Yearly Archives: 2016

No Bleeding Lips (Review + Comparison)

Makeup, Reviews

No Bleeding Lips

As I started to wear lipstick in my 20s, one of the first things I noticed was that I apparently had old lady lips. Lipstick would not stay put on me. It would bleed outside my lip line and collect in the crevices – not a pretty sight at all! (And yep, I tried lip liner, I tried setting powder, I tried concealer around the edges… nothing worked!)

No Bleeding Lips
No Bleeding Lips

The only thing that has worked for me (thank heavens) has been using some kind of a clear lip priming base or a clear lip liner. Clear lip liners are slightly different from a regular lip liner in the sense that they have more of a waxy, gel-like consistency that acts as a barrier around your lips to prevent your lipstick from bleeding outside the edges.

No Bleeding Lips secret lip liner
No Bleeding Lips secret lip liner

The No Bleeding Lips secret lip liner is one of these products and I put it to the test! No Bleeding Lips claims:

  • Stops lipstick & lip gloss bleed (I did not try it with lip gloss!)
  • Waterproof
  • Long-lasting
  • Stops feathering
  • Free of: mineral oil, gluten, paraffin, preservatives & animal-derived ingredients

One of the benefits of a clear lip liner is that they’ll obviously match every single lipstick colour you possess!

No Bleeding Lips comparison
No Bleeding Lips comparison

So here it is in action: On the left side I applied No Bleeding Lips to the outer rim of my lips and applied MAC’s Russian Red lipstick on top (this is a lipstick that made my lip line bleed out profusely when I first purchased it). On the right side I just have lipstick on. The shot was taken five hours after application. I’d like to draw your attention to my top lip: Both sides are experiencing a little bit of bleed out, but the right side is definitely worse – you can see my lip line is becoming less defined and the lipstick is starting to spread upwards ever so slightly past my lip. (As for the bottom of my lip, I never experience bleed out there – what you’re looking at is just crummy lipstick application on my part!)

Final Thoughts

Does No Bleeding Lips work? Yes, it does. Does it work as good as I had expected? Not quite as there is still some visible lip line bleed out on the lined side of my lips. I’m actually surprised my lipstick didn’t bleed MORE outside my lip line on the un-lined side as I had expected a much starker comparison based on my previous experiences with unprimed lips. No Bleeding Lips will do me in a pinch and it’s definitely something I’ll use up completely, but I still prefer my MAC Prep + Prime Lips.

Let me know if you’ve tried this product out and what your thoughts were!

No Bleeding Lips can be purchased on Sephora.ca for $15 CAD.

The product featured in this post was sent to me for consideration.

Wet n Wild Mega Liners (Review, Swatches + Look)

Makeup, Reviews, Swatches

Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Voltage Blue & Electric Purple

There’s some new colours in the Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner lineup and they’re freaking stunners!

Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Voltage Blue & Electric Purple
Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Voltage Blue & Electric Purple

The Wet n Wild Mega Liners are designed like an ink well – you dip back in to get more product out. They’re said to be “formulated with high-definition pigment and a unique blend of polymers for a rich fluid formula that dries fast and stays put to subtly enhance or dramatically define”.

Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Voltage Blue & Electric Purple
Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Voltage Blue & Electric Purple

The best part about these liners? They’re MATTE! I was not expecting that at all, so when I first used them I was totally taken aback. I am so, so happy that these bright vibrant colours are in a matte formula as it creates a sharp impact on the eyes which I much prefer (instead of a shiny liner).

Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner - applicator
Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner – applicator

The Mega Liner comes with a flexible felt tip liner that is blissfully long and pointy. I have a huge complaint with liquid liners that are not long enough because I usually end up creating a stubby wing. Thankfully, that isn’t a problem with the Mega Liner – the tip is flexible and long enough to create a beautiful wing.

Wet n Wild Mega Liners in Voltage Blue & Electric Purple - swatches
Wet n Wild Mega Liners in Voltage Blue & Electric Purple – swatches

Voltage Blue is opaque in one swipe and has beautiful pigmentation. Electric Purple is more liquid overall and may require two passes to reach full opacity (still a lovely shade nonetheless).

Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Voltage Blue
Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Voltage Blue

Wearing Voltage Blue. I die over this colour!

Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Voltage Blue
Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Voltage Blue

Wearing Voltage Blue – see how crisp and sharp that line is? Beauuuuutiful pigmentation.

Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Electric Purple
Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Electric Purple

Wearing Electric Purple. Darker and more subtle than Voltage Blue.

Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Electric Purple
Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Electric Purple

Wearing Electric Purple – I had a slightly more difficult time with the application on this one. It might be because it was a bit more watery so I had to make several passes (creating a more jagged edge).

Wet n Wild Mega Liner - left shot taken at 7:30 am, right shot taken at 5 pm
Wet n Wild Mega Liner – left shot taken at 7:30 am, right shot taken at 5 pm

Here’s a comparison shot: The shot on the left was taken at 7:30 in the morning before I went to work. The shot on the right was taken when I got home from work at 5 pm. Although my eye shape isn’t identical (sorry!), you can see there is no change in pigmentation and the liner held up the entire day (roughly 10 hours!).

Final Thoughts

It’s worth noting that the Mega Liners are not waterproof – so just keep that in mind. Overall, I’m impressed with the pigmentation and formula of these two liquid liners, *especially* when you consider their price point is somewhere around two to three bucks. Out of the two of them, I do prefer Voltage Blue as I felt it had superior pigmentation. That being said, both liners had a longevity over 10 hours long which is hugely impressive to me. Because really, if my liner can’t last an entire work day, why would I even bother applying it??

Let me know if you’ve tried these out or if these shades are something you would wear. 🙂

The products featured in this post were provided for consideration.

My Vacation in Pictures: Wisconsin 2015

Miscellaneous, Vacation

This post is looong overdue! I had meant to get it up shortly after we got back from our vacation but time escaped me. So, a month later, please enjoy some pictures from our trip to Wisconsin for Christmas and New Year’s. 🙂

Day 1 - Christmas Day, hilly run, family.
Day 1 – Christmas Day, hilly run, family.
Day 2 - State Capitol, downtown Madison, Hop Cat, museum
Day 2 – State Capitol, downtown Madison, Hop Cat, museum
Day 3 - Grandfather in law's memorial in Sheboygan
Day 3 – Grandfather in law’s memorial in Sheboygan
Day 4 - Ulta, Culver's, snowstorm, sledding in the backyard
Day 4 – Ulta, Culver’s, snowstorm, sledding in the backyard
Day 5 - Wollersheim winery, spa (not pictured)
Day 5 – Wollersheim winery, spa (not pictured)
Day 6 - Taco Twednesday at Aztlan Mexican Grill, caaaaats!
Day 6 – Taco Twednesday at Aztlan Mexican Grill, caaaaats!
Day 7 - New Year's Eve at an old timey arcade, Star Wars pinball!
Day 7 – New Year’s Eve at an old timey arcade, Star Wars pinball!
Day 8 - New Year's Day Dash (5 mile race) in Middleton, snowboarding/skiing at Tyrol Basin
Day 8 – New Year’s Day Dash (5 mile race) in Middleton, snowboarding/skiing at Tyrol Basin

Not pictured:  the 12 hour drive on both sides of this trip! 😉

Swatch Sunday: Hard Candy Pinking of You

Makeup, Swatches

Hard Candy Pinking of You

I did a tutorial featuring the Hard Candy Pinking of You palette on Friday (check out that Valentine’s Day look here) and I’m following it up with a Swatch Sunday post!

Hard Candy Pinking of You
Hard Candy Pinking of You

I will say that you’re going to find a lot of the colours in the middle section of this palette are very, very similar. There isn’t a whole lot of pigment definition between them, but it does mean that it’s a really easy palette for people looking for a soft look. One thing to note is that there are no mattes in this palette, so you’ll need some additional colours to balance it out if you want something other than a totally shimmery eye.

