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1/30/2012

Nail of the Day - 01/30/12

I have a nail of the day post for you all today - and it's on a particular polish I really love. It's called "Yummy Mummy" from butter London and it's absolutely gorgeous.

I picked up this particular colour from Glymm (a beauty subscription service - they have a beauty boutique). I had enough points to get this for free, minus the shipping, so I figured I may as well try it out. This is actually the only Butter London nail polish I own and I don't plan on buying more considering how incredibly pricey they are. However, the brush is a nice size and the colour is fairly opaque. 


The colour itself is fairly nude, and on skin tones darker than mine I think this would be the perfect nude-but-not-dead-looking polish. It's basically a darker champagne-taupe with the tiniest amount of shimmer (I think it's silver?) in it. This comes off as just a gorgeous sheen on the nails. 

Butter London's "Yummy Mummy", two coats

Another thing that I love about this polish is it's a 3-Free polish. This means that it is free of the chemicals listen on the bottle in the picture below. Though the polishes are pricey, you're paying for something that is better for you and for the environment.


This polish retails for about $18 CAD. Would you consider trying out a more expensive polish like this?

1/29/2012

FreeRice

Today I'm doing a post that is a little different and about an issue I strongly believe in resolving. Today, one of my Facebook friends made a status about a website called "FreeRice" (I'll link it here). I visited the site and found that it was one that was made to help fight hunger across the world, in partnership with the World Food Programme (for more information on the WFP, click here). Basically, FreeRice is a website where you can answer trivia questions for free and for every question that you get right, this organization will donate ten grains of rice through the WFP. Though ten grains barely seems like any, it really adds up - I spent a mere 10-20 minutes answering questions on the site and donated 1570 grains.

There are many different subjects for the trivia - from English grammar to languages to mathematics to the Periodic Table of the Elements. There is a little something for everyone and the best part is that there are different levels to the trivia, so anyone and everyone can answer these questions.

Here is a quick little video I found from the FreeRice website, which explains, in a nutshell, their program.


You don't have to be registered to play - you can play as a guest. Registering only means that you can keep track of your totals for donations.

In total, 94 642 292 420 grains of rice have been donated. As of January 3, 2012, one million people were registered on FreeRice. Will you be one of them?

1/26/2012

Review: Vasanti Blush in "Rockies"

So I thought I'd do a quick little review of a really fantastic blush I've been meaning to talk about for a while now. It's from the brand Vasanti (I'll link the website here so you can take a look at some of their products if you wish). Vasanti is a Canadian company founded by three women which doesn't test on animals - something that is really great in cosmetics.

I got this particular blush in a Glymm box a few months back (for more information about what Glymm is and an example of what products you get in a box, check out my unboxing haul here). It's in the shade Rockies.

First of all, the packaging on these blushes is phenomenal. It's sleek and all silver, with a magnetic closure. I absolutely love the way that the brand name is printed on the top, and it's very travel-friendly since the blush is quite small.


The size of the blush is really quite small, which can be negative but it's so pigmented that you don't need to use very much anyway. As for the colour, it's a gorgeous coral pink with a hint of gold shimmer to it. I think this particular colour would look fantastic in the summer with a bit of a tan but it also is really good to brighten up your look in the winter. I also think this would work on all skin tones.


This colour is actually very similar to Benefit's Bella Bamba - not so much in the pan but swatched side-by-side and the blush colours look almost identical. 

Upper: Benefit's Bella Bamba
Lower: Vasanti's Rockies

Here are swatches of both. It's hard to get swatches to look good on camera (I use an iPhone to take my pictures!) but on the right is Rockies, and on the left is Bella Bamba. One thing that is interesting is that I actually found the Vasanti blush a lot more pigmented - I had to build up Bella Bamba quite a bit to get a good swatch. However, they're both beautiful blushes. 


This blush retails for $15 (it's cheaper than a MAC blush!) and is sold online and in certain drugstores.

So, what do you think? Would you rock a really bright colour like this even if it's not summer?

Model Talk - 5 Tips To A Whiter Smile.

Has anyone ever heard of a "model white smile"? I'm not really sure just how white your teeth have to be in order to me "model white" but I do know that models have to try and keep their teeth as white as is humanly possible. It's amazing how something as simple as whiter looking teeth can completely change your appearance for the better and really brighten up your face.

