Tweet My Favourite Products of 2010

Hi everyone :)

Before i start reviewing and swatching all my new goodies :), i thought i should do a little post to wrap up my 2010! I know this is a bit late, but better late than never! :D so, here are my all time favourite products of 2010 :) I use most of these products on a daily basis, some i have even repurchased once or several times!


note: Since there are a TON of products i want to mention, i will try not to go into full details about each product unless it is one i have never reviewed on this blog. Otherwise, i will put links under the products i have previously reviewed that will direct you to the review post :)

Favourite Face/Skincare Products of 2010

1. Revlon Photoready Foundation in Nude
Im almost done my first bottle and i do plan on repurchasing once im done :) i know it does has some shimmer which some people might not like, but i dont think its too noticeable once applied. What i love about it is that is gives pretty good coverage, helps evens out my skintone and is very nice for photos :) i also LOVE the pump! its probably the best pump i've ever used as it allows you to pump out as much or little as you need <3

2. Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer
-review here-

3. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - translucent
Im already finishing my second compact, so you can really tell how much i love this lol i apply this daily with my ELF kabuki brush to set my foundation. What i love about it is that its easy to use (in pressed form so its not messy), does a great job of setting my makeup so i dont look shiny, keeps my oily tzone matte for the whole day, annnd its cheap to buy! I also use this with a small fluffy brush to set my concealer and it helps alot! :)

4. Clarisonic Classic in Pink
-review here-

5. Neutrogena Oil-Free Fresh Moisture
This is my all time favourite moisturizer!! I know im weird, but i dont like using creams or lotions on my face because it feels too heavy and oily for my already oily skin. so i tend to stick to only using gel moisturizers and this one is my HG. although its got a gel like consistency, it feels as moisturizing as any other cream lotions but absorbs much faster and leaves behind nice silky soft skin :)

i have repurchased this moisturizer so many times i have lost count and im almost done the tube i have now! so its about time i go repurchase another :) unfortunately, the last few times i went searching for this, i couldnt find it! i am SOO worried that its getting discontinued so next time i find one, im stocking up like no tomorrow!!

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Favourite Eye Products of 2010

1. Urban Decay Naked Palette
- review here -

 2. Wet n' Wild Coloricon Palettes
- review here -

3. Stila Smudgepot in Bronze
I dont normally venture outside drugstore products too often, but i am SO glad i did for this one! I love love love this product and have used up quite a big chunk of it lol (pretty much used it everyday since i got it!) i chose the shade bronze because black seems too heavy for day-to-day wear, but aside from color, the formula itself is amazing! super soft and creamy, but once its on, it stays on! i love it and will most definitely repurchase once im done!

4. Covergirl Lashblast Volume - waterproof
This has been my favourite mascara ever since i first started using it. Although it doesnt volumize as much as id like, it definitely lengths and darkens my lashes nicely. The best part about this, is that it holds my straight asian lashes in a curl for the whole freaking day! *yay* my lashes are so stubbornly straight that not alot of mascara can hold them up, but this one does and since its cheap & readily available, im not switching mascaras for awhile!

mascara runner-up : Loreal Voluminous in Black Brown
Sometimes when i want more volume in my lashes, i use this mascara first and then a layer of covergirl after. I really like this mascara as well because it really helps add volume and thickness to my lashes. I chose the shade in black brown so i could wear this on its own for lazymakeup days :) but overall, if covergirl never came out with their lashblast, this would be my mascara!

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Favourite Lip Products of 2010

1. Nivea Essential or A Kiss of Moisture
- review here -


2. Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine
Along with my nivea tubes, i also LOVE this stufff! It smells heavenly (like butterscotch *yumm*) and gives my lips just the perfect amount of moisture. I tend to use this in the morning after i wash and moisturize my face. then after im done applying makeup, my lips will be all ready and prepped up for any lipstick/gloss i plan on putting on for that day :) the only thing i dont like about this is the application method as it comes in a small jar.. so its not as sanitary as others. still, i love both the packaging and the product inside!

