July Favourites

Hey Everyone, 


It's that time of the month again...July favourites. This month I have been keeping things pretty simple by using the same products almost every day. July has been unbearably hot where I live and babysitting for two kids means that I need to keep my look easy and somewhat sweat proof. Being on a P10P has also put me in a bit of a makeup rut, but I am glad to say that I have nearly finished a few different products and hope to be able to buy some new things in the next couple of months. In the meantime, here are my July favourites:

FACE

1) Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzer in '#51': I never thought I would find a bronzer I liked more than Chanel's Tan de Soleil cream bronzer but, alas I have. Not only does this bronzer smell amazing (smells just like a chocolate bar), it is the perfect colour for my fair skin and does not leave even a hint of the dreaded 'fake bake' orange colour on my skin. This is something I have been using every single day this month and I know I will be buying some backups as soon as I am done my P10P. 


2) Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in 'Flush': I've had this cheek stain for probably at least 4 years (probably not the most hygienic, I know) and have hardly made a dent in it. Flush is a gorgeous bright berry blush that blends flawlessly into the skin giving the cheeks a natural looking glow. Because it is a stain, it can be worn heavier or sheered out depending on the desired look. Like the Bourjois bronzer, this cheek stain is scented and smells like a mixture of summer fruits. My only problem with this cheek stain is that it melts very quickly, so it needs to be stored in a cool, dry area. 

EYES

3) Annabelle 4 Show Eyeshadow Quad in 'Tiger Eye': When I first received this eyeshadow quad in a swag bag from the Toronto Beauty Bloggers I went to back in March, I honestly thought it looked cheap. I figured the shadows wouldn't be very pigmented and it would be hard to use just one colour from the quad, without all of the colours intermixing. I shoved it into the back of my makeup drawer and forgot about it until the beginning of this month when I decided to give it a try. All I can say is, never judge a book by its cover (or an eyeshadow quad by its case). All four shades in this quad are gorgeously pigmented and apply like a dream. Each colour can stand on its own, but when put together, they create a gorgeous golden smokey summer eye. I love this quad so much that I've been including it in some of the packages I have been sending to fellow beauty bloggers. If you live in Canada, definitely check this quad out. 


4) Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eye Primer: In 'beauty blogging', there are two kinds of people: those who love and swear by Urban Decay's Primer Potion and those who much prefer Too Faced's Shadow Insurance. Sadly, all of my UDPP friends, I have switched to the other side. I am in LOVE with the Too Faced eye primer. Not only does it seamlessly blend onto the eyelids (UDPP sometimes sits in my eye creases), it is super creamy, feels nice on the lids and keeps my eyeshadow on ALL day (UDPP only worked in combination with MAC's 'Painterly' Paint Pot for me). This will definitely be a re-purchase for me. 


5) MAC Powder Eyeshadow in 'Femme Fi': To be honest, I have a number of shadows that can be used as brow bone highlighters and usually just reach for which ever one is most accessible. This month's main highlighter of choice has been MAC's 'Femme Fi', a limited edition light gold shadow with a great sheen. Unfortunately this colour was limited edition, but MAC has several similar shadows including 'Nylon' and 'Rice Paper'. 


6) MAC Powder Eyeshadow in 'Soft Brown': MAC's 'Soft Brown' eyeshadow has definitely been my favourite product of the month, and one that I have used every single day without fail. This light brown shadow has a somewhat peachy-undertone and works perfectly as a crease colour, adding definition to almost any eyeshadow look. This shadow can be used in conjunction with purple, pink, brown, green, etc. eyeshadow combinations, but my favourite look is when it is used in the crease with a smokey grey lid (thing Urban Decay's gunmetal). This has quickly become my new favourite MAC shadow (sorry Club!) and I would highly recommend you add this to your collection. 

LIPS

7) Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in 'Papaya': I have been keeping my lips pretty simple this month and have only been using two gloss products. The first (and probably my favourite) is Revlon's Colourburst Lipgloss in 'Papaya'. This super bright pink-coral gloss is very moisturizing (not at all sticky) and gives the lips a really nice sheen. Because this gloss is so pigmented, the lips get a full burst of colour (so may not work for those who are afraid of too much colour). One thing I love about this gloss is that its doe-foot applicator is bendable, making it easy to apply gloss at the corners of the mouth without a big mess. 


8) Korres Lip Butter in 'Quince': I love Korres Lip Butters. Not only are they super moisturizing (they are infused with shea butter), they all smell amazing (especially the Jasmine one) and give the lips a nice, light stain of colour. 'Quince' is a hot red-pink balm that gives the lips a beautiful "I just ate a pink popsicle" look that is perfect for summer. Unlike the Revlon Colourburst gloss, this lip balm is not very pigmented and needs to be built-up for a more colourful look. If you have yet to try any of the Korres Lip Butter, check them out the next time you are in Sephora. 

