Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Hey everyone,

It's Mother's Day this Sunday in North America (I know it's earlier in the year in the UK) so I thought I'd write a blog post to celebrate mothers around the world and my wonderful mother, Helen. She's a super cool lady who still goes out of her way to look after me, although I may think I'm capable of taking care of myself. She's an everyday inspiration with her strength and I appreciate everything she does for me, even when I don't always show it.

Hopefully she doesn't read this blog post, because I'm showing you everything I intend on giving her!

Just an overall shot of the theme I went for, which was essentially the colours orange and yellow. I had no particular reason to choose this colour scheme other than it matching her bathroom better than cooler toned colours.

 My mum has a jet bath tub, which while very relaxing, can be a pain with bubble bath. It doesn't work too well with the jets and can create a film when you start the jets up, overall it just isn't good. Bath salts work well in jet bathtubs, so I thought I'd pick some up for her. She's a hard worker, and I think an excuse for a bath that will help ease muscle pain while energizing her for the never-ending to-do list is a perfect gift. 

 Next up is the Vaseline Spray and Go moisturizer. This is one of her favourite body products because it's quick and easy to use. I know she's running out of her current can, and it matched with the colour scheme so I figured I'd pick it up!

 I thought I'd add a body wash into the mix just to help with the at-home spa experience I have planned. This is the Dove Go Fresh body wash, which is very moisturizing. I chose the scent because of the colour, but the nectarine and white ginger actually does smell very nice.

 I bought a hair mask about a year ago and Mum was intrigued by how it all worked. I let her borrow it, and she seemed to like it so I thought she'd like one for herself! I went for the Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser which smells incredible! I'll have to remember she owes me a use and I can write up a review while my locks smell wonderful.

 I also bought the Witchcraft "condition me softly" cuticle oil which I've previously owned myself. It's an easy pen for on-the-go application, but I keep mine beside my bed to use each night. She likes to take care of her nails, so I'm sure an extra step will amp up her current routine.

 Since the summer months should be arriving any time now (C'mon Canada!) I figured a lipbalm with SPF30 doesn't only protect her lips but also matches my colour theme. It's a slow start to summer this year, but I'm optimistic we will get there eventually, and this year with no sunburnt lips! 

And I know any Mum deserves to be pampered, but what's pampering without a little treat to go along with it? I continued with my orange theme with the Lindt Excellence Orange Intense dark chocolate- which I'm sure she will have a hard time not sharing since she's such a thoughtful lady! 

Of course no care package is complete without a handmade thoughtful card (which I better get writing!) so don't forget to include that! 

If you're a mother, thank you, and have a wonderful day being spoiled!!

Rimmel's "Stay Matte" Foundation Review

Hey everyone,

Today I'm writing about Rimmel's "Stay Matte" mousse foundation. I love the Stay Matte powder, it's an awesome, cheap powder that mattifies and sets makeup wonderfully.

The foundation has a mousse texture and is totally matte, as the name would suggest. I find that my shade 091 Light Ivory is a tiny bit chalky in appearance but it does last quite nicely on the skin.

The packaging is quite nice because it's great for travelling and is easy to keep clean. It's a thick formula (think Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation) but the tube is much easier than a pot, and more hygienic. 

It's easy to keep clean and could be applied with a sponge, brush or with your fingers. 

It claims 'feather-light, liquid mousse blends flawlessly for natural-looking, all day shine control". I find that it isn't really natural, while it's full coverage it can look a bit cakey. My skin isn't flawless and doesn't have a smooth texture, and this foundation can enhance imperfections. 

PROS:

- Good shades, much paler options than Rimmel's "Wake Me Up" foundations.

- Good coverage

- Lasts longer on the skin than most drugstore foundations

- Does stay matte, no shine throughout the day

CONS:

- Can look cakey

- Looks a bit chalky

- It has to set before applying other products, I recommend using a powder

Overall I do think the foundation is quite good, especially for nights out. I would recommend it to people with oily/combination skin before I would to people with sensitive/dry skin. 

Have a great day guys! 

Essie's "No Chips Ahead" Top Coat Review

Hey everyone,

So most of you have probably noticed I've stopped Manicure Monday's. I've done this for a few reasons, firstly, because it's impossible to have multiple blog-worthy manicures every month. Secondly, I only use Essie nail polishes (which I've talked about before) because it makes my collection neater and I love their formulas and shade range- however this doesn't necessarily make for good reading because it gets repetitive. So I've cut out mani Mondays and instead I'm going to review colours as I wear them and experiment with more nail art and combinations to create something more interesting and unique. 

Today I'm writing about an average product. It's Essie's "No Chips Ahead" clear top coat. Usually I buy Essie's "Good to Go" top coat, but I couldn't find it anywhere so I thought I'd try something new. I found this to be a decent topcoat that does help prevent chipping, but also bubbles up and creates a weird texture if you apply it before your nail colour is completely dry.

Essie's website describes the top coat as:

"Formulated with a wear extender and colour shield to protect against fading, resist chips and peeling, this high-gloss top coat extends manicures for days."