3. Maybelline Moisture Extreme in Nude Blush
- review here -


4. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses - all shades
These lipglosses are the best lipglosses ever! Although i do have to say the pigmentation could be slightly better, and the color choices could be slightly wider, i absolutely love the formula! it is soo smooth and 100% not sticky! I know alot of people dont mind the stickness, but i for one cant stand it! So these lipglosses are perfect for me and currently, my favourite shade is Life's a Peach :)

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Favourite Blushes of 2010

1. Annabelle - Rapture
2. ELF - Candid Coral (swatch)
3. MAC MSF in Stereo Rose & Petticoat (swatch)

4. Hard Candy - Living Doll & Honeymoon (swatch living doll, swatch honeymoon, both applied)

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Favourite Nail Polishes of 2010

sparkling diamonds - LA colors

1. Sally Hansen - Silver Slightblade
2. Nailene french manicure - Petal Pusher
3. LA Colors - Mega Watt
4. Rimmel - Steel Grey (Swatch)
5. Revlon - Minted (swatch)
6. Nicole by OPI - Black to the future (swatch)
7. Sally Hansen - Gray by Gray (swatch)
8. LA Colors - Sparkling Diamonds (Swatch)

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Favourite Brushes of 2010

1. ELF Studio Powder Brush (review)
2. ELF Studio Kabuki Face Brush
3. ELF Studio Small Angled Brush
4. Ecotools Bronzer Brush (review)
5. Ecotools Crease Brush
6. Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush (review)
7. Sigma E30 Pencil Brush (review)
8. Sigma E40 Tapered Blending Brush (review)

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Favourite Skin Boosters & Serums of 2010

1. The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost
Great as a primer and a skin boost! This not only smells sooo good! (think oranges!) but also has a silky texture that is great for prepping your skin for makeup :) Plus, its supposed to make your skin less dull and i think its done a great job!


2. Loreal Lash Serum

i lovee this stuff! you apply it day and night on your lashes and its supposed to make them thicker, longer and healthier! although i dont have crazy results, i do notice that my lashes are alot healthier now in that less fall off during makeup removal. Plus, i do notice slight thickening and lengthing and i am soo excited :D <3

3. My Beauty Diary Masks - Natto & Aloe Vera
- review here - 

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and i think that about sums it up :) theres probably  a ton of other products i wish i could mention and it took me a long while to narrow it down to the list i have above lol. but overall, im happy with the ones i chose :) Starting with next post, there will be a TON of new swatches and reviews :) i hope you're all as excited as i am! take care!

Tweet Maybelline Mineral Concealer, How Well Do You Conceal?

Hii :) im not sure if you heard, but a while ago, calgary was said to be the second coldest place in the world! aaannd guess where lucky little me lives.. CALGARY! :( i think we hit a low of -33... and thats not even considering wind chill... scary right? haha good thing the weathers starting to get better recently :)

anyways, to get to the point, this cold cold weather makes my skin super dry! as a result, i can no longer depend on my time balm concealer because i find that it is too heavy and starts to cake a little.. which is sad because it normally doesnt happen :( so.. i went off to search for another concealer and ended up getting Maybelline's Mineral Power Concealer in Cream :)

im actually really liking the wand packaging :) more hygienic and easier to apply!

micro-minerals, pure ingredients, naturally luminous finish = count me in!

doe foot applicator = amazing!

First off, lets talk packaging!
most concealers i've used in the past, were in pan form where you had to dig your little fingers in to get the product out. Now when i first tried out the doe applicator, i was amazed! it easily allows you to dot the concealer onto your skin keeping everything nice and clean :)


Also, if you're not familiar with the different types of concealers, i did a little research and it turns out...

you want to try to stick with concealers in wands or tubes for concealing under-eye circles because they tend to be a lighter consistency meaning there are less chances for creasing.


on the other hand, you want a heavier, creamier concealer for covering up any red spots or blemishes and those usually tend to be the ones in pots.

heres a quick swatch of Cream, i didnt blend in fully in so you could see the consistency

now... time for some shots to see if this concealer works or not!


please note: i am  wearing a very sheer coat of foundation but i tried not to apply any to my under-eye areas. all pictures were taken in natural lighting with no flash.

oh.. please ignore the dry areas around my nose. i have been using my clarisonic for a tad too long on my nose and as a result, i think i over-exfoiliated it :( boo.. now i know better lol

nothing applied... i have pretty bad circles :( they're MUCH worse when i smile haha

dotted with doe applicator

blended with fourth finger.. you can still see the area slightly, but i feel that my eyes look more awake :)

just wait.. it gets better lol

take a look at these! (remember, this was just one coat!)

