Rimmel Scandaleyes Thick & Thin Eyeliner Review

As far as drugstore brands go, Rimmel London is definitely one of my favourites. I am rarely disappointed by their products and always eager to try new launches. I needed a new liquid liner as my Stila "Stay All Day" waterproof liner is running low, so I figured I'd pop out to the drugstore and see what they had. At first I was tempted by L'Oreals "Lineur Intense", but when I walked around to the Rimmel section I saw they had launched a new liquid liner. Since I'm such a fan of everything else in the Scandaleyes line, I figured I'd pick it up.

 The packaging is decent, I bought the shade 001 Black. 

 Here is the design on the tube itself.

 This shows the thick end of the nib, it's chiseled and good to fill in any gaps.

 Here is the nib on it's thin side, perfect for getting into your inner corner and drawing out a precise cat-eye flick.

 This is swatches of the thick and thin side... but here's my issue. The pigmentation was crap. It's watery and thin, and I certainly wouldn't call it black. There is a chance I picked up a faulty tube, but from my experience I'd say it's not worth buying. 

I have no complaints with anything it promises EXCEPT for the "ultra-black" colour. I was really disappointed by the pigmentation (especially when the Scadaleyes Kohl liners are so pigmented!), so I wouldn't rush out to repurchase it. The nib is also a bit sharp, but if you're careful it wouldn't be a big deal. The packaging is pretty standard, I like that the end of the pen had a rubberized bit to make your hand extra steady when trying to map out liquid liner. 

I wouldn't repurchase this product, but think for the cheap price it might be worth it to work with it and see what I can do. It was around $5.00, so it didn't break the bank, but I would prefer a more pigmented liner. 

I hope you liked my quick review on this eyeliner, let me know if you've tried it and had a different reaction! 

Caudalíe Beauty Elixir

Caudalíe Beauty Elixir is a product I've seen really mixed reviews about all over the internet. I had seen videos of people such as Fleur from FleurDeForce, and Gemma from gemsmaquillage rave about the stuff, saying it's a luxury product they would keep repurchasing. I've seen others complain about the alcohol content and the smell, and also that it doesn't do anything for their skin. I bought a little bottle of the stuff after Christmas to see what all the fuss was about, and because of the wonderful packaging. Here is the conclusion I have come to.

Limited edition bottle by designer L'Wren Scott. 

PROS:
- Doesn't test on animals
- Doesn't use mineral oil
- Beautifully packaged
- Can be used before or after makeup application
- Has limited-edition packaging that celebrates designers (L'Wren Scott, Christmas 2013)

CONS:
- Ridiculously priced ($19.00 for 100ml)
- Drying on my skin
- No visible results
- Personally, I wasn't a fan of the scent
- Glass bottle is pretty but not practical

"Inspired by Queen Isabelle of Hungary’s elixir of youth, this treatment smooths away fine lines, 

tightens pores and gives the complexion an instant boost of radiance. Beloved by beauty addicts, 

celebrities and make-up artists alike."  - Caudalíe's Website

Overall I certainly wouldn't repurchase. I think it's a massive waste of time to spray fancy water on your face that doesn't give you any visible results. I think it could be used in a scenario where your makeup had already been applied and needed to be refreshed, but other than that I can't think of anything I'd use it for. It's definitely a product that people would like for the spa-like scent and idea that you're using a high-end product, but if I had a budget for my skincare this definitely wouldn't make the cut. I think it's a pretty useless, hyped-up product.

Bioderma vs. L'Oreal Sublime Soft

Micellar waters are makeup removers free of alcohol and soap. They're a great alternative to face wipes for when you need to quickly fix a makeup mistake, change a lip colour last minute, or on nights when you roll in at 3am and cannot function well enough to do a proper face cleanse.

Bioderma Sensibio is a cult favourite loved by makeup junkies and makeup artists alike. I've used up two bottles in the past and love it. I use it to remove makeup before coming in with a deeper cleanser, or on nights where I know I'm not coming home and don't want to bring my entire cleansing routine with me. In Canada it can be a bit pricey, but it's okay because it's fantastic and the only country in North America to have it! It's a French brand, but Bioderma is very popular in the UK as well.

