Mani Monday #13

Hey everyone,

Today's mani Monday is a bit of a weird one, I essentially painted my nails this lilac colour from Essie (Warm and Toasty Turtleneck) and then layered on about every glitter nail polish I own. 

The initial manicure... I had good intentions of keeping it simple, but any Canadian University student will know that these next few weeks are very stressful and busy- so of course I painted my nails over and over again to distract me from various essays and assignments.

At first it was just a blue glitter topcoat...

And then every other glitter I own. 

Next weeks will be a glitter removal post!! 

Thanks for reading! 

Megan

Barefoot Venus Pink Pepper Argan Dry Body Oil

Hey everyone,

Today I'm writing about another product from Barefoot Venus, a Canadian skin and body care brand. The product I'm reviewing today was the first thing to jump out at me (probably because of the owl), but also because I love a good body oil!

The Pink Pepper scent is very sweet, and smells like freshly baked cookies, but the website describes it slightly better:
"A daring, exotic fragrance that warms the senses with top notes of cedar wood, pink pepper and black coconut kissed sweetly with brown sugar and vanilla pod."

For 140ml of product it retails for $15.95 CDN, quite reasonable when you compare it to other body oils. The spray bottle dispenses a perfect amount of product and it is incredibly hydrating. I love using it on dry skin, but it also works nicely on damp or towel-dried skin after getting out of the bath or shower. The scent is lovely, but it doesn't linger for too long. I actually prefer this, because it means I can layer on other fragrances without it being overwhelming or over the top.

All Barefoot Venus products have wonderful ingredients and this is no exception. Don't expect any parabens, mineral oil or chemical nasties that will cause sensitivity.

Again, another excellent product from a Canadian brand! I have one more Barefoot Venus review coming next week, so stay tuned!

Megan

Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection Eye Brushes

Hey everyone!

Today I'm reviewing the newest release from Real Techniques, the Bold Metals Collection. It's a collection of 7 brushes and it's available from Ulta in the U.S and Boots in the U.K. My Dad and sister were visiting England last week and they picked these up for me! I'm not sure where you can purchase in Canada, but the Real Techniques website does ship to Canada! 

These brushes are actually quite expensive. Although sold in the drugstores, they are not at a drugstore price tag. Don't get me wrong, they are reasonably priced, and certainly a high-quality product. If these are a little bit out of your price range, the regular Real Techniques line is fabulous and I would recommend to anyone!

I have two of the eye brushes, the 200 Oval Shadow and the 201 Pointed Crease brush. 

Side note: If you haven't subscribed or watched Pixiwoo on YouTube, you're missing out! Sam and Nic Chapman are excellent makeup artists based out of Norwich, UK, and I was lucky enough to meet them in Toronto last November. I can safely say they're lovely ladies and have produced some fabulous brushes!

The bristles are very soft and do seem very high quality. I haven't washed them yet so I'm not sure how well they wash, but if they're anything like the original brushes they should wash very well.

The Pointed Crease brush is perfect for defining the crease, but I also love it for adding eyeshadow underneath the eye in a smokey eye look.

The Oval Shadow brush is a very nice eye brush with many uses. I think it's very versatile and could be used for all over colour and blending!

The Oval Crease Brush retails at Ulta for $15.99 USD, as does the Pointed Crease Brush.

Overall I thought these brushes we're very well designed. It seems Real Techniques can do no wrong when it comes to brushes, and I personally find them to rival much more expensive alternatives.
It's also important to note Real Techniques are cruelty free and only use synthetic bristles!

If you can get your hands on these I would highly recommend it! Another win for RT!

Megan

Mani Monday #12

Hey everyone,

This weeks Mani Monday features a nice new manicure! I recently ditched the long fake nails after one snapped off (see week #11- RIP nail), and I decided to get another strengthening shellac manicure. They added a strengthening gel and filed my nails down a lot to keep them shorter and neater. Even though I loved the long nails and tapping on everything I walked by, it was getting slightly annoying to type essays and these posts!

