The Lip Product Addict {Tag}

Happy National Lipstick Day! 

I was recently tagged to do this Lip Product addict tag from the beautiful MJ from MJ in the Sky with Glitter and I thought no better way to celebrate today than with a lipstick related tag; that and a bold lip of course!

1. Favourite Balm / Treatment?

Oh, Burts Bees.  I love their Grapefruit "Refreshing" balm and am nearing the end of my third tube!  One treatment that I'm interested in trying is the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask in Champagne... It's rose gold, need I say more?

2. Best Eye-Catching Red?

I love reds.  But I have to say my most eye-catching would be Viva Glam Rihanna, I talk a little more about it here but the frosted finish is stunning.  Paired with the Viva Glam Riri Lipglass and were talking ruby-red perfection.  

3. Best Luxury & Best Drugstore?

When I think "luxury" cosmetics I think Chanel, I think Tom Ford, Dior and YSL.  None of which I own... So as for my most expensive lipsticks (which also happens to be one of my favorites) I have Too Faced La Creme Lipstick in Bumbleberry.  It's formula is incredibly buttery and moisturizing and fades of evenly and naturally.  Bumbleberry is a deep "my lips but better" shade that I love for everyday.  Not to mention the sleek gold packaging feels very luxurious.  

Too Faced Bumbleberry

Best of the drugstore is easy!  Revlon Matte Balms have one of my favorite formulas; matte but not drying and extremelyyyyy pigmented.  Plus a lot of the colors in the Matte Balm line are dupes for popular MAC mattes as well.

Revlon Matte Balms (L) swatched next to popular MAC mattes.  More information here. 

4. Best MAC Lipstick?

Fabby is my most used color.  It's a mauve pink with pink frost- and a little transformer.  Put a nude colored gloss on it and it's the most beautiful neutral.  Put a pink toned gloss on it and you have a wearable light(ish) pink lip.  If you love the look of light pinks on others but aren't exactly comfortable wearing them yourself Fabby is definitely a shade you should look in to.  Perfect to live in your purse. 

Fabby swatched next to, then layered with Revlon Colorburst in Crystal Violet, taken from my Lip Duo Tag

5. The Most Disappointing?

For this category MJ chose the EOS lip balms, and I think I have to agree.  They're so cute and my favorite scents (Honey Dew and Sweet Mint) are always on my bedside table and in my bathroom but they aren't nearly as moisturizing as they could/ should be.  

6. Liner - Yes or No?

I love liner, but is it ideal for everyday? Probably not.  So as a general rule if I'm wearing a bold red, or deep berry color I will always have liner because it makes it more low maintenance and prevents the color from bleeding.  For more natural colors I usually skip the liner but do have a fav nude for those days when I want to take the extra step.  

7. Best gloss?

Yummmm, NYX Butterglosses, everybody's favorite gloss.  My favorite shade is Tiramisu (especially over Fabby)  I don't think theres anything I can say that hasn't already been said; they're buttery, soft, non-sticky, and affordable.  

8. Something extra!

Not everyday, not every week, but every so long my lips desperately need a good scrub!  I did invest in the Fresh Cosmetics sugar lip scrub but then did a little DIY science experiment and found that I could make a great one in my own kitchen.  So although I won't be repurchasing the Fresh one, I do enjoy using it in the meantime.  

Scrubbing and exfoliating your lips will remove any dead skin from the surface of your lips which will allow them to absorb moisture better, your lipstick to apply smoother and improve the overall condition of your lips.  Which we all need every once in a while!  If you're interested in my DIY pursuit you can read it here.  

Aaaand that's all I have to say! Thank you for reading, hopefully you learned something or discovered a great new product that you're curious to try now! Remember to bust out a bright pink or red lip this afternoon and celebrate National Lipstick day with a fun color choice!

If you're interested in doing this tag, please do so! I tag the following ladies and all of you as well:

Karen (KP Says)

Krystal (Little Beauty Bug)

Jasmine (Jasmine McRae)

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#BLOGGERSDOITBETTER: About Me

Here I am... Late again with another #Bloggersdoitbetter post.  Sometimes I'm too busy for my own good.

The topic we were given was Lifestyle...and I thought there would no better time to kick my butt into gear and write my "About Me" section for my blog! Please check it out and let me know what you think! 

Took me long enough to write it... That's for sure!

