronze Face Gel & Tinted Leg Mist

My neck and body have gone on a vacation, while my face has been living in Antarctica. Thus, I've come to the realization that I should probably take a break from my Asian "whitening" skincare products, as there is now a massive difference between the colour of my face and the colour of my neck and body. What's been helping me out? The Body Shop Honey Bronze Face Gel ($16). And while my legs are darker than my face, they're still a little pasty-looking from winter so The Body Shop Tinted Leg Mist ($20) has been helping me get my Summer glow on. 

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Face Gel

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Face Gel smells exactly like The Body Shop Honey Bronze Highlighting Domes, a light floral/sweet scent. It could bother some but it fades away within 5-10 minutes of application. The gel feels super light weight, almost watery in texture and slightly cooling.  The colour is a tad orange but extremely sheer and subtle without a trace of shimmer/glitter/iridescence, perfect for matching for my light-borderline-medium complexion to the rest of my body. The gel texture of the product sinks immediately into the skin, lasts ~6 hours and it's neither moisturizing nor drying. 

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Tinted Leg Mist

The word "mist" is misleading. The spraying contraption atop the Honey Bronze Tinted Leg Mist is kind of messy and sprays more product than you'd expect. It's runny and you'll definitely need your hands to distribute the product. A word of warning, you might want to apply this naked (or with minimal clothing) because it will stain. The good news? It's not at all streaky or shimmery. The colouring of the Honey Bronze Tinted Leg Mist is a little more potent than that of the Face Gel. Furthermore, it's slightly less orange and more bronze. Again, it works perfectly with my colouring for a subtle yet sun kissed tan. I have yet to experience the product transferring onto my clothing and it seems to last until I shower the product off. 

It's important to note that both the Honey Bronze Face Gel and Honey Bronze Tinted Leg Mist are non-permanent, wash-off tanning products. Overall, they both serve they're purpose. Since I'm working in an office this summer,  I'll happily be using these to look like I went on a vacation without needing to sit out in the sun! 

Do you use bronzing products on your face or body to colour correct? 

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MAC In Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Smoky Mauve

The MAC In Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Smoky Mauve ($24CAD/$20USD) deserves boatloads of praise. After the 2013 release of the MAC In Extra Dimension Collection (limited edition), it's easy to understand why MAC has re-released the In Extra Dimension Eye Shadows as a permanent range. With 18 shades of eyeshadow, the Prep and Prime 24HR Extend Eye Base, the 233 Split Fibre Eye Shadow Brush and the 234 Split Fibre Eye Blending Brush, this collection is sure to please any eye makeup lover. 

MAC says that the In Extra Dimension Eye Shadows come in sheer crystallized finishes to stunning metallic. It's clear that Smoky Mauve is most certainly classified as a stunning metallic, as it looks almost liquid-like. Below, I've swatched Smoky Mauve without foiling it. When wet, the shadow tends to sheer out. 

Left - heavily swatched; Right - blended 

Smoky Mauve is a cool, medium purple with tons of silver glitter that gives the shadow a ton of dimension. It's actually a great shade for wearing all over the lid because when blended, the colour mysteriously appears slightly brown. 

I could use all the beauty blogger buzz words to describe the texture of this eyeshadow. It's smooth, buttery, soft to the touch, silky and blends like a dream. For such a shimmery shadow, it's a bit startling that Smoky Mauve has little no fallout. Further, I have slightly oily eyelids and the shadow lasts all day without primer. Perhaps it's what MAC describes as a "modern hybrid formula" which pairs the smoothness of a cream, blendability of a liquid and the long-wear and dimension of a powder. 

All in all, well done on this re-release, MAC. A+. Beyond Smoky Mauve, there's quite a number of shades that are piquing my interest... (Silver Dawn, Legendary Lure, Stolen Moment...and more). 

What do you think of the MAC In Extra Dimension Eye Shadows? Will you be picking any up? 

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Neon and Matte - Ceramic Glaze Nail Polish in Shell Me About It

Matte nail polish and matte lipstick colours in bright shades are kind of similar. The matte texture tones it down and keeps it from looking over the top. Here's something interesting - a nail polish that's neon AND matte. It's Ceramic Glaze's Shell Me About It ($10.99, exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart), a bright cool-toned pink. 

Lately, I've been loving wearing this. It's super bright and the matte texture makes it a bit more interesting than my other bright-coloured polishes. But here's the catch, the polish lasts only 3 days on my fingertips. Unfortunately, adding a top coat changes the finish, so I've always got to reapply or switch my nail colour up mid-week. 

What do you think of matte neon nail polishes? 

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Mary Kay At Play Baked Eye Trios in Out of the Blue, Neapolitan & Purple Eclipse

The Mary Kay At Play Baked Eye Trios ($14 each) are nothing new but May 16th, 2015, Mary Kay is putting out three new colour variations. I remember testing one of these out but I guess I never ended up reviewing them. All I have to say is they're AMAZING.

