I’ve posted Make Up Of the Day posts that include the Essence Light Up Your Face Luminizer palette (10 ready, set, glow!) and I’ve been asked about it a few times, so I thought I’d do a review and swatch post on it.
The swatches were done with my fingers. If you follow the facial mapping on the back of the palette, you will get a beautiful, glowy look. I find that the middle shade has shimmer that’s a little more chunky than I would like. But, if you try to use the 1st and 3rd shade as a highlight on the cheekbones, it doesn’t look as nice. I think I will mostly use this palette for my eyes to get a brightened look.
Luminizer palette with soft highlighter powder textures – all you need for a bright & radiant finish!
nude highlighter: satin sheer powder with a subtle glow- perfect for everyday radiant appearance
rosé highlighter: shimmering powder for setting specific luminous highlights- perfect for special events
golden beige highlighter: pearly powder for adding a soft and warm finish to the complexion
RATING: 3.5/5
It’s great for the price, and it’s a very nice highlight palette. I personally prefer powder highlighters that don’t have shimmery chunks and have that wet look because I use the MAC Strobe cream and the white/silver shade in the Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette for an everyday, dewy look. I’d rather pay $6 for one shade instead of getting three different shades that look good for different areas of the face. I’ve read good reviews for the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter and based on swatches I’ve seen, it looks less powdery than these 3 shades.
Have you tried Essence products? What are your faves?
I thought I would do a review and swatches of the Revealed 3 Palette from Coastal Scents. It’s a very nice palette for a beginner. I got this from a TopBox a while back and it’s been great for an everyday eye look. I mostly use the brown/taupe and gold shades. The first two shades are great to set your eyeshadow primer. It has a combo of matte and shimmery shades, but the majority are shimmery.
The Revealed 3 palette features twenty all-new elegant eye shadows, in a stunning variety of hues and textures. Discover infinite possibilities with a combination of looks, perfect for every eye color.
Swatches below are without using primer. The top two shades didn’t show up when I swatched them. On the left is the top row of shades, and the right is the bottom row.
I would suggest doing eyes before your foundation and concealer because the fallout can be quite bad. Sometimes I have to dust off my nose or fluff the shadow out of my hair.
RATING: 4/5
It’s not the best palette, but it was the first palette (with more than 4 shades) I ever owned. I mostly used single eyeshadows before and I have trouble deciding on which eyeshadow palette I want to actually purchase. Two of the ones I own were won in giveaways and this one I got from a subscription box. There are so many beautiful palettes out there, how can I decide?
A while back, I bought a silicone spatula that helps you get every last drop of your makeup products. I got the Every Drop Beauty Spatula on Amazon. When I got it, it was $11, now it’s $13.
It’s been amazing for getting ‘every last drop’ because it’s silicone, it scrapes the sides of the bottle well. I remember the first time I used a silicone spatula when I was baking and I was like OMG, I can make another cupcake with all of the batter I scraped off. Well, similar to baking, the spatula can probably get one or two more uses out of your products. Unfortunately some bottles just aren’t shaped right to get all of it, there’s only so much you get angle the spatula to get the top part. It was easy to scrape off the Maybelline Fit Me foundation, but I could only go half way up on the NARS Sheer Glow foundation bottle.
Couldn’t reach a few spots, but look how clean!!
The triangular shape of the spatula is great for getting the top of a bottle. They also sell one that’s shaped like a scalpel (for $9), but that’s better for lip gloss or concealer tubes. The other end of the spatula is like a bulb, either can be used to mix any makeup product.
UPDATE: I was trying to get the last bit from a concealer tube and the plastic stopper was being stubborn and wouldn’t come off. I put the spatula in because similar to an arrow, it’s fine going in, but pulling it out, it catches on the sides. The silicone part came off the stick and now I no longer have the spatula any more. So, if you plan to purchase this, make sure the plastic stopper of your tubes can come off easily before sticking it into the tube.
RATING: 4/5
Although the price has gone up, I would definitely recommend getting one. You’ll save some money in the long run by scraping off that last little bit of your high-end foundation or concealer.
I finally got the chance to go to Miniso Canada the other day and I picked up a few things. I got a blush, two lipsticks and an eyeshadow pen.
