This is the third year in a row I’m wearing the exact same makeup on my birthday, so I thought it was time to share a tutorial on it!
And for reference, here’s how it looked last year (from this post):
Yearly Archives: 2016
What I Bought This Month – January 2016 Haul
Monthly haul time! January’s haul is a bit of a mix of things – some items I received for Christmas from family members (but didn’t get a chance to photograph until January), as well as some birthday items (January baby here!). Enjoy!
I know little to nothing about this brand Chemins de Provence aside from the fact that my brother picked it up for me in France. These are bath salts and the scent is in Almond. I’ve used them once so far and loved the scent, although I definitely did not smell almonds. I’ve previously finished up lavender scented bath salts by the same brand, which you can see in my most recent Empties video.
Another present from my brother, and presumably from France as well since I’m totally unfamiliar with the brand. Fraise l’exquise de Energie Fruit is a shower gel that I’ve added to my collection but haven’t had the opportunity to use yet because I’m totally overwhelmed with all the shower gel I currently have in my linen closet, so this has essentially moved to the back of the lineup!
L’Occitane‘s Pamplemousse Rhubarbe (Grapefruit and Rhubarb) is a limited edition scent that my mom picked up for me in a shower gel (yep, into the closet it goes!) for Christmas. She knows I love anything grapefruit scented, and the rhubarb is a great addition to the scent!
Annnnd since she knows I love grapefruit so much, she also picked up a pack of Neutrogena grapefruit wipes for me. Made me laugh when I opened the package!
My mother in law gifted me this Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer. I had heard about in-shower moisturizers (like the one by Nivea), but I had never tried them out. This one is slightly different in the sense that you apply it just after you’ve gotten out of the shower, but before you towel off. While it feels like a normal moisturizer, what’s cool to me is that unlike a normal moisturizer, this works with the moisture on your skin in order to hydrate your limbs. Usually if I apply a typical moisturizer to wet skin it slides right off – this one doesn’t! So after I’ve applied to my wet skin, I towel/pat myself try and I’m good to go. Really, really handy for quick moisturizing without having to worry about it needing to sink in for a lengthy period of time!
One of the cute things my mother in law put in my stocking (hi Ruth!) are these Burt’s Bees items; a lip balm and a cuticle cream. She had read in my stocking stuffer guide (prior to Christmas) that my grandmother would typically put a Burt’s Bees lipbalm in my stocking, so she decided to keep the tradition going since we were in Wisconsin this year and not in Ottawa! Very sweet touch. 🙂
Sooo here in Canada, I’ve never seen Chap Stick in these cool scents. I’d seen plenty of American bloggers and YouTubers mention them, but they never seemed to be available in Canada. I need lip balm like I need more shower gel (which is to say not at all!), but I wanted these because I just can’t find them here! The Pumpkin Pie one is incredible (so, so nice to wear that one) and the Candy Cane one is as to be expected – very candy cane-like. Currently wishing I’d also picked up the Cake Batter one as well, but I think it would’ve been a little too sweet for my tastes.
Alright, here’s a biggie! My mother in law gave me some cash for my birthday and encouraged me to hit up Ulta while we were visiting. I needed no convincing and I knew exactly what I was going to pick up – the Lorac Mega Pro 2.
I had died a small death by not getting the original Mega Pro (RIP) and have been wanting to try Lorac eyeshadows out since then. What better way to do that than with an ENORMOUS palette? (I’m seriously dreading Swatch Sunday for this sucker… that’s a LOT of photos to edit.) I’m so happy to have this palette in my collection now. 🙂
Another thing I picked up from Ulta is the Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in the Brazilian Nut scent. I’ve actually already finished one of these before and I knew I wanted more of them. Out of all of their scrubs, this is definitely my favourite scent.
While we now have NYX stores in Toronto, I hadn’t been able to get out there yet, so I picked up the very last NYX Micro-Brow in Taupe at Ulta while I was there. Love, love, love this brow pencil – it’s so much easier to use when I’m in a rush than say a pomade or the like. (I still love those too, they’re just not a product I want to dip into when I need to do my makeup quickly.)
This was such an impulse purchase and I’m still a little dazed and confused by it. I was inside a Sephora at JC Penney (holy smokes they have a lot more amazing sets there!) and noticed they still had a few shades left from the US-exclusive Frozen Berries collection by Bite Beauty. I picked up the shade Juniper because it’s a stunning shade… but on further reflection I already have this shade in a few other lipsticks! It’s not dissimilar to Kir Royale (also by Bite) and Too Faced Melted Berry. Did I need another lipstick in the exact same shade? NO! But now I own it and I feel kind of silly about it.
A few products from a generous friend here. She was at the MAC Warehouse sale a few months back (I think) and picked up this Full Fuchsia pan blush for me because it was super bright and she figured I’d like it. And I do! Soo pretty!
A new Maybelline quad in Luminous Lilacs. This looks like new packaging for the quads (to me anyway, I’m not overly familiar with their eyeshadows except for the ones that used to come in a chevron pattern) and I have yet to bust open this one!
Next up is a trio of The Body Shop body butters in their tiny size. She gifted me this because it has a tiny Satsuma one in there (and she knew my husband wasn’t a fan – haha!). There’s also a Strawberry and Mango one in there as well.
The next two items are freaking AWESOME! She also gifted me The Body Shop‘s Frosted Cranberry Shimmer Lotion! I had a small bottle of it last year but had used the whole thing up. This stuff is MAGIC. I love the scent, and it actually deposits very fine silver shimmer onto your skin. It’s not for everyone, but I love glitter all day, every day, so this is so, so nice to wear because it makes my skin gleam.
In addition to the shimmer lotion, she also handed me the shimmer mist (also in Frosted Cranberry). This is more of a bodyspray with fine shimmer in it, but I find the shimmer particles are not as strong as the shimmer lotion. Love the packaging too – it’s like a snowglobe!
The next two items are from my lovely friend Kat (well… her real name is Sara, but I call her Kat). We do a gift exchange at Christmas and she freaking spoiled me this year! She knew I had been lusting over the Laura Geller baked sorbet blush in Guava (Laura Geller is impossible to find in Canada), and not only did she find it, but she also managed to score it in an amazing set that came with a face primer, lip gloss and mascara. Unfortunately, the sparkly clutch it came in started shedding glitter particles everywhere so it’s not especially usable. The blush though… incredible. I’m so, so in love with it.
The other thing she spoiled me on is the Lorac Unzipped Gold palette. Kat had asked me what brands we didn’t have access to in Canada and Lorac was my first response since I didn’t have any of their palettes at the time she asked (of course then I went and bought the Mega Pro 2 above when I was in Wisconsin…).
The shades in this palette speak to me and I’ve heard Samantha Jane going on about it a lot so I knew it had to be mine!
Phew! That’s it for January! I’m sticking to a very minimal buying pattern for the next few months since I’m saving up for IMATS New York (Sugarpill EVERYTHING) in April. Luckily, I’ve also received a few Sephora gift cards so if I feel the need to splurge, I’ve got those in my back pocket! 😉
Challenge Week: Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons
This palette needs little to no introduction as far as I’m concerned!
For the uninitiated, however, this is the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette and it’s the third iteration in Too Faced‘s chocolate-smelling Chocolate Bar lineup of palettes. This one features more of a pink theme (in the shadows and in the packaging), but overall it’s still a very neutral themed palette (which will make a lot of people happy!). Want swatches? Check out this post.
Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette Looks
I don’t normally opt for these kinds of shades on my lids, so I made sure it was the first thing I reached for in this palette.
Eyes
- Pecan Praline through the top of the crease.
- Almond Truffle to deepen up through the crease.
- Satin Sheets on the lid.
- Bordeaux on the outer half of the lid.
- Divinity on the brow bone
On my lashes is Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara.
Face
- Bronzer: Joe Fresh Sand
- Blush: MAC Sea Me, Hear Me
- Highlighter: Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Duo #1
- Lips: Rimmel Provocalips in Make a Move
I wore this one to a family memorial, so I made sure to keep it matte and neutral.
Eyes
- Almond Truffle through the top of the crease.
- Mocha through the crease.
- Divinity on the lid and on the brow bone.
- Malted on the outer half of the lid.
I created the wing with Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper and applied Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara to my lashes.
Face
- Bronzer & Highlighter: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow (both shades)
- Blush: Tarte – Exposed
- Lips: Clarins – Rosy Nude
I was excited to use the pink shade in the palette and wanted to create a very dramatic look with it. I made sure to use all three pink shades included in the palette because I wanted to see if it would be overkill (I don’t feel it is).
Eyes
- Almond Truffle through the crease.
- Totally Fetch on the lid.
- Sprinkles on the inner corner.
- Bordeaux on the outer half of the lid.
- Divinity on the brow bone.
I lined my lower lash line with Cotton Candy (inner half) and Bordeaux (outer half). I created the wing with Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper and applied Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch to my lashes.
