April 2013 Favourites

Hey guys! Sorry I'm a day late with this post, but better late than never right? We've reached the end of another month, which means it's time for a Favourites post! I have a bunch of things that I'd like to share with you so let's get started!

Super duper cute polka-dot boots from Target

I'm going to let you guys in on a little secret....I can't remember the last time I owned a pair of rain boots. I can be so stubborn when it comes to how my boots look, that I usually end up not buying any and coming home with soaking wet feet. But one day I was in Target and came across these amaaaazing polka-dotted boots and I knew I had to have them! They're super water proof and are great to have at this time of the year because of all the rain that spring brings. I forget how much they were but I do remember they were affordable!

Maybelline Colour Tattoo Eyeshadow in Edgy Emerald

I'd like to apologize about the lack of colour that is showing up right now...I'm still trying to find a good spot in my house for taking pictures. But anyways, this cream eyeshadow is a must have for the season because of it's vibrant emerald colour! I am obsessed with pastel colours right now and I love to use this shadow as a liner some days when I feel like being colourful. It adds a burst of colour to your eyes and can make such a playful look! Definitely check these shadows out!

Covergirl Jumbo Gloss Balm in Watermelon Twist

Alright, get ready for some lip products. I absolutely love pink, peach, and coral lipsticks for the spring time and this gloss balm has now become a Holy Grail product for me. I always see this shade (Watermelon Twist) advertised in Seventeen magazine (my favourite), and I saw missglamorazzi wearing it one of her videos and I just had to have it! It is probably my favourite pink lipstick at the moment, and since it's a balm it never dries out my lips! I highly recommend you guys check it out!

Mark Glossworks Lip Gloss in Tempest

....aaaand here's another one of my favourite pink lip glosses! I did a review on these lip glosses, which you can view HERE, so I won't go in too much about this product. But what I will say is that it is the hottest pink lip gloss that I own and is so glossy! My favourite thing about it is that it isn't sticky at all!

L'oréal Paris Lipstick in British Red

So the next two lipsticks are red lipsticks, which I typically wear in the autumn and winter time. Though I don't wear these products as much as the others, I still wanted to tell you all about how amazing they are! This first one in my opinion is the perfect red lipstick for me. It goes really well with my skin tone (fair-medium) and isn't too shimmery, which is what I like! Also, I find that the L'oréal lipsticks smell really good...

Avon Colour Precise Lipstick in Really Red

...and this next one...well, actually...I don't think I should write much about it...you'll have to wait until my next Avon Reviews post to know about it ;)  

Bath & Body Works Perfume in Paris Amour

 

Finally, this last favourite product of mine is this fantabulous spray from the one and only Bath & Body Works! According to the website description, this fragrance mist is "a dreamy blend of French tulips, apple blossoms and sparkling pink champagne, inspired by a romantic stroll through the streets of Paris". How does that not sound good?!?! 

This brings us to the end of another Favourites post! Before you know it, it will be the end of May and I'll be writing up another one!

xx Mandy 

March 2013 Favourites!

Hey guys! I thought it would be a great idea to start posting some favourites posts at the end of each month to keep all of you updated with my preferred beauty products!

MAC False Lashes Extreme Black Mascara
So back at the beginning of the month, Rachel took me out for a belated birthday celebration. One of the things that we did was go to MAC and get makeovers. The only other time I ever had my makeup done was when I was four and was about to be a flowergirl in a wedding. While at MAC, I learned a some new and helpful tips, and at the end of the makeover I received a free mascara! They gave me the mascara they had used in the makeover, which was the False Lashes Extreme Black Mascara. I have been using this mascara everyday ever since I got it! It has become one of my holy grails!

MAC Lipstick in Coral Bliss
I fell in love with this lipstick when the makeup artist put it on my lips! When you swatch it on your hand it looks like it would be an extremely shimmery lipstick but when you apply it to your lips, it comes off more as a sheer colour that is fairly pigmented. It helps make my eyes POP when I do a brown/bronze smokey eye look. Everyday  I pair this lipstick with my next beauty favourite....

Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake
These new lipsticks from Revlon have been raved about by pretty much every beauty blogger I've seen, so of course I had to go out and buy one for myself! These lipsticks offer the moisturization of a lip balm while adding a burst of colour to your lips! When I mix it with my MAC lipstick, I get this really nice pinky coraly beigey colour that is stunning!

Bath & Body Works Shower gel in Secret Wonderland Jardin
My final favourite of the month is an amazing shower gel from none other than Bath & Body Works (every beauty blogger's favourite soap and candle store). The picture down below is of my second bottle this month...that's how much I love it! It has this sweet smell that makes me feel like I'm drifting away into some exotic land. Mmmmm

Hope you guys have an amazing easter with your families!

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 Two: Lips

I hope you all enjoyed my first Understanding Makepup post!

Tonight's topic is lips. Now, there aren't nearly as many lip cosmetics as there are eye cosmetics. But here are some stuff you may find interesting when dressing up those smackers!

Lip Stick and Lip Gloss
When you want to make your eyes stand out by wearing makeup, you automatically think about what eyeshadow to use, right? Eyeshadows, eyeliners, etc. can help your eyes pop, but did you know that lip stick and lip gloss can also help?

For example, if you have blue eyes like myself, opt for nudes, pinks, and bright reds. For brown eyes, red lipsticks with green, orange, or gold undertones are your bestfriends. And for those green eyes, go for lipsticks that are pink, and ones that have green, red, or brown undertones.

Lip Liners
A must have for all of you lip stick lovers! If you have lips that are a little uneven in one section, a lip liner can save the day. These pencils help fill in those areas, creating fuller looking lips. Also, it stops your lip stick from "bleeding" (moving off of your lips, sort of like smudging on its own... bleh). Try to make sure your liner is close to the shade of lipstick you are using, unless you are going for the "outlined" look, which I personally find a makeup no-no. 

Red Lips

Kim Kardashian

One of the biggest trends out there right now. Red lips give off a bolder, sexier look. I love wearing red lip stick because it makes me look a little older, but not too old.

When wearing a brighter shade of red, try not to over do your eye makeup. The way I see it, it makes you look like a clown. A great combo is a pearl/ beige shadow over your lid, with a simple winged eyeliner to go with your bright red lips.

     
Darker reds are best for night time looks. This is when you can go a bit heavier with your eyeliner and shadows. Try a smokey eye!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post! And remember to keep your lips hydrated by applying a good chapstick with SPF so they won't dry out. I apologize for not posting this the day after my eye makeup post, but school does come first. Hopefully I can get up my last Understanding Makeup post (Face) tomorrow!

xx Mandy