I got the Flawless Baked Blusher in 02 Rosy Pink for $2.99! It was Made in Taiwan, but that’s okay since I probably won’t be using this every day and I mean, $2.99?? Check out my blog post: Where Were Your Beauty Products Made?
Flawless Baked Blusher in 02 Rosy Pink
Richly pigmented and highly buildable, the beautiful matte and shimmery shades of baked blusher are the perfect cheeky pop of colour for every skin tone.
RATING: 5/5
If you’re a regular reader, you may have noticed that I rarely give ratings of 5/5. This is a beautiful, subtle pink and it was such an amazing price, so it gets two thumbs up and a 5/5 from me! They also had a baked bronzer that was beautiful too, but it wasn’t matte. It could probably make a really pretty eyeshadow though!
Magic Eyeshadow Pen in 01 Shimmer Brown – I got the eyeshadow pen for $4.99. At the store, the tester was much more pigmented.
It’s really interesting because the sponge applicator is just an applicator and it dips into a pot that’s in the lid. It has a spring action so you pump the shadow onto the sponge applicator. It’s a bit disappointing because you don’t get a lot of product. Other eyeshadow pens that you sharpen or twist up give you a lot more product.
I tried dipping a brush into it. It’s like a really small pot of cream eyeshadow. A very small concealer brush or an eyeliner brush works. It looks great as an eyeliner.
You could probably use this as a highlight too. The sponge applicator gives a very subtle swipe of the product and you can blend it out with a brush.
As you can tell from the swatch on the left, the sponge may have absorbed too much or I didn’t pump it long enough to pick up a good amount of product and the swatch is very subtle. On the right swatch, I used an eyeliner brush which was much more pigmented. So, depending on the look you’re going for, you can use the sponge on your eyelids and then line your waterline with a brush.
Obviously, the staying power isn’t amazing because it’s a name brand. It easily smudged off my hand, so I don’t have high hopes for when I use it on the eyes. Hopefully using a primer underneath and setting it with some powder on top will help.
RATING: 3/5
Since you don’t get a lot of product for $4.99, I’m going to have to give this a 3/5. Also, the fact that it’s a sponge applicator turns me off because you have to constantly clean it to prevent bacteria and especially since this is an eye product, you have to be even more cautious. I don’t think I would repurchase this, but it was cool to try out!
Colour Revival Lipstick in 02 Sakura Pink – For the lipsticks, one is more like a light pink tinted balm and the other is more full coverage. Both have no scent.
Colour Revival Lipstick in 02 Sakura Pink for $2.99. This is interesting because you click the bottom to get more (like a YSL Touche Éclat pen). The only problem is that you have to be careful not to click it too much because you can’t push it back down.
High-pigmented formula. Moisturizing and long-lasting. Enhance the lips and bring out their natural colour. Leaves lips fresh, full and radiant.
It starts off as a sheer pink colour, but as I was wearing it, it started to get brighter and tinted my lips to a Barbie pink. Even after taking it off with a makeup wipe, my lips were reddish-pink. I can’t imagine what the darker shades do since this was the lightest one I saw at the store.
RATING: 2/5
Silky Soft Lipstick in 05 Berry Red
This lipstick you twist the bottom to get more. It’s a nice tube because it’s black and quilted- it sort of looks like a nice pen. It does have the feel of a matte lipstick. When you first apply it, it has a satin finish, but then as you wear it, it has a matte finish. It’s definitely not transfer proof.
Effortless application. Matte texture and lightweight feel. Formula with Vitamin E to prevent colour fading or smudging. Deeply nourishes and moisturizes lips.
RATING: 3.5/5
This one gets a higher rating because it didn’t stain my lips like the other one.
Here are swatches of the two lipsticks.
Top: Sakura Pink, Bottom: Berry Red
They’re both very pretty shades, but I think I’d rather pay a bit more for a drugstore brand. The problem with lipsticks from Asian brands is that they rarely have a nude lipstick, usually they have lip tints or lipsticks that are pink, coral or orange-red. I prefer nudes and nude-pinks instead of bright pinks.
Oh my goodness, this year is going by way too fast! How is it 1/4 of the way through 2018 already? Someone needs to tell Mother Nature though, it’s still quite chilly.