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{NEW} Makeup Geek Blushes

On June 15th this year, Makeup Geek released thirteen brand new permanent blushes in their line; each one of them uniquely beautiful. There are four shimmer shades and nine mattes in the collection.  Since my love  affair with MUG Eyeshadows I couldn't pass them up, so only three days after the launch I chose three of the warmer peachy shades; Bliss, Romance, and Infatuation.  The collection is so diverse and honestly has a shade (or three!) for everyone.  See/shop the entire collection here. 

Claims: "Perfect for every skin tone these blushes are made with only the finest ingredients, as they blend effortlessly into the skin for a natural radiance. Talc free, cruelty free, and made in the 

U. S, these finely milled powders guarantee a creamy, smooth consistency that glides onto cheeks and blends with ease. The fade proof formula promises long lasting color and the rich pigmentation offers a buildable custom shade every time."

Finish/Texture:  Bliss and Infatuation are both considered matte shades, but remind me more of a satin as they have a very natural and skin like finish whereas Romance has a beautiful shimmer throughout it.  All three have an unbelievably silky, soft texture just as they claim.  But because they're so soft, and similar to some of the eye shadows, there can be fall out if you're too aggressive with your brush so I definitely recommend using a light hand! 

Price/Availability:  You can purchase these blushes on the Makeup Geek website either in a pan for $9.99 or a compact for $12.99.  I chose to order the compacts because it's easier to throw them in a bag and take them with me on the go (and also because Infatuation was already sold out in a compact and the OCD part of me couldn't bring herself to order two pans and one compact LOL)

Packaging:  This being said I'm actually glad I chose to go with the compacts.  The compacts themselves are a sleek gunmetal gray.  For a size reference, the pans are the exact same size as a MAC blush pan but the MUG packaging is about half the width.    

Pigmentation: I cannot rave enough about the quality of MUG products.  The swatch below is only one swipe of my finger, and when blended out they're so easy to build up.

How I Used It:
Bliss is a true peach shade.  I've been wearing this swept over the apples of my cheeks and brushed back into my temples.  I've never had a shade this color and it gives the perfect balance of pinched color and warmth to the face.
Romance has been compared over and over to the infamous NARS Orgasm. To quote Jaclyn Hill it's "Orgasm on steroids!"  It's absolutely beautiful, again on its own, or what's even better is pairing it with Bliss and using it as a highlight shade focusing on the top of the cheek bones.
Infatuation is a gorgeous terra cotta shade which is unlike any other blush or bronzer in my collection.  It creates a gorgeous warm, bronzed flush on the cheeks which I am loving this summer but on fairer skin tones could be used as a contour shade as well.  Infatuation has the softest texture of the three, so I do expiration the most fall out with this shade.  

Bliss, Romance, Infatuation

Bliss, Romance, Infatuation (blended)

Likes:

• Beautiful finish
• Silky texture
• Bold pigmentation

Dislikes:

• My only dislike for the compact form of these blushes in that the actual pan seems very loose within the compact.  On the website it says "they are designed to open easily and also easy to de-pot in case you want to put the blush in a palette" so they may be loose to make them easier to depot.  This being said I chose the compact because I didn't want to depot them.  But we'll see!  
• The fall out.  I debated whether or not to even include this as a dislike because I find it is give and take when a product is so incredibly soft.  

Overall: ★★★★★

I am yet to be disappointed with a Makeup Geek product and these blushes are no exception.  I've been reaching for them every single day since they arrived.  I can not wait to see what Makeup Geek has in store for the future!

10/10, do recommend!

Did you pick up any of the new MUG blushes?  Are any shades on your wishlist?

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Brunette to Blonde {Professional Advice for Taking Care of Color Treated Hair}

In just 14 months I went from having very few highlights, to blonde, and blonde, and blonder, to having hot pink ombre.  Once the pink faded a DIY hair coloring went wrong left me with gray hair.  I kid you not, it was gray, and I cried real tears.  It took almost a week to get an appointment to fix it, so you could say I learned my lesson the hard way.  Then on top of that, in order to color correct the damage I had done I had to go a very dark brunette color, which wasn't what I wanted but simply what had to be done.

I let the color fade for almost a year, getting regular hair cuts, until I was finally ready and my hair was healthy enough to start the process of going lighter again.  At this point all the blonde I previously had in my hair was showing through and the overall color was very brassy (see photo below).  If I learned just one thing throughout the entire experience it was that I wanted a color that was low maintenience and natural.  