"At the cutting edge of innovation, BIODERMA has pioneered micellar solutions. Specially formulated for sensitive, normal to dry skins, the Sensibio H2O micelle solution gently cleanses face and eyes. It removes water-resistant make-up.

The micelles contained in its formula effectively micro-emulsify impurities while maintaining the skin’s balance (soap-free, physiological pH)." - Bioderma's Website

L'Oreal's Sublime Soft Micellar Solution is a much cheaper alternative to Bioderma, and I've been testing it out for the past month or so to compare. Firstly, the solution is very similar. It doesn't remove eye makeup quite as well as Bioderma, but for everything else it's almost identical. It's less than half the price of Bioderma, and I think I'm a L'Oreal convert! It's great to have a drugstore option that sways people away from face wipes and encourages a better cleanse, even if it's not as good as a proper cleanser. I think it's great for on the go and the packaging is excellent as well. 

"Beyond makeup removal, the Gentle Micellar Solution cleanses and removes all traces of makeup from the face, eyes and lips in one step. So gentle, it is suitable even for sensitive skin. Removes makeup and soothes. No rubbing, no rinsing, fragrance free and hypoallergenic." - L'Oreal's Website

What do you guys think of the Micellar water trend? Let me know of any more alternatives, I'd love to try them out! Have a good week! 

The Beauty Blender

The Beauty Blender is a favourite among beauty bloggers and YouTubers.
Sephora's description says:

 "The original beautyblender® is a revolutionary makeup sponge applicator with 360 degrees of usable surface for creating absolute complexion perfection. This five-time Allure Best of Beauty Award-winner is ergonomically designed to meet your makeup needs. beautyblender® is the first high definition, neon pink sponge application tool that gives you everything from amazingly sheer coverage to a buildable full coverage."

I bought a double pack at Toronto IMATS in 2012, and it's taken me a really long time to try them. To be honest, at first I wasn't hugely impressed, and then in early 2013 I bought the Real Techniques Buffing Brush which then became the brush I used most often for foundation application. This post is going to be a review of the Beauty Blender, what I like and don't like, and if it's worth the price.

Here are my two Beauty Blenders, one dry and one wet.

The Beauty Blender is essentially a glorified sponge. It has one larger end and one more tapered end, perfect for getting around the nose and mouth area. 

To use the Beauty Blender you have to take it to a sink and wet it so that it absorbs water and becomes enlarged. I loathe this part of the whole thing. I always forget to get the sponge wet and have to leave my makeup area to go to the bathroom and get the Beauty Blender set up. I know this seems ridiculous, but it's a pain if you don't apply your makeup in the bathroom. I leave the water running on the sponge for about 10 seconds and then squeeze out any excess water. This helps smooth your foundation and blend really well. 

I generally pour foundation onto the back of my hand and then use my fingertip to dot foundation where it is needed. This sponge doesn't absorb too much product, but to get the most out of my foundation, I dot where needed and then use the sponge to blend it all out.

It does blend out the foundation really well. It leaves a very flawless finish to the skin and of course, never leaves brush lines on your face. I've created some pros and cons to tell you what I think.

PROS: 

- Blends out foundation really well, never looks cakey
- Can be used for concealer and other cream products, like cream blush or bronzer
- Easy to travel with, really compact
- Could be used with a water spray if you don't have a sink nearby

CONS:
- Really expensive for a sponge ($26.00 CDN)
- Has to be wet to use, or at least for best results
- Hard to clean, still not sure whats best for this product
- Does absorb some product, even if it's minimal

Overall, I think the Beauty Blender does give nice results and can create a flawless base. It's great for layering makeup and blending out any mistakes you may have made. It's really expensive and a bit inconvenient if you don't apply makeup in your bathroom. I'm glad I bought the pack of two because it's a cheaper way to buy the Beauty Blender, but I don't think I will repurchase another one.