Today I thought I'd share some of my tips and tricks for keeping your smile bright. Keep in mind that these tips aren't the only things you can do - there are plenty of other natural remedies as well. These are just my personal tips and what I do every night.

1. Brush your teeth! I know this goes without saying but it's really important. Whether you have an electric or manual toothbrush, this is the most important tip!

 

I personally like to use the Oral-B Sonic Complete toothbrush - I got this for free from the orthodontist when I got my braces. For toothpaste, I'm a big fan of the Sensodyne Whitening - it doesn't do a heck of a lot of whitening but it's really good for when my teeth are sensitive, which I'll talk about later in this post.

2. Floss! Flossing is super important because it gets out any food particles in between your teeth that your toothbrush may have missed. I honestly don't find it necessary to floss twice a day - once every day or every two days is sufficient. I like to use the Oral-B Glide 3D White floss because it claims to whiten. (Not sure if it really works - but it's good floss!)


3. Brush with baking soda. This is something that isn't necessary at all and it tastes absolutely horrible. However, it is really amazing for keeping your teeth nice and white and it also helps to really scrub your teeth clean so they feel super smooth and dentist-clean afterwards. I really recommend brushing with baking soda - it's a really nice natural whitening agent. I just put toothpaste on my brush and then dip it into this container to coat everything in baking soda.


4. Follow up with mouthwash. If you're brushing with baking soda I find it imperative to rinse out your mouth after to get the taste out. I like the Crest 3D White mouthwash because it claims to have the same ingredients as whitestrips and it's very minty. I only use a little bit partially because you don't need a lot - but mostly because I'm running low and can't be bothered to go out and buy another one.


5. Whitestrips! These are amazing for quickly whitening your teeth. These are just a strip that stick to your teeth and form to coat the surface. I have the 2 Hour Express ones, which come in a pack of four that you leave on your teeth for two hours, for a visibly whiter smile.

Honestly, I think these are overpriced. At $70 (in Canada) for a box of four strips, that's a little steep. Also, I think when I used the first one there could have been a lot more difference in how white my teeth were - though I did see a bit of a change. You can only use one of these once every three months, so that's why I would recommend trying some of the products I showed above. However, you can also purchase Whitestrips that are gentle enough to be worn for 30 minutes every day. I find that these make my teeth painfully sensitive, however. Sensitivity-wise on these strips, I found it was pretty bad the day I did the strips but I did notice that my teeth were completely fine the day after, which could be attributed to the toothpaste I use. All in all, if you have the money to purchase these, I'd recommend giving them a try. If not, there are plenty of other ways to whiten your teeth.



So that's it - 5 easy tips to a whiter smile. If you're reading, what is your number one tip for your teeth? I'd love to see what other people do!

1/23/2012

Glymm Box Unboxing!

Today I've got a Glymm box unboxing! I love getting these monthly boxes but I have to cut off my subscription this month since it gets expensive. For anyone who has never heard of Glymm, it is like Birchbox for Canadians. It's a monthly box you recieve filled with 4-5 deluxe beauty samples for $10 a month plus tax. 

First of all, the box comes looking like this:


I would show the box it is shipped in but that has my address on it. However, it is completely hot pink as well.

Opening the box, you see a card and a ribbon tied around everything. 


These are the two cards that came in my box - one outlining the products, and one just talking about their "beauty boutique".


These are all of the samples I got in my box and how they came packaged. (Sorry for the blurry picture - I take my photos with an iPhone).

First, I got two of the Burt's Bees Milk and Honey body lotion. These $12.99 for a 170g bottle and the samples I got were 7mL each. Not a heck of a lot but I did get two of them, and I will be using these.


I also got a Cargo Eye Pencil in Black. I was kind of hoping I would get this in a brown colour (I looked at other people's unboxings!) but I'm pretty happy with the black. When you look at this product, it actually resembles a pencil crayon. It's also not a very soft eyeliner but I like that the black is a bit toned down, since I like more natural eyeliner. This is a full sized product and it retails for $16 - worth more than the box alone.

I also got a mini Anastacia Clear Brow Gel. This I'm really happy to try, since my brows are never really in the best shape. I also love the packaging. One thing I'm not pleased with, however, is the smell - it's quite strong. However, once applied, you can't smell it. This is a 0.085 oz sample and the full size is 0.28 oz, retailing for $21.