 Before

Now I love my hairdresser, I trust her completely and I am never disappointed when leaving her chair.  This time around she took almost 4 inches off the ends and lightened them to a beautiful honey color.  I asked her to do an interview with me on the process of lightening your hair and how important it is/ how exactly to take care of it. I was thrilled when she agreed!    

After

How would you describe the technique you used to create this ombre look? 

To create the ombre, I used a balayage technique with lightener, a bowl, and a brush. My foil placement was in 1 and a half inch sections apart leaving potions of the previous color to create a very natural sun kissed look.

What is the importance of toning your hair?

When it comes to toning, it is a very important part to creating a finished look. Whenever there is lightener involved, it is taking the pigment out of the hair shaft. Toning is using a color to put pigment back into that lightened portion of hair. It helps keep the desired look for a longer period of time. Toning is not necessarily always used, however in most cases of lightening, and in the ombre look that I did, toning was a necessary step in achieving the desired look.  

**Side note: it is recommended that blondes tone their hair at home at least once a week using a purple shampoo such as Joyco Color Endure Violet Shampoo which will prevent your hair from turning any bronzey/ orange tones !

What products would you recommend in order to maintain color treated hair?

When it comes to color treated hair it is very important to use a shampoo and conditioner that is safe for color treated hair; mostly all salon products now are safe for color treated hair. Wella Brilliance for both fine and course hair, AG Color Care, and Redken Color Extend are just a few good examples of these products. The importance of this is that when shampooing and conditioning the hair, the color is continually being washed out, or in other terms, its fading. A lot of people do not understand that products used at home is one of the main reasons of color fading. I think of hair as an investment, if you're going to invest the time and money on coloring your hair, then you want to invest in the products that will continue the care at home. This will result in your look lasting longer.

How much is too much?  How often can you color your hair and how much time do you recommend waiting between touchups?

When it comes to color, retouches often differ from client to client but normally a recommended time frame is anywhere between 6-8 weeks. Anything more often then that can result in unwanted damage.

How often do you recommend getting a hair cut?

Haircuts are necessary to keeping the hair looking healthy and fresh. A good time line for women's haircuts are anywhere between 3-4 months. For men's hair cuts it is often a lot sooner, such as 1-2 months, as the haircut loses its shape a lot faster.

-Tianna Nagy, Chatters Salon Mayfair Mall, (250) 386- 1366

I want to thank Tianna again not only for my beautiful hair but also taking the
 time out of her busy life to do this interview with me! ❤  

How do you care for your color treated hair?

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{Sephora Favorites} Lash Stash To Go

I love trying new mascaras, but nothing bothers me for than spending money on a product that I think is going to be fantastic... Just be disappointed.  Insert the Lash Stash To Go, a Sephora promotion I swear by and what I believe to be the best value for high end mascara you can find!

"Lashstash To Go [retails for $30CDN and] includes five beloved, must-try mascaras for thicker-looking, voluminous, and perfectly separated lashes. From the ultranourishing, to the long-wearing, and from the multidimensional to the blackest black, each luxurious formula builds voluptuous perfection. Try them all, pick your favorite, and then bring the enclosed voucher to your local Sephora store to redeem for a full-size version."

Too Faced Better Than Sex "An intensely black, volumizing mascara with an hourglass-shaped brush that separates, coats, and curls each lash to voluptuous perfection"
This is my second mini tube of this mascara and it is one of my all time favorites.  I actually went in to buy a full size version when I found the Lash Stash instead.  The wand has an hourglass shape that creates thick, beautiful, black, voluminous lashes and builds really easily. Retail: $30.00

Lancome Hypnose Drama "The ultimate instant-volume mascara for lash drama."
Hypnose Drama is also a volumizing mascara but I found it to have a very wet formula.  The wand is curved and tapered which makes application on those itty bitty lashes easy, but also messy if you're not careful.  The color is "excessive black" and that it is!  Perfect for thick, dramatic, voluminous lashes.  Retail: $31.50

Blinc Inc. Mascara "The famous pioneering, tube-technology water-resistant mascara."

