Category Archives: swatches

June 14, 2012 · 11:01 am

haul: sugarpill heartbreaker palette

I’m an absolute sucker for detail, so it’s no surprise that my latest makeup crush is Sugarpill Cosmetics. I’ve been following the brand since its launch in 2010; watching it grow into what I can only describe as a beauty cult following. Sugarpill personifies and celebrates colour in such a playful way, that beauty lovers alike would find it difficult not to fall under its charming spell. Only recently did I actually make my first purchase, and I’m still baffled at why it took me so long to indulge.

So, what item broke my Sugarpill cherry, you ask? I decided to treat myself to their newest palette; a quad of vivid and gorgeous shades called ‘The Heart Breaker Palette’. My package arrived promptly and was a delight to open. From the adorable Sugarpill branded box, to the girly pink tissue paper that enveloped my purchase (as well as a glittery sticker, a loose eyeshadow sample and mini postcard), simply unwrapping my little ‘gift’ was a treat.  And if that wasn’t enough to impress me, the handwritten thank you on the enclosed invoice was a charming touch.

So onto the palette, shall we? What can I say…seriously. These eyeshadows are a little slice of makeup heaven in my opinion. You get a generous amount of product which has amazing colour payoff, the packaging is adorable AND durable, as well as a decent size mirror which is always a plus. Really great value for thirty-four dollars!

Swatches (L-R): 2AM, Acidberry, Velocity and Mochi

THE COLOURS: 

  •  2AM – Matte purple with a slightly pearl sheen
  • Acidberry – Vibrant matte lime green with a slightly pearl sheen
  • Velocity – Vibrant matte royal blue
  • Mochi – Matte mint seafoam with a slightly pearl sheen

Aren’t those shades gorgeous?! I’m ecstatic about this purchase and have been testing it out since I got my hands on the palette.  I simply can’t wait to play with these colours a little more and share some of my looks with you.

Stay tuned!

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March 20, 2012 · 10:00 am

haul: getting juiced with bite beauty

Much like I am with gorgeous men, I can’t resist a pretty lip gloss.

Perhaps it was the doing of the mimosa I had at brunch, but after one glance at that Bite Beauty Lip Shine, it was all over my kisser and it was spectacular!

The Canadian brand, Bite Beauty, is a collection of lip products that are infused with the super-antioxidant resveratrol (which is found in the skin of red grapes), food-grade colours and organic shea butter. In the Lip Shine specifically, there is as much resveratrol as you will find in five glasses of red wine (without the hangover, naturally). It truly is beauty that’s better for you!

I picked up the Lip Shine in Pink Grapefruit ($20) which is a soft pink shade with a lot more colour than I anticipated. It feels nice and light on the lips and doesn’t have that tacky/sticky feeling which I personally dislike. My dry lips were nourished and hydrated thanks to time-released jojoba beads and the lack of petroleum in the ingredient list.

Check out how gorgeous it is!

This is the beginning of a beautiful glossy love affair!

You can find this and other products by Bite Beauty at Sephora retailers and at sephora.com

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January 13, 2012 · 12:01 am

launch: marcelle bb cream

Inspired by the trends in Asia, I’m pleased to share with you that Marcelle is releasing an amazing new beauty and skin care product that is sure to make its way into your makeup cases. I had the chance to see and feel this at the Annabelle/Marcelle Beauty Premiere event in November and ever since, I’ve wanted a tube of my very own. An 8-in-1 multi-benefit beauty balm, BB Cream is a moisturizing skin care, tinted corrector and makeup base that enhances your natural beauty.

The Eight Multi-Benefits are:

  1. minimizes the appearance of imperfections and pores
  2. evens out skin tone
  3. replaces primers by providing an excellent makeup base
  4. mattifies skin and controls shine
  5. offers immediate and long-term hydrating benefits
  6. soothes and calms the skin
  7. protects from premature aging and environmental stresses
  8. promotes skin regeneration

Ideal for any age and skin type, BB Cream comes in two shades (light-to-medium & medium-to-dark) which works on a variety of skin tones due to its self-adjusting pigments. The fact that it’s hypo-allergenic as well as oil, paraben and fragrance free make this perfect for even sensitive and oily skin types.

The minute I had the BB Cream in my possession, I had to put it to the test. Although I’ve been blessed with decent skin, without a little foundation, I do have some slight redness and uneven tone. There are three ways to use Marcelle BB Cream. The first is on cleansed skin as a corrective tinted moisturizer. The second is to use it alone or over your moisturizer to unify your complexion. Finally, use it as a makeup base under foundation for total coverage and improved staying power. I opted for the first.

The before and after photos were taken in natural light and are untouched.