I really like the length of these nails, they're long enough to make my fingers look slightly (very slightly) less stubby.

They're really nice and shiny, and I decided to go for a pale colour so that I could paint over them if I felt like it!

My nails look and feel very healthy after this manicure, and I think I prefer the look overall.

Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!

Megan

Barefoot Venus "Wild Ginger and Sweet Orange" Instant Hand Repair

Hey everyone,

Today I'm reviewing the Wild Ginger and Sweet Orange Instant Hand Repair by Barefoot Venus. Barefoot Venus is a Canadian brand based out of British Columbia. (I have a few more products to review in the coming weeks!)

It is described to:
"Nurture dry, wounded hands back to health. Protective Mango & Shea butters, moisture giving Olive oil & shielding Soybean oil, work hand-in-hand to help rebound and recuperate from harsh dehydration."

Its a balm like texture which turns into a nourishing oil when rubbed into the skin. Although designed for hands, I think this would also work incredibly well on heels, elbows and more. 

It smells divine, and although I mentioned that it turns into an oil it doesn't become sticky or greasy feeling. A little goes a long way, and this tub would last for ages!

Here you can see the balm texture of the product. This tiny amount moisturized both of my hands and I even brought the products up on to my forearms.

Overall I think Barefoot Venus is definitely a brand to watch out for! They ship throughout Canada and to the States as well, but I know some small boutiques do carry most of their products, I would try finding a place near you! As mentioned before, more product reviews will be coming soon!

Thanks for reading,

Megan

L'Oreal "Brow Stylist Plumper" Review

Hey everyone,

Today I'm reviewing a new release from L'Oreal called the "Brow Stylist Plumper". It's a small mascara wand with a tinted gel that adds texture to the brow hairs. It helps hold your brows in place while adding a bit of colour.

The product comes in a few colours, I went for light to medium. It's a pretty good match for my blonde hair.

The product has fibres in it which are used to add the extra texture.

The packaging is pretty nice, and you get a mascara amount of product, even though you typically use a lot less. 

The wand is really nice and small, similar to Benefit's "Gimme Brow" or the Clinique "Bottom Lash Mascara".

Here's a close up!

My first impression of this product is really positive. I think it's an excellent drugstore product and I found it on sale for about $8.00!

I hope you enjoyed this post! Thanks for reading!

Megan

Mani Monday #11

Hey everyone,

It happened. The first nail decided to go. I had this manicure done as a birthday present (Feb 7), so I must admit they lasted a really long time. From where the nail snapped off, you can see how the tip had grown out, and I had even trimmed them down a few times. 

Incredibly, this is the longest my natural nails have ever been. I've always had very weak, brittle nails, despite never being a nail biter or anything like that. This nail was very weak (as I'm sure you can see), and I think this is likely because the nail extension had taken away a layer or two of my nail with it.

The rest were still very sturdy, but had grown out quite a lot so I intend to get them taken off in the next day or two. I'm not sure yet if I will have them re-done, I think if I do I will get them much shorter with a lighter colour. 

Overall, I think 5 weeks of wear isn't bad. I think it's great if you're going on vacation and don't want to fuss with nail polish chipping or having to bring a nail colour with you, but for everyday wear it does require upkeep and I think they need to be tended to more regularly than every 5 weeks for a neater looking manicure. I think if, like me, you have weak, brittle nails it's something to look into, but it can get rather expensive if you really love them and decide you can't live without them!

Hope you enjoyed week eleven of Mani Monday!
Thanks for reading!

Megan

Social Media and Blog Update

Hey everyone,

You may have noticed Makeup by Megan has had a tiny re-vamp! I hope you like it- if all goes to plan there should be more to come!

I thought I'd just write a quick update with my plans for Makeup By Megan in 2015. For the entirety of last year I had posts uploading every-other day. I definitely had slip-ups, missed a few days last July (oops) and sometimes I decided to take a day or two off either because I didn't have much to write about, I was busy or sick. Because I want the blog posts I publish to be the best they can be, I've decided to trial 3 blog posts per week instead of 4. My plan is to upload every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:00am EDT. I hope this is okay with you all, I think it will allow me to publish higher-quality, better edited and more useful posts. Thank you for understanding!

