Pretty Polished: July 2013

Sunday, July 28, 2013

July Favourites 2013!

Beauty Favourites

1. NARS Multiple in South Beach is a beautiful highlighter during the summer with a tan! South Beach is one of my favourite ones because I find it the most versatile: highlighter, eyeshadow base, even a lipcolour.

2. Soap & Glory Righteous Body Butter is an extremely thick, creamy body lotion. I usually use this in the winter, but I started using it this month because the sun really dries out my skin, so I thought it was worth a try. One thing to remember is that the scent is very very strong. I love the way Soap & Glory products smell, it's very similar to Chanel Coco Mademoiselle perfume. If the body butter is too thick for you to use during the summer then I recommend either diluting it with a non scented, thinner body lotion or use Righteous Body Lotion by Soap & Glory.

3. Estee Lauder More Than Mascara. This mascara is in my everyday lash routine, as well as Estee Lauder Lash Primer Plus and YSL Babydoll mascara. At first, I was skeptical about using Estee Lauder products because they're more geared toward mature skin, but the products I've used have been fantastic. More Than Mascara is definitely worth the price. Overall, this mascara lengthens, separates, thickens, and gives volume to my lashes, so it's kind of an all-in-one mascara. I like to layer mascaras, so this one is my base, but the effect it gives is gorgeous enough to be used on its own.

4. Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Lip Moisturizer. My current favourite lip balm. I have endless lip balms; it's an extension of the female legend Goo Hoarding. I use the Neutrogena Norwegian Hand Cream from the same line, so I decided to try the lip balm as well. It's very moisturizing and gets the job done. I really recommend Neutrogena products, especially the Norwegian line!

5. YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick in 27 Rose Paris. I have a love/hate relationship with this lipstick because it is such a beautiful, striking colour but it is so hard to wear! Hot pink is my favourite colour, so I was immediately attracted to the almost neon coral Rose Paris. It is stunning but I really wish I would've spent the money on a colour like 7 Lingerie Pink so I would get more use out of it. I really only wear it in the summer on special occasions. However, the formula is to die for. After purchasing this lipstick I understand the hype and the high price. It is incredibly creamy, soft, pigmented, moisturizing, and silky.

6. MAC lipstick in Angel is my all-time favourite lipstick. It's a beautiful pale, rosy colour that really goes with any makeup look. It looks very natural with a minimalist eye look, and it's a nice nude with a dramatic eye. This is my most-used lipstick, and during the summer when I go for bright colours on the eyes, I like to keep it light on the lips with Angel.

(top) YSL Rouge Volupté in 27 Rose Paris

(bottom) MAC lipstick in Angel

7. Revlon Nail Polish in Sweet Tart is my go-to pink nail polish. I'm a bit of a nail polish junkie, but time and time again I go back to Sweet Tart. It's a beautiful bright pink that really goes with everything, especially in summer!

8. Ulta Baked Bronzer is a new addition to my collection. My ultimate favourite bronzer is NARS Laguna but lately I've been going for the Ulta bronzer more. I use it to add all over colour to my face. I do not recommend this as a contour colour though, because it is very shimmery. The colour isn't muddy or orange and looks quite natural!

9. Giovanni Cosmetics Smooth as Silk Shampoo and Conditioner is a repurchase of the month. I like this brand because it is "eco-chic," containing less harsh chemicals than other shampoos and conditioners. I really like the way this line makes my hair feel, smooth, soft, and shiny.

Fashion Favourites

1. Ralph Lauren Classic Pony Silder Halter Bikini

2. J. Crew Seersucker Shorts

3. Nike Zoom Structure+ Running Shoes (not really fashion haha)

4. GAP striped cotton shirt

5. Custom monogram necklace

I maintain a gluten-free and dairy-free diet (except for Greek yogurt, which is the only dairy product I can stomach) and these are my favourite snacks!

1. Mango Chobani Low-Fat Greek Yogurt

2. Wonderful Almonds

3. Glenny's Cranberry Almond bars

So that's it for my July favourites!