I instantly noticed a difference in how supple my skin felt and how even my complexion looked. Please know that this is ALL the BB Cream’s doing! I have no concealer or foundation on. Heck, I didn’t even apply any moisturizer! It’s like I’ve been Photoshopped! I have a feeling this is the beginning of a beauty-ful love affair.

You can get your hands on your very own tube of BB Cream as of February 6, 2012 when it’s launched at pharmacies and mass retail stores across Canada.

—————————————————-
Marcelle BB Cream
$22.95 CAD – 45mL
www.marcelle.com

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September 16, 2011 · 10:00 am

haul: urban decay 15-year anniversary palette

Like-minded beauty junkies will understand how I simply couldn’t resist purchasing the newest palette in the Urban Decay family. The packaging alone sucked me in. A gunmetal mirrored box, a purple faux-jewelled logo on the lid and a laser-cut filigree design on the sides?

… sold.

In all seriousness, the colour palette is very wearable for most people.  The pigmentation and colour payoff is always a win in my books for UD and I like that there is only one slightly glittery eyeshadow in the group. (I really hate their glitter e/s) Mixing delicious neutral tones and rockin’ brights in both light and dark tones makes for a pretty amazing makeup purchase. All fifteen shades are brand new in honour of the brands 15th anniversary (is it sad that I remember when UD first came out?) and are only available in this palette.

TOP TO BOTTOM

1st row: Midnight Rodeo, Tainted, Deeper

2nd row: Midnight 15, Junkshow, M.I.A.

3rd row: Vanilla, Omen, Ace

4th row: Flow, Evidence, Blackout

5th row: Chase, Deep End, Half Truth

Bottom to top: Midnight Rodeo, Tainted, Deeper

Bottom to top: Midnight Rodeo, Tainted, Deeper

Bottom to top: Deeper, Midnight 15, Junkshow, M.I.A.

Bottom to top:  Tainted, Deeper, Midnight 15, Junkshow, M.I.A.

Bottom to top: Vanilla, Omen, Ace

Bottom to top: Vanilla, Omen, Ace

Bottom to top: Flow, Evidence, Blackout

Left to Right: Flow, Evidence, Blackout

Bottom to top: Chase, Deep End, Half Truth

Bottom to top: Chase, Deep End, Half Truth

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September 14, 2011 · 10:00 am

the best of black with annabelle cosmetics + vlog

Black is always a familiar go-to for any woman. The impact of a little black dress or a touch of black liner on the eyes can instantly glam us up with ease. A smokey eye is the epitome of  sexy in the world of makeup.  For the fall season, Annabelle Cosmetics has launched a collection dedicated to some gorgeous blackened makeup goodies that are sure to win anyone over. To boot, all of it is extremely affordable and easy to use.

The ‘Black Box’ collection is:

Glitterama in Blast Off – a gel-liquid eyeliner infused with black and silver glitter.

Liquid Liner in Black Spark – a classic black liquid liner with a modern metallic twist.

Smoothliner in Metal Daze – an intense black pencil topped off with shimmering specks.

Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencil in Licoriche – a rich creamy jumbo eyeliner that wears for up to 9 hours.

…and then THIS happened…

 

 

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March 7, 2011 · 10:22 pm

lips: Marcelle Rouge Xpression

I recently got my hands on the 9 new Rouge Xpression lipstick shades to play around with. This collection of rich neutrals and sassy brights are the perfect compliment to the hot looks for spring/summer this year. The colours apply beautifully and wear like a dream. They contain a maxi-lip complex to moisturize and hydrate the delicate lip area so you are more than smooch ready.

I have swatched the following 8 shades to share with you all. Unfortunately, I misplaced the Jezebel lipstick (which was a lovely mauve shade), so that last lonely lipstick is not included in the mix.

In any case, there is a shade for everyone in this collection to suit your every mood. From sexy to demure, classic to trendy – I hope you enjoy.

 

(L-R) Amore, Cleopatra, Paris Rose, Couture

 

(L-R) Romanesque, Attitude, Mauve Avant-Garde, Feline

 

  • AMORE (cream) – a cherry red
  • CLEOPATRA (cream) – a wearable violet-pink
  • PARIS ROSE (cream) – a sexy coral
  • COUTURE (pearl) – a brown with a purpleish undertone

 

  • ROMANESQUE (pearl) – a warm nude with a hint-o-pink
  • ATTITUDE (cream) – a cool fawn shade
  • MAUVE AVANT-GARDE (cream) – a dark-medium warm brown
  • FELINE (pearl) – a slightly pearly red-aubergine brown

 

My favourites: Paris Rose, Cleopatra, Jezebel (not shown) and Romanesque

My not-so-favourite: Attitude (it looked terrible on me)

 

marcelle.com

shoppersdrugmart.com

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January 19, 2011 · 3:00 pm

new from beautyaddicts!