Next, I recieved this Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator. I'm really not sure about this product but I will give it a go. The sample I got was 12g, which is pretty big, and the full size is 120 mL, retailing for $34.


Lastly, I got one makeup wipe. This is by the brand "juicy bamboo" and it's a cruelty free, natural, biodegradable cleansing cloth. We'll see how this goes - I always use makeup wipes so this will definitely get used. The full size is extremely pricey - $17.99 for 30 cloths! Guess that goes to show just how costly environmentally friendly can be. 


So that's my Glymm box! I think this one was a winner - lots of great products. There were 5 products in my box - and no jelly beans, like the other four boxes I had recieved. I guess the jars were breaking in the mail. I'm sad that this will be my last box but I definitely recommend this service to anyone.

If you're reading, have you tried out any beauty subscription services? If so, which?

1/21/2012

Project Pan!

Today I come to you all with something that is incredibly scary for me. A project pan. Honestly, it's not the fact that I can't buy makeup - it's the amount of products I picked out. I didn't realize how many I had until it was too late.

So, for those of you who don't know, Project Pan (sometimes referred to as Project 10 Pan) is an experience some people choose to embark on if they want to scale down the size of their makeup collection. Now, my makeup collection could all fit in a small train case if I had one to put it in, but I'm heading to Orlando, Florida for my birthday in a month and I'm planning on getting a few things, including the Naked2 palette and the NARS Danmari palette. And I really don't want to have very many blushes if I'm getting six new ones in one go.

Basically, one who chooses to do project pan will pick out a variety of items that they want to use up or hit pan on, and one the project has commenced that person is not allowed to purchase any makeup (or, in my case, makeup, body, and skincare) products until they have finished or hit pan on all of the items that they chose.


So these are all of the things I picked....


First off, for eye products, from left to right (skipping the big green eyeshadow palette in the center), I want to finish my Revlon Custom Eyes mascara (which I LOVE!), my Urban Decay Primer Potion, and try to finish my Smashbox Limitless eyeliner in Onyx. I think if this is the last product keeping me from finishing my project pan I'll just let it go, because I have a hard time finishing eyeliner. I also want to finish two to four shades in my Pixi Eye Beauty Kit in Mango, which should be pretty easy to do when you consider the massive pan spots visible.


These are the three blushes I want to finish. From left to right: Benefit's Dandelion, Benefit's Coralista, L'oreal Hip Cream Blush in Enamoured. I love the Benefit blushes and they shouldn't take too long to finish since they are sample sizes. The L'oreal blush will be more difficult since I really don't like the colour or formulation, but I can deal.


These are all lip products. From left to right, I want to finish my Buxom Lip Gloss in Dolly (which has very little left - this should be easy), my Rimmel Vintage Pink lipstick, my Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in Apricot, and my Rimmel Lip Palette in Play it Loud (I don't recommend this. It has a very plastic-like smell that can be very off-putting. I received it for Christmas one year).

Sorry that this picture is sideways - something went wrong. From top to bottom, I want to finish my BBW Sweet Pea Forever body lotion (which is half done), my Make Up Forever Mist & Fix, my sample size YSL Parisienne perfume and Biotherm Eau de Paradis perfume, and my EOS lipbalm in Honeysuckle Honeydew.

Lastly, these are the face products I want to use up. From left to right, my Maybelline Fit ME! powder in 120 Classic Ivory, my L'oreal True Match Touche Magique Concealer, and my Maybelline Fit ME! concealer in 15 Fair.

That's it for my project pan - it's incredibly daunting. Just to let you all know, I plan on breaking it for when I go to Florida, because there is no way I'm going to the States without buying something for cheaper than at home. However, I plan to be diligent with my project this time (I've tried it in the past and never documented and always failed miserably), so we'll see how this goes.

For those reading, would you ever consider going on a project pan? How big are your makeup collections?

Wish me luck!

1/20/2012

Haul - Sigma and Wal-Mart!

Today I have a haul! I got all of these things yesterday from Wal-Mart and I also received my order from Sigma. 

First, I got my package in the mail yesterday with my Sigma brushes in it! I was so excited to receive these since the only foundation brush I have is a flat one, and the only brushes I have are from Costco and Quo. The two brushes that I ordered from Sigma were actually a special deal that they had on for two of the Sigmax brushes. If you're interested in checking out this set, I'll link it here.