 my right eye is NOT concealed (left side in pic)
and my left eye is concealed (right side in picture)
im sorry haha its a tad confusing but i think you can see the difference right? :)

again, left side (right eye) is not concealed, but the right side is
... i know, my eyes are slightly crossed hahaha

i tested it out for the past few days, and found no major signs of creasing. it stayed on most of the day but do note that i apply the tiniest bit on powder on top to keep it last longer. overall, i'm pretty happy with this! with the dry weather, this concealer is definitely the better choice for my under-eye circles because its not as thick and heavy. plus, if you need a bit more coverage, its buildable! so you can add on another two or three dots and blend awayy! :)


Pros:
- lightweight formula
- doe foot applicator
- relatively inexpensive (around $6-7 CAD)
- can be layered for more coverage
- hygienic and easy application
- no major signs of creasing


Cons:
- not very many shades available..
- medium coverage, might not cover circles completely
- doesnt last ALL day (but it does pretty good for average length days)

Conclusion:
If you have major dark circles, you might need something stronger than this.. but otherwise, i think this concealer's great! especially since it is relatively inexpensive :D haha does a great job of covering without any creasing or caking.. loving it so far!

Tweet My Collection Series Pt 1 - Nude Lipsticks

Today will be the start of my "The Collection Series" posts! I thought it might be a nice mix to switch on and off from reviewing new products and showing you what i have collected so far. So hopefully, i can get up one of these posts every other week or so :) First up in the collection series, will be my lipsticks.

To be honest, i used to never wear lipsticks.. just lip balm :) but after trying out a few, i cant seem to stop because all the shades are just so pretty! and lipstick is something that kind of brightens your face even if you dont do much to the rest of your face. Since i rarely do a full eye look, i like to balance it out with a nice lip color!

So today's post will be focusing on the nude shades that i have in my collection. Some have pink undertones, while others have brown undertones. But generally, these are either nude shades or MLBB (my lips but better) natural shades. enjoy!

left to right

Mac Hue, ELF Natural Nymph, Revlon Soft Nude, ELF Nicely Nude, Maybelline Nude Blush, Wet N' Wild Bare It All

left to right

Mac Hue, ELF Natural Nymph, Revlon Soft Nude,

left to right

ELF Nicely Nude, Maybelline Nude Blush, Wet N' Wild Bare It All (902C)

So like i said earlier, although these are all nude shades, they have various different undertones. For example, Mac Hue & ELF Nicely Nude both have pink undertones and are therefore warmer nude shades. Maybelline Nude Blush & WnW Bare it All both have brown undertones which gives a darker nude shade. ELF Natural Nymph is the only one i have that is a complete concealer nude and takes off any pigmentation that i previously had on my lips. Im not a huge fan of these "deathly nudes" but its nice to have once in awhile to help bring out the true color of other lippies. and finally, Revlon Soft Nude is kind of a mix, i'd say it is a concealer nude with slight brown undertones making it more wearable. Here are the comparison swatches!

left to right

Mac Hue, ELF Natural Nymph, Revlon Soft Nude, ELF Nicely Nude, Maybelline Nude Blush, Wet N' Wild Bare It All

left to right

Mac Hue, ELF Natural Nymph, Revlon Soft Nude, ELF Nicely Nude, Maybelline Nude Blush, Wet N' Wild Bare It All

and since i know how much you like lip swatches, here they are!

Mac Hue

a gorgeous soft nude with pink undertones. if concealer nudes dont look good on you, this is perfect. the pink gives a bit of warmth but you still get a bit of that nude shade. since it is a glaze, it is more sheer than other mac lippies. however, it is also super creamy and moisturizing! lovee it :)

ELF Natural Nymph

this is your all out concealer nude. and i have to admit, it does a really good job of wiping out my pigmented lips! although im not a huge fan of this shade (makes me look so dead), this comes in handy when you're trying to get the true color of a light lipstick to show up on your pigmented lips. only thing is, this is a matte shade so it can be a bit drying.