Now, I thought I would update you all with my various social media!
(ps- check out the little watercolour stamps on the sidebar! They link directly to my social media!)

 Instagram: @makeupbymegant

Twitter: @makeupbymegant

Bloglovin': Makeup by Megan 

I would love to hear all of your feedback and what you think of the new scheduling beginning Monday, March 16th, 2015. 

And of course, if you don't like it, I thought I'd share this picture of some PJ's I found in Forever 21 last summer.

Thanks for reading, have an awesome weekend!

Megan

L'Oreal Infallible "The Super Slim" Liquid Liner Review

Hey everyone,

Today I'm writing about the L'Oreal Super Slim Liquid Liner. For anyone who has read my blog for a long time, you'll know I have loved and repurchased the L'Oreal Lineur Intense (gold tube). I decided as a blogger I should really be trying some more liquid liners, and when I told my boyfriend an eyeliner trip to WalMart was necessary he said "you don't have more eyeliners?!?". Obviously seeing his shock only encouraged me, so when I went to the store I left with a shiny new L'Oreal liner. Here are my thoughts. 

This liner comes in pen form, making it very convenient to use and travel with. The Lineur Intense had a screw top with a brush that was dipped into the product, whereas this contraption means less hassle and faster application.

I bought it in the shade 400 Black, it was actually the only colour they had in store so I'm not sure if they have any other shades.

It claims to be skip proof, smudge proof and drag proof. I can say that it is skip proof and drag proof, but it definitely isn't smudge proof on my eyes. If my lids are properly primed and powdered I don't have much of a problem, but if I only want to wear liner sometimes it transfers to my crease and has to be tidied up a bit.While it isn't smudging all over my face and isn't too big of an issue, I find it's less smudge-proof than the Lineur Intense. 

The pen itself actually has the name printed on it (woo hoo!) and has a handy little grippy part making it easier to control.

It has a long nib, something I was originally concerned about, but later found it to be excellent for quick, smooth application. 

As you can see, it is capable of creating a very fine line, and can be built up nicely.

Overall, I am very happy with this product. I would repurchase, but I do find it's annoying that it isn't more transfer-proof or faster drying.

I hope you enjoyed this review!

Megan

Mani Monday #10

Hey everyone,

First of all, I apologize for the lack of blog posts this weekend. Some of my regular readers may know that I am a third year student at the University of Toronto, Mississauga Campus, and it's getting to that time of year where things are incredibly busy and I have a lot of assignments due. I'm aiming to get back on track this week- especially since we're so close to 22,000 views! Yay! Anyway, enjoy week ten of Mani Monday!

This week I used Essie's "Wicked" to paint over my fake nails. You can see they've grown out quite a bit, but I've been too busy to get them redone. For now I'm painting over them and enjoying how long the nail polish lasts on fake nails! I love this deep red/purple shade from Essie, it looks almost black in some lights but it makes me feel oh-so-sophisticated so I although we're approaching warm weather, I'm still enjoying the deeper winter shades.

Here's a side view showing how the nails are growing out. Incredibly, my natural nails are actually pretty close in length to the fake ones, probably because they are encased and not being broken against anything. It's likely the longest my natural nails have ever been. I am trimming the ends of the fake nails as they grow out to keep them manageable in the weeks to come. I'm attempting to see how long they can hold up for before having to be re-done!

I hope you enjoyed this post!

Megan

Bumble and Bumble "Surf Spray" First Impressions

Hey everyone!

Today I'm writing about the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray, and incredibly popular hair product from one of the most up-and-coming brands of the past few years. The Surf Spray is designed to add that 'beachy, windswept' style to your hair, mimicking the look of naturally wavy hair you tend to get when your hair dries after getting out of water (specifically saltwater). 

