• burt's bees makeup review

    Burt’s Bees | My Hits & Misses

    Hi Everyone!

    Today I’m reviewing Burt’s Bees products. Out of all the brands I’ve tried, I think Burt’s Bees is now #1 in Most Products Tried with 19 products. I was lucky enough to receive all of these products complimentary from Topbox, but I’m giving my honest opinions on the products. I have a few Hits and Likes, but I’ll be honest and say nothing from the brand has blown me away. I don’t think I would buy any of the products myself.

    Check out my other Hits & Misses posts!

    MAKEUP || Primers | Foundations | Powders | Concealers | Brows | Mascara

    SKINCARE || Eye Creams

    BRANDS || Bobbi Brown | L’OréalMaybelline | Nude by Nature | NYX | TULA | Volition Beauty

    Before you read this post, please remember that we all have difference preferences and skin types. These are MY hits, misses and likes. You might love something I don’t like or dislike something I love.


    HITS

    Blush in 1210 Shy Pink* – It’s really pretty! It’s a subtle pink, but gives you a beautiful, blushed look.

    LIKES

    The Luminizer Nourishing Highlighter in Star Light* – I like this highlighter for a natural glow/highlight.

    Moisturizing Lip Balm in Tropical Pineapple* – It’s like any other lip balm. Keeps my lips moisturized and this one smells like a Piña Colada.

    Gloss and Glow Glossy Balm in Winning in Pink* – This is a nice balm that makes the lips look glossy, but not sticky.

    Natural Mattifying Powder Foundation in 1115 Sand* – This powder was quite pale on me, I need to get a darker shade. I did a light powdering of it on my t-zone after using the foundation and it instantly mattified my skin.

    Natural Eye Liner in 1405 Soft Black – This was a very nice black liner. You can take your makeup look from day to night by applying it on the outer V and smudging it out.

    Nourishing Lengthening Mascara in Classic Black* – I like the brush of this mascara. The mascara added length to my lashes, but still looked natural and it wasn’t clumpy. It came off easily with water, so it’s definitely not waterproof.

    All Aflutter Multi-Benefit Mascara in Classic Black* – Similar to the nourishing mascara, this is a nice mascara that doesn’t make your lashes clumpy. It also came off easily with water. After wearing it for a day, my lashes were still curled. Between the two mascaras, I think I prefer this one.

    MISSES

    Sensitive Facial Cleanser* – This one isn’t really a ‘miss,’ but I didn’t like it that much either. It had a creamy texture which I didn’t really like. I prefer a gel cleanser. It leaves your skin with a bit of an oily feel. Not quite a film, but your face isn’t squeaky clean.

    Burt’s Bees Renewal Refining Facial Cleanser* – I didn’t like the smell of this one.

    Sensitive Gentle Day Lotion* – This also isn’t a ‘miss,’ but I didn’t find it to be anything special. It’s fragrance-free and it has a nice texture, but it didn’t really do anything for my skin. 

    Hydrating Facial Towelettes with Watermelon* – These are very strong/thick towelettes, but the watermelon scent is so strong that it gave me a headache.

    Goodness Glows Liquid Foundation in 1025 Natural Beige* – It covered the redness around my nose and chin, but you definitely need a concealer to cover up acne or dark spots. This is NOT waterproof. It washes off easily with water which I don’t like.

    Goodness Glows Tinted Moisturizer in 2025 Natural Beige* –  This didn’t cover much for me and just like the liquid foundation, it washes away with water very easily.

    Defining Retractable Eyeliner in Mulberry & Onyx* – This eyeliner pulled on my skin as I applied it to my waterline and it smudged so much. I tested it out for a day and after a few hours, the eyeliner was patchy. By the end of the day, the eyeliner had rubbed off. I hadn’t rubbed my eyes at all. I did close my eyes tightly a few times to see if any eyeliner or mascara would transfer. I was also disappointed in the Mulberry shade because it just looks black/brown on the eyes.

    Natural Eyeshadow Trio in 1505 Shimmering Nudes* – The eyeshadows were okay. I prefer to have a palette that has at least 1 matte shade.

    Natural Brow Pencil in 1610 Brunette* – This was too light for me, it almost looked reddish brown on my brows. I prefer to use a darker pencil. I didn’t love that it was waxy because the hairs would get matted down.