This Coastal Scents Eclipse palette is well-loved (read my review). This palette has been great for using as a concealer obviously, but also contouring, colour correcting and highlighting. It’s perfectly creamy and blends easily. I only wish shipping didn’t cost so much to Canada.
LOVE OPI XOXO Mini Nail Lacquer 10 Pack – I have twelve minis in total, and ten are from the LOVE OPI XOXO Mini Nail Lacquer 10 Pack I got from Winners for $19.99. I haven’t tried all the shades in the 10-pack, but I love Tickle My France-y (pictured above) and Eurso Euro. OPI brushes are one of my faves and I love minis because they don’t dry out as quickly as regular-sized bottles.
Dove Advanced Hair Series Regenerative Nourishment Serum-in-Oilsmells great (read my review), made my hair feel smooth and it’s from the drugstore, need I say more?
I finished quite a lot of products this month and most of them are some of my skincare faves. Here are March’s product empties:
The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam – I love the smell of this and it gives you that squeaky clean feeling after using it.
Repurchase? Absolutely! This was my 2nd or 3rd tube of the cleanser.
Rainforest of the Sea Frxxxtion Stick 3-in-1 Exfoliating Stick (read my review)- I really liked this. I was recommended it by a friend and I know why she loves it. I compared this to the Pixi Peel & Polish . TIP: You know when you’ve finished a lipstick and you can’t push up anymore, but there’s still a lot of lipstick in the tube? This is the same. I was able to scrape out a full face’s worth of cleanser from my tiny, travel-sized stick.
Repurchase? YES! I would definitely get the full-sized version.
Pixi Glow Tonic – I really liked this. It made my skin look good.
Repurchase? Yes. (UPDATE: I have realized that I am allergic to witch hazel which is in glow tonic).
Palmer’s Coconut Oil Body Cream (read my review) – I was sent the Coconut Oil products from Palmer’s Canada. Out of the three products I received, this was my least fave. The cream is very thick and good for using before bed on hands, elbows and feet, but I don’t really like how it comes in a tub.
Repurchase? I don’t think I will be repurchasing the cream, but I would get the lotion.
Palmer’s Coconut Oil Body Oil (read my review) – This was another product received by Palmer’s Canada. I really liked using it after showering.
Repurchase? Yes! It made my skin feel as soft as a baby’s bottom!
Simple Skincare Cleansing Facial Wipes – I really like these. They are good for sensitive skin and they have a bit of a texture to get makeup off nicely.
Repurchase? I already bought a replacement at Winners for $5.99.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid in Green – I got a sample of this and it did the job, but I don’t think I’d pay for a full-size version. There are colour correcting concealers that are a lot cheaper that you can get from the drugstore.
Repurchase? I would buy the Naked Skin Concealer by Urban Decay, but not a colour correcting one.
Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder in 030 Medium – This powder was okay. It was too dark for me. I’d rather get the Maybelline Fit Me Powder (I’ve read good reviews on that).
Repurchase? I don’t even know if they sell it in stores anymore. Even if they did, I probably wouldn’t repurchase.
Bobbi Brown Lipstick in Sandwash Pink – I don’t think I’d get the full-sized at full price. This was a deluxe sample from Sephora. It was a beautiful colour, but too pink on me. When I was at the MAC Warehouse Sale in December, I picked up the shade Bare Pink (which is more of a peachy-pink) for $10 which I haven’t opened yet. If you want to read about the MAC Warehouse Sale, click here!
Repurchase? No.
Essence Volume Stylist 18h Lash Extension Mascara – I love it and it’s less than $6! Although my tube did dry out fairly quickly, it’s half the price of other drugstore brands and a fraction of designer mascaras.
Repurchase? Maybe.
What were your product empties and what would you repurchase?
I thought it’d be cool to do a post on what makeup my mom uses! Before I got into makeup and before my sister’s wedding, most of my mom’s products consisted of Clinique. Over the past few years, my mom’s makeup stash has expanded to higher end products and more diverse in terms of the brands. Now she has MAC, Smashbox, Estee Lauder, etc.
Her skin type is oily and she uses powder foundations (she tried a cushion one, but ended up giving it to me). She dislikes eye makeup (especially mascara), so she only ever curls her lashes. Although, for my sister’s wedding, I did a bit of a bronze/gold eye to match her dress.