PROS:

- Does help your nail polish to last longer

- Leaves a shiny finish to your nails, not a 'gel' shine, but a nice, subtle shine

- Really does prevent a lot of chipping, much more than the "Good to Go" topcoat

CONS:

- If you apply it before your nail colour has dried it bubbles up on your nails leaving a horrible bumpy texture

- Isn't as shiny as the "Good to Go" topcoat

It might be a little hard to see, but the texture is bumpy and strange. I tried it with 3 manicures before this and got the same result. On my current manicure I waited until the nail colour was completely dry before I applied the topcoat, and while it's less bumpy, the application still isn't really smooth and manicures take much longer. 

 Have a great day!!

L'Oréal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner Review

Hey everyone,

Today I'm reviewing the L'Oréal Lineur Intense liquid eyeliner. I have always been on the fence about this product, only because it's a drugstore product that averages between $9 and $11 CDN. This always seemed so expensive for a drugstore buy, so I held off until it was on sale (for $5!) I've wanted this for so long because YouTuber makeupbytiffanyd always raves about it and has done for years. Now she also has massive, lovely eyes with killer eyelashes etc., so I assumed this liner would give me those wonderful eyes. Not quite the results I'd hoped for, but a winner nonetheless.

 The packaging is typical L'Oréal matte gold, which is fine, but there is no labelling whatsoever. If I wasn't an avid makeup-lover, how would I even know where to find this again?! L'Oréal has several liquid liners, thank goodness I picked the one in the gold packaging or else I'd be lost amongst masses of black, label-less tubes. 

 I really like the long handle on the liner. It makes for more precise application and allows you to see where you're applying liner in a mirror, much better than a stubby handle that makes it impossible to see your eye past your own fist. 

 The nib is quite long and flexible. It's great for getting into the inner corner of your eye and does work nicely. It takes some getting used to, as the formula is quite wet, but once you get the hang of it, I think it makes application quite easy. 

As you can see the formula is very black and shiny looking, but it does dry down to more of a matte which I prefer. Once it has dried, it doesn't budge. While it isn't waterproof, the formula does last and I would say it matches L'Oréals claim of "All day wear, up to 8 hours".

L'Oréal claims that this liner has "all day wear, up to 8 hours" and "won't fade away". I think these are fair statements and the product lives up to its name. Compared to my favourite Stila "Stay All Day" liquid liner, which retails for $22.00, I think this product is not far behind in quality. I would certainly repurchase, and I'd even pay $9.00 for the stuff! 

Have a great day!!

The Beauty Scenario Tag

Hey everyone,
This tag was started with Lily from Lily Pebbles. She's a British blogger and YouTuber, check out her channel here.
I'm going to go ahead and start with the questions, here we go!

1) You have to get rid of all your foundations, and only 

keep one highend and one drugstore which do you keep?

My low-end choice would be Revlon's ColourStay foundation for Dry Skin. My high-end choice is difficult because I haven't tried too many, but my wishlist includes Georgio Armani Luminous Silk, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and NARS Sheer Glow.

2) You go for an interview and the lady interviewing you has lipstick on her teeth. Do you approach the subject or ignore it completely?
Ignore it completely. I'm actually really bad at confronting people about things like this, unless I know them well enough. Plus I'd probably want the job badly enough to let it go.

3) Your not feeling yourself and you need a pick me up lipstick which one do you go for?
If I need a pick-me-up generally I wouldn't have makeup on in the first place. However, if I did happen to have makeup on a bam formula like the Maybelline Colour Whisper in Pin Up Peach usually does the trick.

4) You go back in time for a day to your teenage years, how would you do to your hair and makeup differently?
I would straighten my hair less and improve my skincare routine. I actually wished I would have experimented with makeup more like I do now, because it could have actually been influential to those around me. Also less no-makeup days would have been good.

5) You ask your hairdresser for a shoulder length Pixie Lott hair cut but they hear wrong and give you a pixie hair cut. Do you a) smile, say thank you, leave and call your mum and cry hysterical b)cry in the chair and things get awkward or c) complain to the manager and demand a refund. 
Er. Definitely 'a'. I basically cry at everything anyway, and haven't had my hair cut for about a year and a half... so this wouldn't go down well with me. I would be hysterical, but I wouldn't be rude to the hairdresser. Definitely call my Mum crying. 

6) Your friend surprises you with a 4 day city break and you have 1 hour to pack. Which 'do it all' palette do you pack in your makeup bag?
My Naked Basics palette from Urban Decay has everything I need, plus I'm more of a liquid liner gal anyway, so basics really work well for me.

7) Your house has been robbed, don't worry everyone is safe, but your beauty stash has been raided. What's the product you really hope is safe? 
Firstly this is a hilarious question. But if I'm honest I would hope my perfume collection was safe (lots of discontinued scents). I'd be pretty mad if my precious "Ralph Rocks" perfume had been taken.

8) Your friend borrows your makeup and returns it in awful condition. do you a)just pretend you haven't noticed b) ask them to repurchase  it or c) secretly do the same to something of theirs

Pretend I hadn't noticed. This has happened to me before on a couple of occasions, but I never hand out anything too expensive and for the most part they would apologize anyway. I would be a little annoyed, but if they're my friends and I let them borrow it I'm sure they would never deliberately return my stuff in awful condition. 

I hope you liked this tag, it's quite simple and I haven't added any pictures, but I think it gives a good insight into what products I think are important and how I deal with beauty scenarios!

Be sure to check out Lily Pebbles channel linked above, and have a lovely day!