Hard Candy Pinking of You Swatches

Hard Candy Pinking of You - Shade 1
Hard Candy Pinking of You – Shade 1

Hard Candy Pinking of You - Shade 2

Hard Candy Pinking of You – Shade 2

Hard Candy Pinking of You - Shade 3
Hard Candy Pinking of You – Shade 3
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You - Shade 4
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You – Shade 4
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You - Shade 5
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You – Shade 5
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You - Shade 6
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You – Shade 6
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You - Shade 7
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You – Shade 7
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You - Shade 8
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You – Shade 8
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You - Shade 9
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You – Shade 9
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You - Shade 10
201601_Hard Candy Pinking of You – Shade 10
The product featured in this post was sent to me for consideration.

Valentine’s Day Makeup Look featuring Hard Candy

Makeup, Tutorials

Hard Candy Valentine's Day Look

Hard Candy and I have a past that involves a lot of love and a lot of glitter. I remember becoming enamoured with their products at the ripe old age of 15. I was turned on to their nail polishes by Sarah Michelle Gellar (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame who wore their peach polish. Of course, I wasn’t into nail polish really (and still am not to this day), but I was *OBSESSED* with BtVS. And whatever SMG/Buffy liked, I therefore LOVED.

And so, my Hard Candy obsession started. I  have vague memories of the Hard Candy counter at Sears in the Rideau Centre in Ottawa and spending my hard earned babysitting money (keep in mine I was 14 years old) on a 20 dollar eyeliner. (I’m 33 years old and spending $20 on an eyeliner freaks me out NOW and it’s almost 20 years later!)

Hard Candy makeup
Hard Candy makeup

So anyway, this eyeliner. It was called Cyber and it was a black base shot through with silver glitter. It was my life blood at that age. It lined my eyes and the glitter splashed all over my cheeks due to fallout. I loved it so, so much. I went through that entire eyeliner and even repurchased another when Hard Candy was dying out as a high end brand during my first year of university. I have a very strong memory of going to the Hard Candy counter at Yorkdale mall (in Toronto where I was attending York University) and buying my very last Cyber eyeliner liner (still priced around $20). They dissolved within a few months of that purchase.

Hard Candy makeup
Hard Candy makeup

And here we are now. It’s 2016 and Hard Candy has morphed into a drugstore brand sold at Walmart. It’s a weird twist of fate that one of the first brands that made me fall in love with makeup has since turned into a brand that I actually have to spend less to obtain now even though it’s 20 years later.

Since I’ve always had a whole lot of love for Hard Candy, I put together a soft romantic look with two different lip choices that, while appropriate for Valentine’s Day, would also be great for any kind of date. I hope you enjoy. 🙂

Valentine's Day look with a strong lip
Valentine’s Day look with a strong lip colour
Valentine's Day look with a strong lip
Valentine’s Day look with a strong lip colour

For the face, I used the All Matte Up Hydrating Lip Stain in Mattely in Love as a blush (I rubbed it on the back of my hand first and then used a small stippling brush to apply it to my cheeks) and then applied the blush in Honeymoon as a highlighter to bring out the glow on my cheeks. I also applied the Mattely in Love lip stain to my lips as well (that colour is incredible!).

Hard Candy eye look
Hard Candy eye look

I primed my eyes with the Eye Def Metallic Eyeshadow in Golden Earth and then applied the soft lavender duochrome shade from the Pinking of You palette all over the lid, I put the deeper pink through my crease and on my lower lash line and used the shimmery white on my inner corner. On my outer corner I used the Fierce Effects eyeshadow in Heart & Soul (the black shade) and blended that in to deepen everything up. Pop on your favourite mascara and some false lashes, and your eyes are set!

Valentine's Day look with a soft lip colour
Valentine’s Day look with a soft lip colour

If you’re looking for something a bit softer on the lips, try using their Beloved lipstick instead. It’s creamy and hydrating and will add a bit of shine to your lips.

Valentine's Day look with a soft lip colour
Valentine’s Day look with a soft lip colour
Bonus cat photo!
Bonus cat photo!

Thanks for listening to my Hard Candy story and I hope you enjoyed the looks! And please, please let me know if you have any experiences with Hard Candy as a brand (both old and new). 🙂

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration.