Now We Resume This Blog, After That Long-A** Break

     Hi everyone! My blog has been terribly neglected this past year; I've just had so much going on, personally, that writing has been one of the farthest things from my mind. My husband and I separated last year, and I've been treading the waters of single-parenthood, trying to stay afloat. It hasn't been easy, but I think I'm getting the hang of it.
     Breakups are never easy, but I hope that in the case of my children's father and I, we can make this as easy as possible for our 2 girls. There is no drama, no hurt feelings, and no ill-will toward one another. We've been growing apart for some time now, and just realized that if we want to be happy, we should make the decision while the kids are young.
     Alright, now that I've delved deep enough into my personal life, let's get into the reason I started this blog; MAKEUP! I've been acquiring quite a bit of it these last several months, and though I have been using it, I thought I should put my buying on hold for a bit and try to use what I have more. (And when I say 'hold', I mean a soft hold. I'll probably still dip into the wallet when something really good comes along.)
     After making a few hasty purchases simply because they were new and exclusive, I made the decision to think before I buy. For example, the new Huda Beauty lip contour pencils; I bought the Shade "Bombshell", simply because of all of the hype around the launch. And for $25.50, I should've had better intentions. When I got it in the mail a couple days later, I immediately regretted my choice. It was a lip liner. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but for $25, it wasn't supposed to be "just" a lip liner. Coupled with the fact that the shade was identical to MAC's "In Control" liner that I already had (and paid $6 less for) and the formula wasn't anything new or innovative, I put it back in it's packaging, grabbed the receipt, and back to Sephora it went. 
     Point being; I have a lot of makeup. A LOT. More than some people, less than others, but for me, it's a lot. And I do love it. But I think in order to really appreciate it, I need to use what I have and make educated decisions when buying any more. So in this new chapter of my life, that will be my mission, to use and document my beloved beauty items, and share it with those who appreciate it: the beauty community.
     I hope to be better at writing - and taking time out, now that I have more of it - for the passion I have for beauty products, :) 

Smashbox ART. LOVE. COLOR. Master Class palette review

Happy holidays!! 

Wait, wait, wait. It's still summer. So why am I suddenly in the moods for pine boughs and pretty lights that are all tangled together and I break a nail trying to get them apart and oh great, a bulbs broken this sucks I hate the holida--- ohhh, right. Holiday MAKEUP. THAT'S why I'm so hyped about upcoming festive season while it's still 30° out. 

If you're like me and are a sucker for limited edition makeup sets, now's the time you start making your list and checking it twice. I follow TrendMood on Instagram, and I swear I'm considering getting a second job because of her posts. Urban Decay, Too Faced, Tarte, they've all had photos released of gorgeous new goodies. Smashbox was the first (to my knowledge) to release, and it looks like a doozy. I've missed the last 3 Master Class sets, so when I noticed this suddenly on Sephora's site, I was on that "Add to Basket" button like a duck on a Junebug. It boasts 32 eye shadows, 6 blushes and 2 highlighters. 

The eyeshadow pans are the sizes of nickels and dimes, and the blush and highlights are about the diameter of a Toonie (silver dollar, I guess, if you're 'Merican). They're supposed to be able to pop out to put in a Z palette, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. The finishes range from matte, satin, and shimmer. The shimmers are quite disappointing, I have to say; they aren't very pigmented and come off a little chunky. The mattes, for the most part, are creamy and smooth, and the satin's really shine. 

As soon as I took this bad boy out of its box, I was immediately struck by the range of colours. Some of them I don't have in my collection (mainly the yellows/oranges/pinks). But as I dipped my fingers in to swatch, my heart sank; some shades were pretty, but half of them were chunky, and a little cheap-feeling. I looked at the palette after my swatch-fest and it looked disastrous. 

Powder was EVERYWHERE. Maybe I'm picky. But this does NOT look like a high-end palette should after you touch it. And I'm fairly light-handed. 

Most of the shadows swatch nicely on my arm, but they didn't transfer very well onto my lid. I used Urban Decay's Primer Potion, and they creased after a couple of hours of wear. I'll insert a range of some of the colours. 

As you can see, some of the most glittery shadows are quite chunky. The mattes are hit and miss, but the ones that are nice, I have in other palettes. The blushes are pretty, but too many of them leave a sheen on the cheeks that I would prefer to get from a highlight on top (otherwise I come off too disco-ball-y). 