Out of the Blue // satin finish blue, shimmery warm brown, shimmery gold

Neapolitan // satin finish pearl, satin finish medium brown, shimmery finish light pink

Purple Eclipse // matte pastel pink, matte black, matte purple

The Mary Kay At Play Baked Eye Trios are three eyeshadows with varying finishes in each set. The shadows are ridiculously pigmented (all of them) with both neutral and slightly more "fun" colours like blues and purples. Out of the three, my favourite is a toss up between Out of the Blue and Neapolitan. I find Purple Eclipse to be unique but quite hard to wear.

There's some fallout but this is curbed with careful patting of a flat brush instead of using a bendy fluffy one. The shadows are soft, smooth, and blendable (aka *beauty blogger eyeshadow buzz words*). The shadows look fresh from first application to 7 hours later when worn with primer. I couldn't really ask for much more in terms of formulation. 

What do you think of the swatches? Which is your favourite? 

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NYX Butter Gloss in Cupcake (BLG18)

What amazes me most about the NYX Butter Gloss in Cupcake is that it actually smells like cupcakes (?) Late last year, I acquired the NYX Butter Gloss in Cupcake (~$4.99) via Jenn of A Beautiful Zen's kind friend Tian at IMATS. Here's the little advert blurb: 

Get that creamy medium coverage on your lips without that sticky sensation. It's perfect for every sweet tooth! Softens and conditions lips while giving a hint of color and gloss.

Indeed the NYX Butter Glosses are quite sweet. If you're not into flavoured lip products, you might want to skip out on this, as the smell could be borderline overwhelming to some. Personally, I love sweet smelling things and the scent fades away as time goes on, so it's not a problem. 

The NYX Butter Glosses are everything that you'd want in a lip gloss. A hint of colour, a lot of shine, and a lot of moisture. It's a slippy gloss not a sticky gloss, so it glides over the lips like ... ahem... butter. While I haven't heard a single bad thing about the NYX Butter Glosses, the product does have its faults. If I wear a slippy balm underneath the Butter Gloss, the Butter Gloss doesn't adhere well to the centre of the lips. Furthermore, lasting power is... meh (less than 2 hours)... but it doesn't matter because it feels so nice to apply throughout the day. 

Cupcake is a neon pink shade and the sheerness of the colour makes it appropriate for any occasion. Overall, a very good gloss. I wouldn't say it's mindblowing or life changing but it's a good gloss that caters to my likes - hints of colour, lots of gloss, and a bit of hydration. Yes, indeed, I would purchase another colour. 

Have you tried the NYX Butter Glosses? 

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essence 2 in 1 Eyeliner Pen

One eyeliner, and two ways to wear it. essence's new 2 in 1 Eyeliner Pen ($3.99, exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart) is a felt tip liquid eyeliner that features a thin tip and a thick tip. 

While I don't particularly care for the thick side, the thin one is precise enough for the way I like to line my eyes (with a short, thin line). If you're looking for pin-point precision, this one's not nearly as sharp as all of the brush tip liners I've ever tried. The formula is very black and opaque but bleeds slightly into fine lines. As for wear time, I'm thoroughly impressed. The photo below was taken after a 10 hour work day. Impressive, huh? 

While the essence 2 in 1 Eyeliner isn't perfect, it's decent for the price. If you're looking for a budget eyeliner, check this one out. 

What's your favourite drugstore eyeliner? 

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Mary Kay At Play Shadow & Liner in Iced Lilac, Mint to Be, Rebel Rose & Caramellow

Ain’t nothing like a dual-ended eye product. 2-in-1 things always get me because the more portable and multi-tasking my makeup is… the better. New from Mary Kay At Play are the Shadow & Liners ($15 each). The Mary Kay At Play Shadow & Liners come in 4 shades – Mint to Be, Iced Lilac, Rebel Rose and Caramellow. They’re dual ended shadow and liner sticks that are meant to make eye makeup easier. 

Mary Kay says that these are ultra-creamy and smooth with rich colour payoff, smudge-proof, fade-proof, and buildable. For the most part, I would agree. All four eyeshadow shades are rich in colour with a pearlized finish. The shadows don’t crease or smudge on me throughout the entirety of a 8 hour work day. As for the eyeliners, they’re smooth, creamy and pigmented but for some reason transfer like crazy onto the wrong parts of my eyelid in less than an hour of wearing them. Furthermore, the eyeliners have no sharpening mechanism and get thicker at the base (I had a similar problem with The Body Shop Matte Kajals). 

