Color Club Nail Polish in Poetic Hues

The Color Club Nail Polish in Poetic Hues is my first venture into the Color Club brand of which I received in the Wantable Limited Edition Holiday Box 2013. 

Poetic Hues is a slightly peachy off-white. The brush makes it a bit hard to work around the cuticles and the formula is quite streaky. It's opaque in three coats and lasts 2 days without chipping. Overall, I like this polish as an alternative to white but the formula kinda turns me off, so it doesn't get a lot of use. 

Do you like Color Club Nail Polishes? Their holo polishes look amazing! 

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5 Products, 5 Minutes || #GottaTurnItUp Challenge #2

It seems like I'm always in a rush. While I love taking my time with makeup application in the mornings, life isn't always willing to provide me with those few extra minutes to get ready. Enter the five products in five minutes. 

< one >  Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream 

The best thing about BB cream is that you can haphazardly slap it on your face and run. There's no time to wait for the product to sink in and you'll never have to worry about streak marks. It has the tiniest bit of coverage that gives you that "I-woke-up-like-this" kind of look. 

< two >  CoverGirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous Concealer 

But let's be real. Those fun little pimples and dark circles need a little more love than some BB Cream. That's where concealer comes in. The new CoverGirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous concealer provides natural looking coverage to cover up my itty bitty imperfections. 

< three > CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara

No need for much explanation, this is my all time favourite mascara. No smudges and no clumps in sight. Check out my original review here. 

< four > CoverGirl LipPerfection in Eternal 

The best way for people to forget that your hair is gross and you're not wearing any pants is if you distract them with a bold lip (Jenn @ A Beautiful Zen will agree) . See a few more colour options from the line here. 

< five > Pantene Pro V Original Fresh Dry Shampoo 

It might sound gross to some, but I try to wash my hair as little as possible, the only issue being that it gets gross and oily by day #2. Dry shampoo works wonders and adds some much needed volume to flat hair. And if I don't have time to brush it all out, a simple side braid ties everything together. 

How do you get ready with only 5 minutes?

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Mika X Shu Uemura Nail Stickers in Melting Sweet Dream/Curiousity

Yes, we've had this nail sticker conversation before (see Revlon, Revlon, Kiss Nails, the Nailed Kit). Other's I've tried were "drugstore" prices (max. $10). Here's a little luxury. The Mika Ninagawa for Shu Uemura Nail Stickers ($28) are another limited edition piece in the collaboration collection. The stickers come in two designs - Melting Sweet Dream/Curiosity and Forbidden Fruit/Singing Forest (a green/red combo - not shown). 

While the designs are stunning (and match the graphics on the cleansing oils), the sticker "formulation" is nothing extraordinary. Like most nail appliques, they were fairly easy to size (there's 3 sheets for a total of 28 stickers) but extremely awkward to apply. There's little air bubbles and lumps and filing the tips lightly created rough edges around my nails. Furthermore, the stickers wore away at the tips on day #2. That being said, these don't look so great close up, but I can name 5 different times during the two days that I wore these for which I received compliments. 

Too bad the gorgeous designs don't translate so well onto the nail format. For everyday these may seem like a bit much on all 10 fingers, but if you're a pro at applique application, these would pair beautifully with a bright polish for a funky little accent nail. 

What do you think of these nail appliques? 

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Revlon Rio Rush Collection Nail Enamels in Copa Sunset, Carioca Crush & Gold Goddess

Summer polishes releases are so yummy. These three from the Revlon Rio Rush Collection are no exception. Bright, glittery, fun. All the things that go perfectly with the warm weather. Revlon launched 4 limited edition Nail Enamels ($5.95) - Copa Sunset, Carioca Crush, Golden Goddess, and Oi Beautiful (Orchid, not shown). 

The formulation of the polishes are consistent with other offerings from Revlon. The cream polishes (Copa Sunset and Carioca Crush) are consistent with other Revlon Nail Enamels - super pigmented and opaque in 2 thin coats and lasting power of ~3 days. Carioca Crush was a poop to remove - don't forget a base coat with that one! As for the glitter topcoat, it's concentrated enough to look good in one layer and lasts so long that I couldn't be bothered to count the days. 

All in all, three pretty polishes. Be sure to check them out if you see them in store! 

The Revlon Rio Rush Collection by Gucci Westman is available at drugstores in Canada as of May 2014. See my overview here. 

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Shu Uemura Tokyo Lash Eye Opening Volume Mascara

Long time no mascara review! I typically avoid high-end mascaras (with the exception of a few) because the drugstore is plentiful in awesome offerings, my favourite being the CoverGirl Clump Crusher. I received the Shu Uemura Tokyo Lash Eye Opening Volume Mascara ($29 at shuuemura.ca) for a post on the Fashion Magazine Beauty Panel.

When it comes to mascara, I'm not picky. If you've read any of my posts featuring my eyes, you'll know that my lashes are puny and sad. Uncurled and without mascara, they appear to be non-existent. So, I'm just looking for something that will add some volume and length that can hold a curl and won't smudge. I'm not asking for much. 