My Verdict: this palette is a no-go for me. I just wasn't wowed. With all of the new makeup launching in the next couple of months, I can't see myself gravitating towards this. I will be returning it. 😪

What are your thoughts? If you have this palette, do you like it? Is it something you're looking forward to purchasing? I'd love to hear any views, opposing or similar. :)

-N

Maybelline "Blushed Nude" vs Coastal Scents "Revealed 2"

Okay, so I'll start off by saying that I know everyone and their grandma's neighbour has talked about the Maybelline Blushed Nudes palette. I resisted the urge to buy it because of the horrible reviews I was seeing. But I recently picked up Coastal Scents' Revealed 2, and realized that I'm really into rosy toned shadows, so when I saw the Maybelline on sale, I grabbed it to compare. 

The Revealed palette retails for around $25-$30CAD (I got mine from Birchbox.ca, using a promo code and points, so I only paid $2.50. 🙌) and the Maybelline is usually $15, depending on where you go. Mine was purchased at Shoppers on sale for $12.50. 

Both palettes have the same rosy, 'Naked 2' type of feel. The Revealed boasts 20 shadows, most of which are buttery smooth, pigmented, and extremely blendable, while the Blushed Nudes has 12 shades, and I found all but 3 to be powdery, dry, and extremely hard to transfer to the lid. 

I did some side-by-side comparisons of shades that I feel are similar in tone/finish. The swatches shown will all be of the Maybelline on the left, and the Coastal Scents on the right. 

First is the lightest shade in the Blushed Nudes palette. The quintessential pale matte highlight shade. The Revealed 2's version is buttery and pigmented; the Blushed Nudes is dust. I had to dig to get anything out of the pan, and it STILL didn't show up. :/

These two shades don't quite match on the skin, but they're quite similar in the pan. Powdery Maybelline, creamy Coastal Scents (yes, there is a trend here.)

Here's another shadow that's important in every palette; the crease/transition shade. Again, barely anything out of the Maybelline. The CS is a beautiful taupe-mauve that's perfect for blending. Probably my favourite of the whole palette. 

I'll just show the next few shades and you can see for yourself the difference in texture and pigmentation. As I've said, the Maybelline swatches are on the left, the Coastal Scents are on the right. 

I have to say, I'm not impressed that the Blushed Nudes doesn't have a matte black, but it DOES have a black with Rose glitter. But it doesn't transfer into the skin AT ALL. It barely looks like I touched it, the glitter shows up more than the shadow. The same shadow (and in the pans they do look the EXACT same) on the CS palette is exactly what it should be- black with glitter flecked throughout. 

Overall, I'm (obviously) disappointed in the Maybelline Blushed Nudes palette. There is just NOT enough pigmentation. How this made it out the door is beyond me. It's obviously not hard to do affordable, pigmented shadows if Coastal Scents (not to mention Makeup Geek, Colourpop, even L'Oreal) can do it. I'd say skip over the Maybelline palette, and DEFINITELY grab the Revealed 2 (and heck, even the 1 & 3!) You won't be disappointed. OR bored, there are tons of options for different looks.    

 

 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer review

I've been on a quest for a new primer, and before I start delving into the abyss of high-end Sephora goodies, I figured I'd dip my toes into what the drugstore has to offer. 

Rimmel has a few different primers to choose from- Lasting Finish, Stay Matte, and Fix & Perfect. I've tried the latter, but ended up returning it; I found it to be too silicone-feeling and it burned my skin. Not exactly an attractive canvas for foundation. I don't consider my skin to be particularly oily, so the matte option didn't entice me. 

The Lasting Finish version feels more like a lotion; it's white, more of a thicker consistency, and doesn't feel too much like silicone. I prefer a primer that I can use on my whole face, not just a pore-minimizer that only goes on target areas. 

I spread it on like any moisturizer, then kind of press it in to the pores on my forehead, chin, and around my nose. It doesn't feel greasy or slippery, it just provides a nice base for my foundation, and allows for even coverage. Prior to using the primer, I found that even with my CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous, the redness of my cheeks would always show through; but my makeup goes on evenly when I use the primer, and I don't need to build up layers. VERY important during the summer, when less is definitely more. 

I did notice a slight change in the size of my pores, but where I was really impressed was the longevity it gave to my makeup. Foundation always breaks down on my nose first, and usually within a couple of hours. Not so when I use this. It looks freshly applied after a full 7-8 hour day, and I didn't feel the need to touch up anything. 

All in all I'm extremely happy with this primer. Now I need to test out even MORE! :)

L'Oreal La Palette Nude 2 review

I've been wanting this palette ever since NOT getting the Maybelline Nudes palette; every review/video showed disappointing and chalky shadows, and I never wanted to waste my money on it. So when I went to my local Rexall, and saw a new display with both of the "La Palettes" (I'm in a small town, we're  usually weeks behind on releases) and the price tag read $12.99, I grabbed the purple shades. It was a very convenient pricing mistake, to say the least. 