I can honestly say that this is my least favorite mascara out of the five.  I found it messy to apply and apposed to tubing individual lashes, it gripped small bundles and tubed them all together which gave me a look as if I had applied mascara and then cried immediately after.   Plus, in order to remove it I ended up literally pulling tubes off of my lashes.  Which I did not like!  Retail: $30.00

Bare Minerals Lash Domination  "A do-it-all mascara for larger-than-life lashes."
This is the only mascara in the collection with a plastic wand, which I don't usually gravitate towards.  The wand is chubby and twisted in it making it perfect for the "twist in blink" application method and getting close to the root of you lash.     Retail: $23.00

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes "A lengthening, curling, volumizing, and conditioning mascara."
This is a great go- to mascara.  I wouldn't say it gives incredible length but a good combination of subtle length and full buildable volume.  A deluxe sample this size retails for $12.00 Full size retail: $24.00

I can honestly say it's been a really long time since I've owned any full size mascara.  I guess I would rather have five minis than one full size!  I find that deluxe samples last a really long time and considering that mascara is supposed to go bad after three months they're the perfect size to allow you to use up the product before it gets sticky or dries up!

I am still undecided but will probably opt for a full size of Better Than Sex or Lights, Camera, Lashes when I'm ready to redeem my voucher.  The best part is it doesn't expire- just make sure you don't lose it!

  Have you tried any of the mascaras included in the Lash Stash To Go?  

Is this a promotion you'd be interested in? 

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xoxo

Younique 3D Fiber Mascara

Younique is a cosmetic company based almost entirely online with individual presenters selling products through various social media outlets.  Their collection ranges from highlight and contour products, lip glosses, pigments, the most talked about 3D Fiber Mascara, and so much more. 

Recently Kristin from www.ineedlashtherapy.com was kind enough to send me a package of Younique products to test and try out.  I was sent a monthly promotional package that included (of course) the Moonstruck Fiber mascara, Lucrative Lipgloss in the shade Luxe, and Moonstruck Pigments in both Angelic and Confidence.

Left to right: Angelic wet, Angelic dry, Confidence wet, Confidence dry

Moonstruck Minerals Pigment Powder: These loose pigments ended up being my favorite products in the bundle!  Their main ingredient is Mica, which is a mineral that gives them their shimmer.  They're extremely buttery and easy to blend into other shadows.  Angelic (left) is a creamy butter yellow color, whereas Confidence (right) reminds me of a duo chrome; brown in some lights but also reflecting gold in others. They apply like a dream when used dry but mixed with a little Fix+ become even more intensely pigmented.  

What's most impressive about these pigments is their longevity, after a six hour restaurant shift my eye makeup looked as it did when I had began.  I'm excited to play around a little more with them and maybe try applying Confidence wet (with a small liner brush) to create a wearable day time wing. Retail: $10.00 each

Luxe

Lucrative Lipgloss:  If you aren't a fan of sticky glosses then you will love the formula of these lip glosses; they're soft and comfortable on the lips (they're chalk full of moisturizing/ softening ingredients!)  I found on it's own the gloss lasted about an hour before I wanted to reapply.  My only complaint about the lip gloss is actually the packaging.  I love that it has a mirror, similar to the Whitening Lightening glosses but the plastic is so lightweight it's almost nothing and the material of the actual applicator has a stiff fuzzy texture that feels funny on the lips.  Retail: $15.00

3D Fiber Mascara

Moonstruck 3D Fiber Lashes:  Finally, the most anticipated fiber mascara.  It comes packaged in a beautiful black case with two tubes, one of "Transplating Gel" and the other of "Natural 3D Fibers" which are made from green tea!  Application instructions say to first apply one coat of your favorite mascara (it's recommended you use a lengthening one), then gel, fiber, gel, repeat, until you reach your desired look. However, with Kristin's advice I skipped the first coat of mascara and went immediately in with the transplanting gel.  She also recommended I do one eye at a time which I found made application a lot easier and prevented the gel from drying before you can adhere the fibers.

I won't lie to you, it takes a minute to get the hang of application as it can get messy! But this is the mascara I now reach for when I'm going out and want to fake a false lash look.  It gives big, thick, long lashes that are way easier to apply than falsies!  The best part is that if you seal the fibers properly with a good coat of the transplanting gel they will not budge; not a flake, even if you're out dancing and sweaty (I don't lie to you here- this is real life stuff!)  You can build the fibers on top of each other until you reach the thickness and length you're going for (I used two coats).  And finally, if you aren't a fan of thicker "clumpy" lashes, go in immediately with a  lash comb when the gel is still damp and comb them out. Retail: $29.00

Have you heard of these Younique products?  Are they something you're interested in trying?