NAILS

9) Orly Nail Polish (Hot Shot and Frisky featured above): While I still love Essie (a past favourite), I have fallen madly in love with Orly's nail polishes. They are super pigmented (you only need 1 coat usually), apply smoothly (especially helpful for someone like me who can't apply polish to save my life) and are super easy to remove (seriously a huge benefit when you have acrylic nails). I currently only own 4 different colours from the brand but definitely plan on stocking up on some more bottles in the near future. 

 4 Show Tiger Eye, Femme Fi, Soft Brown

 Papaya, Quince, #51, Flush

Hot Shot, Frisky

Have you tried any of the products mentioned above? What were your favourites for the month? If you did a monthly favourites post, leave the link in the comment section so I can check it out. 

xx

Alicia

Love Them or Leave Them: Crazy Nails

Hey Everyone, 

A few months ago I started a series of posts called 'Love Them or Leave Them' in which I showed you some super 'unique' hairstyles, shoes, etc., and asked you to decide which ones you'd love to try or hate to wear. This 'Love Them or Leave Them' post features some pretty outrageous manicures. With the recently popularity of 'konad' nail stamps, I have been seeing some really awesome manicures from my fellow beauty bloggers, but in my opinion, the manicures in these pictures go a little too far for my taste. So, my question to you is, which of these nail designs would you love to sport and which are just a little too scary to wear?


xx
Alicia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Big Fat 'One Year of Blogging' Giveaway

Hey Everyone, 

When I first started blogging just over a year ago, I didn't really know what to expect. Yes, I figured the friends and family who I forced asked to read my blog would, but I really wasn't sure anyone else would. One year later, I can definitely say that starting this blog is one of the best things I have ever done. For a year I have felt nothing but support from my subscribers and after having had a number of bad years in my life, blogging and reading all of your comments is something I can always look forward to. 

To show my appreciation to all of my subscribers, I have put together a big "one-year of blogging" giveaway. I know a lot of people have strong opinions when it comes to holding/entering a giveaway, and so I very quickly wanted to share my own feelings on the matter. Do I only hold giveaways in order to get more subscribers? Absolutely not!! My foremost reason for holding giveaways has and always will be to thank my subscribers for their wonderful support. I never make posting/tweeting, etc. about my giveaways mandatory. Obviously, like any beauty blogger out there, I would love for new subscribers to find out about and read my blog and so I give chances for extra entries for sharing my giveaway with others. While I know many people will subscribe for the giveaway, I hope that they will stay because they like reading my posts. Onto the actual giveaway prizes, rules and ways to enter:

THE PRIZES

Part 1: 

The Balm's Shady Lady Vol. 2 Eyeshadow Palette

Figuring that a large majority of my subscribers already own Urban Decay's 'Naked Palette', I decided to give away another one of my favourite eyeshadow palettes. The Balm's Shady Lady palette consists of nine very creamy, super pigmented (I would say even more pigmented than MAC or Urban Decay) shadows in a variety of colours. 

Part 2: 

Harajuku Lovers Sunshine Cutie Fragrance in 'Love'

To be honest, I have yet to try any of the Harujuku Lovers perfume, but when I saw how cute the packaging of this fragrance was, I knew I had to include it in my giveaway. Here is what the Frangrantica website says about the scent: A fruity floral Top: Nectarine, Passion Fruit, Lemon Blossom Mid: Plumeria, Osmanthus, Rose Petals Base: Vanilla Orchid, Coconut Water, Sensual Musk, Sandalwood.

Part 3: 

OCC Lip Tars and Loose Colour

At IMATS New York back in April, I was graciously given a press pack of two OCC lip tars and two OCC loose colour shadows. Figuring that I already have enough makeup in my collection (including many items from OCC), I decided to keep the package and include it in my giveaway. This package includes: 

1) OCC Lip Tar in 'Interlace': With a subtle hint of peach, this warm neutral lip tar is perfect for a variety of skin tones. 

2) OCC Lip Tar in 'Trollop': This bright pink-coral lip tar is one of OCC's more popular colours and perfect for summer. 

3) OCC Loose Colour in 'Bitmap': This super shimmery medium green loose shadow is stunning yet subtle enough for those who are afraid of too much colour. 

4) OCC Loose Colour in 'Distortion': With extremely fine pink and light blue glitter, this navy blue loose eyeshadow is the perfect colour for a vampy, smoky eye look. This is definitely one colour I will be picking up for myself at IMATS Toronto. 

Part 4: 

Jesse's Girl Lipgloss and Eyeshadow

As part of a gift with purchase at IMATS NYC, I received these two products and decided to keep them for my giveaway (once again, I didn't need more makeup). 

1) Jesse's Girl Formula 13 Lipgloss in 'Papaya': This super shimmery pink-coral lipgloss is packed with fine pink and gold glitter. 

2) Jesse's Girl Mineralized Baked Powder Eyeshadow in 'Ocean Breeze': With its dark blue veins, this light blue baked eyeshadow gives the eye a very metallic look. 

Part 5: MAC Eyeshadows

1) MAC Mineralized Eyeshadow duo in 'Family Silver': This light eyeshadow has both a light and darker grey shadow with copper veining running through both sides. 

2) MAC Eyeshadow in 'Golden Crown': Released with MAC's Holiday 2010 collection, this medium gold shadow has medium chunks of golden glitter. 

3) MAC Mineralized Eyeshadow in 'Sea & Sky': This mineralized eyeshadow has both a light blue with teal veining and shimmery dark blue side (** I love this duo and am wearing it today **).

4) MAC Mega Metal Eyeshadow in 'Peek-At-You': Released with MAC's recent 'Peacocky' collection, this light golden-beige shadow is the perfect highlight colour. 

5) MAC Eyeshadow in 'Lustreleaf': This super mint green eyeshadow with silver undertones is very shiny, giving the eye a metallic effect. 

6) MAC Eyeshadow in 'Bitter': This bright lime green shadow is packed with super fine gold glitter and is definitely not for the faint of heart. 

Part 6: MAC Lip Products

1) MAC Cremesheen Glass in 'Boy Bait': Everyone knows how much I love MAC's Cremesheen glasses. Not only are they super moisturizing, they are not at all sticky and give the lips a gorgeous sheen. This nude pink-beige is one of my favourite colours from MAC. 

2) MAC Lipglass in 'Astro Cool': This translucent pink gloss is packed with pink and purple glitter. 

3) MAC Lipglass in 'Queen Bee': This orange-coral gloss has flecks of pink and iridescent green glitter. 

4) MAC Lipglass in 'Naked Frost': This metallic-like golden brown gloss is gorgeous when worn alone or on top of a darker brown lipstick. 

5) MAC Lipglass in 'Love Child': This deep plummy purple gloss is full of finely milled golden glitter and is perfect for the upcoming fall and winter months. 

6) MAC Lipglass in 'Nymphette': As one of MAC's most popular lip products, this medium pink gloss has a golden iridescent sheen which looks amazing on the lips. 

7) MAC Lipstick in 'Alibi': This orange-red coral lipstick is subtle enough for those who don't like a bold lip, but colourful enough for this summer's coral trend. 

Part 7: MAC Miscellaneous Products

1) MAC Blush in 'Eversun': With its finely milled gold glitter, this deep bronze blush has definitely been a favourite of mine this summer. 

2) MAC Pigment in 'Madly Personal': With its super hot pink-berry colour, this pigment can be used on eyes, lips and cheeks. 

3) MAC Pro Longlash Mascara: This black, lengthening mascara has a super thin brush making it easy to coat all of your lashes. 

4) MAC False Lashes in '#41': With their criss-crossed hair, these lashes are by far my favourite from MAC as they add subtle length to your natural lashes. 

THE RULES

***Please read all rules, I really don't want to disqualify anyone, but it's hard to count entries when someone hasn't followed all of the rules so please read them. Just to note, if you post your entries in separate comments, all entries will be placed together in my excel spreadsheet. One comment listing all of your entries is great!***

1) You must be a subscriber to my blog (If your subscriber name is different from the name shown on your comment please let me know so I don't discount your entries). Please no Anonymous comments. 

2) Please leave your email address at the bottom of your comment so I can contact you if you win. 

3) This contest is international, anyone from anywhere can win. 

4) The giveaway will run for 3 weeks and end August 11th, 2011. Due to some confusion on my part, I have pushed back the entry deadline to August 19th, 2011. 

THE ENTRIES

There are several ways to enter. You can do all of the following to earn 5 entries in total. Please let me know which things you have done in your comment so I can properly count your entries (if you want to count them for me, that's awesome too!)

1) Mandatory Entry: Tell me what your favourite type of post to read is in general. (counts for 1 entry).

3) Follow me on twitter here. Leave your twitter name in the comment section below (counts for 1 extra entry) **If you want to post about the giveaway on twitter, it would be very much appreciated, but I am too technologically challenged to keep track of it, so it won't count for an extra entry**

4) Post my giveaway in your sidebar. Include the picture at the top of this post. Leave the link in the comment section (counts for 1 extra entry).