    Matte Sticks in Buttery Blush & Liquid Honey* – These are a comfortable matte lipstick that doesn’t feel drying. Although the lipstick can be a bit crumbly. (I used to have these in the LIKES, but they got moldy very quickly).

    Glossy Lipstick in Peony Dew* – It’s a sheer lipstick that’s a bit waxy. It’s like a morph of a gloss and lipstick because it’s a bit tacky.

    Lip Gloss with Avocado in Tulip Spring* – This lip gloss had a passionfruit scent, I believe. It looked nice and gave a bit of tint to my lips, but I wouldn’t purchase this on my own. It felt moisturizing and wasn’t too sticky which was good, but I prefer a lip gloss with a wand for a more precise application.

    Squeezy Tinted Balm in Mandarin Granita* – The shade of this is nice and it does keep my lips moisturized for a bit, but I’m not a huge fan of the scent. Also, when I was sent this, I was told that it’s best to apply with a brush or fingers. If you’re on the go, you don’t really want to use your fingers to apply lip balm. So I find that a bit annoying. I’d rather just use a stick lip balm.

    Burt’s Bees is fairly new to the makeup game and they need to expand on their shade ranges. If you are looking for a brand that sells natural products, then this is a great drugstore brand to consider.

    Love,

    Products with * were sent to me for review.

  • brow gels

    Brow Pencils & Gels | My Hits & Misses

    Hi Everyone!

    Today, I’m sharing my favourite brow products!

    Check out my other Hits & Misses posts!

    MAKEUP || Primers | Foundations | Powders | Concealers | Mascara

    SKINCARE || Eye Creams

    BRANDS || Bobbi Brown | Burt’s Bees | L’OréalMaybelline | Nude by Nature | NYX | TULA | Volition Beauty

    Before you read this post, please remember that we all have difference preferences and skin types. These are MY hits, misses and likes. You might love something I don’t like or dislike something I love.


    My brow products of choice are pencils and gels. A few times I’ve used an matte shadow as eyebrow powder, but I prefer pencils. I’m not patient or skilled enough to use pomades.

    Two years ago, I wrote a similar post reviewing brow products I’ve tried (read my post). I’ve tried quite a few products since then and found some that I like more. 

    I’ve also written a few comparison posts (with swatches), check them out below:

    Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil vs. Benefit Precisely, My Brow

    Dior Diorshow BoldBrow vs. Benefit 24 Hour Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel

    I don’t think they sell the Dior Diorshow BoldBrow anymore, they came out with a new product to replace it.

    HITS

    Colourpop Brow Boss Clear Gel – My friend recommended this clear gel and it’s my favourite clear gel that I’ve tried. It comes out of the tube white, but dries down clear. It leaves my brows feeling soft and not crunchy at all!

    Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel in 5 Deep – One of my favourite tinted brow gels.

    Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define in 6 (read my review) – This has been one of my favourite brow pencils I’ve tried.

    NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black – A great drugstore micro brow pencil. This is a fave of mine as well.

    LIKES

    Anastasia Clear Brow Gel – This brow gel does get a bit crunchy, but it keeps my brows in place. I just wish the wand wasn’t so huge. It’s like a mascara wand. I would prefer a thinner one.

    Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil in Soft Black 09 (read my review) – I liked this brow pencil, but it felt like a waste to sharpen so much of it away. I prefer retractable pencils that you don’t have to sharpen. This pencil is nice for a natural look.

    Kevyn Aucoin The Precision Brow Pencil in Dark Brunette – I wanted to try a different brow pencil, so I grabbed this Kevyn Aucoin one. It’s the first product I’ve tried from the brand. The shade is a good match for me, but it wipes off more easily than other brow products. I wouldn’t repurchase it.

    NYX Fill & Fluff Pomade Pencil in Ash Brown – In my NYX Hits & Misses post, I put this in the HITS, but this is going into the LIKES section for this post. It’s a HIT for the products I’ve tried from NYX, but there’s other brow products I prefer. This is another pencil that I like from NYX. Although I prefer the Micro Brow pencil because it comes with a spoolie. This one comes with a little oval/paddle brush so you can diffuse what you drew on. You get a more filled in look with this pomade pencil.  

    Anastasiah Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel

    MISSES

    Benefit 24-HR Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel (read my review) – I don’t know if it was just the sample I got of this, but it was kind of tacky. When you pull the wandout, you would see a string of product from the wand to the tube. It kind of reminded me of clear lash glue in that way.