You can buy the Beauty Blender here: http://www.sephora.com/beautyblender

Deep Purple/Black Lipstick

Hey everyone,
So since I've had this Black Plum lipstick from Givenchy I've been thinking about different ways to wear it. It's my first purple lipstick, so I don't own a lip liner in that shade. Looking through my collection I saw MAC's "Prunella" eye liner, and thought I'd give it a go. Here are the results!

Here is an overview of the products used. Prunella is a blackened purple, whereas Black Plum is more berry-toned.

 Prunella is an Eye Kohl from MAC, and I really like it on the eyes. It's long-lasting, and I thought if it's sensitive enough for my eyes, it should be alright for my lips. It seems like it could be a bit drying, so perhaps apply a lip balm when you remove the colour, or in preparation for this dark colour.

To begin I lined the outer edges of my lips as I usually would with any lipliner.

 I then filled in the outer corners to create an "ombre" lip effect. It helps blend everything together, and also allows the lipstick to last longer.

 Givenchy's Black Plum is a beautiful berry-toned shade, but is still quite sheer, so I think deepening it with the eyeliner worked well.

 This is what the colours looked like from a distance. It's the point where my boyfriend asked "Are you auditioning for the Addams family?" Of course it's not a natural look, but I think it would look really nice on a night out. It lasts for a long time and makes your teeth look pearly white!

I blotted with a kleenex to see how the colour would last, and it turned into a slightly more red-toned purple, which looked darker from a distance. I think this close up really shows the ombre effect, how the corners are much deeper than the center of the lip, which also makes my lips look fuller. 

I wouldn't pair this lip with a heavy eye makeup, but I think with a bit of winged liner and some false lashes this would be a great choice for an evening out. 

I hope you enjoyed this post, have a good day!

Givenchy "Rouge Interdit" Review

Hello everybody!
Here's a little review on one of my favourite brands/formulas/packaging of all time. I hope you enjoy!

 Here is the packaging with the casing of the lipstick. It's really high quality and beautiful to look at, and because of it's square shape it's very easy to store too. One downside is that the lipsticks are quite loose in the casing and if you're not careful they can fall out. I haven't experienced this too often, but I thought I should add it in.

 The bullet of the lipstick is also very beautiful. It's silver with lots of detail. It's embossed with "Givenchy" and with the little logo all over the tube.

 The end of the bullet has a little tag with the Givenchy logo and a little tassel to make it extra luxurious, although not always practical.

Here are the shades I own, 19 Black Plum and 25 Rose Caprice. 

 Rose Caprice has a slight shimmer to it and is quite glossy. It's a beautiful pale pink shade which looks very natural. It would be perfect for a bridal makeup as it's quite glossy but has a good amount of colour. I wouldn't say it's a sheer shade, although the entire line is actually a sheer formula. I think you could get a similar colour with a pink lipstick and gloss, but it's such a beautiful product and lasts a long time, I think it's worth the money for a little bit of luxe.

 Black Plum is a very terrifying looking shade in the bullet. It looks almost black in some lights, but is a little lighter than you think. I looked at two Givenchy lipsticks in store, this one and a more pale pink than above and asked my boyfriend which one I should get. He preferred the pale pink (obviously) but I couldn't resist this beautiful colour. It's a sheer, berry-toned lipstick that can be a deep raspberry when applied lightly, and a deeper purple if layered. I think it's very versatile and perfect for an evening event.

Here are the swatches, Rose Caprice on the left and Black Plum on the right. You can see the shimmer in Rose Caprice nicely here, but also that it does have a definite pink colour. Black Plum has been layered twice here, so it's how people would most wear it. You can see the raspberry/plum colours and also the deep purple in it. It's a purple that makes your teeth look whiter too- so that's always a bonus! 

Here's a final shot of the lipsticks. The quality, longevity and pigmentation of the lipsticks is wonderful, and overall I think they are worth every penny. I know that you can get similar things from the drugstore, but I find these particular products to be something I will keep forever and always add to my collection.

I hope you enjoyed this post about what is probably my all-time favourite lipstick formula! Have a good day!