Thanks for reading (this super long post)!

P.S. If you want me to individually review any of these products, let me know in the comments!

Friday, July 26, 2013

Stila Luxe Eyeshadow Palette Review + Swatches

Firstly, let me apologize for the state of the packaging on this palette. I was traveling with my collection and upon arrival, noticed that a liquid eyeliner had leaked all over my makeup bag. I managed to get it off most of my makeup but due to the glittery packaging of this palette, it stained. I think it looks pretty cool though!

Luckily, all the eyeshadows inside were okay. I think this palette is very well done. It contains 9 eyeshadows; there are 3 matte and 6 shimmer as well as a Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Ladyfish.

From left to right: Heart of the Ocean, Crushed Velvet, Cashmere, Bordeaux, Marilyn, Pink Diamond, Bon Bon, Silk, and Bubble Bath.

Bubble Bath: A yellow-based, peachy nude. Could be used as a highlight depending on skin tone, but for my skin tone I use it as a base colour. Because it is matte, it tends to be a bit chalky or powdery, but the unique cream-to-powder formulation of this palette really alleviates this problem. Similar to Urban Decay Foxy or MAC Brule.

Silk: A warm matte brown. Also a bit powdery and hard to work with. Comparable to MAC Charcoal Brown or Make Up For Ever 98 Brown.

Bon Bon: A really nice, deep matte brown. Cooler than Silk. Similar to L'Oreal's Mocha eyeshadow but a little lighter.

Pink Diamond: In the pan, this eyeshadow is beautiful. It's a very frosty, shimmery light pink. It is very sheer though, and you really need to use a lot if you want the base colour to be seen. However, it's a beautiful inner corner highlight. What impressed me about Pink Diamond is that the formulation causes little to no fallout, which is incredible considering the amount of glitter in this shadow.

Marilyn: At first when I saw this palette, I was worried about working with this shadow. It's a very bright, pigmented, shimmery pink. But it really is nice to work with! I have been able to use it for several looks. It is similar to a shade from Lancome's Pink Envy Palette

Bordeaux: A frosty, deep plummy shade. It's a little tricky to work with but it shows up beautifully on skin. It's a lot like a shade from an old NYX trio- Baby Pink, Spring Flower, Cotton Candy.

Cashmere: A cool, deep gray-brown with a little shimmer, comparable to Bobbi Brown Blonde eyeshadow.

Crushed Velvet: A dark, coffee brown with a hint of shimmer. Works well as a crease shade.

Heart of the Ocean: Just like Marilyn, when I saw this palette, I was curious about this one too. it's a dark gray greenish blue with lots of blue shimmer. Works very well as an eyeliner if you have blue eyes or brown eyes. A little greener and darker than NARS Tzarine

Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Ladyfish: A dark brown/gray base with plenty of orangey purple shimmer. I was impressed by the smooth consistency of this eyeliner. I don't usually use smudgey products for eyes because my eyelids get oily and some eyeliners slide a little, but this was waterproof and worked very well!

My favourite look from this palette: Bubble Bath all over the lid, Pink Diamond over the inner third, Marilyn in the center, with Bordeaux on the outer corner and Crushed Velvet in the crease! Ladyfish liner and then mascara.

Overall impressions: I am a big fan of this palette. I use it often. The texture of all the shadows is amazingly soft! The colour payoff is great too. I definitely recommend it to anyone as a fall/winter palette. Another product well done by Stila!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette Review + Swatches

I'm a big fan of Urban Decay products. Their eyeshadows and Primer Potion are amazing, and those 24/7 eyeliners are the best eyeliners I've ever used, which is saying a lot.

My mom had been eyeing both Naked palettes for a while, so when Christmas of 2012 came around I decided it would make a nice gift. I wasn't sure which one to choose, but based on my mom's cool skin tone and the predominantly cool shadows in Naked 2, I went with that one. It has become one of my favourite palettes and she lets me use it for special occasions.