    Benefit ka-BROW! Cream-Gel Eyebrow Color in 5 Deep – I got a deluxe sample of this and it’s just too intense for me.

    Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil Easy Shape & Fill in 5 Deep – I prefer micro pencils so this was too thick for me. I prefer hair-like strokes instead of the filled in look.

    Burt’s Bees Natural Brow Pencil in 1610 Brunette* – This only comes in two shades and the darker shade is too light for me. It was too waxy for my liking.

    Maybelline Eye Studio Brow Precise Shaping Pencil in Deep Brown – This pencil was way too waxy for my liking and it never sharpened nicely.

    Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Brows Eyebrow Gel in Perfect Brown – I just wanted to try some Charlotte Tilbury products so I bought this during the sale. I love the size of the brush and the colour was nice. It’s a nice product, but I don’t think it’s anything special and it’s the most expensive gel I’ve tried.

    Brow Pencils

    Brow Gels

    ProductPrice in CADSizeCost per gram # of shades available
    Colourpop Brow Boss Clear Gel7 USD = 8.85 CAD3.10g2.2clear, 4 tinted
    Anastasia Strong Hold Clear Brow Gel29.507.85g3.8clear
    L’Oréal Brow Stylist Boost & Set Volumizing Brow Mascara13.493.2g4.24 tinted
    Benefit 24-HR Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel327g4.6clear
    Anastasia Clear Brow Gel (mini)122,5g4.8clear
    Benefit 24-HR Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel (value)516g8.53 tinted
    Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel (mini)193.5g5.4clear
    Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel323g10.710 tinted
    Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel (mini)181.5g12.710 tinted
    Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Brows Eyebrow Gel301.33g22.64 tinted
    charlotte tilbury legendary brows

    Brow Pencils/Pomade Gels

    ProductPrice in CADSizeCost per ounce# of shades available
    Benefit ka-BROW! Cream Gel Eyebrow Color320.1oz3208 shades
    Burt's Bees Brow Pencil13.990.04oz3492 shades
    Mini size Benefit ka-BROW! Cream Gel Eyebrow Color190.05oz3803 shades
    Maybelline Eye Studio Brow Precise Shaping Pencil10.990.02oz5504 shades on Maybelline,
    2 shades on Shoppers Drug Mart site
    NYX Fill & Fluff Pomade Pencil12.490.007oz17848 shades
    Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil Easy Shape & Fill320.01oz320012 shades
    Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil Easy Shape & Fill (mini)190.005oz38003 shades
    NYX Micro Brow Pencil12.490.003oz41638 shades
    Anastasia Brow Wiz280.003oz933310 shades
    Kevyn Aucoin The Precision Brow Pencil320.003oz106674 shades
    Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil350.003oz116679 shades
    Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define320.02oz1600012 shades
    Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define (mini)190.001oz1900012 shades

    To Try

    I have the Anastasia Brow Wiz in my collection, but I haven’t tried it yet. I bought it earlier this year and wanted to finish my Kevyn Aucoin pencil first.

    • Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-Fine Precision Brow Pencil
    • Dior Diorshow Pump ‘N’ Brow
    • Fenty Beauty Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Pencil & Styler
    • Hourglass Arch Brow Micro Sculpting Pencil
    • Hourglass Arch Brow Shaping Gel
    • Milk KUSH Fiber Brow Gel
    • Nudestix Eyebrow Stylus Pencil & Gel

    What are your fave brow products?

    Love,

    Products marked with (*) were sent to me.

  • benefit precisely my brow lancome brow shaping powdery pencil diorshow bold brow

    My Brow Routine

    Hi Everyone!

    Let’s talk about brows! First, a little history of my brows. You can skip ahead if you want to see what products I use!

    My Brow History

    010_nr.jpgMy brows have gone through a lot over the years. I only started using brow products in 2016. Before I started grooming them, my brows were very thick (they were shaped like triangles, I had the arch where it was supposed to be, but then there were lots of hairs that needed to be tweezed underneath). Look! Triangles! →

    I started tweezing them in grade 8 (aged 12/13). I overplucked them, and I don’t mean they were too thin, I mean I plucked them so they were too far apart (wide gap between brows). They were like that in my high school years too- they got closer though. I don’t know when the first time I got them professionally waxed was, but I assume high school or university. Twice I’ve gotten them done where the lady waxed them and they were too thin. The head of my brows are a bit sparse and in pictures, it makes my eyebrows look farther apart than they are in person. The tail of my brows sometimes has gaps if I overpluck or trim the hairs too short. In the past, I used to overpluck underneath the head of my brows and it would look like the head of my brows had a hook. My eyebrows are arched, so when I overpluck and have a hook, my brows had a ‘C’ shape.