My mom asked the Sephora associate to help her choose a shade for the Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Foundation and out of curiosity, during a different visit to Sephora, I asked the associate to match me for the foundation and she chose the same shade my mom uses.
Primer & Colour Corrector
Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer- Pore Minimizing
She uses the anti-redness BB cream to cover up redness on her cheeks and around her nose. It’s a cool BB cream that starts out green and then blends into your skin and turns skin-coloured. I liked it too, but I didn’t love the smell of it and it was a bit dark on me.
Foundation
Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Foundation Face Powder in 25 Beige
My mom doesn’t like liquid or cushion foundations, so the only option is powder!
Concealer
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Flawless Wear Concealer in Warm Light Medium
My mom doesn’t have dark circles to correct, so she just uses this concealer for spot concealing.
Eyes
Tweezerman Lash Curler
She doesn’t wear eyeshadow or mascara.
Blush
MAC Cosmetics Powder Blush in Mocha
Clinique Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher in 02 Honey Blush
She likes blush shades that aren’t too pink. The MAC one is described as a ‘plum-pink.’
Lips
Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in 07 Super Strawberry
Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in 411 Pink Berry
Sephora Collection Ultra Shine Lip Gel in 06 Deep Rose
My mom loves a mauve lip colour. Some of the ones listed above are more pink, but her fave shade is a mauve-pink-nude. If it has the word ‘mauve’ in the name, chances are she’ll love it.
Makeup she has in her purse to touch-up throughout the day:
Clinique Superpowder Double Face Makeup in Matte Neutral
I’ve previously reviewed the Tea Tree Oil Targeted Gel Blemish Stick from The Body Shop. Since the stick comes in such a small tube, I wanted to try something that I could use in my everyday skincare routine and I chose the daily solution. I decided to go with the daily solution instead of the cleansers because then the solution can soak into my skin throughout the day. It has the same smell as the blemish stick; kind of medicinal and a bit strong, but I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve been using it every night and in the mornings when I’m not leaving the house. I think the scent is quite strong and I don’t want my face smelling like medicine when I go out. After it has time to soak in, my face feels incredibly soft and not at all tacky like some facial products I use.
It comes in a glass bottle with a dropper. I usually drop the solution onto my fingers and then pat onto my face. The consistency is like a toner.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Anti-Imperfection Daily Solution
A lightweight, pre-serum concentrate that combats blemishes and improves the overall condition of your skin. After 4 weeks, skin looks and feels: purified, clearer, smoother, healthier, clarified, mattified and soothed, with reduced redness and imperfections.
Can be used as a serum for oily skin types
Gentle enough for daily use
Pairs perfectly with our Tea Tree 3-IN-1 Wash Scrub Mask & Tea Tree Oil
Enriched with Community Trade Organic Tea Tree Oil from Kenya
RATING: 5/5
The smell is a bit medicinal, but it has been working wonders for my acne-prone skin. It gets two thumbs up from me!
UPDATE: I was using it everyday until it ran out and my face was relatively clear, although it was a bit dry because I wasn’t mixing it with anything else.
I got a little sample size from a LUXEBOX that I had forgotten about until recently. I was trying out a hair colour thing that comes out after a few days which I got from Winners. It made my hair look super dry and a bit gummy from the residual product (my hair looks awful). I won’t bother writing a review on the wash-out hair colour because it’s been discontinued, but it was the Garnier Colour Styler. Hair oil is supposed to help remove the colour and I thought it would help repair the dryness.
I tried the serum and it smells good, made my hair feel softer and look shiny (and not like an oily shine, it’s a healthy shine). I was originally unsure of using a hair oil/serum because I thought it’d just make me feel greasy. For this reason, I didn’t touch the roots of my hair, I started half way down and concentrated the oil on the tips.
Dove Advanced Hair Series Regenerative Nourishment Serum-in-Oil
Combines oil’s nourishing power with serum’s restorative qualities Regenerates properties of healthy hair Unique formulation delivers strength and manageability with every use Brings softness and shine to hair that’s been weakened by damage Fights split ends and breakage Suitable for even extremely damaged hair
RATING: 4/5
I don’t think I’d purchase the full-size bottle because my hair isn’t terribly damaged. I think a good hair mask and conditioner will do the trick for me., but if you have damaged hair and want to purchase a drugstore brand hair oil/serum, this is a great choice.
