Avon Reviews Galore!

Hey everyone! I want to apologize for my absence- I've had rugby, school, my family, friends [and boyfriend] to think about and spend time with! But don't worry because I am back and boy do I have some reviews for you!

I have so many great products to write about, and they are all from Avon! You know I don't really like a long introduction, so let's cut to the chase.

ANEW Clarifying Hand Cream

 This hand cream is meant to make dark spots on your hands fade away with daily use of it. Though I am only 16 years old and do not have dark spots anywhere, I think it's safe to say that this is my favourite moisturizer! It hydrates your skin and has a barely-there fragrance to it. It leaves your skin feeling soft, smooth, and young! You can purchase this hand cream from Avon for only $14.99!

From the Mark Collection...
Marrakesh Instant Vacation Eau de Toitlette Spray

 Oh my gosh you guys, this is a must-have for the summer! It is the warmest, most amazing thing I have ever smelled before. It is "an exotic blend of lavish Moroccan jasmine, neroli blossoms, spicy cardamom, wild fig and crushed mint". Tell me that doesn't sound amazing?! What I love about this perfume is that it doesn't have an over powering smell to it. When I smell it, I immediately think about summer time and the warmth of the sun....sigh, how I miss summer...Anywhooo, you can purchase this for the affordable price of $26! Also, check out their other stuff from their new Marrakesh theme! (Some stuff is down below)
Nailed It (trend mini nail lacquers)

First of all, I'd like to apologize because I do not have any swatches of the nail polishes that are featured in this post. I really need to catch up on my reviews so I don't have time to paint my nails, let them dry, take pictures, and upload them. Anyways, these are probably the most metallic nail polishes that I own at the moment! The Saffron (right) is beaaaaautiful and I recently wore it with pink nail polish for my semi-formal! These polishes don't chip very easily so they are guarenteed to last a while! These two polishes come together as a set for only $8! 
Exotic Beauty (face mosaics)

I have never been one to wear powders, blushes, or bronzers. I think it has to do with the fact that I usually put waaaaay too much on and I either look like a peach or an orange. But receiving this powder made me excited to start practicing my skills with it! My thoughts on this powder is that it is very shimmery, but not in a bad way. It doesn't make you look like Edward Cullen when you're in the light, but it does add a subtle sparkle. It also lasts all day, which is a plus! This face mosaic is $16. Down below is a swatch:

 Exotic Hues (eye shadow trio)

These are probably the most pigmented eyeshadows that I have found from Avon so far! I am head-over-heels in love with these colours! They were "inspired by the vibrant spices found in the city's souks". These shadows are also baked for long-lasting wear! I highly recommend you guys check them out, and purchase them for the price of $12! Enjoy a swatch down below:

 Glossworks Lip Gloss

Guys....Guys....These lipsticks are...Too amazing for words...Oh my goodness. They are so flippin' pigmented and glossy that I want to just purchase each colour...Three times. They really remind me of the Lip Glazes from Stila, only more pigmented and less shimmery. I love how the colours make my lips pop all day long! As a bonus, they are summer-perfect because they have an SPF of 15! Down below is a swatch of the colours (left to right) Roseland, Tempest, and Tropica:

Celestial Summer 2013 Colour Collection *available June 2013
Cosmic Nail Enamels  

Left to Right: Saturn, Aurora, Galaxy, Starlight, Starburst

Avon was generous enough to send me their new collection for the summer, which is the Celestial Colour Collection. The name gives you a clue that there will be a lot of shimmery cosmetics in this collection! I absolutely love the nail polishes that Avon has because they are long-lasting and are always bold colours! I think my favourite colours are Galaxy (because any shade of blue is gorgeous) and Aurora. These nail polishes will be available for $6 each!
Cosmic Eye Shadows

 

Right when I saw these I couldn't help but admire the swirls and how gorgeous these shadows are! They are baked and have a long life on your lids....did I mention they were really pretty? Definitely the coolest looking shadows I have! I have found different eye shadows that are more pigmented than these, but these shadows still show up very well! Once the collection comes out I will for sure buy the rest of the colours! The ones that you see in the swatch below (left to right) are Purple Haze, Midnight Sky, Jaded Moon, Cosmic Brown:

Glimmersticks Eye Liners

I have been eyeing the Glimmersticks in the Avon catalogue for a while now and I was so happy when they sent me these! I've purchased some of their older glimmersticks in the past, and they are some of the creamiest eye liners I've come across! I will admit, sometimes they do break easily, but not enough to make me not want to buy them again. These pigmented eye liners are a must-have, and are great at completing night-time looks! Each Glimmerstick will be available for $7. The colours you see down below (top to bottom) are Starlight Blue, Blackened Night, Galactic Green, and Purple Haze:

Wow that was long........

I'll be back with more Avon reviews next week! (and other posts, of course)

xx Mandy

When Is It Time To Say Goodbye To Your Makeup?

I find it really hard when I have to throw some sort of cosmetic away. And when it's in a pretty container, I swear my eyes water a little. But there will come a time where something just gets so old that you need to toss it out. So here's the question: When is it time? Here are some tips on when you need to say goodbye!

Eyeshadows
My lovers, my babies, my necessities. Those colours, how will I be able to let go of them? Suck it up, Mandy. Do you want to wear old eyeshadow? Ew, no.
Cream eyeshadows can last 3-6 months, depending on how much sunlight and air they are exposed to, and powdered shadows can last up to a year. It's really important that you take good care of your eye products because if you wear an old shadow or liner for too long you are putting yourself at risk for an infection. Been there, done that. Not fun.