These shadows are phenomenal; pigmented, creamy, and blendable. There is some kick-up when you dip your brush in a couple of them, but tapping it off before application works fine. 

As someone who loves purple/neutral colours, I'm absolutely thrilled with the colour range; there are dark mattes, shimmery taupes, light creamy pinks, and muted brown/mauve shades for the crease. The one thing it's missing is a bright satin white/champagne for the inner corner, but I don't mind supplementing. 

The back of the packaging provides several different look options, with step-by-step instructions.

I created an easy, simple look using the first 3 shadows, first by using the matte taupe shade in the crease, the cream shade on the lid, and the satin soft-cranberry colour on the outer half, blended into the lid shade. 

The brush included is nice enough; the foam applicator side is actually very soft and smooth, and dense enough that it doesn't suck up all the colour. The brush is small, but soft, more of an outer-edge brush, good to blend a little. 

Basically, I love, and am really excited to use this palette. I don't think I'd ever pay $30 for it (when you get down to it, it's drugstore, and that's a lot of money for drugstore makeup). There are palettes at Sephora for not much more--Urban Decay Basics is something I've been eyeing, even though it has half the amount of shadows as the L'Oreal palette, they're amazing quality and I'd probably use it just much-- but since I got this on a fluke at a good price, it's a big winner. 

***Nik's Bits***

-Summer's here, and I'm dying to stock up on maxi dresses and jean jackets. I don't know why. 

-The local parade (you know how every town has their own 'festival' and centres an entire weekend around it?) is in a few weeks and I've decided to get involved. I look forward to being sunburned and pilfering free candy. 

-My nails are in a TERRIBLE state again; it must be the amount of handwashing and sanitizer I use at work. I have to get them back in shape soon, I just bought a macro lens to take swatch pictures. Fingers crossed! (Pun intended)

 

 

March Ipsy GlamBag

     It's been awhile since I've had an Ipsy bag; I hadn't really been wowed by previous bags. But when I learned that everyone would receive a NYX Butter lipstick, I was all "SIGN ME UP!" Plus, anything springtime and floral gets my heart fluttering. 

     The bag, as most of Ipsy's bags, is absolutely precious. I am getting quite a collection of little bags piled up, so I don't know how much use this little gem will get, but it's nice to have for travel. 

     The first item I pulled out was this Pixi by Petra eyeshadow duo in "Apricot Glow". I was happy to see an eyeshadow in my bag, finally. Eye makeup was lacking lately from ipsy. 

     The colours are pretty, but also very powdery, and don't apply to the eye with much pigmentation. If you're using primer and a finger to apply, you might have better luck. I don't know if a wet brush would help, because with them being as powdery as they are, I feel that that would make them a little chunky (ie not cute).

Here they are swatched.

     Next up is a Crown brush. Another exciting item. I love eye brushes, and this is a definite winner. It's soft and fluffy on one side, perfect for blending, it gets right in the crease, and the other side is a narrower crease brush. There wasn't any stray hairs that came out when I pulled gently on the bristles (which I do when testing my brushes) so that's a good sign. I hope this stands up to washing, because I want it in my collection for a long time!

     For the only non-makeup item, I received a makeup remover. Fitting, I would say.
     This is a non-foaming, cream cleanser. It's great at gently removing makeup, but I found it stung my eyes, even though it states that it's good for removing even waterproof mascara. And though I did find it moisturizing, it didn't feel like my skin was completely rid of makeup, so I had to go over my face with a foaming cleanser on a washcloth (I'm a fan of rough-cleaning, I usually use a scrub).

     And now we've come to my favourite item, the one that actually made me squeal when I saw it. NYX Butter lipstick in "Little Susie". This shade has been on my wishlist for awhile; it's creamy, pigmented, and the perfect poppy-pink shade for Spring. The formula is amazing, it's so comfortable. I'm defintely going to pick up more of these babies. 

    The colour is a really flattering shade; I think it would be perfect on minimal makeup days, just to give that pretty punch of colour.

     Lastly, is a lipgloss from Cargo that I used my points for, in the shade "Anguilla". The first time I saw this Nicole from +Young Wild and Polished was reviewing it. It's a white-based pink gloss, that really pigmneted. I tried wearing it on it's own, but the colour was not flattereing. I paired it with Milani's Spice liner, filled my lips with it, and topped it with this gloss, and it became the most perfect nude. The formula is pretty thick, however, so if you're one for light glosses that you can't really feel, this might not be for you.

     Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with March's ipsy bag. I'll be using almost all of the items, and that hasn't happened for a long time. As for continuing my subscription, I'll wait and see what April brings.

Back in the Saddle Again

Oh, so happy to be sitting here again. What a crazy summer. I'm so glad that it's over and that fall is here. Not only because I'm currently in love with dark matte lips and chunky sweaters. It was quite a taxing few months on the home front. I'm sitting in the living room of our new house. We've downsized from a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom to a 2 bedroom, one bathroom (and a room with a shower stall). We originally sold the house because of cost and our marital situation was really rocky at the time. But luckily we've worked things out in terms of our relationship (or I should say we are working things out. It's a process) and bought this house for much more than originally looking. But we love the house, and are saving some money as opposed to what we were paying. It's a lovely home with a lot of great details, but also needs a lot of finishing work done. Which we are planning to do together, so it should be exciting. Or one of us will go at the other with a nail gun. It's a toss up. 

Also, I'm extremely excited to get a new makeup station set-up! The bedroom is a lot bigger, and has ample room for a desk and shelves. It's going to be my project for the next few months. And my closet is AMAZING!! And yes, I say MY. There are 2 in the bedroom. D gets his own, which he can put his 7 sweaters and 3 pairs of jeans (he says his small wardrobe keeps him "humble") and he has graciously let me have the long walk in/walk though. It is incredible. As soon as I get it organized and find somewhere to put the extra boxes and spare mattress that are in it :/ I'll post some pictures. I've already emptied a whole pack of Post It's into my Ikea catalogue. Eeee! 

I'm really going to make an effort to post more often. I'm still trying to figure out how to do it from my iPhone. I find myself being out and about and suddenly something happened that I want to post and then remember, Oh wait, I'm technologically inept. Dang. But give me time. :)

I'm also going to start including "Nik's Bits" at the end of each post. Not only because it sounds naughty, but it will give me a place to put all of the odds and ends that are floating around in my mind. It will be a list of brain farts, essentially. :) Like so:

***Nik's Bits***

• I have succumbed to the 90's Lip craze. ((I will NOT call it the 'Kylie Jenner lip'. She was born in '97. She spent most of the latter part of the 90's pooping her pants.)) I've been using Revlon's Rose Velvet over NYX's Nude Pink liner (my favourite liner anyway, I can't get enough). It's perfect. I have swatches on my Instagram.

• I'm in the process of trying to make a weekly meal plan. So far it's meatloaf and meatballs. Apparently we're big meat fans

• The weather today was gray and wet. It's like it was dreary and 5pm all day. Yuck.

Crunch Time

Why are all the good snacks at their loudest and tastiest at 11 pm? Every time I throw a handful of chips into my face I'm worried I'll wake up my husband and he'll be sitting up in bed, shaking his head. But seriously, these barbecue Crispers are my LIFE.

I'm planning a trip up north in a couple of weeks. It's my friends' birthday party ('Dirty Thirty' if you will. I won't). I never really get to see my closest friends anymore. I moved to this little town 2 years ago, and it's 2 hours away from everyone. Well, everyone I know, you know? We moved here because housing was cheap and my husband's family is here. Which is alright, most of them are okay, I guess. But it's hard, seeing pictures and hearing stories from a crowd that you used to be in, experiences that you used to be a part of, and now you're just on the outside looking in. Don't get me wrong, I have a few friends here and they're great, but I'm not totally comfortable around anyone but those few 'special' ones up north.... Really I just need a car. That would basically solve it. First world problems, right?

I need to get me into some pyjama pants. Which reminds me, I need new pyjama pants. They're one of those things I never think about in the store, but as soon as it's couch time, I remember, Oh yeah, these are one of three pair of worn out pants with a hole in the crotch, I should get some new ones. And I have NO idea how those holes got there, I swear. I should probably sew them up, because every time I come strutting out of the bedroom my husband gives me sidelong glances and wiggles his eyebrows 'cause he likes my "easy access doors". Gross. Men are gross. He farts SO MUCH.... Gross.

