• Project Pan 2018 | Update

    September 12, 2018

    Originally posted on February 25, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    In February, I selected 10 makeup products to finish before the end of the year and here’s an update! I chose products that I’ve had for a while and I wanted to use them before they went bad or dried out. I tried to pick at least one product from each category: Face (Foundation, Concealer, Bronzer, Blush), Eyes/Brows, Lips.

    NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville – This shade is way too light for me. Of course, it looked fine in the store under the bright lights, but I look like a ghost when I wear it. I mix it with my Maybelline Fit Me Foundation to darken it.

    STATUS: Finished!

    Bella Pierre Mineral Blush in Autumn Glow – This was the first non-drugstore blush I bought. It was kind of a pinky-brown shade that looked really nice when blended out.

    STATUS: Decluttered

    Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave Princess – This is a pretty bronzer, but since it was Made in China, I wouldn’t repurchase (read my post: Where Were Your Beauty Products Made?). If I’m spending that much money on a bronzer, I want it to be made elsewhere.

    STATUS: Finished!

    Revlon Colorstay Concealer in Light/Medium – I won’t be repurchasing this concealer. I don’t like the smell of it and I prefer the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer anyway.

    STATUS: Finished!

    Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Light – One of my fave concealers.

    STATUS: Finished!

    NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black – I really like this brow pencil, it fills in the gaps and it’s not too dark.

    STATUS: Finished!

    Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara – I liked this mascara. The brush was good and it gave me very natural looking lashes.

    STATUS: Finished!

    Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara – I liked this mascara. I kept the wand.

    STATUS: Finished! (I must’ve forgotten to include this in a Product Empties post)

    Too Faced Mini Chocolate Bar – This was redeemed from Sephora Rewards. I love this mini palette, the champagne truffle shade is beautiful.

    STATUS: Decluttered (the shadows and bronzer were starting to smell off)

    L’Oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive Nude Lipcolor in 370 Jennifer’s Nude – I think this is my favourite lipstick. I bought it when it first came out and fell in love with it. The makeup artist who did our makeup also used it on my sister and me for my sister’s wedding reception in Toronto. This is my go-to and that’s why I sort of want to use it up so that my other lipsticks have a chance of being used.

    STATUS: Finished!

    What’s on your list of products you want to finish before the end of 2018?

    Love,

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  • My Mascara Wand Collection

    June 26, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    After finishing a tube of mascara, I like to clean off the wand and keep it. I have gotten a lot of high-end travel-sized mascaras from Sephora, so, this way, I get to use a good quality brush to improve the mascara. I don’t know how accurate it was, but I once read that all mascaras (designer and drug store) basically have the same formulation- it’s the brush that makes the difference. Since mascara should only be kept for a few months, I personally don’t find it necessary to pay more than $15 for a mascara. I can’t justify spending more than that because I like to have different mascaras for different uses (day, night, natural, volume, etc.)

    Untitled design(1)
    Top: Essence Volume Stylist 18Hr Lash Extension, Maybelline Great Lash, Buxom Lash Mascara, Clinique Lash Power Flutter-to-Full, Lancôme Hypnôse Bottom: Tarte Lights, Camera Lashes, Maybelline Lash Stiletto, Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart, Wet N Wild Mega Protein, Too Faced Better Than Sex

    Most of them are nylon and have the tapered, cone shape. The 4th from the right is a silicone brush and it’s a bit skinnier in the middle. The Too Faced Better Than Sex and the Lancôme Hypnôse wands have that corkscrew shape. but the Lancôme one is skinnier. If I had to choose favourites, I think they’d be the Buxom, Tarte and Maybelline ones.

    If you follow me on IG or you’ve read my Dupe It Out post on mascaras, you’ll know that the cult favourite, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, is one of my least fave mascaras. I’ve gotten a travel-sized tube twice and both times they dried out super fast, plus, the shape of the wand leaves my lashes looking clumpy and I have trouble getting in the inner and outer corners of my lashes.

    I decided to put the wand to the test to see if it was the formulation of the mascara that I didn’t like or if it was both the wand and the formula. After sterilizing the brush, I dipped it into my L’Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara and did one eye with the L’Oreal wand and the other with the Better Than Sex wand. The Better Than Sex mascara was leaving clumps on the end of my lashes and again, I had trouble getting in the inner corner of my eye to get the inner lashes. The wand collects a lot of product in the middle. The top pic is a clean Better Than Sex wand and the bottom pic is when it has the L’Oreal Voluminous Original mascara on it. So, now I know that it’s both the formula and the brush that I don’t like.