This duo is $24 on the Sigma website and I had a 10% off code for January (0112XJML). I got these brushes for about as cheap as they could come and I decided to go ahead and get them instead of putting them off. 

These came packaged really well, in a sort of wine bottle type bag with a little card talking about all of the Sigmax brushes. The two brushes that came in the set were the F84 Angled Top Kabuki and the F82 Round Top Kabuki. These both will be really great for applying foundation. I haven't used either yet, but when I have used them for a bit I might do a review.

Initially, I was very pleased with them (I still am!). These are the softest brushes I own and they feel really well made considering I only paid about $12 for each brush. Compared to MAC, that's wonderful. 

Next I went to Wal-Mart and I picked up a few things. The first thing I decided to try was a Wet n Wild  trio, because I have heard so many fanastic reviews about their eyeshadows. I was debating on the Comfort Zone palette, which has eight mostly neutral eyeshadows in it, but I decided to pass because I figured I would never use the greens that are in that palette.

The trio that I picked up is called "Walking on Eggshells". This was the most neutral palette that was in store and I only ever wear neutral eyeshadows, so I thought this would get a lot of use. 

Let me just say that the pigmentation on this palette is phenomenal. My initial reaction upon swatching this was one of absolute glee - I only paid about $4.50 for this product, and you get quite a lot of eyeshadow in each pan, and they're super well made and pigmented. The bottom colour is a sort of pearly pink, the middle is a shimmery chocolate brown, and the top is a gold-toned white, and they are all gorgeous. I am so pleased with this product and I definitely recommend this brand of eyeshadows.


Lastly, I just picked up some less interesting products. I got two masks from a brand called Freeman, which doesn't test on animals (a major plus). I got a hydrating goji berry one and a peel-off cucumber one. They were each $3.50 so it was a great deal, and I am super excited to work with these and see what they do with my skin.

I also got a dry shampoo spray. Currently I had been using cornstarch mixed with some essential oils (which I swear by! Click here if you want to see how to do it), but I was just in the mood to try something else, and possibly compare it to my cornstarch method. The one that I picked up was the TRESemme Fresh Start Smoothing Dry Shampoo. This is for straight and normal hair and mine is anything but - however, I figured since I straighten my hair so often I needed something that could smooth out any frizz, so I thought this would be a good buy. I looked at the ingredients and this actually  has cornstarch in it, so it should work reasonably well.

That concludes this haul, and thanks for reading. If any of you have tried any of these products then let me know!

1/19/2012

Would You Rather Beauty Tag.

I love tags.

Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?
I actually don't use eyeshadow that much. I love my Too Faced Natural Eye Palette but I love mascara so much more - so I'd definitely rather lose all of my eyeshadows.


Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?
If I could give my hair to a place that makes wigs perhaps, then I'd cut it. I wouldn't want my hair to get really long and gross at the ends so I'd probably cut it off no matter what - it can always grow back.


Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?
I really don't care. I love both colours - for the summer, probably a coral cheek, but I think both look really good when applied with a light hand.


If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?
Tough, because I'd probably want to go 50/50. If I really had to choose I'd probably say clothes just because makeup goes bad and if I got a lot at one time I'd have a hard time using it all up. 


Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner or eyeliner as lipstick?
I don't wear eyeliner typically, and I feel like lipstick applied on the eyes is not only smudgy and gross but it also isn't very sanitary or safe for your eyes. One could always go with a pink or red-tinged eyeliner and apply it on the lips, so I'd have to go with the latter... Though I'd rather just not go there at all.  


Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora? I have only ever been to MAC once, to be honest (to get my MAC quad! Click here if you want to see it). I'd love to go more often (I really would like a blush, a lipstick, and a studio fix powder) but I've never really had much of a chance. Sephora has tons of brands and all sorts of skincare, makeup, and hair products, as well as a wide variety of men's and women's fragrances. Hands down, Sephora wins by fair (and I feel like this would be a popular choice).



Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color the rest of your life?
Lip colour. A nude lip is something I am totally fine with rocking day in, day out, no matter what season.


Would you rathe wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?
Winter clothes are my favorite. I love long sleeved shirts and boots for some reason, so I'd have to say winter clothes in the summer.


Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round? 
Dark nails. I think they're so elegant and classy that you could wear them to, and with, anything.


Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?
Does Vaseline count as a lip product? Because if it doesn't then I'd give up my lip products and keep my favorite mascara or whatnot, and use Vaseline on my lips. :)

Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a pony tail or a messy bun?
If I could figure out how to get my hair in a nice messy bun, then I'd prefer that. However, I seem to be lacking in that area of expertise so currently I'm only able to put my hair in ponytails.

Would you rather never be able to paint your nails agin or never use lipgloss? 
I'd rather not use lipgloss because there are other lip products out there, like the revlon lip butters, that provide enough shine. I love painting my nails and I don't think I could go without nail polish.

Woul you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday?
This is a horrible question. Why would I shave my eyebrows off?

Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?
If I had to, I'd go without nail polish. My nails are okay when they're bare, but I love playing with different products and experimenting with my appearance so much that I would never want to go without makeup. It's not so much a confidence thing as it is a fun pastime that I would not want to give up.



If anyone is interested in doing this tag, then by all means :) Link it in the comments section so I can see it too and I might just take a look at your blog while I'm at it! :)

Nail of the day - 01/19/12

Today I have a nail of the day post for you all - and I'm so excited about this one. This colour may be one of my absolute favorites from OPI - it's called Designer... De Better! and it is from the Muppets collection.
I thought a lot of the polishes from that collection were pretty unimpressive, but this one blew me away with it's unique finish. It's technically a silver polish, with tiny bits of red glitter or sparkles. These come off as having a really cool effect on your nails, which (sadly) does not photograph well. 
This polish also has an almost metal-like finish on the nails, and is completely opaque after just two coats. I must say, I am in love with this nail polish and if you can get your hands on it, I'd recommend it.


OPI's Designer... De Better! Two coats

For those reading, what has been your favorite nail polish recently?

1/18/2012

Quick Tip: Cleaner Skin

Do you find yourself consistently cleansing your skin at night but still waking up with blemishes on your face in the morning? Well, this can be attributed to your age, your skin type, the time of the month, and many other factors. However, I have a special little trick that can ensure your skin is getting super clean every night.

If you don't take off your makeup at night, it will build up on your skin and clog your pores, causing acne and various other issues. However, even if you're using a cleanser, this may not be enough.

I do suggest investing in a small pore cleansing pad (these are sold at Sephora for $5, here) or even something bigger, like a Clarisonic. To ensure your skin is completely clean when you go to bed, however, I suggest first rinsing your skin in warm water, then cleansing, then rinsing with cold water. What this does is the warm water opens your pores, which allows the cleanser to get in them and clean well. The cold water closes them back up again so that if you get a faceful of toxins when you open the bathroom door, these will have a harder time sinking into your pores.

For those reading, do you have any skincare tips that you swear by?

Model Talk: Who can be a model?

So, I thought I'd start a new series that I'd like to call "Model Talk". This is just essentially me explaining modelling as a profession and certain aspects of it.

Today I thought I'd just start out with a very basic topic - who can be a model? I find that a lot of people automatically assume that they can't model for anyone because they have a different body shape, weight, hair colour, or shoe size. I know I had a hard time understanding that I could be a model because I have two beauty marks on my face (I later learned that many celebrities have them too). Generally, models come in all shapes and sizes. If you look on the forever21 website, there models ranging from size zeros to size twelves. Models really are needed in all shapes and sizes.

However, that being said, if one were to model internationally, they would need to be a certain size. This is because designers only want to have to make one size of clothing, so if they need to switch models for some reason the clothes will fit everyone. Unfortunately, not everyone is 5'11 and a size two. That's one thing that can be incredibly frustrating with this industry.

Hair colour, eye colour, and skin colour make no difference as to whether or not someone has the potential to model. Apart from people that refuse to get in front of cameras, I think absolutely everyone can model - since every single person on this earth is beautiful in their own way. One important thing to note is that being healthy - no, not weight, but overall health - is a main contributing factor. If you lead a healthy lifestyle, then your whole body will benefit - your skin, your hair, your nails - everything. Another main factor that actually is quite obvious - confidence. If you look and feel confident, you will come off as being so much more beautiful.

So, if anyone reading this is thinking about entering this field of work, I definitely recommend it. It's not easy, but hey - you get your hair and makeup done every so often. It's lovely.

I'd recommend checking out what modelling agencies are active in your city, and checking to see if they have a website. Typically they will ask for potential models to send pictures in.

For those of you reading - would you ever consider modelling? Have you ever?