Thank you so much to Kristin for giving me the opportunity to try and review these products!

If anyone has any additional questions or is interested in purchasing any of the products 

mentioned above you can contact Kristin at ineedlashtherapy@gmail.com or 

visit her website at www.ineedlashtherapy.com

Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own and have not influenced in

 any way by any third party advertisers or individuals.

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#BLOGGERSDOITBETTER: Dream Vanity and Organization Inspiration

Those who know me already know that I have a major makeup storage issue!  

If I had it my way I would have a small makeup room where I could get ready in the morning, blog, and maybe even do my homework during the school year.  My own little space!  However, since living in a small apartment doesn't really give me this option I am taking baby steps in order to create the space I want.  

I currently store my makeup on the floor *gasp* haha, but I'm telling the truth, this is real life!  I keep most of products cluttered around the base of a floor length mirror where I sit on the floor and get ready.  Then the majority of my lip products are in a small organizer and crammed into a few empty candle jars on top of the smallest IKEA dresser you've ever seen.  It's a tragedy.  

When I have the opportunity (and cash flow) to do so I am going to re-do my space and invest in a vanity, some decor, and most importantly organization.  Below I have included some Instagram photos that serve as inspiration for what I would love my space to be. 

In a perfect world I would have cute prints; have you seen Joanna Pop's work on Instagram?! To die for, and she's Canadian!  A large framed mirror and great lighting (of course).  I would have a large white desk, drawers or no drawers it wouldn't matter because sitting on top of it would be a *drumroll please* Original Beauty Box! Which I am ordering soon! Woo hoo!  As well as an acrylic lipstick organizer, and a large stylish tray with all my fragrance sitting pretty inside. 

Like I said the first step I am taking is ordering an Original Beauty Box but I am still deciding between the Original (four drawer) and Deluxe (five drawer, shown above) sizes!  Which do you think I should order?  

I'll have to wake up from my day dream now! I hope you enjoyed this post and I would love to know how do you like to store your makeup? What does your dream vanity look like?

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250 Bloglovin' Follower {GIVEAWAY WINNER}

I just wanted to take a brief moment to thank each and every one of you who took the time to read and enter my first ever giveaway!  I'm so very excited to announce that fellow blogger Ellie from Lace It Up Love was selected via Random.org and I packaged/ sent off her little package earlier in the week.  I'm so happy to share this polish with her and I hope she loves it as much as I do.  

Like I said, thank you to all those who participated and showed interest in this small giveaway.  I hope to host many more bigger and better ones in the future!  Make sure to connect with me using the links below and never miss another post or giveaway.

I hope everyone is having a beautiful Sunday!

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Soft & Natural with Anastasia Beverly Hills

Brow trends are always changing and right now everybody wants those bold, thick brows Cara Delevingne brows...  Which I do not have!  Naturally I have very sparse, fine, blonde brows, and day to day when I'm headed to school or work I don't exactly want to bring the drama.  This is why when filling in my brows and prefer a much more natural look, just to add some depth and a little shape.

Products Used

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Ash Blonde

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Medium Brown

MAC 266 Small Angled Brush

One Bare brows
Two Using the spooly end of the Brow Wiz I first comb through my brows to ensure the hairs are all pointing in the right direction.  I then underline the bottom edge of my brow and completely fill in the tail extending it sightly past where my natural brow ends, creating more of a point (left brow completed, right brow naked)
Three Then taking the darkest shade in the Brow Powder Duo on my MAC 266 I start at the tail and work the product through my brow completely filling it and stopping just slightly before the inner corner of the brow.  Using whatever product is remaining on the brush and a small amount of the lighter shade I turn the brush width ways and lightly fill the inner corner, dragging it into the center blending the two shades together.  Using the Brow Wiz spooly I comb through them again to blend the powders once more (left brow completed, right brow naked)
Four Both brows completed.  I used Strange from the Naked3 palette as a brown highlight.  Using a highlight under the brow instantly lifts them and gives the illusion of a higher arch.  An optional fourth step is running some clear or tinted brow gel through to keep them in place.  I sometimes do and sometimes don't.

Filling both brows and completing this whole routine takes me about two minutes in the morning.  As you can see, the final result is still a very natural brow but I find that the little extra effort goes a long way!  If I'm wanting a bolder look for whatever reason, I will use the Brow Wiz to fill in my entire brow and fill the inner corner with the darker powder.

Which do you prefer? Soft or bold brows?

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