Iced Lilac

Lilac Shadow/Purple Liner

Mint To Be 

Froggy Green Shadow/Forest Green Liner

Rebel Rose

Rose Shadow/Black Liner

Caramellow

Caramel Shadow/Brown Liner

The colours are super pretty! My favourite combo is Iced Lilac. Caramellow is the most wearable but I find the caramel-gold eyeshadow to be a bit too warm for my preferences. Unfortunately, the liner doesn’t work well with my lids but the cream eyeshadows are gorgeous!

What do you think of these shadows and liners? Which one is your favourite? 

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Clinique Pop Lip Colour and Primer in Poppy Pop

Now that I'm a fairly *seasoned* blogger following beauty launches is a thing. And it has occurred to me that Clinique’s beauty launch game has been on point in the last year. First, the Clinique Cheek Pop Blushes (and the release of some new shades this year), and now the Clinique Pop Lip Colour and Primers ($21 CAD each) are taking over my Instagram and Twitter feeds. 

I received the shade Poppy Pop in a goodie bag at a Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutique Event at the gorgeous Shoppers Drug Mart Runnymede Theatre on Bloor Street West. Imagine an art deco theatre with makeup counters instead of orchestra seats and shelves of drugstore products on the second floor balcony. So yes, the Clinique Pop Lip Colour and Primers are available at Shoppers Drug Mart, as well as Sephora and Clinique counters. 

What Clinique says about their Pop Lip Colour and Primers: Luxurious yet weightless formula merges bold, saturated colour with a smoothing primer. Glides on effortlessly to a modern-velvet finish. Colour stays true, keeps lips comfortably moisturized for 8 hours. Allergy Tested. 100% Fragrance Free.

A total of 15 shades in the range – divided into 4 colour families. 

1// Tawnies & Corals – Melon Pop, Cherry Pop, Poppy Pop, Passion Pop

2// Violets – Grape Pop, Love Pop, Plum Pop, Berry Pop

3// Nudes - Nude Pop, Bare Pop, Beige Pop

4// Pinks – Fab Pop, Sweet Pop, Wow Pop, Punch Pop

All of the shades appear to be fairly wearable. There are some brights and purple-ish shades but no black or blues in sight, which is not surprising given Clinique’s aesthetic as a brand. Speaking of aesthetic, I am in love with the silver square packaging with coloured plastic co-ordinating to the shade of the lipstick inside. I imagine having all 15 shades stored together in a neat 3 x 5 rectangle (rounded lipsticks are annoying and take up a lot of space). I wish all lipsticks were in square packaging!

In terms of colour, Poppy Pop is a vibrant orange-leaning red. Clinique says all of the colours are of a demi-matte finish. I would agree. They’re not glossy or flat out matte but they do have a slight sheen, which makes my lips appear healthy and full without looking fake. True to its claims, the Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer is comfortable to wear and true to colour. The colour lasts around 4-5 hours leaving a decent stain that doesn’t look or feel dry. 

Overall, it’s a very beautiful lipstick formulation. I won’t say it’s very different from other lipsticks at the same price point but I will say I am going to pick up one of the nude or lilac shades because of the square packaging. 

Have you tried the Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primers? 

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Chocolate and Berries with Montagne Jeunesse

Oh how I love Montagne Jeunesse. Formulated by herbalists in the UK, the brand makes all sorts of wonderful face masks full of fruits and flowers. As an added plus, all of their products are not tested on animals, cruelty-free and Vegetarian society approved for only $1.99 at select drugstores and Walmart. There's over 50 pick-me-up beauty treats in the Montagne Jeunesse masque range. Today, I've got two to share with you! 

Montagne Jenuesse does their chocolate masks right. In the range, there's regular chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, and hot chocolate. I tested the Montagne Jeunesse Hot Chocolate Masque (a warming mask) and this time around I put on the Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Masque ($1.99). Both have chocolate scents make me want to lick my face. The Chocolate Masque is meant to deep cleanse pores and moisturize and heal skin. On resilient skin, it's a fairly mild mask that does feel like it's pulling the gunk out of my face but not to the point where it's dried out. After washing the mask off, my skin felt clean and slightly hydrated. 

Berries are known for their antioxidant qualities and the Montagne Jeunesse Very Berry Face Masque ($1.99) is packed with blueberry and cranberry juice, as well as aloe and peach kernel oil. The mask feels like a thick, slimy lotion and claims to leave skin feeling refreshed and cleansed. Usually I presume cleansing to mean "removes makeup and dirt from face" I don't think this particular mask should replace your cleanser. The mask leaves skin feeling every so slightly refreshed compared to the pre-mask state. In general, I don't find it to be the most potent mask I've triedThe best part... it's purple. The worst part... it has teeny tiny iridescent shimmers that get all over your hands. Put the best and the worst parts together and you can look like a unicorn for 15 minutes. 

In general, both masks contain way to much product for one person's face, so make sure to enjoy the Montagne Jeunesse masks with a friend. 

Do you like Montagne Jeunesse face masques? 

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