I have a small size, but I think it will last me for a very long time. I have quite fine hair, but a lot of it, and for me to add some texture and waviness it only takes a few spritz from this bottle.

I think if you don't mind the feeling of dry shampoo you won't mind what this product does to your hair. Personally, my hair is a nightmare to get smooth and shiny, and brushing through it almost always requires detangling spray or a hardcore conditioning hair mask. Because I only ever have smooth hair the day of/after a hairwash, I would recommend using this on second or third day hair. I think it undoes a lot of the clean feeling you may have after a recent wash, and to me this is a bit counterproductive. However, on hair that will be washed that evening, or the next day, it can produce some really nice results. Don't expect to be pushing a comb through your locks too easily though!

While the hair doesn't feel crunchy (like a hairspray), it does add texture and makes it a bit hard to manage. I think it would look great as a volumizer for in the roots to amp up a messy bun or ponytail too! I haven't found the best way to use it for me yet, but I'm still experimenting!

All I can say is that it does it's job very well. Personally, I don't love the feeling of it in my hair because it makes it that much harder for me to manage, but if you have relatively tangle-free, smooth, straight hair, this would be an excellent product to add some waviness and texture.

I hope you enjoyed this review!

Megan

Empty: Caudalíe "Divine Oil"

Hey everyone,

Today I'm reviewing a product I have in a deluxe sample size by Caudalie. If you've read my review on their Beauty Elixir you may think I don't like the brand, but I haven't tried too much by Caudalie. This oil made me a bit nervous for a few reasons, but mainly because it says it can be used in the hair, on the body and on the face. I had read a few mixed reviews, and one of the main issues was it that it was heavily perfumed. Taking that into consideration, I decided to trial this oil just on my body. I am so glad that I did!

A full size of this product retails for $52.00 CDN, but you can actually purchase this size for $10.00! It's a lovely idea for a gift! It does have quite a strong scent, and many other reviews say that it's directed for a more mature lady, but I can say that I actually really liked it! It's quite floral- but in a more warm way. It doesn't have a fresh floral scent, it's more luxurious and warm than that. I actually found it to be really comforting and it certainly didn't irritate my skin!

Because I didn't try this on my face or in my hair I can't comment on how well that works- but as a dry oil for my body I absolutely adored it! It absorbed so quickly and left my skin feeling so soft! I know it's a miracle worker after applying it to my elbows (which are very dry and bumpy), after one use they were much softer, but after two uses they actually look like normal elbows. I was so surprised! It worked really well on my arms and legs too, and because it's an oil it made my skin look radiant! 

While it is expensive, I am really very impressed with this product. It's certainly a luxury buy, but if you're in the market for a treat I would highly recommend it. While I can't say I'll be repurchasing anytime soon, if money were no object I would always be using this!

I hope you enjoyed this review, thanks for reading!

Megan

Lush "Catastrophe Cometic" Mask

Hey everyone,

Today I'm reviewing the Lush Cosmetics "Catastrophe Cosmetic" Fresh Face Mask. 

I had a small sample, and my friend, Ayla, purchased the full size. She generously let me photograph it.

It's a vegan mask and is designed to "cool, calm and deep cleanse" for sore, troubled skin. We purchased this on February 27th, so you can see that it's very freshly made- thanks to Adrian!

It's made with real blueberries, hence the colour and the chunks of actual berry on my face. My sample didn't have much liquid in it, which is why my face and Ayla's face look so different. I assume it was just the sample I received, the full size product was very high quality!

Here's a little sneak shot of Ayla relaxing on the couch... shhhh

After trying this mask I must admit it's a bit difficult to work with. It takes quite a while to apply, but it's easier than most clay masks to remove. It didn't leave my skin feeling tight or dried out which is awesome, and I did notice better texture on my face after removing. 

It's important to note that these Lush masks are quite pricey (still under $10 though!) and do have to remain refrigerated to keep them fresh for longer. You pay for good ingredients and I think if you really wanted to pamper yourself, this would be a really lovely option!

Thanks for reading!

Megan