Prada Candy Fragrance Review

I got a sample of Prada's "Candy" from Sephora in September of last year. I used the entire little vial in about two days because I loved it so much. I have bad luck with fragrances, every time I really like one it gets discontinued, so I like to make sure a product is going to stick around for a while before I commit to it. My all time fave "Ralph Rocks" by Ralph Lauren has been discontinued for at least two years, but I keep getting it from Kijiji and in weird stores, finally I've decided this is my last bottle and it's time to move on. I will dedicate a whole post to that later...
Anyway, here's my review of a new favourite!

 This is the box it came in. I kept it to photograph for the blog, and also because I think it's so pretty! Let's face it, I'm never going to own a Prada purse so I may as well keep the box for an embarrassing amount of time. (It's been recycled now, but c'mon!) The box used to have a girl on it, but I'm assuming it's been removed to better match the male Prada Candy and the new Prada Candy L'Eau.

 I bought the bottle in the biggest 80ml size. I got it at the airport in Orlando when I was there back in February. I really liked that it came with the plastic black contraption you see at the top of the bottle, it means the bottle can still look cute but won't squirt everywhere when you travel/move etc. If you're wanting a new fragrance and get this... don't throw the black thing out!! I almost did, and thank goodness I didn't because I had to leave Orlando eventually.

I think the bottle is really pretty, and so it should be for the price. In Canadian dollars this would set you back about $125.00, but if you really love it... get it duty free! 

fragrantica.com describes this fragrance:

"Prada Candy is a new fragrance by Prada launched in August 2011. The composition includes an elegant mix of musks in the top, a sensual balsamic vanillic accord of benzoin in the heart and sweet modern caramel in the base of the fragrance"

theperfumeshop.com describes the notes as:

• Heart notes
  Benzoin Overdose
  
• Top notes
  
  Musks Cocktail
  
• Base notes
  
  Caramel Explosion
  
• Scent
  
  Oriental
  
• Feel
  
  Feminine
  
  I describe this fragrance as quite sweet, but more mature for a sweet scent. I really like candy scents, but think they can be a bit overpowering and immature. This is the first fragrance I've found that isn't too fresh and still has some musk to make it seem fancier and more mature. I find it lasts a reasonable amount of time on the skin (about 6 hours), and is wearable both during the day and in the evening. Because it's quite warm it works well with my skin type (I know it depends on how warm your skin is and how the chemicals react with the fragrance, but scents can be different on two different people so keep this in mind when buying, I recommend trying a fragrance out beforehand). I'm obviously a huge fan of this scent as I spent a ridiculous amount of money, but one I can see myself wearing for a long time (at least until they discontinue it).
  
  Thanks for reading my review, I'm definitely not a fragrance expert, but I hope you liked it anyway! Have a good day! 
  

FOTD 2: Matte Smoky Eye

So here is another "Face of the Day", today I'm going for something a bit more dramatic and smoky in comparison to my last FOTD, so I hope you enjoy seeing new products and looks!

 To begin I used Dermaglow's "Perfect Primer". This smooths out my skin texture and provides a nice canvas for foundation application.

 I wanted a pretty flawless base, so I used Revlon "Colourstay", an almost matte, high coverage foundation. I used a Beauty Blender sponge to blend everything in (full review in the works), and it helps a high coverage foundation look a little more soft and natural.

 To cover any redness or blemishes I used MAC's Studio Finish concealer.

 For the eye makeup I'm using Nars "And God Created The Woman" palette.

 To start I'm using the top middle shade (Bellisima) all over my eyelid. It's a smoky neutral shade with definite purple undertones.

 I applied lightly all over my lid, and a bit more intensely at the lash like. It looks patchy here, but I that's due to using an iPhone for pictures and basement apartment lighting! The colours do blend really nicely, I promise!

 Next up is the lower right shade (Coconut Grove) which is a cool-toned dark brown.

 I applied this at the lash line and blended it up into my crease.

 Next is a shadow from a Bobbi Brown palette, but any matte cream colour would work. I applied this to my brow bone and slightly in the inner corner of my eye.

 I used MAC's Eye Kohl in "Prunella", a deep purple shade all along my upper lash line.