I got a pleasant surprise at work this week when I had a bag of new goodies from beautyADDICTS waiting for me at my makeup space. As you may or may not know, I am an educator for the brand through one of its distributors (one of the many makeup jobs I do). One of the perks of said job is that I get new products sent my way to try out and play with. I do believe the following items are available in the US, however in Canada the official launch of these products are coming soon.

The first thing I went gaga over is the new (and improved in my opinion) brush set. It comes with 6 brushes and are sold in a functional case with a protective flap and a zipper compartment. The brushes are 100% synthetic and vegan approved and the handles are a sleek Birchwood with a matte silver furrule. I started using these on clients immediately and I was beyond impressed on how well they allow me to apply makeup. They all feel soft on the skin which will make them staples amongst my many tools.

 

The 6 brushes consist of (from left to right): Angle Face Brush, Foundation Brush, Eye Shader Brush, Doe-Foot Eye Contour and a dual ended Concealer Brush/Angle Liner + Brow Brush.

As well, there are three additional brushes that are sold separately and are the perfect compliment to the brush set. These are (from left to right): Bronzer/Powder Brush, Blender Brush and a Rounded Smudge Brush.

Next up to bat is a little bit of colour! As much as I LOVE getting brushes, I couldn’t help but geek out a little bit over the new Sweet Lips lipglosses. There are four fun shades to compliment each of the signature colour families that beautyADDICTS is famous for.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the four colour families that beautyADDICTS consists of, I will break it down for you. The brand has created these colour palettes to convey different moods, lifestyles and attitudes of a woman. This system of neutral colour palettes compliment ANY skin tone which is pretty amazing and easy for the everyday woman. These four families are: GLOW, EXPRESS, MOTIVATE and SEDUCE. To learn more, visit the beautyADDICTS website here.

Back to the Sweet Lips glosses…

These shades all offer a high shine and really hydrate the lips with Vitamin E and Jojoba Butter. I love the sheerness of these glosses. You can easily layer them over a lipstick or wear them on their own. The applicator is a super soft brush that isn’t too big to ensure an easy application. Most importantly, they aren’t thick and sticky (which drives me crazy).

From L-R: GLOW – Blush, EXPRESS – Sheer Peach, MOTIVATE – Lilac, SEDUCE – Black Cherry

So there you have it makeup lovers! I can’t wait to continue my love affair with this brand. Be sure to keep an eye out for these products and I’ll be sure to incorporate the Sweet Lips lipglosses into my future “FOTD” looks.

xo

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January 4, 2011 · 12:21 am

lips: bubble lounge

One of the items I bought at MAC yesterday was a lip gelee from the Cham Pale collection called Bubble Lounge. I’m kind of in love with this colour. Kinda pink, with hints of golden champagne and frosty like a candied crystal. Worn alone, it’s a beautiful neutral with a splash of interest. Over top of a lipstick, it will certainly amp up the glam!

 


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December 12, 2010 · 12:01 am

haul: urban decay naked palette

What can I say about the Urban Decay Naked palette…?

This little makeup collection is quite the hot item – and extremely hard to get a hold of. I had seen the palette in Sephora plenty of times and it was love at first sight. Alas, it was always sold out. I found a Shoppers Drug Mart that carried Urban Decay and yet again, they were sold out of this palette too. What’s a girl to do?

I put my name on the SDM waitlist and a little over a month later I got the phone call. Hurray! So now my friends I am the proud owner of the Naked Palette.

What you get is a cute package containing the palette of 12 neutral toned eyeshadows, a double-ended 24/7 Glide On Pencil in Zero & Whiskey, as well as a mini Primer Potion. All for $53 CDN!

Let’s take a peek – - -

(L-R) Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar

(L-R) Darkhorse, Smog, Half Baked, Buck

(L-R) Gunmetal, Creep, Hustle, Toasted

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November 17, 2010 · 1:00 am

swatches: UD 24/7 Jackpot

After my discovery of the Urban Decay section in a local Shoppers Drug Mart, I couldn’t help but treat myself to the 24/7 Jackpot set that includes nine travel sized shades of these award winning liners as well as a full sized Zero pencil. I have only used a select few of these in the past, so this was a brilliant opportunity to try some of the colours I may not have bought otherwise.


Here are all ten swatches:


Starting from LEFT to RIGHT:
  • Rockstar – a dark eggplant
  • Gunmetal – pewter shade with hints of silver glitter
  • Binge – navy blue
  • Ransom - bright shiny purple
  • Electric – a bright blue with a hint of sheen
  • Stash – dark golden olive green
  • Mildew – dark green (reminds me of MAC Humid e/s)
  • Whiskey – dark chocolate brown
  • Eldorado – gold (reminds me of MAC Goldmine)
  • Zero – blackest black
I can’t wait to play with these liners in some of my makeup looks. All the colours have already inspired me to do some killer FOTD’s.

Stay tuned!

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