IPSY Glam Bag - October 2013

It's IPSY Glam Bag time again! I received my bag of goodies again and am really excited to share what I got.

• be Delectable Hand Cream - now that the weather is getting cold, my hands are extremely dry and I've been digging through my stash to find hand cream samples that I may have forgotten about to throw in my purse. This came at a perfect time!

• Big Sexy Hair Blow Dry Gel - I'm not a huge hair product junkie, but this looks interesting. Unfortunately I normally wash my hair at night so it is already dry by the morning, but I'm going to give this a try on the weekend to see if I can get some extra volume.

• H2O Plus Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment - again, the cool weather has also made my face a bit dryer than normal. I've heard great things about the H2O+ line so I'm excited to give this moisturizer a try.

• Zoya Nail Polish - I love Zoya polishes, and this one is a gorgeous colour. Can't wait to use this!

• Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Dolly - I've never tried Buxom Lip Polishes, but I've heard they are fantastic! This is a really pretty pink and the sample is a great size! 

Again, my IPSY bag is a hit!

Thanks for reading! 

Favourite Fall Nail Polishes

top: I'm Not Really a Waitress
middle: Lincoln Park After Dark
bottom row (l to r): Bahama Mama, Angora Cardi, Over the Edge

Like most of us with large nail polish collections, I like to change up what I'm wearing as the seasons change. I'm trying to avoid purchasing any new colours this year as I feel my current collection is enough to last me for several more years, so I went through to find my top picks for fall. I believe all of these have been included in permanent collections and are still available.

I think that OPI's I'm Not Really a Waitress is one of those classic shades that everyone should have in their collection. It's a go-to for me as I love the deep red shade it gives. In the summer, you would most likely find this on my toes. But for fall, I definitely love this on my fingers.

OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark is a great deep purple that is nearly black. Honestly, I think this is another classic, at least if you have a large OPI collection. I'm sure most nail polish lovers already have a bottle of this! 

Essie's Bahama Mama is a gorgeous rich plum shade that is not quite as dramatic as the above two shades. I would wear this all year round, but I especially love it for fall.

I've been wearing this non-stop for the past two weeks. Essie's Angora Cardi is one of my all-time favourites, but it works especially well in fall. It's almost a neutral to me - a sort of dusty mauve berry colour. It really looks good with any colour of clothing, which makes it extremely wearable.

I have not worn Essie's Over the Edge yet this fall, but I'll probably select it next. It's a bit more edgy, not quite black but a very dark charcoal grey. Very nice.

What are your fall polish picks?

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Fall Wishlist!

So I have not purchased a ton of new products recently - just a few things here and there. Of course this means that my wishlist is quite long at this point. Here are the items that I'm hoping to pick up within the next couple of months.

Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in the shade Rush - I've been dying to get one of these lipsticks. There was a mini size in one of my Ipsy bags, however, the colour ("69") was not that wearable for me. Rush is a gorgeous pinky-mauve that I would wear on a daily basis.

Another lip product that I've been wanting to try is the new Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo. I recently swatched them all at Sephora, and even though my skintone is quite fair, I prefer #6, which is actually the deepest of the range. #6 is a nude mauve, and I think it is really pretty. 

I've been loving the two Ambient Lighting Powders that I have already been using from Hourglass (Mood Light and Diffused Light) so I would love to pick up on a third in Dim Light. These are lovely setting powders and really do give a flawless finish. I would love to have them all, but Dim Light is the one that I currently have my eye on.

Becca Mineral Blush in Gypsy is a product that I have heard a ton of raves about and have been interested in trying it. The Becca line is not sold in my local Sephora, so unfortunately I have not been able to see it in person, but I think it would work well for me.

This gift set from Tarte looks amazing! I purchased their holiday set last year, and am still enjoying using it, so I think this one would be a no-brainer. Of course everyone knows they make lovely blushes, but I really do enjoy everything I have ever purchased from the line. Can't wait to get this one!

Lastly, I have a skincare product. I feel like my skin could use a bit of a boost, so I've been thinking of picking up the REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask. I've heard a lot about this product and how it is quite helpful in evening out skin tone and texture. I may try it as a 100 point perk if that is still available. 

What's currently on your wishlist?

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It Cosmetics Your Lips But Better Waterproof Lip Liner

I'm going to start this by saying that these lipliners are amazing. Hands down, my favourite liners, and honestly, I never really saw a need for liner in the past. These are different. They are actually a stain and they last so long, without being drying. 

When this formulation was first released, I purchased the nude shade, and found the colour a bit too dull for me, but now that new shades have been released, I immediately grabbed the pink duo (as sold on TSC in Canada). On the IT Cosmetics website, there are currently seven shades available. The pink duo that I purchased includes Romantic Rose and Pretty in Pink.

left: Pretty in Pink
right: Romantic Rose

Romantic Rose is a deeper mauve-y pink. Perfect base for the berry lipsticks that I love for fall.

Pretty in Pink is a true pink shade and is so pretty under my lighter lipstick shades.

top: Pretty in Pink
bottom: Romantic Rose

Both colours are amazing on their own, or with a light layer of gloss over them. For work, I often wear either one of these alone. I find that it gives a very nice and professional look that lasts even after I go for my morning coffee break. I highly recommend these!

Thanks for reading!