Eyeliners
Liquid eyeliners are the same as the cream shadows. After about 3 months, you should start thinking about throwing them away. Pencil liners can last about a year or so. If you are paranoid about how much bacteria is on your liner, opt for pencil liners instead of the self-sharpening ones. When you sharpen them, it removes some if not all bacteria that is on it.

Foundation and Powder
Foundation is great to have around, but isn't always the cheapest cosmetic out there. But it's a good thing that some foundations can last almost a year. I once saw on the Marilyn Denis show that if your foundation starts to smell weird or is a different colour than when you first put it on, it's time to throw it away. Since we sometimes put our fingers in our foundation, we are increasing the risk of adding bacterias, so make sure you watch how long you keep this product around!
Powders can last anywhere from 1-2 years. Since it has a small water content, there is less of a chance of bacteria growing on it.

Lipstick, gloss, and liner
Lipsticks and glosses have a long life, but since they have a bigger water content they can be home to more bacteria than powder. I recommend not having it for more than 14 months.
Lipliners are the same as the pencil eyeliners- if you want to avoid as much bacteria as possible, opt for the pencil liners.

Mascara
I always make the mistake of keeping my mascara for waaay too long. It gets all sticky and thick and really clumps up your lashes. Mascara probably has the largest water content of all cosmetics, so it's been said that buying a new tube every three months is the best thing to do. To avoid a lot of air entering your mascara tube, swirl it around while taking your wand out rather than pumping it.

As you can see, taking care of your cosmetics is extremely important for your skin! I had an eye infection a few months back because I was wearing old mascara and eyeliner all day... and then I forgot to remove it before going to bed. Seriously, I could not see out of my left eye for about 2 days.

xx Mandy  




  

Understanding Makeup Part Three: Face

Finally, the third and final Understanding Makeup post! Again, I apologize for the lack of posting, but it's the end of the semester, which means tons of final projects and lots of studying for exams. Ewwwww

But anywho, this post will be all about face makeup. Let's goooo!

Foundation
Personally, I do not cover my entire face with foundation. I usually just apply it where I have a blemish. This makeup is great for those icky days where you have a zit that is bugging the heck outta you. Foundation is also great for evening out your skin tone. When buying some, always avoid buying one that is way too dark or way too light for your skin tone. There will most likely be someone at the store who can help you find your right shade, so don't be afraid to ask! Foundation can also come in a pressed powder form. The foundation that I am currently using is the Natureluxe Silk Foundation from Covergirl. I've written a review about it already, but just to summerize, it's very lightweight and doesn't make your skin feel tight!

 

Concealer
ALWAYS BE SURE YOU BUY ONE THAT MATCHES YOUR FOUNDATION. I capitalized that whole sentence because believe it or not I've seen one too many girls who weren't too smart when they bought their concealers/ foundations. However, I always tell people that it is okay to buy a concealer that is a shade or two darker then their foundation. It's better that way than to have it too light and make it look like one of those terrible 'I fell asleep outside in the sun while wearing sunglasses' looks. Who wants that? Anyways, a good reason to have concealer around is to hide those annoying dark circles most people get under their eyes. Foundation can hide them a little bit, but it is a bit thinner than concealor, therefore it is not the best choice Concealer is also great to cover up any redness you may have around your nose and mouth. I recommend the PhotoReady Concealer from Revlon.

  

Primers

Don't you hate it when you put on your makeup and look all fancy-shmancy just before going out, and when you get home it's all smudged and in places it wasn't before? Ugh, it's terrible. That's why I love primer. Face primer, eye primer, eyelid primer. I personally only use eye lid primer because, like I said before, I don't like to put makeup all over my face. Eyelid primer saves the day for me. It stops my eye shadows and liners from creasing and smudging. When you apply it, it smoothes out your lid to make the job of applying makeup easier and leaves it looking better. The eyelid primer that I would recommend is elf's Eyelid Primer (which by the way, is only $1. ONE WHOLE DOLLAR!) 

Bronzers/Blushes

I'd have to say that one of the biggest makeup faux-pas trends that are out there these days is the abuse of bronzers. Yes, it will make you appear more tanned, but use too much of it and you'll end up looking like a carrot. I'm sorry but if you want to be darker, I recommend just going out and tanning. Or better yet, love the skin you're in. Embrace it! You don't need to be tanned all year round! I prefer using bronzers as a highlighter to contour my face. Suck in your cheeks and apply to the hollows of them. Then highlight right around your hairline and temples. Finally, make sure you get around your neck and under your chin to make sure your face doesn't end up being darker than everywhere else. For blushes, opt for something that doesn't show easily. And in my honest opinion, I do not prefer ones that shimmer. I don't like the look of a sparkly face. To apply, simply smile and put on the apples your cheeks in a circular motion. Covergirl's line of blush is a great one to use! 

I don't have much to say in terms of brushes, but anything that is soft and doesn't shed is a keeper! 

I hope you guys enjoyed reading these last three posts on makeup, and I certainly hope it has expanded your knowledge on how to apply it, and which tools and products are best to use! Once exams are over with, I will hopefully have more time to post other things. Oh, and I always love hearing your feedback so please let me know what you guys think of how I'm doing so far!

xx Mandy