Here's what Shu Uemura has to say about its Tokyo Lash Mascara: 

"Volume-type mascara for lacquer-black lashes. New crisscross brush catches shortest lashes and brings out lash makeup as if it were done by a make-up artist.Long-lasting and smudge-proof!"

The Shu Uemura Tokyo Lash Eye Opening Volume Mascara delivers on both the volume and length fronts, bringing my lashes into existence without clumpiness. The look is very comparable to the clump crusher but better. The Tokyo Lash provides slightly more volume, length, and drama. It smudges slightly if I apply at 8AM and check my makeup at 12PM, which isn't great. I find that the staying power of CoverGirl mascaras is better. Throughout a full day there's no drooping with the Tokyo Lash, which is a huge benefit because, for me, the secret to good lashes is a good, long-lasting curl. Also noteworthy, it's not waterproof so it'easy to remove without pulling out the lashes that I have. 

Oddly enough, I find that the Shu Uemura Tokyo Lash Eye Opening Volume Mascara provides more length than I had expected. In a perfect world, it would provide a touch more volume and wouldn't smudge, but when my lashes show up in photos, it's hard for me to complain (but sad that there's a huge tradeoff) 

Do you have a favourite high-end mascara? 

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Missha The Style Jewel Star Eyes in Pecan Pie

Glitter, glitter, glitter. I'm in love with glitter, especially neutral glitters for everyday. The Missha The Style Jewel Star Eyes in Pecan Pie ($13.99 on ibuybeauti) promises shining, moisturized and glossy eyes and delivers. I'm happy to say that I've found a shimmery shadow that's not too shimmery and appropriate for all day and all night. 

The Missha the Style Jewel Star Eyes come in 9 colours - Champagne Pink, Havana Coral, Orange Lady, Apple Blossom, Pecan Pie, Lovely Chocolate, Midnight, and Moonray. By the looks of it, all of them are a sheer coloured base with a boatload of gold or silver shimmer. 

Pecan Pie is a warm medium brown with golden sparkles. The glitter is very concentrated in the product and provides a shimmering, foiled look to the eyes. The texture is a light, slightly mousse-y cream-to-powder finish. With powder shimmer shadows, there's usually more fallout than I would like to have. However, with the Style Jewel Star Eyes, there's much less and it's easier to work with. 

Lasting power is pretty average (6 hours) and I don't find it to crease on my eyelids (yay!). In any case, can we just take a moment to awe at the glittery goodness of the Missha the Style Jewel Star Eyes? 

To apply the Missha The Style Jewel Star Eyes in Pecan Pie, I like to do one of two things: (1) fingers, fingers, fingers can pick up a product with ease or (2) a flat shadow brush to avoid getting your fingers all glittery. 

In general, wearing this product all over the lids is totally appropriate for day or night. The shimmers look different around certain areas of the eye, so it can be worn on it's own. For a bit more depth, you could add a touch of a matte dark brown in the outer corners. 

If you're into glitter, this one's for you. If not, you're probably going to want to avoid this product. One thing's for sure, the Jewel Star Eyes are unicorn-worthy. For twinkly star-like eyes, try the Missha The Style Jewel Star Eyes in Pecan Pie! 

Shimmer or no shimmer? 

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EVENT: Make Up For Ever #GetSculpted at Sephora Eatons Centre!

Since the beginning of time, I've skipped out on the full contouring and sculpting routine. Why? Mostly because I'm unsure of product placement. Last Friday, I stopped by Sephora to get a little lesson in the matter. A one-on-one consultation with a lovely and informative make-up artist named Beth, who taught me about my face shape and how to #GetSculpted. Here's what I learned: 

I have a rounded face, which means that my "goal" would be to become a bit more angular/oval. The Make Up For Ever Sculpting Kit is subtle, which is best for my preferred look - natural. 

Where to highlight: 

• Arch of the brow
• Top of the cheekbone
• Cupids bow
• Along the bridge of the nose

Where to contour: 

• Temples and hairline
• Under the cheekbones
• Jawline 
• In the crease 
• Sides of the nose

Tips and Tricks: 

• You don't need to make a fish face to figure out where to place contour, just follow where the natural light and shadow on your face. 
• For nighttime, add a little shimmer on top of where you would normally place highlight. You can also bring your contour up and around the cheeks for an ultra-defined look. 
• Don't sculpt the entire length of your jawline, just the edges to "cut" the rounder outer areas. 
• Apply highlight, then contour. It's easier to cover up a lighter colour than a darker one. 
• Use a light hand.. unless you want to look like Maleficent. 

Make Up For Ever Artisan Brush 158 - Double Ended Sculpting Brush ($61), Make Up For Ever Sculpting Kit in Neutral Light ($55) - ... a review to come for this one! I'm still in the process of testing! 

Products Used: Make Up For Ever Sculpting Kit in Medium, Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer in 6, Make Up For Ever Blush in 8. Not shown: Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet Foundation in 35, Make Up For Ever HD Pressed Powder 

Overall, I now feel a lot more confident about my own knowledge of face shape and contour placement. It's kind of fun to think that I can change my bone structure without actually getting surgery. All i need is a few coloured powders and a little MUA knowledge. Now, I think I'll be contouring more often... if you don't recognize me... you'll know why ;) 

Do you contour your face on the daily? Or just for special occasions? 

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