 Revlon soft nude

       

again, if you're not a huge fan of concealer nudes but still want that nude shade without any pink undertones, this is the perfect nude for you! As of now, this is my all time favourite "nude" shade as it has the slightest hint of brown which warms up the shade and makes it super wearable. the formula itself is also very nice! very creamy and applies well :)

ELF Nicely Nude

you're probably thinking "this isnt a nude shade".. well, its name can be deceiving! i think this is a nude shade with heavy pink undertones. Its not as pink and bright as pink lipsticks ought to be and has kind of a "muted" look therefore i placed it into the nude category. ignoring the category placement, this is actually a really nice shade and being slightly pinker than my natural lips, its a nice everyday lippie :)

 Maybelline nude blush

this is my all time favourite MLBB (My Lips But Better) lipstick! it is almost an exact match to my lips (minue the shine and glossy effect) and the formula is amazing! super super creamy and moisturizing, almost so that you dont have to apply a lip balm underneath. It gives a nice healthy shine and if i blot it a bit, it almost looks like im not wearing a lipstick but just have nice glossy lips :)

Wet N' Wild Bare It All (902C)

Bare it all is a matte nude with heavy brown undertones. Because it is matte, it can be drying but i can imagine this to be a really nice nude for those with darker skin tones. Anything with a heavier brown undertone would make a great nude for you girls!

Overall Favourites -

Favourite Nude Lipstick - Revlon Soft Nude

Favourite MLBB Lipstick - Maybelline Nude Blush

I hope you liked this post! Im still deciding how i should split up my lipsticks... the majority of them are pinks, so i might do two posts for pinks depending on how many i can get in one post :) so stay tuned!

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Tweet Got Dry Lips? Try Maybelline Moisture Extremes!

Do you have dry lips like me? Do you want a lipstick that can help moisturize while looking good too?

Well... i sure hope you've heard of Maybelline's Moisture Extreme Lipsticks! These lippies are seriously amazing for when my lips get real dry (specially during winter). Read on for swatches and a full review of why i love them so much!

nude blush, peach colada, sugar plum ice, born with it

hahaha can you tell i use nude blush alot? :) im on my 2nd tube already!

nude blush, peach colada, sugar plum ice, born with it

Packaging - 4/5

This lippie comes in a sleek red packaging with a silver band down the middle. It closes tightly (which i love) and is kind of boxy allowing it to not roll around like some other lipsticks. However, its also not completely square (like the revlon colorstay ones) which makes it fit nicely in your hand. The name is printed clearly on the bottom and overall, i think this packaging is pretty good! The only downside or complaint i have... is i wish it LOOKED nicer hahaha. maybe its just me, im not a hueg fan of the red shade. but other than looks, this lippie sure is packaged well!

nude blush, peach colada

sugar plum ice, born with it

taken from my iphone

born with it and sugar plum ice

nude blush, peach colada, sugar plum ice, born with it

nude blush, peach colada, sugar plum ice, born with it

do you see that "glossy" sheen?

nude blush, peach colada, sugar plum ice, born with it

nude blush, peach colada, sugar plum ice, born with it

nude blush, peach colada, sugar plum ice, born with it

Product - 5/5
I love this line of lippies! :) Not only does it moisturize, but they are also decently pigmented! (i know the swatches look a bit on the sheer side, but trust me, they for sure show up on your lips!) The formula itself i find, is similar to that of MAC lustre's.. kind of a creamy, glossy smooth feeling and i love it! After applied, these lipsticks also leave a very nice healthy sheen.. almost as if you put on some sort of lipgloss :) If you look at the above swatches, you'll see that "glow" im talking about!


The only slight con would be the shorter lasting power. Since it is so moisturizing and silky, theres a tendency for it to be easily wiped off. However, even if it does, i do find that they still slightly stain your lips so you still get some color.


and here's a lip swatch for sugar plum ice and born with it :)

sugar plum ice

born with it

look at that bright color! <3

Overall - 4.5/5
If you have problems with dry lips, these lipsticks would be a great addition to your collection! Of course, you might still need to apply some lip balm underneath, but this creamy smooth formula will not make your lips happy! :) definately highly recommended!

Have you tried this line of lipsticks before? Tell me what you thought! Im thinking these would be a staple in my purse especially now that winter's coming! :( Calgary has such DRY COLD WINTERS! :( boo...

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