 I didn't have to apply it too neatly, because I wanted it to look dark and smoky. I used a small pencil brush to blend the liner out for an even more intense look.

 I then used Make Up For Ever's "Smoky Extravagant" mascara in a black shade. It doesn't lengthen the lashes too much, but adds lots of volume perfect for this type of eye makeup.

 Here's an overview of the lashes, they are looking quite thick and a little spidery (without being over the top) and they also look nice and curled, a curl which actually lasted an impressive amount of time.

 To add more cool-toned hues to my look, I opted for Dior's blush in "Rosy Glow". It's a beautiful bright pink with blue undertones and is actually natural looking on the skin, despite looking like Pepto Bismol in the pan.

 Again with the cool tones, I used Tarte's bronzer in "Park Avenue Princess". It's a more mauve toned bronzer with very little orange in it, perfect for girls with redness or fair skin.

 To continue with the mauve tones, I used NYX's Mega Shine Lipgloss in "Beige". It's natural and subtle with berry-toned colour. I wanted to use a gloss because the eye makeup was entirely matte, and so was my foundation. If you wanted to make the look even more dramatic, maybe try a matte nude lipstick or something brighter like a red or even an orange tone.

 Here is the eye makeup closeup. The purple tones really helped make my eyes look a bit greener than usual, so that's always a bonus! Because it's smokey up until the crease it makes my eyes look a lot deeper set, and it isn't necessarily too dark for a daytime look.

Here's the overall look, I hope you enjoy! 

Estee Lauder Cleanser Review

After being at home for a little bit, my Mum told me I could try out some cleansers she had stashed away to write a blog post about. I jumped at the chance, obviously washing my face is rather thrilling. Here is my review on the three cleansers.

 Here are the three cleansers I tried out. The packaging is quite nice, I like that the colour matches the line that each product comes from. The tubes make it easy to get the product out, although I think a pump dispenser would be nicer.

 The first cleanser is the "Take It Away" cleanser. I tried this one on multiple occasions, and have come to the conclusion it is just made to remove makeup. It does a pretty good job, but I find that it absorbs really quickly and takes quite a lot of product to get the job done. I also found it stung my eyes a little bit, but if you're gentle I don't think you would have this issue. I didn't think it cleansed my skin, but it certainly removed all of my makeup. I think if you followed up with a cleanser this would be a nice addition to your skincare routine. I wouldn't repurchase this because I think it's a bit of an expensive 'add-on' product that isn't entirely necessary. Cleansers should do a good job of removing makeup anyway, I don't think you need something else to use beforehand.

 The second is the "Perfectly Clean" cleanser. It has a soapy smell and leaves a soapy residue on your face. It seems to be a little drying, but if you moisturize afterwards it isn't an issue. It's quite a thick creamy formula and lathers really nicely. It's quite a heavy cleanser, and I do think it leaves the skin feeling quite fresh and clean. I would recommend it as a morning cleanser, although I wouldn't advise anyone with dehydrated or dry skin to use this too often. I think it would work really well for anyone with oily or combination skin. I personally wouldn't purchase this product, but I think skincare is very personal and skin types can really vary, so I recommend doing some research before purchasing.

The third is the "Soft Clean" cleanser. It's a cream cleanser, so you don't have to wet your face before applying. It's very creamy (as you would expect) and doesn't lather. It's very, very gentle, almost fragrance free (but I think there is a faint scent) and works really well at cleansing while still being incredibly gentle. It doesn't irritate whatsoever, leaves no residue, and my skin doesn't feel tight after using it. I think this would make an excellent morning cleanser if you like using cleansing balms in the evening as I do. It would also be great if you don't have a separate day and night cream, because it's so moisturizing you'd be less likely to need extra hydration- although a little extra is never a bad thing!

I hope you enjoyed this Estee Lauder cleanser review, I thought it would make an interesting post to show the similarities and differences between different products from the same brand. Estee Lauders quality is always there, and you can tell while using these products, and it's nice that they have options for various skin types. My favourite was definitely the Soft Clean cleanser, something I would look into purchasing for myself.