My new 'escape' hobby is making wishlists spreadsheets of makeup I want. Excel makes everything look more organized. Usually I wait until it's just me, late at night as per usual (you'll see this will become a running thing with me. Night-owl I am.) and I'll just watch all my favourite beauty guru's on YouTube talk about their favourite products. Every time they do swatches I'm like "Ooh, that's pretty! I'mma write that one down!" I now have 10 pages of product. Mostly drugstore. My Sephora list is a book unto itself. But lately that's just been my thing. I've always loved makeup, but I got out of it for a while because makeup from when I was in high school SUUUUUCKED. Cover Girl made the worst foundation, but I always bought it, because it was cheapest and geared towards young girls with no clue. Now, oh my god, the possibilities are endless! My first venture will be to stock up on Wet N Wild eye shadows and lipsticks, and forage for as many e.l.f products as I can. I want them ALL! I may try the latter one this weekend. There's a place in the city that apparently sells them. Right now I've only seen a few items in my dollar store and at Winners. PS Dollarama is kind of kicking ass lately with the beauty products. They had Essie's for THREE dollars! And some pretty nice CoverGirl mascara. CoverGirl does mascara way better than they do face. Maybe I'll post a pic if I get anything ooh wouldn't that be fun?! (Yes, it would---I have to answer myself just to boost my ego.)

-N

Late Night TLC

Nope. Not that kind of TLC. I've been watching "19 Kids and Counting" and "The Little Couple" for 3 hours. Hubby and babes are asleep on the couch, now it's mommy's TV and nail time. This is literally the only time I get to myself, to paint my nails, watch what I want, and eat the 3 Musketeers bar that has been calling my name from the back of the cupboard where I hid it after I came home from the store. I had to open it under a dishtowel so the noisy wrapper didn't wake anyone up. The struggle is real. 

So, back to TV. I don't really watch much of it. I try to get into shows and fall off the bandwagon 4 episodes in. Even "The Walking Dead". Love the show, still midway through the 3rd season. I'll get to it. But for some reason, those 2 TLC shows get me. I remember when 19KAC came out, and I, along with a huge number of people, I'm sure, thought What the bleep is this, 20 kids?? But it's a really cool show. Those kids are pretty rad. Way to go Jim Bob and Michelle. I just can't figure out the skirt thing. The older girls always wear skirts, no jeans. Is that a faith thing? I'm sure Wikipedia has the answers somewhere. And "The Little Couple" are 2 of the funniest people on TV. And genuinely funny, not like they're making jokes like their paychecks depend on it. It good. Good TV. Not always the case, especially for TLC (hello, 'My Strange Addiction' and 'Extreme Cougar Wives'?)

Whaaaaa???...

Something else that takes up a large part of my time (other than hastily throwing together a couple of Cheez Whiz sandwiches for the kids and tossing the dog a ball or shoe or baseball glove) is planning a trip to the States. That's what we call the U.S here in Southern Ontario. Or 'Mericuh'. But less often. I'm close to the border, 25 minutes or so, and I watch these makeup hauls on YouTube and Oh My Lanta!, the deals y'all get at your CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens! Without this HST BS. I'm jealous. Super jealous. So I gotta jet over there. As soon as the loonie gets a little better. And when I get a passport. (Whoever came up with THAT idea needs to be hanged. Back in my day, we could cross the border willy nilly without having to worry about this passport business.) 

Rant/ramble over. Bed beckoning. Same time tomorrow?

-N

First Timer

So here it is. The moment I've been thinking about and nervously anticipating for the last 2 some-odd years. 

I got the idea of making a blog, really, to get rid of these little thoughts, ideas, and tidbits of nothing that are muddling in my brain. That and, my husband says it would be a good idea because "people say" I'm funny. He says it like HE doesn't think I am. He does, though. He totally does. 

I can't really tell how this is going to go. I've never been good at keeping a journal. And that's essentially what a blog is, right; a journal? Only one that you post for the world (look at my ego grow already) to see, for all of eternity. I have a journal, and have had it for 7 years now. There are 13 entries. So yeah, a bit of a crap-shoot. 

Maybe I'll tell you (who ever is reading this and wants to know) a little about me; female, late 20's, Canada, purple, makeup, nail poli-- sorry, I just reverted to the old high school  'MSN Messenger' opening line. Computers are weird, I should be doing this on my iPhone. Anyway those first three are apt: I'm a bored, married twenty-something, mother-of-two, with a growing obsession for makeup, nail polish, and YouTube videos. My kids are getting older, and this is something "just for mommy". Like Palm Bays. Or mascara. A place just for me to ramble on, to no one in particular, about nothing of any relevance to anyone but me. Mostly about the circus act that is my home life, or what's currently occupying my makeup table, if I got anything in the mail, or about how I wish I could drink like I did when I was 21, but still proud that I don't anymore (without sounding sanctimonious). Let's see how that works. 

I have absolutely no idea how to do this. There's a 'HELP' button somewhere. I may use it. I'll wait until it's 3 am, and I'm sweaty, sobbing and in foetal position, twitching finger hovering un-decidedly above the 'Publish' button. So come along on this crazy journey. And if you don't, please call 9-1-1, in case that whole sobbing on the floor thing turns into a seizure and I need medical assistance.   

-N