Today, I’m reviewing a L’Oréal BB Cream that corrects redness. Like The Body Shop BB Cream, it adjusts the colour to match your skin tone. My mom uses this in her everyday makeup to get rid of redness on her cheeks. Check out my post for her everyday makeup! I used it for a bit, but I wasn’t crazy about the smell and since I would use it around my nose, I could smell it all day. It smells kind of like plastic. It’s a great colour corrector though, so if you’re not sensitive to smell or if you don’t put it near your nose, you should be good.
Our Magic Anti-Redness BB cream is formulated with Beautifying Beads, encapsulated, color-transforming pigments that counteract redness. This multi-tasking, ultra-light lotion delivers 4 beautifying actions in 1: neutralizes the look of redness, evens skin tone, hydrates and perfects. It instantly transforms to your perfect shade for a flawless, bare skin finish.
A little goes a long way- as you can see from the pea-sized dot, it covers my hand, so if you only have a bit of redness, I suggest a dab of it. It’s quite liquid (similar to the Body Shop BB Cream), the consistency is like a serum.
RATING: 4/5
It’s great if you have light to medium skin, but I don’t know how well it would do with fair and darker skin tones.
I was contacted by REMAY, a company that sells shave gel bars. Their mission is to ‘make shaving quicker and more enjoyable.’ They designed a shave gel bar that easily glides on your skin by adding water. It says you can use it on your legs, under arms, bikini area, head and face. You wet the gel with warm water and it will create a “translucent micro-barrier to protect your skin from the razor.” It’s Made in Canada too which is a plus for me.
Shave Gel Bars
Protects the skin from nicks, bumps and razor burn
Allows for a quick application with no mess
Contains real coconut and tea-tree oil
Paraben-free and sulfate-free
Vegan and cruelty-free
Works with any 3, 4 or 5 blade razor
RATING: 4/5
It made my skin feel incredibly smooth and it smells really nice (like coconut). It’s like a bar version of those strips that come on fancier razors that help to protect your skin. It’s great because it’s travel-friendly and more eco-friendly compared to shaving creams that come in cans. It is a bit expensive, but if it prevents nicks, bumps and razor burn, I think it’s worth it. They gave me a discount code for my lovely readers. Use code JEN20 to get 20% off your order!
Today, I’ll be reviewing a Tarte mascara that I got in a rewards set from Sephora. It’s the Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara. When I first opened it up, I knew right away that I would like the brush. I think I’ve mentioned that I don’t buy high-end mascaras because I prefer to splurge on primer and foundation instead of spending $30 on a mascara. I always get the deluxe samples from Sephora for high-end mascaras and then keep the wand if I like the brush. I will definitely be keeping this brush after I’ve finished the tube.
Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara – The mascara made my lashes longer and it gives a natural, non-clumpy look. It’s great for an everyday makeup look. It’s definitely not waterproof.
Boosts thickness, length, & curl with a blend of antioxidants & conditioners while Amazonian clay replenishes without making lashes feel crunchy or heavy. The formula delivers soft, weightless volume while it nourishes for stronger & healthier lashes.
RATING: 4/5
Even though I really like this mascara, it gets a 4/5 because of the price. There are so many drugstore mascaras that are a fraction of the price.
I know it’s still a few months away, but I thought I would do a post on recreating my prom look. It was a number of years ago, so I don’t have the same products I did then, but I decided to do two looks: 1) Recreating the look with makeup I have now and 2) creating a prom look that I would do today (with the makeup knowledge I have today).
Back then, I didn’t know what primer was, I didn’t use foundation, and I didn’t know anything about setting your makeup. So, I recreated the look based on what I would use today if I had done the same look. Instead of using the clamp in my curling iron, I used it like a wand and wrapped my hair around the barrel to create beachy waves instead of the curls I had at prom.
Eyeshadow: Coastal Scents Revealed 3 palette (see shades marked below), Art Deco Eyeshadow in 68 (Pearly Cloud Dancer), Too Faced Champagne Truffle for inner eye
