• Revisiting My 2018 Favourites | Part 2

    May 17, 2019

    Hi Everyone!
    It’s been almost six months since Part 1 of Revisiting My 2018 Favourites. So, here’s Part 2! This post is for July to December’s beauty faves.

    Click here if you missed Part 1!

    JULY

    BCL Spa Sugar Scrub Lavender + Mint – I absolutely loved this. It smelled amazing and the scrub made my skin feel so soft and smell good.

    Repurchase? If I could find it for cheaper than $40 somewhere, I would! I’ll have to check salons in Toronto to see if they sell in-store. I’ve only found the brand on Amazon for $50+ or on wholesale sites.

    BCL Spa Dead Sea Salt Soak Lavender + Mint – As much as I loved this, I probably wouldn’t buy it again since it’s so expensive. I would rather buy the sugar scrub.

    Repurchase? No.

    Sonia Roselli Water Balm – Loved this!! It was a great moisturizer and primer, I will definitely get this again!

    Repurchase? Yes!

    Tarte Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Birthday Suit – I liked this, but I need to find a shade that’s more my style.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Colors by Llarowe Nail Polish in The Deep End – This is a pretty mermaid-y shade.

    Repurchase? I would repurchase from the brand, but I probably wouldn’t buy a similar shade. I want to streamline my nail polishes and purchase shades that don’t have shimmer (neutrals, reds, wines, etc.)

    AUGUST

    Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge -I love the flat side of this sponge.

    Repurchase? Yes! It would be great if I can find a 4-pack for $20 again!

    Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil – I enjoyed the little deluxe sample I had!

    Repurchase? YES!

    Soo’Ae Juice Mango Glow Mask – No offense to face masks, but I feel like (for the most part), they all feel the same. Unless one is specifically meant for something like drawing out impurities, the hydrating, brightening, plumping sheet masks all make my face feel the same.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    elf Studio Matte Lip Color in Tea Rose -This lipstick felt nice for a matte lip colour. This specific shade did not look good on me. It looked okay once I topped it with gloss though.

    Repurchase? No, I prefer satin finish lipsticks.

    Laneige BB Cushion Hydra Radiance SPF50 – As someone who deals with acne, I can’t just use this product. I need something with a bit more coverage. This is a very nice and affordable product, but I need something with a bit more coverage than what this offers.

    Repurchase? Possibly (when my skin is clear and when they have a better shade range). Although the scent is quite strong.

    SEPTEMBER

    Benefit Precisely, My Brow Ultra Fine Shape & Define in 6 – LOVE THIS!

    Repurchase? Absolutely!

    Diorshow Bold Brow in 002 Dark – I love this, but won’t repurchase until they expand the shades (if that ever happens). The shade 002 Dark is the darkest and it leans gray.

    Repurchase? I would if they had a darker shade.

    OPI Nail Lacquer in Step Right Up! – I love this shade! It’s a beautiful sheer pink.

    Repurchase? If It’s still available when I finish my current bottle, I would definitely repurchase.

    Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel – This gel works well, but since it has salicylic acid, it can make my face a bit itchy and/or red.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Pixi Aspyn Ovard Glow-y Powder in Santorini Sunset – This is a beautiful champagne highlighter.

    Repurchase? No longer available.

    OCTOBER

    Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation in Light-Neutral – Loooove this powder! I think I need a lighter shade though.

    Repurchase? Yes!!

    Thayers Witch Hazel Alcohol-Free Cucumber Toner – I think I’m allergic to witch hazel (or at least, I can’t tolerate a heavy concentration of it).

    Repurchase? No.

    The Face Shop Multi-Layer Cotton Pads – I love these! They are much stronger than the Muji Peelable Cotton Pads.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Unknown Brand of Cotton Swabs (flat end and pointy end) – These are really useful! I like that it has a pointy end.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer – I love this primer.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    NOVEMBER

    Kopari Coconut Deodorant – It’s aluminum-free! It also smells really nice when you sniff it from the tube, but it can sometimes be too much for me (especially since I don’t looooove coconut). Also, since it’s got a strong scent, I feel like I shouldn’t wear my perfume when I do wear it because it will clash.

    Repurchase? Yes, I would try one of the other scents (or even unscented).

    Etude House Lip & Eye Remover – This is great for removing my makeup.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer in Light – Really love this concealer.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    TULA Acne Clearing + Tone Correcting Gel – When I first got this, I was using it twice a day and then I stopped for a bit and realized that while it does work, my face was so dry because of the salicylic acid. I’ve cut down to using it only when I feel a pimple coming (like a spot treatment) instead of using it all over.

    Repurchase? I would.

    DECEMBER

    NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer – This concealer is awesome for spot concealing and I would definitely purchase in a lighter shade as an under eye concealer.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    The Body Shop Aloe Calming Foaming Wash – This was very gentle and I love foaming cleansers.

    Repurchase? Yes, but on sale.

    EcoTools Shading Brush – Love this brush. It’s so soft!!

    Repurchase? I would definitely buy more EcoTools brushes.

    Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette – I really just wanted to try this once to see why everyone loved it so much. I’m glad that they offer a duo now instead of having to get all six shades.

    Repurchase? I love the sombre shade for contouring, but I would rather buy another brand for obvious reasons.

    Do you still love your favourites from last year?

    Love,

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  • This or That | Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil vs. Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil

    March 5, 2019

    Hi Everyone!

    I have another brow pencil comparison review for you! I have previously compared the Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define with the NYX Micro Brow Pencil. Check it out below:

    DUPE IT OUT

    Today, I’m comparing the Benefit Precisely, My Brow with the Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil.

    Benefit, Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define in 6

    Available in 8 shades, twist-up & retractable pencil with a spoolie on the other end (mini doesn’t come with a spoolie).

    This ultra-fine eyebrow pencil draws incredibly natural-looking, hair-like strokes that last 12 budge-proof hours.* A few strokes of the rich yet blendable colour will transform brows from shapeless & undefined to filled & defined eyebrows.

    Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil in 09 Soft Black

    Available in 9 shades, needs to be sharpened & comes with a spoolie.

    A powder pencil that softly fills in and defines brows with quick, easy strokes, and features a spoolie brush at the other end to help create a neatly-shaped, natural finish.

    As the name suggests, this pencil is like a powder. It’s not waxy, it’s very much the same feel of the Benefit pencil, but your brows are filled in more because it mimics the look of using a powder.

    The two shades (6 for Benefit and 09 Soft Black for Lancôme) are very close. It may not look like it in the picture, but when you just do a hair stroke, they look very similar. The Benefit one might be just a tad cooler (it might match 10 Black in the Lancôme). Both brow pencils are the same price at $32 CAD, but the Benefit one is probably a better value since you don’t have to sharpen it. I feel like you’ll lose a good amount of the Lancôme pencil when you sharpen it.

    I have to say that the Lancôme’s spoolie is fatter, but it’s also firmer. Personally, I prefer the Benefit spoolie. The Benefit one is also easier to travel with since you don’t need to carry a sharpener.

    WINNER (if you like the filled in look while still being natural): Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil

    WINNER (if you prefer hair-like strokes): Benefit Precisely, My Brow

    I think it really depends on what you want. While the Lancôme pencil does fill in your brows, it still looks very natural and it’s easy to comb out if you make a mistake. For me, I don’t like brow pomade because it just scares me, but this is a good alternative for a starter. If you like powders, you might want to consider this pencil because it can fill in like a powder, but you get more precision with the pencil tip.

    The first time I used the Lancôme pencil, my brows looked the best they’ve ever looked! A clear brow gel looks great with it because it already fills in the brows really well. With the Benefit pencil, it’s more precise so it’s useful for filling in gaps. The Benefit pencil can fill in your brows, but it just takes more time to do it since the pencil is so thin. Sometimes I go a bit overboard and my brows are just way too dark. I think I need to get a lighter shade in the Benefit one (especially if I were to use it on the head of the brow).

    I know Lancôme has a Brow Define Pencil that’s similar to the Benefit one; it’s retractable and has a spoolie. I wonder how that one compares.

    I would definitely repurchase both, but if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I have #NoRepurchaseRule this year. Brow products take me a long time to finish, so I will probably just keep trying out different brow pencils until I’ve tried as many as possible. If you can believe it, I still haven’t tried the Anastasia brow products. I think those are next on the list!

    What’s your fave brow product?

    Love,

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  • September 2018 Faves

    September 28, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    Here are September’s favourites!!

    OPI Nail Lacquer in Step Right UP! – This is a beautiful sheer pink. Perfect for a bride/bridesmaids.

    Diorshow Bold Brow in 002 Dark (read my review)- I really enjoyed this tinted brow gel. You get a bigger tube than Benefit Gimme Brow, but there’s only three shades to choose from and the darkest one is a bit gray (cool toned). If they come out with a shade that’s closer to my brows, I would definitely repurchase it. Until then, I’m trying out other brow gels.

    Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define in 6 (read my review) – This has become one of my favourites since I received it from Topbox Circle. A good drugstore dupe for it is the NYX Micro Brow Pencil.

    Pixi By Petra + Aspyn Ovard Glow-y Powder in Santorini Sunset – I spotted this at Winners and it’s a beautiful champagne highlighter. Unfortunately, since it’s a collaboration, it’s not available any more.

    What were your favourites this month?

    Love,

    jen

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