    I may need to just let them grow out and then get them done professionally.

    Captureas.PNG

    2010- they’ve started to grow closer together

    2013- too thin and far apart

    2016- eyebrows have a hook

    2017- success at last! No hook and not too thin

    Brow Products

    There are so many different brow products out there: Pencils, Mascaras, Gels, Pomades, Powders and more!

    Micro pencils are the most natural, in my opinion, because you can do feather-like hair strokes. They’re great for filling in gaps.

    Brow mascaras/gels are good if you want to darken your brows, but don’t want them filled in.

    Tips: For tinted ones, make sure to only touch your hairs and not the skin, or it will tint your skin and you’ll get random spots filled in that you don’t want. If you like clear ones, Maybelline’s Clear Great Lash Mascara is great because it’s duo purpose (brows and lashes in one) and good for throwing in your bag.But I prefer using a tinted gel though because it has a matte look. I’ve used a clear gel that hardened and made my brows feel crunchy.

    Powders are good if you want to fill in the brows, but still have a natural look.

    Tip: You can use a matte eyeshadow, just use an angled liner brush

    Pomades and cream gels give you the most colour. They’re great if your brows are non-existent or if you want a more dramatic look.

    NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black – The spoolie side comes with a cap too, but I took it off because it was annoying taking it off everyday. The cap is useful if you throw it in your purse though, it keeps the shape of the brush intact.

    Build full beautiful brows with our ultra-thin Micro Brow Pencil. So precise it coats even the finest hairs with color for a natural-looking finish.

    Maybelline Eyestudio Brow Precise Shaping Pencil in Deep Brown – I bought this because I heard good reviews on it and it was on sale. I don’t like this, I don’t like the waxy feel. Now I know what I don’t like and won’t be buying anymore wax pencils. I use it for taking makeup selfies.

    This natural wax pencil creates fine, hair-like strokes while the grooming brush blends and softens for a natural finish.

    Benefit ka-BROW! Eyebrow Cream Gel Colour in 5 Deep – This is a deluxe sample size, the full size looks different. I should’ve just saved this for a giveaway or given it to someone. It’s so dark, but it’s good if you like to fully fill in your brows.

    Brush on rich, buildable colour! This all-in-one eyebrow cream-gel easily fills, sculpts and defines brows.


    Here’s an idea of what the three different products look like. Obviously the cream gel is the darkest, while the micro brow pencil is the lightest.

    media-20180128eeeeeeeaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
    From Top: Maybelline Brow Precise, NYX Micro Brow, Benefit ka-Brow

    Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara – This is a great 2-in-1 product. You can use it for your lashes and brows.

    The classic Great Lash brush cnditions, grooms, and separates eyelashes and brows.

    Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Fibre Gel in 5 Deep – This was recalled back in 2017 (I was able to return mine). Since recalling it, they’ve reformulated it and released more shades.

    Our cult-favorite gimme brow tinted eyebrow gel contains tiny microfibers that adhere to skin & hairs, creating natural-looking fullness and definition. The custom, tiny tapered brush blends easily while the precision tip shapes hairs into place.

    My Brow Routine

    I personally prefer using a pencil or tinted brow gel. I use a pencil to fill in gaps and the brow gel to tame hairs that are unruly.

    My favourite is the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black and the Benefit Gimme Brow in 5- Deep. My eyebrows are dark to begin with and I just need help with the gaps. I’ve tried samples of pomades and cream gels, but I just look scary because they make my brows so dark. The only time I would use them is if I’m trying out a look and taking a picture for Instagram.

    My routine is fairly quick since I’m just filling in gaps here and there. I comb out my brows with a spoolie and then I use the NYX pencil. Then go over with a spoolie to soften any darker lines. Sometimes I will use the brow gel if my brows are being particularly unruly. At the very least, I use the pencil.

    I’ve written a few comparison blog posts on brow products, check them out:

    Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil vs. Benefit Precisely, My Brow

    Diorshow BoldBrow vs. Benefit 24 Hour Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel

    What brow products do you use?

    Love,

    jen