5) Write a post about my giveaway. Include the picture at the top of this post. Leave a link in the comment section below (counts for 1 extra entry). **You can do a post and a sidebar for 2 entries total**

6) Make a video about my giveaway. Leave a link in the comment section (counts for 1 extra entry)

Thank you so much for your support!
Good Luck!
xx
Alicia

FOTD: It's Never Too Hot for the Blues

Hey Everyone, 

It is so hot out today. So hot, in fact, that all of my makeup melted off of my face moments after taking these pictures. Today I decided to go for another bright summer eye look look, but rather than placing colour on my lower lash line (like my post here), I decided to add a pop of bright blue eyeliner to my upper lash line. To complete the blue eye look, I used a blue coloured mascara on my lashes. For my face, I kept it simple with a pink cheek and pink stained lips. I also decided to play around with my new hair and used a diffuser to dry my natural wavy hair into messy curls. Here is my FOTD: 

Eyes:

Lid: MAC eyeshadow in 'Orb'

Crease: MAC eyeshadow in 'Soft Brown'

Liner: Annabelle Kohl Eyeliner in 'Lapis'

Lashes: Gosh Amazing Lenghthin Build in 'Electric Blue'

Face: 

Foundation: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in 'Nude'

Bronzer: Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder

Cheeks: Tarte's Natural Cheek Stain in 'Flush' and NYC Cheek Glow in 'Cherry Blossom'

Highlighter: NARS Illuminator in 'Copacabana'

Lips: 

Korres Lip Butter in 'Quince'

xx

Alicia

My New Hair!

Hey Everyone, 

For the past two years, I have been trying to grow out my hair to get those really natural looking soft curls everyone seems to be sporting these days. Unfortunately for me, my long hair didn't have pretty curls but more a frizzy mess, and while I contemplated chopping it all off many times, ultimately I chickened out. 

This week, however, completely sick of how heavy and gross my long hair felt, I decided to take the plunge and chop it all off. 

Luckily, I was able to get in to see a new hairdresser (the amazing Lisa Sallabank from Salon Entrenous) almost right away, so I didn't have a chance to change my mind. What I loved most about my appointment with Lisa was that she told me what she thought I should do with my hair rather than wait for me to tell her what I thought would look good (as she said, a dentist wouldn't wait for you to tell them which cavities you thought should be filled). Lisa suggested I go for a full head of icy blonde highlights to help my blue eyes pop and a graduated bob to elongate my face and make it less round. 

I was so happy with the end result and I can't even tell you how good it feels not to have to deal with long, thick and frizzy hair. The cut, which looks great straight, also has enough layers to give my natural waves some definition. Most importantly (and the only stipulation I gave Lisa), I can still put my hair up into a small ponytail. 

It feels great to have a new look and while it may seem silly that a haircut can really change a person, I definitely feel more confident in my appearance. 

xx

Alicia

NOTD: My New Love is a Total 'Hot Shot'

Hey Everyone, 


I have fallen completely, head-over-heels in love with Orly's 'Hot Shot' nail polish. Not only is this super bright, red-coral polish perfect for summer, it is so smooth and intensely pigmented that only one coat is needed for great coverage. This was my first ever bottle of Orly polish, and if the rest of the polishes are as nice as this one, I'm sure I will soon own half of the Orly collection.


As a nod to the recent 'accent nail' trend, I added OPI's 'Bring on the Bling', a gold based glitter with flecks of green, orange and purple, to my ring fingers. I loved this combination so much, I actually copied the look on my toes! If you are looking for a bright summer polish, definitely check 'Hot Shot' out.

Have you tried any Orly polishes? Are there any you would recommend I try in the future? Be sure to let me know in the comment section below. 

xx

Alicia

Beauty Quote of the Week # 37

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”

 -Ashley Smith

FOTD: Summer Brights

Hey Everyone, 


With the weather being so hot, I decided to create a very summery and bright makeup look today. Here is my 'Summer Brights' face of the day: 

Eyes:

Lid: Inglot '#60' eyeshadow

Crease: MAC 'Soft Brown' eyeshadow

Highlight: MAC 'Manilla Paper' eyeshadow

Lower Lash Line: Barry M Super Soft Crayon in 'Shade 8' and Inglot '#371' eyeshadow

Lashes: Maybelline 'One by One' mascara

Face:

Foundation: MAC Studio Moisture Tint in 'Light'

Bronzer: Chanel'Tan de Soleil' cream bronzer and Bourjois 'Delice de Poudre' bronzing powder.

Cheeks: MAC Blushcreme in 'Joie de Vivre' and Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in 'Tipsy'

Highlighter: 'NARS' Multiple in Copacabana, Smashbox Artificial Light in 'Flash' and Dior Diorskin Shimmer Powder in 'Amber Diamond'

  

Lips: 

Lipstick: MAC Lipstick in 'Morange' and

Lipgloss: Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in 'Papaya'

xx

Alicia