Face
- Foundation: Illamasqua Skin Base in 6.5
- Bronzer & Highlighter: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow (both shades)
- Blush: Tarte Exposed with a little bit of Clinique Cola Pop on top
- Lips: Sephora Queen Bee lipgloss
Despite all the pinks, this palette actually has a purple and a darker navy in the mix which helps flesh out the diversity of this palette.
Eyes
- Almond Truffle through the crease.
- Black Currant on the middle of the lid.
- Sprinkles on the inner corner.
- Earl Grey on the outer half of the lid.
- Divinity on the brow bone.
I lined the outer half of my lower lash line with Sephora‘s Diamond eyeliner in Phat Rock and applied Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch to my lashes.
Face
- Foundation: Revlon ColorStay in 200 Nude
- Bronzer: Joe Fresh Sand
- Blush: Kryolan Glossy Rosewood
- Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle
- Lips: NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie
Although I did this look last, this look features my absolute favourite shade in the entire palette: Molasses Chip. It’s the kind of reflective pale bronze that’s creamy and easy to use and so, so beautiful on the lid.
Eyes
- Cashew Chew through the top of the crease.
- Mocha through the crease to deepen it up.
- Molasses Chip applied wet all over the lid, on the inner corner and on the inner half of the lower lash line.
- Bordeaux on the outer half of the lid and on the outer half of the lower lash line.
- Divinity on the brow bone.
I applied Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara to my lashes.
Face
- Foundation: Revlon Colorstay in 200 Nude
- Bronzer: Joe Fresh Sand
- Blush: Cargo Mendocino
- Highlighter: Dior Amber Diamonds
- Lips: Bite Beauty Juniper
I hope you enjoyed the looks! The Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette can be purchased from Sephora.ca for $59 CAD, or from TooFaced.com for $49 USD.
Makeup Geek Duochromes (Full Collection – Swatches, Review & Looks)
Oh man. I have been lusting and lusting over the Makeup Geek duochromes since they first launched back in September. At the time, I couldn’t justify the cost of the whole collection, but come December I was back in a position to purchase ALL OF THEM. I picked up the entire duochrome set in a packaged bundle for $150 USD. That set comes with all twelve duochrome shadows and all eight duochrome pigments. As I’m typing this, the set is currently out of stock, but it’s expected to be back in stock in early February.
Sidenote: If you’re ever wondering WHEN something will be back in stock at Makeup Geek, always be sure to check their spreadsheet here. They’ve had it for years and it’s continuously updated.
The duochrome eyeshadow singles are packaged in the usual single pan packaging (no case for these guys yet, so you’ll need a Z-palette).
The pigments come in the same original containers as the MUG pigments, but they’ve had an updated lid and logo design that is much more appealing than its earlier incarntion.
As we get into the shades, please keep in mind that since these shadows reflect multiple colours, sometimes a camera cannot capture each shade. At the bottom of all of the swatches are out of focus shots that I’ve taken in an attempt to show you the dimension of each shade.
Makeup Geek Duochrome Eyeshadow Swatches
Blacklight is a purple with teal reflect. This is an incredible shade to use with a black base since it will do a lot to change the colour of the shadow.
Phantom is a white shadow with a purple reflect. I find this very similar to MAC’s Vellum, although the texture on the Makeup Geek shadow is a million times better. I’ve had several pans of Vellum over the years and it ALWAYS develops crusty hardpan. (Very annoying!) I’m so pleased Phantom doesn’t do that!
Karma is an orangey-gold with green reflects.
Voltage is a colour I am so, SO FREAKING HAPPY TO HAVE. I had an old MAC duo that was very similar to this shade and I’ve never ever found a dupe for it (was the light white/gold shade from the Illusionary/Burning Ambition duo).
Steampunk is another unique shade I wasn’t expecting to see and it’s jawdropping. It’s a black base with a bronze reflect. And it’s EXACTLY what I would expect a shadow called “Steampunk” to look like.
Havoc, to me, is your basic MAC Club. It’s an orangey-brown base with some teal reflect.
Typhoon is another one that took me by surprise. It looks pretty, you know.. green in the pan. Even perhaps a pale green. However, once you swatch it, the colour actually DEEPENS (sayyyyy what?) and it develops this gorgeous teal with gold and green reflect. Insanity.
Another stunner! Secret Garden also deepends up once you apply it. It’s a dark brown base with sharp green reflect. This is the perfect shade if you only want to wear one colour on your eye – it’ll be dark green on the lid and smudge out to a brown in the crease.
Ritzy has a reddish brown base with gold reflects.
Mai Tai is a peach shade with a subtle lilac reflect.
I’m Peachless is a champagne with peach-pink reflects. Stunning on the lid and on the inner corner.
The already existing shade (although now added to the duochrome lineup) is Rockstar, a dull silver with purple and pink reflects. I find this very, very similar to MAC’s Vex.
The shot above is every shade in the eyeshadow collection taken out of focus so you can see some of the reflect to the shades.
Makeup Geek Duochrome Pigment Swatches
Wildfire is a red-coral with gold reflects. STUNNING.
Sugar Rush is a white with a teal reflect. The shot above does nothing to do it justice. Scroll down to see the out of focus shot and you’ll see more of the teal coming out.
Chameleon is kind of cool in the pot – it looks blue and silver, but as soon as you swatch it it goes teal with gold reflects.
Insomnia is an existing shade for MUG, but I didn’t own it before (so I was happy to have it in this set). It’s a red-brown with blue reflects (also similar to MAC’s Club).
I cannot photograph Kaleidoscope to save my life. It’s a medium silver with pink, purple and teal reflects that are very visible in person.
Prism is another one of those icy white shades with a peachy-pink reflect.
Mood Ring is a pale grey with lavender reflects.
Hologram is a favourite of mine – while the base is quite orange, you get a LOT of gold punch to it on the lid.
See how the colours on the right side of the swatch stand out more when they’re out of focus? So, SO pretty.
A note on the packaging: My pigments did not come with the sifters inside the jar and instead were in a separate baggie inside my order. Since I knew about the problem of the sifters breaking the jars, I decided to only try it on one of my pigments. As soon as I applied the sifter, it cracked the side of the lid around the screwtop. My husband pulled the top off for me, and I just decided to leave all the pigments as is without slotting in the sifters. Sure, they’re a bit messy, but pigments usually are. Applying the sifter isn’t worth it to me if it’ll crack the jars. Additionally, having the sifter on actually made it difficult to screw the tops closed (without the sifter on, it it glides through the grooves seamlessly.).
As you can see from the shot above, the lid of the pigments are suited to having the sifters on (the circle sticks out and slots into the hole in the sifter). I’m hoping they fix the packaging in the future so that that sifters don’t crack the jars, but until then it’s definitely not a deal breaker for me: I love the pigments and will continue to use them without the sifters.
Makeup Geek Duochrome Looks
Here’s a few looks I cooked up using some of the pigments:
Pressing The Pigments
I know some people don’t like the mess of pigments, so I decided to press Kaleidoscope to see how it would turn out (plus I wanted to send it to a friend). For a tutorial on how to press pigments, check out this post.
It definitely works, and the swatch ends up looking rather similar:
If anything, it’s a bit softer of a colour when it’s been pressed and then swatched, but the different colours are present when you tilt the shadow towards the light. (I know you can’t see it in the swatch, which is a shame, because Kaleidoscope is so utterly unique!)
Final Thoughts
These are PHENOMENAL. They are so much fun to use and play with. Since the duochromes have multi-coloured shifts, you can mix and match with other eyeshadows you have to pull out more colour as you wish. For example, to pull out the red tones in Hologram in my eye shot above, I used some darker red/orange shades. You can also use different bases to augment different shades in the pigment (try playing around with it!).
My personal favourites eyeshadow shades are Blacklight, I’m Peachless, Phantom and Secret Garden. For the pigments, I love Hologram, Wildfire, Sugar Rush and Prism. They’re all good though, and the pigmentation as amazing as every other Makeup Geek shadow I’ve tried! If you REALLY want to see the multi-faceted shades in one of these, next time you place a MUG order, pick up the Kaleidoscope pigment. I actually gasped when I swatched that one!
So if you couldn’t tell, as per usual, these are total winners from the Makeup Geek brand. The duochrome eyeshadows are the same $6 USD price tag you’re used to from MUG, although the pigments will set you back $12 USD each. If you get some, tell me about your experiences with the shades!
Swatch Sunday: Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette Acid Brights
Despite my scathing comments on the Makeup Revolution palette I swatched last week (see that here), this palette is actually a lot better on the pigmentation side of things. Once again, this is a direct shade rip off of the Sleek Acid palette, however, the Redemption Palette Acid Brights actually does have enough pigmentation to make this palette worthwhile. (Personally though, I’d just buy the Sleek palette instead.)
Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette Acid Brights Swatches
