• First Impressions with Almay Eyeshadows and Jelly Highlighters

    April 29, 2019

    Hi Everyone!

    I haven’t tried a lot of products from Almay. I was sent 10 Almay products to review (5 different products with two different shades of each). While that was very generous and all of the products look really pretty, not all of the shades are ones I would personally choose and if I opened them, I would just end up wasting them. So, I’m going to review the products that I’ve decided to keep for myself and I will be putting the unopened products in a future giveaway.

    Several of the products have that iridescent, unicorn vibe – especially the Jelly highlighters and glosses. These products are greatt for a fun makeup look, festival or Halloween…they would’ve been perfect to use for Coachella.

    Smoky Eye Trios Eyeshadow

    • Eye makeup with a velvety smooth texture
    • 3 simple steps to a smoky eye
    • Includes 1 dual ended applicator
    • Ophthalmologist tested – suitable for sensitive eyes & contact lens wearers
    • As always, hypoallergenic & fragrance free

    I received 020 Smoldering Embers and 030 Coppery Blaze.

    When you swatch the shadows with your fingers, they’re not the most pigmented. When you apply them though, they are very nice. For the Smoldering Embers palette, the shimmery bone shade is perfect to highlight the brow bone and I really love the brown shade because it’s smoky, but also perfect for an everyday look (this shade swatched the best out of the three shadows). You can add a bit more smoke by adding the purple shade.

    From top: Smoky Eye Trio Eyeshadow in Smoldering Embers (top to bottom), Shadow Squad Eyeshadow in 160 Thrill Seekers (swatches are clockwise from top left)

    Shadow Squad Eyeshadow

    • Your favorite shades, in each of four finishes: matte, satin, metallic, glitter
    • Mix it up in monochrome
    • Soft texture for beautiful color payoff

    I received 160 Thrill Seekers and 100 Unicorn.

    The Unicorn shades are either not going to show up or look weird on my skin tone, so I will be giving that one away. The Thrill Seekers teal shades are more my style anyway. Again, swatching them, they’re not the most pigmented shades. If you want to add some more pigment, apply it on top of the Velvet Foil Shadow (the Lunar Disco shade is the perfect shade) or make sure to use a shadow primer that will brighten it up.

    I prefer the bottom two shades from this palette. I usually prefer if my brightly coloured shadows are metallic or glittery because I’m not exactly going to use a matte green or teal as a transition shade. The matte shade was also a bit patchy.

    Velvet Foil Cream Shadow
     
    Wear each shade individually or combine for a dramatic customized eye look. Quick and easy application – apply with fingertips or an eyeshadow brush. No shadow fall-out during application.
    • Long wear formula – up to 24 Hour wear
    • High intensity color
    • Crease-proof, smudge-proof, fade-proof all day
    • Infused with Vitamin E and a botanical blend of ingredients

    I received 070 Astro Girl and 060 Lunar Disco

    I first swatched this on my hand (see below- it looks kind of black in that lighting, but it is more blue) and found it very difficult to wash off. It made me worry how hard it would be to remove from my eyes. I don’t have waterproof makeup remover, if you do, you’re probably fine, but it took me a bit more effort to remove it. Astro Girl is a white shade so that won’t really look good on my skin tone. I opened up Lunar Disco which is a blue shade. I tend to go for more neutral shadows, but this looks nice when you pair it with the Shadow Squad Eyeshadow in Thrill Seekers.

    Make Them Jelly Hi-Lite 24K Dreams, Unicorn Light, Velvet Foil Cream Shadow in Lunar Disco

    Make Them Jelly Hi-Lite

    Jelly highlighter that illuminates and shimmers, giving you a celestial glow.

    • Iridescent glitter sheen complements all skin tones
    • Instantly illuminates and adds moisture to skin
    • Buildable highlight for customized level of radiance
    • As always, hypoallergenic & fragrance free

    Pro Tips!

    • Brush onto cheekbones and the bridge of your nose for an iridescent gleam
    • Apply to collarbones and shoulders to make them pop
    • Mix with moisturizer or primer for an all-over glow
    • Add to foundation for customized radiance

    I received 003 Unicorn Light and 004 24K Dreams

    These jelly highlighters dry down a bit tacky. In the pro tips, it says to apply to bridge of nose, I think it’s a bit too chunky to do that, it’ll look like you had some fallout from an eyeshadow get onto your nose. Similar to the Inglot x Jennifer Lopez Livin’ the Highlight, this is a bit more chunky than I prefer my face highlighters to be. I prefer a wet look instead of shimmery chunks, so I think this would be best as a body highlighter for the collarbone and shoulders.

    I’ve compared these to the NYX Jelly Illuminator, check out my post (swatches included).

    Goddess Gloss

    A spectrum of prismatic lip glosses with holographic effects. Designed to be worn solo, mixed or layered.

    • Gives lips a holographic, iridescent glow
    • Lips feel moisturized and smooth, never sticky
    • Made with pomegranate, grape and raspberry oils
    • Available in 8 sheer, easy to wear, high-shine shades
    • As always, hypoallergenic & fragrance free

    Pro Tips!

    • Rock it solo for an iridescent glow on lips
    • Mix & match shades to create infinite ombré looks
    • Layer over lipstick for a transformative holographic effect

    I received 930 Dreamy and 900 Gilded

    These lip glosses really aren’t my style. I don’t really like iridescent lip sticks, but if that’s your style, I think these would look really good.

    This Almay collection is very fun and iridescent. I personally prefer a neutral look with a glowy highlighter so my favourite out of all of the products was the Smoldering Embers Smoky Eye Trio…boring, I know. As you may know, I’ve been trying to streamline my makeup collection. While fun shades and products are cool to try out, I don’t think I would’ve bought anything from this collection because I want to have products in my collection that are timeless and neutral (with maybe a nice pop of colour here and there).

    Have you tried Almay products? What were your thoughts?

    Love,

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  • First Impressions with Kat Von D Saint & Sinner Perfume Samples

    July 31, 2017

    Hi Everyone!

    I received a complimentary VoxBox from Influenster Canada with samples of Kat Von D’s Saint and Sinner Perfumes (the little bottles look like poison vials). I was pleasantly surprised by how good they smelled. Apparently Kat Von D released the perfumes 10 years ago and brought them back. I can see why they were a cult favourite. I’m not good at describing scents and I don’t actually know what certain things in this perfume smell like, so I will just leave a description from Sephora.

    I personally prefer fruity or aquatic perfumes instead of floral. If you like vanilla scents, I think you’ll like SAINT and if you like a bit spicy, you’ll like SINNER. Let’s start with the sweet:

    SAINT20170721_230737

    • Fragrance Family: Floral
    • Scent Type:  Classic Floral
    • Key Notes: Vanilla, Musk, Jasmine

    Meet Saint- soft, alluring, and dreamy, this gourmand fragrance sweetens a bouquet of jasmine and tiaré flower with notes of mandarin, caramel, and sparling Mirabelle plum. Vanilla, sandalwood, and creamy musk build to the romance of the perfume. Saint shares the same floral soul as Sinner, with a sweet gourmand twist.

    SINNER20170721_230745

    • Fragrance Family: Warm & Spicy
    • Scent Type: Cool Spices
    • Key Notes: Patchouli, Wood, Cinnamon

    Kat Von D Beauty’s most requested collection of all time is returning at last and better than ever. Meet Sinner—dark, sultry, and empowering, this enticing fragrance sweetens a bouquet of jasmine and orange blossom with notes of vanilla, mandarin, and Mirabelle plum. Spicy cinnamon envelops white florals at the heart of the fragrance, while base notes of vetiver, patchouli, and wood form the deeper, darker nuances. Experience confidence in a bottle; Sinner is the fragrant embodiment of the edgy, unapologetic, and outspoken Kat Von D we know and love. Sinner shares the same floral soul as Saint, with a bold, spicy twist.

    The two scents can be worn alone or separately. For both, I liked when I had been wearing them for a few hours and absorbed into my skin and mixed with my natural oils. When I first put them on, they were both too powerful (too sweet or too spicy). I think Sinner would be a good unisex perfume/cologne. I love when guys wear spicy colognes. I used both separately and then together. When I mixed them, I noticed that the first fragrance I applied would be the more dominant smell, i.e. if I put Sinner on first, then it would be more spicy.