    Untitled design.png

    I think I’m one of the few people who doesn’t like the Better Than Sex OR the L’Oreal Lash Paradise. I should try the Lash Paradise with a different brush though, because I think I don’t like it because it has the same corkscrew shape as the Better Than Sex wand.

    UPDATE: I finally found a place in Canada that collects mascara wands. I’ve been hoarding these, but I really don’t use them and I’d rather it go to a good cause. In case you’re wondering, only about six of these were bought by me, the rest were deluxe samples. In a recent post on Facebook, Project Wild Wands Canada said that “Toronto Wildlife Centre is in immediate need of wands due to a large amount of bats that are there at the moment.” When I dropped them off, the volunteers didn’t seem to know anything about it, so I would suggest calling beforehand if you plan to drop by or mail them.

    You can mail or drop off to:
    4-60 Carl Hall Rd
    Toronto, ON
    M3K 2C1

    View this post on Instagram

    Yay! All clean and ready to send to Project Wild Wands Canada. I finally found a place in Canada that collects mascara wands. I've been hoarding these, but I really don't use them and I'd rather it go to a good cause. In case you're wondering, only about six of these were bought by me, the rest were deluxe samples. In a recent post on Facebook, Project Wild Wands Canada said that "Toronto Wildlife Centre is in immediate need of wands due to a large amount of bats that are there at the moment." You can mail or drop off to: 4-60 Carl Hall Rd Toronto, ON M3K 2C1 #projectwildwand #canada #torontowildlife #mascara #hoarder #collection #faves #makeup #discoverunder10k #makeupaddict #makeupmonday #mascaramonday #toronto #beauty #canadianbeautyblogger #makeupmess #flatlay #savethewands #wildlife

    A post shared by Jen (@jencatbeauty) on

    What are your fave mascaras? Do you hoard your wands too?

    Love,

    jen

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  • 10 Products to Finish in 2018

    February 25, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    I thought I’d do something a little different since I haven’t been trying out too much makeup recently. I’ve been refraining from putting on makeup because of a breakout and I don’t want to anger it. I hope to finish the following 10 products before the end of 2018. I chose some products that I’ve had for a while and I want to use them before they go bad or dry out. I tried to pick at least one product from each category: Face (Foundation, Concealer, Bronzer, Blush), Eyes/Brows, Lips.

    NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville – This shade is way too light for me. Of course, it looked fine in the store under the bright lights, but I look like a ghost when I wear it. I mix it with my Maybelline Fit Me Foundation to darken it.

    Bella Pierre Mineral Blush in Autumn Glow – This was the first non-drugstore blush I bought. It was kind of a pinky-brown shade that looked really nice when blended out.

    Tarte Amazonian Clay Matte Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave Princess – This is a pretty bronzer, but since it was Made in China, I wouldn’t repurchase (read my post: Where Were Your Beauty Products Made?). If I’m spending that much money on a bronzer, I want it to be made elsewhere.

    Revlon Colorstay Concealer in Light/Medium – I won’t be repurchasing this concealer. I don’t like the smell of it and I prefer the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer anyway.

    Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Light – One of my fave concealers.

    NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black – I really like this brow pencil, it fills in the gaps and it’s not too dark.

    Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara in Black – I liked this mascara.

    Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara – I liked this mascara. I kept the wand.

    Too Faced Mini Chocolate Bar – This was redeemed from Sephora Rewards. I like this mini palette, but I’m not a huge fan of the chocolate smell. I don’t really like my powders having scents.

    L’Oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive Nude Lipcolor in 370 Jennifer’s Nude – I think this is my favourite lipstick. I bought it when it first came out and fell in love with it. The makeup artist who did our makeup also used it on my sister and me for my sister’s wedding reception in Toronto. This is my go-to and that’s why I sort of want to use it up so that my other lipsticks have a chance of being used.

    So, those are the 10 products I hope to finish by the end of the year. I’ll probably do an update at the end of this year to say if I did finish them.

    What’s on your list of products you want to finish before the end of 2018?

    Love,

    jen

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