Shadows:

Foxy: A light, yellow-based beige, matte finish. In the swatches below it blends into my inner forearm, and I usually use it as a base over Primer Potion. Sometimes can be a little difficult to blend. Comparable to MAC Brule

Half-Baked: A vibrant gold shadow, very pigmented, high colour payoff, and frosty/shimmery. Extremely smooth texture. Comparable to MAC Amber Lights and NARS Alhambra.

Booty Call: A pinky-beige and shimmery shade. I also use this as a base or a browbone highlight. As noted below, is comparable to Urban Decay's Virgin in the original Naked palette.

Chopper: A frosted coppery pink. You'll have to load up your brush for this one, it isn't as pigmented as the others and there is frequently a lot of fallout. Comparable to Sidecar from the original Naked.

Tease: A matte, taupey-purple shade. Similarly to Foxy, it is a little powdery and does not blend as well as non-matte shadows. However it is an interesting colour and is very versatile.

Snakebite: A shimmery dark brown. Comparable to Smog from the Naked palette. The colour payoff is really nice for this one.

Suspect: A silvery bronze frosted shadow. Very similar to YDK (also in the Naked 2) but with less colour payoff and not as buttery of a texture. Sidecar from Naked is very similar.

Pistol: A brownish grey shimmery shade. I haven't used this one much. The closest I could find (thanks to Temptalia) is NARS Bali.

Verve: I love this one. It's an almost white, frosty light grey. I use this as a base and highlight. It is a little pinky.

YDK: One of my favourites from this palette. A coppery pink, frosty warm shadow. The texture is smoother and has better colour payoff than Suspect. Comparable to MAC Buckwheat.

Busted: A dark coffee brown, slightly shimmery. It's like a combination of Snakebite and a little bit of Blackout.

Blackout: A true black, extremely pigmented and matte finish. However the level of pigmentation makes this dark shade hard to work with.

Several of the colours in the Naked 2 are the same or similar to the original Naked. Both have Half-Baked, Bootycall (2) is similar to Virgin (1), Snakebite (2) is similar to Smog (1), and Suspect (2) is similar to Sidecar (1) and YDK (2).

The packaging for Naked 2 is nice, I really like the more heavy duty tin but I have had some issues with the eyeshadow pans falling out of their slots. The brush is very high quality and would be pricey if not included in the palette. I appreciate having such a nice tool included as opposed to those yucky foam shaders. The lip gloss was very nice as well.

Overall, I am impressed by the Naked 2 palette, but so many of the shades are similar that I wouldn't recommend buying both if you already have Naked. If you have a cooler skin tone, Naked 2 will most likely work better for you than the first Naked palette.

Thanks for reading!

My Nails of the Moment

To get this look:

First, I applied my base coat (Sally Hansen Green Tea & Bamboo). I really wanted my nails to be the color of the sparkly pink polish (Pink Sizzle by Forever 21) but I knew it wouldn't be opaque enough due to the brand and formulation. Before applying Pink Sizzle, I used one coat of Essie's Buy Me a Cameo, the closest shade of pink I had to the glitter one. Next I applied 3 (yes, 3) coats of Pink Sizzle and topped it off with H&M Pink Bling Bling (no longer available, but very very similar to China Glaze Shooting Stars or Jordana Lunar Lights). To seal it all I used my all-time favourite top coat, Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Thanks for reading!

My Skincare Routine

I'm a firm believer that beauty comes from the inside. As Kevyn Aucoin puts it, "no amount of makeup can mask an ugly heart." That's why everyday I try to maintain as healthy a lifestyle as possible. But on top of my healthy eating and exercise, I find skincare to be an important factor in caring for myself. My goal is to do this routine twice a day, and during the school year I manage that, but around this time of year I kind of give up on any routines I have and just tolerate my angry skin (lol). I have quite moody, acne-prone skin, but I've discovered amazing products that both heal my skin and cover it up!