    RATING: 4/5

    I give it a 4/5 because both perfumes are a bit too strong for me when you first put them on. (Either a bit too sweet or a bit too spicy, but once I wore them for a few hours, and they mixed with my natural oils, I liked them because they were lighter).Thoughts: I’m not sure if I would buy Saint or Sinner, but I definitely recommend them to someone who likes the scents of either of the perfumes.

    What are your favourite perfumes?

    Love,

    jen

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  • Review | Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara

    June 23, 2017

    Hi Everyone!

    I received a complimentary VoxBox from Influenster Canada with the Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara in Blackened Brown (803)!

    I prefer using the darkest shade of mascara that they offer. So I would get the black or blackest black mascara from this line. A few times when I looked in the mirror, it almost looked like I had powder on my lashes or in certain lighting, my lashes looked gray because the blackened brown shade is too light for me. This is my first time using a Revlon mascara, but right away I liked the fact that it wasn’t a silicone brush and I liked the shapes of the mascara tube and the brush.

    The mascara tube is sort of almond shaped, so it’s easy to open (unlike the round ones which can be hard to grip). The top part with the wand is shiny while the bottom part is a matte black and feels a bit textured.

    My lashes look natural and there are no clumps. I like slightly tapered brushes that aren’t silicone for my top lashes. This is a great brush and I would definitely keep it to apply other mascaras. Since this is a (fiber) mascara that coats your lashes with tubes, I can definitely feel that there is something on my lashes.

    I prefer non-fiber mascaras for my everyday makeup look, but the fiber ones are good for some extra oomph for a night out.

    Are the claims true? Let’s see!

    Flake-free? I ran my finger along my lashes and no flakes or residue on my finger! (It does flake if you rub your eye, but if unprovoked, it shouldn’t flake just from blinking)

    Smudge-proof? I rubbed my eye and nothing smudged, although a few fiber flakes came off on my finger.

    Water Resistant? It doesn’t claim to be waterproof, but if you get caught outside when it starts raining lightly, you should be okay. As long as it’s dry, it won’t smudge if you use a setting spray. I splashed some cold water on my face and squeezed my eyes shut to see if any mascara would come off, it didn’t smudge. I splashed some more on my face and this time it smudged a bit, but easily came off with a qtip.

    Removes easily with warm water? No eye makeup remover needed! Using warm water, it came off with little effort and unlike other mascaras, I didn’t get raccoon eyes trying to wash it off. I would avoid hot tubs or anywhere with steam.

    Plump and extend lashes for mega volume and extreme length? My lashes aren’t very long to begin with, but I can definitely tell that this mascara has added length and volume. Would I say MEGA volume and EXTREME length? No, but it’s definitely noticeable (the only way I will have long enough lashes to be noticeable in pics is if I wear false lashes).

    RATING: 5/5

    I give it a perfect score because it’s easy to take off and I love the brush. I just need to buy the darkest shade and I will love it even more!

    Thoughts: I really like this mascara! I like that it doesn’t flake and that you don’t need to use makeup remover to get it all off (I hate when I thought I took off all of my mascara and then after a shower, I find that I have raccoon eyes!)

    I always like to have a mix of high-end and drugstore products. I prefer to spend more on the skincare products like primers, moisturizers, toners, foundations and concealers. Since mascara can dry out fairly quickly and you’re not supposed to keep them for too long, I prefer to buy drugstore brands for mascaras. I tend to like drugstore brand mascara more anyways and this way I can buy a few for the same price as one designer brand. I only have high end mascaras because they were deluxe samples or a birthday present. Two of my favourite mascara brands are Maybelline and L’Oreal and it looks like I’ve just added Revlon to the mix!

    What are your fave brands of mascara? Do you prefer high-end or drugstore brand mascaras?

    Thanks to Influenster Canada for sending me this Revlon VoxBox!

    Have a great weekend!

    Love,

    jen

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