IPSY Glam Bag - September 2013

I haven't been posting for most of September, but I thought an Ipsy Glam Bag would be a good way to get back in the swing of things. 

If you have read any of my previous posts on Ipsy, you will know that I really enjoy this monthly subscription service. I've discontinued all of my other monthly sample boxes now so this is actually the only one I receive, but it is still totally worth it, in my opinion.

This month the cute little blue and black cosmetics pouch included the following items:

• Cailyn Cosmetics Tinted Lip Balm
• Elizabeth Mott It's So Big Mascara
• Jessie's Girl Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
• NYX Single Eyeshadow
• Butter London Nail Lacquer

So far, I have tried the Cailyn lip balm, the Jessie's Girl liquid eyeliner, and the Butter London nail polish. All of these are hits for me. I was most excited to receive the Butter London nail polish - this is one of my favourite brands and it is kind of pricey. This was a sample size, but is still a very generous amount. It will last a long time. I'm not so sure about the NYX eyeshadow - only because of the colour though. In general, I really enjoy all NYX eye products. I'll be saving the mascara as I'm currently using something else.

Not to sound like a broken record, but I still am loving my Ipsy bags, and would still recommend them to anyone!

Thanks for reading!

Blush Collection - Hot Pink

top: Smashbox Blush in Radiance, MAC Mineralize Blush Duo in Band of Roses
middle: Nars Blush in Mata Hari, Bobbi Brown Blush in Pale Pink
bottom: Sleek Blush by 3 in Pink Sprint

There is something about a hot pink blush that I find irresistible. To many it may look a bit scary or intimidating, because of course no one wants to have bright clown cheeks. But a hot pink blush applied lightly and blended well gives such a pretty and healthy look to the cheeks. It is absolutely gorgeous in summer, but also works all year round. These are some of my favourites from my collection.

l to r: Radiance, pink side of Band of Roses, Mata Hari, Pale Pink, center shade from Pink Sprint

Smashbox Blush in Radiance - This was the first blush I purchased in my experimentation with the shade. I purchased this so long ago, and the packaging/formulation has since changed so I'm not exactly sure if the new version (called Blush Rush in Radiance) is exactly the same or not, but it looks similar on the website. Anyways, it is safe to say that this product started my fascination. It looks beautiful on the cheeks and easily blends into a soft rosy cheek. It gives a soft matte finish - no shine. I love it.

MAC Mineralize Blush Duo in Band of Roses - I believe this is from an old MAC collection, but I found it relatively recently on Beyond the Rack. The swatch above is just of the pink side on the left of this compact. This blush is a bit shimmery, but it gives a really pretty glow in the cheeks.

Nars Blush in Mata Hari - I actually wore this one on my wedding day! Of course I blended it in so it wasn't quite as vibrant on the cheek. I read in one of Bobbi Brown's makeup books to use a neutral blush, layered with a bright on the apple of the cheek for a flattering, natural blush look, so that is what I did, using Mata Hari as the bright. It is a bit deeper and more on the berry shade than the other pinks, but still vibrant and gorgeous.

Bobbi Brown Blush in Pale Pink - I think this is one of the more popular and well known blush shades in the Bobbi Brown collection. I only purchased it this year, but it is a great addition to my collection. The shade really livens up my face.

Sleek Blush by 3 in Pink Sprint - The swatch above is just the shade in the center which is called Pink Ice. This pink is super intense. Honestly, out of all of these, this is the one that is trickiest to apply. It is so pigmented. I actually don't reach for it that often because I'm afraid of accidentally over-applying when I'm in a rush in the morning. All three shades in the palette are really gorgeous though. If you want a high-pigmented blush, you should cheek out the Sleek palettes!

Do you have any favourite bright pink blushes to recommend?

Thanks for reading!

Ipsy Glam Bag - August 2013

I continue to be impressed with the items I receive each month in my Ipsy Glam Bag, August was definitely no exception! As usual, I received five items and a cute cosmetics pouch. The items are as follows:

• Michael Todd Pumpkin Nutrient Rich Facial Mask - I love Michael Todd products. I've found that my skin responds much better with natural skincare, and therefore, this line of all natural products has been my go-to for the past several months. However, I had not yet purchased this pumpkin mask (I love their Kaolin Clay Mask), so I'm really excited to try this one out. The size of the sample is so big! Very nice.

• Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick - I received the shade 69 which is a deep red (see swatch below). The lipstick is extremely creamy and feels quite luxurious. I have been wanting to pick up a couple of these, although this would not have been the colour I picked out, but it is still nice to give it a try.

• Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer - I think I first tried this primer over ten years ago when primers still seemed very new and exciting. Back then I thought they were a bit of a gimmick, but now, I am a believer and use one almost everyday. This is a very nice primer, and I'll take this mini with me when travelling for sure.

• Pixi Beauty Lash Booster Mascara - Who doesn't love a mascara sample? I can usually get several weeks out of a sample size mascara. Actually, I haven't purchased a mascara since last year because I'm trying to use up the massive collection in my drawer. Interested in giving this a try.

• Mica Beauty Eye Shadow in Bronze - This is a loose pigment eyeshadow. It is a gorgeous colour (see swatch below). I'm sure I have tons of similar shadows in my collection, but nonetheless, this is really pretty and I love it.

Swatches of Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in 69
and Mica Beauty Eye Shadow in Bronze

So, I repeat myself every month, but I loved my bag again!

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!